attitudes, cuts, & welts, OH MY!!

I had my first bump in the road here last week! I can’t pretend that every day is fun and games here because it’s really tough some days. This culture is so different than my personality and if you know me at all you would know how true this is. I am very matter of fact, by the books, focused on rules and every last detail, etc. and that’s just not how life is here. Last week I was getting so frustrated and just needed to take a little break. I was so thankful for the weekend because I needed to recharge and refocus my heart because it was getting off track with God and my attitude needed to be checked.

I am so thankful for the people God has placed in my life at this very specific time. My parents, Cassidy (my roommate), Jesse (my friend), and Tim (my boss) – they all reminded me to focus on the good things, see the good in people, and continue to pray for strength and patience every day. There is so much good in people around here but sometimes I get so focused on the other details I need to be reminded of that! I also needed to be reminded that change here takes time and progress isn’t going to happen immediately. They have all reminded me that God is with me wherever I go and whatever I do. I’m not going to change this culture or succeed at making rules for them to follow – it’s never going to happen. And that’s not why God called me here. I’m here to teach kids about God and show people the love of Jesus. I’m here to worship with them, laugh with them, cry with them, and live alongside them. While doing all of this – I’m reminded daily that God needs to be center of my day, all day long. Remembering that and praying when I want to pull my hair out keeps me grounded and able to see the good in the situations we face. I also made a “friendship” bracelet with two strands to be a daily reminder to me. One strand is to remind me to keep my mouth shut when I want to say “well this is how it should be done” and one strand to remind me to pray about it. God is changing my heart and I have chilled out, but I still need a daily reminder – so this bracelet isn’t coming off anytime soon! J

Tim sent out this quote to all of our MH4H team and it couldn’t have been more perfect for what I needed to hear last week -

                “I used to pray that God would feed the hungry, or do this or that, but now I pray that he will guide me to do whatever I’m supposed to do, what I can do. I used to pray for answers, but now I’m praying for strength. I used to believe that prayer changes things, but now I know that prayer changes us and we change things.” – Mother Teresa

So NOW after my attitude was refreshed - this past week was much better! J The first week of our Thrive for 5 program I noticed this little boy, Lensly, had a cut on his hand. It was like the size of an almond on his tiny little hand and it was fleshy/open, really raised, and looked like it was kind of pussing. It was pretty bad and looked like it had been that way for a while. One day he was sitting in the front row so we called him up to put a Band-Aid on his hand and prayed over it. We had been cleaning it with alcohol pads, putting Neosporin and a Band-Aid on it for a few days and the end of last week it was looking worse. So Monday we continued to do the same thing, and it kept looking the same but we were not sure what else to do. On Wednesday we called Lensly to the front again and took off his Band-Aid to find it looked SO much better! Cassidy and I looked at each other with huge eyes that said to each other, “Woah! Only God could heal this thing!” It honestly looked like it needed much more than just Neosporin and a Band-Aid, but that was all we had. The cut isn’t raised anymore and looks like it is healing properly and almost looks like a scar. God can heal anything and I can see that first hand here! As I said, there’s no way it could have healed that well within a week and a half with just Neosporin, it was a nasty cut! God is the ultimate healer though and He has the power to heal even the worst cuts! All we have to do is trust in Him. J And that’s comforting. We do what we can, with what we have, and God will do the rest!

On Thursday we were riding back from Savanette on the motorcycles and our friend Natao got hit in the shin with a big rock. It was a huge welt RIGHT on his shin and he was in a ton of pain. An ice pack and ibuprofen wasn’t helping so he wanted to go visit one of his doctor friends to see if it was okay but we couldn’t find his friend. So we decided to stop at the hospital and look around for our doctor friends who are in our English class there. We were walking in and praying that we would see someone we recognized! (There are usually 45 in our class and usually no electricity in the room at 6AM so we use flashlights – and it’s hard to see all the faces!) We were walking down the hospital hallway and at the end we see a very familiar face with a big smile waving at us. J We said “We need your help! – Nou bezwen ou ede!” Funny things is we just taught them that saying that morning – I don’t believe in coincidences! ;) All the nurses wanted to help and brought Natao in immediately and checked his leg out, gave him a shot, and wrote him a prescription. We were walking to the pharmacy in the hospital and realized none of us had any money on us because we left in such a hurry. We were saying this to each other and the pharmacist walking by overheard and told us to come anyways. He gave us the prescription ibuprofen for free because we were his English teachers. J The hospital treats missionaries for free anyways, but in this situation we weren’t the ones needing the help, it was our friend – and they were still generous! God was definitely present in that entire situation that day. We found the people and got the things we needed and that was only because of God!

