As you all know, last week I was in Haiti for the entire week. That week changed my life - literally. I cannot look at the world the same. Things I thought were one way have now shifted. It's been this intense time of readjustment and trying to find normal and in the midst of it all being very blessed to have a week at the lake with my family.
I've gone to the lake since I was eight years old. (Now, grin, I will tell you that there are many decades that I have gone to the lake.) So, when my Haiti trip, which I only planned for four weeks in advance was scheduled right before the lake my concern was getting everything ready.
I cannot believe how over complicated I made coming up here before.
We don't really need much - even though it looks like a ton there. Some clothes, swimsuits, towels, and a deck of cards. And some gluten free food for Samuel and me. But when I look at all the stuff my family brings to the lake I am humbled.
It is so much stuff.
When I was in Haiti a sweet girl braided cornrows in my hair. She worked and worked and worked (I have a great deal of hair). When she was finished she started to put in my aqua lace headband that I purchased at Claire's for $2.98. I stopped her and handed it to her and pointed to me and then to her.
She was so grateful for that headband (you can see it barely in her hand).
She put it in her hair and her friends smiled and clapped. Then she put it on her wrist and held my hand the entire walk back to the car. And when I said goodbye to her later that day she waved and held up her wrist with the headband. So simple. But so powerful.
I probably have seven headbands packed in those bags.
Perspective.
The perspective that I gained about a vacation that used to stress me out for weeks prior because of packing extra blessed stuff? You know what? It's not really about the stuff. It's the time together. Fellowship. Playing. Sitting on the dock and watching the sunset. Those things.
Not physically bought things.
Haiti taught me to see the world differently.
It taught me to slow down. To stress less. To look the cashier in the eye. To say hello to others. To give of time. To listen more. To be patient. To be grateful. To be joyful. To not think of myself first. To let go of complaining. To love. To be bold. To think how I can give. To rejoice. To mourn. To embrace the little things.
Haiti gave me perspective.
And that perspective has forever changed me.
Blessed real perspective.
******
This week, while I am at the lake resting and enjoying family, I am giving myself the grace to write not on a daily schedule but at my leisure. So the posting might not be as frequent, but I do know that if and when I share it will be because I was inspired at the moment to sit at my teeny netbook and write. In fact, my book which I was aiming to have done by 8/1 will now be revised because of Haiti. Thanks again for loving and encouraging me last week. I am so blessed by you all. ~Rachel
And hahaha. Here I am in cornrows. :)
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I'm flying home now. In fact, as I write this post, I am 35,900 feet above the earth above Tampa Bay, Florida. In a very turbulent plane. I'm talking the you cannot walk to the back of the plane kind of turbulence where you are grateful for your seatbelt kind of turbulence. And that's okay. It's kind of the culmination of a journey of a lifetime.
Haiti changes lives.
And it changed mine.
So I'm sitting here trying to figure out how to keep the posture my heart found in Haiti in a world of busy and expectations and way way way too much stuff.
It makes my head spin a bit, which is similar to what this plane is doing right now.
In some ways being in Haiti is easier. It's simpler - you go back to the real basic things - the cooking, cleaning, washing the clothes, sweeping the floor, loving your children, type things. There aren't these extra things that we need to be doing. The kids play soccer in the field - there's no organized soccer sports - so the moms don't have to deal with schedules and cleats and shin guards and cutting the orange slices for practices and making sure their little one knows the rules - the mom in Haiti just says make sure you remove your jeans and run around barefoot playing soccer and be home to help with dinner. Simple.
We say that the modern conveniences make life simpler, but honestly, right now at this moment while I ride in this airplane after walking through the Miami Airport, my life feels like it just became a bit more complicated.
It's confusing, in a way.
I suppose that's the culture shock aspect. While I was standing in the line to go through security after going through customs I had those last moments to reflect. Here I was just a week ago nervous and excited about Haiti and now here I was standing in line with my shoes off and my laptop in one bin and my liquids and gels in the quart bag and my way way way too heavy backpack on the belt getting ready to reenter my life.
And honestly, honestly, I'm still trying to figure out how.
I know it will happen. We adapt. We forget.
