Friday, July 22, 2011

My Haitian Adventure: Part 1

Having been home one week, I have finally had time to organize my thoughts about my trip to Haiti.  Overall, it was an incredible experience.  Yes, it was hot, hard, and uncomfortable at times.  However, it was one of the best experiences of my life, and I will never forget my time there.


Here are some pictures from the trip.  Pictures can tell a story, but they definitely can't give justice to the amazing journey we had.  The best part of this journey is that it started in Haiti but will continue for the rest of my life.  God never, ever fails to teach me incredible lessons and show me just how much He loves me in the simplest ways-a beautiful flower, a smile from a child, and through the love of strangers.


Thank you for being a part of my journey.  I hope that you are the star of the adventure of your life...cherish each day and every moment spent with loved ones and know how much God loves you.  You are precious and incredibly special because He created you and loves you immensely.
  
One of many team photos we took throughout the trip.
After arriving in Port-au-Prince and spending one night there, our team got an early start to Bohoc, a small village about 75 miles outside of the city.


Our bus, dubbed The Holy Roller, did NOT do well on the windy, bumpy, and muddy roads.  See below for what happened on the way to Bohoc.  We got stuck...I mean stuck stuck.  Some locals tried to pull us out to no avail.  Things were not looking good at this point.  Where was AAA when we needed them?
After about 45 minutes of waiting, hoping, and praying for a miracle, God sent us the UN!  They happened to be driving by (there is a small UN post in Bohoc) and came to our rescue.  The soldiers were from Nepal and were very excited to be heroes for the day.  When you are stuck (physically, mentally, or emotionally), know that God will send his own version of the UN to rescue you.  
Of course I loved all the pretty flowers in Haiti.

We lead Vacation Bible School several days once we were in Bohoc.  After the first day, our team all agreed that Haitian kids are MUCH more well-behaved than their American counterparts.  None of them whined, complained, or asked for anything.  We taught them songs, acted out Bible stories, and had lots of fun with these great kids.
We got to help Pastor Georges build his church one morning.  Basically, we spent all morning looking for rocks in a field.  We loaded them in buckets and dumped them in the foundation of what will one day be the pulpit of his church.  It was surprisingly fun despite the very hot weather and hard work.  Pastor Georges has such a unique and inspiring vision for his church, and we were blessed to help him build it.
  
Some of the kids who live next door to him came by to help us.  Even though they were younger and smaller than us, they surprised us with their strength and hard work.
The foundation of Pastor Georges' church.
Just a typical walk down the street in Bohoc-donkeys, goats, and people were all over the place.  After a few days, we didn't even notice that people were riding donkeys, walking down the road with things balanced on their heads, and taking their bull for an evening walk.
Haiti is unlike any place I've ever visited before.  The topography, the food, and the climate were all quite foreign to me.  But, the people felt like family.  They are warm, inviting, and welcoming.  Stay tuned for Part 2 of my Haitian adventure.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for serving our Lord Jesus Christ and the wonderful people of Haiti!!! I am leaving for Haiti on August 3rd 2012. Your pictures and story are very inspiring, Thank you!

Anonymous said...

Wow... they never asked for anything? Since when did that become good?? The whiney, complaining, bratty American kids aren't enough in number to generalize the entire American kid population in that negative way. It's good that our kids don't follow the old "be seen, not heard" rule. You know why we don't follow that anymore? It sucks! American kids can be do alot more than just "not asking for anything"... they have brains and they use them. Don't call them spoiled or say they complain just because they have mouths and they use them. Because they have brains and DARE to QUESTION authority. And they can question authority in a well mannered way. Maybe that's the problem with some American kids... they're not understood. Instead they're just called brats.SMH