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I am sorry I have not written since we have been home. We got in safely to Lexington around 11:45 Monday night. We had zero problems with flights, praise the Lord! Even in Miami it was like we were the only international flight coming in at that time. There were no lines through immigration and Rolgard got through with no problems. We were able to send our bags to the other airline without having to go upstairs and recheck them. The only issue was that when we got out boarding passes in Haiti for our last two flights, our seats were not together. We were able to change them when we got to Miami, but ended up in the last row of both of those flights. Not too big a deal though! I have been pretty miserable since I have been home. I am pretty sure I have strep throat. It has been hurting for the last few days really bad. Luckily I have those antibiotics I got before the trip for my ear that i never ended up using, so I started those yesterday. I also have these really weird sores on my face that I have no idea what they are! GREAT! They dont really hurt, they just look bad. I am working on a bigger update about our time with Rolgard’s family that I will try to get out later this week. I am going to work on posting my pictures on facebook as well so if you are on there, keep your eyes open. If not, I will send the link to you for the albums. Thanks for the prayers and support. Talk to you all later

Some time in LaPointe

Bon swa

Well it turns out that there is an Internet cafe just around the corner from Rolgard’s aunts house. It costs a little over 1 US dollar for an hour. So here we are checking e-mail and updating blogs! We left the mission yesterday afternoon. It was hard to say goodbye to everyone. I think we are going to try to go back and visit one more time this week, but I am not sure. We got to Rolgard’s aunt’s house around 2:00 or so. We just stayed around the house all evening. We were able to show his brothers some pictures from the year since Rolgard was in the states. I am sure we will be showing those a few times!

Today I woke up to an interesting site. In the field or yard next door there were some people talking very loudly. When Rolgard came in he told me they were killing something to sell. Sure enough, I looked outside and they were definitely chopping up some kind of animal, maybe two. It was gross, but I guess it has to get to the table somehow. We had breakfast and then some friends stopped by so we talked for a while and then some others came by so we (mostly Rolgard) talked for a while. We went around the corner to buy some water and ice and then after lunch we went to his brother’s house. His two nephews are soooo cute. We got them UK shirts and they were huge on them, it was so funny! I will post pictures later. One of my highlights today was learning how to use the button machine! Rolgard’s aunt makes clothes for people and a guy came in with fabric to get some buttons made, so Rolgard showed me how to use it and I made 6 buttons!

 

Rolgard and I with the nephews

 

check out those T-shirts

 

 

 

Things are going well. I have this weird rash thing on my hands. It is like a bunch of little tiny bumps. It doesn’t itch hurt or anything else, it just looks funny and I wish it would go away! Other than that and a cold, I have not had any major health issues! Rolgard’s aunt makes great food so I am excited about the next few days of good Haitian food. I will write more later.

Day 9 – Last day at the Mission

Today was my last full day at the mission. We had a great time, but it was kind of crazy here. All 100 people were back on campus most of the day. Some of our group took a hike out to the waterfall before lunch. After lunch, we made no bake cookies with Steven for his birthday. Just a note, once chocolate chips melt once and re-harden they are very hard to re-melt without them turning into an almost brownie like texture! Once we got the chocolate issue figured out, we had a great time mixing the cookies. They melted really fast when we tried to eat them, but they were still really good! We had a party downstairs with Steven and all of the workers and kids. We tried to break a pinata, but ended up having to tear it apart. The kids loved it none the less!

 

making cookies

 

 

*** Change of plans as far as departure for the group. We found out tonight that the group had to take the bus back to Port au Prince instead of planes tomorrow morning. So as of 7:00pm tonight, the entire group got on buses to head to Port au Prince. This is the same ride that we took coming in. Be in prayer for them as they will be traveling through the night and then having a full day of plane rides tomorrow.***

Rolgard and I will spend tomorrow morning at the mission and then head to LaPointe to his aunt’s house. Thanks for all your prayers for this trip. It has been wonderful. I am looking foward to the next 10 days as I get to meet most of Rolgard’s family and see some areas of Haiti that I have not been to before!

God bless,

ERIN

Days 7 & 8

We are finally back at the mission. We left yesterday morning for a 3 hour ride out to the Far West. This area is about 13 miles from the mission. We took three pickup trucks with 30 mattresses tied to the tops! It was quite the site. Pictures will have to come later. They take too much time to load here. We drove out to a missionaries’ house and then on to the new orphanage. We spend an hour or so out there with the kids and then drove another hour to La Baie which is another mission campus. We stayed the night there and then took some walks this morning. We walked up a hill to the new land where the missionaries are building their new house (out of the flood plain they are in now!) Then from there we walked down to the beach and waded in the water for a while. It felt so good to just stand in the ocean. We walked up to this one area which was completely leveled by the hurricanes last year and any houses that we still standing, the community leveled so no one would live there anymore. Needless to say, there were some great palm trees that provided a wonderful resting place where we sat and talked for a while. We drove back to the mission this afternoon and played with the kids some more. Tomorrow we are throwing a birthday party for Steven (the boy I sponsor in the Miriam Center). It is the last day here. Pray for everyone as they get ready to travel back to the states on Friday. I will probably not be able to update that the group got back because I will be traveling to an area with no internet. If I get a chance I will send something out, but don’t expect anything after tomorrow until I get back to the states on July 6.

Day 6

Today was another full day. This morning we spent time putting together gift baskets with rice, beans, spaghetti, lotion, soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, and three Bible verses taped to the items in the basket. After putting the baskets together we had some extra packets of spaghetti. We decided to go out to homes in the area evangelizing. We went out to a street that does not usually get American traffic! We went to about 5 houses and talked to the families. There were varying responses from already Christians to not at all interested. We gave each family pack of spaghetti. 

