Thursday, July 1, 2010

off to haiti soon

I've been really busy lately, so I've been unable to keep up with my online life. I won't go into everything that I've been doing, but I will share one thing that has been getting more and more of my attention theses days.

In a little over three weeks, I'll be leaving for Haiti. I'll be there for six weeks.

Yes, six weeks.

Although I've been to Haiti more than a dozen times over the years, I've never been there longer than two weeks. And I've never been away from Dave for longer than two weeks either. Marcia, one of my best friends, is leaving next Tuesday and she'll be spending nine weeks there. We'll both be returning home on Labor Day. Marcia and I are hoping this helps us to deepen our Kreyol skills and we'd like to help the girls learn more English as well. And as a side benefit, we hope to get to know them all on a deeper level.

I have to be honest and say that I'm a little anxious. Maybe occasionally I'm crazy anxious. I know I'm going to miss everyone more than I can even imagine. I'm leaving David with a lot of loose ends in terms of our housing situation which makes me sad and nervous and guilty. Also, Haiti is not the safest place in the world, and I worry about my health issues. My doctor is going to hook me up with a travel kit of anything-I-might-possibly-need, so that's kind of reassuring. But it's still Haiti, where anything can go wrong and usually does. The heat is also on my mind and the torrential rains. I even worry that the concrete ceiling and walls of the home have been weakened by the earthquake and rain and they'll collapse on us. I also worry about what I'll see and experience in Port au Prince and other places that have suffered heavily from the earthquake. When one of our friends who has spent a lot of time in Haiti since the quake heard that we were going she said, "It'll f*#& you up." I'm pretty sure she's right. These are the voices crashing around in my brain when I take the time to think about it and really give some space to my concerns. They're not all reasonable concerns (I'm pretty sure the house is not going to fall on my head) but they're pretty persistent voices.

And then there's those other voices.

When I listen to the deeper parts of my soul, I remember how my life somehow sorts itself out in Haiti. Things that seem important in my American life seem trivial there. Priorities shift. Life s-l-o-w-s d-o-w-n. Even when you're busy it's a different kind of busy-ness. There is time to think and pray and dream. There is time to sleep (if you can sleep with the heat and the bugs...oh wait, that's those other voices.) There is time to connect. I remember that Haiti is a place that God cares about and he has shared that caring with me. I love Haiti and I grieve for the brokenness she is suffering. I am glad to be going and to be listening for what God is asking of me there. It will be good. No matter how terrible, it will be good.

I hope you'll all be able to follow me and leave me comments. You can't imagine how word from a friend means everything in that place. I hope you'll come along with me in this way.

Peace,

Terri

12 comments:

  1. Oh, Terri . . . I'm praying for an amazing trip, praying that your heart can take it all in and that you get to build the relationships you're hoping for. Praying that you and Haiti have a fabulous time together.

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  2. Thank you Sarah. I appreciate those prayers and your presence.

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  3. well, i knew it was coming sooner or later. bless you for going and putting yourself out there. have we ever been apart for six weeks? i dont think so. that will be hard. selfish, i know. thank god for skype!

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  4. oh i could just munch you up! i'm gonna miss you so much.

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  5. but yo gonna be w/me! muahhh.

    T...I love you so much. I'm glad we do this work together (I ain't all that without you).

    muahhhh....come here my pretty.

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  6. I like how you said God has shared his caring heart for Haiti with you. I can so see that.

    Will you be blogging from there? I don't say that to lay an expectation on your shoulders at all, just clarifying what you said there at the end about hoping we will follow you there. Girl, I will so follow you!

    PS: I like the new blog look!

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  7. marcia: you're scary. :) love you.

    christianne: yes, i'll be blogging here and on the providence blog at providenceinhaiti.blogspot.com. thanks for being here, and i'm glad you like the new look. i do too. very calming. i needed that. :)

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  8. I'm seriously going to fire my RSS feed. I don't know why this post just now showed up. Sorry for being late to the party.

    I too hope you have an amazing trip: one that exceeds your expectations, even if scary, crazy stuff happens (and it probably will). I hope that despite the time and distance involved, you'll find yourself deeply at peace with it all.

    I'm thankful for your heart for Haiti, and that you're in a place where you can do something about it. You can bring love in such a tangible way, and be some desperately needed hands and feet there.

    You're going to be missed.

    Love you so, so much!!
    k

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  9. thank you kirsten, and seriously, there's no need to apologize. blogger has been so messed up lately, hasn't it?

    my friend left yesterday. i'm anxious to hear how she's doing. less than three weeks now and i'll be joining her...

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  10. Hi Terri, Your name popped up on Facebook so I looked you up. Its good to see the work your doing in Haiti. I was there 25 years ago and fell in love with the place - changed my life. Amazing place, amazing people.

    Joe Monahan

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  11. i'm down for coming alongside you momma! count on comments & prayer from me! i love you!!!!

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  12. thanks honey. that will mean so much to me. try to get your bum brother on too. ;)

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