Exploring the Mountains

As often as possible, we try to get out as a family and explore a little bit of Haiti.  We really believe it is important for our kids to regularly get away from the mission and experience different areas of Haiti and multiple aspects of Haitian culture.  Our most recent trip was up into the mountains, through layers of clouds and past several small villages until we were high enough to see all of Port-au-Prince, the outlying areas, mountain ranges in the distance, as well as the bay of La Gonave.  It was gorgeous!   Our Creole has really been coming along and we were able to stop and talk to several people along the way.  Here are a few pictures of things we saw.

 

 

 

 

Most of the time, cows, goats and pigs are tied to the side of a hillside where they graze.  How they do so without falling down the mountain, I don't really know.

A hillside farm

Another hillside farm that we saw as we ascended the mountain.  A great many of the trees we saw growing in this area are here because of Baptist Haiti Mission's reforestation project many years ago.  It has really made a difference in these communities that were so devastated by erosion.

Ridin' in "Big Red"

One of the many gorgeous views from up here.  From the left to the center of the pic, you can see the bay of La Gonave.

Daddy's pretty cool.  He was holding on pretty tight to these kiddos as the side of the road
drops off "just a bit" behind where they are sitting.

Some hillside communities in the foreground of the pic, Port-au-Prince in the background down below.

Just one of the many "Kodak moments" in Haiti.  Breathtaking.

A walking path leading down to a small farming community.  People walk this trail continually as they walk to get water in buckets that they carry on their heads, as they bring their produce to market in nearby Kenscoff, and for many other reasons.

A young man carrying water back to his home.  We couldn't see where he was headed, so there's no telling how far he might have traveled after this picture.

We continue to be in awe of just how beautiful this country is.  The people we have met are beautiful in so many ways.  Lord, thank you for the honor of serving here.

As promised . . .

As promised . . . Christmas Part 2 and New Year's Celebrations post.  It has taken awhile for all of these pictures and videos to upload, but it is finally all here.  Prepare yourself for a couple of good laughs with the videos!

On the 23rd, the BHM missionaries all got together and we had a Christmas service, snacks, and all of our kids put on a Christmas play.  It was SO cute!  Since we have an abundance of little girls around here, Kilee ended up playing the role of one of the wise men.  Josiah was a cow in the stable.  We joked that he looked like the Chick-Fil-A cow!  Here are a couple of videos from the play.  Enjoy!

We personally enjoyed the part where the cow and the puppy got into a heated discussion about the presents under the tree in the shepherds' field...

We had footage of the wise men coming to see Jesus, but their backs were to us so we didn't get any video of Kilee's part.  But they are both in the next video with the grand finale as the cast sang "Away in a Manger".

Our little cow.

The wise woman on the right is ours.

Then, Christmas Eve came and we got to take part in some new traditions.  We walked up to the mission hospital to spread some Christmas cheer to those who happened to be in the hospital on Christmas Eve.  We brought candy canes, copies of John and Romans in Creole and we sang and shared the gospel in each ward.  There were so many sick, injured and generally unwell there, especially one little boy who was very ill.  Kilee and Josiah clung pretty close to us at first since it was a bit of an intimidating atmosphere for little kids, but gradually they warmed up and started to interact with the patients.  It was such a blessing to get to be a part of this.

Kilee and Rebekah delivering a candy cane to a man awaiting surgery.

Later that day, we had our mission Christmas dinner and played the White Elephant gift exchange.  Everybody really got into the game, especially the kids!

Then, that night we did our yearly tradition of listening to Daddy read the Christmas story before bedtime.  We even made our first fire in the fireplace because we had a few sticks that were dry enough to be burned along with scrap paper.  The kids thought it was so cool.

The next morning, the kids woke up at five and we sent them back to bed for a little bit.  It was so cold in the house we all needed to stay under the covers until the sun came up.  No heaters here except for a fire in the fireplace, y'all!  Then, we all ventured into the living room to open gifts.

Josiah tearing into his first gift.

A toy "tap-tap" just like the real ones in Haiti!

"Just what I wanted!" Kilee said of her Jasmine costume from Nana and Papaw.

I think this picture captures the excitement over his new sandbox digger.

Kilee got a pink crocheted hat she had her eye on at Mountain Maid (BHM's shop).

Josiah's wooden toy machete: it was one of those gifts a parent looks back and wonders, "What was I thinking?"

There are no words.

Princess Jasmine, everyone.

Christmas just kept coming!  These gifts were from Mamaw and Rodney and Gigi and Bill.

Her camera/video camera from Mamaw and Rodney.  Lovin' it!

Thank you for all the Christmas presents, Mamaw, Rodney, Gigi and Bill!

After a leisurely Christmas Day, it was back to work on the mission.  We had several work days and then we all ventured down from the cold climate of the mountains to the warm weather at BHM's Camp LaPhare for a New Year's Celebration.  We swam, played basketball on the new court that Crossings built, ate a nice dinner on the beach, and set off fireworks to bring in 2013!  It was a great time for all of us!  Kilee and I had a slumber party with all the girls upstairs in the beach house and Josiah and Scott slept in a hammock strung between 2 palm trees right by the water.  What fun!

Kilee above, Josiah below.  

Josiah didn't fall any other time other than when I was taking this video, by the way.

All the little kiddos sitting in the beach house watching a movie, trying desperately to stay awake until the New Year's fireworks began.  From left: Jonathan, Josiah, Robert, Rebekah, Kilee, Naomi, Anna, Lizzie.

Bon Ane tout moun!  Happy New Year, everybody!