It sounds crazy but I don’t even remember December starting. How did we get here so fast? Some of my forgetfulness may have to do with just how busy November was. The last day of November held a huge pastors meeting in the morning and a baby shower in the afternoon. To say the day was a marathon would be an understatement.

December has kept us busy but not in the same way that previous months have. We are not traveling every day right now. Our guys are still on the road a lot delivering gifts and food for the feeding program. Now we use our time to catch up on the work that we did while we were out. The day we finished translating letters I thought I could do a cartwheel. It is nice to have such a feeling of accomplishment. And then the photos were done being edited. Oh, how exciting!

So that is what the first two and a half weeks of December were, a lot of office work. Pastors come in and out of the office each day for different things. It is always fun to get to be in the office and see everyone. Sometimes when we are traveling I won’t see people for days at a time. I also enjoy translating the letters, I can always learn a new word in Kreyol. I am brushing up on another skill as well. When I was teaching in the US, I could always figure out what the kiddos were trying to write. You know, when they are little sometimes you have to do a little deciphering. I am working on doing that in Kreyol as well. Many times I need help!

Most of our schools were working on exams the last few days before Christmas break. I was able to visit a few and make them do silly things for me. You can see that some were more into it than others! We also visited a local school’s Christmas program for a little bit one day. Another school visit was not RMI-related but was still a wonderful experience. Several RMI staff members are supporting this school as a personal endeavor. You can find more info about that on my Facebook.

It was nice to get away with some friends and coworkers for a weekend this month. We stayed at a nice hotel about an hour away from us. The view was incredible. I will never cease to be amazed at the beauty God created when He created Haiti. It was a pleasure to just spend some time relaxing together. I am thankful for the opportunity to go out.

We celebrated Christmas throughout the week here at Cite Lumiere. On Wednesday, we had our annual candle lighting service with special music and devotion. On Thursday, there was an RMI Christmas party. Many of the staff cooked and we got to share some laughs together. Friday was supposed to be a lazy day but that doesn’t seem to happen very much anymore! This year there was no big Christmas celebration amongst the missionaries. I am thankful for two families who reached out to ensure I wouldn’t be spending Christmas alone. I had Christmas dinner with friends that feel more like family. Oti and I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas.

As we end this year, I am so thankful to see all of the ways that God has worked in 2021. It has been a tough year for Haiti and the world. Many are still suffering from the varying different challenges that have happened. I am thankful to see how God has used His people to reach others and show love. Please join me in praying for 2022 and all that it will be. In the end, I can only wish for God to be glorified through it all. Remember Oti and me in your prayers. Here is to the upcoming year!

You’re not going to like this, but it is important to understand.

Why do we always think that our ways are better? We tend to think that with God, but we also think that with others. “If only people would do it my way, everything would work out.” If you’ve never thought that way then you are better than me.

I have heard so many people ask me how we can make Haiti like America. And everyone seems shocked when I tell them that is not what I want. This applies to most 3rd world countries when people from 1st world countries enter. While we know that our passport country isn’t perfect, we tend to think that it is better than the country that we are discussing. In my personal experience, I am so glad that Haiti is not like the US. Is Haiti perfect? No. But like I said, neither is the US.

Culture is a beautiful thing. They say that we have different levels of culture. Some of which we can understand and explain to others. Some of which we can never change and an outsider will never understand. I learn something new about Haitian culture every single day. But I also know I will never fully understand it. That is just the way it is. Thankfully, I am blessed to work with and for Haitians that can help me to understand the culture. One of the things that we always point out to teams is that difference in culture can even change the way that you share the gospel. The gospel stays the same but the way you pass along the information can change. We even see this in the Bible, Jesus shares parables with different groups of people in different ways so that they may understand the Truth.

