"So, how was Haiti?"

I've been asked this question a lot over the past month and a half. I never know how to answer and have put off writing about it for as long as I can. Every time I sit down to write, I'm not even sure where to begin, how to verbalize, or even what all to tell. This post may be a bit all over the place, so please bear with me.

How was Haiti this year? It was different. The trip was awesome and I wish I was there right now. This year was different in the way that I kind of knew what to expect and what I could ready myself for. I was more at ease in the surroundings. It was different because I wasn't such an emotional wreck like I was last year. This time I was able to use some of my specific skills and talents like working with special needs children. I deepened friendships and really got to know team members. It was also different in the sense that I found myself standing back and observing others more often. Another huge way the trip was different from last year was that I did not get sick! Hooray!!

The first thing I noticed was my reaction at the airport. The Port au Prince airport can be very overwhelming, intimidating, and crowded. Last year, I was convinced that I wasn't even going to make it out and to our transportation. To put it mildly, I was freaked out. This year, I experienced the opposite. I was one of the first team members to get through immigration, so when our leader Brent saw me, he gave me a cart and instructed me to get to the other side, stake out an area, and try to get suitcases. This would be very simple in an American airport, not so much in PAP. I had to be very aggressive, assertive, tell Haitian men "no thank you", and shove my way through a sea of insanity. As my sister in law would say, I had to wear my "big girl panties."If you know me, then you know that assertive and aggressive is not my natural personality. At one point, when I was standing alone on the other side of the airport waiting for team members to start arriving, I smiled and thought "if only my mom could see me now." She's not a big fan of her daughter treking off to Haiti. She doesn't even like it when I tell her I went to the big bad city of Houston alone. Anyways, back to my point. My point is that I realized very early on the trip that I felt more comfortable and at ease then last year.

The poverty is still very shocking. But on a positive note, there seemed to be progress around the city. I noticed that many streets had signs, some of the tent cities that I remember from last year were smaller, and I think more roads and streets were open/cleared. However, there is still so much to be done!! More then we can even imagine.

We returned to the village of Canez. Last year, almost all the children had red hair from malnutrition. After a year of BGM working with this village, almost all the red hair is gone and the people are getting healthier. They are having regular Bible study and I believe a pastor is coming out once a week. This is huge for this village. I love going to this village and praying with the people. They are so sweet and their faith in Christ is inspiring.

Something new I did on this trip was working at Wings of Hope, a special needs orphanage. I really should write a separate post about this experience because there is so much to say. It was rewarding to spend two days there because my degree is in special ed. and I was able to use my "skills". Not that you have to have skills to love on people but I think you know what I am trying to say. I'm not an engineer, home builder, nurse, translator, or even a swim instructor (yes, we had one in our group and she gave the orphans lessons). So it was very cool that I found my niche on the trip. The clients at this orphanage range from mild to severe and the conditions are not ideal, but they are loved on unconditionally and in the name of Christ.

Finally, I think what made this trip so different from last year are two little boys and their forever family's waiting on them. We have two families, Estes and Coffey, at our church who are adopting from the orphanage that we stayed at. The Estes family met Vensly during last year's trip and are awaiting the final steps to complete their adoption. The Coffey family began the process this year and met their son Betson for the first time on this trip. For lack of a better description, it was very cool and an honor to be a part of the Coffey's meeting Betson and watching them spend their week together. But at the same time, my heart broke everyday thinking about the goodbye's that would be said at the end of the week and the waiting that they all would endure in the coming months. And then there was Vensly. On our second day, I found little V and ended up getting him to sleep. I spent awhile sitting on a couch just letting the little guy sleep on my chest, but finally decided he needed to stretch out in his bed. When I went to his bed I saw a picture of our friends hanging in his crib so he can see their sweet faces all the time. The moment I saw this photo, the tears began to flow. They fell for V, his forever parents Mark and Lesley, and his biological parents. At that moment, the good and bad of adoption became very real and in my face. I was overwhelmed by the love, patience, and faith that adoptive families have and by what these beautiful children have endured in their very short lives.

Anyways, this post has become long and I am running out of blogging time. If you want to see what we did, check out our church's trip video here. If you want to hear personal testimonies, including yours truly, click here and listen to our Haiti service. I will try to post personal pics next week.