His first day of Kindergarten

Thursday was his big day.  

He was very excited.

He entered the Kindergarten room as if he had been there for months.

All went well except he did have a little accident.  

He came home with a golf ball sized bump on his head.  

The school nurse called and the teacher called.

Both were checking on him b/c they were concerned.

Little did they know that it was just a day in the life of Little Man.

His best part of the day:  Due to his head injury he didn't have to lay down with the other kids.

Love that kid!

Goodbye Summer! I'm so glad to see you go!

School is here.  

I was ready.  

It was time to get the kids out of the house and into a new routine.

This summer was on my list of worst summers ever.  

This house was a sick house all summer long.

Little Man had one thing after another.

 

There were highlights....but right now I am only seeing the junk.

That is because I have fallen prey to the germs.

It started with Little Man having 6 or so different sick periods.

Then while in IL he got really sick!

 My mother picked up his walking pneumonia.

2 weeks later  Middle Sister came down with it.

Week later Older Sister is sick.

Then Daddy....and today Baby Girl and I got on meds.

WE ARE A MESS AROUND HERE!

Dramatic...yes!

But I don't care.  It was a yucky summer.

I will jump ahead for a second.

Yesterday was the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!

Big sis headed to the 6th grade school.

One school only for 6th graders.

AND...the boys and girls are separated for core classes.

Very cool!

She had her class schedule ready.

She had practiced her locker combo over and over.

She was thrilled to see that one of her best friends was in 5 of her classes.

She knew exactly where to go.

She was SOOO EXCITED!

 There were a few tears as I dropped her off yesterday morning.

I'm very excited for her!

 Middle Sis headed back to the Elementary school for 3rd grade.

She "heard" that she got an awesome teacher.

She didn't get any of her favorite girls in her class....but she was excited to know a few gals.

She was ready and excited!

Then there is little man....

He was supposed to start Kindergarten.

But, like most of the summer he was sick.

I was so sad for him.

He's still recovering from walking pneumonia.

His doctor said that he could go if his temp was under 101.

All day I took it over and over.  

99.4

99.8

100.2

And then we hit 101.2

No school for him.

He's had two more days to recover.  His temp has been under 100 all day today.

I hope tomorrow is his lucky day!

Haiti Day 1

I'm finally ready to get started.  Although blogging about my trip is important to me....I've been dreading it.  How can I put it into words?

I'm going to do my best.  I think doing it day by day will be the best way.

Part of me has no words...  Another part of me has so many words that I want to SCREAM it out.  I have held back the screaming and have stayed pretty quite.  I think I'm ready to give this a shot.

Lord,
Help me to be forever ruined for the ordinary!
That was a prayer that a friend sent to me.  I claimed it and prayed it constantly.
I hope that prayer is answered.  I'm yet to know....forever is the key word.

Day 1:  Arrival

We were prepped about the craziness of the Port a Prince airport.  We were told to hang on to our luggage and do our best to stay together.  I was responsible for two teenage girls.

My journal...
Airport-CRAZY!  So crowded.  People trying to "help" you forcefully.  I'm in charge of R&F.  Super sweet girls.  So far I am enjoying the teens so much.  I'm pretty shocked about that.  Our plane was full of missionaries.  Such an amazing privilege!  I'm reading Redeeming Love.  God's already at work in me.  So happy!  I can't believe I get to do this.  Lord, Help me to be forever ruined for the ordinary!  Love, Me

The drive from the airport was our first exposure to Haiti.  You could hear a pin drop in the bus during the 45 min. ride.  It was hot.  The sights were shocking.  So dirty.  So much trash.  Everywhere.  That is what stuck with me the first day.  So much trash.
I had a hard time taking pictures.  I wanted to capture it all...but I felt so wrong.  I wanted to capture their lives so I could share...without exposing something so personal.

I don't know....see, I can't put it all in words.

Several of the pictures that you will see in this blog and the upcoming blogs were taken by others.
I just had a really hard time taking pictures.

 Here we go...

Quick pic of the Airport:

Some pictures from our drive from airport to Mission of Hope...

