First Fruits of Perseverance

I apologize in advance for the long post :)

I’m not quite sure where to begin. The five days I spent in Haiti for this most recent trip went by so quickly. I know that my words that follow cannot possibly do justice to the activities and blessings of the week. And my words are only representative of my experience, while I know that each person that was present that week has their own view of God’s hand on our time in Haiti. As always, each will go back forever changed in a different way, as God has spoken to each heart in differently. I do know that I am amazed at the fact that, during the chaos of the week, I could look around me at everything going on knowing that only two short weeks before I stood in this house in Haiti alone, with no furniture or any other items with which to operate. I am truly amazed at God's hand in the development of this ministry. Here is a recap of the most recent leg of the journey...

Saturday, October 19, 2013                                                                                                                                        

Mark, Gary, Bruce, Keith and Mary (Mark’s daughter), from Dry Ridge Baptist Church, arrived in Haiti around 3:15 pm and waited on the rest of us. I met up with Allyson, Connie, and Randy in Miami and we were on the same flight that got into Haiti at 4 pm.  (In case you are not aware, Allyson is Hope for My Sister's first long-term volunteer that traveled down this week to move into the ministry center/house). Once we had everyone and all of the luggage, we headed out. A Haitian pastor that Mark was working with met us at the airport and took Mark’s team to the house. Edmond picked up my group and took us to the house. I was disappointed when we pulled in the gate and I saw the iron bars for the windows and doors sitting around the coconut trees instead of on the windows and doors upstairs. The iron work was supposed to have been completed by October 15. We unloaded all of the luggage at the house and began setting up necessities for the night before the power went off. Mary, who was in Haiti for the first time, jumped right in and started mopping the floors so we could put the mattresses down to sleep on for the night. Edmond came back just a little bit later and took me to the market so I could get food for the team for the night, along with some ice for the cooler. I also purchased a couple of additional fans (a huge blessing since there is no air conditioner). I was surprised when we got back (well after dark) that the power was still on in the house. And it stayed on until around 8:30 pm that night. That is rare, and did not happen the rest of the time as the power went off around 4 pm. We managed to get things settled enough for the night and had sandwiches and chips for dinner, with the 9 of us sitting around 2 desks the team had assembled pushed together in one of the upstairs bedrooms with a lantern in the middle to see by. It was wonderful to eat and sleep in the house for the first time!

Moving Allyson In!

Patricia and Mary's Room for the Week

Temporary Dining Room

Men's Room for the Week

Sunday, October 20, 2013

When we got up on Sunday morning, we had run out of water. I talked with the landlady about the water and she showed me how to turn on the pump to get the water from the cistern up to the tank on the roof. We waited and tried the water and still no water. Mark had Keith climb up on the roof (I believe he climbed up through the tree out back) to see what was going on with the tank. The pump wasn’t working right, but we finally got the water up to the roof and later someone came to work on it. Sunday morning Mark and his team went with the pastor to his church, where Mark preached for the service. (Mark preached at this church all week.) Me and my group stayed at the house in an attempt to begin going through everything and trying to create some organization. There is a large church just across the street from the house and they sang worship songs for hours on Sunday, and that was a huge blessing. Around 1 pm Julienne and Frantz came to visit and meet the team. They are leaders for an organization called KOFAEL Haiti, which provides microloans to Haitian women. They are a young Haitian couple with amazing hearts for serving God and the women of Haiti. They currently have 42 women in their program and beginning Saturday, October 26 the monthly meetings for KOFAEL will be held at our house/ministry center. We were also talking with them about moving into the house to live with Allyson. We discussed arrangements and I am very excited about the possibilities that we have for making a big difference in Haiti by working together. It was agreed that Julienne would move in on Tuesday, October 22 and Frantz will move in after they are married in December. Mark and I called Pastor Sanousse and he came with a tap tap and took the entire team, except me and Mark, to Black Mountain for service Sunday night. Mark went back to the church he had been to that morning and I stayed at the house so I could be sure that everyone could get back in (the gates to the house remain locked at all times, and we did not yet have copies of the keys for everyone).  The power went off early in the evening but I was able to have some good quiet time listening to the music next door and spending time alone with God. Mark got back first and the pastor that drove him took me to the market so I could buy something for dinner for the group. The pastor had his body guard, “Big Daddy”, with him.  Traffic was horrible so we went to the closest market but it was already closed. Then the tap tap we were in broke down. It just died in the middle of the road, in crazy traffic. Big Daddy looked under the hood, and then they rolled the truck backwards to jump start it. We made it on to the next closest market, and the pastor stayed in the truck as Big Daddy and I walked across the street. When we got there the men outside with the shotguns told us the market was already closed. So, we began walking up the street toward the Delimart. He asked me if I was afraid to walk up the street and I said no. He kept reminding me to walk in front of him if we were going through a crowd so he could “have my back”. He was very nice and very helpful. We made it back with more food for sandwiches and more ice. It was well after 9 pm by that time. Another group dinner around the desks by the light of the lantern. Earlier in the day I had called my friend Esther about coming to cook and clean for our group for the week and we were so thankful she did!

