A Change is Gonna Come

It feels like just yesterday that I left Haiti in June of 2010 saying, "As soon as I graduate, I'll be back here." But then again, so much has happened since then that I cannot believe how much God has blessed me with what I have experienced and how many memories I have managed to pack into such a short amount of time. Two years later, I am graduating from NYU in just a month (fingers crossed, you never know) have traveled to placed like Beijing and Sicily (all in the name of research, of course), have made incredible lifelong friends and, of course, have been back and forth to Haiti as much as possible. With all of the blessings that have been coming my way, it is almost unbelieveable that Mission of Hope would come to me just a month before my graduation date offering me a position on staff starting in the Fall!

Me at the Great Wall of China

The beautiful fields of Corleone in Sicily
Of course, it took almost no thought for me to know that this is exactly where God wants me to be starting in September since it has been on the top of my daily prayer list since the day I moved back home two summers ago. And just like I said then, as soon as I graduate, I'll be back! So it is with great pleasure and thankfulness that I can announce that I will be working with Mission of Hope this coming Fall, committing intially for one year. I look forward to sharing more details and plans as my departure date draws near and will do my best to keep this blog updated with exciting stories, struggles and triumphs throughout this inevitably-eventful journey. I want to thank everyone who supported me financially and prayerfully through my initial trips to Haiti and who will be supporting me in the future as well. If you would like any information about my big move, Mission of Hope or how you can support, please don't hesitate to call, text, email or comment. Thank you all again for your continued support because without you, none of this would be possible!

Above: Just a couple of pictures from my wonderful visits to Haiti over the past two years

A Big Day

Yesterday was just another normal Sunday at the Mission of Hope- NOT!!! I should know better than to expect that by now. But what I thought was going to be just a relaxing day planning for my last week turned into so much more.

To start off, this past Friday was Mother's Day here in Haiti so church turned into an all-out, 3 hour celebration. It started off with normal praise and worship and somehow turned into a Haitian game show, complete with catchy music, cheering and dancing up and down the aisles. Granted, it took me until about thirty minutes into the game to understand what was actually happening, but once I caught on, I realized that this Bible trivia was going to last a long time. About an hour later, the game was wrapping up and all the mothers were called to the stage for special recognition. Imagine my surpise when all of the Hope House children tried to pull me on stage with the rest of the moms, claiming that I was their "manmie" too. Let me tell you, there aren't many greater feelings than that!

After church many of us rushed upstairs to start making food for our big day. Since it was my last weekend with the children, I planned a special beach day for them, the mommies and the supervisors to show them how grateful I was for allowing me into their family for so long. With the help of many people here at the mission, we were able to make a picnic lunch for over 100 people, get changed for the beach and load all of those 100 people (sixty of those being crazy, excited children) onto a bus headed for the beach in just over thirty minutes. I don't think I officially caught my breath until this morning!

Miseline and Chrismene during their long-lasting water fight

What a wonderful time at the beach! I don't think I can even explain the sense of joy I felt to watch the mommies dip their toes in the water and the kids jumping in the waves, completely carefree for a few hours. Even the bus ride home was filled with excitement. Although we had at least four people in each seat and the aisles filled with supplies and people, it didn't stop the kids from singing and dancing the entire way home- what an amazing ending to an amazing journey! After all of the minor setbacks, frustrating days and change of plans, it was such a treat to spend some uninterrupted time together.

Esther was very proud of her fancy bathing suit

Thank you to everyone who helped make our beach day a success and also to everyone back home who has supported me throughout this time!

Wrapping Up

I cannot believe that I only have a week left here; I'm not sure how I will be able to leave these kids and this place that has become such a home these past months.

While I thought about what to share this week, I couldn't help but think back to the beginning of this jounrey. Although it has flown by as a whole, the first few weeks seem like decades ago. I couldn't help but laugh thinking about my first week where my only English-speaking assitance was out with malaria, I was making worksheets and copying them by hand and honestly spent all of my free time figuring out how to even begin English classes with no common language and students ecompassing every skill level possible.

It's hard to even imagine those days now. My relationship with both the children and the mommies have come so far that figuring out what to teach is almost instantaneous and the daily setbacks have become more humorous than frustrating. As a person who always "needs" for everything to go exactly according to plan, Haiti has taught me wonderful life lessons. Even if the speaker for the movie doesn't work for the first thirty minutes or we have to start class an hour late because a study group has decided to use the only open classroom, the kids are still just as happy that we are spending time together. It really puts things in perspective.

Each and every child at the Hope House is special to me in their own way. It's very refreshing and almost overwhelming to feel such constant and unconditional love at all times from people who didn't even know you this time last year. It will be a struggle to leave knowing that I won't be rushed by a mob of children calling me cow (Bef) every morning or pulling on my hair, arguing over which one gets to braid it that day.

I am officially Haitian- I've got the hair to prove it!

