Day 3: There is a First Time for Everything

Good evening! We are winding down our second full day in Haiti for this trip, and it has been a very good day! After a wonderful breakfast, Pastor Odvin picked us up and took us to his church for a meeting with the Haitian Board we have here working on Hope for My Sister. We were very pleased that Blonnedyne was there. She is the young Haitian lady who gave her testimony at the inauguration ceremony this past July. We were also pleased that Pastor CJ's wife was there. The interest in this organization continues to grow and we know God gets all the glory for that! During the meeting we talked about what the Haitian Board has been working on. They have developed organizational objectives:

• To fight against violence toward women
• Prevention of violence against women
• Provide short- term and long-term support services for women

The Haitian Board will meet monthly on the first Saturday of the month. We will most likely hold January as an annual meeting between the US Board and the Haitian Board, to be held in Haiti. We are still in the process of putting our US Board together and we trust that God is assembling the right people in His time. Next month is Mardis Gras in Haiti and February 8-10 the Haitian Board is going to hold a program\conference for youth that is focused on understanding sexual violence. We discussed the process for filing all of the legal paperwork to establish Hope for My Sister both in the US and in Haiti, we discussed a job description for a secretary\office manager for Haiti, and went over the initial budget projections for getting an office in Haiti up and running. We discussed services to be provided to women, including: medical examinations, testing and treatment of disease, and training volunteers to escort women to the hospital or doctor for this process. The organization will develop a process for providing counseling options for victims, and in the long term will develop a transitional home\shelter where women can stay temporarily while working through the healing process, receiving training in various areas of trade, and receive assistance in job placement or micro enterprise opportunities to become entrepreneurs.

Recently Pastor Odvin met with around 40 pastors to discuss issues related to violence against women and to promote the organization.  We also had the privilege of seeing Pastor Sanousse today! And while he was here he told us about a new organization close to Black Mountain that is focusing on sexual violence of youth. He is going to put us in contact with them, and he wants to be involved in helping with the organization as he sees a tremendous need for prevention and support in the Black Mountain area. At dinner this evening Pastor CJ spoke with us about how much he wants to see his wife be involved in the organization here, and we are going to place her on the Haitian Board. Praise the Lord for volunteers and obedient hearts!

The discussion on the transitional home leads me to the next thing that happened today, that was something I truly never thought I would find myself doing in Haiti. We drove around and looked at real estate this afternoon! We looked at two houses that are currently under construction. The first house was beautiful and very unique in its design and layout, but the second house was in a very good neighborhood, close to an orphanage ran by an American from Ohio, and has a very large yard! We will find out more about the second house on Sunday. Very excited to see what God has in store for this work! When I look back over the past year and a half I am amazed at what has taken place and none of it has been anything we have done!

Prayer Requests

Please help us pray for the following:

• That God will bring together the right people for the US Board for Hope for My Sister, and that we will have the patience and discernment to put the correct Board in place for this very important work.
• That God will keep growing the Haitian Board and will bring together the right resources to drive this important work in Haiti. It is difficult when we cannot be here full-time and have to depend on things getting done with no supervision.
• That God will give us guidance as we consider the opportunity to lease or purchase a house and property here in Haiti. That it will happen according to His will, in His way, in His time. If it is in His will, He will orchestrate it!
• That any of us involved, being called by God to enter into this difficult work, will surrender to what we are asked to do. That we will have faith that He has a bigger plan and purpose, and will accept that it may be scary or uncomfortable but it is what we are called to do.

There is no bigger blessing than to do God's work. The more uncomfortable we are the more we know He is in control and all we have to do is be obedient to what He places before us. As another day draws to a close, we are excited about tomorrow. Ryan Forman will be here early tomorrow morning and we are going to spend the day with Ryan, Heather and the kids at the beach! What a blessing!

May you all have a wonderful, blessed night. And may you consider what it is that God may be speaking to your heart about His purpose for your life.

Patricia

Day 2: First Full Day

(This is from Thursday but internet was down and we couldn't post it.)

 

Today was our first full day in Haiti for this trip, and it was a busy day! We finished sorting the items we brought and packed much of it up into suitcases to take with us for the day. After breakfast Pastor Odvin and Pastor Daniel took us to Pastor Odvin’s orphanage. Those babies are so precious and it isn’t possible to hold them all in your lap, even though they all want you to. They sang songs to us and just held on to us as tightly and as long as they could. We were able to take a couple of bags of items to the orphanage, including towels, underwear, primary paper, tablecloths, crayons and markers.

