On Thursday, January 7Th I went to the creche to begin my 6-month stay… Saying good-bye was probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. At that moment all the reality set in, I was in a country by myself without anyone and I was terrified. Dealing with abandonment and isolation was very real to me growing up, being in the environment where I had no one those feeling became real again. God had brought me to Haiti for numerous reasons one of those was to break me of my attachments. I was allowing people and the busyness life to come in the way of my dependency of Christ. I believe 100% that God had to break me first in order to use me for the weeks that were to follow. God was all I had!!! He provided more for me in three days then I could ever imagine. The first weekend at the creche I spent most of my time crying... I did a lot of journaling and some intense time in the word!!! God was all I had, and he quickly became more than enough. In preparation for my trip my biggest fear was the language barrier... And oh was it a ligament concern. I was in a five story building with over 50 people in it and one of them knew English and it wasn't good by any means. I consider myself a fairly easy going kinda person who can get along with most people or at least ease most situations with a little humor. But none of that mattered... I was in a place where my comfort, my ability to communicate was useless!
Needless to say God was quick to intervene and provide a true ANGEL, who goes by the name of Jamarie or John Mark as I called him for 3 days till he said "you know my name is not John Mark right?... NO" Jamarie was a man that worked at the creche as a janitor. At night he would come to my floor and we would talk because PRAISE YOU JESUS!!!! He knew English, well a little at least. He learned some English in school but never had anyone to practice with so he was very eager to talk to me as was I eager to talk to him or anyone at that point :-) The first two nights we just got to know each other during this time he gave me a book that had creole in it, he said he was going to teach me creole because I was helping his English...
I have no doubt in my mind that the reason God placed Jamarie in my life was to be there during the earthquake. When the earthquake happen he was the first person to find me and he refused to leave my side until Mike came and got me two days later. I really didn't know what was going on during the quake but afterwords I said to myself I think this might be bad, not ever being in a earthquake I really had no idea what to do or what a earthquake could do...The creche was unsafe due to the first two floors buckling so we move all 48 children across the street to an elderly woman's property where a church was in the process of being built. It was a foundation with re bar posts that had an old Verizon build board as a temporary covering.
I cant explain my feeling during the earthquake or even after because I can't say that I had any. When we got all the kids over to the church the night of the earthquake I asked Jamarie what we were going to do and he said we will wait for Dr Bernard to come, I knew that it would possible be at least a day till anyone came so all there was to do was wait. I was overwhelmed with the presence of Christ from the moment it hit. I didn't know what the future held, I didn't know if we were going to live or die, be helped or not but I did know God was in control and that was all I needed. I can't describe the feeling but when you come face to face with Christ its an overwhelming experience!!!! I remember saying "God I now know why you brought me here, I don't know if I'm going to die here or spend several months here but YOU are with me and that all I need." I wasn't giving up but it was a very real moment that this really could be the end and I was so OK with that...
I tried to stay up as long as I could but my body was just shutting down. The sweet lady that lived on the grounds cleared me a spot and gave me two blankets to sleep on and I gave in. Throughout the night there were aftershocks that were followed by constant cries of Praise, Fear and Uncertainty. The next morning was when I was received the phone calls from my step mom and Mike and Missy. I had to turn my phone off the night before because all calls were failing and I only had half a battery. I talked to Mike and Missy and told them where we were and Mike reassured me that he was coming to get Tia and I...
That awesome... But when?.... How long would it take?... How many days would it take them to get to us? It was worse know that someone was coming then thinking I was stuck there forever because know someone was coming consumed me....
