{"id":8115,"date":"2014-03-29T17:07:06","date_gmt":"2014-03-29T22:07:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/?p=8115"},"modified":"2014-03-29T17:07:06","modified_gmt":"2014-03-29T22:07:06","slug":"bondye-bon-haiti-2014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/?p=8115","title":{"rendered":"Bondye Bon: Haiti 2014"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"IMG_4556\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Bondye Bon means “God is Good” in Haitian. \u00a0Indeed He is. \u00a0I just returned last night after an incredible week serving in Haiti with an amazing team from North Cobb Christian School as a part of Spring Term 2014. \u00a0This is the longest post that I have ever put on this blog, but it is a compilation of 7 days worth of blog posts that I wrote for our school’s Spring Term blog about our trip. \u00a0The posts are separated by the day and at the end of each post is a link to the Photostream of pictures for that day. \u00a0I am posting this here so that I can have all the posts in one spot.<\/p>\n

Haiti Day One-Friday, March 21, 2014
\n<\/strong><\/span>Our team arrived at school bright and early this morning. We started the trip by singing a rowdy Happy Birthday to Alexis Cornell. After the singing, we checked passports, prayed together, hugged each other\u2019s parents and rolled to the airport just after 5:00am thanks to our awesome driver Coach Corbett.<\/p>\n

Checkin at the Atlanta airport went great and we all grabbed a quick breakfast on the way to the gate. Our plane took off early and we were on our way. We landed in Miami without incident and got ready for our 4 hour layover. Everyone enjoyed stretching their legs a bit and we had plenty of time for lunch. As we waited at the gate, naps and cards were plentiful as were lots of laughs and easy conversation. We can tell already that this is going to be a great week with this team!<\/p>\n

Our flight to Haiti went great. It\u2019s always a blast watching a group try to figure out customs forms. Fortunately none of the group had to be detained. As we were landing in Haiti, the wow factor was pretty huge even just outside the plane windows. The poverty and destruction are very evident. It is also very evident that our amazing Creator designed Haiti as it is a beautiful place in the midst of the rubble left over from the earthquake in January 2010.<\/p>\n

We landed and grabbed our luggage without incident. Apparently it is pretty common for luggage to get lost here, so we were pumped that all 23 of us got all of our bags with no problem. We loaded the Lifeline ministry bus and headed for the mission housing.
\nThe ride took about 2 hours from Port-au-Prince. We saw some pretty amazing sights. Tons of happiness and smiles on the faces of the people as they walked miles along the roadside to take care of their daily responsibilities. Kids of all ages were walking up and down the highway that was packed with tons of vehicles.<\/p>\n

As we got further out of the city, we headed into a more mountainous region for the last hour of our ride through some narrow, dusty roads. Again, this place is beautiful\u2026simply breathtaking. The people in the community were going about their evening activities of preparing dinner, cleaning, and visiting with neighbors. We felt very welcomed because everyone waved at our bus as we passed by.<\/p>\n

We arrived at Lifeline to a very warm welcome and quickly found our rooms. Dinner was prepared by some really sweet ladies and we enjoyed lasagna, green beans, and fruit. The crew was pretty quiet as we ate and everyone cleaned their plates.<\/p>\n

Our music team cleaned the kitchen tonight while the rest of the team unloaded a cargo truck of food and other supplies that the US Air Force delivered today. We have had a great time so far and were glad to get to work!<\/p>\n

Coach Bollinger led us in a devotions this evening asking the questions \u201cWhat do you want to leave here with at the end of the week? What does God have in store for you?\u201d We had a great time of worship and prayed together before lining out the agenda for tomorrow.<\/p>\n

Morning devotions are at 7:30am. I feel confident this group is going to sleep pretty well tonight\u2026especially after the rowdy games of Scrabble and Heads Up that went down in the community room this evening!<\/p>\n

Thanks so much for your prayers. It is so evident already that God has prepared the way for us and that He has amazing things in store for us!<\/p>\n

Megan Strange and the 2014 NCCS Haiti Spring Term Team<\/p>\n

Haiti team day one Photostream<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.icloud.com\/photostream\/#A1Grq0zwGOHEzZ<\/a><\/p>\n

Haiti Day Two-Saturday, March 22,<\/strong><\/span> 2014<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>Just before bedtime last night, a cool rainstorm came through the area where we are staying.\u00a0 It brought a welcome breeze for sure! Everyone enjoyed falling asleep to the rain.\u00a0 It\u2019s a good thing we headed to bed around 10pm, because the folks in this community get up early.\u00a0 There is a church next door to where we are staying on the Lifeline property. Apparently their drummer practices around 5:15am.\u00a0 He is quite good, but it is still an interesting thing to wake up to if you are not used to it!\u00a0 His drumming skills also woke up the roosters and several small kids who decided to play outside.\u00a0 Who needs alarm clocks with so much life going on around us?<\/p>\n

It seems that everyone slept well as they were all in a great mood as we gathered for morning devotions.\u00a0 We went to \u201cPrayer Rock\u201d and prayed before heading out to our quiet times.\u00a0 This morning we studied Philippians 2:1-5 and the Attitude of the Servant.\u00a0 We talked a good bit about the part where Paul is encouraging us to look to the interests of others.\u00a0 That correlates so well with what we read in chapel the other day from Romans 12:10 \u201cLove one another with brotherly affection.\u00a0 Outdo one another in showing honor.\u201d\u00a0 This is definitely a strand that we have seen come to fruition in our trip so far as the group is doing a great job of caring for one another.<\/p>\n

The craft team was on kitchen duty today so they made breakfast while the rest of us took a short walk up to the top of a hill overlooking the Lifeline compound.\u00a0 There is a huge cross up there that looks out onto a breathtaking view of the island.\u00a0 When the cross was orginally put up there, it was painted with glow in the dark green paint and used as a landmark by many on the island\u2026even the government.\u00a0 Mele and I decided that it would be pretty awesome to sing Hillsong\u2019s \u201cLead Me to the Cross\u201d up there for one of our times of worship.\u00a0 On our way down from the cross, we had a chance to visit with some of the neighbor kids.\u00a0 These kids are precious and so happy to have some big kids to play with!<\/p>\n

