Degaje: Make Due With What You've Got

As December approaches quickly, so does the one year anniversary of my trip to Haiti with FCA. Last year, I had no idea what to expect. I had never flown in a plane before, I had never been out of the country, and I had never been put so far outside of my comfort zone. I prepared for the trip by raising donations, getting various vaccinations, and looking for guidance. Why was I going on this trip? Why was I chosen as one in a group of 30? Little did I know, this trip was going to change my life forever.

On December 28, I boarded my first flight alongside half of our group of 30. We began our journey in Charlotte, and then flew to Miami. From Miami we flew overseas to the Haitian airport Port au Prince. Arriving at the Haitian airport was extremely intimidating. Many locals earn money by loading passengers luggage, so we had men tugging and pulling at our bags constantly. I had no idea what was going on, but I held on to my luggage as best I could.





Our drive from the airport was the bumpiest and quietest 2 hour ride I've ever experienced. Cars drive on both sides of the road, so it is a constant head on situation. So many people were living in tents on the side of the road. I had no words, I was blown away by what I was witnessing. We arrived at our home for 10 days, one that is guarded and sheltered from the outside world. The house itself was so much more than we expected. It actually had air conditioning, running water, and food we recognized.

Our room that bunked 7 girls in a room together, so much fun!

During our first day in Haiti, I had no idea what my purpose was in being there. I felt homesick and I realized how reliant I was on things and people form home. I was so uncomfortable and felt so distant from everyone in the house, I felt that I was the only one experiencing hesitance and doubt. I found out later that I was wrong, but in that moment I felt extremely weak.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and we stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength {Isaiah 40:29-31}.

The second day we visited the current and new orphanage for the first time. The new Lamb Center is under construction. Visiting was a little intimidating because there were Haitian men working around the site, and they had angry looks on their faces. I felt tense and uncomfortable. Our group and the Haitian workers got into a circle and listened to passages from Matthew first in Spanish, Creole, and then English. We were given the words to "Blessed Assurance" and sang the song in both English and Creole. I have never realized how big God is until that moment, He has no language barriers.

Our first day at the current orphanage was pretty chaotic because we had not been given much instruction. I spent the day shoveling gravel and cleaning up the orphanage grounds. When I wasn't working, I was spending time with two Haitian children that had taken to me quickly. Johnny and Jeffmina stayed by my side that day, and the remainder of my time at the orphanage during the trip. Jeffmina treated me as one of her best friends. She was constantly pushing hair out of my face, teaching me words in Creole, and making sure I knew that she loved having me there. She served me more than I could ever serve her.

Our second day in Haiti was spent at the construction site. We dug a trench all day long alongside the back of the property. While looking off at the mountains I realized just how far I away I was from home. With that brings fear, and I had anxiety about being in a foreign country. Maybe it's normal for us to feel isolated when we first go on our first foreign mission, or maybe it's just me. One thing I know is that I was so homesick and all I wanted was for the Lord to comfort me. And that He did. I realized that I had been called to Haiti for a reason, and although I didn't know that reason, I knew that He would reveal that in His timing.

I had never realized just how simple life could be if we'd just let it. After one day in Haiti, my eyes had already been opened so much. The Lord had taught me just how blessed I was and how much I don't even notice it in my comfortable surrounds. The Haitian children truly have nothing. They have each other and only possess a bed that they love, and even with so little, they have so much joy.

On the last day of 2011, we spent our day at the Samaritan's Purse base in Haiti. When I heard the word "base," I couldn't help but think of an army base. I was so off. This base was once a resort, so we were right on the ocean amongst the mountains. The day was spent exploring on the beach, hanging out with one another, and trying new things (like fresh coconut). We were literally in paradise. At one point in the day a donkey and goat decided to join us on the beach. No, that is not normal, but apparently in Haiti it is!