This was called a Tap-Tap.  It was how the majority of Haitians get around.  You knock on the truck to tell it to stop so you can jump on and you knock on the truck when you need it to stop so you can get off.  They can stuff A LOT of people on those things!!

Need gas?  These were the "gas stations". 

Mission of Hope

I will talk more about it in tomorrow's blog but here is a few teasers...

The green building is where we stayed.  

10 gals to a room.  

The other buildings are the orphanage buildings. 

So here is the info that many of you are interested in...

10 girls, one bathroom.  It did have a toilet that flushed, but you were to follow the rule:

If it's brown flush it down,

If it's yellow let it mellow.

All toilet paper was to go into the wastebasket...not down the toilet. 

Showers....cold water

Turn it on to wet down.  Tun it off to lather up.  Turn it on to rinse off.

Do not get the water in your mouth.

There were armed guards walking the campus.  I felt VERY SAFE!

So day one...how was I feeling?  A little culture shocked but SO THANKFUL that the Lord had blessed me with this opportunity.  I was on cloud 9.  I didn't know what was in store for me but I knew it would be good!  And it was! 

Stay tuned....

Hait Day 2

Morning Journal:
Storm blew through last night.  I was up a number of times.  I don't know how much it rained but the wind was vicious.  The sound was something I would hear while walking through a haunted house.  It was almost unreal.  As creepy as it sounded....I was not afraid.  It made me realize how fully I trust Jesus with my life... but when it comes to taking care of my children I don't hand it all over to Him.  If my kids were there would I be freaking out?  I think so.  That is where I get so anxious.  My anxiety is b/c I need to keep my kids safe.  Help me to hand it ALL over to you, Lord!

Late Day Journal: 

We started the day in worship.  It was in Creole  A few of the songs were half English/half Creole.  So Cool!  Watching the Haitians worship was inspiring.  It lasted 2 hours and they knew how to worship!  We then went to visit Madame Cheap-Cheap.  She is the on site sales person.  She walks around saying, "Cheap, Cheap!"  We then got the Mission of Hope tour.  A-MAZ-ING!  They have 63 orphans, they feed 53,000 kids a day.  They have 2,500 students attending school.  They have a prosthetic lab, clinic, and church.  They are in the process of building a hospital.  
     We took a few village tours and other MOH campus tours.  In the first village a boy showed me his car made from an oil bottle.  That had an unexpected outcome!  A women handed me her 4 month old baby.  (I think that was his age.  I was counting on by fingers and she pointed to 4 of my fingers.)  He didn't have a diaper on.  I prayed he wouldn't pee on me.  She was trying to tell me something about his belly but I didn't have an interpreter with me.  I felt so bad that I couldn't understand her.  She wanted me to know what she was saying so bad.  As I continued walking through the village it began to rain.  A sweet, sweet lady was calling me out of the rain.  She brought lawn chairs out of her home so I could have a place to sit on her patio area.  She had her children clear off the porch for me.  I could tell how important hospitality was to her.  We did not share the same language but our exchange of smiles, laughter, and hugs spoke loudly.  (I still think about her often.)  The rain came down hard and the interpreters and inters ran through the village gathering us up.  We needed to get out of that valley fast.  Unfortunately, we did not move out fast enough.  The water/mud combination caused vehicles to get stuck.  Men were pushing vehicles up the hill.  The big bus had no chance.  CRAZY!  I have to admit it was entertaining!    We all made it back to MOH campus by cramming into vehicles.
      So many amazing God moments today.  I love it here.  The Lord has lit a fire in my heart for Haiti.  I don't miss home yet.  Just too many needs here.  I pray all is well in SC.  Thank you God for today!

Our day started at church. My friend and I were sitting out front when we were joined by two Haitian boys.  Their fathers were inside the church cleaning and getting it ready for the upcoming service.  They had a ball playing with our cameras.  They were sweet boys.  Although they didn't know most English words, like most Haitian kids, they knew the word PHOTO. 

Inside the church waiting for worship to begin.

It was a full house.