We then headed to Sherrie’s (Christian Light). Pastor Daniel stayed with us for the day. It is always great to visit with Sherrie. We just love her so much! We asked what we could help with and in no time she had plenty of things! Arnie and Pastor Daniel worked on hanging screen between the walls and ceiling on the third floor, Susie helped with setting up some accounting spreadsheets, and I started working on making curtains out of screen and scrap material to keep the flies out of the screened porch. I have made my share of curtains in my life, but cutting and sewing screen was definitely a new experience. The sewing machine doesn’t like screen, so we sewed by hand! Susie helped tremendously and we had two little girls from the orphanage that came in and helped, and they did a good job! We were also able to take a couple of bags of items to Sherrie’s with towels, underwear, primary paper, peanut butter, pillows, table cloths, deodorant, socks, etc. Anyone that has come with us to Haiti has met Ms. Sherrie. It is amazing what God has done with her as His servant.

I spoke with Sherrie for some time about the issues women in Haiti face. I know that often those working in the mission field in other countries are asked why they go when there is so much need in the United States. I want to give you an example of why it is so important, particularly in helping women. In the US we take for granted what we know. We have good medical care options, though we complain about what we have. The majority of women in Haiti who become pregnant never have any prenatal exams or care. If temporary clinic doctors come in they give prenatal vitamins but the women are scared to take them for fear that it will make the baby larger, therefore making delivery more difficult. For most women here they deliver their babies at home or wherever they are at the time they go into labor. I was told of an example of what it was like for a woman to go to the hospital to deliver a child. After stepping over puddles of blood across the floor, and being in the waiting room where women were delivering babies on the floor while men watched through a wall of railing, if the woman is lucky enough to make it to a bed before delivery, the doctors sit around and wait for the head to come out before they come over and catch the baby. Then a nurse will come around with an empty plastic butter bowl filled with water, give the woman a towel, and stand at a distance slinging water on the mother while she cleans herself up after childbirth. If a Haitian woman has her child at home, it is often a mid-wife that will deliver the child. Once the woman goes into labor the neighbors will go out into the community to find the mid-wife in the neighborhood and the woman in labor will meet her for the first time during childbirth. If there are complications during pregnancy (breach, cord wrapped around the baby, etc.), neither the mother nor the baby survive the delivery.  There is also a broad misconception among men here. Many believe that the way to cure themselves of AIDS is to have sex with a virgin. The young girls here pay the price for that belief. There is so much education needed here. Women here need support to build their self-esteem and confidence. They need opportunities to rise to the potential that God blessed them with. And they should be able to live their lives with dignity and respect. This is something I am very passionate about, but I will step off the soapbox on this for now.

We left Sherrie’s around 6:30 and headed back to the guest house for the night. While it wasn’t the 100 degree weather we work in here in the summer, mid 80’s to low 90’s is still much warmer than home right now! We were certainly tired. Food tonight was wonderful! Baked chicken, rice and beans (with that great sauce) and potatoes. Then it was cold showers and winding down for the night. Tomorrow we will spend time doing a devotional together, have breakfast, and then head out with Pastor Odvin to work on the women’s ministry.

Goodnight and God bless!

Patricia

Day 1: We Finally Made It!

Our team made it safely to Haiti this evening. It was, thankfully, an uneventful day. The days leading up to this trip certainly had their challenges! Three days before we left the Department of State issued a revised travel advisory for Haiti, emphasizing the poor systems of security and healthcare. After much prayer and discussion with families and within our team, two members of the team made the decision to stay home for this trip and join a future trip. We certainly miss them here, but we look forward to serving with them in the future. They both played an important part of the preparations for this trip. They helped collect items that folks had donated and helped us pack everything for the trip. And we are especially appreciative of Cindy's help in purchasing and preparing the mosquito nets for us - I am laying here under mine as I write this and my legs thank you!

The day before we left my husband and son woke up with a horrible stomach virus. They were so sick. I could not leave them like that so we cancelled our tickets for January 1 and were fortunately able to book the flights for today. I am thrilled that my family is feeling better. I myself have been pretty sick today but am hoping that a good night's rest will go along way.

Pastor Odvin and Pastor Daniel picked us up at the airport and I have to tell you that we were in shock at the improvements made to the airport. For those of you that have been here before you just wouldn't believe it! It looks like an American airport. We didn't have to walk through crowds of people when we went outside either. As we approached Pastor Odvin's car we realized that he had a flat tire. Welcome to Haiti! Thankfully it was only in the mid-80's today while we stood there waiting for them to fit it 😎.  We were then able to squeeze 5 adults, 6 large suitcases, 3 carry on suitcases, and 3 backpacks into a small Nissan sport utility. Off we went! Soon after arriving at the guesthouse  Samuel stopped by (a friend of ours who interprets for us sometimes). Then we had dinner, which was very good! After we finished eating we unpacked all of the extra items we brought and began sorting them into stacks for where they need to go this week.