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory. {Isaiah 6:3}

To bring in 2012, we had a spectacular seafood feast that we each helped to prepare. We were well fed our entire stay in Haiti, but this night was one for the books. We had options of hot dogs, hamburgers, and fresh lobster tail along with various fresh sides. After dinner we thought it'd be a great idea to return the unused lobsters back into the ocean, well, let's just say it was turned into a fun game. We watched Iron Man 2 on the big screen under the cabana. Soon after the movie was finished I headed to our compound to journal for a little while. I loved having so much time to reflect on the trip. We were told that there was a huge surprise for us at midnight -- so I made sure to journal quickly so I wouldn't miss out.

It had taken a few days, but I finally felt comfortable in Haiti. My friends had become family, and our temporary housing had become a home. I will never forget the relief I felt in that moment, the moment where I finally felt at peace with my purpose in being in Haiti. Sure, it was tough thinking about all my friends at home celebrating the New Year together, but I was in Haiti. That's a once in a life time shot, and the Lord blessed me with that opportunity.

With less than an hour left to bring in the new year, we all headed out on the beach. We lit 2012 on fire, literally.

We watched it glow, and as soon as the clock struck 12 there was a huge fireworks display. I'll never forget how bright the stars were, it was such a beautiful backdrop to all of the fireworks. We sang "Deep deep, oh deep down down, deep down in my heart, I LOVE YOU JESUS" to bring in the New Year. This song had been the soundtrack to our trip. We sang it almost daily with the children and the Haitian works, it was our special way of celebrating our love for Jesus all in one language.

We spent the next few hours shagging away under the cabana. Our wonderful friend and mentor, Nat, had wanted to learn how to shag. So naturally, we made it our mission to teach him how to dance. New Years was his time to shine, and he showed us just how much he had learned. I couldn't have asked for a better new years in a better place or with better people.

The next day we spent with the children. Jeffmina braided my hair and Johnny wrote me letters and drew me pictures. They are so selfless, so joyful, and such a blessing. These two will forever hold a special place in my heart. I never would have guessed that my heart would open up so much for children I had just met.

That night, January 1, Nat and Tom devoted our evening to worship to bring in 2012 the right way. We spent time signing and between a few songs we would open it up for prayer. In this moment, the Lord was breaking my heart for what breaks His. There are so many people in the world who don't know Jesus, and we who have been saved have been sent unto all of the world to be alight in their lives. We discussed how the Chinese have to worship at a mere whisper, and we so easily take our freedom to sing for granted. It's moments like these that make me realize just how good God is. He is our Father in ALL of the world, not just in America.

Nat decided to take groups of 10 to the mountains each day. I went on the second trip, but the first group did a great job on keeping the surprise a secret. I'll let the pictures do the talking..

Each little piece of blue is a Samaritan's Purse tarp. Each of these homes have been restored or built by SP. How amazing is that?

 The locals from the village came up to the mountain top with us. The children were not as open or affectionate as the children at the orphanage, but they still enjoyed spending time with us.

The next few days were spent at the current orphanage and the construction site. To recap these days, I thought I'd just mention the tasks we completed for the new Lamb Center Orphanage. We lined the back wall of the orphanage with steel and rebar. I became a rebar expert (not really but I'd like to think so), and I spent my time with some of the Haitian men at a table tying rebar over and over. It was a tiring job, but I loved getting to speak with each of them about their family and their relationship with the Lord. I'll never forget when Eric, one of my new found friends, introduced me to one of the other men as "This is Jessi, my friend, and my sister in Christ." That was such a special moment.

Another big job for us was to level the ground for cement slabs. These slabs were going to hold various trailers that would be used for medical and storage purposes. I remember looking over the rocky area thinking that it was an impossible job. We each took hold of a shovel and started digging. Rocks on rocks on rocks. It definitely wasn't impossible. It's amazing how quickly we finished that portion, and moved on to pouring cement. I have so much respect for what these workers do every day, because we were all exhausted by the end of the day. I've got to say, looking at the finished product was such an amazing feeling. We helped to provide this for the orphanage, something that will forever have our stamp on it.

I would steal moments while we were working just to feel the sun on my skin. It was so amazing to feel the hot sun in the middle of December. Plus, I got a pretty good tan.. and burnt.