I’ve been reading the book “Peace Child” by Don Richardson. It was recommended to me by a friend and I also encourage others to read it. In the book you can see that the missionary has problems in the beginning sharing the gospel because he is trying to share it in the same way you would with an American. It doesn’t work. In fact, in one instance as he is sharing accounts from the Bible the people begin to revere Judas as a hero. As he learns more about their culture, he learns how to share the Word with them and they begin to understand and accept Christ. I have personally seen people do the same thing. They continue to share the gospel in the “American” way and cannot seem to reach people.

If we truly love others and want to reach them for Christ, should we not learn about them first? The great thing about having a relationship with Christ is that it is a relationship. God does not simply say, “okay, you’re good” and leave it at that. He continues a relationship with you. In order to have a relationship with someone you have to know them. Personally, I find it easier to share the gospel and minister to people that I have a relationship with. The trust is already there, they know that I am not simply pulling their leg. And even after sharing, you must maintain a relationship. Cross-cultural relationships are hard. There are so many things that you will never understand about each other. But the important thing is that you try. I say all of this to say, it is important to understand people’s culture in order to truly minister and witness to them.

I have become so frustrated with the things that I hear and see amongst missionaries and other foreign aid as they enter Haiti (and other countries). It hurts my heart to see people continuing to do things exactly as they would in their passport country. It bothers me to see the things that people send in an effort to “help”. If you personally know of a mission or missionary, ask them what is needed, they will tell you. If not, donate money to a trusted organization that will truly get things into the hands of the people. Why money? Because there are things that can be bought here! And wouldn’t it be great to help out the economy? I know that you want to give what you can. If you don’t have anything you can give, don’t forget how important prayers are. And share the info with others who my be able to give.

Now, I know that I may have hurt some feelings. And I may lose some followers. I am sorry if you are that offended. I just want people to understand. There was a point in my life that I did not understand and I continue to struggle and make mistakes. I am thankful to have learned some and to be continuing to learn.

• What is the process of sending mail? Check out the post called “Sending Mail” for an in-depth explanation.
• Where is Otis? Otis stays at home while I am visiting in the states.
• What is the food for the hot lunch program? We use manna packs from feed my starving children. Check out the website for more info: fmsc.org
• Wait…you aren’t teaching anymore? No, I am not currently teaching. I transitioned to my new job in the spring/summer of 2020. I am working in RMI’s child sponsorship program, Hope for Kidz. I am still teaching some as I am teaching three levels of English among our staff.
• How can I get a prayer card? Let me know that you want one! If I am in the states I can try and bring one to you and if not I can mail you one!
• Do you have electricity and running water? I do have both of these things. Our water is on a schedule so we don’t have it 24/7. Most Haitians have neither.
• Is the water safe? The water on our compound is treated so it comes out of the faucet safe. Most people don’t have this privilege but can purchase safe water. We do put in water filtration systems from time to time.
• How can I get a team down with RMI? Go to our website at rmibridge.org
• What was your hardest transition? Originally it was moving straight from my moms house to a different country. It has now become culture shock both entering Haiti and the US.
• Do people have access to medical care? Yes and no. There are places but a lot of people cannot afford it. Medical care is not up to our standards but is still available.
• What are the requirements to enter and leave Haiti? As I am writing this, you must have a negative COVID test for both. This could very well change even before this is published!
• Are people receptive to hearing God’s word? Yes!
• What is it like to talk to the kids? Kids are kids! There is certainly a different language and culture but kids just want to be loved on.
• As a population, can people read and write? It all depends on the area that people grow up in and how much money their family has unless they are blessed with a child sponsorship program.

November 1st and 2nd are Haitian holidays so this month started off at home. It was nice to have some days of rest but also some days to get some personal things done. I have been working on renewing my teaching certificate which expires in July. These days helped me to find the time to work on that.

Despite having Monday and Tuesday off, we were able to visit six schools in the first week of November by sending out multiple teams each day. Normally, we do not like to travel on Fridays, but it has been necessary this year for various reasons. All year I look forward to this time on the road with my friends on the HFKz team. We get to spend so much time together getting to know each other and making memories. On top of that, we get the opportunity to minister to these kids and adults involved in the schools.