We enjoyed a great breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, cereal, and fruit.\u00a0 Everyone ate well and then we headed out for a tour of the property.\u00a0 We saw the school that Lifeline operates that includes a cafeteria.\u00a0 Between that cafeteria and trucks that go out into the village, Lifeline feeds over 8,000 children a day.\u00a0 That is roughly half the population of the city of Acworth that they feed every day.\u00a0 Simply amazing!<\/p>\n

We finished touring the property and ended up at the warehouse where our group unloaded the supply truck last night.\u00a0 The warehouse is full of donations and the space needed to be organized.\u00a0 Without a moment\u2019s hesitation, our crew jumped in and got to work.\u00a0 Trevor Hourigan quickly became the warehouse manager and we all started sorting.\u00a0 For any NCCS coaches reading this, we are calling this Culture of Strength: Haiti style.\u00a0 Awesome attitudes from everyone!<\/p>\n

As the warehouse project finished up, some of the girls went outside to hang out with the neighbors kids to get to know them better.\u00a0 Our group has already fallen in love with a little 4 year old girl named Macarona.\u00a0 I\u2019m pretty sure that Macy Murray is planning to bring Macarona home in her suitcase\u2026but I\u2019m not worried, Macy\u2019s parents were probably thinking that might happen! There were lots of pictures and conversation about hair between the girls and all the kids.<\/p>\n

We came back to the mission house and ate lunch.\u00a0 Some ate leftovers from dinner last night and others of us ate sandwiches.\u00a0 One interesting thing here, they don\u2019t have turkey\u00a0OR ham.\u00a0 The lunchmeat is simply labeled \u201cTurkey Ham\u201d.\u00a0 We spent a long time chatting about flying pigs and that sort of thing until most agreed that it really just tasted like ham.\u00a0 Everyone had plenty to eat and again enjoyed great conversation.\u00a0 The best part about the lack of stable internet here is that we have really enjoyed talking to each other.\u00a0 Each meal has brought up fun stories of elementary school adventures, college plans, old Spring Term adventures, and much, much more.\u00a0 We are grateful for the break from the internet and everyone seems to be doing well with that.<\/p>\n

After lunch we had about 2 hours to wait for our host missionary (Robinson)\u00a0to come back to take us to the orphanage for a visit.\u00a0 Several napped, some played games, and others just sat and talked.\u00a0 We had a few that enjoyed using their ENO hammocks once they put on plenty of sunscreen. We loaded up a few minutes before 3:00 and headed out for the orphanage and a market.<\/p>\n

When we arrived at the orphanage, we were taken to a room about the size of one of the NCCS Annex classrooms that was full of kids.\u00a0 Our \u201cbig kids\u201d jumped right in and I wish you could have seen them all with arms full of Haitian kids.\u00a0 The NCCS girls quickly got to work painting nails and doing hair.\u00a0 Nicole Lickman did such a great job painting nails that a little girl brought her Barbie doll back to the room and asked Nicole to paint the Barbie\u2019s nails too!\u00a0 The boys were pretty busy talking soccer and playing with Chris Djomou Nana\u2019s remote controlled helicopter.\u00a0 There were also a lot of coloring books and photo ops during the hour we spent at the orphanage.<\/p>\n

From there we headed into a more urban area to go to the market.\u00a0 We definitely stood out as the Americans with our matching shirts wandering through.\u00a0 The market was basically a huge flea market with wall to wall stalls, people, and merchandise.\u00a0 Mr. Williams economic lessons were well-remembered as our students quickly diagnosed the market problem of way too much supply and way too little demand.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t seem that anyone was selling anything.\u00a0 The market was an interesting mix of toiletries, clothes, food, and other random items.\u00a0 Our crew didn\u2019t buy anything, but we definitely learned a lot from the experience.<\/p>\n

After the market we returned to the mission house and were treated to an incredible dinner of homemade chicken tenders, mashed potatoes, fruit, spinach, corn, cole slaw, plantains, and fresh baked bread.\u00a0 The veggies were from the garden that is on the Lifeline campus.\u00a0 The food was excellent!\u00a0 While the craft team finished up their kitchen duty for the day, a soccer game broke out between the Haitians and some of our NCCS students.\u00a0 I\u2019m proud to say that our Eagles did quite well out there and due to the play of Alexis Cornell, the Haitians have\u00a0lot more respect for women\u2019s soccer players.<\/p>\n

The sun went down around 6:30, but the soccer game continued until there was absolutely no light left at all.\u00a0 Everyone headed in for showers, card games, and yet another round of Scrabble.\u00a0 The team gathered at 9:00 for devotions led by our games team: Coach Bollinger, Samantha, Isadora, Dominique, Harold, and Chaz. They shared from Joshua 1:9, Isaiah 41:40, and Matthew 6:19 reminding us to be strong and courageous, to focus on what God called us here for, and to make sure that we are storing up treasure in heaven.<\/p>\n

Everyone seems to be doing well and having a great time.\u00a0 It is a blast to see the way that different groups of kids are interacting and enjoying each other\u2019s company.\u00a0 We are headed to bed in just a bit so that we can be ready for breakfast at 7am and then church at 8am.\u00a0 Thank you so much for your prayers!<\/p>\n

Megan Strange and the 2014 NCCS Haiti Team<\/p>\n

Haiti day two Photostream<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.icloud.com\/photostream\/#A15n8hH4TszhF<\/a><\/p>\n

Haiti Day Three-Sunday, March 23, 2014
\n<\/strong><\/span>Everyone was up this morning around 7am to grab breakfast before church started at 8am.\u00a0 The games team is hosting the kitchen today and we had a great breakfast of cereal and fruit.\u00a0 Each ministry team, Games (Coach Bollinger), Crafts (Mrs. Carr), Bible Stories (Macy Murray), and Music (my team), works in a rotation to host the kitchen.\u00a0 We are prepping all of breakfast and lunch and then washing dishes and cleaning after all 3 meals each day.\u00a0 They are some really awesome ladies that make dinner for the team each night.\u00a0 So\u2026basically, if you sent your child on this trip, they will return home with the capability to prepare food, wash dishes, and clean the kitchen.\u00a0 Everyone has a great attitude about it down here, so I\u2019m sure they will be eager to put their skills into practice at home!<\/p>\n