But, I want to learn. I want to set a mark in my mind about Haiti and make myself remember. I'm going to put that picture of me doing laundry in my laundry room. I've got a bracelet that I bartered for that I wear on my wrist as a reminder of the simple things. Pictures with kids who I grew to love.
And my heart is different.
Do you know that they don't always have power? The government will turn off the power at certain times to certain districts. Do you know what that's like? It's crazy. The whole town will go dark - the whole countryside - as they wait for the power to return.
And yet they are joyful. Not complaining.
I complain if my power is out for more than several hours.
That's the stuff I want to remember. I want to remember to be thankful for my washing machine and dryer. I want to remember the heat of the coals in the kitchen and how dangerous it was to stand there with splattering oil all around. I want to remember how their laundry was scrubbed by hand and how my hands bled. I want to remember how they loved me and hugged me and called me sister. I want to remember the exhilaration of riding a motorbike on the beach at sunset. I want to remember what it is like to stand in a church while everyone sings at the top of their lungs because they are joyful.
I want to remember Haiti because Haiti helps keep me grounded.
So while it may feel like the end of one adventure, the end is truly the beginning. It's one of those moments in life when you can remember life before and life after. The life before is beautiful and celebrated. And the life after beautiful and celebrated as well. You just know that this moment was a pivot point and you can simply not return to being the same person as one was before.
The end of this trip is truly the beginning of the next chapter in my life.
Finding Joy.
I saw it in real life. I saw it where it was simply a lifestyle.
That is how I want to live.
And that is how I will encourage you to live as well.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, for journeying with me to Haiti and back. I appreciate every share and comment and like. You have blessed me with your support and deep encouragement. ~Rachel
To stay up to date with my Haiti Trip make sure to: subscribe by email (click subscribe by email ) You can also follow me on facebook -> finding joy blog or on twitter @finding_joy or on instagram at finding_joy You can also search the hashtag #findingjoyhaiti on instagram to find my pics right away.
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Well, I have some words. I found out that the women in the kitchen, whose names I have now on a yellow piece of paper - Mrs. Dominique, Mrs. Rolene, Mrs. Venise, Mrs. Esther, Mrs. Josiane, Mrs. Jislene, Miss Falone, and Miss Margie - talked about me all day yesterday. They were happy and joyful and loved having me in their kitchen. That was what I was told. (Make sure to read Why Cooking and Laundry Changed my Life)
I am planning on coming back. And walking in that kitchen and telling them in Creole (because I'm going to learn more) that I am ready and delighted to work with them again.
Haiti has a way of changing your heart.
Haiti has a way of helping you find your heart.
So today, today as I drive back from Torbeck to Port au Prince my heart is full and content. I knew I would leave Haiti a different person, but I really don't know how I would be different. I could tell you about the perspective gained, or the value on community, or the celebration of the little things, or the joy that I have found, but that is only part of the transformation in my own self.
Haiti made me find me.
In a way that is not morphed or warped or tinted or influenced by what others think, or what I think I should be doing, or what the media tells me to do. Here I was just able to be me - without the layers of unneeded perfection and measuring up. There was no judging and no presuppositions.
This surprised me.
I thought for sure I would be telling you that I found joy in Haiti - which I did. But, to come to the place where you are so isolated from your old self that you end up finding your real self? That is a gift. A real gift. It's hard to get to that place of comfortable when there are so many extras that we're told to do in our day to day life.
I'm telling you. Those extras, those things, those need to do's, and all of that doesn't really matter.
Love your family. Love your neighbors.
Don't spend your life wishing and waiting for things to change for you to live alive and grateful and full of joy. These people in Haiti are some of the most joyful people I have ever met. And they live in the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.
The poorest.
But, you would not know it. They are richest, most full of life, joyful people I have ever met.
It took me a bit to stop seeing Haiti through my American eyes. I would see the trash on the street and miss the dialogue between friends. I want to see the relationships. The real importants.
It is freeing to live without the layers of stuff on me.
As I was getting ready for the airport today I pulled out my travel clothes. It was with a sigh that I got ready and did my hair - just a bit, but kept it curly with remnants of corn rows on the top - and put on just some lipgloss. I really didn't care, I guess.
To home. Me, a new person, who will now have to figure out how to live in America again and to not lose the most powerful life lessons learned here in Haiti.
It is the most real I think I've ever felt.
