4 Months Later

You would think that will all this free time I have had for the past six days, I would blog more. I guess it is a mix of laziness and not having anything to say. I have sat silently for days in a row trying to figure out what is happening in this country that I love so much.

Even now as I sit here typing, I have no idea what to say. Four months ago, I came to Haiti to start a journey. A journey of growth, a journey of adventure, a journey to find the Lord and serve Him better. I got more growth, adventure, and service than I bargained for. I really didn't know what to expect coming here, but what I got was different than anything I could have ever imagined.

It started out with a bang. We went to the orphanage, the clinic, and even did a mobile clinic. I fell in love with 2 kids at the orphanage, and really enjoyed helping in medicine. The next 2 weeks that went by were slow, and I wasn't sure that what I was doing here was productive. I now see that God was preparing me for the adventure that He was about to take me on. He wanted me to be still and read His word, pray, and spend genuine time with Him before I jumped into the deep end of what the last four months have been about.

First came the job. Never in a million years would I have thought that I, Kristina Birkhead, would be 1) a teacher or 2) an English teacher. God has really blessed me in this job. I have seen so many awesome people and have had some of the best conversations I could ever dream of. One in particular that I want to tell you about is a Junior boy. This kid is loud and obnoxious. When I first met him, I was afraid to have him in my class. I really wasn't sure how I was going to control his loud self and get things done. He is one of the "popular" kids at school, and he comes from a wealthy family. I automatically placed a stereotype on him and thought that he probably couldn't care less about the gospel, but I want to be Christ to him. I want him to see God's love, because he can change a lot of lives. In class one day we were talking about the Cholera epidemic. He said, in front of everyone, that he didn't want to go on the streets or talk to anyone on the streets because they could have Cholera and he didn't want to catch it. I talked to him after class that day and asked him how we were to share God's love if we weren't willing to meet them where they were, Cholera and all. He kind of brushed me off, so I didn't really pursue any more talks with him until I thought maybe he would be more responsive. A week later, we had Current Event Friday, where the students bring in a current news article and share with the class. He decided to share on Cholera, and his attitude had totally changed. He was asking everyone to support him by wanting to reach out to those in need, and getting hydration packs together. He truly is a leader in his class, and I could see the students warming up to what he was saying. I was shocked and surprised and knew that God was really working on his heart.

Later in the semester, we were in our "study hall". This class is 3 students and me. One of the students was absent this particular day so it was the two students and myself. He started asking me questions on what I believed and what was important to me, and he really opened up and told me how important his faith was to him. He began to share how his parents really supported him in his faith and he began to tell me how God was working in his life. I asked him why he never shared with his classmates and he simply said that "they don't want to hear it." My heart broke. I began to share that it only takes one person to spark something in someone's life. I remember at my high school that it took one football player standing up in chapel to change my entire grade. I have seen a difference in him. He has been nicer to others around him and more vocal about what he truly believes. I think he is scared to lose his popularity, but he is starting to see that there is more to life than popularity. I have started tutoring him in algebra and so I am really getting the chance to invest in his life and hopefully others around him will see something incredible about his life. He really can change this school, and I know that God is going to use him in a mighty mighty way.

Another cool thing that has happened while working at the school is my discipleship group. I was randomly assigned six girls: Maika, Lorena, Claudia, Taressa, Alexandra, and Celine. I knew three of these girls before the group started, but I was excited to see a different side of them. We started looking at the book Crazy Love, by Francis Chan, but most of the time we spent a lot of time praying and listening to songs. Worship songs have been a huge part of my life, and I really wanted these girls to experience a little bit of that. One of the first things I was faced with in this group was "why does God punish Haiti so much? How much more can Haiti take?" Wow. I was speechless. I began to tell them that God has a reason for EVERYTHING, but often we don't see the reason until much later. We have to trust that God knows what He is doing, and we have to be patient for His timing. Two of them are headed to college next year, and they are both terrified. Two of them are Juniors, trying to find the balance of fitting in and sticking out. The last two are Sophomores, both dealing with forgiveness issues. Each girl is so unique and has been such a blessing. I pray for them daily, and I know that God can do amazing things with these girls lives, as battered and torn and crazy as they think they may be.

Lots of other cool things have happened at this school, and I am ecstatic to be coming back for the Spring semester. I am also going to be teaching more. I am teaching two sections of Grade 10 English literature, my same section of American Literature, a creative writing class, and a random Algebra 1 class. I'm really excited to see what God is going to do with the new relationships I will be forming.