A few of us got up a little early and hiked up to the cross that overlooks the mission compound to watch the sunrise. It was beautiful!\u00a0 We already have a few more committed to joining us tomorrow morning.\u00a0 We all finished up breakfast and put on our church clothes to walk next door for the 8am worship.\u00a0 There was a large group of Haitians in the church and they were very passionate about their worship.\u00a0 The entire thing was in Creole and\/or French or a mix of the two so most of us were pretty lost.\u00a0 The message was out of 2 Timothy 2:1-4.\u00a0 They thought they might have a translator for us today, but that didn\u2019t pan out.\u00a0 No worries, our crew really enjoyed the experience.\u00a0 We had been told that church would last about 3 hours and were a bit surprised when it ended after only an hour and a half.<\/p>\n

After church we hung out with some of the kids and took pictures.\u00a0 We had some time to go back to the mission house to relax before lunch.\u00a0 Since it is Sunday, there isn\u2019t much going on in the town as most places in Haiti are closed for the Sabbath.\u00a0 It is awesome to see how our kids are still responding well to the downtime.\u00a0 Huge card games, coloring, fingernail painting, deep conversations, and much, more more are filling our free time.\u00a0 Several of us have even been able to grab a nap.\u00a0 The change of pace has been good for our group, but we are eager to get to work tomorrow morning.<\/p>\n

We have learned a little more about the projects we will be doing.\u00a0 We will help serve food in the school between 10am-2pm.\u00a0 Tomorrow we will see how many kids that entails, but it is definitely a huge operation based on the setup we saw on our tour yesterday.Some will also help making cement blocks that are being used to build a new orphanage.\u00a0 Others will continue working in the warehouse to organize donations and some will visit schools in the community.\u00a0 These are all great opportunities and we look forward to serving\u2026and being flexible for whatever other opportunities arise.<\/p>\n

Lunch today was sandwiches, chips, and fruit.\u00a0 Most of us are all really enjoying the porch at mealtimes since there is a nice breeze out there.\u00a0 After lunch we were going to walk down the street and play with some kids, but our bus arrived early so we headed towards Port-au-Prince for a driving tour and a visit to the museum.<\/p>\n

Driving into Port-au-Prince is really a remarkable experience in light of the devastation and poverty around.\u00a0 People are standing around selling food, drinks, clothing, and tons of other things.\u00a0 The traffic is terrible, but somewhat of an adventure.\u00a0 Our student drivers are learning a lot about how orderly our traffic is back home!<\/p>\n

We stopped by the airport to pick up Coach Bollinger, Zach, Michael, and Payton who had ridden separately from us to pick up another person from the airport that will be working with us this week.\u00a0 They had a chance to visit a grocery store to pick up supplies for the week and learned a lot about Haiti and some of what has been going on since the earthquake.\u00a0 Many of you joined us at NCCS on February 27 as we drew a red X on our hands to raise awareness for the 27 million slaves around the world.\u00a0 The slave industry is huge here in Haiti mostly due to the extreme poverty and desparation.\u00a0 Hopefully that helps you understand why we are \u201cin it to END it\u201d.\u00a0 Our experiences this week so far have put faces on that statistic that make us very uncomfortable.\u00a0 I\u2019m glad to be here with a group of revolutionaries who are part of the solution generation.<\/p>\n

Our main stop in Haiti was a national museum.\u00a0 We received a tour and learned a lot about when and how Haiti was settled.\u00a0 The artwork was really interesting and you could see a lot about how the Catholic church was so pivotal in the early settling of Haiti.\u00a0 The tour also took us through a hall lined with all of the Haitian presidents and the different iterations of the Haitian flag.\u00a0 It was a powerful picture of the idealogies that have shaped this beautiful nation.\u00a0 There is a lot of heartache and struggle represented on those walls.<\/p>\n

When we were leaving the museum, we took some pictures outside and then loaded the bus to head back.\u00a0 The trip back gave us another opportunity to see some of the tent cities that still remain from the earthquake.\u00a0 Even as we drove down the streets, there were people selling bottled water that would literally run after the cars to try and get people to buy from them.<\/p>\n

We came back to the mission house around 5:30pm just in time for another awesome meal prepared by our sweet kitchen ladies.\u00a0 We had spaghetti, green beans, corn, sweet potatoes, bread, and watermelon.\u00a0 Again, we probably ate too much, but it was awesome! The games team took care of the kitchen after dinner while the rest of us headed outside for the after dinner soccer games that are becoming a part of our evening routine.<\/p>\n

Our American soccer players are really doing an awesome job of building relationships with the Haitians.\u00a0 In turn, the Haitians are helping our soccer players get better.\u00a0 Mt. Paran better be worried when them come to NCCS on April 10th\u2026these sessions with the Haitians are bound to put us over the top!<\/p>\n

The Bible Stories team: Macy, Alexis, Michael, Clare, and Jared, led our devotions this evening and pointed us to Matthew 6:25 and Matthew 6:34 reminding us that we don\u2019t have anything to worry about when we place our trust in Jesus.\u00a0 We sang a couple of songs tonight including Hosanna.\u00a0 One of the lines in that song says \u201ceverything I am for your kingdom\u2019s cause\u201d.\u00a0 Macy shared with us how that phrase has been such an encouragement to her over the years and should really be our theme for this week\u2026whatever it takes, everything I am for Your Kingdom\u2019s cause.\u00a0 With that mindset and commitment, we believe God has amazing things in store to work in us and through us.<\/p>\n

The evening wrapped up with a quick review of our activities for tomorrow.\u00a0 We will be serving in a school and an orphanage tomorrow helping with the meal program and hanging out with kids.\u00a0 Tonight is a great opportunity to get some rest so that we have 100% to give.\u00a0 Our team devotions for this morning came from 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 where it talks about not only giving what we have to give\u2026but also giving even more than we have to give.\u00a0 Jared referred to it tonight in our devotions as \u201cimmeasurably more\u201d\u2026and that\u2019s just what we are all trusting God for this week.\u00a0 His will and His perfect plan for us.<\/p>\n

So\u2026to bed we go with visions of smiling happy children in our minds.\u00a0 Thanks for your prayers!\u00a0 We will try and post some pictures tomorrow.\u00a0 The cell coverage and internet here are both really spotty, but we will post some as we are able.<\/p>\n

Haiti day three Photostream<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.icloud.com\/photostream\/#A1GI9HKKGPEJQD<\/a><\/p>\n

