The H.A.I.T.I. Chronicles- St. Marc, HT

Valentines Day (Krystle)

2012-02-14T23:20:00.001-05:00

I can't believe we are now six weeks into this journey! At first the days were going so slow and the weeks were just dragging but now it seems like we wake up and blink and it's time for bed! Things are going so well right now. We had a great Sunday afternoon, Rob found some gas so we could have the generator going. He gave us permission to stay home from church to FaceTime some of you back home and because of that he let Thaina and Adelaine stay with us. We played with them up on the roof in the rain and then came back inside to have an evening of popcorn and girly movies! Kelly was a good sport and we had a very fun time with them. They are two very different girls and yet they get along so well! Thaina is very dramatic and always acting, dancing or singing. Adelaine is a bit more reserved in public but when you get her to yourself she is one of the spunkiest girls I have ever met! Yesterday someone brought Robinson a live rooster as a gift! Naromie says she's going to keep it till Sunday then kill it to have a big chicken dinner with Kelly and I! But it hadn't been there more than an hour and had managed to fly over the fence and run away! Thaina and Adelaine were out the gate chasing after it and came back a while later with huge smiles proudly holding the rooster who was loudly protesting, so to take care of that Adelaine started spanking the thing! Haha! It never gets boring with those two girls around! Kelly bought speakers for the familie's TV this past weekend so everyone has really enjoyed that. Before you couldn't hear it 8 ft away! We can even hook up our iPhones to play music, so last night we had a dance party with the family before we left for the orphanage. Boo boo is absolutely hilarious! He loves music so he was dancing and clapping and laughing hysterically for an hour while we all sang and danced around him! He is even learning "Allelujia" which if you have attended a Haitian church service you know what I'm talking about, if you haven't, it's where you put your hands up in the air and wave them back and forth as fast as you possibly can while shouting "Allelujia!". Its the cutest thing ever! Especially since he doesn't own a shirt that will stay down over his fat little belly! We were sad to leave last night but we will be going back Sunday.
Kelly has noticed that some of the people like Robinson and Manius have been showing up in the evenings with white styrofoam cups with lids and straws but every time we asked what it was they would just say "juice". We asked Rob if we could try one but he said he would rather us not because they are just made up on the street. Since we have been eating so much of their food and not getting sick he surprised us and brought us two "juices". Well I took a big sip out of mine and almost spit it back out. It was slightly sweet but then it seriously tasted like potatoes! I asked what it was while trying to look like it was really good and he said, "it's bananas and potatoes!" While I tried not to gag I looked over at Kelly who had the same look on his face lol! Well I didn't want to be rude so I just kept sipping on it but in the end I actually enjoyed it, the taste has to grow on you but it's really not bad and it was nice to just have something cold!
The kids were really surprised and happy to see us this morning as they were all sleeping when we got here last evening. We ran some errands around town today and then came back for some lunch. We had to get some more pops today, we don't drink nearly as many as we do on the team trips except I'm on a strict diet of at least two a day now because we found that's what was causing most of my headaches, low sugar... weird I know but it seems to have taken care of it. Rob let us get glass bottles though! He hasn't ever let the team get them before but it turns out they are a ton cheaper than the plastic because you keep the bottles and trade them for new ones and they just keep getting recycled. So Kelly and I are having fun with those! Oh the things that seem special when your in Haiti! Lol! I think we will lay low the rest of the day and hang out with the kids. We sent Rob off to go find flowers for his wife so he can spend the rest of the day with her and the family. Hope everyone is well! Happy Valentines Day from Haiti! Krystle

U-turn (Krystle)

2012-02-11T22:30:00.001-05:00

I can't believe its already the weekend once again! It's been very busy in some ways and in other ways not but overall a very good week. I think Kelly's at a standstill with the well until grandpa gets here but that's really only a week away! Some guys from YWAM that are well drillers went out with him to see if they could help fish the drill bit out but it didn't work. Kelly and I are turning into regular Haitians! Naromie has been feeding us delicious food all week now. Lots of rice and beans with sauce and chicken, fried bananas, fried chicken, fried potatoes, fried bread and last night we even got goat soup with potatoes and bananas in it! I'm extremely surprised but I have loved everything so far! Naromie has been so pleased that we like her cooking! Apparently Rob has been telling her that we couldn't eat any of the food so as crazy as it sounds we have gotten a lot closer to Naromie I think because she feels accepted. Cooking is such a big part of the woman's life because it takes so long and it's so much work that gI think she just feels very appreciated! Kelly and i also got another creole lesson this week! We are not great yet, but a lot more of the language is making sense. Our lesson was about a lot of different greetings and replies to those greetings, do you know what we learned? Half the time we have been here, team trips included we have been being out right rude! You are supposed to greet literally everyone you pass! Claudy said that is changing a little in city areas but he said in rural areas if you don't literally greet everyone that if you had a car problem pop up, he said you would get help from no one. I guess you learn something new every day! We ended up staying here at the house all week. We will go back to the orphanage Monday. I think we are going to start coming and going from the two places every other week. Both bring different schedules but the problem is if we just stay at one we don't see much of anyone at the other place, so we will see how it goes.

The country is officially out of gas so we have been dealing with that most of the week, they said we would have gas yesterday but now they are saying the first of the week so who knows. Rob bought some gas from down the street for his motorcycle yesterday but while we were riding around doing things it just quit. Well come to find out they had mixed the gas with water and sold it for a higher price. I think he is going to go out looking for some more gas today. We are almost out of gas for the generator and completely out of gas for the Toyota, but we will be fine and hopefully some gas will be delivered on Monday.

Last night at about 9:30 we went over to the church with Rob. They were getting ready for an all night service and Rob wanted to be there to make sure everything got started like it was supposed to. A little after 10:00 we went to leave on his motorcycle. There were three young people sitting outside the church gate. Rob took the two boys and told them to go have a seat inside the church because they couldn't just stand there. Then he went and brought a lady out of the church who turned out to be the other young persons grandmother. None of the three kids are very good kids but Rob said that the two boys were really bad. So after Rob had handled it we hopped onto his motorcycle, went down the hill and turned left heading for home. He only drove down the road a short ways and did a u-turn, he said "sorry guys!" and we drove back to the church. Well what I wasn't expecting to see were the three kids sitting back outside the gate. When they saw Rob had tricked them they got big sheepish grins on their faces. Rob told the girl to go home and the boys to get away from the church property, he waited to make sure everyone was headed in the right direction then we took off for home a second time. But we also turned around for a second time but this time we went past the church towards the orphanage. As we were driving along slowly Rob said " aha! See that?". Well sure enough we did see it, the boys were slowly following the young girl home and she had no idea. So Rob went zooming past the boys and we fit a fourth passenger (the girl) on our motorcycle and took her home. She actually lives with some very good ladies of the church and Robinson said that she is one of the smartest kids at her school but she is just not making good choices. It's a good reminder though of how just little things like that show people that you care and are trying to watch out for them. Who knows, maybe we can get her to come to church sometime!

As you can see, there is always lots going on and lots to do! We are excited for Grandpa to come and are making plans to feed him well (I promise grandpa we won't feed you goat soup:D) and take good care of him! Hopefully we can say hi to a bunch of you tomorrow night on FaceTime at the movie! We love and miss you all! Take care and have blessed Sunday!

Krystle

Sleepover (Krystle)

2012-02-06T22:23:00.001-05:00

It's the start of another week in Haiti! We have had a wonderful weekend over here at Rob and Naromie's. Rob picked Kelly and I up on Friday night with all of our stuff, and let me say that a sleepover in Haiti is a lot more complex then a sleepover in America! We have to bring our own mats to sleep on, sheets, pillows, bug tents, water, food, towels and not to mention all of our personal stuff! So by the time the Toyota was unloaded we felt like we were moving in here for our remaining two months! We get to sleep out on the porch where it is cooler, in fact Kelly actually said he wished he would have brought an extra blanket with him because it gets so chilly! We are already dreading the thought of coming home and waiting outside the Detroit airport for our shuttle bus to pick us up so we have decided we will stay inside and let the others come get us when it gets there:) I'm sure the team will understand! Lol! Kelly and Rob went out drilling on Saturday. I know things didn't go completely how they had planned but they are working it out. I got to stay here at the house with all of the ladies and Boo Boo, they braided my hair while hanging out and enjoying each others company. We watched a movie and popped some popcorn for all of the family, it was a very nice evening. Church went well yesterday. Kelly did a fine job running the sound board and I taught the children again. I'm not gonna lie, the service was extremely long even though I am getting used to it! It was four hours! When I get home I will never complain about long services again! After church, Kelly and I picked up some hotdogs and chips to share with the family. When we got home though the girls had already made up some lunch for all of them. Rob told us we could have his and he would eat some hotdogs later because he had a funeral to attend. Now we haven't gotten to try much Haitian food yet because you don't really want to go ask them to share some of the little food they themselves have, so Kelly and I were very excited! And let me say I'm a picky eater and everyone knows it but, it was a wonderful meal! We got to stay home from church last night and talk to some of the people from the church back home via FaceTime! It's so wonderful to see familiar faces! Today has been pretty relaxed as well. Naromie provided us with another fabulous meal this afternoon, brown rice, beans, onions, peppers, carrots, chicken and a sauce that goes over the top of it! We could definitely get used to it for sure! We are getting small repairs and jobs at the house done such as fixing generators, sorting medicine, repairing a pew, some plumbing and other things like that. We are going to stay here at the house a couple extra days to try and finish that up. I'm having a party with the girls tonight, watching a movie, painting nails and having some snacks! It should be a great time! We love and miss everyone but I can feel the time just slipping by! In the beginning your keeping track of how many days or weeks you have been gone but now we are counting how many days we have left! Pray that we will continue to be a blessing while we are here! Also please keep me in your prayers, I have been struggling with headaches the last several nights which is something I deal with quite often at home but it seems harder to cope with here where there is not always somewhere nice to rest and it is hot and noisy, thank you! I will try and write something more soon, I know this isn't extremely profound or anything, but I want to make sure no one feels like we have forgotten and don't care! Take care and Blessings from Haiti! Krystle

