Little Miss S is Getting Adopted! :)

5/28/2012 

Today was a great day! My babies seemed to be extra sleepy today so we had a lot of extra cuddle time and rocking together. Mr. A came out for a while this morning since he didn’t make it outside on Friday. I was hoping to get him some good time on his tummy but he didn’t want that. He just wanted to be rocked (Picture on the right). Days like this are kind of hard because I want to see my kids progress, but on the other hand, I know I only have a few days with them and I want to soak up all the cuddle time I can! 

This morning we got to meet Little Miss S’ soon to be mommy! Miss S’ mom is from Minnesota and came with 2 of her friends to finally meet Miss S! They had a wonderful time playing together today and Miss S got a lot of loves today. She even decided that she was going to crawl today...for the first time...in front of her mom! It was a precious moment! I was so proud. All day I just kept saying, “I am so happy!” One of my babies is going to have an excellent home to go to and I can only pray that the other 5 find wonderful homes too. Miss S’ mom will be here until Thursday as they deal with judges and court things. After that who knows how long the process with take, but the next time she sees her little girl, she is going to be going home! I was thrilled and blessed to see the excitement on both Miss S and her new moms face. Even though Miss S is only 6 months old, it was obvious she knew what was happening to her! It was a great thing to witness! 

Today it rained for the first time since I have been here. Unlike Pacific Northwest rain, it was a welcomed sight! Lots of rain meant that it cooled the temperature down significantly making the heat go from unbearable to mildly-comfortable. Looking ahead to the forecast, it looks like it will be raining for most of the week. Slightly a bummer the sun may not be out as much this week, but it will definitely be much cooler than normal! 

Well the girls and I are going to go have a worship night on the porch. A couple of them will be leading worship on Sunday for church so we are practicing tonight! Outside in the cool breeze as the sun dips down over the mountain, watching the stars come out...a beautiful sight made by an incredible creator! 

Adjusting to Haitian Lifestyle

5/27/2012 

Happy Haitian Mother’s Day to all Mom’s out there! Today was the most relaxing and restful day I have had since being here (besides yesterday which contained mostly sleeping!) This morning we woke up and took a slow morning getting ready. We had church service at 11am with the staff and missionaries at GLA. We held church on the porch that we hang out on everyday so it had a gorgeous view in the background and the heat was the perfect temperature. 

After church we had lunch together and had some time to rest. We were able to be online for awhile and catch up that way for a bit. Then we went and got some of the babies out for awhile and played with them. We aren’t required to take the babies out but a few of us weren’t tired so we stayed and played with some babies for a few hours. We had leftovers for dinner tonight and then came back to the toddler house where we stay. 

I have been thinking about some of the things that I have gotten used to while being in Haiti. It is amazing how quickly I have adjusted to life in a different culture. I don’t think I experienced much culture shock but maybe it hasn’t hit me yet. i don’t really know...

Some things I have gotten used to: 

• No seat belts...just climb in and hold on tight...literally! 
• Rarely having cold drinks...
• No ice cream or chocolate! :o 
• Super warm weather
• Changing diapers in record time...(that will come in handy someday!) 
• Being so tired I am in bed by 8:30 nearly everyday
• Showers every other day (and they are army showers...with cold water)
• Washing my hands THEN hand sanitizing every time
• Drinking tons of warm water in desperate attempts to stay hydrated
• Not always having lights 
• Hot nights
• Bugs! (...with SO many bug bites you could play connect the dots on my legs)
• Roosters and kids playing outside as an alarm clock
• Smelling like baby puke all day long 
• Reading for PLEASURE! 
• Limited access to the internet 
• No cell phone! (This is slightly hard but it is kinda nice not being in immediate access to people)
• Not brushing my teeth with the sink water 
• Rice, Rice and more rice!
• Super rocky and steep roads as a morning commute 

And my most favorite of all:

• Being attacked by tons of little kids every evening when we make it back to the toddler house (where we sleep every night)!

There are certain things like friends, family, kitties, coffee, ice cream and more that I miss about home...but the longer I am here the more at home and normal this Haitian lifestyle is becoming. Now, if only I could speak Creole...THEN I would be golden! :) 

My Change of Plans...

5/26/2012 

I realize that God has a way of shaping our plans so that we realize He is in charge, but today, I was reminded of that even more. Turns out it wasn’t heat stoke that I got but a 24 hour flu bug that has been going around the staff at GLA. I was running a high fever and was up hourly all night. 

