The End Turned Into The Beginning.

I know it has been quite some time since my last post but it has taken me that long to think of something worthy of writing about. I am just now getting to the point where I feel like I have processed my trip. When I got home from Haiti I had 5 days at home and then I went straight back to college to work and then start school. At the time it was a necessary evil. I needed to go back and finish my responsibilities. But in hindsight I can see that God didn’t let me process everything in 5 days. It’s been 5 months and I don’t think I have processed everything! God has been working in so many ways in my life. And if you asked me 5 months ago what I would be doing I would have told you I would be on my way to finishing a degree in Exercise Science and I would be working for the Housing Department and that my life would barely change. But if you ask me today I can tell you that is not where I am going.

As a part of my processing, I have found that God is calling me to serve Him with my life. Not just in the everyday sense of living in submission to Christ but in the career sense of going into ministry. In particular, I feel like I am called to long term missions. (That means living overseas and sharing the Gospel full-time).  That was development #1 in my journey to processing my Haitian summer. So I am choosing to leave FAU and transfer to Moody Bible Institute. It is not official but that is the plan anyway. I am going to move home and do Moody classes online and then eventually move to Chicago to go full-time. It is just a tentative plan. It is definitely subject to change. But that is where I have found God calling me. I want to major in Biblical Studies in order to get a Biblical foundation for a lifetime of missions. I could major in Intercultural Ministry and learn how each culture and country are different but I want to learn the theology of the Bible. I want to study the roots of my faith so I can deepen it and grow it so my ministry can be as effective as possible. I want to study the Bible academically and truly grow into understanding of the Scriptures.

Development #2 in my journey of processing was about my calling to Haiti.  When I was 17 years old, I went to Costa Rica over spring break and then back to Costa Rica that same summer. I thought, “I like short term missions. I would do it again.” When I went to Moldova as a 19 year old, I thought the same thing. And each time I had my final goodbye with that country I knew that my work was finished. On my second trip to Costa Rica I knew that I would probably never go back and I didn’t feel sad. I felt complete. The same with Moldova. But leaving Haiti? That was one of the hardest things I have had to do in my life. The relationships I built were so deep. And the experiences I had were so amazing. But most of all the calling that God revealed to me is what changed me. My burden for that nation and those people, it is unexplainable. I wept for hours the day before I left just thinking about how it would actually be to land in the United States and actually be gone. I DID feel sad. And I DIDN’T feel complete. It was emptiness. And for a long time I had no idea why I felt so empty.

For a few months I cried a lot. And when I say a lot, I mean A LOT! I used to never cry. It was very rare occasions that I may well up 1 single tear. But these cry sessions I had over those few months consisted of intense weeping. Like crying so hard I couldn’t breathe. It was so strange to me that I was unable to even comprehend what was happening to me. I believe I was becoming more and more broken for the Gospel of Christ in this time. God was truly breaking me down to my very core and then He began to build me up. Every sermon I heard and every Scripture I read was exactly what I needed to hear at each exact moment. At the college ministry I attend we began to study the book of Acts. And it fed me like crazy. I couldn’t get enough and God used those teachings to reveal in me what needed to change. Over the past 5 months, I believe God has been slowly revealing to me things in my life that don’t need to be there. He is showing me things in my personality, friends, actions, and thoughts that prevent me from serving Him fully. He is showing me who I truly am and how much truly I need Him. He began emotional change in me. I guess you could say that is development #3. My goal in life used to be to satisfy myself and fill my heart with ungodly things. But now, every day I am reminded of whom I serve and He is continually using things in my life to take me back to that attitude of humility and service.

Some other, smaller developments in my life include meeting my bestest friends in the world (you know who you are). Creating an intern oath. Falling in love with a billion Haitian kiddos but 2 in particular (Caleb and Jomantha). Growing closer with my family (there is nothing like serving Christ you’re your family!). Learning Creole (I’m not totally fluent….yet). And getting a cross tattoo on my forearm. There are probably a billion developments in my life but these are a few of the biggest ones I can think of. I plan on interning for Northwest Haiti Christian Mission again for Summer 2014. If you made it through all this rambling then I ask you to be in prayer for me. Serving Christ is never easy and the Devil is out to get those who are truly seeking Christ. So please be in prayer for me as I venture into a new phase of life and ministry.

