Day 14 | Shannon Robison

Well, today was our last day in Haiti. We will be leaving the compound at 7:30 AM tomorrow to catch our flight home. I am definitely not ready to leave. This morning, we had a dedication service for the house we built. Our team, the Haitian workers, and the family were there. The service began with a prayer, then songs in both English and Creole. We started with one of my favorite songs, Blessed be Your Name. Singing this song while looking out over the beautiful Haitian mountains was truly awesome. We sang How Great is Our God next, then the Haitians sang a song in Creole. Bill talked for a bit and mentioned how blessed we, the team, were for getting to be a part of the family’s life. This family was so unbelievably appreciative of the work that we did. The father presented each of us with a certificate, thanking us for our efforts. I never expected a gesture like that. We were surprised and truly blessed. After the service, we went back to the compound. People who sponsor children through BHM were able to meet their children while the rest of us started to clean up. We later joined them on the playground for awhile before lunch. I spent the whole time playing frisbee with Emily Conley and different groups of kids. The kids were part of a kindergarten class on a field trip to the playground. Seeing dozens of kids swarm the playground with huge smiles on their faces made me so happy. I think I was smiling the whole time I was playing frisbee. We ate lunch at the mission’s restaurant, Mountain Maid. I ordered a Havana hoagie (steak, smoked ham, and cheese) and fries. I was in pain after finishing the entire footlong, but of course, found room for dessert. Emily, Allie, Hannah, and I shared a banana split. It was magical. After lunch, we embarked on our bartering adventure along the street in front of BHM. The vendors were very, very persistent. After my first purchase, I became more confident negotiating prices and standing my ground. Logan said that he was initially worried about me bartering, but was proud after he saw me in action. I had fun bartering and am definitely happy with my purchases. By the time dinner (beef, shrimp, and vegetable stirfry) rolled around, I was still full from lunch, but indulged anyway. For dessert, we had cake and ice cream…homemade Mango ice cream…(*insert salivation here*). Today was exceptionally hot, so both helpings of ice cream tasted especially delicious and refreshing. After dinner, we had Bible study, a very emotional, tear-filled Bible study. People spoke about their personal experiences this week and how God worked in their lives. God has changed all of us. I have a whole new appreciation for everything. I am blessed well beyond what I deserve. My parents have provided me with more than I could ever need, or want. As if I didn’t cry enough during our time of sharing, my eyes welled back up when my messages from Mom, Dad, and Lauren were read. Then, when Eric said that I had a message from Stan, the tears rolled. Thank you, guys. :) I love and miss you all. Your messages have been so great throughout my time here. I do not want to leave Haiti tomorrow, but I am excited to see and talk to you all again. I am so, so thankful for my experiences here. The country and people of Haiti will always be important parts of my life. Pa volo Jezi (Don’t cheat Jesus), because God is good, all the time; and all the time, God is good.

Day 13 | Shannon Robison

Today was our fourth and final day of work. Although I am definitely worn out, I am more disappointed that the trip has gone by so quickly. I finished up my work in Haiti at the church site. On the rides to and from the site, Logan Gibson and I kept watch over our translator’s son, Philipson. We braved the treacherous journey with one hand holding on to the truck and the other protecting Philipson. Logan held him around his shoulders and I kept his head from hitting the truck. Philipson never talked to us, but he held on to us tightly. I did not labor much on the church. Twice, I was up on a ladder painting the outside walls of the building, and I helped transport concrete in a “bucket brigade” so that the floor of the stage could be poured. Other than that, I was with the kids most of the day! During VBS, I was a line leader, so I led my eleven kids around to games (cana, cana, goose; aka duck, duck, goose), crafts, and Bingo. They had so much fun! Cana, cana, goose was probably their favorite part. Skirts are not the ideal garb for such an aggressive game, but I joined in. Hearing the kids recite their daily Bible verse was cool as well. They yelled it with such enthusiasm over and over again. I attempted to read the verse in Creole, but I was not very successful. At the end of VBS, five kids accepted Jesus into their hearts as their Lord and Savior! Those five made for a total of 23 kids over the past two weeks that committed their lives to God! After VBS, we jumped rope, blew bubbles, played with stickers, tossed some frisbees, and took more photos. Oh, and I got to hold another perfectly precious baby! I could not help but smile the whole time I was with the kids. These kids walk around hungry and thirsty in dirty, ripped clothing, and yet they are constantly smiling and laughing. Leaving the church today was hard. I wish I could see those kids every day. When we got back to the compound, we had dinner (lasagna and cream puffs), followed by Bible study. Kenton stepped up his cousin game tonight. Someone spilled grape pop on the floor and my foot while we were playing Spoons. Kenton got down on hands and knees under the table to wipe off my feet and my shoes… I have the best cousins/big brothers a girl could ask for. :) Tomorrow, we are having a dedication ceremony of the house we built, and going shopping. I’m excited to see the family again and to try my hand at bartering.

