Just a thought today:

So Haiti:
I know this has always been a poor country, even before the earthquake the struggled.. Probably not as bad as they are right now but still they had their hardships. When you look around it's hard to see what actually happened becacuse of the earthquake.
In being a poor country I know that it is hard to make ends meet.. It's hard to pay bills and put food on the table. In saying all of this, I still cannot imagine giving up one of my flesh and blood:
We had a pastor come to the orphanage today to give us his little girl she is just two months old and he just can't afford to pay bills and take care of his family. Little did we know that this was his 7th child.. When he came here and decided to give her up he did show little emotion, however he left and then came back with 4 more of his children. Two girls and a little boy.. The other one was 18 so is to old to be adopted and she spoke english so she was somewhat of a translator.. It's just hard to imagine what the pastor could be going thru. He still has his three oldest but still to have to give up four children in one day has to be heartbreaking.. I do understand that they may have a better life.. They may be able to be adopted and go to the states or to a better country. But it's still a heartbreaking thing to watch.. After all this is said and done he did tear up and wanted to know if he could come around and see them.. He shed a few tears but I believe is hoping on God's strength in all of this.. A heartbreaking story on this earth.. But God is still almighty and still father of all.. no matter how old you are!

The weekend!!

Tonight is the coldest it has been since I have been here.. Yes It is 84 degrees..

This weekend was amazing..Some things you witness you can't put into words, nor can I put the smells in either.. they are not all bad smells but it makes the experience more real.

Friday: Was the end of Vbs for these kids.. They worked so hard this week in preparing a skit for everyone to come and watch especially Hal and Chris: One thing I admire about these girls and the young boys as well.. They sing: They sing when they wake up, They sing when they get dressed, everytime we get in the car to drive even for a minute they want to sing, They sing there prayer before they eat each meal and then for devotions they still sing! I can't help but laugh everytime it is so cute and admirable.. I have been known to have a lot of joy in my spirit if anything they have taught me how to have more. These girls are phenominal at what they are going through. Hal and Chris have made this Home for them. No matter what they are always going to have a special place in each kids heart.

Friday Night in the house is also sloppy Joe night!!! They are not the manwhich kind and the cows here are not corn feed so minimal fat but they were still delicious! It's fun because even the babies get one.. umm these kids are 6 monoths old eating a sloppy joe... all you have to do is tear it apart fro them and they dive into it like I do! They got us on the conversation of how babied Americans are... Not trying to be critical but really organic baby food and graduates food... They cannot afford that stuff here.. They can't go to the grocery store and find 10 diffrent varieties of baby food. So they eat people food and if they don't have teeth they make it a little soggy for them. I will say that those who don't eat well do get a bottle but even that is powdered milk and water. It was an intresting conversation but again another cool thing to see them using their resources!

Saturday: It was shopping day.. We (Hal, Chris, the two teams that are here and I) Did our own shopping, we did a little sightseeing as well. It's hard to say sightseeing here though.. Were we went they had set up all their paintings and wodden cravings they did.. however right acrosee the street was a big Tent city. It's hard to imagine what they went through and are still going through. Others camp right out their front doors because they are still to scare to go inside. They have a house they look at it everyday and still decide to live in a tent thru the rain and everything. That just boggles my mind!.. Saturday was also shopping day for the older kids as well.. They each get a new pair of jeans two HisHomeForChildren T-Shirts a pair of socks, a pair of shoes and a pair of flipflops.. It was fun to watch them want to try on clothes and want to try on new shoes. Another thing that was God's amazingness was these were all donated things.. besides the shirts but they didn't even have to pay for those either. These clothes were all for when they go back to school.

Sunday: I will Confess.. I MISSED GRACE COMMUNITY!!! It's hard to realize, how much the teachings and the church body has impacted me. I didn't think I would have this feeling! The Service was okay, He is a great man of God doing God's calling. But there is just something about your home church that you just miss when you go on vacation! I know you all agree with me! The pastor is trying.. I wouldn't know, how to handle a congregation after so much suffering so I will give him a little break on that. The elctricity went out in the church so for a little bit before they can get the generator going we were pretty much sticking together because of our sweat!