Monday, October 21, 2013

Monday morning Esther and two of her friends (one male and one female) came to see what all we needed and they immediately went to work cleaning before I even had the chance to talk with her. They came in and saw the needs and just started taking care of things - praise God! We talked about dinner and I asked if she could make goat. I gave her money for the food and they went shopping for everything. I walked Mary, Bruce, Keith, Gary and Randy down to Christian Light so Mary could hang out with Rachel and spend time with the kids, and so Edmond could take the guys to the hardware store for construction materials. We were working against the clock to get the materials back so the stove could be hooked up in time for Esther’s team to cook dinner. Edmond was due to be back at Christian Light to take the guys by around 10 am, but at about 11:30 am the guys all came back to the center and said they had been waiting all of that time but that he hadn’t come back yet. Typical for Haiti, but I am sure that for the 4 men who were in Haiti for the first time, it was a little frustrating. They hadn’t been back long when Micah called to say Edmond was back and he was on his way to pick them up. Traffic was horrible all day on Monday. Allyson and Connie went with someone else to get phone service for Allyson and get her some groceries for the week. While they were all gone, except Mark and I, Pastor Sanousse came to the house with Sarah, Rachel, and their mother. Sarah and Rachel’s father, who was a Haitian pastor, died several years ago and several US pastors have been trying for some time to honor the desire their father had that his girls would go to school in the United States. I have seen the girls a few times and they are both incredibly sweet. Sarah is 13 and Rachel is 11. Pastor Sanousse took Mark, the girls, and their mother to the US Embassy to try to get their paperwork finalized with the hope of Mark being able to bring them to the US with him when he headed back this weekend.  I can’t imagine how their mother will feel about letting them go, but I also know the hearts that Haitian mothers have for their children and how desperately they want the best for their children.

In the middle of people coming in and out of the house the workers showed up to work on installing the security bars. Just as they were getting started I heard water running and when I discovered where it was coming from I felt a little overwhelmed. One of the pipes on the roof that carries water had burst at the seam and water was spewing onto the balcony and down onto the ground. I grabbed one of the workers who was on the balcony measuring for the bars and showed him. He went down to tell the landlady and they were able to shut the water off. Monday was a crazy day. The people in and out of the house included the nine people on our teams, the three people cooking and cleaning, three men working on the bars, the man who came to fix the water pump, Pastor Sanousse with the girls and their mother, and the American couple that had taken Allyson and Connie to run errands, and the Haitian couple that is leading KOFAEL. In the midst of all of the comings and goings there were lots of noises such as drills making holes in concrete upstairs for the bars to go in; welding sparks and cardboard catching on fire in the windows as the workers welded the bars to the windows (with much smoke filling the house); the generator Micah brought over for the guys to use since the electricity was off by early evening; and the hammers, saws, and drills from the assembly of furniture downstairs and outside. The guys were able to get a good start on building the bunk beds for the house. It was a very busy, hot, and noisy day!

Installation of Security

Keith and Bruce

That evening Micah, Rachel, and David came down from Christian Light to have dinner with us. Esther and her team had prepared an amazing meal. We had fresh vegetable salad (tomatoes, onions, olives, cucumbers, and green peppers), goat with potatoes and carrots, rice and beans, and fried bananas. I absolutely love Haitian food! It was a wonderful dinner with amazing people! It was truly a blessing to not have to go back to the market to get something for dinner :). It was our first real meal of the trip and we were so very thankful! David has a God-given dream to start an EMS training program in Haiti, which could save so very many lives. I pray that God opens doors and provides the resources needed to make this happen.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Tuesday morning Esther and her team were running a little late, so I went ahead and started fixing breakfast. They showed up and finished. We had pancakes, bacon, and scrambled eggs. After breakfast the guys immediately went to work making the furniture. By the end of the day, including work from the day before, they had made 6 sets of bunk beds, 2 single twin-size frames, a full-size frame, and 2 8-foot long tables for the kitchen to use for food serving and work space. In addition, they worked on 2 toilets upstairs by replacing much of the components inside the back tanks and installed our gas stove and refrigerator. It was such an amazing blessing to see furniture in the house!

Keith and Gary working on the toilet

Randy and Keith working on the stove

Our first set of bunk beds!

 

 
After breakfast I also walked Mary back to Christian Light where she met up with Rachel and was able to go down to the ravine with the feeders as they went around feeding and weighing all of the babies and small children down there. When Mary came back we asked her how it went and what she thought about the experience and she said she didn't have words that could describe the experience. This young lady has such an amazing heart and I know that God has big plans for her life.

Allyson and I spent a good bit of time working on paperwork throughout the day, ensuring we have the necessities covered regarding volunteer agreements, housing arrangements, etc. During a run for some more supplies, Connie and Randy were able to get copies of keys made so we were able to get the keys organized between us. Thanks to Esther we were able to get a twin mattress for Julienne, who moved in that afternoon. This was such a wonderful step forward in developing our ministry. Julienne has an amazing heart and we are so thankful that we get to work with her and her fiance, Frantz. That night for dinner Esther and her team prepared lasagna, rice and beans, pikliz, tilapia, watermelon, cantelope, pineapple, and mango. The food was amazing!! We ate dinner downstairs this time since the upstairs bedrooms were full of furniture!

An amazing meal!

Keith, Bruce, and Gary, ready for dinner

Randy and Connie - Allyson's parents

Allyson!

After dinner we spent a good bit of time talking about Haiti, about the issues women face in Haiti, and why a ministry like Hope for My Sister is so very important. Julienne joined us for dinner and was an important part of the conversation. She shared with us that her mother had been killed by those practicing voodoo, and she talked about how important it is to worship God openly and fully. She has such an amazing spirit. Thank you God for bringing her into our lives!

