Haiti has my Heart....

Haiti has been on my mind today. Where do I even begin to talk about something that is so close and dear to my heart. I left my heart in Haiti almost two years ago. I adore the Haitian people more than I could ever even begin to explain to someone who has never spent a day in the life of "Haiti."

I signed up for a trip to Haiti a few months after the earthquake hit in 2010. I was determined to flee from my comfort zone and help someone else in need. When I got to Haiti it was like a whole other world. It looks absolutely nothing like America. Although an earthquake hit and devastated the city, I had never seen such a beautiful piece of land. It's a place where you can look one way and see an ocean and the other direction; beautiful mountains. I had instantly given away my heart. After a day or so I found myself in bed and at the doctor's office for the remainder of the trip. I felt I had missed this amazing opportunity to love on these people and was crushed.

 I was determined to go back. This past May I boarded a plane ready to face my fears of illness and disappointment. My goal was to love a child and I can not begin to describe the overwhelming joy it is to love a Haitian child. The struggles of life hit these children hard but they get back up the next morning ready to tackle another day with smiles on their faces. They are more than an inspiration; they are what I strive everyday to be like.

Haiti has my heart and it will forever. I think about the joy I have when I am in the midst of heat and giant spiders and more than anything the arms of a Haitian child and am overwhelmed with happiness. I thank God everyday for the time he gave me in Haiti to learn and grow and find something most people in life will never find. I found my passion. A passion for children who have nothing yet love life. A passion for people who live each day in struggle but continue to overcome. Haiti is beautiful and beyond anything I ever expected. Haiti changed my life and someday when I embrace the role of mom for a young Haitian child I will forever be thankful for Haiti.