Day 3

I'm still trying to catch up on blogging from the week, so I apologize for the tardiness! This is my third trip to Haiti and it is by far been the busiest. It's a good thing I love all of the people here at the guest house (including our team), since I don't think I have had 5 minutes of "me time" since I got here! They even hunt me down when I go to the bathroom. I'm being serious. Our team thinks it is hysterical, because it is more of the other team or other pastors that want to ask questions or need something. But on the good side of things it is good to be able to help! At upper room yesterday we discussed John 17 and how Jesus finished the work He was given. We discussed what He had to work with: the power of God and people. If we are doing God's work we are building people. A very good point was made - you can't "go to church" because we are the church. After breakfast several of us headed back to Sherrie's and the rest of our team went to visit a couple of orphanages. I had previously arranged to visit a child we sponsor through Compassion International, but after arriving it just didn't seem to be working out. I had called the field office yesterday to tell them I could not get to Petionville to meet the driver. Thinking I wasn't going to be able to see Wisler (the boy we sponsor) I went the team at Sherrie's. We were there for maybe five minutes when someone knocked on the gate and then Sherrie was yelling for me. Jean Claude from Compassion came to Sherrie's - had actually tracked me down to be sure I could make the trip. I was so impressed with them! So off I went to Leogone! It was a chaotic 2 hour drive into the country of Haiti to get to the Compassion project. What a beautiful place!! Sugar cane and coconut trees as far as you could see, and the road ran along the coast for a good distance and the water was beautiful! I will admit I was nervous, not knowing what to expect on this visit. When we arrived at the project they took me to a room where I could meet with Wisler. When he came in he gave me a big hug and then pinned a flower on my shirt. He brought me a few gifts of hand made Haitian woodwork. I had brought him a back pack full of things like a soccer ball, school supples, etc. We exchanged gifts and talked by using the Compassion staff to translate. Then we loaded into the van and went to Wisler's home to meet his family. This was the biggest blessing of my trip so far, and was worth the whole trip. Here is this boy from another part of the world, that I have written letters to for almost 5 years. I finally got to see him in person! And his family was amazing! His father is a sugarcane farmer and also grows coconuts, bananas, and some other fruits. While we were there his father wanted to give me something to show how thankful they were that I cared about Wisler and his future and that I would travel all of this way to meet him. He cut some sugar cane and cut open the tops of a few coconuts so we could drink some coconut milk. It was wonderful! Wisler was very quiet, and I asked his father if he was always like that. He said yes. He explained that he feels it is important for his son to be calm and not always quick to speak. He said that by doing this, when he does speak up others will listen. He is such an amazing father and a ver humble man. When we left their home we took the Compassion project worker back to the project, then we headed back to Port au Prince. On the way out of Leogone, we had to drive through some very tight market areas. At one point it got too tight. The driver tried to get around a truck that was parked a little off to the side, but didn't successfully make it. I was in my first Haitian car accident. There I was, the only white person for probably hundreds of miles, in a van with one Haitian man who was trying to get me back safely. Our van scraped down the bumper of the truck and the bumper guard on our van caught the bumper of the truck so as we tried to get "lose" from the truck we were actually dragging it with us. About this time a large burley Haitian man started pounding on the windshield in front of me. The driver started apologizing profusely and I was sure something really bad was going to happen. After the man yelled at us he told us to go on. Fender benders in Haiti are just accepted. Once we were free from the incident and away from the market, I said to Jean Claude that it was a wonder there aren't more accidents in Haiti with the way people drive. I said that it appeared that people didn't seem to mind the accidents much. He said that isn't true. He said you can get killed by hitting someone. I'm glad he said that AFTER we got away from the scene of our accident!!! I finally arrived back at the guest house. We had been mixed in with the other team all week so far, and our team really needed some time together to share experiences, etc. So our group stayed back at the guest house and spent time together singing and talking about things we had done so far and places where we had seen God working. Many on our team had gone to a few orphanages during the day and it became emotional for some as they tried to explain how their hearts had melted for these children. A couple of people have been throwing around the word "adoption"...I'm telling you that there is something about this place that is special. Honestly there is an evil here like no other, but at the same time God is so clearly present, especially in the children. The members of our team that went out to these orphanages said that it was the highlight of their trip (even though one of them got peed on:)).

