I'm not sure what it is about Haiti but I can't sleep very well here. I usually have to drink some Tylenol PM but tonight not even that brings relief... So I am sitting here at my computer.
It rained tonight... Which makes me think of all the people outside in their tents and under their tarps who are sleeping on the ground. I can't even begin to imagine what that is like. We have a nice house and even if I can't go to sleep I at least have the luxary of staying semi dry (when I'm not sweating).
But let me tell you about what I see sitting across the table from me. It is an amazing young man of God. His name is Geftay. He is a Haitian who is staying with us and does a lot of translating work for us. It is 1:30 in the morning here and he is up translating documents for us. The amazing thing is everyone else is in bed and has been for quite some time. Geftay is amazing though. He can always bring a smile to my face....I count on him for a ton (he is the first person I call when our toliet doesn't flush). I wish everyone had the chance to meet this man of God. He definitely has the Spirit of God all over him.
Well... I think in the crazy mess of everyone getting sick a participant has ended up in my bed. So I'm gonna try and find a thermarest and at least go read... I wanna finish The Shack before Tati leaves in the morning. Continue to send up prayers for us. My stomach is literally making all kinds of noises right now and i'm glad that Geftay has his earphones in! Haha...
Grace & Peace,
db sleepless in the Haiti...
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
Two Week Mark...
Well I've been in Haiti for two weeks today. I'm going to just start blogging from this point on and skip days 4-13... Most interesting thing that happened during that time was Day 4 I got really sick like Heat Exhaustion or something and had to go to a Haitian Hospital which was staff by Cuban Doctors in Residency... No one spoke english until some american/cuban journalist showed up.... I was so grateful... Sketchiest hospital I've ever been in... I passed out twice and got an IV... So now that your up to speed...
Today is Day 14 of being in Haiti. I won't lie. It is hard. We've moved houses and we have airconditioning and our own lil staff quarters. We have a maid...We even have a view of the ocean and a pool but the pool has no water. Haiti is really hard when I try to think of things to tell you I can't. Words can't describe the devastation that has hit this country. We've seen some really sick kids, houses and buildings that fell where you know people's bodies are just under there. But through all that has happened they have hope. Many have came to Christ through the earthquake. But they are scared... Many of the Haitians choose to be homeless and live in these tent cities because of their fear of earthquakes... which I don't blame them. We had a tremor the other day and I freaked out! The house we are in is safe but you would have thought that about the Presidential Palace as well.
Today has been interesting. I started to not feel well yesterday. And this morning around 5 am it hit me. I along with 9 other people so far either have been throwing up or have really bad diarrhea. I have the later. I've used the bathroom more times today then the entire time I've been in Haiti. We can't really find a link such as food or anything because even though we had conch which is a type of shellfish last night for supper - I didn't eat any. I also didn't drink the Banana milk drink. I only had beans and rice and lettuce. So we had to throw out food poisioning. 5 out of 12 leaders are sick and in the air conditioning today being peony. It is so boring being sick here in Haiti. We get bored at home with all our tv and movies and such we don't even have that in Haiti. So I've been on facebook alot today. Anyway... hopefully we will get to feeling better soon...
Grace & Peace,
db sick as all get out in the Haiti.....
Today is Day 14 of being in Haiti. I won't lie. It is hard. We've moved houses and we have airconditioning and our own lil staff quarters. We have a maid...We even have a view of the ocean and a pool but the pool has no water. Haiti is really hard when I try to think of things to tell you I can't. Words can't describe the devastation that has hit this country. We've seen some really sick kids, houses and buildings that fell where you know people's bodies are just under there. But through all that has happened they have hope. Many have came to Christ through the earthquake. But they are scared... Many of the Haitians choose to be homeless and live in these tent cities because of their fear of earthquakes... which I don't blame them. We had a tremor the other day and I freaked out! The house we are in is safe but you would have thought that about the Presidential Palace as well.
Today has been interesting. I started to not feel well yesterday. And this morning around 5 am it hit me. I along with 9 other people so far either have been throwing up or have really bad diarrhea. I have the later. I've used the bathroom more times today then the entire time I've been in Haiti. We can't really find a link such as food or anything because even though we had conch which is a type of shellfish last night for supper - I didn't eat any. I also didn't drink the Banana milk drink. I only had beans and rice and lettuce. So we had to throw out food poisioning. 5 out of 12 leaders are sick and in the air conditioning today being peony. It is so boring being sick here in Haiti. We get bored at home with all our tv and movies and such we don't even have that in Haiti. So I've been on facebook alot today. Anyway... hopefully we will get to feeling better soon...
Grace & Peace,
db sick as all get out in the Haiti.....
Sunday, March 21, 2010
So in case you didn't know I'm in Haiti!
ok. So I know I haven't updated since i've been in Haiti. That's due to the sheer busyness we have been and the lack of internet. When I arrived in Haiti the plane drops you off and you have to get on a bus and you have to ride over to another building which is more like a warehouse. Now... haiti is not air conditioned. It was hot! So while we rode over the tarmac we passed the Canadian Army plane here and you can see the things that governments have brought in... then you go through the customs and get your luggage which is a pure miracle that you even get your luggage. So you head out and theres people everywhere trying to help you take your stuff to your car and all these groups are there waiting on people to pick them up... I had to wait a lil bit for Adventures in Missions then they came and it was like a whirlwind....We drove to our house and let me tell ya... Haiti traffic is SCARY!!! Our vehicles have been in about 5 different wrecks... not major ones but bump ups. Luckily I've not been in any of them when it happened.
We were first at a Pastor's house in what you would consider the country of Port-au-Prince. He was so nice! He spoke no english but his wife spoke a little. When i got there there was a group from Penn State there and they were leaving the next day. I didn't set my tent up because once its night time you don't have power. So I shared a tent with the other girl on staff. I was so tired I slept till like 9 am. It was about 96 degrees when I woke up. We hung out and took it easy that day since the group was leaving and set up our tents on the unfinished second story of the house which is the roof with walls... I put my tent up and slept in it. Let's just say my lil pink tent is rather small for me and all my stuff! Plus with sleeping on a thermarest and concrete my back was KILLING me the next morning. Luckily there was a bedroom open so me and one of the other staff girls moved into it and slept there. I skipped church that first Sunday just trying to get used to my new surroundings..The night before we went to the grocery store which is a strange experience with armed guards with shot guns at the gates... We bought some Haitian ice cream which tasted good since cold things are hard to come by here...
I will update you more later... i'm trying to catch you up on the last week but I need to unpack my things here at our new house... Just to make you jealous sitting on my balcony I overlook the ocean and in the distance have mountains as well! I will have to take a picture and share with you!!!!
Grace & Peace,
db now in the HAITI!
We were first at a Pastor's house in what you would consider the country of Port-au-Prince. He was so nice! He spoke no english but his wife spoke a little. When i got there there was a group from Penn State there and they were leaving the next day. I didn't set my tent up because once its night time you don't have power. So I shared a tent with the other girl on staff. I was so tired I slept till like 9 am. It was about 96 degrees when I woke up. We hung out and took it easy that day since the group was leaving and set up our tents on the unfinished second story of the house which is the roof with walls... I put my tent up and slept in it. Let's just say my lil pink tent is rather small for me and all my stuff! Plus with sleeping on a thermarest and concrete my back was KILLING me the next morning. Luckily there was a bedroom open so me and one of the other staff girls moved into it and slept there. I skipped church that first Sunday just trying to get used to my new surroundings..The night before we went to the grocery store which is a strange experience with armed guards with shot guns at the gates... We bought some Haitian ice cream which tasted good since cold things are hard to come by here...
I will update you more later... i'm trying to catch you up on the last week but I need to unpack my things here at our new house... Just to make you jealous sitting on my balcony I overlook the ocean and in the distance have mountains as well! I will have to take a picture and share with you!!!!
Grace & Peace,
db now in the HAITI!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Wow... this is harder than I thought.
Man. This is hard. I knew I was leaving Deep Creek eventually. I mean they fired me. You have to leave when they do that. As hard as it was to find that out in December when all this happened..it was hard to tell the kids... now the time has come where I'm actually leaving.
Alot has been going on here lately. Friday night i had my going away party! We did it true DB style where we made some resturant really crowded and we were loud and crazy... There was 40 or so of us at Outback steakhouse in winston... i had a blast. It was so nice to know that so many people loved me and wanted to wish me well on my trip! I will try and post a picture soon.
Thursday me and my mom went shopping ALL day and got stuff for my trip. I got my pink tent! haha. and right now i'm even using my new pink netbook! It's soo cute. So my theme colors for this trip are pink and orange. I even had that on my cake friday night! I know I'm the only person with a theme for a mission trip! haha. It's been good to spend some time with my mom doing different things... Today (saturday) we spend the day cleaning LuLu's dog lot and taking stuff to the dump.
I went and ate with my brother and his wife and my dad and mom tonight. I almost cried when I hugged my brother and Michelle. It's weird to know you are leaving for 6 months. It was good to get to see them before I left. We went to Kanpai and i am stuffed! It was sooooo good!
I think this is the week for tears. It's really happening that I'm leaving for Haiti this week. I'm so scared and excited. Gwyn wrote me a card and made me cry the other night. I couldn't read it at the resturant because I knew i would be a big mess. I've had my moments where like tonight I just drove over to the church and started crying as I was cleaning out my stuff from there. It's so hard to leave these kids. They have become my best friends and buddies. I had to realize that tonight they aren't mine. They never were. God just let me have a small part (at least I hope so) in their lives.... I was there for 3 years. I've watched some of them start school...some start high school. some start at a new middle school....get their license... first boyfriend/girlfriend...and first formal dances.. I've been so lucky to be their youth pastor! They will never know how much they mean to me and totally awesome and thankful I am that they were in my life!
Tomorrow is my last day at Deep Creek. Officially. I'm no longer the youth pastor after tomorrow. I hope to be apart of those kids lives forever. I know they will be praying for me as I am gone and i will be praying for each one of them! After lunch we are headed out for our last outing and going laser tagging. I mean the only thing that could have been more appopriate would be rolling a yard but it would be the middle of the day! haha... So thank you to the youth and children of Deep Creek... I love you guys and I'm going to miss you like CRAZY!!!
Pray for me this week. I have a million things to do. i am going to have to start the to do list and get on it MONDAY MORNING! haha... Thanks for following me on this journey!
Grace & Peace,
db not too many more nights left in the YKV....
Alot has been going on here lately. Friday night i had my going away party! We did it true DB style where we made some resturant really crowded and we were loud and crazy... There was 40 or so of us at Outback steakhouse in winston... i had a blast. It was so nice to know that so many people loved me and wanted to wish me well on my trip! I will try and post a picture soon.
Thursday me and my mom went shopping ALL day and got stuff for my trip. I got my pink tent! haha. and right now i'm even using my new pink netbook! It's soo cute. So my theme colors for this trip are pink and orange. I even had that on my cake friday night! I know I'm the only person with a theme for a mission trip! haha. It's been good to spend some time with my mom doing different things... Today (saturday) we spend the day cleaning LuLu's dog lot and taking stuff to the dump.
I went and ate with my brother and his wife and my dad and mom tonight. I almost cried when I hugged my brother and Michelle. It's weird to know you are leaving for 6 months. It was good to get to see them before I left. We went to Kanpai and i am stuffed! It was sooooo good!
I think this is the week for tears. It's really happening that I'm leaving for Haiti this week. I'm so scared and excited. Gwyn wrote me a card and made me cry the other night. I couldn't read it at the resturant because I knew i would be a big mess. I've had my moments where like tonight I just drove over to the church and started crying as I was cleaning out my stuff from there. It's so hard to leave these kids. They have become my best friends and buddies. I had to realize that tonight they aren't mine. They never were. God just let me have a small part (at least I hope so) in their lives.... I was there for 3 years. I've watched some of them start school...some start high school. some start at a new middle school....get their license... first boyfriend/girlfriend...and first formal dances.. I've been so lucky to be their youth pastor! They will never know how much they mean to me and totally awesome and thankful I am that they were in my life!
Tomorrow is my last day at Deep Creek. Officially. I'm no longer the youth pastor after tomorrow. I hope to be apart of those kids lives forever. I know they will be praying for me as I am gone and i will be praying for each one of them! After lunch we are headed out for our last outing and going laser tagging. I mean the only thing that could have been more appopriate would be rolling a yard but it would be the middle of the day! haha... So thank you to the youth and children of Deep Creek... I love you guys and I'm going to miss you like CRAZY!!!
Pray for me this week. I have a million things to do. i am going to have to start the to do list and get on it MONDAY MORNING! haha... Thanks for following me on this journey!
Grace & Peace,
db not too many more nights left in the YKV....
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Busy Busy Busy
First of all.... Sorry I've not blogged lately. I've been crazy busy with all sorts of things before I leave. So I will try and update ya on whats going on so far...
