Once again, I wish I could blog more. I am usually pretty good about journaling daily and I have been AWFUL at it since I have been here. I am making a new commitment today, actually I made it yesterday, that I will make time for quiet time and journaling, otherwise I will be no good for anyone. I don’t feel like there are enough hours in the day to do everything that needs to be done, but am realizing how important it is to make sure that my relationship with the Lord and learning and growing in Him HAS to be priority, it should always be a priority but I feel it even more so here…With the presence of VooDoo, if I do not maintain the armor of the Lord, I do not know how useful I will be.
All of that to say this last week has been interesting, as most days are here. As I mentioned in previous blogs I have been heading over the mountain to Grand Goave every Tuesday morning and returning to Jacmel on Thursday mornings. My time in Grand Goave is very different than it is in Jacmel. Not better, not worse, just different. After spending a couple of days with the kids who are stealing my heart just like the kids in Jacmel have done, I realized that I am madly in love with the entire country of Haiti, not just the city of Jacmel, not only the Hands and Feet Project, but the Lord has given me a burning passion for this entire nation. Last week was my second trip to Grand Goave, I had only spent one day with the kids there the week before but as soon I walked through the gate I hear “Bekah, Bekah!” No matter how many times I hear it, I will never grow tired of little Haitian children saying my name. I have only met these kids once and they remember me! This is why I am here, to make a difference. The kids in Grand Goave force me to use the little Kreyol I know since they do not know much English, but this is good for me, it challenges me to make sure I am committing to studying the language! I took new pictures of the kids there, and let me tell you, they LOVE having their pictures taken, and Emmanuel, one of ‘my boys’ is such a ‘ham’ after every photo I took, he would say “Bekah, photo, mwen!” Loosely translated, means Bekah take a picture of me! He would pose with his hand under his cheek, or with his thumbs up…he is precious. While I was at the school that day I noticed some more Americans there that I had yet to meet, so I introduced myself. They are there working on an orphanage called “Be Like Brit”. Len Gengel, father of Britney Gengel is building an orphanage in honor of his 19 year old daughter who was killed in the January 12th earthquake at the Hotel Montana. Mission of Hope is housing the Be Like Brit staff, in addition to the Hands and Feet staff so I was able to spend some time with this group of people. If I am honest it was hard for me to have a conversation without tearing up. Their story is heart-wrenching, but they believe so much in the passion and compassion of their daughter/cousin/friend, to continue her legacy to reach the orphans of Haiti. They will house 33 boys and 33 girls at Be Like Brit to remember the 33 days it took to recover her body after the quake. Their story is obviously much more in depth but I am already beginning to write a short novel so I will save that for another blog post, or you can email me and I can share my interactions with them. Be praying for their family and the organization that they will find the strength they need to complete this orphanage and to get through every day in the same place their loved one was taken from them. Needless to say I made some new friends that I am excited to take this Haitian journey with.
On our way back to Jacmel, traveling over the mountain that I have been traveling over for the last three years, and twice a week for the last few weeks, I had a new realization. I started wondering how many people lived in these mountains, with nothing, no running water, no power, in mud huts. How many people were living here that we couldn’t see? I don’t know why I had never wondered these things before, but my heart began to go out to the ‘unreached’, I guess you would say this was when I had my epiphany that the Lord had given me a burning passion for the people of Haiti as a whole. I know that I am unable to serve everywhere at once, but I also know that I can use my experience to mobilize others to serve in the areas I am unable to go to. I began wondering about the restaveks (child slaves), if you Google restavek in Haiti you can find a ton of info, I also began wondering about the prostitutes, and if Haiti had the infamous ‘red-light districts’. I still have not found a lot of answers for these questions, but that does not mean I am not determined to find out more info. When I got back, my heart was heavy, from conversations I had had the previous two days and the realizations I was having about this place I love that morning. I began talking to Stacie (my wonderful roommate, who I believe is also my twin) about all of these things, and we came to the conclusion that we both have had this same passion and calling for this place for years, we have dreamed of being in this place for some time, and now that we are here it’s almost surreal. We love being here, we are EXACTLY where we are supposed to be, but we cannot forget the Haiti outside these walls. We must ask the Lord to remind us daily of the people and conditions outside these walls.
We have had a lot of sick kids here lately. Apparently it is ‘flu season’ in Haiti and it is apparent. As I was taking care of one of the young sick boys I began tearing up, again, tearing up is a common occurrence for me. I was thinking of when I was five years old, maybe even 15 years old hah, and being sick, having a fever and just wanting my mom or dad to take care of me. I was reminded that this boy does not have a biological mom or dad to take care of him and it was our responsibility to play that role. I laid down with him for a bit with a cool rag over his head until he fell asleep. Lord remind me daily that these children are orphans….Sometimes it is easy to forget since we are one big family here. But I cannot act for a minute that their reality is not much harsher than mine. I want to love these kids well, and treat them as if they were my own children, in some ways I feel as if they are. We had to take a few of them back to the Cuban hospital and while we were there, there were 3 patients in the same room that we were seeing the doctor in. Stacie said she felt that it was important that we pray with them, so we approached each patient with their caregiver asking if we could pray with them. The first young lady was pregnant and on what appeared to be a breathing machine, with our ‘petit petit’ kreyol we were unsure what was actually wrong with her, the second patient was a young boy, maybe eight years old who had some sort of infection in his lymph node under his arm, he could barely put his arm down, his grandmother was sitting with him and she thanked us for praying over him. The last patient was a baby boy 18 months I believe, we are unsure of what was wrong with him also but his father spoke a little English and he said “God is my Father, thank you for praying with my son.” Those moments when I am being ministered to by Haitian people will NEVER cease to amaze me. I don’t know why that is, but I feel like in Christian America we get caught in this frame of mind that we are the only ones who know the saving grace of Christ and it is our responsibility to minister to the ends of the earth, what about the Christians all over the world, they also have the same calling we do, to minister to the ends of the earth, and they are simply doing that when they converse with us. Lord remind me that you have revealed yourself to many, teach me that these people are my brothers and sisters in Christ and I should never be surprised by your saving Grace in them that they so graciously choose to share with me!
