Coming Soon!

I have finally made it home!

I arrived back Stateside, Monday morning.

I made it back to Ruston, Monday night.

And I finally arrived in Lake Charles, Thursday evening.

It's been a busy few days.

But I am finally HOME.
And it feels dang good!

I have filled my time by gorging myself on all the wonderful indulgences that come with life in America...
...basically I've been eating a lot of sushi and ice cream...
...and watching TV.

It's been nice to finally be able to fully rest.

Sleeping in a bed really helps the whole resting thing.

I think I've worked out a way to fill you guys in on all that happened in Haiti,
I'm leaning towards doing a week-by-week synopsis of what went down.
So that would be 4 posts specifically about what we did in Haiti.
What do you think?
Too much at once?
Not enough?
Just right?

Let me know what you think.
I'm going to start hopefully Monday,
I'll take the weekend to review my journal and organize everything in my head.


But fret not,
all the juicy Haitian details will be coming soon!

Haiti Update!

Bonjou from Haiti!!

I got a chance to update!
Wahoo!!!
So let me try and fill you in on all the important stuff that’s happened over the last 2 weeks.

We got to Haiti safely,
the travel was kinda complicated…
but hey that’s Haiti!
We took 3 planes,
a bus,
a boat,
and 2 trucks to get to our first destination,
Boucan-la-Marre,
basically what we consider to be our home in Haiti!


We stayed in Boucan-la-Marre for a few days,
we did a Croc drop at the school for the preschool kids,
poor things were scared to death,
they had never seen white people,
much less nine of them who wanted to touch their feet and take off their shoes.

But mostly we just rested and prepared to go to our first village.

We had planned to go on Wednesday, May 23rd,
But Kevin got sick so we had to postpone our trip until the next day.
Silly Kevin,
he can’t eat American hotdogs but for some reason thought he could handle a Haitian hotdog,
he couldn’t.


So we left Thursday for Pointe Sable,
to get there we took,
2 trucks and a boat.
And when I say a boat, I mean pirate ship style,
but not as big.

We stayed in Pointe Sable for just over a week,
I think it ended up being about 10 days total.
Pointe Sable, was difficult.

When people talk about the “uttermost ends of the earth,”
they are talking about Pointe Sable,

they just don't know it.

The total population can’t be more than a few hundred,
There is no electricity,
No running water,
No toilets,
No cars,
And no shade.
Pointe Sable was a challenge for all of us,

The work was HARD.
We were helping to build the church for the community,
and the way we contributed was by carrying,
either,
mini-boulders or buckets of sand up the mountain,
and dropping them in a pile.
Needless to say, we are all tan and ripped!

Though the work,
heat,
food,
and facilities were all very challenging,
Pointe Sable had its blessings too.
The love and care the people had for us was incredibly humbling.

They gave so much to us,
they woudn’t let us work for longer than an hour without taking a 20 minute break,
they cooked for us,
washed our clothes,
we lived in one lady’s backyard.

They truly loved and appreciated us.
They understood what it took for us to get there,
(they haven’t had missionaries, a.k.a. white people, there in over 15 years).
We enjoyed getting to spend time with them,
even if we didn’t speak the same language.

One of their favorite things to do with us was to braid our hair,
I had fat cornrows (cool),
I had skinny cornrows (could be cooler),
I had rasta braids (not so cool).

Something that kept us all sane in Pointe Sable was the beach,
they had some of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen,
just ignore the trash and all the naked kids.
Everyday after lunch we went to the beach,
we got to cool off and relax,
hang out with each other and the kids,
and catch all kinds of starfish...we probably have close to 70 total.

It was sad to leave, but we were excited to see what else the Lord had for us in Haiti.
Also, I was ready to not have sand in all my crevices.
We left on Friday and took the boat and 2 trucks to get back to Boucan-la-Marre.

This weekend has been one of much needed rest,
Our bodies were fully exhausted.
So we spent the last 2 days, reading and napping and talking.
It’s been wonderful!

