You make beautiful things out of the dust

Wow. It is insane that it has already been over a week since I have been back. I am not really sure how to feel about it. Don't get me wrong, I was very excited to see my family and friends again.. But I look back at my pictures of me and the children in Haiti and it is hard for me. I spent two whole weeks with those children. They made me laugh every second of the day, and cheered me up even when I had a tiring day. Their energy and love inspired me so much. When I came back from the trip I was asked a lot of questions. Did you have fun? What was the experience like? Are you planning on going back? What were the kids like? Was it hard at times? And I loved answering all those questions because I was able to tell so many people about the experience. It really made my day when I would be talking to someone and they tell me how they read my blog everyday and how great it was. I never thought I would like blogging as much as I did. I have always loved writing, and this writing is so much easier because I am literally telling people about MY experiences, and I am also telling people about a greater cause. Haiti has improved so much, people who had been there before the earthquake told me that they would have never expected Haiti to improve this much in less than ten years. I am just so blessed that God was able to use me in a way to impact others' lives, but He also sent me there so that my life would be impacted as well.  Throughout my entire trip there are many things that I learned and grew from. There are so many things that I will never take for granted ever again.

Power. I couldn't really imagine going through a day and not know when the power would go out or when we would have it back again. Sure, there are days where a storm would hit Auburn and we may not have power for a few hours. Imagine losing power at least once or twice a day... every day. Because that is what happens in some places of Haiti. Where we were, for example, would lose power during the days and then at night. Thankfully for us, CLS (Christian Light School) had inverters so we were lucky enough to have power for most of the day, if not the whole day. When I would lay awake at night, I wondered what the people who don't have inverters were going through. Power is something no one should take for granted. Try going for a day with absolutely no power, in 90 degree weather, and you will see what the Haitians go through daily.

Clean water. Imagine not trusting whether or not the water you are about to drink is completely clean or purified. Would you still drink it? Or would you just run to the store and buy a bottle of clean water? I know I would choose the second choice, but there are people in the world that don't get that option. The water from the river or a well may be their only option. At CLS we had clean water for us to drink, but we didn't shower in that water. When we showered we had to make sure to not let any of that water get on our face, eyes or mouth. We had to remember not to brush our teeth with it. There were so many steps for us to take to make sure that we would not get sick using that water. Oh, and did I mention that we never took one hot shower? I think most of us don't realize how lucky we are to have a hot shower almost everyday. Believe me, I did not know how lucky it was until going to Haiti. I know there have been times where I would take a shower at home, and all of a sudden it turn cold. I would be so mad and yell at whoever showered before me. Thanks for using allllll our hot water, Patrick. Seriously I had to take a cold shower ugh. Yeah... It's safe to say I have said this multiple times. Now, after having a cold shower daily in Haiti, I am so grateful for a hot shower at home. I'm not going to lie though, after a long, hot day in Haiti that cold shower felt so good. I may even do it back in the states sometimes.

Family. I love my family and I always will. There are times, however, where I have wished they never existed. They either annoyed me, made me mad, or just put me in a bad mood. Nonetheless, I didn't appreciate them all the time. When I heard some of the stories of the kids I met at CLS, it made my heart hurt for what they have gone through. There are kids who have gone through so much more than I would ever imagine anyone go through, let alone an 8 year old. Although those kids went through a lot, they were still filled with so much joy and even seemed to love life more than I do sometimes. I realized that these kids are full of God and even though they went through tough times, He is going to help them push through. These kids inspired me to love unconditionally, just as God loves us. I also realized that my family is such a huge impact on my life each and every day. We have gone through sacrifices for each other and we will always be there for each other. While I was in Haiti my mom would randomly text me bible verses or tell me how great my blog post was. I don't think shell realize how much I loved that. I loved the fact that she was thinking about me all day, everyday. Not only her, but so many more family and friends were also! Going on Facebook and seeing the comments on pictures or my posts brightened my day. I could never thank my friends and family enough for all the love and support they have given me.

