You know, where things seem to go wrong one after the other?

If you haven't already guessed it, I had one of those days this last week.
 

(Before I go any further, I should forewarn you that while this blog is completely honest about life on the race, it might also seem like one long complaint. So I ask you to please be patient and bear with me)
 

Let's rewind to Friday, where it all started with the hot water...
 

In our part of town the electricity goes off during the day most days of the week. If one wants to have coffee in the morning, there are extra steps they must take to access and boil water for coffee.
 

I'm not a frequent coffee drinker to begin with, but on this particular morning I happened to be in the mood for some. In fact, I was looking forward to that coffee.
 

After discovering the electricity was indeed off, as well as all that was needed to get a pot a water going, I surrendered to the thought of having that warm cup of joe. No biggie.

My wonderful teammate Candice, however, decided to prefer me by going out of her way to boil water for me.

After the water came to a boil, I was unfortunately the last to approach the pot, only to find it with a few drops left.

Bah hum bug. Okay, I guess I won't have coffee today. I will survive. I've gone probably 60% of my days on the race without coffee. What's another day?
 

But then, other things started to add up, like...
 

...the constant reminder that physical alone time on the race isn't always accessible. At this point in the morning, all I wanted was to be alone, and I couldn't find the space for that. Whether it was my teammates or the family we're living with, people were everywhere I went.
 

...that lack of being able to run as often as I wish. I absolutely love to run, and next to dancing, it's my favorite form of exercise/stress relieving activity. In order to run on the race I must have someone with me, given we're never permitted to go anywhere alone. Of course, some of my teammates have graciously gone with me on different occasions, even when they didn't want to. After going a few days without being able to run, though, and then realizing that I would have to go yet another day without it (due to our busy schedule), that only added to the fire that morning.
 

...and more than anything else it was the realization that I desperately needed alone time with Jesus, after having gone a few days without it. I could tell patience and love for others wasn't coming easily; I needed to be filled with His love so that I could love others. Finding this block of alone time with Him didn't look like it would occur until late at night...and I didn't want to wait that long.
 

Add all these things together, and I give you my first meltdown on the race!
 

After we came together with our contacts for morning prayer, I decided it would be best to step out and find some alone time. I found a small stool in the backyard, sat down with my head in my hands, and cried. For the first time on the race I wanted to go home.
 

All I could think about was how easy it would be to go back to “normal” life. Suddenly I started to dwell on comforts I left behind.
 

Things like:

Doing things on my time.

Running whenever and wherever I want.

Having clean clothes and a shower at anytime.

Buying food without being convicted/expected to share it with everyone

Knowing exactly what food it is I'm eating...and knowing it was prepared in sanitary conditions

And my family...oh, how I miss them.
 

After dwelling on all these things that made it seem like quitting would be the easier option, I finally told God (in a very stubborn and childish way I might add):
 

If all of these things are happening in order for You to have more of me, then fine – take them.

Take my time.

Take my desire to run.

Take my food preference.

Take it all.

Because all efforts of holding onto those things are futile and selfish.

I was at the end of my rope that day. I didn't want to do ministry, and I didn't want to be around anyone. It was a miracle the Lord was able to still use me. He even managed to encourage me and lift my spirits at various times throughout the day. Way to go, God.

I write about this day in order to give you a glimpse into the life of a racer on one of their not so good days. (And that's a glorious albeit painful thing about living with five other people 24/7 – they get to see me at my worst on those off days - yay)


I absolutely love to get to do this, and I consider it a complete privilege to be on the race. That's not to say that it doesn't come with its challenges though. And although I don't realize it in moments like this one, I'm discovering more and more how redeeming these challenges and difficult days can be. They always manage to point me towards the Lord.


So I honestly don't know how to close this entry, given there wasn't much closure or resolution to that day. As you can see I am still on the race, and I don't intend on leaving any time soon (Lord willing!). Just know that life on the race is similar to life at home, in that there are good days and bad days. And I praise the Lord that it's the good ones that outweigh the bad ones by far.

After leaving our ministry site in Transnistria on Sunday, the first thing I did when I skyped with my parents was.......cry.

