Cati Goes to Haiti

Grandpa Wally Campbell The last six weeks have been a whirlwind of my time. I've had the intention of sitting to write this post for about 2 weeks, but simply haven't had the time. I think it's because God was doing work behind the scenes and redeeming a few situations and helping me to get my head right, so I can hopefully encourage others. In the last 2 weeks I have said goodbye to a lot of things. Saying Goodbye to Grandpa  The world lost a great man on October 2. This is made much easier knowing that he is knowing walking on streets of gold with Jesus. I had the blessing of being able to travel back from Haiti to see him before he passed and spend the following week with friends and family. ((It was an adventure to get there -- see my plane picture, but so glad that I could make the trip.)) My brother wrote a BEAUTIFUL tribute of our grandpa. You can read it here . Yes, they are PUSHING the plane after a flat tire.  Saying Goodbye to Comfort For those ...

This bizarre thing happened on a flight. It's been a while since you have heard from me. Life has been a little bit hectic as usual, plus I did a little traveling. Okay, a lot of traveling. I had the privilege of spending a whole month in the States and it was much needed. It had been almost 8 months since I had seen anyone in my family and to say I was ready to see them might be the biggest understatement of the year. I was definitely feeling the pressures of burnout and needing a break.  I was able to travel around and spend some time with family and friends. Some highlights include a girls weekend in Tulsa with my cousins Kristin and Jennifer, a garage sale in KC, and a long weekend in Memphis with Cody and Kaley, plus finding my wedding dress, dinners with friends and family and squeezing in some down time. My favorite memory was probably one evening in Memphis, Cody, Kaley, and I sat around their living room and talked to Wood on speaker phone. It was so great for them...

I sweat A LOT during my workouts. It's been a while since a formal update on life...so here it is!  If you've been reading my blog posts you know that life has been a little hectic the last few months. I'm happy to report that life has slowed down a little bit. Around the middle of March, I started on a new fitness journey. When I moved to Haiti, I quickly lost 40 pounds (think heat and eating less). Unfortunately, as my body adjusted to my new Haitian diet and the stress of life crept in, I gained almost all of that weight back and was not happy with myself. I had no energy, I didn't feel good, clothes didn't fit right, and the list goes on. I made the choice to join a Beachbody group and really press play on accountability and taking care of my body. Shout out to my coach, Kaitlyn Davidson, for accommodating my special needs living in Haiti and being an encouragement to keep on trucking. I'm down a few pounds and can tell I have more energy and am on m...

Because how cute is he? It's been a few weeks since we last heard from one another. To say that life in Haiti has been a little bit hectic, would be an understatement. Between school, English, meetings, people making various trips, and overall life, we seem to be meeting ourselves coming and going.  So, today, I have a short update about all the things happening as well as some exciting news!  ----- School has been rolling since August 1, but it's been filled with many four day weeks due to our schedule and things coming up. We're finally starting to (sort-of) get back into a five day swing. The kids are off to a great start. They've already finished their first piece of writing and are headed into persuasive writing now. We are learning more in-depth about poetry and geography this year and are making plans for our economic unit.  Micah working on Biology Micah has faced the weight of a high-school work load this year as well as the struggles that come...

By now I'm sure that many of you have heard...things in Haiti got a little bit tense last week and especially over the weekend. I thought that I would give you an "official" update of how things are and also a little perspective. The last thing in the world that I want is for anyone to think that this place is dangerous or a "lost cause." One thing I know to be true, is that social media and other news outlets do not always portray the full story, or for that matter, the full truth. So, let me give you a little bit of background... Last week, the government made an announcement that they would be increasing fuel prices on gasoline, diesel, and kerosene. These fuel increases varied anywhere from 36-49%. That's a huge increase, right? It would be a large increase in America too. Just as any American would be enraged by an increase that steep, so were the people of Haiti. Fuel is a huge part of life here -- transportation, generators, many forms of work, and...

My brother and SISTER-in-law! It's been a whirlwind month since my last post. If you haven't read it yet, pop on over to check out my plans for next year ( Cheers to Year Three! ) The last four weeks have flown by.... I spent almost 3 weeks in America at the end of May/beginning of June -- the main purpose of my visit (other than just seeing all my peeps) ....my brother got married! This trip was filled with lots of traveling for wedding things (bachelorette parties, rehearsal dinners, a wedding) plus all of the travel I normally do when I'm home to see people. I didn't even keep track of the miles this trip...it was A LOT!  It was a beautiful time home. I was ready. I was ready to take a rest from Haiti. That by no means that I'm miserable or unhappy (quite the opposite really...it's also difficult to leave). But, life in a foreign country is hard sometimes. It's not the things that you grew up with and have always known. Sometimes it's uncomfor...

If you've been reading my blog posts, chances are none of you will be surprised to hear that I'm staying for another year (at least) in Haiti! Read my recent update letter to get caught up on my work and my plans for the future.... Friends, Family, and Followers... It’s crazy to think that just over two years ago, I made the decision to move to Haiti and serve as a homeschool teacher. The last two years have been an adventure to say the least, and I just know that there’s more to come. In case you hadn’t guessed it…I’m staying in Haiti another year! This last school year has been filled with lots of learning, growth, projects, and fun. I was able to spice up the curriculum a little bit (perks of being the teacher and the principal and the superintendent and the curriculum director all in one!) this year. We had food competitions for writing, we studied different countries, and had a legitimate food truck (well, bus) to learn about economics. The kids continue to bl...