Tuesday was an incredibly difficult day: saying goodbye to my kids. In the morning, we walked four of the kids to school for a tearful goodbye. When I hugged Rosa and told her that I loved her, she responded, "I love you, Miss Katie." (something that she only recently started saying). Before leaving, we prayed over all the nannies and a lot of the children. The kids (especially the boys) were very upset about us leaving. Chacha cried when it was time for us to load up the truck and head to the airport. It broke my heart. Before we left he came in my room and said, "Miss Katie, when you leave, who is going to play with us?" Ugh, talk about hard. At 10AM we drove to the airport in Port-au-Prince with my Haitian puppy (Jake), five carry on bags, and six suitcases.
At 1:30PM we took off and said farewell to the beautiful, broken country of Haiti. I don't think any of us were ready to say goodbye. I admit that I was fighting tears for most of the flight. When we landed in NYC around 7PM, Jake was VERY happy to see us at the baggage claim. We had a slight bit of trouble getting him through customs. He has had all his vaccinations by a veterinarian in Haiti, but because they were only given three days before traveling, he must now be quarantined in our house for the next three weeks. The drive home was long and dreary. We accidentally drove in the wrong direction for about 20 minutes before our driver realized it. Between that and the bad weather it was almost 2AM until we finally got home.
It has been great being home with my family and in my town, but it has been hard, too. I miss hearing/speaking Creole, I miss the noises, I miss the kids, I miss the warmth, I miss the simplicity of life, and I miss my friends. Although Jake, my puppy, is still a handful (he's only 5 months old), he is helping me adjust to being back home. He's been keeping my mind off of everything. I do not know when I will return to Haiti. I know I will go back, but for now I am home. I know that Higher Hope (my church) is already starting to formulate plans for how we are going to help Haiti. We cannot and will not sit and do nothing when there is a country so close to us in such desperate need.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Beach day!!!!
So many great memories were made today that I am afraid I will have a hard time even writing all of them. After getting some vague directions towards some of the beaches here in Haiti, we set out this morning on an adventure. We loaded up the truck with the four of us adults, four kids, towels, extra clothes, and snacks. Less than two hours later after my always improving Haitian driving/navigating skills, we found a beach!
When I made the turn off and announced to the kids, "We're here!" They were SO EXCITED. In fact, they were so excited that they started yelling anything nice that they could think of. They started off with, "Bon travay! Good job, Miss Katie! Good job, Miss Katie! I love you I love you I love you!! Thank you, Miss Katie! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday, Miss Katie." Then, they actually started singing me "Happy Birthday"! For those of you who don't know, my birthday is in October. Apparently they thought that singing me "Happy Birthday" would show their appreciation of the special outing.
Our (the adults') joke of the day was, "Man, you would think these kids are Haitian orphans or something!" because from the moment we walked into the hotel/resort, their eyes were so wide with excitement and wonder. We found out upon talking to the receptionist that the fee to use the pool and beach also included a buffet meal and drinks. So, before hitting the beach, we ate a big lunch. Richardson was so excited to swim that he ate his food in about .3 seconds. Mich on the other hand was in heaven with his plate full of food. Mark helped him load up his plate. When they got to the fish, Mich said, "A big piece. Another big piece please. Ok, one more big piece, please." The entire time he was eating, he kept saying, "I love this fish! This fish is good!" Chacha kept insisting that the fish they were eating from the fish pond by the reception area.
Mich ended up eating all his own food, Rosa's extra food, seconds from the buffet, then some extra food off of Mark's plate. When we told him that we were all waiting for him to finish eating so we could swim, he stuffed his cheeks full like a little chipmunk before he finally let us drag him off to the beach.
The boys were excited about getting in the beautiful ocean water. The girls were excited, but also a little nervous. It was all just so overwhelming for all of them. They had never been in such a nice hotel or even the ocean until today. The boys were clinging to my dad the entire time screaming in joy. We all joked that they were actually pretty embarrassing, hahaha. We had the attention of everyone on the entire beach by the way that the boys were screaming and carrying on. They kept yelling (to my dad), "Dad! Hold me! Dad catch me! Dad, daddy, daddy, dad!!!" The girls like to stay pretty close to my side. They really liked being in the water, but they didn't get as brave as the boys. By the time we decided to head up to the pool, the boys were climbing on top of a large rock and leaping off into my dad's arms.