Every day was a job well done. It was always tough and very physically demanding, but it was always so rewarding to see our work turn into a success. During our stay in Haiti, we organized our house, helped lay the foundations for the back wall for the orphanage, poured the cement slabs. Of course, that is only the physical labor we did. Our time was mostly spent with the children and the Haitians, we built so many wonderful relationships with them.

Our last day in Haiti was so bittersweet. I couldn't believe that I would no longer be in the warm weather the next day, that I'd be back in the US, that I'd get to see my mom and Braden again. At the same time, I knew that I would probably never see Jeffmina and Johnny again. I wasn't ready to leave. I wasn't ready to leave the wonderful community of people, Haiti's beautiful surroundings, or the simplicity of it all. Nat told us to take mental pictures, to save the moment, and those words rang in my ears our final hours in Haiti.

That night we sang "I've got peace, love, joy, and righteousness in the Holy Spirit." There is so much truth in that song. I will always find peace, love, joy, and righteousness when I'm walking in step with the Lord. From this experience I have learned that my joy knows no bounds. The Haitians went through a catastrophic earthquake, and still they have so much joy. This trip has signified relationship building at it's finest. I made so many new wonderful friendships, and strengthened those that were already in existance.

Simplicity is they key. God is so loud and clear when there are no distractions - but I wondered how that would carry over back home. I knew it wouldn't be easy, but looking back, I know that the Lord totally blessed me this year and filled me with courage and boldness. Haiti encouraged me to be uncomfortable, to be patient, and to be bold.

I am so thankful that I was blessed with this opportunity. The friendships I made in Haiti have continued throughout this year, and I know that they will continue to grow. Each member of our Haiti team will forever hold a special place in my heart. To Nat and Tom: I am forever grateful for their wisdom and guidance, but most of all, I am thankful for their friendship. We learned the word "degaje," and it means to make due with what you have. Friends, we are all blessed more than we realize. Make due with what you have every day, be thankful for your blessings, and don't be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone.

Jezu renmen ou. Jesus loves you. Au Revoir.

Well Folks, It's Been a While

Let's be honest, I've been SO BUSY with everything going on lately that I've hardly had time to think about blogging. I apologize for being MIA :) Let's see here.. I have a whole lot to catch up on. Last weekend Braden and I headed up to Helen, Georgia to spend some time with his family. Our goal for this trip was to relax as much as possible.. I repeat.. as. much. as. possible. The first day was spent doing various activities. We started out the day by stopping by a cute little country store that sells many different "mountainy" foods. 

 

Since starting Paleo, honey is one of my main sources when baking something sweet. Don't judge, but I've already been through two jars of honey in a 2 month span.. so Braden and I found it completely necessary to purchase another jar! He insisted on getting one with the honey comb still in the jar, which I didn't mind!

Please note the creepy old lady, I'm holding up her hand by a string. The shop had these little friends sitting in rocking chairs and would make the move or wave at whoever was passing by. Needless to say, I found them rather creepy but still decided to become better acquainted with little grandma over here.

After picking up some goodies (I got some pecan pralines, mmm my favorite) we headed to the zipline! I ziplined for the first time in Tennessee last year. I'm not a huge fan of heights so I was pretty hesitant but ended up loving it! This particular zipline was 1/2 mile long and ended with propelling down the side of the tower. I was a little nervous but ended up going for it, along with Braden, his brother Corbin, his girlfriend Mary Miles, and then Poppie decided to join us because he's quite the adventure enthusiast.

We wanted to make the most of our trip to the mountains, so we followed up ziplining with a hike up to Anna Ruby Falls. The hike was a little steeper than I had anticipated, so most of us were nice and sweaty by the time we reached the fall. It was definitely worth the climb though! If you have a chance to go see these falls, I highly recommend it!

We spent the rest of the evening relaxing in the cabin. We were all pretty well acquainted with the couches by the fire, while occasionally making our way out to the porch to see this view:

The next morning it was raining outside which damped our hopes to go horseback riding. Instead, we opted to make the day relaxing by making various treats. Of course cookies were made, but Gigi brought along a soft pretzel making kit. Braden and I assisted and twisted the cinnamon sugar and salted pretzels. It's definitely not as easy as it looks to make a perfect pretzel!