By 4am I was certain there couldn’t possibly be anything left in my system, but I was wrong. Thank goodness the other volunteers I am working with are certified nurses and knew exactly what to do for me. They gave me some Tylenol to try and get my fever to come down and some anti-nausea medicine as well. I woke up around 5am while they were getting ready for the beach. I was so bummed that I would miss out on the beach day, but I just wanted to not be sick anymore and I knew a day of rest was needed. 

I slept till noon or so, catching up on the hours of lost sleep. I moved to the living room and read on the couch while drinking some juice the girls had left me. I was able to read for a bit but dozed in and out of sleep for awhile longer. I ended up going back to bed around 2:00 and my fever was even more unbearable. 

I woke up an hour or so later and felt so much better and decided to spend some time with Jesus. I was starting to feel super homesick. This was the first time that I have felt this the whole trip and I was desperately wanting to just crawl into my own bed and have my parents take care of me. The beach is a good 3 hour drive away from GLA, so everyone won’t be back till super late. A full day by myself, alone with no one but God, for Miss Social Jennica...a near nightmare! 

I read some in Isaiah about how God gives rest to the weary...one of my favorite passages. And I did a lot of thinking. A lot of wondering what God is up to in the story of my life. I think I could see myself serving full time as a missionary if that is where God called me. Could God be calling me to full time service over-seas? I don’t know. I started reading the book, ‘A Praying Life’ by Paul Miller at the beginning of the semester. I picked this book up again and started reading some more. 

A portion of it struck me to my core as it was talking about the fact that Jesus didn’t immediately do what the Canaanite woman with a sick daughter wanted him to. It says: 

“Jesus’ ambiguity with us creates the space not only for him to emerge but us as well. If the miracle comes too quickly, there is no room for discovery, for relationship. With both this woman and us, Jesus is engaged in a divine romance, wooing us to himself.”

I realize now more than ever that as long as I seek God today and what he wants me to do today, then everything else will come with time. It is in the period of waiting. Of wondering. Of questioning, that God is drawing me into a much deeper relationship with him. Causing me to have complete faith that He has a story for my life. That HIS story is better than anything I could imagine. 

I realize now, why God had me get sick today....beach day. God wanted me to realize that I am obeying him. Right now. Where he wants me to be now is serving him in Haiti. As long as I seek him everyday and have FAITH that he will reveal HIS will for my future, I am doing all that God is asking me to do. What about you? Are you seeking God for today? Are you doing all that God has called you to be doing? Are you in a period of complete faith, knowing that God will reveal his will in his time? This is something that God taught me today, being awfully sick in a foreign country. I am now resting in complete faith that everyday God is opening up a new part of himself to me. Showing me a new aspect of himself that I never realized before. I am falling more and more in love with the Lord and I know now more than ever that God’s plan is coming and He is using this trip to show me little glimpses of who he wants me to be. May he do the same for you. 

First Full Week!

5/25/2012 

Well, today started out great with a good breakfast at one of the missionaries homes. We go there for breakfast every Friday morning and have ‘feelings Fridays.’ We get together after breakfast and have a short devotional and then share with each other how we are doing and what we are feeling in the process of cross-cultural ministry. The team was still there so it was fun to be able to hear their thoughts on their brief stay and we got to say goodbye to them as well. 

We welcomed another volunteer last night so it was her first day with us. Because of Feelings Friday we were there later than normal so we had a shorter day. We took the kids for an afternoon walk...which, sounded like a good idea, but, in retrospect was not the best planned walk. Today it got hot..93 degrees but with humidity it was nearly 100 degrees. We ended up carrying the kids most of the way in the hot of the afternoon. We came back wiped and not ready for another walk anytime soon. 

Fridays are our cleaning days where we clean everything on the deck to make sure it is free from any rodents as well as the kids’ germs. We started cleaning around 3:30 and it was then that I was beginning to feel slightly funny. I drank some more water and tried to push through but I was not feeling well at all. We made it through the cleaning and went down for dinner. I sat down and knew I wanted to throw up but, knowing me and my stubbornness, I tried to ignore it and just sat still for a bit. Friday dinners are always pizza, so I tried to eat some even though I knew it wasn’t a great idea. Another volunteer could tell that I wasn’t feeling super well but I was trying to tough-it-out. 

