Angelica's Heart for Haiti

2012-01-30T11:30:00.000-08:00

I never would have imagined from one conversation what has transpired, I know I still haven’t seen all the impact. Last Spring when I was in the States I had the opportunity to speak at 2 Kiwanis meetings. I really didn’t know that much about Kiwanis just that they were business driven and hey – I could come and share about Haiti – my favorite subject and I could get a free meal. At the one meeting in Ortonville, MN; I was asked to share by the United Methodist pastor from that town. After the meeting a gentleman, Brent Olson came to talk to me about some desks that he had that he wanted to deliver to Haiti. Brent is a story teller. Some desks were being made to send to Haiti and a couple other countries out of pine wood. An old farmer from Minnesota saw these and knew the wood was not strong enough to last very long. He had some Ash trees and decided to donate them all so some really strong desks could be made. Brent had filmed the trees, the farmer, all the people from the church working at building the desks; now he needed a home for the desks to finish the story.

I shared with him about the New Hope Elementary School with Living Media International that I would be involved in when I returned to Haiti. As of now the school consisted of a tin roof that a team put on in the Spring and tarps for walls. So I thought they might definitely be able to use some desks. I told him I had other contacts too if he was looking at delivering them in the city instead of the countryside. I realize many people were directly wanting to help with earthquake relief.

I really didn’t know what to expect after the conversation, but wanted to be of all the help I could.

I am always amazed by the way God works because 5 months later Brent and his wife, Robin were staying at my house in Haiti. Along with them in Haiti was Brent’s sister and brother-in-law (Myrlah and Joe) and 3 custom made desks that would fit on the plane.

Joe is a Videographer and came to finish filming the story of how a good ‘ol farmer from Minnesota who doesn’t have a lot donated his ash wood trees so that children in another country would have stronger desks. Brent is a story teller and has written a couple of books, I encourage you to check out www.independentlyspeaking.com Robin is a baby magnet and could not get enough of the beautiful Haitian children, or they couldn’t get enough of her; as well as Myrlah. Myrlah was also excited to see the Health Clinic in Mizak and see what they might need assistance with in the future.

It was a joy to see the kids building those desks after I had seen the desk for the first time sitting at the front of the UMC in Ortonville, MN ready to be blessed and sent to their Annual Conference to be blessed and prayed over by the whole conference. Sometimes you just have to stand back and be impressed at what God is able to pull all together with a few faithful servants. You never know when God might be able to use you for something truly beautiful, so be open and listen to callings to share your gifts with others. You will be amazed.

Today was nearly a typical day in Haiti, but all together it was fabulous!

2012-01-30T09:47:00.000-08:00

I woke up early like 5:00 am and read for awhile. Then I went for a short walk up the mountain to sit and visit with God a bit. I came back a bit later ready for breakfast of oatmeal, but was pleasantly surprised by soup (yea, we eat soup for breakfast in Haiti). After I prepared to walk down to New Life Elementary School with LMI to take photos of the new books they received today. Most of the distributing had already been done, but the kids were still excited and looking through their brand new books. The teachers were really happy too. They were also encouraging the rest of the kids to bring their ‘tuition’ for school so they could receive their books. Our school is a community school (or ‘free’ school) many kids in Haiti cannot afford to go to school, so that is why this school was started. However, children are still required to pay 150Goudes (about $4); this to help cover a portion of their books. So, I took some photos and then headed back to my house. As I passed by Paul’s house on the way, I saw one of the translators for HAPI on the porch. I hadn’t seen Arold in a long time and always enjoy seeing him. He and one of the gentlemen from the Canadian team they have were just sitting on the porch visiting. I sat and visited with them for awhile, it is always great to hear stories of how people end up coming today. This story was about a Bluegrass band fundraiser and a photo of a precious little Haitian girl named Sonya. Paul was visiting with some ladies from another organization in Jacmel so I headed on my way home.

There I arranged my bag again with Laptop in hand to head down to The Center/Art Gallery. Just as I was leaving, Gabriel says, ‘oh, Angelica I was going to send you with some popcorn before you leave.’ I dropped my bag down and said I could wait, for popcorn I can wait! As I waited I made some beads. I walked down to the center with Raphael (Papi) and we met Lee in the road. Lee was coming to see us so he and Papi could go check on a desk for The Center. They checked, I kept walking so I could say hi to the folks who used to cook for me. I also passed by the clinic and visited with Jacquiline. After collecting some things from Lee’s house to take to the Gallery we were all on our way. First we enjoyed ‘lunch’ popcorn and coke and then I showed Lee the brochure for dreamer program I finished. Then Papi and I got after cleaning up and rearranging the Gallery. It was a big chore because we haven’t had any rain for some time, everything is covered in dust. Plus we have more items, so I had to find space for it all.

During the midst of this Tigo came by with a ‘present’ – It was my old camera! I thought it was lost but turns out I had left it in his truck. Tigo hung out and helped clean and detangle mobiles. Lee then started hanging some of the paintings and arranging the sign outside. We all headed home late in the afternoon ready for our ‘showers’ for the day. Upon returning home we were given bean sauce with yams. Shortly after Gabriel arrived home and I started helping her make Lasagna. We made everything from scratch and it turned out amazing, except the cat stole the rest of the cheese I would have used for an omelet the next day. Gabriel sat and ate with us and Lee came by later to try the lasagna.

The rest of the night I just relaxed and read at the house until turning off the flashlight around 8:00pm. Great work filled, fun filled, all around Haitian day – including the random visits.

Christmas Eve Service

2012-01-26T08:54:00.000-08:00

It was your ‘normal’ Christmas Eve Service as I have normally experienced it. You read through the scriptures in the New Testament, which involve the story of the birth of Jesus; Mary being told she was pregnant up to the wise men coming. And we all sing the traditional songs in between. ‘Hark the Harold Angels Sing’, which I believe you should always stand for. How can you not? And the other songs such as ‘ We Three Kings’, ‘Bethlehem’, ‘It Came Upon a Midnight Clear’ and ‘Jingle Bells’ (oh wait that isn’t for this story but still one of my favorites). But you always end with ‘Silent Night’ and the lights are turned off, the candlelight begins with the Christ candle at the front of the church and then is passed one at a time from person to person. As I looked at the little light in my hand I smiled; then I slowly turned to see the other lights in the room. Everyone had their little candle in front of their face and you could feel the warmth and energy in the room. It wasn’t just candles, it is easy to see the light in the darkness; even the small candlelight helps us all see. But in the world when we have all the ‘light’ or endless supplies of distractions in our lives, it makes it hard to see our light of Christ shining with in to others in the world.

That light always seems more visible in children to me, doesn’t it? They are still pure from the love of God and haven’t yet been completely consumed by the distractions yet. I was reminded of this at the second Christmas Eve service (yes I went to two, my mother is a pastor). As the same service, same story was repeated again, I listened. And this time we did stand for “Hark the Harold Angels Sing”! Other than that have to admit I was a bit distracted. Everything was plugging along the same ready to light the Christ candle and all the other candles in the room, just like before. The ushers lit their candles from the pastors then began passing the light down the eisles. Suddenly a little boy ran up to the front from the back of the church to get the light from the pastor. As he walked back to his seat or should I say crept back, because he was moving very, very slow; he was watching that little light with great intensity and protecting it from going out. He continued to watch and smile all the way back, like he just captured the greatest thing in the world and couldn’t keep his eyes off it. His parents were of course embarrassed and apologized for him running up and distracting everyone.

I just smiled too and tears came to my eyes as I thought – “But that is what it is about!” Jesus didn’t come so we would continue to act like everyone else! He challenged us to seek out what is right. Find the love in the world and share it with others. Stand up for justice. Maybe even move to another country or dare I say step out of line at church and run like a child to search for the light of Christ.

~Presence~

2012-01-18T07:52:00.001-08:00

(Some of these reflections I found from a while back when I was working with CoffeeLoft.org as the director for the campus ministry. But I thought they were important to share.)

We simply don’t realize the impact ‘presence has. This has been a reoccurring theme throughout the last couple of months.

The first was a thank you note I received from one of my Haitian friends. He went on and on about all I had done for him and his family. This was during the time of the earthquake in Haiti. I was stunned; just that day I was thinking – ‘Have I done anything?’ I felt lost and heartbroken because – ‘What can I do?’ But he said you call and you care and you help us connect us to our other family members. I cried. It was just my call that made a difference and nothing more.

The second was when I went to the funeral of an elderly long term member of our church. I knew I needed to go not because I knew him. But because of his and his wife’s ‘presence’ in the church. They have been lifelong members; they are what I would call ‘Saints’ in the church. But since I have been here I haven’t seen them involved other then tentatively attending every Sunday. But there ‘presence’ speaks to their servitude to God.

And tonight -sometimes campus ministry and church in general are hard. We don’t see people in the pews on Sunday morning and we wonder – are we doing something wrong? Are we sharing Christ with others? But we need to look at our ‘presence’. What does our ‘presence’ say in the community?

We used to have a monthly activity with CoffeeLoft.org known as Coffee Loft Live Music, a jam session in the ‘Loft’ (upstairs) of our church where students come and listen to music of their peers and enjoy coffee and Italian sodas in a candlelit setting with crayons and newsprint on the tables. As some of the students were walking up the stairs, they mentioned how they had volunteered for Welcome Table here in the church. (Welcome Table is a weekly community meal open to everyone and served by people in the community.) So as I sat in a filled room with over 60 students listening to the low key relaxing music and enjoying the presence of the spirit; I was a little sad as I thought in many peoples’ eyes this would not count as ‘church’ or ‘ministry’ because 80% of those students might never sit in the pew Sunday morning. But I believe down the road when they are thinking about churches and experiences they will remember that First UMC in Vermillion that had a jam session for the students and created a place that they could just hang out and relax. And they will think of Welcome Table – that as a college student (and member of the community) they could come and get a free meal and also help serve that meal. They felt and experienced the presence of the church without sitting in church Sunday morning.

It is our presence in the world everyday that shows people our relationship with Jesus. It is the simple things we do every day in our lives for others that shows our spirits to the world. And then I believe when you live your lives that way and you come together Sunday morning with others who live their lives in the same fashion that is when you really worship and celebrate all the gifts and grace that God has given us and that we are able to share with others. So on Sunday morning how can you not stand up and be excited; sing with all your heart and praise the amazement of God in the world.

No warm water that I was expecting

2012-01-18T07:48:00.001-08:00

Daily life. I am a ‘nester’. Typically women are by nature, however this can seem tricky in a different culture. I have my own little house now that I fixed up from a local family. I - or rather I should say the 1st United Methodist Church in Vermillion and other donors fixed up the house for me to live there, because they help support so much of the work I do in Haiti. So I can use the house for as long as I need it, but the house is right on the property with the family. We have one outhouse and one shower and one little half done kitchen and one barrel of water. Today I was frustrated because I put out water in the sun for my bath this afternoon. It has been cold here and it has probably been four days since I have washed my hair, so I needed some warm water. When I came back to my house I didn’t see the water, the jug - the water was in was sitting empty. I was disappointed but I knew the lady that washes my clothes came today so the water was probably used for that. I asked Philo (the mama) and she immediately searched for water and found some that I am pretty sure was going to be used to wash the dishes. But she washed out a 3 gallon bucket to put some of the water in so I could bathe and wash my hair. So - that is a half full 3 gallon bucket of water, but the sun was shining and I washed my hair so I was pretty happy. But still I found myself going over in my head how it is sometimes frustrating living with other people and especially in a country where you have so little to share. But still we all manage and somehow, as this photo reminded me as I looked through them this evening we stay happy.

This is Eugenie (Gabriel) one of the family members taken one morning in the ‘kitchen’ as she was beginning to make coffee. I thought she looked beautiful sitting there so I took a picture but she jumped up in the photo. After she let me take this cheesy one, but she is still beautiful.

2012-01-18T07:38:00.000-08:00

This idea of what is a blessing was being talked about in my home church and people from my mother’s church during the Advent season. It is because they were all doing an Advent Study from Adam Hamliton book ‘The Journey’. I have not read the book nor watched the series but have just caught two discussions on ‘blessings’. Both sets of people talked about that they had never thought about blessings as was discussed in the book. Most people think of blessings as the ‘things’ we have in our life. These aren’t always just material things but also things like good health, a happy family, etc. I was sort of surprised by this. Because truly I have felt blessed in my life, but not with wealth. I feel it inside in my core in my spirit, just a feeling of being loved and being safe. This came to life this morning in Haiti. I felt refreshed and energized at 6:00 in the morning as I walked to watch the sunrise at the top of the hill near my house where you can see God in all directions. I thought there and thought about blessings. I have been blessed because I have been shown the grace and love of God throughout my lifetime by many different people and experiences. I think because of that I see the beauty in the world, in the little things. I look at the colors and am awed. As I walked back to my house thinking about blessings, I am blessed too by my material possessions in Haiti, and yet by U.S. standards this would not be so. I have a little 2 room house that doesn’t leak, I have food minimum of twice a day (mostly 3 times a day), and someone else goes and gets water so that I can ‘take a shower’. I don’t have electricity, running water, a TV, or a refrigerator; and yet I am indeed blessed with material things too.

When talking about material possessions and blessing, someone asked me ‘well what about the ‘things’ in your life?’. In the states I have said that I was blessed to have 2 vehicles, one being a truck, so I always felt a responsibility for sharing that ‘blessing’ of a truck or even the car with others. But I don’t know that I actually consider it a ‘blessing’, it seems a little superficial for how much deeper a ‘blessing’ is in our life. A pastor friend then asked me – ‘well what about you working in Haiti. If someone is starving and in need of food and they do a food distribution isn’t that a blessing?’ I thought about it and yes I guess that is – but then I would describe a blessing as taking care of a basic need we have for life. In that case it would also be someone else that was being a blessing.

The other ‘Things’ we have in our lives are not ‘blessing’ but just extra perks. Blessings are something deep and rich, that touch your soul by God. I don’t really consider my TV in this category. Now know, because of blessings – if you are truly blessed, you need to be a blessing to others. And I believe if you really feel it – you can’t help but not to bless other people with your life. I learned this depth of giving and being a blessing to others in the world more richly from my church family at the UMC in Vermillion. Although we are not a very large church it is working and living out blessings in the neighborhood and the world. This is what Jesus was teaching us to be in the world. First we are shown this Amazing Love and then we have to share it. This is such a cliché phrase, but I think but it is true when you feel it in your spirit - “Blessed to be a blessing.”

Hospitality and Guests

2011-12-21T06:26:00.000-08:00

The first time I went to Haiti I was blown away by the hospitality. I have heard many people say this after coming back from Haiti. The Haitians are just incredibly welcoming and help out there neighbors and even those coming from afar. We see photo after photo of them having very little physical possesstions, not to mention food. Families often share with a passerby even if they don't have enough for their family. This is not the American way. We are very generous persons but you always take care of your family first and then if you have some left you may of coarse help. But this idea of helping a stranger before you even help yourself seems foriegn to us. Some of us may think it is incredible generosity to think of others first, others think what is the problem here because it is so different from our culture.

