Last Day of Camp...PRICELESS

Just getting done making dinner. Bought a block of cheese in Port-au-Prince. One can’t get cheese out this way, so we keep it for “special” days. Today is special because I am tired and I want cheese..ha! But just dropped a good chunk of it on the floor, in the states I would pick it up off the floor and eat it, in HAITI, NO WAY. Cholera has put everyone in a scare. While cheese is so precious here, I am not going to eat it..ha! Been a good week.

First week of camp fini! Favorite moment today was watching the children watch our “theatre” play of Jesus raising Lararus from the dead. O did they laugh….we wrapped Wilfete in a sheet and carried him across the room and put him in a “cave.” They lost it in laughter. Precious. Great to engage them in a different way than they are used too. Another moment that made me laugh was watching the 6-8 year olds play a game of soccer, skins vs. shirts. Hilarious, they got a bit into it, but don’t blame them, soccer is more than a game here.

Continue to be so thankful for what the Lord has allowed and equipped us to do. The workers have been a blessing. Today we had a new attendance of a 3 year-old come to camp. Her older sister was babysitting her. The 3 yr old came all dressed up and with the cutest smile, didn’t have the heart to tell her she couldn’t come in. Sweetest moment was watching Wilfete help her color this morning. He almost took her under his wing and took care of her for the morning. He is so good with the children. Over the years working in Haiti I have not found too many 23 year olds that truly love working with children. Been neat to see that in Wilfete. They look up to him because he takes care of them. I could see Wilfete one day being a “father/caretaker” for our hopeful home. Neat to vision even more for the future.

This place is beautiful. If you look past the dirt, garbage, and poverty you see PURE BEAUTY. Hard to explain through a blog. But the energy of the people, their compassion, the culture, their ability to overcome and keep smiling, and their faith continue to captivate me and challenge me. Thankful that I get to be a part of Haiti’s story. Continue to ask you all for prayers. My father is coming in on Tuesday. Pray for his flight, people, meeting him, me getting to Port-de-Paix to pick him up, pray that he gets here safely. It is a bit exhausting to travel by yourself in Haiti and my father doesn’t know Creole, so pray for his travels and strength. Love you all! Until next time….

Another Day in Haiti

One of those days that goes down in the books. Camp was priceless, but more so a rainy afternoon in Passe Cataboise was nothing but fun in the mud. Brought the soccer ball down to the field to get in a good game with the kiddos. I arrived to find no one waiting to play ball. Within ten minutes we had two teams and it was a game. Within no time it started to rain, not a light rain, but a pour. When it rains here the mud is insane. Within minutes the ball had a couple layers of mud on it and my sneakers felt like high heels because there was so much mud on the bottoms of them. Thirty minutes later we are all soaked to the bone, laughing, covered in mud, and laughing that probably one of us will get cholera. I know we should not be laughing about that…but considering the way we looked, we were covered in MUD, head to toe. Please Jesus, no cholera!!!! Fun to just laugh with the children and forget about the problems in Haiti, United States, and just be people together.

Got a lot of rain tonight. In the states I would sit on the porch and love watching it fall. When it pours here you pray that it will stop. You think about the lost crops, the people that are on the street, people that live in huts without doors, and the cholera. Hoping it is done for the week.

Tomorrow is our last day of camp. We are having a party for Jesus. Meaning…just getting crazy for Jesus. The pastor tried to tell them to wear their best clothes, we said NO WAY we are getting dirty tomorrow.

Love this place more and more because of the people and children. The neatest moments this week have been enjoying conversation with the people. Makes me stop and think about how much fruitful conversation I miss at home as I get involved in my chaotic lifestyle of work. It has been a challenge this week. How am I making more time for relationships at home? Yesterday I was sitting on the soccer field and one of my favorite little girls came and plopped herself down in my lap. An hour later we were still sitting there and she was smiling away.

Week two starts next week. Here we go…continue to pray for the children, the team, our health, and Haiti. My dad comes next Tuesday. Pray for his travels, changing flights, and time in Haiti. Until next time….