I feel like I speak a lot to the difficult things that I see every day, but there are so many positive things that happen as well, I need to make sure and share those moments On Saturday, Cam,Cameron & I took the older boys to the beach. As soon as we got there I was racing all 12 of them into the water, do you know how difficult it is to number 1 run on the sand, and number 2 beat Haitian boys ages 8-14, hahah near impossible for me. However, I wasn’t going to give up, so the boys and I had a start and finish line that we raced back and forth on a good 15 to 20 times, needless to say I am a little sore today haha. The water was pretty rough so we kept the boys closer to the shore, but the beach here is more than perfect. It feels like bath water that you don’t have to ‘gradually get into’ you just jump right in and play. The boys had muddy sand fights, this was glorious to watch! Earlier on Saturday I had walked outside and one of the girls told me to look at the sun, there was this dark black circle around the sun with shades of the colors of the rainbow, and around that edge was a bright yellow circle…It was quite eerie to say the least, so we researched it a little and found out that according to folklore it means the beginning of hurricane season, this could explain why the water was so rough
There are so many more things I could share, and I am committing to at least journaling them every day so I don’t forget them when I post them on here. I don’t want any of you to miss out on this adventure that I am having in Haiti!! Pray that the Lord will continue to speak to each of here, that He will continue to use each of us here, that He will give us the words to speak in difficult moments, that He will pour so much love into us that we can’t do anything but pour into the people of Haiti, pray that He will give us new dreams, and new visions of how we can minister to the unreached outside of these walls….Thank you again for taking this journey with me, I know for a fact that I could not do it without your prayers and support!!!
PS- our new website is up! Check out the Family Room and help us get all of our kids sponsored at 100%! www.handsandfeetproject.org
Much Love,
Bek
Monday, May 30, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
I dont want to forget....
Once again, I am at a loss for words. Haiti never ceases to amaze me. From the very first time I had heard of Haiti to what is now ‘everyday life.’ I wish so badly I could journal more often so I could remember each moment, and each conversation. I don’t ever want to forget any of this. I don’t want to forget how the Lord reveals himself daily; I don’t want to forget conversations that I have with the children, or the staff. I want to live in every moment and embrace them as they come. The last couple of days have been full of amazing conversations with the kids. I swear they teach me more than I could ever teach them…
A couple of evenings ago one of our neighbors began playing his voodoo drums, yes voodoo is real, and it is here. I heard the drums and asked one of the girls what that noise was. She responded ‘Bekah, that’s voodoo!’ She then continued to give me a history lesson on voodoo. She said when voodoo comes you do this, she turned the bottom portion of her shirt inside out and held it up, I asked why, she said because then she can’t come to you…Obviously this is a voodoo tradition of how you avoid being ‘overtaken’. She said sometimes at night she wakes up afraid when she hears the drums but then she prays and is okay to go back to sleep. She continued her history lesson and told me BUT, if you have Jesus, she can’t come to you! Do you love Jesus Bekah? I said yes, I do! She said then you don’t have to worry about it! This is why we’re here, these kids know the power that is bigger than voodoo, and they claim it with everything that they are! That, to me, is inspiring. The thought of voodoo freaks me out and I forget that I have the power that is greater than that, living in me, but I was reminded by an eight year old girl, that I should not be afraid.
Tuesday evening I was swinging with one of the older boys. I told him I would be leaving in the morning to head to Grand Goave to spend some time with the kids there. He asked me if I liked Jacmel or Grand Goave better, I explained I really love them both; they are just two very different places. He continues to say; well this is the best orphanage in Haiti. I wouldn’t ever want to go anywhere else. That was a bittersweet moment for me. I am so thankful that each of these children are blessed beyond belief to have a home and loving family, but my heart also ached to have a child recognize that he lived in an orphanage. He told me about his siblings, two of which live with us, another that is with his mom, and one that had passed away not long after he was born. He asked me about my siblings, he knows that Cameron is my brother, last April he met my brother Mark as well. He asked why Mark wasn’t here, I told him that he is married with kids of his own, he asked about Mike and why he had never met him, hahah guess what Mike, it’s your turn to come to Haiti :o) He asked about their families. I explained that Mike was married with three kids, Mark was married with two kids, and neither Cameron nor I were married nor did we have children. He then said well, you are going to have one kid and Cameron isn’t going to have any. It took me a second to figure out his logic, hahah but Mike has 3, Mark has 2, Rebekah 1, and Cameron none. Kids crack me up sometimes.
It’s the simple moments like that, sitting on a swing set or standing on a staircase, having children share their knowledge, hopes, fears, and dreams with you; that I don’t ever want to forget.
Early Tuesday morning the Suttons and I were out the door by 5 am once again to head to Grand Goave and our way out of Jacmel I saw a woman who was carrying a jug of water on her head, this is not abnormal in Haiti, that is how you transport things. The unusual part was she was on crutches, with one leg. That was the essence of perseverance; my assumption is she lost a leg in the earthquake, since many people lost limbs during that time. She was an older woman, probably in her 50’s or 60’s. She had to have water, but she could not walk. She used all of the resources she had to get where she needed to go to obtain the means she needed to survive. I asked myself if I had would’ve had that same strength, or if I would’ve just given up… The people of Haiti are strong, you have to be to live here.
Someone asked last night if I liked Haiti…my answer, no. I love Haiti. You have to love Haiti to come here. Travis, Drex, Jo, and I were talking about Haiti and our first experiences here, the many angels we’ve seen, the large amounts of evil we’ve seen, how each day is full of the unexpected. The riots we’ve been through, the sickness that has come upon us, the chaos, and then the blessings, the fruit, the somber moments we wouldn’t change for the world. We all collectively decided that we wouldn’t trade even the ‘bad’ days for anything in the world…
Pray for the people of Haiti, that they will find the strength and power in Christ that Valencia has. Pray for those serving in Haiti, that we would remain protected, but also that we would remain prepared to claim the name of Christ whenever needed. Pray that the Lord would speak to you through those of us here and pray that you would be open to whatever way the Lord is calling you to serve.
Lastly, pray that we find a roommate for my house in Nashville, since I left only raising just enough to cover those expenses I am not quite sure how to come up with extra until we find another person. Haiti is a place that will stretch you spiritually, physically and emotionally. This week my faith is being stretched….
Thank you for allowing me to share this journey with you.
