The Big Hike

This week, we have had the opportunity to get to know a group from Minnesota.  They came to BHM ready to tackle multiple projects and they have completed them all with excellence and a great attitude.  We were blessed to have the majority of the group build a house for a family up in the mountains, and also a mechanic and carpenter to do various jobs around the mission.  Not only that, but one of the girls on the team cuts hair and we had a missionary haircut marathon with her one night as well.  Let's just say the BHM staff is now looking clean cut and fabulous! Ha.

On one of the first days they were here, several of us joined them on a hike down into the valley and back into a ravine to see several waterfalls.  Let's just say that it was an adventure!  What was really humbling about the hike is that we were often passed by Haitian women and children with large baskets of clothes on their heads as they were headed down to the river to wash clothes.   I cannot imagine having to balance something on my head while scaling a mountainside.  Yes, we are officially lightweights compared to them!  Here are a few pictures of our journey together.

Chelsea and I are all ready to show this mountain hike who's boss!

The hike begins.  Trey leads the group down the steep hillsides.

Chelsea shares some Haiti info along the way.  A little fella tags along with us.

This is about midway down the mountain.  Once we reach the bottom, we will hike far back into the ravine at the left of this picture.  It was a long way down!

This group was full of seasoned hikers.  It was no sweat for them!  We hiked up and over rocks and through riverbeds (wet and dry).

Ken (wearing backpack) was a trooper and carried everyone's water for them in his bag so that we could all use both hands as we climbed.

 

After a long journey into the ravine, we finally reached the waterfall!  It was gorgeous.  We were hot and sweaty, but the cool water and the shade of the large rocks was a sweet reward!  We rested, took pictures and chatted awhile before we began our ascent back to the mission.

  

This pic at the waterfall is my personal favorite.  Evidently I did not hear Trey say that this was the "make a funny face" picture, so I kind of left Chelsea on her own.  Moment captured.

The climb was beastly!  We all knew that once we made it down, we would definitely have to come back up, but I don't think I personally knew just how difficult it would be.  I was definitely the weakest link!  Ha.  Let's just say I took several opportunities along the way to stop and admire the view (and slow my breathing).  All in all, it was a fun hike and a gorgeous day to enjoy beautiful Haiti!

Broken Bones and Missing Teeth

Well, most of you probably know by now that our sweet little Kilee has broken her arm again!  As you may recall, it was a little over a year ago that she broke her left arm when she was dancing on a step stool and fell off.  Well, just a few days ago she was pushing Josiah on a swing and as she was giving him an "underdog" she fell, tried to catch herself and broke her right arm right above her wrist.  She was with Madam Ruth at the time because I was at Ladies' Bible Study here at the mission.  As soon as I saw her arm, I knew it was probably broken.  Poor thing!

The one thing about serving here with Baptist Haiti Mission is that you get pretty rapid medical treatment seeing as how the hospital and doctor's residence are located on the mission property.  We immediately met Dr. Bernard at his house, he called in his X-ray technician after hours and 30 minutes later Kilee was getting her arm x-rayed at the mission hospital.  We immediately got the x-ray results, got some pain medication at the hospital pharmacy, and Dr. Bernard reviewed the images.  After it was determined that it was broken, he called his friend in Petion-ville who is an orthopedic surgeon and he met us a few minutes later to splint the arm for her.  Talk about quick!  We are so thankful for all the special care Kilee received through her ordeal.

As for how she's doing now, she feels pretty good.  But, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves . . .

We joked that she looks like an old lady lounging out in front of a rest home wearing that pink fuzzy bath robe with her feet propped up.

Having a broken arm hasn't slowed down playtime!  She made some pretty elaborate play-doh creations today.

A little bit before breaking her arm, she lost her 5th tooth.  A couple of days after the broken arm, she lost her 6th one!  Talk about falling apart at the seams!  She does look pretty darn cute, though.

Missing two front teeth, among others.  Reportedly, there are more loose ones just waiting to fall out!

As for the other kiddo in our family, he seems to be cheating injury at every turn.  I obviously never want either of my kids to be hurt, but I honestly am surprised that it is always her because Josiah is the one doing all of the crazy stuff!  I think he's made of rubber and just bounces when he falls.  Here's an example of one of the aforementioned "crazy" activites...

In this picture, he is about 8 feet off the ground.  Keep in mind that on other occasions I have found him much higher up this tree.  He is so fast that by the time I notice he has run off, he's already 10 feet off the ground and picking fruit off the branches.

The life of a monkey does seem to agree with him, though, don't you think?

When You Become a Missionary Mom . . .

This post is not intended to say that I am good at these things, but just the opposite!   Take a minute and laugh with me, or at me.  Here goes . . .

When You Become a Missionary Mom

1.       Water becomes a big deal. 

Frequently heard in our house:  “Did you put bleach in that water??” “Don’t use THAT water!” “Are we out of water?” and my all time favorite, “Would somebody go outside and turn the pump on?  I’ve got shampoo in my eyes and the shower’s out of water!”  With water usage being such a big deal here in Haiti, I am now officially Sergeant Mom of the Water Police.

2.       Trying to think in another language, do money conversions and still be “mom” leaves you with a constant glazed-over look in your eyes.

I’m sure that most places I go, people think I’m not “all there” based on my furrowed brow, half smile and far-off look in my eye.  Really and truly, I am trying to make sure I get where I need to go and get back home with the same two kids I left with.  I’ll get better at this, but right now, just smile back and know I’m on sensory overload.