These are just the top three things I thought of that I took for granted before the trip. Trust me, there are far more, but these had the most effect on me. Being back in the States is weird, not going to lie. It's weird not going to sleep to people singing quite loud. It's weird not waking up to roosters crowing at 5 a.m. It's weird not eating a piece of peanut butter bread every day for lunch. It's weird not getting a whiff and who knows what every now and then. It's weird to not have air conditioning and having to rely on my fan or just a breeze of air. Although those all sound like terrible things, they made my trip more memorable. It's those kinds of things that will always make me think of Haiti. I didn't leave Haiti with just those negatives in my head though. Although roosters woke me up, a bunch of children's laughter woke me up as well. Although I had peanut butter bread everyday, I was able to grow closer and laugh about the day with great friends. Although we didn't have air conditioning, God would bless us with rain to cool down the night. Although I would smell some gross things, I loved when I would get a whiff of good food cooking. There are so many positives that out way the negatives. That is what is making me want to go back. I know 100% that I will be back in Haiti next summer, and hopefully for longer too :) Again, thank you all so much for following my blog while I was in Haiti. I know I probably won't post much, but I hope to use this blog for any exciting days that come along. I will definitely be blogging again on my next journey to Haiti. I hope you all enjoyed reading about my trip to Haiti. God is so amazing for giving me this opportunity. I can never say that enough. He made me see that there is so much in this world than what my bubble in Auburn consists of. He has given me the heart to go out and help impact people's lives as much as I can, even if it I can't see it right directly or immediately. He is great and I will forever thank Him each and every day for what He has done in my life so far. I cannot wait to see what He has in store for me in the years to come.

P.S. My dad is heading off to Haiti next week for a few days on a medical mission trip!! This is his third time going, and he loves it just as much as me so definitely keep him in your prayers!

"I thank my God every time I remember you."

Philippians 1:3

This is the day the Lord has made

It’s crazy to think that I am waking up in Haiti, but when I go to sleep tonight I’ll be back at home. Today and yesterday I had so many mixed emotions, and now I am just not ready to say goodbye. The kids here have been such a huge blessing, and I don’t want to have to say goodbye. I know this is not our final goodbye, because I am definitely coming back next summer, but I don’t want to wait a whole year before I see them. These kids were nothing but happy and playful these whole two weeks. They would just jump on you, love on you, and make you feel like there is nothing greater in this world. God has truly blessed me with this great opportunity. I didn’t know I would fall this much in love with this country, but I know God is telling me that this won’t be my last time here, and I will continue to come back for years and years.

We had our party yesterday, and the kids were so excited. I  was so happy when I saw that all of my kids came to school yesterday. It gave me my last opportunity for this trip to really spend time with them. We started out by doing a little lesson on The Giving Tree. This was one of my favorite books at a kid, and I still love reading it now. I wanted them to see what it is like to give back to people, and how the bible says you are more blessed to give than to receive. After we did a few activities we began to fun party. We play a few rounds of bingo first. They had never played bingo before, but after we played the first game, they were so into it and wanted to play more and more. After bingo the kids were ready to chow down. We had cupcakes, candy, suckers, and cool aid for them. We play a few more different games and then went outside and played with the rest of the kids in summer school. As the kids left I gave each of them a hug and told them I would definitely see them next summer. When they heard me say I would be back in a year they jumped with joy and that made me so happy to see. I really do hope I taught them something or impacted their lives in some way. I don't think these kids realize what they have done in my life, but I am just so thankful for God putting each of those kids in my life. For this post, I thought it would be a cool/good idea to put a picture of each of my students and just tell you a little about each one. Each kid had their own unique personalities and so it was funny and interesting seeing them all go together so perfectly. 

This is Esterline. She was a very quiet girl at first, but after a few days she was one of the funniest girls ever.  She had me laughing all the time, but she also was helpful when I needed the class to calm down. 

This is Sherdley. Sherdley was the sweetest little girl. She was also one of the smartest in my class. Whenever I asked a question I could always count on her to give the right answer. She would do little things for me in the class that I don't think she realized how great that was to me. She even gave me a piece of her candy on the last day of class.

This is Nathiana. She was definitely the leader of the pack of girls, but she used it to my advantage haha. She was helpful when getting the class to be quiet and listen. She loved helping me hand out things to all the students. She loved talking to me, and whenever she had the chance she was at my side asking questions.

This is Lourna. At first I could not get her to talk to me. Now, I can't get her to stop talking to me. She was such a sweetie and would always come hang out with me during recess. When I went to the church service in the ravine I felt someone tap my back and looked and saw her. It was so cool to see one of my students outside of class, and I loved getting to know her more that night.

