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
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