Despite the fact that it was over 90 degrees out and the pool felt like warm bath water, the kids were all shivering. There is no hiding the fact that they are 100% Haitian! The kids loved the pool even more than the ocean. The funniest part of the day was when Mich was getting into the pool. Before I explain, please keep in mind that the pool at its deepest was still shallow enough for the kids to stand. Mich was walking down the steps into the pool. On the top step he slipped a little and was flopping and flailing around screaming, "Daddy, help me!!!!!!! Save me! Save me, Dad!" Everyone at the pool was starring at us and a woman sitting on the step actually tried to lift him up. Mark was just cracking up saying, "Oh my word he is so embarrassing!" Dad just calmly said, "Mich, just stand up. The water is 6 inches deep!" The boys continued to be the loudest people in the entire establishment for the rest of the afternoon. I think they made friends with everyone in the pool. At one point another little Haitian boy swam past Chacha and said, "Can you speak English?" Chacha whipped around and said, "Yes! Can you?" All day, both boys were calling my Dad and Mark "Dad/Daddy/Papa". I joked that everyone there probably thought that they were a gay couple with two sons. Actually, so many people noticed the boys (it wasn't hard to do) calling them "Dad" that three people approached my Dad and thanked him for adopting, ha! The kids are just too funny for words to describe...you just have to meet them in person.
Today was probably the most fun that the kids have had all year. It was an AWESOME day. It is so hard to believe that just a short drive outside of the city is such a paradise!
When I made the turn off and announced to the kids, "We're here!" They were SO EXCITED. In fact, they were so excited that they started yelling anything nice that they could think of. They started off with, "Bon travay! Good job, Miss Katie! Good job, Miss Katie! I love you I love you I love you!! Thank you, Miss Katie! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday, Miss Katie." Then, they actually started singing me "Happy Birthday"! For those of you who don't know, my birthday is in October. Apparently they thought that singing me "Happy Birthday" would show their appreciation of the special outing.
Our (the adults') joke of the day was, "Man, you would think these kids are Haitian orphans or something!" because from the moment we walked into the hotel/resort, their eyes were so wide with excitement and wonder. We found out upon talking to the receptionist that the fee to use the pool and beach also included a buffet meal and drinks. So, before hitting the beach, we ate a big lunch. Richardson was so excited to swim that he ate his food in about .3 seconds. Mich on the other hand was in heaven with his plate full of food. Mark helped him load up his plate. When they got to the fish, Mich said, "A big piece. Another big piece please. Ok, one more big piece, please." The entire time he was eating, he kept saying, "I love this fish! This fish is good!" Chacha kept insisting that the fish they were eating from the fish pond by the reception area.
Mich ended up eating all his own food, Rosa's extra food, seconds from the buffet, then some extra food off of Mark's plate. When we told him that we were all waiting for him to finish eating so we could swim, he stuffed his cheeks full like a little chipmunk before he finally let us drag him off to the beach.
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| The boys waiting for their food. |
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| Dad tickling Claudine so she'll smile for the camera |
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| Mich and his fish |
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| Cheeks filled with food, hahaha! |
Despite the fact that it was over 90 degrees out and the pool felt like warm bath water, the kids were all shivering. There is no hiding the fact that they are 100% Haitian! The kids loved the pool even more than the ocean. The funniest part of the day was when Mich was getting into the pool. Before I explain, please keep in mind that the pool at its deepest was still shallow enough for the kids to stand. Mich was walking down the steps into the pool. On the top step he slipped a little and was flopping and flailing around screaming, "Daddy, help me!!!!!!! Save me! Save me, Dad!" Everyone at the pool was starring at us and a woman sitting on the step actually tried to lift him up. Mark was just cracking up saying, "Oh my word he is so embarrassing!" Dad just calmly said, "Mich, just stand up. The water is 6 inches deep!" The boys continued to be the loudest people in the entire establishment for the rest of the afternoon. I think they made friends with everyone in the pool. At one point another little Haitian boy swam past Chacha and said, "Can you speak English?" Chacha whipped around and said, "Yes! Can you?" All day, both boys were calling my Dad and Mark "Dad/Daddy/Papa". I joked that everyone there probably thought that they were a gay couple with two sons. Actually, so many people noticed the boys (it wasn't hard to do) calling them "Dad" that three people approached my Dad and thanked him for adopting, ha! The kids are just too funny for words to describe...you just have to meet them in person.
