Love is...

Where do I start? Well I've only been in Haiti for 4 days (and only 3 in Jacmel) but it seems like a lot longer then that, but not necessarily in a bad way. My first day back at the base was quite interesting. First late me give you a little background on what's going on at the base now. Right now there are 17 people living at the base including 4 orphan children that the mission has adopted. They are Caprice (probably around 7), Roselea (around the same), Daniel (maybe 6 or 7??) and Santiben (somewhere between 3 and 5). As you can probably tell no one is really sure of there ages, we have birth certificates for 3 of them but we are pretty sure they're not correct. Anyway, back to my first day here; on my first day here I got thrown up on my a little boy who had malaria, cleaned him, held him, put him to sleep, took a tap tap into town with Sandra, got the boy's test results, found out that he did indeed have malaria, went to the doctor and got the prescription, found out he needed shots and an IV as well, went all around town looking for the medication and IV supplies, finally found them, brought them back, went to help find the nurse, found her, helped her give the shots, learned how to put an IV in, and then stayed with him for a while while he tried to sleep. He have us quite a scare. It was also Sandra's birthday that day (by the way, Sandra is one of my good friends from my DTS who is now working in Haiti) Sandra is also the one who mostly takes care of the children. I can tell it's a lot of work, especially considering the medical problems the children came to the base with, two of them had worms and one had scabies (and those are just the things we know about), but she is really doing a wonderful job.

I must say, it's only been 4 days and I can already tell it's going to be really hard to leave the children, I love them soo much. They also have taught me a lot about what it means to really have love for someone. I can't help but think about how many people I've heard talk about wanted to go start an orphanage or go help children in third world countries (myself included) but I don't think many people know how hard it really is, I didn't. It's easy to love a child you babysit or play with, when the hardest part of loving them is changing a dipper or getting up early because they are up already or MAYBE even having to take them to the doctor. It's quite another thing to care for a child who is dirty and smelly from an infection that she's had for who know how long or who has thrown up on you or peed on you and all over the clothes and sheets you just spent a better part of the day before hand washing, or when it's 90 degrees out even at 8:00 at night and the child still wants share a sweaty mattress with you, if you can do all that all still love sharing that sweaty pee-stained mattress with them, that's love. I don't know if I could even say I have a love like that yet. I though I did, but even I haven't done all the things on that list (I've done most but not all). That kind of love has to come from God. It has to be something He gives you, otherwise, where does it come from? I pray that God will give me that kind of capability to love someday. But I do love these children, I really do. Tonight I share my bed with a sweaty little body who would wrap her little arms around me just to make share that I was not going anywhere. I couldn't help but wonder though, I love this girl, but my love her is no where near what she deserves, what a mother could give her and it breaks my heart, and, what kind of person am I? I really do love her, but I'm only here for two weeks. I pray that we will always feel loved.

Well, it's getting late so I should probably get to bed. If you are a person who prays, please pray for my precious children, for their health and that they may always feel loved. If you are not a person who prays, I ask you to reconsider. Would it really hurt anything?

Good night and I love you all!

Lauren McConkey
Jacmel, Haiti

Wow, so here I am. On a bus. Going to Haiti. Sorry, I haven’t posted anything for a while. It’s been quite a week. Let’s see if I can recap.

I left La Vega exactly one week ago (though it seems like a lot longer ago then that) and took a bus up to the YWAM base in Santo Domingo (aka The Capital) where I planed to stay for only a few days and then go to Haiti. I THOUGHT I was ready to go to Haiti and that my time in the capital would just mainly be passing time until I could to where I though was the main focus of my journey. Not quite the cause. Once I got to the base, it didn’t talk long to remember how much I missed my Dominican family. I immediately felt like I had returned home. My time was amazing. I was able to see 10 of the 16 people that I did my DTS with almost a year ago. (the other 6 are were not in the country.) And also, I was able to actually communicate with them this time! (The Spanish speakers) It was great! It’s kind of funny because during my school I spent everyday cleaning with this girl (who is staff at the base in the capital now) and we could barely hold a conversation, but this week we were able to actually talk. It was soo cool. I was also able to meet some other really cool people, Luke and Laura (both from the states). They’re awesome and I’m really going to miss them. I also got to play tour guide with them. They had never been to Jarabacoa before (the city were I did my school) nor had they ever ridden the bus alone not to mention motor conchos (motorcycle taxis). So we spent the day in Jarabacoa, it was really nice. We also met this amazing man. His name was Bernisio (or something close) and he did have any legs. I saw him scooting alone crossing the street and I ask him if I could help him with anything or if there was anything he needed and he said no, I don’t need anything with a big smile. And then we just hung out and talked for a little and he was telling me how a lot have things have happened to him in his life but that God has been faithful to him. I was so cool, and had the best smile and when we were leaving and saying good bye he said, I’m going to look for you in heaven. What I kind thought. The sweet old man made my whole trip and also taught me thing or to about having a good attitude. I hope I have able to find him again when I go make again.

