Loving One More Joanna's journal in Haiti

On Friday, we spent the day at my friends Randy & Karen Lodder’s school.  They canceled classes for the kids so we could have the time to prep all the classrooms for a big painting day today.  They did have the teacher’s come to work for a team-building, fun day.  It was great to see adults having so much fun and being so competitive.  They were playing bible trivia and musical chairs and you would have thought the prize was a million dollars.  It was so fun to see so much joy and laughter.

In the afternoon, the girls from the secondary school (ages 12-18) were invited to come for a “girls party.” They were greeted and offered soda and some homemade baking. Then I led them in a talk about how they are unique and dearly loved by the Lord.  How we all may be different but equally loved.  We then got into the “birds and the bees”.  We talked to them about struggles of being a teenage girl and gave them reassurance that they are amazing and can strive to be positive role models in their communities.  We then gave them cute gifts that Deb and some of her friends donated. We assembled little pampering gifts of lotion, soap, nail polish, hair ties, lip gloss and wrapped them in bright colored wash clothes.  We gave two to each girl. One for them to keep and then one for them to give to a woman that is a positive influence in their lives.  The girl’s thanked us at the end.  They said that there aren’t many people that will talk about “this stuff” with them and they were grateful we were willing to share.  Out of 12 girls, 2 of them shared that it was difficult for them since they had both recently lost their mothers.  I sat there and had a hard time imagining how life would be without my mom.  Let alone as a teenager, in tough conditions and for many children here, their father’s are not present.  I can’t begin to imagine what a challenge it would be.

Hope you have an enjoyable weekend and keep warm!!

I am having a hard time putting into words all that we did and saw today.  Aside from being tired, it was really a lot to take in.  I will try to explain it more at another time.

This first photo speaks volumes to me.  We drove through a gate to get some stuff out of storage and in front of me I saw a glimpse of heaven.  There in front of me where a group of men that appeared to be full of joy and enjoying a great game of soccer, despite their injuries.  I have no idea if these injuries were prior to or post-quake but it was the most beautiful image to me.

We then spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon on the Healing Haiti water truck.  We went into the depths of Citie Soleil to deliver clean water.  It was an indescribable experience. There is NO WAY that ANY human should live in these conditions.  It was a day I will never forget.

This morning this verse was brought to my attention and I think it is quite fitting to end our day.

2 Corinthians 4:18  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

We arrived safely to Port au Prince about 1pm yesterday.  We flew in and got all of our bags. I was a little worried since our bags sat over night.  In my suitcase with all my clothes I had two soft-sided coolers, one with 20 pounds of frozen cheese and one with 6 pounds of frozen ground turkey and beef.  Much to my surprise, the cheese was still cold and the meat was still frozen. I didn’t claim them at customs so as they sort through our bags I had to be a little sneaky but it worked and my friends were way excited to get their cheese and meat.

We spent the afternoon visiting friends and introducing Deb and Jane to the amazing ministry at Heartline. It was fun to see everyone and see all the changes that have taken place even since I was here 3 weeks ago.

We are just leaving for a full day and I will have more to share with you tonight.

I can say that it is great to be in the beautiful warm sun!  What a treat.

Me, Deb, Jane & Anne

Well ,we are trying to get back to Haiti.  Deb, Anne, Jane and I  left MN Tuesday morning and after a great flight to Miami and then several hours of waiting our flight into Haiti was canceled. Luckily, I am traveling with some really fun and laid-back friends.  We had many good laughs and made the best of the situation.  We are traveling to Haiti to spend time with friends and help out on a few projects.  It is always an adventure to see how the trip really turns out. I can plan all I want but it never quite goes as planned.

So, as I type we have all called it a night and are sleeping comfortably in a hotel in Miami.  We are booked on a new flight tomorrow and should arrive in the early afternoon.

Many amazing adventures ahead…come along for the journey.

I got a message from Dr. John last night with an update on Widnerlande.

She had heart surgery yesterday, it took 4 hours.  The hole in her heart is repaired.  She is in ICU and will be for a couple days.  Dr. John said the next few days will be a little rough so please keep her in your prayers.  She is such a brave strong little girl.

Here is an article that was in the Sacramento paper about her story.

I am preparing to go back to Haiti next Tuesday, I am very excited to be traveling there with  some of my dearest friends.  It is going to be a quick trip but I always know that God has big plans.

Stay tuned!

Below is a note I got Thursday morning from Dr. John:

I took her for her surgery early this morning at 6:30 AM to repair her ventricular septal defect.

Sorry it has taken to a couple days to give you an update.  Thanks to all of you that have sent messages of hope, encouragement and prayers the last few days it hasn’t gone unnoticed.  As all of you know, Wednesday was the 1st anniversary of the earthquake.  It was quite an emotional day but I think God once again knew what he was doing when Widnerlande and I got stuck in Miami overnight.  We had such a fun time and all of our travels went smooth on Wednesday. I think the key was keeping me busy and distracted.  It helped keep me together.