Saying "goodbye" or, my preferred statement, "see you later" was already difficult at the beginning of the race, when I had to say it to everyone back home.

Saying it this time has been difficult on an entirely different level, the main reason being I don't know when I'll see these people again...if I'll ever see them again. 

Sure, I'm pumped for the kickin' party we'll get to have in Heaven one day.
But the chances of me seeing many of them again in this life are slim.

Ergo,
When I left Transnistria, I had to say goodbye (instead of "see you later") to some truly wonderful people...many of them being kids from our daily children's program.

Here are just a few of the Lord's children I got to meet:



 

Nastia: Oh, Nastia. :) This precious girl's hand was glued to mine probably the most out of all the kids at the program. She enjoyed playing with my watch, and by the end of the day I'd have to reset it.  She's also the same little girl who drew hearts throughout my journal (see previous blog). 

Volva: Ahh, this little boy was just too precious. After giving another kid a goodbye hug one day, I could tell he wanted a hug, too, but didn't know how to initiate it. So, I smiled, bent down, and opened my arms up for him.  Immediately a smile came across his face and his hesitancy turned into a full on embrace. He hugged me freely after that. 

Marsha: There was just something about this girl that said leader and example. Her positive attitude was contagious amongst the kids, and I noticed that even though she typically won many of the games we played (she had some skills!), she never seemed to brag about it to the other kids.

Danic (aka “Forrest”): Haha! This little stud/future cross country runner always had a smile on his face. Candice and I couldn't help but laugh and think of Forrest Gump every time we saw this kid. His smile and goofiness melted our hearts. 

Ella: What to say about this girl? I was always taught in youth ministry courses that the most misbehaved and even annoying students are often those who need love the most. I don't know what her home life is like, but I can only hope and pray that the love and attention we showed her (especially when it was most difficult to give) had an influence on her life. 
 

The most difficult part of leaving is that I may never know what will become of these children. I may never know if they decide to follow after the Lord. All I can do is pray that others will continue where we left off, and go even further with them. 

 

One of them happened to be a certain little 7 year old I sat with during church on Sundays. It was Miss Liza, the Cindy-Loo-Who-look-alike from the previous blog.




I can't explain what it was, other than I simply adored her, and from what her parents told me the feeling was mutual. Before I left on Sunday, her mother gave me a beautiful hand-stitched doll she and her husband made, that was fashioned in the likeness of their daughter. Her mother said she wanted me to have something that would remind me of Liza and all the special moments we had together. Of course, you can imagine, I started to bawl when that happened. 






My second painful goodbye came with my good friend, Liuda. 






This last month I became friends with a 16 year old girl from the church, and while I could say a bajillion and one things about how truly incredible she is, I'll just share a few details.

Liuda grew up in an abusive environment, and I can't even fathom some of the things she's gone through.
 

What absolutely blows my mind about her, though, is how much love, grace, forgiveness, and courage she has.  Even though she still receives backlash for attending church, her fervor and faith in God is unwavering. Her determination to spread God's love no matter who or what stands in her way is encouraging and convicting.


I'm so thankful the Lord put her in my life, and I'll always treasure our friendship.  







 

There have been several moments on the race where I've been so blessed by children and things the Lord shows me through them. One of these precious moments occurred this past Sunday, and I thought I'd share it with y'all. :)

 

Disclaimer:

I am a journaler.


I like to journal, and I've journaled for a long time. I even have some journals that go back to elementary school.


Rarely EVER do I read my entries aloud to another or let some one else read them. They're pretty private.


I think you get the point - I like to journal, I like to keep my journals, and it is something I don't really share with others.

 

 

Now, to this past Sunday in church...


On Sunday I sat in a pew in the back of the church with two little girls on either side of me.

Liza, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, Cindy-Loo-Who-look-alike,

and Nastia, a dark curly-haired girl with piercing green eyes.

The latter of the two has been attending our children's program during the week, and the former is the daughter of two members from the church.

Given that Liza handed our team a picture she had drawn during church the previous week, I figured it would be okay to let them draw during church. The only form of blank paper I had was in my journal, so I ripped out two pages and gave them each a sheet and a pen.

