Mission Trip to HAITI

Matt and I have been praying about going on a mission trip with the kids for awhile. We learned about a new opportunity through our church to go to Haiti so we jumped at the chance and decided to lead the team. It was supposed to be a "family mission trip" but we turned out to be the only ones with kids. I was a little worried about that at first but it turned out to be just fine. If I could have changed one thing it would be to stay together as a family unit. It was hard being separated into girls and boys. We tried to process well every night but I know it would have been better to stay in one place together.

Ready for church service in Haiti

Typical meal in Haiti - the red stuff is "goat sauce" - it was actually quite tasty! The kids really just rolled with it and were really good. They knew this was all that was gonna be offered. Plus, we brought snacks. :-)

Eating with the team was always a highlight - this is at the main campus and they had ice cream!

Construction site - everything done with manual labor

John worked SO HARD. He didn't like all the touching and talking with the Haitians but man he served them faithfully

You would never see this in America!

Typical home construction - cinder blocks

Jonathan was fun to have on the team - the team painted one day while I worked in a medical clinic

The kids would flock to us when we arrived - especially around my children

Eating breakfast at the Bercy campus

Matt got to spend some time on a Haitian construction site and to see the new MOH campus up in the mountains which I know was fascinating for him. Getting to meet the COO was also an incredible experience and driving through the Haiti ghetto in his Land Cruiser was unforgettable for him.

This trip impacted the kids profoundly. It made them more thankful for what they have here in the US. I am glad we got to expose them to another culture while they are still young. We want to go again - maybe in 2 years? I wish I spoke Creole. . .or maybe we would go to a Spanish-speaking nation next?

The team! We were the only ones with small kids but the team embraced them! Here we are in the airport on our way there. This is right about the time we were trying to figure out how to get Donna's suitcase delivered to her in Haiti because she had forgotten it!

The Haitians LOVED Bootsie (aka Kara) - they called her a "Princess"

I was able to work in a clinic in one of the villages - very interesting experience

Kelsey was a hoot - she was 18 and was very outgoing. Here she is with one of our guides

We delivered a bunch of toothbrushes to Mission of Hope

At the village clinic

Flying out of Haiti

The coastline of Haiti

Ready to go work at the village clinic

the TEAM! Justin Bean (the leader on the right was a football player at A&M)

We went to a beach resort the last day and took a rickety boat to go snorkeling

Donna was an amazing addition to the team - she helped make our kids comfortable

Kara with village kids

The beautiful single girls on the trip - Meghan, Bianca, Jordyn and Shandi

Justin with some village kids

Sleeping quarters! We shared the room with a group from South Carolina. We were separated by sex so I didn't get to sleep with Matt and the boys which was a bummer. We are hoping that will be different on future trips. . . .

There was a crazy rain storm one afternoon and John ran around in it - so funny

We would ride in school buses to get around to different places

In a nearby village

working in the medical clinic

Strategic village time where you walk around and share the gospel and meet with villagers - they are always very warm and welcoming and loved seeing my children

medical clinic work

at the beach resort the last day

Haitian faces

Walking around a village

clinic work

Matthew loved the interaction with the kids there. He was really outgoing and fun to have on the trip

That's a tarantula on my hat!

sleeping quarters - not sure how I got the top bunk!

Riding in the buses to various places in MOH

My friend Erin Fonner works for MOH and was there with her kids seeing the mission in action

Matthew loved our bus driver

driving in Haiti is a crazy experience - the "tap taps" are crowded beyond belief and people simply hop on and off 

Strategic village time - we lead this woman to Christ (we think!) through a translator