For Now

My journey in Haiti is over for now. This blog has come to an end.

But my life here has started. Therefore, so has my new blog: www.allthingslovelyandtrue.blogspot.com

:) orevwa

My

heart is longing to be home.

I'm back.

I'm back home, but in reality Haiti will forever be my home.

Mwen vle yo an Ayiti.

The Journey Is Just Beginning.

Well, what can I say? Today is my last day in this beautiful country. This time tomorrow I'll be on my way to the airport. Have 5 weeks really come and gone that fast?

Since it was my last week teaching the mommies I decided that we were going to have a fun week and make our own English books. So that is what we did. We made a 15 page English book (everyone made their own) with words in English and creole, a picture, and then an English sentence with the word. It was so much fun!

Yesterday was my last morning to teach them and we were finishing the books. I wanted to make it special and it sure was! When we finished the last page of the book all the mommies got up and each of them handed me a note they had written to me the day before. Oh my word, I've never read such sweet notes in my entire life. These women (and Frantz) mean the world to me. They drew flowers and hearts all over the envelopes and paper. These are notes I will keep for my entire life. After they handed me notes we sang all the worship songs I know in Creole together. So priceless. Then I taught them "Lead Me To The Cross" in Creole which turned into all of them pulling out their cell phones and recording me sing it-hilarious since I'm not a singer at all!! Even the "head mommy" came over and attempted to tell me in English that I was appreciated. And of course, then to finish off an incredible last day teaching, the mommies, Rose Melaine in particular, made me a huge lunch!! It was honestly one of the best mornings of my life. The mommies mean so much to me and have taught me way more about life than I can explain. I somehow have a connection with each one of them differently. It's beautiful. I love them so much and miss them already.

Ana and Mina have been wanting to spend every minute of every day with me since I leave... tomorrow. So this week we've had Salon day- got my hair done and my nails done, gone to the playground multiple times, gone to the Hope House, drawn pictures, colored, they've come to class with me, and today they're coming to the beach with me. :) I'm going to miss them. Precious.

Last night we had "Friday Fun Night on Thursday" with all the interns and a few staff, which consisted of awesome costumes, silly relay games, quiz games, and pictionary. It was hilarious and quite the fun way to close of an incredible last week in Haiti.

So now I'm here, Friday morning, sitting in my usual spot on the balcony, watching the sunrise and thinking that today is my last morning to do this. I cannot explain the way that makes my heart feel. I can almost feel it breaking, literally. But I've come to accept it (you kinda have to at some point) and I'm leaving tomorrow. This is the same feeling I have every time I come to Haiti and have to leave again. Although this time its amplified by 500. In the past 5 weeks my life has changed. I can't explain it or put it into words but I know it will show in the way I live my life. I know without a doubt the Lord has called me to live in Haiti full time and to serve Him wholeheartedly. I know I will be back. I have no doubt in that. Now, when? or how? I am not sure. But I know it will happen. I just do.

So as I leave this place I consider home to go back to America, my heart is breaking. But I know that one day soon I'll return home. The Lord is faithful and I've seen that full well these past five weeks. This short journey is coming to an end, but stay tuned, the real journey is just beginning.

Best Last Sunday.

I couldnt have asked for a better last Sunday church service! Thank you, Jesus :)

One of the mommies, Roseline handed me her baby girl, about 8 months old to hold during church. First of all, I love love love that these mommies trust me enough to let me just take their baby for the entire church service. I love the mommies so much, they light up my life. Her baby girl is BEAUTIFUL! And the sweetest little girl ever. After about 2 worship songs she fell asleep and remained asleep for about 2 hours in my arms. I loved every second of it.

I also loved how I knew almost every worship song we sang today in Creole. I love that after 4 weeks I can understand the majority of a song and sing it wholeheartedly to the Lord in another language. I love it so much. More than I can explain.

So, thank you Jesus for blessing me with a beautiful morning! No better way to spend my last Sunday morning in Haiti worshipping the Lord and holding a sweet baby girl. :)



3

Be Still.

As I sit outside my room, enjoying a beautiful cool morning breeze, I cannot stop thinking that in 6 days I will be leaving. I can’t help but think about all the things I am going to miss so dearly: seeing a child’s face light up with a smile, babies falling asleep in my arms, walking ½ a mile down the mountain to teach English and praying for the mommies while I walk, being greeted every morning by a huge hug from Frantz, watching the sun rise and set over mountains, feeling God seep through every pore in my body, being able to love everyone I come in contact with, eating delicious Haitian food, Haitian thunderstorms and lightening that lights up the sky, and so much more. I know I’ll even miss the cold showers, sweat soaked clothes, the lovely rbh smell that seems to be found all over the place, and even the cow that wakes us up by his moo every 10 seconds, which sounds like a dying cow. (He’s still going at it after 1.5 hours! Haha)



Every morning I come outside and enjoy the birds chirping, the sun rising, and the beautiful weather. But most of all I enjoy basking in the presence of the Lord and soaking in His word. This time of the day is when it’s just me and Jesus. This morning my mind is filled with so many thoughts about leaving that my time with the Lord is being distracted. Yet, in the midst of all the thoughts I can feel the Lord saying, “Be still and wait on me.”

So here I sit, learning to be still and wait on the Lord. In this moment that’s what He is asking of me as I spend my morning in Him. In this time in my life that is what He is asking of me as I continue down the path He has set for my life. Just to be still and wait on Him.

My heart longs for nothing more than to remain in the love of the Lord every day of my life and truly experience Him. My time with Jesus is the most valuable time I ever spend. Acts 4:13 says, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” They, whoever “they” was could tell that Peter and John had been with Jesus. I desire for this to be so true in my life, especially my last few days here in Haiti. I pray that my time with Jesus every morning will be reflected in all my actions, all my words, all of me. I pray that I can be bold in my faith and share truth with those who need it without reservations. I pray that my life will be a living testimony of the love and power of Christ.

And as for this moment, I pray that I will be still and wait on the Lord.

One Week.

In one week I will be arriving in America. My stomach feels sick just thinking about it.

As much as I'm excited to see my loved ones, I am dreading leaving this place I call home.

Mwen pa vle ale.

But.. I'm learning to be content where God has placed me. Whether thats in Haiti or America. I know I'm where He wants me for such a time as this.