That being said, I do look forward to the weekends when I can rest some. Sometimes I have to be reminded that it is okay to rest…maybe I don’t need to take work home in the evenings or on the weekends. Weekends are Otis’ favorite, too. Some weekdays he hardly sees me at all. He really looks forward to what I have dubbed “Snuggle Sundays”. On Sundays, I do my best to not have many plans or any work to do and we just hang out.

In the 2nd week of November, we are able to visit 11 schools. This means crazy hours, leaving early, and getting back late. I went over a week not even being in the office. It is so sweet to travel and see so much of this beautiful country. So many people that live here never get to travel as much as I have gotten to in just over a year. And to come in contact with so many new faces, wow! Speaking of new faces, this month alone we have entered over 330 new kids into the program. What a blessing!!!

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The third week of November was busy as ever!! We traveled to five schools this week. What is really awesome with all of this traveling is that I am getting to see so much of Haiti! I am slowly checking off all of RMI’s sister churches as visited. I love getting to travel so much and learn so many things. Every single day I learn something new! Traveling and spending so much time with the wonderful RMI staff really helps me to pick up the culture and language.

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Oti had a scare during the 3rd week of this month. He got sick one morning and it was scary for a bit there. I was a little anxious, you could say. I am so thankful to have such sweet people around me. Perguens checked him out and gave him meds. So many in the office and among the missionaries asked about him and said they were praying. Poor Tina had to deal with me panicking at odd times of day for a few days. Thankfully, he is all good now. I get the feeling he is saying he never wants to be sick again!

My birthday was the 20th. While I am not a huge birthday person, it was nice to feel celebrated and appreciated. Thank you to all who sent birthday wishes. I hung out with a very small group of people the afternoon of my birthday and had a sweet treat made by a sweet friend. I even snuggled some puppies. The next day I went out to lunch with a newer friend. All fun stuff, a small break away from the craziness of it all. I am thankful for those that make me feel like I have a family here.

This month is long!! During the 4th week of this month, we did something a little different. In total, 7 schools were visited. On Monday and Tuesday, we did our normal schedule of two teams. Tuesday was the last day of this year that I will be out visiting schools. Unless there’s a sudden change of plans, of course. Wednesday and Thursday our hardworking guys went out. They were going to some churches that are farther away. There is a large bridge to go over to get to these churches that were damaged in the earthquake so only motorcycles can go. All of the ladies stayed back in the office while the guys went out and spent the night. Have no fear, we had plenty of office work to do! Thursday was also obviously Thanksgiving so I stayed home from work. We celebrated Thanksgiving as a missionary community as we do each year.

Thank you for all of the prayers and encouragement. Please continue to pray for me, the country of Haiti, and all the work being done for God’s glory.

October begins with rain and a lot of it. It was much needed and appreciated rain as it was so dry, hot, and dusty. Of course, I have a roof over my head so I can say that. For so many who still do not have shelter after the earthquake, rain is hard to deal with. There is no escape for some. Rain also makes it hard to travel because the roads may not be safe. Oti and I get really cold during the rainy season, some of the other missionaries laugh at me when I show up with a jacket and have a huge blanket on the bed.

We were able to receive our first team this month. LifeHouse was able to visit with their sister church. It was great to spend a little bit of time with this team and I know they were a blessing to their sister church.

If you read last month’s blog you know that I have been working on making my house more like my home. My canvases came in and this month they got hung up. Shoutout to the Nunemaker’s for helping me with that (and literally a million other things). I’m so happy with the way they turned out!

