The Peace of God will Guard your Hearts and MINDS

Monday and Tuesday I had many things to finish up before I left. My mom also helped me rearrange everything inside my suitcases again and we had to keep re-weighing them. We had been packing for a week, trying to get the weight in each suitcase to be right. One suitcase could be up to 70 pounds and the other up to 50 pounds. I kept pulling things out that I decided I wouldn't need (like my favorite book :( in order to make room for more important things! Over these last days at home I thought I would be nervous and freaking out...instead I was surrounded by such a peace. I felt the peace that passes understanding. Isaiah 26: 3-4 "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal."


Tuesday night I went with my family and a good friend to Detroit for the night. We stayed in a hotel near the airport. At 4am we awoke bright eyed and bushy tailed (ok, I was probably the only one bright eyed). I was a bit nervous at that point, but I prayed for the nerves to go away and they did.  We checked in my bags; one weighed 69 lbs and the other 49 lbs. That was a huge relief for my mom and I! Although trying to avoid the inevitable, we eventually had to say our goodbyes. There was not a dry eye. Obviously ;)

I hadn't flown since I was 15 and never by myself, so I walked confidently through the airport...pretending like I knew what I was doing. Thankfully I didn't have any blonde moments :) The plane to Miami was pretty full, except for the seat next to me. God had a plan in all of that too. I had been given some letters from my friends and co-workers to read on the airplane so I was able to read the letters and cry to myself without really disturbing anyone! The lady on the end of the aisle was super nice and I don't think she thought anything of it because she knew I was leaving for 7 months.


Once in Miami I had a 4 hour layover. I got to ride the SkyTrain to my gate. That reminded me of the Metro in Chicago. I was also amazed that there were golf carts inside the airport! Craaazy! I sat by myself for 3.5 hours contemplating life (prepping myself for my arrival at the Port-au-Prince airport). Going on the 4th hour I began to feel sorry for myself and decided that I wanted to make friends with the nice group of people sitting near me. So, I asked them why there were going to Haiti. They proceeded to tell me about their trip and I shared about mine. When they learned that I had never been to Haiti before they were at first shocked (along with everyone else I ran into), and then they told me I could join their team to get through the airport! What a relief- I about cried when they invited me to join them! On the plane ride to Miami I prayed the whole time that God would surround me and direct me through the airport without any trouble. Well, he sure surrounded me...not only with his presence but with a group of 7 other people! <--- God sure does answer prayer!!


On the plane ride to Port-au-Prince there was a young Haitian girl, named Etianna, sitting next to me. Right away she asked me if I understood Creole. I told her I was going to be in Haiti for 7 months and no, in fact, I didn't know Creole. She laughed at me (not with me, at me). I told her that she could teach me Creole if she wanted to. At first she wasn't sure what to think of me and I wasn't sure what to think of her. However, we warmed up to each other real quickly. She wrote down several words and phrases for me and then I repeated them to her over and over. Her father was sitting next to her and she would turn to him, speaking Creole with him. At that point I realized how lost I was really going to be when I arrived in Haiti, not knowing the language. Thankfully God gave me an insight into that so I began preparing myself mentally. You really feel lost when everyone around you is clearly communicating and you are the only person that has no idea what is being discussed! (more to come on that later)


When we arrived at the airport it wasn't that chaotic- not like I had expected it to be. The airport (warehouse) is very small and immigration, baggage claim, and customs are all in the same area. The luggage was all piled in one big spot next to the conveyor so we had to search around for our bags. I found both of my bags right away and one of the guys in the group handled the heaviest one for me. Then as I was walking towards customs, to exit the airport, my uncle was standing right there. I breathed another sigh of relief...finally another familiar face!


My family was waiting to greet me when we pulled into the drive around 6 o'clock. I was exhausted and very very very happy.


Thank you for your prayers throughout the day! The trip could not have gone any better- Praise the LORD!