Amazing People!

So I have been wanting to talk about this for a while now, but I was afraid that I would leave someone out so I had not done it yet. But I decided that since you guys are awesome enough to have done the things you have done you are also awesome enough to forgive me if I leave you out of this thanks!!! As I have started on this journey it has been absolutely incredible to see the people who have come along side of me and helped me to do what I have set out to do. The prayers, the money, the trips to the store in preparation, the smuggling of certain items, it has been so beautiful to feel the love and support-- even if they think I am crazy for what I am doing!! As I prepared for my trip wonderful people like Mrs. Lisa Bevill, Mr. and Mrs. Cole, Mr. and Mrs. Alloco, Chris and Paige, Jennifer Kovac, Megan and Brian Hendrix, Tim Jones, Adam Pelletier, Matt and Michelle Rait, Sabra and Gary Priester, Sharon Cathey, Katie and Zeke Terrell, Mr. and Mrs. Allen were so awesome to bless me with gifts and supplies to take to Haiti!! Thank you all SO MUCH!!!
My family too are so amazing, my Mama has taken care of so many things I can't even name them all!! She has jumped in and been my state-side handler of affairs! On top of the fact that she has loved me through this extremely difficult time for her! It's not easy to let your kid run off to another country! My Daddy is the same, loving me though all my decisions- even when it looks so crazy to him. When the clock started ticking for me to leave he jumps in with all kinds of supplies- batteries and flashlights, making sure his baby is taken care of!! Then my aunts!!! Oh my Aunts!! Aunt Lynn and Aunt Sabra were in a mad dash with me getting medical supplies and the absolute necessities- like gushers all packed away so I could make my flight in time! Then Nancy Madry joined in the fun and loved on me with gifts and advice!! My brother too! met me in valdosta to bring things I had forgotten or didn't have time to buy before I left! There was also family that have supported me and are supporting me with prayers, advice and with money! Aunt Lynn and Uncle Neil, Aunt Sandra and Uncle Tyron, Chris and Paige, Uncle Buster, thank you all so much for loving on me and the people of Haiti!! I also know I have had some incredible prayer warriors for me, including Ms. Rhonda, Aunt Faren, Mrs. Hurd's church I think!, my World Race team, and I know there are more, please forgive me for not putting you all in here because I am so blessed by each and everyone of you!! I know your prayers over me and over the people of Haiti are really getting God's attention and favor! My heart goes out to my sister, who might be mad that I mention this but has been so amazing for me my whole life, she really is my hero. And for her to have to endure the pain of helping me leave for the place she loves, that is in a time of need when she had to go in the opposite direction- that speaks to how incredible of a woman she really is. Then of course there is Hein- who got me into Haiti!! and took care of me, and always takes care of me! Oh I am such a blessed woman, because the list goes on and on! The people of much ministries are continually taking care of me and supporting me. I just am overwhelmed by God's provision through the people He has put in my life. I had the amazing opportunity to work with a few teams since I have been here. Thank you so much to Ms. Cindy, Ms. Allison, Dr. Karen, Mr. Jim, Mrs. Debbie, Mr. Jeff, Johnathan, Kelly, and Adam who all made incredible contributions to helping me do what I am doing!! Then came John- thank you so much man for everything!! And then more incredible people came, I have been blessed to work with two teams from Omaha Rapid Response- who have done everything from letting me talk to my Mama for the first time, to giving me the shirts off their backs!! Or big scary knives to keep bad guys away! Thanks Greg!! Thank you also Nichole!! You were all such a blessing to me and to Haiti! Thanks too Doc for teaching me! Then I have to talk about Mrs. Stacy Stage, she is one of the most incredible people I have met! She, along with Mr. Don, was working in the UM hospital at the airport and agreed to go out with me to the tent cities and ravine to treat. Not only was it good for my soul to spend time with her but she also taught me so much in the short time we were together- she also gave me her scrubs and what is really huge--a ped's stethoscope- for all you non-medical people, that is a BIG DEAL!! Thank you so much!! Oh, I wish there was a way to really let people know how incredible their involvement has been in this past month and how their actions will allow even more to happen in the future! Just writing this blows my mind again at how beautiful God's family is!!! Thank you all so very much. I know I am not mentioning everyone, I know there have been gifts given that I don't even know about!! And I thank you so much for them and I am sorry I don't know about them yet!! But I am so very grateful!! And I hope that you know that! Thank you for being the Hands and Feet of Christ- it is a beautiful thing to see!

