Master Plan!

Last week I was sitting watching some of the construction that is going on here at the mission. We are currently building a temporary Guest House and a covered sports complex. Progressively the structures have really begun to take shape and I found myself saying “ohhhh… now it make sense”. As I sit think about it, things became clearer I couldn’t help but relate it to our lives.  I’ve heard the analogy many times but this time it just really made me think about my own life. I remember talking to a lady from a team that was here about my future plans and that I was unsure of what I would be doing and she said well that’s because God doesn’t want you to know yet. That really stuck with me… if someone told me a 2 years ago that I would be a full-time missionary in Haiti, I would be trying to figure out everything on my own and working things out myself. Gods way is much better… he works everything out for us in his timing. Let Go and Let God!

So as I look at the structure, the sports complex started out a concrete slab then metal beams were added and they started a roof yesterday. Before the construction started on the sports complex I had my own idea of what it was going to look like but as it is progressing and we are starting to see the bigger picture it looks totally different then what I thought it was going to look like but I am excited to see the finished product because it is going to be so much better then what I imagined. Just like my life, I may have had a picture of what my life was going to look like when I left Canada in January but it looks completely different now. Sometimes things happen in our lives that don’t make sense but if we wait it becomes clearer.

When I came here in January the plan was to be a teacher’s assistant for the adorable newly adopted van der Mark twins and finish off the school year with them and come home at the end of June. I have been working along side Diana who has been in Haiti for 2 years now teaching the missionary kids. I am enjoying teaching Ana and Mina very much, they are little sponges and learn more and more every day. They are teaching me lots too… from patience to words in Creole.

From previous blogs it is not hard to tell I have fallen in love with Haiti and adjusted to life here. The thought of leaving at the end of June was bitter sweet. I felt a tug on my heart to stay and there was a need that I could fill.

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Starting in July I will be transition into a new role as Guest House Manager. I will be taking care of team housing, food and Meals and anything else that happens at the Guesthouse. I am really excited about this new role and the opportunity to continue to serve here at Mission of Hope . Many of you know I took Tourism and Travel in school and while taking that it was always my hope to combine it with missions and this is better then I could have ever imagined. Another way God is in control and sees the bigger picture!

Thank you for your continued prayers and support. I will be responsible to continue to raise prayer and financial support to live here in Haiti.  To support my financially you can look on the side bar on how to do that or just click on the “DONATE NOW” button to donate by credit card. Continue to check my blog for updates on my time here and how you pray for me, Mission of Hope and the Nation of Haiti. 

I will be home late August early September for a couple weeks, I look forward to seeing you all when I am home to share pictures and stories. I will update my blog about when I will be coming home so stay tuned!

Love, Blessings and the master plan,

Leeann

Look at the nations and watch--and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.

Habakkuk 1:5

Here are some links to pictures on my facebook! Click below to see them!

Mountain Climbing pictures!
Easter Time in Haiti!
More Haiti Pictures

HAITI FLAG DAY!

May 18^th is Flag Day in Haiti! Like Canada day in Canada and 4^th of July in the United States.

Celebrations happen all around Haiti but we happen to be only about 20 minutes away from a town called Arcahaie. This is the town where Haiti’s first flag was created. This is really just a side note because we didn’t go to Arcahaie, we decided that it probably wasn’t safe for a bunch of “Blan” girls to go.

So Diana and I had the day off school and so Diana had the wonderful idea of getting a group of us together and going to climb a mountain. We are surrounded by so many beautiful mountains, so why not climb one. My morning started off slow… I got to sleep in a bit and then took my time getting ready. I headed over to Diana’s apartment around 10:30 to find out the plan for the day.  We ended up having a very Canadian lunch of Kraft Dinner, Pizza and Coke. We thought it was kind of funny considering it was Haiti’s Flag Day! Sadrac joined Diana, Beth Lindsay and I for this experience. Anyways… We headed out around 1:30. Our team of climbers consisted of… Myself, Diana, my room mate Lindsay, Beth (an intern that is working at the orphanage) Michelle Rumford, Sadrac (good friend and interpretor at the mission) Jony (another good friend I met though Sadrac and Wicky) Jean-Marc ( one of the older boys from the hope house) and another friend of Sadrac and Jony’s. We created what we now lovingly call the MIX team! 


See picture below...

Left to Right Jony, Beth, Diana, Sadrac, Lindsay, Me , Jean-Marc & Michelle

The climb was so much fun, there was a lot of walking, climbing and sweat but it was all worth the view and of course now we can point the mountain we all climbed on Flag day!

