Well, it's the end of another amazing month here in Haiti, and as promised, I am keeping you up to date about the initiatives that I am blessed to work on each day. This month, I have taken the time to highlight Light for Living International Ministries and Frontier Projects Haiti's most diverse program, Love Family Homes. Take a moment to fall in love with this story.

Check out my October newsletter featuring the empowering programming of Love Family Homes!

People are always asking me what I've been doing in Haiti and I have so many answers that I could give. I work daily on a number of different initiatives that it is sometimes hard to say exactly what I am doing.

This month has been special in that I have done a lot of work in Carrefour, about 45 minutes from Port-au-Prince. I have been working with a group of men and women who are learning a trade and how to become self-sustainable at the Libellule Training Academy (LTA). Several of the women in the program have children that were once living in Love Community Home, the orphanage that Frontier Projects and Light  for Living International Ministries (LIFLIM) supports. The program was created in an attempt for parents to un-relinquish their children from the orphanage and to support families staying together. I have been working on teaching marketing and money management to the group, and also figuring out their needs from a Western standpoint. It is hard for people of one culture to understand a culture that they are not completely committed to, so I work daily as an on ground liaison for Frontier Projects, assessing and managing needs. 

Check out my August newsletter, detailing the successes of LTA!

6:28pm
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I haven’t written in a while. Not because I don’t have anything to say and things haven’t been happening, but I’m just enjoying life. I’ve been very quiet. Kind of passive actually. I’m just trying to scope things out. Breathe. Release. I think I’m going to make a new video soon to document my first month in Haiti... and the DR. That’s right, I spent a couple of days in the Bronx, I mean Santo Domingo. It’s literally a copy of New York. By far didn’t have the Hispanic culture I was looking forward to. In fact, Santo Domingo was more Fordham than Fordham. The men are bold and cat calling is real. The women are beautiful, but you know what’s up with a lot of pretty women. There was a little too much value, to me, on the beauty of light skin. I know I’m light skin so it works in my favor, but I don’t like that. This colorism between colored people is demeaning and disgustingly overwhelming... I don’t want to just be the light skin girl, the “white” girl, the foreigner... which is tough in some of these other cultures. Ugh, I think I’m going to start writing my book. I have some great ideas.

Oh, and Zia is designing a dress for me that I’m going to have made here. I’m so happy to be far from home and still able to support her goals. That’s true friendship.

In January, I announced that I would be moving to Haiti for a period of time and I was seeking financial help in order to make this vision a reality. Because of the generosity of several sponsors and supporters, I am here and able to work on projects with Light for Living International Ministries, Frontier Projects, The Touch of The Healing Hands, and other groups that work to make this world a better place. 

I have been blessed, not only to work with children in such a great capacity, but to use my skills and God given talents to better a number of organizations on social and technical levels. In the past two and a half weeks that I have been on ground in Haiti, I have been able to travel, work in different Haitian communities, and do what else I love. I have been the designated photographer, social media analyst, website developer, newsletter and video creator, etc. 

So, I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you for your contributions. You have truly been a blessing to me and to the communities of Haiti. Below is my first newsletter, showcasing IC Cavaillon's first Vacation Bible School and all of the program's success.
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Check out my July newsletter, detailing the empowering spirit of 
IC Cavaillon!

​Remember that post I wrote about love being a universal language? That proved true tonight as I sat in on a Creole prayer and worship service. I did not know many words at all and for most of the time, I just prayed to myself. I was confused for a while, but I picked up on the love of Jesus Christ. I began to catch words and phrases in songs such as “I need you, Lord,” and “Jesus, I love you.” I followed along in my Bible as the worship leaders read in Creole and was very pleased with the selected passages. John 14:14 was one of them and it was very easy to translate for myself. I hummed the songs along in English in my head and tried to piece together parts that I knew. I understood more tonight than I have in the past couple of days.
 
Determination is also a universal language. Betty, my roommate and I, are both working very hard to learn a language. Her, English, and myself, French and Creole. Although it is not easy, we work together and help each other every day to learn and to know. We are getting better each day. I am very grateful for this arrangement and for making a friend. It is nice to have somebody to talk to all the time. We are getting close whether it was forced or not. Forced is a strong word, so let’s go with prepared.
 

Dear Followers,

There are 11 days left until I hop on the plane and leave for Haiti for a six month missionary adventure. I quit both of my jobs, signed over my lease and packed up my house. I have gotten my affairs in order and have raised almost $7,000 to do God's work in the Land of High Mountains. Even though those seem like stressful life events, I am noticing that the most stressful thing about this ordeal is PACKING! Seriously! I never would have thought that packing for this trip would be such an overwhelming experience! 

My biggest question is how do you pack for six months? How do you know exactly what you need for six months? I cannot just call my parents and ask them to mail me this or that. I've been playing different scenarios in my head and I keep coming up with different answers. What I bring is what I have to live with, so I have one chance to get it right.

I'm asking you all to pray for me. God, be with me!