As the In-Country Coordinator for FHM, I’m sure you can imagine that I get lots of questions about living and working in Haiti. Most are related to Haitian culture, language, and development projects, but some are more personal. Several of our guests have wanted to know what I do when I have a break from my guesthouse duties. So… what do I do for fun? Well, I’m so glad you asked!
Going to the beach is definitely one of my most favorite ways to relax. The guesthouse is about two miles from the shoreline. The closest nicest beach is about 45 minutes away in Grand Goave. But there are options not as far away if you just want a pretty view and don’t care that the water isn’t as clear. I often pair my beach day with one of these bad boys! For around $12 you can get lobster served with fried plantains and piklis, a spicy Haitian slaw. Lobster doesn’t get any fresher than this!
For a more luxurious day of relaxation, I’ll make the trip to Bassin Bleu, a waterfall near Jacmel. It takes a couple hours to get there from Leogane, but it’s well worth the trip! To get to the waterfall you have to hike about 20 minutes and then use a rope to climb down a steep rocky ledge. If there’s time after visiting the waterfall, I enjoy walking around Jacmel and even eating dinner there before heading back to the guesthouse.
The delicious pizza at Muncheez is just one of the many edible indulgences I enjoy in Petionville.
If you keep your ears open, you’ll learn of different events happening around the area. A friend of mine is the director of an organization that empowers young people through soccer and other activities. This summer they hosted a soccer tournament and invited other youth leagues in Haiti to play. A few of us enjoyed an afternoon watching the games and showing support for the teams.
I recently started walking my dog Atau in the sugarcane field beside the house. We’ve both been enjoying these outings! Even some of the guests have had fun taking her on a walk.
I love to get out and spend time in the community! Occasionally I’ll stop by and visit our guests when they’re out working. The photo above is from when my church was here with a team. It was great tagging along with them to the beach and mountain villages where they were serving for the week.
There are many families that I’ve gotten close to the past 2.5 years living in Haiti. I try to visit them whenever I get a chance. Some of them I met while living in other cities in Haiti. The family above I met through a team that stayed here at the guesthouse earlier this year.
This is my dear friend Mersina I met over two years ago. She lives by the beach about 20 minutes from the guesthouse. I always enjoy visiting her when I get the chance. The team from my church hosted a VBS day in her yard in July.
We’d like to extend a big 😍THANK YOU😍 to everyone that supported the 2019 Gala & Silent Auction! With your help we were able to raise $55,000 to support the Carmelle Voltaire Women’s Health Center in Tom Gato. This money will go towards labor and delivery services for the women of FondwaRead More
Representatives of the UNC School of Nursing, Rhonda Lanning and Leslie Hackenbracht traveled to Haiti last week with Family Health Ministries. They were in country for the opening of the new Carmelle Voltaire Women’s Health Center. The Center saw more than 50 patients during their first 3 days of operation. It was wonderfulRead More
The Global Health PLUS (Placement of Life Changing Usable Surplus) Program, in association with Duke Global Health Institute, allowed Family Health Ministries to glean hospital equipment from inventory to use for the Carmelle Voltaire Women’s Health Center in Haiti. The mission of Duke Global Health PLUS is to make this surplus medical equipmentRead More
Join us and be a part of a global celebration of a new tradition of generosity. We have a day for giving thanks. We have a day for getting deals. Now, we have #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back. On Tuesday, December 1, 2015, charities, families, businesses, communityRead More