Day 12 | Shannon Robison

This morning, my team had Bible Study with the Haitians at the Mission. Kenton delivered the message. It was really amazing and inspiring to hear him speak. I know that he is a strong, Godly man, but I usually experience his goofy side. He spoke about comforting others because at some point or another, we all need to be comforted. He reminded us that although the world is full of pain, it is also full of love, and it is our duty as Christians to love and comfort people, because God loves each and every one of us the same. After Bible study we went to work on the house. Spoiler alert of how my day went: I blew my nose tonight and sand came out. I spent some time sifting fine sand again, which is used to make the stucco that coats the walls of the house. I was also able to work IN the house for the first time! I helped put stucco on the walls and sand them over. It was surprisingly cool in the house, and I really enjoyed working on the walls! I now have sand and cement throughout my hair (and apparently my nose, too). We were able to finish the inside walls, put the roof on, and put the doors and shutters in. One of our translators, Robinson, taught us new words and phrases in Creole, which was fun and entertaining. My favorite part of the day, though, was getting to meet the family whom we are building for. The father has been working with us all week, but the mother stopped by today with their two kids: Neika and Sheil. The mother, Chery, insisted on helping us work. She spent the entire afternoon sifting sand and refused to take a break. The only problem was that she needed someone to hold Sheil, her four month old son. So, NATURALLY, I volunteered to hold him. He is the most precious little baby. He never made a sound as the girls passed him around. We blew bubbles with his older sister, Neika, and I let her have some of my stickers. She stuck them on herself as well as all over us! I took her picture and we realized that she has probably never seen herself before… This was a humbling realization. These kids have touched me so much. I am so thankful I was able to spend time with them today. After we were back at the compound, we had dinner [rice, bean, beef, and veggie mixture, chocolate chip muffins, and Jello with fruit (Mangos, Dad! Mango…Mango…!)]. After dinner I attempted to kick a soccer ball around on the playground. I attempted this in a skirt that buttoned all the way down the front. Thank goodness I had shorts on underneath because, even after I unbuttoned the bottom button, I busted two more completely off! After soccer and my wardrobe malfunction, we had a really nice Bible study. Thank you, Mom and Dad for your message (they are read out loud to the entire team every night), and thank you, Lala for sending me one every day. ☺

Day 11 | Shannon Robison

This morning, we attended a church that was about a ten minute ride from the compound. As we walked past the church at the compound, we saw lines of people waiting outside to get in, in addition to the hundreds of people that were already inside. We did not attend the church at the compound because it was having baptisms today, which Bill said could take over seven hours! Compared to other days of the week, the streets were relatively desolate. Almost every person we saw was on his or her way to church, dressed in his or her nicest clothes. The church we attended was beautiful! Another mission team was there too; its pastor gave the sermon, translated by the pastor of the Haitian church. My favorite part of the service was hearing a young Haitian boy, no older than 10, sing This Little Light of Mine in both English and Creole. After church we ate lunch at the compound (giant delicious hotdogs) and then a few brave souls went for a mountain hike. Logan was the only Morlan to go on the hike… He said someone had to take care of his cousin! So, Mom and Dad, you should yell at Kenton and Tyler for allowing me to risk my life without their protection! The hike lasted about three hours and was so much fun! The hardest parts were walking down the hill (I kept slipping and sliding on rocks) and climbing up one of the first waterfalls. If Johnny (one of our Haitian friends and helpers) and Colton (an employee of BHM) weren’t there, we could not have made it to see all of the waterfalls. They made us feel very safe! Logan saved my life a couple times too. Not even a second after I started slipping down the hill, he grabbed hold of my backpack and pulled me back up. My cousins are more like the big brothers I never had. ☺ The fifth and final waterfall was our turnaround point. We were able to stand under the water as long as we kept our mouths SHUT! This water is even worse than water from the faucet because the Haitian people bathe in it. Although unclean, the water felt so good and refreshing! The hardest part of the hike was the final stretch coming up the long hill back to the compound. We were definitely exhausted, but no one got hurt, and we all had an absolute blast! After we had a chance to relax and shower, we had dinner (chicken noodle casserole), and then Bible study (followed by cookies). Lloyd made popcorn for us tonight (not nearly as good as yours, Daddy), which I ate as Logan Gibson braided my hair, again. This time, she did a crown braid around my head. Logan has probably done at least twenty braids so far on this trip. She is amazing. Apparently, our water supplies that was SUPPOSED to last until Tuesday ran out today (Sunday), so Bill threatened all of the girls and said that if we didn’t shorten our showers, he wouldn’t allow Logan to braid our hair anymore. Mom and Dad, you’d be so proud of how little water I’ve been using here during my showers! Tomorrow, my team heads back to the house to coat it with stucco. It’s hard to believe that our trip is already halfway over. I hope the second half is just as amazing as the first.