After baking and eating our body weight in food, Bray and I wanted to enjoy the outdoors for a little while. The rain had eased up so we decided to go for a little golf cart tour of the mountain resort. You can't beat the pretty fall foliage up there, I've never seen so many colors!

We ended the day hanging out at the stable. Since we couldn't ride, we thought it'd still be fun to pay the horses a visit. We had so much fun relaxing and enjoying the beautiful views. I'm thankful for the time I get to spend with his family, they always make any vacation so much fun.. plus we eat so much food that I could probably go without eating for weeks, haha!

How's that for a mini catch up on the past weekend? I will continue playing catch up this week with a Halloween and wedding post from this past week, and a recipe for this beauty:

Until next time, I hope you all have a fantastic week!

Paleo On The Go

Since starting Paleo I've been trying to make recipes that Braden would enjoy, and ultimately gain his approval for Paleo-esque foods. After a few weeks he finally jumped on the bandwagon with me, so we are doing our Crossfit gym's 30 day Paleo challenge. Naturally, as soon as we decide to do a whole foods only diet we also decide to go on a week trip to three different beaches.

At first I was a little intimidated because food for me is usually a task, but making food for two.. and for someone who eats twice as much as me, now that was a challenge!

Friday night before we were leaving for beach stop #1 we went on a food shopping spree. We decided that breakfast and lunch meals were crucial, but dinner could be more flexible since we were going on vacation after all.

We packed a few of the usuals. 

After putting together the obvious essentials we needed, we embarked on our cooking extravaganza! I've never really made food in bulk but I've got to admit that I was pretty excited. We bought a montage of things at the grocery store, and we decided to make a few recipes I've mentioned in previous posts.

We started out with egg, sausage, green pepper, and spinach fritattas. These were super easy to make! I got the idea from Katie's recipe and modified it a little to add in some more protein.

We made a big batch of protein pancakes. These ended up being eaten at every point in the day.. breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks! They're so good cold or reheated. The next trip we take I know to make more pancakes, they're essential for travel ;)

We also went round two on the sweet potato and spinach turkey burgers. These were great reheated, we had them for lunch one day while at Pawley's Island. Still great paired with some dijon mustard ;)

Last but not least, I heated up a large spaghetti squash and packed half of it for the road. I made a turkey marinara from tomato paste, basil, oregano, garlic salt, and ground turkey. We never ate any of this meal which is kind of disappointing, but I know that it would have been delicious!

It was so great knowing that we always had food on hand, and that we were also saving a ton of money by not eating every meal out. Each night we ended up getting dinner out with friends, but we still stuck to our strict Paleo style eating. 

I'm glad we prepared all of our meals, but I was happier about spending some time with Bray and getting to have some quality cooking time with him!

That's all for tonight, be on the look out for a recap of our 4 day road trip to South Carolina beaches!

Hometown Showdown

Although I feel like I've traveled all over South Carolina, NC, and GA this summer - I haven't made it home more than once! With classes starting in two weeks I really felt the need for some quality time at home. It was so refreshing to visit some of my favorite places and getting to hang out with my mom and old friends.

Here's a simple little recap of a few of my adventures the past few days.

Madre and I visited the new house and then headed to one of my favorite places to eat, Red Bowl. When I go home I usually have Red Bowl for at least one dinner meal.. and lunch one day. Ask my why I love it so much, I honestly have no idea, but it is so good! I got my usual, steamed shrimp with fresh veggies.

After dinner we headed to my second favorite hot spot at home, Yumilicious. Seriously, I have a mild obsession with froyo. This particular stop included some Dulce de Leche, peanut butter, and some vanilla topped with heath bar pieces and strawberries. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

The next morning I made a coffee stop and then headed to my old gym to get in the WOD for Crossfit. It's always so great visiting the Bodyshop, I can always count on a warm welcome! 

I ventured into the back corner of the weights room to do my Crossfit workout. The workout consisted of a 20 min AMRAP: 5 hollow rocks, 10 push ups with hand release, and 15 squats. I seriously couldn't feel my arms after I finished!!

