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

A Rough Night!

I was going to right a nice long blog updating you all on what is has been going on in the last week or so… But…

Tonight has been a rough night for me… I found out that one of my really good friend’s Grandmother passed away today. My friend is an interpreter on the mission and his mother is one of the kitchen ladies. This hits close to home for me… it just  hit me like a ton of bricks. I came back up to my room and looked at the date and realized it is 6 months tomorrow that my grandmother passed away. I’m hurting inside because I know what my friend is going through and it sucks. Also in the last month my family back home fixed up and sold my grandmothers house. I think I haven’t grieved the same been here because I can’t go visit her anyways but just thinking now I can’t share stories and pictures with her when I get home really hurts.  

As I sit here I struggle to find words to write… I don’t want this to be a totally depressing blog. I think of all my Haitian friends who have lost loved ones and they continue to be strong and praise God. Honestly that is not the first thing I think to do in a time like this. I’ve learned so much from the Haitian people. I do praise God that my Grandmother was a faithful woman of God who I will see again some day in Heaven.

Pray for my friend and he and his family go through this tough time.

Love, blessings, and Grandmothers,

Leeann

Ps. I will write another blog in a couple nights with some much needed updates.

God is the Ultimate Healer!

It has been a crazy emotional week for lack of better words!

We have an incredible medical team here this week who are working very hard and truly love each patient they see.

Pray for Nelise. Not only is she the Johnsons housekeeper but sister and daughter to 2 of our other Haitian staff. She was in a motor accident monday morning on her way to work. Arrived at the gate with 1 broken femur, 1 broken tibia, 1 broken wrist and lung bruising. She had surgery monday morning and is in our ward doing well but will be in pain and recovery for a long time.

Pray for Fritz-Also known as broken man here on the mission who is the brother in law to our main Haitian Triage nurse. He arrived with 2 broken femurs, 2 crushed/broken wrists and multiple wounds. After and 8 hour surgery last night he is in the ward doing well. Praise the Lord for the amazing medical/surgical team here this week and His perfect timing. Pray for the 18 patients in the Patient dome this week.

This week is also our first week with a prosthetic clinic...and Dr. Chase has fitted and made multiple prosthetic's this week. Today a patient who was operated at MOH serveral weeks ago will try on her custom made prosthetic and learn to walk with it.

I am so excited what God is doing here at the Mission of Hope!


Love, blessings and Healing,


Leeann

Best Weekend Ever!

This past weekend was probably the best weekend I’ve had since I’ve been in Haiti.

It started on Saturday afternoon after lunch I had nothing to do so I felt the urge to get off the Mission and do something. My friend Sadrac was heading home as I asked him if I could go with him and meet up with Diana who was at the other Sadrac and Wicky’s new place. Michelle joined us too!   

There is something about walking outside the mission gates, there’s a feeling of freedom and excitement because you are doing something new and different. This time was especially exciting because I was going to go on a tap tap for the very first time. Lindsay was at the beach so I was disappointed she wasn’t experiencing this with me. So we stood outside the mission gates and Sadrac waved down a tap tap. The tap tap came to a stop and I was doing all I could to keep my excitement inside. We looked inside to see one full tap tap, we said we would catch the next one… but before we knew it people were squeezing over to make room. Michelle and I squeezed our bums on the bench and Sadrac held on to the back with the guy who collects the money. Since we were only going to Source-Matelas we were only on the tap tap for no more then 2 minutes. We gave the man one Haitian dollar (there are 7.5 Haitian dollars in a US dollar) and jumped off the tap tap. We talked through the village to get to Sadrac and Wicky’s house. We sat in the front room of their new place Wicky played guitar and the rest of us sang along.

After a while we decided to head out on a mission. Diana usually helps with the lesson in kids church so being palm Sunday naturally we needed to go find palm branches for the story. We grabbed the machete walked back into a forest more or less where we could find palm branches. It was very entertaining watching the guys climb the palm trees to get the branches, they soon gave up and we decided cut branches off of smaller trees.

This was the first time I had really walked around a village and it was an awesome moment for me. I was soaking it all in… I am actually in Haiti. I loved just walking around the village, watching the children playing in the river. As we walked by the houses the children came running yelling, “White people, white people” in creole of course.

We walked back to the mission with palms in hand, I’m sure it was a sight to see for people driving by. We arrived back the mission just in time for super.

Here is a link to some pictures from the day! CLICK HERE!

