Jump Rope Handles Make Great Microphones!

I was chosen by one of the little boys to sing today. I walked down the stairs from my house and he came running to me saying "Cecilia nou ap chante!!" ( Cecilia we will sing!) He grabbed my hand, took me to a table, handed me the end of a jump rope to use as a microphone and started tapping a beat.

The first song was "Lord I Give You My Heart". We sang in English then in Kreyol. Later on another boy came and harmonized. We made up an amazing trio! We went on to sing "This Is My Daily Bread". Before long, the boy who had joined us started testifying into the end of the jump rope about God and his awesomeness. "Mesi Bondye! Pou tout bagay" (Thank you God for everything!) , he exclaimed as he started our last song.

We finished off with a Haitian song called "The Blood of Jesus". What an awesome day!

Church, As Usual (Part 2)

Worshiping WITH the people IS great. It helps you connect with them and understand them but when you're at a place where you don't understand everything you're not growing spiritually. After being in another country, away from your leaders for almost a year you can start to feel a little dry and dusty. If you're always giving it's equally important to get. Attending a church service where you understand everything that is said allows for growth.

You also have to be cautious not to fall in love with the tradition of things. Because I didn't see traditional Haitian practices at this other church I had found it distasteful. I later learned that there are quite a few Haitians that attended that other church too and there were other services held in Kreyol during the week.

Thanks Daddy for helping me see things a different way!

Church, As Usual (part 1)

We recently visited a church in Port-Au-Prince. The place was packed with long-term missionaries who serve in the area and a few short-term. The songs were in English! The prayers were in English and announcements were in English. "Um, ok", I thought, "Why don't theses people go to church with Haitians?!" I was really turned-off by it all.

We happen to have a church right outside our house, within the compound walls, that we attend regularly the only problem...it's all in Kreyol. At this point, I can understand the sense of a message and sing a large percentage of the songs. I've learned to love this church even with the language issue. I enjoy worshiping with the people that God sent us here to serve. There's something about lifting up the Father the way they do!

Back to this church visit; all I saw was a little American church inside a city in Haiti. It made no sense to me.

Where were the old Haitian hymns?

The group of women with head coverings?

Skirts?

The awkward "Bon Fet" section of service where we sing to all the people whose birthdays were within the past week?

The Kreyol message?

I Stink Two Times More

I was playing Monopoly DEAL with my family the other night. As we all sat on my parents' bed, Indian style I got a whiff of something not-so-pleasing.

"Wow, something smells!" I said as my head pointed in the direction of my younger brother (implying that he was the guilty party) .

My dad responds, "everyone in this family has bathed within the past three hours but YOU."

"Oh..." After we finished playing I jumped the shower for the second time that day.

Lesson to be learned: Haitian summers require you to shower 2 times a day.

Something Drastic -Phase 2

After I received the news that we were going to Haiti to give a year in missions I wanted to prepare myself. I figured a broken person entering a 3rd world country without prior preparation wasn't smart. So I asked my pastor what she suggested I'd do.

"look on the internet for pictures of those children in Haiti (the one's who had JUST experienced an earthquake) and look at them for a long time. Hang the pictures on the walls of your room or make a collage if you like. And pray. "

I didn't understand this at all! I literally thought that she didn't comprehend what I was trying to accomplish, but of course I did it anyway.

I remember sitting on my bed staring at the crying kids with bruises and bumps on their bodies. As I looked I prayed. I wasn't praying for them I was praying for me (because I was supposed to be preparing myself). I asked God to prepare me and lead me. As I prayed I began to cry. My heart began to ache for these children. I was experiencing compassion; an overwhelming sense of love! I didn't realize it at the time but this was the best self preparation I could have ever asked for.

Building a House of Clouds

Wouldn't it be lovely if we could just Google search our future? Type in some "keywords" and BANG! in Wikipedia there's an entry called "Ceci's Future".

With school out of the way(summer vacation!!), now is the time to plan, figure out, envision, decide and seek. These are the weeks whose nights leave me lying in bed for hours in thought about how to organize my future. Questions.... Obscurity, not stress, just confusion.
It's a process that takes more than seconds to complete, in fact, no one knows how long "future finding" takes; for some it's a day, for others weeks or years. When trying to find your future you're literally discovering a mesh of ideas and plans that, at the time, are completely invisible and theoretical. It's like trying to make a house out of nothing but clouds.

My dad made a good point this morning (as I shared with him my MANY thoughts about my future). He basically said If finding one's future was that easy (as easy as a Google search) there would be no reason for Faith. Faith is the element that makes all those invisible ideas easier to understand. Faith makes the future something we can believe.