That night my mom and I wanted to make a delicious dinner, and we decided to invite Paige to join us. Madre had been telling me about the local meat market's crab stuffed flounder, so we thought that would be perfect for dinner! We paired it with asparagus and a baked sweet potato, needless to say I couldn't have asked for a more delicious meal!

The crab stuffed flounder was SO good, and so low maintenance. You literally take it out of the package and stick it in the oven frozen at 450° for 30 minutes. The meat market preps and seasons it prior to packaging it, talk about an easy meal. I stopped by and picked some up to bring back to the upstate with me :)

After dinner Paige and I went to her small group through Radius Church. Paige had previously told me that my small group leader Katie also goes to small group, so naturally I thought it was a great idea to show up and surprise her! It was quite the success with lots of hugging and catching up.. we were kind of a distraction for the rest of the group - whoops! It was so good to see her!

We read through Galatians 1, I really enjoyed being a part of a small group that mixed girls and guys. It's cool to hear a guys point of view, plus they are much more confrontational and love to argue points which was pretty entertaining.

The next morning started off right, with a Thanks A Latte coffee!

When I worked at the Bodyshop I would always stop by this little coffee stand before work. The woman who runs the stand knows all of her customers, I love the fact that even when I don't stop by for a few months while I'm away at school she still remembers me. I always order a sugar free hazelnut coffee, seriously the best coffee ever!

Although contradictory, I got my coffee to go and headed to iHop to meet up with my great friend Lachlan. He attends the University of South Carolina so I rarely get to see him. We took the time to catch up and I enjoyed a little fruit bowl paired with my coffee. 

Later that day I had a coffee run numero dos. I met my friend Macall at Starbucks and we both got cold coffees. I chose the Caramel Light Frappucino.. mmm. We both had the intention to catch up a little, but that "little" amount of time turned into 3 hours sitting and chatting. I would not trade time with that girl for anything, she is so wise and so easy to talk to. I'm totally okay with hanging at Starbucks for 3 hours when it's time well spent!

In natural fashion, Madre and I made one last dinner date to Red Bowl. This time we decided to get side salads with cucumber ranch and a bowl of egg drop soup, of course this was in addition to my steamed shrimp and veggie bowl!

This morning I had breakfast with Paige at my last and final favorite place to visit at home, The Other Pancake House. We chatted about reuniting next week and enjoyed a wonderful breakfast. I ordered the "Bodyshop omelette" which is an omelette made with veggies and egg beaters, and I added in some turkey bacon and a fruit bowl. 

I think it's pretty obvious that I make a point to enjoy all of my favorite places while I'm home, while accompanied by a few of  my favorite people. I loved being home and seeing everyone! There's never a way to gauge how often I'll get to travel home, but hopefully it won't be too long from now.

I'm heading to Crossfit around 6 and I'm hoping this huge storm passes before then! 

I hope all of you are having a wonderful week so far!

Twenty One

It has been quite a while since I've posted anything, so let's just say I have a lot of catching up to do! I finished up my Junior year in college, I still can't believe I'm a SENIOR.. wow where has the time gone?! I am working for the non-profit United Way this summer, which has been a huge blessing. Other than that my summer has been full of relaxing and days in the sun.

I just got back from Hilton Head Island where I spent my birthday weekend! I could not have asked for a better birthday where my time was spent laying out on the beach, riding bikes, and eating delicious seafood and yummy desserts!

Our first night on the island - heading to the Crazy Crab!

I'm so thankful to be able to witness their love of almost 50 years!

Corbin, Mary Miles, Braden and I one night before dinner

Key Lime Pie for our date night dessert at Ela's!

The best, I repeat, the BEST strawberry shortcake ever! Yummm! We celebrated my  birthday with cake before we headed to dinner, aren't you supposed to enjoy dessert before dinner?!

On the pier to watch the sunset while having dinner at the Topside Waterfront Restaurant!

My mama made it all the way to HHI to celebrate my 21st! 

The past few days have been wonderful, and now it's back to reality where waking up early is always on my schedule. But hey, I can't complain! I hope everyone has a wonderful week!