celebrating christmas!

The students were just a little excited for the party to start...

Last week was busy in the school as the students finished up the semester.  Each grade spent time reviewing and then taking exams over all the material the students studied this year.  The day each of the students looked forward to though was Friday.  The kids talked all week about Friday because that was the day there would be a HUGE Christmas party in the school!  The school staff decorated for the party and the students prepared different songs, dances, and skits to share with everyone.  Even the preschool students got up in front of everyone to sing a song!  The kitchen staff and teachers all worked together to prepare a huge feast for the students.  Each child was served a big plate of rice and beans with sauce, chicken, macaroni salad, and because it was an extra special day they even got to drink pop!  The only thing that could have topped them getting to eat meat at the party was the presents that each child received!  Oh if you could have only heard the students as they saw the boxes of gifts get carried into the room.  They literally squealed with excitement!  The school staff picked out gifts for each grade and gender and they did an absolutely amazing job!  The children left the school Friday knowing that they were beyond special and so very loved.  The younger kids in Chambrun are still talking about "that day Santa brought them a present."  As I watched all of my little friends throughout the party I couldn't help but be thankful for each of their school sponsors.  Each sponsor makes it possible for my little friends to get an excellent education, to be fed a meal during each school day, and to have a party that celebrates just how amazing they are.  Friday was the perfect ending to the semester and start of Christmas break for the students and staff in the school!

Party menu: rice and beans with sauce, chicken, macaroni salad, and pop!

Davidson is still talking about how Santa brought him a plane!

(photo cred: Laura) This picture is my favorite-
Davidson tried his hardest to stay awake!  Having a party
during nap time was hard for the pre-school students=)

road trip!

I really love when we get to take road trips and explore more of this beautiful island.  For years the US staff has talked about going to Cap Haitian which is a city on the North coast of Haiti.  After a long five hour car ride on lots of bumpy roads and curvy mountain roads we arrived in Cap Haitian!  The city is known for having great views, beautiful beaches, and historic places to visit.  

One of the things I was looking forward to the most was getting to visit the Citadelle.  The Citadelle was built in order to protect Haiti from the French after Haiti gained independence January 1, 1804.  It took from 1805-1820 for Henri Christophe to have the Citadelle built.  Around 20,000 workers were used to build the large fortress and the materials were all carried by either hand or cart up the mountain. The views from the top of the Citadelle were absolutely breathtaking.  

Riding horses up the mountain was slightly frightening but also a lot of fun!

365 cannons were carried up the mountain but none were ever shot or used.  

Sans Souci

Sans Souci is another palace that was built between 1810-1813.  The Citadelle is located just up the mountain from Sans Souci.  King Henri Christophe and his family lived in the palace.  The palace was known for having beautiful gardens and lots of feasts.  In 1842 there was a large earthquake that destroyed most of the palace.  

Labadee beach!  

There is a private beach in Haiti that Royal Caribbean rents to use for its cruise ship passengers.  It has a zip line, splash pad, water slide, jet skis, and lots of beautiful white sand.  Our guest house owner heard we wanted to visit a beach while in Cap Haitian so she used her contacts and got us free access to the private beach!  We literally spent the day pretending that we too were from Miami along with all of the cruise ship passengers!  One of the highlights from the day was the buffet that was served for lunch.  All of the food was brought off of the cruise ship and it was so good!  The buffet had BBQ chicken, ribs, hot dogs, hamburgers, corn on the cob, different salads, desserts, and a table that was literally piled high with apples and oranges.  Oh where those apples good!  We spent the day walking the beach, floating in the ocean, and of course we did a lot of people watching too!  

Clearly we ate our share of the food…it was SO good!

Cap Haitian is a beautiful city!

Because why wouldn't we  stop on the way to Cap Haitian and take a picture in front
of a GIANT statue of the Ten Commandments while on a road trip?!

books!

