Yesterday I had the chance to catch up with an acquaintance originally from Togo, Africa. We talked a lot about family. I asked him if all of his family is now here in the U.S. His answer was not what I expected to hear. His mother is not yet here. In fact, she will not […]
I began reviewing travel notes from each trip I have made to Haiti. The following notes were written in November, 2014 on my sixth trip to Haiti. I have learned an immeasurable amount since that time. My heart has not changed. With total transparency & vulnerability, I share below the exact words I wrote: 11-5-14 […]
In a land with 3 growing seasons Haiti consistently imports 90% of the food consumed. This has led to horrific food insecurity this year amidst political instability and COVID closing borders and making travel unsafe. In our city of Les Cayes we depend upon local markets. Vendors at the local market get their goods largely […]
I cried over a 5 lb bag of chicken legs that I bought for $3.97 at Hy Vee Grocery. I had flashbacks to my friend at the local market in our Haiti neighborhood. Donicia would smile up at me as she reached for the fresh chicken she had saved back just for me. She had […]
We are blessed with a room off the back of our house with three walls of windows peeking over our raised bed garden into a small stand of trees. This is a place where, situated at the proper angle in a chosen piece of furniture I cannot see the inside of my house; there is […]
Aye, aye, Captain P! Seriously, this level of commitment, compassion, unconditional love and determination could only proceed from an immeasurable, incomparable God. For in his human, flesh-contained nature Patchouko could not be who and what he is to these children. And when he reads this post, I can already see his eyes, the tilt of […]
This week we are celebrating new life with the birth of my newest, and first, great nephew. Praise God for healthy babies, healthy mommas, and safe delivery. After many years as a nurse in the field of maternity I can tell you that most of us in the 1st world take pregnancy & birth for […]
FEET I nearly stumbled on a pile of sandals that appeared as though boys had simply walked right out of them rather than stopping to take them off. Memories flooded back of the days my children would leave the very same scene behind as they transitioned from one busy activity to the next. This […]
A heart of service, a lifestyle of service, feelings of inadequacy, kneeling in prayer, bleeding knees, continued service in a lifestyle of dependence, increased understanding of the need for dependence, a heart of service, broken hearts, doubts, fears, bent in prayer, bleeding hearts, deepened dependence, broken spirits, bleeding hearts, eyes to see what breaks […]
I have been incredibly hesitant to share personal pictures of our time in Haiti. They are so intimate, revealing, and in my heart and mind they border on exploitation. I know that isn’t reality, but it is my heart. You see, I know that if I do not show them, you cannot know (unless you […]