                                                               Louloune and Woodlan

                                                            Me and Madame Sobrino

                                                Me and Caleb (and Eileen in the background)

                                                                  Me and Dachena

                         Sobrino, Amber, Madame Sobrino, Sendy, Caitlin, Me, Dachena, and Luna
                                               Doesn't this look like a legit family photo?

                                        Amber, Abby, Miss Erlan, Me, Ashley, and Christiana

                                                                  Me and Jomantha

Thank you for all your support. If you would like more information about what I do and how you can get involved feel free to contact me.

Emily

Lilly, Voodoo, and Ester.

So today was the first day I saw God's plan laid out in front of me and saw the attacks of Satan waiting for me. During the morning quiet time for the group I didn't get to have time to read The Word because I was doing dishes. We then rushed off to Ansefoleur for the morning. As we were on our way, I looked up out of the windshield and saw a woman laying in the middle of the street having a seizure. People had started throwing water on her (a typical custom to help in a first aid situation in Haiti). I immediately told the driver to stop and jumped out of the bus. My dad and a few other people followed. I ran over to her and started feeling for a pulse. We then moved her to the pavement as to not be sitting in the middle of morning traffic in St. Louis du Nord, Haiti. I started pulling out every ounce of my first aid knowledge to try to help and then we decided we needed to run back to the mission. So me and the leader of the group, Paul, took off on foot to run up to the mission. I led him to the big hill and then let him run up it in order to not be slowed down by me. I then ran back to the street to find that a crowd had gathered. As soon as I got back, my dad had informed me that this woman, Lilly, is the sister of Woodley. Woodley happens to work in Aquaponics at the mission. By this time, another staff member came down on the 4-wheeler. We put her on the 4-wheeler and sent her back to the mission. We found out later that she is known in town as "the crazy lady" because she has frequent seizures. She would come to the back of the mission near Aquaponics with a bloody face because people would hit her and abuse her for being "crazy." She had just been undiagnosed with seizures. She was given seizure medication and this is the first month she has been on it and she has done very well. Yesterday her medication ran out and she didn't renew it. And we just happened to be on the same street at the same time to be there to help her. Talk about God's timing!

But once again the Devil let me get too busy for The Word and then I almost missed the opportunity to help a woman in need. God is totally convicting me of how I become enthralled with service and not those I am to serve. I become caught up in how well I am washing their feet than why I am washing them and Who I am washing them for. The Lord has truly opened my eyes to those tendencies.

We then continued on to Ansefoleur and walked up to the monument. We had an awesome time of prayer, Scripture reading, and worship. On our way down, one of our team members got to lead a young girl to Christ. Like...seriously?!?!?! How cool is that?

In my last post I talked about a young girl, Ester. We have gotten very close over the last few weeks. We had a special sleepover with some of the girls from the community that we have gotten close to. At the sleepover Ester asked me to be the godmother of her baptism. That is such a big deal because she is asking me to be the individual in her life to put her back on course when she has gotten astray and to be an enormous part of her spiritual life. I am so honored. I also get to go over to Tortuga to help with her baptism and spend time at the revival that is currently going on over there.

So much is happening and I can't believe the summer has gone so quickly. I have one more week and then I head home to "real life" again. It is so strange how this place has become home. The Lord has not ceased in amazing me with His plan. I am so honored to be his vessel.

So it's been a month....

So it's literally been a month since I posted last. I don't know why but it is so hard to blog about your life when every 5 minutes your life is changing. It's so easy to get weary here. I'm feeling very tired and am finding it hard to get the motivation to be enthusiastic and ready for ministry. 

We've experienced many losses. One of our workers, Idalia, passed away  one of our elderly orphans, Israel, died. And a baby that was born in the birthing center, Isaac passed away at just 1 day old. That all happened in 1 week. And there have been countless events in between that have shaken us to the core.

It was so difficult watching Idalia's 5 children become orphans in front of our eyes. Fedline (18), Mishelda (16), Ester (13), Jose (7), Chernider (6). Not only did their mother die but their father told them that he wanted nothing to do with them and that he was leaving after the funeral to start another family. I can't imagine the difficulty of such an event and to witness a close friend go through it was difficult for me. I've built some amazing relationships out of that loss though. Idalia's daughter, Ester, 13, has become so close to me. I knew her before and we joked plenty but after we mother died we really bonded.  I went with her and her sisters to drop her brothers off at the orphanage. We drove out there and the boys were pretty upset, the older girls were trying to keep a brave face and pretend everything was normal, and Ester was just sitting, a little shocked and a little lost. When we got to our La Baie campus and took all the boy orphans out there to the beach. Idalia's family came with us too. Ester had the time of her life with her siblings and the other boys. We played in the water and just had a blast. She would just hang onto me te whole time and just love on me. Which felt strange because she was the one who needed to be loved on. She had pure joy even in the midst of a trial.