There are a few babies here that have stolen my heart and I already know I am going to cry when I need to leave and not be able to take them home! I now that through this process I am going to be processing a lot of just of all that I am seeing and the suffering that is taking place!

That is all for now!

In Christ!

Lets try this again!

I had a blog and then all of the sudden it went somewhere so if two blogs show up saying the exact same thing I am sorry!!

Today was Grocery shopping day! Man if you think you are bad with one cart trying shopping for a whole orphanage! We left with 6 carts from one store and two from another! There was an insane amount of food.. Oh and the best way to irritate a haitian man is to have a white girl help! It was a little weird I was actually bummed.. The grocery stores had everything imported so there is nothing actually made from haiti.. except the rum that is and I don't think it would be the smartest idea coming home with a bottle of rum (although Joe and his Bff Nathan wouldn't mind I am sure) But It was a good day.. They have workers here at the grocery store and they do everything for you from loading your car and making sure your bags are secure to even getting the stuff off the shelves and putting it in the basket for you.. The only stores here that are air conditioned are grocery stores because no one can really afford the units to insatll one...

Its crazy taking a shower under the stars because they don't have the material to make a roof over our pvc and tarp shower.. I love the whole noshaving your legs and armpits rule.. I could totally live here!!

I hope this finds you well, I will start posting pics of kids soon so you have faces to pray for!!

In Christ!

Grocery day!!!!

So it has been my second day that I have been here.. I have mixed emotions actually.. It seems so natural to go around and just live in Haiti.

Thursdays are grocery shopping day: If you think you are full with one cart you should try shopping for a whole Orphanage.. we left one store with 6 carts and the other with 2 carts. It was an insane amount of food! However I was kind of bummed They have nothing here that is actually made in Haiti besides the Rum!! I don't think bringing back a bottle of rum would be a good thing (well for my brother and his BFF Nathan it actually would be perfect for them) So it was a little disappointing but it was still fun to get out and see what it was like. The grocery stores are the only thing air conditioned in Haiti because some businesses either do not have electricty or just can't the equipment to have an air conditioner... Here though they have workers even in the grocery stores. These guys walk around and follow us, They help with the carts and even put the food in the baskets for us, they then get tipped for eveything that they do. I did learn however that girls are not suppose to help. They can't load carts or help bring groceries to the cars, they can't even bring it to the house if a guy is around because they feel it is disrespectful that a women is helping them... Yeah I irritated a Haitian today!!

Tomorrow we are going house shopping for the new girls home: This will be the third house Hal and Chris will open up and it is a program really to teach these girls responsibility but of Course that God should be the love of their lives...



I am liking Haiti the more and more I am here.. I already know its going to be hard to leave.. This is a no Shave your legs and armpits country yeah I could get use to that :) I know it's gross but they can't afford it so hey they don't do it!

One thing that has been challenging is It's 91 degrees even when I sleep, they don't have air conditioning so we sweat when we sleep, we sweat when we sit, we even sweat while we are in a shower. But even a cold shower has never felt so good... By the way there is this invention called a headlamp.. Why have I never heard of this before? We don't have a light to our pvc and tarp shower so one of the girls here let me borrow there headlamp it was great to be able to see what I was doing..



Okay done for tonight but I leave you with a video of the girls singing during their devos tonight!

sorry its a little dark!

My first night!

So we made it to Haiti safe and sound...

WOW.. I didn't think I would experience a culture shock.. Don't get me wrong I didn't go into this thinking ohh it's just going to be like America, but at the same time it was something I didn't really think to much about.

From the moment we got off the plane People were everywhere.. either running into you or screaming at other people (there tempers are short here in Haiti, the littelst things will set them off but as soon as they yell and tel you their two cents they are good to go).. And there driving is CRAZY!! Okay I know in the states I am considered a bad driver but Ohh no these people are rush rush rush everywhere and they are so impatient so there horns are going all the time!! But One thing I will add is just how caring people are here.. They are so friendly and want to help you and some not just for the money.. I mean you have those when we got out of the airport that tried to help you with your bags and wouldn't take no for an anwser but you also have those who seem to geniuenly care and want to help you.

