This year, although it was not easy with 3 littles to leave behind, Evan came on the trip too ( A big thank you to those that pitched in to watch our kids). I was excited for him to see all that I had seen the year before and for God to work in him in his own unique way. I was excited to go back and see the amazing progress that has happened over there in just a year. It was a testament to God's faithfulness and provision over this organization.
We had an amazing time serving in various ways and bonding with our fellow team members. I would love to share some of the things that we did while we were there. Here is a picture of our awesome team on top of Belvue Mountain, where the school is located.
1) We threw a teacher appreciation lunch for the teachers at the school and gave them handmade bags and journals (that some of our amazing church members worked on) along with some other goodies. I was so super excited that I got to plan a party (one of my passions) while in Haiti. They were so excited to be recognized and it was a joy to do that for them. We also put Evan's balloon animal skills to use by making centerpieces and photo props. Evan even taught an impromptu ballon animal class to some of the teachers in the corner of the room. They were so interested in learning how to make them. Who would have thought balloon animals would be such a hit?
2) We got to help some of the children from the school practice their Haitian creole by reading with them and listening to them read. I do not speak a lick of Creole, so not sure how much help I was, but it was fun listening to Green Eggs and Ham in Creole. Plus, this little guy was adorable.
3)We helped with the Saturday feeding up on the mountain, where many of the kids that come, get their one meal of the day. We sang songs beforehand. The view on top of the mountain is amazing. I even saw the little boy that I fed last year. He had grown so much! I also got my braids worked on as you can see
4) We did a field day with the first grade class and taught them a cute little french song. They were so cute running around getting excited.
5)We worked with the adult English classes. We were able to teach them English through doing devotionals with them. It was an amazing time of sharing the gospel and them asking lots of deep spiritual questions. Unfortunately I have no pictures of this:( But I can assure you that God was moving in cool ways during this time. The English classes are one of my favorite activities.
6) We were able to bless the cooks of the school with goodie bags and give them an encouraging word.
7) The guys built a bench for a missionary family that will be working with Respire and needed a table to homeschool their 5 kids. I'd say they are going to have PLENTY of space:)
8)We attended the local church on Sunday and worshipped with the Haitian people. Later that day we took a walk to the not so nice beach, but I pretended it was nice despite the smell of trash. It was nice to have a day of down time. Later that night, we worshipped on top of the mountain. It was beautiful!
9)We were also able to bring down lots of supplies and Bibles for Respire to distribute to families and children. I am always amazed at how much we manage to get down there. Excuse this picture. My camera did something whacky.
We had great intimate time doing worship and devotions as a team and growing in our own personal walks with the Lord. I feel so close to each of my fellow team members. We now share inside jokes and memories that will last a lifetime. One of our teammates, Matt, is an amazing videographer with Harmonic Films and put together the following video to give a glimpse into our trip. If you have the time, check it out.
It was a wonderful trip that I am so thankful we were able to be a part of. If you have never been on an International mission trip, I think everyone should do it at least once. Here are a few lagniappe shots from the trip as well:
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