Package Deal

I awoke to little faces pressed against my bug tent, whispering my name and then dispersing into quiet giggling. Klarissa and Otelson are two of our live wires who never seem to slow down and they were the first to wake this morning, unable to restrain themselves from sneaking out to see us any longer. Our whole morning was an absolute circus, in every sense of the word! It was crazy and busy but hilarious all the same. When everyone was awake, Mom and I made up bowls of dried fruit and assorted granola bars for all of the kids and coffee for all the adults. The kids were into everything. EVERYTHING. What should have taken us 45 minutes tops to get ready took us over 4 hours. Lol! Every time we turned around, there was some national emergency or problem, half of them leaving us laughing hysterically. Finally, Mom thought of the bag of balloons she had brought from the orphanage and passed those out. It gave us a few minutes to run into the bathroom to finish getting ready. We are both standing at the sink brushing our teeth when Dina (age 13) shows up at the door, her face white as a sheet... literally. She had sneaked into my makeup bag and used my foundation all over her face and neck! If you know me, I'm the palest of pale so my makeup was NOT made for little Haitian girls! She was so embarrassed but needed our help because the more she rubbed at it, the worse it got! Then the whole thing turned into a party. We had 11 kids all wanting to partake in the joys of Beth and Krystle's cleanup supplies. They layered on the deodorant, sprayed body spray until we could hardly breathe, rubbed face lotion all over, and finally the girls got makeovers by me because they could barely contain their curiosity over all of it. Klarissa found Mom's coverup and thinking it was lipstick, smeared it all over her lips and came crying for us to fix it. The boys had blush all over, the older girls thought they would brush mascara through their eyebrows, and then we finished the whole event with a final round of deodorant and body spray. They were the nicest smelling children in the whole country of Haiti!

Just as we were getting the children loaded up into the car, Christianne and Naromie asked if we could please do this again this evening. They had huge smiles on their faces and said it was no problem to have all of the children and everyone had so much fun. So, we told them we would! Back to the orphanage we went for part of the day so the kids could do their chores and we could pack up all of the suitcases and American storage room. Mom and Robinson went out to buy hot dogs for the evening since we hadn't been planning on feeding everyone and I played board games with the kids while they were gone. Before we knew it, we were headed back for another fast paced evening at the mission house. We gave the kids bags of goodies we had brought from home for them. Bouncy balls, bubbles, balloons, etc. It kept them busy while we hurriedly packed our bags. The last movie of the trip was started and Mom and I cooked up dinner for everyone. There had been a small misunderstanding in language translation and we had not realized that all of the adults would be leaving for prayer meeting all evening, leaving us alone on our last night with all of the children! Thankfully, Claudy showed up and helped watch the kids while we finished things up.

If Klarissa gave us one kiss this evening, she gave us 50. She walked around declaring in very clear English 'Good Morning! I love you!' and kissing us on the cheek. I got my shower and was trying to make myself presentable for coming home tomorrow but was just feeling terrible about myself. I walk out of the bathroom in my pajamas, hair wrapped up in a towel and Klarissa stopped dead in her tracks with an expression of pure shock. 'Woy!', she said. 'Ou bèl, Krystle!' Or 'You are beautiful, Krystle!' Melt my heart. She was so sincere in her proclamation that it makes me wonder if children see us more clearly as who God made us to be. She doesn't see my mosquito bitten legs, broken out face, frizzy hair or body image issues. She sees my heart and the love and adoration I have for her. She is not constrained by worldly or physical looks and things, she sees true beauty in the world. I pray I learn to see with eyes like hers.

I was so proud of all of kids as we started settling down for bed. There were some tears and protestations that we could go to bed but they were going to lay awake until 3 so they could see us before we left. I can only imagine how hard it is on them each time we appear in their lives only to pack up and leave again. I know life is different when we aren't here. I got down on the girls bed to give out hugs and kisses and snuggles to all of them. Iftha was crying so hard. She asked me if I ever cry after I leave them and I told her I cry all the time because I miss them so badly. In the Haitian culture, children are encouraged not to cry. There is so much to cry over in their lives that I think they would never stop once started and so they just ignore their own pain and try to keep it inside. I'm a rebel and want them to cry if they need to and not feel ashamed. I have done this so many times now and it will never get easier. I remind myself that if it wasn't this painful, it wouldn't be worth it. To love deeply is to feel deeply and anytime you love someone in that way, there is almost always pain involved. It is a packaged deal. And I am more than willing to take it. My ultimate goal is not to just take care of their physical needs but get each and every one of them to Heaven. God is working in the hearts and lives of 12 beautiful children on a small island, in the middle of the ocean, and I am honored to have a front row seat to witness it all. Prayers for our journey home tomorrow. Blessings from St. Marc, Haiti one more time.

