I made it!!

Bonjou, Zanmi mwen yo!
I’m in Haiti! Woohoo!! Thanks beyond thanks to everyone who was praying for my travels, because they were exceptionally blessed. I didn’t have any trouble at any point and the PAP airport experience was way easier than I ever expected it to be. I felt so tangibly protected and I am well aware that is because yall are rockin’ prayer warriors! I had such peace and excitement as I waited in line and searched for my bags in the crowd and made me way through the masses of people outside. It was so fun to see Daniel jumping up to wave at me from the huge crowd outside the airport. It was a crazy, chaotic first impression of this beautiful place. I was glued to the window as we drove through the city and up the mountain to the house. It reminds me so much of the Dominican in some ways but totally different, too.

I had the best welcoming committee when we got to the house!! Turns out I’m not the only one that’s excited I’m here :). Man, I am so blessed to get to be living with some of my best friends, the Meadows! They made me feel right at home.

So far, I’m already in love with this place! The house where we are living for the next few months is up the mountain a little ways, which means beautiful views, cool breeze, and flowers everywhere. So gorgeous. We have a balcony on the house which is where I will be living pretty much all the time, especially since I have engineered a way to hang my hammock from the railing. Perfection.

A lot of you have been a part of the journey that has led me here. Thank you. I hope that you are reminded of the Lord’s faithfulness as much as I am in seeing Him bring about what He started to put in my heart a long time ago. During my first semester of nursing school I just felt like I was itching to go. Not sure where, I just felt this desire to leave the country. To go love on people. At the same time, my heart just clung to where I was. My church in College Station is my family, my home. I was so confused at how I could be feeling the intense desire to go and the desire to stay with my people at the same time. I remember asking God why I was being torn by two seemingly opposite things that my heart was  longing for. Oh man, I hope God had a good laugh at my consternation, because He knew the amazing thing He was planning.
 And now here I am in Haiti, living with some of my dear friends from my church. Not just any family, but the first friends I made at Community Church. The ones who walked with me and loved on me through my entire college experience and all of the amazing changes God made in my heart in that time. Just what my heart has desired for over a year- I am in this beautiful new country with my people!! Bahh, isn’t the Lord so incredibly good! Lately I have been constantly blown away and overwhelmed by God’s goodness over and over again. It will always amaze me, because my small mind simply cannot comprehend the depths of His love. I hope it overwhelms and amazes you every day as well.

Ways you can pray:
Give thanks to the Lord for His incredible protection over me while traveling and being here. I feel peaceful and healthy, so whoop! I cannot thank Him enough, so please give thanks with me!!

Pray for the Meadows and I as we are trying to learn Creole. Oh, man. We are having language lessons and even after one session yesterday I felt the smoke coming out of my ears. It was so exhausting! At the same time I really want to know the language so much so I can start to experience this place and its people. Pray that I will have patience with my slow brain and that people will have patience with us!

Lastly, please pray for me to get connected with the hospital here where I am hoping to work. God has already been incredibly faithful in connecting me with people here and I am super excited to work with them. I am hoping to go see the hospital and talk about how I might be of use there sometime next week. I am vulnerable to doubting myself, my abilities, and the Lord’s ability to work out the circumstances. Crazy that after all the ways God has proven his faithfulness my heart is still able to fear and doubt. I’ll never stop needing His grace.

All my love to you, my friends.