Widnerlande and I flew to Chicago where she was met by Dr. John of the non-profit HaitianHearts.  She was so excited to see him.  He has been working with her since she was an infant.  He told me that they have been trying to get her to the States for surgery for almost 5 years.  What a blessing and something to celebrate.  She will stay with Dr. John and his family through this weekend.  He will then fly her to Sacramento, CA where she will meet her host family and the surgeon who has been in communication with Dr. John for the past year about her case. The last I heard her heart surgery will be at the beginning of Feb.  I have asked that they keep in touch with me during this journey.  I will update as I hear more.  Please keep them all in your prayers.

It was great to be home on Wednesday.  It was challenging when I would allow myself to slow down.  I couldn’t help it but all of what I went through last year just kept flooding my mind.  It was pretty intense.  I couldn’t help but grieve for all of our friends, now that I know their stories. They were trapped, suffering and enduring unimaginable conditions the days following the quake.  So much to take in.  I now realize that I will never be able to wrap my mind around all that we did and saw and I am alright with that.

Once again, I couldn’t be more grateful for all of the wonderful friends and family that surround me each and every day.  I greatly appreciate all of the messages, thoughtful acts of kindness, sincere hugs and just knowing that I am loved.  It meant so much on such a tough day.

You still have an opportunity to support the work going on in Haiti.  We got another shipment of our great shirts.  You can order them while supplies last at Haiti Mission Project.org

We did a little photo shoot so you can see really how great the shirts look!  We had a little fun.  Send me a photo with your shirt and I would love to post it! Thanks for caring and raising awareness with us!

Well, all was going very well with Widnerlande and I till we got to Miami to find out that our flight was canceled.  No options to get out until tomorrow (Wednesday).  Not that big of a deal other than I would love to be home.  How do I explain this to a 7 year old that I can’t communicate with.  We got all the details of our travels figured out and then found a hotel for the night.  Of course, it isn’t the airlines fault so they aren’t helping out at all.

She has been such a good traveler.  We have spent most of the day waiting in lines and being patient.  She has been so good and so sweet.  She LOVES to have her picture taken so frequently when I was at my wits end she would smile at me as say “photo”.  All I could do is smile and grab the camera.

Today has been a day of many firsts for her.  Airplanes, escalators, moving walkways, auto flush toilets and TV.  Just to name a few.  Once we got to the hotel, she danced and sang in front of the full length mirror, then she took my camera turned on the TV and was telling the people on TV to smile as she took their picture.  It was SO adorable.

Google translator has been my life saver once again today.  She thinks it is so funny that the computer can talk to her in her language. Of course, I have an issue when she responds to me but we are figuring it out and getting along really well.

We are going to go to bed early and hope for a more successful travel day in the morning.

Thanks for all your kind words, love and prayers. They are greatly appreciated.

I am asking for some extra prayers as I get ready to travel back to the States tomorrow.  The reason is I am asking is I am going to be escorting a 7 year old little girl to Chicago that is coming on a medical visa for open heart surgery.  Please pray that all the paper work that we have been working on at social services will get us all to where we need to go.  Pray for this adorable little girl that I am sure is scared to leave her mom and fly with a stranger that doesn’t speak the same language.

As I sat at the social service office this morning, I couldn’t help but think about how this mom must feel.  This is where I want you to stop if you are a parent and attempt to put yourself in her shoes.  This mom has known since her daughter was 9 months old that she had a heart condition that couldn’t be treated in her own country.  She has been working with an American doctor for years and finally the time has come for her daughter to go to the States to undergo surgery.  This mom is going to send her 7 year old on a plane to a different country with someone she met for the first time today. This little girl will undergo open heart surgery, followed by days in intensive care and a few months of recovery in the States.  CAN YOU IMAGINE?  I know that our cultures are so different and I am not a parent but I would image that there is some parental instinct that would cause come apprehension.  Can you image how desperate this mom must feel to get her daughter the care she needs?  It is more than I can imagine.

So, please say a special prayer for all involved.  Once again I am seeing the hand of God all over this situation.  I have never in 11 trips to Haiti flown through Chicago.  This trip I just happen to have a layover there.  This is where the coordinating doctor that is lining up Wilerlande surgery is living.  This is not coincidence.  It is going to be an amazing experience for us both.  I feel blessed that God can use me in this way.

Well I have had 2 versions of a bug net set up the past 2 nights.  Last night worked much better that pictured below!  But I think it is safe to say that I have no new mosquito bites. I actually think that all of my housemates were a little jealous last night. I had my own little castle of sorts!

I can joke around about my bites and complain about it but in reality I have it so good.  I laid in bed last night and thought about reality of the millions that live here.  I can’t even begin to imagine what it would be like to live in theses conditions each and everyday.  I know that this is their reality but no matter what they know it isn’t great and I can’t imagine that they enjoy it.  When I stayed at my friends Karen and Randy’s the other day, I woke up and noticed that on the other side of the wall right outside my bedroom window was a tent city.  It is more than I can imagine.

The night of the Heartline Healed party, I went on the roof of the house to get a good look at everyone celebrating.  It was so fun to watch from above but I noticed “home” of the neighbors.  Once again, I can’t imagine.  Life is so tough and sometimes more than I can mentally process.

Once again, I give thanks for all I have.  I pray that God will give me what a takes to live a life of love and be more like him.  To be thankful!