Haiti Day Four-Monday, March 24, 2014
\n<\/strong><\/span>Today was our first official hard work day.\u00a0 In fact, as I am typing this part of the blog around 4:20pm, most of the team is sound asleep catching a nap before dinner.\u00a0 We were pleasantly surprised to find that one of the missionaries had gotten up early to make breakfast for us.\u00a0 Especially the Bible stories crew since it is their kitchen day!\u00a0 After a breakfast of scrambled eggs, cereal, toast, and fruit, we headed up to \u201cPrayer Rock\u201d for our devotions about being a compassionate servant.\u00a0 We have really enjoyed our devotional time and the setting is simply amazing.\u00a0 The mountain overlooks the Lifeline ministry compound as well as the village where we have been serving\u2026the home of the orphanages and schools.\u00a0 It is pretty amazing to sit up there to read God\u2019s word and to pray over those that we will be serving and hoping to point to Jesus.<\/p>\n

Once we finished up devotions, we loaded up for a 2 mile walk to the school we were going to be working at.\u00a0 Everyone had to pack lunch to take with them and that process went pretty smoothly\u2026imagine 20 teenagers in your kitchen making peanut butter and jelly.\u00a0 We also reminded the team to bring plenty of water as we were going to be out all day.\u00a0 There has not been any problem at all having plenty of clean water.\u00a0 We have a cooler of water at all times in the kitchen for filling up bottles and cups to drink out of.\u00a0 The kids have been great about staying hydrated.\u00a0 When we go out, we always take our water bottles and the Lifeline folks always bring a cooler of water bags.\u00a0 It\u2019s a strange concept, but it is a little bag of water that you drink.\u00a0 You pick it up by the corner of the bag, bite a hole in it, and then drink the water out of it.\u00a0 If you look back at our Day 1 blog, you\u2019ll see a picture of Zach Englert demonstrating it for all of us on the bus.\u00a0 That\u2019s why we elected him Student Body President at NCCS this year.\u00a0 He is a very skilled water bag drinker!\u00a0 He\u2019s also the only one that would let me take his picture while we were all trying it out\u2026definitely a good sport!<\/p>\n

We walked 2 miles into a village called Barbacor.\u00a0 The village we are staying in is called Ladique and that is the home of Lifeline ministries.\u00a0 The larger region is called Arcahaie.\u00a0 To give you an idea of the length of our hike this morning, it would basically be like walking from North Cobb Christian School down to Swift Cantrell Park.\u00a0 But\u2026throw in tons of rocks, mud, a river (fortunately very low due to the drought\u2026not good for the Haitians\u2026but good for the Americans walking across it!), goats and cows tied up on trees, and tons of kids from the village coming along to view the Americans in town.<\/p>\n

When we arrived in Barbacor we were able to tour the school.\u00a0 Kids have to be sponsored in order to go to school here and that costs around $250-$300 per kid.\u00a0 The government only allows the kids to go to school 3 hours a day and the school year runs from October-July.\u00a0 At the end of 6th grade, there is a big national test that determines whether a child can move on or if they have to repeat the grade, go to trade school, or just drop out.\u00a0 College is very rare for the kids around here due to the high cost.\u00a0 The school in Barbacor has little kids from 9am-noon and then the older kids from 1pm-4pm.\u00a0 The teachers work both sessions everyday and are paid a grand total of $50 a month in most cases.\u00a0 A lot of the teachers barely have a high school degree themselves and only a few have college degrees.<\/p>\n

The Barbacor kids were happy to see our kids\u2026and our kids\u2019 cameras!\u00a0 \u201cPhoto\u201d is a one of the most common phrases we hear each day.\u00a0 In fact, one kid asked me today if I had an iPod.\u00a0 I told him no\u2026and then he showed me his iPod.\u00a0 This is a kid that eats one meal a day, wasn\u2019t wearing shoes, and lives in a shack.\u00a0 Pretty crazy stuff\u2026but Apple\u2019s marketing department would be proud.\u00a0 Our main job was to clean up the cafeteria to get it ready to serve lunch.\u00a0 All the NCCS lunch duty that our kids have done over the years is really paying off\u2026they are champion sweepers!<\/p>\n

Lifeline ministries feeds 8,000 kids a day.\u00a0 They do this through a variety of schools, orphanages, and their own Lifeline ministry compound.\u00a0 There is a group of ladies that start cooking beans and rice at 4am each day.\u00a0 Once it is all cooked, they plate it for several hundred kids at Lifeline.\u00a0 For the rest of the kids, the rice and beans is packed into 5 gallon buckets, stacked in the back of a pickup truck and delivered all around the area.\u00a0 We saw the operation unfold at Lifeline this morning before we headed out.\u00a0 At Barbacor, we were there when the pickup pulled up and we unloaded 10 5 gallon buckets of the rice and beans for that school.<\/p>\n

The first group that we fed for lunch was made up of the little kids from the morning session of school.\u00a0 They are too precious in their khaki and green uniforms.\u00a0 Don\u2019t worry\u2026we have tons of pictures to share when we get home!\u00a0 The second shift was made up of the older kids that wear white and maroon uniforms.\u00a0 They were happy to see us too\u2026but, let\u2019s face it, they were teenagers like our group and they mostly just cared about the food!\u00a0 The last group we fed were all the other kids in the village that needed to eat, but aren\u2019t sponsored to go to the school.\u00a0 All told, we fed over 700 people lunch today.\u00a0 It was quite an operation!<\/p>\n

One thing that really stood out to us is the fact that these kids only get one meal a day.\u00a0 All of us brought more snacks for this one week than most of these kids eat for meals in an entire month\u2026and we are still eating three pretty square meals a day on top of all those American snacks.\u00a0 Some of the kids that were coming into the cafeteria to eat brought in lunch boxes.\u00a0 We figured\u2026oh, those kids must bring their lunch.\u00a0 I sat down next to a little boy who brought his lunch box after he picked up a plate of rice and beans.\u00a0 As he unzipped the lunch box, I figured he must be getting out his Capri Sun or something..you know, just like my 5 year old would be doing in the cafeteria.\u00a0 Out of his lunch box, he pulled out a little tupperware box and immediately put about 3\/4ths of his rice and beans into it.\u00a0 The missionary explained to me that this little boy was taking food home for his parents and siblings and that they would all share his leftovers as their one meal a day.\u00a0 Talk about sobering.\u00a0 Our kids quickly grasped what was going on and really gave 100% to the Haitian kids today.<\/p>\n

