Above: TT participants and translators, Anna (far left) & Tim.


The last two months have flown by and we finally have time to sit down and update the blog. We had a very busy January, filled with planning for a transformational travel (TT) group, receiving the group, and attending the week long Limyè Lavi annual meeting (Beyond Borders sister organization).

One of the highlights of the month was meeting the TT participants and spending a week with them as they experienced Haiti for the first time. I think they enjoyed their time, and one of the participants has traveled back to Haiti already. In fact, she is in the country right now, and is making plans to open a store selling handmade Haitian arts and crafts.

I certainly learned a great deal while the group was here! Instead of hiring people we didn’t know to make food, we put together a kitchen team of our favorite cooks, our good friend Samson’s girlfriend, Marjory, and our neighbor Dalouse, and someone how I got into the mix too. Cooking here is a big ordeal and it can take 3+ hours just to make one meal. My week was filled with trips to the market with Dalouse, early mornings, and a whole lot of hearing, “No, that’s not how you do it. Cut it like this, or wash it like this…..”

I was exhausted by the end of the week, but thankful for the experience. It was especially neat for the group, as they got to interact with the cooks, help out, and learn how the food was made. We all went away with a deeper appreciation the long hours put into making a delicious meal.

Above: Dalouse, Marjory, and Ludlin (Marjory’s sister) giving the food one last stir.

Above: The final meal with the group, beautifully arranged by Marjory.