March Madness

Hey guys! So, officially the worst blogger ever (sorry Sara...and grandpa!). But here I am now! Just catching up after a busy month here at MoH.

So, many of you know and follow March Madness back at home. While you were all enjoying some lovely, slightly intense b-ball games, we had our own version of March Madness going on here in Haiti. Since last December we've been calling this past month March Madness, and rightfully so! With college spring breaks happening in the States, we had 140+ people here for a week on campus. It's funny how you work so hard towards something, and then when it's over and done, you miss it. Weird actually. It was seriously such a good month though. Stressful at times yes, but so rewarding and just fun to see it all work out so well. With all of the teams here in the last month, and even before that, we've been working away at a couple of projects here in our community, and have also continued to build relationships and work with the local church here. So much is happening, it's hard to keep track of it all! I'll just update you all on a couple of things going on at MoH right now...here we go.

Leveque - this is a community about a 20-25 min. drive from our campus here. We were given land by the Haitian government to build homes for families displaced after the earthquake last year. Our goal right now is to build 500 homes, and we are well on our way. Currently I believe we have about 35 finished homes and another 30 on their way. Once we have 100 homes ready to live in, we're going to be having a huge celebration to give the homes to the families that will be living in them. Seriously, so exciting! In this place I've made a couple of close friends, including a family of 7 kids (I believe) and their mother that are currently living in a tent. Mia is the one little girl there that I think has stolen my heart, and probably everyone else's too! With her fried hair from malnutrition, to her little buck teeth, I can't resist her! It's the most joyous sound to hear her shrill screeches of excitement when she sees me or Courtney pulling in on a bus with the teams. Gosh, it makes my day every time!

Bercy - this is actually our second campus for MoH - we're working on building the school buildings right now, and hopefully kids in these communities will be able to start next fall...including my friends Fedline and Evalyn (spelling...not so sure!)

MoH - our hospital roof is on, and we're just starting to paint the exterior, moving on to the interior soon hopefully! Also, our new guesthouse, with room for 150 guests (woy!) is on it's way up! The second floor should be finished and the roof poured (I say poured because it's cement) by mid-April hopefully (I don't really know, that's just my guess by looking at it every morning at breakfast. I should probably keep a better handle on these things!).

So ya, that's all the physical changes going on right now. It's so much fun to live day-to-day life here though. Sometimes, and it bit more frequently lately, I lose sight of the whole reason why I am here. I am very much a task focused person, and it bites me in the butt at times. I'm learning to recognize it a bit though, and trying to work on taking the down time, embracing rest and doing it well. The people are a big reason why I'm here in a Haiti, and I'm just so refreshed when I get to see my friends, talk some creole, make someone smile. You know, the good things in life. We just have to take the time to see them and enjoy them.

Equally as exciting for me, we as the North American staff here at MoH, have started reading a book When Helping Hurts, and seriously, it makes me think every time I pick it up! I highly recommend it for anyone anywhere. But anyway, the reason I'm mentioning it is because I've been so challenged lately by it. So often in "missions" - wait no, me, I so often here in Haiti feel like I need to "do" something. I remember my uncle Clarke explaining it as, we think we're human doings, not human beings. It's so true though! I feel this need to always be working, always be thinking ahead, planning, talking to people, emailing, doing whatever task I get my hands on, and I forget to just BE. Psalm 46:10 - we've all heard it, but "be still and know that I am God" - simple really. And this book now is talking about how what we're doing in "missions" needs to be about "people and processes, not projects and products." Ya. Seriously, we're made to live and be in community with each other, to walk alongside each other, in our weaknesses, in our human frailty, and just simply live life. Of course always working to be better, to right things that are wrong, to bring darkness to light, but together. Not one trying to fix another one's weaknesses, but walking together in brokenness to make it all right. That's the reminder I'm coming out of this past month with. Yes, here at MoH a lot is happening. Buildings are going up, change is happening, tons of people are coming in and out of this place, but we're working so hard to not lose sight of what this is all about and what it is all for. It's not just humanitarian, it's about a Man. It's about making Jesus known in this nation, about glorifying Him, and bringing people into right relationship with Him...that's why it's all good! So ya, people and processes people - that's what we as the church need to be about!

Just in wrapping up, if you guys could keep Haiti in your prayers again, it would be much appreciated! As you all know, politics has taken its toll on Haiti, and tomorrow may or may not be another one of those times. The preliminary results for the last election (between Martelly and Mdm Manigat) are to be announced tomorrow, and prayers for peace, safety and justice would be great! There's always issues of corruption in the election process, and with Aristide back in town, who knows what they could be planning! So, please when you think of it, pray for Haiti. Pray for light and truth to win here. Thanks guys!

Oh, also, I'll have to start carrying my camera around with me again! I seem to leave it behind all the time, so I have no pictures to share all the daily happenings...eek!