We had lots of opportunity to fix hair, play games, and just hang out.\u00a0 Trevor Hourigan and Zach Englert were the only two guys back at the school with us as the other guys went with Coach Bollinger to help with a concrete job at the orphanage.\u00a0 Trevor and Zach did a great job of becoming a human jungle gym for all the kids that wanted to play with them!\u00a0 Our girls did a masterful job of making all the little girls feel beautiful and loved.\u00a0 Such a proud moment to see our kids in action!<\/p>\n

We arrived at the school around 10:30am and left there around 2:30pm once the lunch operation was over.\u00a0 As the team left Barbacor, we had a big group of new Haitian friends following us down the trail.\u00a0 At a certain point, they all said goodbye and headed home as we walked the last mile back.\u00a0 We stopped at the Lifeline orphanage to check on Coach Bollinger, Payton Ward, Chaz Post, Jared Miller, Harold Xu, Michael Gold, and Chris Djomou Nana.\u00a0 They had been working all afternoon carrying buckets of concrete to help pour stairs.\u00a0 It was really hard work, but it was pretty obvious that the Haitian day laborers were grateful for their help\u2026and they got a ton of work done on the stairs for the orphanage.<\/p>\n

The team came back to the mission house to clean up and relax a bit before dinner.\u00a0 After several hours in the sun and heat, we needed the time to recharge.\u00a0 The team has been doing a great job of reminding everyone to drink water and to reapply sunscreen and bug spray.\u00a0 The crew came alive in time for a wonderful dinner of rice, beans, carrots, fruit, and sweet bread.\u00a0 Everyone ate a good bit and then our awesome Bible stories team cleaned the kitchen.\u00a0 After dinner several sat around and enjoyed good conversation while others played soccer, 4 square, basketball, and cards.\u00a0 This group is awesome at making the down time really fun!<\/p>\n

Our devotion tonight was brought by our Crafts team: Mrs. Carr, Hannah Smothers, Paige Davies, Meliah Powell, Payton Ward, and Trevor Hourigan.\u00a0 They each shared their favorite Bible verse and how the Lord had used that verse to encourage them this week.\u00a0 We also took time to share some stories in the group about the experiences that everyone had over the course of the day.\u00a0 It is so exciting to see how in tune our team is with the way that the Lord is moving.\u00a0 They are eager to get started again tomorrow!<\/p>\n

Still no luck with posting pictures as the wifi hasn\u2019t worked at all since we arrived and the cell service is pretty weak here.\u00a0 If we get a strong signal, we will send pics for the past few days.\u00a0 For now\u2026just imagine pictures of your kids smiling and having a blast serving the Haitian people.\u00a0 Thanks for your prayers!<\/p>\n

Megan Strange and the 2014 NCCS Haiti Team<\/p>\n

Haiti Day four Photostream<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.icloud.com\/photostream\/#A159UlCq1r3gN<\/a><\/p>\n

Haiti Day Five-Tuesday, March 25, 2014<\/strong><\/span>
\nWe had a good group that woke up early to walk up to the cross to watch the sunrise.\u00a0 This is my second time to make the hike and it has been beautiful both times!\u00a0 It is really cool to stand up there and look out over the whole village. God created this place..and He created us to be there this week to serve Him and to serve these people.\u00a0 Great dose of perspective up by the cross on the mountain!<\/p>\n

Our team gathered at 7:30am at the \u201cPrayer Rock\u201d (think Rock at NCCS..but not painted for birthdays or sports victories) for our team devotions.\u00a0 Today we were studying the Beatitudes out of Matthew 5 in the first part of our reading on the Character of a Servant.\u00a0 After devotions we walked down for breakfast.\u00a0 We had an awesome treat this morning thanks to Chris Djomou Nana.\u00a0 He is from France and wanted to bless the team by preparing crepes for breakfast.\u00a0 They were awesome!\u00a0 Just about everyone got back in line for seconds.\u00a0 It was great to see Chris having such a great time serving the team!\u00a0 My music crew, Zach Englert, Laura Johnson, Nicole Lickman, Mele Girma, Chris Djomou Nana, and me, are in charge of the kitchen.\u00a0 We had a great time cleaning up breakfast and talking about our trip so far.<\/p>\n

After breakfast we all walked down to the orphanage where the guys were pouring concrete yesterday.\u00a0 They started back on their concrete project while the girls worked on cleaning the inside of the orphanage.\u00a0 After the inside was done, the girls walked back to the mission compound and broke up into two groups.\u00a0 Mrs. Carr\u2019s group helped feed lunch to a few hundred kids in the cafeteria of the school here on the campus.\u00a0 Today\u2019s lunch was some type of grain, noodles, and sauce.\u00a0 Lots of good conversations in the cafeteria!<\/p>\n

My group got to participate in Lifeline\u2019s Widow\u2019s Mite ministry.\u00a0 Widow\u2019s from all around\u2026some from as far away as a 2 hour hike down the mountain\u2026come to Lifeline on Tuesdays to get bags of food.\u00a0 We filled up about 50 pillowcases each with 14 packages of dry rice and beans.\u00a0 When the widows arrive, they bring them into the compound and have a short time of devotion with them.\u00a0 Our group got to share with them and then we prayed for the ladies individually and their families that were with them.\u00a0 One blind man was here and he was wearing a shirt that said \u201cI was Hungry and You Gave me Food.\u201d\u00a0 Powerful testimony of why we are here!\u00a0 After the prayer time, the widows came up one at a time and we gave them a bag of food, we exchanged hugs, and then they went on their way.\u00a0 Really awesome to see how Lifeline\u2019s ministry is serving people of all ages!<\/p>\n

We came back up to the mission house for lunch.\u00a0 Everyone enjoyed leftovers from dinner or sandwiches.\u00a0 We are all still drinking a lot of water and a few folks snuck in a quick nap before we headed out to two orphanages for the afternoon.\u00a0 The plan was to leave for the orphanages around 1pm.\u00a0 We have learned that Haitian time runs a bit differently than American time and all plans are just estimates or speculation until they actually take place.\u00a0 We actually loaded up and left at 2pm and drove towards Port-au-Prince to serve in 2 orphanages.\u00a0 The team divided into two groups and we were eager to paint and to hang out with kids.<\/p>\n

