Back to WellBeing

One stop we wanted to make while we were in Haiti was back at the WellBeing orphanage that we went to the year before. We actually got lost on the way there because it's really in the middle of nowhere and somehow our driver got someone on the phone who knew this boy at the orphanage and he met us on his bike to show us the way. I immediately remembered him, Jameson.

This little girl had grown quite a bit since we were there last. We were sad to see that the orphanage was in even more dire straights than the last visit. The block structure that they were all sleeping in had been torn down. I don't even know the how or why that happened but it's a sad situation. 

We came bearing some crafts and stuff to do. And candy, we brought lots of that because they go crazy over candy. 

We had fun loving on familiar faces and just hanging out with the kids. 

A couple of the older girls got such a kick out of our iphones. They were taking each other's pictures and then videoing themselves singing. They would crack up laughing watching the playback. 

And, as on every mission trip I've been on, we see that any sort of clap game surpasses all language barriers:)

I wish I could say that it was good to visit our friends at WellBeing....and, I mean, it was....but it's so sad to see their living situation and have no idea how to improve it. God knows. 

Mission of Grace

We left Pignon in order to visit another missionary in another part of Haiti. His name was Stephen and he had a started a greenhouse program in a community and was really doing a great job ministering to the people there. What we didn't know what that God had other plans for us and He was holding a little secret! 

We were staying in a "resort" that Stephen recommended to us since we could not stay with him as mission teams normally would (his wife had just had a baby). This place was really, really beautiful and for being on a mission trip the accommodations and food were above the mark. 

As soon as we got there we were all walking down this little pier to have a better look at the ocean. I was staying back in order to get some pics and all.of.the.sudden a HUGE wave came and busted right on top of Wes. 

It was quite hilarious! He was drenched head to toe.

The sunset was beautiful.

We were all just lounging around and hanging, waiting on the day to unfold with plans for the missionary we were there to visit. 

 We even learned during this time that our Jack Bauer of mission trips was also a gymnastics coach! Whaaaat?? He quickly had Samantha doing a back handspring. They tried really hard to get me to try one but Bobby and I both know that my back is about a bendy as a 2x4. The last thing I wanted was to throw my back out in Haiti. 

We stared talking to Kim, the lady that ran the resort and she said, "You know I have an orphanage across the street, right?" Well, NO! We didn't! She was kind enough to take us and show us around and we were enamored. 

This is a picture of Kim and one of her Haitian adopted sons. He was brought to her (as seen in the picture) malnourished and nearly dead. I believe the story she told was that if God helped her to save this child then she'd stay and do the orphanage. And, here he is now. Healthy, loved, and whole. 

This was one of the cleanest orphanages I'd ever been to. 

 Construction was taking place for a new baby house. 

This is the view from the orphanage. 

The kids aren't always happy to see a crazy white lady:)

 Kim showed us around the rest of the "compound" that she runs which included a school, a clinic and a grandmother's home. 

Kids from the area followed us around wanting their picture taken and asking for candy from our bags.

Usually pictures of haphazard shoe situations are from less fortunate people with no access to clothing. This, however, is a picture of the shoes our fearless leader was wearing. It cracked all of us up! 

These are actually kids from the visit we had with Stephen. They were just following us to see what was up. 

Back at Kim's we went up to check out the grandma's home. This is a place where widowed, family-less women can have a safe place to stay and be taken care of. I loved this idea. Not one you hear of often.

 Finding out about Mission of Grace was definitely a hidden gem in our trip. 

 I mean, where else in Haiti could we have gotten a girls' picture made like this?? Uh, no where. 

And more beautiful sunsets to boot. Good times. 

Back to Haiti

I'm so thankful to have been given the chance to return to Haiti. I have developed a love for the people there and truly enjoy going back. 

I headed back with my group of cronies from last trip. (I have reminded myself to throw that dumb coke shirt away because I seriously look like porky the pig in it. Note to self.)