Campus Tour

This is where we ate our meals.

This is the inside of the hospital that is being built.  

So far it has been mostly funded by the owner of Hobby Lobby!!

This ambulance has an amazing story behind it.  It was donated to MOH in 2009.  Although MOH INSISTED they did not need it, the donor said he knew God wanted him to send it overseas.  

It arrived and sat b/c it was not needed.

Soon after a EMT called and said that he was moving his family to Haiti b/c he felt God was calling him there.  He was also told he was not needed at MOH but he INSISTED. 

Months later that ambulance and the EMT were run rapid helping earthquake victims.  

I guess they were needed!!

They listed to their call and responded.

Obedience.  How often do I listen?

This is the new building that is under construction on the MOH campus.  It is a food storage facility.

Currently MOH is feeding 52,000 children A DAY!  

The goal by 2015 is to be feeding 100,000 a day.

The building was actually funded by another organization.  (I didn't get their name.)

The deal was...they build it and MOH fills it with food. 

There were other really cool things on the tour.  One being the prosthetic lab.  

They have the best prosthesis person in the Western Hemisphere on campus.  

He is the only non-Christian on payroll.

He is mentoring two Haitians that are schooling now.  

He will stay until they are ready to take over his lab. 

After the earthquake there were many, many amputee victims.  

This is a very important service.

Growing children get a new custom fit leg every 3 months.

There is no other place in Haiti where prosthetics are custom fit.

Off Campus Tour

 

One thing was true at every village.

The kids want to be held and loved. 

They swarm you.

Some have clothes on and some are naked as a jaybirds.

I had to get used to that.

But I did.

These kids needed love!

 

Okay...so funny story!  I was very impressed with this little boy's toy.  It was an plastic oil bottle with soda cap wheels.  He was pulling it by a string.  When I was telling him how impressed I was with his car he turned my attention to the hatchback door he made.
I bent down to take a photo of his toy and out pops a bird!

A live bird!

I gasped and jumped.  Others were cracking up at me.

There was a problem.

The bird was stuck inside the bottle.

His leg was tied on something.

I tried to help him out.

The boy was trying to rip him out.

 

So as I am working to get the bird freed an audience gathered.  

Even a boy left his bath time to check out the action :)

This land of the Bercy Campus has big plans. They are planning to build a pastor conference center, a resort center (to create jobs), lodging for groups to come, the rest of the school, another orphanage, medical clinic, food warehouse and elderly homes.

This land was GIVEN to the MOH by the government because of all the good they are doing. 

It is 55 acres on oceanfront.

This is a school on the Bercy campus.  

It will soon be joined by a church that they just broke ground on.  

There are big plans for this area.  I can't wait to go back and see the progress.

This was a village that MOH is building.  The goal is to move all people out of their temporary tent homes (that they moved in after the earthquake) and into more of a permanent structure.  The homes below are home that MOH have already built.  300 down and another 200 to go.  

They currently have funding for another 100 homes.  

The homes cost $6,000 a piece to build.  

This is the point where the storm blew in and we were rushed back to the bus.  This next picture is a picture of the tent part of the village.  4 poles with tarp wrapped around it.  Tin roof.

You can't see it in the picture but each home has a Samaritan's Purse logo on it.

I saw the presence of Samaritan's Purse in so many places around Haiti.

It is an organization that I will be honored to continue to support!

 

So the rain drenched us all.  

The creeks filled with water and the roads turned to mud.

 

And the bus...was stuck!

We all made it back safely.

Our time was cut short...but it was beautiful!

Thoughts at the end of the day...

I was a happy girl!