This month we began our time of traveling! In the second week of this month, we were able to visit six schools! This is such a fun time of year. We travel to each school to spend some time with them. We meet with parents, teachers, school principals, and the pastor. We also take photos of the kids and help them to write their thank you letters. When sponsors send cards or gifts we also give these out to the kiddos. It is so wonderful to see their sweet faces and be encouraged by their excitement. Some days you may see that we are in the office. On those days we are busy too! We translate the letters, edit the photos, add new kids into the system, and share info back and forth with our office in Florida. We also communicate with the schools about information and upcoming meetings.

On October 16th we had a family BBQ amongst the missionaries. The guys planned out this time and put in a lot of hard work. It was nice to spend time with everyone and have a kind of day off. On that same day, another event occurred that you may have seen on the news. I personally do not know any details and would prefer to not comment on anything that may be in the news. Please know that I am safe and continue to pray for all who are involved.

We had to put our traveling on hold for a bit which is not something that we like to do. It puts us behind schedule and also takes away our time from getting to spend time with the kids. This meant that while we were scheduled for about 8 schools a week we were only able to visit two in the third week of the month and 6 in the fourth week of the month. It did allow us to get caught up on some of the office work which was nice. I have also been able to spend more of these days at home working which Otis really enjoys.

I get many questions about how things are here, particularly during these times. Please, do not worry about me. I have seen reports of how things are and I want you to be aware that sometimes the reports use certain parts of the country and try to claim it is the entire country. Other times reports are just completely untrue. There is food to be bought, it may be more expensive than what it used to be but it is here. No, we cannot find everything that we have in the US but we never have been able to. And there are so many things I search for in the states that I can buy here but can’t there. There is gas somewhere around here it is just very difficult to get to. Again, it is very expensive and sometimes it is not being sold but it is here. Insecurity exists but RMI encourages us to be wise and vigilant. There are certain places I do not go and certain times of day that we do not travel, it is for our safety. Please do not be fooled by the media. Many people are suffering and have been for years but sometimes people embellish things. Continue to pray for everyone but know I am all good. Mama always says I am safer in the middle of God’s will than out of it. Also please remember that I cannot speak for the entire country or all of the missionaries here. I cannot even speak for all of the missionaries in the south, everyone’s experience is different. God has given me the peace to not be afraid during these difficult times.

• Where do the kids live? It all varies! Most of the kids in our program live with their parents or other family members.
• How much does it cost to sponsor a child? $32 a month or $384 per year.
• What does a sponsorship include? A sponsorship includes tuition, some school books, uniform, and access to the emergency medical fund.
• What percentage of kids are orphans? Currently, about .2% of our kids are orphans but there are many more in the country.
• How does the feeding program work? When over half a school enters the program that school gets our feeding program. This means a hot lunch each school day for every child at the school. Sometimes we can’t get that many students sponsored but supporters want the program at the school anyways. This can be done with additional funding.
• Are there more kids to sponsor? Yes, there are always more! Pray about becoming a sponsor.
• How does HFKz compare to other child sponsorship programs? I am of course biased towards HFKz but I am encouraged by all child sponsorship programs. The biggest difference between our program and others is our emergency medical fund. Every child in the program has access to this fund. We will financially cover any medical emergencies up until flying to the states.
• How old are the kids in your program? Children start school at about age 3 and can enter our program then. We try to take new kids at a younger age but have many students who have been in for years so our ages vary.
• What’s with the uniforms? Each school in a community has its own uniform. There are typically 3 different uniforms at each school: preschool, primary, and secondary.
• Are schools career-focused? Students sometimes can only go to school up to 6th grade depending on what is offered at their school. There are schools that go all the way through high school and some go on to college. They can choose in later years to focus more on particular subjects.
• How do I sponsor a child? Check out our website: rmibridge.org/hope-for-kidz
• How are kids picked to be sponsored? When we hear that we need new students we let the pastor know. Pastors live in the area and know which kids need sponsorships the most so they make these decisions.
• How does the letter process work? Each year you should get a thank you letter from your child. The kids write these letters and then they are translated in our office. If you want to write a letter to your child, mail it to the Florida office and our Haiti office will translate it and get it to your kid.
• Do we have a say in the curriculum? RMI does not have a say in the curriculum that is used by the schools.
• What are school supplies like? I normally see students with their school books as well as a notebook and something to write with.
• Do you have to be a certified teacher to teach in Haiti? The teaching that I was doing was for a private school. I personally have a teaching certificate but they do not require that. As for Haitian schools, I am just not sure.
• Do kids like school? Kids are kids, no matter where they live. However, school is a privilege for Haitian children.