So, I'm standing there, singing and praying, while they're drawing and munching on some pretzels provided by one of their parents. After a little while I turn around to give them an approving smile, only to find that one of them found my journal and proceeded to draw little hearts with arrows through them...on all of my journal entries.

My first reaction was "Fiddlesticks! She's drawing all over my journal!"

And then, she looked up at me.


She looked up with the biggest grin ever, just to show me what she had drawn, and it felt like the Lord was telling me in that moment,

"Just relax."


 
Once Liza finished drawing on both sides of the paper, she just sat there with this expression of "Now what?" written on her face. Instead of telling her (through charades, of course) "Welp, there's no more paper, sorry," I quickly ripped out more pages for her to draw on. She took the pages and each time she finished one she eagerly held it up to me, waiting for my reaction.


This whole process of drawing, ripping out more pages from my journal, looking up and showing me their masterpieces, and handing me pretzel sticks every so often went on until the sermon began and the children left the sanctuary.


I'll admit, this story might not seem spectacular, but I think it's simple, precious moments like these that remind me that ministry includes the small things, too. I like to think that were Jesus sitting in my spot that day, he would have been smiling, munchin' on some pretzels, and encouraging those two precious girls to keep on drawing. And instead of getting frustrated now whenever I look through my journal and find hearts scribbled on all the pages, I'm just gonna smile and thank the Lord for that precious moment with two of His daughters.  :)


 

Any time someone asks me what I miss the most while being on the race, my answer is always the same.
My family.
While there are days when homesickness doesn't even cross my mind, there are also days when it does, and I miss them terribly.

Well, if you haven't already figured it out, today is one of those days.  It's kind of funny, though, because today is actually a wonderful day.  Today is a day to celebrate!


Today is my dad's birthday!
Woot woot!
Yay for Michael Imig!




 


 It's just...once again I am pained that I am unable to celebrate this special day with the one I love in person.  I so just wish I could see my dad and give him a great big hug right now.  Since I can't and since I can't mail him a model car or a gift card to Best Buy, a blog dedicated to him will have to suffice.

So, dad (aka Fajah, George, Old Mose, etc.), this one's for you!  Like I did with mother, I thought I'd express some special thanks to you for certain things.

Thank you for...
 

...all the times you took me to Claire's, waiting for eternity as I tried to figure out what to spend my whole $5 on.

...all the times you drove us girls to places - you truly enjoyed it, you never made it feel like a burden, and I could tell it made you happy simply to be with us.

...all the times you let me have a "sip" of your Coke (when in reality I would end up drinking at least half of it while leaving accidental backwash).

...all the times you took us to "Butter the Park", and wait as we'd play on the playground for hours on end.

...for peer-editing my papers all the way up through college, even if that meant losing some sleep or time for yourself.

...for teaching me your ways of silliness and random humor that I love OH so much (I always tell others, "If you think I'm strange or funny, you should meet my dad!").

...all of our long and meaningful discussions on faith, the church, and music.  I treasure those talks.

...always being patient with me when I'm PMS-ing, and asking if I have enough chocolate on hand.

...all the times when I'd call home, worrying about finances or other things while at Olivet, you'd simply say, "It will all be okay - I'll take care of it."  Those words alone truly made everything okay in those moments.

...for always telling others how proud you are of your daughters.

...and most importantly, for being the best earthly father I could ever have.

No, I'm not exaggerating.  Were I to tell you this in person, I know you would respond with, "I wish I could have done more."  I just want to shake my head and let you know that you've done more than enough.  As time goes by I realize more and more just how blessed I am to have you for a father.  I thank the Lord for you and mom, for you both have been the best earthly examples (aside from Jesus, of course) of unconditional love.  I've never had to worry or even think twice about you guys not loving me.  I can only pray that I will be as patient, gentle, and loving with my kids one day as you have been with me.

Now, to your special day:
I hope it's been a good one thus far.  You will most likely be at work when this is posted...and speaking of work, I hope it isn't stressful today.  I hope your back and feet don't cause you any issues today.  I hope you celebrate this great day with the fam.  I hope you eat some good vanilla ice cream tonight.  And most importantly, I hope you feel the Lord's love for you on this special day.  I pray He showers it all over you.