I am not making a judgement call on either side of this and I see the value in both. I am just wanting to share it with you and share my specific experience. Meal times were often difficult for me in Haiti. For one you never knew who was around that might also need a meal. I struggled in my head between how much I would eat, how much I 'needed' verses sharing it with a passerby or one of the children that came and ate with us everynight. Somehow we always had plenty, although I did fear sometimes how much the cooks got to eat.

The other thing I stuggled with is fitting in. I don't know how your home works but when 'the family' is together we all pitch in to cook. My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving and not because you get to eat a ridiculous amount of food and watch football. It is because you get to cook a ridiculous amount of food with your family! :) My foundest memories are all my aunts and sometimes even a few uncles crammed into a kitchen, and spilling into the dining room cooking the big meal. For me that is the feeling of home - of family. I love to help out friends in the kitchen when I visit, too. In Haiti it was much the same way in that all the ladies (rarely men but sometimes)gathered in the kitchen and cooked. So I got right in there too.

However, I didn't know how to do anything (was maybe the view). Usually when I sit for more then a couple of minutes in a kitchen in the United States someone will put me to work. This was not the case in Haiti, because I am a guest and viewed to be honored in that way. I felt in the way. I would watch intently thinking one day I would just be able to pitch in and help. Or I would wash dishes. I love washing dishes and insanely enough was something I missed from the US. But after these few things were done I would feel odd. I was just sitting there watching them work and I also would feel homesick because I wasn't in on the preporations of the meals. But now I just pitch in and help with what I know how to do and insist I am not a guest - I live here.

What is really needed this season?

2011-12-19T19:02:00.000-08:00

This season has made me think about what is really needed in our world. In Haiti there is always people coming to ask for something. It can be overwhelming sometimes, but their are many needs of the people. There is the common asking in the streets for some change or food. This is come to be expected and I think that might be their view on it too, it is just second nature to ask the visiter in your town. But then there are other requests; ones where I see the person coming to Lee's home or to the Learning Center for LMI. Often times it looks like they are embarassed that they need to ask but also feel as though they have no other choice. The other day a woman came to ask for her child to be in the sponsorship program. We of course have too many people in the sponsorship program already. I can always see with Lee his heart breaks when he has to tell people, 'no' the list is already too long. It broke my heart too as I watched this interaction and tears well up in my eyes. But these are the realities of the world we live in.
I remember one other day we were sitting in the house talking and this young man, all of 8 or 9 years old comes walking in the house. With his little button down shirt tucked into his high-water jeans with his belt cinched up, he addressed Mr. Lee with confidence. He was requesting to go to school. He talked for sometime and then patiently waited. Lee stirred and shifted....and I felt the same uncomfortableness. How can you tell a 8 year old boy 'no, we can't help you go to school'? ....well you can't. You take his picture and add him to the list and pray. You just continue to pray and have faith that you will find more sponsors. It only costs $150 to send a child to school for a year. This covers their tuition, books, and uniform. Maybe you can answer a prayer for a Haitian Family and make a difference and give something that is really needed in this world. Education and change for our future. Following blog are kids you could sponsor.

Contact me at artistic_angelica@yahoo.com if you are interested. Thanks.

Sponsorship Children - Living Media International

2011-12-19T19:00:00.000-08:00

Kerlan Antoine

Christelerie Alexandre
2nd Grade
9 years old

Ketteleine Frederique
4th Grade
12 Years Old

Joslyn Dominique
8 years old
2nd Grade

Jamesley Henry Milord
9 years old
1st Grade

*Sponsored*Anelise Colin
10 years old
3rd Grade

Michlove Plonquette
8 years old
2nd Grade

Bithold Dominique
9 years old
2nd Grade

*Sponsored*
Donaldson Cherubin
10 years old
3rd Grade

*SPONSORED*
Lovensky Theophene
5 years old
Kindergarten

Lanise Jean Jude
12 years old
4th Grade

Schneider Prevot
10 years old
4th Grade

Tamara Cadet

Christopher Augustin
8 yrs old
4th Grade

Dashnie Jean
3 yrs old
Preschool

Scenes of Port au Prince

2011-11-23T00:59:00.000-08:00

Hope and Differences

2011-11-12T07:43:00.000-08:00

I was sitting down at the Center and working on photos and gallery things on the computer. I shared with Lee that I really needed to work on a blog idea, needed a little inspiration. Shortly after that a little girl ran by the center in her little school uniform. I made a joke. I said “Where is she running to? She isn’t late. In Haiti no one is ever late.” Haiti is common with other tropical countries I have experienced. Things start, when they start; and it can be at least start a half hour late, really at best. A friend of mine told me in Mexico for weddings that they don’t even leave their houses until an hour after it is supposed to start.

This can be very, VERY frustrating for people coming from the American culture. The director of Storm Mountain Center a Dakota’s UM Camp used to say when I worked out there (and I am sure he still says it) “If you are not 5 minutes early you are late.” Many other Americans have this same philosophy also we have the saying “Time is Money”, so I have worked with many a person on a mission trip who is frustrated with the laid back atmosphere of those countries that are close to the equator. I have learned to appreciate it, although there are still days.
But back to the little girl running, Lee made the comment “Usually if you see Haitians running it is from something, not to something.” This seems to be a profound metaphor for Haiti. The country takes two steps forward and gets knocked back 3 steps. This has been a rough week here in Mizak. We had 4 deaths this week and 3 of them were under the age of 30. None of them were related just fluke things, sicknesses, and one just had a headache and then didn’t wake up the next day. I imagine if these people had access to good healthcare such as we have in the United States, they might not have died but we will never know. In the mean time the community, friends and family are left to wonder why does this happen to us? Are we cursed? Feeling this sense of being cursed, a sense of fear, and hopelessness is a common state of being for many people in Haiti.

This is one reason I feel it is important to be here living in Haiti with my Haitian brothers and sisters. To show them that people care, they are loved and there is hope for a beautiful future that we can work for together. You have to keep planning and looking forward to the future. The other day I brought some cookies home and my friend Papi saw them, he said something like ‘oh give me them’ and I explained that I was saving them for tomorrow. He said jokingly, “What if we aren’t here tomorrow, what if we die.” It struck me what he said, he was indeed joking but I know there is also a true belief at the heart of that. Don’t be sad for that, I think we can learn from it. You do need to seize today and do what brings you joy. Do at least one thing every day that brings you happiness.
I was walking down the road the other day and this old man was walking behind me. He said, “What do you think of the Life?” I asked for clarification and he said, what do you need to do in life. I said just that, you should do things that make you happy but more importantly do something for someone else, help other people to make their life happier too. You should also look to see what God would like you to do to help the future, and I think God is happier when we help one another. We are all here together and we need to see what we can do to help one another and that happiness will be contagious for us all to have more hope for our future.

Inspiration

2011-10-25T14:21:00.000-07:00

I had posted a blog back in January about Jacquiline and how much she gives me encouragement and continues to inspire me in Haiti. http://angelicaheartforhaiti.blogspot.com/2011/01/being-part-of-creative-process.html I shared about how she had this idea for a bag made out of coffee bean sacks. The bag was quite a good idea but needed some tweaking. I searched out ideas and ran across a bag from another missionary from Canada, her bag was exactly what I had, had in my head. I showed it to Jacquiline not knowing what she might come up with. Well like I shared the bags have been a huge hit among team members, I have also sold many in the US and am searching out other places she may be able to sell them. I also had been hearing through the ‘grapevine’ that HAPI has
an order for over 2000 of the bags. I passed by the Co-op the other day to visit Francoise and say hi to the other artisans and was amazed at what I saw.
Four of the artisans were busy at work that day making Jacquiline’s messenger bags! Incredible! Way to go Jacquiline I am so proud of you. Even still Jacquilne searches out new projects and new things she can make to make a living at to provide for her family. I look forward to sharing other projects she comes up with in the future.

Building is 'man's work'

2011-10-20T10:16:00.000-07:00

After tearing apart the old house I was looking at one of the doors for the window of the house. It really was quite beautiful but needed to be worked on. I thought it was a shame for these old boards to just be tossed aside so I decided I was going to make a table out of it. We took out several of the cross beams of the ceiling too so I searched through the scraps to find something that would be suitable for the table. It would be a lovely little end table for beside the bed. However most of the Haitians thought I was crazy for wanting to salvage this old yucky door; they thought it might be ok if I painted it. But I wanted it the natural wood color and instead of putting new 2x4’s for the legs as they suggested I wanted to use the old wood. I wanted to celebrate the life of this old house. Any work with ‘tools’ in Haiti is ‘man’s work’. So I was determined I was going to build this table without the help of the boys. They watched me puzzled not sure that a girl was capable of doing this, or at least she would need help. It became increasingly obvious I was at least going to need another set of hands so I pulled in Gabriel to help me out. She was intreiged by the idea, and when her older brother who had not been there all day stepped into help she proudly and teasingly told him ‘No, only women are making this table.’ You could tell she was excited about this project so the two of us sawed away making the legs for the table.

We had finished and shortly after I looked over and a proud smile came across my face. Gabriel had jumped into help shovel cement when one of her brothers left. She just had this look of determination and empowerment on her face as She did the ‘man’s work’. I am a very independent woman and take pride on being able to do ‘men’s work’, I am also always encouraging the men to do the ‘women’s work’ such as washing dishes and clothes. There are definitely still specific roles that each gender play in Haiti similar to those roles we have in the US but you don’t see them being broke as often as you do in the states. (As a side note one of our staff for Living Media the other day informed us that men can’t be nurses in Haiti. He knew that it is not true but that is just the way it is here. I have also heard one of our students say she wants to be a doctor and one of the young men in the class said you mean a nurse and she said very confidently, ‘no, a doctor’.)
Sometimes we don’t ever know how a little thing we might do, have an effect on someone or how it might affect the future. Yesterday Gabriel was looking for the other scrap piece of wood that was in my house because she wanted to make a table for her pati selling business in the market. I looked at the scraps of material she had and thought there is no way she can make a table that will stand out of that. As I heard her sawing away I wanted to step in and say something but I decided not to. It was more important that she had this idea and was following through with it, then whether or not it would work. And who knows no one thought I could build a table either. (of course mine isn’t exactly finished yet, but it has a really nice top.)

Travel in Haiti

2011-10-19T08:33:00.001-07:00

Travel in Haiti is unpredictable and often times unusual you never know how you might travel. The other day we waited for Tigo to show up with the truck to ride down to Jacmel to clean out the Art Gallery. After waiting a little over an hour for the truck to come, it arrived very full and we wondered where we would sit, since there was three of us. The truck already had 16 people, 14 goats, 6 large bunches of bananas (the way they hang off the tree not the little bunch you buy in the store), and at least 6 large bags of produce of different sorts about double the size of the large charcoal sacks in the United States. All this was in Tigo’s little Toyota pick-up truck. I was ready to ride up on top of the cab with two other people there, there is a rack you can sit on; but a woman in the cab gave up her seat for me. I was grateful but I have rode up on the top of that rack before. You never know what will be carried on a truck. This is a picture of a truck we passed by when I was driving through Port-au-Prince last week.
Other unusual travel, the other day we went down to Jacmel on the motorcycle we almost always travel with 3 people on a motorcycle and I have seen as many as 6 people (some children) on a motorcycle before. But as we were down at the Texaco getting our internet a huge storm rolled in. The sky was dark grey, the wind was blowing and it was pouring down rain. I was already making plans in my head to stay at the gallery down in Jacmel but the guys were definitely ready to head up the mountain. I was out voted. When the rain let up a bit, we packed up our things and walked out the door only to find the rain had picked back up again. As my heart raced, I thought about going up that slippery mountain on the motorcycle getting drenched in the rain. Then Kenson (our driver and friend) pointed out that, the ambulance in front of us were going to Bainet which is about twice the distance. I thought about it and Lee and Kenson encouraged me. The next thing you know I was tapping on the window of the vehicle. Excuse me sir I said, Do you think you could give us a ride up the mountain to Mizak. He asked me some questions back, how many people, where are you going again, then, he said he wasn’t sure his boss would agree. Finally I asked, “Aren’t you here to help people? Well, I need help.” Finally he agreed. He said we could look in the back for where we could sit. There was just a little bench back there and a girnie. We all squeezed on the little bench. I was so grateful when we got to the river and saw the water rushing over the road. There is no way we would have crossed on the motorcycle. We would have had to turn back to Jacmel having already been soaked. I gave a little ‘mesi’ to God; especially after crossing the river and seeing all the streams of water coming down the road making its own rivers, washing rocks away in the process. I was so relieved to be finally be home safe and sound.

A work day

2011-10-19T08:16:00.000-07:00

Why do I feel exhausted sometimes even though I am not ‘working’ that much. For example like today, I taught English for 2 hours and then spent a few hours working and communicating with family on the internet. But I feel exhausted. In the United States I can easily work a 10 hour day, so why does it seem that 10 hour day is equivalent to a 5-6 hour day in Haiti. I realized the answer to this question the other day when I was writing my brother and bel-suer (sister-in-law). I was telling them that I don’t have physical labor here but I feel emotionally drained.
Everyone around me has nothing. They have nothing to do, no jobs, few opportunities and little hope for the future. Because I have money to buy toilet paper and water and eat twice a day, I am rich. On a regular day I walk to English class and pass children wearing rags sometimes no shoes, carrying water on their heads for their families to bathe and cook. Some of the children are as young as 4 or 5. Then I see men working in the fields of their gardens and when I return at the end of the day they are still there throwing a pick ax, digging up all the land by hand. I then work with young adults who are eager to learn English in hopes that it might give them some sort of future, or some have said, ‘because I have nothing else to do, there are no jobs’.
After class I walk through the market area where an old lady from another zone, may hold out her hand in desperation hoping I give her 10 goudes (25 cents) to help her family. I walk back to my house to collect all my things, to then go down the mountain for internet on the motorcycle praying for our safety on the bumpy road that has loose rocks and parts that are washed away from the rain. Praying all the way home, as I look out over the beautiful land that God has created and wonder about the people’s lives in the little huts below and about Haiti’s future.
At the day end of the day I sit down to a wonderful meal that has been prepared for me, while the rest of the family eats plates full of rice and beans sometimes with a hunk of ‘meat’ (we would probably throw away these parts in the US – I am not sure). I feel guilty eating me chicken leg, lettuce, carrots and Kool-Aide; and yet I know other families that will not even have that plate of rice and beans. When I lay my head on my pillow in my little 8’ by 9’ foot room, I think about the people that still have to sleep in tents and those that sleep on the floor because there are not enough beds for everyone in their house. It is a hard life in Haiti, no doubt. I often wonder how the Haitians survive, but they do. They are inspiring and determined to work toward a brighter future, even when there seems to be little opportunity. I am happy to work alongside with them to find that glimmer of light and contribute what I can to help them find what they are looking for to have a better future. I just have to remind myself that the ‘work’ is not the same as in the United States and some days when I am do and visit with my neighbors it may be some of the most important work I do. And sometimes it is exhausting being faced with the harsh realities of this world on a daily basis.

