Day One

Words can't even begin to describe how happy I am to be back in La Croix, Haiti. We started off the day in the bleak and snowy JFK airport and I am now sitting on the roof top of our building admiring the clear sky filled with hundreds of stars. Since our group split up to travel to Haiti today, my family was the last to arrive. We were greeted by Paul Conley, Edvens, who is a translator and works in the child sponsorship program, and the big man himself, Pastor Pierre. Our ride to La Croix was filled with discussion as to how the new president of Haiti is improving the country step by step. His goal is to have 500,000 new jobs for Haitians in the next years as he builds a college and international airport in the north. Pastor Pierre also told us how the parliament has a budget of money to give to Haitians however for years, none of this money would actually be placed in the Haitians hands. This all changed this new year as the President handed money out to the Haitians himself. Good things could be ahead for the Haitian! As far as the logistics of our trip go, we are thankful to say that all of the members, and all 36 suitcases full of supplies, arrived. As I write this the group is busy trying to figure out where the contents of each suitcase should go and when and how they will eventually be put to use this week.                             Although this may be a third world country that most would never feel called to travel to, I entered the mission and it felt like home. From the roof top I can hear all the same noises I can hear back in USC. Off in the distance there is the neighbors pestering dog barking, on the road there are the crazy teens out driving and you can hear their laughter from miles around and as far as nature goes, the bugs are eating away at me as if the bugs in USC gave them a heads up that I would be here.                            Tomorrow morning we will join the Haitians in their regular Sunday morning service, however little did I know that the group would be singing a song for the rest of the congregation. With that being said I should probably do myself some good and go practice!

Prayer Requests  Today's requests are for....  gratitude for safe travels, that all the supplies made it and for the hospitality that has already been extended to us