3.       Mold and mosquitoes become your arch enemies.

Fear me, villains.  Mold, I have bleach and I know how to use it.  You may think this is your house, but you are sadly mistaken.  Mosquitoes, you won’t live long in the Bidwell house.  I will swat you out of the air like the mosquito-killing-ninja that I am.

4.       You become a pharmacist.

I have learned that just because a pharmacy exists in Haiti, doesn’t mean that it is well-stocked and run by qualified personnel.  You buy the antibiotic, they hand it to you in its original packaging, and then you become the pharmacist.  After reconstituting several oral suspensions thus far, figuring out doses based on body weight, and triple checking to make sure I’m not doping my kids, I can safely say that I would never want the responsibility of being a professional pharmacist.

5.       You become a foreign language rockstar to your kids.

My kids look at me and wonder what is coming over me.  “What is Mommy saying?"  Don’t worry, kids.  It may seem like I know a lot of Creole right now when I talk to people, but you’ll be bypassing me soon.  A few months from now, Mommy will ask, “What are my children saying?  They are speaking Creole so fast!”

6.       Spiders as big as your hand are no longer something you run from, you run toward them with a broom . . . or a machete.

Spiders make my skin crawl.  Most bugs do for that matter, but they are now part of my world on a regular basis.  Justice must be swift.

7.       You regularly check what your child just did in the toilet for worms.

I’m sure this qualifies as TMI, but it’s definitely the new normal.  For the record, all missionaries on this compound are treated for worms bi-annually.  By a doctor, not a vet. ;)

8.       Strange rashes on your kids are the norm.

“What kind of spots do you have today, kids?”  My kids’ allergies are always being aggravated by something.  Concerned people often ask me, are you introducing something new to their environment or diet?  Well, um . . .everything is new.  The rash mystery continues.

9.       You actually want to take your kids to the market with you.

Let's be honest, mommas.  One of the things you look forward to when you have young children is an occassional trip to the grocery without the littles.   In Haiti, the mere presence of kids in a hectic run to the market makes everything go smoothly.  It is a common fact that when white people shop at the local outdoor market, there will be a huge markup.  It’s just the way  life is here in Haiti.  It is assumed that you have a lot of money with you and can pay ten times as much as a national shopper.   When a Haitian mom is selling vegetables to me and my kids at the market, it’s just a mom selling to another mom.  We understand each other.  She has kids, too.  The kids learn a lot by being out and about and allow even more connections to take place with nationals.   It's a win-win!

10.   You find that the Lord empowers you to enjoy a life you never would have wished for, and gain a perspective that you would never have had in your home country. 

The Lord is stretching me and changing me in more ways than I ever could have imagined.  Though I feel that I am constantly failing in so many areas, the Lord is showing me more and more of Himself with each passing day.  He truly is the God of all nations and each day is a humbling step toward a realization that the more I learn, the more I realize I don’t know.  But little by little, He chips away at me for His glory and my good.  Hallelujah, what a Savior!

New Relationships!

If you have been reading this blog for long, you have probably seen a post or two about how much more daily work is involved to simply live here in Haiti.  From washing and bleaching all dishes by hand, to cleaning mold from the walls because of the jungle-like climate, to cooking everything from scratch...well you get the idea.  This has been particularly cumbersome for Monica because we are adding homeschooling into the mix as well as odds and ends for her to do around the mission.  After three months of feeling overly fatigued and consistently impatient with the children, we decided it was time to look into hiring some help for sanity's sake!  A friend of ours was able to locate a woman from a trustworthy family that was interested in some part-time work.  After a couple of interviews and a trial period, we are thrilled to have Madam Ruth working in our home!

Kilee and Madam Ruth playing Haitian "Ti-Ta-To" 

Practically speaking, she has been a tremendous help with the dishes and keeping up with sweeping!  I still do all the cooking (which I enjoy) and most of the laundry, but she helps with just about every other area of housework!  It has really helped to have her here in the mornings while I am homeschooling Kilee, since Josiah now has someone to play with during that time.  She is on-call with the kids while I have my Creole lesson in the afternoons and when Scott needs my help around the mission.  What has been wonderful is that I have so much more time with my kids each day!  I no longer stand at the sink for 2-3 hours per day!  Can I get a hallelujah?!?!?!

She is a spunky lady to be sure.  She is probably in her late forties/early fifties and enjoys jumping rope with Kilee, running all over the house with Josiah, and teaching us all Haitian rhymes and games.  She loves Jesus and enjoys talking about what He has done in her life and in the life of her family.  And let's go on the record and say - nothing quite works to improve your Creole speaking abilities like having a non-English speaking Haitian in your home 5 half-days a week!  My Creole is blazin'!  Ha.

Making new friends

She invited us to her church last Sunday and we enjoyed it so much!  We weren't sure we were going to find it since it was so far back in the mountains, but we kept stopping and asking people on the sides of the road where it was and we finally found it.  We feel blessed that she wanted us to come visit and meet the rest of her family.

No matter where you live, kids are kids.

Most of all, we are thankful that our children have the opportunity to experience all of this.  We rejoice that their eyes are open to something that only a tiny percentage of children in the world get to see.  Lord, let missions be imprinted on their little hearts such that it becomes a lifelong passion for each of them!  Move them to cherish their front row seat to the work of God in Haiti and across the nations!