One of the sweetest (and most chaotic) moments happened recently when I took a children's picture book to the village.  The kids quickly gathered around and were literally amazed at all the different pictures.  We spent at least an hour pouring over this book page by page.  We looked at absolutely everything and oh did the kids go crazy and have lots of questions about some of the things they saw.  There was a page that featured all different kinds of food and candy.  Everyone quickly let me know which candy would be his or her favorite!  And the animal pages were met with complete amazement.  Some of the younger kiddos decided the snake picture wasn't necessary and closed their eyes until we turned the page.  The photos of colorful fish and tigers were some of their favorites.  These simple moments with the kids are always some of my favorite.  Moments where they are all crowded around and learning.  Moments when I get to watch their little minds grow and experience things they have never even heard about.  The book has now been declared a "favorite" and has already been requested multiple times!

november newsletter!

 The November newsletter has been mailed!  Click on the link below for the web version of the newsletter.  Let me know (brookes_00@yahoo.com) if you would like to feel extra special and receive a copy in the mail!

 http://www.ministryupdates.org/smalley

And just in case you want to see more photos- click on the links below!  

(you do NOT need a Facebook account to see the pictures!)

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151772100740831.1073741825.529825830&type=1&l=d2a7345c72

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151398640175831.535019.529825830&type=1&l=9bd9939164

sweet anderson

Anderson and his momma.
(Photo taken 6/17/14)

(Photo taken 6/17/14)

Every child in the malnutrition program is special to me for different reasons.  I remember the first time I met sweet little Anderson.  He was fifteen months old and weighed just 9.57 pounds.  Anderson didn't have the energy to crawl, walk, or even play like a normal toddler would.  He loved to be held though and would literally just melt right into your arms.  He instantly won over the hearts of all the clinic staff!  While being admitted into the malnutrition program his mommas story began to unfold.  She was seventeen years old and Anderson was her first child.  She was no longer able to go to school and spent her days caring for her little boy.  His momma had this spark about her but at the same time seemed very discouraged and defeated.  I knew people talked badly about her and looked down on her.  I could tell the things they said really hurt her in a way that she didn't actually want to talk about.  Somewhere deep inside Anderson's momma found the energy and desire to work really hard for him though.  This momma faithfully brought Anderson to be weighed, measured, and to get his Plumpy Nut (medically fortified peanut butter paste for children diagnosed with severe or moderate acute malnutrition) and milk every two weeks.  Anderson began to gain weight and before long he didn't even look like the same little boy.  I could see that she was an amazing mother and I prayed that before long the rest of her family and friends would see the same thing.  Week by week Anderson gained weight and he started to become more active.  When his mother brought him to the clinic for his last appointment I teased her that I didn't know who she brought with her.   I asked her to take that child outside and to please go home and get Anderson.  I told her that child was far too big and the Anderson I fell in love with was really small and you could see all his bones.  She just giggled and laughed out loud.  To be able to joke with his momma and to watch as she joined in was priceless.  This mom has truly stepped up and chosen to fight for her little guy.  She isn't acting like a teenager but like a mother, and this sweet little guy is now thriving.  Anderson is now a chunky 15.88 pounds!  He now has the energy to laugh, play, and cause all sorts of trouble for his mother!  He for sure doesn't want to just be cuddled anymore!

Love the smile on his momma's face!

pretend play!

Every afternoon the children let me know that they will walk me to the road.  This is a big deal because only the children who are "big" enough to behave, not cry, and walk back by themselves are allowed to come on this adventure.  One of the new favorite games the kids like to play on the road is a sleeping game.  As soon as we leave the fence the children let me know that they are going to sleep on the road, to which I'm supposed to get all upset and let them know that they are NOT allowed to sleep on the road.  They tease back and forth and quickly run ahead of me.  It's my job to "stumble" upon this group of sleeping children who are sprawled out on the ground.  I typically stand over them remarking at how loudly they are breathing and snoring.  I question if I should wake them or leave them to sleep there on the ground for the entire night.  Before long it's my job to yell "leve, leve, leve" so the kids can jump up while screaming as loudly as they possibly can to let me know that they are now awake!  They then rush ahead of me once again to "sleep" on the road one more time before it's time for them to  give me kisses and return home.  This has literally become a favorite activity for the kids and something that we all enjoy.  There is honestly nothing cuter than watching them pretend to sleep and hold as still as they possibly can while I'm standing over them.

