{haiti day 8}
Dear Candice,
I'm on the plane on my way to Dallas. The Haiti trip is over. I am a different person. I wouldn't have changed a minute of it for the world.
All I want to do right now is trun this plane around and go get Dafka. Today is the first day I have gone without seeing her and i can't handle it.
There are so many emotions racing through my head that I don't know what to think.
Home sickness is starting to settle in. I want to go home- to my REAL home...Haiti.
I am going back to tennessee to prepare for when God calls me to go back. And when He calls, I'll be ready.
There's nothing else.
Just Haiti.
I love you.
Love,
Sara
Thursday, July 28, 2011
love of orphans and motherly love
{haiti day 7}
Dear Candice,
today for the first half of the day we went shopping. I bought a machete, some braceletes, some neckleces, jars, and a painting. We got to bargian with the vendors on the side of the road. It was super cool.
For the second half of the day, we were free to do what we wanted. So I went down to the Creche. We leave tomorrow so I had to say goodbye to the kids. I spent every second of my time down there with Dafka. I didn't put her down. I just couldn't do it. So I took her out to the patio and sung to her as she fell asleep, as usual. And then i started talkng to her while she was alseep. She had no idea I was talking to her because she was asleep, but even if she was awake, I was speaking English and she is only two. I cried and cried as I sung to her and told her how much I love her.
Having to say goodbye was the hardest thing I have ever done. After she woke up, she saw that I was crying. She reached up, took her tiny hands and wiped my sunbured, tear saturated face. then she laid back down. My tears did'nt stop. i continued to weep and weep as I held such a fragile and treasured life in my arms. So she looked back up at me, took off my glasses, and wiped my tears with the rough fabric of her dress.
When I finally said goodbye, I made my way up to the roof. When I was going up, I saw Laura Lyn. She saw that I was crying and quickly embraced me in her arms. Her welcoming hug was the boost that I needed to make it the next few hours.
So I went up to the roof of the guest house to try to write. All I could hear was her innocent voice as she cried my name 6 floors below me. I looked down the off the roof and saw her sitting on the stairs caling my name with tears streaming down her dark face. As soon as she say me, she motioned for me to come down to her. I broke. I had to go back down there but I knew that if I went back down, I wouldnt be able to leave.
So I sat back in a chair on the roof sobbing and crying out to God in my distress.
I knew that He was the only one that could help me.
After her cries stopped, I looked down again, 15 minutes later to see her laying on the steps waiting for me.
I can't leave. I just don't think that i physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually have the ability to go back to the states.
This is where I belong.
I love you.
Love,
Sara
Dear Candice,
today for the first half of the day we went shopping. I bought a machete, some braceletes, some neckleces, jars, and a painting. We got to bargian with the vendors on the side of the road. It was super cool.
For the second half of the day, we were free to do what we wanted. So I went down to the Creche. We leave tomorrow so I had to say goodbye to the kids. I spent every second of my time down there with Dafka. I didn't put her down. I just couldn't do it. So I took her out to the patio and sung to her as she fell asleep, as usual. And then i started talkng to her while she was alseep. She had no idea I was talking to her because she was asleep, but even if she was awake, I was speaking English and she is only two. I cried and cried as I sung to her and told her how much I love her.
Having to say goodbye was the hardest thing I have ever done. After she woke up, she saw that I was crying. She reached up, took her tiny hands and wiped my sunbured, tear saturated face. then she laid back down. My tears did'nt stop. i continued to weep and weep as I held such a fragile and treasured life in my arms. So she looked back up at me, took off my glasses, and wiped my tears with the rough fabric of her dress.
When I finally said goodbye, I made my way up to the roof. When I was going up, I saw Laura Lyn. She saw that I was crying and quickly embraced me in her arms. Her welcoming hug was the boost that I needed to make it the next few hours.
So I went up to the roof of the guest house to try to write. All I could hear was her innocent voice as she cried my name 6 floors below me. I looked down the off the roof and saw her sitting on the stairs caling my name with tears streaming down her dark face. As soon as she say me, she motioned for me to come down to her. I broke. I had to go back down there but I knew that if I went back down, I wouldnt be able to leave.
So I sat back in a chair on the roof sobbing and crying out to God in my distress.
I knew that He was the only one that could help me.
After her cries stopped, I looked down again, 15 minutes later to see her laying on the steps waiting for me.
I can't leave. I just don't think that i physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually have the ability to go back to the states.