The rest of the day was pretty fun too. We took moto-conchos to the base (which is always fun) and then went on a hike up to a waterfall, (long walk but worth is!) All in all it was a good day, but I had also realized that I had only been gone for a few hours and I was already missing the capital base. They really are like family.

I actually end up pushing my trip to Haiti back 4 days and I’m really glad I did. Here are some other fun things I did this week in the capital: saw Spiderman 3, bought lots of yummy Dominican cocoa to bring home, went to one of the most amazing churches ever and here Porfi (AMAZING VOICE) sing again, ate chimmies, share a house with people representing the countries of Dominican, U.S., Haiti, Nicaragua, and Peru, and went to the central plaza, and spent time with some of my most favorite people in the world.

I’m gonna be honest with out, I didn’t really want to leave. I would have been just fine staying in the Capital for another month or two, but I’m sure my mind will change when I’m back in Jacmel. Though I had to promise that I would return soon (and I can’t break a promise….) I had a great send-off though and I’m glad they were there because I didn’t realize how complicated buying a bus ticket to Haiti was!

So here I am now, on the bus. The most complicated part of my trip is over (hopefully) although we’ll see how, crossing the border goes. I had a great meal on the bus and now I’m just going to sit back and watch the Haitian soap opera that’s playing on the bus TV screens. I’ll check in when I get to Jacmel! Peace out, God bless, Good bye Dominican and hello Haiti!

Laure McConkey

Somewhere between Santo Domingo and the Haitian border

"Yo no soy una Gringa! Soy pura dominicana!"

Today was amazing! Seriously, is was probably one of the best days I've had here so far. At 5am this mourning, Nicole and I went up to Sosua with Pedro's sister to spend the day up there. It was soo much fun. First we went to the beach. It was just this little beach and we were to only one's there! It was beautiful. Later this Haiti guy came and we spoke a little bit in Kreyol (where I pretty much embarressed myself) but it was fun.

Later we decided to go find this other beach so we had to walk through town. This was a big tourist town so there were a lot of white people there and things were pretty expensive. Anway, we were walking to the beach and we had to go through the little market area where all the venders were. And of course every shop we pass, we were hasseled. And it was funny too because they kept thinking that Nicole was American and she would just go off on them in Spanish saying that there prices here ridiculous. We did end up looking for a while and ending up getting some stuff for pretty good prices. Also, there were a lot of Haitians working as vendors here so we spoke a little bit in creole and then we actually ending up just staying and chatting with then for a little while. They also invited up to go dancing with them, but we had to go.

The bus ride home was freezing because they always crank the air conditioning up really high and we were still really wet from before. So here I am now, in La Vega again. This is my last night here because tomorrow I go to the capital and then Haiti on Friday. I'm excited to see my friends in the Capital but I'm going to miss Nicole and Pedro.

Here are just some random pictures from La Vega:

Well, it's getting late and I need to pack up my stuff so...good night!

Lauren McConkey
La Vega (for the last time)

La Vega in the Mourning

This is a video of the view from Pedro and Nicole's house. Que hermoso, no?
From Nicole and Pedro's House

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Is anything really "breath-taking"?