Pray for Faith because Faith makes the Future less cloudy.

Don't Want To Be A Blogger

When you try something new there is always the chance of making a mistake. Whenever you do something there will always be the possibility of making a mistake. Trying to avoid the mistake is difficult and tiring. The mistake will always seem to creep up on you anyway. So what is one to do?

As of last night, I've only written a handful of blog entries but I've already made a few mistakes- telling too much or not explaining well enough. (only I know how many times I've clicked "edit post"). I was about to throw in the towel. I didn't see the value in trying to have people understand me when I know that there will always be those who misinterpret and misjudge. I told my dad,

"I don't want to be a blogger".

He showed me the blogs of those living in Haiti. We read over their experiences and I related completely. They were truthful and honest. They were funny and lighthearted. I realized if I'm going to be a missionary I need to learn how to blog. People need to know what's going on in the missions field. I stood from my chair and said

"I'll know how to blog by the age of 20. I may end up with a few scars, but I'll know how to blog when I'm a missionary."

So, what IS one to do?

Keep blogging.

He Kicked It

The orphanage has two large lights. One works, the other doesn't, or didn't, until a few days ago.

The one big light lights the empty fields beside the church and always has.

The other, was meant to light the pavement in front of the church and for as long as I've been here it hasn't worked. I think the reason for this is because it's hard to find a ladder that tall.

After church the other night I looked up and saw this big blue light shining down! I was surprised. I went and asked one of the older boys how this happened. He said one of the other boys kicked it. "He kicked it?!" I asked.

"he kicked it." the boy reiterated.

HA! I don't know if this it true or just another rumor but I think it's funny!

Skinnys and Skirts

For those who don't know me well; I love skinny jeans. With skinny jeans come many fun stories (I'll share them in time).

It could be the hottest of all summers and you'll still find me strutting my dark blue denims. You can imagine the "warnings" I received before moving to a country where almost all women wear skirts. I hardly ever put on a skirt; but I hadn't been to Haiti yet so I felt that it was important to listen to all warnings and alerts people would offer me. I made up in my mind that giving up pants wasn't that bad. In the back of my mind I figured I'd "break the chains of bondage" and wear a pair every once in a while.

When gathering my clothes for the trip I packed exactly 1 pair of skinny jeans, wore a pair and brought ALL the skirts I owned (which was about 4 skirts).
In March I went back to the states. When gathering clothes to return to Haiti again I packed 2 more skinnys and 6, yes, 6 skirts (that I had purchased specifically for my return). It's not so much bondage as it is comfortable, because of the heat, to wear skirts. I still slip on my old friends, in fact, just the other day I had on some zebra print skinnys.

No need to "change your ways". Let me inform- if you plan on coming to Haiti- go ahead bring the pants, but you'll find the skirt to be more comfortable.

Christ sustained all manner of pains

Journal Entry From: February 3rd, 2011

I've been going through some things emotionally, mainly because of hormones. Even so, the sadness that I experience (though it's definitely not depression and it's clearly temporary) seems a bit overwhelming at the time. With that, I found some relief today when I read a story in "Jesus Freak". It was about a man who gave his life for the Truth, like all the other stories in "Jesus Freak" but something stuck out...

Before the man was executed he was asked why he was so "merry" on such an occasion. His response was this:

"Christ sustained all manner of pains and conflicts...facing hell and death for our sins. Through his suffering He freed those who believe in Him from the fear of facing suffering ourselves"

WOWZAH! If I may,

I don't plan on getting executed anytime soon or experiencing great sufferings, I mean my latest "suffering" has been whether or not I'm ready to move out of my parents' house (never know until it's time). I think the lesson in this is that as sons and daughters of Christ we should have the ability to endure. Endure all troubles, all sicknesses, all strife, all neglect, all loneliness, all pain, everything.

Why?

Because Christ bore it all. Period.

Look Through My Kaleidoscope!

A journal entry written on November 13th 2010 (the day after my 17th birthday)

I have received many emails from friends and family posing me questions inquiring about my experiences here in Haiti. "Give me your perspective" or "describe a typical day" they say. They are simple inquiries but giving responses proves to be very difficult.

My perspective is like looking through a kaleidoscope- if you try to look through it you'll see something different and if I try to describe it, you probably won't understand. As for describing a typical day, there is no such thing as a typical day. Everyday is different; with lessons to be learned, words to discover and patience to gain. I try to give them a taste of what goes on around here but I never feel quite satisfied with my explanations.

I mean, on my birthday I cried over a mirror (that was given to me as a gift). That is very hard to explain- crying on your birthday.