Day 2 - Out and About

Our first full day in Haiti was a good one, and brought many new experiences for our team. We started off with a challenge since we were mixed up on the time. We had been told that Haiti was an hour behind us this time of year, but after arriving at what we thought was 6:30 am to do upper room, we realized it was actually 7:30 as Ms. Jessie came around ringing the breakfast bell. So we ate and then had upper room while waiting on our ride. The passage we covered was Ephesians 3:14-19. Mark Peyton led the study. The passage discusses Paul's prayer to God to strengthen our inner person. Paul discussed four ways for this to happen: that Christ would dwell in our hearts and feel welcome there; that we be rested and grounded in love; that we would have knowledge of the love of Christ; and that we would be filled with the fullness of God.The next challenge came while waiting on our ride. I stepped in the room to talk with Pastor Odvin about some of the plans for the week and my temporary tooth cap popped off. Not good!!! Luckily I had brought some temporary cement just in case that happened. The bad thing is that I don't know if it will hold until we get back - I'm praying it does!!! Edmond came to pick us up and take us to Sherrie's. Seventeen out of the total 19 went over for the day. When we arrived the children greeted us with big hugs and lots of smiles. Sherrie took some of us around to point out projects that needed to be done and others played with the children. One of the men from the other group here with us is a plumber, which is a blessing because a couple of big projects that Sherrie needed done require someone with plumbing expertise. Some of our team members made some attachments with some of the kids. Vidlon, a boy around the age of 3-4, really took up with Leonora as she did with him. Several of us held kids while they napped. There is nothing else in the world like holding one of these children against your chest while they sleep. I always enjoy spending time at Sherrie's and seeing the kids. It is great to see them every few months and see how they have grown. When the time came to head back to the guest house, Sherrie was going to bring us back in two groups since she had to use the small truck. Our first group loaded up and then we realized that we had a flat tire. There was a spare under the truck and Leonora and I both took a turn trying to figure out how to get the spare loose. We couldn't figure it out so Arnie used a hand pump to blow the tire up. Well that took a while! But we finally got back. Dinner and changing clothes for church was fast and furious. We split into 3 teams and went to three different churches. We were all back by around 9 pm and ready for showers and sleep!

Day 1 - We Made it to Haiti!

It has certainly taken a while to get the first message posted to update everyone on what's going on here in Haiti. Let's start with the process of getting here. The nine members of the UBC team arrived at UBC at 4:30 am yesterday. After realizing we needed an additional bag to get everything down here, and stopped by Arnie and Susan's to grab a big bag, we made it to the airport with 12 large suitcases, 9 carry-ons, and 2 guitars. Not sure how all of that worked out so well - but we had no problems with luggage, other than the fact that we were not able to bring the large black trunks since there is an embargo against trunks/boxes coming into Haiti since it is summer time (and mission trip season) - go figure. Our flight left at 7:15 am and we were off to Miami! When we arrived in Miami we had a very pleasant surprise! Ryan and Heather Forman, who had been in Haiti for several days and were coming home, were delayed in Miami and were at out gate when we got off the plane!!! Very cool! We chatted with them for a few minutes and then headed on to our departure gate. After boarding was delayed due to "unknown cause of engine malfunction" we boarded and were off for Haiti! It was ironic that the gate we flew out of in Miami was the same gate where, in December, Ryan and I slept on the floor during our overnight layout goings into Haiti. We met up with Eileen and Nancy at the gate in Miami. I met them through Joe last year after I returned from Haiti. They live in Indiana. We arrived in Port au Prince on time, just after 2 pm. After going through immigration we had to spend quite a while finding and retrieving our 12 checked bags! It was very crowded and hard to get around everyone to look at the luggage coming in from the flight. We finally made it and headed outside to the next round of madness. Samuel (one our translators and friends) we just outside of immigration. Traveling down the walk way we quickly saw Pastor Odvin, who was at the airport to pick up another group that was coming in on a 3 pm flight. We told Samuel who we were meeting and he led us through the parking lot and when we came to the back we saw the big white school bus we have been on before, but not the truck that was supposed to pick us up. After a few conversations and a couple of phone calls we discovered there was a mix-up/miscommunication on our ride. The good thing is that Joe Mobley had already said that we could ride with his group if we needed (which is what the big white bus was for). The only issue was that the bus was waiting for the other group, which didn't arrive at the airport until an hour after us. So our little group of Americans sat in the middle of the parking lot, under the Haitian sun for nearly 2 1/2 hours waiting on the other group to come through immigration, etc. and come out to where we were. Samuel sat with us and Arnie pull out a guitar and we had music and fellowship while hanging out. So eventually we were on our way to the guest house! Once we arrived and located our rooms for the week, and everyone claimed their bunk bed, we had dinner. I absolutely love Haitian food! The smell of the spices is so unique. After dinner we had a group meeting with the other team that is here, led by Joe Mobley (who is the one who arranged our trip last year). All together, there are 19 of us here for the week. In the meeting we went over the "rules", intended for safety, and discussed the arrangements that were know. One thing you have to be comfortable with when working in Haiti is that it is almost impossible to plan anything! They do not go by time the same way we do in America. I had made arrangements for our team to go to Sherrie's the next day to work on projects and play and love on the children. Everyone got ready for bed, and started taking showers, until the water went off. Some had to wait until the next morning for water to shower with. But off to bed we went, and everyone was pretty tired from the travel day and the heat. We were thankful for safe travels and opportunity to come to Haiti. This country has such beauty, especially in it's people.