Gravity

2012-02-04T23:29:00.002-05:00

Every morning I wake up and hit the floor I feel compression. Might be my age or my back injury, but I feel the pull of gravity, of that force of nature that pulls everything in earths atmosphere to it surface or even deeper if you find a crevasse or hole in the ground. When we fly into Haiti a different form of gravity begins to tug on me, its the gravity of circumstance. It begins to tug on my understanding of reality, to challenge my pretenses and my Americanized posture. Gravity always pulls down, but to fly we have to find ways to defy it. Whenever we enter Haiti we encounter a spirit that is indomitable! The weight of a broken democracy, terrible economics, hazardous country decaying and eroding, harsh and unforgiving crushes down unforgivably upon this amazing and profound people. No living soul deserves this, and yet it exists. You cannot help but be moved as you experience these incredible people steeped in such a desperate climate, and yet their spirits soar against the weight of it all, they mount up on wings as eagles and soar to heights unknown to most. And I marvel, my heart wrestles with the massive equations that are their lives and culture and spirit. As you speak with them you find many old souls in such young frames, frames battered by poverty, filth, and diseases that are often never named because the facilities and doctors don't exist for diagnosis. And the young turned old quickly, their bodies too soon follow their souls, one moment they are there and the next they vanish. Every trip seems to bring tidings of the loss of life, and yet a certain triumph flows through this community. Oh to learn their grace and patience, to be able to rise amidst the weight that seeks to draw us down. I am so grateful for the opportunity my kids have to live among this culture, to work and sing and pray along side of them, to spread hope and hugs and the love of Christ. To hold the broken, and learn of their ways. Mission work as endorsed by God has a dual purpose we are discovering, for in helping others you end up cutting certain forces of gravity in your own life, and are able to climb to new heights of understanding and freedom above the staggering and often suffocating reality called life. You find abundance not realized in things, an abundance of the heart. All the little things we take for granted, all the false things we place so much stock in, get measured out among these stunning people. Are they perfect? No way, on some counts you find abrasive and harsh treatment of their own. As I have said before, it is a cruel land, not volatile for the folks are too hungry to fight, but it is violent on their bodies, erosion and litter have devoured everything fertile, and yet they shine in community, they share willingly of the little they possess, and when they smile, it crushes the barrenness of their country with light and joy that is other worldly. This photo captures the glow that exists in the hearts of people. This is a fresh picture of Robinson and his wife. It begins to capture what exists in darkness, and how bright the light shines! May we find our wings, may my children find theirs! Blessings all.

Missions Work

2012-02-03T10:55:00.004-05:00

One of the things that I've been thinking about quite a lot while I've been down here in Haiti is about how small our missions work is here in Saint Marc, I dwell on this the most I guess when I'm going to YWAM on Wednesday evenings. It's just really amazing some of the stuff that they have done down here in helping make changes in Haiti's future. From what I've heard so far, YWAM has been around for like 20 years here. That's 20 years of helping influence this City and Country. Anyway, I have been doing that whole comparing thing that we as people do, you all know what I'm talking about "well my truck is bigger and better or my house is much nicer then theirs", yes we've all done it at one point or another in our lives. When looking at YWAM's work and our work as a Church it makes us appear very small! But last night God kinda spoke to my heart about our missions work here in Haiti too. He pointed out to me just how big our operation is, right now we are helping to support a Church of 600+ people who without our help could not afford to keep the Church going. We have taken on the responsibility of starting an orphanage and making a commitment to these five wonderful and very smart children that we are going to take care of until they are old enough to make it on their own. We've been able to start water well drilling in Haiti, which is a big task all in its own. We're helping to distribute water from our well at the church to a whole mountain side of people who cannot afford the price of good, wholesome, clean drinking water. I'm also very proud of you all for helping to support 65 kids so that they all can go to school, these kids are the future of Haiti and the ultimate hope for change. We have a nice environment and base set up for short term missions trips and teams. We have a benevolence fund for those in desperate straights that need help to survive from the grasp of death and pure starvation. We're in the middle of raising funds for a larger tent for the church property, then we will use the smaller tent for a Mobile Evangelistic Work, we'll send people out from the church to the smaller cities and villages. We're also in the middle of raising funds for starting a Christian radio station which will provide good and healthy music and news for the whole City of Saint Marc, which we believe has a population of around 750,000 people who will be impacted by this Ministry. I hope this gives everyone at home some perspective on our Ministry here in Haiti, and how many people here are truly depending on us to come through back home. I hope this let's you all see exactly how big our ministry is, I know it really has opened my eyes. Blessings to all from Haiti, Kelly

Ups and Downs (Kelly)

2012-02-02T23:45:00.002-05:00

Greetings this morning from Haiti. I hope all is well back home! I've been very busy working on getting this well done here in Haiti for Reynold, it's been a real challenge and kinda trying on my patience, the process has been very slow for me. I feel God is using this somehow in my life to help me in the future to better deal with things that arise in my life.

Last week, I had set the goal of drilling down and out the casing and test pumping the well in three days which God answered my prayers on. However, the well only pumped about 2.5 to 3 gallons per minute and we told Reynold we would get him 6 gallons per minute. So now I've driven five more feet of pipe down, while I was driving pipe I drove a rock up inside the casing and now I'm in the process of drilling through it. Please keep me in your prayers that God will help me get this well done before my Grandpa gets in here, if that's not Gods will, I ask that you all continue to pray that we're able to get it done when grandpa gets here and that things go very smooth. Complicating things further, last weekend I picked up a nasty cold. Monday I took the day off to rest up and try to get rid this bug, but it continues to be a persistent little bugger. Again today, I've taken another day to try and rest up to kill this pesky bug, so we will see what comes of it. This morning Krystle and I are going down to the stores in town to check prices and see what they have for the team to eat. We are hoping that they can buy it here instead of in the states allowing us to bring more goods in for the people. We also have a couple other little things that we are trying to do today. I would encourage you all to keep praying for the ministry down here, while we've been here some really cool possibilities have opened up, I would ask you all to continue praying that the Lord's will be done. Krystle has all her stuff ready for Sunday for teaching all the kids, she did it this morning while I wrote the blog:) I miss you all greatly, I hope you have had a good day as I know this will not be out until later. Blessings to all from Haiti, Kelly.

Desperate (Krystle)

2012-02-01T23:31:00.004-05:00

Greetings everyone! Today marks the first day of our second month! I just cannot believe how fast time is going by. When the team first left I found myself just counting down the minutes wishing the time would go faster but now I'm realizing it's going too fast! I'm already coming to a hard realization, that I'm coming home in two months but the rest of these dear people have to stay here. I have been struggling with something up until a few days ago. I love all of our orphans SO much but everything that Kelly and I went to do for them just wasn't enough. We had brought them a few new toys and clothing items, we turn on the generator as often as we can so they could watch a movie before bed, we hug and snuggle them, sing songs, play games, dance and give them snacks but it's just never enough. Sometimes they are demanding about things they want. They will just take stuff of ours and use it without permission. I was just about done in! We have been coming out to this big piece of property and it is pretty barren. There are some big trucks at one end a cistern at the other, a little gazebo looking building and then this shack at the front of the property. Anyway, I have noticed there are some children around but they were so shy and I couldn't get them to come out to me. The other day I had the idea of bringing them some candy and yo-yo bags we had made up. I didn't know how many I would need so I just brought the whole bag cause you never know. We pulled into the property once again and the guys set to work as usual so I went to the car and pulled out the bag of goodies and turned around, I noticed one child was peering out at me from behind one of the trucks so I held out a bag in his direction. Well he came running to me yelling something in Creole I couldn't understand. I think he is about four even though he looks to be about two or three and the only thing he was wearing as he came running to me was a huge smile. All of a sudden he wasn't the only child, there were about ten kids who seemed to come out of the walls! Come to find out they are all brothers and sisters betw

