The power of words....

A week ago today I was on my way home from having spent 6 days in Haiti. It's amazing to me how quickly the days have flown by...not a day has gone by that I haven't looked at my pictures, thought about the precious kids or looked at the Global Orphan Project website trying to get updates & news...a glimpse into what I left behind. (www.theglobalorphanproject.org) Though it has gotten easier to be here. I still feel that I'm not 100% present and for right now.....I think that's ok.

One of the many things I've been thinking about since my return is the power of words. While I was in Haiti our team had what was called a "Bead Ceremony" every evening as a way to help us debrief after a long, fun day of playing! Each color of bead represented a specific trait: Red=Risk, Green=Compassion, Blue=Leadership & White=service. Instead of just mentioning to the group that a certain team member had done a great job in a certain aspect we were encouraged to speak directly to that team member and share what trait we had wittnessed in them that day specifically. I have to admit that the first night I thought, "I don't know these people, how can I possible open up enough to speak directly to them. That in and of itself felt risky." But what I thought initially would be risky ended up making a huge impact on me in so many ways and became a highlight to look forward to at the end of each day. The words that were spoken weren't trite or spoken lightly...instead they came from the heart, meant to encourage and build up NOT tear down.

Which got me thinking...Why is it that I don't make this practice a habit at home? Why did I have to wait until I was in some foreign country with "strangers" to realize the impact words of affirmation spoken into my life made? If it made such a difference in my life then what kind of impact could I have if I turned around and practiced this with the people I'm actually in close relationships with? family, friends, coworkers, etc. I can't say that I've spoken words of affirmation every day to those around me but it is certainly in the forefront of my mind and I find myself becoming more aware of others instead of being so inwardly focused.

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to you my God."

The picture to prove it...

Remember the post I wrote about getting 21 people in the Tundra truck.... Well, here's the evidence!

A Gentle Tug...

Somehow Ellen managed to get to the front of the line for the PopTarts treat.


Upon arriving at the Transitional Orphan Village our interaction with kids began rather quickly. Who needed transition time..After all, this was the reason we were there. After putting our backpacks up in our rooms we went down and met our new friends. Little did we know that these next 5 days would impact our lives in profound ways. I think it's safe to say that every person there, whether a "newby" or experienced Global Orphan person were impacted in rather significant ways in those few short days. Immediately I was swarmed with kids, each wanting to be picked up, hugged, introduced and loved on. Within seconds I had 1 in each arm and several attached to each leg. Before to long I felt a gentle hand brush against mine and looked down to find a small girl had grabbed my two fingers. She looked at me with large eyes, full of hope and curiosity....longing for some attention and TLC. I looked down at her...sizing her up, thinking in my mind that I should've picked her up first since she was a bit smaller than the two I already had in my arms. I introduced myself and asked her what her name was. This quick introduction happened fairly quickly and within minutes I had more kids asking for my name, introducing themselves, touching my hair, feeling my face and skin...just looking for some attention. Another round of introductions, and the commonly asked phrase "Oh, you speak French?" Then I felt it again...a gentle tug on my fingers. All along Ellen had held on, hoping that I'd set the heavier kids down and somehow pick her up in my arms and love on her. I looked down at her again...eyes full of hope and curiosity. This pattern continued on for about 20 or 30 minutes before my arms couldn't take it any longer and I set the older kids down. Within seconds Ellen was in my arms. I held her close and asked her questions. I got no answers. In my mind I wondered why she wanted so much attention and held my fingers for so long hoping I'd pick her up yet refused to talk to me? It only took 15 minutes for her to lay her head down and fall asleep in my arms. No conversation, no response to my questions, no smiles... just plain TLC. I wondered if she would find me the next day, I wondered what her story was, I wondered what she'd seen and been through in her young life.

Ellen did manage to find me each day and she also managed to fall asleep in my arms at least 1 time a day. It was a beautiful. The talking and jabbering started the 2nd day and while I didn't understand alot of what she said, I was overjoyed that she was speaking. You see, Ellen had lost both parents (pre-earthquake) and has been at the TOV for a little over 4 months. She has refused to talk, I'm guessing due to all the trauma she has seen and experienced. Regardless, this precious gift from God has started to heal and is talking. What a miracle!

Little did I realize that Ellen would teach me a profound lesson about love. You see, what Ellen reminded me was that her desire for my attention is just like God's desire for my attention. He holds my hand patiently through life and tugs consistently, trying desperately to get me to "pick him up" and involved him closely in my life. And when that happens...REST happens. You see, Ellen fell asleep knowing she was loved and that for that 1 day she was special and a prized posession. Don't get me wrong, her Mamma's love her and care for her every day and they do an amazing job! But these are the things little Ellen taught me. Love is simple. It's a gentle touch, a tug on the fingers, hoping for some love and attention from a God who desires to give us His VERY BEST!

Jesus loves the little children of the world...