Much Love,
Bek
A couple of evenings ago one of our neighbors began playing his voodoo drums, yes voodoo is real, and it is here. I heard the drums and asked one of the girls what that noise was. She responded ‘Bekah, that’s voodoo!’ She then continued to give me a history lesson on voodoo. She said when voodoo comes you do this, she turned the bottom portion of her shirt inside out and held it up, I asked why, she said because then she can’t come to you…Obviously this is a voodoo tradition of how you avoid being ‘overtaken’. She said sometimes at night she wakes up afraid when she hears the drums but then she prays and is okay to go back to sleep. She continued her history lesson and told me BUT, if you have Jesus, she can’t come to you! Do you love Jesus Bekah? I said yes, I do! She said then you don’t have to worry about it! This is why we’re here, these kids know the power that is bigger than voodoo, and they claim it with everything that they are! That, to me, is inspiring. The thought of voodoo freaks me out and I forget that I have the power that is greater than that, living in me, but I was reminded by an eight year old girl, that I should not be afraid.
Tuesday evening I was swinging with one of the older boys. I told him I would be leaving in the morning to head to Grand Goave to spend some time with the kids there. He asked me if I liked Jacmel or Grand Goave better, I explained I really love them both; they are just two very different places. He continues to say; well this is the best orphanage in Haiti. I wouldn’t ever want to go anywhere else. That was a bittersweet moment for me. I am so thankful that each of these children are blessed beyond belief to have a home and loving family, but my heart also ached to have a child recognize that he lived in an orphanage. He told me about his siblings, two of which live with us, another that is with his mom, and one that had passed away not long after he was born. He asked me about my siblings, he knows that Cameron is my brother, last April he met my brother Mark as well. He asked why Mark wasn’t here, I told him that he is married with kids of his own, he asked about Mike and why he had never met him, hahah guess what Mike, it’s your turn to come to Haiti :o) He asked about their families. I explained that Mike was married with three kids, Mark was married with two kids, and neither Cameron nor I were married nor did we have children. He then said well, you are going to have one kid and Cameron isn’t going to have any. It took me a second to figure out his logic, hahah but Mike has 3, Mark has 2, Rebekah 1, and Cameron none. Kids crack me up sometimes.
It’s the simple moments like that, sitting on a swing set or standing on a staircase, having children share their knowledge, hopes, fears, and dreams with you; that I don’t ever want to forget.
Early Tuesday morning the Suttons and I were out the door by 5 am once again to head to Grand Goave and our way out of Jacmel I saw a woman who was carrying a jug of water on her head, this is not abnormal in Haiti, that is how you transport things. The unusual part was she was on crutches, with one leg. That was the essence of perseverance; my assumption is she lost a leg in the earthquake, since many people lost limbs during that time. She was an older woman, probably in her 50’s or 60’s. She had to have water, but she could not walk. She used all of the resources she had to get where she needed to go to obtain the means she needed to survive. I asked myself if I had would’ve had that same strength, or if I would’ve just given up… The people of Haiti are strong, you have to be to live here.
Someone asked last night if I liked Haiti…my answer, no. I love Haiti. You have to love Haiti to come here. Travis, Drex, Jo, and I were talking about Haiti and our first experiences here, the many angels we’ve seen, the large amounts of evil we’ve seen, how each day is full of the unexpected. The riots we’ve been through, the sickness that has come upon us, the chaos, and then the blessings, the fruit, the somber moments we wouldn’t change for the world. We all collectively decided that we wouldn’t trade even the ‘bad’ days for anything in the world…
Pray for the people of Haiti, that they will find the strength and power in Christ that Valencia has. Pray for those serving in Haiti, that we would remain protected, but also that we would remain prepared to claim the name of Christ whenever needed. Pray that the Lord would speak to you through those of us here and pray that you would be open to whatever way the Lord is calling you to serve.
Lastly, pray that we find a roommate for my house in Nashville, since I left only raising just enough to cover those expenses I am not quite sure how to come up with extra until we find another person. Haiti is a place that will stretch you spiritually, physically and emotionally. This week my faith is being stretched….
Thank you for allowing me to share this journey with you.
Much Love,
Bek
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Is this my life?
At 24, almost 25 years old I never in my wildest dreams thought my life would be what it has turned out to be, I can’t even comprehend what the future holds, since I never saw any of this coming. You see, since I was young I had planned on marrying at 22 having kids by 25 and being a teacher. Hahaha,Whats that saying? We plan, God laughs. For some reason since my two older brothers had married when they were 22 and my mom was 22 I thought that was what my life should look like. I love kids so very much and for sure thought I would have some of my own by now. However, the Lords plan was different. Instead of being married and having children of my own, the Lord has given me 87 kids to care for! Not to say that I still don’t have the desire to be married and have children of my own, but for now this is how the Lord is filling this desire in my heart. He is teaching me patience, what true love, and what true religion look like. If life would have gone as I had hoped or dreamed I wouldn’t have so many of the experiences that I have today. I wouldn’t be living in Haiti, spending time with some of the most beautiful orphans, in the most gorgeous place I have ever been. I know that I made a conscious decision to move to Haiti, to work at an orphanage, yet, sometimes I forget the reality of each of these children’s’ situation. These kids whom I love as my own or as siblings are true orphans. They have lost their mother, father or both…I have to remind myself of this harsh reality often.
Today I was reminded of this reality when working with one of our younger boys, he was not listening very well and acting out in various ways so he was unable to participate in what the other kids were doing, we have to remember that kids, wherever they are, are kids . After a long process of him being upset that he couldn’t be with the other kids my brother and I decided to sit down with him and just try and talk to him. I felt the urge to just tell him he is loved, even if he is in ‘trouble’ we still love him. We held him while he cried, and said “I love you” or “Mwen Renmen Ou” repeatedly as we rocked back and forth. At that moment I began thinking of where he came from, this boy had lost his parents in the earthquake…I couldn’t imagine! I couldn’t imagine losing my parents period! To live through that tragic event and come out of it without parents is horrifying to me. There is a reason this boy was saved, maybe one day he is going to grow up and be a pastor, or a strong father… Whatever it is, he needs to know he is well loved now. Lord give me the strength to love without bounds….
As difficult as moments like that are, the reality is this is the life the Lord has put before me and I need to embrace them. I need to learn from them, I need to grow from them.