een the ages of about 6 months to twelve years old. Some of them have clothes but they can't hardly be called clothes, they are more like rags, they are skinny and malnourished but I don't think I have ever seen such grateful children for those three little pieces of candy and cheap plastic yo-yo's. The next day I brought them coloring books and crayons and you would have thought I had given them a million dollars. In that moment I understood something. This is where our orphans came from except they were worse off because they had no parents. They were hungry with no clothes and no one to love them. I now understand why they act like they sometimes do, it's not that they aren't grateful but they are willing to do anything to keep from going back to that level of desperation. They still remember what it was like, especially the older ones. Kelly and I are figuring out new ways to reach out to each one of them to try and fill some of their needs and it seems to be working. They are such sweet kids and they deserve every single thing we can give them whether it be material things or just love!Today the guys were back out drilling and I once again went with them. We had already come back from lunch and truthfully, I was sitting there getting ready to paint my nails because I had nothing better to do. A lady I haven't seen before came up very enthusiastic about teaching me Creole and then she looked down and saw the nail polish, through a few different hand motions asked me to give it to her. Well I didn't want to do that, so instead I gave her my chair and sat down on the ground and painted her nails. She was absolutely over joyed that the American would sit on the ground and paint her toenails! Lol! Of course this attracted all the other little girls on the property so in the end we had lots of shiny hot pink nails! They were so excited and happy! The little boys wanted me to do theirs too but I did my best to explain in my broken Creole why they couldn't! Lol! This family of ten children has touched me deeply because they are all such sweethearts. Today I did my best to write down all the children's names and guess their ages and sizes. I don't usually ask people for things, not because I'm prideful but I trust God to do things where He sees fit but this is a time where I feel like God is telling me to put the need out there. When I say these children have nothing I literally mean they have not a single thing to call their own except what I have just given them. I desperately want to be able to get them each an outfit (with underclothes). Before I left the oldest girl asked me if I could please bring them a doll to share and a soccer ball for the two boys. It breaks my heart to know children are living like this, hungry, unclothed and uneducated. The oldest can't even write and none of them knew their ages. So I am putting it out there for anyone who has it laid on their hearts to donate a little money to get these children some things that they desperately need. Thank you!!!Kelly and I never seem to be able to get enough rest. Even something like sitting seems to drain energy out of you because there is no where relaxing to try and sit! We are learning that a big part of the Haitian culture is being bored. Sometimes there is so much to do you don't know how you can get it done and then other times there is literally nothing to do or at least no way to go and do it right then. All the cleanings done, the meals are cooked, there's no church, and everyone's too tired to play (yes, the orphans do eventually get worn out!). So a lot of people would be like, 'well go take a nap!' It's hard to explain but you don't really want to sleep. You want something to do that is just restful and relaxing but no such thing exists in Haiti. There is no power so you can't just go turn on the TV or surf the Internet. We are adjusting to this strange new world though and finding ways to enjoy ourselves even in the boring moments. We miss home and all of the familiar things that go with it but I wouldn't trade this experience for a million dollars! We are already getting excited for the team that will be coming! So many things to get done and ready before that time! I think Kelly is trying hard to work it out to take me to the grocery stores tomorrow to see what I can find for the team to eat here instead of trying to bring it in the suitcases. Neither of the boys (Kelly and Rob) like shopping but I think they will put up with it for one morning since I have come everyday while they have been working! YWAM again tonight, I cant even say how much of a blessing that has been for us! We love and miss you all, make sure and take good care of Mom and Dad! I don't even know how they are making it without us, I wonder if they are getting enough to eat? Haha! Just kidding Mom and Dad, we love you both! Until next time, blessings.Krystle

Pride Rock

2012-01-30T22:30:00.001-05:00

Pride is a touchy subject, for it can reap great disaster in our lives. But there is also a form of pride that is good. A form of pride that we are not good at expressing, but good all the same. For it focuses not on ourselves but others. Tonight I am proud, and specifically, proud of my children and the amazing adults they have become. As I have monitored their posts and listened to them share their stories night after night I marvel at what God has done! In the dark days of a brain tumor so many years ago where the price I was deemed to pay was that of my daughter, God performed a miracle of stunning proportions, and in surrendering her to Him, we received her back and then some. All of life experiences are readying us for more life experiences, for the fulfillment of our destiny. As I watch my children in the midst of their journey in Haiti, I marvel at grace, at the power of hope, at the force of love. Who can withstand it's advance, many challenge it, many resist, but what greatness lies ahead for those who dare to trust! Krystle gave Kelly a haircut today, it was a first for both, there was no practice run. She ran the clippers, he let her cut! Dude, that's trust! She is pretty proud and he's pretty happy! And I, well I'm pretty stunned! Just yesterday I was changing diapers and correcting behavior between brother and sister, teaching fair play and proper etiquette, today I find myself interacting with these intelligent, insightful, kind, gentle beings, and reminding myself that they indeed are my children. This is another growth chapter in their lives, and growing they are, but it is also a season of ministry, and they are impacting lives with incredible ease and profound grace. The stories are so many already it is remarkable, but we are approaching 3 weeks that they have now been in country, 2 of them on their own, and they are not just surviving, they are thriving! As many of you have followed our blog and journey into Haiti and supported the outreach you need to know you have been part of the grooming and preparing of two young lives along the way, my children. And at the same time you have helped so many Haitians, you have also helped two young Americans develop and mature into amazing young adults. Give yourself a little pat on the back, give God a note of thanks for making this all possible, and continue to support them with your prayers and kind words. Krystle warned me last night to prepare the spring team, for as she waits outside the airport the first American she sees is going to get a giant bear hug. You can bet I am going to try to be the first! So many things we take for granted, so many things kids have come to expect in our country, we are blessed beyond what we can conceive! They also shared yesterday that whenever we send them to do dishes in the future, they will race to be the first to get the job, because now they say it's going to be soooo easy! Who knows, when they get home, I may be able to just be a couch potato! JK! I wanted to throw this post up for the benefit of all, but especially for my two who are practicing what I have preached all these years, putting others first and daring to risk it all to reach the unfortunate, the impoverished, the hopeless with a hug, a smile, and the gift of time and grace. In the movie 'Lion King 'the story of family is powerful, the place of home represented by 'Pride Rock' is aglow with promise, but again with life we are served the reminder that home is where the heart is. Tonight a part of my home is in Haiti, and great hope resides there because restoration has found a foothold. That foothold is not governments, or money, it is people! And I am proud tonight that in some of that great host I find my two kids working, loving, and being the hand of God extended! Blessings to all from a grateful father!

Listening

2012-01-30T21:45:00.001-05:00

It has seriously been a CRAZY weekend! I told you all about the wedding and baptisms and the funeral but then yesterday morning rolled around and we had just as much to do! I taught the children for the first time, it was a very interesting experience for sure! I told the story of Noah's Ark and the Flood and I passed out coloring pictures and crayons. Kelly's doing a fantastic job on the sound system for the church and his help is so appreciated by the church! We did get to come home and take it easy for a while, FaceTimed the Walker family! So nice to see all your faces! The celebration for the church was last evening, so Rob picked us up at five thirty. Something they like to do to celebrate is marry some couples who can't afford to get married. When we got into the Toyota he was explaining how one of the grooms told him that if he was going to marry his fiance then they needed to pay him 1000 Goudas! Now that really is not too much money but the fact that he would demand money like that made me SO mad! It made everyone else at the church upset as well! Rob told him he would not marry them and so we had one heartbroken bride. When we pulled up to the church there were people packed in the middle of the road. Rob pulled the truck up beside the gate, locked the doors and turned the car off. He was listening to what everyone was shouting and talking about. Then he turned around and said " Krystle, take your stuff, go into the church and go right up into the guard house". Now I was pretty surprised because we are usually mixed right into the culture with the good and the bad, but of course I listened and went upstairs where George opened up a separate room and Kelly and I were told to stay in there. When we looked out the window there were people everywhere just like usual but then there were little groups here and there with people who were yelling and shouting and fighting. So in the middle of this a teenage girl comes running up the stairs to the guard house and collapses in the corner hyperventilating and crying hysterically. We couldn't get her to stand up or do anything. We finally got some other guys to come and help lift her up and we got her sat down where she then proceeded to pass out. Someone brought a fan up for her and I gave her my water but she would go between waking up hyperventilating back to passing out. I didn't get to find out what happened because Rob got all the people back under control and the wedding started. It was another long one but very nice, they had a whole meal and cake ready for the bride and groom afterwards and Rob drove them home in his Toyota. It turned out to be a nice evening but the beginning was most definitely intense! Kelly's not feeling the best, I'm afraid I passed off my cold to him:/ We are going to stay here at the orphanage today. I'm ironing and mending all of our clothes. Pray that Kelly is feeling better soon! Love and miss you all!Krystle

Weddings, Baptisms, and Funerals (Krystle)

2012-01-27T22:25:00.000-05:00

Greetings from Haiti! Things are going well. The guys have water at the well we have been working on. They still have a little more work but we will wait until the first of the week. When we got back from the job site yesterday we were so tired but Rob said okay I will be back in an hour to take you to the wedding! I was freaking out but we got some lunch and got around. I'm not gonna lie I was kind of annoyed that I wasn't given much time to get around and eat just to attend a wedding of someone I didn't know and had never met. We got there and I just prayed that God would take away my selfish thinking, after all this day was about the bride and not me! So as Kelly and I were sitting there a couple of men came in late and slid into the bench beside us. Anywhere we go we get looks from people and the same happened here, they didn't try to be inconspicuous or anything. Kelly and I were trying to pay attention to the service even though we didn't understand a word and we were only one hour into the two hours but the man next to us was a big distraction. He leaned over towards me and said "you speak no Creole?" so to be nice I replied quietly "no, we don't." "Oh!" he said, "then you don't understand anything being said!". Once again I replied "no", hoping he would take the hint I didn't want to talk. Well by then Kelly's protective instincts were coming out and he had scooted closer to me and put his arm around my shoulders. But that seemed to only make the man more curious and he said "Oh! You have baby!". I was completely confused and said " No, I do not have a baby". He didn't stop, "Oh! You are married!" he said pointing to Kelly. "No!" I said "He is my brother". Kelly's arm was suffocating me by now, but this guy would not be quiet! "Well," he said "You are very beautiful". Now the whole thing is completely awkward and this guys friend only makes it worse by leaning over to me and saying, "you are very niiiice!". At this point I'm completely speechless and try to just ignore the man, but he continues to pester us with questions about where we live and who our parents are and then tells me all about his wife and baby at home and how he is Jehovah's Witness. I looked up at Rob who was performing some of the wedding and he was giving the guy the evil eye, not that the man noticed because he was to busy talking. In the end Kelly got the guys number because he insisted on giving it and we got right out of there when the service was over. We told Rob everything that happened and he officially taught us how to say "shut up" in Creole! Haha! It was very funny! So to Neil Josza and John Bader don't freak out, Kelly is taking good care of me! We took the day off today to take care of some of our own things and just relax a bit. I think we realized today just how tired we are but we're doing okay. Rob had about 25 baptisms this afternoon, Kelly and I got to go with him. It was at the ocean and I was the official photographer! It was a really amazing experience! We have a funeral to attend bright and early in the morning so I'm out for tonight! Love and miss you all!Krystle

Snake (Krystle)

