The Island Adventure.

It's just impossible to get bored living in Haiti.

      It's just one adventure after adventure. 

Some days/moments require complete faith in God that His will will be done. 

           Like living to see another day. 

So here is the scoop on the latest adventure...

We currently have a medical team visiting for the week doing clinics. 

     Lifeline has connections to a missionary pastor on the island off of the mainland. 

It was decided we should go to La Gonave to set up a clinic as they have never had doctors come before. 

  So Wednesday morning I set my alarm to wake up at 3am to get this team out the door on time.

    And then I pressed snooze until 3:30am. 

We made it on Haitian time. 

However, I should have known what type of day it was going to be when I got whacked in the head going 65 mph down the highway by a thick plastic storage lid on the way to the dock...

EARLY morning boat ride. 

      We loaded the boat just as the sun began to rise. 

  The ride to the island was a very long 2 hours. 

    It was rough waters and I got seasick. 

People kept telling me I looked green. 

I was miserable. 

    I puked. 

  But no help. 

  The water splashed overboard several times and since I was already wet, 

I decided to lie my head down hanging over with my arm dragging in the Caribbean sea. 

As I laid there miserable, I had 2 thoughts running through my head.                                                    

   1-I should just jump in.                                 

   2-How in the world did Jesus get me in this mess? 

     oh, and a 3rd thought- what if a shark just bit my arm off right now? or now? or now? etc. 

I was eventually so exhausted and miserable I think Jesus allowed me to fall asleep right like that: 

        hanging off the side of the boat. 

I dreamed and everything. 

      When I woke up, we were arriving to the island! 

   All I could say was Praise the Lord! 

4 vehicles were waiting for us when we arrived. 

   2 trucks and 2 SUVs. 

     There were roughly 20-25 of us and a lot of supplies. 

  Those vehicles did not look like they should be driving, let alone where we about to go. 

         However, the rules (and commonsense) in Haiti are more of like guidelines. 

We loaded the supplies, crammed the vehicles with the younger ones and the older ones, and the rest of us sat on top of the supplies in the back of the 2 trucks. 

      There were only 5 of us on the back of my truck, but there was a lot of supplies. 

Sitting on top of the truck against the cab. 

A layer of coolers, bins, and then the front part where Candice and I sat had a layer of suitcases to top it off. 

   It was fine at first. 

  But than again that's because we were in town. 

Little did we know we had to climb through the mountains for 2 hours on roads some ATVs wouldn't even want to go on. 

     I was jostled and bounced every which way. 

Not all the suitcases were secure. 

    And as you can imagine, they slid around. 

          It was a battle we never could win. 

The other truck.  

There were times the truck was tipping one way and than another and I had to hold balance because I didn't have anything attached to the truck to hold onto. 

There was a Haitian man that would sometimes grab onto me because he thought I was going over board (Candice too at points). 

   But I wasn't. 

        In fact his hand would linger. 

Candice and I decided he just wanted an excuse to touch the white girls. 

We came to a point in the path where we were nearing the top of the mountain and the "road" was at a tilted angle. 

    The road was nothing but some mud and grass. 

  Well, the truck began to slide sideways. 

       As the truck slid, all the luggage was sliding. 

Which means all the people began to go with the luggage. 

As the truck slid off the mountain and the supplies was sliding with gravity and we too were going with.

    We all just knew we were going to die. 

  And I'm not exaggerating. 

       What a crappy way to die- in a truck rolling over the side of a mountain. 

The church 

But somehow we didn't roll over and die.   

     By the grace of the Lord did we survive. 

 I guess He isn't done with us yet.

   We held a clinic at the school in the mountains once we arrived (alive). 

I smothered cremes and medicines on kids, babys, and adults with things like scabies and ringworm all day. 

     It was a blessing to get to be apart of this.
 It's also a reminder of what a blessing it is I grew up in America.
  Most of these children and parents had never even seen a doctor.

We stayed with pastor Benis.

