Returning to Haiti!

It's happening. It's actually happening!

After seven months of living back in the States—processing, asking questions, seeking God, and stilling my heart—I'm returning to Haiti!

I'm not sure that I could find the words to describe all that I am feeling as this reality sets in. I'm excited. Anxious. Tears come to my eyes as I realize just how soon I will be seeing the kids again. That I will be hearing the familiar hum of Creole around me and will be reunited with all of the friends and people I built such deep relationships with while I was there.

But instead of going on and on about all of the excitement in my heart (which I know I could definitely do), I'm just going to get right to it.

Many of you have been following my journey for a while and know me—know who I am and what God has been doing in my heart with the Haitian people and with the children that I lived with and helped take care of in the orphanage in Santo.

This time, when I return to Haiti, I will not be living at the orphanage. Although I would still very much like to live consistently with the kids, I know that I need to spend time educating myself, learning, and wrestling through some things so that I can hopefully begin to bring lasting, real change into their lives. I need to understand what my role should look like within this orphanage and in Haiti as a whole.

So after much prayer, seeking God, and discussion with people that I trust, I am excited to be pursuing an opportunity to shadow a woman I met during my time in Haiti. She is an advocate and lawyer for an adoption agency. I am so eager to tap into the pool of wisdom and knowledge that she holds. Whether that’s learning how to run a nonprofit organization in Haiti, how the adoption process really works, or even just how to develop everyday life skills in the country, there is so much I am excited to learn from her.

I am hoping to shadow her for around two months, beginning on October 8th. I will need to raise $3,500 to cover living expenses (as the cost of living is higher in Petionville, where I will be staying), transportation costs for traveling back and forth to the orphanage and other locations, and to contribute to projects we will be assisting with through partnering ministries and friends.

I am trusting that during these few months, God will further direct and lead me, especially in my role at the orphanage. Unless led otherwise, after job-shadowing, I will then be shadowing at Operation Love the Children of Haiti, a larger orphanage in Léogâne. There, I will observe what a well-run orphanage looks like—what works, what doesn’t—and gain a better understanding of how to create a sustainable, healthy environment for the children I long to serve. I would aim to raise $1,000 per month to shadow there for one or two months. This would cover living expenses and allow me to help with the orphanage’s needs.

I am in the beginning stages of serving overseas—just starting out and figuring out how all of this works. It can be overwhelming. I am young, with limited resources and little knowledge of how to raise the means to do all that I feel so called to.

But I am young with a big call on my heart, an incredible community who urges me forward, and a faithful God who incessantly proves His faithfulness and gives me every reason to trust that He will come through.

I am not only looking to raise these one-time support costs but also to begin raising monthly support so that I can continue living and serving overseas. However you may feel led to support me—whether through these specific costs, monthly support, or faithful prayer as I return to Haiti—know that it encourages me beyond words. I deeply appreciate all of the ways God provides, especially when He uses His people to do so.

If you feel led to financially support me, please send any checks or donations to:

**1410 Oregon Hill Grace Chapel**

Morris, PA 16938

*Please include an attached note designating the support to my name.*

If you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to contact me!

Thank you for continuing to walk alongside me and journey with me as I return to Haiti in October!

Much love,

**Courtney**