"Bondieu Li bon."

If you ask almost anyone who really knows me, they’d likely tell you I am pretty laid back, go with the flow, and don’t plan too far ahead… most of the time.

However, in a mere two days, on Monday, July 26th at 12AM, I will join 10 fellow Aikenites on a mission trip to Haiti. An endeavor we have been planning for the past seven months. (Can I just pause to scream for a second!? AHHHHH!!!)

Alright, so the basics. The team is being commissioned from New Covenant Presbyterian Church in Aiken, South Carolina. There are 11 of us going – 5 guys and 6 girls. As I said, we’re leaving Monday, July 26th and returning Tuesday, August 3rd. We’re staying in Les Cayes, Haiti, but our main work will be done in Chantal. As things stand now, the guys will be doing some construction for the new school down there. It looks like about 50 desks for the students, a couple for the teachers, and maybe some blackboards. They sure have their work cut out for them. The ladies will be spending most of the time teaching VBS, playing with the kids, forming relationships with the women, and just loving on the Haitians.

I made plans to join the team back in January and have been looking forward to Monday ever since!! These past months really have seemed to fly by… tons of things to bring together before we leave the States. However, after receiving advice and instructions from our fearless leaders (Cole and Pastor Mike), special guest appearances from those who have gone before us to Haiti, nine team meetings over the past three months, and SO much prayer, I think we’re about as ready as we’re ever going to be.

Maybe a few highlights from the past couple of months are in order here…

- Sending out support letters. Since my dad, brother Greg, and I are all going as part of the team, we had the not-so-small task of raising $4800. God is so good!! (To date we raised a little over $4900)

- Mastering “how” and “what” to pack. Basically, our clothes and supplies for nine days have to fit in a carry on and backpack. I’m actually going to try this for myself for the first time in the morning.

- Getting the required shots and meds. Definitely one of the most fun doctor’s appointments I’ve ever been to… not! Actually, it wasn’t too bad. Thanks to Dr. Gordon and his nurse, we should survive Typhoid, Malaria, anything requiring Tetanus, and whatever Hep A is needed for.

- Becoming fluent in Creole. Well, not quite. You see, as my brother refers to it, Creole is the “poor man’s French.” And everyone in Haiti speaks it. I took Spanish in high school and German in college, and I assure you that neither of them is anything like Creole. Needless to say, I’m still working on this one… and probably will be until we step off the plane in Haiti.

There is still much to do, quite a few loose ends to tie up. But God’s gotten us this far, and He surely won’t leave us now.

As they say in Haiti, “Bondieu Li bon tout tan.” (God is good all the time).