View of the Caribbean

     He, his wife and 3 children graciously hosted us.
           They were wonderful hosts.
Pastor Benis grew up in the village but moved to the US where he went on to receive his masters.
    He met his wife in the.
She is from Queens, NY.
      A few years ago, he was feeling like he needed to help his people.
  Long story short, that led them to moving to his home village last February as missionary's.
They are a wonderful family and have already done so much through God's strength.

    The next morning we set out to go back to Lifeline.
I was in the same truck again.
    This time we realized the back wheels were held on my rope.
         That's always comforting to see.

Bags of charcoal. 

   The back of the truck was full of plastic bins and 3 large bags of charcoal. 

But this time there were only 4 of us in the back of the truck. 

Nothing was too stable and the charcoal was just annoying. Not too long into the ride we randomly stopped and picked up a lady and her baby. 

    Things were crowded and my legs were getting squished between the tubs and the truck. 

   I have bruises all over them now. 

   And my bottom and arms too from hitting down when we would go over the large rocks. 

At some point I must have hit my head because I have a big bump and a bruise on it. 

      It feels great...

    By the time we got to the part of the road with the sideways slant on the cliff of the mountain, we all knew it was going to make for an interesting time. 

    The mother was on the wrong side. 

                Fortunately I was on the other side holding on, attempting to not fall on anyone. 

   I can't speak Creole but when the mama started talking I knew exactly what she was saying. 

She was asking for someone to grab the baby because she was about to go over and needed both hands to hold on for dear life. 

     I managed to let go and grab the baby just in time. 

  We all made it through alive again. 

                 Praise Jesus!

       The baby lady never took the baby back though. 

   So I somehow sat on the side of the truck holding onto the baby for a long time. 

 I was trying to protect the baby from low tree branches as well as holding on so we didn't go flying off. 

    I'm not sure how I always find myself in situations like this, but at least I have fun in the process. 

     We eventually got a flat tire. 

When I jumped out I passed the baby to Candice who was sitting in the front of the cab. 

      Once the tire was fixed it was time to climb back on and bounce around for another hour. 

  We made it to the coast and back on board the boat. 

          I was dreading this part. 

It was smooth water though. 

       So no sea sickness for me! 

   Praise the Lord! 

However it was hot sitting in the sun and looking at the shiny, blue Caribbean water was a tease. 

      I just wanted to jump in. 

  At one point I stood up to just jump. 

But then I realized the boat would have to stop for me and I would feel guilty and not be able to enjoy the water. 

      Apparently though, I wasn't the only one with these thoughts. 

   Once we docked on the mainland. 

       One of the doctors just jumped in. 

   So I jumped in right after him. 

Shoes, sunglasses, and all. 

    I just didn't didn't think about taking anything off. 

       It didn't take long before everyone was in the water. 

   What a refreshing way to cool off after a long 2 days!!   

   

        

Peace.

The Grind.

Daily. Or Almost. 

Adrian, Candice, Celissa, and I are trying to have some kind of daily (or almost daily) thing we do together. 

   The first thing we like to do is pray. 

          That is always on the plan. 

      And right now we are reading through Jesus Freak together. 

  It's a collection of stories of martyrs since the time of Jesus. 

We will read one or two stories a day and than talk about them. 

   I love this time. 

      It refreshes my soul and reminds me there is no greater joy than to live and die for Jesus. 

  It reminds me how I need to be living daily. 

      And it encourages me to keep on pushing through for Him. 

   Our life on this earth is short, we get one shot to decide heaven or hell. 

 While I've chosen eternal life with Christ, what about the rest of Creation? 

           I cannot be silent- others must hear before it is too late. 

 Reading this book daily with the girls reminds me of this. 

           

Story Time. 

Today we ran errands in Port-au-Prince all day.

    We go to that dirty, smelly, desperate city roughly 2 times a week, give or take. 

 Honestly, I'm starting to dislike it more and more. 

        And I haven't even been here that long. 

It was a day of errands, but there were 10 of us for some reason so it also involved a lot of sitting around.

    Finally on the road towards home, we pulled off to another mission.

We were all off the bus, standing around when all the sudden Adrian, Candice, and I see it at the same time. 

     But it took us all a few seconds to register that it was ACTUALLY happening. 

