Give thanks.

My dad and I, as well as Pastor and Sandy, have been lucky enough to have several visits and conversations with our friends from previous trips as well as with pastors from all over Haiti. We have learned new things about our old friends and we the pastors have taken time out of their very busy schedules to speak with us about their churches. I want to write this post today about something weighing very heavy on my heart, my dad's heart and on the hearts of those who have been here and those who live here as well. Two days ago my dad and I were sitting with Steevenson on the front porch and my dad asked him how often he was able to eat on a normal day. This question came up because the day before when we spent time with Steevenson he seemed almost lethargic and did mention that he was not feeling well and later on we wondered if he had had anything to eat that day. Well the next day he answered our question, according to him on a good day he might eat twice, but most days he only eats one time. He said it very matter of fact and my dad and I immediately looked at each other and were speechless. What can you say to that? I thought to myself, half of the time I can barely function without some kind of food in my body before 9 am and here is my brother, spending his vacation from school studying his English notes and the Bible as well as (we found out today) spending two hours every Friday teaching a small group about the Bible. My body is trained and relies on eating three meals a day to function, to focus, etc but Steevenson carries on. Similarly almost all of the pastors we've spoken with have expressed the same problem in their communities. Many of the churches all over Haiti have schools that associate with them, many share the same building and every pastor has a story that mirrors the next: not enough food. The children come to church and come to school having not eaten in who knows how long, which, as most of you can probably imagine, doesn't create a helpful learning environment. How can the brain thrive when it doesn't have food? I admire the strength and the perseverance of the Haitian people and I hope that this touches the hearts of those reading this so that something can be done about it, however small or large. So give thanks tonight for what you have and pray for those who don't have enough.

Luke 1:37

Yesterday the four of us were able to visit with some of our oldest friends here in Haiti: Events, Melissa and Steevenson. If anyone is unfamiliar with these names they are three of some of the originals we met our first year here. I consider Steevenson my brother and has been a part of our family since the first year we met him. Events and Melissa were the first to come to the guest house but shortly after a phone call was made to Steevenson he rode up on his new bike. We spent the next hour or so visiting and catching up. Steevenson's English is amazing, especially considering that when we first met him we could barely communicate. Now we're able to have full conversations in English. He's a determined and meticulous student. He's pensive and ambitious, he told us later on that he had to go home to study his English and his Bible. Mind you, he's on vacation from school right now.  As we were sitting on the porch with our friends we asked Steevenson what his favorite Bible verse is and he responded with Luke 1:37, which reads, "For nothing is impossible with God." What a fitting verse for here, for home, for any time and any place. The verse is almost hidden, squeezed between two longer verses and at first we passed right over it, but once we saw it and read it  it just clicked, at least for me. Haiti has opened up dozens of possibilities for us and none would have been accomplished without the group's faith in God and the faith that He will provide for us as we continue to come here. As we prepared ourselves for this trip the heat and humidity (and BUGS) were on our minds, however after reading that verse it seemed to put those small things into perspective. Yes, it's hot and yes, I sweat through my clothes from the time I wake up until the time I go to bed, but being able to see all of my friends within 24 hours of arriving makes all of those things seem unimportant. I imagine that by the end of the week I'll be thriving in the heat, no problem!
Another friend of mine, Wolking (who has decorated my house in Illinois with several of his paintings and other artwork), asked for an English bible and when I gave one to him I asked what his favorite verse was and without hesitation he said, "Psalm 121." So I'll leave you with this group of verses, which again seem to just fit.
"I lift up my eyes to the hills--
where does my help come from?
My help comes from The Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip--
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you--
The Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm--
he will watch over your life;
The Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore."