Going Back to the Heart of God

Our team leaves for Haiti in 2 days! This will be trip #3 for Union Baptist Church, within the past year. There are 9 members of our team on this trip. This will be my third trip, three others will be going back for the second time, and five members of our team are going for the first time! I can tell you that preparing for a trip like this is an emotional time that impacts each person in a different way. No doubt that those who have never been on a trip like this are a little nervous and anxious. Those of us returning are also anxious, but also very excited that we get to introduce more people to what God is doing in Haiti. I know our team will be blessed beyond measure on this trip, as we gain a deeper perspective and appreciation for what God wants to do in our lives and through our lives. I have recently been reading a book called "Honestly: Really Living What We Say We Believe" by Johnnie Moore. In his book Johnnie talks about the difference between cultural Christianity and true Christianity, which is a living faith that embraces doubt and answers life's hardest questions; leaves your soul feeling healthy and satisfied; enables you to get back up again when you fall and fall; motivates and empowers you to make a difference in the world; and gives you a clear vision of what life should be with God involved in it. This book asks some challenging questions that each of us should consider in our lives. I will share one passage of the book here:

"What if we decided that to the best of our ability, we would no longer live a hypocritical, halfhearted Christianity that results in unbelief and disappointment? What if we decided to not be lukewarm? What if we took all the energy we spend in doubt and frustration and used it to trust and believe? What if we went on a pursuit to actually answer our nagging questions instead of using them as excuses to avoid commitment? What if we chose to run toward God even when our disappointment with hypocrisy threatens to chase us away from him? What if we decided to actually live what we believe to the extent that people's destinies are changed and Christ is more famous because of Christians and not in spite of them?"

God's vision for the "church" wasn't grounded in buildings or places of worship. It isn't about programs and activities. It isn't about which church or denomination you belong to. It's about relationships. At the end of the day, and the end of our lives, what matters most is our personal relationship with God. After that the most important thing for us to do right is to love each other. We are to be accepting of those with different points of view, those who struggle in their belief, and those who are searching for answers. We are the tool that God uses to show grace and mercy to others. We should be building each other up, not tearing each other down. As we leave for Haiti, it is important for our team to face the challenges ahead as opportunities to show love to someone that needs it. It isn't about massive projects intended to try to "do good" for multitudes of people. It's about loving and caring for one person at a time. It's about serving and worshiping alongside others from different cultures, all to the glory of the same God. And in doing this service, we are the ones who will be forever changed. 

Back at Home

We arrived back in Cincinnati around 11 pm last night. It was so strange to have been in the slums of the "ravine" in Port-au-Prince at 10 am that morning and have the ability to take a hot shower in my own home that night. The silence here last night was deafening. At Sherrie's the noises of the night from the surrounding city were the sounds of loud music, fire works/gun shots, and Snoopy and Shep (their two dogs) barking at anything strange. I awoke this morning to an alarm clock. You don't need an alarm clock there - the roosters wake you up each morning. In fact, you don't have much need for a clock at all there. You get up when you need to, you eat when the meal is ready, you go to bed when it is dark and you are tired. In between you serve and work together as a family to do what is needed.

