Back to Haiti

While I was in Haiti this past summer, I thought that I would come back to the United States and just blog, blog, blog about all of my experiences. Every time I sat down in front of the computer since being back with the intent of sharing some of my Haiti experiences with you, I haven't been able to do it. I start to cry, or miss my Haitian friends too much, or mostly just search for a way to put such life changing experiences into words--some moments in life can't be explained with the language available. But today, I'm going to try to share just a few experiences with you. Eventually, I will start posting journal entries. So, without further babbling here's a little bit of my Haiti experience.


I'm sure most of you know this, but I'm going to start with the basics to make this a little easier. The NGO I worked with was stationed in Leogane. Just a short way from Port-Au-Prince, the capitol of this beautiful country.

When I first decided to travel to Haiti as a volunteer, I of course, googled Leogane for images. I found a big picture of this very sign--I even posted it here on my blog . I thought, "Hey cool! I'm going there." Little did I know that I was going there, right there. I walked past that sign multiple times in a week. And little did I know as I prepared for my trip by googling images of Leogane that I would walk right past that sign multiple times a week in order to serve some of the most wonderful people I have ever met because across from Bienvenue a Leogane was a long stretch of dirt road that lead right to the Field Tent Orphanage. Home to some of the happiest, outgoing, and most beautiful orphans in Haiti.

I can't tell you how much I loved these kids. The interesting thing about serving is that while you go to help and teach, you usually are the one that ends up being nurtured and taught. Such was the case with every child I loved while in Haiti. At each orphanage each of the volunteers was a favorite to a select few children; they seemed to adopt us in a way.



Sorry this is kinda a blurry, but it's the best picture I've got of us walking up the road. We got caught in a minor rain storm walking to Field Tent this particular day. The other girl in the picture is Krystal. One of my all time favorite Sustain Haiti Volunteers. She had just gotten back from her mission a few weeks before coming to Haiti and she's just a powerhouse of kindness, testimony, and love. I want to be just like her when I grow up.





And when we made it to the end of the long dirt road, we walked through a wide gate greeted by dozens of kisses. I can still feel their warm cheeks against mine. They smelled warm and like the soft field grasses they called home. We called this orphanage Field Tent because it literally was just a tent in the middle of a field. These children had nothing, yet they smiled and laughed. They played loads of soccer with a soccer ball that any American child would have thrown away as garbage. Oh how we loved them. They taught us to be grateful. They taught us that life can be simple and beautiful.

Aren't they beautiful? This is one of my favorite pictures. It captures so well their energy and excitement for life.

We played a lot of simple games. And they loved them.

I love them.

Such beautiful women.

And of course there was always a lot of hugging. We didn't have a lot more to give than our attention and love. Our kisses and hugs. I hope that our love stayed with them. That by loving them we helped them to love each other more.

This is our last day at the Field Tent. I cannot think of a more tragic, happy, sweet, beautiful day in my life thus far. How wonderful it was to come to know these children and love them for the short time I was in Haiti. Pray from them. They need our love and support even from afar.

I hope you enjoyed walking to the Field Tent with me today. I enjoyed it every couple of weeks this past summer, and I hope some day to do it again.

All my love.

Song of the day is the Waka Waka, all the kids loved that one. We danced and danced it over and over again.

Wish! Wish! Wish!

I realized that aside from a very short, very pathetic, very stressed out blog post I did a couple weeks before finals-- I haven't posted a real post in a long time. I then realized I had no idea what I wanted to blog about: Christmas festivities, how awesome it is to do nothing, the fabulous dance party I had in the kitchen with my sister yesterday . . . nothing was really working for me. Then I remembered that it is LIST TUESDAY. Blog dilemma solved.

So...

When I was a small child, I absolutely loved Winnie the Pooh. Oh how I loved him. My favorite episode was called The Wishing Bear and when I was three years old, my mom and I would recite the wishing poem with the appropriate motions over and over again... while I loved it every time, I'm sure she was driven to less than kind thoughts by the end. We did it for hours and hours. Literally.

Flap like a bird!
Jump like a fish!
Sit down! Stand up!
Wish! Wish! WISH!

Now, what does flapping like a bird and jumping like a fish have to do with my Tuesday list? I'll tell you. I still love Winnie the Pooh; I always will and largely because Winnie the Pooh is all about deep friendships and love. And so during this Christmas season with all the presents, the hustle and the bustle, I want to stop and remember what it is really all about: deep friendships, family, and love.

Love-- to be honest--is something that I have been thinking about quite a bit lately. So, I'll stop babbling and give you my list now.

1. family
2. temples
3. my mom's cinnamon rolls
4. clean towels
5. our Savior
6. listening
7. grandma's quilts
8. tuesday mornings
9. fast sundays
10. pizza nights
11. prophets
12. hard work
13. new born babies
14. butterfly kisses
15. answered prayers

I hope that the last few days before Christmas find you all well. All my love for the holiday season and the new year.

= )

Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. "Pooh," he whispered.
"Yes, Piglet?"

"Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's paw, "I just wanted to be sure of you."

I hate the last week of classes...

This is my week. . .

How is yours going?

Good Feeling Gone

I'm just going to warn you, this is going to be less than positive: you have two choices deal with it or move along your bloggy way to somewhere else.

Guys, it's the last two weeks of school... and this means...

yep-- good feeling's gone.

So, good luck to all you kids in the last few weeks of school. Hold tough... and keep swimming.

Yes, even if the next few weeks is going to feel like this...

keep swimming.

Who am I kidding... we're all gonna die.

=)