The next big wrench that God threw at me was a little baby girl named Melissa Hope. This baby has changed my life forever. I will not lie, taking care of her might be the hardest thing I have ever done. I became a mom and a working mom all within two weeks. You can read back at my previous posts for more about the beginning of our story. Never in a trillion years would I have thought I would become a "mommy" at age 22. And to think, when I came down here, I really didn't like babies! There have been several "I can't do this anymore, I'm not equipped to be a mom!" moments, but I was quickly reminded that God didn't bring me this baby girl without knowing I could do it. I am happy to report to you that she is now 5 pounds heavier, and smiles constantly. God has really worked through this little girl's life, and I know that she is going to change so many lives. When I look at her, I can see Christ's love. When I look at what we've been through together, I'm reminded of God's grace. When I think I can't do it anymore he softly whispers in my ear, "Oh, beloved, you can do it. I am still here with you. Press on. Don't give up. I won't fail you. You CAN do it. I have equipped you with everything you need. Show her MY love." Wow. Ok, God. I was once again shown how little faith I have in HIM to get me through the tough times in life. He is always in control and won't forsake me or leave me, even when I'm caught up in the craziness of life.

Then cholera. Oh the cholera. I heard the other day that it will take 6 years to eradicate cholera from this country. So many have died, so many are sick, and hardly any are reported. The last thing this country needed was a disease strain. We have not been directly affected by it, but it is only supposed to get worse. I have resumed my "germ freak-ness" and we are prepared with hydration packs to serve those who are affected by the sickness.

And now elections. I don't even know what to say about these elections. I have never seen images so crazy. To think that the places I travel every single day are now destroyed by fire and broken glass. My mind is blown and I can't help but think why?! Why are these people doing this? Why is God allowing this country to go to shambles? There is my "little faith" again. He knows exactly what He is doing and He is going to get glory from all of this. I can't help but to be a little scared. We are safe on our hill, but we can't go down from the hill. Flights have been cancelled, lives destroyed, and I'm complaining about being bored. This country needs a leader who can turn this place around. I honestly can't tell you what is going to happen here in Haiti. Things were pretty calm today, but that means nothing for tomorrow. The people are angry in this country. They want justice. They want their voices to be heard. Is burning tires and tearing down signs going to bring that... no. So who knows what will happen to this country. All I can do is pray. I'm seeking God for comfort and for peace, because honestly, I'm scared for the Haitian people. My brain is on overload from the messages we have gotten. I'm trying to digest what is happening, and praying that God takes this and gets so much glory from it. I wish I had better news, and hopefully I will tomorrow.

Please pray for this country, and selfishly, pray that I get out on Wednesday. Airports are supposed to open on Tuesday, but we really don't know what the weekend has in store for us. I hope to blog again tomorrow saying that everything is normal and we can finally leave the mountaintop. I'm ready to be back in the valley.

Until next time...

Kristina

Haiti Happenings

Late last night, the CEP (electoral board) announced the results of the election that took place last week. And the winners are...

Madame Manigat - 33%
Jude Celestin - 22.8%
Michel Martelley - 21.4%

If you don't remember these peeps, you can look back at my previous post about the elections.

So basically, they announced these results and everyone got extremely mad. A lot of people thought Martelley should at least be in the top two, if one the out right winner. Automatically riots broke out in the streets of Haiti.

I've heard that Martelley and Manigat are asking for a re-count of the votes. Martelley has said that he will not be in a run-off with Jude Celestin, so he is hoping that the re-count will show that he and Manigat are the top two.

Tires are burning, guns are being fired, people are peeing on posters. This is Haiti.

They have cancelled school for the rest of the week and American Airlines has cancelled all flights until at least Sunday.

It's crazy around here, but we are staying safe. We are up on a hill and staying in the house. I'll keep posting as we hear things, and hopefully I can post pictures soon!

Until then...

Christmas Bazaar

The Christmas Bazaar is an event that QCS puts on every year to fund raise for every class. The middle schoolers had several games for small children. The freshman class had an incredible bounce house for everyone. The sophomore class decided to do a pie in the face booth. The ones getting pied in the face were other students and some teachers, me being a lucky winner. The juniors had a dunking booth. The seniors were in charge of snacks and lunch. They gave away a lot of prizes, and played a ton of Christmas music. A lot of local vendors came and sold their products. It was a great time, and each class raised a lot of money.

In case you didn't know, whipped cream smells TERRIBLE after it gets hot. I hope I never get creamed again. It was not a fun experience. Oh, the things I do for the Sophomore class at QCS. After they ran our of whipped cream, they started soaking a sponge in water and hitting it with me in the face. The sponge really didn't feel good, but I allowed them to do it for about 30 minutes.

The dreaded sponge!

Not looking too hot after all the whipped cream and water.

>K

It's A Selection, Not An Election

Selection, not election. But in reality, this election is no where near a selection. Accusations of fraud have been barreling through the city, which has caused uprising in this country.