 The bus was rolling away. 

       Heading straight for another vehicle. 

   Adrian and I just start screaming "THE BUS" "THE BUS" 

       Candice joined after her disbelief wore off. 

  I stood there thinking there has to be something I can do. 

     Because at first everyone just ignored us. 

But the only thing I could think to do ended with me pinned between the bus and the other vehicle in my imagination. 

          That just seemed like a stupid way to die. 

    So I just stood there, yelling with Adrian instead. 

             The men FINALLY paid attention to us. 

They ran in front of the bus and stopped it, pushing against it while the driver ran inside and pulled the break.
         They stopped the bus in time and all is well!

Coming Up. 

Tomorrow we have another team coming.  

    It's a team of doctors. 

       It's going to be a busy week with them, but I think it will be fun. 

We are taking them to do clinics from Port-au-Prince, to Northern Haiti, to the island off of Haiti and everywhere in between. 

    I'm Excited though! 

  

Joy Ride...

Today we rode to Port-au-Prince.
    We were running late, so Jack drove fast.
                     Really fast.
          Sitting in the back of the canter is normally nice because of the breeze.
     It's basically an open cage with a bench.
 But 100 mph is not a nice breeze.
      In fact, it whipped the sunglasses off my face and the scarf off my head.
         I have dirt caked on me in places you don't want dirt.
    In my ears.
       Up my nose.
  On my entire face.
My hair is one big knot.
        It's just lovely....

However we made it to the airport right on time.
     Adrian's mom is here to visit for a week!
               I'm so excited for her.
  She's been here for 3 months and misses her family.

The one thing I love about Haiti is you never know what is going to happen next.


Peace.

The Smell of the Day

I am covered in
                 diesel,
                   bleach,
                        dirt,
                   tomato sauce,
                         sweat,
                      Haitian rain,
                          and
                           baby tears
   It's been a busy day.
         I'm ready for a shower. 

Schoolyard Chatter

The children are filing in for their first day of school today.
     There is excitement in the air.
   They are all so cute in their uniforms and frilly socks.
        They have been out of school since May.
    They were supposed to go back in September but the government pushed it back until October
 That's not good- they forget things with that long of a break.
      I think both the child and the parent are excited school has finally started!

The Beauty of Community

Jean Fritz. 
     We have a sick baby.
Jean has a fever and is half asleep with little whimpers coming out of him on my lap right now.
    I must say I am quite hot.
          The heat outside and the heat radiating off his little body do not mix well.
  But he is miserable and I feel bad for him so it's worth the 17 pounds of sweat my body is extracting.
I'm learning a lot about parenting, even though Adrian has the majjority of the work.
     It's funny before I left for Haiti, people were asking if I knew how to raise a child
             and of course I said I had no idea.
       But I'm learning fast.
  Fortunately, it's natural instinct for me.
      Praise the Lord for that!


Team.
   My first team left early yesterday morning.
  I must say, they were an awesome team!
         I was truly impressed by their attitude and willingness to do whatever was needed of them.
   I was even more impressed that they were all married with children.
      I love how no matter where you are in life, you can still do missions.
     Both here and there.

Port.
   After dropping the team off at the airport, it was just Adrian, me and 2 of our Haitian workers.
  We had a ridiculous day in Port-au-Prince.
      We had to do some grocery shopping and run a few other errands.
 I won't go into detail of the ridiculousness of it, but let's just say Adrian, Jack, Osmy and I laughed all day.
Oh, also I went into air conditioning for the first time since I got here and it was FREEZING!
      I just wanted to leave and go back to my hot, sweaty mess that waited outside.
  I guess the heat I am feeling right now is what I get for just wanting to leave the air conditioning.
But, we found ice cream!
    That was very exciting!