Grace

Today myself and 4 others had the opportunity to take another trip into the mountains with Pastor Markey and Sidney. We were en route to visit another church that Pastor Markey is hoping to pair with a sister church from the US but an hour and a half into our drive the road was no more. Apparently a truck had attempted to make it across this already very narrow road and ended up sliding down the very steep side of the mountain. It was unclear when the accident happened but after surveying the scene we had to turn around and return down the mountain. But of course Pastor Markey did not let the trip go to waste, instead he took us into a very rural area where a pastor friend of his lives with his 5 kids. The pastor we met is actually a Baptist pastor but makes weekly trips to Jacmel to study and train with Pastor Markey in order to become a Lutheran pastor. I can't imagine any American making the drive up and down the mountain like Pastor Markey and Sidney. They are fearless and so familiar with every bump in the road it seems like. I also think that Haiti must sell extremely durable tires for their vehicles. After visiting the pastor we continued on our journey back to Jacmel. We made other stops at the house of a church member who was having a roof put on and also at the door "factory" (I use that term loosely) where doors were being made for a church we visited earlier in the week.

We noticed a few things on our trip with Pastor and Sidney such as they do everything on their own time.  No plan has a set time and if you're early or late, no one is waiting there to scold you. This mindset seems to lead to less stress, at least in my mind, because no one is in a hurry to get anywhere. Pastor Markey takes his very limited time in his very busy schedule to run errands and make stops at these places to ensure that things are in order. He is truly a servant of his people and his people love him. He makes it a priority to visit various churches in the area knowing that some trips make take 5 hours round trip or that he has to climb an extremely steep mountain in order to get to them but he does it with no complaints but with joy and excitement. It's amazing to see the love that he projects to not only the members of his congregation but to the people of Jacmel.  It's just as amazing to see the respect and reverence that they give to him without his asking.  Pastor Markey is the epitome of gracious. He continues to give to the church and to others even when there is barely anything to give. The churches that we visited this week are churches that Pastor Markey is helping to build physically and spiritually. All of the churches are growing in size and are in need of both structural and financial help. I had the privilege of sitting down with some of our group members as well as Pastor Markey and the pastors of the respective churches. We found out that all of these pastors are working tirelessly with their congregations and are receiving no compensation. Pastor Markey distributes money and supplies as much as he can but the materials unfortunately spread thin. But I see similarities between Pastor Markey and Pastor Strom in that they are relentless in their work for others and their communities. They are relentless in their compassion and grace. They never ask but always give and the relationship that I've seen grow this trip is one for the books. We have all been so lucky to spend the majority of our time with Pastor Markey and Sidney and have learned so much about them and about their goals and visions for the church and for the churches in Jacmel.

As our trip is once again winding down I feel so blessed to have spent another amazingly successful trip in Haiti. Success has so many definitions in our minds and has changed every year with our changing trips. This year we have learned to let go and let God, just as our Haitian friends do every day.

Things I am thankful for

What a difference a few months makes in terms of weather and bug population, among other things. Some of us, myself included, have figured out the hard way that Haiti is swarming with mutant, blood-thirsty Mosquitos this time of year. I brushed off bug spray the first day because I assumed the bugs wouldn't be an issue like in years past. Boy was I wrong. 3 out of 5 fingers on one hand have been bitten 4 times and that's just the beginning. So this morning when DeeDee found her anti-itch cream I cried tears of joy. So I'm thankful for that.

But on a serious note there are so many things that I am thankful for here in Haiti and also at home. I am so thankful to have been blessed with a loving family and great friends. I am so very thankful to have been given the opportunities in my life, especially the opportunity to continue to come to Haiti. The friendships I have with the people in Haiti bring indescribable joy into my life. I know I've said it in previous posts but my friends here and the Haitian people in general have impacted my life more than I can even hope I've impacted theirs.