This is Kenderline. She loved talking to me and sitting on my lap whenever she had the opportunity. During VBS one day she was by my side the entire time, so I loved getting her to open up to me more. She told me so much about her and her family, and she loved asking me more questions about my life.

This is Keymderson. He was a spunky little boy and I could never get him to sit down. His smile though was filled with joy and I loved every time he would have the biggest grin on his face. He loved asking me when we would go to recess, but even during recess he would come hang out with me and tell the funniest jokes to me.

This is Derlens. Derlens is a funny character and always was the first one to raise his hand to pray before breakfast or lunch. His laugh was one of my favorite things to hear. He enjoyed library time the most out of my class, and I loved hearing how well he could read.

This is Sebastian. He was the only student that came to school every single day. And every day I feel like he became more and more bubble and outgoing. He was such a bright student and was always one of the first kids done with their work. He made sure I gave him a sticker for every worksheet he had right so that he could put them all in his journal.

This is John. John was a very quiet kid during class, but once he was out in recess he was so outgoing and silly. I would always find him making jokes or playing around with his classmates. He was obsessed with taking pictures on my phone.

This is Jonel. At first Jonel wouldn't listen to me, but as the two weeks went by he became more and more obedient. As I got to know more about him I also found he was the most gentle heart of any of the kids. He was so caring towards others and made sure that everyone had their things before he did. He was such a sweet kid, and I am so glad I was able to see that before I left.

My last student is Danielo. He didn't come to school a whole lot, but when he did he definitely made the class more loud and happy. He was always singing and dancing during class, and he made everyone in the class laugh. He was able to make me laugh at myself at times when I needed to the most.

This is Murielle. She was one of my student helpers for the two weeks. She didn't talk to me at all at first, and I was nervous she never would. But she finally began to open up and talk to me more. She even gave me some good love advice for when I get back to the states haha.

This is Deseline. She was my other student helper. She was a very, very quiet girl, but when I was able to talk to her I found out how sweet and caring of a girl she was. She was always the first one in the class and helped me no matter what I needed.

All my kids and student helpers made my trip so much better. They helped me see the positives in everything, helped me laugh at myself when I needed to the most, made me realize that everything doesn't have to be perfect, and lastly they let God shine through them so much each and every day. I was so blessed by these kids, and I will say that over and over again because it will never change. They were truly a blessing in my life and I cannot wait to see what The Lord will do in their lives as they grow up.

After school I hung out with all the kids that lived here and we all just sat around and played. Allex stayed after school for a little and so I was able to hang out with him one last time before I left. Allex is like a brother to me, and it's amazing to see how much he loves God, and how much he wants to help change Haiti. He is ready to help Haiti grow in the future and I know God is going to do great things through him. I told Allex that I plan on visiting his family every time I am here, and he was so happy when I told him that. He told me his grandma loved having us visit and is so excited to see more of me. I was not ready to say goodbye to Allex, but I told him my dad is excited to see him when he comes to Haiti in a few weeks, and that I will be seeing him next year. 

We took the student helpers and teachers to the same bakery as we did earlier in the week. It was so yummy again, and I definitely needed the ice cream that I got. After we got back I just hung out with the other teachers because I am really not ready to say goodbye to them today. They have been such inspirations in my life and I am so thankful God put each and every one of them in my life. Each has impacted my life in more ways than one, and I hope that our friendship never dies because these teachers will always have a special place in my heart. They are like older sisters and moms to me, and I don't know how I could have gone through this trip without them. Brandy, Emily, Jessi, Jordan, Beverly, David, Katelyn, Rachel, Leonard, Samantha and everyone else I met/grew close to during this trip.. if you're reading this I just want you to know how great it was to meet you and I hope to stay in touch after this. God shines through you all each and every day and I know He will do great things through yall for years to come. Thank for you putting up with me and making this place feel more like home. 

I love you all sooo much.