2012-01-26T16:26:00.000-05:00

The last few days Kelly has been out to Renold's place to hopefully finish the well. I have been coming with all of the guys(Emmanuel, Arcene, Chedson and Rob) because everyone else is in school all day. The guys are doing really good on the well, it's going slower then Kelly hoped because its Haiti, and there have been several problems but I will let him tell you in more detail what's happening later on. But a note to Grandpa Berg, I am learning so much about water well drilling you just might have to hire me when we get back home:D! Lol Just kidding Grandpa! All of these guys are working hard so Kelly and I have been trying to make sure they get plenty to eat. Yesterday Kelly splurged and took us to the Deli Mart for pizza and chicken nuggets. It was really nice but we realized we can't afford to feed them like this everyday and we didn't bring enough of our own food to feed them out of our stuff, so today it was hotdogs and chips! Now, I think they were all surprised when we got back to the orphanage and Kelly put the hotdogs on the stove and I started to get the plates and buns ready. Normally in Haiti the men don't even go near the cook stove, it is considered woman's work and they are not usually thanked afterwards for working so hard. So Kelly proved once again that being a man isn't just about being tough and being able to do things like water well drilling! When lunch was finished each of the guys came up to us and thanked us for the food, it was very sweet. As we have spent more time together I can tell everyone is really warming up. Since Emmanuel, Arcene and Ched all know a little bit of English, and Kelly and I know a little bit of Creole we can talk quite a bit. In fact, we just had a very interesting conversation about koulev, or in English, snakes! I have never seen a snake here in all of our trips but they were saying it's just because the people try and keep them killed off. Now I think this how it should be done everywhere, but I was explaining how some people in America keep them as pets or how some come from places like the Amazon and are kept at zoos. I wish you could have seen their faces! I know I'm scared of snakes but they are all petrified! We are having a good time and being able to reach out in new and different ways. We are off to YWAM tonight to get our souls fed in a language we can understand, we went last week and it was a wonderful service and fellowship time with other American missionaries, so we have been looking forward to it all week. We had taken Dina to an eye doctor last weekend and he gave her new medicine to put in it and by today you can barely tell she was ever having an issue. I am feeling a lot better, although I have lost my voice and I am worn out by evening. Hopefully in a couple more days I will be back to new! I love and miss you all but when you are doing Gods work it seems easier to cope with! Blessings!Krystle

Averted Vision (Krystle)

2012-01-23T19:25:00.002-05:00

In the past week we have been here by ourselves Kelly, Manius and I have had several discussions about our different cultures and what America (Michigan) vs. Haiti is like. Manius has great interest in hearing about where we live because he would love to attend college in America. However when he hears certain things I think it makes him nervous because our cultures are SO different. Rest assured though he trusts God with all his heart and if God tells him to come to the US for school he would go without even looking back. Now when Kelly and I were in school we learned about the history and geography of places all around the world but out of everything we studied I can't imagine two cultures being more different then Haiti and the US. From the food we eat to the way our schools are run, even to the way we worship, it is all so different. What I was explaining to Manius though was that "different" means nothing but that; different. Either way is not the right way or the wrong way. It may be hard to adjust to some things, which it is, but we are all made by our Creator and He loves us all the same no matter where we live or how we do things as long as it is done in a way bringing glory and honor to Him! It is such a big change being here by ourselves and I have found myself struggling with homesickness more then I would like to admit. Every night as I climb into bed and I'm laying there looking out my window I see the big cement wall that is built around the orphanage and topped off with razor wire just like how you see it in the movies at prisons. But if you look up you can see the stars bright and shining in their full glory because there are no lights on in Haiti to cloud your vision, and I can't help but remember something my Grandma Pickett told me about her trip to Haiti over fifty years ago. She was on a boat headed for an island where she would be staying but she had to spend the night on it. She said it was absolutely filthy with rats running all over and I know she couldn't have helped feeling lonely that first night, but she told me as she was looking up at the stars that those were the same stars over her in Haiti as they were back at her home in America. I can completely relate to what she was saying now and it gives me comfort at night to see those stars and know they are the same ones that all of you back home are sleeping under as well! I just finished this book yesterday called 'Bridge to a Distant Star'. It was three different stories about three different families who were all thrown together in the collapse of the Sunshine Bridge in Florida. In each of the three stories there was at least one reference to stars. Have any of you ever noticed how when you look directly at a faint star in the distance, it disappears but then you can see it out of your peripheral vision? This is called averted vision. When you look directly at the star it disappears but if you look to either side of the star it appears again. I keep reminding myself when I am focused on God and he seems to disappear for a second to look in my peripheral vision because it's probably just a slight change in plans! Much love from Haiti!

Krystle

Thanksgiving (Krystle)

2012-01-23T19:20:00.002-05:00

Greetings to all our family and friends!

I'm so sorry I haven't gotten around to writing these past few days. I do have a pretty good excuse however, I have been under the weather and just trying to rest and get my strength up. So because of that the weekend was pretty laid back and everyone has been spoiling me! Junie has been making sure the kids don't bother me in the morning so I can sleep in a bit, but even then I was up at 7:30. When the sun rises in Haiti so do you! People have been just as sweet as they can be making my bed, getting me drinks and medicine and just making sure I'm doing okay. Kelly has been the best brother anyone could ever ask for! He has been making sure I don't have to cook whether he goes out and gets something or he makes it himself. Yesterday he even surprised me with a meal fit for a king! Hotdogs(no buns), Cheetos, cold Pepsi and we even had ketchup and mustard!!!! Aren't you all so jealous?! Just kidding but seriously it was a really great lunch! Naromie's mother made us a rice cake to share, it is completely impossible to describe what it is or how it tastes but it is seriously one of the best things I have ever eaten! I came out to the job site with Robinson, Arson and Kelly this morning. I wanted to get out of the house for a little break from the kids and all the hustle and bustle there at the orphanage. There is little to no privacy with five kids, Junie, Manius, Natasha, Kelly and I plus there is always traffic coming in and out. Still I love it and we are getting more and more settled all the time. We have a Haiti cell phone now so we can get a hold of people down here. I have it worked out for a young lady to come do our laundry on Saturdays. I figured it would be better to give someone who knows what they are doing some money then to try and do it in my inexperience! She is very happy to have the job but at first she refused to take our money! She said she was doing it because she loves us and wants to help but Rob explained that we wanted to do it to help her as well and express our gratitude for her hard work. On Friday night Manius, Kelly and I were having a movie party on the porch. We were watching the movie "The Blind Side". Every few minutes we had to pause the movie and explain something to him like what a Quarterback is and what his "blind side" is. At a certain part of the movie it was Thanksgiving and the family was sitting around the table saying a prayer and getting ready to eat. Well Manius wanted to know what Thanksgiving is and so Kelly and I explained the whole story Pilgrims and Indians included! Even though it's not Thanksgiving, telling the story helped me put everything into perspective. I am so thankful to be surrounded by people who love and care about me, especially this past weekend! The Hatians are the poorest people I have ever seen and they work so hard all the time to just exist yet they seem to keep finding ways to present us with gifts or acts of kindness. They are truly an amazing people. Blessings and love from Haiti!

Krystle

Sick (Kelly)

2012-01-23T15:59:00.004-05:00

Hey everyone, sorry Krystle and I have not written, we've been busy here trying to catch our footing, and on top of that Krystle has gotten really sick. Church service went really well this morning, it's a little difficult to sit three hours at church when you can't understand a single word spoken during the whole service! So now I don't want to hear any complaining when Pastor Don or my dad or Jake goes over a little in church because at least you can understand them!:) I keep telling the Haitian's that my body might not understand what it hears during the service but God's word is universal, it still feeds our heart and soul so that we come away with our cups full. Tonight Robinson asked if Krystle and I where going to the church conference that was beginning tonight and will go till Saturday, I told him that Krystle was feeling worse this evening then she was this morning when we went to church. He told me that "we need to stay here to rest so that she can start to mend quickly, unlike my father who's still really sick at the moment.;) By the way Eric, so you don't think I'm getting off from running the sound system at home, Robinson has me running the sound system for the church down here pretty much by myself and there is no practice run for Sunday! So I have to pretty much fly by the seat of my pants!!
Keep everyone down here in your prayers, it's going to be a really busy week for everyone, Robinson has a funeral and 2 to 3 weddings to do this week, I'm going to try and start drilling this week along with a couple other projects, and pray that Krystle starts to feel better really quick. Blessings to all from Haiti. Kelly

Mama and Papa (Krystle)

2012-01-20T19:54:00.001-05:00

Kelly and I are now being called mama and papa by a couple of the orphans. It started last night. It was just Kelly, the kids and myself. Kelly was in the shower and I was washing dishes while the kids were dancing to Alvin and the Chipmunks playing on Kelly's phone. I was up to my elbows in soapy water when I heard someone scream "mama"! I went running out of the kitchen and found Otelson sitting on the floor cradling his hand. When he looked up and saw me he said again, "mama!" with a panicked look in his eyes he reached up to me. My heart melted and I sat down on the floor, snuggled him and gave him kisses. As most "injuries" go with kids it was nothing serious, he had just smacked his hand against something. It touched me as he sat there with me and I smothered him with kisses, he has no mama and no papa but he desperately wants someone to fill that roll and comfort him and love him unconditionally. We all know that God does that for him but for a child there is still something very different about having a father and mother as well as our Heavenly Father and Otelson understands that difference. It is sad and hard to swallow but it makes me love these children even more if that is possible! Even when Dina glues stickers to the window or Liline takes my eyeshadow and wipes it all over her face or when each of them runs through my pile of dirt while trying to sweep (and I mean multiple times!). I pray that I can be like a mother to them even if it is only for these few months. We were watching a slide show of pictures while eating lunch today and every time there was a picture of me Otelson would look up at me beaming and say " mama!" and occasionally "I love you mama!". Talk about something big to live up to! I am so blessed to have been given this opportunity to love these children in the upcoming months. Love and blessings from Haiti!

