first days

I have to write rather quickly- the internet here is less than reliable and I want to give you all an update while I can!

So far, so good. Soaking in everything a new country has to offer can be quite overwhelming and exciting all at once. Wednesday I bawled like a baby, got my last starbucks and ate a giant cheeseburger for my last meal in the States. We arrived at base around 8pm (after plenty of near death experiences on the road- if you have been to india its a lot like that minus all the cows) which in Haiti feels like midnight. (we seem to operate on the same schedule as the sun...ill go into that later) As I predicted, so far the most terrifying part of the journey has been the port au prince airport. I think it may have been easier if I were not with 4 people each with like 3 suitcases but nevertheless I thought I may not make it to the base lol. But we did because Jesus loves us. Anyways so dinner was waiting for us- steak, wonderfully tender well seasoned covered in pico steak. It was quite the welcoming meal. I was taken to my tent and started to settle in. Before you start picturing a tiny camping tent I will describe it for you. Its a big tent. Each tent is separated into 4 quarters. My quarter has 2 beds, 2 "book cases", 2 lights and in our case 1 chair. Its quite cozy and I lived in Gardner Hall for 4 years so I can easily do this. I dont have a roommate currently but from what I understand she lives at the other base and comes here twice a month which wont be bad.

So thats my tent, its air conditioned which is nice. I have actually been cold the past few nights. Thursday and Friday have been orientation days. I woke up yesterday around 6- when you are in a tent, you wake up when your tent mates wake up. Someone in our tent has an alarm that talks- "It is time to wake up, it is 6:11." And she says it until you wake up. This anonymous person did not wake up from 6 am to 6:14am. These are the times I must quote scripture in my brain about being clothed in love etc. Now if you know me at all, you know I am absolutely a mess in the morning and the last thing I want to do is see people. Here, the showers are outside. About a 1 1/2 minute walk from my tent. I walked as quickly as I could, avoiding eye contact with everyone I saw. Im guessing I will get used to it, although I think its more them needing to get used to morning me.

The showers are COLD ( and just like the dressing rooms at belk in boone if you have ever seen them. I am pretty sure at this point everyone has seen me.). At 6am the sun hasnt been able to heat the water up yet which reduces my shower routine to about 3 minutes every morning. There are outlets and I could blow dry my hair but with this humidity it is absolutely pointless. I have been looking very "natural" for the past 2 days. I did get my first mosquito bite yesterday, and my 2nd and 3rd and 15th. There are lots of mosquitoes and they seem to enjoy me. Oh and get this- I am getting some sun. Right now I just look a bit pinkish but I am hoping that after a weekend in my back yard - aka the beach- I will be a bit on the darker side.

So anyways- sorry this is so long- for orientation each program operating in our Haiti office spends about an hour telling us what they do. To my surprise yesterday I got to go right to the Greta Home and Academy. I was not expecting this at all since that aspect of my job doesnt start until late February. I was ecstatic. We pulled up to the front and I could not believe how beautiful it was. As we walked up the sidewalk a small boy about 5 or 6 started walking towards us. He walked right up to me and stopped. I looked down and he was reaching his hands up for me. I picked him up and he clung as tightly as he could. I could have cried. This lasted for about 10 minutes and all I could think was wow I must really be called to these children. He needs so much love, I cant even begin to imagine what he has been through. He then began to try to kiss me, on the lips. I turned my cheek to him but that wouldnt do so several failed attempts later he jumped down. -Now, I could stop the story here and you would be like oh my how beautiful is that blady bla, but....he then made his way to every woman in the group wanting to be held. This lasted the entire 2 hours we were there and come to find out, he has autism which is why he could not talk. I didnt feel special anymore but I still loved him and needed to feel that touch from a child.

We spent the rest of our time there taking a tour of the grounds and that is when I saw my first spider. Oh my gosh- luckily it was dead but this "tiny" tarantula could eat have eaten a lizard. Apparently there are quite a few of those running around over there. I dont want to jinx it but so far, no live ones near me. Lots of lizards, lots of really loud birds that sometimes sound like people and lots of mosquitoes.

I have been trying to make friends, everyone is really nice. I have been sick since we got here though so any free time has been spent taking a nap or sitting on the beach. I heard boone is a flood- hope you all are making it. Its quite beautiful here. Tomorrow morning I will take a picture of my view when I open my tent door. Its the most breathtaking thing I have seen.

Keep praying for me. If you wrote me a card before I came down here its with me now and has been re read many times since arriving. Here are some specific things you can be praying for me about:

1. For this sickness to go away!
2. For friendship, godly women I can connect with, be poured into by and pour into
3. Relationships with the locals. They are wonderful people that I think it is essential to connect with
4. My learning of creole- its going pretty well and one of the guys here is offering lessons every wednesday night that I will start taking
5. Exactly what Pastor Banks prophesied- that I will find what God has for me, be open to it each day.

I will go ahead and confess that just by being sick and the new person that doesnt have everyone encouraging them, in 2 days I was like hmmm do I really have a purpose here? I feel like I'm not really important. Well that is a lie and I have a specific purposeful God ordained role here and I dont need others to tell me that in order to believe it.

I love you guys so much and I miss you already! If you want to send me stuff down here you can mail it to Samaritan's Purse in Boone to the attention of Terry Harmon- just make sure you write my name and Haiti on it. And you should send me stuff- like food :)

Tomorrow we are having some children from the Greta Home baptized at the beach so pictures of that are sure to follow! Mwen fatigue! Good Night!