Peace and Happiness

2011-09-29T11:34:00.000-07:00

Today, Sunday, was International Peace Day celebration at the Peace Park in Mizak, with the theme of peace and happiness. Unfortunately, we didn’t stay very long in the services. There were many people there young and old, the new playground equipment and the blown up beach balls for decorations added lots of colors to the celebration. But I had a bit of a headache so I decided I might be of more use and more at peace myself if I could help out in the kitchen. Selene was happy to see me and handed me a grater and a bowl of coconut. I grated the coconut for a short time until my hand got tired and I asked for another job. I was given a tub of boiled carrots, potatoes, and beets to cut up. I was happy as the people and the kitchen festivities moved in rhythm around me; but soon we had to go to English class.
In class, I read a book, “Small Pig”, by Arnold Lobel about a pig who found his home in the ‘good, soft, mud’. A story about the comforts of home and the peace in your soul that comes “[When you] sit down, and sink down into the good, soft mud.” At the end of the second English class we sang Madonna’s ‘Like a Prayer’ in brought my heart happiness as I sang along and watched the students singing along and jamming out, proud that they know all the words in English.
After four hours of English class I waited around the center for Lee to finish the poverty intervention meeting. I sat in on the Creole Literacy Classes watching as all the students wrote their names on the board; after the angels sang a beautiful little song, that reflected the rhythm of the county. I couldn’t understand all the words but the rhythm of the music spoke to my soul and reflected the cadence of this beautiful country. The voices moved with the march of the tired madam carrying water for her family. I felt Haiti inside of me and that was peaceful and filled with happiness.

2011-09-24T11:50:00.000-07:00

Blessings in Disguise

There is always room for one more and we take care of people

2011-09-17T14:35:00.000-07:00

Finally we were heading down to Jacmel after making a side trip of 2 hours. A man in the street stopped us in Mizak to see if we were going to Jacmel, he had things to load up and take to there. We pulled up the road to the Dispensary. They had been working and had all their tools plus cement bags, planks of wood, and a wheel barrow. A few people got out of the truck as we loaded up all these supplies. We were not sure how everyone was going to fit on the truck but it worked, it always seems to work. We were off down the road again, with that sweet baby girl in the red dress beside me fast asleep. Just a little bit down the road we had to pull over; one of the gentlemen in the back had passed out. They poured water on him and asked him how he was doing. He threw up over the side of the truck. Some of the other men were asking him questions, the rest of the people were waiting patiently and wondering what would happen next. After a bit the man came to and said he had to go to the bathroom, right away people started making small references to Cholera. But this was not cholera, they reassured. I think the man had not had anything to eat today and probably little to drink. Then he was riding in the blazing sun in the back of a truck down bouncy miserable roads. We set off again; Tigo stopped by his house just a bit down the road and had his sister bring the man 2 packages of saltine crackers. Sometime later we arrived at the ‘bus station’ to go to PaP. The man who was sick got out; others were shouting he needed to go to the hospital in Jacmel.
I just watched, wondering what they were all going to do. The man walked down a steep hill and lay down against it. I told Tigo “We can’t just leave him here.” he said the man was going to PaP; he didn’t want to go Jacmel. I was frustrated, what to do? It didn’t seem right and yet what can we do so I whispered to Tigo ‘Then get him something to drink before we leave.” Tigo wondered off between the crowds of people going to PaP. He came back with a Sprite and a little bag with some sort of food in it and took it down to the sick man. The people left on the truck were happy saying ‘oh bon chauffeur, bon chauffeur’. I felt better too, we did what we could and we planned on checking on him when we came back to see if he was still there. We could have taken him to the hospital but he didn’t want that. But we could have left him there with nothing, too. Sometimes you just do what you can do for a person at the time.

Another Day of Making Traffic

2011-09-17T14:14:00.000-07:00

I needed to go down to Jacmel, so I called Tigo to ask him if he was going that way. He was and leaving now. I quickly gathered all of my things and hurried down to meet the truck, only to see we were headed in the other direction. Oh well, here is to adventures. I jumped in the back of the truck as there were already people up front. I was with about 15 cement sacks and 3 ladies, 1 of which was lying in the bed of the truck against the cement bags with a shirt over her head. She didn’t look well, tired and exhausted from a hard life. As we rode up the bumpy mountain; I tried to soak in the scenery and think about life, my life, the Haitian life, the varying degrees of life in Haiti and the world. We passed by big beautiful houses with no one living in them and children with raggy clothes carrying water. I thought about the beauty of the county as I gazed down at the trees in the valley then the misery I have heard the Haitians speak of.

Its complex God and I don’t understand.

We arrived in another community, Blokes, people tried to tease the ‘blan’ a bit I just played back. We ate an orange as we waited for people to load up in the truck to go back to Jacmel. I watched this sweet baby girl in a little red dress eat a banana while she waited with us for the truck to go too. And I watched the humor and compassion of the people even with orange peels and trash in the street.

Maybe it is not so complex God and maybe I don’t need to understand.

Today I wanted to be creative in class.

2011-09-13T14:52:00.000-07:00

We have Haitian teachers in our English classes with Living Media. So of course they teach in the same manner in which they were taught. The teaching style in Haiti is memorization. When I lived over with Paul and the family I would listen to Doris (his daughter) studying. She was just memorizing paragraphs. But when I would ask her what she was learning, what she thought about that, she couldn’t tell me. I remember when I memorized things for a test I didn’t really learn it; I just knew it long enough to pass the test. It also doesn’t give your mind a chance to process the information.
I have been thinking a lot about how I learned English. I also know that they talk and talk about how important it is to read to your children. So I started class today by looking at “Cat in the Hat”. Luture and Felix, the first two students were interested and opened the book and started reading it. They read line by line and together they translated them into Creole as they went, with me encouraging them and helping them along. When the next student, Nicole came in she started reading the lines in English with them too. After we were finished I asked them to listen and look at the picture as I read the whole thing to them.
After reading the book, we used some flashcards to work on colors and objects. When we just had a few minutes left of class I asked if anyone had any questions. Nicole said, “Can I say, “You make me happy?” I said yes, repeating that in English and then in Creole. Then Luture said, “You want to say, Angelica makes you happy?” She just smiled and said ‘wi’. After Luture picked up his bag, smiled and shrugged saying with his whole body, “I feel good today.”
The whole class made me happy too. And I feel good today too.” 

Part 2 - Making Traffic (read the next blog first)

2011-09-12T11:57:00.000-07:00

After waiting in Di Mez for some time we had a couple of people when we got a call that the bakery up the mountain needed us to haul bread to LaVallee. When we crossed the river we picked up two more people and a bunch of bags full of things. When we arrived in Mizak we had to unload all the people and things that we picked up. I felt really bad but we had to load up all the bread first and it was down a narrow bad road and there was mud. So we headed down the hill, the other very large truck was very stuck in the mud. We came in and with the help of several people we loaded up all the bread, along with the people that would sell the bread in Retori. I thought the truck was full and wondered about the people we had left waiting. But when we met them in the road we reloaded all of their things and them into the truck; all but one woman and her two small children under the age of 2. I was very sad for the woman, I was going to suggest the children sit up front with us and her in the back but the kids were wet. The person who wanted all the bread hauled, gave her money to take a motorcycle with the children. We drove up the mountain and unloaded everyone at the market. Then we started selling the bread out of the back of the truck. People flocked to load up their bags of bread so that they could resell them in the market. Tigo and I went and checked out the market. It is one of the biggest and best in the area and it happens every Friday. I had never been there before but it was incredible the amount of people in town and the amount of products there. We just sat there and watched the market, until a lady carrying a giant basket through the market. I thought it would be perfect for a laundry basket; Tigo didn’t skip a beat to tell me to go and ask the price of the basket. I explained to him things cost more for the white girl; he should go ask the price. He did and then we waved me over. I bought the basket and we walked back over to the truck and helped sell bread out of the truck. It was good to sell the bread. It gave me a little lesson in the money in Haiti. I still don’t really understand it. There is the Haitian Dollar which is 8 times the American dollar but doesn’t actually exist it is just referred to. Then there is the Goude, which is the money exchanged and it is 5 times the Haitian dollar. But it helped me practice a bit in counting out the bread - 50 Goude for 3 pieces of bread. They sold over half of the bread and decided they were ready to go home. I was able to drive home – which was a great joy. It is something I miss the most in the United States. The market place is always a learning place. We had gone also gone for a big walk. I saw the Catholic Church and the school. We were going back down to Jacmel but we were all too tired and I was a bit sunburned, not expecting to be out selling bread in the hot sun for a few hours. Again you just really don’t know what life might bring to you.

Making Traffic in the truck

2011-09-12T11:43:00.001-07:00

I have been wanting to shadow people since I came back to Haiti. This last Friday it finally happened. I am going to break down the day into 2 blogs. I decided I would ‘make traffic’ with my friend Tigo. He told me he started at 4:00AM. This of course ridiculously early, but if you want the full experience you have to go for the gold. He was supposed to call me when he was ready to go. Luckily for me he wasn’t feeling the 4:00AM either, so we left at 5:30AM. This is one of my favorite times in Haiti anyway, because the light across the trees is beautiful. And the sounds when the country side wakes up just makes you smile and appreciate nature. We headed down the road a bit as the rain was starting. There was a group of ladies waiting with large rice sacks filled with different fruits and vegetables, mostly avocados to sell in the market in Jacmel. We loaded up all their goods in the rain. It is a little Toyota pickup truck with a rack on the top that is extended from the back rails so people can sit in the bed of the truck. We put 8 – 5 gallon pails on the top of the roof of the cab. Then 7 ladies with some more produce in the bed of the truck. Then Tigo got a tarp out of the cab of the truck to cover the ladies to protect them from the rain. We picked up a couple of other people along the way, but I was also noticing many people that were just walking with their produce to Jacmel. It is a 40 min ride down the mountain to Jacmel by truck. It is difficult to imagine these women walking all that way with all they have to sell on their heads. We arrived in the normally bustling city of Jacmel to silence in the market. With just a few people there in the market starting to arrive with the bananas, avocados, corn, clothes, and much, much more. Usually you cannot even walk through this area and we just pulled in with the truck without a problem. After unloading the truck we went to a different area to wait for people exiting the city. We ate a pati, this is like a homemade hot pocket. It may actually be the original Hot pocket. These particular ones had some unidentifiable meat and boiled eggs in them; it was delicious. No one was coming to load up in the truck; the rain had kept them in bed a bit longer this morning. So I got to drive to Di Mize so we could wait at the cross road path up the mountain to La Vallee.

At Di Mez, we waited and waited. Di Mez is a little crossroads town that is a junction of people coming to and from Port au Prince and Jacmel up into the mountain communities. As I watched everyone setting up their shops there too, I asked if anyone actually lived in Di Mez. Not really, no one lives in this area they just set up shops there – I guess it is a Haitian mall or a strip mall or I don’t know, just trying to think of a comparison to the United States. As we waited their doing nothing, I wish I had a book. And then I saw a women preparing food. I asked Tigo if I could help her and he looked confused at the notion, I think wondering why, but just going with it as we Americans do crazy things sometimes. I ended up asking the women, she gave me the same look – and I don’t understand why look. Then she handed me the knife and the breadfruit. I was happy, something to do. She just kept telling me in Creole over and over, “Don’t cut yourself. Pay attention.” When I finished she looked at me like ok that was nice, but I asked to cut another piece. Then as people would pass by she would tell them, look at this girl helping me. It was entertainment for awhile, while we waited for people. You never know what a day will bring and you need to be ready to embrace it. Instead of just sitting around and waiting for what was next I decided to try and learn something new and maybe help someone out.

Something that is simple - yet not

2011-09-09T13:35:00.000-07:00

In the morning I awaken to the sounds of chicken, goats, and birds. I can hear the breeze blowing through the trees. And then I hear a baby laughing my heart is filled with joy. Then I walk to the home of the family who cooks for me . Julie, her daughter and niece are doing laundry. She asks me “Do you know how to wash Angelica?” No I don’t’ I have tried and think I am doing what it takes to wash the clothes by hand but I don’t make the right squishy noise. I wish I could help, but then again a piece of me is happy I don’t know how. And I know that it gives someone else a job too. It is a lot of work. Think of washing your whole family’s laundry by hand. Julie says life in Haiti is miserable. I ask because of the laundry? “Yes,” she responds, “ we don’t have machines like you do in your county.”
I am sad and I try and voice what I experience this morning – the beauty of Haiti. And yet as I watch Julie scrub and wash that white blouse by hand; I realize how complex it is to understand someone else’s point of view of their world. It is not a simple task to understand people where they are at and learn from them and discover what you might have to offer them to make the whole world a better place. And yet we need to continue to keep our mind open and try.

What is really needed this season?

2011-09-03T09:45:00.000-07:00

This season has made me think about what is really needed in our world. In Haiti there is always people coming to ask for something. It can be overwhelming sometimes, but their are many needs of the people. There is the common asking in the streets for some change or food. This is come to be expected and I think that might be their view on it too, it is just second nature to ask the visiter in your town. But then there are other requests; ones where I see the person coming to Lee's home or to the Learning Center for LMI. Often times it looks like they are embarassed that they need to ask but also feel as though they have no other choice. The other day a woman came to ask for her child to be in the sponsorship program. We of course have too many people in the sponsorship program already. I can always see with Lee his heart breaks when he has to tell people, 'no' the list is already too long. It broke my heart too as I watched this interaction and tears well up in my eyes. But these are the realities of the world we live in.
I remember one other day we were sitting in the house talking and this young man, all of 8 or 9 years old comes walking in the house. With his little button down shirt tucked into his high-water jeans with his belt cinched up, he addressed Mr. Lee with confidence. He was requesting to go to school. He talked for sometime and then patiently waited. Lee stirred and shifted....and I felt the same uncomfortableness. How can you tell a 8 year old boy 'no, we can't help you go to school'? ....well you can't. You take his picture and add him to the list and pray. You just continue to pray and have faith that you will find more sponsors. It only costs $150 to send a child to school for a year. This covers their tuition, books, and uniform. Maybe you can answer a prayer for a Haitian Family and make a difference and give something that is really needed in this world. Education and change for our future. Following blog are kids you could sponsor. Contact me at artistic_angelica@yahoo.com if you are interested. Thanks.

Education is the future

2011-08-25T14:50:00.000-07:00

Recently, I was a part of an interview about the education system in Haiti. Although I didn’t understand everything that was said it reconfirmed what I do know about Education in Haiti for young people. About ½ of the children in Haiti go to school. This is usually due to lack of resources. Families simply can’t afford to send their children to school and feed them too. Many kids might be able to start school but then are not able to pay the second payment of the tuition. Many of the parents of the children in school are illiterate; however they are very passionate about keeping their children in school. In Haiti there is a proverb that says, “Ignorance won’t kill you but it will make you sweat a lot.” But the cycle of poverty in lack of education continues. Some people are able to break out of the cycle. Aimable, the teacher and mother being interviewed talked about how far children have to travel to school too. She sends her daughter to a good school up the mountain that takes 20 minutes or more to get to by motorcycle. Some children in the area walk to that school which can take an hour to two hours. But the children walk there because it is better education. Education really is the answer for the future of Haiti. The young people I talk to want to make a difference in their future and the future of their country. They hold on to a hope that ‘tomorrow’ will be different. However, they need that little help to break out of the cycle. I am working with child sponsorship now for education for children. Living Media International is also working on a program for young adults who are finished with their base schooling and have dreams of going off to a university or to learn a trade. I will have more information to come on how you might be able to get involved with these. I will have children on my Facebook page that you can sponsor in school. I challenge you today to thank a teacher, thank the school administrators or anyone involved in education. So much of the success of the US has been due to education, so appreciate what we have. Too often we take for granted what can make a world of difference.