Because we are going to spend the day at the beach tomorrow, we went to the supermarket after dinner to get some things for tomorrow. We pilled into the back of the pick-up truck (Haitian style) and made our way to the market. We got inside and I picked out what I needed. I started feeling extra hot and the nausea was coming. I squatted down and one of the workers asked if I was all right. It was at this moment I grabbed my mouth and shook my head and motioned what looked like a bucket. Thankfully, this broken sign language is universal for all countries. He quickly grabbed another worker and rushed me outside to the bathroom. Let’s just say that I now can cross ‘puke in a foreign countries supermarket’ off my bucket list. (Trust me, this is NOT an experience I would advise for anyone and I hope I don’t have to experience this again!)

We got our things and we made it back to our house just as another onset of nausea was coming. Thankfully this time it was in our own bathroom and I felt more at home here. 

Heat stroke anywhere is not fun. Heat stroke in Haiti is miserable. I am sitting outside on our deck now trying to cool my body down while drinking even more water. Please pray that this doesn’t happen again and that I can sense when this might be coming on quicker than what I did this time. 

Even though it isn’t even 8:00, I am headed to bed, hoping that I will feel better for the beach tomorrow! Thank you for your prayers for good health while I am away. I am hoping this is the worst of ‘sickness’ I will have to experience during my time here. 

My Little Men!

5/24/2012 

I still am having a hard time believing that I am actually in Haiti! This is something that I have dreamed about doing for so long that it is incredible to think that I am actually here. Doing it. Loving kids. Fulfilling my dreams! 

Today was a great day with the babies. I spent the morning with my boys. Then after lunch wanted to hangout with my girls, but every time I went to go get one of them, they were asleep! Those little rascals. So, instead, I spent time with two other little boys that didn’t have a volunteer working with them right now. Then later was able to spend a little bit of time with two of my girls. I guess we will try getting the girls outside tomorrow morning and then the boys later in the day. It’s hard to figure out a good schedule for them because there are so many kids in the house that there really isn’t a set schedule. But, that’s all a part of missions work; flexibility! 

I have loved every Haitian meal I have had this week except for today’s lunch...that was a bit of a stretch! Mom and Dad, you would be proud of me. We had fish potato soup. I didn’t realize it was fish until I took a bit of it. But, because you raised me right, I ate the whole bowl....fish and all! A couple of the other volunteers I am here with made some baked oatmeal this morning so I had some of that at lunch as well and it helped me stay full till dinner time. 

Now...let me introduce you to my little men! 

Mr. A is the little brother of Miss W (one of my girls). He is slightly behind for his age but not too far. We are working on getting him to sit up by himself, so we spent lots of time on the floor together and sitting by himself in the bumbo seat. He also is working on strengthening his head and neck muscles as well so we do lots of tummy time to work on that. His favorite activity is the jolly jumper. If he could, he would jump in that thing all day long. He of course is also full of loves and we spend some good time cuddling everyday as well. Mr. A doesn't like to smile a bunch. He is not one of my happy babies but he will throw our a cute smile every once in awhile. This is a quick one but he is looking away...I am working on getting him more smiley and better pics everyday. 

Mr. D is my hyper-active boy! He is the one that sure gives me a run for my money. He is a charming little man who is independent and can walk on his own. He is almost ready to move up to the toddler house, but there isn’t room up there so he is one of the big boys at the Main house. We just spend time playing together, he loves the swing and he loves playing catch with the balls. He enjoys walks and books as well. He is the busy boy so we do just about everything we can possibly do in a short amount of time...it sure makes the hour or so go fast with this one! He is the hardest one to get a good picture of because he can never sit still. I am working on getting better ones of him everyday! 

Mr. C. has stollen my heart! Out of all my kids, he is the smiley giggly one....for sure! Every time I walk into his nursery I get this huge smile from him and a little giggle...it’s the cutest thing ever! With Mr. C, we are working on getting him to be comfortable on his tummy in order to get him ready to crawl. He has mastered sitting up by himself and is ready to move to the next step of crawling. We are working on strengthening his chunky legs so we can get him ready to walk by spending lots of time in the jolly jumper. Mr. C is my little cuddly bug and loves to give me hugs and kisses! I spend some time everyday just cuddling each of my kids and Mr. C. is the one that loves this time the most. It is going to be very hard to say goodbye! 

Well, these are the men that have stollen my heart. I can’t wait to see how they will grow in the next couple of weeks that we get to work with each other. I am so glad that God has brought me here because it is giving me the perfect opportunity to do one of my favorite things: love on kids...giving lots of hugs and kisses and love them as best as I can so they too can learn the love of Christ and all that He can give them. 