This is where I belong.
I love you.
Love,
Sara
canez
{haiti day 6}
Dear Candice,
Today we went to the village of Canez in Haiti. Its a very small village with a population of no more than one hundred people. Last night they tried to prepare us with what Canez would be like. But when we got there, I realized that they couldn't prepare us for something like this. Canez was so far from anything I have ever seen or could ever imagine. But I absolutely loved it. The people's houses were these mud huts and were very small. Women would walk up to us with their babies and give the babies to us to hold. The children didn't wear pants becuase that's how they potty train their kids. There was one tree there and the rest of the area was dirt and thorn bushes. it was right on the coast of a big lake so there was a constant breeze which was nice because it was very hot. It was beautiful.
There was such a peace there. There was just this feeling of a serene joy that was overflowing from the village. It was amazing. We split into groups and went hut to hut to pray with people who lived in the huts. Every hut we went to, we would ask if there was anyone in that home who was sick, anyone who was converted, and we asked if we could pray with them. Almost every single person said yes, there is someone who is sick, yes, everyone is converted, and yes, we could pray with them. That blew me away. Yes, they were sick, and yes they were converted. Sickness in Haiti, especcially in Canez, isnt like having a cold in the states. There is no doctor there. There is no medicine there. And then on top of that, when we would ask them how we could pray with them, more than a few times, they would say something like, "That I would serve God better," or, "Thank God for all that He has blessed me with." WHAT?!?!?!?! These people are living in the most impoverished country in our hemisphere and they have NOTHING and yet they want to THANK God for ALL that He has blessed them with?????
What is wrong with me? Why do I not have that mentality. Man, it made me think long and hard about what I thank God for.
At one point, I was holding a little baby. He was the tiniest baby I have ever seen. He was all bundled up and sweating like no ones buisness. And he was dead asleep. So I sang to him. I sat down with him in my arms at the shore, and Sang to him every old hymn i could think of for a solid 45 minutes. It was the biggest blessing in my life. I just sat there and rocked this beautiful creation and sung to him about how good God is. I would do anything to get those few minutes back. They were amazing.
I may never know the name of that baby boy, but I know for sure that God loves him more than anything.
Only two more days.
I love you.
Love,
Sara
Dear Candice,
Today we went to the village of Canez in Haiti. Its a very small village with a population of no more than one hundred people. Last night they tried to prepare us with what Canez would be like. But when we got there, I realized that they couldn't prepare us for something like this. Canez was so far from anything I have ever seen or could ever imagine. But I absolutely loved it. The people's houses were these mud huts and were very small. Women would walk up to us with their babies and give the babies to us to hold. The children didn't wear pants becuase that's how they potty train their kids. There was one tree there and the rest of the area was dirt and thorn bushes. it was right on the coast of a big lake so there was a constant breeze which was nice because it was very hot. It was beautiful.
There was such a peace there. There was just this feeling of a serene joy that was overflowing from the village. It was amazing. We split into groups and went hut to hut to pray with people who lived in the huts. Every hut we went to, we would ask if there was anyone in that home who was sick, anyone who was converted, and we asked if we could pray with them. Almost every single person said yes, there is someone who is sick, yes, everyone is converted, and yes, we could pray with them. That blew me away. Yes, they were sick, and yes they were converted. Sickness in Haiti, especcially in Canez, isnt like having a cold in the states. There is no doctor there. There is no medicine there. And then on top of that, when we would ask them how we could pray with them, more than a few times, they would say something like, "That I would serve God better," or, "Thank God for all that He has blessed me with." WHAT?!?!?!?! These people are living in the most impoverished country in our hemisphere and they have NOTHING and yet they want to THANK God for ALL that He has blessed them with?????
What is wrong with me? Why do I not have that mentality. Man, it made me think long and hard about what I thank God for.
At one point, I was holding a little baby. He was the tiniest baby I have ever seen. He was all bundled up and sweating like no ones buisness. And he was dead asleep. So I sang to him. I sat down with him in my arms at the shore, and Sang to him every old hymn i could think of for a solid 45 minutes. It was the biggest blessing in my life. I just sat there and rocked this beautiful creation and sung to him about how good God is. I would do anything to get those few minutes back. They were amazing.
I may never know the name of that baby boy, but I know for sure that God loves him more than anything.
Only two more days.
I love you.