******
To stay up to date with my Haiti Trip make sure to: subscribe by email (click subscribe by email ) You can also follow me on facebook -> finding joy blog or on twitter @finding_joy or on instagram at finding_joy You can also search the hashtag #findingjoyhaiti on instagram to find my pics right away.
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My heart cannot believe I have been in Haiti for four days now. It feels like just yesterday that I boarded that plane in Minneapolis bound for Haiti and then in the same breath it feels like I have been here for a very long time.
The Haitian culture becomes more beautiful with each day.
There is something so lovely about being around people who are simply joyful for life. They are not only full of joy, but are also full of kindness and generosity. They want to be with you, to learn about you, and to thank you. My friend, Jim, who is part of Praying Pelican Missions told me this, but I did the smile and nod and we'll see kind of posture, but I told him that it took less than 24 hours for me to fall in love with this country. He was right - they are so real and so wonderful that it is almost impossible to not fall in love with Haiti.
Yesterday was an incredibly busy day. In the morning we headed back up to the church in the mountains and began helping with construction efforts. Let me tell you - the physical labor that we all did that morning was perhaps some of the most draining physical labor I've ever done.
We hauled concrete blocks, some still damp, down the side of that mountain in an assembly line. At first it felt like no big deal, but after even mere minutes my arms were already starting to get fatigued and worn. Block after block came and I couldn't figure how to even grip them so I didn't drop them as I knew dropping them would result in broken toes. So I started to balance them on my arms. And in doing that today I have woken up with forearms with large bruises all over and scratches up to my shoulders. There are bruises on my hips from when I tried to balance them there.
I tell you this because those marks humble me.
I worked at this task for maybe an hour. Sixty minutes. And my body became worn.
The Haitian men that worked never stopped, never complained, and always laughed. They were so thankful for the work - as the money from our offerings on Sunday went to hiring men from the community and providing work. This intense physical work that made me want to stop after minutes was an incredible gift for them. So this morning, those bruises on my arm serve as a reminder to me to be grateful for work. And to work with joy.
And it amazes me how much of that wall was completed in one day. They just worked, didn't argue, there was no red tape - they just got the wall built. I can learn from that attitude.
It's inspiring.
Then in the afternoon the team worked on more kids ministry type projects. The kids are really starting to warm up to everyone and have claimed favorites. My little girls come up running and saying Rah-shell, Rah-shell. They love to play with my hair - by the time I leave the work site I probably will have gone through at least a dozen different styles.
But the highlight for me and for the team and those fabulous kids was when we loaded them all in a bus and drove down the mountain to a flat mango grove and field where the kids could run and play soccer. Riding in that bus with them was amazing.
Their joy could not be contained. They screamed and cheered and chanted and smiled and hugged us the whole way down. And then, then when the bus stopped they just ran and ran and ran and ran.
It was so beautiful.
I don't want to lose sight of these most beautiful and most simple things in life. The gift of work. The freedom to run. The fellowship of being together. The gifts of hugs. Or holding hands. Or looking one in the eye and smiling. These things matter. More than all of the stuff. Oh my goodness, if I have learned anything, these things matter way more than the stuff.
Perspective changes in Haiti.
Mine will never be the same.
Today, the exhaustion I feel is beautiful - it reminds me of real and joyful living.
******
Today the team is going back up the mountain to do more work on the site. Please keep all of us in your thoughts and prayers. It is very easy to get worn or dehydrated quickly here. I have to drink an incredible amount of water just to stay even. And then the team is going to do a repeat of the kids ministry this afternoon. I, on the other hand, will be joining the amazing Haitian women who prepare all of our meals. They've invited me into their kitchen and I will be working side by side with them learning about their lives and helping them cook. I could not be more humbled or joyful about this opportunity.
And, just for fun, yesterday I was able to ride a motorbike in Torbeck. Let me tell you - it was pure joy. I was taken down to the black pebble beach and we drove along the beach as the waves crashed ashore. I told my driver Bebay (I have to get the spelling right) that I would never forget this moment for the rest of my life. Life is amazing.
To stay up to date with my Haiti Trip make sure to: subscribe by email (click subscribe by email ) You can also follow me on facebook -> finding joy blog or on twitter @finding_joy or on instagram at finding_joy You can also search the hashtag #findingjoyhaiti on instagram to find my pics right away.