Later in the evening the kids had a movie night, and we watch Alvin and the Chipmunks. It was funny because the older kids have seen this movie so many times that they knew almost all the words. The little kids would dance to every song that was played and it made me laugh every time. They were completely glued to the movie and never took their eyes off it unless they were grabbing some popcorn and taking a sip of their cool aid. Last night me, Brandy, Emily, Sam, and Jordan decided to all sleep on the roof of the school. It was so much more cooler up there than in the room, and it was so neat sleeping under the stars. We talked and talked until it was late at night, and it was so fun to know more about each of those girls. We got delusional by the end of the night, and so everything was funny to us. I crashed by the end of the night, but was easily woken early in the morning by the sounds of the roosters and people singing. It was so fun and cool to see the sun rise. 

I am definitely not ready to leave at all. I am dreading what is going to happen in a few hours. But I am just so glad I was able to have this opportunity. A year ago I would have never thought I would have spent two weeks of my summer here. I would have never thought of all the people I met and grew closer with. There are just so many things that have happened through this trip. I learned so much, met so many great people, and my relationship with Christ grew. I have learned to trust in God more, and to try not to stress about the little things in life. I have learned to become more flexible, and that not everything has to be perfect. I have learned to just live my life, and let God live through me. This has just been such a great trip, and I cannot wait until I am back here and these kids are back in my arms. I really am excited to see my family again, and I know that once I am back with them I will be so happy, but right now I just don't want to say goodbye. God is great for letting me come here, and I will thank Him every day for this blessing that He placed in my life. 

My heart will forever be in Haiti.

"This is the day the Lord has made;

We will rejoice and be glad in it."

Psalm 118:24

My heart is Yours

Knowing that tomorrow is my last full day in Haiti makes me so sad. I am not looking forward to having to say goodbye to my sweet babies in my class. I just need to remind myself that this is not a goodbye, but a see you later. I really do hope the kids learned from me, and if not I just hope I showed them how much God really does love them. I want them to know that no matter what happens in their lives, they will always have one person to have an unending love for them. These kids need that kind of hope. They need to know that there is something out there for them. My class is already so smart, and it is insane for me to think about the fact that they are only in 1st grade. I can't even imagine how smart they will be by the time the graduate from high school. This generation is the future of Haiti. They are the ones that will bring this country out of the darkness, and into the light of Christ. I am excited to see where The Lord takes them in their lives. Tomorrow I plan to tell all the kids how much they mean to me, even after such a short period of time. They have definitely taught me how to be more patient and that it is okay to be flexible. I am a big planner, but there is always some kind of surprise everyday in Haiti, so you need to learn to be flexible. God blessed me with the most wonderful kids, and I can never thank Him enough for giving me this opportunity. I cannot say this enough, but God is so so good.

Today was so much more hotter than it usually has been. I was dripping sweat throughout the entire day and drinking tons and tons of water. If any of yall decide to come to Haiti (which I definitely recommend) the biggest thing to remember to drink lots of water. You may not feel like you need to at times, but never stop drinking water. There have been days where my head is pounding and I feel like I can't move because I didn't drink enough water. Today was the kids' last day for VBS and I made it a goal to talk to each one of my kids for a short period of time, and just spend time with them. The reason I really have enjoyed having VBS the past few days is not just because it was a break from teaching, but it was a chance for me to talk to my kids one-on-one and just laugh and play with them. I really don't get a chance to do that when I'm teaching because I have so much I have for them to learn. So I loved just running around, taking pictures, playing basketball, playing with hair, and so much more with my kids. When my kids were about to leave I told them to make sure to come to school tomorrow for our *PaRtY* that we are having for my last day teaching them. I am hoping that cupcakes, games, and a movie will motivate them to come tomorrow. After school got out I played a little Horse with some of the boys. If some of yall don't know what Horse is, it's a basketball game where there are players and if a person makes a basket then everyone else has to try to make a basket in the same spot. If you miss then you get a letter, and when you spell Horse then you are out of the game and the last person is the winner. Well, it was a very competitive game, not to mention I am a very competitive person, and it took a while to finally have a winner. Sadly it wasn't me, and I was a little upset about that but I was runner up so that counts for something, right?

