Haitian Thank You's :)

From the women in the beading program to YOU - for all your support, providing supplies and for being willing to host parties to sell their beads and give them a future...

From the kids in the feeding program.  Their singing, "Read your Bible, pray everyday and you'll grow, grow, grow" :)

And from the Abraham Association singing group - these men are CRAZY talented and this is my favorite song they sing.  I jam out every time and sing it often back in the states.  ENJOY!!!

From Haiti to you - THANK YOU for loving, for caring, for being part of what God is doing in Haiti.

Tension: Hope and Redemption

***First I have to apologize for the lack of posting on our Haiti trip - we had some trouble with the internet (not a surprise in a 3rd world country) and were unable to get the blog to open on the iPhone we had.  Hopefully our facebook pictures and updates somehow made it to your world these last few weeks.

Here's the thing about Haiti... you always leave with tension.  People there live in the tension day after day.  This time feels like more struggle and more tension than I've experienced on most of my other trips.  Tension between being overwhelmed with hope at what God is doing there and consumed with a longing for God's redemption of humanity in a desperate culture.  

There is so much darkness about Haiti - the people are beat down, broken, tainted and enslaved to a cycle of poverty that's worse than anywhere I've been.  Because of this cycle and such government corruption, it is INCREDIBLY difficult to bring about change.  We can try our "American" systems of change, but what works here is never going to work the same there.  Everything is different.

I found myself frustrated by the systems we've spent the approximately 4 years trying to implement falling apart.  We've discovered that what we thought was a marketable, sustainable model went awry when the supply could not meet the demand - or when the Haitian people turned on the system and on each other and tried to do it their way because loyalty, trust and perseverance are not virtues in a culture where survival is key.  You do what you need to do get ahead.  Period.  Change must start on the inside - your character has to be made and re-made.  Deflated, I cry out, "Come, Lord Jesus - redeem your people."

Our American partners there can get easily beat down by the darkness, the frustration, the tension, the hopelessness.  It's hot.  It's humid.  The power is rarely on.  Pumping water gets old.  Resources are incredibly expensive.  Things take about 20 times as much effort as they do here.  There's no respite.  Yet the commitment and calling of these people keeps them in these communities.  Life is hard in Haiti regardless of our nationality.  Deflated, I cry out, "Come, Lord Jesus - redeem your people."

The education system is broken - kids are in school for a mere 3-4 hours a day and are functioning at a grade level much below their age.  How do people get ahead without quality education?  The expectation of these kids is that they will get a Haitian high school diploma (the equivalent of an American 8th grade education) and then be put back into a society filled with unemployment, infidelity, and dependence on foreign aid.  Something's gotta give.  Deflated, I cry out, "Come, Lord Jesus - redeem your people."

But God is faithful.  He is alive and working in Haiti.  There is HOPE.  

I see HOPE in a bead program where 12 women are learning a marketable skill that could provide them with a job, a future, a way out of the poverty cycle.  I see them working on their own time - carefully cutting paper and rolling into beautiful beads - glazing it and letting it dry.  They are trusting the process and believing that this work will ultimately pay off.  Because Kelsea and our partners there love and believe in these women, they've created a potentially sustainable way to bring hope to 12 broken women.

I see HOPE in people like the Cowley's, the Hatten's, the Byxbe's and Kelsea giving up their entire lives and choosing to serve in Haiti - choosing to empower, to educate, to love, to walk with these beautiful people.  We had the gift and privilege of getting to spend some real time with Kelsea who is undoubtedly living out the gospel in Montrouis.  (We also got to surprise her by bringing her dad!)
She is loving as Jesus loved and serving as Jesus served. She literally moved into the neighborhood - into a house with water she has to pump, no electricity and mosquito nets to be able to minister to, love and understand the Haitian people.  I dare say nothing communicates love more than that.

 

(Kelsea and her dad, then Kelsea & her roommate Kourtney at their house)

Kelsea runs a Bible study with the women in the village and she and Wesner run an English program for the men and women of the fishing village.  They are truly servants who are empowering the people of Montrouis.  Here's a video of Kelsea & Wesner's English class (that is outgrowing the space!)

