Our First week in Haiti

WOW - I can't believe that we left for Haiti a week ago today!  It seems that we have been here in Port-de-Paix, Haiti so much longer than a week tomorrow.  I am trying to find the right words but so many words are in my head...Blessed, humbled, Loved, Highly Favored....are a few that I would like to share!!
Hmmmm, where to start.... after the crazy airport experience we ALL arrived in Port-de-Paix, Haiti on Tuesday August 6th around 2-3pm.  Pastor Andy was in revival & had about 120 people from Port-au-Prince so our new friends John & Christy Barnes (Pastor & wife from Texas who have lived in Haiti for 3 years but recently moved to PdP this summer) who have a Mission called House of Moses, picked us up at the airport & took us to their house for a snack.  The House of Moses is located just across the street from Sonlight Academy where our kids will be going to school. There really are not enough words to explain how the House of Moses family has helped us this week!! They truly are the hands & feet of Jesus here in PdP.  ----------  so we then walked to our new home just around the corner from them & we were blown away...I hate to say it was much nicer & bigger than we had imagined. (Totally blessed).  The owner of the house met us here & he had painted & fixed up several things but the biggest thing was that he had a small generator here full of gas & we were able to sleep in our new house the first night!! (ok, I will leave out the fact that the Mosquitos were bigger than Alabama & more than we could count) :D That first night was rough...but our new House of Moses friend new just what we would need & sent a friend to bring us plate dinners & came over with guitar in hand & led Praise & Worship on our balcony.  I of course cried my eyeballs out because right then I knew that GOD KNEW JUST WHAT I NEEDED AT THAT VERY MOMENT....here are a few pictures..

On wednesday Pastor Andy came & picked us up & we went to the docks to check on our container.  Keep in mind that our container arriving so quickly from the States was HUGE & most locals were shocked it came so quickly.  As a lot of you know getting our things out of customs has been something we have requested prayer for from so many.  Well, we arrived at the docks, called the guy who we needed to talk to & as always in Haiti....WE WAITED....after quite some time a guy arrived & he walked up & talked with Pastor Andy & shook our hand, handed us a receipt & said take your things!!!! SERIOUSLY, IT DID NOT COST US 1 DOLLAR!!! This was such a MIRACLE!! We knew we could be charged any where from several hundred dollar to several thousand to get such a large container.  John Barnes from The House of Moses once again was there & he and Pastor Andy called a few Tap Tap's (trucks) we paid a few guys from the docks to load it all on 3 trucks & bring it to our home.  The older boys from the House of Moses then showed up to help us move the furniture up stairs or wherever  we needed it!! We sure LOVE those guys!  We spent the next few days arranging everything & putting our house together.  Christy invited me to go to LaPoint with her for her Thursday Morning bible study with Mrs. Gail who is a retired nurse that has lived here for almost 30 years! That was a HUGE blessing to me & so encouraging to be with someone who has been in Haiti 30 years & the other for 3 years while I had been here for 3 days!!! :D
   Christy knew exactly what our family would need & she suggested a cook help us since we are so unfamiliar with cooking in Haiti.  We have been so blessed with Ilan (pronounced e-lon) in our home since Friday!! Christy also took me & our oldest 2 girls to Market to get all that we would need for the month such as Rice, beans, sugar, etc... That was a great experience!! Christy & John also blessed us with another person they know ....His name is Edril.  We already feel like he is family to us! He previously worked at another mission.  He is fluent in several languages & a Great Christian guy! He helps us daily with money exchange, getting clean water to drink & cook with, helped us find mosquito nets, a few extra fans, open a coconut & well......Edril is our go to guy!! Tonight we had our first family Kreyol lesson with him.....

We have been so crazy busy & have walked over to Hope Vision to visit the Orphanage once.....we can not wait to visit the kids & get to know them more.  We also CAN NOT WAIT TO GET THE NEW ORPHANAGE BUILT!! I will post a few pics of our walk to the Orphanage & while we were there......... Please remember to Pray for all of the children & pray about what God might have you do to help build the new facilities......the new land is so beautiful & where the kids are now....well, here are  a few pics...

It really has been an Awesome first week here in Haiti & we are so Blessed to have made such awesome new friends/family!  I better go....the sun comes up early here in Haiti & I am learning to be a morning person (translation - the generator gets cut off around 7am & then my fan is gone & it's smoldering hot...lol) I actually haven't had a cup of coffee since I got here....it just seems to hot to think about it!!! :D  
I will leave you with a few last pictures....our new friends invited us to sail across to the island of Tortug on Saturday morning & Gordon wasn't feeling well (prayer & Cipro fixed him up so no worries) but 3 of our kids went with them & after looking at the pictures my Caroline took I think we all need to try this trip another day!!! Good night all....... Bon Nuit!!

Blessing to all!! With much Love - The Lipscomb Crew!!  Send us an email lipscombsinhaiti@gmail.com we would love to hear from you!!