It took a while to get to Port-au-Prince and by the time we arrived at the first orphanage, we realized that we wouldn\u2019t make it to the second orphanage today.\u00a0 Our crew, as they have done all week, happily adjusted and jumped right in.\u00a0 Coach Bollinger and I took a crew inside to paint a room in the orphanage where all of the kids\u2019 beds were.\u00a0 This orphanage was really run down and depressing, if this was in America, the building definitely would have been condemned.\u00a0 However, the little kids were so happy to see us.\u00a0 They greeted us right when we hopped off the bus and never left our sides.\u00a0 We decided that we would treat their bedroom area as if it were our own and painted it really carefully doing our very best work.\u00a0 The bright green really brought some happiness to the place and the kids really seemed to like it.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know how many of you have had the pleasure of washing out paint rollers and paint pans, but you haven\u2019t really lived until you have done that in a well while Haitian children are trying to show off their strength by pumping water for you to wash the items.\u00a0 Teamwork makes the dream work!<\/p>\n

We left the orphanage around 4:30 and headed back to camp.\u00a0 The evenings here are welcome as the sun starts to drop and the temperature moves from baking back to a more tolerable stifling.\u00a0 Again, the crew is doing a great job of drinking water, eating enough, and getting a lot of rest.\u00a0 The drive back to camp took about an hour and a half and it was great to see even more of this beautiful nation driving between Port-au-Prince and the camp in LaDigue.<\/p>\n

Our sweet kitchen ladies had a wonderful dinner prepared for us made up of Haitian pizza, green beans, tons of fruit, bread that had been baked in the sun oven, and some type of apple cinnamon bread for dessert.\u00a0 Again\u2026we eat like kings here!\u00a0 These ladies are so precious and our group has really enjoyed getting to know them.<\/p>\n

After dinner my music crew cleaned up the kitchen to the tune of Zach Englert\u2019s playlist.\u00a0 He\u2019s doing his best to expose us all to good new music.\u00a0 As we were cleaning, Kathy (a missionary here) was telling us a ton of stories about the history of this place and other places that she has served in missions.\u00a0 Really a fascinating lady!\u00a0 The boys in the village also stopped by to sell us some of the bracelets and other trinkets that they make.\u00a0 Our kids have become friends with these boys and were happy to purchase a few items to help these guys out.\u00a0 A few of our team members also availed themselves of the hair braiding and manicures\/pedicures that they could purchase from some of the village teenage girls.\u00a0 Our crew is looking even better than ever!<\/p>\n

The music crew led devotions tonight and we each shared a favorite worship song and why it is our favorite.\u00a0 Everyone did a great job of connecting with our experiences in Haiti and how the Lord is using the truth of His word and the words of some of these songs to help us see where He is at work in us as well as in the lives of the people we are serving this week.<\/p>\n

The team all shared stories from the day and we prayed together as a team.\u00a0 Be sure to ask Michael Gold about his awesome mango and coconut connection today!\u00a0 Laura Johnson and Meliah Powell also had some great stories to share about how the Lord has moved in their hearts this week.\u00a0 We feel confident that God is moving and we want to be faithful to share that story.<\/p>\n

As the evening wraps up, a few kids are playing cards while others are showering and organizing their stuff for tomorrow.\u00a0 We are starting early with the craft team hosting breakfast at 7:30am followed by team devotions and our day\u2019s work\u2026which we will find out about in the morning.\u00a0 All we know for sure is that we will be given something to do at a certain time\u2026and then four versions later, we will be off to work about an hour later than originally predicted.\u00a0 Haitian time and planning has been an adventure for sure\u2026but it has led to some great teachable moments for our crew.\u00a0 Each time we have to wait, it really has led to something cool.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been another awesome day here in Haiti.\u00a0 Thank you for your prayers..have a GREAT night!<\/p>\n

Megan Strange and the 2014 NCCS Haiti Team<\/p>\n

Haiti day 5 Photostream<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.icloud.com\/photostream\/#A1J0DiRHJuxmwk<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0Haiti Day Six-Wednesday, March 26, 2014
\n<\/strong><\/span>We had an interesting start to our day here in Haiti.\u00a0 We woke up to no water at all in the mission house.\u00a0 There was plenty of bottled drinking water, but no water for showers, sinks, etc.\u00a0 Fortunately, that was rectified pretty quickly and we were able to take care of our morning details.\u00a0 The water for the camp comes from a well and from a rainwater collection tank.\u00a0 It turns out that one of the tanks ran out and we just had to switch over to the other one.\u00a0 Let\u2019s remember that this is a group of city folks that don\u2019t normally have to deal with stuff like that.\u00a0 Fortunately, just a very small bump in the road.<\/p>\n

The craft crew is on kitchen duty today and they blessed us with an awesome breakfast of pancakes, cereal, and fruit.\u00a0 We let the crew sleep in a few minutes later today and did devotions after breakfast.\u00a0 Our devotions today came from Matthew 5:7-12 as we continue to study the Beatitudes as we look for key qualities in the Character of a leader.\u00a0 As we were spread out around \u201cPrayer Rock\u201d, we heard a flapping sound in the distance.\u00a0 The sound got louder and we quickly realized it was a helicopter.\u00a0 We were all looking up and checking it out\u2026of course thinking of all the action adventure movies that start with a helicopter flying in.\u00a0 As we looked around, all of the Haitian folks were looking up also letting us know that this was not a common occurrence out here in Ladigue.<\/p>\n

As the helicopter got closer, we could see that it was white with the letters \u201cUN\u201d painted on the bottom and \u201cUnited Nations\u201d painted on the tail.\u00a0 Seemed pretty cool to us.\u00a0 It circled around the valley several times and that made us wonder if something was going on.\u00a0 When we all walked back to the compound, we found out some exciting news.\u00a0 There are some new homes that were built near the compound in a joint relationship between Haiti and the nation of Trinidad.\u00a0 It turns out that tomorrow we will be having some special visitors at camp.\u00a0 In order to keep things safe for all of us, I\u2019ll report more on this after the fact.\u00a0 We are pretty excited and feel that our team will win the award for coolest blog post ever once tomorrow unfolds!<\/p>\n