Krystle

Leftovers

Lots was accomplished today! We spent part of the morning cleaning the upstairs of the Mission House and getting things ready to have all of the kids come stay with us for a sleepover. I had the most precious talk with Dina and Otelson out on the balcony where I was cooking last night. They have figured out that if they get me on my own and speak slowly, we can talk about pretty much anything. I keep my Creole speaking a secret! Ha! Their plan was to ask if they could come stay the night with Mom and I with all of the kids. They were so excited! So I talked to Mom and Rob and we made it a plan. As wonderful as the Mission House is, 11 children is a lot to fit in so we had to move things around to make it work. The second part of the morning was spent talking and handling different affairs around the orphanage, with our school program, having some things translated to take home and various meetings with people. It all went really well and a lot of things were taken care of.
    Christianne and Naromie are the ultimate hostesses and have provided us with Haitian food several of our days here! It is a treat for sure and allows us more time to spend with the kids. There was more playing with toys and games but everyone was so excited for this evening! The longer the day went on, the more people who decided they would join us tonight. In the end we have Christianne, Jocelyn, Drin, Berline, Kervins, Kimberline, Manius, Robinson, Naromie, 12 children, Mom and I! The kids started scurrying around to pack their things while Mom and I made some dinner for everyone. Shout out to West Side team who’s leftover macaroni and cheese helped make for a special night! When we were ready to go, 14 of us piled inside the Toyota to head out. I love the Haitians style of travel. 7 of us where only 3 were meant to be! At the house, Mom and I had prepared a treasure hunt for all of them by hiding 50 (yes, 50) beads around the upstairs. The kids had to find all of them, and present them to me to earn a written clue about where the treasure was hidden. The clue went something like ‘You will find your treasure someplace that is as cool as Michigan.’, which of course eventually led them to the refrigerator that is not used for refrigeration because of the lack of power. They were delighted with their new activity books and colored pencils. The game was followed up with a special experiment… snow in a can! They were ecstatic as they passed around handfuls of the white stuff that looks like snow. But the resemblance ends there! It was good enough for them though! We ended with a movie played out on the balcony. I have felt myself feeling a bit frustrated at times throughout the day where I am normally not frustrated. It took me until writing this blog to realize how much I am struggling with the idea of leaving. After the movie, we were setting up the kids beds and trying to encourage them to wind down. I was sitting on the only couch which is actually a love seat with 7 of the kids. They were asking me about when I was leaving, when I was coming back and who might be coming with me. Talking about what they might need or want in the fall time. No matter how many times I tried to explain, they can’t understand why I can’t wait to go home until Thursday. It’s not their job to understand though. They're just trying to figure out how to deal. One more loss in what must feel like a lifetime of losing. I’m not sure I’ve figured out how to deal with it either. I only know I can trust God with the in-between time and the end results for each of us, whatever that may look like. My heart is at an odd place of of aching joy. So full that it hurts. It is well after midnight and the house is quiet but the country is still alive with the sounds of what can only be Haiti. There are precious little ones spread over every inch of the floor, sleeping peacefully. I am not sure I will be afforded such rest tonight but I am off to give it a try! If you think about it, keep us in your prayers as we head full force into our final day here on the ground. Blessings from St. Marc!