It’s also incredibly refreshing to be in Boucan-la-Marre,
We have showers,
Toilets,
Shade,
A breeze,
DELICIOUS food,
Etc.

We pretty much feel like we’re in paradise here.


We start work today on the school in Boucan-la-Marre,
So far there’s been too many Americans and not enough work.
But that will just give us a chance to get creative!

Please continue to pray for our team,
your prayers have been felt and appreciated!

So far everyone is well,
we’ve had a few bouts of stomach sickness and general travelers “issues,”
but it’s been nothing a little Cipro won’t fix!

Everyone is getting along well and is enjoying our time here and with each other.
Our team has been very blessed!

I probably won’t be able to post again until I’m back in the States.
Here’s a quick rundown of what we’ve got left,
we’ll be in Boucan-la-Marre until the 16th, basically doing whatever they tell us to.
On the 16th we go to Port-au-Prince for debriefing and a bit of fun before we fly out on the 18th.

I promise I’m keeping notes so I’ll be able to fill you in on all the juicy details when I get home!

Thank you again for your love and support,
not just for me but for the whole team!



The Day.

Well folks, today is THE day. 

I leave for Haiti this afternoon.

I wish I could say that I was filled completely with excitement,

 and had no fears or worries about what I am about to do.

But let's face it, 

we all know that AINT TRUE.

I'm kinda freaking out. 

This trip is going to be, 

BY FAR, 

the most intense and challenging thing I've ever done.

I think one of the most challenging things about this trip,

so far, 

is just how much unknown there is. 

I mean I have a VERY minimal knowledge of what to expect when I step off the plane in Port-au-Prince.

But from my experience,

I've noticed that God isn't one to give a play-by-play.

He's more a need-to-know kinda guy.

So I'm assuming He'll tell me what I need to know, 

when it becomes necessary for me to know it. 

At one of our last team meetings, 

Pastor Alfonso told us that,

 he goes to Haiti because that's where God is. 

And right now, that is probably the only reason I am excited for this trip.

Please keep my team in your prayers while we're gone.

We leave this afternoon and will return stateside on June 18th. 

Your love and support has been so greatly appreciated by all of us.

Thank You from,

Kaiti Rees

Hailey Singletary

Kevin Singletary

Jonathan Magee

Sarah Gilbert

Jillian Eppler

Allie Adger

Chase Blackwell

Phoebe Thomas

What Have I Done?

I leave for Haiti tomorrow afternoon. 

Every time I remember that I leave tomorrow afternoon,

my mind immediately says,

"Oh goodness, what have I done?"

And then comes the panic attack. 

Yay!

Let's be real,

this trip has me scared out of my mind. 

I may appear calm and collected, 

but I'm still breathing into a paper bag when no one is looking.

I'm not entirely sure what I am so nervous about or afraid of,

I think it's just the sheer magnitude of a trip like this. 

I am going to live on a remote island, 

off the coast of another semi-remote island, 

I will sleep in a tent, 

and pee outside.

It's going to be HOT and there will be lots of mosquitos. 

And I won't get to talk to my mommy. 

Packing has also been the culprit of a many moments of hyperventilation.

I mean you try and fit EVERYTHING you will need for 30 days in here!

That's no easy task, my friend!

So, in summary, 

I leave for Haiti tomorrow at 2p.m. 

I will have NO contact while I am there,

for 30 days,

I am completely terrified of what I am about to do, 

prayers are greatly appreciated. 

Future Ambitions.

I have an announcement. 

I would say it's a pretty big piece of news,

for me at least.

Today, I chose a career path. 

Yep, that's right,

I picked a path. 

This is a big decision for me.

Being a language major, 

I pretty much have endless possibilities as far as careers go,

I could teach, 

I could work for the UN,

I could work overseas,

I could work for the government, 

I could work in fashion, 

television, 

movies,

sports,

publishing, 

business,

finance,

 etc, 

etc, 

etc.

The list could literally go on FOREVER. 