Ester then decided to push me and Caitlin, a fellow staff member, to run every morning from on top of the hill where the mission is to the edge of the city and all the way back up. It's not fun but we turned it into a ministry. Some of the orphanage girls have started running with us. We call ourselves The Bouke Club. Bouke means "tired or exhausted from exercise or physical labor" in Creole.  We ran a couple mornings and then started a Bible study after our run. The girls are working on memorizing scripture. 

1 Timothy 4:12

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young but set and example for all believers in speech, life , love, faith, and purity."

I'm excited to see where these ministry opportunities lead. It's kinda scary to think that the summer is almost over. Only 1 more team and then it will be time to head home. But I'm enjoying these last few weeks and loving every second I'm here. 

God is Moving....BIG TIME!

So it has been a few days since my team left and we have been busy getting ready for our next team that comes tomorrow. The day before teams left one of our Haitian workers, Sobrino, was working and fell off of the roof. God was protecting him because he only had minor injuries. It was craziness because so many people thought he was dead and to see the support and prayer that came out of it. Sobrino wasn't sure if he knew The Lord and through this journey he has grown in his faith and now completely understands how Jesus loves him. It was so amazing! People were calling to those who were on the roof "IS HE DEAD?!?!" And we got to tell them, "No! Jesus protected him." It seems simple but to the Haitian people it is unbelievable. 

We have had quite a bit of rain Lately and it is hard to be under shelter and think of how many people are being rained on around us. Life hangs in the balance LITERALLY every day. The slightest things can change these lives. They are so fragile. 

We went to the brothel to day hi to the girls and they ended up bringing an albino Haitian to us so we could laugh at how ridiculous she looked. It broke our hearts to see her taken from her house and thrown in front of us Americans. She was so afraid and just so sad! So today we ended up talking about it and we felt led to go find this girl's house and talk to her parents and her and tell then that we were sorry that happened and share the love of Jesus with them. We went down there this morning and we found her house. We just say as played and we plan on going back later to continue a relationship with her. To go down to her house and show the people around her that she is valuable and that Jesus does for her. I am so excited to go see her again. She wa the cutest little girl! Here is a picture! 

We went to take one of the daughters of Sobrino (the one who fell off the roof) back to her house after she had spent Sunday morning with us. We walked up the mountain and finally made it to her house to find quite a few people and only 2 tents and a small shack. It was crazy to see that these were two people, both Sobrino and his wife, that work for the mission and have good jobs for Haitians, yet they have 2 tents and a small shack. 

Tomorrow my mother, brother, and sister come to Haiti! I can't wait to see them! I'm ready to experience this with them. There are no words to express the excitement! There have been crazy times this week. I can't even share all of the stories! When I get back I can try to share the amazing movement of God!

June has been BUSY!

I apologize for the gap between posts. It has been a crazy few days in Haiti. We continued to set up for teams last week and then on Saturday, June 2nd we got to go to The Breeze. It is a nice Haitian restaurant. We went to celebrate me and Molly's birthday. It was a good time! We ten had a series of illness that swept through our intern staff. One by one we all went down with the "Haitian Sensation" but we overcame t and rallies just in time for the teams to arrive. The first few days of teams being here was nice. It was all lectures and spending time on campus. But we then turned to day trips and it got a little crazy. My team and I went to Tortuga, the small, rural island across from St. Louis. We had an awesome VBS and got to experience some great waves in a little boat. It definitely tested our faith. We then took the Miriam Center kids to the playground. It was a blast! To see them have fun and just be kids was the best part! The next day we went to Ansefelor, the Voodoo capital of Haiti. It was so different there. The kids are so rowdy and they just want to take advantage f the things we brought. It is kinda like that everywhere but they are more open about it. The first thing any kid said to me was "Can I have your watch?" It breaks my heart that these kids are born and raised in such darkness. We climbed the monument and got to eat at a restaurant. We then were allowed to enter the voodoo temple. It was so heavy on my heart to be in such a place, to see these broken people, and to see them bring their children into brokenness. We were allowed to go see Sa Tan, a porcelain doll that they believe is Satans embodiment in Haiti. It gave me chills to go see people worship and to see the doll that they believe rules their world. The next day we went to church and then there was the preschool graduation. Sabrina, one of the Miriam Center girls, was graduating. My dad got to be her godfather and she got all dressed up and go presents. She was so happy. To see everyone treat her like she wasn't disabled made my day. I felt like crying to see her so happy. It was truly incredible. Then yesterday me and my team left for La Baie. We arrived and started playing with the kids and just loving on them. We got to take them to the beach and play in the water. We just hung out with them for the rest of the night and did some worship. We then woke up and started playing soccer an hanging out. We are now about to start our soccer tourney and then hopefully we get to go to the ocean again. I am also learning a lot of Creole. I'm hoping to be fluent by the end of the summer.

