I have been tagged!

I was tagged by MJ.

Here's how you play. Once you've been tagged, you have to write a blog with ten weird, random things, facts, or habits about yourself. At the end, you choose five people to be tagged, listing their names and why you chose them to be tagged. Don't forget to leave them a comment "You're It!" and to read your blog. You can't tag the person who tagged you. Since you can't tag me back, let me know when you've posted your blog so I can see your answers.

1. I am overly organized when it comes to work.  I like everything to look professional and in place.

2. I had my head smashed in the trunk of a car when i was 3 years old.  I bit a hole in my tongue in the process but never was checked out by the doctor because my mom didn't know until a week later what really happened.

3. I threw the discus for the track team in high school and was took second at state!

4. I have 2 cats.  One is Bully who is 1/4th Bobcat and one who is Tinker who is approx. 15 years old!

5. I really don't like to read AT ALL.  I honestly probably read less then 30 pages during my 5 years in college.  The key to success in college is sitting close to the front, never missing class, taking good notes and getting to know your teacher.

6. I love using coupons at the grocery store!  So if you want to send me some, I would be greatful!  I saved $13.00 the other day on groceries!

7. When I lived in Haiti I had my backpack stolen one day while at a nearby village's beach (well beach isn't exactly the word for it) Amazingly, in a village of thousands of people, my backpack was found (thanks to serious threats to the thief from friends) with my camera, cell phone, etc...still in it!  Sad thing, the boy only stole it hoping there was food in it to eat.  My friends who found it let him keep the food in my backpack "smile".

8. I pick at my fingernails when i'm stressed, nervous or not very happy.  So if you ever see me with my nails looking nice, you now i'm in a good place in life.  They had never looked better then when i lived in Haiti (Seriously)

9. I have never broken a bone except for when i lived in Haiti...a baby horse kicked my foot and broke my little toe!

10. I became a Christian by asking Jesus into my heart when I was about to turn 5 years old.  I definitely knew what I was doing and am so blessed to have known most of my life what it is like to have a relationship with Jesus - My heavenly Father!!!

That was fun!!!  Now you go and do a blog too so I can get to know more about you!

I tagged

1. Erin - because she is my sister and I would love to find out  more about her that I might not already know

2. April - because I have known her longer than anyone else besides  my parents and i'm curious if there is anything i don't know about her

3. Brittany - Cause I know she will do it

4. Bethany - so i can find out more things i might not know about her

5. Tyff - Cause we have so many lost years

Okay everyone.  I made this blog so that you can post memory comments on this blog...something you remember about time we spent together!  Enjoy!!!!

Dana

I have experienced so many things while being here so far.  I will share some of those with you:

Tap-Taps: the Haitian taxi - privately owned trucks (mostly the small nissan type) that people get on to get from place to place.  When they want off, they tap on the side (hence the phrase Tap-Tap)

I have ridden on a tap tap once - and today i'm going to ride one again!  :-)    It cost approximately 25 cents to go about 5 miles on a tap tap.  Did I mention they drive really fast.  And the term "how many Haitians can you fit in a tap tap" takes on a great meaning when  you see one going down the road!

Ocean: I can see the ocean from my apartment.  It takes 45 minutes to walk there.  That part of the ocean beach is very dirty.  That's where a lot of trash washes up onto shore.  But you can find lots of sea shells there cause no one really goes there except fishermen.  And the walk there is beautiful!

The view from my apartment..ocean in the distance!

Also I have been to the ocean by going to two different resorts, Kaliko Beach and Wahoo Bay.  Both are very nice.  We go and pay a price to just enjoy the day there, relax, eat, swim, play and then go home.  It's very very nice.

At Kaliko Resort.

Work: I work every weekday from 8-3 in the office here at the mission.  I help with whatever is needed: sponsorships, pictures, typing up anything needed, school work, group work, etc...  I have the best people to work with.  I also tutor 2 guys in English that are studying to take the SAT exam.  They want to go to college in the states.

My students Thony and Claude!