When I am not busy getting stuff together for the Family Room (our new sponsorship program, keep posted for more info ) I am spending time with our kids. Yesterday, Stacie and I took five of the older girls on a hike; we walked up the aqueduct behind our house towards the top of the mountain. This was quite the adventure, T-Bone our dog followed us, we shortly discovered he is a sissy-la-la, after another dog, which was very likely rabid ha, started barking at us he hid behind Stacie and I, putting us right in the middle of this near duel…Praise the Lord the dog eventually left. As we reached the waterfall area I was struck by the beauty of where I was, and once again asked, is this my life? Am I standing on a mountain overlooking palm trees out into the Caribbean Sea while goats and cows make sounds in the distance, with five of the most beautiful children I have ever seen? How did I become so blessed? I was reminded that I am His, I belong to my Creator who wants to share His creation with me…Lord help me to hear you in the silence, while embracing your beauty.
In the afternoon I played kickball with some of the boys, these boys are so talented, and are quick to teach me how to kick properly haha. How did I get so lucky? Is this my life? This afternoon Stacie and I took the older girls to jump-rope. I haven’t jump-roped so much since I was probably ten years old haha. Stac and I double-dutched and jumped at the same time, is there an age where you shouldn’t play jump rope game anymore? My answer? No way! I felt like a child again, care-free, enjoying life and being well-loved! Lord give me the faith of a child…..
In the evenings I have been going to the toddler home and visiting those children. Jessica, a young girl who has been here just over a year. She arrived here just before our trip in April 2010. She was extremely malnourished and small for her age, she could barely hold her head up from being so weak. Now, as soon as I walk into the room she runs up to me to be held. We sit in the rocking chair for a while and sing songs together. Today she said “I love you Bekah”. Is this my life? Lord help me to love like a child and run into your arms!
I always feel like these posts are scatter-brained. There are always a million things going on in my mind when I am trying to convey how I am feeling. So once again, I apologize. I have a lot of prayer requests this evening, so when you get a chance or if you think about us here in Haiti, I would appreciate some prayers on our behalf. Pray for the Holy Spirit to be revived in me and that I listen and hear his voice clearly. Pray for strength to know what to do when the kids are mis-behaving, but are simply acting out because of something in their past. Pray that I can love well. Pray for the kids here in Jacmel, we’ve made a doctor visit at least once a day, every day this week, nothing big, just a lot of ‘bugs’ going around. Pray for guidance in my life as well as the other staff here who are trying to determine what ministry with Hands and Feet looks like for them. Pray for our safety, I sometimes forget the reality that we are in Haiti. Pray for the Pierces (directors here) that they enjoy their time in Hawaii, as they just had a new grandbaby. Pray for teams that we have coming in throughout the summer. Pray that our hearts would remain pure and we would seek the Lord in everything that we do…..
Much love,
Scatter-brained Me,
Bek
Today I was reminded of this reality when working with one of our younger boys, he was not listening very well and acting out in various ways so he was unable to participate in what the other kids were doing, we have to remember that kids, wherever they are, are kids . After a long process of him being upset that he couldn’t be with the other kids my brother and I decided to sit down with him and just try and talk to him. I felt the urge to just tell him he is loved, even if he is in ‘trouble’ we still love him. We held him while he cried, and said “I love you” or “Mwen Renmen Ou” repeatedly as we rocked back and forth. At that moment I began thinking of where he came from, this boy had lost his parents in the earthquake…I couldn’t imagine! I couldn’t imagine losing my parents period! To live through that tragic event and come out of it without parents is horrifying to me. There is a reason this boy was saved, maybe one day he is going to grow up and be a pastor, or a strong father… Whatever it is, he needs to know he is well loved now. Lord give me the strength to love without bounds….
As difficult as moments like that are, the reality is this is the life the Lord has put before me and I need to embrace them. I need to learn from them, I need to grow from them.
When I am not busy getting stuff together for the Family Room (our new sponsorship program, keep posted for more info ) I am spending time with our kids. Yesterday, Stacie and I took five of the older girls on a hike; we walked up the aqueduct behind our house towards the top of the mountain. This was quite the adventure, T-Bone our dog followed us, we shortly discovered he is a sissy-la-la, after another dog, which was very likely rabid ha, started barking at us he hid behind Stacie and I, putting us right in the middle of this near duel…Praise the Lord the dog eventually left. As we reached the waterfall area I was struck by the beauty of where I was, and once again asked, is this my life? Am I standing on a mountain overlooking palm trees out into the Caribbean Sea while goats and cows make sounds in the distance, with five of the most beautiful children I have ever seen? How did I become so blessed? I was reminded that I am His, I belong to my Creator who wants to share His creation with me…Lord help me to hear you in the silence, while embracing your beauty.
In the afternoon I played kickball with some of the boys, these boys are so talented, and are quick to teach me how to kick properly haha. How did I get so lucky? Is this my life? This afternoon Stacie and I took the older girls to jump-rope. I haven’t jump-roped so much since I was probably ten years old haha. Stac and I double-dutched and jumped at the same time, is there an age where you shouldn’t play jump rope game anymore? My answer? No way! I felt like a child again, care-free, enjoying life and being well-loved! Lord give me the faith of a child…..
In the evenings I have been going to the toddler home and visiting those children. Jessica, a young girl who has been here just over a year. She arrived here just before our trip in April 2010. She was extremely malnourished and small for her age, she could barely hold her head up from being so weak. Now, as soon as I walk into the room she runs up to me to be held. We sit in the rocking chair for a while and sing songs together. Today she said “I love you Bekah”. Is this my life? Lord help me to love like a child and run into your arms!
I always feel like these posts are scatter-brained. There are always a million things going on in my mind when I am trying to convey how I am feeling. So once again, I apologize. I have a lot of prayer requests this evening, so when you get a chance or if you think about us here in Haiti, I would appreciate some prayers on our behalf. Pray for the Holy Spirit to be revived in me and that I listen and hear his voice clearly. Pray for strength to know what to do when the kids are mis-behaving, but are simply acting out because of something in their past. Pray that I can love well. Pray for the kids here in Jacmel, we’ve made a doctor visit at least once a day, every day this week, nothing big, just a lot of ‘bugs’ going around. Pray for guidance in my life as well as the other staff here who are trying to determine what ministry with Hands and Feet looks like for them. Pray for our safety, I sometimes forget the reality that we are in Haiti. Pray for the Pierces (directors here) that they enjoy their time in Hawaii, as they just had a new grandbaby. Pray for teams that we have coming in throughout the summer. Pray that our hearts would remain pure and we would seek the Lord in everything that we do…..
