my life could not be more crazy.

I'd like to start by saying my month here in Haiti has been nothing less than insane, so I do apologize for not updating everyone sooner, it's just staff training, students arriving, starting a school, and hardly having electricity all make it quite difficult to sit down and write.
But at last here we are, update #1

Let’s just clear up some YWAM lingo:

DTS – discipleship training school, 3 months of lectures from various speakers that will be talking about missions, life as a follower of Jesus, character of God, and many others, followed by 2-3 months of Outreach in a country such as Benin, Jamaica, Brazil & Cuba.

Just to clear up exactly what I am doing…

I’m currently staffing this DTS, with 24 others, and we spent 3 weeks preparing for the students to arrive. We will have around 50 students, 30 Haitian, 20 International. We are all living in one big house with triple high bunk beds, and limited shower resources. The school is starting, and most of the students have arrived.  We are one house and 80 people, all sharing everything.  I’m extremely excited for the work God will be doing in each of us.

Where this year has brought me

The day I got back to Haiti, I was filled with a joy I can’t explain. I was so happy to be back in a familiar place, with familiar people; maybe a little dysfunctional, and messy, but comforting. I saw everything completely differently than I had before and from that day on I knew God had started a work in me way before this DTS. God has truly given me His eyes for this country, and so much more. The fight that took place to get me here was worth it. The struggles, the meltdowns, and the disbelief, could not stop God from giving me His heart for Haiti. I can’t help but be humbled by remembering every time I thought I knew better than God.

And now that we are starting, and the students are here I’m beginning to grasp a small bit of God’s love for them.  I know He has really put me in a place to grow, and help others grow as well. Our community in this house is much different that any that I’ve experienced.  With the language barriers and cultural differences in a house of so many people, we have no choice but to rely on God to get through each day. After one week we all have become one big family. There really is no way to explain how 80 people living in one house without running water, aren't killing each other. We are learning a lot about respect and value. And personal space. It's really refreshing to be reminded what is really important in life. I've never seen so many people hungry for what God has for them.

This week is the first speaker who has come to teach, and we are expecting big things. He is teaching on walking in the Spirit, and in this nation, that is exactly what we need to be learning about. Darkness just falls away when the presence is as thick as it is here. I feel so privileged to be here, and be walking with all this students in this season. This really will be the most exciting 6 months of my life. A time of growth i'm never going to forget.

But oh, lets not forget all the fun we are having here..

beach days, greasy american food, tap tap rides, praying for water.. praying for rain..praying for coffee in the morning.. taking buckets to the well to shower with..half the DTS sleeping upstairs in the classroom because its just to hot to be in the rooms..wondering about mysterious bug bites..laughing off the things we really can't understand.. walking to the shops, buying snacks, having big barbeques..eating rice and beans, and hotdogs..sharing just about everything.. and did I mention 15 girls to each bathroom?

And the great part is that this is just a choice.

We choose to live in Haiti.

We choose to live in uncomfortable conditions.

We choose to give up our personal space.

We let people speak into our lives and coach us, and run alongside us.

We let ourselves become vulnerable to each other.

We choose not to let the little things bother us.

We choose to fight for what we believe in.

And through those choices, we are also deciding to become close to God. We are an open book to Him, we are laying down our lives, and we are following Him. We are living to learn, and learning to grow. This just happens to be the best way I can think of.