Today was probably the most fun that the kids have had all year. It was an AWESOME day. It is so hard to believe that just a short drive outside of the city is such a paradise!
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| haha life was so rough today |
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Dad's here!
Lately, I've felt the need to start off each blog post by apologizing for not writing much lately. I have really been slacking in keeping everyone up to date with what has been going on in our lives here. Being sick, having visitors here for most of the past three weeks, and trying to keep up with the kids does make it hard to find time to blog.
As most of you may already know, my dad, pastor, and pastor's wife arrived in PAP yesterday (which already seems so long ago, ha). I'm sure you can imagine the excitement and craziness that has been going on here! As I expected, the kids LOVE my dad (and Mark and Lori, too, of course). I knew that my dad would be great with the boys, and he has been. I think he had three or four kids hanging off him today while he chased Mich and Chacha around the house (Chacha was wearing a bear costume the entire time). Mich has already started asking if he can go home and live with Dad. My mom sent her old MP3 player along already filled with lots of christian music for Mich. Mich LOVES music...I mean LOVES music. So, he has been using his MP3 player non-stop since he got it yesterday. Being the wonderful boy that he is, five minutes after using it, he shared and let Chacha have a turn. Mich has such a caring and giving heart.
Mark and Lori brought so many awesome things for us!! Thank you Higher Hope!!! We are stocked up on children's vitamins, baby wipes, hand sanitizer, formula, hand soap, bar soap, dish soap (lots and lots of soap, ha), mac and cheese, and tons of other goodies. Personally, I can't wait to use the inflatable pool that they brought for the kids! They are going to go wild when they see it.
So, a quick recap of their time here so far:
Yesterday is already a blur of airport craziness, luggage, unpacking, and introductions around the house. Today, Mark and Dad got right to work re-wiring our new dryer. Last week it had flames shooting out the back. I'm no expert, but I don't think that's normal, ha! They had it figured out, fixed, and running in no time. They even did a victory dance afterward. Yes, Mom. Dad really did his weird/embarrassing dance moves in front of Mark, Lori and the kids. :) It took less than 3 seconds for Chacha to pick them up and start dancing, too.
After they tackled the dryer issue, they were harassing me about needing to actually give them a "challenge". So, we checked out a couple leaky pipes/water hoses and a broken screen door. Then, we made a hardware store run. As I've written countless times, going anywhere here is always a huge production. So, we left for the hardware store a little after 10 AM and returned to the house at 1PM. It took so long because while we were out, we had to pick up children at school, got stuck in traffic, gave some Haitians a ride, etc, etc. After getting home from the hardware store, we had to turn around a couple hours later and go grocery shopping which took a couple hours. Just a typical day here, really.
Out of everything that has happen since they all landed in Haiti, the most amazing thing has been watching Rosa. My Dad has won over all the kids with chocolate, bubbles, and rough housing, but watching Rosa interact with him almost brings tears to my eyes. This is a girl who has come so far in the six months since I've moved here. Click here and here to read a little about her history. A few short months ago she would hide in a corner when visitors came, and one wrong glance or scolding could make her fall to pieces. Today, she was clinging to my Dad's back giggling uncontrollably. She was begging him to keep holding her, and I saw joy and trust in her eyes. Yes, there is still pain in her eyes, too. She is a five year old girl that has been through more things than I can even fathom. But, seeing her trust, step out, and allow herself to just be a little girl was truly beautiful. God is so good. I cannot tell you how many times I have prayed over that precious child with tears in my eyes asking for God to heal the pain in her life, allow her to trust, allow her to experience joy, and allow her to feel truly loved. Today, I realized that a miracle has taken place right in front of my eyes. God has been healing Rosa by His powerful love.
