Loving One More Joanna's journal in Haiti

Our trip has come to an end, as every great thing must. It has been my privilege to travel with and journey through Haiti with my mom, Punky and Elise.  It was a great combination.  It was nice for me to return and see that much of the rubble has been cleared.  Don’t get me wrong, there is still lots to do but it was a definite positive change.  That I never take lightly.

We started our Sunday morning worshiping at Port au Prince Fellowship.  I just love it there.

We then met my friend TiJean and went out to lunch at Visa Lodge. All the outdoor seating was occupied so they asked if it would be alright if we sat in this special room.  I said yes and it was the greatest gift ever to two ladies, it had air conditioning!!!  What a treat.  It did feel good but I had to leave twice to warm up.

After lunch,  TiJean took us to his internet cafe he just opened,  he was so proud. We then took a short walk to his small, simple ,one room home that he shares with this brother and cousin.  It was so fun to spend time with him and he was so happy to show us all he had.

We are packing up to head home in the morning.  Before our fight we are planning to go to the Heartline school where the students are putting on an art fair tomorrow.  It will be so cute to see the kids and see all they are learning.

Hope all of you had a great weekend.  Good night one last time from Haiti!

I know that most of you comment on how much you love wen photos are posted, so sorry we haven’t been on the last few posts.  I am having some issues with my computer and I am confident it is an operator error but nonetheless, I can’t get them for you to see.

We left Gertrude’s guesthouse today and traveled a short distance to our new place, Heartline Guesthouse.  It is a beautiful place and it is so fun for me to return.  Each time I have come there are fun new improvements.

We settled in and then got picked up to go to my friends Art and Miquette’s wedding.  Miquette and I have been friends for years and if you have followed my blog you have heard her name and seen pictures of her.  When she called to tell me she was getting married, I was going to do all I could to be here for the big day.  As I expected, it was a beautiful day and the wedding was as well.  It was at a fancy hotel up in the mountains and we quickly forgot we were in Haiti.

Tomorrow (Sunday) will be our last full day in Haiti and we all have mixed feelings about leaving.  As most of you know, this place and these people hold a very dear place in my heart.  It has been such a joy to be able to share it with 3 people who mean so much to me and even mean more now after sharing this time together.

This is Elise sharing my observations thus far on our Haiti trip. The whole experience has been amazing. I have to admit one of my favorite parts has been traveling place to place on the tap-tap. Besides the fact that it feels like a rollercoaster, I really enjoy looking at the city and the people. I’ve learned that simple observations have a deeper meaning that can’t be put into words. One of my favorite experiences today was going to the Children’s Hospital. We got the chance to hold babies, draw pictures with kids, and help feed. It was such a bittersweet experience, but mostly sweet. At moments I felt so heartbroken for the kids that were so severely malnourished. But I was amazed when I saw so many loving people feeding, holding, and playing with the kids. Overall, the trip so far has taught me a lot about myself and the people of Haiti. I’ve even learned about my new fascination for goats- probably because I miss my dog a lot.( and my mother)

Hello friends,  It’s Karen again, another day and so much to comprehend.  I was so impressed with the beautiful view from the mountain top. The lush gardens and fruit trees were just like God had made a giant quilt.  I asked the guide if they were organic farms and he said they were.  I had heard that they have their own special fertilizer but he assured me that the land was so rich in this area that nothing was needed. We did plenty of riding in our tby our taptap and saw the crumbled palace and area of the quake.  Joanna was so excited to see the quantity of rubble that had been removed.  Progress is being made.  We went to the Teach Haiti school that is run by our friend Miquette.  We were able to see the children that we sponsor  and met one of the mothers.  The children were so intent on their studies for it is a real privilege to go to school.  The parents must volunteer one day a week to cook, clean, etc so they feel ownership. Seventeen volunteers came today so the guest house is very full.  Two are even sleeping on the roof in a tent and as I finish writing I can hear the thunder!

(Sorry no photos tonight, we can’t get them to upload!)

We are having a great time.  The cloud cover has been our salvation.  We spent the morning at the orphanage with the kids.  Then in the afternoon we went and saw my friends at Heartline Ministries.  It is always so great to reunite.  We have so many amazing memories and it was great to introduce them to my mom, Elise and Punky.

When we returned to the guesthouse, I was greeted by my adorable godson Evan.  He is so big and will turn 4 next week.  It was so fun to get to hug and squeeze him a little.