We also had the amazing opportunity to be witness to her engagement to Philipson - a mighty man of God who has done more for Haiti than most people I've met.  He loves his country and desires to see lives changed - he's pioneered a prison ministry where hundreds have come to Christ & worship still happens every Sunday, he started a brothel ministry where entire brothels have been shut down because the women met the Lord and were given a new sense of purpose for their lives.  As Kelsea and Philipson begin their life together in Haiti, I cannot help but well up with HOPE and excitement for how God will use them to change that country.

(Vernon - Kelsea's dad and the soon-to-be newlyweds!)

I see HOPE in what Pastor Caesar is doing with feeding and educating over 1500 kids a day.  This man has a heart for his country - for bringing about change and doing his part to give kids a future.  I'm inspired by his humility, his trust in God's provision and his perseverance.  His hope is to continue to expand this amazing ministry.

(Just one of the six education/nutrition sites that runs each day)

I see HOPE in the 14 kids that live at the Mission (the children's home).  We are discovering that the best skill we can give those kids is to teach them English.  If they have an American high school diploma and know English, they have a skill that no one can ever take away from them, they are incredibly employable and they have an immeasurable sense of self-worth.  In the fall, all 14 of these kids ranging from 3-14 will leave the Haitian school system and begin an education in English and French.  This will change everything for them.  Life will look differently because our partners have a vision to give them a hope and a future.  It will not be easy, but I cannot wait to go back and see the progress these kids are making and the pride they have as they learn a skill not many possess in Haiti.

(Elise - who lived in Haiti for 9 months & Kimberli - one of the mission kids, a joyous reunion)

Anyone that lives in Haiti must be resilient - it's a hard life and it's not always easy to find the good in things or to see God at work.  We are thankful for our American partners and the Haitian staff that have so much to teach us.

(Wesner, NVM Haitian staff and Parkher - a member of our IMPACT team)

We are grateful that you've joined us on this journey and want to give you a few ways that you can practically help these people change their future...

1) Keep your feelers out for teachers... we have a need for 2-3 teachers in different age ranges starting in September. Click here to email us if you or someone you know is interested.

2) Get on board to help us start "bead parties" here in the states.  Offer to host a party at your home where you'll take the Haitian beads, have people at your house and make jewelry together.  When we're up and running, we'll provide you with a kit (a promo video, some materials, beads, etc).  Email us to sign up now and we'll get you details once that is up and running.

3) Help us expand the feeding/education program that Pastor Caesar is doing.  He has 1500 kids involved now and is needing a roof for one of his buildings before the rainy season.  Email us if you're interested in helping with that project in any way.

4) Sponsor a kid - some kids we are in relationship are in need of sponsors for school as there is no such thing as free public education in Haiti.  Click here to start sponsoring a kid in Montrouis.

5) Sign up to come on our January trip and catch the vision for yourself.  Click here to fill out an application.

We are so thankful for your part in this Haitian journey.  We are thrilled to get to live in the tension with these people where we long for redemption, but yet we are filled with hope.  We join in one voice and cry out, "Come, Lord Jesus."  

***More to come on trip details - medical/dental clinics, time with the mission kids, ways you can pray, etc.

Surrender

We leave tomorrow for Haiti and what feels weird and different this time is packing.  I'm not sure why. I think a big part of it is that we just moved into our new house a week ago and we are leaving - the unsettled kind of leaving and maybe that feels weird.

There are so many thoughts going through my mind... this being my 5th or 6th time to Haiti, I don't feel anxious about what to expect or how our day to day lives are going to unfold because I've learned that Bree Time does not equal Island Time :)  Life is different there and part of me really looks forward to the slower pace, the "you don't need a watch" mentality, the "pa gen pwoblem" (no problem) lifestyle.  I like the forced slowdown.  Our pace here is FAST and exhausting.  Haiti's pace is not.  I'm thankful for that yet get frustrated by that all at the same time.

I think what feels different about this trip is that it's been a while and it might again be a while until we are able to go back.  The gap feels greater.  I know nothing will have changed and everything will have changed all at the same time.  One thing I am certain of - this snuggly, ornery little soon-to-be niece of mine will be getting LOADS of quality auntie time.