It's been a long day, and we have been up since around 3 am. Time for bed to rest for a full day of orphanage visits tomorrow! Can't wait to love on some babies!!!

We hope you have a blessed night!

Patricia, Arnie, and Susie

Starting the New Year in Haiti!

On Tuesday, January 1, 2013 our team leaves for Port au Prince, Haiti! This trip will be my fourth trip in 19 months. My first trip was in July 2011, and when I signed up for that trip I never imagined I would become a regular visitor! There is something very special about Haiti, that can't be explained by words alone. You have to experience it. By far the greatest part of the trip is being so fully in the presence of God. All of the "junk" we have here in the U.S. every day, isn't there standing between us and God. Our calendars, our phones, our jobs, our busyness, our numerous responsibilities...not there. Things are different there...

It's meeting a child for the first time and loving that child so much that your heart feels like it could burst. It's meeting another missionary from another part of the U.S. or world and immediately feeling like you have known them your entire life. It's attending a worship service where everyone is singing to the Lord with no musical instruments, in different languages, with not even a ceiling over your head. Where Haitians wear the best clothes they have and walk for long distances just to be there to worship. And you can feel the presence of God like nothing you have every experienced here in the U.S. - you physically feel His presence. Words can't do those experiences justice. But once you have been there, you can't just forget it. You come back home and look around wondering where we all went wrong in focusing on our comforts; how in the process of taking care of ourselves we have lost the ability to see, and feel, the strong presence of God that we were created to experience.

It is an honor and a privilege to serve the Lord in Haiti. He is doing amazing things! Our team will be visiting a few orphanages and focusing a good bit of time on building partnerships that will strengthen the connection between our church and the churches and organizations in Haiti. A major project we are working on is the creation of a non-denominational, faith-based organization in Haiti that focuses on helping women that have experienced abuse. "Hope for My Sister" will become an officially recognized 501(c)(3)organization in the State of Kentucky and an officially recognized social organization with the Haitian government in 2013. We are very excited about this work!

Please be in prayer for our team while we are gone (January 1-7). Three of the five team members will be going to Haiti for the first time. The first trip is very exciting, but can also be a bit scary due to the unknown. The members of our team are: Arnie Forman, Susie Foltz, Patricia Goodman, Cindy Harney, and Julie Inman. I know that God is going before us and that we will have an amazing time serving Him in Haiti! We will blog throughout the trip (pending consistent internet connection), so be sure to check back and see what's going on!

God bless,

Patricia

Home Again

We left the guest house in Port Au Prince yesterday morning and after more than 16 hours of traveling through four airports, three flights, and two bus rides we were finally home! It is always difficult to come back. You have mixed emotions. On one hand you are so thankful for basic necessities like clean water and sanitation, and the ability to use warm/hot water to take a shower. On the other hand you feel like you have left part of yourself there. It is hard to explain just how life-changing the experience is to someone who hasn't been there. There are mosquitoes, intense heat (where sweat runs down your body like water for hours every day), lots of dust, very bumpy roads, cultural differences, language barriers, cold water showers, and long days. But there is also another side. There are lots of happy children who can't get enough of your love; that climb all over you and want hugs and kisses; that have hope in the face of extreme adversity; and that touch our hearts so deeply from the moment we see them. There are those that are humble and, while they do not have much by our American standards, show thankfulness for what they do have and are willing to openly share it with others. They understand 'community' and what it means to live together and care for one another in fellowship. Many of us barely know (if we know at all) all of our neighbors on our street or in our neighborhood because we are often far more consumed with our own lives and schedules than we are anyone else. Most importantly, the presence of God can be felt so strongly in Haiti. When you are there all of the challenges we face here at home do not exist. Our jobs, our errands, our to-do lists, etc. are not there with us. You get to separate yourself from all of those things that demand your time and pull you away from God. When you are there God is your central focus every minute of every day. Our team was amazing this year, and we got to serve alongside some amazing people from another team. Nineteen people (many of whom didn't know each other prior to the trip) living under one roof for 8 days can have its challenges. We laughed so hard our sides hurt (thanks Susan!), we cried for the things that broke our hearts, we encouraged each other, we shared what we had, we prayed together, ate meals together, and served and worshiped God together. That is a picture of the 'church'.  It is all about relationships. As each of us transition back into our normal lives, my prayer is that each of us will find a 'new normal' incorporating our experiences from this past week into a stronger relationship with God and a greater appreciation for the blessings we have been given. May we be more open and mindful of the needs in our communities here at home, and may we show the same love and kindness to others in our daily lives that we did to the beautiful people of Haiti. Until next time...God bless!

