Haiti

I can't really come up with a short answer to those who ask about my Haiti trip.  It was just so amazing that I can't capture it with words.  I feel I don't do it justice.
I just read my last post when I was at the airport and I said I expected amazing things and God provided.  The trip for me was filled overflowing with inspiration, fellowship, heartache, rejoicing and praise.  Sometimes I thought my heart would literally burst in my chest, I didn't think I could handle anymore of the given emotion.
In just one week, I unexpectedly made great friendships which blessed me so, taught my first class and unexpectedly loved it, saw a medical condition that left me speechless and rattled, played games and laughed with Haitian girls when we didn't even speak a common language, met 3 very ambitious Haitian men that know, work and sacrifice so much for their country and God, invited into the home of a huge icon and lived a week with no running water.

One friendship started beforehand and was solidified and deepened while there.  I was so blessed to have her with me on this trip.  She was my work partner in creating the curriculum to teach photography to school age kids that did not speak our language.
We started from scratch knowing nothing about Haitian culture or schools.  How would they receive this, would they understand, would they get the concepts of photography?
We formed a workbook:  it contained camera basics, types of photography, composition, how to tell a story through photography, etc.  It wasn't easy, then on top we had to rely on google translator to put it into Haitian Creole.

 

Did they receive it?  Did they get it?

YES YES YES, beyond my wildest imagination, they got it!

We worked with 2 groups of school kids and then taught a group of teachers so that they could further the education after we left.

The first day when we handed them a camera, some held it as if were a fragile piece of glass.  I'm sure they had never worked one before.  After some camera basics and help from our team, they were off!  They were thrilled to see their pictures!  I taught the types of photography the first day, I really didn't expect much and in the class setting I think it had not settled in yet.  Although, we went out to shoot and I could just see the light bulbs going off!  They would run up and tell me, "Aksyon!" [action], "Portré" (Portrait), "Macro" etc.  I had goosebumps in the middle of the 90 degree weather.  It was amazing!  To see their excitement, to share it with them, was overwhelming.

here i am teaching with my amazing friend and translator, Luke

We had great quality time with our students, getting to know them, walking around their town, seeing some of their family, their houses, their church...  Bonds were formed and this intense appreciation for each other, them to us for teaching them a skill, us to them for teaching us about sincerity, pride in your people, a faith in God that I don't feel I'll ever reach. [i'll elaborate in future posts]

Here is my friend:

I don't feel I express myself well verbally, but this picture completely sums up my feeling for my trip to Haiti and my friendship:

More to come........