Meet Momie...
Click Below for Haiti Video...
When I returned to Haiti for the second time, I knew it would change my life but I didn't expect nearly such an alteration. Upon arriving in Haiti the culture had became a familiar site to see, the smell I had actually grown to not completely hate... nor completely love.
Many things stick with me when I ponder back upon this trip. The friendships made, that will always hold a place in my heart. The words God spoke to me, the love that grew even stronger for this country and it's people.
Upon arriving in Haiti we spent some time in Petit Goave, we worked on the headquarters grounds, we passed out flyers in the tent city, we made rice and bean gift bags, we played with children and we grew as a team.
Of course there are many many memories that bring me laughter when I think about them, but they wouldn't make much sense to you I am sure. Things like "I accidentally gave my sunglasses away." "how many children does Betty really have?" "Betty ate 'em!" "I love mafia" "an ant just crawled out of my burger..." and many more. Things that will be cherished in my heart about the characters that formed our Haiti Extreme Team.
What I would like to share with you is what captured my heart. From the lady in the tent city who while standing in the doorway of her hut full of children, of all ages... She asked me for food to feed them. She needed the bag of rice and beans now, so that they could eat. Here I stood not even a cliff bar to share, heart broken.
Later at the service, I held her 4 month old baby as she tried to give her to me. Me, a complete stranger... but from a better world in her sight.
Let me tell you about the sweet girls who remembered me by name from my trip the year before, she held my hand and walked me around like a little girl and her puppy... we worked all day sweat literally dripping from our face. The headquarter's foundation was being dug, bags were being filled, trash being picked up. To us it was one days hard work that ended in an air conditioned room preparing for church service... that night I realized it would mean much more to them for the rest of their lives. They began to dance around the foundation of the new building. One of the girls grabbed my hand, we began to march around the trenches, at first it was kinda a fun moment. Then she stopped, she couldn't go on no more, she was bawling too much. That day was hard, and meant so little to me... but to her it was a forever cherished memory.
Now you can hear about my dear Momie. I thought the women from the hut was a hard moment to take, before I met little Momie.
She clung to us without a thought, first alexis then me then Maddy... as we sang after church with all these children playing around us. Non of us thought till time to leave, where is this little girl's mommy gonna be? "She belongs to the orphanage." the words still ring in my mind, the sting when I seen her sweet little eyes looking back as they took her to her home, a place with no mommy for her to hold.
The next day upon arriving to the orphanage, my heart melted as she came and found me. She was my buddy all day long, we sang, we colored, we made things with beads, she fell asleep on my chest as I hummed some melody. Another girl came and ripped her from my arms, I'm sure she believed she was only helping me. I think I literally screamed, I can't exactly remember it seems very serial. The only thing I could think was here is this little angel, she never gets to be held as she falls asleep... I could have just given her that one thing.
Soon though I seen her sweet little smile standing at the stairs, I grabbed her quick before anyone else had a chance, I'm not the selfish type but in this case I would thinking I might.
Then it was time to leave, I had held out as long as I could. I'm not sure if she thought she was going with me or if she just thought she would try. As I began to walk down the stairs and to the door she wouldn't leave my side. The crowd of orphans came running after, screaming "Momie!" as she clung to my hand a little tighter. I would lie to you if I thought I could, If I wasn't a thousand miles from home I would have grabbed her tight and ran as fast as I could. One happened to grab her back, she screamed and cried, I turned around one more time to see this little girl kicking and putting up quite the fight. If she wasn't so loud herself I know you could have heard the breaking of my heart in that very moment. I turned around and ran out the door, I couldn't face that anymore.
The next day at church I managed to hug her once more, I fought to be strong because I knew it would only make it worse. Eventually I gave up that fight, maybe I just needed to let out that cry.
Saying goodbye was a little less hard, I think she understood that I couldn't stay and she couldn't go. No child the age of four should ever know what that means, they should never go from a happy smile to a tear on their cheek because they knew this love is temporary.
I cry still, every now and then. We were asked what Haiti meant to us, Haiti to me means Momie... it's a little girl with a heart full of love and no one to give it too, not even to hug. Though Momie needed me, I needed Momie.... to reignite the burden inside of me.
