There's More to Haiti

I love listening to and telling stories. So it's no surprise that one of my primary goals with this ministry is to simply, "Tell the stories." Often times when people talk about Haiti, and other third world countries, the stories tend to focus on poverty. This is understandable, because poverty is real. Very real. I don't want to turn a blind eye or downplay it in any way.

But, there's more to Haiti. So much more. And I hope to show the "more" by sharing a variety of videos, pictures and stories with you. Who knows, maybe you'll see Haiti in a whole new light.

Mother's Day

Today is Mother's Day here in the United States. Mother's Day in Haiti is the last Sunday in May. On this special day, I can't help but think of all the Haitian mommas I've met. The picture above shows some of the Haitian mommas that were part of the Women's Bible Study we held on my last trip. One of my favorite memories with these women was when we taught them the Macarena. Oh how we laughed and laughed. We had such a great time. It's like all of their cares (and ours) melted away when we danced to that song. I wish we had a video, but it is forever etched in my mind. These sweet women have touched my heart, and when I think about these women, I can't help but think about how this new sewing program has the potential to dramatically transform women's lives....mentally, physically and spiritually. But, not only their lives, but their families as well. I am excited just thinking about all of the God-honoring stories that will one day come out of this program.

So today we wait...expectantly...for God's plan to be revealed.

We know He knows the perfect location in Port-de-Paix to house the sewing program.

We know He knows each of the sewing program participants by name.

He knows who's going to partner with us.

He knows how the story will go.

The Road to Port-de-Paix

Port-de-Paix is about a 6 or 7 hour road trip from Port-au-Prince, or a one-hour flight on a prop plane. I've been blessed to experience Haiti from both the sky and the bumpy road, and while the plane ride is a much quicker trip, the road trips have been my most treasured experiences. When you take the road to Port-de-Paix, you're able to actually see, up close, the country's landscape and people, both of which, are beautiful. You see towering mountains, turquoise ocean water, lush banana trees, and sparse pastures.

You see women walking the streets with baskets on their heads, kids playing soccer in vacant lots, people shopping at the roadside markets, teenage couples walking home from school, men whizzing by on motorcycle taxis, and cows grazing in the fields.

You pass through cities, small villages and countrysides. You travel on paved roads, rocky dirt roads, and through rivers. At one moment, you're stuck in a traffic jam, and the next, you're going 50 mpg on a dirt mountain road (with no guardrails) while the driver is honking and passing cars in every possible direction.

I added this YouTube video, because I think it captures a lot of what I mentioned. I hope in viewing it, you'll see this beautiful country in a new way.