WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Shortly after finals, a group of four Purdue student-athletes traveled to Haiti as part of a volunteer trip for Fellowship of Christian Athletes at the Ephraim Orphanage northeast of Mirebalais, Haiti. The group, led by Purdue Athletics Chaplain Marty Dittmar, included volleyball players Annie Drews and Lydia Dimke, men's basketball player John McKeeman and cross country runner Shari Lund.
Freshman setter/hitter Lydia Dimke offers her take on the trip in the journal below and a few photos in the photo gallery atop the story.
Going into this trip I had no idea what to expect, even though my family and I went on a missions trip to Nicaragua in 2011. You learn quickly to expect the unexpected when you travel to a third world country. After an early morning of chaotic flight travel we finally landed in Haiti; but, for our bags it was a different story. But hey, life is always throwing you curve balls, especially life in Haiti. So, after staying in a hotel near the airport for our first night while our luggage stayed in Miami, this was a great way to introduce us to what the week ahead was going to look like. After a long night of laughs and getting to know each other better, the next morning we picked up our luggage and headed to the orphanage ... after three hours of car troubles, of course. Once we got on the road, it was smooth sailing from there and we couldn't wait to see what God had planned for us that week.
When we first pulled into the orphanage, it was an overwhelming sight. One foot out the van door and we were immediately surrounded by 15 adorable, loving children who were jumping on us two at a time. It is impossible to not have a smile on your face in the presence of these kids. For people who have so little, they are grateful to have a roof over their heads with running water and two meals a day. Even though none of these kids have families, the way they look after and love each other gave them the feel that they were one big family.
Our daily routine looked a little something like this; wake up to the sound of excited kids getting ready for school, eat a delicious breakfast, work on our project until lunch at two o'clock then pick up the kids from school and get to spend time with them. Although I love the satisfying feeling of working on a project, getting to play with the kids was always the highlight of my day. Our work projects consisted of digging and cementing a sidewalk (which meant a lot of shoveling rocks and cement with sore hands and backaches), painting tables and benches along with painting a small house for more workers to live in.
When people ask me what my favorite part of the trip was I have decided that I cannot decide on just one part. There were so many enjoyable moments and fun memories made. One of my favorite days was when we took the kids to a pool. Even though they didn't know how to swim, they sure loved to hold on tight as we spun them around and threw them in the air. Putting their full trust in people they just met, they would leap from the side of the pool right into our arms, praying we wouldn't drop them, even though we had two other kids hanging on at the same time! Another one of my favorite parts was the evenings at the orphanage. Every night the kids sat together and worshiped and read from their Bibles. Even though we couldn't understand a word they were saying, it was amazing to see people from a whole different world worshiping the same God. We then followed up by having our own devotion just as a small group. I loved this part of the day because I got to spend time reading my Bible and listening to my group members' favorite passages. Sitting together while getting to know Jesus and each other better was the perfect way to end a long day.
This trip was eye opening, refreshing and astonishing all at the same time. The work that God is doing in the lives and hearts of the people involved in the Ephraim Orphanage is a breathtaking sight. I continue to pray everyday for these kids and the caretakers and, that someday, they may find a family who will take them in. I already cannot wait until I get to return someday and see my favorite little kids!