Much love,
Scatter-brained Me,
Bek
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Grand Goave
Yesterday morning I woke up at 4 am to get ready and head over the mountain with Angie and Andrew Sutton. They are going to be the missionaries at the site in Grand Goave, I needed to head to Grand Goave to meet the children, get some new pictures and hang out with them for a bit so I can truthfully update their sponsors on how they are doing. We were in the car and headed over the mountain by 5 am. We finally arrived in Grand Goave around 7am just in time for breakfast with the team that is here from Ohio. Once we arrived here I was immediately in awe, this place is much different than Jacmel, Grand Goave is definitely rural and the team home is surrounded by trees literally on the beach, if you walk out of the shacoon and take about 10 steps you will be in the water. This is where I will be working the next few days? Really? I wish everyone could understand how beautiful this place really is…Poor? Yes. Gorgeous? Even more so! I have said from the beginning that Haiti is a country of contrast, and that statement is validated every time I see a new place.
After we had breakfast Angie, Andrew, Drex and I headed up to the site where they will be building the homes for the 31 children who are currently living in the school at Mission of Hope. The site is not quite a mile up the road from where the kids go to school and church, and once again it is beautiful. As soon as we arrived Drex hooked up the generator to the water pump and within moment young children came down with their buckets to collect water. After they collected their water they placed the buckets on their heads just like many adult Haitians do to transport items, headed home, and immediately returned, empty handed to play! The girls taught me some hand games as well as some new dances. The boys played around with anything they could find. We staked out the temporary homes for the children as well as the missionaries! It is going to be a beautiful site. We are hoping to have the temporary homes finished by June 20th, we have A TON to do so pray we find the help needed to complete this project!
We also had a small earthquake yesterday afternoon, AHH. Jo and I had been talking about the Jan 12th quake early in the day and about 3 o’clock we heard ‘that sound’ and the ground had a good little shake, we both immediately stood up, grabbed our phones and headed toward the stairs, thankfully it stopped quickly. I thought I may have been loosing my mind since we were talking about the quake, but we looked it up and sure enough, there was a 3.5, not big, but no thank you! Pray we don’t have ANYMORE quakes.
This morning I woke up and headed to the school with Travis to meet the kids here, get some new pictures and have some information to update their sponsors. At first I was a little nervous; I didn’t realize how spoiled we are in Jacmel with the kids that speak English so well! These children are learning English but definitely not fluent, and with my baby kreyol, communication was difficult. But love knows no bounds! I saw a young boy playing some game with rocks on the wooden bench so I went and sat with him, communicating the best we could and he taught me to play ‘jacks’ with rocks! It was quite humorous if you ask me hahah. I then started interacting with the rest of the children and next thing you knew they were all coming up to me saying my name! Rebekah is a common name in Haiti so it is easy for the children to say :o). I got out some pens and paper and the children drew me pictures and showed me how to write their names, which aren’t so easy to pronounce haha. I spent about 5 hours with the children! At the end of the day I was sitting with Luckson and Sheevens showing them pictures and came across a picture of myself and Cameron and I told them that was my brother, Luckson then said “Mwen Se is with Jezi” (broken kreyol bare with me) Meaning, My sister is with Jesus…I tried not to tear up, which is common being here. Then he Sheevens said “Mwen Mama with Jezi to”….ughhh. Two of the cutest, happiest, children with literally nothing who I had played with all day just shared with me that their mom and sister were with Jesus. James 1:27 immediately came to mind.. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this, to look after orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. This is why I am here, I have been given a heart for children and a passion for Haiti. I couldn’t ask to be anywhere else. Despite the NUMEROUS attacks from Satan already trying to cause conflict and discourage me. I KNOW I am EXACTLY where I am supposed to be.
Pray for Hands and Feet as we are trying to grow as an organization to care for more children, with that, comes attacks. Pray for myself to stay encouraged, focused and reminded of why I am here, even if it is simply two little boys sharing their joy with me. Pray that Grand Goave finds the help they need to get these projects done, and these beautiful children a home.
Thanks for taking this journey with me…
I will post some GG pics as soon as I have some better internet...
Much Love,
Bek
After we had breakfast Angie, Andrew, Drex and I headed up to the site where they will be building the homes for the 31 children who are currently living in the school at Mission of Hope. The site is not quite a mile up the road from where the kids go to school and church, and once again it is beautiful. As soon as we arrived Drex hooked up the generator to the water pump and within moment young children came down with their buckets to collect water. After they collected their water they placed the buckets on their heads just like many adult Haitians do to transport items, headed home, and immediately returned, empty handed to play! The girls taught me some hand games as well as some new dances. The boys played around with anything they could find. We staked out the temporary homes for the children as well as the missionaries! It is going to be a beautiful site. We are hoping to have the temporary homes finished by June 20th, we have A TON to do so pray we find the help needed to complete this project!
We also had a small earthquake yesterday afternoon, AHH. Jo and I had been talking about the Jan 12th quake early in the day and about 3 o’clock we heard ‘that sound’ and the ground had a good little shake, we both immediately stood up, grabbed our phones and headed toward the stairs, thankfully it stopped quickly. I thought I may have been loosing my mind since we were talking about the quake, but we looked it up and sure enough, there was a 3.5, not big, but no thank you! Pray we don’t have ANYMORE quakes.
This morning I woke up and headed to the school with Travis to meet the kids here, get some new pictures and have some information to update their sponsors. At first I was a little nervous; I didn’t realize how spoiled we are in Jacmel with the kids that speak English so well! These children are learning English but definitely not fluent, and with my baby kreyol, communication was difficult. But love knows no bounds! I saw a young boy playing some game with rocks on the wooden bench so I went and sat with him, communicating the best we could and he taught me to play ‘jacks’ with rocks! It was quite humorous if you ask me hahah. I then started interacting with the rest of the children and next thing you knew they were all coming up to me saying my name! Rebekah is a common name in Haiti so it is easy for the children to say :o). I got out some pens and paper and the children drew me pictures and showed me how to write their names, which aren’t so easy to pronounce haha. I spent about 5 hours with the children! At the end of the day I was sitting with Luckson and Sheevens showing them pictures and came across a picture of myself and Cameron and I told them that was my brother, Luckson then said “Mwen Se is with Jezi” (broken kreyol bare with me) Meaning, My sister is with Jesus…I tried not to tear up, which is common being here. Then he Sheevens said “Mwen Mama with Jezi to”….ughhh. Two of the cutest, happiest, children with literally nothing who I had played with all day just shared with me that their mom and sister were with Jesus. James 1:27 immediately came to mind.. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this, to look after orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. This is why I am here, I have been given a heart for children and a passion for Haiti. I couldn’t ask to be anywhere else. Despite the NUMEROUS attacks from Satan already trying to cause conflict and discourage me. I KNOW I am EXACTLY where I am supposed to be.