Love,
Sara
eliza
{haiti day 5}
Dear Candice,
Today I went to soccer camp again. My friend samantha shared the Gospel and one little boy was converted. alot of the other kids laughed as he came down to be prayed over. Jesus says, "Blessed are those are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kindom of heaven." That little boy is blessed.
I was only there for half of the day. For the second half, I went down to the cretch and spent 3 hours there. i just love those kids so much. They are so beautiful.
Tonight, I lead the devotion. I talked about one of my favorite verses- matthew 10:27. It says, "What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the rooftops." On Saturday, right when we got off the plane, there was a man walking around and speaking Creole (as do most Haitian men...). Anyway, he was talking and then he looked at me and said quietly, "Jesus is coming back" in English. And I thought to myslef, "THAT'S IT!" I got so excited because I knew that God had just used that man to whisper to me. So I had to go tell everyone on the rooftops that Jesus is coming back. After that, we got on a bus to take us to the guest house. In the front of the bus, the words "God is good" were written. There it was again! In the dark, God told me that He is good. So I had to say it in the light. I told the people on my team that. I told them those things and not to be afraid of saying things on the rooftops or in the light. Because the next verse said not to fear the people who can kill you but can't destroy your soul. I just hope they understood what I meant.
On our trip there is a 10-year-old girl named Eliza. She has the faith that only comes from an innocent soul and feeds her righteousness on a daily baisis. She asked to go to Haiti for Christmas (wow#1). We have been here for 5 days, and not once have i heard here complain one single sylable (wow#2). She is so faithful to the kids in the Creche that she is with them every second that she can holding at least 2 kids at a time (wow #3). After devotion tonight, one of our translators, Mardoche, asked to pray over her. So our entire team of sixty- something gathered around yough Eliza to lay hands on her and pray for her. Mardoche's prayer was in Creole but it was so powerful. By the end of his prayer Eliza, as well as many of us, was in tears. It was so powerful. A few other people got to share some words with here when we were done praying. I fought for my time to share with her one of my favorite Bible passages.
I finally got my turn. So I scooped her up in my arms and let her cry for a moment. Then I looked at her and began talking to her. I shared with her about the prophet Jeremiah. I told her that in the first chapter of the book of Jeremiah, God called him to go a preach about Him. But Jeremiah told God that he was only a child and that God can't use him because he was too young. But God replied, "Do not say, 'I am only a child!' For wherever I send you, you shall go; and whatever I command you, you shall say."
So I told Eliza that she is not just a child. But to keep going and saying what God wants her to.
It was a precious exchange that I shared with a precious treasure of God.
Say it in the light,
I love you.
Love,
Sara
Dear Candice,
Today I went to soccer camp again. My friend samantha shared the Gospel and one little boy was converted. alot of the other kids laughed as he came down to be prayed over. Jesus says, "Blessed are those are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kindom of heaven." That little boy is blessed.
I was only there for half of the day. For the second half, I went down to the cretch and spent 3 hours there. i just love those kids so much. They are so beautiful.
Tonight, I lead the devotion. I talked about one of my favorite verses- matthew 10:27. It says, "What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the rooftops." On Saturday, right when we got off the plane, there was a man walking around and speaking Creole (as do most Haitian men...). Anyway, he was talking and then he looked at me and said quietly, "Jesus is coming back" in English. And I thought to myslef, "THAT'S IT!" I got so excited because I knew that God had just used that man to whisper to me. So I had to go tell everyone on the rooftops that Jesus is coming back. After that, we got on a bus to take us to the guest house. In the front of the bus, the words "God is good" were written. There it was again! In the dark, God told me that He is good. So I had to say it in the light. I told the people on my team that. I told them those things and not to be afraid of saying things on the rooftops or in the light. Because the next verse said not to fear the people who can kill you but can't destroy your soul. I just hope they understood what I meant.
On our trip there is a 10-year-old girl named Eliza. She has the faith that only comes from an innocent soul and feeds her righteousness on a daily baisis. She asked to go to Haiti for Christmas (wow#1). We have been here for 5 days, and not once have i heard here complain one single sylable (wow#2). She is so faithful to the kids in the Creche that she is with them every second that she can holding at least 2 kids at a time (wow #3). After devotion tonight, one of our translators, Mardoche, asked to pray over her. So our entire team of sixty- something gathered around yough Eliza to lay hands on her and pray for her. Mardoche's prayer was in Creole but it was so powerful. By the end of his prayer Eliza, as well as many of us, was in tears. It was so powerful. A few other people got to share some words with here when we were done praying. I fought for my time to share with her one of my favorite Bible passages.