Krystle

Hours

This morning came early at 5:30am. We were in church before most of you at home were even awake! The church was overflowing when we walked through the gate. I remember spending long days on the property with lots of people coming and going and there were always times when there was no one there. I haven’t seen the church property having less than a few hundred people on it for at least 3 years now. It is staggering. I tried to take pictures during the service but they don’t do any justice to the reality of how many people are there. I have also tried to count but it seems an impossible task. They had taken a break from holding children’s church for a while but this morning we got to see a class in session and it was amazing! I took some video footage to share when I get home. The pastor who was speaking this morning spoke for 2 hours… that means we were in church for well over 4 hours! We are blessed with two wonderful translators as Claudy came to join us at our church this morning and he translated the whole 2 hour sermon for us! He is a very gifted man. Speaking of that, at 50 years old, he has started back to school to earn a degree in law. He is one of those people who will never stop learning. Back to church. Mom and I were both asked to speak… again. Thankfully, either because of sleep deprivation or God staunching my anxiety (we will go with the latter!), I wasn’t as nervous as I usually am. The people responded really well to everything we shared with them. Mom is a natural on stage, she just doesn’t know it! We were able to visit with lots more people after the service had ended. I’m surprised at moments just how vast that number of people is. God has truly blessed our efforts of outreach with these people. I don’t know what has made us so favorable to so many but I am grateful God has allowed me this place. I have so many friends here. I couldn’t even begin to name them all or how their hearts and lives bless my own. Lots of great pictures were taken with a lot of them!
    Back at the house it was a quieter day. I know from staying here for longer periods of time that Sundays are normally a rest day. When I say rest, I mean sleeping! Usually, everyone takes long naps to recharge for the week to come. All of the kids fought to stay awake so they could be with us, though we were quite tired ourselves. Only Klarissa succumbed to sleeps alluring call and didn’t wake for 4 hours! We let the kids take turns picking out movies to watch, we gave them snacks, played a few games, etc. The really exciting thing for the kids was a water balloon fight during the hotter part of the day. You have never seen kids go as wild as these while we filled 5 gallon buckets with balloons. It was boys versus girls with Mom and I both filming the whole thing. Their squeals of laughter and bright smiles were enough to warm anyones heart!
    Mom and I whipped up a pretty fantastic dinner to share with everyone out of some ramen noodles and cans of chicken from the fall trip. Every trip to Haiti I always tell myself I will never take for granted how easy it is to cook at home but I am always shocked when I come back just how difficult the simplest of tasks are. The kids were absolutely crazy over our ‘poor man’s dinner’ though, so that is all that matters to me! As they all sat there eating and I was setting up the movie outside, a sudden gust of wind took out the projector screen which thanks to his lightening fast skills, Kenley caught just before it hit the concrete. We improvised and just used the side of the house for the viewing of ‘BFG’. It was a great day. I am feeling the pressure of leaving so soon but am praying that God will help me make every moment count. Blessings from rainy St. Marc!

Krystle

Fissures

Another fantastic day has come and gone. Robinson was at the long night service all night so Kervins was our guardian angel and slept on the floor in front of our door to keep watch over us and tend the generator. He is a special young man whom I cannot say enough good things about. He and I have gotten a lot closer on this trip and I am very grateful for his friendship. There were a couple of big soccer games on today and the house was overflowing with young boys and men who had gotten special permission to watch on Pastor’s television! The whole house was laced with tension and excitement from all of the bodies closed in together in such a small space. We found a couple of corners and settled down to color giant pictures and play Uno with all of the younger kids. It may sound like a more relaxed day but with all of these little ones, nothing is slow paced! We visited a couple of grocery stores this afternoon to track down enough hotdogs and buns to make dinner for everyone. When just Mom and I come, we only have room to bring food for ourselves for most days as well as snacks we can give to all of the kids. We wanted to make something for everyone though and hotdogs are always a smash hit here in Haiti! 80 hotdogs, a couple bags of trail mix and a few containers of Pringles later, the whole house was in a happy food coma watching ‘Sing’ which was also adored by all. Christianne made Mom and I a lovely Haitian dinner and Naromie topped it off with a homemade juice made out of ‘sugar apples’. As picky as I have been in the past, I think God hacked into my system and somehow gave me an uncanny love for Haitian food! It all made for a wonderful night together!
     Mom and I sit here on the balcony of the Mission House tonight, talking about the day, talking about Haiti, talking about the ministry, talking about life. I have what feels like a vast multitude of thoughts whirling around in my head this evening. We were blessed to have some really good heart to heart conversations with Rob today but the after affects are that the wheels in my head are on autopilot and running at a steady pace. I have each of our kids on my mind. How each of them came to us, their backgrounds and how their pasts complicate their everyday lives and futures. Their trials have been great though their years have been few. I find it amazing how resilient we are as human beings, especially children. How does the pain not just stop their tiny hearts from beating? They already had so little and for the people who were meant to teach them all the things so many of us take for granted to just be torn from their grasp, is heartbreaking. The answer I trust to be true, is that God has big plans for each of them. He is the ultimate heart and mind physician and can repair all of the fissures that have been carved into our beings from the beginning. Each one of these beautiful children hold a place dearer in my heart than I thought anyone could ever have. Tonight, my cup is overflowing with love and joy! God has been with us on this trip in a tremendous way. Prayers have been answered and fresh air has  been breathed into everything. Time for some rest before an early morning and church tomorrow! Blessings from St. Marc!