After school there really wasn't much that went on. I just hung out, caught up on my online class I've been taking this summer, and chatted with my mom some. I was also able to go through all my bags and try to get things ready to leave on Saturday, so that was a relief to have it done. For my class's party tomorrow I am having cupcakes and treats, so a little while ago I got the cupcakes baked, and tomorrow I will ice them. I obviously had to taste test them to make sure they were okay to eat, and oh yeah they are good to eat. I had to stop myself from eating another one. During dinner a lot of us just caught up on each other's day and it's incredible how close I have gotten with these people. It will be hard to not wake up and see their wonderful faces when I go for breakfast. All of these people have definitely impacted my life, and they may not realize it, but I am so thankful that God has put them in my life. I can't imagine my life without them anymore. I am surrounded by such Godly men and women that do nothing but lift God up, and it is so inspiring. I know that I will be able to come to them for questions and struggles, even after I leave, from now on. I cannot tell yall enough how blessed I am for have met them, and in a post later I plan on putting a face to all the names so you will be able to see who I have grown so close to. When I was starting to right this post the song "God's Great Dance Floor" by Chris Tomlin from Passion 2013 came on. This song is such an uplifting song and literally makes you want to jump up and down, sing and dance for The Lord. If you haven't heard the song before then you can click *here*  to have a listen. My favorite part is the chorus when it says "You'll never stop loving us, no matter how far we run. You'll never give up on us. All of heaven shouts: let the future begin." I just love the fact that God will never stop loving us. No matter how many times we sin, He is going to keep loving us. It makes me smile to think about that because it is so reassuring. There are times where I'm like "how did I ever get so lucky to have such a loving and forgiving Father?" It just amazes me. 

I'm not sure if you can tell what this is but on the playground I saw that someone wrote, "we loves the auburn group" and that just made my heart happy haha. It is nice to know that our church group that comes to Haiti regularly is loved!! As yall know I only have a few days left sadly.. I'm sorry this post wasn't that exciting, BUT I do have a plan for tomorrow's post and I am going to warn you that it will probably be longer than usual and filled with waaaay more pictures. So.... Get excited for that!

"In the same way, let your light shine before others, 

that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

Matthew 5:16

Greater is He that is in you

Today in my Jesus Calling book it talked about learning to laugh at yourself. Even with you make mistakes or embarrass yourself, laughing things off is a good way to find the joy and positives in everything you do! One of my favorite parts of todays page said "Laughter lightens your load and lifts your heart into heavenly places" and I just love that because it is so true. Laughter brightens your day and makes you not worry so much about the little things. God is in control and we don't need to worry about what He is doing in our lives. All we need to think about is being joyous in the presence of The Lord. After reading this it immediately made me think of the kids here in Haiti. They don't let the small things bother their days. They just laugh and run around with no care in the world. Their laughs can be heard throughout the entire compound and it's just great to hear. Another part of today's topic that made me think of the kids was when it said "Your laughter rises to heaven and blends with angelic melodies of praise." How perfect does that sound? All the laughs the kids make and we make ourselves are being heard throughout Heaven. It makes me happy to picture everyone up in Heaven, including God, looking down and singing along with our laughters. I made sure that today I would laugh and smile as much as possible today. I tried to just be a kid again and not let anything bother me. It's crazy how one small change in our attitude can change our whole day completely. I could see God's love shining through their joy.

The VBS continued today and will continue tomorrow for the last day. I can tell the kids are really enjoying the three day break from classes. They love doing fun activities, singing songs, and playing around all day. For me, I feel that for some of these kids, this is their only time for them to be children for the day. When they are at home they may have to do chores and run errands for the family, but when they are here they don't have that kind of stuff to do. They are able to just be kids. They can run around, play with other kids, and laugh as much as they want to. The kids in Haiti are just like the kids in America, but some of them may have to grow up a little faster than most children. It's nice for me to see them enjoying school so much in the summer. If I were them I wouldn't be too thrilled, but they want to come to summer school. They ask me and make sure we are still having school the next day for them to attend. I just love seeing that much interest in attending class. It makes my heart happy.