Krystle

Routines (Krystle)

2012-01-19T23:47:00.001-05:00

Today has been a good day. I know yesterday was tough on Kelly and I, but it ended well and we got some sleep and woke up ready to start the new day. I was a bit unsure how to help today because you don't know people's routines and you don't want to go sticking your hand in where it doesn't belong. But as the day has gone along I have found plenty of things to keep busy with. Things such as cutting and trimming all the kids toenails and fingernails, I never would have imagined it such a big job! I also gave them their first lesson on how to use scissors. I used tape to hang all of their projects on the wall and they were so pleased. Someone had donated stickers that go on walls to put in the kids rooms, with the kids help we put those up. "Toy Story" in the boys and "Princess and the Frog" for the girls. Naromie already took me up on the offer to help watch Boo Boo, she dropped him off earlier so she could have a break. Rob picked Kelly up this morning to go get the rig for Emmanuel to fix. They also caulked the tank without a caulk gun, which he told me to say was a lot of fun ( not! ):D. Rob is exhausted, i told him to go get a nap. I don't know if he took my advice but he did go home, hopefully he fell asleep! Mom and Dad made sure to impress on everyone last Sunday to take good care of their kids. Well people have taken it seriously! Everyone is stopping by to check on us and people are always bringing us food and asking if we are hungry. Already we have been given fried bananas, tangerines and fresh bananas! So everyone rest assured we are doing well and are not starving! We are getting our own routine started.... Wake up, get around for the day and ship the kids off to school, devotions, breakfast, sweep and mop the floors, free time or helping around the orphanage, eat lunch, play with the kids, sweep and mop the floors, dinner and dishes from the day. By the time we were done the sun was almost down. I made dinner and after I gave Kelly his plate I realized that there was no one here at the orphanage except for Kelly, the kids and myself. We gave them some food, had a dance party, taught them the Barney song ( which they LOVE! ) and finally tucked them into bed. Now normally an evening taking care of five kids is no problem, i have done it more then once! However, try doing it while not being able to say anything except a few broken words in Creole! We are now sitting on the porch with Manius having another Creole lesson. We love and miss you all and you are in our prayers! Love from Haiti, Krystle.

Good Byes and New Beginnings (Kelly)

2012-01-18T23:45:00.003-05:00

Greetings from Haiti. I not very sure where to start writing at the moment normally it's my dad that does all the writing when we are in Haiti, my how the tides have changed on me. I guess I will start with waking up this morning with a good nights sleep from having a large comfortable pillow and mattress that was on the bunk-bed. When I woke up and was laying there in bed it struck me that today was the day that mom and dad and the team where leaving and I was staying behind with Krystle. Up till this point all week I was so excited I could hardly wait to ship everyone off, turns out I was wrong, I found myself trying not to dwell on it to much so I would not break down crying, after all I had to be strong for Krystle. We finished helping pack up the team over at the orphanage, we then All drove over to Robinson's house to check and make sure no one had forgotten anything. You could feel the somberness in the air as we drove, everyone was sad, but for me I was starting to understand what it was like to be on the other side of the fence that the Haitians are on, to know how it feels to see Rob and all the Americans pull out and leave knowing well that we would not see them for three months. Like I said earlier, it was very sad as Krystle and I gave everyone hugs and told them how much we would miss them. I broke down as I gave my father his last hug for three months. And for the record he did to;). We waved good bye as they all set out on their long journey back to Traverse City, Michigan. After they left I realized we had just crossed another bridge in our family life toward being independent adults in life. After the team left Naromie came over and gave Krystle and I big hugs to try and comfort us, we went inside and took a few minutes to collect ourselves. I realized it was time to move forward, I grabbed some tools and helped Krystle get some waters out of the cooler to take to the orphanage. Chedson and Varnell and Peterson helped us carry and walk stuff over to the orphanage. On the way I wanted to stop at the church to pick up the electrical tester in the American bathroom. As I walk in looking for George and calling his name because he had the key to unlock the bathroom, some women at the church told us that George had gone to work for the day. It was a little bit of a shock to me because the whole week we are there every trip George is at the church pretty much 24/7. When we finally got back to the orphanage I got to work, we still had some stuff to get done from moving in yesterday. Krystle helped me refasten and oil up all the hinges on all the doors in the orphanage today, Franz helped get the shower rod up in the bathroom today and an extra clothes rod hanger in the girls closet, I think for Krystle. I told Manius last night that this was kinda going to be a day to rest up from the whirlwind of last week, so much for that. We did however watch a little TV, and hang out and worked on our Creole this afternoon. When Rob got back we went down to the store this evening and bought a trash bin, some small tubs for Krystle to wash dishes in, and hurried back to make supper before we went to Y-WAM for their service. Robinson also this evening had a meeting at 6:00 and did not make it back to the orphanage till 7:00 to pick us up:). The service tonight was very good, Krystle and I enjoyed it and are looking forward to coming back next week, we were greeted very warmly tonight from everyone, they also told us to feel free to come over anytime to go swimming, they offered us phone numbers in case we needed anything, I told them that at the moment Krystle and I did not have cell phones yet, they told that if we need help getting some cell phones that they would take us down and help us get two for Krystle and I.
We got to talk to Jennie tonight and she told us that she had decided to sign a 6 month commitment instead of a two year commitment. I also found out tonight dad that YWAM just got a well rig at their base and there are drillers coming in to drill on February 7 for ten days and offered for me to come out and see what their doing. Well I guess I'm heading off for bed tonight to get some sleep. Pray for us that God will show Krystle and I what His will is from day to day, that He will bless our hands at whatever we go to do. Blessing to all from Haiti. Kelly

Krystle

2012-01-18T23:39:00.003-05:00

This post is delivered via Krystle:

Hey! I hope you guys have had a great trip. I have tried texting you guys but must be I caught you with no wifi:) today has been good:) I think Kelly has had an easier time of it today then I have. He got to spend some time with Manius and he kept plenty busy around the house fixing all the doors. I finished cleaning up our stuff, passing out the stuff we brought specifically for the orphanage, had a Creole lesson with Ched and another lesson with Manius. Rob had said earlier he would come pick me up so I could get a few things I needed at the grocery store. I was concerned about the timing because of the meeting at YWAM. I was right.... After we got back from the store we had about thirty minutes to make dinner and be ready to go. Then Rob told us he had a meeting and he would be here to pick us up at 6:45 at the latest. Well we scarfed down our food and we were ready but Rob wasn't here. So he showed up at 7 and I was completely overwhelmed and ready just to skip the whole thing but I knew that you wanted us to go. We pulled up and he goes oops it's 7:15, I must have been late! Lol! The guard let us in but then said we couldn't go anywhere cause no one had told him we were coming..... So we waited for a bit and Christian finally came and got us.:) Jenny came to sit by me and it was a REALLY nice service and everyone was so sweet to us. We got several offers to come to the pool, all kinds of numbers and someone even offered to take us and get phones (they didnt know we had someone like Rob to help us). Jenny's doing great. She only signed a 6 month contract and then she will be headed back to Cape Haitia. We are going to plan to meet up on a weekend to hang out whether it is at YWAM or here. So I'm doing good tonight, I feel like I have a friend:D It's funny how you can be surrounded by people and still feel lonely! I'm hoping as I learn more of the language some of that will go better:) Kelly put one of the extra mats underneath my other mattress and I'm pretty sure this bed is more comfy then my own! I'm exhausted tonight so I will go get some sleep! I think your on the plane right now so you can just email me tomorrow or whenever it's convenient. Rob and Kelly are going to Renalds in the morning so I will go to Rob and Naromie's unless Junie and Manius stay here. Dina is not doing good at all. I think it has spread to the other eye. She was doing okay earlier but tonight I can tell she's in alot of pain. Hopefully we can get her to a doctor in the morning. Love you and mom lots:) get some sleep!

Love Forever,
Krystle

This was Krystle's email from today.

Independence Day

2012-01-18T17:51:00.001-05:00

We are in the air, our kids are on the ground behind us. I knew this day was coming, but it is still a difficult day when your kids hit adulthood, and claim their independence. As we prepared to go this morning I gathered the team around the kitchen table at the orphanage, as we had stayed there last night after getting Kelly and Kryslte settled in. I read my post from last night and the comments that had been written by our followers. It was a rather difficult endeavor as the gravity of it all came down. We prayed together as a team for the final time of this trip and then rode over to Rob's house where we said our final good-byes through teary eyes. Kelly stayed his tears, but Krystle did not. At one point she said 'I'll be fine once you go!' As I hugged her one final time I said in her ear, Independence Day is not it's all cracked up to be! Freedom always carries a price. We forget that often in our celebrations, we are prone to forget that stepping out on our own brings a significant weight of responsibility. You are now responsible for your protection and care, your choices and your actions. It was a somber day those brave Americans many years ago declared their independence from England, it was extraordinarily costly on many levels. The same can be said for our spiritual freedom as well. An extravagant price was paid for our souls, for all souls everywhere. We often cringe at reflecting on that, but when we don't freedom's fair complexion suffers scaring and her purpose becomes maligned, liberty loses, and it's enemy gains a score. So while the morning brought its own kind of pain, it also brings rejoicing, freedom still rings, two Americans chose to stay in Haiti's wounded land to love it's suffering hearts, to share the good news of freedom for the heart, to carry on the noble work of hope. As we drove away from the house Kelly's white arm stuck out through the fence waving good bye, it is that hand extended that I am proud of today, for I know over the course of the next three months, lives are going to be changed, and harvesting will happen, God will do what only God can do, but it becomes less limited because faith has been grasped, and that frees the Almighty in more ways than we can conceive. As we worked our way out of town, Robinson asked me if I remembered the old man who had sat beside me Sunday morning up were the podium was. I did, for he has sat there as long as I can remember, he then told me had died yesterday. They took him by ambulance to the hospital, but he passed away before getting there. It happens that I witnessed the ambulance yesterday, as it is a uncommon sight in Haiti, not knowing in it was my friend. It's funny because Beth and I both were lead to give him a big hug Sunday, and now he is gone. Life feels more fragile in Haiti, perhaps it's the devastation, but the truth is life is fragile, all life. A fine thread binds us to life, and certain moments in our lives we are made to feel just how fragile and thin it truly is. Such a day is today for us. But days like today are also good for us, they help us to cherish the real in life. And in our culture, we need this like never before. We are grateful today that the separation from us and our children is only spacial, many suffer the separation of heart, that is the saddest of all. And so we journey towards home, but of all our trips, today was the most difficult to leave Haiti, of this you can be sure! Blessings upon blessings!

