What's Next?

Bon Swa! [Good Afternoon!]

Premye, mwen vle di, “Mesi tout moun!” [First, I want to say, “Thank you everyone!”]

Your unending love, prayers, and support (both financially and emotionally) mean the world to me. There is no way that I could have made it through this first year in Haiti without you!

First things first…

Words cannot even begin to explain all that I have learned and experienced in the last 10 months, but I’m going to do my best. If you’ve been able to keep up with my monthly blog posts, you know that my time in Haiti has been an emotional roller coaster. There have been ups and downs, mountains and valleys, and lots of learning. I think the biggest thing that I have walked away with from this all is that our God is BEYOND faithful. He is always right beside us, taking it all in, guiding us, directing us, grieving with us, celebrating with us, and pushing us. I have grown so much in my walk with Christ since moving to Haiti. These are some of the things that I’ve walked through and learned from:

• Interpersonal communication - living in a place where you are the minority and there are only about 30 people of your shared nationality can be very lonely at times. Personalities don’t always mesh and sometimes you hit rough patches. Interpersonal communication is something that I’ve always struggled with a little bit when it comes to conflict. But, when you live in a place where there are only 30 other Americans, you learn how to work through it. I’m by no means perfect or have it all figured out, but I’m learning how to deal with the tough stuff in relationships.
• Loneliness - I moved to a place where I knew one other person. I left behind friends and family, a job and a social life. That’s tough. I had to recreate those things here on the ground. Sometimes that’s lonely. People you haven’t known for years or your whole life are still figuring out who you are, what your friendship looks like, and the things that you need to make things work. That can get pretty lonely -- the easy days and on the hard days. It can feel very lonely. I read a quote the other day that said, “Sometimes it takes learning how to be perfectly lonely, just so God can show you what being perfectly loved feels like. Never doubt the season He has your life in.” I’m still learning how to be perfectly lonely and learning what it means to be perfectly loved, but I’m getting there. God is always there -- even when people aren’t.

Those are the biggest things. There are so many more things, but we would be here forever if I tried to share them all. Those are the personal things. Here are the more “job” related things:

• School - I came here primarily as a teacher for the Brouwer family. Luke and Julie are our field directors on the ground and they have three biological children, Micah, Chloe, and Jude, and are in the process of adopting Moses. I spend my mornings with Micah, Chloe, and Jude in school. I’ve enjoyed the freedom I’ve had as a teacher this year to interpret, plan, and implement things how I want. I’ve deepened my knowledge and love for curriculum. This continues to be my primary role.
• English - Some of you might know that I started teaching an English class a few days a week to some local Haitians. Can I just say that this class has exceeded any expectations I had for the five boys I started with? It has exploded! Haitians so badly want to learn English, but often don’t have the opportunities to get extra practice outside the basics they might learn in school. Word got around that I was teaching an English class and people I don’t even know started showing up. I formalized my classes a little bit, so that I have a class list, we take attendance, and it’s a pretty serious deal. I have a beginner class and an intermediate class and just started using some books to help me with my planning! We’re just getting started really, but I’m so excited to see where God takes this. This has allowed me to deepen some relationships I already had, and to meet some new people!
• Language - Moving to a new country means learning a new language! I’ve picked up quite a bit of Creole since moving to Haiti. I’m in no way fluent, but I can carry on conversations and get around town when I need to! I love learning languages and hope to be fluent one day! That means more studying and practice on my part!
• Hope Community Project - My primary ministry doesn’t fall into the three “big” projects our organization runs. We are currently sponsoring 42 kids in our school sponsorship program, our clinic moved to a more permanent location and is able to serve our little neighborhood and community well. We are in the process of hiring a nurse and beginning to pass more responsibility over to our Haitian staff. Our economic project of a chicken cooperative is booming. We are starting to expand and begin brooding our own chickens. The farmers are learning a lot about managing finance and business and what it means to invest and work together, two ideas very foreign to Haitians. We are also in the process of trying to buy some land where we can build our own team housing, clinic, community center, and cooperative area. This will give Haitians a local place to come and be a part of the things that we are doing!

So what’s next?

12 months in a foreign country is really just enough time to get your feet wet and really start to feel like you know (kind-of) what you’re doing. Our team is working well together and I don’t feel like the Lord is calling me anywhere else. So, I’m going to be staying another year! I’m trying to plan some exciting projects for the kids in school next year. I’m excited to watch the growth in my English class, and I’m excited to see what else the Lord has to teach me. That’s a lot of excitement!

For this to be possible, I need your help. Living in Haiti is easily the hardest thing I’ve ever experienced in my life. Hard in a good way, but hard. I’ve learned so much and I’ve built some lifelong relationships. In order to keep plugging along, I NEED you to pray for me! Your prayers help to carry me through.

Life in Haiti also isn’t free. I will have the task of again raising the monetary support I need to live here. The cost of that is about $17,000 and covers my housing, food, transportation, and minor personal spending needs that I have on the ground. If you’re receiving a paper copy of this letter, you supported me in my initial move to Haiti and I would love for you to continue being a part of my adventure. If you’re reading this letter online through my blog, it means that I know you’re supporting me through prayer and emotional support. I would love for you to continue being part of my adventure and consider the other ways you can be part of my time in Haiti. You can donate online at https://haiti-orphan-project.networkforgood.com/projects/13001-caitlin-campbell-s-fundraiser

or you can mail a check to:

HOPE

Attn: Lauren Jones

135 West Adams Ave.

Kirkwood, MO 63122

Please make sure to put CAITLIN CAMPBELL in the memo line so it gets to the right place!

I am by no means perfect. I make mistakes and sometimes I take the long way through a lesson. But, my God is good and faithful. If I can help to bring even one person closer to God in my time here, it’s all worth it! Thank you for being part of this adventure with me! If you interested in following my time more closely and would like blog updates, follow me on facebook or email me at cateymarie92@gmail.com and I can put on you my email list!

With love,

Caitlin