Krystle

Chapters

    Another day full of adventures and God’s handiwork. We have our normal routine in the mornings of getting ready, eating breakfast, devotions, etc. There were a couple of people visiting this morning and I made coffee for all of us to drink while we sat around talking. We took off for what turned out to be a morning around town. First, we picked up Pastor Martylus’ wife from a doctors visit as she just had her second baby (taken by C-Section) 9 days ago. Next, we stopped by the eye clinic to pick up Otelson. Mom and I both noticed his eyes were very red and he couldn’t stop rubbing them yesterday. We suspected pink eye and were proven correct when the doctor saw him. The amazing thing to me is this. Robinson took Otelson to the clinic at 6:30 this morning so he could be one of the first in line. He waited with one of the ladies who helps at the orphanage and was just getting called back to see the doctor at 11:00 when we got there. It took over 5 hours for this 11 year old to be diagnosed with pink eye and given a prescription for eye drops. Can you even imagine? I had to laugh as Robinson walked Otelson back up to the registration desk when his name was called and the nurse asked if this was his son. Robinson replied that he was and she asked him how old he was. Robinson couldn’t remember and looked down at Otelson who replied he thought he was 12. The nurse scolded Rob, saying that he really should know his own child’s age to which Rob replied, ‘I do my best but I have 11 children!’. Really, can you imagine doing doctors visits for 11 children when it takes 4-6 hours each time? We are so blessed. I know it is easier to say that when I am here being forced to watch it, feel it, and breathe it in but I pray God will help me keep this unique perspective that only this kind of environment can inspire. The weight of it comes crashing down on you like a freight train. In a life like this, reality forces perspectives hand.
    Our last stop of the day was a 20 minute drive out to our new church property! I have been so excited to see it as on our last trip in the fall, only the guys were able to go with Rob to scope it out. We parked, ran across the busy street and met the original owner who took us on a guided tour of the road, surrounding area and finally our very own property! It is beautiful. A good ways back from the road and completely uncultivated and untouched. As we stood there and Rob started pointing to different areas, telling us where everything was going to be, I turned a page and ended the last chapter of the first book in what I hope to be a very long series in my mind. Sometimes, you dread finishing a book and just want it to go on forever, but sometimes the book is so exciting, there are so many things left to discover, you can hardly wait to pick up the next one. That is how this feels to me. I was hesitant about a change this big in the ministry before coming but as soon as I set foot on that property, you can feel the power. A piece of property isn’t magic and won't do anything in and of itself but a piece of property being used to bring glory to the Lord? That will transform lives. Six or seven children ran down from a house not too faraway to come and see us. After taking some pictures, Rob translated for Mom who told them that we were going to be their new neighbors. That there is going to be a beautiful church built here for everyone to come to. Their eyes were just shining. God has provided us with a whole new area of people who are hungry for His presence in their hearts. It is amazing. And did I mention that our property is practically on a mountain? We are literally going to  be ‘The church on the mountain’, which I think is the best part yet! Help us pray over every area of this property and the ministry God is working to expand!
    The rest of our day was wonderful as well. A bit quieter so that everyone could recover from the first two days! Lots of movies, snuggles, coloring and crafts. We ended the night with a popcorn and jellybean bonanza while watching Moana out in the courtyard. Now it is time for us to rest our eyes before jumping into another day of it tomorrow! Blessings always.

