August 2012

This trip had many twists and turns even before we left for Haiti.  A team member was hit by a car; another dropped out due to a long forgotten heart problem, a  team member critical to success almost dropped out, and it was the largest group we have ever taken to Haiti.  It was enough to make my head spin, and yet, God pushed me through and taught me (again) about practicing His presence in the midst of turmoil.

We stayed with the Children of Hope Orphanage in Thomazeau, Haiti.  A long time partner in the work of God in Haiti.  With the project management team of Bobby Troussaint and Roger Hall, we built a new concrete block home for a man and his family we met on our very first trip to Haiti.  He actually worked with us on the first home we built and now, we were helping him build his own home.  Sweet.

We also have become friends with the leadership team of the Free Methodist Church in Thomazeau.  On a previous trip, we had asked what we could do for them and they asked for a new guitar and keyboard.  Never in  my wildest dreams did it occur to me, that their simple request would launch a chain of events (through the forward thinking of our own worship leader and the hand of God) that blessed not just the Free Methodist Church but a start up Baptist church right by the orphanage.  We ended up taking down an entire new sound system, mixer, guitar and keyboard.  We bought a new generator for them and they in turn donated their old equipment and generator to the start up church.

Culturally, no one in Haiti gets rid of anything on the outside chance it will be needed in the future.  So, for the Pastor to be so willing to send his old and broken equipment to another church was the hand of God.  Even more, God knew before  our church made the decision to take the new sound system with us that little church had a need as well.  Music is such an important part of daily culture and even more so in worship.  Two churches blessed by God that bring glory and honor to Him.  Cool, very cool.

I also learned my plan is not God's plan (again).  Thanks to Mike Utz for gently leading me to good decisions about what we took down and how we consecrated the instruments and equipment  in worship.  It was a wonderful time of rejoicing.  The church was packed, standing room only inside and out.  So much praise.

We had sickness and stress on this trip as well.  Everything from queasy stomachs, to rashes,   and general malaise.  With it came untold blessings and bonding together.  We spent time  with the children and people in the community.  For the first time, we really shopped in the local market.  It was amazing what people chose to buy as souvenirs.  Handmade metal cups, bags and watches on the cheap!  I think someone even bought handmade shoes or slippers for one of his kids.  We definitely boosted the economy that day.

Morning devotions and Circle time at the end of the day was very special on this trip.  After so many trips to Haiti, I get a little hardened to the sights and sounds of Haiti.  It is refreshing to see and hear anew through others. Also, God drew us together in love  and we were able to share painful and joyous lessons from our past.  Tears were abundant on several occasions.  Listening to what team members were learning about themselves and the world around them, touched my heart, mind and spirit.

One team member was inserted by God into a last trek for a dying woman trying to make it home to be with her family.  He carried her for part of the way to relieve her son for a short time on the journey up into the mountains.  Heart swelling for the kindness and compassion of Mike B, heartbreaking for the family about to lose a loved one. 

I am reminded of the generosity of our church family, family, friends and coworkers.  Their passion for the work in Haiti enabled us to have two completed projects and to leave behind a generous donation to help feed the children in the orphanage.  The work in Haiti is a community event.  Some go.  Some stay behind to pray.  Some give money or time or the sweat of their brow.  All are important for  the work of God in Haiti.

March 2012

I have taken a long time, almost a year, to begin to write about my experience in Haiti during our March 2012 trip.  It was an emotionally overwhelming experience and thought I better give myself some time to separate from the emotion before I shared the experience.  I never dreamed it would take almost a year to get myself back on track. 

We partnered with a wonderful nongoverment organization, Mission of Hope (MOH).  They are located north of Port Au Prince and were direct recipients of the injured, orphaned and homeless from the earthquake.  The continuing story of how God prepared and transformed this Christian based orphanage and school into a fully functioning resource center for victims of the quake can be followed directly at their homepage, www.mohhaiti.org .  God is blessing through this group.

Our group has never partnered with such a large organization.  The week we served, we were joined by several hundred volunteers from all over the US and Canada.  Our basic work was to paint homes, pray and share with earthquake victims who are living in temporary shelters and to rejoice and play with a new integrated (hearing and nonhearing) village being established just north of Mission of Hope. 

We were scared and frightened by the huge spiders living in the new homes as well as touched, saddened and emptied emotionally by the ongoing suffering of those in the recovery process from the losses sustained in the earthquake.  Fear among the people in the temporary housing outside the Mission of Hope compound continued to be an ongoing concern.  Fear the earth will shake again, fear about losing what remains of their families, fear of not ever being able to work, laugh or engage in life again.  Tears were a normal part of our days. 

Our bus driver and interpreter shared their personal stories of loss and how God led them to reengage in living in Him and for Him through service to others.  I was struck that even the hopeless gained hope by sharing their lives with others and at the same time, helped themselves move forward.  Faith was their foundation and the knowledge that despite the horrors that overtook their lives, God was there in their suffering working to save them, literally and spiritually.

We laughed as well.  Jesse brought an American football with her and she and Brady had a great time teaching area children how to throw it and send it sailing back.  We played "keep the balloon in the air" with large groups of children.  Colleen read to children in small groups and had mothers leaning in to hear the stories.  Traci brought along a jump rope and it turned into a universal language with adults and kids.  So, with tears also came smiles, lots of them.

We attended a church on the Mission of Hope campus that has a congregation in excess of 2,000 people from the commutable area.  It was awesome!  They had a big screen, musicians, a great sound system and shouts of joy in worship.

Cassey, a very sports minded women, brought lots of sports equipment to donate and we ran a sports clinic one afternoon for the orphans living at MOH.  They were excited to have baseball gloves and new soccer balls.  Some of us, ended up playing card games with a few children when it became obvious that athletics was not in the "cards" for us.

MOH went out of their way to take us to a beach resort area on the north coast.  I was dreading the adventure because I felt it was wasted time when we could be working in the area camps with survivors.  They insisted we need to go.  I am glad I did for two reasons.  It helped me to see that little by little, the tourist trade is trying to revive in Haiti.  They need it to grow to improve their economy through job creation.  Secondly, it help me to detox from all the stories and tears of the previous days and enjoy the beauty of Haiti.

It is hard to face such devastation daily and not lose hope that the country of Haiti can and does have a future.  With good leadership, educated and skilled workers, investment in business and lots of prayer, Haiti can create a stable and healthy place for the children to grow and learn.  It will not happen overnight.  But it will happen.  God is good and I know He is working in Haiti.  I just need to pause and look around me to see the improvement from visit to visit.