Haiti

I just got back from Haiti on my first mission trip.  I'm really at a total loss of what to say about it, so this will be rambling -- fair warning.  

Needless to say, it was definitely an eye-opening experience.  Luckily, we were an amazing group -- a stone-cold pack of weirdos that meshed perfectly together.

I've lived the majority of my life sheltered from extreme poverty and need, so my first views of Port-au-Prince were shocking.

Houses are constructed from sticks holding up tarps, and placed side-by-side.  People are everywhere, as are animals.

While we were there, we stayed at a placed called Christianville, which is a campus that is home to an orphanage, a school, and many, many big things to come for Haiti.  They are starting a chicken coop to help the Haitian people with sustainable solutions for income, food, and hopefully a better tomorrow for Haiti.  There were also students, professors, and deans from University of Florida conducting research on malaria and cholera outbreaks, as well as many other diseases and issues in the country.  There are big things in store for Haiti through the work that Christianville is doing, and I urge you to check out their website to see all of the wonderful things they have going on: http://www.christianvillehaiti.org/  Bonus: the "main man" is from West Virginia!

What I'll remember most from my trip, though, is the children we visited at various orphanages.  One in particular was run by a man named Odonson (botched the spelling, sorry), who was buried under the debris from the earthquake for 2 days with one of his sons dead beside him.  He promised God that if He would allow him to live that he would open an orphanage for all of the children he could help.  And he sure did it -- his orphanage has over 30 children, and they are all amazing.  Regardless of their circumstances, every one of them had a huge smile on their face.

I fell in love, guys.  Her name is Bigendy and she's 9 years old.  She lost her family in the earthquake and is living at Odonson's.  She is the most pleasant, smiley, goofy person I have ever met.

I would adopt her tomorrow if I could.  Even with the language barrier, she still managed to steal a huge chunk of my heart.  To me, Bigendy is how I will remember Haiti.  In the midst of so much poverty and ruin, the people are incredibly welcoming and positive.

The people I traveled with were fantastic company, as well.  The nature of the trip naturally brings so many different personalities together, and we meshed so well.  I even found people with my sarcastic sense of humor, and it made it so much more fun.  God is really working in Haiti, and in the people of Haiti, and in those working to serve in Haiti.
Okay, other jumbled thoughts:

• We had fresh, handmade bread at every meal.  It tasted like what I would imagine bread would taste like if angels made it -- ohmygosh, it was delicious.  I mean, we even had homemade hot dog buns.  Get. Out. Of. Here.

• I'm gonna miss fresh mangoes like crazy.  And we had a vegetable that was fantastic, but honestly I can't remember the proper word (which was an ongoing joke...no one knew how to say it and everyone said their own version at least 50 times a meal)...maloti? muhlata?  I'm never going to remember.

• You can't flush toilet paper because the septic system can't handle it.  Think about that for a minute.....  Eek, right?

• I saw a tarantula, a huuuuuuuuge spider, lizards, the biggest toad in the history of the world, and various other geegle-worthy insects and managed to not lose my mind.  Be impressed.

Yuck, dude.

• On the way to the airport to leave, the police stopped and boarded our van.  One of the women with us accidentally filmed them as she was filming Port-au-Prince on our drive, and I almost pooped 'em, y'all.  But it turned out to be okay, and they just asked her to erase it.  

• Okay, check out this lady's (yes, it is a lady) hat!  MARSHALL!  Whaaaaaat?!  She randomly came up to me at the beach and started talking, and the whole time I was just freaking out in my brain.  I didn't have anything Marshall on (not that she might make the connection, but you never know) so it was completely random.  Reminds you what a small world it truly is.

I know I didn't do the trip much justice in this post, because I feel like I really could talk about it all day long.  Check out my Facebook photo album and give me a call if you wanna hear me ramble for hours.  I'm gonna end on something extraordinarily personal, so if you wanna stop reading here I don't blame you.  While I was on the plane I wrote out a prayer, and I wanted to share it.  Why?  Because I'm verbose, that's why.

Dear Lord Jesus,
As I'm up in this airplane on the way home from Haiti, there are so many things I think I should be saying and feeling that I'm unsure of where to begin.  But first of all, thank you for the opportunity to go at all on this amazing trip with these wonderful people.  You've recently blessed me with a "jump in!" attitude and it's led me to amazing places and adventures in the past few months alone.Please help me to not take this experience for granted, and to not forget the beautiful people I met--nor their joy in the midst of so much suffering.  Bigendy is heavy on my heart because of the wonderful connection I feel we made.  Please lay your hands over her and bless her life.  Bring her joy and please help her to never lose her wonderful smile and goofiness and heart.  Even if I never see her again (though I truly, truly hope I do soon), please keep her tight in my heart forever.Show me how you would have me continue to serve Haiti.  Guide my heart to your will and be with Travis and I to help us make the right decisions about how to serve your people in your name.  Shape me and Travis into the kinds of servants and stewards and messengers you need us to be.  Help me to spread your word and love for every single day of my life.  
In Your Holy and Precious Name I pray, Amen.

Isaiah 58: 10--"and if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday"