haiti yay!

Once again I’ve been inconsistent in my chronicling of my time in Haiti, and once again I apologize! It passing day I’m here it gets harder and harder to do this! The reason it’s so difficult is not from laziness (I’m serious!), but because of the amazing relationships I’ve formed with people here. I have Mike my Canadian friend who I spend the most time with. I hope to keep ties with him and definitely invite him to the wedding. There is Mark my roommate from Missouri who I talk with about his love for a Haitian here on base, and we support each other so well in everything going on. Then there are the Haitians on base: Steve, Junior, Patrick, Anasias, Jude, Ronald, Peterson, Philipson, Yvenel, Bo and his wife Merline, Carline, Jonathon, Roberteau, Elage (Eddie Murphy), Alain, and many more I don’t have the time to mention. I love them all sooooo much I can’t put it into words. I truly have a unique relationship with each of them, and I cherish learning about their lives and their testimonies.

It is people like them that give me hope for Haiti. They are the new generation and their visions for the future have already brought me to tears. Speaking of the future, I must also mention all of my students that I teach in gym. I can’t come close to mentioning them all because there are so many of them with diverse personalities but I have to highlight some. There is Nathaniel the fat and pudgy goofball. He is the purest, most innocent child I have ever known. He loves to tell me I’m the best gym teacher EVER hahaha! Then there are the girls Dawna, Taloney, Mikaela, Krystal, Nora and on and on. They love affection and to be thrown in the air or hold hands. They can be divas but they’ll listen when they’re being wrong. Then there are the boys who love to act tough like Aaron, Davie, Harry, Geoff, Eli, and others but who are big sweeties on the inside. I’ll never forget how their toughness completely fled them when we had swimming lessons. I’ve never been clung to for dear life as when I was helping them swim across. They were nearly in tears as I was helping them along, but by the end they were loving it and they always look forward to swimming lessons.

I feel so truly blessed right now. Lately I’ve been feeling sorry for myself about various things and tonight I truly was lifted it. I am in my favorite place in the planet, my soon-to-be wife is joining me here in two days, and I can ride around the city on motorcycle taxies for 40 cents. That is Mike and my favorite thing to do. It’s fun because you never know if you are going to get a driver that is friendly, and likes to talk about his faith, or if you’ll get one that will see an opportunity to scam some money. It sometimes feels like that is the microcosm of the country, people seem to be opportunistic or exploitative, or open, loving, and hospitable beyond any United States measure. Then I realize that is too oversimplified and dangerous to assume about any sort of people group. The whole time here I’ve been trying to formulate in my mind what it is to be “Haitian”. Whenever I think I’m getting somewhere close to an answer, new Haitian people just destroy the mold. I love that though. I really really do! It means you need to take the time to know people and form relationships. That’s true of any place, anywhere. I had no idea where my ramblings this time around would go, but I think this is it. I love making relationships. The deeper they go the more rewarding they are, but more than that, that is how progress in any arena will be made. Change comes vertically; from people to people to people, not from the top down.

It’s pretty awesome how Jesus is like that too. In the book of Isaiah it prophesized that Jesus would suffer and be bruised and beaten for the world. He didn’t come to a thrown and rule by some “trick-down” scheme. He formed relationships with his disciples. These disciples after much learning and many mistakes and grown then went town to town not conquering, but conversing and healing. They showed compassion, they influenced people through perseverance in their actions, and strength in their character. I want my wife and I to do that for the rest of our lives. I want every meaningful relationship in my life; family and friends, to join me in this directly or indirectly. This is my prayer.

I spoke on Facebook with somebody that I haven’t talked to in basically a couple of years, and we’d barely consider ourselves acquaintances. There was by no means any bad blood, we just don’t really have a relationship. I started talking to her about a show that we both liked, but it ended up that I was lifted up more than I can explain here. She said she had read my blog (which means so much to me for ANYBODY who reads this silly thing) and she said in short that she was inspired by Taylor and my love for the nations, and passion for justice. This girl is mending and growing in her relationship in Christ, and she has been learning about inequalities and injustices throughout the world. I was so overjoyed, not for the boost to the ego she supplied (that is if I allow it to come to that), but because she is becoming impassioned as well. I was more overcome than I can explain, and I shared it with Taylor and we were overjoyed so deeply! So for all of you who have given us encouragements, or have mentioned you are praying for us, or praying for us without mentioning it, I want you to know that they mean more than anything in the world. Its so easy to feel bitter for the amount of wrong that is allowed in the world. I have a hard time deciding which is worse, having no clue what goes on in the world, or knowing it and perpetuating it or not doing a thing. I get renewed so quickly first of all from God, but also from the relationships here in Haiti, the relationship with my partner in crime, Tay, and from everybody back at home. Thank you all so much, thanks for reading my bliggity blogs, and thank you all for being you. I look forward to catching up and going deeper in our friendships and in the Lord! I love you all!!!