In Haiti Again

2011-08-17T14:01:00.000-07:00

Blessed to return back home. Sorry I don't have much time to write right now. We arrived safely and everthing is going well. I will write more next week. Thank you for all the prayers and support this summer and for my journey back. I could not do it without the support of my friends and family.

Angelica's Heart for Haiti

2011-08-02T06:28:00.000-07:00

an answered prayer - shoes

2011-07-19T07:01:00.000-07:00

Many of the teams that come down to Haiti leave some of their belongings for us to give to the Haitian people. Some want the items to go to particular people in the community, some just say whoever is ‘most in need’. This statement is so difficult for me. Because in Haiti this meaning is very different then it is the United States. But I do take this seriously, I also pray a lot about what is being distributed. I know that the people in the neighborhood, those closest to the church or those that have made friends get the most and I struggle if this is fair. I wanted to share with you about a pair of shoes. There was a nice pair of shoes that was left in Haiti by a lady last September, and she said ‘give them to someone that really needs them’. Most Haitians need shoes, you look around feet everywhere and the shoes are tattered and wholly, from walking around on the horribly rough rocky ground. I kept the shoes at my house and waited, which I know I also struggled with, they should have been on someone’s feet right away. But one day, a couple months later, a women was being led up to Lee’s porch. She was being led by her sister because she was blind and needed to come to the house to get education sponsorship information for her child.
She was wearing flip-flops that were almost worn through in the bottoms. I looked at her tired feet trying to walk on the red, rocky roads of Mizak without even seeing, and I knew, those shoes were meant for her. Later I found out she was the aunt of a friend of mine and he brought her by the house to get the shoes. She was very happy and thanked me. And I sent up a prayer of thanks for the blessing of getting to find the home for those shoes and the individual that left them there to make a difference in someone else’s life.

living the gospel

2011-07-18T10:23:00.001-07:00

Traveling down to Haiti in March of 2009 was met with much excitement and anticipation. I did not know what to expect but I was open to all the possibilities. One of my biggest surprises was one we arrived all the people asked us if we were Christian. This seemed very odd to me and they even asked us sometimes several times in different ways. I was not used to this but tried to keep an open mind, quite honestly there are many definitions out there on what a ‘christian’ is and I didn’t know fully what that might mean in Haiti. But we spent the week learning all about and working with the Solar Oven Partners alongside of the Haitian people. We worked, laughed, and worshiped together. One of our many evenings staying up late in the church talking, the pastors eldest son Dylo sat down to share with me. He wanted me to understand something. He started, “You know when you first came here we were not sure of your group.” The community was told that this group of Americans was coming into do something for the community, not preach the gospel as other missionaries had done in the past. I thought back to when we first arrived and everyone asked us if we were Christian and thought this had made sense in the way we were received (especially because since then this has not been my experience in Haiti). Dylo continued full of heart and said, “So we knew you were not here to preach the gospel and many people did not know what to think of that, but you know… you are living the gospel. You came in to truly help the people. You came to teach us something and give us a way that the people can help their families.” My heart swelled with joy at these words and still two years later bring tears to my eyes. We need to be living the gospel. “Actions speak louder than words.” So what are you doing in the world? In your neighborhood? You don’t have to be a preacher, you don’t have to be a bible beater, you don’t even have to be a Christian (with a capital C). Jesus was blessing the people and teaching them how to help their neighbor and the stranger. Jesus reached out to those that were being marginalized by society. The outsider, the unclean, the misfits of society, that is who Jesus was with and loved. So act in love and see what happens, challenge yourself to step outside of your comfort zone a bit.

Amos - a friend and hard worker

2011-07-03T12:12:00.000-07:00

I wanted to tell you about my dear friend Amos. I worked with Amos a lot in Mizak, Haiti. He was one of the construction bosses for HAPI. He learned the trade from his father John and worked along side him and their friend Silas. Amos was the main guy to go to for estimates on the houses that HAPI was repairing. When I volunteered with HAPI we would go out and inspect homes and Amos and his father would make estimates. He was an extraordinarily hard worker. He was very diligent on working on the projects and was always willing to help out in other areas too. He enjoyed very much working with the teams that came down to work on construction. He fixed many a thing around my house also. One day on the motorcycle, he drove around for taxi he asked me when I was going to visit him, his wife and two kids. I told him we needed to figure out a day and I would come over - I would love to meet his family. I never got that opportunity. But I will visit his wife and children when I return and tell the how much I loved Amos and how much I enjoyed knowing him.
You see Amos was killed 2 weeks ago when he was doing taxi on his motorcycle. A couple of men from PaP were riding with Amos leaving Jacmel. They took his bike and left him by a bridge. There have been reports of this happening other places and it is possibly gang activity.
This is terribly sad of course for Amos's family and friends; but also for the country. There is desperate situations going on in Haiti. People don't have roofs over their head, food on their plates, or clean water to drink. This causes people to lash out in desperate ways. Open your hearts to the people on the island just south of our bountiful country. Lift up prayers and look for ways that you might be able to get involved to help make a difference in the lives of the Haitian people.
Amos was a dear man and will be missed.

Dancing

2011-06-29T05:08:00.000-07:00

This morning thinking about life and working out details of returning to Haiti. It has been an overwhelming few days. So I sat down this morning to write and look at some pictures of Haiti for inspiration. And what is the first video I open Majena and Kensie were just having some fun in my living room, dancing. But I couldn't get that to upload. But I searched more and thanks to Christy I found this video.

Note Majena not getting too distracted from her dance. She pauses some to watch her sisters, but she just keeps on dancing. It's a great reminder that sometimes you just need to dance, for no reason other than there is music. So if you are having a rough day, turn on the music and just DancE!

Live free, Dance hard
Dance when no ones looking,
Dance harder when they are
Dance to heal a wound,
Dance to heal a scar
Dance under the rain
Dance under the sun
And when you think you cant dance,
Just get outside and run
Dance to the sound of the leaves,
Dance to the song in your heart ....
~Meagan Slack

2011-06-15T18:52:00.000-07:00

Its amazing the things we go through that somehow bring us closer together. I was down in Haiti during one of the hurricanes last year. It was pretty minor but still an experience. Lots and lots of Wind and Rain! We were indoors for 3 days and had to find ways to entertain ourselves. The kids got creative playing taxi with the buck beds. We also played with Gadson in the laundry basket and played a game of hot potato my brother gave me. Never thought that some wind and rain could cause this much fun indoors. Make me think sometimes we need to just take time to have fun.

A Franciscan Benediction

2011-05-30T09:25:00.000-07:00

May God bless us with discomfort …
At easy answers, half truths,
And superficial relationships,
So that we may live deep within our hearts.

May God bless us with anger …
At injustice, oppression, and
Exploitation of people,
So that we may work
For justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless us with tears …
To shed for those who suffer from
Pain, rejection, starvation, and war.
So that we may reach out our hands

To comfort them
And to turn their pain into JOY.
And may God bless us with enough
Foolishness …
To believe that
We can make a difference in this world,
So that we can DO
What others claim cannot be done.
Amen.

Learning from our Brothers and Sisters

2011-05-29T10:42:00.001-07:00

This morning I teared up just a little bit in church. It was because the two women coming down for the offertory were holding hands. Now some of you may think that is odd. But it reminded me of Haiti. When I first experienced this connection of hand holding in Haiti; I was walking to the market with the pastor's teenage daughter. She grabbed my hand as we were walking; I thought this was strange, but also felt connected, accepted, and loved by her.

I see people holding hands everywhere in Haiti. But the next time I remember two friends of mine, 2 guys were holding hands as the group of us walked. One of the Americans asked me if they were gay. I laughed a little and said "No, they are just good friends, many Haitians hold hands as they walk just to have that connection to one another."
That is what I saw this morning with those two ladies holding hands. It brought joy to my heart because I could see their love for each other. I think we can learn from this. Have that connection with the people you love. Reach out and grab that hand of your friend, show your love for them. Don't be afraid to look silly or have someone question you. You should always show love its what we are connected on this earth to do. Love is always something to be joyous about and never feel ashamed or embarrassed.

Being One

2011-05-28T17:31:00.000-07:00

This ritual is One
The food is One
We who offer the food are One
The fire of hunger is also One
All action is One
We who understand this are One
~Hindu blessing

Visiting People

2011-05-25T07:43:00.000-07:00

How often do we take time out of our lives to visit people. We are just to busy in our own lives. This is on things I miss about Haiti. One day as I was walking home from the artisan workshop, I heard this beautiful rhythmic sound. I asked Eddy what it was and he led me around the corner. This is what we saw. The family was excited to see us. They welcomed us and greeted us and grabbed us chairs to sit on from the house. I watched as they beat down the peatameez (not spelled right - but how it sounds) The older lady in the foreground was sifting rice.
Next to where we were sitting there was a young lady who was sowing the new nursing uniforms. We talked for awhile with the family and I just enjoyed the atmosphere. The family also offered us a coconut which is alway a treat. The hospitality in Haiti is unbelieveable and the people are so loving.

importance of being fearless or at least faking it

2011-05-18T09:28:00.000-07:00

I used to ride horse when I lived down in Kansas with a friend of mine. I have always loved riding and wished I had more opportunities to do so. But most people don't have this opportunity in their everyday lives.
Horses in Haiti are used for practical purposes, such as hauling construction supplies, market produce, water, or general transportation. Most of the time it is actually donkeys that are used for this as they are better for the rocky terrain as well as lack of water.
This beautiful horse had been tied up around my house down in Haiti for some time. I kept telling people I was going to ride it. I was going to find out who owned it and ride it. But didn't really ever think it would happen.
One day we saw the kid out in the field with his horse and I said to my friends 'that is the horse I have been wanting to ride'. Right away my friends called over the kid to bring his horse to us. As I got up and remembered the rocky terrain I thought there is no way I can do this. And I looked at that beautiful horse longing to ride it but saw of coarse no saddle, no rein; there was no way I could ride this horse. I could fall and break a leg and then where would I be. Besides that how could I even get on the horse with no saddle. But as I was going over this struggle in my head; my friends were encouraging me. And I realized if I didn't do this I would regret it.
I would not say that in that moment I was fearless, I was terrified. But I knew my regret would out way my fear. This may be a great lesson to go through life with. Conquer your fears or at least fake it; You don't want to miss out on an amazing experience.

to say Bonjou or not

2011-05-11T15:39:00.000-07:00

One of the things that was very hard for me to get used to when in Haiti is saying 'Hello' to EVERYONE! It just felt weird, I mean really. Imagine, every person that crosses your path you say 'Bonjou' [good morning] or 'Bonswa' [Good afternoon]and 'Como ou ye?' [How are you?]

At first you might think it sounds nice. But every person, people you don't even know. But I learned this is the way it is done in Haiti. Plus as an outsider you want to try and blend as much as possible. So I embraced it. I learned to greet everyone. And sometimes I even stopped and talked to people for awhile. It became very normal and I really never thought about it again.

Until last week. I was walking across campus at USD in Vermillion, SD. I was just going to visit a friend. I passed people and didn't know how to react. Do I avoid eye contact, make eye contact and smile, say hi or do nothing. Instead I just thought about it while I was passing them and thought how weird this was to pass someone by and not even acknowledge that they exist. Suddenly I felt a little lonely and missed Haiti. Where you greet everyone, even if you don't know them.

The first picture I posted happened to be a friend of mine. I might have just said hi and just passed him on by, but I decided to talk. And as it turned out. Look what I found.

... so do you say Bonjou or not? I don't know the answer for every situation. I don't know what I will do the next time I pass someone walking. But saying hi can't be any weirder than not saying anything and you never know how you might effect someone else's day or maybe you will find kittens.

Another World

2011-04-08T17:24:00.000-07:00

I realized it has been some time since I have wrote a blog. I am getting scared of my limited time here in Haiti. I look through pictures in search of what I should blog about and it is just too overwhelming to think about writing small little things to describe my vast experience here in Haiti. I think there is so much I don’t even think about being different anymore. Like the kitchen here being different from the ones in the United States. I feel like we have a great kitchen here because there is a ‘counter’ and walls whereas other kitchens I have seen only have a couple rocks on the ground to hold up a pot with wood to burn between the rocks.
Or for instance the donkey that is tied too close to the ‘main road’ and he pooped in the road we walk to go up to Paul’s house. My roommate Christy pointed out “I love how you call this the ‘main road’”.

I just have a completely different perspective on life now that I have been down here for 7 months. What sorts of things do we take for granted in life and what sorts of things do we appreciate? I have been thinking a lot about what I truly do miss from the United States. Of course the top being people (loved ones) but also, just being able to talk to anyone and discover what they are passionate about without having a language barrier. The other is certain foods, I have already arranged to have Jimmy Johns when I arrive in Omaha at 10:30PM. But what will I miss in Haiti – again the people! But mostly everyday life - getting up at 6:00 in the morning with the roosters cooing, the donkey yelling, and the goats crying. Also walking to the outhouse in the middle of the night and wondering if I will see a snake, a cockroach, or a cricked tonight or walking to go get my water and then putting it in a bladder to make in warm for an afternoon shower.
There are days I feel like I am truly in another world and yet I am reminded of the world I used to live in the US. I don’t know how I can ‘live’ in both worlds and yet how do I live without one or the other. I am sure when I return from Haiti I can reflect more and discover more both about myself and about ‘all’ the worlds around us. We really do need to think about the world we live in and what would we like to do to make it different, better? And then put yourself in someone else’s shoes half way around the world. How can you make their world better? How can they make your world better? We all need to work together, learn from each other and grow in our differences.

Angels and Stars

2011-03-21T17:29:00.000-07:00

One of the things that makes me happy in this world is the connections we have. I am not sure that I have expressed this before in my blogging or not. But I love how the world is connected for the worse or for the better, we are together in this. It is essential for us to realize this in order for the world to work better together. Of course with the internet is very apparent how small our world really is. At any given time you can know what is going on around the world. When the Earthquake happened in Haiti I felt like I was there experiencing it with them. I was watching the news and immediately was heart broken and wanted to know where my loved ones were. Recently there has been the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and many people are concerned and feeling that impact of that as well. We are all connected to these situations either by first hand or through friends or co-workers. It is truly a small world.
I have also been realizing this more and more with teams coming down to Haiti and the connections that are made with teams. Cheryl a member of one of our teams worked with kids in the United States on making Angels out of paper plates and pipe cleaners with the kids picture on them. They wanted the kids of Haiti to know that they were praying for them and that we all have Angels in our lives. The kids in Haiti are connected with the kids in Michigan that made the Angels.
The children that were involved in receiving these angels are from Peace Pals. Peace Pals is a type of Sunday school that happens every Saturday for about 200 children from the community. There is a dance group that has started from Peace Pals. They are called ‘Nouvela Twel’ [New Stars] and started about 1 ½ months ago. Christy, another American has been leading them in a dance routine that will be performed in a video this summer. The video will look into the girls’ lives of what it is like to grow up as a young lady in Haiti. The group is working hard at encouraging not only in dance but in their future lives.
The girls were very excited to hear about these children in Michigan that cared about them and wanted this connection. In response we had the children in Haiti make Stars for the children in Michigan. We talked to them about the tradition in the United States about when you see a shooting star you can make a wish. We told the girls when they looked at the stars they can think about their futures and their dreams. And also that there is a child in the United States that is thinking and praying for them too.