One of the things I love about living here is the amount of random people we end up helping.
    Like yesterday, on the way home from Port we gave a random lady and her dauhgter a ride.
       And there are always people coming up here with medical problems that we are dealing with.
     We are constantly giving things away. 
  And when we make food planning to feed maybe 4 people, 15 dishes end up dirty.
Lately, we have been helping a prostitute medically and get her 4 year old money for school while preaching the Gospel
You never know what is going to happen when you wake up or who you may get to help or even who may help you.
And that's why I love it here so much.
     Because I think this is how Jesus would live.
   Constantly helping those in need.
       Even if it's holding the hand of a neglected child to show a little bit of love.




Peace.

The One with Jean Fritz

Jean Fritz. 
He is the 2 year old being raised here at Lifeline I mentioned before.  
He was orphaned when his mother got ill and died. 
       His aunt had been taking care of him, 
                         But not very well. 
      Lifeline found him only days from death- he was very malnourished. 
This was only in April. 
                        The aunt just couldn’t take care of him and agreed for him to be in the care of Lifeline.
      He is now a happy, energetic, healthy little boy! 
                    Before Candice and I came last week, 
      Jean would wake in the middle of the night screaming from nightmares.
 When Adrian would get to him before he woke himself up she noticed he was trying to suck.
 It was also at this time that she learned that when his aunt went to the mountains to get him and his siblings, she found him still trying to breastfeed from his dead mama. 
We think he is having nightmares about that. 
                  We have started praying over him last week and he has only woken once.




Team. 
     The team that is here right now is really cool. 
   They are woman who are mothers and have never been on a mission trip before. 
                 They are wodnerful with the children. Obviously. 
    They are hard workers.
                    They are Godly woman. 
     They are reminders that no matter your age or stage of life, it's never to late to go on a mission trip and have a heart for the nations. 
    I have been loving getting to know them and hang out with them and attempting at being their tour guide (both Adrian and Candice have been sick on and off) 
            I love their heart and am very encouraged by them!!




Legal Stuff. 
     We have been talking with our legal adviser. 
We have a lot of paperwork we are going to start doing in Port-au-Prince next week. 
        He also taught us all about the paperwork we are going to have to learn to do for the orphans. 
   Haiti officials need paperwork for each orphan which is difficult because 1-it's Haiti and 2-the child is an orphan. 
But we have been told what to do and it doesn't seem too difficult... 
          Also we have people trying to get the container out of customs. 
    Honestly, I have no idea what that means. 
       In Haiti, that could mean anything. 




Overall
   I am really enjoying my time here. 
 Except I am sweaty all the time and I'm pretty sure I smell. 
      I love the walk to Barbancourt where the orphanage will be. 
   When this team leaves we have a week without one so hopefully I will get to spend more time over there :) 




Peace. 
   
      

The One where I move to Haiti

The Internet has been down for the past week. 

And still not fixed after 6 hours of 2 guys working on it...

There is a lot to catch you up on. 

I typed a little every day, which adds up fast.

Wednesday 28 Sep

I made it to Haiti! But not without a bit of an adventure ;)

Candice and I had a layover at JFK, so we decided to spend a day and a half in NYC and stay with my friend who lives in Manhattan.

I took Candice around the city, visited the clinic I had my internship at last summer, and met up with an old roommate.

We had to leave for our flight to Port-au-Prince by 4:30am. It would take an hour and a half on the subway. 

3 people managed to sleep through 3 alarms.

I woke up to Candice telling me we are late.

I look at the clock—it’s 5:30am.

Well, that’s a terrible feeling to wake up to.

AN HOUR LATE FOR THE AIRPORT!

My friend of course lives on the opposite side of Manhattan and JFK is on the opposite side of Queens.

Not exactly close.

We threw our things into our backpacks, I hugged my friend goodbye and we ran out the door praying to catch a cab quickly.

Praise the Lord we caught the first one I tried for.

However, we still had all of Manhattan and all of Queens to drive through.

I was praying for no traffic.

And guess what, THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC!!

We made it to the airport at the same time we would have if we would have taken the subway. CRAZY!!

Only by the grace of God did that happen!

So, here is our speculation, we either slept through the alarms because of God or because of the devil.

Did the devil try to keep us from making our flight?
OR

Were we supposed to take a taxi and not the subway because something would have happened on the subway?