I know that I am speaking for everyone when I say that we as a group are extremely grateful for Pastor Strom. Some of us had a conversation yesterday about the love and compassion he brings to our group. When the original trip dates didn't work for Pastor's schedule and he wasn't going to be able to go, our motivation for the trip changed completely. Pastor is the epitome of a humble leader. He may not know it but we are so thankful for him. He holds nothing back here in Haiti and even at home. He's fearless in his interactions with every person he comes in contact with and shows relentless compassion for all different populations. One huge difference I've seen Pastor make is the changes he's helped my dad make in his relationship with God and his faith in general. My dad will tell you the same thing. Pastor's goals and dreams are contagious and without knowing t he has people reeled in and on board with his missions. Never did I think that I would be spending time in Haiti with my dad because 5 years ago I don't think my dad would consider leaving the comfort of our home in Urbana to spend a week in a third world country. I know that there have been a lot of changes he's made on his own but I know that Pastor has been a huge factor in those changes. So for that and for everything he does I am very thankful for him. (and I think most of you who know him feel the same)

Friends galore

For my second blog installment of the evening I'll talk about our eventful Sunday. I started my day very early at what I thought was 4:50am.  I was never sure what clock was right so I just assumed the worst and the sun was nowhere near coming up when I got out of bed so I figured it was just that early. Most of you know that Haiti is not the quietest country in the world. The first year we heard voodoo and roosters, last year was generators and more roosters. This year we've heard dog fights and I bet you'll never guess what else???!......roosters. Ironically I was not bothered by the outside noise but the inside noise. I should have known that in a room full of 8 sleeping women, one of them is bound to be a snorer.  I won't tell you who that person is because I don't want to tarnish their good naMe, hOwever if you read carefully you Might just figure out the mystery. Anyways I blame myself mostly because I went to bed sans ear plugs, a mistake that I will never make again. I also think that I was just excited that it was Sunday morning because I was very anxious to go to church as that is definitely one of our favorite aspects of past trips. After getting over my pity party I watched the sun come up and got ready for church. The service is so hard to adequately put into words how amazing it is every time. Pastor was asked to preach this time around, which by the looks of the pictures we snapped of him at the front of the church, made him very nervous. But he did a wonderful job per usual and the congregation was very happy to hear him.
We and by we I mean Heather, organized a VBS lesson for the afternoon that we did at 4pm. It went as smooth as it could possible go, even when we had to stall while waiting for translators. There was a little bit of chaos when we handed out snacks but after last year's "snack riot" this was nothing.

Anyways, as I sit here enjoying my second Prestige of the night I can't put into words how happy I am to be back. I know that I speak for most of the group when I say that I feel an overwhelming sense of joy and a sense of home when I'm in Haiti. We were surprised and so happy to see old friends today. Events (Pastor's buddy) came running out of nowhere this morning in his Sunday best and about jumped on Pastor's back. He then proceeded to call Steevenson and hand the phone to my dad. He let Steevenson know that we were here and sure enough this afternoon Events brought Steevenson to us. The reunion between he and my dad is always a sight to see. And he finally got to meet my mom! The whole family was together. He spent a good portion of the afternoon with us, looking and pictures and talking with us. His English is so impressive and he is so motivated in his studies at regular school and English school. We can't wait to visit with him again.

I was also so pleasantly surprised to see my old friend Roberto this afternoon while the group was doing VBS. Word must have traveled fast that we were in Jacmel and I believe Douge brought him to the church to see us. I was so overjoyed and excited, just like every year. The first year I was here he, Douge and I sat at the work site and talked for so long about the earthquake, their families and their hopes in the future. I sat down again with Roberto and we talked and talked. We were both so happy to see each other but our conversations are always so solemn. He talked his mother dying and his father being a "vagabond" and not a very good person. He told me how he's struggling to go day to day because he can't find work and without work he can't pay for school. It seems like a never-ending circle: you have a job and money but how do you decide what to pay for? School? Food? Family? It kills me because I know how smart and motivated he is but there is virtually nothing he can do about it. One thing he told me that stuck with me was, "If you live in Haiti you must have a tough heart." He is absolutely right.

There is so much more that I could write but I don't think I would have enough time in the day for that. Hope you guys enjoy.