The "sleeping" children=)

the church

I was recently asked to share my thoughts on how I saw God or on what was impactful to me during church service.  Most Sunday's it's easy for me to get lost in the brokenness that is literally right in front of me.  A majority of the people who come to church on campus also come through our clinic for medical care. It's often hard for me to turn off the nursing side of my brain and to simply "be" in the church.  To not be in the service for work but rather for worship.  Life here is hard and when you realize the reality of life, it can at times just seem hopeless.

I sat and watched as a young girl raised her hands in worship.  This girl has always seemed to have a hardened heart.  She is rougher than others and yet for some unknown reason she is special to me.  She is the only believer in her home and I know that choosing to follow Christ hasn't been an easy choice for her.  Just a few months ago I sat with her after telling her that the exam was positive.  She was pregnant.  I sat and watched as her face was hardened to even hearing those words.  Her life was already difficult and would now be even harder.  And yet, I've watched as the people of the church have surrounded her.  They have pushed her and yet still loved her.  I've heard many tell her that she will return to school and that she will work hard in order to provide for the baby that is to come.  Many have walked the same path and they know what is ahead for her.  And yet they still love her.  She comes into the church building broken and yet watching her pursue her relationship with Christ is humbling.  By no means does she have it all figured out but she is there, sitting on the bench with her arms lifted high.

I watched as a woman made space next to her for some of my friends to sit.  That one action pretty much sums up this momma.  She is a servant through and through.  She who by the worlds standards literally has nothing, and yet still gives absolutely everything.  This woman has turned everything I thought I believed upside down.  She doesn't just "talk the talk" rather she lives it.  And yet, if you were to hear her story and to know the details of her life you would think it is all hopeless.  I've cried with and for this momma and her family more times than I could even count.  She has never asked for anything she didn't actually need and has always freely given to me.  She is an amazing mother who fights for her children, all seven of them.  Today, during offering this mother pulled out her portion to be placed in the box.  This mother who doesn't have the money to provide for her family today is still living with palms wide open.  What is hers, is His.  And she truly knows that He will provide.  That is how she lives each and every moment.  If you watch her worship you know that this is how this sweet momma breathes.

I sat and watched as our sweet mommy came walking into church.  She just giggles when you ask her age, because she really has no clue.  If wrinkles were an indication though you would for sure think she is really old.  In typical fashion, she was around 1 1/2 hours late for service.  She enters the church hot and out of breath from the long walk.  Because she walks in the hot sun around two miles just to get to church each and every Sunday.  She is quick to greet me with a kiss and hug and then she heads towards the front of the church to squeeze into an already over-crowded row.  Watching mommy worship is like getting a glimpse of what heaven will be like.  She praises the Lord with her arms lifted high and oh does she dance.  Her little frail body that can barely walk at times literally knows no limits when the music starts playing.  This sweet old woman doesn't have anything of earthly value and yet she is filled with the presence of the Lord.

You see, today I saw the face of God well before the sermon started.  I saw Him in the people of the church.  Our church has "official" services each Sunday and on multiple days during the week.  And yet those services are the smallest portion of what is really going on in our congregation.  The lives that each and every person in the church are living out is a true testament of their faith.  They are living and breathing their beliefs and that is something that impacts me more than could ever happen during one 3 hour church service.  The hope of so many isn't in today but rather in the eternal life that Christ offers.  And so, today during service I watched as so many of my friends chose to worship God.  They chose to worship Him, regardless of circumstance, in a way that was one hundred percent palms wide open and arms lifted high.

I am now an official resident of Haiti!  Today, after months of paperwork, I received my Permis de Sejour or my Haitian residency!  I don't know if Haiti will ever be able to get rid of me now:) 

three years

Photo taken September 2011
Ludia, Rose, and Natamara. 

Oh how things have changed in three years!  September 1st, 2011 seems like forever ago and yet in many ways it was just yesterday.  The last three years have been filled with lots of laughter and tears.  I love that I've gotten to live life in the village with these sweet (and mostly crazy) little ones.  I love that every afternoon my lap is never empty and that there is always a fight over who gets to be held next.  Learning what it takes to create relationships in another language and culture has been hard and honestly, really messy.  And yet, it has also been beautiful.  Through all the ups and downs, I am thankful that the Lord called me to move to Haiti three years ago today.  Haiti has become my home and the people here my family.  