I know that my expectations for how the trip will go are in reality NOTHING like how the trip will go, so tonight I commit to surrender my expectations and allow God to start with a clean slate on this journey - to do whatever work HE would like to do in the community of Montrouis and in the hearts of our team members, myself included.  There is a surrender that is happening even now that will transform us in the moments when we need him most and I am thankful for that call to "let it go" even before we arrive.  I know that He WILL surprise us by making beautiful things out of the brokenness.

Gungor - "Beautiful Things" 

All this pain

I wonder if I'll ever find my way

I wonder if my life could really change at all 

All this earth

Could all that is lost ever be found

Could a garden come up from this ground at all

You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of the dust

You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of us 

All around

Hope is springing up from this old ground

Out of chaos, life is being found in You

You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of the dust

You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of us

*photo cred: Todd Pulliam (Haiti 2011)

Please pray for us... we will update here as often as possible.

We say Mesi Senye (Thank you Lord) for the chance to do this & be part of God's work across the globe.

So grateful,

Bree - (Jarred, Elise, Jenny, Melba, Tiffany & Parkher)

Pay Day

All of our Haiti interns & summer teams are home!  We will blog more about summer trips soon, but for now...

As IMPACT, we sent 6 gals to Haiti about a year ago and for the last year I haven't really found the words to describe what the experience has been for us as an organization.  I still can't tell you where I land on that because there's 6 girls and some IMPACT staff still processing on this end.

But what I can tell you is that relationships are ALWAYS, ALWAYS worth it.  The reasons I felt like God was calling us to run the program in the first place were 1) Kerry and Joy (our partners there in Haiti) needed more workers for the harvest and 2) I believe relationships are what change lives - deep, invested and intentional relationships that you can't get on short-term trips.  Unless you go back frequently, the only way to do that is to live among the people.  I mean that's the gospel, right?  That's what ultimately changed each of our lives - a God who was willing to step into our world and enter into a relationship with us.  He reaches out and gives everything and we choose the degree to which we enter into a trusting and intimate relationship with him.  

We had one intern who gave her entire life to the people of Montrouis, particularly the women in the fishing village.  Kelsea immediately had a heart for these women and invested in them 100% from September until July - almost a full year of breaking down walls and building trust.  She's even learned Creole.  The return on her investment is incredible.  She came home just in time for our wedding and told me the day before the wedding, "Bree, I feel like God is calling me to go back to Haiti - no return ticket, just to go and be a full time missionary and love on those women.  They've captured my heart and Haiti is my other home.  What do I need to do?"

I wept.  This is pay day for a year of wondering why we rolled out the program and questioning if it really was the best thing.  I asked Kelsea for a bit of her story & a few photos for our newsletter and these are the ones she sent today.  I wept again.  This is Kelsea and Necillia - this is my pay day and Kelsea's - you can see the depth of their relationship in this picture, you can see the investment and the sacrifice paying off.  You can see the gospel being lived out.  How beautiful is that!

This is Kelsea with Climaco.  His mother, Natalie passed away in July and had become one of Kelsea's dearest friends.  Kelsea cared for her in the last weeks of her life - took her to all her doctors appointments, walked with her through her dark sickness and helped her family with the funeral.  Her two children moved into the Mission when she died and Kelsea cared for them until she left to come home.  Climaco and his sister are one of the main reasons Kelsea feels called to go back full-time.  

I am ridiculously proud of this woman who started out as a sheltered, sweet 21-year-old Westmont student who had never left the country but wanted to intern for us two years ago.  Here she is today: giving her life to move to Haiti and be the hands and feet of Jesus in the community of Montrouis.  God is so good and so faithful.  

We are currently working out the plan for Kelsea's "next steps" and will let you know as soon as we have one.  We know she will go back and her funding will be raised through IMPACT, tax-deductible.  When and how and all of those things?  Only the Lord knows.  Please be praying for Kelsea in this season of "preparation" for her ministry in Haiti.  