Jacmel

2011-03-21T17:00:00.000-07:00

Some of the incredible architecture in Jacmel. I drive by many of these beautiful buildings everytime I go to Jacmel, maybe once or twice a week. There is just so much beauty in this country. I have been taking pictures of the doors in Jacmel and hope to do a series of them. I just find the History interesting, it is sad some of the were lost or damaged in the earthquake. Many of them have also been abandoned for years. But every once in awhile we continue to see some construction going on.

A wall mural in Jacmel

Mixing Concrete

2011-03-01T15:48:00.000-08:00

There is a specific process to mixing concrete. The Haitians work hard at this process, as well as other countries that don’t have a big machine to mix it for them. I have mixed concrete myself by hand in Mexico on a mission trip. Despite our high school and college boys that were on the trip with us making it look easy, it is very, very hard work! I actually only did it for a short time, and I was exhausted. In Costa Rica we had to mix a lot of cement so we paid the extra money as a team to rent a little cement mixer to make things easier. Although the locals didn’t think it was worth the money if you could do it yourself by hand. In Haiti recently I was watching the process of mixing the elements to make the concrete and the balance that has to take place with the parts. I was amazed at the carefulness and yet the ease at which they seem to make the concrete. You start with sand, rock and cement; you have to be sure to have the right mixture of these elements. As I was watching the beauty in the mixing; it made me think of the process of living and working where God leads you. The elements make me think of the Creator, Spirit, and Friend. You need all these parts for it to ‘work’ correctly. Then you add the water for everything to come together - that is you. The water is added slowly and mixed carefully to what had already been put together. Then there is the hard work and precision that needs to happen. It is difficult to stir that water with the other elements to make things come together to make something concrete. As I said earlier watching the Haitians mix this concrete with ease made me think of all this. So I thought I need to try my hand at mixing that concrete again – maybe it wasn’t that hard. So at one of our construction sites the other day I tried again – and again – it was really hard work and I couldn’t make it look as easy as the Haitians did. Isn’t this the way that we see people ‘working’ for God. There are many people in my life that I have admired for the things they are doing, by following their dreams and following God’s plan for their lives. And somehow they make it look easy. And some even talk about how they just follow where God leads and then put in the work. But what we don’t see is how they first struggled with learning the process and the balance of mixing the concrete so it will be strong and last.

cracking a coconut

2011-02-17T12:59:00.000-08:00

I am always trying to think of things that are 'different' here in Haiti. Or finding something interesting that you might want to read about. So many things are just 'normal' life now. I loose track of my other life in the United States. But yesterday as I was skyping with my mother she asked me about how we crack coconuts down here. She had bought one from the grocery store in Milbank, SD in Febuary and wondered how we do it here. So I thought you all should know.

First you have to get the coconut so someone - often times a young boy climbs up the coconut tree to knock them out of tree. I have seen this many times and am still baffled by it; they take off their shoes and just sort of shimmy up the tree. They reach up and grab and shake the tree until they drop to the ground. After they shimmy right on back down the tree.
Then they take a machete and chop it around one side. Sort of forming like a icecream shape bottom. Then when they are close to the middle they slice the top. When the white tender spot that is barely exposed is visible they stop and you carve out that part with a spoon. Then you drink the juice. Sometimes they put it in a glass for you too. But personally I prefer it straight from the coconut.

After they take that machete again and chop it in half. Then you dig out the center from the coconut shell with a spoon and eat the tender part in the middle. I like to just eat half it is very filling. From my experience with the other Americans it is usually half and half on who likes it and doesn't like it. But always the whole event is a true treat of a situation. Of coarse the favorite part is the climbing of the tree.
So I don't know how my mom ended up finishing her coconut. But I bet she didn't have the entertainment before hand.

when you put a prayer into the universe

2011-02-16T09:41:00.000-08:00

If you have been reading up on my blog you may have remembered one called "What can we do? http://angelicaheartforhaiti.blogspot.com/2010/12/what-can-we-do.html
This was a house that really needed replaced but we had to do something so it made it to the top of our repair list. This is the house now as you see.

The team a couple weeks ago for the house repairs started on it. And seeing how close the house was to just being replaced they asked how much more it would cost to just finish the whole thing. It was only another $250 to complete the whole house. So what a blessing the team decided to complete the house. I was overjoyed when this happened and new there was a little divine intervention at hand. This last team that was here was also able to work down at this house too. And today the boss men are down in Shilo working on putting the stucco on the outside of the house. It brings true joy deep in my heart seeing this house come together and all the hands that were involved in the process.

Continued progress on the house - Febuary - 21st Christy and I visited and tried our hand at mixing concrete.

Collaboration in Haiti

2011-02-11T06:14:00.000-08:00

Some amazing collaboration efforts going on in Haiti. The work and construction in Haiti has always been a joy for me because people from two different cultures are able to come together to accomplish something. It is really quite remarkable especially when you don't speak the language. But somehow we are all brought together to make a difference in each others lives. I do say each others because anyone who has ever been on a mission trip knows that you actually get back 10 fold in return for the work you do in that one week or 10 days.

So let me share with you some other collaboration that has been taking place lately and bringing folks together. Last week there was a team (1st team)down here who started repairs on 5 houses. They actually got to work hands on, on 3 of them in the Shilo area. Now we have a team (2nd team)here who is working on 2 foundations for 2 other houses. They have already completed one foundation and are waiting on materials for the second foundation that is almost complete as well. Then these homes will both be finished built in April by a 3rd team. Since the 2nd team is waiting on materials they have been working on the repair homes that the 1st team started. So not only are 3 teams coming together to accomplish the building of 5 homes but I too want to share with you the interpersonal connection.
The leaders of this current team are Jerry and his mother Pastor Melany. Jerry first came to Haiti when he was only 13 and has been coming every year since with - (ready for it) the 1st team that was here to start on the 5 repaired homes that Jerry's team is now working on.
The team leader for the 3rd team in April, Jill - just so happens to be coming tomorrow for a couple days for medical related things and to talk with another organization. So the 2nd team that is starting the foundations for the houses her team (3rd) will compete, will get to meet her too.
I just want to put a little shout out to God because that is the only way this complicated scheme could have all come together. Nice work buddy, keep it up.

Basen Bleu

2011-02-06T05:39:00.000-08:00

The trek there was steep, steep down the side of the mountain. But it was worth every second of it. Such a beautiful hide-away in Haiti. What a blessing to get to experience such amazement. Sometimes people find it hard to find such beauty in the country. However I believe it exists everywhere I turn.

Connected to Natural Beauty

2011-02-06T05:25:00.000-08:00

I experience natural beauty in Haiti everyday. I am blessed beyond words to have this experience. About a month or two ago we were able to get internet in Mizak where I live. This meant that I didn't have to go down to Jacmel on the long, dusty, whindy road twice a week. I thought this would be a great blessing, as most of you can imagine. Or can't imagine seeing how most of us in the United States have internet everywhere we go; we have it at home, at work, and at the local coffee shop. For a couple days I was loving it, but after two weeks I noticed I was getting a little depressed. About a week later I discovered that I was missing my spiritual connection with nature. When I ride down those long, dusty, whindy roads I soack the beauty that God has created. I think about the time I have been in Haiti. I think about the beauty in the faces I meet all along the roadside. I reflect on the determination and sheer strength of the Haitian people.
With the internet 'in my home' I discovered I was missing out on all of this. How many of us at home are missing out on some of the beauties of the world when we are at home on the internet and watching TV. We loose our connection with what God has created, and then we start missing the point all together and getting disconnected from who we as individuals were created to be.
My advice - go connect with some of creation. Look out the window (without the TV on) and just watch the snow. Drive down the road and look at all the colors of the trees or enjoy a sunset. Go have coffee with a friend and appreciate the beauty in there face because God is creating everyday and you can particitpate in that.

always learning

2011-02-05T16:13:00.000-08:00

Putting in Gardens in Haiti. Every turn we make in our lives seems to be an opportunity to learn if you let it. This last week with the team from Traverse City I learned about drip irrigation. Can't say that I thought that would happen in my lifetime. But there I was learning a little bit about drip irrigation. We had two gentlemen from Haiti (Dominic and Bibi)helping put in the system. They were very energized and excited to learn the process. They worked alongside with Jerry, Mike and Ann and a couple other people from the team on different days. There was also an interpeter Harold which worked excellent with them. He was anticipating things to tell him the guys before they even gave the instructions. All three men were so interested in the system they wanted one for themselves. Thanks to the new internet at the house that team was able to contact the next team and they brought down 2 more systems for the garden. Since the team has left the 2 guys have been checking on the system regularly.
We also have the Peace Pals involved in the garden process. The kids have been coming over afterschool and watering the garden.
The process of working hand in hand beside each other to make something grow has powerful implications. It is really what many would like to see in Haiti. More importantly first we worked hand in hand and now the Haitians are taking over the system and continuing to help others with what they have learned. It is very inspiring.

Being a part of a creative process

2011-01-08T11:52:00.000-08:00

I have been working with one of our artisans on creating a bag/purse that will be sellable on the US market. When we first began the bags looked similar to our shopping bags in the United States. But Jacquiline (or Jacquie as I call her because she has so much spunk and passion for what she does) has been working diligently on getting a nice styled bag. When I first saw the bags made of old coffee bean sacks, I knew they had lots of potential. The bags are made of the recycled burlap bags from potatos or coffee beans and then are lined and finished off nicely. I have given her some advice and shown her pictures and prayed that not too much gets lost in the translations. But she has been successful; she is quite the entrepreneur. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

Spending Christmas with over 200 children

2011-01-07T15:51:00.000-08:00

For me Christmas began when I walked over to my host families house and found the kitchen a buzz with ladies cooking.
I was worried about my Christmas in Haiti being away from family and friends. How would things be different without all the traditions I am used to back home. Would it even feel like Christmas, the anticitpation you usually have with the Holidays wasn't there.

But when I heard the ladies talking and laughing it brought me joy. It made me think of my aunts and I knew it would be a good Christmas. The ladies were making a meal for the 200+ kids that attend the Peace Pals Christmas Party. Peace Pals is a program that takes place every Saturday for the children of Mizak and the surrounding areas. They do a wide range of activities. The best way for me to describe it is similar to our Vacation Bible Schools in the US.
I helped do some decorating and helped slice up carrots and onions for the meal. As I was cooking I heard the noises start in the Peace Park under the new pavillion the kids were singing Christmas carols. I headed over to see the kids and take some pictures. The kids were all dressed up for the party and the place looked great.

They had singing, dancing, stories and even a puppet show for the festivities. The kids all participated lively with joy and excitement in their hearts for the day. Later there were toys given away to all the children from Papa Noel.

After this a hot meal of rice and beans, chicken, fried plantains, and salad were given to all the childer and the yourng adult leaders.
The kids left singing a song and with a bundle of energy playing with their new toys and laughing and talking with each other.
What a joyous Christmas to be a part of in Haiti. A truly Joyeux Noel.

fellowship

2010-12-31T09:54:00.000-08:00

Today may be the best Sunday since I have been in Haiti. The last couple of months in Haiti the only time I really get homesick is on Sunday. Back in the US, Sunday usually is my favorite day of the week. I used to live in the church building in the apartment next door. So I would wake up and go over to the church early before anyone was there, often in my pajamas. Sometimes I would decorate the altar in the sanctuary and make coffee for the Sunday school class and the early arrivers to church. Then I would go get ready and return again before Sunday school class. I loved just sitting in the fellowship hall and being able to greet everyone as they came to the church, and of course let them know that there was coffee. Sunday school class was a small group of adults, of whom I know well and have a great amount of respect for. They are a wealth of information, and almost all of them were or are teachers. In waiting for church to start I would hang out in the kitchen and help prepare for after church or go in the sanctuary and visit with people. As I sit in the sanctuary I look around to see if all my ‘family’ is there in their pews. I can still see them in their spots in our open aired worship area in Haiti. Where most Sunday’s I sit and pray I can understand more Creole soon as I struggle to know what the service is about.

However, this morning though before church I talked with my Haitian family over breakfast of pumpkin soup and homemade bread. Most the time they are all coming and going and so not everyone eats together, often time in fact I may be eating alone, because of all the buzz of activities. After we ate together I went over to the church, where they were having Bible Study. One of the people helped me find the verse they were talking about in English, so I could understand some of what they were talking about. When church started I sat with ‘my two girls’ and they shared a hymnal with me so I could follow along with the music. When it came time for the scripture, Eddy gave me that to. After church we went and visited some people that were sick. We walked and talked as we traveled to three different houses. It just seemed like many of the things I usually miss on Sunday mornings came together. It was a great day.

the Critters in Haiti

2010-12-31T09:50:00.000-08:00

I have been meaning to write about all the fun little critters in Haiti, since I found a giant frog in my house one evening. I had left the window open and there he was on the wall beside the window just hanging out. I tried to swat him out the window with a broom. He jumped behind my headboard. I tried to smash with my headboard and he jumped to the other wall. He just sat there on the wall and I decided he could stay I didn’t want him on my bed – I would just go sleep on the couch. The next day there was no sign of him. I had my host family even come look for him, no luck. Joana just said, “Oh, he’s here. He’s watching you sleep. You can’t see him, but he can see you.” – Thanks Jo – that helps! About a week later I see him in the corner of the dining room just after my friend Papi had left. I yelled for him to return and he got him out of the house by swatting him with a broom. But then once he had him outside he stomped on him in the grass. I yelled no, I don’t want him dead just not in my house.
So other little critters in Haiti; crickets, mosquitoes, lighting bugs, mice, rats, cockroaches – none of these you see very often. And yes I have seen a tarantula but only twice in the total of 5 months I have been in Haiti. But the chameleons or lizards are always running all over my house inside and out. They finally don’t startle me anymore. But why did I finally decide to write about the critters in Haiti. Because this morning as I was locking my outhouse, there in the crack of the door I finally saw a snake. By the time I went to get my camera and returned there was no sign of him.

I saw an angel.

2010-12-28T11:59:00.000-08:00

Today in church there was a beautiful voice singing. It was a delicate as one of theose music boxes you open and see the little balariena dancing. Then I looked around at the faces in the crowd listening. There was a woman with her eyes closed her arms wrapped around her swaying to the music. I smiled and a tear came to my eye as I thought I just saw an angel. As I continued to watch her with black braids wrapped around her head like a halo. Her dark eyes opened and she began to sing with that delicate voice herself. She wasn’t singing loud just feeling the music in her heart.

