Last year we only took our “Jack Bauer” with us. So glad that we had more men joining us this year. Especially glad that my good friends hubby’s joined the trip… it definately made me feel more safe.
When you are scared to death, a nervous wreck, and in pieces, there is nothing better than holding a cute, chubby baby as soon as you step off a 10 passenger plane. This chubby baby, like most every baby in Haiti also has a story. Jen at Haiti Home of Hope has taken her in and when she arrived she was TINY! Her mother (who was known to be “crazy”) attempted to cut her out of her own belly well before her due date. Someone found her and took her to a hospital. The hospital did not think the baby would survive and (if I remember correctly) the family took her home thinking she would die (and did not feed her). She did not die, and several days later (maybe a week) the father brought her to Jen’s feeding clinic at Haiti Home of Hope where Jen took her in to care for her around the clock. The name her father gave her means life. He said because “God chose life for her” (when no one else did).
As soon as we got to Haiti Home of Hope, I was amazed at seeing the work we started a year before. This was the dining hall that we hung the rafters in last year. All finished and used daily by both the kids and the teams that visit. It was AWESOME and brought me to tears that I had a “hands on” help in making this possible. Last year, the kids were taking their meals back to their rooms and eating on their beds. Now they can fellowship together!
Here is my sleeping set up, rigged duct tape and command hook style.
These are a few of my favorite faces that I had to see immediately. Mikey loves to be ticked. He is a very sick boy and if I remember correctly, that tiny body is about 6 years old. My other main man has eyelashes to die for. He is in process to be adopted to a couple in the US… but it is a long, painful process. I am not sure he is any further along this year than he was last year when we are there.
This year, teams are working to build a new Mission House for the family that lives at Haiti Home of Hope. It is long overdue for them, and they are so excited to see it take shape.
We had hoped to hit the ground running and were ready to work. We soon discovered that the rest of the team would be arriving the next day and there was nothing we could do without the main man with the plan.
After playing around a bit, we decided to use our time to head up Mt. Pignon for a hike.
I have to admit, I was not as excited about this adventure as my buff exercise buddies were, but I did not want to miss out on the adventure. So, off we went!
Our first stop was randomly up the mountain where people would just show up out of the trees (some with machete's). We handed this very grateful lady a bible and some love.
The view was overwhelming and amazing. You could see forever. We never did figure out how high the mountain was, but it one of the tallest in Haiti.
I did make it to the top. I thought about stopping once, but there was no where to stop and I was not sitting in the mountain waiting alone for my team to come back down (not that they would have left me). I should note that they told us it would take 3 hours to get up the mountain. But, when a 12 year old is your guide and Samantha and Sonja are pushing you… you make it up in about an hour!!!
There was also a tower on the mountain that the kids like to climb. It is crazy high. Wes attempted to get on the tower too. NO WAY!
Going down was much easier! Yes I wore gloves, you had to use trees and rocks to pull yourself up in some places, and in some places it was so steep you were on your hands too. (not to mention all the tall cutting grass).
Here we are with our guide, Peter!
Because there was no way our adventures were over for the day, after a late lunch we were able to head out on home visits. Our first stop was “the house that love built”. Last year, this was the family that was renting a falling down grass hut next to a witch doctor. They had been through so much and lost many of their children to Cholera. Our team goal last year was to get them a home built. The land was already ready for them (purchased by another team), they just needed a home and the manpower to get it up. Samantha and Sonja had plans to go last Thanksgiving, but the great FLU debacle happened and they did not make it. Luckily “Jack Bauer” stood by his word, went anyway and got this home up for this family.
The twins from the family that almost did not survive cholera themselves. Parents do not cut hair until the children can talk and give them permission. The red either symbolizes malnutrition or belonging to the practice of a witch doctor.
It was funny to hear the owner of Haiti Home of Hope and guide (Jen) say… this IS her happy face. This is the mother of the home, sitting on her front porch.
Whenever “blanc’s” show up there is always a crowd!
I was so proud of Sonja (who was a big photog and not always in the good photos) who took it upon herself to walk over to the forming crowd and read from the Bible. We then gave some Bibles and also some hygiene bags that we put together and brought for the trip.
I hope no one takes offense to this photo, it totally describes the simplicity of life in Haiti. Boys wear no pants. These boys are standing in front of the community toilet that has been built.
We moved further along into the community to visit a grandmother who was caring for her malnourished grandchild. She heard “the word on the street” that we were coming and quickly threw this white dress on her granddaughter for our benefit. I could not believe how white it was among all the dust and dirt.
As we moved along the crowd continued to grow and follow us.
It was surprising to us to find Tom’s in Haiti. I guess they really do give one pair away for everyone you purchase.
We ended the night back at home and I got to spend some time with Billy Boy. His story is one that I could never forget. His mother is a slave to a family. She is also deaf and mute. Because she was a slave, her child is also considered the family’s slave (and we can only guess how she became with child). At his young age he had not been given a name and was called a word in Creole that basically meant “now we have to deal with you” it was considered very negative. He was also property of the family and required to work on a daily basis. His mother had come to the feeding clinic for food (yes she had been denied it as a slave and probably weighed 80 pounds). The family at Haiti Home of Hope convinced the mother to let Billy come live there (they had to convince the owning family too, and God took care of that through the community of people that Haiti Home of Hope had already helped. The owning family had no choice but to let little Billy go. At our arrival, Billy Boy had only been there a few days. He did not smile or speak. We were able to witness his first smile and first words while we were there. IT FILLED MY HEART!
After some seriously cold showers, with some seriously big spiders… we headed to our beds with tired bodies and full hearts!