Day 3

Journal:
I'm writing by the ocean.  Some of the youth are talking to a naked guy on the shore.  He is standing behind a rowboat.  Filthy shore line.  I want to pick up some trash but it seems like a never ending job.  The weather the last two days has been such a blessing.  It's hot...but it's overcast.  I have however heard comments about it being short lived.  We just finished painting a home inside and out for a women, man, and their child.  She was pleased.  He couldn't stop smiling.  Everyone worked so hard.  Painting the bumpy texture is challenging.  Last night it stormed again.  Crazy CRAZY Crazy winds.  I didn't fall asleep until almost 3:00.  I think the energy tea I drank in the afternoon/evening contributed to my insomnia.  I prayed for extra energy today and my prayers were answered.  I had a little guy fall asleep on my shoulder today.  At home I would lay my sleeping toddler down in his bed.  I didn't know where to lay this little guy.  All I could find was a tire to lay this boy on,  I chose to keep holding him.  These kids just want to be loved!  More later...

We painted another home in the afternoon.  The smiles from both male homeowner today were priceless.  It was so good to see males in the homes.  Most women are raising their babies by themselves.  Our whole team worked so hard today.  These teens are impressing me more every second! 

Family#1:  Pray for his reduced vision and his stomach discomfort. 
Family #2:  Pray for the father to find employment so his children can go to school.  Also pray for the young boy with the porn on his phone.  
God is bigger than all of these things!!  

Day 3

For our work day we painted two homes.  They are a rough crumbly type of concrete.  The paint is necessary to glue it all together and preserve it long term.  You have to seriously cake the paint on and get it in all the holes.  The first house I did inside painting and the second house I did outside painting.  The second home was only something like a 10x10 square.  Part of the group (Those from Michigan) met a women next door and started to paint a store front for her.  I think it was her hair salon.  It was in bad shape and they made it pretty.  Although I was not part of that it was fun to look over and seeing them serving without being asked!

 

 Finished Product

 

After we helped move in their stuff

Here is a pic with the little guy sleeping on my shoulder.  

I didn't know until right before we left that he didn't even live in the house we were working on.  

Who was he??  I don't know.  He must have lived near?

As he was laying on my shoulder I was singing and humming over and over, 

"Jesus, Jesus, can I tell you how I feel? You have given me your spirit...I love you so." 

I guess that song gave him as much comfort as it brings me.

He slept for at least 30-45 min.

At the second house I made friends with another little boy.  I would guess he was about 8.  I was commenting on his dancing skills and he kept saying "Justin Bieber" in his Haitian accent.

He made me smile.  

He had a cell phone and he was flipping through pictures to show me a picture of Justin Bieber.  While he was flipping though I saw hard core porn pictures on his phone.  

I just kept saying....oh...no no...oh, no, no, no....  I didn't know what to do. 

After thinking about it...I went to another adult in our group and told her about the porn.  She then went to one of the translators.  This translator is such a awesome young man.  He has such a heart for the Lord and the people of Haiti.  He is 22 years old and he is a student.  Anyway....he went over and took the boy's phone.....deleted the pics....and gave it back to him.  He loves the kids of Haiti so much and it showed!  Praying for that boy!

Amos, the interpreter that helped me out!

I don't think I have mentioned yet that the people of Haiti are BEAUTIFUL!

Beautiful, beautiful skin.

At work on the second house.

 

Playing with the kids.

It was so fun to watch.

If there was not a brush for them they were out loving on the children!

We prayed with the family before we left. 

Food was okay.  I'm not craving Haitian food!  There was plenty of clean water supplied for us and we were encouraged to drink constantly.   We got so excited when it was cold.

Drinking constantly means peeing constantly.  (This was the first a time that I wished I was a man.)  But, I had a good system going and I was thankful that I wore a skirt.  Here was one of the better toilets I used. 

I was in the middle of my monthly cycle.  (I know...TMI) That was really tricky.  I was in one unfortunate position that there was just a cactus to cover me.  (This was the second time I wished I was a man.)

So, at the end of the day I was spent.  Two days without good sleep and I was toast!  Luckily, one of my fellow travelers had Motrin PM.  I took two and slept like a baby!

My heart and attitude:  My tank was so full.  I loved serving the Haitian people.  I loved working with Mission of Hope and I LOVED watching the teens serve.  Although I was pooped....I was still soooo good.  (I am adding in comments about my heart and my attitude b/c you will see a change in days to come.) At this point I was ready to send for my family and stay!!

More to come...