That night before bed, I spent a few minutes with Esther thanking her for everything that she and her team had done for us. Her group would continue working there through Thursday, but I wanted to be sure to express my appreciation and discuss arrangements with her before I headed home Wednesday morning. We shared a few tears and she prayed for our ministry. She and her team even slept in the house that night, in one of the rooms downstairs. We did not have any more mattresses so we gave them blankets and other things we could find to try to make them as comfortable as possible. I cannot tell you what an incredible blessing that Esther and her friends were to me and our team over these days. They cooked, cleaned, ran errands, Esther helped translate with the landlady and others, and she even killed a lizard and a roach that had made their way into the house. She is an amazing lady and is so incredibly supportive of this ministry.

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Wednesday morning was difficult for me. The four days I had been in Haiti had been full of ups and downs, anticipation and frustration. From questioning what in the world I am doing there to receiving positive affirmation that this is God’s will. I was up before anyone else on our team, working on packing the rest of my stuff. Esther had made me a plate of food because she knew I would need to eat before I left (she is so thoughtful). I sat downstairs and ate alone, in the quiet. Afterward, people were starting to wake up. I went and talked with the guys and gave them each hugs and thanked them for their sacrifice and the talents they had provided during the week. I don't know that they will ever truly comprehend just how much of a blessing they have been. I hugged my brave volunteer, Allyson, goodbye. I am so thankful for her and her family, and their sacrifice in order to provide hope of a stronger future for the women of Haiti. As I approached the stairs to head down to the gate, where Edmond was waiting to take me to the airport, Esther came up the stairs and said she wanted to give me something. Then she broke out in a chorus of "Bless the Lord, Oh My Soul" standing at the top of the stairs with her hands held high in praise to the Lord. I had been trying so hard to not get emotional that morning, but as soon as she started, my attempt clearly failed. Then we hugged and kissed each other, exchanged "I love yous", and she walked me outside. This was by far the hardest time I have had leaving Haiti. I finally pull myself together and got to the airport, where I was finally able to access WIFI, and my dear friend David Gunter had left me a message that said, "The struggles in life are short lived. Our lives are short. When you get to heaven after Jesus has said well done, there will be a string of Haitians that will hug your neck for all you are doing right now. Whatever you have to go through it is worth it." Well, I teared up again in the American Airlines line...I am so very blessed that God has placed so many amazing people, so many amazing "giants of faith" in my life that guide me and encourage me each day. I could not do this work without them. Thank you Father for never failing, and for carrying me when I don't see an answer, when my strength is gone, and when I can't possibly grasp which step to take next.

Hebrews 12:1-2 is a fitting way to close this post:
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

May we always endure.... 

Prayer Requests

I would like to ask that you remember the following requests in your prayers:

• That Allyson will have the strength, the wisdom of discernment, and the peace she needs to serve full-time in Haiti over the next year. Lord give her protection and cover her in grace and love so that others will come to know You through her. May she seek your guidance in all decisions and follow You even when it is difficult. May Your full armor protect her, and may many friends (both old and new) lift her up in love and encouragement and help her grow stronger in You. 
•  That Connie and Randy will receive Your comfort and peace as they say goodbye to their daughter in a few days when they fly back to the United States. Watch over them and their family, giving them grace and an outpouring of love from their friends and church family. Father, thank you for their hearts and the tremendous support they have shown to Allyson as she has stepped out to serve You in such a mighty way. 
•  That Julienne will feel welcome in her new home and that she and Allyson will become close and support one another. That You will prepare their hearts for the addition of another full-time volunteer staff, Emily, who will move into the house with them in four weeks. 
•  That You will lift up Emily and prepare her heart for the journey she is about to make as she plans to move to Haiti in November to be part of the volunteer staff at HFMS. 
•  That Mark, Keith, Gary, and Bruce will be blessed in a mighty way for their service in helping prepare the house so the staff can serve the Haitian women. Father there are no adequate words to describe how incredibly thankful I am for these men and the blessing they have had on my life this week, and the blessing they have provided for years to come as countless servants sleep in beds they made, eat food stored and prepared in the appliances they installed, and use tables and benches to serve the Haitian women. And the blessing they have provided for years to come for the many Haitian women that will come to this house for Bible studies, medical clinics, education and training, and assistance during some of the most difficult times of their lives. 
•  Father, be with Julienne, Frantz, Elisabeth, and the women involved in KOFAEL Haiti as they begin meeting in the house this Saturday, October 26. I pray that this ministry will be blessed and that You will show us all how the two ministries (HFMS and KOFAEL) can work together to serve the women in Haiti. Help us to have patience and seek those activities You would have us provide. Help us to stay out of the way and dedicated ourselves to building up strong Haitian women that can then serve other Haitian women. 
• That Esther, her friends, and their families will receive many blessings. That their hearts will stay fixed on God and they will continue to look to Him for answers. 
• That everything will work out for  Sarah, Rachel and their mother. That if it is God's will they will be able to come to the US to attend school and that He will provide loving people in their lives here to build them up and show them the love of Christ. That He will protect and care for their mother in Haiti as she is separated from her children. If there is any way we can help in this process, Father please let us know.

Until next time...
God bless!
Patricia

A temporary goodbye

This is my last night in Haiti for a couple of weeks. It is always hard to leave, but I am always excited to get home to my family. Today was a good day, thanks to the help of some amazing people God has placed in my life here in Haiti!

I got to be part of morning worship and Bible study this morning with Ms. Sherrie, the other missionaries here, and the Haitian school teachers and staff. It was such a blessing to sing familiar Christian songs in both Creole and English, and Mr. Patrick is going to send me the lyrics we used which shows both versions of all of the songs! That will help me with my Creole!!!