There you go to sleep at night under a mosquito net, with December temperatures of high 70s/low80s and the noises of the night. You lay down at night feeling blessed to have spent the day doing God's work. Here you sleep under nice, cushy blankets, no bugs, and no noises. And, too often, you fall asleep without the satisfaction of truly doing the Lord's work that day. We get far too busy in our daily lives here in America. Our days are managed by our calendars, and our pace doesn't allow us to enjoy the many blessings we have been given.

As Christmas quickly approaches this week, let's remember why we celebrate this day and this season. It is the birth of our Savior. This season is not meant to be about buying expensive presents, but about love and kindness. The gifts we should be concerned about giving are those that come from the heart, through our hands and feet in service to others. There is nothing else more pleasing to God.

Until next time:

Merry Christmas! May God show you His blessings in a mighty way this season.

A Little Perspective

Last night in devotional upstairs on the roof, Ryan led the group by talking about how we are supposed to be receptive and willing to do what God calls us to do. He shared some of his personal journey and how God has orchestrated so much of his path to get him here. Last night we were joined by a few of the older orphans from the home here as we had our devotional time. At the end of our time together, Patty asked everyone to tell the group one thing they were thankful for from the day. A variety of answers were given, and everyone took a turn (including the children). When we got to one young man, who is around 10 years old, his response was very humbling. He simply said, "I am thankful to still be alive". Another child shared that he was thankful that we like it here. How honest these children are. You can see their hearts and they certainly give you a new perspective.

This reminds me of a story Sherrie shared with us this week. The school here has started it's third Restavek class (praise God)! If you are not familiar with what a Restavek is, I encourage you to do some research. The term Restavek literally means 'live with'. Restavek children are children who are given away by their parents and live with other families who can supposedly give them a better life. This unfortunately does not happen most of the time. These children are treated as property rather than as children. They are slaves. They cook, clean, take care of the children in the house, and admittedly have no dreams for any better future. The Restavek Freedom Foundation works here in Haiti to help alleviate this problem by getting these children into school. They partner with Sherrie's school in this endeavor, and as I said, the third class just began. CNN was here a while back with Justin Dillon and the singer Common to shoot a documentary on this issue. It is truly amazing to watch! Anyway, back to the story Sherrie told us. They recently had a party for the Restavek children here at the school, where the children were told they would be the guests and the staff could serve them. It is customary in Haiti to give a toast at a party. One young Restavek girl gave a toast that brought grown men and the staff here at the school to tears. She stood up and said, "I would like to thank my teachers for not beating me when I make a mistake". Talk about a tremendous moment of "perspective"!

Today we were able to experience Haitian culture on a deeper level. This morning the children rode to church with Ms. Sherrie in the bus and a few of us walked. The last time we were here we didn't get to get out into the streets other than walking around a market for a few minutes. It was about a 10 minute walk. It felt more natural to be out in the streets with the Haitians than always riding everywhere in a truck or car.

Church this morning was awesome! On the left side of the sanctuary the first five rows of pews were full of people who are deaf. There was a group of young Haitians taking turns providing sign language throughout the service. We learned that one of the young men was a teacher at Ms. Sherrie's school and the others were students he has who attend the school. How cool! After much singing and praying, Pastor Lenny got up and spoke. Pastor Lenny is Philippine but speaks creole and pastors the church. As Sunday school groups reported out we learned that several pews behind us were filled with blind Haitians that are part of a special ministry in that church. As I sat there I began to realize this amazing picture God was giving us. On this one side of the sanctuary were several 'handicaps': some that could not hear, some that could not speak the language of the pastor and singers and therefore could not fully understand what was being said, and some that could not see. The really cool 'ah ha' that hit me in that moment was that our side of the sanctuary this morning is representative of the larger body of Christ. Alone we have weaknesses. Alone we are limited to our individual gifts and talents. But when we all work together in the body of Christ to do the will of God we have everything we need. So this morning, our small body of God could hear, understand, and see everything going on in that church service. As a body of Christ, we have no handicaps!!! Regardless of the culture in which we were born, people from several different parts of the world sat in one building worshipping the same God this morning. What a small picture of heaven! Praise the Lord!!!