Settled

2012-01-17T21:23:00.004-05:00

So ends our last full day in Haiti, six venture home tomorrow, while two stay behind. It has been a very busy last day, we walked up the mountain this morning and had some very special moments with the mountain community right up behind the church. You never know how your life will intersect with someone, how personalities just click, and bonds are formed. Deloris is just like a mother to these kids, she speaks English and yet they seem to understand her like it was their native tongue! I burst out laughing a couple of times. She marshals them like a mother hen. Up towards the top of the mountain, as we were beginning our decent, we came across a little boy who was very afraid of us ‘white folks,’ but he kept his eye on Neil. He had a little can that he had been playing with, without warning he came over and dropped it at Neil’s feet looking him right in the eye as if to say ‘I like you’, Neil kicked the can to him and he kicked it back, some form of ‘can’ soccer. As he turned to leave, Neil bent down and gave the little boy a hug, fear had vanished before the rays of love, and hope locked two hearts a world apart! These moments are perhaps Haiti’s finest for our team, physical accomplishments are always nice, but they are finite, love, faith, hope, these are infinite, and the works of these three will never fade. I sit here on the front porch of Rob’s house, perhaps tapping out my final post in country, and feel grateful, changed, weary, but proud. Proud of this team, proud of Robinson’s leadership, proud of my support friends and family that have brought something so incredible to pass through the guidance of a loving and faithful God. In a few hours, after a little slumber, we will head north by south, and bid our children farewell for a few weeks. My heart beats steady with the pulse of faith, I wonder what mighty thing God has wrought in their hearts that they would stay, surging out of my protection, to indulge this culture with the force of love they possess for it. Never doubt the power of God to change your life, nor that He still renders miracles in the hearts of those who will believe. I have born witness to His power and grace, and tonight I rest confident in His plan for the lives of my children, my expectations have long been tempered by the call of God on their lives, and we are ready for this day, for He has prepared us every step of this journey called life. There is a reason for every trial, a season for all growth, and a settling occurs, the waves calm, and you feel the mighty hand of God whisper to the storm “Peace, be still!” So amidst everything else accomplished today, we got the kids all unpacked and their new home for three months set in order. They are as ready as can be, everyone helped and now we rest and prepare to go! We end this post with gratefulness and joy, another magnificent moment in our lives turns with the clock, and to all a good night! Blessings!

Devotion

2012-01-17T08:35:00.001-05:00

What are you devoted to? How does it show. Where is our commitment. Our culture in America has become very lackluster in our expressions of devotion. The week here is full of hectic press in trying to get things done where something else is constantly going wrong. It feels like two steps forward, one step back. Today in addition to everything else Rob's phone battery quit, and it is an internal battery. Fortunately I have brought some spare parts with me, so that is added to my list today. My point is that we are always hurrying. As I raced into the bathroom to change and ready for the day, I passed my wife coming out and I caught myself. We have been racing by each other much of the week, I gave pause and looked into her brown eyes and said 'I love you' and she returned the same. Our love after all these years is not shallow, and a few days of business will not necessarily hurt our relationship, but we quickly become creatures of habit, and we are selfish, and a few days can turn into a few weeks, and months, and years, and that will break most any relationship. We have a young girl that showed up at the church without a place to stay a few days before we arrived, Robinson had the leadership take her into our facility and when we got here, Neil quickly took charge of getting her blankets and a pillow, and she actually slept under the big tent with us. Generally the people are not comfortable enough to do that, for we have had these situations before. She has been a sweetheart to have around, and after everything of our bedding is put away she tends to cleaning the church property. She was not here last night, so I asked Robinson in the late evening where she was. He didn't know so asked George our night watchmen, and discoved that a woman in the church has opened her home and taken her in! She is homeless no more. She came early this morning to do her cleaning routine, and in the midst of that she pauses for her morning devotion, she reads and prays and then sings with a smile that seems big enough to light the world, her plight that seems the worse, and yet here is this glow! This is joy, this is devotion, and this is happiness at its deepest level. I don't know how you started your day, don't know how it is going so far, but if you have not taken time to redress the relationships in your life, and most specifically your devotion to God, you cannot experience what we witnessed this morning. It was a good fundamental reminder to me, relationship priorities are something we need to examine and re-examine, keep them first, for they count the most! Just thought I would put up this quick observation while I wait, for if Haiti has taught me nothing else, it has definitely taught me patience! More later, to the mountian now we go. Blessings today!

Random

2012-01-16T20:38:00.004-05:00

Who gets to choose? As we traveled to the mountain and then on to Desdunes today we passed out candy along the roads, and at certain points we stopped. We traveled a little differently than in the past, having the new Toyota on this trip has been a blessing, our budget has run tight, and it allowed us to save money to spend elsewhere. So many needs, so few dollars. I rode on a special deck we built for the Toyota, so I was in the open air all day, while the team rode in air conditioning! But don't feel bad, I have had a cold and determined to spare as many as I could my plight! So I was there by choice. It gave me opportunity to see the country from yet another perspective, and as we dropped candy off and I contemplated my surroundings and so many stark contrasts with my reality, it staggered me at the thought of the magnitude of the work of God in this world. I have studied theology, and have spent my life in ministry, and yet today the complexity of God staggers me. We say 'practice random acts of kindness', and if we controlled the universe, that is the way it would be. But with God there are no random acts. A piece of candy dropping from my hand along a random road, to a random child, in a random country is ordained by a loving God. But isn't that our gripe, our rub with Deity, if you are so loving, why does this suffering and chaos even exist. My great grandfather often repeated the saying: "A God comprehended is no God at all." I often have thought about this across the years of my life, and today, I am profoundly and deeply moved at how God created a being called 'human' and endowed him with choice, unleashed him on this planet knowing we would choose the worse, and still be able to work His grand design. I have listened to theologians wax eloquent, and heard wisdom extolled, but I have yet to hear God fully defined! It cannot be done, we cannot do His job, we are not qualified, for we are finite flesh, none of us can will our days or extend our breath beyond what He declares, and only as we exercise our faith will we be able to function in this amazing world He has created. So every piece of falling candy, every bag of clothes, every yoyo bag passed out today to each of these children served a purpose that I cannot fully fathom, but that God planted in these lives He formed before the world was framed, these who serve a purpose for being here and in so doing have rewritten whole chapters of my life and the lives of all we are allowed to touch! I am so grateful, so very grateful for this journey, for this point of impact today. Hope traveled the countryside today, and hope from the countryside flowed back, the ebb and flow of the tide of life, profound beyond words, continues to point out a incredible, massive, loving God who still chooses to work through feeble man to accomplish His purpose and grand design. While I may not fathom, I beleive! For in the eyes of the weary, the impoverished, and those forsaken by man, I see a loving God unwilling to quit, unwilling to let the least of these go without feeling the touch of His hand. The song says; 'Oh to be His hand extended' and today we were! Amazing! Blessings once again.

Stars

2012-01-16T13:41:00.003-05:00

It's time for you to meet our newest orphan we took in a few months back. I have shared via a post earlier about her journey to us, but I didn't know Dina except via a couple chance encounters on our trip to Desdunes and through a photo I had shot of her. She was in possession of the most tragic set of eyes I think I have witnessed, and when I learned of her predicament, we started the effort to collect her, and mend what was left of a family back together again. I can report tonight that it is an extraordinary joy to see her and her brother together again. But I also think it is only fair to report that these kids come to us maimed and hurting so deeply that their path to healing is long and arduous at best, and the truth is some aspects of them will never recover. When we started our movie night at the property tonight, the orphans hadn't arrived, so as we settled in and were watching I was pleasantly surprised when they suddenly showed up and promptly perched on the floor in front of us. Mind you we have been so busy with projects that up until now I have not had much time with the kids this trip in. So as they settled in I began to watch Dina, our newest orphan. She has developed an infection in one of her eyes, it showed up over the weekend and we are sending her to a doctor in the morning. As I watched, I noticed a tear running down her cheek, and at first I thought it was her eye, turns out some of it was, but she was unbelievably moved by the movie. Within a few minutes I realized Dina was interacting with the film on a whole different level than the rest of the crowd. As I said earlier, we were watching 'Soul Surfer' and the interaction of the family, and especially the mother and father were deeply moving her. So I bent down and scooped her into my arms, her small frame melted onto my lap, and I held her while weeping in my heart. So much injustice in life, so much pain, how did she survive, and how will she heal. There isn't much compassion in Haiti, the callouses of poverty and starvation have crippled this culture in it's ability to tend to it 's wounded. You search far and wide to find hearts willing and ready to take the high risk of caring. We have been blessed at our orphanage to have some incredible hearts a part of it, and create this loving environment for these kids. But that can never replace the home, the real mothers embrace, the protection and guidance of the father, nor was it meant to. We are just attempting to embrace them for a season with the love of God, pray grace does what only grace can do, and give them a future. Often we are called mom and dad by the orphans, and one is left pondering the capacity of love. And so it is the tenderest of our children is also our newest. Bringing a flavor all her own, she is an incredible little girl. She is quiet, and gentle, but possesses a brilliant spirit. we are so grateful to have put brother and sister back together again! As I was entering the tent tonight, the sky was brilliant with stars, the sky is incomparable to back home, the darkness of Haiti shows off the sky in majestic fashion. And in our orphanage, in the darkness of this culture these children also shine brightly and we get to witness it! Thank you for being a part! Blessings to all!

