January 4th - my 3rd day in Haiti

my third day in haiti was a good one. very very productive!! i cleaned alot that day. it started off by waking up on the roof to a beautiful sunrise over the mountains. not to mention, warm weather. i woke up late so ran to grab my camera to hurry and get a pic before i lost the sunrise and was late for devo's. and of course, i tripped on the way back outside and scraped my knee and a TEENY part of my brother's lens (not any part that matters just the side! OOPS). i'm a klutz! buuuuuuuuut i would say the scrapes were worth it, what do u think? 

by 830am i was taught by a haitian lady how to properly stick ur head and upper body into a barrel and scrub with bleach and water :) because someone threw a tshirt that had baby poop on it into the barrel not realizing that the mission puts water in the barrel not trash lol

when i first got to haiti this trip i found out my friend navius was very sick. they aren't sure exactly, but think he has MD, muscular dystrophy. he's only 26. i first met him in 2003. ..... the top pic was taken in 2004 the bottom pic in 2011.

he's a good guy, and i hated to hear that he was sick! they thought (when i was there this year) he had TB (which he was diagnosed with before recently) because he was coughing really bad and pretty weak. miss maureen had told me on the 3rd he was coming in on the 4th to see the doctor. so after i scrubbed the barrel i went downstairs to play with John at the front of Miriam Center when i saw TMan walk by. i asked him if he had seen Navius and he told me where Navius was. i wish i could describe the feeling to u that i had when i was walking down the hallway with all of the sick kids and adults and teenagers waiting to be seen by the nurses/doctors. i imagine back in the day when Jesus healed the sick, and wished that He was here to heal all of these people who were coughing or crying. it breaks my heart to see/hear that. after what felt like forever, i finally saw him. i laughed when he shook his head in disbelief cuz we hadn't seen each other in almost 7 years. tho we had kept in contact over the years - not with pics just phone/email. it was good to see him smile!!!! he introduced me to his uncle, said that is who he stayed with around the corner from the mission. i crouched beside his chair and we spoke the 30 minutes until his doctor came. it broke my heart when the nurse and his uncle had to help him get out of his chair and walk into the room. i had to walk away to hide my tears. i went back to MC until i saw him come out with his uncle. the doctor told him to get an xray the next day of his lung to hopefully get some infinite answers on why he was feeling down (later to find out it wasn't TB but pneumonia). alot of people shook hands with him and spoke words with him while we stood there, including jack, they had gone to school together. navius left with his uncle on the mission's four wheeler thing - idk what it's called lol i told him i'd come visit him sometime.

meet emily, my sister from another mister. we met the first night, she's grant's sister. and she is pretty darn cool. after i saw navius that morning emily & i met in grant's room to begin our 4 hour mission to super clean grant's room and bathroom. we organized food & clothes & medicine, put more - i say more cuz he already had one - pics up of him/natasha above his bed :) hehe (hey- i had to tell that part!! it's sweet!!), but i didn't kill the huge roach that was running at me. sorry, grant. we let it run into the dirty clothes. after i screamed bloody murder then laughed like mad :) it was huge - i couldn't touch it!

lunch was good that day - or maybe i was just starving. of course, it was pretty stinking good every day. unfortunately, the mission americanized their food - they only served plantains once at the st louis mission and everything they had they turned into something american (chicken and dumplings, vegetable soup, mashed potatoes & gravy with beef & vegetables, ETC). i'm not complaining - it was great - i just was craving some real good creole food!

here is a plate of yummy food in la baie (not on the 4th sorry i am deceiving u) - my stupid self didn't take a pic of the AMAZING and best meal i had the whole trip in la baie - but this lunch was good! (and yes paul that is the spicy ketchup u gave me to bring!)

i wish i would have kept better track in my journal on my trip. it would have been easier had i been able to type it - i'm just a slow writer lol i can't remember everything we did after lunch. we did go to navius early afternoon - emily, jack, and myself - and talked and laughed for an hour or so. my pictures show me (lol) that the MO group had a lil VBS with the Miriam Center kids so i went around and took pics and then played with some of the kids with the balloons.

john! this girl also had a special place for john in her heart :)

they had different 'stations' set up. coloring. play-do. balloons. bubbles.

DEN DEN!!!

this kid is awesome. i wish i knew his naaaaame.

STEPHEN!!!!! <3

stephen playing :)

John had a blast!!

get the balloon get the balloon!

i know this kid's name.. i know this kid's name... i know it.. i know it... ahhhh... i can't remember :(

 i do remember supper came quickly and we had dishes this day. and devo's were good, as every night! and cards, as usual, after devo's until lights out!

it was a good day.