It is crazy to even think about the fact that it is September. I may have said this last month but I feel like I run a marathon every day and get nowhere. This keeps me pretty confused about days and time. There is so much going on with earthquake relief. RMI continues to work hard trying to get as much help to as many people as possible. It has been fun having different visitors in and out throughout this time as people come down to help. I love getting to see friends new and old that haven’t been in the country in a while. With lack of missionaries here I have been handling a lot of the hospitality here. The ladies that do the cooking and cleaning make this easy for me. We are so blessed to have such capable people working with us!

With it being summertime it is furlough time for many missionaries. This means less people here to help out with Agape. Agape Flights has been so awesome sending several flights a week with both earthquake relief items and our normal mail. I always enjoy helping out here in whatever way I can.

This time is normally our busy season in HFKz anyways so we have been overloaded. But we always say we are thankful to have a lot of work to do…that means more sponsored children. We have been creating our yearly reports in order to have the best information possible for our sponsors. Each child gets a copy of their photo every year so we have to separate and organize those. We also have letters to separate and organize for the students to use when writing their thank you notes to sponsors. You can see above that I have also been working on translating letters from sponsors. We started delivering gifts again towards the end of this month as well. Back in July I also added the responsibility of our HFKz facebook page to my list. Go check it out and give us a like! As you can see, these things keep me busy!

With as busy as this month has been, I have needed to force myself to make time for myself. That isn’t always easy to do. Thankfully, I was able to get away for a day with two great friends of mine. I have also been trying to have one day on the weekends that I just stay home. It sounds silly but I truly have to remind myself that rest is required in order to help others. Please pray that I will remember to take care of myself.

My house has had some issues for a while. Before I left, I started having some work done on it. A lot of what I started were things that just really needed to be done. My kitchen cabinets were falling apart, two out of three bathrooms in my house had no doors, there was a tree which roots were coming out of the shower drain in the bathroom furthest from it, messing up the toilet in a different bathroom, and pushing up my floor in my dining room, living room, and one of the other bedrooms. There were holes starting to come up in my floor which was letting in mice. Thankfully, CLC housing has helped to cover the expenses of these renovations. This work started before I left but due to the earthquake some things have been delayed. A friend of mine reminded me that I also need a safe place so even if things are structurally okay I should still make my house nice and comforting to me. So I have also done some painting and I am working on redecorating as well. Check out some of the pictures below.

School is supposed to start in early October. Due to the late start our schedule will be a little off. After school begins we will be on the road several days a week for several months visiting the schools. On these visits we take pictures of the kids, help them to write their letters, meet with parents, teachers, school, directors, and pastors, give out any gifts that we have, and sometimes shoot videos. When we return to the office we will edit pictures and videos and also translate letters and the videos as well. Please pray for our health and safety! This year will be an interesting year with all of the trauma that these children have faced recently. So many of them completely lost their homes, schools, and churches. Please pray for these kids!! We also ask that you consider sponsoring a kid or two….or seven. Head over to rmibridge.org/hope-for-kidz to do that!