God is doing big things in this country! No doubt about it! There is so much need but we believe in the God who provides. I can't wait to see what He does through the teams this summer. I can't wait for the rest of my family to come and experience this country with me. There's no power that can come against the love of Christ. I'm ready to see the battle and stand firm with my God.

Here are some pictures of the boys in La Baie and our time in the other communities.

Prison and Voodoo

Yesterday we got to go to the Federal Prison in Port au Paix. It was interesting to go into such a hopeless place with the intentions o f sharing the greatest hope of all, Jesus. We went from cell to cell, talking to the prisoners and sharing a short devotion with them. We got to pray with them. It was so awesome and I can't wait to go back!

Today we went to Ansefelor, the voodoo capital of Haiti. We climbed up to the monument and got to see where people come to burn sacrifices for their voodoo gods. We went to their high place and called down the name of Jesus on the city. It was definitely one of the coolest things I've ever experienced. We then drove by the temple. It looked like such an average building but it was extraordinary. At first it was shocking to think that people actually deny God in a place like this. Then I realized that I deny God on a daily basis in my home, at my school, with my life. But God's grace overwhelmed me and made me clean again. And I have come to realize that that is the true message of what I'm bringing to Haiti. That despite this entire Marion's denial of Christ they can be redeemed. How awesome would it be if we could say that Haiti used to be slaves to voodoo and spirits yet now they praise The Lord God as a whole?!?! I think God has some seriously amazing things planned for this summer. Can't wait to see what they are! Here is a picture from the mountain.

Also Presney told me that I was his sister. It made my day! So happy to know him!

Prayer Requests:
Our staff is feeling much better but your prayers for health are still very needed.
We also have our teams coming in soon so you could pray that God would prepare the hearts of those team members for His service.
Also pray for the people we would come in contact with. Pray that they would be receptive of the truth of Christ.


Thank you for your prayers and I hope to share more soon!

With love,
Emily

Bus Rides

So today was a long day!!! We woke up early for devotions and breakfast then we left for Beauchamp and La Baie. The bus ride was tough. The unpaved roads were a little difficult to get used to. Once we got to Beauchamp we played with some of the kids that were at the school. It was funny watching the kids try to understand "Simon Says" and "Father Abraham." We were given lunch by the local campus director and then hopped back in the bus to was to La Baie. Once we got into La Baie we started playing with the boy orphans who live there. We played on their swing set and took plenty of pictures with them.

We hopped back on the bus to head back to Saint Louis du Nord. We started telling embarrassing stories and funny moments in or life. It made the ride so much better and we really bonded as an intern staff. We got back and I went over to the orphanage and spent some time with the girls. We played paddy cake games and cuddled. I don't speak creole but we have boxed so much lately over just being together. I let them do my hair if I'm feeling adventurous (it hurts a little so I'm cautious) and just loving on them. It is so sweet to e walking in the courtyard and hear my name. They pronounce it "Em-oh-lee." It warms my heart to know that they just want me to say hi to them. I'm so in love with these girls. They come from such broken pasts but they are so sweet and are so in need of the gospel. I hope to have a continuing relationship with them.

I think it so interesting to see the orphans and compare them to our spiritual lives. We are orphans with broken pasts and scars on our spirits. God chooses to bring us in and give us a new start. He gave up so much for us and sacrificed beyond comprehension to take in all these lowly, broken, weak, and hungry orphans. But we are made new and given new spirits just like how the orphans are given food and clothes. F

We did worship and now we are all in the staff lounge watching "The Bachelorette." I'm so thankful for the great people God has placed around me. There is so much need for Christ and I'm so ready for  what God is bringing in the future for this summer.