Tonight as I rest in my room and ponder words to share with you about today I've found myself in a strange place of being at a loss for words. It's not because I have nothing to write about, but rather because today far surpassed expectations that now I simply do not know what, when, and how to start to share. So I will tell you one thing.
I found joy.
A real joy, a deep joy, and a joy that I've never experienced before.
It was high in the mountains outside Port Salut. The church that we are serving is literally tucked on the side of the mountain. You park on the road and hike down a narrow and steep path to the church and then to get to the next part you hike down even a steeper cliff. It's like stairs almost. And then it just tumbles down a hillside of the mountain.
It is breathtaking.
And in that church, in the morning, the Haitian people were overjoyed to see us. They had made signs in English hanging from the walls and intricately cut chains of paper. But, beyond that, it was their genuine delight and appreciation for our team arriving that amazed me.
They loved us without even knowing us.
And so we sat in that church together and we sang praises in two different languages and we worshiped and out of my window were mountains and a view that is one that words will never describe. And as I sat there emotion began to well in me.
Tear fell from my face.
They were tears of joy. Tears of hope. Tears of gratitude. Tears of amazement.
And I let them fall.
So often I've found myself tucking in those tears with those I'm fine words of life. I'll shove them down and push myself to be stronger or to look like I've got it all together or to ignore the fact that I'm feeling real emotion. But, today, today in a church perched on a hill in Haiti with a group of people who absolutely loved me and didn't even know me - today I let the tears fall.
And in the falling of the tears I found joy.
When the service, which was over two hours but I could have sat there even longer, was over, we were rushed by everyone in that church who wanted to tell us thank you and God bless. Everyone. No one left without kissing my cheek or holding my hand or giving me a hug.
The irony is that here I was to serve - to help them, to partner with the local church and their needs, and to build a new church and school - and yet there I was being blessed beyond my imagination.
They loved me as a sister.
And that made me weep with joy.
******
The powerful part of Praying Pelican Missions is their desire to simply partner with the local church. Therefore as a member of a trip you get to get into the community, get to help with what they need, and are able to come alongside and encourage It is a beautiful partnership and the relationship forged are incredibly strong.
And, I'm learning a bit of Creole. I could listen to it for hours - it is a soothing and lovely language. When the Haitians sang in Creole today they sang loud, proud, and with such joy that it astounded me. Emotions aren't hidden here - they are celebrated.
Tomorrow we go back up the mountain and we start working on the foundation for their new church. We're also doing some kids ministry in the afternoon as well as bussing them down the mountain (as it's so steep) to a flat place where they can play soccer.
Oh yes, and one more highlight from the day? Getting some fresh coconut from a tree, that was opened with a machete, and drinking it right there in the afternoon sun. Simply glorious.
To stay up to date with my Haiti Trip make sure to: subscribe by email (click subscribe by email ) You can also follow me on facebook -> finding joy blog or on twitter @finding_joy or on instagram at finding_joy You can also search the hashtag #findingjoyhaiti on instagram to find my pics right away.
Yesterday we made the trek across the mountains of Haiti. I don't know the names of these mountains, but I can tell you that I have never seen more gorgeous or breathtaking scenery ever. The hills were steep and the water the most magnificent blue/green possible. It's such an honor to be here and to learn more about this most beautiful Haitian culture.
The trek began with us going back to the airport to pick up teams that have arrived. My biggest fear upon arriving in Haiti was navigating the airport. And, it wasn't bad at all. It just goes to remind me how so often we create an idea of something in our minds that is much worse then the real thing.
In fact, I think the question I got asked the most was - is Haiti safe to go to?
And I will answer you now with a bold yes. And, I am already looking forward to returning.
I have never felt in danger. I have only felt loved by a culture of people that I only knew about through American media. My perspective was shaped by what was reported. And yet, everyone that I know that has every been to Haiti told me that I will never be the same and that I will love the people.
They were right.
So back to yesterday, we picked up the two teams that I am blessed to go along with. One is from Mississippi and the other Tennessee. They are delightful and I am so thankful to be a part of their journey and that they welcomed me with such open arms. This is beautiful to me.