Words will never be enough to tell you how much I love you.  You truly are a wonderful father.  :)

I love you.  I miss you.  Happy Birthday, dad!!!

 

If you were to ask me how I felt about coming to Romania three weeks ago, you probably would have been annoyed with my answer. Three weeks ago I was waking up to the sound of the ocean waves each morning. 

Three weeks ago I was proudly shoveling and carrying buckets of gravel in the warm sun, and having the sweat and dirt all over me at the end of the day to prove it.

 

Three weeks ago I was told Romania was experiencing its coldest winter in decades...with lots and lots of snow. 
Ohhhhhh, dear.
I was not a happy camper.
And even after landing in Europe and seeing remnants of their harsh winter, part of me wanted to turn and go back.



Snow!

I know it sounds pretty silly, but it was how I was feeling, and I knew that I desperately needed the Lord to change my attitude.
 

Well, the good news is that He did! PTL!

     After doing ministry here in Draganesti for three weeks now, it would have been near impossible for Him not to change my attitude. It's hard to come up with the right words to explain why I've loved ministry and the people here, and even if I could it would probably take several blogs to say it all. It's just been...so...so good.

     Our ministry this month has been serving alongside the staff and missionaries at Hope Church – the only evangelical church in the small community of Draganesti-Olt. Each weekday we pray from 10:00-noon and then split up to do various things like:

 

deliver food to widows/assist at soup kitchens




help the church's after school program
 

teach English
 

spend time with children in neighboring communities

assist with logistical and administrative duties at the church

clean and do yard work at the church and Mission House (our humble abode for the month)



 

and sort through clothes and other items for donation.



(Playing with Ami, the daughter of one of our contacts, as we sort clothes)

    
      It might not sound like the glorious or glamorous type of work some assume us missionaries do, but it sure has been that way to me. The Lord continues to teach me about His love for us each day of ministry, whether its through the smiles and hugs of kids who have never met us before, or the steadfast faith of the few Christians here in Draganesti who are ridiculed for that faith, or the fervent and eager prayers of the people at Hope Church, (and speaking of prayer, when these people pray, they really pray. It's shown me just how much I don't pray). God's love is so big; He's been doing wonderful things here, and I feel so grateful for the chance to be a part of it.
 

(Oh, and in case you were wondering about the weather, it's been a beautiful spring-type weather for most of the time here. Ironic much?)   :)

I am in Romania!!!


......and it is cold!


Definitely a change from last month where we were in the glorious sun all the time.  Goodbye tan!  Hellllllooooo pale skin again! 


And I've decided after living next to the ocean for a month that if the Lord ever calls me to live on a coast, I will be perfectly content with that.  :) 


If you read my previous blog you know that we had a debrief for the last few days in Haiti.  It was a time to process, talk, and simply worship together as a whole squad.  It was a relaxing and fun time.


It was also a very painful time.


Here's why:


On our second day we were given the task to journal about repentance, forgiveness, and things we desired more than the Lord during these last two months.

Honestly,  I avoided those topics and wrote about things I would miss from Haiti and the D.R - happy things!
  Silly to think I tried to avoid the issues at hand in my own journal. 
I did this, though, becuase I didn't like what I saw when told to journal about the above topics.


Here's what I didn't like about it:


Repentance: I could think of several times when I became bitter towards teammates because of little things they did that annoyed or bothered me...and I never went directly to them to seek forgiveness for harboring bitter thoughts towards them.


Forgiveness: There were times when I simply needed to forgive someone on my team or in life in general, and I just didn't want to.  In my stubbornness I felt like I deserved an apology in order to feel like I could finally forgive and let go.  The Lord reminded me that that's not how forgiveness works; there aren't any conditions to forgiveness, other than it must be done. 


Things we desired more than the Lord: I've noticed that when things start to get difficult or uncomfortable, I get the mindset of wanting to be on this trip solely to do good things for the Lord - to help and serve His people .  While those intentions are good, they were above the desire of wanting to be transformed inwardly.  

Many times I would think:

"Ya know, this trip would be so much easier if I weren't hurt in the process - if I didn't have to be corrected and disciplined by the Lord constantly." 
In essence, I desired to work for Him rather than simply be with Him. 