Hope House Kids: (Orphanage on the mission where I live)

There are 43 kids that live here at the Hope House.  I see them almost everyday!  They are all so wonderful!  I also help in their English class assisting Rachel (my roommate) with the littlest kids.  On Friday nights, we have movie night at the Hope House where I go down a watch a movie with all of them.  They all know my name so when I walk in their yard i hear "Dana Dana Dana"!  It's great.  Here are some of them:

Villages: I can walk to two nearby villages.  Titanyen that has 2 orphanages and a school.  The people there are wonderful and they have market day 2 days a week.  Source Matelas is a bigger village.  Most of the people we know live there.  Neither place has electricity so when it gets dark...which right now is at 5:30...that's it.  No more light.  There water source is water that comes down from the mountains.  That's what they use to bathe, drink, cook, etc...  They can buy water in little bags at the side of the road that is purified but many can't afford to do that.  The main food is Rice and Beans and Chicken.  ANd it is GOOD!

Accidents: Are very common.  They drive crazy here!  But at the same time they are good drivers or they would always crash.  No speed limits, no rules, no stop signs or stop lights.  It's the bigger car wins.  Or the loudest horn.  If you hit an animal and it dies, you have to pay the owner for that animal...animals do get hit all the time cause they just walk right into the road..not so smart here.  Pedestrians definitely don't have the right of way in Haiti.  It's called move or die!  One tap tap crashed and flipped one morning right in front of the mission.  11 or more people died.  It was very sad.  The driver took off or they would have killed him for crashing the vehicle even tho he was hit from behind.  The ambulance wouldn't come because there were too many injured and it would have been a riot.  And after an accident, you better retrieve your car as soon as possible cause they immediately start coming and taking parts off the car!  So if you don't hurry you won't have much to retrieve. 

Death:  Is very common.  A friend of mines dad passed away from sickness last week.  It seems like someone always knows someone who has a family member who recently has died.  Many kids only have one parent.  I've seen someone that had got shot and was laying dead on the road.  I've seen a body laying near the road covered up.  And the old tradition is if your parent dies, you wear black for 2 years.  Not many do this anymore but some do.  And if you wear red to a funeral, they won't let you in cause that means you are the one who caused the death.  It's very interesting learning about everything.

Okay i'll have to write more later!  Have to go to a market in a village to shop!  Be Blessed!!

Blessings in Haiti -

There are so many I won't be able to mention them all but I'll do my best to tell you:

The children - they just want to give you a hug and need a smile.  They come little bitty and growing so tall.  They want attention and love.  I have watched one baby be born on my porch (my neighbor...baby Rachelle), I have seen one 15 year old in labor in which we sent her to the hospital in the back of a truck for a 45 minute ride to a hospital...she made it and the baby girl is beautiful and so many tiny babies that just need a blanket or bed to lay on.  I've seen children going thru trash to find something to eat.  I've seen children with wounds that needed tending to and may never see any treatment.  With all I see, I am never sad cause each one God is taking care of.  If they don't make it on this earth, they have a special place in heaven where they will be free of pain and hunger.  I'm not sad cause I see them in church worshipping God and singing and dancing.  I'm not sad cause they sing thank you songs to me in English for coming to see them.  I'm not sad cause God sent me here to share what I have to offer: a smile, a hug, a handshake and the love of God.  Most of these children share their smiles.  They might not have on clothes, but they can afford their smile.  So next time you need a blessing or would like to be a blessing, accept a smile or give one away.  You never know what that might do for someone or if that is the only thing that person may receive that day.

Baby Rachelle after being born on my porch!

Blessings -

A couple of weeks ago, one of our drivers for the mission was in a car wreck.  He had to swerve to miss some guys with guns in the road that wanted to apprehend the mission's vehicle (Toyota 4Runner).  The car went off the road and rolled.  The guys took off once seeing the car was no longer useful to them.  Our driver miraculously wasn't hurt!  Only some very minor scrapes!  What a miracle.  The bad thing, we now were down to one vehicle on the mission and that wasn't good.  Well, God had a plan.  Within 3 days, we had 3 new cars given to us (2 brand new - bought by a man who was here on a mission trip).  So if you are going thru something bad, know God has a plan.  He turned men with guns aiming to kill and a totalled car into a HUGE blessing for the mission.  God always knows what is about to happen and has a plan to shine through it all.  So keep relying on God thru the good and bad.  He is always there to care for you.

Those are just a few blessings i have encountered here in Haiti!  God is so good!