After lunch, all of the workers from the Miriam Center came upstairs. We gave them each a coke and then I talked to them and thanked them for their work. I called each of their names and gave them their gift basket. They LOVED them! We all took pictures together and individually! That group of people is so much fun. 

 

Rolgard and I giving away the baskets

 

 

After that, mom, Jamie, Rolgard and I went out to visit a family that I have known for years. They live in a tiny room with the parents and five children. They have one bed and then a carpet on the floor for the kids. However, when we walked in they pulled out all their chairs so that we would have a place to sit. That is the kind of heart these people have. They try to give whatever they have to make you comfortable in their homes. We also went to visit a lady that works at the mission so that I could see her kids! They are so cute. 

 

Lovena's family

 

 

Well it is almost time to put the computer up. We are heading out to the orphanage tomorrow and overnighting at La Baie which means we will not have internet access until Wednesday so don’t panic when I don’t post tomorrow!

God bless

Day 5

Today was kind of a slow day. We went to church this morning and then helped out with children’s church. We tried to go to see Rolgard’s aunt this afternoon and realized that it was an election day (yes on a Sunday) and therefor the public transportation between towns pretty much shut down.  His brother ended up coming to pick us up and we spent about an hour at his aunt’s house. She made us some Haitian food which was amazing. That was pretty much our day today. Tomorrow we are giving the gift baskets to the workers and I will probably try to go out and visit some homes of friends. More tomorrow

Day 4 – Busy busy busy

Wow today was a very full day. We started the morning with a trip to the market where we bought baskets, spaghetti and bags for rice and beans. We are putting gifts baskets together for the workers in the Miriam Center. 

After lunch the real fun began. We took all of the kids from the Miriam Center for a swim. They received a new inflatable pool and after much moving around in order to reach a water source, we finally settled on a location and had a great time. All of the kids were able to get in for a little while. The more able ones stayed in a really long time and had so much fun. 

 

Pool time with the kids

After we dried off and had some time to clean up, we went on another train ride with them. The train was made specifically for the kids to be hooked up to the back of the gator! They absolutely love to ride around and around in circles on the train.

Train Ride!

To end the night, as we speak we have all of the kids upstairs watching the movie “Cars.” We have had popcorn and juice and they are all pretty tired now. I think we all are! It has been a great day. 

Church tomorrow and then my family is going down to meet some of Rolgard’s family!

Day 3 – Anse-a-foleur

Today our group helped out with a VBS in Anse-a-foleur (A town about an hour from the mission) at the mission church. We made about 250 peanut butter sandwiches this morning and worked on the lesson. Our group along with a few others from different teams worked on making signs for each fruit of the spirit in creole. We had a different color for each of the characteristics (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control). There were matching bracelets to go along with each word as well. 

After piling onto a truck we drove through town and through a river, along a gorgeous oceanside drive and to the town with Haitian music blaring into the back of the truck. After letting about 150 kids in we started by singing a few songs. I love hearing Haitian children sing!! They get so into it! We read the passage in Galatians 5 and showed the signs we made in the different colors. We gave each row of kids a different color bracelet and then had them each stand up and yell which fruit of the spirit their row was. They were getting so competitive within the rows. It was funny! We dismissed the kids row by row giving them each a peanut putter sandwich and a cup of lemonade. It actually went pretty smoothly considering there were other kids trying to sneak in from all sides of the church!

Our group went out into the town and took a walk to a temple downtown. This is not any temple. Anse-a-foleur is known for one of the largest voodoo populations in Haiti.  We went into this temple to observe what these people experience on a daily basis as far as rituals go. It is a weird feeling to walk around in a place like that. I am never really sure how to feel walking around in there, however it is an interesting experience and gives you a good taste of that part of the Haitian culture.

Tomorrow we are going to to walk down to the “big market” and buy some gifts for the Haitian workers in the Miriam Center. In the afternoon we are going to take all of the kids for a swim. Hopefully we will have pictures up of that tomorrow.

 

the road to anse-a-foleur

 

VBS in the church

Day 2

Today was a busy day and a wonderful day. We were able to do several different activities. I was able to have a music class today with the special needs program. We did activities with rhythm sticks and movement with scarves and color recognition with Boomwhackers (a tuned percussion instrument)… pictures to come.

This afternoon we took a trip to La Pointe to spend some time at a children’s hospital and orphanage called House of Hope. It is located in the main hospital for this area of Haiti. Their main purpose is to house children while they are being treated for TB. After some time with the kids we went to a store next door and got ice cream. 

 

musical scarves with the kids

 

Jamie and Bryant at the House of Hope

 

 

 

The group with our ice cream

Day 1 in Haiti

Bon Swa from Haiti

Here we are. We have completed our second first full day at the mission and our second day in Haiti. Yesterday was full of traveling. We rode a bus from Port-au-Prince (southern Haiti) to St. Louis du Nord (Northern Haiti) and it took about 9 hours. We got stuck for about an hour and a half while they tried to get a truck out of the mud in front of us which was blocking the road. All part of a day in Haiti. We arrived at the mission around 7:30 last night. (by the way we are on Central time… dont ask).

Today we sorted through our things and spent some time playing with the kids from the Miriam Center (special needs orphange). The rest of our week consists of clinic work for some, Miriam Center work for others and various other outings. We will be going to the House of Hope tomorrow which is a children’s hospital/orphanage in a town about 30 min away.

I will probably not be able to post pictures while we are here so make sure to check the mission site for pictures. There is also a mission blog that is linked to the main site that will have other people’s experiences here in the group.

I pray that you all are doing well. I will try to send a brief update like this each evening.

God bless,

Erin
www.erininhaiti.wordpress.com
www.nwhcm.com