I finally got my turn. So I scooped her up in my arms and let her cry for a moment. Then I looked at her and began talking to her. I shared with her about the prophet Jeremiah. I told her that in the first chapter of the book of Jeremiah, God called him to go a preach about Him. But Jeremiah told God that he was only a child and that God can't use him because he was too young. But God replied, "Do not say, 'I am only a child!' For wherever I send you, you shall go; and whatever I command you, you shall say."
So I told Eliza that she is not just a child. But to keep going and saying what God wants her to.
It was a precious exchange that I shared with a precious treasure of God.
Say it in the light,
I love you.
Love,
Sara
so much more than soccer
{haiti day 4}
Dear Candice,
Today I went to soccer camp. There were about 100 kids there who were anywhere from the age of 6 to 14. What we did was we took a group of about 10 kids to different stations where we did things like pass the ball, race, and stretch. Then we sat them all down, fed them cookies and kool aid and shared the Gospel with them. For the afternoon session, I got to share the Gospel. I told the story of the women at the well. I wasn't sure what to say when I went up to share, but I know that God blessed what I had to say. The Gospel is not just something that you can mess up. At the end, I asked who wanted to have the Living Water that Jesus offered the woman at the well. 5 kids came to Christ. I'm looking forward to seeing them one day.
After soccer camp was finished we came home and ate dinner and had a devotion. One of our translators named Isaiah did our devotion. He talked about Jonah. His speech was beautiful and sure did inspire me. It's good to have reasurance that I need to do God's will on a daily basis.
4 days down. I'm loving it.
I love you.
Love,
Sara
Dear Candice,
Today I went to soccer camp. There were about 100 kids there who were anywhere from the age of 6 to 14. What we did was we took a group of about 10 kids to different stations where we did things like pass the ball, race, and stretch. Then we sat them all down, fed them cookies and kool aid and shared the Gospel with them. For the afternoon session, I got to share the Gospel. I told the story of the women at the well. I wasn't sure what to say when I went up to share, but I know that God blessed what I had to say. The Gospel is not just something that you can mess up. At the end, I asked who wanted to have the Living Water that Jesus offered the woman at the well. 5 kids came to Christ. I'm looking forward to seeing them one day.
After soccer camp was finished we came home and ate dinner and had a devotion. One of our translators named Isaiah did our devotion. He talked about Jonah. His speech was beautiful and sure did inspire me. It's good to have reasurance that I need to do God's will on a daily basis.
4 days down. I'm loving it.
I love you.
Love,
Sara
independence from independence
{haiti day 3}
Dear Candice,
Happy 4th of July!! Today has been a beautiful day. We got the choice of where we wanted to go today. Our choices were to go to a soccer camp that we are putting on or to go down to the cretch all day. Since i started building relationships yesterday with the beautiful kids, I stayed at the cretch. I met a little boy named Wilnes. He is 11 years old. He and I played soccer for about an hour today and it was alot of fun.
He asked me some random questions like how old I am and if I like Justin Bieber.
And then he asked me where my mom was. This really hit me. I told him that my mom was at my house with the rest of my family. He then proceded to ask me about the rest of my family. Candice, that was when I realized how much I love my family. Sure they can be really annoying, and they aren't perfect, but at least I have them.
Dafka stayed by my side the whole day. I sung her more songs. After I finished singing "How Deep the Fathers Love for Us" I stopped singing. She looked up at me and opened my mouth. I was slightly puzzled by why she did this, so I closed my mouth again. Then I realized she wanted me to keep singing. So I sang another song. And then she fell asleep.
What an Independance day this has been.
I love you.
Love,
Sara
Dear Candice,
Happy 4th of July!! Today has been a beautiful day. We got the choice of where we wanted to go today. Our choices were to go to a soccer camp that we are putting on or to go down to the cretch all day. Since i started building relationships yesterday with the beautiful kids, I stayed at the cretch. I met a little boy named Wilnes. He is 11 years old. He and I played soccer for about an hour today and it was alot of fun.
He asked me some random questions like how old I am and if I like Justin Bieber.
And then he asked me where my mom was. This really hit me. I told him that my mom was at my house with the rest of my family. He then proceded to ask me about the rest of my family. Candice, that was when I realized how much I love my family. Sure they can be really annoying, and they aren't perfect, but at least I have them.