I was able to get contact information for a place we might be able to get a puppy! It will be great to have a dog at the house for added security and companionship. Then Edmond took me shopping for things for the house. I was able to get some bottled Culligan water for our water cooler, 15 folding chairs, a large cooler, and 9 mattresses. So when I come back in a couple of weeks with a team we will at least have something to drink, something to sleep on, and something to sit in to get us started. It will be great having that team to help us get beds and tables, etc. I made arrangements and payment to have the final security bars installed on the house and they will be complete by October 15. I also got to visit with my new friend Esther for a little bit this afternoon. She is a sweet lady.

As I get ready for bed I am reflecting on how thankful I am that God has placed some amazing servants of God in my life, particularly many people that are serving here in Haiti. Following the Lord here isn't always easy and it is so very important that the body of Christ fulfill its role by working together to not only serve the Haitian people but to serve one another as well. My deepest spiritual growth has happened through serving here in Haiti, watching and working alongside other believers as they truly live out their faith. I pray for more of that in my life. I want to be surrounded by other Christians that challenge me to never be complacent in my faith, that show me what truly trusting God looks like, and that are real in their struggles to be obedient. I want to spend more time with people who pray in anguish over things that have burdened them, but at the same time pray with an expectancy that God will move. I no longer want to hear Christians pray a blessing during meals where they ask God to provide for those less fortunate while they themselves do nothing to bless the less fortunate. Christ is working here on earth but He is doing it through us! We, as the body of Christ, are His hands and feet in this world. The more you get to know God's heart and see Him work in amazing ways the more you don't want to be any other place than walking in His will.

Until next time...

Goodnight from Haiti,
Patricia

A time to wait...

Just as the message from church yesterday morning spoke about how even when God opens doors, the rooms we walk into may have benches where He wants us to wait, for me today was a day of waiting on the Lord. I woke up with a plan in mind of all of the things I needed to get done today, but now as the day draws to a close I can tell you that I didn't accomplish much today, at least in terms of checking things off of the list of things that need to be taken care of. God has been working on this part of my life for sometime now. I spent years driven by the self-developed need, and obsession, to 'accomplish' things. I would plan everything out and then start checking everything off. The measure of how good my day was had a direct correlation to how many things I was able to accomplish. If at the end of the day I hadn't gotten much done I felt like I had failed. I know that this is certainly not the way God would have me live, and He has been chiseling away at this part of who I have been for some time now.

Today I waited. I spent time reading and studying the Bible. I spent time praying, and just trying to listen. I argued with God, questioning 'why' about some very important parts of my life, seeking His guidance and expressing to Him my anguish and need for help and knowledge on how to move forward. I spent time feeling overwhelmed to the point I could hardly breathe. I felt uncomfortable and wanted to run, to pack up and just go home. I wanted to just sit down and cry feeling lonely and unsure about anything I am doing here. Believe me when I tell you that I went through the full range of emotions today. Ministry is hard. Ministry far away from home is even harder. This is particularly true when 'home' is where your family is and you are far away from them. It often feels like I am living two different lives: one at home with my family and my job, and one here in Haiti. I pray that somewhere there will be some kind of blending of the two, particularly where my family is concerned. But I am trusting that God will work all things out for good. I don't have all of the answers to what is going to happen, who we will serve here and in what specific capacities. I don't know which skills we will be able to teach, which dates we will have teams come to the Center, etc. But God has all of these answers already. Answers to these questions involve a lot of other people who will make decisions to serve God in Haiti, both short-term and long-term. Today He wanted to remind me that I don't have to figure it all out. He's got this and He wants me to learn to trust Him more. Prayer is so very important and I know I need to make more time for prayer, for bringing my concerns and questions before Him and having a conversation with the One who holds all of the answers.

I did work on paperwork for the ministry some today, and I went down to the house and got one of the bathrooms set up the best I could. It is really looking good. I do believe tomorrow I will be able to get some more of the things we need, especially some initial furniture. Tomorrow is my last day here until October 19. Then I will have a team with me and we can dig into the work! I am so excited about that trip!!! After dinner tonight me, Katelyn and Rachel helped Sherrie stuff and prepare envelopes for a mailout to child sponsors. Then Rachel made brownies! I had been craving chocolate all day and getting a brownie was an amazing blessing! What a perfect way to end the day.

Goodnight from Haiti!
Patricia

The house is looking good!

Continuing the blog from last night...

Saturday evening was spent having dinner with the group here at Sherrie's and meeting some more new people who have been doing medical clinics in the area all week. I am always amazed at how many people, with such a variety of gifts and passion for ministry, end up in Haiti. God has certainly orchestrated the body of Christ here. The lady that was in the group doing medical clinics shared with me a couple of things that I want to pass along, to give you an idea of why what we are preparing to do here is so important. This week they had a 2 year old little girl test positive for syphilis, but when they tested her mother she was negative. Abuse happens at such an early age here, and it is heart breaking to the point of anguish over what happens to so many children and women. Then she told me about something her group had seen here just after the earthquake in 2010. Apparently a Haitian lady had gone into labor before the earthquake hit, and was at a hospital where they had cut her open to perform a C-section. Before they were finished the earthquake hit and everyone left the building, leaving the woman open on the table. The woman was able (only God knows how) to craw out from under the rubble and out into the street, still cut open. She passed out somewhere along the way and eventually was seen by this medical team that was on the ground right after the earthquake. There was apparently a good Samaritan somewhere that had attempted to sew the lady up out on the street, but had done a horrible job. This team was able to fix her up, and later she was able to find her baby. Many women here give birth on their own, in their home or wherever they are when they go into labor. For many there is no access to healthcare, for them or their children, and many die from things that could have been prevented. The certainly gives you a perspective on how often we complain in the US about having to wait too long to see a doctor, or the many other complaints we have about medical care. The fact is that we have it. We have access to healthcare that far exceeds anything people here have access to, yet we take it for granted every day.