Teaching in Haiti

I have had the pleasure of completing my first week of teaching in Jubilee!! It is a beautiful, incredible, difficult, and exciting experience to teach here. Although teaching again makes me miss all my kids at Skipstone!! It is amazing how God has used that time in my life to prepare me for this time. I recently found out that the Skipstone kids are hearing about what I put on here. It is very exciting to know that you guys are hearing about what is happening in this place. I hope you all know that you have a special place in my heart and that I love you all very much!!

Teaching here has different challenges and different rewards.
I found out the hard way that you have to close EVERYTHING in between use or you have a nice thick layer of dust over all of your materials!
The science shack now feels like a teaching palace compared to the salt flats of Jubilee!
The “playground”/bathroom area is a nightmare for those who know the fecal-oral route of certain disease processes.
At around one o’clock each day the wind starts up, sometimes taking your color chart so far away that a student from the morning class returns with it long after school is over.
Trying to explain the concept of time --even without a language barrier is quite an adventure, so add in the Creole/English divide. . .

The challenges are welcomed though, because the rewards are so beautiful!!- Watching Lorinsena’s eyes light up when she finally remembers what letters are in her name! Seeing Maniackson understand the game of memory! Getting Shelove to finally sit down long enough to practice writing the number 8! Watching Claudiana always know the right answer!! And watching Jamesly, and his toothless grin, as he takes so much care in writing his name perfectly! There are so many more, the day is filled with them! I just keep seeing a generation rising up filled with people who will be able to stand up for their rights because they will have the knowledge to do so!

On the move

I moved to Haiti today. Before today, I have been visiting in Bohoc and in Port Au Prince, but today I came to Gonaives. Well, I guess I still haven’t really moved to Haiti because I have not moved into my place at the school. But I have come to my destination city!! Things have calmed down a little in Port, at least in the areas I was serving. The medical needs are for the most part back to “normal” except for the long term treatments that are needed for some earthquake injuries. Praise the Lord we are still seeing medical teams come in and help and treat and love on these people so we decided it was time that I come to Jubilee and get started here. God’s timing is so perfect- I was beginning not to know my next step, or how I could continue only giving short term care- then at that same time the need came for me to get to the school here. We have lost one of our teachers so Mr. Watson has been trying to handle things all on his own. So Monday morning I will have my first day of class!!! The timing is also perfect because the longer I am here the more I see the change I want to be a part of here. I have absolutely loved getting to care for these people’s needs and injuries, and love on them that way, but the issues I see cut far deeper than any falling block could cause. These people need to know that there is another way to live. Not one that is focused on personal survival, but on living out the love that I see is in their hearts. I can’t think of a better way to spend my time than training up children in a way that teaches that love, not power is the greatest thing of all. Just as I have been realizing that my culture has been feeding me lies that I have thought I had to follow, the Haitian people are dealing with that as well. God is bringing revival to this place!!!! I am so excited that He is letting me get to see it and be a part of it!!!

Wounds

As the broken bones are set, the blood from wounds are washed away, and the rubble is piled high, now starts the time where the deepest wounds are starting to show. I saw the first tears from losing a loved one yesterday. As this man spoke to me about his father, he tried to sing the words of his father’s favorite song, but was unable to finish. He told me that his father was a good man, that his faith was strong. His father had told him that he had nothing to give him but Jesus. As we sat together for those few minutes we tried to be excited for his father, getting to be with Jesus, but the pain of his absence is just so hard. I refuse to even imagine what that must feel like. It is hard enough to be a country away from my family, but to think about a final separation, at least in this world is too much to bear. But I wanted to take time to think about this man, for us all to think about this man, and all these people who are left behind, who lost mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends. I have never liked the idea of a funeral, but to think of these people who were buried in masses, sometimes without the family even knowing. Some just having to wonder. . .how do you grieve that? How do you comfort through that? I know my God is bigger than all of this, but the pain is here and the pain is real, and then still you have to focus on continuing to survive. Without Jesus in their hearts, I don’t think they will be able to. Jesus I pray revival in this place.

day by day

Each day brings new challenges, new victories, but also new sorrows. Yesterday at six in the morning three people came to tell me that the pregnant woman I saw yesterday was not doing well. I had explained numerous times to them that -- I don't know nothin about birthin no babies!!!--- But despite my urgings, they had not come up with a plan for when the baby started to come. So we put her in the back of the truck and as I held her belly still over bumps and turns I tried to think of anything I could remember about delivering babies in case this baby came before we got the the hospital. Thankfully we got to the hospital and got her back to the "delivery room" but only one person could be with her. I left and went about my day, when I returned home that evening the family ushered me to the tent where she is sleeping and showed me the beautiful baby boy. However, my heart was broken to find out that his brother had passed away. Twins. Victories and sorrows.