Mwen renmen Ayiti!

So, I should share a little background about my love affair with the beautiful country and people of Ayiti.  In 2012 I took my first trip to Haiti with a group from my church (I love my church!) Three additional trips later-Thank you, Spring Break and generosity of friends and family!-I am heading back on Saturday for trip #5.

That’s it.

…Of course that’s not it!  There is so much to say that saying anything just wouldn’t be enough. But I’ll try for those willing to read along.

Below is my attempt (and most likely, failure) to explain it. In random order.

The country- Location (tropical), History (incredible), Culture (fascinating), and current political state (disheartening) all have captured my heart.

The language-I sometimes wondered why I chose to take 5 years of French.  When we landed in Haiti, I discovered exactly why.  I have fallen in love with the beautiful language of Haitian Creole (Kreyol), which is “a blend of 18th-century French with influences from Portuguese, Spanish, Taíno, and West African languages.” With the help of my friend/Haitian brother, Bilson- a fabulous translator/interpreter- I am learning more and more of it. And when I mess up, it’s usually pretty funny. Sometimes I just try my rusty french. Which is helpful for about 10 seconds

The relationships built-my second trip down, I didn’t really expect anyone there to remember me.  I had a moment.  An “end of the lifetime movie, credits roll, cheesy music included” moment when we returned to a community we’d spent all week in the year before.  One of the little girls I spent almost all my time with-Ildiana- dismounted a moto, threw off her backpack, and then ran across a sugar cane field to collapse into my arms while calling my name from yards away. We then spent the afternoon catching up as she tried to make my hair look good in braids. yep. Relationships, guys.  It’s why we were MADE.

The Faith- this would need its own blog. Let’s just say, I am not the same person I was before I took some serious (literal and spiritual) steps of faith here. I’ve met Haitian men, women, & families with what I can only describe as extraordinary faith (the kind that most of us do not need to exercise daily), and their one request?  “Please pray that God would grow my faith.”

The schools- Talk about finding perspective for my career (both long-term and day to day), and the importance of education! On this next trip I’ll spend two days leading a teacher in-service with my colleagues/close friends.  I’m excited to spend time with the AMAZING Haitian teachers, as my time in the schools is usually pretty kid-centered.  But it’s summer break in Haiti, too- so these dedicated teachers (giving up two days of break for more workshops!) are the focus! Oh, and I know I’ll be posting about student sponsorship soon, so we’ll just save that for then. (You’ve been warned.)

The Food- Yes, really.  I always gain a few pounds in Haiti. Pikliz and plantains, anyone? Soup Joumou? Wi. The homemade bread? Tanpri!

The kids-Holy moly, the kids. We will expand this from kids to “people”, but my comfort zone started with kids. It’s gradually growing to include all ages. So yes, sometimes we meet friends that we will only know for that day.  That’s tough. But if it’s a game of soccer or a coloring page, or a fun hand game, it’s like camp.  Then sometimes we build a relationship that ends up taking a lot more room in my life and lasting a lot longer than anyone had thought. I will say there is no such thing as my own personal space. It took 2.5 seconds for me to be okay with that.

The time- The absence of a schedule but with a full day’s agenda.  It’s hard to explain, so they just call it “Haiti time.”  Some days feel like 2 seconds.  Some hours feel like 3 days. It’s… flexibility strengthening.

Christianville Foundation– because they are doing great things.  You should check them out. “Sharing the love of Christ through education, nutrition, poverty alleviation and health ministries; and empowering the local church in Haiti.” I’m thankful to be able to partner with them more closely these past few months. It’s one thing to go down for a week or two- but these guys are in it (and have been) for the long haul.  They are incredible.

I support global awareness, not just Haiti awareness, but I’ve made my focus there because of the relationships I have with people living there. These relationships made it possible for me to get the opportunity to return this summer with a small team to

a) lead teacher workshops on student engagement (leadership!) and

b) investigate/experience/document sustainable agriculture in its authentic existence. (global citizenship!)

Pinch me, I’m dreaming.

Thanks for reading!