YES! I discovered this as I was taking a moto-concho back to Piedra Blanca from Jarabacoa in the rain. It's a winding road that goes up and down through a wooded area and then breaks out into a valley and all you see is green valleys and hills with fog-covered mountains in the background and the occasional Dominican-style home. The closest way I could describe it to someone whose never seen it is that it looks like a scene straight out of Lord of the Rings. The rains made it absolutely beautiful and it was breath-taking, however, that may have been partially due to the higher altitude...all the same, this was just one of those things that I couldn't possibly capture on film but could only be experienced and remembered.

So, I spent the weekend in Jarabacoa. The first night I stayed at the YWAM base where I did my DTS. It was so strange to be back there, seeing at how lived there for 5 months and that place completely changed my life, not to mention it's been a year since I've been there. It was cool to see the staff again, but the person I was most looking forward to seeing was my small group leader, Kristen. It was soo good to see her again.

The next day Kristen and I and this awesome girl I met from Jamaica (who was attending the Community development school with Kristen) took moto-conchos up the hill to visit another YWAM family. This family was great. The whole family is bilingual and there are 5 kids under the age of 9. They were so much fun. Also, later in the evening we went to this place outside a cockfighting arena where there were pool tables and played some pool. It was a good time. There I met this awesome guy from Nicaragua and another guy from Jamaica. It was really fun.

On Sunday we went to church in the mourning and then the family that we stayed with took us out to eat. It was a good ol' (big) Dominican meal. (I'm still full)

Right now I am back at Pedro and Nicole's. We had a pretty fun night. We went out for Chimmi's (aks the best hamburger-type things you will EVER have) and pica pollo (fried chicken) and we laughed SO hard the whole night. It was great.

Nicole and I are leaving tomorrow at 5:00am for Sosua with Pedro's sister who lives up there. We are going to spend a day at the beach and then on Tuesday I leave for the capital. Sosua is supposed to have some of the best beaches in the Dominican so it should be a pretty fun day. I'm hoping that I can catch some sun to go with the black hair that I now have and so that I can look a little less "white-American" for my bus ride to Port-au-Prince. However, I have a ways to go.

Well, I leave in a couple hours for Sosua so I better start getting ready. I didn't get any pictures of this weekend but I hope to take some tomorrow.

God Bless and peace out!

Lauren McConkey
La Vega, Dominican Republic

P.S. I guess I do have a picture. This is what the weather's been like lately...

Do I look Dominican yet??

Well, it is going on my 4th day here. We've done some cool stuff but it's mostly just been relaxing. Tomorrow I'm going to Jarabacoa (where I did my DTS) to visit some friends. That should be fun. We also are going to get some of the best chicken in the world! I CAN'T WAIT.

Did I mention that I like it here? OH! and I also dyed my hair black again. I don't really look so much Dominican but most like someone from Spain or something. However, a couple people did think I was a Dominican when we went into town the other day.

Yeah, so... that's pretty much it. I don't really have anything interesting to say yet. Hopefully I will have some more exciting stories to share soon!

ESTOY AQUI...por fin...

I made it! It feels soo good to be back. Unfortunately I deleted the other entry that I started writing in the airport about not remembering why I wanted to come here soo bad or just being unsure in general. But that is definally not how I feel now. It's almost been a year since I stepped foot on Dominican soil but as soon as I did, I remember. This is a place where I'm made some of the best friends I will every have and where I had soo many wonderful experiences that are just too many to number. This place completely changed my life. I find myself just happy. Even just standing still, I am happy, happy just because I am breathing Dominican air. Just being here makes me happy. Now I remember why I've been saving and planning and saving all this time.

Right now I am staying with some good friends of mine, Nicole and Pedro. They are already spoiling me as they greeted me at the airport with a bag of plantitos (only my favorite Dominican chips) but not just regular plantitos, plantitios CON QUESO!! :) Life is good. Nicole also had a plate of brownies waiting for me when we arrived at there home. Seriouly, what more could you ask for??

I don't think I could ever really fully describe how much I love this island. I feel at home here. Sometimes I feel more at home here then back in the states.

Well, I wouldn't make this too long because I don'r really have any interesting experiences to share, as of yet. So I will leave you all with the hopes that you are as content as I am, at least for this moment. God bless and leave a comment! ;)

P.S. I should have pictures tomorrow!

Lauren McConkey
La Vega, Dominican Republic