So here's what I'm going to do, this is my 'Dear Momie" category. It's dedicated to Passion, to Burdens, to Missions... what ever I feel might ignite that burden inside.
Upon arriving in Haiti we spent some time in Petit Goave, we worked on the headquarters grounds, we passed out flyers in the tent city, we made rice and bean gift bags, we played with children and we grew as a team.
Of course there are many many memories that bring me laughter when I think about them, but they wouldn't make much sense to you I am sure. Things like "I accidentally gave my sunglasses away." "how many children does Betty really have?" "Betty ate 'em!" "I love mafia" "an ant just crawled out of my burger..." and many more. Things that will be cherished in my heart about the characters that formed our Haiti Extreme Team.
What I would like to share with you is what captured my heart. From the lady in the tent city who while standing in the doorway of her hut full of children, of all ages... She asked me for food to feed them. She needed the bag of rice and beans now, so that they could eat. Here I stood not even a cliff bar to share, heart broken.
Later at the service, I held her 4 month old baby as she tried to give her to me. Me, a complete stranger... but from a better world in her sight.
Let me tell you about the sweet girls who remembered me by name from my trip the year before, she held my hand and walked me around like a little girl and her puppy... we worked all day sweat literally dripping from our face. The headquarter's foundation was being dug, bags were being filled, trash being picked up. To us it was one days hard work that ended in an air conditioned room preparing for church service... that night I realized it would mean much more to them for the rest of their lives. They began to dance around the foundation of the new building. One of the girls grabbed my hand, we began to march around the trenches, at first it was kinda a fun moment. Then she stopped, she couldn't go on no more, she was bawling too much. That day was hard, and meant so little to me... but to her it was a forever cherished memory.
Now you can hear about my dear Momie. I thought the women from the hut was a hard moment to take, before I met little Momie.
She clung to us without a thought, first alexis then me then Maddy... as we sang after church with all these children playing around us. Non of us thought till time to leave, where is this little girl's mommy gonna be? "She belongs to the orphanage." the words still ring in my mind, the sting when I seen her sweet little eyes looking back as they took her to her home, a place with no mommy for her to hold.
The next day upon arriving to the orphanage, my heart melted as she came and found me. She was my buddy all day long, we sang, we colored, we made things with beads, she fell asleep on my chest as I hummed some melody. Another girl came and ripped her from my arms, I'm sure she believed she was only helping me. I think I literally screamed, I can't exactly remember it seems very serial. The only thing I could think was here is this little angel, she never gets to be held as she falls asleep... I could have just given her that one thing.
Soon though I seen her sweet little smile standing at the stairs, I grabbed her quick before anyone else had a chance, I'm not the selfish type but in this case I would thinking I might.
Then it was time to leave, I had held out as long as I could. I'm not sure if she thought she was going with me or if she just thought she would try. As I began to walk down the stairs and to the door she wouldn't leave my side. The crowd of orphans came running after, screaming "Momie!" as she clung to my hand a little tighter. I would lie to you if I thought I could, If I wasn't a thousand miles from home I would have grabbed her tight and ran as fast as I could. One happened to grab her back, she screamed and cried, I turned around one more time to see this little girl kicking and putting up quite the fight. If she wasn't so loud herself I know you could have heard the breaking of my heart in that very moment. I turned around and ran out the door, I couldn't face that anymore.
The next day at church I managed to hug her once more, I fought to be strong because I knew it would only make it worse. Eventually I gave up that fight, maybe I just needed to let out that cry.
Saying goodbye was a little less hard, I think she understood that I couldn't stay and she couldn't go. No child the age of four should ever know what that means, they should never go from a happy smile to a tear on their cheek because they knew this love is temporary.
I cry still, every now and then. We were asked what Haiti meant to us, Haiti to me means Momie... it's a little girl with a heart full of love and no one to give it too, not even to hug. Though Momie needed me, I needed Momie.... to reignite the burden inside of me.
So here's what I'm going to do, this is my 'Dear Momie" category. It's dedicated to Passion, to Burdens, to Missions... what ever I feel might ignite that burden inside.