This afternoon Edmond (Sherrie's driver) took us to a local restaurant to relax for a bit and get some food. (This was also a way to give Jacqueline a day off!) Again, it was really nice to be out in the middle of the culture. There were actually a number of other missionaries in there from other parts of the world, as well as a number of police and security personnel. We had pizza and crepes and drank Coke! Then Edmond drove us around downtown through some markets and past the palace. A few in our group had never been to Haiti before. Ryan and I got to see some parts of Port au Prince we didn't get to see last time. Again, a broader perspective.

When we returned to the school this afternoon the children were so happy to see us. As I sit here writing this blog, I can hear the kids playing ball with the teenagers outside. There is much laughter and fun being had by all. I found my special 'monkey boy' Herode (who is about 3 or 4 years old) who gives the tightest hugs of any child I know. He stole my heart the minute I met him in July. Some of the girls are preparing cup cakes for a birthday party this evening for the children with November or December birthdays. All is right with the world!!!

We hope your evening is as blessed as ours!

Return to Haiti

Bonswa from warm, sunny Haiti (90+ degrees):

It has taken a while to get an Internet connection working so we can post. As you know by now, Ryan and I made it to Haiti yesterday! Praise the Lord! It was long trip here but well worth it! I personally wondered what it would feel like to get back here, remembering what it was like when we were here in July. It was all new then and I was curious about how I would feel this time. Now that we are here I can't explain it. It doesn't seem like it has been 5 months since we left. Strangely (or not) if feels like home. The newness and curiosity that accompanied our first trip are not there. I have thought about this a lot since I got here and honestly in the middle of the night last night I found myself praying, asking God why I didn't feel him the same way as I did the last time I was here. As we have gone through today I think I have my answer. He is definitely with me but in a different way. Last time I needed Him to reassure me, as I stepped out in faith, that He was with me and that things would be ok. This time I already know. Perhaps it is like teaching a child to walk. First you have to hold his hand and help him. Then as he grows and becomes more experienced you hold his hand less but continue to give him the support and encouragement he needs. That's our Father!

We are staying at the Christian Light Ministries school/orphanage here in Port au Prince. Ms. Sherrie is the director and she is an amazing lady. We are really enjoying getting to know her more and learning more about her work here in Haiti. There are several others staying here this week as well. There is one adult lady and five teenagers. They are wonderful! There is also another young lady who is a nurse that is here for a few weeks. She is considering coming back in January to stay until the summer so she can help Sherrie with the kids. It is really like a family here! Everyone always feels welcome and the kids love the attention and love.

So far we have helped hang curtains, sort and prepare Christmas goody bags for the school children (200+), and color and prepare envelopes for a large mail out to the school's sponsors and supporters. And of course we have been playing with the children!!! What a blessing they are. And they keep you on your toes! A few of the group tried to put up a Christmas tree, but some of the children tried to eat the branches and the tinsel, so that idea was abandoned.

I took a side journey today. Pastor Odvin picked me up at 10:30 am and we went to have our first "committee" meeting for the women's ministry. We were joined by Pastor CJ and Vanita, a nurse that works in Pastor Odvin's clinic. This is such an amazing opportunity for ministry! I will admit, however, that as we sat discussing their vision for this project I felt so very small and insignificant- how in the world would I be able to help them put this project together? The answer is one step at a time, with God's strength and direction. We identified a name for the ministry, plans on how to organize and get the ministry recognized in both the U.S. and Haiti, and outlined the major functions of what will be included. This was such an important step to moving this work forward.

You never know what will happen here...as I sat here at a desk in the kitchen writing this blog, the stove (oven)caught on fire and flames shot up the back of the wall. Now Ryan and Drew are working on trying to rig up some way to connect a new line for the gas so Ms. Jacqueline can prepare dinner this evening! Creativity is the key as there are no Lowes, Home Depots, or ACE stores nearby! So goes the mission field!

We will go for now, more later...God bless!!!