In the meantime, you can check here for updates: kelsea's blog

Loving Our Neighbor

by Sarah Morris (IMPACT Intern)

Perhaps one of the most beautiful things about the Gospel is that it is so simple. Jesus never actually called us to change the world, He asked us to love our neighbor. We look at the world, at the enormity of death, starvation, slavery, and feel overwhelmed and crippled. We feel as though there’s nothing we could do that could even begin to touch these problems, so we’re tempted to instead ignore them or protect ourselves with all the reasons we can’t help. 

Jesus’ ministry was about relationships, about people. And while we all claim to know this, we fail to truly appreciate what this means for our own lives. It doesn’t matter who you are or what your skills are, He’s inviting you to be a part of His story. If you can hold the hand of a child, you are needed. If you can look someone in the eye and smile, you are needed. IMPACT’s most recent trip to Haiti was a powerful picture of the breathtaking simplicity of the Gospel.  EMTs, PA’s, nurses and physicians who went expecting to work in difficult and incredibly busy clinics did do some clinics but also spent time rocking children to sleep or teaching a spelling class. 

This argument may be old news, but the value of short term missions goes beyond whatever encouragement or assistance may be offered to resident brothers and sisters.  Short term trips open the door for one of life’s greatest miracles – to look through another’s eyes for an instant.  Until you go, statistics are just statistics and not people with faces and families and stories. It’s hard to change your life for statistics. It’s hard to live drastically different than your neighbors in order to help change 26,001 starving to 26,000. But if you can choose not to sacrifice the American dream so that Johnny and Wilna and Abigail, precious faces whom you’ve kissed, have enough to eat….well now that just might actually happen. Perhaps short-term trips are not “short term” at all, but simply the catalyst for lifelong mission, wherever one chooses to live. They create the habit of loving your neighbor, of opening our eyes to the truth that anyone and everyone is our neighbor. 

Break it Down

I received this picture shortly after we returned from Haiti two weeks ago.  What happened in me is that I read each of these and as I was reading them, I realized that I knew the names and stories of and had interacted with people in Haiti that live in extreme poverty, malnutrition, illness and suffering.  In my head, I broke down each of these things and pictures flashed through my mind of stories and people I'd interacted with just days before.  I'll do my best to give you a taste...

"If you have food in your fridge, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of the world." 

Meet Madame Raymon (a.k.a. Mama).  This selfless woman feeds over 25 people per day in a TINY little kitchen in Montrouis, Haiti - you don't go hungry when she's in the kitchen.  She manages an orphanage and her own family lives almost 2 hours away in Port-Au-Prince.  For years, she's not had anywhere to store her pantry goods.  Two weeks ago, these two (Andy & Stephen) built her shelves.  This, my friends is her happy dance.  And this, my friends is incredible that because of the work New Vision is doing, 15 orphans have food on the table, clothes on their back, a roof over their head and a place to sleep.  

They are richer than over 75% of people in their own country - their own neighborhood and we see them as poor.  

______________________________________________________________

"If you have money in the bank, your wallet and some spare change, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy."

Meet Roodley (pronounced Woodley).  He is one of the fisherman in the program New Vision has running in Montrouis.  The goal for these men is to create for them a sustainable business by using their skills as fisherman to catch as many fish as possible.  New Vision buys the fish from them and either feeds their own community with it (through local refugee women/former prostitutes being paid to cook for the elderly in the village or through selling it to other local missions organizations and businesses).  This will create enough income for these men to provide for their families and eventually open bank accounts.  Some of these men were ready to open bank accounts and then Dr. Kerry realized that there was a problem - none of them could read or write; therefore, they can't sign their name at the bank.  Back to square one.  Roodley is learning how to read and write (you can see his name across the top of the page).  

Roodley is entering into the 8% of the world's wealthy and overcoming the cycle of poverty in Haiti.

(Click here to read more about what one of our interns is learning about poverty, teaching and living in community)

______________________________________________________________

"If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million people who will not survive this week." 

Meet the people in the village of Montrouis.  We did medical clinics here and in a few other villages.  A grandmother, desperate for hope and desperate for help brought her infant granddaughter to our clinic.  Time kept passing, none of our doctors or nurses could find a vein - her veins were collapsed from such severe dehydration and malnutrition.  There was nothing we could do and so we simply pleaded with her Creator to heal her little body and we sent them home knowing that without a miracle, this precious one wouldn't make it more than a few more weeks.