The things I guess that hit me hard was the kids.. There were some at the airport gate just putting their hands thru the gate holes just trying to get some money.. or while we were driving from the orphanage there were some walking by themselves on these dirty muddy roads, There are piles of trash everywhere and it seems that the animals are free to do what ever they want. I even have a picture of some cows eating on a playground. That is just so foregin to me especially since I am the one who wants to eat the cow not watch the cow eat where I am playing!

Yesterday at the orphanage was a full day.. Well it seemed to me it was full... I will say I don't think I have ever sweated this much then I am right now and the sweat never seems to stop... It was in the 80's at 9a.m when we got off the plane so it had to be in the 90's to 100's during the afternooon last night I believe it went back to 80 a little break while we were sleeping! The kids here are so friendly and helpful they go to VBS during the day so I actually spent more time in the nursery with the little ones.. I will confess it was hard to go in at first.. The first thing I saw was the little blue chair that Marcos was sitting in, in one of his pictures, I couldn't help but shed a tear. I want him here for my brother and sister (in-law) but I know he is in a better place and no longer needs human affection but is in the arms of our loving father!

These kids are so amazing they have hard conditions yet still at night they are singing Mighty to save. There showers are a PVC pipe and a tarp and they are still singing how great is our GOd.. It's humbling to watch, I know God has blessed me with being able to live in America and I will forever be grateful for that. I pray that these kids know and feel God's love...

One thing you can pray about is the older kids... They need families just as much as the babies do, here in Haiti when you leave an orpahange you are going no where to them this is all the have right now!

Sorry this update is a little long... I will write more later!!

In Christ!

Richie and Chris

Alrighty... We were suppose to be in Haiti today but God had other plans for us!!

We made it to Detroit but the airlines mixed up codes and all that stuff.. so 5 minutes before our plane took off they finally let us go.. However there was the dreaded security that we always have to go through.. yeah we didn't make the flight instead we spent the night in Detroit caught the first flight to Florida (6:30 a.m).. We made it to Florida but flights to haiti is only once a day and that happens to be 8ish in the morning. So tomorrow Morning we will be on our way to haiti Luggage and all and two little medical babies Richie and Chris..

RICHIE: He is 4 years old who had cancer and tumors in his right leg... The leg had to be amputed and he had to get a prostetic.. He is so fully of energy and smiles.. He calls me his girlfriend and has proposed to me 4 times now.. I guess his host family had teenage boys not only does he do the girlfriend thing but every once in a while he will yell JERRY JERRY... Not the greatest influence but still he is full of love. He does a mom to go home to she will be meeting us at the orpahange I just pray that his mom is able to take care of him even with a disability. He is a sweet boy but could use a spanking or two ;)

Chris: He is a very content 9 month old.. He has Hydracphalic (not sure about the spelling on that one) he had to have a stint put in so that his head does not grow any larger but it will always be abnormally large he just has to grow into it! He is sweet sure he cries when he needs feed and changed but with him you can't say "Oh life is just so hard isn't it" I know a lot of us have when babies cry.. for him however I would sarcastically reply "Well yeah I have a 15lb head you start lugging this thing around"

God is already teaching me flexability and early mornings: Hal and Chris are such troopers sure they get frustrated and a little mad but there hearts always seem to be in the right place and they are two very patient people ( I know I know something I can learn from them)

So tomorrow will be the day we will finally make our way to Haiti!!!

Pray for us.. we are tired with only 4 hours of sleep, and we really want to make our flight tomorrow!

In Christ

Today is it!

So I cannot sleep...
Full of excitement, doing some last minute packing and yes still full of excitement!
I won't actually get to Haiti until Tuesday morning because I will be spending the night in Florida... but still today is one day closer to getting there.. One day closer to another Journey in my life.
If you guys could pray for our flight that would be so helpful, we all know how airports could get..
Also we are flying down with two medical babies who are going back to their families.. Pray that they arrive safe to their homes as well
I do want to lift up Hal and Chris .. Not only did our family lose Marcos but they did too, They were a big part of his life and he theirs.. I pray they weep and rejoice in the fact that God is holding that precious baby boy! Hal and Chris will also be away from their newly adoptive children as well.. Just praying for them that they rely more on God in this matter. Yes they want to be home(here in the states) but they also want to be home(In haiti) to serve these other kid and make sure they all can go to a safe environment away from all the destruction!

Thank you again for all those reading and praying..