Kris, Daniella, Rose, and Natamara!
Rose and Natamara are getting SO big! 

a long overdue update!

Leslee, Amy, myself, and Kayla with the kiddos!
They had no problems making friends in the village!

The summer months were a complete whirlwind of activity that left little extra free time.  I'm not sure how September is already just a few weeks away!  Once again our clinic was blessed to have four student nurses come to serve with us!  Carli, Lindsey, Amy, and Kayla are junior and senior level students that chose to leave their homes, families, and jobs to work in the clinic at NVM!  I loved watching as each of them truly jumped right into life here in Haiti.  They were quick to learn Creole and truly served each person they met well.  They learned some new nursing skills but even more importantly I loved watching them grow in their relationships with Christ.  I watched as they learned to combine their faith and nursing skills.  There were moments that truly humbled me as I watched them pray over different patients in the clinic.  They saw each person as more than just a diagnosis or clinical need.  Each of these young women made an impact in the lives of the patients they cared for and the children they spent every afternoon playing with.

Carli and Lindsey in the village!  

Another HUGE highlight of my summer was having my sisters, Mila and Yarley, come for a visit!  I love the moments when my Indiana family and Haiti family are together.  Watching my sisters play and love on all of my little friends was priceless.  I typically feel like I have two separate lives, one in Indiana and a completely different one in Haiti.  My Haiti family really doesn't know my Indiana family and vice versa.  It's in these rare moments when family comes to visit here that these lives get mixed.  I love to show off my kiddos and to watch as my family falls in love with the people and country of Haiti.  The children all loved getting to spend time with my sisters and are already excited for them to come back again!

Rose, Yarley, and Mykel

Mila and Dashline

Loved watching Aaron serve!  I've known him since the day he was born and felt
SO honored to watch as he pursued his relationship with Christ in such a real way. 

In July I had the opportunity to join Beaver Dam Church on a trip to Jacmel, Haiti.  Beaver Dam is the church I attended until I was in middle school.  This church has supported me financially, through prayer, they have hosted meals, collected multiple suitcases full of supplies for me, sent me encouraging notes, and so much more for the last three years.  This is a church that has truly loved me well.  I was honored to be asked to join the team as a guest for the week!  The week was packed full of activities and church services.  What impacted me the most was watching as this group of high school students pursued their faith.  It isn't easy to be a Christian as an adult, let alone a teenager in high school.  They asked lots of hard questions and they truly desired to know more.  I watched as Pastor Butch, Jim, Sue, and Rob invested into the lives of these students.  They encouraged the group daily and let them know that they were literally waiting for them to come and talk about absolutely anything.  The week spent in Haiti was just the beginning for this group of students.

The Beaver Dam Church team!

After the crazy of summer, Leslee and I were blessed with the opportunity to slip away for a little vacation in the Dominican Republic!  It was amazing to have some time to simply relax and to allow my brain to shut off for a few days.  Life here is pretty non-stop with projects or someone always needing something.  Having time away to just be was such a blessing.  Typically my "vacation" time is spent in Indiana where it is filled with trying to see all of my family, friends, and supporters.  Having a true vacation where there was no calendar filled with events, no cell phone service, and days filled with nothing but time by the pool was refueling.  

Attempting to work some of the energy out of the kiddos by
doing jumping jacks!  Clearly we need more practice=)

As amazing as relaxing by the pool was, it was pretty great to get back to Haiti to all of my little friends.  They were FULL of energy when Leslee and I arrived in the village to play.  I feel blessed to have had a summer full of meeting new people, time with my family, and time away to personally rest and refuel.  

Another way to use up some extra energy is to have the kiddos run races!
This is one of their favorite things to do!  

july newsletter!

Getting to take home school books at the end of
the year made for hours of fun!  

The July newsletter has finally been mailed!  Click on the link below for the web version of the newsletter.  Let me know (brookes_00@yahoo.com) if you would like to feel extra special and receive a copy in the mail!

 http://www.ministryupdates.org/smalley

And just in case you want to see more photos- click on the links below!  

(you do NOT need a Facebook account to see the pictures!)

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151772100740831.1073741825.529825830&type=1&l=d2a7345c72

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151398640175831.535019.529825830&type=1&l=9bd9939164