Ripe Mango Chronicles

 Wow! April has been a busy month for Birthday’s at the Hope House. We had 9 birthdays this month ranging in age from 4 to 18. Birthday’s in Haiti are a little different than back home. Most children don’t get birthday parties, or much of a birthday present. We of course want birthday's to be something special! However, with so many children we have realized we can’t have a party for each child as there would have been 4 in one week this month so we have one big party every month for everyone born in that month.   The kids ask regularly when the birthday party will be. We mix it up, sometimes at the beginning of the month, sometimes the end, and sometimes in between. Stevenson asks all the time what day the party will be in December (when his birthday is). He cracks me up. We have our very own way of screaming out, “Haaaaappppppyyy Biiirrrthdaaaay” to each child as they walk in the door. We light candles (sometimes birthday candles, sometimes regular o...

One thing I love about Haiti is that at any moment, even in the simplest of circumstances something amazing can happen. Every Saturday morning I force myself to get out of bed early to be at the orphanage devotion, which starts at 7:30am. On a Saturday ! Did I say that already?!? I can only blame myself though as I was the one who planned it, and to be honest it has become one of my favourite activities and is worth the early morning. All the kids and staff gather together in Maggie's Kitchen to worship together, pray together, grow spiritually and then close with a family meeting where we cover things going on in the upcoming week. The kids lead worship which is AWESOME and myself, Kenol or one of our staff members usually shares a mini message of some sort. This week, the kids were all excited because they each got a piece of candy on their way out of the kitchen.  I don’t know if it was the sugar, something in the air, or the chance they might get a second piec...

This numb feeling scares me. It is exactly how I felt when I got the call about the flooding in Cabaret. The same nothingness I felt standing in the shower after I found out that Maggie died. It’s the absence of emotion I felt after the earthquake. It’s the empty hole I feel whenever I try to imagine someone other than Pastor John saying, “you may now kiss the bride.” at my wedding. It’s a pain so deep you can’t quite access it. So ‘nothing’ fills its place. Every morning when I step out on my balcony and look out at my garden I feel the rush of emotion shooting up to my throat. I quickly turn around and keep myself busy making coffee or planning out my day. When I talk to Patris and hear the pain is his voice, my eyes instantly yearn for the tears to start flowing, so we start talking about the bread I need to order for the orphanage. I’m nervous about tomorrow. I know I won’t be able to keep it all down. I am beginning to understand Haitian grieving. Throwing yourself on the ground, ...

It’s been a long time since I’ve written anything about the earthquake, and in a way I hate to start again now, but the truth is January 12th, 2010 is a day that forever changed me. The Earthquake itself was scary of course, how could it not be when you your cement house is wiggling like jello and things are smashing all around you? Yes, it was scary, but the earthquake isn’t what changed me. It was the aftershocks, the things I saw, the screaming, the wailing, the smells, the blank stares, the cracks everywhere, so many cracks. A few days ago I was described as “fragile”. Not as a put down, but as a matter of fact statement. “I know you are fragile Rachel, but you don’t need to worry.” I wasn’t really sure how to respond to this, but after spending some time reflecting I realized that it is true. I am fragile. I also realized that it’s ok. My house has visible cracks, the walls, the ceiling, the stairs, the patio, the railing…you can see them all. You know the house was ...

Tonight was an exciting night. Pastor Patris has started a Bible study with our kids 12 and older on Thursday nights, and I decided it would only make sense to have a Bible study for the little kids at the same time. I started leading a Monday Bible study with the ladies on campus a few months ago and have really enjoyed it. We’ve gone through Crazy Love and Forgotten God and it’s been so great. We’re about to start another Francis Chan DVD book study called Who is God? Leading the study is so far out of my comfort zone, but somehow I’ve come to really love it. And so now, again I have once again stepped out of my comfort zone and started a Bible study for the kids. I was pretty nervous about it, but thankfully I know the kiddos love me and knew going in if I messed up horribly it would be ok. Tonight we talked about creation and it went so well. The kids were excited about the study and were answering questions and wanting to be involved. We learned tonight that everything God c...

I received a letter this morning from one of the little girls. This isn’t anything out of the ordinary, our kids are very thoughtful and send me letters almost every day. This letter however, was a little different. Here is the translation: “I love you Rachel. Thank you because you didn’t let me die in this hurricane. Thank you because you helped me. When I was sick you took me to the hospital. In the earthquake you didn’t let me die and you gave me food. I want to say thank you very much Rachel. God Bless you so much Rachel.” All I could do was hug her and tell her I love her. Rachel

One of the best things about living in Haiti is having the opportunity to serve along side AMAZING people from all over the world! We currently have staff here from Canada, the United States and Japan! There is a special bond between staff here. You go through a lot together, the good, the bad and the ugly. Living in community can sometimes be a challenge, (working together, living together, eating together…). However, it can also be super fun; dance parties, dinner parties, movie nights, TV show marathons, Bible study, sweatfests, meltdowns, giggle-fests, celebrations and of course kickboxing at 5:30 in the morning. We go through it all together. As my fifth year comes to an end I am looking back and thinking of all the people I have met, the bonds I have made. So many people have touched my life. So many people have helped shape who I am today. So many amazing people have crossed my path, some just for a week, some for a year and some, I’m sure, for a lifetime. I have been blessed be...