Visions

2012-01-16T10:35:00.002-05:00

Where do I start? So much to report, but so little time and space to report in. We had another amazing service this morning. The tent and surrounding space was full. God is on the move in Haiti. He is on the move in our church! With Robinson and the men he is garnering around him through the help of God an amazing ministry is forming. We have witnessed the birth of a profound work. Casting vision is a difficult thing, we have so many dreams and aspirations, and many years ago when we started this journey with God through sets of circumstances in our lives, I had a sense that God was up to something big, that there was a profound potential for something great. But following the vision and pursuing it, that was a uniquely different path than what I had expected. To cast a vision is not to fully know how God will bring everything to pass, but it is to see through eyes of faith what it is God intends to do. On this trip I am casting another part of that vision, not knowing fully how it will come to pass, however, I now know it will. As we viewed the congregation this morning, we were witness to the profound impact of the gospel to change lives, to the tune of hundreds, maybe now approaching thousands. We can’t help but rejoice that all those years ago God set two men from different cultures and totally different walks of life together in the way only God can. Crossing our paths was to reshape and re-frame both of our lives. For those of you who know me, aside from my conversion at 16, my first major life change came when my daughter was diagnosed with a brain tumor, the second was when I met an orphaned boy turned man, Robinson Louis. Until that point I had my life on a certain track, but God derailed me through my faith in Him and today we marvel at His goodness and incredible methods. Today this work in Haiti is surging stronger than I have ever witnessed, as we were going through the service this morning the visitors are all called to the front to introduce themselves, there were 18 to my count! And a really good sign was that there were as many men as women! For the first time since our work began in Haiti, I had the front rows with men in them. Hope blossoms in glorious fashion for these people. We have commenced a plan for outreach ministry beyond St. Marc, and we now have personnel to bring it to pass. I confess I am not fully sure how God means to bring it to pass, but as sure as I am penning this post, I am confidant it is coming. The team has spent the afternoon at ease, catching our wind from the hurricane of activity poured into the last four days. We will head to the church property in a few to show the movie “Soul Surfer” which should be very inspirational. As I sat ready to speak this morning, God changed my message 30 minutes prior to my standing up, with no notes to guide me, I shared from I Peter 2 and the response was moving. Not only did I come to Haiti with a ruptured disk this trip, but I also came down sick my second day here, we are grateful to report that it has not slowed down the list of accomplishments. They are too numerous to name right now, but we want to report that vision is coming to pass, and we are all a part! What an amazing life it is, God never disappoints! Blessings all!

Dancing

2012-01-14T19:37:00.005-05:00

Another great day today in Haiti. The entire orphanage received a fresh coat of paint, minus the ceilings. The floor was scrubbed and the tile sparkles fresh. The fumes were a little intense, painting in Haiti as I have said before is a very different experience. We used an oil based paint so that the walls could be tended with soap and water more effectively. Everyone pulled together and it is done! An amazing accomplishment, and even though the orphanage was nice before, it's fantastic now! We are so pleased with Robinson's leadership and his ability as on orphan himself to be able to give back to his culture this way today in his life. It is nothing short of a miracle. We have a couple more projects we are hoping to finalize, but the pressure is now easing. We have some organization to do for our kids in readiness for them to stay behind in country for 3 months, but they are already settling in and moving with the culture, it's a father's proud day that his children rise to the call of God, and put themselves out in such a fashion. Pray for the success of their journey. We ran into a young girl in her 20's on our way down who was headed for YWAM, we saw her through the airport and got her through the airport routine which can be a fright alone. She was coming for a 2 year commitment, suddenly 3 months seemed a very short time for our kids to be here after all! I love the way God brings perspective in our lives, He must get some really good chuckles in at our expense. I shared with the team this morning a story from yesterday. As we were out getting supplies, we came across a man with a baby in his arms. Robinson addressed him for a few moments and then walked away. As he walked he shook his head, and clicked his teeth. I asked what was wrong, he shared with me a very sad story about this man who had been in his church, who had incredible musical talent, and could play many instruments. He shared how he ministered in a powerful way to the people, and could bring them to dancing with his musical abilities. He shared with me how then the man has left his wife for another woman, had made her pregnant, and then that she had left the baby with him. I was struck with the circumstances, and then Rob told me he had spoken with the man when he first started his wrong behavior, had told him these words, "It seems you can make people dance, but you cannot dance." How true that is, in the entertainment world we have musicians who can sell millions of albums and die in solitude. But even more sad, is that the church has people who week in and out can bring such joy to a crowd, but fail to experience the deep joy of God themselves. I myself have been guilty of this at moments, and the statement gave me pause, the turbulence of our hectic and demanding lifestyles suffers from lack of good spiritual reflection and feeding, we turn on a false demeanor and continue to awe the crowd with a fake face, all the time we are dying inside. Tomorrow I ready to go to the pulpit, and I want to go dancing in my heart, no false pretense. Much of Haiti to me at times is God rooting around my cultural habitual way of doing things, of uprooting shallow behavior, exposing my weakness and giving me a chance to grow with these people even as I lay my hand to the plow to raise up hope and joy for the people of God. I love it when they dance, when you dance, but I want to find myself on the dance floor before God with you. And I don't mean like "So You Thing You can Dance", for I would never even get a number! But the dance of the soul before it's creator, were unbidden before God we relish the joy of His creation and redemption of the heart he has created in you and me! Dance well my friends! The picture here is one I named "Eyes", there are oceans of times and culture and suffering represented, what do you see? Blessings again!

P.S. Please excuse the grammar and punctuation flaws, I have already seen quite a few, but writing through bleary eyes, and ones that are beginning to fail with time shows up in my posting here, I try to go back and correct as much as I can upon my return, but in the interim, you will have to bear with my humanity, as I am too weary to rework things now! :-)

Facebook

2012-01-13T19:25:00.004-05:00

Darkness falls with uncanny speed here. It seems one moment it's light, the next it's dark. And so ends the day. You can't set up lights and keep pounding out the projects. When darkness comes, so does the end of your labor. Well, most labor anyway. Tonight Ray gave the girls a bit of a break by cooking our supper. It was good. You always seem ready to eat something by a meal time. You burn through the calories in trying to stay cool while you work, but you don't stay cool. Paint got purchased for the orphanage, and we are painting it tomorrow. The walls got washed down by four girls, who did a wonderful job for us. The bathroom facility is almost completely wired, it will be finished tomorrow. There will be lights in every one of the rooms, and that will be a huge blessing. The guys did cabinets for the kids for storing their clothes and personal items. We had a great children's service, right at our 500 kids again, such a joy to work with these kids. so many things are happening, but at such slow speeds you wondering for a moment what is being accomplished, but the end of day tally reveals significant gains. Tonight as I take stock, I wish we had more time, but I guess that creates more trips. The other success I can report is that more and more tasks are being taken over by the people, they are so willing to help and work. They still lack skills set with our tools, so there is still a massive equation to solve, but little by little we chisel away at the talent impediments, which in turn sows more hope. As we drove along in the Toyota we just managed to get into Haiti, I was riding in the back on a special hitch hauler and marveled as we transported 14 people in one vehicle! What great things God continue to bring forth! We had such a great time with the orphans today as well. How good it is to report to you they are eating so healthy, well dressed, clean, loved, and growing so well. They have all healed so much, and are so well taken care of, would we could bring this to every child! But God has granted us this much and so we forge ahead, trusting Him for greater and greater things. I posted up some pictures on Facebook tonight, check out the news ticker or my news feed. How much a single little program has changed the world! We have had to deal with some sadness from our homes this trip, and that has dampened spirits a little, but then a child smiles, or a hug is given, and fresh courage emerges. Strength is infused and your journey continues. For those hurting hearts back home tonight we send our love and prayers, even as we feel yours toward us. Of for a refreshing shower and some rest. Blessings from St. Marc.

Neil

2012-01-12T23:24:00.002-05:00

One particular and unique part of our Haiti journey is all of the wonderful people we have been blessed to labor alongside of in this quest to bring light into darkness. Both here and those who have travelled with us into this country. The complexity this land brings against all you have grown accustomed too and know is at once staggering and sensational. It will try the core of a man or woman. It will make you know your soul. Parts you will find wanting. Your amour will show tainted, the challenge is presented no matter your place in life, prepare to be exposed! And with all who have come, we have been blessed to witness courage, wisdom, insight, and unexpected delights as people discover their unique ability to interconnect with these amazing Haitians. Everyone possesses skill sets to touch people in our lives, but we often become constrained by insecurities and failed attempts. In Haiti it seems you don't have to worry about failed attempts, because the people keep coming back for more of you. Neil has been another such blessing on this trip. He is non stop joy, his view of life is an amazing rainbow reflecting off rippling waters, and you never quite know what color may show up in any given moment, but it often brings a joyous humor and comic relief at the most opportune times. He has grown more temperate on this journey, has adapted like a chameleon, and has been a champion of being there just when I need him. A real Godsend, and unrelenting in his service to the team, our projects, and making Haitian friends. Because of his life, he is a person who enters this arena ready in a way few are, and I feel deeply he has a choice whether or not to let this journey affect him, more so than perhaps anyone else I have ever brought. He has risen to this occasion with incredible ease, has gained a steadying balance and been a real blessing to our team. I shot a photo of him today with a welder who has done many projects for us here, and who has never had a welding helmet. As we contracted him today for building us another door at the property, Neil presented him with a brand new helmet. It was a priceless moment. As I looked into the eyes of the welder, I could see the damage inflicted by years of exposure to the burning rays. I have watched this man weld holding a broken piece of welding glass, and often seen him weld with nothing for his eyes. Neil cannot fathom on the same level as I the way he change a man's life today, but he did, for in those burned eyes something else showed through today, gracefulness. Uncharted by human hands, unexpected grace at an uncharacteristic moment brought about by a willing heart with a simple vision, to touch a few welders with an incredible gift in this country, a welding helmet. We are grateful for Neil and the addition he is bringing to our team. We will look forward to any trip he decides to join us on, God uses people to touch people, and know tonight that includes you as you read this blog! Take a risk, take a chance, reach out to someone who needs a little hope, they aren't just in foreign countries, they are often right next door. Grab a Neil moment, step out and step up! Be counted, it's not always easy or even immediately rewarding, but your heart will be gratified every time you do God's bidding no matter the outcomes, for you will know deep down you did what was right! Thank God for the Neil's of this world, otherwise it could be a rather boring place! Thanks for all the encouraging comments, the team has been encouraged and moved by your words of affirmation and assurance of your prayers. Blessings once again tonight.