Oh, the pain!  I know it's good, because the Lord disciplines those He loves.  But the process does hurt.  I kept being reminded of a skit I once saw, and I thought I'd share it with y'all - it's definitely worth watching.  Continue reading, though, and you'll find the video at the end.
 

Here's another reason why debrief was painful:

We received news from our team leader, Justin, that once we were to arrive at the JFK airport he would be going home. 

SAY WHAT?!?!?!?!

The news hit me like a brick wall.

Justin:
my twinsie/pervsie,
our humble and wonderful leader,
and my really good friend
would no longer be on the race with us.  :(

I was crushed and saddended.  It felt like losing a family member. 

As a team we felt compelled to pray for him after being told the news, and honestly - I didn't want to pray for him at that moment, haha.  But I did anyways.

The reason Justin went home was becase of God. 
True story! 
And for that I cannot be terribly upset.
In all seriousness, Justin had been receiving many blatant signs from the Lord that he was to go home to be married to his awesomely-wonderful girlfriend, Shealei. 


Aren't they presh?

Despite my sadness and selfishness for wishing that he could stay with Team Monarch (kaw kaw!) for the duration of the race, I truly am happy for him, and I honestly cannot wait to see what the Lord will do through him and Shealei as a team.  They both feel called to the mission field, and I know the Lord's going to do amaaaaaazing things through them!  Although we're still adjusting to this change and are going to miss him immensely, I know this is what the Lord wanted for them and for us as a team.
 

So, in a nutshell: Debrief was great and terrible at the same time.  I have a feeling it will only continue to be like that, haha, but I guess it's much needed.  At least I can rest in the fact that the Lord is working on me. 

And if my life right now were made into a skit, here's what it would look like:





 

     Each day during debrief we'll be given the opportunity to journal and process all that's happened since we've left the states. When journaling about last month, I guess I didn't realize how much happened in the DR, and it already felt like centuries ago. Part of me still feels like we just got here in Haiti, too. I find that time is such a interesting concept on the race. Days of the week end up running together, and much of it seems to be going by rather quickly. I wish it would slow down.

     The thought of returning to the states this Sunday for our connecting flight at JFK to Europe is exciting and terrifying at the same time. Exciting in the sense that I'll get to eat ice cream and chocolate again! Yay! Terrifying in the sense that I might be overwhelmed after seeing so much poverty and having begun the process of living simply. The travel days from Haiti to Romania will be long and interesting, that's for sure.

Here are some key experiences/random things from this past month:
 

• A bunch of us took an excursion on one of our Sabbath days and swam to an island located about 30 minutes (walking distance) from the compound. Now, I've always been able to swim, but I have never gone swimming in a deep area for an extended amount of time. I'll admit I was nervous at first, but the swim took only about 10-15 minutes, and it was SO worth it. The coral was beautiful, and we saw hermit crabs, sand dollars, starfish, and lots of sea urchins. It was quite the adventure. :)

 
The island we swam to
 

• On another one of our Sabbath days our squad took a 3 hour drive to an absolutely gorgeous beach in Jacmel. The beach was sandy (whereas ours is rocky), and there were actually waves! The house where we kept our belongings for the day belonged to the E.R. Doctor/former youth leader of Bethany Hamilton – the awesome surfer chick from Hawaii. He now lives in Haiti and has two ministries running: Haiti Baby and Surf Haiti. We got to hang with him for the day and rent his surf boards, too. So, yes...for the first time ever, I attempted to surf! As much as I wanted to kick butt at surfing, I failed miserably and had my body thrown about by the waves constantly...but I never wanted to leave the water! It was way too much fun.

 
On the way to Jacmel



Team Monarch! 

• A few of us got to sing with the Haitian worship leaders at church one morning, and I once again found that there is nothing more beautiful than the sound of people singing to the Lord in multiple languages. The night we practiced with them was such a blessing. While singing “Revelation Song”, them in Creole and us in English, tears began to well up in my eyes. I love having the reminder that God speaks all languages, and He loves to hear it all.

 

Church on Sunday morning

•  I've been able to fall asleep and wake up to the sound of the waves on the shore each day.