  

 Most people in Montrouis have no source of clean water.  It's such a simple thing that we don't even think twice about - drinkable water pours from our faucets and hoses, even when we are only using it to hydrate our plants.  This is where many families get their water.  Around this water source you'll find human waste and often you'll see animals using this as their urinal.  New Vision's long-term goal is to have filtered water, a deep latrine and a gas stove in each home in Montrouis. 

 This will certainly bring more health than illness and decrease the chances of these people being included in that statistic.

_____________________________________________________________

"If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the agony of imprisonment or torture or the horrible pangs of starvation, you are luckier than 500 million people alive and suffering." 

Meet Jean Patrick (a.k.a. JP).  He is living with and being adopted by an American family who resides in Haiti. Why? Because he is the product of experiencing danger and witnessing torture - because of these things, JP is now an orphan.  His mother died when he was very young.  His father got remarried to a woman who sold bananas and was involved in witchcraft.  Essentially, because of his step-mother being involved in murder, his father was drug into the street, a tire thrown over his head and burned... JP watched this happen.  

This is one of the girls in our child sponsorship program and a few children in the local village - these precious ones have yet to experience relief from the pangs of starvation.  The lighter-colored hair is a symptom of severe malnutrition.  The distended bellies and flesh and bones - starvation.  With help, New Vision currently feeds 1500 kids, one meal per day in surrounding villages.  

Pray that this number can increase so that Montrouis will no longer be part of that 500 million.

 ________________________________________________________________

"If you can read this message, you are more fortunate than 3 billion people in the world who cannot read at all." 

 Meet the women of the feeding program.  (Click here to read more from one of our interns about her relationship with these women) These 12 women and the 12 men of the fishing program are part of New Vision's ministry mentioned a few paragraphs above.  They are provided jobs where they are paid in a "voucher system" (click to read more from one of our interns), they are provided an income, a discipleship program in Creole where they are being taught about Jesus and why he matters to them, and they are being taught to read and write in Creole and in English.  Our interns are VERY involved in this program and are starting with things they use everyday or words they know.

Being literate people will change everything for them - it provides them with a job, a future, opportunities for their family and hope.  (Click here to read more about our interns' running the literacy program) 

We are thankful that New Vision has a heart for these people and that literacy is on the top of the list of life skills for people in their program. 

As an organization, IMPACT is blessed to be part of what New Vision is doing in Haiti.  While we recognize how much we have, we also see with our own eyes what our neighbor does not.  We pray that we will continue to be part of the solution.  Pray for Haiti.  Pray for our 6 interns living there.  Life there is not easy. Pray for the New Vision staff.  Pray about how you might be involved.  Pray that IMPACT may continue to be agents of "eswpa" HOPE both in Haiti and across the globe.

Our Team Tells the Story

This is the Haiti re-cap from one of our team members, Miriam.  I mentioned her in the last post, but this woman is phenomenal.  She is a servant-leader, an awesome wife, a mother of 3 (two still in elementary school), a gifted physician and missionary.  This was her first medical mission trip and let me toot her horn for her - SHE ROCKED IT.  For serious.  I am blessed to call her a friend and it was an absolute privilege to serve alongside her.  Miriam, you are incredible.  Thank you for your words.  It was good for me to hear fresh perspective on Haiti and remember what it was like to see it all for the first time.  Keep writing.  Enjoy!  


**Photo credit = Andy Rock :) 

After being back from Haiti for a few days, I have had some time to reflect upon this trip and my experiences while there. 

The days went by quickly although at first I was, admittedly, homesick for my family.  The people of Haiti are truly amazing.  The children are beautiful and resilient.  Despite their circumstances, they are always willing to offer a smile.  I can still here their voices as they yelled, “blan, blan!” which in Creole translates into “white” or “foreigner.”

I have gained so much more from this experience than anything I could possibly offer to any one individual.  