The interesting thing about perspective is that now I was able to observe the airport that I had been so fearful about. And it opens ones eyes even more to what we believe is true but really is just a fallacy. The Praying Pelican Mission staff has everything so beautifully organized that the teams quickly, well at least quickly in the Haitian culture, are greeted and moved to the vehicles. It was amazing to watch them work. I have also realized that I live in a culture that is constantly moving from point a to point be so fast that they often miss the journey between them.
And so we trekked across the mountains. We went through the epicenter of the earthquake as well as the hardest hit areas. I saw what I thought I would see. But it didn't make my heart feel pity - it instead made my heart amazed at the absolute tenacity, perseverance, and determination of the human race. I wondered if I would be as strong, as bold, and as brave.
Ha. I thought it bold to come on a plane to Haiti. These people, these people who care, are bold. And they, like I shared yesterday, are filled with joy. And thankfulness.
So I stopped seeing the harshness and started to look for the beauty. The good.
Don't we all need to do that?
We tend to focus so much on what isn't working and forget to see what does. The Haitian people are strong, focused, and proud people. They love their country and want to see it prosper. I can come alongside, you can come alongside, and they can teach us about life. And it is a beautiful partnership of skills.
So tonight, as I write this, I write it in a hotel room in Torbeck, Haiti.
Thank you for sharing, for supporting me, and for your encouragement.
~Rachel
To stay up to date with my Haiti Trip make sure to: subscribe by email (click subscribe by email ) You can also follow me on facebook -> finding joy blog or on twitter @finding_joy or on instagram at finding_joy You can also search the hashtag #findingjoyhaiti on instagram to find my pics right away.
(this is from my experiences on Friday, the first day I arrived in Haiti. Tomorrow morning I will share my post from my trek from Port au Prince to Torbeck, Haiti. I would have shared that tonight, but due to travel time and internet my posting is just a bit behind. The pictures are stunning. The people? Even more. Tomorrow morning we go to a local church and will be with them and then we will spend the afternoon in ministry projects. My heart is full. Let me change that. My heart is beyond full.)
Let me tell you a story of giving. And gratitude. And seeing the little things. And seeing the right things. The beautiful things.
Let me tell you about real.
It was mid afternoon, as the Haitian sun beat down on us, and we, the fabulous staff from Praying Pelican Missions (who I love, love, love) were driving in our car down a street in Port au Prince crowded with people. And I'm not talking about crowded like our American traffic. I'm talking about the sidewalks full, cars making their own rules, tap taps racing about, bikes zipping by, and people stopping traffic with their hands type of full. I'm talking about people everywhere - on the steps, in the windows, in front of their goods they were selling - kind of busy.
But, that's not the story.
And it's not about the poverty. Even though there is more poverty here then I've ever seen before. It's hard to articulate, to grasp, and to comprehend.
But, think of this - I saw no one complaining. Although, lol, I couldn't understand anything. I saw people working. Smiling. Moving. Doing. They were happy. My brain needed to shift from seeing the poverty to seeing the beauty of the people. And the Haitian people are simply beautiful.
Giving. Loving. Grateful.
Joyful.
But the story? This is the story we all must hear.
I saw a man, a man who must not have been more than 25, sprawled in the middle of the sidewalk starving. His body was thinner than I imagine a man's body should ever be and his eyes were hollow. In fact, the more that I think about it, his eyes were the eyes of one in pain.
He lay there, in the sidewalk with people everywhere holding a beat up faded blue baseball hat.
But this is what astounds me.
In that minute or so observing this man on the streets in the middle of Port au Prince, Haiti, I saw person after person after person stop and place money in his hat. Several men, a woman, and child. All stopped, smiled, and gave. All Haitians.
There was no judging, no wondering why he's in the middle of the street, no looking at their own money and counting - there was simply giving. Of money to a man who was dying in the middle of the Haitian streets. To a man that was in need even though there is so much need.
It was an unbelievable amount of giving in an unbelievably poverty stricken area.
And it hit me in my heart.
How many times do I overlook those in need? How many times do I think not today, but maybe tomorrow? How many times do I complain about little inconsequential things that really don't make a difference?
A man, in the street, needed help. And those who had little gave much.
I already wrestle with going back to a culture where I didn't see. I didn't see the comfortable in which I live.
I am starting to see.
I am starting to see love.
Real joy.
And it is in the beautiful streets of Haiti.