Sunday morning I went with Sherrie, David, Micah, and Rachel to Port Au Prince Fellowship for church. This was the first time I had been to an American/English-speaking church here in Haiti. The church was full of American missionaries, and some Haitians. It was nice to sing songs that are familiar and in my own language, and to be surrounded by so many others that are also here serving from far away. There are lots of families here with small children that haven given up everything they had back in the US to come here for something far greater. The message for the service was based on Colossians 3:1-10 where Paul told the Colossians that if they are raised with Christ they are to seek those things which are above, not those things here on earth. In verse 8 Paul gives specific things we are to put off, such as anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, and filthy language. The message in the service used an analogy of sailing to discuss how we pursue our walk with the Lord. If we are sailing there are many forces pushing against us such as the wind, the waves, human error, etc. In "trimming the sails" we skillfully adjust to changing conditions. If we are headed in the wrong direction we need to correct our course. Often this happens in small steps we take that over time can take us way off course. It is important to recognize these happenings while they are still small and make corrections needed along the way before we end up too far off course, drifting further and further from God.

The message provided several areas where we can make these wrong steps if we are not careful:

1 Seeking Signs - Matthew 12:38-42
We must be careful to not take coincidental occurrences and automatically assign God's voice to it. We must seek God's voice through our direct relationship with Him.

2 Doors - 1 Corinthians 16:9
Spiritually mature Christians will see a door as an opportunity to pray. Sometimes the rooms we enter have a bench, and we are to wait upon God's timing and direction. In Haiti so many opportunities present themselves because the need is so great. It is easy to get involved in too many things and get burned out or use your resources ineffectively.
Colossians 4:2-4

3 Human Reasoning - Proverbs 14:12
Following our own reasoning without following God's guidance is to lack faith in God, doubt our ability to hear God, or to be afraid that we might not want to hear what He has to say. We may fear what others think about what God is telling us to do, especially if it is life changing. This is particularly difficult when other Christians don't seem to understand that God could ask you to do something radical.
Proverbs 3:5-8

4 Busyness - Luke 10:38-42
Busyness is wrong when God is there. If God is doing something we need to stop. If we sense God is trying to tell us something we need to wait and listen. Too often we keep moving and do not alter our schedule to be able to hear Him. We cannot expect God to work His way into our schedule.

5 Flesh - 2 Corinthians 10:3
When we are transformed by grace, we start strong with our reliance on God, but as time goes by we try to take back more and more of ourselves, wanting to be in control. Galatians 3:3
Our ministry will move, not because of us, but despite us.

The preacher went on to explain that as leaders we often feel like we have to be strong, that we are supposed to have all of the answers. But we should be willing to let others see us as human, showing our weakness, willing to ask for help. This puts the glory back in God's hand. I know that every step of the way in this ministry I have struggled with not having the answers. I have questioned how in the world I could do any of this, because this is so outside of my comfort zone, but that is when I have seen God in the strongest ways - when I have known without a shadow of a doubt that He is in control. As a very smart lady I know says, 'God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called'.  I am very thankful for that!

After we returned from the service, I headed to the house to meet a lady that was coming to clean. Bless her heart, she started at about 11:30 and worked hard until almost 6 pm. Everything was so dirty and dusty. Today (Monday) she will return to finish the last two rooms. The floors were so shiny when she was finished!

While she was cleaning I was working on cleaning out some of the shelves and putting tin gas away. It was great to see things start going into the house! I am so thankful that this house has so much storage built in!

Mr. Richard, who is just wonderful, came down to the house to help me talk with Madame Bertha. We made arrangements for taking care of the remaining security bar installation on the upstairs doors and windows. We also talked to her about getting a dog and she was very happy about that, telling me that yes she knows that is important. It was a good day and I feel like we got quite a few things accomplished! Now, today I will work on getting some furniture and other supplies so we will be ready for our October 19 trip back down here!

Have a blessed day!
Patricia

New friends and opportunities

It has taken me a while to get to this post, but I have a lot I want to share. I won't be able to get caught up on everything tonight, but at least it is a start!

I arrived in Haiti on Saturday, and Edmond picked me up at the airport. As soon as I walked in here at Sherrie’s and got my welcome hug from that amazing lady, I saw David and met two new friends who were visiting from North Dakota: Travis and John. David asked me if I was hungry, and I thought it seemed a bit early for dinner. Well the group was going out to dinner at a restaurant in Petionville just a little later. So I joined them. It was Sherrie, David, Micah, Rachel, Travis, John, Kaitlyn, and myself.  Traffic was crazy, but when we got there we were amazed at this place. It was in the city, but it looked like we had just passed over into a completely different place. It looked like a rainforest. It was beautiful! We had outside seating and they had a live band (which was a little loud since we were right by one of the speakers). I have always known that things move slower in Haiti, but this dinner experience brought slow to a new level. But it was a beautiful place with good food and amazing company! Then it started raining. Hard. I have never really been here during the rainy season, but my goodness does it pour! We got wet getting back to the truck, and speaking of the truck. We had driven the white truck which is a small, 4 door pickup with no bed cover, and it is a stick shift. So, the 8 of us crammed ourselves into the truck piled on top of each other. Sherrie somehow managed to take a picture of us, maybe because she was bent in half with part of her body riding between the two front seats. It was quite the ride! At least with all of the rain traffic was almost nonexistent coming home, but the big bumps were interesting, and sometimes painful. There is no better group to be crammed into a pickup truck with!