Day 10 | Shannon Robison

Until this morning, I was unaware of how sore one’s wrists could be from sifting. Trust me, by the pain experienced by merely waving my hands, I am now fully aware of the toll sifting can take on a person when done for multiple hours. Regardless, I was the first person awake and walking around this morning, excited for the day ahead of me. My team worked at the church site today. To get to said site, we stood for almost two hours in the bed of a dump truck as it conquered the rough terrain of the Haitian mountains. Going to the site was occasionally bad, but coming back was much more treacherous. The views throughout the ride were beautiful, though. Compared to yesterday, today felt like a lazy day for me, but I absolutely loved it. I sifted more sand, helped carry buckets of cement for the church’s new floor (which the men completed today), helped with Vacation Bible School, and played with the local kids. During VBS, I helped the kids play Bingo. Unlike the regular Bingo we know, this Bingo consisted of things that “good Christian children” should and should not do. Seeing the kids play Bingo and sing songs was awesome. We also jumped rope with the kids, blew bubbles, played hand-clapping games, played with the spray bottle (it was a huge hit once again, Mom), and took a lot of photos (they LOVE to have their photos taken). I wish I knew French Creole so that I could really talk with the kids, but they were content to hold my hand and sit on my lap, which was more than satisfying. Those kids are very special. They have so little, yet they are loving and happy. Seeing the smiles on their faces warmed my heart. One of the older boys asked me what my name was and then told me that he loved me. I wish I could spend every day with those kids. One boy (probably in his mid teens), Vilcient, knew English very well. He talked with the girls on our team and tried to teach us some words in Creole. He asked me if I would come back to the church on Monday, so I hope I get to see him again before we leave. Once we made it back to the compound, we had a special dinner known as freedom soup (or pumpkin soup). Every Independence Day, all Haitians eat this. The majority of our team seemed to dislike the traditional dish, but I had three bowls followed by cake. After dinner, we had a very nice Bible Study. Bill put a lot of things into perspective. He said that the kids we met today basically had a vacation playing with us and that they may not have the opportunity to experience another such “vacation” for a long time. All kids have a special place in my heart, but I am extremely thankful for the time I have with these Haitian kids. After Bible study, I made my way to the shower, during which the power went out! That was an adventure all its own since no one else was in the bathroom and I neglected to bring my flashlight with me. Tomorrow, we will go to a local church, which I am looking forward to. Thank you, Mom, Dad, Lauren, and Bryson for leaving messages for me! :) I love you all!

Day 9 | Shannon Robison

Today was our first day of working! At the house site, I sifted sand, sifted more sand, and then sifted even more sand. We had to sift medium/large sand first, then fine sand. I spent most of my time sifting fine sand to fill a 55-gallon barrel, and then more. My arms are bound to be toned by the end of this trip. We worked for about 7 hours. The only source of shade was the tarp the family set up for us, under which we took water breaks and ate lunch. Two young Haitian boys sat and watched us eat. It was very difficult knowing that they were likely hungry and that we could not give anything to them. Although the weather was definitely hot (probably somewhere in the mid to high 90s range), it was bearable. We fully appreciated each and every breeze that graced our worksite, though. The rest of our team was able to make great progress on laying the bricks for the walls of the house. Tomorrow, the walls should definitely be finished. Our team, however, is headed to the church site to work on renovations and the first day of Vacation Bible School. I cannot wait to see and interact with all of the Haitian kids!!! :) Our transportation to and from the worksites is a truck. We stand in the bed of the truck with all of our supplies and hold on tight to a metal frame. Along our rides today we saw many cows, goats, and a horse. Oh, and this morning before Bible Study with the Haitians, we discovered a tarantula! (Dad, thankfully, the tarantula was already outside, so I didn’t have to plead with anyone to capture and release it. Although, I did convince one of the girls to spare the life of another spider we found crawling throughout our mound of sand at the house.) Upon our return to the compound after working, I was coated with sweat and sand. My immediate shower felt unbelievably wonderful. After relaxing for awhile, we headed to dinner (pizza and cookies) and then relaxed for the rest of the night until Bible Study. (Mom, I finally took my hair out today. People were thoroughly impressed by your braiding skills.) I had such a great time today and am extremely proud of all that we were able to accomplish. God’s presence is obvious in Haiti. I am just glad He has given me the opportunity to serve Him here.

Day 8 | Shannon Robison

After 14 hours on the road and about 3 hours in the air, we arrived in Haiti! I could feel the temperature rising as our plane descended. Thankfully, the wind offered some relief. A van transported us from the airport in Port-au-Prince to the Baptist Haiti Mission in Fermathe. Traffic was not as chaotic as I was expecting. I was surprised, however, by how close the van came to stone walls and steep drop-offs. A few people managed to squeeze between our van and the walls, and two young boys carrying baskets on their heads walked between our van and the drop-off. We even saw a COW on the side of the road!!! :) We then arrived at the compound, unloaded our bags, and moved into our rooms. I went on a short tour of the compound and saw the hospital, the zoo (the ONLY zoo in Haiti), the two pigs, and the playground built by Gassaway Baptist’s mission team in the past. We spent the rest of the day relaxing. We played Spoons, explored the playground, threw some frisbee, ate dinner (Shepherd’s Pie and Coconut Pie), and had a short Bible study. Tomorrow, as a member of Bill’s team, I will begin construction of a house. We will be carrying cinderblocks and sifting a lot of sand in a desert with NO source of shade. I am so excited to be here and I cannot wait to see what tomorrow and the rest of our trip holds for our team!!!