As most of you may already know, my dad, pastor, and pastor's wife arrived in PAP yesterday (which already seems so long ago, ha). I'm sure you can imagine the excitement and craziness that has been going on here! As I expected, the kids LOVE my dad (and Mark and Lori, too, of course). I knew that my dad would be great with the boys, and he has been. I think he had three or four kids hanging off him today while he chased Mich and Chacha around the house (Chacha was wearing a bear costume the entire time). Mich has already started asking if he can go home and live with Dad. My mom sent her old MP3 player along already filled with lots of christian music for Mich. Mich LOVES music...I mean LOVES music. So, he has been using his MP3 player non-stop since he got it yesterday. Being the wonderful boy that he is, five minutes after using it, he shared and let Chacha have a turn. Mich has such a caring and giving heart.
Mark and Lori brought so many awesome things for us!! Thank you Higher Hope!!! We are stocked up on children's vitamins, baby wipes, hand sanitizer, formula, hand soap, bar soap, dish soap (lots and lots of soap, ha), mac and cheese, and tons of other goodies. Personally, I can't wait to use the inflatable pool that they brought for the kids! They are going to go wild when they see it.
So, a quick recap of their time here so far:
Yesterday is already a blur of airport craziness, luggage, unpacking, and introductions around the house. Today, Mark and Dad got right to work re-wiring our new dryer. Last week it had flames shooting out the back. I'm no expert, but I don't think that's normal, ha! They had it figured out, fixed, and running in no time. They even did a victory dance afterward. Yes, Mom. Dad really did his weird/embarrassing dance moves in front of Mark, Lori and the kids. :) It took less than 3 seconds for Chacha to pick them up and start dancing, too.
After they tackled the dryer issue, they were harassing me about needing to actually give them a "challenge". So, we checked out a couple leaky pipes/water hoses and a broken screen door. Then, we made a hardware store run. As I've written countless times, going anywhere here is always a huge production. So, we left for the hardware store a little after 10 AM and returned to the house at 1PM. It took so long because while we were out, we had to pick up children at school, got stuck in traffic, gave some Haitians a ride, etc, etc. After getting home from the hardware store, we had to turn around a couple hours later and go grocery shopping which took a couple hours. Just a typical day here, really.
Out of everything that has happen since they all landed in Haiti, the most amazing thing has been watching Rosa. My Dad has won over all the kids with chocolate, bubbles, and rough housing, but watching Rosa interact with him almost brings tears to my eyes. This is a girl who has come so far in the six months since I've moved here. Click here and here to read a little about her history. A few short months ago she would hide in a corner when visitors came, and one wrong glance or scolding could make her fall to pieces. Today, she was clinging to my Dad's back giggling uncontrollably. She was begging him to keep holding her, and I saw joy and trust in her eyes. Yes, there is still pain in her eyes, too. She is a five year old girl that has been through more things than I can even fathom. But, seeing her trust, step out, and allow herself to just be a little girl was truly beautiful. God is so good. I cannot tell you how many times I have prayed over that precious child with tears in my eyes asking for God to heal the pain in her life, allow her to trust, allow her to experience joy, and allow her to feel truly loved. Today, I realized that a miracle has taken place right in front of my eyes. God has been healing Rosa by His powerful love.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Time of Rest
The days since Dorothy has returned have been a time of rest for me. Although I thought I was totally back to normal health a few days ago, my body decided otherwise. I have still been trying to recover from whatever illness I've had. As much as I am ready to be back on my feet again, this time of rest has been nice. I have been able to think, pray, read, and then pray some more. I've had a lot on my mind, and I will admit it has been overwhelming.
Because I've been thinking and praying about so many different things during this time, I think I will just start with one of the topics. I have been examining my own heart. I am sure many of you have done that before and can relate that it is not always a fun exercise, but it has to be done. So, here I go. Please understand this is difficult, eye opening, and even somewhat embarrassing.