The animals of Haiti - I have included pictures of the ones I've had the chance of seeing while having my camera with me "smile"

Torantula - too big to miss

Owl - the night life

Rats - size of puppies

Roaches/Waterbugs - Size 3-4"  (they are huge and can fly!)

Lizards - my roommates (they are everywhere)

Ants - why again were they created

Scorpions - Ya don't want to actually see one

Torantula Hawks - They kill Torantulas!  This is a picture I took of one of them in action (it's a very large red flying thing) Gotta luv them

Snakes - saw one dead!

Donkeys - Need one to get to work

Horses - Have 2 resident ones (Spirit)

Pigs - They are HUGE

Goats - EVERYWHERE (hear they taste great)

Cows - Almost hit one

Dog - Did hit one in a car - it was sad (they are all so skinny here)

Cats - Don't see many (Haitians will eat cats)

Mosquitos - WHY do they exist!

Crabs - They are fun to watch on the beach

Praying Mantis - Haitians are scared of them

i'm really tired so I might have missed one or two!

Hope you enjoyed all the animals i have experienced so far!!

Men...this is for you.....First to all the honest and dependable men, thank you!  For the rest, please stop taking advantage of the nice, naive, trusting females in the world.  Stop the lies, the not calling, the not showing up and the lies.  If you are living your life for God, don't come over expecting to get "some" and putting a Godly woman into a tempting situation.  Stand up for God and help the woman and you flee temptation.  I have fallen into many "traps" that satan has tempted me with and am so blessed that my Lord and Savior Jesus has forgiven me.  If you are a man reading this that I have fallen into temptation with, please forgive me.  That is not the way I as a Christian woman should act and I apologize.  As Christians, we have to help each other be strong.  If you are not a Christian, still please don't lie just to use a lady.  If you aren't interested, just say so.  If you aren't going to call, then don't say you are going to.  If you don't plan on spending any more time with the lady, just tell her.  That's all we want as women is honesty.  We as women really do think you will call if you say you will..amazing that we still think that.  And we actually drop other plans for you if you say you are going to do something with us...amazing we do that.  So please, all I'm trying to say is why the deceit?  Just be legit.  Be different and actually care.  We as women deserve the respect.  Okay climbing off my soap box..thanks for listening "smile".------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ladies.......this next part is for you....... Know God is always with you.  Know you don't need a man to fulfill your dreams and desires.  That is what God is for.  Know that there is a wonderful man for you, but don't ever settle because God has the right one for you.  Know you are beautiful because God created you...you are His little girl.  Know that peace and comfort are provided by the Holy Spirit and are just waiting for you to receive them.  Know that God wants you to stay pure till you are married for a reason..He loves you.  Know men will say whatever they can to get you into bed and make you feel "good".  Know it's only temporary.  Know that God is permanent.  Know that God won't "not" call you.  Now that God won't "not" show up on time.  Know that God won't say "I love you" and not mean it or want something in return for it.  Know that when you talk, God "listens".  Know that God just wants you to totally rely on Him in every area of your life.  Know that God wants to be your "Best Friend for Life".  And ladies, if you are seeking a boyfriend or husband, pray pray pray and let God lead you.  Be picky.  Let God know your desires, live for Him and He will bring you your man when He knows your ready..remember God's time not yours.-----------------------------------------------------

To everyone....  If you are a Christian, make sure you are living for God.  We are not perfect and that is why Jesus died for our sins, but we do know there is Satan who deceives us all the time.  So take a stand and listen to God's words and flee temptation.  Live each day for God and let His light shine thru you.-------

Every day is something new...you never know exactly what is going to happen.  I have compiled some scriptures that can never hurt to read for some inspiration in life:

Psalm 34:18  The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Proverbs 16:3  Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

Ephesians 5:5  For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Mark 9:23   Everything is possible for him who believes.

Luke 1:37  For nothing is impossible with God.

Luke 6:31  Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Luke 10:19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy, nothing will harm you.

John 3:3  I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.

John 15:7  If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.

Romans 3:23  For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Romans 6:23  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:31  If God is for us, who can be against us?

Romans 10:9  That if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 12:2  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

I Cor. 15:33  Do not be mislead, Bad company corrupts good character.

Phillipians 2:5  Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.

Phillipians 4:19  And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 3:23  Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.

Hebrews 13:8  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

James 1:22  Do not mearely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says.

James 4:7  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Just remember...having God in your life can only make it better!!!!!