I am so thankful for my time here in Haiti. This is a special place that can not be left in the past; Haiti will always hold a special place in my heart and will be visitied often. I have made so many zanmi pou toujou (friends forever) that this will always be a second home.

Me with my wonderful staff friends on our mountain climb.

Angelie

Precious little Angelie

Over a week ago, a man came into the clinic with his very sick infant daughter. He never gave her name, but it was obvious from the beginning that she was very sick and malnourished, not even able to lift her head or move her legs. While waiting to be seen, the father handed his daughter off, saying he needed to use the restroom, and never came back.

From that point on, this precious little girl has been living at the Ward, constantly watched by the mommies at the orphanage and different nurses. She was given the name Angelie and is getting stronger everyday. Now eating rice and beans, she can move her feet and suck her thumb. While it would be ideal for Angelie to spend time at the Hope House with the other children, she is not yet strong enough to survive without constant care. I had never before held a baby that wasn't strong enough to move on its own or even open its eyes for more than a few seconds.

Please pray for Angelie as the Mission of Hope is trying to decide the best situation for her. While it would be possible for her to become a Hope House kid, certain papers are needed and without the family present, there is no telling how long that process could take. Angelie is a beautiful little girl and it breaks my heart that anyone could leave their child behind, especially her. But I am confident that she will receive better care and will be able to thrive more here than she would living in poverty. This is truly a blessing in disguise.

Time to Pray!

This week is incredibly eventful and has been much anticipated. Today is Flag Day, the Haitian equivalent to the 4th of July and the kids have not had school both yesterday and today. On top of that, the OU girls basketball team is here to have a basketball camp with the kids all week; meaning that for the past two days, I have just been able to spend quality time at the Hope House with those precious children. But in the midst of all the excitement, I am constantly reminded that this place needs to be lifted up in prayer at all times; and the moment I let my guard down is when this hits me the most.

Nicole and me at the river in Cabaret

On Friday, my good friend Nicole, one of the oldest girls at the Hope House, came to me with the news that her brother, only 19 years old, had been killed that day. She was surprisingly calm, as if this wasn't a new situation for her or anyone involved, which is extremely saddening to me. His funeral was yesterday and she was still back in time for our special Flag Day movie night, ready to converse with her friends. The strength that the people of Haiti have is incredible; but I have begun to notice that this "strength" that I have admired in them for so long is almost a hardening of their hearts. Living in a place with so much pain and suffering, many of them have become so hardened that it is hard for them to feel any pain at all.

The next day, I visited the Good Samartian orphanage in Cabaret. Despite it's name, it was one of the worst excuses for an orphanage I had ever seen. While most of their buildings had been destroyed by the earthquake and all of the kids were huddled under a tarp, half-dressed, bathing in the same dirty river from which they were drinking. Some were so sick and weak that they couldn't even swat the flies and gnats away from their face. But of course, these children weren't in plain sight, they were hidden behind closed doors so we couldn't easily see them. Coming from the Hope House where the kids are joyful because they are loved and nourished, it was heart-wrenching to see these children. They were eerily silent because they didn't have the energy to express any sort of emotion and could barely gather up the strength to sing a simple song with us. These are the times when I wonder- what else can be done? There has to be a solution...

Kids at the Good Samartian orphanage- this boy didn't move from that spot the entire afternoon

Sunday is usually a day of rest here at the mission. The clinic is closed so even the doctors and nurses are able to attend church, go to lunch and then relax. But this past Sunday was by far a different story. Just as it was starting to get dark, Tap-Taps (the Haitian version of a taxi) poured into the gates of the Mission of Hope, bringing half-conscious people up the the clinic. After looking in one of the trucks, I realized that most of them were American. On a trip down one of the mountains right next to the mission, a truck carrying a group of around 25 Americans and a few Haitians lost its breaks, swerving down the hill and eventually rolling the rest of the way down. All of the doctors, nurses and even physical therapists rushed to their aid while I helplessly sat above the clinic, watching people pour in without any skin left on their faces or rocks stuck in their skulls. It is times like these that I fail to understand God's plan for the situation. I have always been told that God will protect me while I am here in Haiti- "I am doing wonderful things and he will watch after me". But these people from Illinois were here for the same purpose; and with their flight the next morning, they just wanted to take a casual drive through the mountains. I thought about all of the families that weren't even informed that their loved ones were in danger. All I could do was pray.

After three people were taken directly to Miami by helicopter that night, the rest of the group miraculously made their flight back home the next morning. While many are still in critical condition, everyone survived the gruesome accident. There was one leg and one hand amputation but lives were not lost. I still cannot comprehend how a woman can get on a flight in the morning when she was convinced she was at a WalMart with George Bush Sr. as the president the night before. That is the power of prayer.

Constant Reminders

Clara and me at church on Sunday

WOW!! Another week in Haiti has flown by and I've honestly lost track... it seems like it was just yesterday that the Hope House kids were running up to the truck to greet me upon my arrival.