We spent quite a bit of time at the New Vision Ministries Mission or “Misyon-an” where we had the opportunity to interact with the children residing there.  We also got see first-hand the work of the interns from IMPACT—they have hearts of gold and I am truly in awe of their love for the children and the people of this community.  At the mission our medical team members spent quite a bit of time in the medicine/optometry room, trying to organize the medications and supplies.  This job was a bit tedious but necessary in order for us to determine what we had to work with prior to our clinics.  We also had many delicious meals while at the mission—typically consisting of rice with beans, fried fish, freshly sliced mangos and a wonderful spicy cabbage salad called pikliz.

We ventured out into the fishing village of Montrouis (pronounced “moree”) on several occasions and observed first-hand the living conditions of the villagers.  Homes consisted of one room atop a concrete slab with corrigated aluminum roofs.  Thin drapes often acted as doors and the single room housed entire families with whatever belongings they had.   Humans and livestock alike shared a creek, which ran through the village—it was used for drinking, bathing and washing clothes.  

Many children ran around barefoot with debris, trash, and rocks all around them.  It was common to see them with unattended wounds, cuts or burns.  There was also the frequently encountered smell of burning trash. 

Traveling on the roadways was quite an adventure!  Here “motos”, “tap-taps” (small pick-up trucks converted into jam packed “buses”), and semi’s ALL shared the roads.  On the road, the constant sound of loud horns filled our ears.  Needless to say, I was thankful for Dago, our fearless Haitian driver, who had complete mastery of the roadways!

Our accommodations while in Haiti were beyond nice (as you may see by looking at some of the pictures) and we definitely didn’t rough-it!  Our oceanfront hotel, Club Indigo, provided us with a beautiful way to start and end our days.  The waters of the Caribbean were inviting, clear, and warm.  The only danger here was jellyfish (a few of our team members experienced this first-hand).  Here, we seemed to be a world away from the surrounding community.  One could not stop but wonder how there could be such a disparity… why couldn’t all of Haiti be more like Club Indigo?  

In terms of the medical component of our mission, there were many circumstances in which I felt as though I was putting “band-aids” on conditions for which follow up care was in great need.  There was always the recommendation for a patient to be seen again althought it was doubtful that this would happen.  In some cases, I knew that the situation was dire and that the extensive work-up and care we had no access to was crucial.  In a remote mountain village we visited on our last day, I was told that the only medical care for some was our team coming and it would likely be months before anybody else would return.  There were a few cases of malnourishment evidenced by distended bellies and lightening of hair coloring (kwashiorkor).  That last day we saw many people, but unfortunately were forced to turn others away.   One could not help but feel discouraged, however, the word “espwa” or “hope” kept on coming to mind.  I was constantly reminded of the hope God gives us—in the beautiful voices of the Haitian gospel singers who put on a concert for us, in the newly built roof of the church we sat in, and in the hug from the villager whose back was made better by a few ibuprofen.  In the “Haiti Journal” our team was given at the beginning of our trip, we learned of the power He gives to “transform lives in our broken world.”

I also learned a lot about myself during this time as well… I wanted to be busy and there were certainly times I was, but I also learned to slow down!!  This was tough given my tendency to always be running around, doing a hundred things at once.  I had the opportunity to play pat a cake with Daphne, Lomit, and Guile and talk to them about their dreams—the all wanted to be doctors!

I got to hold babies like Abigail and Jeffnika. 

I had time to reflect and think about my relationship with God and those closest to me.  I hope the seeds that were planted inside me will continue to grow.   Maybe I need to slow down at home too, and maybe there are more mission trips for me in the future!! 

Piti piti na rive is a popular Creole saying which means “little by little we will arrive.” Although the conditions throughout most of Haiti are rough, made especially worse following the 2010 earthquake, they are improving slowly.  This was observed by some of our returning team members—they noted fewer tents occupying the tent cities of Port-Au-Prince.  There is still much work to be done.

Please continue to hold up in prayer the people of Haiti and also continue to pray for all of the missionaries, pastors, and medical personnel who little by little are helping make a difference in this country!

ou fou

ou fou = you crazy (pronounced oo-foo)


Before I get all serious on y'all with my Haiti blogging (which I will) I thought we'd continue the conversation with some "ou fou" moments.  We learned this phrase early on and began using it liberally.  Here are some of our best ou fou moments for your reading pleasure:


- James was on our team.  His nickname quickly became "Sweet Baby James" then shortened to "Sweet Baby." 