What can we do?

2010-12-15T10:03:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we went and looked at house repairs that are needed in the Mizak area and in Shilo. This task is virtually endless, many of these homes were damaged in the hurricanes a couple years ago and now with the earthquake many of them are inhabitable.
Somehow – and I really can’t understand how the Haitians continue to survive through all the disasters. We went to one of the houses to get an estimate for repairs. I remembered this house well because the beautiful children were all here and there in the yard. Previously, we also sat with the lady and had some bread and coffee with her. She seemed delighted to have company and was grateful for anything we might be able to do for her and her family. As we looked at her house, I knew it was a replacement not a repair. The front wall of the house was bowing inward, looking as if it could fall in at any minute. The area by the roof was missing many rocks that had already fallen in. The family of 10 has been sleeping in a little 4 man tent since the earthquake that has holes and tears in it, next to the house. I just kept looking at the house and looking at the house, knowing we already had our 2 houses chosen that would be replaced this spring and we don’t have teams yet to replace more. I wondered how we could ‘fix’ something so that this family could have a home. I just didn’t know. I also tried and listen to the construction guys to see what they were saying, they were trying to figure out something too but kept shaking their heads and saying ‘pa bon’ (not good). Finally Paul turned to me and said, “What can we do?”. My heart sunk as I just shook my head and choked back tears. “I don’t know. This just breaks my heart because there are so many homes that need repairs and replacements. The house needs replaced but we already have our homes that are being replaced. I just don’t know” I said again as I shook my head. We continued to look and assess the situation and it is possible for them to just replace the one wall that is caving in and replace the parts of the roof that are leaking. And with these repairs they would be able to continue later with a replacing the rest of the home. The devastation in Haiti is overwhelming. I feel this way in the mountains and don’t even face the destruction that happened in Port-au-Prince. It is easy to ignore because it has left the news in the United States. We also ignore it because it is just too overwhelming, - How can we really make an impact? I agree – it is overwhelming and all too easy to forget, but you can help that one family with the 8 children sleeping in a tent for 4. Or the family of 8 that one of the women sleeps in a small pup-tent while her children stay with her mother. I know the list is endless but we have to start with one family and make a difference there. It is what we can do.

knowing the joys of a teacher

2010-12-15T09:36:00.001-08:00

I always admire teachers; they are the keys to our future. They literally hold the potential of the world in their hands. But I didn’t feel like I could ever possibly to this work. This is a great gift that God has given many but not myself. However, recently my neighbor, the other ‘blan’ in the neighborhood went back the United States for a visit. He asked if I could help by being the ‘native English speaker’ but I wouldn’t have to teach just pronounce the words. I thought it would be a great learning experience and also maybe enable me to learn a little Creole in the process. It has been a great blessing to help with the classes and I have been more and more comfortable with being able to do so. I listen as the students struggle and struggle with certain words. You wouldn’t know this but there are no ‘th’ sounds in Creole, this makes many, many words in the English language difficult for the Haitians to pronounce. But they continue to work so hard. Then suddenly they will have it! A break through and they get the sound. It is just such a blessing to help with this process. I will hopefully continue to help with classes even after Lee returns. There is also a class in teaching reading and writing to those that can’t and I may help with that. Education is a truly amazing thing, it can change the world if you let it.

Do you have to work for your water?

2010-12-03T13:01:00.000-08:00

This morning I woke up to the sound of drumming. At first in my groggy state and ear plugs I wasn’t sure what it was. But it was persistant and right near my door. Suddenly I knew what it was. It was my little neighbor boys, that Paul’s family have named ‘petite Angelica’ (my children). I opened my door and stepped outside and it was indeed them beating on empty gallon jugs. They were going to fill up the water for the day. The older boy Frensi, 7years old had 2 gallons and the other Chadson, 5years old had 1 gallon. I am not sure how far they have to walk for the water. I will find out next time when I am not in my pajamas. They were drumming along because they wanted to tell me Bonjou. I talked with them for a minute and then they were on their way. Shortly after that when I was ready to brush my teeth I realized my canteen of water was empty. I stooped down on the floor to pour some water from my large 5 gallon culligan to my smaller bottle so I could brush my teeth. It’s definitely become normal – not a big deal at all. But I thought about my bathroom back home where I simply turned on the faucet to brush my teeth. And then I thought of my boys again, who knows how far they were walking to get water. But I do know they walk that path at least twice a day. I had visited a friend of mine yesterday who was getting ready to take a bath after working a long day moving rocks. But first he had to go get the water down to the well. But it is all just part of the day; along the way to get water you will greet your neighbor and listen to the roosters crowing and thank God for another day.

Report on the basics - food in Haiti

2010-12-02T07:35:00.000-08:00

After talking to my brother on the phone the other day, I realized I haven’t shared much of the everyday events with you. My brother asked me – “what have you been eating?” I also received a bunch of food from the church in Vermillion. Which I am blessed, but given the amount, maybe they think I don’t eat down here. Or they know me all too well and know I will share the food with my brothers and sisters in Haiti. So what do I eat in Haiti?
Breakfast – We have homemade bread almost every morning with homemade peanut butter (which is just delightful very much all natural – don’t know how I will go back to store bought peanut butter). Some days we have eggs – they are either boiled and cut in half with an onion, pepper, and vinegar mixture on them or they are scrambled with peppers and onions and a slice of spam in the middle like an omelet. About once every 2 weeks we have oatmeal – it is very good, rich and sweet with cinnamon.
Perhaps my favorite thing for breakfast in Haiti – Spaghetti! Yup that is correct, sometimes there is a little red sauce on the noodles, just enough where it doesn’t stick together, or we put ketchup and sometime mayo on it and a dash of Tabasco. Also, there are sometimes fried chucks of spam served with it.
Lunch – lunch is sort of hit and miss – sometimes there is lunch and sometimes there isn’t. We may have a little rice and beans with red sauce. Or a piece of bread with peanut butter and a piece of fresh fruit. Or some Potato/Bread soup – which is wonderful. And of course my favorite pumpkin soup! If nothing is served or I am away from the house I have a granola bar of some fun snack the folks from the United States have left here or sent for me. About every other Sunday Aimable makes cake in the solar oven too – which is Amazing! It basically beats any cake I have had except maybe a few wedding cakes.
Dinner – Rice and Beans! – Not every day but A lot!  there are several different ways that the rice and beans are prepared, sometimes together and sometimes separate, sometimes more of a white rice and different kinds of beans – right now Congo beans are in season (I am not sure but I think it is that, that gives me terrible gas – I know too much information ;) but you wanted to know.) Sometimes the beans are boiled down into more of a sauce. Other days there is a corn (mayis) dish that is served with the beans instead of rice. Served with the rice and beans is a red sauce with chicken, fish, beef, or goat. We often have cooked carrots and beets with it. Sometimes fried potatoes and plantains. The other day we had something very, very close to potato salad. It reminded me of 4th of July with my family. Once in awhile we have popcorn with dinner – all natural very good! And there is almost always some sort of fresh fruit juice served with dinner – that is fantastic although of coarse just a touch too sweet for me.

Comfort

2010-12-01T10:46:00.000-08:00

The last time I wrote I was talking about our comforts in life. I just returned from a trip to PaP and was staying in a friend’s house – a very nice house. I was judging the home in Haiti I stayed at. I was thinking of the people who have made their homes in tents and wondered how someone could have a home so beautiful when people are suffering. But I decided I should never judge others and I would enjoy my little ‘vacation’ I found myself in, in Haiti. The next night I stayed again in the PaP area this time in Carrfou. I was in an area I didn’t know in maybe an average (for Haiti) income home. My friend who I came with had to run errands in different location in PaP so he left me with his cousins at the church. I would be safer at the church since it was after dark. He warned me I would have to introduce myself to the church in Creole, as no one I was with spoke English. So I was with people I didn’t know, in an area I didn’t know, with no English speakers. I was uncomfortable! I was frustrated with my friend for putting me in this situation. However, the worship service was very good. The music was alive and the people were warm and welcoming. After church, we walked back to the house to wait for my friend to return. I spoke English with the children; they practiced all the words they know. I was getting very hungry and tired wondering where my friend might be. He finally arrived and we went to another house where we would be sleeping. Again, arriving at the house, after dark staying at someone’s house I have never met. Then my friend was maybe going to stay back at the other house. But by the evening I was staying in a bed with a mosquito net, and the lady of the house even wanted me to use her night gown. As I laid there and listened to music and thought about my discomfort from the day; I realized I had already found my comfort zone in my home in Mizak. It was good for my ‘comfort’ to be challenged. I realized I need to practice challenging my comfort level a bit more. I think we all probably need to take this challenge to continue to grow in life.

Today Jesus washed my feet

2010-11-29T14:45:00.000-08:00

It was a long day of travel from Mizak to PaP, somewhere in the suburbs. As you can imagine traveling through the city is a lot to take in. There is trash, dirt and water everywhere you look and people everywhere you look. The sounds of people, animals, and transportation is overwhelming. As I walked through the city I saw people sleeping on the street, a blind child begging and an old man with one leg pushing himself, along in a wheelchair. I also saw incredible strength of so many Haitian people. People were dressed in nice clothes going to and from work; somehow people continue to survive even with buildings crumbling around them. There are just so many thoughts to take in. I finally arrived at a beautiful home of the area of Tabra at a friend’s uncle’s house. I found myself struggling with how someone can live like this with all the struggles going on in the streets I just came from. I reminded myself not to judge because this is the same thing that happens in my own country as well. People lose sight of the struggles of their neighbors. I didn’t know how to be in this house with all that I had just seen, but you also have to appreciate what God has gives you at different times. So I decided to get cleaned up. I went to the bathroom and cried when I discovered there was hot water for the shower. Then I put my feet in the bucket of water to let them soak in the hot water. I sat down and thought about what my feet had been through that day traveling the streets of PaP. I thought about all the people I had seen and the daily struggles and joys they may be experiencing this moment. Then I closed my eyes and Jesus washed my feet. I cried as I thought of what this meant; this action that Jesus did for the disciples so many years ago. I thought I understood this idea of servant leader but suddenly I found a new insight. Because living in Haiti I have actually seen the servants and I have also seen the elite leaders of Haiti. It is nearly unimaginable to think of one of these leaders of Haiti washing the feet of the servants after walking the streets of PaP. Jesus was trying to teach us something and still daily we struggle to understand. We continue to love our own comfort more than our brothers and sisters.

A simple Response to a great need

2010-11-27T11:39:00.000-08:00

The other day I was talking to a young man in Haiti. I was asking him many, many questions about how organizations work, the Haitian culture, ect. It was a really good in depth talk about many things helping me to understand the way some things work. He told me a story about him working in another area called Basen to visit the school. The school only has one hallway of classrooms for 7 classes of children. They also only have 4 teachers for these classes. He went on to describe how they were also short on blackboards, writing benches and other materials. However they were still trying to work the best with what they had. This young man saw the need here so he wrote up a proposal and talked to Digcel (one of the major cell phone companies in Haiti) He had heard about them working with different projects around the country. He worked and worked at making this connection happen with the people of Basen. But they were unable to find land to be donated to for Digcel to build a new school. They were finally able to get school supplies donated but this was all.
I listened as he talked about the struggle and the frustration on working with this project.
This was something he was working on on his own time in a different area than his own. This was a place where before he didn’t have any family or friends. I found this little unusual “Why were you working on this project? It’s not in your area; you don’t have any direct connections. So for what reason were you way over in Basen?”
“oh, Oh, Angelica because there was a need I saw. A great need for the school. It doesn’t matter where you are at; if it is your area or not. You should do whatever you can wherever you can to try and help people to try and make a difference in people’s lives.”
I was speechless as tears welled in my eyes. Yup, I thought that is exactly the way I should be. You just help because there is a need – simple.

Take time to notice & appreciate the little things

2010-11-25T16:10:00.000-08:00

I must lead a charmed life. This phrase has been popping in my head lately for some reason. I think it is because thoughts/prayers have been answered lately. On Monday I had been looking at pictures when the team was in Haiti and the over abundance of coconut milk we drank. And I was missing the coconut milk. Tuesday I visited Sonya; Nesley climbed up in the tree to get a coconut for us to drink. I had one today at Gurtude’s house too. Then I had talked about not being able to talk to Lee (the other American that lives in Mizak) for some time and last night we talked for a good hour. Sunday, I was thinking about some variety in my rice and beans diet, don’t get me wrong I like rice and beans but miss some things. Then for lunch they fixed my favorite pumpkin soup and we had cake, because there was good sun. Tonight, coming home from Jacmel, I was worried we would not find a Tap-tap to cross the river it was getting late and dark. Eddy could tell I was concerned but assured me we were going to be fine. Shortly after this, a truck came and Eddy knew the driver. We had a free ride all the way home to Mizak. Eddy says, “I told you not to worry we were safe. See no problem. Ca va?” I just smiled “Wi sa va. [yes I am good]” Maybe it’s Eddy that leads the charmed life. I suppose it’s all in your perspective.

"a good cup of coffee"

2010-11-24T15:42:00.000-08:00

Understanding cultural differences may be found in the most basic things such as ‘a good cup of coffee’. People feel strongly about their coffee. Anyone who works as a bistro will tell you that. Everyone has their favorite drink and when they order it, it sounds like they are speaking a different language. Haitians like their coffee very strong and very sweet. One team that was down here jokingly referred to it as diesel fuel or jet fuel. After being in Haiti for about 2 weeks, I asked for them to serve some hot water with the coffee so I could make it half water/half coffee, because my teeth hurt from the sweetness. I need to delute the coffee if I was going to drink it for the next 7 months. When I make my mix in the morning of ½ hot water and ½ coffee my Haitian family just shake their head and chuckle a little. This morning in Haiti I made a cup of coffee pretty close to the way I make my coffee at home. And you know there is nothing better than ‘a good cup of coffee’ in the morning. So as I was enjoying ‘my good cup of coffee’ made with ½ coffee from Haiti, ½ hot water, and a package of hot cocoa. I decided to have Joana try it. She did, then shook her head and said, “why?, with a look on her face that said “You ruined a perfectly good cup of coffee.” Just like a good cup of coffee many things can be seen in very different ways, especially when working in another country. But remember, both people are right, they know what ‘a good cup of coffee is”.

Why don't the braids look as good on me as the Haitians??

2010-11-16T10:48:00.001-08:00

This was all I saw as I walked from Paul's house to my house. Joana had noticed that everyday I wore a bandana in my hair to cover my braids. So she was going to fix my hair so that it would look better and I wouldn't have to have a bandana.

When I got to my house I looked in the mirror and grabbed a bandana ;)
A picture really is worth a thousand words. I hope this gives you as good of a laugh as it did me. Joana could not figure out what was so funny.

Much better with the bandana - that is cute ;) hahaha. Oh the little things in life. You have to laugh at yourself.

Just keep loving it is all you can really do.

