First let me say welcome to our new blog! Many of you followed along with Jeff and Janet Portzers’ blog last year during the couple months they were interim guesthouse managers.
I, for one, enjoyed learning about Haiti from their eyes and getting a glimpse of the operations of FHM’s guesthouse here in Leogane. We’re excited to have this new blog up and running to help you continue to keep up with FHM’s happenings in Haiti. Most of the entries will be written by me–Hannah Sterling–FHM’s In-Country Coordinator. And from time to time we may feature some guest bloggers as well, including visitors to the guesthouse and other friends of FHM.
I suppose now would be a good time to properly introduce myself! I was born and raised in Maryville, TN. I attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and have a B.S. degree in Psychology. Two months after graduating from UTC, I felt a call on my life to pursue full-time ministry. That was nine years ago. Since then, I’ve served as a missionary in Mexico, New Orleans, Namibia, and now Haiti.I first came to Haiti in August 2011 as a short-term volunteer with Samaritan’s Purse in Leogane. During that trip I felt a connection to Haiti as I had recently spent a year and a half living in Africa. I witnessed many similarities between the Haitian culture and the various cultures I’d experienced in Namibia and other African countries. I wondered even then if possibly Haiti could be the next stop on my journey. I went back to Tennessee after those four weeks and shortly met a man from my hometown needing someone to help him with his ministry in Haiti. I joined up with his ministry in Croix des Bouquets for a few months. And then in the summer of 2012 I joined up with another ministry in Leogane for a few more months.
After that summer, I made a conscious decision to continue working in Haiti long-term and started intentionally seeking opportunities to serve in Haiti. I found that opportunity through The Children’s Nutrition Program of Haiti, also here in Leogane, and signed up to be an intern with them for all of 2013. As my year with CNP was coming to a close, I heard about the opportunity with FHM. I applied… and here I am! :)I can’t begin to imagine all of the subjects this blog may cover. If you have any ideas, send them my way! But I hope to provide glimpses into this special country that you will find interesting, insightful, enlightening, entertaining… you get the picture. And speaking of pictures… I’ll include many! Because I hear they could save me 1,000 words.Byenvini to a new year and new adventures in Haiti with FHM!