Well well it's been awhile hasn't it. I have no excuses for not continuing with my blog while I was away other then I WAS LIVING LIFE!!! Man I love Alaska. I think about it every day since I've been back. It was so so hard to say goodbye to it all and I plan one day soon to return.
I've been home almost a month now and what a crazy month it has been. I find that eveeryone is the same as I had left them but I'm the one who has changed and keep seeking more now. In the first week I was home EVERYTHING was so overwhelming and I was not a happy person. Came home to my apartment, looked around and started to cry. Everything was different. It still is. All the photos in my frames seemed to be from another life that I no longer felt a part of. All my "stuff" was here. "Stuff" I've realized that I don't need. I cleaned out almost half of my wardrobe, went through my entire apartment and got rid of "things" I don't need, canceled my TV, and have been slowly starting to pack for when I leave again in May. Where am I going? I have no idea yet, but I plan on being gone for at least a year if not more. We will just have to see where the wind blows me. I'm so in love with the idea: WHERE THE WIND BLOWS ME!!!
But more importantly my focus is now on HAITI!! I had the pleasure of meeting an amazing woman in Alaska (my good friend Christine, it's her mom). Cathrine Savell, project manager. Cathrine has been part of a small organization that has been traveling to Haiti since the earthquake in 2010. Their main purpose is to teach the young Haitian people skills that they can use to earn a living. Relief Team One has built an orphanage for the children in Port au Prince. This orphanage is a place where many chilren, some as young as a year, have been brought beacuse their parents cannot provide for them, or have passed away from the earthquake, or worse some of the childern have been disabled from the earthquake.
Relief Team One is teaching the teenagers construction,cooking,baking,english anything and everything that the Haitians could use to earn a living. Instead of having an organization that travels to third world countries in desperate need and build things FOR THEM, or do tasks FOR THEM, RT1 is helping the young Haitian population see the light and make a change in their surroundings by THEM doing it, not US. Everyone needs a helping hand sometimes. EVERYONE. No matter skin color, language, poverty or none, whatever country they are from, in your own backyard or not.
I have been invited to travel to Haiti for two weeks with Cathrine and go make a difference. I still cannot wrap my head around this amazing offer. What an oppurtunity!! How could anyone pass something like this up. Two weeks out of your ENTIRE LIFE!! I head out on January 2nd and return January 15th. Cathrine has told me many stories already about the people there. She has told me about a little girl Emma who cries. She cries because she is never physically comforted. All she needs is a hug or rub on the back and she settles. Or Stevenson who is 20 and lost both parents in the earthquake and is now physically disabled from it. I've already heard stories about mothers giving birth in the streets and leaving their children cause they have no means to take care of them. I will link RT1's website and Cathrine's blog so you can educatue yourself futher.
When I leave for Haiti my mission is to teach a small group of teenagers some easy baking and cake decorating. A bakery is currently being built. Communication will be most difficult. They speak french. Me....VERY little french. I took a course once in culinary school so maybe if I review it will trigure something..haha. Most of the teaching will be " I do, You follow".
Many times we see on the news these horrible natural events that take place in countries that are stuggling to begin with. We sit on our comfi couch and watch the tv and shake our head in disbelief., but most of the time that's as far as it goes. I'm asking you all to help me make a differnce. This year I will be doing my Sweet Michelle's baking project again for the holidays. All the goodies that I offer will be raised by $1 from last year. And with that dollar I will be putting it into a Haiti fund to help get down there and make a differnce. I'll post more info on Sweet Michelle's later this week.
Please help me help these children by purchasing a delicious goodie from me or by simply donating any monetary amount. Anything would be much appreciated. My goal is to raise $1,000 and have baking supplies that I would need to be donated also.
In posts to follow I will include info on Sweet Michelle's and where you can donate money and/or baking supplies. Once again thank you all for supporting me in following my Alaskan dream. I have an even bigger dream now. And it's one with a major purpose behind it. Lets help some amazing Haitian children together :)
Some information about Haiti:
www.reliefteamone.org this is the oraganizations webite
www.rendezvoushaiti.blogspot.com this is Cathrine's personal blog
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