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.