After having such a crappy end of the week the previous week, I feel like this entire week has been so much better! I have been clearly able to see God working here and He is certainly changing my heart to look at the people instead of just the details of the projects we are working on. The children we work with in the Thrive for 5 program are absolutely adorable and they make my job so fun! J Every single day we have more kids that want to hug us, hold our hands, high five us, and just smile at us in general. The parents are warming up to us more and more each day as well. It feels good to be accepted in Pignon and Savanette and begin to grow our network of friends. J God’s doing some big things here and I can’t wait to see where this adventure goes!

Thank you so much for the continued prayers! There are joys and struggles every day and prayers are what we need the most! J

Xxo

Tampico

p.s. below is a picture of Lensly and his hand! :) he's a doll!

F.R.O.G (fully rely on God)

Alo!

Our last week has been a little crazy, which is why it has taken me so long to write!

Zeke is our Haitian boss and last Sunday his father was hit by a motorcycle while he was going to get some avocados. He was doing pretty bad for a while and wasn't responding to very much. We went and prayed with him last Tuesday and it was quite the experience. On the way out, the young man who hit him was lying in the next bed over. He wasn't even close to how bad of shape Zeke’s dad was in, but he had a small head injury. On our way out Zeke told us this was the man who hit his dad and that we could stop and pray with him if we wanted too. So we stopped and prayed. I was shocked that Zeke was even considering it, this is the man who caused his father so much pain and he still wanted to stop and pray with him. The young man started to tear up a little and you could tell he felt so awful, but at the same time he was able to see the power of forgiveness and prayer. I am so thankful that Zeke’s faith is so strong that he was able to show this man love and compassion immediately after this devastating situation happened to his own father.

That night (Tuesday) Cassidy and I were feeling kind of down and I felt like it would be a good time to open a “blessing” card. Before I left we had a small going away party and my mom had people bring a “blessing” card for me to open on rough days while I was away. That was the perfect day for one! I grabbed a random one and it happened to be from Paul Rekow. It said, “One thing I remember from our first trip to Haiti, was how much Haitian’s relied on God for EVERYTHING!! It may be hard sometimes to understand God’s plan, but always remember to trust in Him.” I wasn't even surprised that this was EXACTLY what I needed to hear at that moment because that is how God works! (Thank you Lord!! And thank you Paul for the reminder!!) :)

On Thursday morning we were at the hospital for a meeting and as we were walking out, a nurse stopped Zeke and said that his father was speaking again!! We went and saw him right away, he said he was thirsty and was asking for water. The nurse said, “even the doctors were not expecting this, they say this could only be because of The Lord!” It seemed like everything was turning around and we were so excited, but sometimes God has different plans. Friday morning I got a call at 7:30AM that Zeke’s father had passed away a few hours before. It was devastating news to hear and I was shocked. The funeral was this past Tuesday and it was so sad to see one of our closest friends going through such a rough time. I am so thankful that our team could be here to support Zeke and his family during this rough time. Everyday Cassidy and I learn more about this amazing beautiful culture, and one thing we know: God is so powerful and can do anything! Loving one another and being there for each other is so important as well!

Last Monday we started the Thrive for 5 program in Savanette. It has been going great so far! We have 101 kids signed up and most of them have been showing up every day so far. We have singing time, a Bible story, crafts, and we feed them at the end. We see these children Monday through Friday for about 2 hours each day. We also have a health agent from the hospital that will come once a week and vaccinate children and make sure they are staying healthy. All 101 kids are ADORABLE!! It has been so fun signing these kids up – but taking some of their picture's has been another story! Some of them are so young, our "blanc" skin scares them. :) They are warming up to us though!!

Today our morning started off at 6AM teaching English at the Hospital in Pignon. It went really well. We had about 20 people in there for our first class! This will be a great opportunity for these doctors and nurses to know more English and for us to learn more Kreyol in the process. I'm excited for this class to continue and to get to know each of the people individually. They seem like a very bright and fun group and it will be great to have even more friends in town we can chat with!

Cassidy and I were walking home by ourselves for a few blocks today and a group of guys was walking by. One guy says, “Do you speak Kreyol?” We both look at him and say, “Itsy bitsy, we are learning.” He says, “You know what I mean when I say, ‘Ou renmen mwen?’” We look at each other; shake our heads and yell, “HUH UH SIR, NON JODIA!!!!” Huh uh, not today sir, not today! No, we do not love you like that! He laughed, his friends laughed, and so did we – I can’t wait until we know everything that everyone is saying to us so we can reply to it all! :)

Even on days when we run out of power, run out of water, when there’s a million ants running around our table, when we find a lizard in the house (and then lose it again), etc. I am still so thankful to be here. When we ran out of power the other night I was lying in bed at 7PM in pitch black listening to the rain, thinking about how dependent we are on power - we feel like we can’t do anything without it. We even begin to feel desperate without access to charging our computers, phones, Nooks, cameras, etc. it is crazy when you really think about it. I want my relationship to be like that with God, all the time – not just when I am in Haiti and have to be so dependent on Him with day to day things. I want this neediness for my King to continue to take over me and I want to cling to Him all day every day, not just when it is convenient for me. We think we need power and electricity to live and function every day, but the only thing we really need to function is God. He will always take care of the rest! :)

That’s all for now!