• Do you speak the language (Haitian Kreyol)? Yes, I am working on learning the language more in-depth but I know the basics.
• What kind of barriers do you find when witnessing? Language and cultural things can be barriers but we are blessed with amazing translators at RMI. I have never had someone refuse to listen.
• What happens when the missionaries are not on the field? Another huge blessing with RMI! Our RMI Haitian missionaries get the job done. Most of our US missionaries work even when they are not in the country but the Haitian missionaries keep everything going on the field. We work closely with the Haitian church and pastors and encourage them to take the lead on ministry in their areas.
• What effects do you see from the earthquake in 2010? In Cayes, we don’t see too much from the earthquake. We certainly meet people who moved there after it happened and many are very afraid.
• Do people have cell phones? Yes! They may not always be charged or have minutes, though.
• How has having solar affected your daily life? I already had power 24/7 but was living off of a generator/batteries and an inverter. We still have these things as a backup but solar has been such a blessing. The money that I would use for electricity can go to other things that I need.
• What is crime like? I do not like to highlight the negative sides. You see that enough on the news! However, like everywhere in the world, crime does exist. I have never been scared or felt victimized personally.
• What is the difference between the wealthy and the poor in Haiti? There is a huge difference because there is a big gap! The wealthy are more well off than I can imagine and the poor are poorer than we really know.
• What has the hardest part been so far? Learning the language was hard for me. Thanks to God, it did come quickly. But not being able to communicate…for me that was miserable! I still make many mistakes but I am so much better now. Transitioning is also hard but we never said it was easy!
• How does the sister church program work? A church from the states is paired with a church in Haiti to have a relationship. When you come on teams, you visit your sister church and plan on doing what they need during that time. Check out the rmibridge.org website for more info!
• Do you speak French? I do not speak French but I really want to learn.
• What is general transportation like? A lot of people have motorcycles or take taptaps. If you get far enough in the country you do see some mules and donkeys.
• What is the exchange rate? This changes constantly! I have seen it go up and down many times in the last few years.
• How do your finances work? I raise support in order to live in Haiti. If you feel led to help out financially you can do so on rmibridge.org
• How did you know that God was calling you to Haiti? That nagging feeling! Check out my blog post “Why am I here?” for a more thorough answer.
• What is your favorite memory since moving there? Some of my favorite memories are silly things that happen in the car while we are on the road working for HFKz. Another favorite is the view we had coming around the corner to enter Dagout with the team for the first time. I have never seen so many people dancing, singing, and shouting for joy.
• What is the difference between the honor/shame culture and the guilt/innocence culture? Big difference here! The US is a guilt/innocence culture while Haiti is an honor/shame culture. Check out this video for more: https://globalfrontiermissions.org/3d-gospel-guilt-innocence-honor-shame-and-fear-power-worldviews/

August started off with a bang! God works all the time y’all, He never sleeps. When I was planning out speaking engagements for my time stateside I totally forgot that August 1st was a Sunday. That doesn’t even make sense??? As many times as I looked over calendars and spoke to pastors, it’s crazy. When I realized it I considered contacting back a few churches that couldn’t get into my calendar. But something told me not to. And then I overheard a conversation that made me understand why all of this happened. God allowed me to be free that Sunday so that I could witness my stepdad being baptized. It was a blessing to go to church with them and spend the afternoon with family and friends. What fun!

On August 14th, Haiti experienced a disaster in a way I have never known before. A 7.2 magnitude earthquake with the epicenter close to us in Southern Haiti. The aftershocks also hit areas near us and areas that we work with at RMI. It was a very hard morning being in the States and not being able to get ahold of all of my people. Since then I have contacted a lot of them to get reports. On the night of the 16th, Grace hit and caused more suffering to the people of Haiti. Many were still too traumatized to sleep inside or do not have shelter. I don’t understand why these things are happening but I know that there is a reason. I tend to deal with sadness by trying to look on the bright side or make jokes. I made the comment to someone, “when we asked people to pray the God would pour out grace on Haiti this isn’t quite what we meant.” On the 18th I was thankfully allowed to return home. I was anxious about what awaited me but so happy to be able to return and help out on the field.

The summer of church signs came to a close with three more churches this month. It has been a blessing to visit each of these places over the past two months and see so many sweet faces.