Bobby joined me on this trip along with Wes and several other men that we got to know on the journey there. 

The little flight there went smoothly for me but Bobby was as green as the shirt he was wearing. The trip back had pretty much everyone but me feeling nauseous as well. I'm thankful that I got the nauseous pass this go around! 

Haiti has lots of large scary crawly things and this is an example of one of them. Ick! 

Project Hope was in the middle of building a new home for the missionaries of Haiti Home of Hope. We had plans to help with the building process but most of our plans were halted do to.....well, I really don't even know what. Mostly haitian culture and some other roadblocks. 

We still did what we could and we had fun while doing it:)

This is how awesome you can plan to look while you're on a mission trip. Vogue will be calling us any day now. 

This little guy was new to the orphanage and was blind and as sweet as could be. He could recognize you from your scent. He had an incredible back story which made loving on him all the more sweet. 

Billy was also new to HHH. His mother was essentially a slave to another family and was severely malnourished. She came to feeding clinic and brought Billy who ended up staying at HHH. 

 We took a hike one afternoon and passed out some bibles along the way. This was one lady we met on the way up. 

 The view:

This guy (whose name escapes me right now) caught us on the way up and walked the entire way. He spoke good english and said that he was studying to be a preacher. He ended up making all of us necklaces with our names. 

 When we got to the top of the mountain Peter climbed to the top of this tower. Uhhhh, no thanks. 

Wes went part of the way up though. Brave soul! 

With Peter's help we all made it down safely. It was a great little workout and fun to have something different to do.....it was also fantastic to see Peter so proud that he led us there and back. 

We later went on some home visits in the community. This is the house that Samantha and I were suppose to help build back in November when she got the flu. It was rewarding to go back and see the new house after seeing what they had been living in previously. 

These are some kids from the village. 

This little princess's grandma heard that we were coming and put on her Sunday best for us. I couldn't believe how white this dress was being that the floors were all dirt! 

Some kids chased us everywhere we went. Others were shy and just giggled and stayed in the shadows.

I love this picture....I caught this girl sneaking a glimpse behind her. 

I also noticed that Tom's must really be true to their word. I looked down and this little girl was sporting her very on pair. I should do some marketing for them! 

Back at HHH.....Ashley and Billy

We cozied up under our mosquito nets. Amanda had a princess net and Samantha? Her's wasn't quite as princessy:) Mine fell on me a couple of nights. That's creepy. When you're sleeping in a foreign country with lots of large bugs and suddenly in the night you're wrapped up in netting....creepy. 

We helped with the MOther's Milk clinic again this year, too. 

 This was the littlest peanut we saw that day. He actually had a sweet little mother that I was able to visit at their home. 

I went out with Ronnie and Rachel to her house to give her some tips on breastfeeding. I was pleased to see that she followed my advice and was producing much more milk for her little fella.

Ashley fed this little chickadee some high nutrient peanut butter stuff and the little girl instantly fell in love with her. 

When her mom came to get her to go home she threw a huge fit and did not want to leave Ashley OR that peanut butter. 

One little one got to go to the main house to get some burn care done on her leg. 

Later that day Ashley and I were given the impossible task of digging a septic tank area. Yeah. Don't say we didn't give it our best but it was futile. 

I had a couple kids at the orphanage make some bracelets for the boys. 

Just some pictures:

We had church at Aknov's again and were surprised this year when they had casio keyboards and huge thumper speakers hooked to electric guitars. What??? We were told it was something special for us. I have NO idea where you get that kind of stuff when you are literally out in the middle of nowhere. Amanda sang with a friend of Pastor's. (They had already practiced several times that day which makes me giggle even now almost 10 months later when I'm blogging this.... a bird pooped right on his head in the middle of a practice and he just wiped it with his hand and kept on playing. so.funny.)

It was a great return trip to HHH. I'll be planning the next one soon!