 James' roommate was Johnny.  

The two of them became fast friends and decided to do something absolutely "fou" the last night in Haiti.  These boys thought it would be a good idea to go swimming in their clothes. Not so fou.  But at night, in Haiti, there are hunting bats.  Yes hunting bats that fly over the water.  The boys are in the pool and think it would be a good idea to try to be bat-bait and then dive underneath when the bats came swooping over the water.  You can ask them how that went for them.  - OU FOU


- Yours truly made multiple announcements to our crew during training regarding deet, percentages of deet, all things deet-pertinent.  My biggest caution to them was DO NOT put 98% deet on your face.  Ever.  I had made that mistake and after over an hour in a facial, they were able to get "almost all of it" off - the dead skin that the deet killed, that is.  Who accidentally forgot to look at which deet she was spraying before putting it into my hands and then on my face?  Good thing Groupon has 1/2 price facials - OU FOU!!!!!


- Sarah has some medical issues - she gets light headed from time to time & has on occasion been known to faint.  We know this about Sarah, accepted it going into the gig and were glad to assist should this happen in Haiti.  I mean after all, we had 6 registered medical professionals with us.  Bring it on.  And that she did.  She was PHENOMENAL at loving people on spending herself on behalf of those who most would find unlovely.

Mostly Sarah had ups, but a few times she had downs.  One of those times was right after we went through security at the Port-Au-Prince airport.  We were waiting at the gate & Sarah proceeded to lie down on the floor & take a little time to recover.  She was ready to get on the plane but just needed a little assistance standing up/walking.  We offered her a wheel chair - she declined.


Two of our super buff medical men were walking on either side of her helping her along.  We were about to enter the airplane when a woman who worked at the airport stopped them.  She made them say what was wrong with Sarah - told them they were lying about being medical personnel and made them pull out their medical licenses (which my boyfriend forgot his - OU FOU).  They had to have our physician prove to her that this was a pre-existing condition and that she did not get sick in Haiti and need to be quarantined - how do you prove this?!??!  She was threatening to keep her in country.  I was standing in the corner praying my guts out.  


After much ado, some medical licensing & Dr Miriam (with her back of my bear cub) voice, we all got on the airplane.  If you're ever in the Port airport and you're not feeling well, fake it till you make it.  Lesson learned - Jarred, bring your license.  Sarah, take the wheelchair - OU FOU!!!!


Saving the best for last...


- The "Where the heck is Kyle?" saga.  We all leave one day for the mission (orphanage).  At that point, we decide who's staying & doing a clinic, who's staying & building shelves and who's going to the fishing village for feeding program/medical assessments.  Kyle says "I"m gonna go get some water, wait for me."  Miriam heard this.  We all pile in the back of the pickup (about 12 of us) and head out to the fishing village.  Here's the back of the truck... this time with Kyle in the truck (with his hat on looking back).  Can you see now why we may have missed him? 

We are just about there and Miriam says, "We forgot Kyle.  I told Kyle we'd wait for him after he got water & he's not here.  We have to go back."  


I (the amazing leader I am) am thinking, "Welp, we forgot Kyle.  Bummer.  He'll be fine at the mission.  He can build shelves or help with clinic, plenty of work to be done."  But Miriam is kind and uber responsible so she convinces me ever so gently to drop off the crew and then go back to get Kyle.  We get back to the mission, search for 10 minutes and HE'S NOT THERE.  Nowhere to be found.  Number one rule of anything in a 3rd world country where  you don't speak a lick of Creole and are only there for a few days?  DON'T GO ANYWHERE ALONE.  EVER.  AND IF YOU'RE GOING SOMEWHERE, TELL SOMEONE WHERE YOU'RE GOING.  Where the heck is Kyle? 


We search, we somewhat panic, Andy drops his tools picks up his backpack and starts heading to town to catch Kyle on foot.  My blood pressure is rising.  No one knows where he is.  All of a sudden, Paul (our Haitian friend) gets a text from Shala (who is in the village) that Kyle is there.  What the?  How did Kyle end up in the village?  It would have taken much longer than that to walk.  Oh-so-confused.  