• I panic whenever I hear noise above me in the trees, for fear that a mango or coconut is about to fall on my head.  It's already happened to a girl on the squad before.  Who knew fruit could be dangerous? 

Right now I’m sitting on the beach with the vast blue sea before me with the foamy waves rolling in over my feet. It’s just about 2 hours after sunrise, so the sun isn’t scorching quite yet. It’s a glorious morning, and I have a feeling that if given the opportunity, many would give anything to be where I am. As lovely as the scenery is, though, there’s a place I’d much rather be right now today. That place is Moline, Illinois. Not on a beautiful beach in Haiti, not on the peak of a mountain in the Dominican Republic, but home. You might be asking why. Well, today happens to be a very important day for someone very important to me. Today is my mother’s birthday.

 

Meet my mother: Bonnie Lee Imig.

There aren’t any words adequate enough to describe how wonderful she is; however, a few that will suffice are: kind, loving, generous, and patient. She, along with my amazing father, has raised four beautiful girls, and I can’t think of a time when she put her wants or needs before her daughters. Raising four girls is no easy task, and I’m sure it’s not cheap either. I think she’d never admit or even think of it as a sacrifice though. And although I’m not a mother yet, I appreciate all the motherly things she’s done in her life, such as: changing my diapers (when I was little of course, haha), feeding me meals that many times revolved around my picky food choice, putting bows and hot rollers in my hair, waiting a good 30 minutes (or longer!) for me as I try on only a few pieces of clothing, ensuring that she was present at all my choir performances, cheerleading stuff, and graduations; taking me along to the grocery store even if that meant spending a few extra dollars on something that would please me; sacrificing a car when ours needed fixing so that we could get where we needed to be; in general, keeping me well-fed, clothed, entertained, healthy, and many many more things that couldn’t be contained in a few short paragraphs, let alone a blog.


The thing I am most grateful for, though, is that she has loved me and the rest of the family with patient and unconditional love. A limitless love without any conditions. A Godly love. For that I could never say thank you enough. There’s truly no other mother in the world I’d rather have than you, mom. I praise and thank the Lord for this very special day, because on this day (I don’t dare say how many) years ago you entered the world. And because of the love that you’ve poured into others, therefore affecting who knows how many people, the world is a better place. So, if there’s anywhere in the world I could be today, it would be right beside you with the rest of the family, celebrating this joyous day. I hope your day is filled with love, joy, and peace…and cake and ice cream of course! Happy birthday, mom. I love you more than you’ll ever know.

So, here are the shnazzy details about ministry this month:

Our team's main project is to finish the construction of a two bedroom building on the compound. The building will house missionary couples that come to Haiti and work with Missions of Hope. It was quite entertaining when given instructions on how to finish this project, too. Our contact essentially said “make this building look like that building,” as she pointed to the one across from it.

Yep...true story!

After scrounging around the tool shed for supplies, we started by nailing some crossbeams for the roof. And even though one person on our team has a background in construction, I have a feeling the Haitians find it entertaining to watch us build this thing.

Our squad as a whole is assisting in the construction of a huge facility that Missions of Hope is building near their church/school. It's going to have a sanctuary, more classrooms, a library, and a kitchen. This past Saturday our squad formed an epic bucket brigade line and poured 30 tons of concrete for nine hours. I was told that the work we did would typically take ONE hour with the proper machinery in the U.S. We did it the good ol' fashion way – with buckets and our hands. No need to fret though! The facility is being built according to Florida standards, so it will be able to withstand earthquakes and other forces of nature.

 
Construction at MOHI



Me and miss Sarah Shirlen after the 9 hour concrete pour
 

Our squad also has the privilege of helping with the construction of an orphanage called “BeLikeBrit.” The story behind the orphanage is about a 19 year old girl named Britney who died in the January 2010 earthquake while on a mission trip in Haiti. A couple hours before the earthquake hit, she had sent her family a text saying she fell in love with the people and wanted to come back to Haiti and build an orphanage. Tragically, Britney and many of her classmates did not survive the earthquake. In honor of her life and dream, her family and countless others have worked since then to build the orphanage she wanted. It's a sad story, but it's a blessing to see how God can work through a tragedy and create something beautiful. Here's a link to find out more info about the project: www.BeLikeBrit.org


BeLikeBrit...notice it's in the shape of a "B"

Once again, here are my random interesting tidbits for this month thus far:

• I've decided that Haitians are the best tree climbers in the world. Period.

