I just returned from 8 wonderful days in Haiti. It was so great to go back a year later and see all the changes that have taken place. While there is still so much devistation and things that they need help with, I did see some improvements so that was great. There were a lot less people living in tents, there is now actually a garbage truck that goes around and collects trash, and there's a lot more electricity and power all over in the country.
2011 vs. 2012
We were able to see a lot of the same people that we were with last year, so that was so much fun! A lot of people remembered us, and they were so surprised that we remembered them! :-)
One word that kept reoccuring in my mind as I thought about this trip was JOY. The people of Haiti have such a JOY to them. They are so happy, and yet they have SO LITTLE!!! As Americans we have so many opportunities, and yet so many people are unhappy. It really puts things into perspective again.
We left home at 3:30 am on Tuesday, January 24, 2012. We flew from Chicago O'Hare to Miami, and had about a two hour layover before boarding the Port-au-Prince Haiti. Once we arrived in Haiti, friends from Christian Fellowship Mission http://www.christianfellowshipmission.org/ met us at the airport. We gathered our bags, loaded the school bus and headed to the mission house. By the time we arrived, got settled, and had dinner we were able to relax with the team, see some of the locals that we had met last year, and prepare for the week ahead of us.
This trip was very special in many ways. My dear friends Dee & Amanda, and my little guy Ell have accepted a call to be missionaries to Haiti. After our first trip last year, Haiti really had an impact on them. They will be moving down there sometime in the next year to fulfill the calling God has placed on their lives. Knowing that they will be down there for at least 3 years, they decided it would be a good idea for Ell to come on this trip with us. It was so much fun to see him interact with the Haitian kids. He was so great, and had LOTS of fun with all his new friends. It was also so neat that Amanda's parents and Dee's dad were all able to join us on this trip. They were able to see where they will be spending the next few years of their lives. They are all such a blessing to me! 
We stayed at the mission house where we stayed last year. Our primary work site this year was at the boys orphanage. There is a church there that has grown tremendously over the last year. They are in the process of an addition, and so we picked right up where they left off. We would have to travel anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour depending on traffic to the worksite. The only way to travel true Haitian style is in the back of a pick-up truck!! :)
While working at the church, we did a LOT of painting. We also made 20 beches/pew's for people to use. There were people staining the pews, painting the walls, building the pews, doing clean-up work outside, electrical work, and anything else that needed done! We were here Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and half the team went back on Monday to finish up. It really was amazing what we were able to accomplish in 3.5 days. The first day we didn't get to the church until almost afternoon -- we had a minor run in with the police on our way. One of the stickers on the van transporting half the team had expired and they didn't have the new sticker with them, so they were ready to take the van and put the driver in jail. However, after about 20-30 minutes we were able to drive the van back to the mission house and get a different one. Just one of the many ways God was protecting us and had his grace on us over this trip.
The front of the sanctuary before we started....
...... and after we were done!
Bench making:
The Cross Crew:
LOTS of painting!
If a 3 year old can be this much help on a trip..... then there's work for everyone to do! :-)
All this work is hard for a little guy..... you have to take a rest sometimes!
One of the best parts of working at this church was that it was at the same place as the boys orphanage. We got to play with the kids and hang out throughout the day as well! They are such a joy and always have so much fun playing with us!
While driving back and forth from different places, we were able to get many different views of the city. There is still so much destruction from the earthquake. 
In the evenings we would host a VBS for all the local kids. 
I loved spending time with all the kids around the mission house. They are such a joy to be around. They would sing songs, and play games, and they LOVED to get their pictures taken! 
We were able to take down enough pair of shoes for each of the boys at the orphanage to have a new pair of shoes! They were all very excited. They also got a bag with a t-shirt, ball, candy, sunglasses, and other little items! It was like Christmas for them! What a neat time to be apart of.
On Monday before we left, half of the team stayed around the mission house to spruce up the kitchen there, clean up the backyard, and help Ronnie get a new front door. The other half of the team went back to the orphanage to finish things up there!
The last evening when we are there, we give away all the things we have brought. Most of us will leave all our clothes for the week, our waterbottles, shoes, sunglasses, watches, and anything else that we don't want to take back to Illinois with us! This is such a hard time to watch because there will be people that we haven't seen all week there. They all know your name, and want anything they can get. 
On Saturday we were able to have a little R&R time. They took us to a resort on the ocean. It was absolutely breathtaking. It really felt like we had been picked up and flown to Hawaii! It was so nice to have a different view of what Haiti could be like! It was absolutely beautiful. Despite Randy's face... we had an amazing time (after our CRAZY bus ride there!) I think at times we may have been going 70 in a school bus on bad roads.
A few more photo's:
Here are a few links to different video's from the week:
A short clip that was shown at church (thanks to Josh G for putting this one together!)
This is a lot of different video's from the week:
