Anyone out there feeling a little disombobulated? Maybe mildly depressed, waking up to some unexplained feelings of unease / anxiety? You are not alone and we are not without hope, praise Jesus! At some point early in my nursing career a wise counselor to patients told me he could cure depression if only he could […]
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 […]
I feel a responsibility to tell them the truth but at the same time I want to isolate them from the reality. My heart aches, my gut wrenches, at times I am physically stricken with nausea. I attempt to choose words wisely between myself and leadership in Haiti, guarding their minds from my toxic thoughts. […]
My thoughts are firing so quickly they exhaust me. It was only a matter of time, we knew Coronavirus would eventually arrive in Haiti. Amid prayers for the world and the U.S., prayers for medical personnel making unfathomably difficult decisions, prayers for our families and for our own strength and courage we braced ourselves for […]
I was hiking a state park in Oregon this week, a park filled with stunning, powerful waterfalls; a rain forest, in fact. I was steeped in an intense sense of awe and splendor when suddenly it felt as though I had been punched in the gut. The intensity stopped me in my tracks. Gallons of […]
Allow me to introduce you to Tikilene, one of the most incredible human beings you could be privileged to meet. Tikilene and her husband have three sons and one daughter, all of whom have completed high school &/or are working their way through a college education. Tikilene gives all credit to the grace of God, […]
One late night this week I was feeling burdened by the stress engulfing me and I laid a very specific need down as I told God, “I know you know our need. I know you already have a plan to meet it.” I pleaded for patience as I waited for provision. The next morning I […]
Eyes, eye contact, windows to a soul. We reveal a lot when we share that window, allowing a peek into our very being. I was riding along a street in Haiti years ago when it struck me how many souls, adult and child alike, were peering into mine. This openness creates vulnerability. The willingness to […]
There is really nothing about sewing men’s dress pants that used to be fun for me. Honestly, I dreaded waist bands, cried over a few zipper installations, and welt pockets?! Really?! That was then. For three weeks I have awakened excited to dive into the next task. Determination is contagious. Hope is contagious. Love is […]
