How we met…

Enoch was born in Haiti. He lived in several different place before I met him.  His parents both were 15 when they had their first child together.  They divorced when he was a child.  He lived with his dad.  Enoch’s dad is a mason worker.  He builds houses.  He was working for the mission where my parents started out.  When Enoch was 12 years old there was a overthrow of the government.  His house was robbed.  Everyone in his family fled and he was trapped inside.  The robbers shot up the house and robbed them.  Enoch was hiding under a bed and was shot in the shoulder.  He did not scream for fear that they would kill him.  He hid for several hours and then crawled out of the house and over a wall.  He found his family, but it was so unsafe they could travel to the hospital.  They had to wait until the next morning and go to have the bullet removed.  Which they removed with out and pain meds.  Ouch–he bit the doctor when he was doing it!

I moved to Haiti in May of 1995, the day after I graduated from college.  My brother and parents were already in Haiti.  Lori was there with us for the summer.  The place where my parents were at had a conference center.  Groups from all over Haiti would come in and stay at the facility for 1 or 2 weeks and get training.  They were in need of a few people to help serve food and clean up in the evenings.  Lori and I and Enoch and his older sister were asked to do this job.  The serving line was divided into two lines.  Lori and Enoch’s sister were on one side.  Enoch and I were on the other side.  After everyone ate we had to clean up and do the dishes.  One group did the floors and tables and one group did the dishes.  So during this time be became friends.  My brother Casey spoke Creole very well. We needed to learn to speak it and  Enoch wanted to speak English.  So Casey, Lori, Enoch and I all practiced our language skills together.

Enoch at 16 below.

 

 

We became more than friends after a few months.  But did not let anyone know this at that time.  (Only Lori knew 🙂 )  Keep in mind, at that time ,that I was a shy girl that never talked much and had never even had a boyfriend.  My pastor from the states came to visit and we let him know.  He went with us and we told my parents.    Enoch was 16 at the time and I was 20older that he was.  I knew there would be many against our relationship, and it would be a difficult road.  But God has been with us.  My parents asked us to wait 5 years before we got married.  We did.  During that time Enoch finished school and moved back into Port-au-Prince.  He went to a Bible college and graduated from there.  You can read our wedding day story here.  Enoch found a picture of a engagement ring he liked for me.  He ripped the picture out a a magazine and took it to someone here and they made the ring exactly like the picture.   He showed it to my mom before he asked me to marry him.  The was three years after we were first together.  We then waiting another 2 years to get married.  When we had almost been married a year the country here was really bad.  We were robbed and Enoch and his brother were held at gunpoint.  I left the country, Carmelo was placed with friends, and Enoch fled to the Dominican Republic.  We spend 4 months apart from each other and Carmelo.  It was a terrible, terrible time.  Enoch has really put his life on hold for me.  He has followed me everywhere and watched me fulfil “my” dreams while he still has his dreams sitting on the shelf.   He loves me and the boys so much.  He listens to all my struggles and problems and helps me deal with them as he can.  He rubs my head most night to help me forget about everything so that I can get some sleep. 

We are  two people from two cultures, two countries, two races, and two backgrounds, we enjoy totally different things.  I am sure if you put us in a room full of people no one would guess that we would be together.  But this year makes 14 years.  We love each other and will be together for live.  Everyone has there opinions about Haitian/American marriages.  Lots do not work out but many do.    So the question how did we meet in short– sweeping and moping floors.

Wow—we have sure changed!