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One thing we really wanted to do as a group was spend some time in the little village behind Alex's House, praying with anyone who wanted it and handing out beans and rice. We did not have time to go buy the beans and rice so we ended up taking all our own extra food instead.
Carl (in the hat) had been to this house the last time he was in Haiti and had met the lady in white. She is blind.
This is their church.
This last photo is of Jan and Meldin. Meldin (I'm sure I'm not spelling that right) might have been 11-12 years old. She alternated her time between Jan and I. At one point she was holding my hand and walking with me. She pointed to my shoes and I said "shoes?" She nodded and then pointed at her own bare feet. There is no way my shoes would have fit her but that didn't stop me from feeling like taking them off right then and there and giving them to her.  I can't imagine what it must feel like to not be able to provide something as basic as a pair of shoes for my child.

Carl, surrounded, and giving away Jason's lunch. LOL You can see there is one little guy with nothing but a shirt on. That's the same little one that I posted a picture of in my last post~with the eyes you could jump into. He was not the only one with only a shirt on. And I have stacks of Joshua's outgrown clothes in my closet right now......
To say that Haiti and it's people have gotten a hold of my heart is a huge understatement.

beautiful

Haiti is hot.
So hot. 

And noisy.

Dirty
 

Crowded



Devastating


{a tent city set up after the earthquake}
{probably the only source of water nearby, used for everything}  

There is so little. 

But There is so much. 

FAITH



HOPE
 

LOVE
 

PEACE
 

JOY
 

BEAUTY
 
So much beauty. 

Our church as another group going in January.  I've only been home 3 days but I find myself sitting here trying to figure out a way to raise some money and convince my family I need to go again. {Don't worry Honey, you're going next.  :-)}

Haiti, part 1

Wow.  Our Super 7 team just got back from Haiti yesterday morning.  It was an amazing trip and there will hopefully be multiple posts coming with lots of pictures and details.  I just wanted to get some thoughts down now though.

As we were getting ready for the trip over the last several months, we had a plan in place for what we would be doing there.  It was a great plan.  We were excited about it.  It was exactly what we wanted to be doing.  Several things changed within the last few weeks before the trip - with the plans for the trip, within our church and with our team.  It wasn't what we expected.  We were supposed to be doing some light work to finish up details at the new property in the mornings and some community outreach/VBS/playing with the kids in the afternoons.  But things got delayed and the property was not ready for the kids to move into when planned.  So we learned that we would be working to get it ready for them to move in on Friday.  That was fine.  We changed our plans, gathered supplies and got ready to go.  But I don't think any of us was ready for just how hard we worked last week. Or how little time there would be for anything else. It wasn't what we planned.  Or expected. I know that was the case for myself.  But you know what?  The next time I got to Haiti and see those precious children at Alex's House, I can walk into the boy's cottage and see the conduit Jan, Karen and I put up to keep those babies safe.  It's not about me.  It's not about what I want.

It's about Jan being able to put these decorations up Friday morning to welcome 26 kids home.
It's about seeing their faces as they came through the gate for the first time (and seeing that huge smile on Bill's face).
This is what it's about. And I am so glad I got to be a part of it.