My return ticket home from Haiti was made for June 13th, 11 days after the Prince of Peace team left, and I didn't know why.
I could have bought the ticket for June 6th.. it would've been the same price. Or I could have stayed longer. For whatever reason I felt a big YES for leaving on the 13th. As the remainder of my time unfolds it will be interesting to see what God does.
I told Mrs. Isbell and Mrs. Weiss on our last day together that I felt my head was bloated. We spent the week gathering information, building relationship, overcoming communication barriers, and trying to grasp the system-of-good that the Lutheran church has dispersed throughout the country of Haiti, that I quite literally felt as if my head would make me topple over because it was so full of thoughts, ideas, concerns, pains, joys... the whole gamut.
Yesterday the team left early in the morning and I stayed with our creme-of-the-crop chauffeur, Leonard. A brief reunion with one of my friends from my Discipleship training school from last year was enough to make my heart flip a little. There's a special bond we all have, all 80 of us, because of the incredibly rich experiences we shared together. It's one of those things where you can be separated for a long time, not talk, and you get togehter and it's as if no time has passed.
Haitian Hospitality makes me feel like a princess. Leonard and his wife Reynia made me sleep in their room, while they sleep in the other room where the kids (grown kids) stay. No matter what you seem to say, they will always give you the best of what they have. It's very humbling. I know Leonard pretty well, but his family I had only met once before. I feel so loved by them all... it's like they've just added me in as the 5th child in the family.
Leonard's grandson, Teo, is my new best friend. He is 3 years old and he's a dezod (creole for trouble maker). He is constantly munching on my hair or hanging off my shirt or shooting me with his leggo gun, but I love him. We connect in some special way that bypasses culture, color, age, language.. everything. He calls me ti nicole (means little nicole) and I call him ti teo.
My favorite story so far....
I was drinking a Toro (Haitian energy drink that's really tasty), and he asked me what I was drinking. I said 'Toro'. There's a picture of a bull on the label and he asked what it was, I said 'bef' (bull in creole). He then asked me if I was drinking ji bef (bull juice). haha. So cute. Then he started crying because he's not allowed to drink ji bef.
Tomorrow morning I'm getting up early to head north with Leonard, where I'll meet up with a friend of mine and continue my journey with Jesus in Haiti. Can't wait to see friends from DTS and hopefully meet some more crazy little kids that touch my heart.
Pray that every heart in Haiti will be set on fire for Jesus. The people here are wonderful. Seriously. If you haven't been, you should come.
One thing that God is teaching me is the importance of making sure people know they aren't forgotten. If it means spending 5 minutes talking with them, it means something. God doesn't forget his children. He puts us in the path of his children. He calls us to love eachother. Let's do it folks.
much love.
ti nicole
