Bon Ane, Happy New Year!

I hope all of you have had a nice and relaxing new year holiday.  Trey & I definitely enjoyed our weekend as we entered 2012.  It was definitely a weekend to remember!  Friday morning at 7 a.m. we began our journey to Muraille Lacee for the weddings of the year!

We had no idea how long it would take to travel there by car or what to expect along the way but we were eager for all that was in store.  I made banana nut muffins the night before and took peanut butter and several packs of crackers to endure the journey that awaited us.  We drove for 3 hours up many winding and bumpy roads until there was no more road and then the hike began.

To say the trek was intense would be an extreme understatement.  As we were walking I have to admit I was trying to figure out how I would best describe the experience to you.  For every steep incline there was an even steeper decline!  We walked at a very rapid pase on an incredibly rough terrain.  The entire time I was walking I had to focus very intensly and pray I would not twist an ankle!  I finally decided it was like an incredibly interactive video game as I jumped from one rock to the next going down hill hoping I would not slip.  I was the only girl walking with SEVERAL guys.

I made up my mind I would not complain or slow down the pack.  It was in the midst of this experience I saw first hand that the Lord does not give us more than we can bare.  We had just finished going down an incredibly steep incline and then walked straight back up, I was so dizzy and so hot, I was just about to pull the "I'm a girl" card I need to stop and rest and then..TA DA!  A house showed up in the middle of nowhere and we had reached our destination.  I had never been more excited!  Needless to say the family at the house was a tad surprised by how red a white girls face could get!  We had a great evening getting to know the families of Muraille Lacee.

Throughout the evening couples who were getting married Saturday came and talked with Pastor Smith and received gifts for their wedding day.  The ladies were given shoes for the wedding and the men received dress coats.  We had rice and beans for dinner and then it was time to set up our home for the evening before we lost all light.  Below is the tent we stayed in.  It was right next to the house.  We had surround sound with men snoring in the house next door, pigs in the fence out back, and roosters in the field to the side.  The true haitian experience! 





Along with our beautiful home we also had a royal throne.  As we were resting after our long walk I noticed one of the guys cutting away at a piece of cardboard.  It did not take long before I realized he was cutting a hole out of the center of it.  He was making me a toilet seat for the bathroom!  I am amazed by the generosity and care shown by the people of Haiti.  They truly go out of their way to make us feel welcome.  I loved my special seat :)

The wedding was scheduled to start at 8 a.m.  We made our treck up one of the many mountain sides to the church in eager anticiaption for the wedding.  The picture below shows the church of Muraille Lacee.  There were tarps placed over the thatched siding and splinter filled benches.  It's difficult to see in the picture but to the left is a thatched building they built to house food for the reception.  Cake and drinks were given to those who came to the wedding.

Below Pastor Smith (right) was putting the final touches on the wedding program at the church before everyone arrived.  It was a true privilege to get to know Pastor Smith.  His love for the Lord is evident and we are so excited about the work he is doing in Muraille Lacee.

2 hours after the scheduled start time, the brides began to arrive!  It was all about being "fashionably late" to their special day.  Pastor Smith began the ceremony with much singing, and then it was time for the vows.  After doing the vows MORE COUPLES began to enter the small church structure.  So many in fact that Pastor Smith started the service over again to do the vows again!  After all...this was their wedding day!

The wedding ceremony was similar to traditional weddings in the U.S.  The couples all stood in the front as Pastor Smith led them in the exchanging of their vows.  He first addressed the ladies and at the end they responded with "Wi" and the men followed.  They also exchanged rings.  Pastor Smith preached about the importance of family and he spoke very highly about the support they had received from Baptist Haiti Mission to do a wedding of this size.  The large crowd began to grow restless throughout the course of the ceremony.  However, when the finale arrived and it was time for THE KISS all eyes were on the front of the church and cheers followed!

Kissing in public is not common in Haiti.  There were giggles and cheers as kisses were exchanged on this beautiful day!  Below is a picture of the faces of the precious couple you saw smooching in the above picture.  I loved seeing the couples come from all different life stages.  Everyone deserves to have a wedding day and it blessed my heart to see these precious people commit their families to the Lord.

After a great wedding weekend it was time to begin our trek home.  I literally felt like I had ran two half-marathons in 24 hours!  My cheerleaders were the precious children we passed along the difficult journey out to the road.  They helped me remember to breath and smile and enjoy the moment!

I loved being able to go on this journey with Trey.  We had so much fun laughing with one another over new discoveries and encouraging one another when it felt like we were never going to reach the top of the mountain!  Although hot, incredibly dirty, and STILL thirsty I would not have changed a thing.  Pray for us as we continue to get to know the people of Haiti.  Pray that we will seek the Lord daily as we walk with Him on this exciting journey!