Our Place in Haiti ~

We love where we live! We feel very safe (even when it's just us girls alone here). It's so adorable & very clean! 

We are staying on a huge property which is kind of a bed and breakfast (although there aren't any guests right now and it sounds like most of the time all of the rooms are empty but I think at one point it used to get busier.) We are in a separate little apartment just to the side of the main property but still in the same gated area. There is a huge wall surrounding the property and a full time guard (and guard dogs which are locked up all day and come out as soon as it gets dark.)

Here is what you see when you enter the apartment:

This is our knook area where we eat all of our meals. Starting later today we will be squeezing around with all 8 of us with the littles on our laps ;) Notice our artwork decor above the table? Water color paintings by the kids hung on twine :)

Through the double doors is the kitchen:

We have a fridge and a great stove that lights without matches!! 

We have our dish system all set up ~ one bucket for washing with dishsoap and a touch of bleach and another bucket with water & a couple tbs of bleach. We were taught this at the guesthouse when we go on missions trips in order to not get sick from the water. 

This is my little dish helper ;). At night it gets pretty dark ~ we do have electricity & lights they just don't get that bright. 

Here is the living area (sorry boys.....the TV is not hooked up) ;)

This was taken yesterday when the sun was out~ beautiful views and such great light that comes in each morning. 

The spiral staircase leads to the master bedroom where the littles and I have been sleeping in a very nice & comfortable king size bed

This is the area in our room just as you come up the stairs where we will be putting an extra mattress for Kolson & Kaleb Jasse to sleep (Brodie and I will sleep with Kaylee & Khloe Enna) 

More awesome bright Windows ~ no light in master room so they are much appreciated during the day!! The red suitcase is Kaleb Jasse & Khloe Enna's "dresser" and next to it is out toy area where we lay out towels and play

Here is our "closet" area (also in the master)

We have hanging space & the brown suitcase is my "dresser" ~ we have extra blankets & pillows stacked for nighttime (it gets cold here at night since we are up in the mountains). 

This is what our bed looks like at night ~ I scoot Enna over & squeeze in between the girls ;) 

Here is the master bathroom (we only use the toilet~ sink is broken & shower sprays right onto the toilet 😂) 

 I took this picture standing directly under the shower head so you can see how it would spray right on toilet. We just use shower downstairs ~ much easier!!

Here is downstairs bathroom 

And downstairs bedroom right off the kitchen 

Kennady & Keegan will sleep here

This is our view ~ and our extra steep driveway that goes up to the gate surrounding property. The house right in front of us has a little boy and little girl living there who sit out in the driveway and chat with our Haitian kids (yelling hello at each other over and over). It's really cute :)

I've been fascinated watching all of our neighbors. They work SO hard from the second it gets light (5am right now) until it is dark (about 6:30pm). I see women doing laundry all day......washing very early, hanging, then taking it all down when the rain comes only to put it all back out the second the rain stops. I see them walking to the market to gather food for dinner, carrying large bags back on top of their heads like its nothing. They are VERY resilient & work non-stop just to get the basics done.....then start again the next day. We are falling into this pace of life slowly but surely.....learning this simple way of living. 

My little side-kick helping me fill water bottles for the day :)

There is nothing easy or convenient about the way that they live but the pace & simplicity is truly a beautiful thing. It is such a gift for us in this season......all distractions being pulled away so that we can focus on what's most important ;)

Well......not all distractions......we do have electricity & pretty good wifi & we've noticed some of our Haitian neighbors appreciating that & stopping by to charge phones/laptops/get wifi. Our good friend, Jean Robert who has been our driver for the last two years every time we come, is our next for neighbor! What a blessing he has been!!! 

There is also a large courtyard that we play soccer in when it's not raining in the morning

We LOVE to get out & run around when we can ~ well, Enna doesn't want to run so we just sit and watch ;)