The next day, Saturday, I went with David, Micah, and Rachel to run some errands. They had to go to Agope Flights and I was able to arrange for another new friend, Elisabeth, to meet us there. Here is a cool connection - Elisabeth is also a friend of Ryan and Heather Forman! She went to market with us and then came back home with us. She and I walked down to the new house and I showed her around and told her about what we were going to be doing. On the ride back home she had told me about the organization she works with, KOFAEL, which provides micro loans to women who are trying to get on their feet. They have 42 women in this program now and it operates right here in Delmas 31! Elisabeth lives in St. Marc, but comes down once a month to be here for the group’s monthly meeting. The everyday details of working with this group are taken care of by this amazing Haitian couple I also had the privilege of meeting that day. Frantz and Julienne. They are engaged to be married this December and are so on fire for helping women and serving the Lord. Frantz and Julienne walked down to the house and we showed them around and shared with one another some of the passions we have for working with women. I was very impressed with them and how much they give of themselves to help others in their community.

Saturday was also the day for the monthly meeting, so the four of us walked down Delmas 31 to the location they use for their meetings. I always enjoy getting out and walking around Port Au Prince. It is so much more real to get out and walk with Haitians, buy water from someone selling on the street market, etc. The place that KOFAEL meets was very dark and crowded, and Elisabeth had mentioned that they were hoping to find a new place to meet. I told them that they are more than welcome to start using our ministry center starting in October. They were thrilled and said they had been praying for this for some time. They announced the change of location to the ladies before the end of the meeting. So the first scheduled activity in our new center will be a monthly meeting with 42 beautiful Haitian women who are working to make better lives for themselves and their families. What a wonderful beginning!!! This also gives us the opportunity to interact with these ladies to find out what else we can do to assist them on their journey. I know we are going to need volunteers to come down and help train Haitian ladies that can then train other Haitian ladies in a variety of skills that they can put to use in their lives. Building up these women in a sustainable way will also help them keep their children, many of which would otherwise have ended up in an orphanage or sent to live as a restavek. Please keep this partnership in prayer. It is a wonderful opportunity for two ministries to work together to serve the people by pooling their resources instead of duplicating efforts. The people working with KOFAEL often come across women that need assistance but don’t fall into guidelines for the micro loan program. With Hope for My Sister we will be able to take referrals of women that KOFAEL feels we can serve but they cannot. 

 

I can't wait to see what God does with these new friendships!  More to come soon!

Goodnight from Haiti!

 

Adventure to the Dominican Republic

Friday, August 2, 2013

Friday morning I got up, got dressed, and went down to the balcony to work on paperwork/planning until Edmond was able to take me to the store. I was planning to buy a stove and whatever else I could with the funds I had available. I wanted to at least do what I could on this trip to get the house ready. Anyway, I stepped into the kitchen off the balcony so the ladies could sweep it, and about that time David came to talk to Sherrie about going to the Dominican Republic to meet up with his brother John and the team he had over there. He was going to be able to pick up medicine, clothing, and other items. Sherrie told him I was going with Edmond to get appliances and David suggested that I might want to go with him and Micah to the DR because you can buy appliances a lot cheaper there. So the next thing I know I am packing my backpack for the night and getting into the big blue truck with Micah and David. Three white people headed across the border. There is always ad adventure when you come to Haiti!

We left Christian Light at 11 am. A little more than an hour into the trip, we came to a Haitian police checkpoint. A male officer stopped us, and if you know anything about what can happen at a police checkpoint in Haiti, you would expect me to tell you about some bribe they wanted or something else negative. But not this time. Officer Markel asked us a couple of questions (Where are you going? Are you American?) and then said he needed a job. He was looking for another job that he could do when he wasn’t policing. David (who was driving) looked at me and asked if he could tell him. I said sure. So David told Officer Markel that I was opening a women’s center and would be looking for a security guard in a couple of months. He seemed very interested and he wrote down his name and phone number. Then he asked us if we were Christians, if we knew Jesus. He said, “because if you don’t I would like to tell you about him”. Wow. How many Haitian police officers have you seen that try to witness to people at a checkpoint? We assured him that we were indeed Christians, and soon we were off again. David said, “That might have been the reason for this trip – that you would find your security guard.” What a rare and amazing opportunity, to get a security guard for the women’s center that is a trained police officer, has connections to the police and has his own gun! OK God, you are riding with us. Thank you!!!

Sure we had just had our first divine appointment of the trip, we kept heading for the border. Once we got out of Port Au Prince the drive was beautiful and interesting. As we approached the border, there was a large lake that came right up to the road, sometimes on both sides of the road. The water was so blue and the huge, magnificent mountains in the background were breathtaking. David explained that prior to the earthquake the water wasn’t as high as it was now. The earthquake caused a crack in the rock bed and some of the ocean had come through. This was evident in the fact that you could see the roofs of several houses just under the top of the water.

And we ventured on until we came to the border. The first gate was to exit Haiti. 

