ONE WEEK!!!

It’s hard to believe that this time next week I will be in Haiti. I guess I should start packing! I’ve deemed it impossible not to check a bag. My massive amount of hand sanitizer and bug spray alone is gonna push me over the TSA limit. And no… I will not be packing a hairdryer, curling iron or… ::gasp::, hair straightener! Luckily though, in case you missed it, I had a Brittney Spears moment and cut off over a foot of my hair! (don’t worry I donated it to Locks of Love).

A lot of you mentioned to me that you ‘bookmarked’ my blog. Awesome!, but geez, talk being ‘blogged down’ (aw man I crack myself up..) w/pressure to produce a good blog . So, since I don’t leave for another week, I thought I’d throw in a little fun.

Little known fact: my dog, Boozer, had a blog before I did (kept by his dog walker, not me). He was an overnight sensation, voted “hottest dog on the Internet” by People magazine, and was asked to appear on “The View” just three days after his debut. (okay, I made all that up, but seriously, I love that dog) This was my excuse to post a picture of my dog… here he is, world’s best snuggler:

(pics taken by dog walker)

In other trip news (this is a really exciting update ready…): I got a tetanus vaccine Saturday at Safeway (yea.. like the food store…) who knew. Milk (check), eggs (check) tetanus shot (check??) A word about that by the way: OW! How is my arm still sore? Oh well, at least now I can step on all the rusty nails I want! Which, I obviously don’t plan on doing, but, again, 2009 = I get one splinter and end up with tetanus.

Anyways, one more week, and I am SO excited! Thanks for keeping up! :-)

Details

I'm going where? I'm doing what?? Something with babies..? (Uncle Bebo: Babysitting)
I am glad so many of you know me well enough to know about my obsession with the beach and warm weather, however, this isn't a beach trip or a relaxing vacation. ;-)

I am going (independently/not through a Church or anything) to volunteer at God's Littlest Angels (GLA), a non-profit Christian orphanage located in the Kenscoff Mountains of Haiti, about 45 minutes outside of Port-au-Prince.

I got some GREAT NEWS yesterday!! I received an email letting me know that there will be two couples on the same flight as me, two sets of adoptive parents! How awesome is that! I will be meeting up with them in Miami and will get to witness them meeting their children at GLA. They have my email so I am waiting for hear from them.

For those of you who don’t know, I can be pretty cold-hearted/unemotional (I do believe some referred to me “the robot” during Quest) ;-) haha, I am just not a crier, at no fault of my own, and it takes a lot to get to me. However, there is a key exception: when others are crying tears of genuine happiness, well, then, start the water works, it gets me every time. Yes, Sunday nights it is not uncommon for tears to form on commercial breaks “Coming up, on Extreme Makeover Home Edition.”…. yeaaaaaa. Wish me luck w/the adoption haha. I am going to be “that” volunteer.So, Back to GLA - Below is a short video and here is a link to their website: www.glahaiti.org



A little about Haiti:
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with most people earning less than 1$ a day.“Drinking water usually comes from a polluted river, a ditch or open pond. Food is so scarce and expensive that most Haitian children receive less nutrition than the average American house pet.”
The State Department has a … not so welcoming traveling warning up for the country as well.
CNN video - Haiti.

Haiti, Starvation Mud Cookies
Uploaded by chefandew

Thank You!

Thank yous are in order.

Wow. I am so excited that my friends and family, and family friends were so gracious and generous in donating to my trip! I am just so thankful to everyone who made this possible!! If you have a link to the blog, this 'thank you' most likely applies to you :-)

You are helping me help them. At the risk of sounding completely corny, you didn't just provide me with the experience of a lifetime, your donation is comforting a crying a child, feeding a hungry toddler, and providing hope and a smile to those I encounter. You have made a difference in my life and in theirs :-)

<>Here is what the donations went towards:
- Room and board (food, laundry, water etc. – GLA has their own water brought in which ups the daily cost)
- Transportation fee – due to the civil unrest in Haiti, GLA uses a security escort to transport visitors to and from the Port-au-Prince airport
- Airfare. (apparently there isn't a huge demand to go to Haiti…) <>

Everyone has been so supportive, not just financially. I got so many messages of kind words and encouragement. I'm sure those closest to me are tired of hear me talking about the trip for months now … All my pictures will also be courtesy of a new camera Christmas gift (w/Haiti in mind) from Adam! and Mom pushed her birthday dinner so we could all celebrate together. Everyone at the office was so supportive and were willing to work with me in order for me to take the time off for the trip. And Katie, always inquiring how she can pray for me…
In summary, I am so blessed to have such amazing people in my life. <>

The comments I have heard the most are "be careful" and "don't get sick" As many of you are aware, 2009 hasn't been the most fantastic of years. Around Christmas I was sick, which developed into pneumonia by New Years and seemed like it took forrrever to go away! On the bright side, pneumonia proved to be a fantastic Mexico diet and has since gone away. Also, recently had the stomach flu (see above: 2009 hates me). However, I think this means that I'm done for awhile, don't you? Perhaps even my antibodies are stronger than ever! Alright, so I am the type of person who will get one bug bite at the airport and develop malaria from it. But, it's treatable, so, if that should happen, no worries. Actually, kind of a cool story later on…."remember that one time in Haiti when I got malaria…!"

Ok ok, all kidding aside, I have taken lots of health and safety precautions and anticipate being just fine! I promise to "be careful" and "not get sick" !

....thank you again and again !

I will include more about the orphanage, its location, mission etc. in my next posting.

2 weeks.

Here I am, two weeks to the day before I leave for Haiti. I have this picture in my head of what to expect, and I expect my arrival to be nothing like I have pictured. When I first decided to volunteer at God's Littlest Angels (GLA), it was well over 6 months ago. I stressed about the shots I'd need, taking time off work, and fitting all my hand sanitizer/liquid into a small plastic bag.

Why Haiti? so many have asked. Well, why not Haiti. I cant believe that just 90 minutes outside Miami is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. When I imagine the Caribbean in my head, the beautiful white sand beaches, port shopping and Duffys Love Shack, I think, what happened to Haiti? I know I cant do everything, but I am going to try do everything that I can.

I have been following the blog of Susan Westwood, a 6 month volunteer from Scotland. We will miss each other by just days. Her blog has kept me inspired and introduced me to the babies and challenges that await me at GLA. I read about the outbreak of chickenpox, the loss of a child, and the stomach flu. I still find myself thinking, "I cant wait". Whenever I am having a bad day, or catch myself stressing about the small stuff, the superficial things, I cant help but read the blog and watch youtube videos about GLA , and it instantly puts everything into perspective for me.

Volunteering in New Orleans a few months after Hurricane Katrina had an everlasting impact on my life, and I think about the experience all the time. We were in the lower 9th ward, sleeping on cots in an old warehouse, and at the time, we had it good. Looking around it was clear that those who had the least to lose had lost it all. My sister recently visited New Orleans, to the same parish I was just years earlier. She told me that a volunteer she had met returns to the Parish every year on his birthday, because it restores in faith in humanity. This comment stuck with me.
When I hear about Haiti, when I see pictures, read news stories, I cant help but wonder...how is this happening to human beings. Does living on a different continent, having a different leader, or different culture make them any less human than those in New Orleans? Some look at other countries and say, "its not our problem" or, they can "pull themselves up by their bootstraps." I take a step back and think of the Clinton Foundation motto, "Our World, Our Responsibility." Is it? Haitians dont even have boots to pull themselves up. I cant help but wonder/its too early to tell, if this trip will restore my faith in humanity, or destroy it.