Nearly six years ago, TJ and I were both prompted by the Holy Spirit to get involved with a ministry in Haiti that our church was heavily invested in. That next year, we made our first trip down to this beloved country and have been hooked ever since. This ministry, these kiddos always beckon us to return, and a few weeks ago, I got to do just that: return.
I accompanied two friends-who-are-more-like-family, a father-daughter duo, and we had a specific mission for this short, five-day trip. Lindsay, a senior in high school who loves Haiti a whole lot, is currently working on her senior project, and it required a trip to Port-de-Paix to complete. I was the token photographer, and I got to do what I always do: be her paparazzi. I took nearly one thousand photos while we were there, a record even for me, and the kids ate it up (as usual). Their precious smiles light up the whole world, y'all.
We updated profile sheets and individual photos for each of the children, made a craft with them, splashed in the ocean, visited the new land to see all the new (exciting!) updates, treated the kiddos to an afternoon of fun at a park, drank coffee like it was going out of style (nothing beats Haitian coffee, y'all), gave endless hugs and snuggles, and soaked in every minute with Pastor and his family. We packed in as much as we could into the short three days we had with them, and our hearts returned home full.
What a blessing it is to love these people and their culture so much.
I don't go to Haiti because I'm something special. No, I go to Haiti because THEY are.
Weeks later, and I'm still ALL SMILES from my time with them. It is such a gift to call these beautiful people family.
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