A Fresh Start

On a whim I have decided to start blogging again. I do not know if I will be proficient and timely about posting but I can always try. There have been many life altering events since I wrote on here. I think the most life changing experience I have had was going to Haiti this past summer. My picture to the right is actually the view from the plane when we were leaving. Words cannot fully capture that experience. In lieu of this thought I have decided to post one of my journal entries from my time there, I also posted this on my facebook page but here it is again:


Alright, going to Haiti this summer was an all around phenomenal trip. The Oak Hills team I went with for the first week was a group of exceptional people who were a blast to have this experience with and I love each one of them. And if you were to ask us all what one of our favorite parts of the trip was we would each reply with something personal but all of us would say something about what happened in Benjamin. In tribute to that thought, I wanted to put one of my journal entries up from that weekend to give people a glimpse of what it was like even though really it cannot be fully captured in my words. Although, I did the best I could to convey my emotions and maybe some of the emotions of our team.

June 28, 2008

Under the Haiti Stars

Waking up this morning was a bit more of a challenge, we left the Petitanese Orphanage at around 5:30 AM to travel to the village of Benjamin. In distance the trip is only 45 miles but because the roads here are not paved, we can only travel at an average of 15-20 MPH so it takes 5 hours to get there. Despite all of that the drive was absolutely breathtaking. This country is mountainous, green and lush with beauty. Even when I try to take pictures it is difficult to capture the sheer elegance and beauty.

The journey was full of bumps, trenches filled with water and dust lots of dust. We also crossed two rivers which was definitely an adventure. The travel was a bonding experience for our whole team. I became even closer to our interpreter Arry, he is such a great guy. He said something to Angie and I today that hit my heart hard and it will never leave me. He was talking about how he wanted to leave Haiti someday. Angie asked "Well where would you want to go?", I chimed in with "Yea...would you want to go to America or...". And all he said was "Any where I can find a job". I then asked "What type of job would you want to do, what do you want to be". Arry's response was "I just want to work". Wow. In that moment I knew that this trip would forever change my perspective on life and our world. One of the most heart breaking things about Haiti is that the jobs are few and far between.

We eventually reached a hospital where we stopped to take a break, eat lunch, we were almost there. The people we are with are incredible Moise, Arry, Rodney, Fred and all of our interpreters are constantly serving us. They always wait for us to get food or drinks before they do. They answer any of our questions, I see Christ in them all the time. We finally reached the orphanage in Benjamin. The landscape is gorgeous and the kids are really sweet. The kids are really sweet, however they are a bit more reserved and know less English than the Petitanese kids. Although, we still find ways to communicate to each other. I am slowly picking up pieces of Creole and can understand what they are saying but it is hard for me to speak it. We performed Noah's Ark again which is always a blast. Everyone in the group always gives their best performance. I gave an Academy Award winning performance as the Raven. If we really were to compete though I bet the Dove (Aubrey Kunkel) would win something or maybe even the water( Michael McKissick and Margaret Blomstrom). I do not know if my performance is quite to their level. Anyways after we put on the performance we helped the kids with the bracelets and crafts. I love these kids and soak up every second I can when I am with them. Mary and I also had a profound conversation today, I am going to miss her a lot. All of these high school kids are studs in their own right.

Alfred and his family opened up their home to us, they are quite extraordinary people. For dinner we were treated like kings, I ate goat for the first time, it was not half bad. The food here is actually quite good and their fruit, oh man, their fruit it is so delicious. After dinner we walked around the village and Jim lead us up to the valley. I really thought I was about to die when Jim was just taking us to this random location but in the end it all worked out. The view was such a sight to see and a moment that was almost too much to take in. Then we traveled back to Alfred's house.

As we approached the house we could hear laughing coming from the back. The interpreters and some of our team were playing a game called Accused. Basically one person stands in front of the group with their back facing the group and waits for their hand to be slapped ( you get hit really hard too). Then the person standing in front turns around and "accuses" the person they think did it. It was SO much FUN! Rodney's colors definitely came out tonight he was the liveliest one, the whole time we were standing there you would hear him say "So hard..not so hard...so hard". We all had a blast. The best part was seeing the joy and love these people have despite all of the obstacles they have had in life. My heart has been touched by the fun loving spirits of the Haitian people.

After we were done playing, all of us ended up sitting on Alfred's front porch. There was not a planned out worship time but we all started to sing and praise. The kids and people would come listen to us. I really loved worshipping tonight and it has been awhile since I have enjoyed worshipping. Jim taught us this really cool song he learned from Africa that was a lot of fun. As we closed the night we were kept in a trance by the stars, you could see every little one and it reminded me that the God I serve is all-powerful and majestic.

WOW! What an incredible day it has been. I can already feel how much I am going to miss the team when they leave but even more how much I am going to miss Haiti when I have to leave. Everything about Haiti has gotten under my skin and I know I will not be the same when I go back home. I am going to miss these kids, the ones I have met at Benjamin like Jonny, Rosalin, Mylove and all of them, the ones at Petitanese and the ones I have yet to meet. The team fits together so well and they have been awesome! As I close, I am laying on my bed listening to the sounds of the night, the sweet lullaby of Haiti that nearly brings me to tears every time I fall asleep.