******
Please consider sharing these posts - they are posts about the real, authentic beauty of Haiti. I would be so blessed. ~Rachel
To stay up to date with my Haiti Trip make sure to: subscribe by email (click subscribe by email ) You can also follow me on facebook -> finding joy blog or on twitter @finding_joy or on instagram at finding_joy You can also search the hashtag #findingjoyhaiti on instagram to find my pics right away.
By the time you read this I will either be in an airplane 37000 feet about the earth or on the ground in Haiti. Today is the day that I leave behind my expectations about Haiti and instead trade them for reality.
When I originally wrote this this, it was less than two days before I left (I finished it up on the plane somewhere over Green Bay, Wisconsin, as my plane was rerouted due to intense storms in the area thus leaving me only 30 minutes to grab my connecting flight in Miami). And my heart is doing those little flips of nervous excitement. I know my life, my perspective, and my heart won't be the same. And I am so thrilled to share about my journey with you via my site.
I am grateful for every single email that you have sent me. For the comments. For the tweets. For the facebook mentions. And all of those encouraging words. They matter to me.
I think often when I write this site, this labor of love for me, that I write to myself just as much to all of you. The phrase brave mother wasn't by accident. It's exactly where I am, as well, in this journey of life. For too long I've lived cowering behind safe and have been afraid to truly embrace life and joy and hope and adventure.
This trip to Haiti is a lesson in bravery for me.
I could say it's because I'm flying alone. And navigating the airport alone. Or that it's because I'm not really sure what to expect. Or that the whole thing makes me nervous. Those reasons, yeah, they're brave. But the real brave for me is being willing to push myself to do something that years ago I would have told you was impossible.
It's easy to shrug our shoulders and to mutter those I don't really care kind of words. I've done that. I've lived that way, with that posture of deceiving myself into not really caring kind of way. But, now hear me, that's not how we're to live. We're not to live numb to life. Even though sometimes it's easier to live that way. I know.
But when you dim the painful parts of life you also dim joy.
And joy is too powerful and too beautiful to let fade.
So, for me, going to Haiti is also a fight for that real, in the pit of the stomach, joy. It's not about me getting. It's about me learning, letting go, and giving. And I know in return that the blessings I will receive will far surpass anything I ever expected.
As a blessing to me I'd love it if you would share my Haiti journey with others. It's a tremendous blessing that Praying Pelican Missions asked me to attend a trip on their behalf and to write about it. But, I need your help and support now. Comment. Share. Learn more about Praying Pelican Mission. And learn about Haiti with me. When I come home I'm going to have a project that you and I and the next mom reading this site will be able to work for. We might be able to build a school. Imagine that. Build a school for kids. Or sponsor kids to attend school. Those things matter. They make a difference.
So now, now as you read this, think of me, please. Send your encouragement. Prayers. Thoughts.
And be brave yourself.
Because if anything when you read this site I want you to shut your laptop and to leave feeling brave. Inspired. And knowing that this life is a gift and that what you are doing every single day is amazing.
Thank you.
Rachel
(and that last pic of me was about 10 minutes for my plane took off for Miami. Grin.)
******
To stay up to date with my Haiti Trip make sure to: subscribe by email (click subscribe by email ) You can also follow me on facebook -> finding joy blog or on twitter @finding_joy or on instagram at finding_joy You can also search the hashtag #findingjoyhaiti on instagram to find my pics right away.
to receive finding joy via email simply click subscribe. Images and original content are sole property of Rachel Martin and may not be used, copied or transmitted without prior written consent.
One week from today I will be boarding a plane and flying from Minneapolis to Miami to Haiti.
I have no idea what to expect.
Oh, I have images in my head of what I think Haiti will be like - a collection of pictures thrown together to make what I believe I think I'll see. They're a mixture of images burned in my mind from the earthquake that I scrolled through on cnn.com to the tender smiles and laughter of the children that I saw from when friends of mine visited last summer. They're a smorgasboard of pictures of poverty mixed with tropical beauty mixed with vibrant sun mixed with noise. But, honestly, they're all ideas of perhaps what I'll expect to see.
It's like the What to Expect When You're Expecting book, in a way. I remember scouring that book when I was pregnant the first time - reading about morning sickness, stretch marks, what it will feel like to feel that child move within you the first time, and labor - but until I went through a pregnancy and watched my body change - only then could I really tell you what the expected actually was.