After school I was able to go to a good friend of mine's house for the afternoon. His name is Allex, and he is 14 years old. Allex first became known through my dad. When my dad first came to Haiti, Allex was his translator in the clinics they would hold. I remember my dad telling so many stories of Allex when he came home from Haiti. I was so eager to meet him and when I finally did last December, I knew this was a kind of friendship that would last forever. Allex has the biggest heart and just wants to love on people. He cares for you and wants to get to know you more. He is also a ladies man, which cracks me up. I remember him telling me and 4 other girls we could all be his girlfriends. I was girlfriend #4. My dad and I were able to get to know Allex a lot better in December and we kept up with him all the time and still do. When we got back from Haiti in December we had talked about sponsoring Allex with Christian Light School. We went on their website (which I am going to talk more about in a little) and found the page to sponsor a child. So not only do we keep up with Allex, but we help support his schooling and medical needs. It is great to know that our money is being put to helping a personal friend. When I was getting ready for Haiti, the thought crossed my mind to maybe meet Allex's family. So when I got down here I asked him about it and he was eager to get me to come meet his family. I talked to Mrs. Beverly, the summer school principle, and we were able to work it out to where I could go to his house today. So Beverly, Allex, me and two older students headed out to Allex's house. I was excited, but also nervous. I just had no idea what to except or if his family would even be excited to meet me. I was overthinking everything (as usual) but just prayed and tried to calm myself down during the trip there. 

Let me just say that the walk from Christian Light to Allex's house was not a short or easy trip. It took us about 30 minutes and I was just in awe at the fact that Allex had to do this every day, twice a day. It made me think of all the other kids that come to Christian Light and how far they all have to travel in order to make it to school. I will never take driving to school for granted ever again. When we got to his house we were all worn out and so he pulled out chairs for us all to sit in. We walked into his house and it was just a one room house with a bed, closet, table, tv and cabinet. When I asked Allex how many people lived with him he said it was him, his grandmother, his two older brothers, and his younger sister. So there are 5 people living in one room, with one bed. And to think I get my own room and my own queen bed. It definitely makes me feel a lot more blessed than I would ever imagine. I saw something small walk across the floor and looked down to a small cat. I am a big cat lover so I picked up the cat and it played with me and loved on me so much. Playing with the cat really calmed my nerves to meeting the family so I was glad to have it in my lap haha. 

Allex's grandma walked in and I thought she was the cutest thing ever. She just had the most genuine smile and her eyes lit up when she saw us all there. I noticed her wearing an Auburn hat and when I asked Allex he said it was the hat my dad had given him; that made my heart melt. We met with his grandma and later we met one of his older brothers as well. They were both so sweet, and even went to go buys us all cold cokes for us to cool down from our long journey. I gravitated towards Allex's grandma. She just reminded me so much of my grandma. She never cared about herself, only how the others were feeling. She made sure we each had a seat, a coke, and even gave me and Mrs. Beverly a wash cloth to wipe off our sweaty faces. She was so kind and full of God's love it was hard for me not to tear up. I noticed she had the room decorated with cute stuffed animals, and I told Allex to tell her how much I liked all the animals. She smiled at me, and then looked in her cabinet and pulled one out and handed it to me. I was confused at first, but then Allex told me she wanted to give me one. I definitely teared up right then. Here is this sweet little lady who has barely anything of her own, and yet she gave me one of her things. The generosity throughout the house was so overwhelming and I just couldn't get over it. They didn't have much, but they gave back as much as they could. That is God being shown through their actions. When it was time to leave I got a picture with Allex and his grandma and told them I would print it out and send it with my dad to give to them. His grandma appreciated that so much, just because they really don't have any pictures of themselves. I gave her a huge hug and told her thank you over and over again. She said something to me in Creole and when I asked Allex what she said, he told me she said "I hope to see you again" and I knew right then I would make it a point to visit her every time I was here in Haiti. She opened up her home to us for a short time, and I could never fully thank her for all the generosity she gave me. Allex even decided to walk back with us because he wanted to make sure we got there safely. That means Allex did the 30 minute walk not once, not twice, but three times in one day. He is such a caring person and you can really see God shining through him. I cannot wait to see the Godly man he becomes as he gets older. God blessed me with the friendship I have with Allex. He is like a little brother to me, and we even call each other our Haitian brother and American sister to each other haha. I thank God every day for putting Allex in my life. He is such an inspiring young man who I know will bring Haiti out from the darkness and into the light of The Lord.

(This is the stuffed animal Allex's grandma gave to me)

I thought that at the end of this post I would put the link of Christian Light School's website. I know there are people reading my blog that may not really know much about the actual organization. So below I will put the link and you can go and see what the school is about, Ms. Sherrie (who runs the own school/orphanage) and what all you can do if you'd like to give back to the school. 

http://www.clshaiti.com

"Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with song of joy. 