Hat Trick

We're baaaaaaaaack. And better than ever. Every year I contemplate whether or not I'm going to write on the blog and every year after some convincing I decide that it's a good idea, so thank you to whoever keeps asking about my blog because you're the reason I keep doing it.

Coming into Port Au Prince was a completely different ball game this time around. We had prepared the group to expect a 30 second bus ride from the plane to the "barn" as we like to refer to the area where, in the last two years, we went through immigration, baggage claim and customs all in one room. This year, however we walked into a beautiful, new airport. Every stop had its own designated area and the whole operation was very smooth and much less intimidating. The newbies probably thought we were just playing a cruel joke on them. Anyways, the journey through Port Au Prince was also much different this year. Last year I noticed definite improvements in terms of clean up and overall appearance. This year I felt like the city was brand new. The roads (most of them) were re-paved and so smooth! It seemed like we were flying through the capital however traffic is inevitable and we definitely hit it in different spots throughout our trip over the mountain. A lot of broken down trucks oddly enough. I think we counted 6 or 7 in the road just on our time through the mountains. Obviously we survived although some of us were uncharacteristically quiet during the ride due to the constant weaving and fear of going over the side.
We arrived in Jacmel safely and ate at Le Chandellier restaurant, one that we frequented during our time here last year. After lunch we scoped out our digs at the guest house, which by the way is amazing. The progress made from last year until now is so incredible. We were able to visit the neighborhood where some of our friends live, where we built houses the first year. We weren't sure if we would see anyone but low and behold our friend Douge was standing right outside his house and recognized most of us right away. It was so nice to see a familiar smile. Yesterday evening we took it pretty easy and most of us went to bed early after not sleeping very much in Miami the night before. 

Reflection.

I hopped on the computer after we arrived back from the beach and Erin asked if I was blogging.  I said no, that I wasn't quite sure what to write yet.  Dinner passed and we sat around until my dad took the spot of Pastor Strom and sparked the end of the week, god-moment conversation.  We started with the newbies and heard their thoughts on the week.  Then it was our turn...it seemed as if the reoccurring theme of everyone's reflection was that none of us were quite sure how to feel as we leave Haiti once again.  Some were a little disappointed in terms of production or were not sure how to process the thoughts, feelings, emotions, etc. that are flowing through us at this point.  When it came around to Dave's turn, he made a great point, we are all just a piece of the fabric of time.  We will make our mark in these people's lives, as they will in ours, no matter how much or how little physical work we do while we're here.  And that made me think and I know it made my dad think because it was his turn next and he thanked Dave for reminding him how selfish we can be.  Here we are feeling sad or a little disappointed that we might not have gotten done what we expected when that is not what this trip is about in the first place.  This trip has been absolutely different than last year's trip.  As Jan just said (about 10 seconds ago), we have been more immersed into Haitian culture, into the every day lives of these people.  The trip has been a rollercoaster to say the least but the biggest thing that I am taking with me is that whatever feelings I may feel or everyone else in the crew may feel, good or bad, are a test.  God is testing us.  For us "oldies" who might be feeling a little indifferent about this week, I see it as God's way of shaking us back to our core.  He hit us with a lot of love and inspiration last year and we went away feeling great.  This year is not necessarily the same.  He hit us with a ton of adversity and chaos and the way we decide to react to what he is dishing up to us will tell all (at least in my opinion).  This realization has come as a surprise to me, just in the last 20 minutes when it popped into my head because religion and God things have not been my forte for the last 8-9 years.  Last year, however, flipped a switch in my head.  I wasn't quite sure what was going on, how to process the extremely strong emotions I was feeling and it wasn't until my dad wrote me a letter a few weeks after we came back that I realized what was happening.  He saw God working through me with the kids, with the guys I befriended, with the journey I was just beginning.  This year I have come to terms with that and have made some realizations of my own.  At this point God is working in the most mysterious ways but for some reason I feel peace in my heart because I know that eventually all of the pieces of the puzzle will fit together.