How it All Began...

If you want the short version, here it is:  Pretty sure God is calling our family to live and serve in Haiti, so we're going.  And we like it!

If you want the longer tale, well it might take awhile, so grab a cuppa something (I would highly recommend a good cup of tea, but that's another post) and read on.

Some might think the best place to start is at the beginning, but sometimes the start began quite long ago, so in this case I think it might be best to jump in mid-story and fill in the back story as I go. 

We start in Haiti, June 2011.  It's hot, it's humid, and I've arrived at Children of the Promise (COTP) in Lagosette, Haiti, near Cap Haitian, in the northern part of the country.  Though not in the baby house, I can hear the sounds of babies crying, babies playing, Nannies talking and laughing in sing-song Creole, and the voices and calls of the yard guys back and forth across the compound.  Carla, one of the long-term volunteers, has just finished giving our group a tour of the compound, and yet I feel no better oriented than the moment the open-backed truck bounced and jostled us into the front gate of the compound.  What I do feel is sweaty, tired, and a little overwhelmed. And so starts a month for me and my family, and the first of 3 service teams coming to volunteer with COTP. 

This trip had been in the works for some time.  Kirk, my husband, and youth leader for Willmar CRC and Unity CRC churches, had been putting in action a plan hatched many months before, to offer an overseas service trip.  What began as a modest endeavor, had turned into 3 groups of a dozen + adults and youth from our church and beyond, coming for 10 days at a time, back-to-back.  Support had been enthusiastic and the group had raised considerably more than was needed to pay for expenses.  Kirk thought it would be really great if our family just went along and staying the entire month to share in the experience, and I guess I kinda just went along with it --sounded like a "cool adventure".  There were some who thought we were nutso (and pretty much said so) to be taking our two boys, Noah, then 8, and Elijah, then 5, but many vaccinations and miles later, we were all there.  "Nutso" was feeling maybe just a tiny bit true!

I could give you many details about this adventure, but suffice it to say the initial culture shock did wear off and we settled in.  There were highs and lows, really great experiences and a few moments we truly wish we could do over, but during that month, Haiti began to take root in my heart.  In our hearts, really.  We began to make friendships and relationships and contacts, and most importantly felt a love of the Haitian people begin to deepen.  I was completely unaware there were larger implications to this attraction.  But God wasn't.  In his "big-picture" providence, I can imagine he was watching, smiling and nodding and I can almost picture the Spirit saying to the Father, "Yes, Sir!  Here it goes... we have lift-off!"

That's the start... and there is certainly more to tell, so I will continue with my next post.

Taken from the roof of the volunteer house, looking south.