Day 7 - The Last Day...for now

I can't believe that this is our last day in Haiti for this trip. I can't help but wonder what it will be like for the first-timers when they get back to the US. It has been hard for me transition back to my regular life after both of my previous visits and I don't expect this one to be any different. I pray that each person on our team returns home with Haiti in their hearts, with serving God on the mission field in their hearts. May they never forget what they have seen and experienced. Last night a few members of our team sat down and wrote out a long list of things they will never again take for granted. This has been a rough week, working alongside people we did not know, being stuck together 24 hours a day for 7 days, withstanding the heat and the dust, struggling to communicate with most adults and children due to language barriers, dealing with last minute changes to plans, and having to sometimes wait around for the next opportunity to go serve. If anything, you must be flexible in Haiti. Nothing happens on time, everyone is always late, and the vehicles do break down - almost daily. But in the face of all of these challenges, you see God here. When you sit down with a group of earthquake orphans who have lost both parents but have a greater joy than we can imagine you immediately recognize where that joy comes from. It can only be God. After breakfast this morning we split into three groups and went to three churches. Morning services were wonderful!! I got to speak with a group of 10 ladies after the service to discuss the women's ministry. It was a good meeting. We discussed what the next steps are for getting the structure of the organization in place and talked about holding Christian counseling training the next time I come to Haiti. When my group got back in the trucks and started to leave, we quickly realized one had a flat tire. So everyone got out, they fixed it, and we were headed back to the guest house. After we got back we were told that Pastor Sanousse was coming to take us back to play with the kids at his orphanage, but with carnival traffic, etc he was not able to get here in time. Joe and Mark talked to me about something they saw today that would really move the women's ministry forward! I am super excited about the possibility, but want to pray about it for a while before I jump into it. If this piece moves into place I will be coming to Haiti more often than twice a year. But what an amazing opportunity!!!! Please be in prayer that I will clearly see what God wants done in this ministry, and that I will be open to listening to whatever it is! We sat down this evening for our last Haitian dinner of the trip. I am certainly going to miss the food! After dinner we gathered together for our own private service. All 19 of us took turns talking about what stands out the most for us from the week here in Haiti. Many responses were given. Many spoke of the orphans we visited, and how they would run to you as soon as you walked through the door, all with big smiles on their faces. How they have nothing but are so very happy. Many talked about the revival services this week and how strongly you could feel God's spirit in the churches here. One of the churches, started by Joe Mobley's ministry, was celebrating it's 25th year of service this weekend. Someone mentioned that in the service at that church this morning where hundreds were gathered she was reminded that it started with one person who was willing to do what God led him to do. God can use each of us in unimaginable ways if we would just surrender and let Him have the control. I am very thankful for the opportunity to come back to Haiti. I have fallen in love with this country, as I believe a few others on our team have. Tomorrow morning we leave the guest house at 7 am to travel to the airport. Please pray for safe travels. It will be a long day for our team, as we arrive in Cincinnati at 9 pm tomorrow night. Have a great Monday! God bless!!!

Day 6

Today was a good day, but a little different than most of our other days this week. After breakfast we headed to Sherrie's and most of both teams went. We all just jumped in and started working on projects at the orphanage attempting to get things finished there so the children can move in. We didnt get everything done, but we did get the floors cleaned the first time (they need cleaned many times to get the dirt and mud off of them), painted all if the doors, and cleaned up around the outside. Arnie also went out with Edmond ti buy the supplies needed to build a couple of small privacy walls for the bathroom. We didn't get the walls built, but at least the supplies are there, ready for the next team to pick up where we left off. When we were done with what we could do on the project at Sherrie's we all went out on the bus to "sight see" a bit. For so many it was their first time to see the downtown area of Port au Prince, and to see some of the more prominent earthquake destruction. For me, I was surprised that even since December it appears as though much progress has been made on tearing down collapsed buildings and rebuilding new ones. That is very positive to see. After we were done seeing downtown, we went to Epi d'or for some ice cream. It was a nice treat! Then we headed back to the guest house. On the way back we ran out of gas. Another God moment for sure...in probably less than 2 minutes some guy was at the side of our bus with a milk jug full of gasoline. There were no gas stations around us, so we aren't really sure where he came from, but we were thankful he was there! As soon as we arrived back at the guest house dinner was ready. We aren't going out to churches tonight because tonight the 'carnival' starts. It is like a massive Haitian mardi gras. In downtown they are building massive dancing stages and breaking out decorations. As we understand it, this is a pretty massive celebration and from mid-day Monday through Wednesday morning everything pretty much shuts down for the party. We have also been told that this is a time when voodoo practices are more prominent. After dinner we sat around and relaxed. Most of the teenagers fell asleep soon after we got back, but us 'old people' are still going strong. We are splitting up to attend three different church services tomorrow morning and then will be coming back to pack up and get ready to leave early Monday morning. Overall it's been a good day. More tomorrow...God bless!