Meet my little Princesses!

5/23/2012 

Today was the first day that I woke up feeling ok. I was ready to go for the day and wasn’t completely exhausted. I am finally adjusted to the new time zone and getting up at what feels like 4am (7am my time). Today was slightly different because we had a team working with us today. There were 10 of them who actually flew into Haiti on the same flight that I did. The girls in the group joined us with the babies for today while the guys worked on the new house that GLA is building up the hill. It was nice having the extra hands today because all of the kids were able to get outside some, but it also meant that there was a lot of activity on our small porch. 11 adults and 11 babies....but we had fun with our guests! 

I am going to write about each of my kids now and post of picture of them as well. Because of safety purposes, I can’t post their names with the pictures but it will give you an idea of who I get to love on each day! 

Miss S. is such a sweetie pie! She is full of loves and cuddles. We are working on getting her to sit up all by herself. She spends lots of time in the jolly jumpers to strength her legs. She also practices sitting up by herself by sitting in the bumbo seat....these chairs are AMAZING by the way! We also try and get her lots of time on her tummy so that she can strengthen her neck muscles as well. Her favorite though, is just being held and sang to. I give her lots of cuddle time and lots of kisses too! 

Miss W. is such a cuddle bug! Today (5/23) her birth mom came to visit her and her little brother, so she was dressed in a beautiful dress and she was all smiles today! She had clearly enjoyed the time with her mom this morning so she was extra smiley and giggly as well! We are working on her independence and her walking skills. She is developmentally behind for her age. She is two years old but doesn’t want to walk by herself yet. We spend lots of time practicing walking and she loves to walk with holding onto the furniture. It is my goal to get her to take a few steps by herself without holding onto me or the furniture before I leave. 

Miss S. is a sweetie pie! She is full of smiles and giggles as well (but she is harder to catch smiling with my camera!). She has a horrible diaper rash right now so we have been spending our time together laying in the sun and airing out her little sore bottom. Because of her and the boys (I have two more with bad diaper rashes), I have gotten a lot of sun and am getting darker everyday. When Miss S. gets all better, we will work on her legs strength as well. She will spend time in the jolly jumper so we can get her legs strengthened in order to walk soon. She is a joy and has found a special place in my heart. 

Well, here are the details of my girls! I love them all and can’t wait to see the growth they will go through in the next few weeks. Please pray for my 3 little ones with bad bums...they are all in lots of pain and we can't do much developmental work because of it. Pray they would heal fast so we can get back to working on their specific needs. I realized today that I only have 12 more days with my babies! I can’t believe I am going to have to say goodbye. I am going to be so attached to them...God loves them more than I do though and I know that after I leave, God will provide for and love them even more than what I can do for them. Stay tuned for tomorrow, I will send details of the handsome men in my life! :) 

Haiti...day 1

5/22/2012 

Today was my first full day here at GLA and it went surprisingly well. By lunchtime it felt like i was in a routine that was totally normal and that it felt like I had been here for longer than just a few hours. 

We woke up and got ready and had breakfast this morning. Then we went down to the Main House where our kids are. Once there we checked on the babies and all of mine were still asleep or still being fed by the nannies. So, I went back upstairs to clean some before my kids were ready. 

The volunteers and I each have our own set of kids and we hangout together on the porch. The porch is full of toys and games, kiddie pools, jolly jumpers, rocking chairs, strollers, pretty much anything you can think of for babies. We spend all of our time with the babies up on this porch. It is a long time in the same place but it is a beautiful view and the perfect amount of sun and shade! 

This is the view from our porch where we spend our days. Absolutely beautiful! 

This is the porch where we spend everyday all day. We have lots of toys and games here for the babies....

I got to spend time today with each of my babies. Each child I got for about an hour and 15 minutes or so and they were all really easy babies. I have three boys and three girls. I will do a write up of each of them in the next couple days to give you an idea of who my kids are. 

We went to lunch around noon and got an hour and a half break. We eat lunch and thats how long it takes to feed all of the babies too so it was a nice break in the day. Then after lunch it was back to more babies and more drool, spit up, diaper changes, jolly jumpers, tummy time and cuddle time! Cuddle time is my favorite! :) 

We finished with dinner at the house and then came back to our place. I am sitting on the porch watching the older kids play outside on their toys. Tonight I plan on showering and reading and then going to bed. Days here are long but they are rewarding. It is nice to be able to have evenings sorta off...gives us more time to refuel for the next day.