And so it began...Haiti 2004

In 2004 my church youth group was planning a mission trip to Haiti which is not even considered a Third World country--but a Fourth World country because of its extreme poverty. However, because there were some travel warnings (as there almost always are to Haiti) out of the 20 or so youth, only 2 of us were allowed to go by our parents. I distinctly remember my parents talking it over and my mom saying, "God doesn't use fear as a way to say no". So I was allowed to go. Because only two of us were able to go, some adults my youth leader knew around the area were invited to come with as well.

(I took these pictures with a disposable camera
so I apologize for the poor quality)

This was one of my favorite pictures I took while I was there. It is of the caretaker who lives at church locking the door. I just thought it looked so humbling.


This picture was actually published in The Times after our trip. We stayed with a pastor of the church above, and he takes in many orphans, and these were two of them. We had so much fun with them and despite the language barrier we were very thankful that laughs, smiles, and hugs are universal. Here is my favorite little boy, Solomon. He was such a sweetheart and loved playing with the bubbles. He was certainly a charmer. His mother actually lived here too, as she was a widow.

Looking back, I can tell that my trip to Haiti initially opened my eyes to my love of other countries. I loved learning about the different cultural do's and don'ts. Although I was a picky eater, I enjoyed trying very different food as well (and was pleasantly surprised!). However, my favorite part was spending time and laughing with the beautiful Haitian people. It is amazing to see how God is so alive, and His people are so joyful in these countries that are so impoverished. Even now almost 6 years later, I continue to be challenged by their amazing and steadfast faith.