I've been thinking a lot about love. I know that God is love. I know that I came to Haiti out of love. I know that I came to Haiti to share God's love. But, I feel like somewhere in the jumbled mix of moving to a third world country, learning a new language, living with 26+ children, struggling to adapt to a completely different kind of life, and trying to understand Haiti, I have lost my focus of love. "How is that possible?" I've been asking myself. That was my whole intent upon moving here. I love the children here, I love the people here, and yet I realize that all my actions have not been motivated by love. I think more often than not, I realize my actions are motivated by a sense of obligation rather than love. That hurts deep inside me even as I type these words.
1 Corinthians 12:1-3 says "If I speak in the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I am only a sounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophesy and an fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I posses to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing." If I am in Haiti working to feed, clothe, and educate, but I have not love the people here gain nothing. What good I am to the Haitians here if I do not do everything out of love? Clothes last for months maybe a year or two, food lasts for a few days, but love...God's love lasts for eternity.
I just deleted an entire paragraph that I had typed trying to explain how I had gotten to this point of a lack in love. I realized it is not necessary. You don't need to worry about any of that. What it boils down to is that I slowly started making myself busier and busier and taking less and less time for God. Crazy, right? How is that possible for a "missionary (or something like that)"? But yes, it is true. How can I love others (I mean really love others) when I'm not taking enough time to receive God's love. I can't give something away that I don't have. I've realized the kids can wait, the laundry can wait, the dusty floor can wait, but my time with God is more precious than gold and it cannot wait.
Like I said, a lot has been on my mind during this time of "rest". This was just ONE of the many things I have been thinking and praying about. I admit I am really looking forward to a time of rest in the states. I am hoping to pray and figure out even more about myself and what I am doing while I am back in the US. My dad, is arriving in Haiti tomorrow afternoon along with our pastor and his wife, Mark and Lori Gittens. I am really looking forward to having them here with the kids and me! Then next Tuesday, I will be flying home with them on the same flight.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Praise God, Praise God, Praise God!
It seems that all my recent blog posts were updates on my heath. I apologize, but since I spent the better part of the last two weeks sick in bed, there was not much else to write about.
I started feeling better yesterday, but went to the hospital anyways just in case. They were very thorough and did a number of blood tests. Thankfully, all the tests came back normal. So, it seems that I've had some bad virus. After I got home from the hospital, my fever spiked again and I was nauseous all night. But, I am happy to report that I woke up today feeling healthy and almost normal again! PRAISE GOD!!! Thank you all so much for your prayers. It was a really long and miserable two weeks, but God is good and I think I'm finally getting better now.
Other good news is that Dorothy is scheduled to fly into Port-au-Prince around 4PM this afternoon! It has been almost three weeks since she went to the states. She will be bringing Poutchino with her. Poutchino is an 8 year old little boy that has been with Dorothy since he was about a year old (I think). He has hydrocephalus and very bad seizures. He spent the last year living with a host family in the United States getting medical care. His visa is expiring now, so he must return to Haiti. However, a family is interested in adopting him. So, we are hoping and praying that he will only be back in Haiti for a very short time until his adoption can go through. Because his medical needs are so extensive, he really needs to get back to the United States ASAP.
I started feeling better yesterday, but went to the hospital anyways just in case. They were very thorough and did a number of blood tests. Thankfully, all the tests came back normal. So, it seems that I've had some bad virus. After I got home from the hospital, my fever spiked again and I was nauseous all night. But, I am happy to report that I woke up today feeling healthy and almost normal again! PRAISE GOD!!! Thank you all so much for your prayers. It was a really long and miserable two weeks, but God is good and I think I'm finally getting better now.
Other good news is that Dorothy is scheduled to fly into Port-au-Prince around 4PM this afternoon! It has been almost three weeks since she went to the states. She will be bringing Poutchino with her. Poutchino is an 8 year old little boy that has been with Dorothy since he was about a year old (I think). He has hydrocephalus and very bad seizures. He spent the last year living with a host family in the United States getting medical care. His visa is expiring now, so he must return to Haiti. However, a family is interested in adopting him. So, we are hoping and praying that he will only be back in Haiti for a very short time until his adoption can go through. Because his medical needs are so extensive, he really needs to get back to the United States ASAP.
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