Pray for Hands and Feet as we are trying to grow as an organization to care for more children, with that, comes attacks. Pray for myself to stay encouraged, focused and reminded of why I am here, even if it is simply two little boys sharing their joy with me. Pray that Grand Goave finds the help they need to get these projects done, and these beautiful children a home.
Thanks for taking this journey with me…
I will post some GG pics as soon as I have some better internet...
Much Love,
Bek
Monday, May 16, 2011
Port-Au-Prince to Jacmel and everything in between...at least 36 hours worth.
The last few days have been interesting to say the least. After we picked Stacie up from the airport on Sunday we headed back to the PAP house and decided to go on a few more tours. We took her to the lookout we went to on Saturday. After we enjoyed the beauty of Port Au Prince once again, Michelle wanted to show us the Hotel Karibe, a Hotel where all of the "bourgeois" (rich) stay. As we are heading to the hotel we notice an excess amount of UN officers and Haitian police, at that moment she realized that the Presidents were most likely having their inaugural reception at the Karibe....she was right. We arrived at the hotel and everything was 'closed' and we were not going to be allowed in. However, just like in America "its not what you know, its who you know" Michelle had an 'appointment' there, called the person whom she had the 'appointment' with and gave the phone to one of the guards, next thing you knew four Americans in shorts, tanks and flip flops were among over 75 foreign dignitaries and music artist in their suits and ties....can you say out of place? We walked around a bit and were making a list of whom we thought would be there...Clinton, Aristide (former dictator of Haiti), Bush Sr., Wyclef....so on. At that moment I thought I saw Wyclef so Michelle asked a security guard if that was Wyclef, and He responded 'No, he is over there, do you want to meet him?" Next thing you knew we were chatting with Wyclef and he asked if we were Christian missionaries, we responded yes, he explained how his dad is a minister. Michelle then asked him if he had heard of Audio Adrenaline, since they founded Hands and Feet, he said he had heard of them but he was more into Petra, and began singing to us! It was quite an interesting moment, one I will never forget for sure. Not that he was Wyclef, living in Nashville you get used to seeing music artist all over, but the fact that we were in Haiti at the inauguration ball, and that he sang Petra lol. After leaving the Karibe, because we did not want to overstay our welcome we headed to the Pizza Garden to get dinner, again another place that made me feel like I was not in Haiti by any means, one of the most gorgeous restaurants I had ever been to, including within the states. While sitting there I was overwhelmed once again with the contrast of Haiti, literally down the road are people begging for food and digging through trash on the side of the streets, and orphans searching for a place to call home, while the 'rich' of Haiti dine out in nicer restaurants than we have, and swim in pools and hang out at resorts that I could probably never afford. Why the dichotomy? Even though I thoroughly enjoyed my time there and wouldn't have changed it for the world, it reminded me why I am here...for those down the street, "to feed them when the are hungry, give them something to drink when thirsty, and clothe the naked."
After our eventful evening we headed back to the PAP house where we saw fireworks from the presidential celebration, I hope and pray this is a good change for Haiti.
We woke up Sunday morning and met Franz who took us on our three hour drive over the mountain. I was wide awake the whole time. You would think I would be used to that drive and the scenery it offers by now, since I have taken the mountain trip over 10 times. But, I don't think I could ever get enough of that drive.
We pulled up our driveway right as the kids were getting home from church and I was greeted by Richneider and his ginormous smile, saying Bekah Bekah! Ahhh I am right where I am supposed to be! We unpacked and began to get settled. Stacie and I are sharing a room with the girls that are 8 and older. After unpacking we took the kids to the beach where we played volleyball with some of the street kids and swam in the spa temperature water...It was perfect.
I cant imagine being anywhere else at this point in my life. I am already being stretched in new ways and need to constantly be reminded that I am here following the example of Christ. Sometimes I dont feel like I am 'serving' because I enjoy it so much. I know I have only been here a few days, but it feels like home. I do have some prayer requests.... Pray that I will remain focused on why I am here, that I am serving our God who created me and each of these children, created these children to be loved well and felt like they were loved. Pray I will have the strength to get through each task every day, no matter how tired I am. Pray for my ears, I ended up with an ear infection right before leaving and got antibiotics, however, I still cant hear well and it is quite frustrating. I head to Grand Goave tomorrow to meet some more amazing kids, pray for safe travels and a safe time there.Pray that I make time for quite time. To be honest, my quite time is lacking, I need to be in the word, especially in this place. Pray that I will put on the armor of God and listen when He speaks, and I will do what He has called me to do, without any false motives. I want to serve the best I know how. I want to love well. I want to walk humbly with my God....
Micah 6:8 "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."
Much Love,
Bek
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Safe Arrival...