So this is the way the elections work: Every voter has an ID card and a specific booth they are supposed to go to. However, many people lost their cards in the January earthquake. Digicel, one of the top cell phone carriers in Haiti, has stepped in and is allowing people to call a number to be told where to go. Pretty simple process.

So here's a who's who of the people I'll be talking about.

Preval - current president and part of the INITE party

Jude Celestin - Preval's son-in-law and one of the top contenders in this election. Endorsed by Preval and part of the INITE party

Madame Manigat - former first lady, and top contender in this election

Michel "sweet mickey" Martelly - very crude rapper and top contender in this election

So those are the important people. Elections in Haiti are usually not a very safe time. The roads are shut down from 8 pm Saturday night until 8 am Monday morning. No alcohol or gasoline is sold during that time either. In the past, many riots have broken out and many people killed.

This year seems to be no different. Saturday night, gunfire was opened at a rally for Martelly. No one was injured or killed, but it is believed to be an assassination attempt on Martelly. Today, three people have already been killed due to an accusation of fraud by the INITE party.

Celestin has been accused of having tons of ballots already filled out in his favor. Also, Preval is shutting down voting booths without the proper authority of doing so. Five of the candidates are holding a press conference today to talk about the fraud. If I spoke better Creole, then I would know what they are saying, but I'm relying on some friends to let me know what is happening.

Fraud is not the only problem being faced right now. Many voters cannot find their names on the list at the voting centers they are going to. So many people will probably not get to vote. One of the voting bureaus was vandalized this morning, and overtaken by thugs. Many voting centers are shutting down early because of all the violence that is happening. There are anti-Celestin and pro-Martelly riots by the airport. Everywhere you turn in this country, there is some form of violence or demonstration happening.

Now, Madame Manigat is asking that the elections be cancelled because of all the fraud. It would not be good for the country to go through this twice. With every election, there is going to be violence, but going through this twice will not be good.

This country is angry with Preval. After the January 12 earthquake, Preval ran. Nothing has been done to help this country. Many of the voters want a president that will help the people in the tent cities have permanent homes, and that will help rebuild this country. But, like most other leaders, the election is about power and money. The winner of the election gets over one billion dollars to help the country, but most of the candidates would pocket the money, and leave the people as they are.

This country needs a God-fearing leader. It doesn't appear that will happen this year, but I believe God can work through whoever is elected. This country needs prayer as the voters are casting their ballots. This country needs prayer for there to be an absence of violence.

Please pray for Haiti today. Prayer is a powerful, powerful tool, and this country needs it so so so much. I'll be updating twitter as I find out what is going on, so if you are interested, you can follow at twitter.com/sweetkristina10

I'll try to update again later.

Until then...

Thankful

Since it is Thanksgiving, and I haven't blogged in a while, I want to devote this blog to some of the many things I am thankful for. This will not be a complete list, but just a few things.

1. Jesus - I am so thankful that my Savior came and died for me so that I can share His love with everyone around me. I am thankful that he looked upon me, a nasty sinner, and saw something worth dying for. I will spend the rest of my days on this Earth praising His name and spreading His love.

2. My awesome family - Even though I didn't get to share this Thanksgiving with them, I was there in Spirit and got to see their beautiful faces over Skype. I'm thankful that they support me even when I wanna do something crazy, like live in a 3rd world country.

3. The Tripod - Adam West and Adam Fox are two of my very best friends who support me and love me no matter what. I haven't seen them in over 3 months, yet they still talk to me all the time and take time out of their busy schedules to check on me.

4. My friends - I probably have the absolute best friends in the world. I know everyone says that, but really. Mine are awesome. They pray for me, love me, and post on my facebook wall just to see how I'm doing. It can be quite overwhelming to live in a 3rd world country with no friends or family, but mine make is so easy :)

5. America - I love that place. I love its grass, I love its trees, I love its restaurants.

5. Haiti : The country that has the other half of my heart. Although it can be so hard, it is such a blessing to see God moving in a country that is desperate for His love. I'm so glad that every Sunday morning, I get to sit with Haitians and Americans and sing praises to our God. Sometimes we sing in English, sometimes in Creole, but either way, we are worshipping the same God. I am also thankful that I have met some amazing friends in this country, both Haitian and American. They keep me sane when I feel like breaking down.

6. My students - I have such an incredible crop of students. I have eleven 11th graders, and 12 tenth graders. I LOVE my students. They can be difficult at times, but they bring me so much joy throughout the day. I have a unique opportunity with them. These kids are the future leaders of Haiti. They have the connections and the wealth to change the country around, and hardly any of them know it. Each day, I am blessed with the opportunity to share Christ with these kids and help them see what they can do for this country. I have already had so many awesome conversations, I look forward to tons more!

