Day 7 | Jacobi Cottrill

Sadly, the week has come to an end. I’m excited to come home for various reasons, but I’ll miss this place and the people. We have made so many memories and while we will try to replay some for you once we arrive home, it can never come close to how the actual thoughts, smells, or smiles. Today we went to the market; I’ve heard some not so good stories of that place. However, today wasn’t a “market” day so it wasn’t bad at all. We also bartered. It wasn’t my favorite thing, but I can now say that I did it. God has been glorified in so many different ways this week. His presence was definitely seen in every aspect of the country. This will be a week I will never forget. As sad as I am to leave, I am ready to be home.

Day 6 | Jacobi Cottrill

It’s really hard to believe that our week is coming to an end! Today was our last day of work and I got to help with VBS. six little girls were saved today. It is incredible to think that even with the language barrier at some stations; they still understand God’s love. Even after VBS is over, multiple kids stay to watch us work, to blow bubbles, or play soccer with whatever they can kick. The little girls are fascinated with our hair and are constantly playing with it because it is so different than theirs. My afternoon was spent playing with 5 or 6 little girls. After seeing the joy on their faces after something as simple as a handshake, it really puts into perspective how spoiled we are with all of the “stuff” we have and are constantly wanting. (Yes mom, I was one of the sick ones, but I’m better now! No worries, Eric gave me some good meds!)

Day 5 | Jacobi Cottrill

I was at the church today helping with VBS. It was really neat to see the kids come from miles away to learn about Jesus. I was in the craft room; unfortunately, we ran out of crafts, so some kids just had to play a game outside. They were ecstatic with whatever they were doing. Afterwards we continued working on the church. Miranda and I “spooned” the wall today. We used stucco to fill in a wall around some rock and had to smooth it out using spoons. The road was a little slick this morning, so I was afraid that we weren’t going to make it out without walking. However, I got to ride in the back of the side-by-side. Thankfully, everyone made it out safely without sliding. Please continue to pray for our safety and health as lots of people are getting sick.

Day 4 | Jacobi Cottrill

Our morning started out pretty early today. Church started at 6:30 and lasted until 9. It was similar to ours in a lot of ways, however, they spent a great deal of time on announcements and praying. I have never witnessed a prayer that last so long; it seemed to last for 30 minutes, but we were struggling to stay awake so it’s hard to tell. We had an interpreter, so we weren’t completely lost when they gave the sermon. One part of the sermon was about the recent shooting in Charleston, which I thought was neat since we happened to be there. It was also amazing to witness the Haitians praising God with everything they had. After church we came back and rested, while some went on the hike. The next two days I will be working VBS, which I’m pretty excited about. As I’m typing this out, it’s currently pouring the rain down so the ride in and out of the church site should be another interesting adventure in the back of the dumptruck. Thanks for all the prayers and please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers!

Day 3 | Jacobi Cottrill

Today was not as adventurous for me as it was yesterday, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a good day. I was at the house site and we sifted sand all day long. We got bored after about 3 in, so we decided to add some entertainment to the job; we started making videos. Any and everything that could be said about sifting sand was put into songs. Our translator even joined in on the fun. The work was very difficult, but we made it pretty enjoyable. It was awesome to see the family around and interacting with us. We took pictures with one of the little boys and his face lit up when we showed him. It was definitely a long day, but God was still glorified!

Day 2 | Jacobi Cottrill

Today was certainly an adventure. I worked at the church, which is about an hour and 45 minutes away from where we are staying, so we crammed into the back of a dump truck to start our journey. It was a pretty bumpy ride up and down the mountain side. We arrived at the church and the little kids ran up to us with big smiles. We started right away doing demolition and sifting sand. The day was long and hard, but the smiles on the little ones made it so worth it. The boys running around the church insisted on taking our tools and doing the job themselves; some of the probably as young as 5 years old. They didn’t complain and they finished every job they set out on. It was really interesting to watch as that’s not something we are used to in America. A group of us were standing outside just talking, when a group of 5 or 6 boys came up and starting talking to us. I understood that they wanted a ball, but went on speaking. Once we went and got the interpreter, they decided they didn’t want to talk. It was still enjoyable to interact with them, even though we couldn't understand. We even got to witness a thunderstorm while being cloud level. It was super loud, but it was pretty neat. The way back up the mountain was when it became very adventurous. With the rain, the road was very slick and muddy. We didn’t make it very far before we began to spin, so we back up and tried it 2 more times. Needless to say, I was ready to get out after the first time and walk. So we ended up walking after the 3rd try. We walked quite a way before the truck finally made it. We hopped back on only for the same thing to happen not too far along. We started sliding again, and when I looked over the edge of the truck, I saw nothing. That’s when I began to panic; I seriously thought we were going over and that it would be the end. This happened about four or so times, before we were rescued by a side-by-side and then another dump truck. God definitely protected us and we made it back safely, taking 3 and a half hours instead. Needless to say, it was a terrifying adventure, but one that I won’t forget! (After I typed this, I realized it didn’t sound all that bad, but trust me, we were literally living life on the edge!)

Day 1 | Jacobi Cottrill

Hey, mom! We made it safely; I know you were 10x more nervous than me and Heath. The trip down was long, so i tried to sleep to past the time although it was quite uncomfortable. The plane ride was a first for me. It didn’t bother me, but my ears still haven’t popped, so they hurt pretty bad. Once we arrived in Haiti, we had to wait awhile at the airport. Then we took a two hour bus ride up the mountain (apparently a lot nicer than the one they rode the last trip here). I must say that I would never drive here; it was quite crazy. This place is nothing of what I imagined, but to be honest, I’m not really sure what I was expecting. All I have to say is that we are very blessed to live the way we do!