Krystle
   

Crafting

    How do I even begin to describe today? A wonderful, beautiful, chaotic whirlwind is the best I can come up with off the top of my head… at almost midnight. I am struggling to find the words I want through blurry eyes and mind. Our morning started much earlier today and right before we left the mission house, Madam Robert stopped by to see us. We have known her since our first trip in almost 10 years ago and she is one of Mom’s dearest friends here in Haiti. I am sure many of you have heard stories of the connection she and Mom have made over singing. It is something special that God has used to entwine their hearts together, and for the rest of their lives I would say.
    We made a quick trip (quick in Haiti is not very quick!) to the Digicel store to try and fix our internet issues so I am not spending so much time in the evening trying to get blogs sent out. Thankfully, it was an easy fix, though we had to bite the bullet and put some cash out for a new router and wifi plan. Hopefully it will make it easier for Rob when we leave as well.
    The day really began when we arrived at the orphanage. I truly don’t know how to even begin to get the idea across to anyone at home. There were 13 kids and several young people there today as well as all of the adults. We have a small stash of toys and games we brought in the fall and kept in the ‘American storage room’ for safe keeping to be used when we came back. Because of that, we have many options available for varying age groups which makes for fun times for everyone. The problem in Haiti is that none of these kids have received training on how to handle toys or games. You get something out and every single one of them is instantly thrown into survival mode and grabs for whatever is within reach. You have to learn to be patient in absolutely everything, even the tasks you think would be simple. When we have a team here, the kids will spread out more as there is attention being given from lots of people at one time. With just two of us, it seems there would not be enough to go around if it wasn’t for God’s grace on Mom and I! There were so many fantastic memories made. I took as many pictures as I could through all of the craziness but I wish I could capture every moment. The kids got their first taste of putting together sets of legos which they are all crazy over. Teaching them to keep the pieces together is quite a process but they all did so great! The older kids have finally learned how to put together puzzles and they can’t get enough of them. After several hours of non stop playing, Mom and I decided to divide and conquer. She took the older children to play a couple of board games (which is always interesting trying to explain rules in a completely foreign language) while I took the kids ages 4-11 to give them their first lesson on how to use scissors… I know, I am completely out of my mind at moments! On my 3 month trip almost 5 years ago, I had taught who are now our oldest kids the same thing when I found out they had never used scissors. So, when Mom witnessed Iftha at 11 years old cutting off the end of her braid yesterday, proud as a peacock at her accomplishment, we decided our younger generation needed the same thing. Why you may ask would we choose this as an activity for orphan children? The answer to that is, we are Beth and Krystle and sometimes we have crazy ideas. And since we have promised to give our kids every opportunity that we can make possible, ‘cut and fold’ crafts became part of the agenda for the day! After having a small discussion about the dangers and responsibilities of using child proof scissors (LOL!), I passed them out to my 6 students and let them each pick a page from the craft books. Everything was going beautifully at first. Everyone was cutting away while I gave instructions as needed. Klarissa sat on my lap while I guided her through her project. And then it began. Iftha made a small error on the scalloped edges she was trying to make on her paper fan and burst into tears. I turned to help her fix it and tell her it was okay because she is just learning only to turn around and find Vlad has accidentally cut his small city and car scene in half… he looked at me all confused and said ‘I don’t understand what happened’. HA! Otelson’s bat (He has a recent obsession with Batman) came out with one perfect wing and the other one the same shape but half the size as the first. He was devastated so I helped him cut it out so we could tape it together. Bigodson cut off the tongue on his snake and Klarissa cut her crown in half… it was a regular three ring circus! Thankfully, Vanessa was successful in her first attempt making a bluebird. We were laughing so hard by the end of our escapades, all 7 of us sitting in a circle, the room looking like a crafting battlefield with tiny pieces of paper flying everywhere from the fan. I learn so much from these kids. To embrace the moments while they are here and just laugh even if it all goes wrong. They are all amazingly, perseverant, little human beings.   
    Meanwhile, Mom had her difficulties trying to teach 3 teenage boys how to play Racko… teenagers are already difficult and it took Samuel 20 minutes to decide on something that might be appealing to him. Remember the days of trying oh so hard to be cool? I think we all end up looking back and laughing at ourselves! After Robinson translated all about the importance of not cheating and good attitudes as well as the rules of the game, they left them to start. When she checked back they told her they couldn’t understand why the game was so easy and went so quickly only for her to discover all of them had rigged their cards. Oh my gosh. She had me laughing hysterically when she told me all about how she was trying to tell them that ‘it is not a good thing to cheat’ and how she has never been good at shuffling cards but how God must have touched her and she shuffled those cards perfectly! LOL! The boys were staring at her with big eyes, very impressed with her skills which she was just as surprised at but acted like she knew exactly what she was doing! She is an absolute hoot!
    We ended the evening with a showing of Pete’s Dragon out in the yard. Klarissa was sitting on one leg, Vanessa was using the other as a pillow and Iftha had her arms wrapped around my waist while Vlad held my hand. I got up covered in mosquito bites and both legs sound asleep. It is so worth it. I am unable to express my love for this country and these kids and this journey we find ourselves on together. Perhaps you will get to read something a bit more profound in a different blog or maybe not but the words are taken from my heart and typed out onto this screen and I thank you for taking the time to read them. Goodnight and blessings from St. Marc!

