Happy in Haiti

It may be difficult to see in the picture, but there is a purple hippo on my air mattress. This picture was taken from my trip in July.

The hippo's name is Happy. I bought him 10 years ago in Washington, D.C. I was in D.C. for a youth law and advocacy conference. My nickname in high school was Happy. When I saw the hippo had the same name as I did, it was clear that I had to buy it.

In April, when I broke up with my boyfriend, I decided that Happy would be my tangible representation of God's love. I brought Happy with me to Haiti in July and I brought him with me in December.

During my time in Haiti, I read Philippians. The Holy Spirit stirred my heart. I was "in the zone" spiritually, some moments stronger than others. Our last night, we made a pile of our stuff to donate to Carl's (one of our interpreter's) tent community. Dubs and I put all of the donations in two oversized plastic trash bags.

Our last night in Haiti was the quietest, and it was the only night I did not sleep well. As I laid there, restless, I decided that I could give more of my stuff. I decided that Happy could bring a smile to a child's face. I pray to God that Happy is a physical and tangible reminder of God's love for whoever receives my 10 year old hippo.

Happy is only in Haiti, but God is everywhere.