 

We were able to go in and take care of immigration smoothly and David inquired about the taxes on appliances coming back into Haiti. They told him $20 per appliance (which may or may not have ended up being the correct amount). Then we were off to the second gate, entering the DR. This one was more frustrating and took us more than an hour to get through. There were people in street clothes with clipboards trying to get you to show them your papers so they could get money from you, but we knew better thanks to David. Then we were met by two young men, one of which was wearing a khaki Boy Scout shirt trying to look ‘official’, but we knew better J. We went and took care of immigration and then we had to take care of the paperwork to take the truck across the border. David took care of the paperwork and then we were on our way, or so we thought. We were stopped as we started driving out. This time by a man with a rifle. The man with him took our passports (at which time I texted church with a prayer request), and David got out of the truck to go with them. We got the passports back, thank you God, and finally we were off. Santo Domingo here we come!

 

It was very interesting to see the differences between Haiti and the DR even though the two countries share the same small island. And bye bye Creole, hello Spanish, which none of us knew much of. The DR is a beautiful country, and even in the very poor neighborhoods the streets, sidewalks, and yards were clean.

The people were friendly as well. I know that between David and Micah we had to have stopped and asked “Santo Domingo?” about 20 times to groups of people sitting around. And sometimes we would stop at an intersection and not even have to ask, the people would just point. We did mind of stand out in our very ‘Haitian’ truck with three white people. And all along the highways were these little concrete ‘shrine’ structures where you would expect to see Mary, but as we drove by we looked in each one we passed and Mary was nowhere to be found. It became kind of funny and gave us something to do. You know, ‘Mission Haiti’ could be an interesting reality show, just sayin…

So on we went toward Santo Domingo. Even though we didn’t find Mary, we saw a little bit of everything along the way. People were selling lots of things alongside the road, including lizards on leashes, fruit, furniture, onion rings, and fish and crabs on a stick. We even saw a few other things we could have done without, but I digress…

 

We finally made it to Santo Domingo after dark. There were road signs, interstates, lots of exit ramps, one-way streets, and loud music. After driving around for a while trying to get close to the hotel where David’s brother John was at with his team, David called John and we ended up going to a large mall area where we found a decent looking taxi and paid the driver to lead us to the Aquarium hotel. We got to the hotel around 9:30 pm (10 1\2 hours after we left). We started meeting some of the team members, who showed us to the rooms we would be in for the night. I roomed with a very nice lady named Charlotte, her granddaughter, and a young lady named Esther from the Dominican. I hadn't been in the room five minutes when a lady came to bring me a cold bottle of water. After we dropped our stuff off in our rooms, we joined John’s team for devotion and prayer. He had 28 people from Alabama on his team and he gave the three of us the opportunity to tell the group what we are doing in Haiti. It was wonderful to share with other Christians what God is doing in Haiti. The team had been reading "Follow Me" by David Platt and this was the book they were basing their devotion on. Very cool considering myself and two others are leading a Bible study on Follow Me at our church this fall. They discussed what is means to make disciples. That we are called to make an intentional investment in people; called to see the urgency in eternity; to rest in the sufficiency of Christ; and to no longer be 'spectators', but active 'doers'. What a great message as 31 of us sat in the room together in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. We represented three states of the US. We were all from different walks of life, with different gifts and abilities. We came from different denominations. Among us were individuals of different races and ages. But we were all there with a common purpose and a common heart. This is a picture of what the body of Christ was meant to be.

After devotion we headed to our rooms for the night. Not long after getting to the room, another lady from John’s team knocked on the door and gave me a gift package. She said she wasn’t sure what was in it, but the group wanted me to have it. That was very thoughtful of them. I placed the package in my backpack and went to take a shower. 

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Saturday morning we got up and had breakfast at the hotel with the other team, at which time one of the team members gave me $200 from his church to help with purchasing appliances for the women’s center. Thank you Lord! I was also able to pass out some business cards for Hope for My Sister, and I had several people from the other team express interest in staying connected to the ministry. You never know what God will do with that opportunity in the future. We joined the team again for their morning devotional and prayer. They focused on Psalm 46:10, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!". And, Ephesians 6:10, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might." They discussed Chapter 9 of Follow Me, which is entitled, "Born to Reproduce". This chapter of the book is the application chapter. It causes you to reflect on what you have read throughout the book and asks you to make a personal disciple-making plan. In developing your plan you are given six (6) questions to consider. These include: (1) How will I fill my mind with truth? (2) How will I fuel my affections for God? (3) How will I share God's love as a witness in the world? (4) How will I show God's love as a member of a church? (5) How will I spread God's glory among all peoples? and (6) How will I make disciple makers among a few people? I love the end of the 9th chapter, where David makes two profound statements that each of us should seriously consider as we walk with Christ: This is a call worth dying for. This is a king worth living for.

After devotion we loaded the truck with the medicine and supplies from John's team, which also included toiletry bags (this will be important to know later) Then we were off to go shopping. John had arranged for Kevin to go with us since he spoke Spanish. He was very helpful. The first place we went to look for items we needed was IKEA!It was nice to see a familiar store.

We found a few things there. I was able to get two desks and garbage cans for the three bathrooms. Then we were off to an appliance store. We went to a large supercenter store where we found what we were looking for. I was able to get a refrigerator, a gas stove, a microwave, a water cooler, and 3 mirrors for the bathrooms for $1,100! Thank you Lord!!! David and Micah also found some things. It took a little while to load everything up, but once we did we were off heading back to Haiti. David drove all day the day before, so Micah drove back. They both did a great job of driving in crazy traffic!