A dear friend of mine challenged me to think about what I think I will experience in Haiti and to share it with you today. And then, then while I'm there the expecting aspect will become a reality aspect and I will see where the thoughts, images, and ideas matched and where I was totally off. I have a deep feeling that most of what I expect won't really be the reality.
There are little things I expect like knowing it will be hot. But how hot? I know it won't be Minnesota hot on the hottest day of summer where we all hunker inside and I think to myself rather foolishly that I wish it was winter. (Sigh. Note to self: even on the hottest day in the summer do not wish it was winter). I've tried to prep myself for the heat - with hats, headbands, sunscreen - but, truthfully, I'll have no idea of that heat until I find myself walking out of the airport in Port au Prince and my straightened hair quickly reverting to its naturally curly state.
But, this isn't all about the physical aspects, I guess. I suppose I could tell you that I expect the sun to be so brilliant that my eyes will want to be shaded. Or that in Port au Prince I will be stunned at how many people are around everywhere. That there will be noises that I've never heard and that all of my American ideas of normal will quickly be shattered. But, honestly, I am expecting a great deal to not only paint a new picture of Haiti for myself (and thus you all as I'll be writing about it) but also for my heart.
What will it be like to work/shadow a Haitian mother for days?
I complain about laundry here. And yet, while in Haiti, I'll get to work alongside a mother doing her daily chores - laundry, cooking, etc... - how quickly will be it be that my hands, who are used to simply dumping clothes in a machine, spinning the dial, moving them to the next machine, removing them and folding them - how soon will those hands of mine be worn? Have callouses? I expect to tire much quicker from the work. I expect that I will learn a new understanding for work. I expect that my ideas of mothering will change and yet, at the core, the loving of a child will stay the same.
I also expect that the paradigm in which I see this world will be forever shifted.
And that part? I have no idea what to expect.
So, in a week, as I board that plane, traveling to Haiti with Praying Pelican Missions, I know that even though I am being blessed to go help, to give back, to write about Haiti, and to share with you all about Haiti and ways that you, too, can help, that I will be the one who will be stepping onto a plane leaving Minnesota to not come back the same.
I expect my heart to be forever changed.
And that?
That's the one thing I'm absolutely sure of.
*******
From June 21 - June 27 I'll be in Torbeck, Haiti, working alongside Praying Pelican Missions. I'll be flying into Port au Prince, spending a night there, visiting an orphanage, and then the next day returning to the airport to document and observe missions teams arriving. Then I'll join them and will trek across the mountains to the fishing village of Torbeck. I do, by the way, expect to see banana trees, dusty roads, and vibrant colors on this stretch of the journey. And then, once I'm in Torbeck, which is part of the Port Salut district I'll be working with the missions teams on various tasks. Building, planting trees, playing sports with the kids in the afternoon, and for me, the part in which I'm most excited about - working alongside Haitian mothers.
I cannot imagine what I will be taught about life during those days.
Please take a minute to learn more about Haiti and Praying Pelican Missions. I've known Jim, the leader of my trip, for years. We attend the same church, his sweet daughter is around the same age as my Samuel, we've talked about Haiti and missions and social media for years after church standing in the entryway as our kids have raced around, and now, now to finally go and share with you what Praying Pelican Missions does every day in Haiti? Well, it is a beautiful reality and blessing. It is an honor to be given the opportunity to not only experience Haiti and to serve, but to be able to write, take pictures, and share it with you as well.
During the week that I am there I will be sharing with you about Haiti. If you haven't subscribed by email yet click subscribe by emailso that you don't miss a day. You can also follow me on facebook -> finding joy blog or on twitter @finding_joy or on pinterest at or on instagram at finding_joy. Do me a favor and like and share this post as well - it brings awareness to the awesome things Praying Pelican is doing in Haiti.
And, finally, please keep me in your thoughts and prayers over the next couple weeks - for health, for my family at home, for my heart, and for strength. The one thing I constantly hear from others when I tell them I'm going to Haiti is that I will never be the same. I want to let go of the fears and embrace the real. To find joy. To be a voice. To see differently. That's what I want and actually expect.
~Rachel
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