My mom has some thoughts to share with ya’ll…

I don’t know what to say but feel it is important  that I let you know that this is life changing. Being Joanna’s mama must be  a very special thing for people,they light up and give me hugs and kisses.  This is from children and adults.  I really am not making any profound conclusions so I’m just observing, listening and smelling.  I actually got salt in my eyes from sweating.  Now I know why I was never a great athlete.  Thanks for your prayers and well wishes.  Love Mama

We arrived safely.  I have very tired travelers.  We were up and at the airport by 4:30am. We had great flights.  It is so great to be back.  There are still fields of tent cities that many call home.  I have a hard time finding this acceptable when January will mark the 2 year anniversary of the quake.  It is hard for me to wrap my mind around it all.  It makes me a little sad but I quickly turned to joy and smiles when all the kids greeted us at the orphanage/guesthouse. 

We have limited internet connection tonight and my cell phone carrier is having difficulties. So at this time, no news is good news.

Elise and Punky with the adorable kids!!!

As I am packing my bags to leave for Haiti in the morning, I thought about my blog and how I better get it up and running so my parents can “keep track of me” while I am away.  That is usually the number one reason that I write.  This time, it will be so that my dad can keep track of my mom and I. Yes, after years of asking and I think 14 trips to Haiti someone in my family is FINALLY joining me.  This means so much to me and I am overjoyed to be able to share Haiti with my mom.  Not only am I going to get to share it with her but I am also going to be sharing with my dear friend Elise, she is now 15 years old and a freshman at Kennedy High School in Bloomington. I have known Elise since she was in grade school.  Also, my dearest friend Missy, that I met in college and have the privilege of working with is sending her mom along on this journey as well.  I couldn’t ask for a better group.  Each of these ladies are very special to me.

I took sometime the other night to read some of my older posts, it was amazing to me how much I can forget.  There are so many details that I have written about that I am grateful to have. I have so much history in Haiti and I am thankful some of it has been documented.

My last trip was in May and I didn’t blog that trip. I had the privilege of being a “mom” for a week for my dear friends the Livesay’s.  Troy and Tara had some work that needed to get done in the States so I attempted to fill their shoes while they were away.  I had such a great time with the kids and am excited to see them again this week.

For those of you that have followed me before may remember Winderlande, she is the little girl that flew back with me last winter, to come to the States for heart surgery.  I don’t have too much an update but the last I heard is she is doing well.  Surgery was a success, she is living with a family in Indiana (I think) and they hoping to adopt her.  She will forever hold a very special place in my heart.

This trip will no doubt be filled with blessings, joys, sorrows, frustrations.  Please keep us in prayer as we go out to serve and love God children, one at a time!

This is a little late but I thank many of you for asking how Widnerlande is doing.  She is recovering from her surgery well and now back in Illinois with Dr. John and his family.  She will be returning to see her family in Haiti within the next couple months. She is a brave girl.

Here is a clip from the Today Show that featured her a couple weeks ago.  I love to hear her giggling!

Angels in America help to save Haitian girl’s life (Today Show)

Life as they know it continues in Haiti.  The streets feel much like they did before the quake.  The biggest difference is the “neighborhoods” of tent cities still exist and I am not sure they are ever going to go away.  Life is challenging, hard, and overwhelming.  Although, the amount of hope that these amazing friends have is remarkable.

We arrived home safely and it is back to reality quickly.  The weather here is so brutal.  I think it was over a 95 degree swing in less than 12 hours.  The way I look at it, I was fortunate to escape for a few days.  I had a great time and am really blessed that I got to share this trip with Deb, Anne and Jane.  Three amazing women that know what it means to serve and awesome God.

Please, continue to share these stories, pray for Haiti and her people, rejoice for all you have in life!  Lastly, all is ask is, don’t forget Haiti.

We have had another wonderful trip. Saturday we spent the day with a team from Michigan painting the entire inside of the Christian Adoration School that Randy and Karen oversee.  It was fun to see the place get transformed by the afternoon.

Saturday evening we had a girl’s get together at Karen’s.  It was fun to meet some long term missionaries and hear their stories. We had great food and fellowship.

Sunday we went to Port au Prince Fellowship to worship.  For lunch we were invited to go to John and Beth’s.  Homemade potato soup, lettuce salad and homemade carrot cake.  What a treat.  It is always such a blessing to spend time around the table with John and Beth.  They have so much love and wisdom and it is great to listen to them share about their life of follow Jesus.

We went in the evening back to Gertrude’s orphanage/guesthouse.  He daughter Rosie is going to school in the States and she is returning for a visit.  I was so looking forward to seeing her but like us, she ended up with a canceled flight and overnight in Miami.  It was great to see Gertrude and some other dear friends from Michigan that I haven’t see in awhile.

It has been a very quick and enjoyable trip.  Once again, I feel like I am leaving with more questions than I came with.  I am realizing that isn’t all bad.  I think it is good to wrestle with where God wants me and what he is calling me to do.

Saying good-bye is never fun.  This is the first time in quite awhile that I don’t have an idea of when I am going to return.

Praying for safe travels.