2010-11-11T11:43:00.000-08:00

To my Sunday school teachers as a kid (I’m sorry I don’t remember your name).
To the countless pastors who have touched my life.
To my counslers at camp.
I want to THANK YOU!
Sometimes you have no idea what you do today will affect the future There have been times when things have been difficult in Haiti as far as not being able to see ‘concrete’ results. Often times in Missions you go and work on a project and you almost always literally see those ‘concrete’ results. However, living in another country you are working on the system to make a difference. And for any of us that have worked on a system of change we know that this takes a lot of time. You don’t really always know how your daily activities will impact the future and really the world. So just keep loving because it is all you can really do. And what a blessing we have been taught how to do that. We are given countless examples in the bible and here it every Sunday how we are supposed to live our lives to give to one another. So keep working at, keep loving your neighbor and do whatever you can for the sick, hungry, and those in prison. Keep practicing and “Be the change you want to see in the world.” ~Ghandi

Are you Rich?

2010-11-08T13:31:00.001-08:00

There is a song that I shared with the team when they were down here called “If you eact each day your rich” by Bryan Sirchio, every day I am thankful for the food that I am able to eat (even if I may grow a little tired some days of rice and beans) and I think about the families who may be without. I pray for an answer to this problem that baffles me. Today I was reading a book called “Change the world: Recovering the church” and they brought up what I am sure you hear people say all the time, but I love the answer. “How can a loving God let innocent children suffer and starve?” God doesn’t God’s people do. A disciple chooses to follow Jesus in living more simply so others can simply live.” This is a really profound statement and I pray for simplicity of life for so many not only so that others can simply live; but I think living more simply helps you so appreciate the really important things in our lives that makes us truly happy. In our capitalist society we are taught that the more you have the happier you will be. And we here things like ‘the person who dies with the most toys win’. But we all know this a fleeting happiness. And all those extra ‘things’ really do just complicate our lives and make us loose touch with the most important things in our lives. So as you reflect on this song. I would also add if you have a solid roof over your head then you are rich. In saying that, I ask you to lift up a special blessing to the families who are living in the tent cities during this hurricane season.

What is my typical day in Haiti?

2010-11-08T11:18:00.000-08:00

Well, first of all I don’t have a ‘typical day in Haiti’. But yesterday was a very good day and was an example of some of the beauty of what I get to do on a daily basis if not necessarily every day. I awoke in my little house around 6:30. I did a little devotional and wrote in my journal a bit and read then got dressed and headed over to Paul’s house for some breakfast. Joana was cutting up onions and peppers for the eggs. She set it down for a minute so I took over in the dicing up of the veggies. Then we added ham to the mix. I asked if I could cook up the ham and veggies first and then the eggs because I have been trying to get them to use a bit less oil in the cooking. So they did agree and we just added a little oil. They turned out delicious over handmade bread in Haiti that we buy every morning from one of the neighbors.

We have a young lady with a baby that stayed with us last night at Paul’s house. She has been in some desperate situations lately and has now found herself homeless with a young child. She was staying with a friend but that can only last for a bit. So the HAPI staff is trying to figure out the best situation for her and her sweet little boy. The boy had wet pants from the night so thanks to a team that brought down some clothes I was able to give him some clean ones and his mom gave him a bath. After getting them settled I walked over to the Co-op to meet with the jewelers. I brought some of my jewelry that I have bought in other countries to show them the possibilities of what they can make. None of the jewelers showed up but Eddy, Francious and Chantel were very interested in the possibilities. They were already thinking of natural products in Haiti that they could make things out of. I also spent my time there painting a little gourde piece for a necklace and helping the artisans cut piece signs for the yoga bags they are making through HAPI. Bebe showed up with the truck and the cement bags to make journals that we had collected yesterday in Jacmel. He studied from my Creole/English book for a while. Then we headed back over to Paul’s house giving a ride to all the artisans’ part way home. Some of them travel very far to get to the Co-op. Bebe and I studied Creole and English for awhile on Paul’s porch and then we were served a little something to eat. We had ‘banan’ – which is like a banana but isn’t ripe like we eat it in the States and it tastes like a potato. We were served this with chunks of salami and tomato in a red sauce. After eating we went down to the market to look around. On the way we stopped by the radio station and said ‘hi’ to Bebe’s wife.
We passed through the market. Many people always try and get the ‘blan’ attention to buy from them. ‘Blan’ literal translation in English is White but I am told that it really means ‘foreigner’. A friend of mine who is Haitian but lived in Canada for a while was called ‘blan’ for a while when we first came back to Haiti. So walking through the market I did tell Bebe if we found an avocado I would like to buy one. They are not in season so they are difficult to find. We found 2 and Bebe was sizing them up. He finally asked how much they were and I don’t know what the lady said but it was some ridiculous price because Bebe put them down and walked off. It was funny, I just laughed. Because you see the ‘blan’ cannot buy product in the market because they are usually double if not more the regular price. We then headed back up to Paul’s for dinner. Bebe borrowed my Creole book to take home for the evening. I have a feeling he may be wanting to teach his wife some too. Rice and beans for dinner around 4:00pm and then we just hung around the porch. I wrote some in my journal and read some English kid’s books to the children. Then we played phase 10 which is always great fun for the family. At around 8:00; I headed back to my house to read for a bit and then head to bed. Early to bed early to rise are my days in Haiti, I enjoy the early mornings.

Taking things for granted.

2010-10-21T13:44:00.001-07:00

Many people wonder if I miss the luxuries of home. How does one live without electricity without running water? Or without Walmart? ;) But honestly I feel blessed everyday in Haiti. I have a roof over my head, a clean dry bed (most of the time), a place to get cleaned up, and food in my belly. There are homes I have visited in Haiti which this is not the case. Many people are still living in tents all over the country. Others are still living in their homes that have been patched with plastic, sheets, and tin; the walls cracked and crumbling from the earthquake or from the hurricanes in the past. The people have to walk for miles just to collect water to cook with or bathe. And even though when we come home late for dinner and have to eat a cold meal (no microwave to warm it up for us); we are still grateful for the food we have and we pray daily for the homes that the children may go without dinner.
But I was still raised in the United States; so what do I miss and what do I want you to not take for granted? A flushing toilet – which we do have at the team guest house, when there has been enough rain or if it isn’t clogged. A variety of foods – I really wanted to order pizza the other night, and man I would love a chef salad with some ranch dressing or some ice cream (although there is a place in Jacmel for ice cream, just have not got there yet). Ice – I don’t even use ice that much but for those of you that do, don’t take it for granted, you miss it when you can’t have it. As I said before microwave – if you get home after the food has been cooked there is no option but a cold dinner. And ‘entertainment’ – when it is 7:00 in the evening with no electricity, no TV, no movies, no lights to read by or play a games – just means extra sleep, which I do love. But it may also mean waking at 4:30am.
These are just a few of the things once in awhile I miss a bit. But it is fleeting when I hear the frogs and crickets at night singing to me and when I really think I can see every star in the sky. Or when I see children running around playing and giggling with one another, barefoot and half dressed. Or taking a long walk to visit someone who is sick and I am warmly greeted by each person I see, as they are happy to greet me and see how my day is going.
. . . one last thing I miss and should never be taken for granted family and friends being around you (although I have some of these around me in Haiti). So be thankful, take time to appreciate all the little things that you truly do have. If you have a roof over your head and food in your belly – you are blessed beyond measure!

A busy week on the mountain!

2010-10-14T13:25:00.000-07:00

Monday there was an organizational training for general knowledge based from the book “Leading from your Spiritual Center” Pastor Frank (a Haitian/ American) who is serving down here for one month led the class. Then on Tuesday we had an English class. This was a lot of fun and the Haitians are all very energized about learning English. This is something I hope to continue after Frank leaves. Although I keep telling them I know how to speak English but not how to teach it. However many of them know all the rules of English, they just need the proper pronunciation and some examples and tools.
On Tuesday afternoon and most of the day on Wednesday and Thursday; I worked with the artisans on making journals. They make journals out of recycled cement bags. The process involves cutting the bags apart and then washing them. After laying out in the sun to dry, they are cut into the exact dimensions for the journals. Then they wipe down the paper and count up the bundles, drill holes in the centers, where they are to be sowed together. Then they bound three of those together and tape them.. The journals were in stacks underneath boards and cinder blocks so they are nice, smooth pages for the journals, ready to be finished off in the US.
I showed some ot the ladies how to make babies hats using a loom I brought from the United States, just as we use to make with our Hookin for Jesus group with CoffeeLoft.org. They were very excited because usually it takes a day to make a hat and I made 2 this morning while I was there.
I continue to discover more products they have been made and am working on ways they can improve upon them to sell them in the US market and in Haiti. Next week I will meet with the women who are starting a jewelry business to show them some samples that I have and also work with what they know and have already been doing. Hopefully we will have some of those jewelry products for Christmas.

International Day of Peace

2010-10-06T12:18:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday Mizak, Haiti celebrated International Peace Day! It was a huge success. The new pavilion started by the Canadian team this summer was getting finishing touches the morning of the party. At about 8:00 people were cleaning and decorating. I had helped the children make color Peace Flags to hang with the Peace Flags that the children in Vermillion, South Dakota had made this summer at VBS. It was a beautiful thing to see them hanging together blowing in the breeze. The day had several speakers including Paul, the pastor of the church, Pastor Frank, a Haitian American who is down in Haiti for a month doing Communities of Shalom Trainings, Valerie, the American director of HAPI, Depute Valentine, (I think the equivalent to our mayor), and I spoke about what the Peace Flags were and shared the love and prayers of the people in the United States. There were many, many different types of music. Several singing groups shared their talents. One group of young girls sang and danced to "Lord I Lift your name on High". There was also theatrical interpretation of the Earthquake. It was a moving day. In the middle we share food and drink with the over 1000 people who were there. Thank you for being a part of this day with the people of Haiti.

Returning back home to Haiti

2010-10-06T12:11:00.000-07:00

For the first time being in Haiti the sights feel natural to me. Mwen sonje se sa e se sa. I remember this and that. The sounds and smells help remind me of so many memories of being here just 3 months ago. It brings me joy, but also a certain amount of sadness because nothing much has changed. Change in Haiti is very slow, much like the 3 hour wait at the bank or being in stand-still traffic for hours. I arrived safely at Montas’ house (hours later than expected, he had a radiator hose tear), but all is well. As Montas says, “that is just the way life is in Haiti”. It just makes me smile, he’s right you just keep going. God provides you with what you need at the time. I slept wonderful minus a few mosquito bites and woke to the rooster – my long lost friend. I think we have definitely developed a love hate relationship with each other.

A Reunion

2010-09-01T10:22:00.000-07:00

In my travels this summer spending 5 weeks in Haiti, I was blessed to return back to La Biche in the mountains. My first mission trip to Haiti was in March of 2009 with the Solar Oven Partners. We traveled to the area of La Biche – a 7 hour trek up the mountains on the southern side of the island. Besides working in Partnership with the Haitians to build the ovens and distributing over 150 ovens; we made friends. I fell in love with the community and especially the children. So when I had the opportunity to return to La Biche for a weekend, I was over joyed. I have been on several mission trips over the years. You form a relationship with the people you serve with but it is rare that you are able to visit again, or at least that has been my experience. Now I have learned that many people go back to a specific area year after year. The ride up to the La Biche from Mizak was very rough; four hours of travel on very rough roads on the back of a motorcycle. There were some areas in the travel where the road was too steep for the 3 of us to be on the bike so we had to get off and walk to meet back up with the bike. There was another area we had to cross the river, we walked across about a half a block distance in 2 ½ foot of water. If I had not been to La Biche before I am not sure I would have made this trek. But finally we arrived, the whole experience was very surreal. They were surprised I had remembered them. I nearly cried at the idea that they had thought I could possible forget them. After all meeting them has changed my life quite literally. And I am blessed by that experience I had in Haiti in March 2009.

Raymonde’s famous ‘Poul ak Sòs’ Recipe

2010-08-23T11:08:00.001-07:00

The much awaited Chicken and sauce recipe of Raymonde's that we all loved so much from our 2009 Solar Oven Partners trip. I was blessed to stay with Montas and Raymonde in May and again in June when I was in Haiti this summer. Raymonde was delighted to help show someone how to cook. This is what she does for work for the Solar Oven Partners and this hasn't been able to happen yet this year due to the Earthquake. So I stood by patiently, listened, and added ingredients and stirred when I was asked to. And of course – Finally wrote down the recipe. J …so enjoy – you may have to make some substitutes because we don't have some of the things they do in Haiti. Also, I have this as it is made in the Solar Oven – adjust as necessary.

Beans – 2 pots

2 Cups – Red mixed beans

¼ cup oil

3 cups coconut juice – strained from 2 grated coconuts

¾ green pepper diced

Mince and mash the following (in wooden grinder if you have it)

Divide into 3 parts – one for each pan of beans and 1 for chicken sauce

4 green onions

1 full garlic bundle

Hot pepper with garlic cloves stuck in it

'tri tri' one package (?? Dried sardines – very small – not sure if you can find it in US)

Chicken and Sauce

½ green pepper diced

Small can tomato paste

Parsley buddle

2 bouillon cubes

1pkg – (bullion)

1 regular white onion diced

½ squeezed lime

¼ cup oil

1 Tbsp worcheshire sauce

1 Tbsp hot sauce

1 tsp salt

3 small potatoes

1 carrot sliced

10 Chicken legs jut rinsed in a citrus juice/hot water or vinegar

STIR

Add little more hot sauce

About 2 spoons of garlic onion mixture – left over from Beans

Onion on top

¼ of hot green pepper – not sliced stick cloves in –See picture

Splash of water to rinse of goodness still on spoon

Put in Preheated Solar Oven – 350

After 2 ½ hours add Rice to Beans

2 ½ cups of rice for each pot of beans

2 Tbsp of 'ti malice – Beurre de cuisine ' = (vegetable shortening or margarine)

Then cook all until done
= HAPPINESS!

Say a prayer for Raymonde and her dear family

Haitian Flag Day

2010-08-14T14:28:00.000-07:00

May 18th -- Another beautiful day in Haiti. I am writing this in the evening and it is puring down rain. Pouring! - blessings, blessings it will fill our sistern. I awoke early this morning as always. We went the Artisan Coop this morning and met with all the artisans. We didnt actually work it was a meeting to talk about the new buisness model approach we will begin to use. It seemed to go ok. They have talked about it before and there has been a variety of responses to it. Then we went back to Paul's house to wait for the motocycles. We rode down to the school for Flag Day! I wasn't sure what to expect. When we got to the school yard the place was packed. People were everywhere surrounding a small square that was blocked off in the middle. The kids from all different schools in the area were competing against each other in a dance compitition. It was straight up like 'Stomp the yard' It rocked! Thos Haitian kids can move like nobodys buisness. We had video of the dancing but it is down in Haiti. But here are some pictures.

