Back from Haiti

I've just returned from hell on earth - there's no other way to describe it. I feel like a shell-shocked soldier who has returned from the front. I'm still trying to get my head around all that I have experienced. For years I've said I wish every American could visit a third-world nation; now I wish they could visit Haiti. It's something that cannot be described - it has to be experienced. The sights, smells, sounds, and feelings cannot be conveyed. When I get my thoughts together, I will try to blog about it. In the meantime, no matter your financial or physical situation, count your blessings, because we are all truly blessed.

Mission Trip

Just a quick note to say that my hubby and I and the other three in our mission trip made it safely to the Dominican Republic. Yesterday we were supposed to cross the border into Haiti but that plan changed. There was a murder on the border - a Haitian killed a Dominican - so there was much unrest which caused the authorities to call in the UN and close the border. We got news last night that the border will be open this morning so will be making the 3 hour trip this morning. As an American, this situation really drives home how much we take for granted in our own country. My hubby spoke with one of the missionaries, Karris, at the orphanage and she told him how grateful she is for the UN troops. Karris was amazingly calm she was about the border closing. She said it happens occasionally and once the tensions die down, the border reopens. We live in a blessed country and I'm hoping that our little group can bring this blessing to some of our neighbors.

On a positive note, we were able to spend an extra day in Santiago, seeing the sights and getting to know some Dominicans. There is a lot of tension between the Dominicans and the Haitians - very similar to that of the border states between the U.S. and Mexico. I feel we were given this extra day among the Dominicans in order to get to know them a little bit. They are a beautiful, friendly people and are very patient with our language difficulties. I'm looking forward to getting to know some Haitians as well.

One of My Favorite Prayers

Franciscan Blessing

May God bless you with discomfort
at easy answers, half truths and superficial relationships
so that you may live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger
at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people
so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.
May God bless you with tears
to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war
so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and
to turn their pain into joy.
And may God bless you with enough foolishness
to believe that you can make a difference in the world
so that you can do what others claim cannot be done
to bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.

Hope for Haiti: The Journey Begins

My hubby and I are busy preparing for our upcoming mission trip. We're going to visit the Hope for Haiti mission in Ouanaminthe. This video shares the incredible story of Danita Estrella, the amazing woman who founded this organization.

Hope for Haiti

I've been trying to post a video from YouTube but without success - hopefully, I won't have 6 posts of the same thing tomorrow! Since it won't post, I'll add the link here. I'm posting this video because my hubby and I are preparing for a mission trip to Hope for Haiti in Ouanaminthe, Haiti. In this video, the mission's founder, Danita Estrella, shares her amazing and inspirational story.

More Birds

Last night, during our regular after dinner walk, my hubby and I checked on our mocking bird nest. I'm happy to report there are two baby mocking birds now residing in the nest. They're brand new babies and were sound asleep when we checked on them. I assume mother bird was somewhere nearby, watching to make sure no harm would come to her new ones.

During our walk, Bill and I marvelled about how much life there is now on our farm, compared to when we first moved here. We rented a farmhouse a few miles from our place while we were building our home. At the rental house, we were constantly entertained by the life on the farm: lightning bugs, birds, beavers. Once our house was completed and we moved, we were puzzled by the lack of life. Fast forward four years and we now see bats, lightning bugs, birds, deer, etc. Our conclusion is that for years our farm had been a traditional tobacco farm. Our neighbor farmed our land using pesticides and chemical fertilizers. These chemicals wreak havoc with the balance of nature. Our first potato, squash, and green bean crops were almost destroyed by bugs. Rather than douse the plants with pesticides, we patiently worked the rows of plants, hand picking and killing the bugs. (I know, I cannot believe this city girl did that!) The hard work paid off. Subsequent crops have had very little pest pressure because nature has resumed it's delicate balance between beneficial and harmful pests. The land has healed and we now reap the rewards of a living farm.

Just for Cat Owners

Anyone who owns or has owned a house cat can relate to this. Enjoy! I found this little gem on http://anamchara.com, a blog about Chrisian mysticism, with a little humor thrown in.