English classes were very successful this week. My youngest classes now know the days of the week, months of the year and numbers to 100; along with many fun English songs that we practice during class and then sing together at movie nights. My oldest class is really getting into the book Holes, and after reading on Wednesday, the kids wouldn't get out of their chairs... they wanted to read more and sat there until I agreed to "just one more chapter." The mommies are now having small conversations in English with eachother during class and are excited after class to teach me some Creole.

Volleyball at the Hope House is starting to get pretty competative and I LOVE it! Of course, time spent playing with the little ones is very carefree. We will bump and set across the net and I love watching the kids jump for joy when the ball goes in the right direction. But when the older kids step on the court, it's time to get serious! Just like any regular game, there's arguing over bad calls, cheering during exciting points, and even a little bit of light-hearted smack-talking. I am so glad that the children are loving this sport in which I have invested so much of my time throughout my life. Even with a language barrier, I am constantly finding more common interests that strengthen my relationship with each child.

_______________________

While most of my time is spent with the wonderful children at the Hope House, I do go out into town a few times a week and it is always a reminder that while the kids I am teaching are so joyful and thankful for how they live, right outside the walls of the Mission of Hope, a nation is still writhing from disaster.

Just last weekend, I was taken on a trip into Port au Prince to visit some of the other hospitals in Haiti. On our way, we stopped at the mass graves right outside the village of Titanyen where it has been said that 100,000 people are buried. Although it is a very powerful place to visit, it did not quite hit me that so much heartache was buried here until I looked down to see the skull of a child laying carelessly next to my feet with its vertebrae and ribs scattered a few feet away. What a sad reminder of how many people were tossed there, without a proper burial, because the death toll was so overwhelmingly high. Visiting the hospitals was another reality-check for me and the smell of death is a memory I will never forget. It is something that I smelled upon arriving at both hospitals in Port au Prince and was almost too overwhelming to stand when I walked through the morgues. I could not believe that people were strewn across the streets outside the morgue, fresh out of a surgery that was done in a room without a ceiling.

So many amazing things are happening in this nation. Although it is hard to see that there is still so much suffering happening today, it is definitely a motivation that the work happening here is not in vain. Going out into the villages makes me thank God even more that the amazing children at the Hope House are giving the opportunity to thrive in an environment where they are given nutrition, education and an opportunity to build a relationship with Christ. I truly believe that these kids will be the leaders of the next generation here in Haiti.

Wilner, Macline, Mansado, Samuel and Thamara-

Some of the beautiful Hope House kids

Rachel #2

Hello everyone!

Sorry for my absence on my blog lately; unfortunately, my computer has fried and is on it's way back to Austin to see if it can be salvaged. Until then, I will do my best to keep everyone updated as often as possible.

Each week is going by faster than the last as I get more comfortable and confident in my classes and in my relationships with the children. Word must be getting out about English classes at the Hope House since I had multiple members of the church approach me yesterday about possibly attending my class with the mommies in the mornings. What an amazing thing to see all of these people, in the face of adversity, so willing to learn new languages and interact with everyone that is here to help! My classes with the mommies have been truly inspirational. Everyday we cover a different concept and the next day, they are eager to show me that they grasp it perfectly! They now know simple greetings, days of the weeks, months of the year, seasons, colors, numbers to 100, the alphabet, fruits & vegetables, parts of the body, how to tell time, and many past present and future verbs.

The kids classes are going smoothly as well. They are excited to learn and my main problem with them is keeping kids from going to more classes than the ones they are assigned! (I'm not too sure, but I'm pretty positive this isn't a bad problem). In my most advanced class we are reading the book Holes. Each day before we read, the students are successfully able to summarize the previous day's reading and answer comprehension questions. They are very excited to watch the movie when we finally complete the book :-)

The longer I am here, the more responsibilities I am given with the Hope House and I am loving it! From passing out the children's report cards to emailing information to their sponsors to distributing donations, I love that I am able to be here to help. Jean Marc, one of the older Hope House boys, decided today that I need to just stay forever and be Rachel #2. That is quite a flattering statement considering all that Rachel has done for the kids and how long she has been living here.

It has been raining more this week than it has been in the past so nights are a lot cooler- thankfully :-). I am definitely getting used to the heat, the long walks and the cold showers and sometimes almost forget I am in Haiti until I witness things like Friday night when my Hope House boys were hot-wiring a speaker so we could have sound for our movie night when we lost the correct cord. In situations like those, I always tell myself- "Only in Haiti!" :-)

Roseline was not happy on our walk by the river in Cabaret!

5 minutes later, she fell asleep.

As always, I thank all of you for continuing to pray for me on this journey. It is crazy that my trip is already halfway over and while I look forward to returning and sharing my stories, I will also be anticipating my trip back as soon as possible.