God works in chaos.

The Social Work students and I had an appointment at an orphanage in Delmas 75. 

We met at the office. They were pumped. 

But...Transportation in Haiti is ridiculous. Just silly.

I had Nicola tell them the specific area in Creole, and I told them I would see it from there. 

There are no addresses. I've been memorizing everything by sight because I've got work to do.

One of my students, Gregory, planned the most cost effiencent way to pull it off. 

We need to take a tap tap to place where motto dudes wait, and then go two to a cycle from there. (So that's 3 with the driver) 

Perfect, right? Hahahaha! 

So, when Hatian men plan, they argue. 

Once we got to the mottos dudes, it was complete drama. 

I always take control in English to get things get moving- but today there were too many men to wrangle into thought cohesion. 

We pass the orphanage.

No one believes me. 

We drive two miles past it while I'm yelling "Why will NO ONE believe the white girl?!?! WE PASSED IT WAY BACK THERE!"

When all the mottos finally stop because my student believes me. We circle into a dirt road intersection, and Haitian Men resume arguing. I along with them, in English. 

Haha!

I just realized, I totally fit in and yell too. 

While I'm yelling- out from behind a gate walks a beautiful Haitian man. He had a light around him. He looked at me and said "Can I help YOU?" 

English! Yay! 

I tell him who we are, what were doing, and why we are currently arguing at this interaction. He tells me that he runs an orphanage behind the gates. All the Haitians were practically silent. 

I immediately asked if we could please have a tour. 

He Jesusy smiles and brings us in...

After we argued with motto drivers about price for 10 minutes, that is. 

We had stumbled across Child Hope International. One of the most beautiful places I have visited in Haiti so far. It was so so so legit. 

And not only were we touring a place that was full of hope, but our tour was being lead by a Haitian man that is DOING Social Work. My students see a role model. 

I was FULL of questions and praise. 

They feed the starving children in their neighborhood three times a week. 

I said "Can we PLEASE come to that and do an activity with those children?!" 

By then, my students who continue to floor me had already proven themselves as outstanding young adults and he said "Sure, next Wednesday?" 

Oh! The day my children arrive in Haiti? Yes. Please. 

My students planned soccer, and a Haitian candy game. 

Everest and Miles: meet Haiti. 

It gets better and better... Keep reading. 

Then we were brought into the skills training side of campus. When children graduate from the orphanage and Christian school- they can enter into skills training. 

Carpentry, construction, cooking, and sewing! 

By this point I am telling everyone what #godmagic is and that we stumbled across this place with divine intention from God. 

We are all so happy. 

The staff in skills training, gather us around for a prayer and thank God for bringing us all together. 

Yep, circled up thanking God for #godmagic with my students. 

#godmagictetchage (hash tag creole translation: god magic brain load) 

We exchange lots of numbers, hugs and blessings and start to travel down the dirt road by foot to the orphanage we had missed. Full of Hope for Haiti.

Haiti was hard on my body today. The heat killed me, and my stomach must have caught a little bug. I was even whining to students today when we were walking. I have disdain for whiners. 

My favorite part is: they never offered to stop once. They just kept telling me to keep going. 

They just keep going. 

When we finally got the second orphanage- Two parents that currently have their children in an orphanage because they can not feed or house them were there waiting for us. Hoping for a solution that could allow them to be parents. 

I did full on engagement and assessment and planning thru the translation of my students. And they asked my questions in excitement because they love problem solving too. 

Some of the students strengths were loving and engaging the kids. There was a soccer game going in a small cement area by the time I was done.  

I was beaming with pride. 

The conversation we had about our day over cheap Haitian food that made me even sicker,  brought me to actual tears. 

I am certain, without a doubt that God called me to these kids, it's going to be so much better to have an army of Haitian Social Workers. 

And these are the ones we want.