Dako, na we! (Okay, see ya!)

Tampico

i love my life!

Bonjou!

The bikes are being worked on right now, so I have a little time to blog while finishing my coffee! Perfect Friday morning! :)

I should start of by saying why I am called Tampico. When my name is pronounced here it usually sounds like "eader" or "either" - and since that isn't what I am used to hearing, sometimes I don't answer. So last time I was here in Feb. 2013 I thought I needed a nickname because I didn't want to be called "eader" forever! I was obsessed with finding the juice drink Tampico while we were here - we had to go out on special runs just to find it some days! So our Haitian friends decided that should be my nickname since I like it so much. My mom wanted to find a t-shirt for me so she contacted the company to ask about buying one. The Facebook manager of the Tampico Beverages Official page wrote my mom a very nice email back and then sent a box of Tampico gear to my house!! I was so pumped!!! I got some Tampico drinks, t-shirts, stickers, visors, water bottles, and back sacks! They only asked that I send pictures of myself using the stuff while in Haiti - so this is why I have been uploading photos of my gear on Facebook. If you haven't tried the juice drink, you must! Li anpil bon! (It's very good!!)

The past two weeks we have been out riding around on motorcycles in Savanette all day. We have been finding kids to sign up for the Thrive for 5 program (starting Monday, Sept. 2) and the after school program (starting in October.) Sometimes we go house to house, and other times we make an announcement so they all gather at one place and time for us. It has been so cool to meet all these kids and get to know more about each of them. The Thrive for 5 kids (0-5 year olds, not in school) get a little scared of us sometimes though and don't always want their picture taken! I have noticed a definite change in the children and the adults as we pass through the streets every day. Usually the children yell "BLANC!!!" at you when you're riding through, which they sometimes still do, but things have changed. I feel like we get more smiles and waves from adults every day and the children aren't just yelling BLANC at us anymore. Woody (our awesome Haitian co-worker) tells us they are saying "oh look at the nice people on the bikes!" but who knows! ;) They are excited to see us around more and it makes me so happy that the people in our community are welcoming us more and more each day with these simple gestures. I can't wait until these programs start and we can get to know them even better!

Most of the parents that we talked to were concerned that we were trying to start an orphanage and didn't want to give their children up. As soon as they found out we just wanted to feed their children in the morning, share Bible stories with them, and play with them for a few hours each day - they were pumped!! They were excited to be able to get some things done on their own while their child would be cared for and fed at the same time. I am so thankful for Tim's vision for this Thrive for 5 program and I cannot wait to see how it takes off.

Cassidy and I have been fitting in here more and more each day! We have been having the best time! (If you have seen any of my Facebook pictures you would know that!) From laughing and killing bugs at night, hand washing our own clothes, drying clothes on the roof, cleaning off the roof so the drains aren't clogged, heading to market, etc. we feel like we are getting the full Haitian life experience and it has been fantastic! We have had so many laughs with each other and our Haitian friends, our days just fly! I am so happy that we both were blessed with this opportunity and that God had this planned for our lives at this very moment. I was placing some dishes in the sink this morning and thinking to myself "there is no place on earth I would rather be at this moment." Only God can fill me with such a peace about living in a foreign place far away from my family and friends. :)

I started a new book the other night called "The Prayer Dare" by Ron Kincaid and I love it so far! It challenges you to go deeper in prayer with God than you ever have before. I'm only 4 small chapters in and it's working!! I have been reminded that God cares about even my smallest prayers and has answered 15 specific prayers I have had in the last 3 days - wow!!! Sometimes I forget to ask God for little things like: a small breeze when I'm so hot, to keep the rain from coming so we could finish getting kids signed up, to keep us safe on the bikes each day, to protect us when I accidentally splashed some contaminated water in our mac and cheese, and just for patience during the day. He has answered all of these prayers, and more!!! I can't wait to continue keeping a journal of all the specific prayers He has answered! I know I serve an amazingly powerful God, but I'm human - so I need to be reminded of how awesome He really is sometimes. I feel like my faith has been even more refreshed in my short time here! :) and it's only been two weeks!!!!!! :)

Feel free to add me to Facebook if you want daily updates and to be able to see all the pictures Cassidy and I post every day! You'll know you found the right Heather Brown when you find the Tampico banner at the top of my page! :)

Thanks again for the continued prayers! Cassidy and I can feel them every day! We cannot express how much we each appreciate them! If you would like to hear Cassidy's stories you can follow her blog here. You can also check out the Many Hands for Haiti webpage here if you are interested in sponsoring a child in this new Thrive for 5 program (should be available on there soon!) :) WARNING: all these children are adorable!!! :) The MH4H website has a letter from us and some pictures from our first week here so check it out for more details on this journey.

Mesi bokou!!! (Thank you so much!!!)
Love,
Tampico