The drive back to the border was beautiful, especially as the sun began to set.

Unfortunately, despite a great effort, we did not make it to the border before it closed for the night. So, we were stuck in the DR until the border opened this morning at 8 am. We found a hotel in Jiramie, which is close to the border. The rooms had decent beds, ceiling fan, and air conditioning. The toilets in the DR, however, do not have any seats…not sure why…and the bathroom in the hotel room did have a door...But, we found Mary! A sculpture of her was on the wall just before we got to our rooms in the hallway of the hotel.

After we put our stuff in our rooms we walked down the street to a local street restaurant where we had burritos and quesadillas. It was a little wooden building on the corner with a large window/hole cut out for you to order and get your food. The young men working there were very nice. The food was very good. And where we were we could hear music and see dancing in a local outdoor place down the street. What an amazing sense of community they have there. We don’t see this in the US, and it truly is sad. Everywhere you looked you saw families and neighbors sitting around talking. It was a beautiful thing to see a culture where life is slower and being together is more important than going places or buying things. But back to the story at hand…After we got back to our rooms I contemplated what I was going to wear the next day since I had only packed one change of clothes. The shorts I had been wearing that day were awful by this time, but the skirt I had worn the day before was a possibility, but it had been in a bag with a wet washcloth all day and was pretty nasty too. About this time I was looking through my backpack and came across the package the lady had given me the night before. In that bag was a t-shirt, body wash and lotion. So I had a clean shirt to wear, and I used some of the body wash to wash my skirt by hand in the sink and then hung it up to dry for the night. Thank you Lord for the little things! I called Sam and had him check on other flights for Monday because the chances of us getting back in time to get me to the airport for my 1 pm flight were looking very slim. The options weren’t good and they were expensive. But, we put it in the Lord’s hands.

Sunday, August 4, 2013

This morning we were up and on the road about 7:20 am, headed for the border, which was scheduled to open at 8 am. We got to the Dominican border at 7:30 and knew we would have to wait a little bit. 

 

At the Dominican Republic border

A Dominican man approached our truck and wanted to see the papers for it. Not knowing much Spanish, it was a challenging conversation, but we were encouraged by the man’s patience and pleasantness. David stated telling the man we were missionaries and opened his iPad to show the man pictures of the children from the orphanage. Then David got into the back of truck and got out a toiletry bag that John’s team had given us and gave it to the man. He seemed pleased, at which point he personally walked us to the window in the building and we were able to get our passports taken care of by 7:55 am. Then he motioned for us to follow him toward the gate. Just before the gate another man stopped us, but our new little friend came over with him. He wanted to see our paperwork for the truck. David got out and gave him a toiletry bag as well and he let us go through the gate.

At the next gate, a man in uniform with a gun stopped us and wanted to see our passports. Them he asked if we were missionaries. We said yes, and David showed him a picture. And he gave back our passports and told us to go on. Thank you Lord for ‘favor’.

The next area was to get our passports taken care of for re-entry into Haiti. As we walked into the building there was a long line, at which time I took a deep breath and thought that we were going to be there a long time. But the line was for those people leaving Haiti. The line for those coming in only had about 3 people in it! This process went very smoothly and the man we dealt with in immigration was very nice. Then we were on our way, waiting for the next person to stop us for the appliances we had in the back of the truck…but no one did. We went through the last checkpoint without anyone stopping us. What could have cost us a good chunk of money cost us nothing. God was in the details today! Then as we got into the part of Haiti where traffic is usually in total gridlock, Micah hardly even had to slow down! On the way we discussed the possible need to just drop me at the airport and leave my other belongings at Sherrie's since changing my flight was going to be difficult and very expensive. I dreaded the idea, because I had really hoped to change clothes and get my other things. To our great surprise, we got to Sherries at 10 am - only 2 hours after going through the first check point in the DR! Thank you Lord!!! I was able to clean up, change clothes, pack my stuff, and talk to Sherrie a little before heading to the airport. 

At the airport I went upstairs to get some lunch before my flight and was able to get on the WIFI and put a post on Facebook. My friend Ryan from Tennessee responded and told me his friend Katie was there at the airport as well on her way back to the states. He said I should try to find her. There aren't a lot of white people in the Haiti airport on most days, but I didn't see her. I went downstairs when I was finished eating and stood in the back of the room because there weren't any seats open. I had been in that spot maybe 2 minutes when a white lady came back to the same area to stand. I immediately recognized her from her picture on Facebook. I had found Katie! We talked for a bit. She and her husband are adopting from Haiti as well. She has gone down with Ryan and worked with Pastor Odvin at his orphanage. One of the boys from there had been transferred to another orphanage, by Ryan and Katie, and this was the little boy she and her husband were adopting.  Such a sweet lady, and a new friend!

Three flights later, and some delays in Cincinnati, and I made it home just before 1 am this morning (Monday). I am so thankful for the opportunity to have gone back to Haiti, and for the adventure to the DR. Each time you see God work in the details your faith grows deeper. You get better and better at stepping out into the unknown because you have stronger trust in Him to lead you and take care of you. And the people that are serving in Haiti are the nicest people you will ever meet. It is truly like having a large family where everyone helps one another and watches out for one another. Thank you Lord for the many, many blessings you gave me this week! Words cannot do justice to your mercy and grace, but thank you Father that you know what is in our hearts!

Until the next adventure!

Patricia