Haiti 2/15-3/7

Monday morning we all woke up really early to go hike.  There were about 30 of us hiking straight up this mountain and it look us about 3 hours.  It was hard but so amazing once we got to the top.  The weather has been about 90 and super humid but once we got to the top I would say it was in the 60's and a little foggy! It was nice to have a break from the heat and humidity.  Micah rode in the car up the back side of the mountain with John and Josie and Brittany's kids.  It was all 4-wheel drive up the mountain and I guess they had to stop once cause Micah thought he was going to throw up.  We all had lunch and hung out at the top for about an hour before heading down.  It took about an hour to get down the mountain and about 5 minutes from the bottom Micah started throwing up all in the car.  Luckily I had a bag handy and he gave us good warning!  We laid low the rest of the day cause I wasn't sure if he was just car sick or had a bug.
That afternoon I got a text from Evan that his flight was leaving that night...not Wednesday like we thought.  So, Tuesday morning Micah went with Rod to get Evan from the airport.  We were excited for him to come and show him one of our favorite places on earth and a place that is so close to our hearts! He showed up around 10 but without his bags!  Apparently they were on the next flight so they headed back an hour later to get them.  Thank goodness it was there because it had expensive recording equipment (so he could play around with the older boys, they have rap group), more scooters for the girls and boys home, a new dress for the little girl with the urine soaked dress at the feeding program and all his clothes! Once he got settled in we took him on a little tour of the neighborhood.  We walked by a tent city, the guest house where we went up on the roof to get a view of the city and even saw the ocean, we went by Bill and Susettes, the girls home and finally the boys home.  We stayed and hung out with the boys most of the afternoon.  Brittany invited the little girls over to our house to make popcorn and watch a movie.  So I left the boys at the boys house and came home to hang out with them.  It was fun! 
John and Josie invited us over to dinner.  I just adore that couple and it was so great to get to spend time with them.  I had to rush out with Brooke and Ashley (they work here) because we were going to the older girls bible study that night at Suzettes. Pray that the girls get a steady older mentor and house mom. They really need a full time person like the boys have with Cindy.  A married couple would be perfect so they could have a good male/father figure in the house too. 
This morning I went with Brittany to the market.  It's very similar to the markets we have but we got our eggs and produce from a stand on the side of the road.  Rod, Asher, Evan and Micah went to the hardware store...they got chicken and rice from someone cooking off the side of the road and spent some of the afternoon working on the roof here.  We then went to the feeding program. I love getting to love on those kids. How crazy to be the poorest kids in the poorest country in the western hemisphere!  It's heartbreaking.  Tonight we made pizza for dinner and got to watch Asher and Isaiah while Brittany and Rod went out on a date. 
I've made friends with some of the street kids around here. One in particular, his name is Jeff. He is the sweetest most genuine boy but has absolutely no boundaries. Josie, who lives next door, has Jeff and his two friends over every tuesday and Thursday to have a meal with them and  let them bathe. Well tonight there was a knock at the gate. I asked Evan to ask who it was and if they didn't speak English to not let them in. He came back and said it was Jeff asking for me. He told me he was really hungry tonight. Normally if you lived here you'd have to have some good boundaries set up or you would get hounded all the time for things. It's overwhelming. Like josie. She has it set up twice a week they get a meal and shower (the other days they eat at the feeding program) and tells the boys to wait outside her gate abd not to knock and she'll come out and get them. But we don't live here so I figured what the heck?! I don't need to set up boundaries for the short time we are here, and I can give so I will.  So I ran inside and made Jeff and his friend a sandwich , gave them a banana and a sucker. That was a big highlight of my day. I want to be out there, in the streets, roaming the tent city praying and giving to the poorest of the poor. But recently there have been a lot of kidnappings here so best to play it safe and follow the rules....for now :) there is something just so amazing when God brings the wealthy and the poor together....the ones who know Christ inspire me. They are so rich in faith.
I am being eaten alive!!! I lost count of my bites but they are driving me absolutely nuts! I have bad reactions to bug bites and they swell up like crazy. I've been a little out of it on Benadryl the last day or two. Micah's legs are pretty much healed but he too is still being eaten alive, but that sweet boy barely complains. Thank you all for praying! It's been a great trip so far. I have a few fun things planned to do with the kids the next few days. Life in Haiti is so up in the air we'll see if we get to do them :) but I've come to realize I work really well on Haitain time....or it just encourages my laziness :) But it's my kind of living for sure!