Under the Haitian Sun, part 2

  We ended our time in Haiti on March 7th.  My love for this country only grew after staying here for five weeks.  Although I am excited for Jamaica, I wanted to stay here in Haiti longer.  Here are a few more highlights from my time in Haiti. 

>> One Tuesday, my roommate and I learned how to cook a Haitian meal of rice, beans, and chicken. I was in charge of the chicken (my favorite as mentioned in my previous post) and it was delicious!  Actually, the entire meal was great and it was the first time that some of the family joined us to eat. They were so excited to see us cooking and couldn't wait to try it...a great deal of bonding happened that day. 

>> Making a breakthrough: I didn't first check for cockroaches before going into the bathroom. In fact, I didn't look the whole time! It wasn't a conscious decision, either. I only realized after I got out that I hadn't looked!

>> One day, our head translator organized a team activity to hike up a mountain to see where his parents grew up. It was a very difficult hike, and I'm pretty sure it was the hottest day here we've experienced, but the views were gorgeous, and the people we met were so welcoming! It was worth it! We also got to see Mona's parents, who live up there. We'd met Mona's mom (pictured below) several times before when she's been visiting Mona or her other daughter, Merlynn. She is one of the sweetest people ever. 

>> One morning, while we were still in bed, my roommate and I were discussing what our favorite breakfast is that Mona makes. "Eggs, bread, coffee, bananas..." And in walks Mona with zé (eggs), pen (bread), café (coffee), and fíg (bananas)!  That breakfast was amazing!

>> Over the past five weeks, we've gotten to develop a relationship with Mona's sister, Merlynn, and her 3-month-old daughter, Merlyva. Merlynn has such a positive attitude, and is constantly smiling or laughing a beautiful, infectious laugh. She doesn't speak English, but love is a universal language and it radiates from her! Merlyva is the cutest baby with the most adorable rolls and softest hair. It has been such a blessing seeing them one or two times each week, helping Merlynn with Merlyva or in the kitchen. 

>> In the past two weeks, I have grown closer to my host mom, Mona. We definitely do not speak the same language, but we get by, with the few words we do know in the other's language, and a lot of hand signals. The other night, she crawled in my bug net with me and I showed her pictures of my family and she told me where all her cousins live. The photo below is from when Greta, Mona, and I all got in together. It was not long-lived, as it was hot and cramped. 

>> Two days before we left, we took Mona and our friend Junie out for ice cream. We had such a good time! Junie is between Greta and I, with Mona on the far right. 

  I mentioned in my first blog post from Haiti, that I was nervous about what to tell people back home what I was doing. Because a lot of what I'm doing isn't tangible. I'm building relationships, not houses. I'm BEING, not DOING. As a team, we're going through the book "When Helping Hurts" by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert. I actually read this book for school right before I first went to Haiti in 2013. The book outlines many of the ways short-term missions can harm a community, no matter how great their intentions are.  Last week, it was explaining the different stages a community's needs will go through: Relief, Rehabilitation, and Development. This chapter explained a lot to ME, as I wrestle with what to tell people. In 2010, Haiti was in need of Relief. They had just gotten hit with the massive earthquake that killed hundreds of thousands. But relief needs to be temporary. Once the "bleeding" stops, rehabilitation is in order. "[Rehabilitation] seeks to restore people and their communities to the positive elements of their precrisis conditions." (pg. 100) Many organizations have worked hard to help rehabilitate Haiti. "Development is a process of ongoing change that moves all the people involved-both "helpers" and the "helped"-closer to being in right relationship with God, self, others, and the rest of creation." (pg. 100) Now, six years after the earthquake, we are here to develop relationships with the people of Haiti, hoping to encourage them to pursue a purpose-filled live with Christ, using their skills and abilities to assist their own communities.  We will be doing the same in Jamaica and Belize.  I hope that helps give you a glimpse of the purpose of this trip. 

  I am learning so much on this trip! What I'm learning in these six months will definitely carry over into the rest of my life, wherever God takes me. God is using this trip to chisel and sculpt me into the Christ ambassador I am purposed to be. 

 Thank you all for your continued prayers!  

Sierra

Under the Haitian Sun, Part 1

  Bonjour!  I have only one week left in Haiti! I will miss this place so much, but I've enjoyed every day that I've been here.  Have there been struggles?  Absolutely!  Going to the bathroom each night with a dozen cockroaches isn't my ideal way of taking care of business.  And I'll be honest that I eat far more rice and beans than I care to. However, I've also learned to enjoy a much simpler way of living here.  And bucket showers under the bright moon and stars is something I truly look forward to each night.  God is teaching me to humble myself to find joy in completing the smallest of tasks.  He's teaching me to make do with whatever is available.  He's teaching me who He made me to be.  Here are just some of the highlights of my time in Haiti.

>> We got to visit our host cousin in the hospital less than 24 hours after giving birth to little Baby Bella. She, her mom and dad, and big brother (Chavez is 2), all live at our house. The whole outing was an adventure of two hours on a Tap-Tap*, visiting a Haitian hospital, and getting to pray over the new baby and her momma. 

    *Tap-Tap - a small pick-up truck where everyone piles into the back and a man stands on the tailgate and will tap the truck with a piece of metal to let the driver know when to stop and go...I call it the Haitian version of a subway car.