Krystle

Toothless

Well, in case any of my team members from October 2016 were wondering, Virgil the rooster is still alive and giving off strangled sounding crows. His sense of time is still very much impaired as well. Still, that didn’t stop us from getting a good nights rest. It took us a bit longer to sort through our things and set everything up… it is hard to explain how much work goes into just getting the simplest of tasks achieved. You decide you want to brush your teeth, make a pot of coffee, send out an email or even throw something in the garbage? Well, be prepared that it will be a much bigger job than one might first anticipate.
    I don’t know how we managed it, but we landed here right during the kids spring break. As soon as we got to the orphanage this morning, we played non stop practically all day! Cars, trains, dolls, legos, airplane building, hockey, kick ball, skate boarding and much more. You could literally name it and more than likely we did it! We have ages 3 months-15 years and even though I have complete confidence in my skills with kids, they definitely keep us on our toes! All of the kids are happy and healthy and growing like crazy. Speaking of growing and changing, Vladimir is sporting a new look with his two front teeth missing and let me tell you does he pull it off well! At moments he feels quite self conscious and tries to cover his mouth… luckily for me, he is much too easy to make smile! I have some pretty awesome pics of the kids but the internet is giving me fits so alas, we will all have to wait.
    The newest addition to our beautiful and chaotic house is baby Robertson, fondly referred to as Robert. He is gorgeous and with a personality that can’t help but make one smile. At 3 1/2 months, he talks and makes noises like no other baby I've ever seen. And his faces just make it that much better! We also get the advantage of being here while he is young enough to not be frightened of the ‘white people’ like he very likely will be in a few months. We get to hold, snuggle, bathe and feed him all we want and are most definitely loving it and soaking it all in!
    To add to an already very exciting day, today we celebrated Rob’s 43rd birthday! The church put on a big party for him this evening and it was a smash success! I think every person in leadership stood up to talk about Robinson. Mom got up to speak as well and did an amazing job as always. I thought I had weaseled my way out of another speaking engagement but surprise, surprise, they asked me to say something. I fumbled my way through a passable birthday wish in front of a few hundred people without passing out… Ha! There was dancing and singing, a beautiful speech from Naromie, skits (A hilarious shout-out to missionaries from MI was acted out by a couple of young men.) and even a leadership dance off that included Robinson, Claudy, Manius and all the other men in leadership. Everything was decked out and a bunch of the ladies from the church had worked all day to make all kinds of amazing food. It truly was spectacular and everyone had a wonderful night.
    My heart is overflowing with joy tonight. I want to write for hours about all of the encounters I have had today. Klarissa falling asleep on my lap in the Toyota, Drin grabbing my hand and whispering how much she loves me and is so happy we are friends, Kervins beaming at me and showing me his new book, Jocelyn brushing my hair, Woodsy telling me I get more beautiful every time he sees me (LOL!!!), Vlad trying to cover my eyes from behind so I could guess who it was, Peterson sitting and talking with me, unending hugs and kisses from the kids.    I feel overcome with happiness and contentment this evening. God has Mom and I here for a reason this week and it was so apparent to me today. Mom and I read a devotional today and one sentence that stood out to me went something like “Don’t ask yourself if you are adequate for the journey God has you on. He has equipped you with everything you need whether you know and understand it yet or not.” I have tried to embrace that thought with open arms and feel God’s blessing on everything we are doing.
    Now it is into the early hours of the morning and a cold shower and some sleep are calling to me! Blessings from St. Marc!    