But today, as I was sitting in my car waiting for someone, 

I decided my future...career path. 

And that path is,

TENNIS. 

Yep, tennis. 

I decided on tennis because:

1. I can't imagine my life without it,

tennis has given me so much over the past 11 years, 

and it's something that I absolutely LOVE. 

2. I would hate to have a job,

 or be in a position, 

where tennis couldn't be a large part of my life. 

3. I am currently a tennis coach in Ruston. 

It's the best job I could have ever asked for. 

I absolutely love it.

So I can't imagine going from this job, 

where I set my own hours, 

pay, 

curriculum, 

etc. 

To a 9-5 where I am just another employee. 

I think that in this stage of my life, 

tennis is the path that will offer me the most, 

opportunity, fulfillment, and enjoyment.

I don't know exactly how I want to go about making tennis my career.

Do I want to coach?

Organize leagues, or tournaments?

Work for the USTA?

Work for the ATP?

I'm not sure yet, 

but I do know that the tennis world is where I'm heading. 

Granted, all of this is still subject to change, 

graduation is still 12 months away. 

But for now tennis is what I've chosen.

I've got a few ideas, job wise. 

But who really knows, right?

Logistics.

I leave for Haiti in TEN days.
That's ridiculous.

Our team has been given some more info on what we'll actually be doing,
and where we'll be going.
So I thought I would share.

We're going through an organization called Remember the Poor.


We will be staying and working on the island of La Gonâve.

We will get to La Gonâve, by a boat like this...

We'll arrive in a town called Anse-a Galets, 

this is the most modern city on the island,

we'll buy water and supplies here.

From Anse-a-Galets, we'll travel to Boucan-la-Marre 

(I think that's how you spell it).

This village is up in the mountains, 

and here we will have electricity, showers and toilets!

And by showers, I mean, a five gallon bucket with a bowl in it....

better than nothing right?

After some time in Boucan-la-Marre 

(we don't know exactly how long),

we'll travel to Pointe-Sable. 

We have been told to expect views like this...

I'm down for that!

This village is extremely remote,

which means smelly teammates and awkward bathroom breaks!

Yippee!

We aren't sure what we'll be doing here, or how long we'll be here. 

I think we'll be doing some construction, 

a Croc drop, where we pass out Crocs to the villagers,

some VBS or kids camps, 

and who knows what else! 

This is about all I know so far,

and it's about all I will know until we actually get there. 

I won't have internet pretty much the entire time I'm there, 

so it looks like the blog is going to get a break, 

but I do plan on journaling extensively so I won't forget a thing! 

So don't worry I'll recount every detail when I get back! 

Total Preparation.

I leave for Haiti in 15 days.
That's kinda CRAZY.
It's so hard to realize that I'm actually going to DO what I've been TALKING about doing for the past five months. 

The closer my departure date gets the more antsy I get.
I'm not exceptionally nervous,
except in the areas of personal hygiene...there I'm totally freaked
but aside from that I'm just excited.

I keep trying to find new ways to "prepare" myself for Haiti.

I've tried to learn some creole,
to prepare myself for the language barrier.
(thankfully the Lord has already prepared me because French is the language used in education and business...wahoo!)

I've made packing lists,
on paper,
and over and over again in my head.
I will be prepared for just about any medical need we should have,
aside from needing an actual doctor.
(Thanks Mom for raising me like a Boy Scout)

I've done research on Haiti...
well, as much as I can,
there's not much info on the area we will be going.

I am praying and reading the scriptures.
I'm brushing up on all those "crisis verses" I've got stashed away in my brain.
I'm sure there will be some I will refer to more than others,
but it's all useful, right?

I should say that I've tried to prepare my body physically,
by exercising and working out,
but we all know that's NOT true.

Through all of this preparation,
I've come to realize that I'm NEVER going to be even close to "prepared."
It's just not going to happen.
So I'm just going to let God shove me off the plane,
onto the island,
and let my face hit the dirt.
My one request is that He help me up and wipe it off.