Was it a means of protection? We were warned about taking the subway in that part of town at that time of night, but me being me decided to plan to take the subway anyway.

Was it because the subway wouldn’t have gotten us there on time for some reason?

We don’t know, but we do know God’s hand is all over this regardless of why we slept through the alarms!

Once we got our bags from storage, made our way to the terminal and checked in, I started to get nervous about the weight of my bags.

One was 49 and the other 51 when I flew from Iowa a couple of days ago.

I had this feeling the scales would be different.

I began to pray for mercy from the agent checking in and weighing my bags.

Well, my feeling was right. 

One bag said 52 and the other 54!!

WHAT???!!!

I just prayed knowing there was nothing I could do.

Well, the lady was very sweet and asking me about why I had a one-way ticket.

She was interested in what we are doing in Haiti.

And guess what

SHE LET THE BAGS GO WIHTOUT SAYING A WORD ABOUT THE WEIGHT!!

As I was leaving she said her daughter wants to do missionary work too.

Talk about God answering prayers.

Of all the agents I could have gotten, God gave me one who had mercy on me because of her daughter. Praise Jesus!

Being here feels completely normal.

Like I’m home.

Imagine walking along, minding your own business when all of a sudden a creature you don’t want to exist outside of a zoo appears. 

Yes, I am talking about a HUGE, FURRY tarantula.

Fortunately, we keep Celissa around to kill these kinds of things.

You can enjoy the photo—her hand gives perspective of its’ size.

Thursday 29 Sep

The Dominican to Haiti is like America to Mexico.

Everyone wants to go there for work, school, life.

The other day we were filling up with diesel for the generator.

It took a while so many cars and trucks came and went.

One particular truck that stopped was CRAMMED full of people.

And I mean they had people in every nook and cranny a person would fit.

Friday is market day and the borders are more open. 

Each Haitian on the truck pays US $50 for a ride to the border where they will pass and hope to live a life in the Dominican making money to send home. 

However, if they are caught, they can be killed. 

Friday 30 Sep

Most of my contract for Lifeline requires me to help host teams that come from the states.

Today our first team arrives.

I think it will be a good.

I wonder what they will think—there are 4 girls living here ranging between 18-25.

Adrian is 18 and from Ohio. She has been here for 3 months.

Celissa is 25 and Haitian and has been staying with Adrian for 2 months. 

Now there is Candice who is 23 from California and me who is 22.

Oh! And there is a 2-year-old Haitian who calls us all mama.

Adrian has been primarily raising him.

I feel like this could be a sitcom-

4 young ladies and a toddler all living together hosting teams every few weeks. 

Saturday 1 October

Lifeline has a clinic open during the week.

When it is not open, people can still come for medical assistance.

One of the team members brought a little girl, Kimberly, with a gash on her leg this afternoon upstairs to Celissa.

Celissa is training to be a nurse

I happen to be sitting on the porch with her at this time.

It turns out the gash was old and infected.

We brought Kimberly down to the clinic to numb and clean the infection.

I carried her little brother down to the clinic who was with her. 

It was obvious he had an extended abdomen and reddish hair.

I went ahead and gave him a deworming, chewable medicine.

When I sat him down in the clinic, I watched him breath to confirm my suspicion that he was struggling to breath.

I went and got a stethoscope and listened.

It sounded like crackles with a bit of wheezing.

Because I am only an EMT, I had Celissa listen when she was done with Kimberly.

She confirmed what I heard.

She is afraid there is water in his lungs.

There is not much we can do right now.

It is worthless to take him to the hospital on the weekend.

We would take him Monday, but the bus is broken down which means the team needs to use the truck and we have no transportation.

We have asked for the mother to come to Lifeline tomorrow to talk to her.

We are willing to give her the money to take him to the hospital but Celissa says she has done that before and they just pocket the money and not take the child.

Of course we don’t know what the situation is here but we will hopefully find out.

This little boy is God’s precious child.

He is in His hands.

The situation is frustrating to me because I feel like there has to be something I can do.

But God is in control, God’s will will be done.

That I must have faith in.

If I don’t, than I will exhaust myself quickly in Haiti.