Then it was said among the nations, 'The Lord has done great things for them.'"

Psalm 126:2

I am Yours and You are mine

Earlier today, I was playing cards with my new great friend, Brandy, and she showed me one of her favorite songs. It is called Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) by Hillsong. As I listened to it, it quickly became a favorite of mine. Later in the day I came to my room to check different things, and I had it on repeat throughout the hour of being on the internet. If you haven't heard it before I definitely recommend stopping what you're doing, listen to it, and let me know what you think (If you want to listen click *here*). It is just a great reminder that we are nothing without the love God has for us. When you trust in Him and give Him our all, we will walk on waters with Him. My favorite part is "my soul will rest in Your embrace. I am Yours and You are mine." How awesome is it that we will always have His love and guidance for us? He will never lead us astray. It gives me goose bumps just thinking about how much love He has for us. It was unending, and seriously blows my mind thinking about it.

Today the Kindergarten through 3rd grade had VBS all through the normal class time, so it was a great break for most of the teachers here. The kids will being doing this through Thursday, so it will be nice to just sit back and spend time getting to know the children even more. I was able to talk to the kids individually when we had breaks and I learned their likes and dislikes about school and their interests outside of school. It was funny to see that they were a lot like the kids their age in America. They are kids just like the rest of them, and it was so amazing to see their childish ways come out. During the recess I was also able to hang out with the younger kids living at Christian Light. It was fun just sitting around and playing with the camera with them. We had a fun little photoshoot and it was hilarious watching them making funny faces and smiling for the camera.

After school we took some of the student helpers for lunch and a treat, to thank them for all the hard work they have done with the classes. My student helpers especially have been so awesome with my class, and I could not thank them enough. I was able to grow closer with the three girls that have been in my class these past week and this week as well. I do not know what I could have done without Murielle, Deseline, and Octaline in my class. It would have been a definite struggle. We went to a bakery and I had one of the best sandwiches I have ever had. Man was that thing delicious. Me and Sam also split a Belgium Chocolate Cheesecake and oh my gosh... I needed that chocolate. We were both so glad we decided on that cake and couldn't stop thinking about it afterwards. 

After school we mostly hung out until it was time to go to the Ravine for a small church service. It is in the middle of one of the villages and is right under a tree, so it is nice and shady. The kids at the ravine were the cutest, and loved seeing us and sitting with us during the service. There was one boy in particular that was attached to me the whole time we were there. His name was Fransol, he was 9 years old and had the most precious smile in the world. He was so shy at first, but once I started hanging out with him and just playing with him he became more outgoing. Although there was a language barrier, as I do not know really any Creole and he knew no English, we were still able to become so close in a short matter of time. Before the service started we were sitting around and he saw my heart ring that I had made to raise money for the trip. I had one that I kind of messed up, but was good to me so I wore it all the time. He was really fond of it and kept playing with it and looking at it. I decided that it needed a new home and as I took it off my finger and place it on his, his face instantly lit up and he gave me the most loving hug I could have gotten. It even brought tears to my eyes that he was so grateful for it. It was just a simple wire ring, but to him it was like a diamond ring. Throughout the service he would hold my hands and play with my fingers, he even tried to get all the dirt out from under my finger nails, which I thought was the funniest thing ever. By the end of the service he knew I was leaving soon. He would just try his hardest to talk to me, but he began to point at things and tell me what they meant in Creole. I really wasn't ready to leave him but when I gave him a hug to looked him in the eyes and said the one thing I knew in Creole.. "Jezi renmen ou" and he looked at me and smiled and said the same thing back to me. He hugged me about 4 or 5 times before I left and I had to force myself to keep the tears from falling. I wasn't sure if I would ever see this little boy again, but he for sure made me feel like God has a purpose for me in Haiti. He knew that even with the language barrier I could show the love of Christ through my actions and just letting Him live through me. As we drove away I waved to Fransol until I couldn't see him anymore. I hope I can one day see him beautiful and sweet smile again, but if I don't I know God will use him in Haiti in such a great way. I will be praying for Him everyday that he lets God shine through and show His love just like he did with me today.

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, 

neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, 

nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, 

will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 8:38-39