Beth in Haiti

Please join me as we bring hope to a nation in need!


Monday, February 25, 2013

Saying Goodbye

Beautiful Haiti


Saying goodbye has never been easy for me.  Saying goodbye before what I foresaw as my time is even harder.  Today, I am leaving Haiti and Mission of Hope and an amazingly positive, transforming, life-changing chapter of my journey is coming to a close.


My heart in signing back on with this amazing organization in September 2012 was to assimilate into a position that would eventually be able to transition into a role for new Haitian employees and I was prepared to be here until that was able to take place.  Excitingly for Mission of Hope and unfortunately for my desire to be with my Haiti family and these amazingly-powerful relationships that we have built along the way as long as possible, we have reached that phase sooner than many could have expected.

While I still cannot quite fathom being away from the 65 little ones who have grown to be not so little over the past three years, the Child Sponsorship team of guys that were able to persevere despite any and all crazy deadlines that were thrown their way and the entire staff who saw me through the most discouraging setbacks and the most incredible triumphs and because of that is more like family than anything else, I know that this time of change brings with it amazing potential for the growth of Mission of Hope and for myself.  I must know and trust through all of this that God works everything out for the good of those who love him.  In my deep sorrow for saying goodbye, this pain also signifies the end of an overwhelmingly-rewarding project and the accomplishment of many goals that if told to me three years ago, I never would have been able to fathom.  It brings with it the transformation of our sponsorship program, making it virtually entirely Haitian run in country and rewarding those who have seen it through since the beginning.  It also brings with it the completion of the framework for our transitional program for the young adults assimilating back into the Haitian community from the orphanage- a program that I have been praying about and planning for years now and cannot be more honored that I was entrusted with such a crucial task.

Too much love for a body of water to ever separate us.

Moving forward, I cannot say thank you enough to everyone who has stood by me in this trying and tremendous journey.  Living in Haiti has never been easy but it has never been regretted.  From those of you who prayed fearlessly, gave financially, offered a shoulder to cry on in times of need or literally danced with me at the end of a long week- I walk away feeling exponentially blessed for your support and for the relationships that have flourished through all of this.  At least for awhile, it will be feel impossible to be forced to wake up to the sound of an alarm clock rather than a chorus of children singing in the orphanage kitchen on the weekends. I will miss not having personal space and always prying dozens of tiny fingers out of my hair.  I will miss friends that can never be replaced because we share something that few can comprehend.  I will miss everything about Haiti.  I cannot wait to see God's plan for Mission of Hope throughout this period of change, for the kids, for our schools and even for me.  The unknown moving forward is frightening but brings with it so much potential.  I look forward to sharing that journey with all of you.

All of my love for the last time from Mission of Hope,

Beth

Last night in Haiti : incredible friends praying and tackling me through it.