Generations of Love
Love brought our RHFH missionary families here -2 generations with love for God , love for His work and love for the Haitian people. We thought you might like this glimpse into the hearts of a few of the third generation growing up with RHFH.
Gretchen
It is really fun being a missionary kid you can do a lot of fun things. There is a great view with many hills. Sometimes it is really hot and humid but some days are cool. I love to go on family hikes especially to the beautiful waterfalls. There are a lot of fun trees to climb on. Some kids are kind of annoying because they just sit outside all day by the fence watching. There are some great ocean spots to go in. I think it is better living in Haiti than living in the states . In Haiti you get to spend more time with your family.
Grace
Being a missionary kid for the past eight years has brought its many blessings and challenges. Blessings in the forms of the people here, the memories, the hikes, the RC kids, the views, and the fresh mangos and bananas. Along with many other things that I’m grateful I have here. It has also been a blessing being a missionary kid in Haiti in the way it has helped me be thankful for things that have easily been taken for granted, like running water, electricity, and clean water to drink.
Challenges have come in many different forms, from not having running water for two weeks, from having to drive over the mountains for ten hours because we can’t drive through Port a Prince due to the gangs, to feeling extremely homesick sometimes. It isn’t as hard for me now, but in the earlier years it was very hard for me to transition from the US to Haiti when we traveled back and forth. It felt like I didn’t fully belong in either place for a long time. It felt like I didn’t belong in Haiti from the language barriers and the way people looked at me differently because I’m a foreigner. It felt like I didn’t belong in America from the way I always felt self conscious and anxious everywhere I went, and had a really hard time connecting and socializing with people.
Overall I am glad I grew up a missionary kid. It has had its challenges, yes, but the experiences and blessings greatly outweigh any challenge I’ve ever had here. I’m grateful for God, my family, and my house, my teacher, my school, and my dogs. I’m grateful for my life here, and I wouldn’t wish it any other way than God has planned.
Isaiah
Some people say that being a missionary kid and living in a different culture changes how you turn out, that it affects your life. Well, I’m a missionary kid and I beg to differ, because God is sovereign. He is in control of everything. I turn out how I am because of Him. I mean sure, some things in Haitian culture are hard to get used to, like, for instance Haitian dominos, where the player in last place has to wear a massive, heavy brick on their back or painful clips on their face, it’s not very fun. But the hardest thing to get used to is the fact that it’s common for a Haitian to stand there for hours and watch you do whatever it is you’re doing, even if it’s mundane. It can be very uncomfortable, but I try to remember that they’re interested in observing how I do things. My point is that wherever I am, whatever culture I’m in, I will turn out the way God planned me to, and God’s version of yourself is the best one.
Hi It’s Ameyah. I was born in Haiti so I have lived there most of my life. Although now I am in the USA for a season of time. My dad is a Haitian and my mom is the missionary. I love Haiti and love the people there. I am glad to be a part of the culture and I am glad I grew up around so many people that were happy that I was there and taught me about life in Haiti. I’m happy that I can speak the language well and that I can communicate with my friends and the people in our village. I also get to try lots of new foods and learn about traditions in the culture in Haiti and in my village. Sometimes culture things seem weird but when you take the time to learn about them it helps you to understand them better. Being a missionary kid can be an incredible experience and allow you to develop a sense compassion towards others. It is like an adventure that helps you grow as a person and broadens your perspective on life. Plus you get to build life long relationships with many people. Living in a different country helps you to be open minded to learn more about how different countries live and work. I am very happy that I grew up in Haiti.