Its official, Cameron and I have been in Haiti for 24 hours. Yesterday morning we woke up after our short nap and left Trish & Dereks house at 3:45 am and headed to the airport with our 10 pieces of luggage. We arrived at the American Airlines ticket counter expecting to eat a large cost for all of our baggage, well that is not what happened. We gave them all of our bags and they said "well we will see what we can do for you" the one ticket agent asked the other one what is the best way to do this...and I said "I appreciate anything you guys can do" He said "you will appreciate me when I get back" he comes back having waived half of our baggage fees and upgraded us to first class FOR FREE! We have been to Haiti four times, and two of the four trips we have been upgraded to first class...how does that happen! We were sooo thankful! We arrived in Haiti at 7:15 yesterday morning and were greeted by "Big" outside of baggage claim, he is our Haitian friend who helps us with our bags every year! Then greeted by Michelle and Travis in the parking lot. I am so thankful for the new walkway and awning the airport has, it helps reduce a lot of the chaos. We greeted Travis, the engineer who helps WHEREVER he is needed whom we met in February, then said farewell, he was off to do another job. We headed to the house in PAP and we were greet by Matt, another intern at HAF who we met in February who I feel like I've known forever! We all hung out at the PAP house for a little bit then headed up to the baptist mission for lunch. This was a part of Haiti I had never seen before...it was gorgeous. It is at the top of the mountain overlooking PAP, beautiful homes, tin houses, tent cities, the ocean with boats and gorgeous trees with bright red flowers on them. It was the most beautiful site I had ever seen. There was a little breeze there not to hot, not to cold. It was perfect, it was a good reminder of when I fell in love with this place. We visited a 'zoo' which consisted of 1 monkey, about 15 bunnies, a couple of goats, chickens, and peacocks, they used to have a gator, but apparently it didnt make it. Then we went to the ONLY museum in the country, it is very 'culturally diverse' it had info on about 15 different countries...It had a section about Haitian voodoo - which was quite interesting...needless to say I learned ALOT yesterday. On the way back down the mountain Matt and I rode in the back of the truck and chatted about HAF and why we love Haiti and what ministry looks like for us, we both still have ALOT of unanswered questions, so I think I can speak for both us when I ask for prayer for guidance this summer. We finally made it back to the house and had a 'going-away' dinner for Matt with a couple of friends from the salvation army since he is heading back to the states to do some fundraising. Damon and Kara taught us how to play "Swiss Uno", it makes Uno fun :o). About 10pm we finally headed to bed, I was also reminded how difficult it is for me to sleep here :o/. We woke up this morning and are supposed to head to Jacmel today, however it is inauguration day in Haiti and the people are partying in the streets, they are happy though, so this is good. We will be picking Stacie up from the airport in a couple hours, spending the night here again and heading to Jacmel tomorrow. Thank you for your prayers, we could definitely use them anytime you think of us. We are excited to be here, and I am thankful for a place that feels like 'home'. Its only day two and I have learned alot and am soo ready for how the Lord will use us in the unpredictable place.
Here are some pics from our view in PAP :o)
-Much Love
Bek
Here are some pics from our view in PAP :o)
-Much Love
Bek
The last few weeks....
I apologize in advance for not posting in a few weeks, but I am just preparing those of you who are actually reading, on how infrequently I will be posting . To be honest I have been on kind of an emotional rollercoaster these last few weeks. In addition to preparing to leave for Haiti for the summer I had to move around my house, find two new roommates, final projects and finals for the end of the semester, all while trying to pack for both California and Haiti and moving all of my stuff to our basement so Kelsey (the sweet girl who is renting my room for the summer) will have space to put her belongings. Whose bright idea was it to leave the day after finals? Ohhhh that’s right, mine. Haha. All of that to say, the last few weeks have been extremely bittersweet. I have enjoyed every moment with my friends in Nash as well as getting to know some new people. I really enjoyed my time in California with my family, my grandparents, aunt, cousin, brothers, sisters and nieces and nephews as well as getting to see a few of my dear friends. With all of that it was hard to not question why I am doing this… Why am I packing up everything, giving up things that are so important and comfortable to me to move to Haiti for three months? Yes, I have a return flight, and know I will be back in the states the beginning of August, however, these things that didn’t seem to matter to me, suddenly began to matter. Hot showers, my bed, air conditioning, texting/calling my friends whenever I feel like it, straight hair – things that sound absurd as I write them down – I suddenly began to worry about not having. Then I found myself frustrated with these feelings, I haven’t ever been ‘that girl’ who needed all of these things, or maybe I was and just didn’t realize it. I don’t want to be ‘that girl’. I don’t want to stress out over not having things that our culture says we should have, things that soooo many other places would look at and think I am rich. I know it sounds cliché but its reality and I know this, I have seen these things first hand…Lord take my selfish desires from me…
Now my brother and I are on a plane to Florida, I feel like we just did this. I am re-evaluating and reminding myself of why I am on this flight. Why am I going to Haiti? Specifically Hands and Feet? When I ask myself these questions I am brought back to a time nearly four years ago when I first heard about Hands and Feet through Air1 and I sent an email asking how I could go to Haiti because I felt like I needed to (see previous posts to read about that entire journey). I know without a doubt in my mind that the Lord placed Haiti on my heart and gave me a passion and desire to serve there, why he chose me? I have no idea, and I am humbled and overwhelmed that he did. I also know that he called me specifically to serve the children at the Hands and Feet Project. Children that myself and some of my dear friends and even family have built relationships with. To be honest I feel ill-equipped, I’m not good enough, I’m not strong enough, I’m not patient enough, I’m not ‘holy’ enough. In the name of Jesus Satan has no place in my mind, because I know these thoughts are not from the Lord! When has the Lord ever called us to be good enough, strong enough, or holy enough? Never… He asks us to take up our cross and follow him, to deny ourselves and commit to living a life following that of Jesus Christ.
I am so scatter-brained at the moment and just trying to put words to my emotions, but I guess I honestly don’t know what I feel right now. I am STOKED to be in Haiti with some of the most fun-loving kids I have ever met, with some of the most awesome people I have ever met. I am excited to nurture relationships with the staff there and be able to be in community with one another while we are living in this place. I am excited that my brother is going and we get to share this adventure together, I hope we can all rejoice together, weep together, sing praise together, and encourage one another. Lord help us stay in your word and be led by your Spirit.
I think it is necessary to pause and look back at the miracles that have taken place to allow us to go on this trip. About a month before I was supposed to leave for California we discovered we needed to find two roommates or Annie and I would have to move as well, this thought nearly gave me a stroke, how in the world was I going to move, not only the physical part of it, but the cost that comes with moving, here I am trying to raise enough money to just cover my costs while I am in Haiti and to think of adding anything on top of it…ha. Well literally two weeks before I left we filled both spots! Praise the Lord for Kendra and Leah! We had talked about sub-letting my room while I was gone so I wouldn’t have to raise those funds and the money could go to something beneficial to HAF, however, since we were looking for two roommates as it was sub-letting was out of the question, until the Lord stepped in that is J our dear friend Kelsey needed a place to stay just for a couple of months out of the summer before she travels to Uganda and she wasn’t going to have any furniture because her parents were moving it back home to Michigan. Well….what do you know, I had a furnished room available for the entire summer! She is only there two months, but those two months help dramatically! I love how the Lord works. Since I was unable to sell my car I was trying to figure out something to do with it for the summer so it wasn’t just parked. A couple of friends of mine were in need of a car since they were sharing one so we decided it would be perfect if the ‘rented’ mine for the summer, well unfortunately the car they had broke down about a week before I left, so now at least they have one J. Thanks Sarah and Vanessa for helping me out, and I am glad I could help you as well!! There are probably many more miracles that seemed like coincidences to me in the moment so as I remember I will share! Lord thank you for providing.