The original plan for today was for the guys to return to the concrete project and the girls to work in the garden.\u00a0 As time ticked by, it seemed that our plans were starting to unravel.\u00a0 Fortunately, another great plan came together quickly!\u00a0 The guys returned to the concrete project.\u00a0 The girls broke into two groups.\u00a0 One group helped sort donated clothes to take to the orphanage this afternoon while the other group hiked the two miles back to Barbacor.\u00a0 Once we arrived in Barbacor, we painted the outside and inside of the cafeteria that we served in the other day.\u00a0 We finished that project just in the nick of time as we had just finished painting and putting the cafeteria benches back in place when the first group of kids arrived.\u00a0 It was so fun to see how much they loved the new paint!\u00a0 We can all agree that a fresh coat of paint definitely livens things up.\u00a0 We were also glad to get to meet the principal of the Barbacor school and to learn more about what they are doing with their students.<\/p>\n

The whole team reconvened at Lifeline for lunch and enjoyed a variety of leftovers and sandwiches.\u00a0 Meliah Powell actually ate a whole plate of green beans.\u00a0 They are pretty tasty since they are fresh from the garden.\u00a0 Lunch turned into great conversations that led into playing cards and naps before our afternoon project.\u00a0 Haitians tend to take a long break at lunch to avoid the heat of the day.\u00a0 Around 3pm we left to head over to an orphanage that Robinson (our missionary host) had not ever been to before.<\/p>\n

When we got to the orphanage (Garden of Hope), we found 15 boys and girls ages 5-15 sitting around tables coloring and writing.\u00a0 They were really well behaved!\u00a0 Garden of Hope was much cleaner and newer than the orphanage we went to yesterday, but it was still really small for all those kids.\u00a0 You could tell that they took a lot of pride in keeping things neat and clean.\u00a0 Our team had a chance to do crafts, tell Bible stories, and sing with the kids.<\/p>\n

Hannah Smothers, through a Haitian translator, walked the kids through making the beaded salvation bracelets.\u00a0 After the explanation, she quizzed the kids to review what each bead meant\u2026and they remembered.\u00a0 Really awesome gospel presentation!\u00a0 After that, Macy Murray and her Bible stories team acted out two Bible stories.\u00a0 We did David and Goliath starring Michael Gold and Chaz Post.\u00a0 I\u2019ll let you figure out who was who.\u00a0 After that, we did a medley of Jesus\u2019s miracles including the healing of the blind man played by Harold Xu and the healing of a crippled beggar played by Clare Tompkins.\u00a0 We have some serious acting chops in this group and they got a thunderous round of applause after both stories.\u00a0 Mele Girma, Nicole Lickman, and others led the group in \u201cJesus Loves Me\u201d to round out our time at Garden of Hope.<\/p>\n

We rode the bus back to camp and arrived around 6pm just in time for a dinner of creole chicken, veggies, and fruit.\u00a0 I was pleasantly surprised at the number of kids that ate the beet salad.\u00a0 Perhaps they didn\u2019t know what it was\u2026but I was still so proud of them for honoring the kitchen ladies by always trying everything.\u00a0 There was a really hard rainstorm around dinner time that helped cool things off a bit.\u00a0 As usual, dinner led to long leisurely conversations around the table, and for the first time tonight\u2026a rowdy game of Twister.\u00a0 Jared Miller proclaimed Twister to be such a fun group game that he is going to buy his own Twister game and put it in his car to be ready at all times.<\/p>\n

Devotions tonight were led by Mrs. Carr and she challenged us to remember the \u201cleast of these\u201d out of Matthew 25.\u00a0 We have certainly been confronted with those in need of water, food, clothes, and hope this week.\u00a0 When we return home, our prayer is that our vision is sharper than ever to see the needs right where
\nwe live and within our own circles of influence.<\/p>\n

We shared stories of the day as we wrapped up the evening and worked out our agenda for tomorrow.\u00a0 We are looking forward to a short day of work tomorrow and then a really fun afternoon at the beach to celebrate a great week!<\/p>\n

As we head to bed tonight, we are praying for all of the other Spring Term teams and look forward to hearing their stories as well.\u00a0 Sorry again for the lack of pictures.\u00a0 If the beach club has wifi tomorrow, I\u2019ll upload a bunch while we are there.<\/p>\n

Have a GREAT night!<\/p>\n

Megan Strange and the 2014 NCCS Haiti Team<\/p>\n

Haiti Day 6 Photostream<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.icloud.com\/photostream\/#A15ON9t3uJBc1<\/a><\/p>\n

Haiti Day Seven-Thursday, March 27, 2014
\n<\/strong><\/span>We woke up to yet another beautiful morning here in Haiti.\u00a0 The mornings here start around 4:30am with the baby goats yelling in the hills surrounding Lifeline and the noise of the pots and pans for the ladies that start cooking in the cafeteria of the school.\u00a0 It is a really cool way to wake up.\u00a0 The goats have taken some getting used to.\u00a0 One upside of the goats\u2026our students have really developed some remarkable goat imitations.\u00a0 Please be sure to ask your child to do theirs for you.\u00a0 Harold Xu, Zach Englert, and Nicole Lickman are the three best so far.<\/p>\n

Coach Bollinger, Mrs. Carr, and I made breakfast for the troops this morning.\u00a0 We had beans and rice, scrambled eggs, cereal, and fruit.\u00a0 We started breakfast at 7am and then did team devotions at 8am.\u00a0 We were planning to work from 8:30-10:30am today in preparation for our special guests at 11am.\u00a0 The guys went and worked on concrete at the orphanage and then the girls went up to work in the garden where they grow all the vegetables we have enjoyed this week.\u00a0 No one in the garden group had much experience\u2026but we became expert \u201crock picker uppers\u201d.\u00a0 In fact, we did so well with picking up all the rocks that they asked us to design a rock path through the garden that turned out pretty awesome.\u00a0 So\u2026your kids are coming home with some amazing skills that I hope you will be able to put into practice in your homes.\u00a0 Definitely one of the side benefits of Spring Term!<\/p>\n

Well\u2026the special guest awesome surprise didn\u2019t end up working out.\u00a0 We were told that a UN helicopter would be landing on the soccer field at Lifeline at 11am that held the Chief UN Official here in Haiti and the ambassador of Trinidad.\u00a0 They were coming to dedicate the new government housing near our camp.\u00a0 All of our crew was pretty jazzed about the idea of a selfie with a UN helicopter.\u00a0 Unfortunately it didn\u2019t end up happening.\u00a0 For some reason the helicopter didn\u2019t come\u2026they drove up in a car, snapped a few pictures, and were out of here before anyone even knew they were here.\u00a0 So\u2026we were so close, but it was still a really fun morning finishing up our work around here.<\/p>\n