I've been trying to fit in all my doctor visits and get all my prescriptions and stuff which has cost me a small fortune... Just 12 Malaria pills today cost me like 40 some bucks. So a small fortune on pills has been spent. I've got a dentist visit on Wednesday to get a cavity filled and my bridge put back in. I've been to the hygentist. I bought contacts to last me while I'm gone. I feel like all I do is drive to winston and look around at everything... A huge stressor was what to do with a cell phone. I went to Verizon... The Droid doesn't work in Haiti. I would have to buy a new phone, sign up a new line to get one at a decent price...blah blah blah. They don't do deals in Haiti for minutes right now... So I'm going with AT&T. I guess Verizon felt bad because they are letting my switch around stuff and dropping my plan to 20.00 a month while I'm gone. But to get a phone with AT&T without a contract is RIDICLIOUS!!!! so I'm hoping some kind soul will have one I can use and will donate one to me.
I bought my hiking back pack today. That was exciting. These sporting good places (except for Sports Authority) have given me 15% off stuff since I am going to Haiti so that's cool. Just fyi... you can't get a big pink hiking bag. So we ordered Orange. I went and looked at Netbooks today at a few places. Sam's has a pink Dell so that's kind of exciting.
Big News is that I got to go to the Adventures In Missions Office in Gainesville Georgia this past Friday and Saturday. They were having a training for their summer project leaders. I met some cool people who were on fire for God and they were really encouraging to me. Now thats not to say they didn't scare me a little... Just ask me sometime about my little cheer I learned! hahaha. But it was good to meet the people I've been on the phone with and the Director for Haiti in the US. They were a really cool staff with a really neat office area. It was fun to have a lil mini road trip by myself before I left. It took me like 4 hours to get there and I took a GPS and I missed my exit twice with it on. So yeah... I'm not the best with those things!
Sunday was my last youth meeting and we had a small group since this time of the year is really busy with my kids. We had a campfire and roasted hotdogs which was a lot of fun. I'm going to miss these kids. Today I went to see the High School's Musical...Suessical. I had two kids in the play. Plus some of my lil kids were actually there and I got to see them! I just love that part of ministry. Seeing the kids light up when they realized it was me there and having the other kids asking them who I was after they hugged me and I talked to them is so much fun! I'm going to miss ALL my kids at Deep Creek!
As hard as it is to leave these kids it is exciting to know what an adventure I'm getting ready to begin. I'm having to delay my leaving because of plane ticket costs so it looks like I will be flying out on Friday March 12.
well that's all I have for now... I'm exhausted so i'm hoping I will be able to sleep in just a little bit tomorrow! It's supposed to snow all day and I hope some of it sticks cuz it would be nice to have some snow cream before I leave! I won't be seeing Snow for a while!
Grace & Peace,
db still in the YKV
I've been trying to fit in all my doctor visits and get all my prescriptions and stuff which has cost me a small fortune... Just 12 Malaria pills today cost me like 40 some bucks. So a small fortune on pills has been spent. I've got a dentist visit on Wednesday to get a cavity filled and my bridge put back in. I've been to the hygentist. I bought contacts to last me while I'm gone. I feel like all I do is drive to winston and look around at everything... A huge stressor was what to do with a cell phone. I went to Verizon... The Droid doesn't work in Haiti. I would have to buy a new phone, sign up a new line to get one at a decent price...blah blah blah. They don't do deals in Haiti for minutes right now... So I'm going with AT&T. I guess Verizon felt bad because they are letting my switch around stuff and dropping my plan to 20.00 a month while I'm gone. But to get a phone with AT&T without a contract is RIDICLIOUS!!!! so I'm hoping some kind soul will have one I can use and will donate one to me.
I bought my hiking back pack today. That was exciting. These sporting good places (except for Sports Authority) have given me 15% off stuff since I am going to Haiti so that's cool. Just fyi... you can't get a big pink hiking bag. So we ordered Orange. I went and looked at Netbooks today at a few places. Sam's has a pink Dell so that's kind of exciting.
Big News is that I got to go to the Adventures In Missions Office in Gainesville Georgia this past Friday and Saturday. They were having a training for their summer project leaders. I met some cool people who were on fire for God and they were really encouraging to me. Now thats not to say they didn't scare me a little... Just ask me sometime about my little cheer I learned! hahaha. But it was good to meet the people I've been on the phone with and the Director for Haiti in the US. They were a really cool staff with a really neat office area. It was fun to have a lil mini road trip by myself before I left. It took me like 4 hours to get there and I took a GPS and I missed my exit twice with it on. So yeah... I'm not the best with those things!
Sunday was my last youth meeting and we had a small group since this time of the year is really busy with my kids. We had a campfire and roasted hotdogs which was a lot of fun. I'm going to miss these kids. Today I went to see the High School's Musical...Suessical. I had two kids in the play. Plus some of my lil kids were actually there and I got to see them! I just love that part of ministry. Seeing the kids light up when they realized it was me there and having the other kids asking them who I was after they hugged me and I talked to them is so much fun! I'm going to miss ALL my kids at Deep Creek!