Many of you may wonder what I will be doing while I am hanging out in the Caribbean for three months. In addition to loving on some super kids, spending some time at the beach and enjoying the 100* weather with 90% humidity, I will be responsible for keeping the children’s sponsors updated through the new family room, which myself and the staff at HAF in Nashville have been working very hard on getting started these last couple of months! I am so excited about this program since my family has sponsored Barbara for the last year it will be good to know that other families who sponsor children will get updated pictures and stories more often! As soon as the new site is up I will let you know so you can log on and sponsor a child yourself J. I will be spending some time in Grand Goave (HAF’s other location) getting to know those children and updating their sponsors as well. I will also be the ‘group coordinator’ throughout the year teams, much like teams I have brought in, come in every week. I will be in contact with them prior to their arrival as well as orchestrating their jobs and activities while staying at HAF. I am excited to meet so many people this summer and help nurture their passion for Haiti and these children. Lord give me strength to do well at everything I do, and make sure that your witness is my priority in each action I take…
Well considering my brother and I left without having raised all of our funds we could still use your help, if you are interested in supporting us while we are gone please email me at rebekahpeoples@aol.com or click on the “how you can help” link to the right.
Pray for us as we travel, we are almost to Florida were we will spend tonight with our cousin as well as tomorrow and we fly out first thing Friday morning to Haiti. Pray for safe flights, safe airport exits as well as a safe journey over the mountain to Jacmel. Pray for our hearts, that they will remain pure and the Lord will continue to speak to us, that He will stretch us and grow us, and teach us to rely completely on Him outside of the comforts of our home. I love you all, I will do my best to update as often as possible, not sure how often that will be. Thank you for walking on this journey with me.
Much Love,
Bek
Now my brother and I are on a plane to Florida, I feel like we just did this. I am re-evaluating and reminding myself of why I am on this flight. Why am I going to Haiti? Specifically Hands and Feet? When I ask myself these questions I am brought back to a time nearly four years ago when I first heard about Hands and Feet through Air1 and I sent an email asking how I could go to Haiti because I felt like I needed to (see previous posts to read about that entire journey). I know without a doubt in my mind that the Lord placed Haiti on my heart and gave me a passion and desire to serve there, why he chose me? I have no idea, and I am humbled and overwhelmed that he did. I also know that he called me specifically to serve the children at the Hands and Feet Project. Children that myself and some of my dear friends and even family have built relationships with. To be honest I feel ill-equipped, I’m not good enough, I’m not strong enough, I’m not patient enough, I’m not ‘holy’ enough. In the name of Jesus Satan has no place in my mind, because I know these thoughts are not from the Lord! When has the Lord ever called us to be good enough, strong enough, or holy enough? Never… He asks us to take up our cross and follow him, to deny ourselves and commit to living a life following that of Jesus Christ.
I am so scatter-brained at the moment and just trying to put words to my emotions, but I guess I honestly don’t know what I feel right now. I am STOKED to be in Haiti with some of the most fun-loving kids I have ever met, with some of the most awesome people I have ever met. I am excited to nurture relationships with the staff there and be able to be in community with one another while we are living in this place. I am excited that my brother is going and we get to share this adventure together, I hope we can all rejoice together, weep together, sing praise together, and encourage one another. Lord help us stay in your word and be led by your Spirit.
I think it is necessary to pause and look back at the miracles that have taken place to allow us to go on this trip. About a month before I was supposed to leave for California we discovered we needed to find two roommates or Annie and I would have to move as well, this thought nearly gave me a stroke, how in the world was I going to move, not only the physical part of it, but the cost that comes with moving, here I am trying to raise enough money to just cover my costs while I am in Haiti and to think of adding anything on top of it…ha. Well literally two weeks before I left we filled both spots! Praise the Lord for Kendra and Leah! We had talked about sub-letting my room while I was gone so I wouldn’t have to raise those funds and the money could go to something beneficial to HAF, however, since we were looking for two roommates as it was sub-letting was out of the question, until the Lord stepped in that is J our dear friend Kelsey needed a place to stay just for a couple of months out of the summer before she travels to Uganda and she wasn’t going to have any furniture because her parents were moving it back home to Michigan. Well….what do you know, I had a furnished room available for the entire summer! She is only there two months, but those two months help dramatically! I love how the Lord works. Since I was unable to sell my car I was trying to figure out something to do with it for the summer so it wasn’t just parked. A couple of friends of mine were in need of a car since they were sharing one so we decided it would be perfect if the ‘rented’ mine for the summer, well unfortunately the car they had broke down about a week before I left, so now at least they have one J. Thanks Sarah and Vanessa for helping me out, and I am glad I could help you as well!! There are probably many more miracles that seemed like coincidences to me in the moment so as I remember I will share! Lord thank you for providing.
Many of you may wonder what I will be doing while I am hanging out in the Caribbean for three months. In addition to loving on some super kids, spending some time at the beach and enjoying the 100* weather with 90% humidity, I will be responsible for keeping the children’s sponsors updated through the new family room, which myself and the staff at HAF in Nashville have been working very hard on getting started these last couple of months! I am so excited about this program since my family has sponsored Barbara for the last year it will be good to know that other families who sponsor children will get updated pictures and stories more often! As soon as the new site is up I will let you know so you can log on and sponsor a child yourself J. I will be spending some time in Grand Goave (HAF’s other location) getting to know those children and updating their sponsors as well. I will also be the ‘group coordinator’ throughout the year teams, much like teams I have brought in, come in every week. I will be in contact with them prior to their arrival as well as orchestrating their jobs and activities while staying at HAF. I am excited to meet so many people this summer and help nurture their passion for Haiti and these children. Lord give me strength to do well at everything I do, and make sure that your witness is my priority in each action I take…
Well considering my brother and I left without having raised all of our funds we could still use your help, if you are interested in supporting us while we are gone please email me at rebekahpeoples@aol.com or click on the “how you can help” link to the right.
Pray for us as we travel, we are almost to Florida were we will spend tonight with our cousin as well as tomorrow and we fly out first thing Friday morning to Haiti. Pray for safe flights, safe airport exits as well as a safe journey over the mountain to Jacmel. Pray for our hearts, that they will remain pure and the Lord will continue to speak to us, that He will stretch us and grow us, and teach us to rely completely on Him outside of the comforts of our home. I love you all, I will do my best to update as often as possible, not sure how often that will be. Thank you for walking on this journey with me.
Much Love,
Bek
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