Haiti Anniversary Reflection

 22 years ago my focus, once we arrived to our apartment on LaGonave, was to unpack and organize our new home. Cory’s mom traveled with us and helped with Eli who had just celebrated his first birthday the week before. 

A dream that first began for me as an eight year old living on LaGonave and watching the work at the hospital finally returned me to the starting place. 

I’d spent 22 years of my life up to that point learning in classrooms and 3 years working/learning in residency. The last 22 years I’ve continued to learn and grow in this classroom of my Dearest Haiti. My teachers include many people, events and situations that I never dreamed of when we moved.

Big and small, hard and harder, the Lord changed me, molded me, chipped away hard unwanted parts, burnt away some of the garbage, replaced some of the holes with healing, softened trauma scars with time. Thankful that He continues to work on me through His love, His plan. 

Through it all He remains faithful, holding me with love scared hands while I cry, laugh, moan, praise, or beg. While confusion and questions may swirl around me like a hurricane He understands. He knows. He sees me. 

We moved from the little apartment about 6 months later across the yard. After 9 years of island life we followed the Lord’s direction to the rainforest-like climate of Fauche in the north, and then 10 years later up into the mountain air of Délice.

Roughly new land boundaries

 Through hurricanes, a major earthquake, 2 evacuations for political instability, years of adoption paperwork, lots of Global Partners changes, writing/putting together a couple books in Creole, building a house on a mountain ridge,  all the the ups-downs-ins-outs of precious relationships with broken people, all the unexpected twists and turns of life… He is still leading. 

Anna and Fritzlin both joined the family; Eli and Anna transitioned to college life at Calvin; many family and support team members left this life for their heavenly home. 20 years of residential visas. 3 GP logo changes. 3 director changes. Too many teammates and partners to list, including 29 current churches. Thousands upon thousands of prayers for us and by us. 

Back at the beginning I started writing major events on a large index card for every year and reviewing them shows how far we’ve come and highlights many changes. 

This year’s card clearly shows a difference-NO Visitors. NO in-person connection with anyone from GP  since the end of June 2019 due to restricted travel and canceled meetings.

 Fritz and I have remained on the mountain for the last eight months, that does not mean I'm the same person. 

Our marriage started off on a solid base of God’s love and faith in Him but was thrust within days into the challenges of surviving medical residency.  Eli joined the family during my last  year. 

I moved to Haiti as a wounded person with a tendency to lash out and hurt others when overwhelmed, spread to thin, lacking margin and filter [sadly most of my life during those years and too many times since] 

I apologize to those who were caught by my bad attitudes and sharp tongueand i hurt. 

Thank you to those who prayed and called me on bad behavior and words-a true friend really does sharpen others and because of you and the Lord, I’m a better person today. 

Please continue to do so.

With HIs continued grace, mercy, faithfulness, and LOVE I will continue to change and grow into the person He created me to be.