Awed...

So, obviously I've been back from Haiti for awhile. Oh, how I love that place... those people. They are so sweet, and kind. I don't even think I could tell you all about it here on the blog, or even if you were sitting right in front of me, and do it justice. I can say that I would go back tomorrow. Or today, if I could. And you know I'm going back there! A lot of my expectations were... shattered. I expected dirty, stinky, trashy... despair and hopelessness. But instead it seemed that everywhere I looked there was beauty. They burned their trash at night, and I would lay next to the open window trying to sleep and listen to the crazy roosters crow in the dark, and smell the scent of burning plastic and wood and paper... and I loved it. You couldn't go three feet without seeing some kind of animal. Goats were everywhere... Ha! It was hilarious. I love goats. And I got to eat goat. It was delicious. There were cows and pigs and horses too. Chickens. Free range chickens all over the place. I asked if people knew who the chickens belonged to, and the missionary (Rick) who lived there said "Yes. There aren't many property disputes. They know who has what, and they respect that." If only we could have that kind of attitude here, in a place where everything we want is almost handed to us... Let me load some pictures and tell you some stories...

This is the New Life Mission House. I woke up at 5 AM every day... an hour and a half earlier than what I did before I left... I surprised Mark, the team leader... haha. He came out in his boxers, not expecting anyone to be awake. It was hilarious, and a joke we carried on for the rest of the week. (I kept saying "Do you have any idea how many naked people I see every day?") He also got up early, and we drank our coffee (Mmmmm. Haitian coffee...) and did our own quiet activities until folks started stirring. A few of the days we had some great conversation about the culture of Haiti, and about ourselves. It was wonderful to be awake before the sun, and hear the sounds of the day stirring... Peace.

This beautiful woman is Andina. She cooked for us, and cleaned too. She went to bed long after I did, and woke up around the same time... I would some out of the room, and sit at the table, and she would have the coffee brewing already. She would put it out, and wave at me, and say "Coffee, coffee!" I found out that it is rude to not greet eachother in the morning, so on the second day I found her in the kitchen and said "Bonjour, Andina!" She lit up... They loved when we tried to speak their language, and laughed when we messed up... 

This is a typical meal in Haiti. Rice and beans. So, so good. We had rice and beans every day... our food didn't vary much, but it was delicious, and I never felt like I wasn't getting enough. We ate three meals a day, but most Haitians only eat once a day. I think its a cultural tradition born of poverty. Even the children took what they were given happily... 

I loved this little girl... she reminded me of Delilah, with her sass and spunk... She lived at the children's home near where we stayed. It was exhausting being outside of my comfort zone, but every time we went to see the kiddos at the home I was excited and energized. They loved the attention and all the games we could play with them. We jumped rope, played soccer (They ALL adored soccer!) and even just sat and talked. Some of them can speak English, but try to keep it a secret. We would see that one of them was understanding more than they were letting on and we would say "You DO speak English!!!" And they would laugh and get embarrassed. 

More of the Children's Home. The boys were so BOY! I have a soft spot for little boys. I love their hearts, and their gentle spirits that are hidden behind that rough edge... Boys in Haiti were no different. See that thumbs up? What a Prince... and they loved high fives and fist bumps, and secret handshakes. Throwing the ball, kicking the ball... 

I can't help myself. Seriously. Aren't they the cutest? I left a huge chunk of myself over there... I spent a lot of time being humbled by these people. Even the children... And this sounds cliche, but these kids are the future of that wonderful country. I am honored, also, that I got to observe first hand how the Saints over there are pouring the love of Christ into these motherless, and fatherless... abandoned souls. They need encouragement, for sure, but can't you see the light in these precious babies? Its working!

This is a goat... that was given to Mark as a gift. We all know that in most foreign cultures its rude to refuse a gift, so he took it, and he went for a ride in the truck with us. Whats funny is we left him on the truck to eat at a restaurant, and he was still there when we came back. Respect. The goat was called Jason Shepherd. Ha. Inside joke... I am sure that by now he is in the missionary's freezer. 

Okay, I'll end today's post on this one. This is a really special photo for me, because of the sign behind the kids. (In their lion masks they made for vbs...so cute!) That is a Church Project sign, just like the one we have here in Greeley, Colorado at my meeting place, and in Aurora, Colorado, and at multiple locations in Texas, and in Ohio? I think... And this was presented to this church while we were there... It says "Church Project, Biblical, Simple, Relevant" In Haitian Creole... There are churches in Haiti who are a part of the Church Project network. And we got to worship with the believers who attended this church, as well as another congregation... (That was the one thing I was the most excited about, meeting the Saints in Haiti. What a privilege to come to the throne of God with those warriors! I was not worthy of them... I can say that much.) I was just so excited to see a physical representation of what God is doing in my world... adding churches that I know to be doing work that I am also laboring in... in parts of the world that I alone cannot touch. We are all one body, and I was just so... I don't even know what word to use... humbled? honored? Awed! to be there to see that... And to be a part of a body of believers who are sacrificing in order to build a more lasting kingdom!