The team ate lunch here at the compound.\u00a0 Once again, lunch was sandwiches or leftovers.\u00a0 Everyone has done great with making lunch this week and seems to be enjoying the food.\u00a0 We played games, talked, and napped before it was time to pack up for our beach afternoon.\u00a0 Our destination was the Wahoo Bay Beach Club and it was really nice!\u00a0 15 of our 20 students took advantage of the snorkeling excursion.\u00a0 They headed out in a row boat for an hour and a half and were able to see some of the marine life here in Haiti.\u00a0 The other 5 paddle boarded and hung out at the pool.<\/p>\n

The crew spent the afternoon swimming, resting, playing a few matches of beach volleyball, and just enjoying the downtime after a great week of serving.\u00a0 Dinner was a really special treat as we ate in an open air dining room overlooking the ocean.\u00a0 The kids had several things to choose from and the most popular selections were: lobster, fish, goat (yeah\u2026goat), chicken, and pork.\u00a0 The food was amazing!\u00a0 After dinner we looked at some souvenirs and then walked back to the beach to take more pictures.\u00a0 Due to the presence of wifi, you\u2019ve probably already seen a good many of those pictures.\u00a0 It was great to have internet for the afternoon.\u00a0 The kids feel a little more caught up on what their friends on other Spring Term teams have been up to this week.<\/p>\n

We arrived back at camp around 7:45 to a special treat of ice cream\u2026which of course led to another rowdy game of Twister on the porch.\u00a0 Since it was our last night at camp, several folks went up to the cross to look at the stars for one last look over the community we have been serving in Haiti.\u00a0 Just as everyone was heading back in, a total downpour came out of nowhere.\u00a0 It was pretty easy to tell who was in the last group coming down from the cross.\u00a0 Some of our guys were pretty resourceful and threw on their bathing suits and grabbed some soap and showered outside in the rain.\u00a0 It was such a blast to see our kids playing in the rain.<\/p>\n

Our final night of devotions started with worship as it has each night.\u00a0 This group has enjoyed singing together and tonight we sang \u201cWe are Here for You\u201d, \u201cBlessed Be the Name\u201d, \u201cHeart of Worship\u201d, and \u201cHoly Spirit\u201d.\u00a0 These songs remind us of why we came to Haiti and just how big our God is.\u00a0 I gave the devotion tonight out of Ephesians 2:8-9 and James 1:22-27.\u00a0 The theme was to remember that we have been saved by grace through faith\u2026our works in Haiti don\u2019t save us or earn us anything in God\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 However, we have been called to serve others out of obedience to what Christ has done for us\u2026to be not only hearers of the word, but also to be doers.\u00a0 We closed out our time talking about some intentional things that we want to do when we get home to remind ourselves to look to the interests of others above ourselves and to be sensitive to those that God has placed in our paths.<\/p>\n

We closed the night by sharing our prayer partners that we have been praying for the past few weeks.\u00a0 We shared one by one who we have been praying for this week and talked about something specific we noticed about our prayer partner.\u00a0 This was a very affirming time and a chance to \u201cfill the cups\u201d of our teammates after we have poured out so much into others.\u00a0 We committed to continuing to pray for one another and the work that we saw here in this beautiful Haitian community.<\/p>\n

When we wake up in the morning, we will have a late breakfast here at camp followed by a group picture at the cross and our last morning devotions at Prayer Rock.\u00a0 We will eat lunch here at camp and then head for the airport in Port-au-Prince.\u00a0 Our flight will land in Atlanta at 11:40pm and we will head up to the American Airlines baggage claim in the North Terminal at the domestic arrivals area.\u00a0 Thank you for praying for safe travels tomorrow.\u00a0 We will grab dinner during our layover in Miami.<\/p>\n

Once everyone gets home, I am sure that they will be ready for a long shower, some clean clothes, and some sleep.\u00a0 This has been an amazing week and Coach Bollinger, Mrs. Carr, and I consider it a huge privilege to have had this chance to serve with your kids.\u00a0 We have really loved this team and loved the way that this team has demonstrated the love of Christ and love for others.<\/p>\n

Bondye Bon!<\/p>\n

Megan Strange and the 2014 NCCS Haiti Team<\/p>\n

I was able to post some pics from the Beach club this afternoon and have included the links below.\u00a0 Some of them may have to finish loading when we arrive in Miami tomorrow, but there are enough pictures loaded to give you an idea of what an awesome week we have had!\u00a0 Thank you for sharing your kids with us for this amazing adventure!<\/p>\n

NCCS Spring Term 2014 Haiti Photostreams
\nDay 1:\u00a0https:\/\/www.icloud.com\/photostream\/#A1Grq0zwGOHEzZ<\/a>
\nDay 2:\u00a0https:\/\/www.icloud.com\/photostream\/#A15n8hH4TszhF<\/a>
\nDay 3:\u00a0https:\/\/www.icloud.com\/photostream\/#A1GI9HKKGPEJQD<\/a>
\nDay 4:\u00a0https:\/\/www.icloud.com\/photostream\/#A159UlCq1r3gN<\/a>
\nDay 5:\u00a0https:\/\/www.icloud.com\/photostream\/#A1J0DiRHJuxmwk<\/a>
\nDay 6:\u00a0https:\/\/www.icloud.com\/photostream\/#A15ON9t3uJBc1
\n<\/a>Day 7:\u00a0https:\/\/www.icloud.com\/photostream\/#A1GqkRUiGF8vEk<\/a><\/p>\n

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Bondye Bon means “God is Good” in Haitian. \u00a0Indeed He is. \u00a0I just returned last night after an incredible week serving in Haiti with an amazing team from North Cobb Christian School as a part of Spring Term 2014. \u00a0This is the longest post that I have ever put on this blog, but it is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,23,28,17,18,26,34],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8115","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-education","category-generosity","category-integrity","category-leadership","category-north-cobb-christian","category-travel","category-truth"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8115","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8115"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8115\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8115"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8115"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8115"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}