A house with a spectacular view – not what you would expect

2010-08-13T09:25:00.001-07:00

May 17th
We went for a long walk to the lake. We visited many people along the way as that what we do when we walk. There are always many people to visit. We visited one woman who had a baby in February when the team was there. She was excited to see everyone and the baby was doing well. As we were walking along I glanced over my shoulder and there was the most spectacular view. Amazing! We arrived at one of the most beautiful views in the world. There was a tent there and I thought how incredible, I would love to vacation here. Then we walked closer and talked to the man. This was his home. He lived in Jacmel and his house was destroyed in the earthquake. He has no job, even though he speaks some English and is trained as an air conditioning tech. Now he is just trying to survive and provide for his family. Jean Pierre was a very gracious host. We sat down outside of his tent on the ground. He handed us card board sheets to sit on and jokingly apologized for not having chairs for us to sit on. His tent sits on the land of his Aunt's grave. But in spite of all these things he was happy. He has since been working on building a more stable home for him and his boys.

True Meaning of Peace

2010-08-12T07:52:00.001-07:00

This passage reigns true in Haiti. Now more then ever. The people had a hard life before the earthquake but they managed. Now their suffering is very much being tested. Many, many Haitians are displaced throughout the county side, with no homes or jobs – they are living with family or lucky to have a tent on the side of the mountain top. But still they love life. They praise God for what they have. They enjoy visits from family and friends and strangers and welcome them.

I was joking about how many people can ride a tap-tap (a joke told to me from a friend); the answer – 1 more. How many people will we visit on the country side on our walk to the lake; the answer – just 1 more. And how many people do we feed when we have food; one more. Isn't this the way Jesus fed the thousands with so very little food. He just kept sharing and said one more. All those who are weary come to me and I will give you shelter – HOPE – Truly Isaiah's words in 40:31 are never more true than in Haiti. God bring them refuge – let them soar on eagles wings so finally, finally they may live in a world where they are not weary, they will not be faint and they will have peace. This peace, the true peace and meaning of Shalom. Peace in and through you our eternal Savior. And when, when they feel the true peace of your Shalom - They will know love and they will share it with just one more, maybe one more American, one more Sri Lankan, one more Korean. And that suffering of the Haitians will lead to the salvation of the world.

Experiening The World Cup for the first time in Haiti

2010-08-09T08:42:00.000-07:00

Experiencing The World Cup in Haiti was an incredible experience. First of all let me just say I have never watched a foutbòl (soccer for the few in the US) game in my life. Honestly I am not sure I was real aware at how big a deal this event is. Sadly, but in the United States, not such a big deal. Not the case in Haiti or really for the rest of the world - apparently.
First of all there was the buzz the days before the games would start. Everyone had to get there little brochures with the info about the games, teams, so they could keep track of the brackets.
Then the games began - something came over Haiti. Everywhere you turned you heard radios and televisions set to the games. You also heard these 2 theme songs I have attached -ALL the Time! When I hear them now it takes me right back to Haiti, and brings back so many memories.
One more thing to share about the games - when Brazil would play - This is Haiti's team. I asked around as to why and I guess they play similar in style to the Haitians. So we watched the Brazil game at a friends, cousin's house. When Brazil would score everyone would be up out of their chairs screaming and cheering. Then they would run outside. (which I found very strange) So the 2nd or 3rd time this happened I followed them outside and you could hear from many different distances the Haitian people cheering! The whole neighborhood would erupt when Brazil scored a goal. :) It was so fun. It showed me the playfulness and joy of the Haitian people - I soaked it in and wanted to share it with you.

Visiting in Hait - May 16th

2010-08-09T08:25:00.000-07:00

We went to visit the home of a gentleman that was built by H.A.P.I. On the way to the house we met some people on the road and everyone greeted each other. We stopped by one woman's house that was sick. She had a fever and some aches. We prayed with her. We all held hands and prayed. First Pastor Paul, then Tamara, then they all said the Lord's prayer and Psalm 23 in Creole. Then everyone shook everyone hands and I think said "God bless you". It was very personal and a great connection with one another and God. Then we were headed off again walking on the narrow red, rocky, road. There was beautiful scenery all along the way but you had to watch your feet. Then we arrived in the home a small 2 room place. It was a nice place - stone, stucco, just 2 rooms. But very small comparative to United States. But enough - How much space do we really need. A gentleman was sitting on his bed. Then after I was there a moment I realized he was bed bound - he had no legs. I don't know if this is a result of the earthquake or not. But it was hard to see this man sitting there in bed knowing in Haiti your life is hard enough. I had been watching men and women all day working in their gardens, cooking, everything done by hand. And here was a man living in middle of the country side with no legs. What is he supposed to do. He just has to depend on God and rely on others. Isn't that the way we should do it. It was nice to be able to visit his house and bring a smile, along with some protein that had been donated to us. I look forward to visiting him again.

May 27th - going to Port-au-Prince

2010-08-07T16:42:00.000-07:00

We awoke at 4:00am to a down pour of rain, and decided to wait until 4:30 to see if the rain would cancel our trip. We checked to see if Paul was awake, there was no sound so we attempted to go back to sleep. Next I was startled awake to the sound of a truck in the distance. We headed out despite the rain, we had four wheel drive. When we got to the clearing area the sun was just rising. It was an amazing view over the mountains, breathtaking. I thought to myself this must be what heaven looks like. As we knew we were nearing the city because of the smell and the traffic picked up. Once you start seeing the new tent cities you know you are closer and the reality of the situation in Haiti hits you like a knife to your heart. But we do what we can and hope and pray; its all we can do.
The scene in Port au Prince is just heartbreaking. Everywhere you look you see dirt, distruction, trash, water, just devestation. But then there are beautiful people, dressed well, determination on there face going on with their daily lives. My mind finds it difficult to comprehend how we can allow people to live like this. People are sleeping with there babies in 'shelters' made of scraps of metal, wood, sheets, anything they can find. The size of these shelters for a family of 4 or more is the size of many peoples bathrooms in the US. And bathrooms - how do people go, where is the waste ending up? How do they continue to stay clean when it appears there isn't a place to get water. People gathered in line with buckets for water, who knows how far they travel just to get a little water so their family would have something to drink or some way to bathe.
The whole situation in Haiti is beyond overwhelming. But we do what we can and hope and pray, its all we can do.

inspired by a teenager

2010-07-29T14:53:00.000-07:00

We are never too old or to young to learn so much in our lives. And people of all ages, economic status and cultures teach us about our lives. God comes to us in many different forms we just have to be paying attention. Sometimes this is easier said then done. Especially when this is coming in the attitude of a teenager. They sometimes have wisdom much beyond there years and are speaking the word of God.
I witnessed a young man last week that was touched by the holy spirit. Which was difficult to let happen because of coarse it came at 11:30pm. But I let him stay up for a bit and finish writing.
He humbly shared the words that came to him with a group of his peers with a touch of fear on whether it would be accepted. But confident that these words came to him and were inspired from God. The words were fitting to the week and related to many different people. God uses all people all over the world to touch our lives. But we need to be paying attention. Listen, Listen. It might just be the voice of God speaking to you.

Our souls have changed hands. Where humans used to be ruled by our mistakes, we are now watched over with everlasting acceptance. We used to belong to temptation, now we owe ourselves to a life after temptation.

All our souls were property to our own mortality, our own flesh,... and hate, and lies, and sin.

But our souls have changed hands. It was a high price, but our lives, our eternal hearts, were brought back from the slaveholder. So rejoice, because we have all been set free.

A lot of us... all of us, still act like we're slaves though. We let our mortality drag us down. We get stressed. We let our fear keep us from living. We're a freed people living like slaves.

So tonight, for Silent Night, lets be free. Tonight, I'm going to live without thoughts of death. I'm going to start paying back my debt to God. And you all have the chance to join me. Let's all be free children of God tonight. ~Jacob Manlove

"Let's all be free children of God [everyday]" ...If you know how loved you are by God; part of celebrating your freedom is showing those that don't know - the joy of the love you know.

You never know how God will use your abilities.

2010-07-24T09:04:00.000-07:00

No matter how small those abilities may seem, they may be used someday. Once upon a time I wanted to be an architect when I grew up. That was the plans right out of high school, but plans always seem to change. I have never really lost that passion. I love HGTV and can watch the remodel shows all day long. But I never thought this passion for design would come in handy in Haiti.
The kitchen in Haiti had gone through some updating in the past year. But they wanted to get a more permanent kitchen put into place before the N.American teams arrived in Haiti. The cooks shared what they wanted for their kitchen. Then Paul, the pastor asked me to draw out the plans. At first I thought I am not an architect, nor do I know Haitian construction. But after thinking about it and praying about it; I realized I did have enough knowledge to make this a reality. So I drew out a floor plan for the new kitchen. After some more input from Amab (Paul's wife) about extra storage, plans were tweaked.
Things move slow in Haiti, so I had no idea when the new kitchen would become a reality. Then one morning I walked up for breakfast and all the old sinderblocks from the kitchen were removed and the guys were hard at work. It was all very exciting to see it become a reality. It was even more exciting to see how excited the ladies were about the building of their new kitchen. You never know what you will be asked to do in missions.

What are you praying for?

2010-07-23T13:27:00.000-07:00

Journal from Haiti -- May 16th --
I awoke with a glimmer of light in our room at 5:30am. Then I took out my earplugs and the rooster sang me awake. Time to venture out to the beautiful outhouse, no problem I like camping. I was praying and thanking God for letting me be there. (Not there in the outhouse specifically but in Haiti.) Then I asked God for a toilet seat. I'm making a list of basic things I would like. A toilet seat would be nice.
Then one of my favorite songs came on my Ipod - "I was made to love you" by Toby Mac. There is a line in that song that says "anything, I would give it up for you. Everything I would give it all away."
I had to laugh --- I never thought about having to give up a toilet seat. It is amazing the things in our lives we take for granted.

Back in the States

2010-07-05T07:21:00.000-07:00

I have taken too much time to try and decide what to write now that I am back in the states. But many people have asked me how was it. And I have a whole variety of answers depending on what part you want to hear. The trip was a blessing. I heard a phrase once, probably on the bottom of a pastors email - "blessed to be a blessing" This phrase runs through my mind often when I think of Haiti. I was truly blessed to be down there. I have dreamt of going back for over a year now. My only hope is that I was able to be a small blessing in my time there.
I did many things when I was in Haiti but I feel the most important thing was to learn. I just tried to be with the Haitians and learn and soak up as much of the culture and language as I could. Sometimes this was frustrating. As Americans we go to other countries on mission trips for a 'project'. We come in we have an agenda/goal and we get it accomplished. But when you are working on a longer term goal you seem to 'think' about things much more. I found myself pondering the long range goals of Haiti. But not mine, trying to discover what the beautiful people around me dream for there country. And how can I - or can I be a part of that dream developing. And how can I keep my own American biases out of the situation and try and just 'be a blessing'. I keep working on this 'goal' and hope I can be a small part of the Haitian dream. I do believe in the country. I know the people there are incredible strong, loving and will rise up from the rubble of the earthquake.

Leaving for Haiti

2010-05-11T22:21:00.000-07:00

The last month has been crazy full of a variety of things. Packing, moving, fundraising, sharing, campus ministry, and more. So many changes it is hard to take all in and imagine. Many people asked me on the eve of my departure, "How are you feeling/doing?" I am - I think I am just completly in the moment. I have been anxious, excited, sad, happier then one could imagine, stressed!, numb, nervous, and now I am ready. I know I am blessed more than words can possible expressed. I said to God I would go if we worked together at making it happen. Well God worked some miracles!
A friend whispered to me in the church goodbyes, "I knew when you got back in March last year you would be going back." That really said it all, I really feel like I have been preparing for this in one way or another for the last year. And my imagination is finally going to be a reality.
Thank You, Thank You for being a part of this. God truly does amaze me.

Individual Volunteers in Mission Training

2010-04-19T06:16:00.000-07:00

In preparing for Haiti, I went to a Volunteers in Mission Training this weekend. I learned many things necessary for going into missions all over the world. If you are even considering volunteering in the world check out the information on Indivual Volunteers in Mission. It will open you eyes and heart to a whole new world. I met so many wonderful people stretching out not only all over the world but working right here in the United States in there own backyards.
One of the conversations at the training talked about backyards. We should all be working in God's backyard. Where does God's back yard end?
I truely believe we are all called by God to make a difference in this world to many people. All of these people are children of God that need you to reach out. So go work in God's backyard! This might be in your church, 4 blocks away with children , elderly, or the poor, half way across your state, way down in Oklahoma or way up in Alaska, or maybe it is half way around the world in Africa. Wherever God calls you to go - get prepared and seek out the persons who have walked before you. We have so much to learn from each other. I would like to share with you the quote that is always at the bottom of a wonderful woman's email who opened the door for me in Haiti.

Now are you the body of Christ ~1 Cor. 12:27
Christ has no body now on earth but yours,
no hands but yours,
no feet but yours,
Yours are the eyes through which the compassion
of Christ is to look out on a hurting world.
Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good.
Yours are the hands with which he is to bless now. ~Teresa of Avila

Thank You! Thank you to all who have lived this life and continue to live to reach out in a hurting world.
Now go play, work, and love in God's backyard.

2010-04-06T17:20:00.000-07:00

Haiti is fast approaching plans are underway. I have my plane ticket. I ordered some H.A.P.I. products to start fundraising. I started actually making some jewelery made from my bullitan beads. Many people have asked me how that would work out so I have included a picture. I am happy to say I have already sold 7 necklaces. Let me know if your interested. I have also been doing other fundraising, such as selling goodies and doing meals at the university. I am excited beyond words for what lies ahead and what God has planned.

Haiti here I come!

2010-03-25T16:21:00.000-07:00

It is official, I booked my flight today. I hope that I have enough time to accomplish all I have to do. I have the exact same feeling I had when I went sky diving. I am getting what they call ground rush. For the majority of the time you are 'falling' it doesn't feel that way. You are flying! :) you are floating above the ground and admiring all there is to take in of the earth below. Then when you are nearer to the ground...(I am unsure on the feet), but then you are falling! There seems to be so much going on with the world around me and the ground is coming soon. Anticipation! unexplainable. And I know the 'ground' in Haiti will also be unexplainable. I know that this will be bittersweet situation. I miss the Haitian people and have been dreaming of returning since last March. But the undiscribable trama they have been through will be very hard to experience. Non the less I am glad I can be there for them, and maybe bring a little bit of hope.

~Angelica

Mission plans

2010-03-24T19:42:00.000-07:00

Missions ~ I believe is the heart of the church. Jesus wanted us to help those in need - missions is one way of doing that. Growing up in a church allowed me to understand the importance of missions at a young age. I have felt a calling from God to be a full-time missionary for quite some time.

In the Spring of 2009, the people of Haiti allowed me to experience what it means to follow Jesus by working as a community of love. This experience solidified for me that the purpose in life is not about materialism rather loving your neighbor and God. I decided to adjust my priorities and face the fear that was previously preventing me from answering the call of God.

I will be volunteering in Haiti in May for 1-2 months and again in September for 9 months to a year.

I will be working with HAPI artisans to expand on sellable products sold in the United States as well as serving as the regioinal site coordinator for the Community of Shalom in Mizak.

My life journey this year has taught me, you need to trust where God is leading you and trust that God will maked things happen. To make this mission possible I need your support, prayers, and financial contributions to make this mission possible.

Blessings~

Angelica