Every Saturday night is girls night at Diana’s all the Jr. high girls go up to Diana’s after dinner. Lindsay and I joined in on the fun.  We paint nails, do a short devo and watch a movie. This week’s feature was ‘A Walk to Remember’.  This is just a fun night of winding down and getting to know each other on another level.

After the movie was over Lindsay and I headed down to the guesthouse to make a cakes for the party we were planning in the Village the next night! As mentioned in previous blogs we live next door to wonderful people… on one side is Claudel, Madame Claudel and their three children and on the other side is 6 guys who work on the mission as the interpreters. The time has come for the guys to move back into their village so we decided to have a going away party. We are going to miss them so much. So we made a chocolate cake and a vanilla confetti cake only to wake up the next morning to our cake being served for breakfast.  Lindsay and I were shocked and laughing all at the same time. We took it away and put it in a safe place. Thankfully not a lot of the cake was eaten.

Sunday morning we went to church and had a wonderful morning at kids church! The kids enjoyed the story with props and Wicky sang with them. After church, Lindsay, Michelle, Wicky and I headed into Cabaret for lunch. This was Lindsay’s first time on a tap tap and it was exciting to experience it with her, I was just as excited my second time as we were going to be on it for longer then the day before. When we arrived in Cabaret we all jumped off the tap tap, one after another Lindsay, Michelle and I bumped our heads on the roof, the Haitians all laughed at us. We walked to Yolty’s and had some yummy goat for lunch, a new experience I have come to love. After lunch we went on a hunt to get cell phone cards and change American money into gouds, both tasks we completed without any trouble.  We then headed back to Wicky and Sadracs house so Lindsay could see their place. We sat there for a while and then started to walk to the mission and got picked up part way there by Wakine, Sadracs friend who drove us the rest of the way to the mission and  up  the hill to the village.

Lindsay had to do some work and I continued to make the arrangement for the party. We were trying to get Pizza but there was no pizza to be found so we got BBQ Chicken from Cabaret. The party started around 8pm and it was perfect, We had food, cake, coke, music and good friends! It was the perfect ending to a perfect weekend!

I will attach pictures from the party later!

Love, Blessings and Tap Taps,

Leeann

Construction

Construction has started full fledge here on the mission… As I sat outside earlier and I could hear the noise of big machinery working away and I know that is going to be the “new sound” and the “new quiet” here at the mission. Needs changed after the earthquake and we are building to meet those needs. As I sit here an think about it all I can’t help but think about the spiritual construction God is doing in Haiti. God takes us through experiences to mold us, construct us into what he wants us to be and to fulfill his purpose. Similar to here at the mission, many prayers have been answered. We did not pray for the earthquake but we will soon be able to complete the hospital, which is an answer to prayer. We have had doctors and surgeons here performing surgeries and the church is filled with true worshipers of him.

Last week was an exciting week at school. Last week there was 2 football players from the Philadelphia Eagles come to help and visit the Mission of Hope. On Tuesday they took time out their busy schedule to talk to our class. The kids were able to ask questions and get autographs; we all enjoyed it!

On Thursday our class of 8 plus Michelle left campus for a well-deserved beach day. The kids have a reward system for being on time for school, Diana rings the bell at 8am and they have 5 minutes to get to class. If everyone arrives before the 5 minutes is up they get to put a bell in the toy bus. The same happens after recess, so they have the opportunity to get 2 bells a day. Once we get 50 bells we go on a field trip. I was happy to arrive when they had 38 bells in the bus. It was a perfect day for the beach. We spent the morning by pool and the afternoon by the ocean.

Friday was a different story. It started raining after dinner on Thursday and continued most of Friday morning. Diana had gotten sick after returning from the beach, which made me supply teacher on Friday… It was scary but I made it through.

This morning as I was getting up and getting ready for the day I listened to my neighbours singing and worshiping. I didn’t want leave. I feel truly blessed to have met these guys! If I wasn’t neighbours with them I would have gotten to know them as well as I have. It truly was the sweetest noise!

This evening like every Tuesday I went to the incredible worship service down at the church. After church we went to visit Job and Smider who I will talk about in another blog soon! They are two special need orphans who live here at the mission that have stolen my heart. I ended my night by riding up the hill on the front of the ATV with Michelle in the driver seat and Lindsay and Diana on the back; all of us were wearing skirts!

I will blog again soon!

Here is a link to some more pictures...Click here to see pictures

Love blessings construction and worship,

Leeann