Dafka stayed by my side the whole day. I sung her more songs. After I finished singing "How Deep the Fathers Love for Us" I stopped singing. She looked up at me and opened my mouth. I was slightly puzzled by why she did this, so I closed my mouth again. Then I realized she wanted me to keep singing. So I sang another song. And then she fell asleep.
What an Independance day this has been.
I love you.
Love,
Sara
falling in love
{haiti day 2}
Dear Candice,
We went to church today in Haiti. Church in Haiti is different than church in America. 1) The don't speak English 2) There is no personal space so I am squished 3) People in the pews aren't afraid to interject randomly with an "Amen" or "Hallelujah". and 4) Church lasted 2 and a half hours...It's pretty long.
So I just went down to the cretch which is where the orphans stay at the guest house that we are staying at. There is one little girl named Dafka who immediatley attached herself to me. She is one of the most beautiful children I have ever seen. She is two-years-old and speaks no english. She wouldn't let me put her down, so I sang to her. I sang to Dafka the old hymns that my mom used to sing to me when I was little. Dafka had no idea what I was saying, but she fell sleep. She slept and slept until she woke up about an hour later. I love her. She reminds me of you and I love it.
This is amazing.
I love you.
Love,
Sara
Dear Candice,
We went to church today in Haiti. Church in Haiti is different than church in America. 1) The don't speak English 2) There is no personal space so I am squished 3) People in the pews aren't afraid to interject randomly with an "Amen" or "Hallelujah". and 4) Church lasted 2 and a half hours...It's pretty long.
So I just went down to the cretch which is where the orphans stay at the guest house that we are staying at. There is one little girl named Dafka who immediatley attached herself to me. She is one of the most beautiful children I have ever seen. She is two-years-old and speaks no english. She wouldn't let me put her down, so I sang to her. I sang to Dafka the old hymns that my mom used to sing to me when I was little. Dafka had no idea what I was saying, but she fell sleep. She slept and slept until she woke up about an hour later. I love her. She reminds me of you and I love it.
This is amazing.
I love you.
Love,
Sara
jumping in with both feet
{haiti day 1}
Dear Candice,
I'm on the plane to Port-Au-Prince. It's all real. The pilot just came on the speakers and said we're 100 miles away. It's acctually happening.
I don't know what to expect. I've never had to worry about safety. I've never had to deal with a language barrier. This is all so much to me.Ii don't know what to know. There is so much that is unknown. Part of me is afraid. But I know that I have nothing to fear. Psalm 56:18 says, "When I am afraid, I put my trust in You." So if and when I get in situations where I start to get scared, I will put my trust in Him.
I have a friend who has such a love and burning passion for Haiti and is so changed by what it did to him. Darden has been praying for me and encouraging me through the whole Haiti process. I was talking to him this morning when he asked me if i was anxious. I said yes, which is probably an understatement. I am nervous. I don't know what's going to happen or what this trip will bring. So after i told him that i was nervous, he replied, "Good. That means you're ready."
Am I? Am I ready to go and experience a third world country, let alone one of the most empoverished? I trust Darden. But I trust Jesus more. And I know for sure that I would not be here if God didn't think I was ready.
So here I go.
the moment I've been waiting for.
I love you.
Love,
Sara
Dear Candice,
I'm on the plane to Port-Au-Prince. It's all real. The pilot just came on the speakers and said we're 100 miles away. It's acctually happening.
I don't know what to expect. I've never had to worry about safety. I've never had to deal with a language barrier. This is all so much to me.Ii don't know what to know. There is so much that is unknown. Part of me is afraid. But I know that I have nothing to fear. Psalm 56:18 says, "When I am afraid, I put my trust in You." So if and when I get in situations where I start to get scared, I will put my trust in Him.
I have a friend who has such a love and burning passion for Haiti and is so changed by what it did to him. Darden has been praying for me and encouraging me through the whole Haiti process. I was talking to him this morning when he asked me if i was anxious. I said yes, which is probably an understatement. I am nervous. I don't know what's going to happen or what this trip will bring. So after i told him that i was nervous, he replied, "Good. That means you're ready."
Am I? Am I ready to go and experience a third world country, let alone one of the most empoverished? I trust Darden. But I trust Jesus more. And I know for sure that I would not be here if God didn't think I was ready.
So here I go.
the moment I've been waiting for.
I love you.
Love,
Sara
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