Keeping On

And we are off! Mom and I have been planning a spring trip tentatively for a few months, not quite sure what that would look like. For years, our family was taking two trips in every year, once in the spring and once in the fall. We hit a burn out period in all varieties of the term and had to make it important that we were getting away and recovering so that we could continue to give both in ministry at home and in Haiti. For the past 4 years God has provided Mom and I with the opportunity to go for a spring trip based around outreach at the orphanage. As I have stated in many blogs before this, the orphanage is where my heart is. I was going to Haiti a few years before the orphanage opened but always searching for my niche. It became very obvious as soon as those first couple of precious kids became ours. Anyways, we have been planning a trip but due to unforeseen medical issues, we were unable to go at the time we thought was going to work out. At the last minute, we checked tickets for a week out and low and behold, God turned what we thought was a red light into a very definite green light! Our household has been a flurry of activity but God has had His hand on every aspect of it. It helps that we are all becoming old pros at this. We left the house at 3:30am with 4 suitcases, 2 carry-ons and 2 backpacks. It has all come together so beautifully but that has only added to the feelings of the whole thing being very surreal. Even as we were hugging our guys goodbye and lining up in the security check line with sleep still blurring the edges of my eyes and mind, it felt like a faraway dream. Don’t worry, God decided to shake things up a bit! He seems to do that on these trips just to keep us on our toes and thankfully I have learned to laugh along with Him... most of the time!

Everything went smoothly for myself going through security. I used to completely stress out when I was a bit younger, always scrambling to remember everything. ‘Take off shoes, take off jacket, liquids in separate container, computer in separate container, do I put my boarding pass back in my bag or carry it with me? What about my passport? Better carry it with me... but dang it... it has a paper clip. Will a paper clip make the scanner go off?’ And then I accidentally but quite dramatically drop my backpack with 6 books in it across the floor or something equally as appalling in my mind. And still manage to get pulled from the security line for my enormous hair to be patted down... like I could be hiding something in there! That was a two second window into the thought patterns of Krystle’s brain by the way. All of that to say, security checks are pretty simple for me nowadays. I have a system and it works well. Today was nothing different. Mom however, had a completely different experience at 4:30 this morning. I won’t go into great detail since she is still not far enough removed from the situation to laugh as much as I did. They pulled her bag to search for something suspicious and found ‘airport contraband’ within. You would think it would have been simple from there to simply throw it away and move on, but no. They proceeded to empty every single item from her superbly packed suitcase so they could swab the whole thing down. It took them 30 minutes to do the whole bag and search her person again. She was not a very happy camper but it didn’t keep her down for long. It only got better when 5 minutes before boarding she realized they had forgotten a whole bin of her things back at the security area... Goodness gracious!
The final report is that we have managed to obtain and keep all of our possessions... except for the one item of contraband that must not be named. (Just a hint, she will probably tell you if you ask her when we get home.). After all this craziness, I had also managed to take one of the guys phones and make it all the way through security and practically onto the plane before we all realized it. Thankfully, the very sweet lady at the cafe offered to run it back down to the front. We were just on a roll this morning. Like a mudslide down a mountain, apparently! Ha! All of this just reminded me of why I’m doing this though. So many times people assume I do it simply because I think it is fun, an adventure in life that earns another stamp in my passport. In all actuality, it isn’t easy for me at all. I constantly feel like I am being pulled in two directions and never completely content in either. Wanting both but only able to have one at a time. Why God has my heart in that place right now,

I do not know. But I DO know that He has a reason and that He has me right where he wants me. This constant need to keep moving, to keep helping, to keep searching, to keep growing and to just keep ‘keeping on’ drives me on past where my comfort zone long ago stopped. I doubt myself all the time. I question God as to His reasons. And sometimes, like today, He tells me to just stop thinking so much. I am learning to find contentment where I am at in the moment and letting God figure out what that looks like for my future. Right now, I am filled with gratitude that He has allowed this to be a part of my life. This country, this ministry, these people who have long ago become my family. Let’s see what adventures He leads us through this week!

P.S. I started this blog while in the airport on one of our layovers... The rest of the trip went just as planned if not better. No troubles getting through the airport with our bags, as Rob and Ronald were there to be our escorts. The drive to St. Marc was about two hours and it was dark half way through the trip but just allowed us to see the country in all of its Caribbean glory as the sun was setting. It reminds me of the island from the book (or movie) “Life of Pi”... for all appearances, it is a beautiful island but if you stay it will eventually wear you down and eat away at you until there is nothing left. That is what these people live with. From faraway you see beauty but it is actually only a thinly veiled disguise for desolation, poverty and pain. All thoughts along those lines were washed from my mind as we walked into the orphanage and we were greeted by a small, delighted hoard of smiling, screaming children. What a homecoming it was! That is as much as you get for tonight though because selfishly, I am too tired to continue! Off to bed we go and I will write more tomorrow. Blessings!