This week makes 5 years since the first time I visited Haiti. I had no idea that trip would change everything and I would be here 5 years later, feeling more at home than I ever have. I am so thankful for God’s plan and the country of Haiti. This post will be a little different. I want to share some of my favorite memories…and there are a lot.
March 2017
March 2017 was my first visit to Haiti. I had been wanting to go for years and finally got the chance. I was excited but a nervous as well. Little did I know the joys I would find.
– driving through a market
– the little girl that I had sworn I had seen before in a dream
-hanging out with sweet ladies and cute kiddos while waiting on benches to dry
-this little boy knew how to strike a pose
-my happy place, covered in kids. the little girl giving a thumbs up was named “Janie” (or at least that is what I understood
-making bracelets
– finished product
-the whole crew (Scott, AJ, Doug, Janelle, Shelby, Kyrslie, Tessa, Gerald, Murrell, Cady)
– proof that Kyrslie and I did work!
– a conversation over a delicious meal with Lovely (Leah)… I had no idea she would become such a wonderful lifetime friend
March 2018
March 2018 I came to Haiti on my 2nd trip. At this point, I knew that I was going to be moving here in August of 2018. It was a week of learning.
– in the van leaving Port au Prince
– at Vieux Bourg, hanging out with the kiddos
– I was so in love with this little guy and he was in love with my sunglasses
– one of my favorite photos, just a beautiful girl
– hiding from the rain under the truck
– riding around with two good friends, Leah and Donna. both were serving in Haiti at the time and have sinced moved back to their passport countries (US and Jamaica). I miss them so!
– the first photo I ever took of the school I would come to work at
– the first of many, many photos I ever took in my yard… love that view!
– sweet girl gang: Karsyn, Chloe, Bri, Tessa, Leah, Gabby, Lana, Kyrslie
– sometimes the best thing to build is relationships
August 2018 – May 2019
August 2018- May 2019 concluced my first year of Haiti life. We were evacuated in February of 2019 but returned a few weeks later. It was my first year of teaching and I had some sweet students while getting used to the transition.
– going away party
– birthday celebrations with my Nat. Her birthday is a week after mine. I always loved sharing birthday ice cream with her.
– my kids… one of my students had broken is arm and was feeling bad about it. the other 3 wanted to make casts and have broken arms for the day to try and cheer him up
– a visit to some missionary friends led to visiting a Sunday school classes garden they were helping with
– my first photo with Rameau… love this Haitian grandpa of mine
– Mama and Gigi visited for a week
– confirmation of joining RMI officially
– hikes and a day at nearby waterfalls with some fellow missionaries (pictured Dawn, Lee and Tina)
– field trip to the diary farm. Miss Lana did such a great job
– the first of many photos that look exactly like this from Zanglais… one of the most peaceful places I have ever been
August 2019 – May 2020
August 2019- May 2020 concluded my 2nd year of living in Haiti and teaching. I didn’t go back to the states until December 2020 but I separated these months for reasons I will explain later.
– first day of school! this class gave me much joy and many challenges, I love them all so much
– Rameau and Oti meeting for one of the 1st times ever. Rameau was giving him a fist bump. now they are best friends
– family photo (Judeson, Noilita, Rameau, and Tessa)
– birthday dinner with friends (Isaac and Brit)
– RMIs Christmas celebration at Zanglais
– Mama and Gracie come for a visit
– a rainy, cold beach day. but one of my favorite was there. I miss Sheila every day. Thankful for her friendship
– Otis’ first (and probably last) beach day…he did NOT enjoy himself
– COVID hits Haiti, I helped my house staff to get masks as mandates came in
– Zoom chats with students… it was hard for me to not be able to tell them all goodbye and I know hard on them as well. I tried doing a few zooms of us just talking, no official schoolwork.
August 2020 – June 2021
August 2020- June 2021 was my 3rd year living in Haiti and my first year working in HFKz. While I didn’t go on furlough in summer of 2020, I wanted these months separated because they were two different pieces of the puzzle. I did go back to the states in December 2020 and then again in June 2021.
– Tina and I helped another friend, Katye host a retreat for the girls in her ministry. It was such a rewarding and exhausting weekend. I loved watching our RMI ladies interact with the kids.
– one of my first school visits, still wearing masks
– a day at the park with some cute little girls
– more schools visits
– I always love watching how excited the kids are about the cameras
– Judeson and his family get the keys to their new house
– a coworkers new baby girl and her helpful big brother
– a team member shows a child something in his Bible
– little cuties ready to receive a team in their town for the first time
– my good friend, Doris. what a friend she is…
– when your hands are covered in flour but you still need to talk on the phone
– I just love the smile on this baby
– Franchette came to visit me in the office and brought along baby Tessa
– a day at the island of St. Louis to meet some new friends and say goodbye to some old ones
– Mama and Renata come for a visit
– I can’t take the credit…Renata took this photo but it is one of my favorites of all time
– Sheila says goodbye to some merchants that she bought from often
– Lee and I returned to the states in June 2021. It was a hard flight. It was interesting to see all of the things put into place because of Corona. Lee was documenting it all…so I documented him documenting
August 2021- March 2022
August 2021 – March 2022 (aka present)
this will be my 4th year living in Haiti. there have been so many things that’ve happened. and I haven’t written them all down or shared photos of everything either. on August 14th, southern Haiti suffered a major earthquake. this came shortly after the president was assassinated and right before a hurricane (tropical storm?). I was not sure that I would be allowed to come back. thankfully, they encouraged me to.
– after the earthquake, we were mostly in the depot. we need a place for people to sit like an office but the fear of aftershocks were very real. they made this makeshift desk in the depot where anyone sitting could run and quickly be out from under anything.
– I was glad when the Nunes returned, that’s no secret. I am thankful for this afternoon (yes, THAT afternoon) of catching up with Tina and seeing baby goats
– a more recent sunset photo with the same view from back in 2018.
– the HFKz staff is so gentle with our babies. some of them are so scared
– students enjoy lunch at school
– the HFKz team (Gardine, Patrick, Windy, Tessa, Frantz, Merry, Isaac, Kerline)
– one of my favorite (they’re all one of my favorites) missionary kids… Otis loves him so much and the feeling is mutual
– visiting a school that some RMI staff members have started
– a school completely destroyed by the earthquake
– a weekend in Port Salut with good friends and co-workers
– that is MY baby…my sponsored kid.
– little cutie receives her box of food sent as a gift from her sponsor
– showing a child her photo after it was taken
– Mama comes for a visit…and cooks with Noilita
– a beach trip. I am sure I said something ridiculous for Lydianne to look at me that way
Thank you for coming with me down memory lane. I know it isn’t the typical post. And I haven’t given as much info as I maybe should. These are some of my favorite, core memories of my time in Haiti. Some of them seem so little but they mean more to me than I can explain. I pray that God allows me to have many more beautiful memories here in Haiti. If you have any questions about any photos or want more information on any stories, feel free to ask!
Love You to Haiti and Back 