As hard as it is to leave these kids it is exciting to know what an adventure I'm getting ready to begin. I'm having to delay my leaving because of plane ticket costs so it looks like I will be flying out on Friday March 12.
well that's all I have for now... I'm exhausted so i'm hoping I will be able to sleep in just a little bit tomorrow! It's supposed to snow all day and I hope some of it sticks cuz it would be nice to have some snow cream before I leave! I won't be seeing Snow for a while!
Grace & Peace,
db still in the YKV
Monday, February 22, 2010
Just Hanging Out
I'm just sitting here at my house like I'm not leaving for Haiti in 13 days. I've been somewhat busy today with getting support letters out. I'm hoping I won't have to spend a small fortune in stamps. There is so much I have to get in preperation for this trip. We are gonna do an Angel Tree at church on Sunday so people can help me with some of the supplies so that will be cool. I'm not really nervous anymore but because it has had a few days for it to sink in. I mean I am still nervous when I think about it and start thinking of my to do list. I don't really know what else to blog about so I will let ya know some of those things...
buy a netbook
get supplies ready
clean my room
get estimates on my car from where I hit the deer
a million doctor appointments and get shots
figure out insurance for while I'm in Haiti
clean out my office
spend time with people
see my friends
raise support
I told the Kids the other day at the church and the youth were actually cool. They asked questions about Haiti and then were excited that we would be able to skype. I never cried until I went down and told my lil kids. They were asking now after 6 months you will be back right? and I told them I would come see them and visit. They are so cute and I am telling you I had the cutest lil people EVER at that church. I love them so much! My youth were downstairs helping me with Children's Church where my kids made cards for the Haitian children. They helped find a picture of Haiti and we were able to show them where I will be going.
It's so hard to leave these kids but I know I'm doing what God has called me to do. This is an incredible journey and I am super excited about it. Say a prayer as tomorrow I head to the doctor to get shots and I'm sure she will ask me why I am going and what I am thinking. I'm not a big fan of shots and things but oh well....
Grace & Peace,
DB
buy a netbook
get supplies ready
clean my room
get estimates on my car from where I hit the deer
a million doctor appointments and get shots
figure out insurance for while I'm in Haiti
clean out my office
spend time with people
see my friends
raise support
I told the Kids the other day at the church and the youth were actually cool. They asked questions about Haiti and then were excited that we would be able to skype. I never cried until I went down and told my lil kids. They were asking now after 6 months you will be back right? and I told them I would come see them and visit. They are so cute and I am telling you I had the cutest lil people EVER at that church. I love them so much! My youth were downstairs helping me with Children's Church where my kids made cards for the Haitian children. They helped find a picture of Haiti and we were able to show them where I will be going.
It's so hard to leave these kids but I know I'm doing what God has called me to do. This is an incredible journey and I am super excited about it. Say a prayer as tomorrow I head to the doctor to get shots and I'm sure she will ask me why I am going and what I am thinking. I'm not a big fan of shots and things but oh well....
Grace & Peace,
DB
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Old Friends...
So.... I got my first donation to my trip. A lady on the nominating committee for the Yearly Meeting gave me some cash she had on her today, which wasn't a lot but I am extremely grateful and just feel this whole thing coming into place. I know that God will provide for me and I have to have that faith. I have faith that I will be able to find favor with the different people I need to...finance committee at my church, the bank, verizon and the many other things I will have to do before I go.
I got to see some old friends today and while it was fun to tell them about the trip it was sad to know that I won't see them for another 6 months. One of these ladies...Marsha has been such an encouragement to me during the process of leaving Deep Creek. This lady gets so excited and it really did me good today to see her excitement in her eyes for me. My state denomination's youth department was holding it's True Love Wait's conference and there was over 100 youth there. Alot of those kids I had never met. I pray for the decisions that were made tonight to either wait until marriage or maybe just making a commitment to stay pure from here on out. Pray for these youth as well. They are an amazing young people which ARE our YEARLY MEETING NOW!!!! Our kids need to know that it is ok to wait and not have sex before marriage. I pray that all young people will realize that God loves them and only wants the BEST for them! My good buddy Sarah did a GREAT job on organizing this event and her husband Tim was an AWESOME speaker!
Grace & Peace,
DB -who is back in the YKV for the night!
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