Well, it is August 20th. I am so thankful to be home. but also so conflicted. I feel like I am doing nothing to help but then again feel like I am running constantly. RMI is working hard to distribute as many relief items as we can. I am trying to support and encourage our staff as well as other missionaries here as they work. Please continue to pray for Haiti during these very difficult times. Please also remember to pray for the missionaries and others giving help. It isn’t easy when you realize that you cannot help everyone.

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We have so much to be thankful for. This life is not an easy one. Sometimes it feels as though those suffering continue to suffer relentlessly. Sometimes we ask God why He allows some things to happen. But when we take the time to stop and think on what all He has done…What a blessing that this earthquake happened during summertime so schools were not in session as many schools are destroyed. What a blessing it is that God held the RMI staff safe that they make help others. What a blessing that now the world has a greater capacity to help one another in times of trouble. Yes, there are awful things going on all over the world right now but do not forget to give God thanks. The things are not for us to understand because we are not in control. It is for us to trust the King of kings and know that this is all part of His plan. I will never understand how you can see two houses side by side one completely fine and the other flat on the ground. I will never understand why it had to be Haiti…again. I will never understand why the rain continues to fall hard on people who are still sleeping outside either out of fear or nowhere else to go. I will never understand why the aftershocks continue or why so many had to go through so much trauma. BUT. I understand who my God is and therefore, it is okay. God is good all of the time, no doubt about it.

Please continue to pray for the people of Haiti at this time. This suffering will continue for years to come but we know the God can free us from our suffering. Pray for your missionaries as they try to help the best that they can. If you feel led, please consider giving to the RMI earthquake relief fund at https://www.eservicepayments.com/cgi-bin/Vanco_ver3.vps?appver3=Fi1giPL8kwX_Oe1AO50jRlZu3TcWt6AQgTxntamC76THO3iVYxvvxhHjRfLOeq662EvVVAEjqawDomKT1pbouTMd0F_TLzeAADY4MqbaKIQ=

While stateside this summer, I got a lot of questions! I will be sharing these (and the answers) on the blog over the next few months. Here’s the first batch!

• Most interesting or favorite Haitian food? My favorite is fritay (anything fried: plantains, breadfruit, akra, french fries) and a pile of spicy pikliz with ji citwon (key lime juice) to wash it down.
• What is a day in my life like? Each day is a little different! Depending on the time of year, I am either at the office or on the road. On office days, we have devotions before work. I go home for lunch and return to work in the afternoon. On the road days typically start earlier and end later and are full of adventure. I do my best to stay active in missionary life around the compound as well.
• What do you do with Otis while you are gone? A sweet friend of mine stays at the house with him. He loves her and we jokingly call her his “marenn” (Haitian godmother).
• How has Otis transitioned to Haiti life? He loves it! He moved there at 10 weeks old so it is all that he really knows.
• What do you like or dislike about the different jobs you have had? Both of the jobs that I have had are very close to my heart! I don’t like to compare them because they are two totally different things.
• Do you ride on donkeys and such? I don’t currently but maybe one day I could try!
• What is your house like? My house isn’t quite an American house but certainly not a typical Haitian home either. My house is set up for several singles to live in each with their own room and bathroom with communal living, dining, and kitchen/
• What food do you miss while you are in Haiti? I can always go for some Chic fil a when I am stateside. And sour cream! How has COVID affected Haiti? In March of 2020, it was certainly a big thing! Things were closed down and we were wearing masks, etc. This didn’t last very long and now we are back to normal life.
• Is the vaccine in Haiti? I have heard that it is in the country but I am not quite sure how accessible it is.
• What is the effect after the assassination of the President? The short answer is I don’t know. It is a sad event and will certainly cause things to happen but we are just not sure what. Expect the unexpected and remember that only about 1/4 of the news is ever accurate.
• When are you to return to Haiti? I plan to return in mid-August.