Although you can't see him, there's a Haitian boy at the very top of the tree

• The thought of showering every day or even every other day seems strange now.

• Within the first week of being in Haiti a handful of us, including myself, got a nasty 24 hour bug. I am fully recovered, but that was definitely not a highlight of my time here.

• My legs are covered with bug bites and scabs.

• Speaking of bug bites, my perfume of choice is the lovely scent of bug spray.

• So long as I have a Haitian boy or a really long PVC pipe around me, I can pretty much eat a mango or coconut any time I want.

A boy getting a mango down for Meagan

• A Haitian BOY made fun of the way I hand washed my clothes. I declined his offer to wash my clothes for me, given that the first article of clothing he picked up was my underwear, haha. 

That's all I got for now! Thanks for reading and leaving your encouraging comments!  Seriously - they mean the world to me! 

Have no fear!


I am alive and well! My team, along with the entire squad, has transitioned to another country, and this month we will be serving in Grand-Goave, Haiti. We are partnering with Missions of Hope International by assisting in their various construction projects, and we are tenting on their beautiful compound located along the sea. I'll talk about the details of ministry and life in the following blog, but I wanted to first discuss the transition to Haiti. 

Transitioning from the DR to Haiti was a little difficult, and I'm still processing things from the previous month. I really enjoyed our time in the DR, and I fell in love with the people and the culture. And it seemed as though just as I was getting accustomed to living there, I had to pack up and leave for Haiti. I truly was excited to go Haiti, but change for me is always a little difficult at first. Given that all 7 teams were going to be together in Haiti, too, the whole dynamic of the month would be much different. For example: our team has gotten so close and comfortable with each other that burping, passing gas, and discussing bowel issues is completely normal for us (yes, we're weird and proud of it!). Since we're around 35 other people, many of whom aren't as weird as us, we have to censor some of those things now, haha!

The journey from San Juan, DR to our current location took about 15 hours, and crossing the border into Haiti was quite interesting. Given the high crime rate in the country we had to be extra cautious when going to and fro vehicles and buildings. The drive through the country was also heartbreaking. It seemed as though all I could see for miles as we drove the cities was poverty. Streets were lined with trash, mud, sewage, and building debris, and the smell was quite awful at times. People and street vendors crowed the sides of the streets, and traffic was chaotic. People crammed into colorful trucks known as “tap taps,” (Haiti's public yet very sketchy form of transportation) would zoom past us. It was a complete 180 from the Dominican Republic. Many of our hearts were feeling heavy at the mere sight of the country, so one of our squad leaders felt that we should sing “God of This City” as we drove through. So, we did.

My heart was crying out for the people. No one should have to live like this – it's overwhelming. This country desperately needs help still. The issue of theodicy, the ever popular question of why evil and suffering are in the world, seemed much more real when it was right at my very eyes. I know God is everywhere, but while driving through the streets of Haiti I kept wondering if He even there.

Come our first Sunday morning at a church in town, all those stirring thoughts were put at ease. As we filed into benches and began to sing worship songs, peace and joy started to come over me.


The people were singing.


The people were smiling.


They were happy to be at church.


Sure, we were all hot and sweaty and standing on a dirt floor enclosed by plywood, fences, and tarps. None of that mattered, though. It was so evident that people wanted to be there. And when the Haitians sing to the Lord, they really sing. I loved hearing the deep, hearty voices of the Haitian women; it reminded me of being in Gospel Choir at Olivet. My heart smiled that morning as I was reassured that God is in Haiti, and He doesn't plan on leaving any time soon.


These are His people.


This is His country.


There is hope for this nation. 

 

Since we get internet only once a week this month, I'll be posting another blog today that will discuss the details of our ministry here in Haiti, as well as the fun, random tidbits about everyday life on the World Race. Thanks once again for the continued love and support. I love you all!