Global Orphan Project featured on 60 minutes...

It's a rainy, dreary Saturday morning...fitting for the thoughts persistently flashing in my mind....unrelentless. As I sit here with my coffee listening to music proclaiming that that the voice that calmed the sea will also calm the storm in me, I can't help but think back to all that last Saturday held. It was a day filled with childrens laughter and smiles, stickers, bubbles, a new life being born and a memorial service for 11 lives lost in the January 12th earthquake. I wanted to be sure and post the link so those who missed the 60 minutes coverage of the Global Orphan Project could have a chance to watch it. I will admit that the footage is not easy to watch for me since I spent time with Pastor Moise & Renisse. They aren't just people on a show but they are REAL people...people I talked to, shook hands with, laughed, and worshiped with. And the sweet faces of the orphans in the footage are friends that one day I will see again in heaven. I can't wait! It should be noted that Renisse gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby girl with lots of dark hair last Saturday! Please continue to pray for her as she heals the deep wounds of her young 13 year old heart as well as for the adoption process to proceed smoothly.


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How many Blancs can you get in a Tundra?

Yes you read that right...How many Blancs can you get in a Tundra truck? It's really a very serious question. A typical answer would be anywhere from 5 maybe 6 if you pushed it a bit. Well, When Jimmy and Trace (TOV/global orphan people) told us to pile in to the two vehicles to go to Pastor Moise's church for a memorial service we didn't skip a beat. One should be advised that in Haiti...things don't always go as planned (understatement of the year) We'd talked alot about being fluid with our plans before even arriving in Haiti and we had several opportunities to practice great fluidity...not sure that's even a word but it is now! :) As we turned around to pile in to these 2 vehicles it was realized that one vehicle was taking Renisse, the 13 year old who was having an emergency C-section to the hospital. That left us with one Tundra truck..Yep you guessed it..All 20 of the people on our team plus our driver piled in...YES, piled is the right word. :) It took somewhere between 1.5 and 2 hours to get there...if we didn't know each other before then, we certainly did by the end of the day.

The memorial service was a beautiful tribute to the 11 people in Pastor Moise's church that lost their lives in the earthquake. Pastor Moise and his family lost a son as well. The singing was incredible as they worshipped God and voiced their continued trust to a faithful God during such deep loss. One of their songs said, "you have not promised it would be easy, you have not promised we will avoid death but you have promised that you will deliver and you have promised that you will protect us." It was a very emotional & difficult service to sit through. I only hope that if I am asked to go through something as difficult I will be able to sing to my God and voice my continued trust

On the way back to the TOV we drove through parts of town that had seen alot of destruction from the earthquake. It was sobering. I think the pictures speak for themselves.





The reality is that in most of those buildings people lost lives and were killed. It was hard to take pictures after a while because I kept thinking..."That pile of rubble is literally a large grave with so many people who were trapped inside." The people of Haiti are still very traumatized to be inside buildings. Most live in tents outside to avoid any future buildings collapsing. The rains will be starting soon and conditions will become even more grave than they are currently. Somehow in all of this, the church is growing in Haiti and God is working in the lives of people!

School...

4th Grade Classroom at the Transitional Orphan Village (TOV)


"Education is the strongest weapon to fight the future"


4th grade classroom...


Rules of the classroom: Wisdom, Love, Discipline,Respect, Determination and Perseverance
The classroom that Julie uses to teach her children since she can't afford to send them to school.

I walked into my classroom today fully expecting the transition to be easy....thinking I wouldn't be affected as deeply as I was from everything I'd seen and done in the past 6 days in Haiti. I woke to quietness this morning which immediately made my heart ache...No singing children in the distance, no squeals of laughter from children who've seen pain beyond description yet resilient and somehow profoundly able to give smiles and laughs that flow into the depths of their souls. I struggled, fought and battled for perspective. Spent some time reading in Phillipians and pressed on. Drove to work in quiet. Somehow couldn't seem to turn on the radio and "plug back in"....quietness is all I wanted to somehow calm these racing thoughts. Walked into my classroom & turned on all my lamps....stopped and looked around. I saw neat rows of desks, school supplies in abundance, colors, paper, a white board, a clock that told me 26 students would be walking through the door anxious to see their teacher in 30 minutes....and I burst into tears.




When will my friends at the TOV and at Julie's orphanage get the opportunity to go back to school? I have more than enough and yet we complain about upcoming budget cuts and how "unfair it is". It breaks my heart.

But God gave me a huge gift today. I went up to the office to get my mail from my mailbox and my principal noticed my arm and sent me straight to the Dr. It was originally diagnosed as shingles but I wasn't confidant with my Dr's diagnosis so I got a 2nd opinion and it was diagnosed as a type of skin reaction...somewhat like a poison ivy. I was told to stay home the rest of the day which was truly a gift. Time to process, listen to some good music and enjoy some quiet rest. Truly what my heart needed!

I am humbled.....