>> Celebrating my 21st birthday in Haiti was definitely a highlight! I was treated like a princess, had a spaghetti "cake" (100% awesome, by the way), and got sparkling juice popped over my head. A birthday I won't ever forget, all thanks to my two teammates, Greta and Jordan, and our translator, Jimmy. 

>> I learned how to wash clothes the Haitian way.  I think the clothes get cleaner this way than in a washing machine back home! It takes four cycles of scrubbing, rinsing, and wringing before we can hang it up to dry. By the end, my hands ache, but at least my clothes are clean!!

>> "Can I have a kiss, Baby?" is my favorite phrase each night. My 10-year-old host sister, Nika, and I love to have our nightly snuggles, which often result in her falling asleep in my lap. I don't know where she got that phrase, but we exchange plenty of kisses when it's repeated! 

>> Bucket showers are the best thing ever. That is all. 

>> I ate lobster for the first time. We had a day at the beach and watched them bring the lobster to shore directly before they cooked it for us! I actually really enjoyed it, which will surprise anyone who knows me. One, because it's seafood, and two, because it was spicy!

>> Our host mom, Mona, let us tag along to the market one day.  A Haitian market is a VERY crowded place with barely enough pathway for one person to walk through.  She introduced us to some of her many cousins, and we saw her pick out various fruits (including my new favorite: Kowosol), and get some chicken legs from a cardboard covered bowl for our dinner. Her chicken is my favorite!

>> Invited our 10-year-old host sister, Nika, to church and she came with us!! 

>> Took Mona and Nika out for ice cream for Mona's birthday. They both got so dressed up and Nika was so excited to be invited...it was so worth it! 

>> Shredding coconut has become my job at our house. Unfortunately, this means that by the time I leave, I most likely will have no fingertip on my right index finger. Mona uses the shredded coconut in her bean sauce.

>> The common area at our house has become one of my favorite places. This is where everyone hangs out and where Mona cooks. It is fun to sit out there during the day and interact with the dozen or so people who come over each day. 

>> Greta's and my room is another favorite place.  It has become the safe, comfortable place we get to call home. 

  I already have a part two started because I had so many highlights in Haiti! Look for that in the next couple weeks! 

Prayer Requests:

  ~ Safe travels to Jamaica on March 7th. 

  ~ Health for our team. We've had our bouts of illness run through the team making it a tough couple weeks. 

   ~ Within a week of each other, two of our teammates have returned to the States due to illness. Please pray for speedy recoveries for both of them so they are able to rejoin us soon! 

    ~ That our final week in Haiti will be an intentional one. That each of us will grow even closer to our host families and bridge gaps in this last week. 

  Family and Friends, your prayers, support, and encouragement mean more to me than you could ever know. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Sierra

Update from Haiti

  Hello from Haiti!  I've been here almost two weeks now - I can't believe it!  I will admit that I've started this post about four times now, I just can't seem to find what to write about.  I thought I'd tell you about how my typical day goes.  

  First of all, let me tell you about our home.  I'm living with two of my teammates right now and we're staying with our host mom, Mona.  Mona has a home that is best described as motel style with separate rooms all accessed from outside.  I think there are at least 15 people who live here right now including us.  There is a common area outside where clothes lines are strung and the activity happens.  We are in a city, Petit Goave, and we live on a busy street right across from a bar.  You can imagine how loud it can get here!  But I've learned so sleep through it. 

 

  We all wake up around 7:30 and get ready for the day, have devotional/journaling time, or sit with whoever is outside.  We eat breakfast just with our translator, Jimmy, but the whole family does not eat together.  After breakfast, my roommate, Greta, and I do the dishes, and then it differs day to day after that.  We've shredded coconut, mashed spices together, made fresh grapefruit juice, and I've even plucked gray hairs out of a man's head!  It all depends what our host family is doing.  

  At 3:00 everyday, we go to a school to teach English. It's fun to see the kids learning, and we often have the opportunity to debrief as a team afterward, if needed.  As we walk down the street, we pass many people selling items, chatting with friends, or those yelling, "Blanc! Blanc!" after us. 

  Our evenings are always different, too.  Sometimes, we get to be with our team, and other nights are just spent doing the dishes and laughing with our family.  One of our host cousins sells fried food from her porch, so we often get to help her prepare some of the food and sit out there after dark.  I always get my nightly cuddles from my 10-year-old host sister, Nika, during this time, too.  I go to bed early, around 9:00, as the heat makes me very tired. 

  It's a very different way of living here.  Very simple, and slow-paced.  The first week came with a lot of struggles, but I had a fresh perspective starting this second week.  What I'm doing day-to-day is hard to describe.  It's hard to explain, and I often worry that my answers won't be satisfactory to those of you back home.  But I have to remind myself daily that I'm here for the Lord.  Because He brought me here.  I'm here to serve Him, through serving His people in the smallest of ways. 

  Thank you for your prayers.  I feel them!  

Updated prayer requests would be:

  - Health for my team. A few have gotten sick from food while being here. Please pray for quick healing for them and avoidance for the rest. 

  - Bonding with our host family.  Although this second week has improved our relationships with them, further connection would be amazing! 

Sierra