Please be praying for our staff. We are battling sickness and exhaustion. We are ready for our teams to come in on June 3rd. But we have to be healthy for that. Also please pray that we stay focused on our goal. Please be in prayer for a local family. Their son passed away so keep them in your prayers. I miss America and my family but I'm doing well. Thank you for your support. And keep reading fr more updates.

Love you guys,

Emily

Sand fleas, Brothel Women, and Tortuga

All the other interns came in so it's much less quiet. I had to move out of my dad's house into the girls' dorm. I got eaten alive by sandfleas the firat night. But now it's all better. I am really looking forward to the relationships with the girls this summer! I hope we get close throughout this time on Haiti together.

Yesterday morning we got to hear some amazing stories of voodoo from pne of pur bosses, Jody. She told us that Before the churxh that is across the street from the mission was built there Were some Haitians Wanting to practice voodoo on that property but the mission wouldn't let them. So the voodoo people came and some of the women went down to stop them. The voodoo people could have easily gone around them but they wanted to bully the Christians into leaving. 3 women began to sing every song they knew with the name Jesus in it. The voodoo people threw snakes and rats and even urine on the 3 woman but they didnt break the line. Young children from the Nutrition program at the mission knew the songs and went up to join the line. The voodoo people threw rocks at them but the Christians were never hit. Every Haitian who was there will attest the truth of that story. The voodoo people never weakened the Christians' determination to not break the line.

Yesterday we tried to go to Bonneau and Ansefelor but the bus broke down (#haitiprobs) so we went through the market and the jail. We got to go into the local jail and pray with the inmates. Most of them asked us to pray that they would get out of jail. It was interesting to see their open desire for God now that they were in jail. I spent the rest of the day with the orphanage girls in their rooms, playing with babies, and braiding hair.

Today we went to Tortuga and took a tour of the island. We then spent time labeling mattresses. I walked over to the orphanage and spent some time with them and baby Moses. He was left by a river to die with his feet sliced open so he would die faster. A woman found him and brought him to the mission and now he loves with the orphanage "Mama", Madame Robert.

Overall this summer has already been amazing and it's only been 5 days. God is so evident here and people are so thirsty for him. I'm really excited to start getting teams in next week! Gonna be an interesting few days!

Well, I made it to the mission. It was an interesting ride. First we hop on the ever familiar "Boeing 757" then we hopped onto a very small 5 seater from Port au Prince to Port au Paix. We then rode in a car to the mission. When we got to the mission I immediately got a tour and met all of the Miriam Center (special needs center)  children and the Gran Moun (elderly orphanage). I was introduced to our Aquaponics center and the orphanage. I met all the little girls and boys and they wouldn't stop hugging us and chanting our names. It wasn't a very eventful night. We just relaxed in the staff lounge and bonded a little. Today started bright and early. About 6:15am I woke up and went to breakfast at 7. We then sat and talked until it was time to go into town. I made a new friend named Presney, he is an 8 or 9 year old Haitian boy who went along for the walk into town. He told me that we were friends and lead me through the town. If there were rocks he would lead me around them and if there was someone coming down the road on a moto (slang for motorcycle) then he would tell me to stand to the side so he could protect me. He even fended off all the beggars for me. We stopped by the brothel so I could meet the prostitutes that the mission works with. They were sitting outside with their children. While we were there, Presney pulled me closer to the wall so that I could be out of the sun. He never left my side and never let go of my hands. Now he tells me where he is going so I can find him. We just finished lunch and now we are just doing some housekeeping things until later when we get to play with the kids in the courtyard after nap time. 

It is amazing how evident God is when you are out here. It is also evident how much these people need Jesus. I am so looking forward to the summer!

Last Day in the States

So I woke up today with some weird banging noise coming from my door. I look up and realize at 8am my dad decided to grab another suitcase out of our attic. (The attic entrance is in my bedroom). So I eventually rolle out of bed and walked into the kitchen. There I ate some pancakes and drank some apple juice. Then we all started packing like mad men! Now we are off to WalMart to buy some MORE supplies.

God has been preparing me over these last two weeks. I can see how God is purging me of impurities and giving me a stronger desire for righteousness as I head out to Haiti for the summer. My last day in the States is bound to be eventful (and will probably include more than one trip to WalMart).