I am feel so blessed to live in such a beautiful country with so many wonderful new friends. Thank you GOD!

Love, Blessings, mountain climbing & Flag day!

Leeann

April was a blur!

May 6^th already! The first of April seems like yesterday! It has been a crazy month here at the mission. We had a team of 47 Canadians here for 2 weeks working on various construction projects and we had a bunch of medical teams that were able to go out on Mobile Clinics.  At one point we had over 130 volunteers here. That made it very hard to find quiet. The first day everyone was gone I remember walking into the guest house and seeing only 3 people sitting quietly… I though it would never be that quiet again! It was sooo nice. (Please don’t hear that I hated the Canadians and medical volunteers… I know this is Gods plan and volunteers are wonderful. They did amazing work while they were here, it was just something I’m not use to yet.)

 So here we are in May and I have now been in Haiti for 3 months and thought I would update some new Haitian experiences since my 1^st month here.

Haitian experience #8: Tap-Taps

I finally went on a tap tap! I have actually been on many times now. The first time I went on it was only about a minute ride to a friend’s house in the next village over. The next day I got to experience it with Lindsay for her first time and we went out for lunch with some friends after church. When getting out of the tap tap at the restaurant all of us bumped our heads on the way out and the Haitians laughed at us. I have learned something about paying when you get off the tap taps though, always have exact change or else you will get charged the white price (which is double the Haitian price-still very cheap) 

Below is a picture of Lindsay and I in front of a tap tap.

Haitian Experience #9: A wedding and a Funeral

Someone once told Diana to go to a wedding and a funeral and this will help you learn about the culture. I had the opportunity to go to both this past weekend. On Friday one of my really good friends Volcy who I really connected with at the beginning of my time here, he translated at the ward when it was at the high school and I would visit a lot and he was down there. Anyways he got married on Friday and it was quiet the experience.  The bridesmaids and groomsmen dance down the aisle to songs like Power of Love and Beauty and the beast.  The couple walks down one at a time and it probably takes 30-45 minutes for the whole bridal party to walk down the aisle.

On a sadder note another one of my really good friends Grandmother passed away a couple weeks ago and the funeral was Saturday. It was very different from back home.  One of the things that was different that there were tons to camera and video cameras, as way to remember the persons last moments in world.  This was a fresh wound for me as I just recently lost my grandmother. It was a very sad day.

Haitian experience #10:  Tuesday Night Worship                       

Tuesday night has become my favourite night of the week. Every Tuesday night there is a worship service from about 4:30pm-7:00pm. It is a wonderful time of being still and listening to God.  After only a few months here I know a handful of songs in Creole, which makes me very excited. So last week I had requested a song I really like. I thought Claudel had forgotten to play it and right at that moment I heard the into to the song and everyone began to dance… I loved watching the Haitians singing and dancing to this song. After that song they played 2 more of my favourite songs and the dance party began…  a couple of the hope house girls pulled Lindsay and I intro the aisle and a Congo line began and we were dancing and spinning! I was so out of breath and sweaty but the time the music stopped but I enjoyed every minute of it.

Liberte… nan nom Jezi! I am free… in Jesus’ name!

Lavi’m pa ka pase mal… paske Bondye vivan! My life can’t go bad… because my Jesus lives!

Jezi veri bagay yo! Jesus turns everything around!

First week of the month surgery has started up again and the ward will open for the next few weeks. I will hopefully get to go visit some sweet patients and practice my Creole. Speaking of my Creole… it has come a long way! I hit a certain point where I was like hey I think I’m getting this now. I still have a lot to learn but I am excited that I am able to communicate to the Haitians. They are very encouraging when you try to speak to them in Creole. Sometimes I walk in to the kitchen and just stay Mesi anpil! which means Thank you very much! And the ladies say ohh your Creole is soo good! If they only knew I don’t know much more then that. It means a lot to them when we come and take the time to learn their language.

Rainy season has arrived and after only a couple rains I could notice the colours changing… the plants were growing and the mountains were turning green. It rains almost every other night and I am very thankful for this because it cools down the nights for sleeping. Summer has also arrived make it very HOT during the day. On Sunday afternoon my thermometer said 45/112 in the sun!  For this I am even more thankful for the cool nights. My cool is not the same as it use to be. I looked at the thermometer last night when I was cold and it was still 25/77…don’t make fun… when you are use to HOT that is cold.

I am loving life in Haiti and enjoying the simple things. It’s the simple day-to-day things in life that make me smile.

Thank you all so much for your prayers and encouragement!

Love, Blessings, Spinning and Dancing,

Leeann