Author: ashleymw88

It’s 1 something in the morning and I can’t believe that this day has arrived already!

Struggling to get out of the bed…I was happy that I had made sure to pack earlier than the morning I left because the way I am wired, it would be me to do that. I work better under pressure aka procrastinate. But you know, we are all a work in progress 🙂

So we finally get to the church and my husband helps me with my luggage. I wanted him to leave right away because I was trying to get my mind together that this would be the longest we had been apart from each other and I didn’t want to get more sad than what I already was. But he wouldn’t leave my side until I got on the bus to depart. I am glad that he stayed with me.

We pulled away from the church and I sat in my chair, in the darkness of the early morning and the tears started to fall. I was mad and frustrated with God. I kept saying “why do I have to go by myself”! “Why didn’t you want us to experience this together”!

And in God’s sweet and comforting way , he said to me “because I want you to know how it is to rely on me alone”.

Wow! I felt a peace start to come over me as God reassured me of this and that he would take care of my husband. The tears started to lessen.

We got to NYC! Time to get on the plane. Ok, I am ready!!

Airline announcement: ” There is a malfunction with the plane going to Haiti. There is now a 3 hour delay”

I was like really? C’mon Now!

I think part of me felt like well maybe something will happen where we don’t have to go. Then the other part of me was like, I got this far I am not turning back.

It is funny how things happen. During this time, the bonding was growing between us as teammates going to Haiti and with the wait I wanted to get to Haiti faster now then before we even had the delay!

3 Hours go by.

Airline Announcement. “We will now start boarding those going to Port au Prince”

Yesssss!!!!! My head was in the game and I was ready to go.

Smooth Plane ride. Safe landing.

“Welcome to Haiti!” We made it Baby!!

Getting our luggage was a bit Hectic but I felt an overwhelming peace. To be honest it shocked me! Here I was in a different Country and yet I felt so comfortable and I hadn’t even met all of the people yet. I just felt like, I’m okay with this place.

I like this place. I see Beautiful people.

I walked through the crowd of people like a BOSS to that yellow school bus! haha! I felt good.

It was night time now so it was dark but that ride was one like no other. Bumpy. People jumping on “tap’taps” ( Haiti’s Version of a Taxi), ladies walking holding jugs & baskets on their heads.

New place but I already was starting to feel connected. And then we pulled into Mission Of Hope. Ahh the start to a great journey.

We received an overview of what Mission of Hope was and what we would experience the next couple of days. Little did I know that this place, in a short time, would change my  life.

It was time to rest up for the next day.

1st Picture – the area we had our first overview and the place I would have personal devotions throughout the week.

2nd Picture- This was the room I slept in , bottom bunk.

The last time I wrote about Haiti, I was wondering why God was taking me out of the states to do missions. I just knew he wanted to teach me something and for sure he did. In the next couple of posts I will describe the different “God Moments” I had while in Haiti but let me just tell you the short version of a long story…. God is good. He is Always Right. Follow Him and you will be blessed. I LOVE HAITI&  I want to go back as soon as I can.

The End…..Haha, not really. Grab a snack as I walk through some Haiti Moments. 

( The Sun shining down on the Beautiful Haiti Mountains, a view I always loved seeing 🙂

( Written By The Hubby Jason )

Recently, I received a photocopy of a document from one of my cousins on some of the heritage from my father’s side of the family, specifically his mother’s family tree.  I have started to attempt to piece together somewhat of a family tree some years ago, but had little success.  Both my mother’s side and father’s side of the family came from slaves who were brought over here to America.  So trying to obtain records and information isn’t that easy.

I started this search some years ago, because I wanted to know more of where I came from and I also wanted to know for the children that I would father in the future as well.  As this became a task to find information, I let it lapse into a pile of things I want to do. (As I am sure we all have a to do list/pile like so.)

I am grateful to my cousin for sharing this document with me.  It’s only a page long, with about 4 paragraphs explaining how my great great grandparents were brought over here and how my great grandparents made a success with farming sugar canes for syrup, and vegetables.  Within this document it explains how my great grandfather was Afro-Haitian and my great grandmother is a descendant of the Cherokee Indians.  Finally some closure to a piece of who I am is how I felt while reading this.

After reading this, it hit me of how my wife is going to do missions in Haiti!!  Wow, isn’t that something.  God is calling my wife to do mission work in a country in which my great grandfather is a descendant of.  I find this exciting and look to hear of the experience my wife will have there until we both can go there and do missions together.  Look at how God works; just when we question his work he sends back a dove with a branch to spark our interest even more.

This has put a new spark in me to find out more information of my father’s father, my mother’s father and mother family tree.  This is a great start to the journey building my family tree and having a closer look into my heritage as well.