Sans Mwen

 My time in Haiti has been a rollercoaster. Some weeks I have been lonely, some weeks I have been afraid, some weeks I have been so happy and spiritually fed, its hard to imagine feeling this way in the States. That’s Haiti; a place where all your senses collide and make something beautiful in the eyes of God. In Haiti my senses (sans mwen) are in constant overdrive: seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching are so much a part of life here. But, Haiti is not seen, heard, smelt, tasted or felt the same by all people.

People see no way out of poverty, I see hope.

People see trash on the street, I see people picking it up.People see traffic; I see economy moving forward and strengthening.People see despair, I see strength and resilience.People hear honking horns and crowing roosters, I hear people communicating.People smell rot, mildew, trash and filth, I smell the garlic and fish used to cook a delicious meal of diri ak pwa (rice with beans).

People feel heat from the sun; I feel warmth from every new person I meet. People think they could never live here, I feel like I am home.

I am so glad that God called me to this place so that I could see, hear, smell, taste, and touch something so exciting and different. I so glad I am able to share the 5 senses of Haiti with you.

I love to SEE the beauty of the beach, how the aqua water sparkles in the constant sun.I love to HEAR the children in the orphanage near my home that cheer when the electricity is restored at night. I love to TASTE the delicious Fried Chicken with Creole Sauce and Akra (a appetizer or side dish made of the marenga root and ground with spices). I love the SMELL of my neighbors cooking in the morning. I love the TOUCH of a cool breeze coming through my car windows as I drive.I love the FEEL of a sweet child's hug when I pass through a classroom at Conaspeh

1 John 1:1-4

“From the very first day, we were there, taking it all in—we heard it with our own ears, saw it with our own eyes, verified it with our own hands. The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen! And now we're telling you in most sober prose that what we witnessed was, incredibly, this: The infinite Life of God himself took shape before us. We saw it, we heard it, and now we're telling you so you can experience it along with us, this experience of communion with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. Our motive for writing is simply this: We want you to enjoy this, too. Your joy will double our joy!”