Ok.. these are my selfish ones that I shamelessly miss from America, but am ever so thankful for

• Starbucks - I miss that beautiful coffee. You better believe that when I hit Miami, my lips will be tasting that goodness once again. I didn't realize how thankful I was for this franchise until I couldn't have it for 3 months.
• Hot water - I am so thankful to get to take hot showers every now and then. Cold ones will do that to ya.
• Easy access to everyday items - it is a bit of an ordeal to get simple things in this country, and I am so thankful that in America, it is so easy to just run to the store and get things
• Paved roads - My booty appreciates those

Other miscellaneous things that I am so thankful for

• An amazing education - both High School and ole faithful : UT (The real one)
• My health - I have my ups and downs, but I am better off than most
• Facebook - I can keep in touch with anyone, anywhere
• Tennessee Basketball

Ok, so that is my short list of things, but I know there are so many more things that I could write. I hope you all had a great thanksgiving!

20 more days :)

KB

Marie's Story

This is a story of a little girl who breaks my heart.

I got a phone call about a week and a half ago from Michelle. She told me that a baby had been dropped off at our clinic. This is baby number 2 that has been dropped off, and I already knew that Michelle had this baby in her possession. We meet up and I see this HUGE baby! She has got to weigh 30 pounds. She is seven months, has two teeth, and is all around pretty adorable.

I hold her for a few minutes, and she pees on me. This is the beginning of our love-hate relationship. I'm still getting used to "babies" so having one pee on me was not a good start. I really wanted to know her story so Michelle filled me in on all of the details.

Marie's dad is a voodoo priest. Every November, there is a ceremony where babies are sacrificed to the voodoo religion. Marie's mom brought Marie and her younger brother to the clinic that day covered in blood. Quickly, the staff at the clinic found out that the children had been abused by the father, and he was planning on killing baby Marie. My heart sunk. How can ANYONE kill an innocent child. My heart started beating fast, and I was so glad that she was in our possession.

We are home with Marie, and she starts SCREAMING. Every time we put this child down, she cries uncontrollably. I automatically get nervous for this child. I know she is out of her comfort zone, even though her comfort zone was being beat. I can't imagine what this baby has seen, but I do know that she hates being put down. If she is held, she is perfectly fine, but the minute she is put on the couch, or on the bed, the tears start flowing.

We are trying to calm her down when Michelle gets a call from the clinic director. The mom has returned to the clinic saying that the dad wants the baby back, and we have to bring Marie back right now. Heart sinking part 2. Michelle says that Marie has to go back to the clinic because the dad is still in charge. The pastor of the community church is going to the dad to try to get him to relinquish Marie, but at this point, anything could happen. He could definitely say I want my baby back, and that baby could be sacrificed tomorrow.

Marie left our house, and I couldn't help but plead with our Father to save this baby's life. I was reminded that whether this baby comes back to our house or not, God is still in control and has this baby surrounded in love. We prayed and weeped, and prayed, and weeped. I was sick to my stomach thinking that this baby could go back to her earthly father just to be harmed and possibly even killed.

After praying for a while and talking to some girls that are staying at our house, I walked down to our guesthouse to see what was going on. We got a call and the clinic director said that the dad decided to relinquish his responsibility! He said the baby was his wife's and she could do what she wanted! I immediately started praising the Lord for sparing this baby's life! Once again, the power of prayer showed me how little faith I have. God knew all along what would happen to this baby, and it reminded me once again how sovereign and awesome He is.

So Marie is now living with us. For the first 3 days she did nothing but cry. She would start crying, then Melissa would start crying. We were having a really hard time, but she has finally gotten used to us and has started playing and smiling a lot more. She can even sit on the floor with some toys and not cry! She truly has come a long way, and I'm so blessed to see the transition that is happening in her life.

I don't know where Marie will end up, but I am confident that she will always be protected under God's wing. She has already impacted several people's lives, and I know that her story will impact so many more. I hope her story even moves you as you are reading this. God really is in control, and He knows what is best for us, and baby Marie.

I'll keep you updated as she grows and we find a permanent place for her.

Until next time...

Quickie Update

I am so sorry I haven't been updating much. Life has been so crazy lately, but I did want to send a quick shout-out and let ya'll know that I'm still here! I hope to do an in depth blog later tonight!

I found out yesterday that I am going to teach a creative writing and a speech class next semester! I am so excited about these two courses, and I'm starting to plan out exactly what I want to teach in them.

The Lord has been so good to me lately, and has been reminding me to trust in Him and everything else will fall into place. As always, I am so thankful for your prayers, and I promise to tell you all about recent happenings very very soon!

I love ya'll!