Turns out Louie (the gatekeeper at the mission) was headed to the market and told Kyle he'd give him a ride in the moto-tap.  Kyle obliged, told no one and jumped in.  - OU FOU!!!!!

Hope and Tragedy

This morning I have been overwhelmed by both the hope and the tragedy that is prevalent here in Haiti.

My first trip to Haiti was in March of 2011. We arrived to find 13 women in a refugee camp - jobless, homeless, hopeless and trying to feed their kids, most of them as single moms.

Today I saw hope. I saw these women working. They have been given hope, a life, a future. Praise Jesus. Most of them are employed in new vision's feeding program. What this means is they feed the elderly in the community 3 times per week and they get paid to do this. They have homes, the finances to provide for their children and send them to school and they have purpose. They have hope.

Just a 3 minute walk away is Johnny's house. We met Johnny last March, right after he got sick.  He was a normal kid - walking, talking, laughing until November. For the last year and a half, he has gotten progressively worse. He lost all control of his right side, he can't talk anymore. The best guess of our medical teams is that he has some sort of brain tumor but with the lack of medical treatment here, we are unable to know.

We went to see him yesterday for the first time since May and as we walked into his house, tears were welling behind our eyes. We saw the same little boy with the biggest grin, so thrilled to see us.

But he was not sitting in his wheelchair, he was not sitting outside, he was laying on a sheet & pillow on the concrete floor.

Johnny is no longer able to sit up on his own. He has also started having trouble eating. This degenerative disease (cancer, tumor, stroke, whatever it may be) has taken over his body. We sat in their house and wept. We held his hand, looked at his sweet smile and we wept. We weep because of our helplessness. We grieve because we know that in the states we would be able to diagnose & treat him. We weep because we long for God's healing and for His kingdom to come and make things right for Johnny and his family. We weep for the desperation of his parents - asking us to take him home so that we can care for him. We desire wholeness and restoration for Johnny. 

While we grieve for him and his family, we know that because of Jesus we have hope that this life is not the end.  That no matter how grave the tragedy and suffering, our God has won the victory and our hope is in him all day long.

How we are seeing God in Haiti

We made it. 15 of us.  30 checked bags (all 1500 lbs of them), 30 carry on bags.  EVERYTHING got through customs without being taken (no small miracle, I guarantee you).  It was the easiest Port-Au-Prince airport journey we've had - Praise the Lord.

Everyone shared how they are seeing God on this trip.  Here's how our team is seeing God this week: 

- God is in the creation of this absolutely beautiful country.

- God is in a man named "Bebe" which means "dumb" in Creole.  Bebe is dumb - he cannot speak.  It so happens that the Lord put a guy named Johnny on our team who knows sign language and has a heart for teaching Bebe.  We believe this is no accident.  

- God is in the kids at the mission who had the day off school yesterday (because of the anniversary of the earthquake).  This enabled us to spend time with these precious ones - joy, laughter and hope are prevalent in the lives of these kids, it's incredible.  Below is Jefnika, Gattina, Michelet and Naika. 

- God is in Andy, James & Stephen building shelves for Madame Raymon (Mama) - this saint cooks 3 meals a day for 20plus people.  She is truly incredible and I'm not sure I've ever seen her this happy - a happy dance and all.

- God is in our medical team who had a "purpose" in the village yesterday and yet didn't hesitate to stop each time someone needed something (an open wound dressed, some eyes checked, a sick baby).  They were the hands and feet of Christ in loving everyone regardless of the time it took.  

- God is in our worship time - his presence is real and tangible and we feel deeply loved.  

- God is in our team loving each other and doing whatever it takes regardless of how difficult the task or how tired we are.  

- God is in our partners Joy & Kerry - their constant positive attitudes and their love for the people of this country.  

- For me, God was in getting to snuggle my niece and spend some time with her.  It is such a gift to love on her, pray for her and be with her.  Love this girl.  

- God is in our 6 interns - 4 of whom are teaching school - they persevere, they are enduring, they are patient and they are incredible.  Continue to pray for them.  

We are LOVING being here.  We are excited to serve and are asking the Lord to continue to change and use us for his glory during our time here.  We covet your prayers.