Rain

2012-01-12T20:02:00.003-05:00

Rain came in a downpour last night as we were about to go lights out. We quickly closed down the tent sidewalls to keep the water from getting us wet as it splashed down from the tent top, we moved our beds away from the edge a little and enjoyed the pounding of the rain on the tent top. A few hours later as I paced unable to sleep, the air was purged for a moment of the despair that is Haiti, and it could have passed for one of the fantastic Caribbean Islands, but the dawn broke with the sun, and it burned up the purity of the rainfall in just a couple of hours. I spoke with a man today who came to Haiti to try the fishing business and he shared with me how the devastation that is Haiti has ruined any chance for a fishing industry off it's coast. The amount of garbage that has flowed into the ocean and the coating of dirt from the mountain erosion has destroyed the prospects for the fishing industry for a very long time. The rain last night while something of a refreshment for us was a curse to the ocean life as it was delivered another cargo of debris from a nation that cannot yet account for it's sanitation. My heart wept as we drove past the beautiful water today that bore fresh scaring from the night. I am unable to see the volume of information that flowed today via world wide broadcasts as Haiti remorsefully remembers the horror of this day 2 years ago, but I can tell you from the ground tonight that the pain and scarring are fading, people are adjusting to a new normal, and the struggle to survive continues. I sense gratefulness around me. Last night I was approached by a single mother who came to thank me and our church family back home for providing a roof over her house this summer, my heart soared as I witnessed the deepest level of gratitude in her eyes. I was reminded that the least of these things turns out to be huge to those who have so little, a little metal roof, and children gained safety from nature, a mother gains peace, and hope is born anew! This is a journey into the unknown on so many levels, and I confess severe moments of uncertainty, but doors continue to open, and I have an open door policy with God, if He opens the door, I am to walk through it never knowing quite what may be on the other side except one thing, He (God) is on the other side, no reason to lag behind, for He is on the move, and I want to be where God is moving. He is moving in Haiti tonight, so here we are, trusting, believing, walking His path, enjoying His mercy, practicing our faith in the way He has asked us too! What a ride! The guys finished mending the rest of the benches today less a couple, and almost all have received a new coat of varnish. It will add to their longevity. We keep feeding the crowds, touching the needy, sharing the load, and watching these people grow even as they help us grow too! In the picture above the orphans helped us stuff bags for the children's service and Vladimir just continues to enchant us all in his own unique ways. Blessings always.

Apples of Gold

2012-01-11T22:48:00.001-05:00

The dust settles on the first full day in Haiti. I am perched on a chair under our tent and commence to write. The day has been a difficult one for me. I am fighting through a back injury from September, and while my conditions improve, I have a road ahead. It made it difficult to be objective today, but remember, I am traveling with a TEAM, and they did not lose objectivity! Bob, Ray, and Neil went to work on our benches at the church, and tonight 12 of our 30 have been reworked, and revarnished. The team also reorganized the 16 suitcases of goods we brought with us, we checked out another well drilling project, gathered supplies, and Beth held a women's meeting called Apples of Gold with 48 Haitian wives, several who held babies in their arms, and several who where holding babies in their wombs. A good sign that these babies are going to grow up in Christian homes under the influence of faith, God, scripture and love. Beth had a shining moment with the ladies, the material was cross-culture, and when she asked halfway through because it was getting late if they wanted her to stop, she met a resounding NO! Turns out that while there are cultural differences, truth bridges to certain cultural norms that are the same and a path is born for direct ministry into peoples lives, and even with our differences the truth is able to pierce the darkness and the homes of families in a different world are impacted. It was amazing to observe the reactions of the ladies, you could witness the fresh hope born by the smiles on their faces. Even the church leaders who overheard some of the teaching were rejoicing in the sharing of the truth. So while my personal objectivity suffered today, God's did not. Forward momentum gained advantage as we pushed through our first day, and tonight we are encouraged, and unwavering to bring our best to the table in terms of sacrifice, and laying our hands to the plough to accomplish that for which we have been sent forth! May God continue to do what we cannot! Prayer and blessings from St. Marc.

Old News

2012-01-10T21:45:00.001-05:00

We are in St. Marc tonight. Traveling today was very smooth. My team, now that was a little different matter. As fate would have it Ray misplaced his keys this morning and after a frantic search, managed to locate them in his fanny pack! That was our disturbing beginning, the airport transaction was the smoothest to date, I seriously feel with the AA bankruptcy that their staff has finally been set to etiquette school. We have never been treated with greater respect. So we made it to PAP and have loaded onto the bus to the baggage terminal when a disturbance starts, it's my son, he has left his iPhone on the plane. So the 300 yard dash commences, father chasing son, security giving us warning looks, but again, God watched over his unnerving mistake, and the plane staff came off the plane with his phone! At 21 he is still adding grey hair to my head. But all that aside, i had some intriguing discussions with folks today. One statement that stirred my deeply was when one man said, "face it, Haiti is old news". He's right you know, we are a culture that demands the sensational, who jump to disaster at fevered pitches, but then the dust settles, and a strange boredom sets in, steady commitment can have lackluster moments, and we jump to 'greener' pastures. The truth is Haiti is not 'old news'. What happens to people here every day is real, tantamount, tragic, and savage, just a mere 2 hours off our blissful shoreline via jet aircraft lies a suffering nation trying to heal, get better, survive, find hope and help. We are grateful in our coming here to be reminded again of the reality 'that is' for these people. As we arrived in the dark, peering out at us were smiles and warmth and love. Callouses melt before the onslaught of embraces, reality comes streaming into pinpoint focus, and 'old news' it turns out isn't so old after all. Generosity finds a foot hold, hope finds a key, and heart doors swing wide open. Mercy flows, grace restores, and we apply our resources and change continues at a steady pace. Let us not forsake our duty! Let us see this journey through, take heart, i come with fresh news! Hope is in the air, new life blossoms and blooms, and in a place of fierce darkness, light fractures and pierces the night through the lives God is changing. Behold, I sit tonight blogging from Robinson's kitchen with a wireless card, I am blown away! I feel the pulse of change, God is moving, He will prevail, I want to be a part of that journey for this nation and these people. They deserve no less! Blessings from St. Marc.

Barney

2012-01-09T22:26:00.003-05:00

Who would have guessed. We ended up after a struggling start, having the best first day heading to Haiti ever! After Kelly's very special birthday party last week, someone picked up on the fact that he used to LOVE Barney. Many nights we sang the Barney song as we transported him to bed. With some very intense effort, Barney showed up at the Texas Roadhouse for a surprise visit tonight at 7:00pm! You can see from the photo some very delighted and smiling faces. As it turns out, Barney is a chick magnet. As I entered the restaurant I caught one of the young waitresses whispering to another that Barney had just showed up. They invited him in and there must have been every waitress to the tune of about 24 girls between 18-25 standing in the big lobby entrance vying for pictures with Barney! I turned to Kelly and said, now you know how to get a bunch of young ladies together for a selection of dates! lol! Then a entertainer came to the table and told stories while he produced balloon animals and a balloon hat for the new 21 year old (Kelly) at the table. We laughed and ate and were renewed in a most unlikely way. The weight of leaving our kids behind this trip and them realizing this is coming to pass weighs a tad over everything we are dong, and tonight God leveraged some amazing people and circumstances for us! Doing God's work is not easy many times, and has ways of trying us on deep levels in our lives. As I watched Neil and Lauren sharing parting hugs and tears, I was reminded of this again. Nothing in life is certain except the moment you are in. Be in that moment and relish it, recognize God's hand and trust His ways and the blessings will flow! I am grateful tonight as we have all arrived safely in Detroit, enjoying the luxury of the States one more evening before we are assaulted with a very different reality tomorrow. Ray, Deloris, Bob, Neil, Beth, Kelly, Krystle, and myself, 8 people representing a host of caring compassionate God fearing people who seek to send us to make a difference. We thank you for believing in us, for trusting us to go on your behalf, without your support we wouldn't have anything to offer, for while we each have covered our costs for this trip, you have all given us the goods, money, and prayer support to touch these people on the ground in their country, in the midst of their circumstances. We are honored and blessed beyond what mind can conceive! 3:00 am speeds at me so time to rest the keys and hit the sack, morning comes swiftly, and sleep will prove illusive, so off we go. Blessings tonight!

Frenzy

2012-01-05T23:05:00.001-05:00

As we ready for our next trip into Haiti, final preparations are under way. No matter the amount of planning, foresight, organization, and preparation, there is always a crunch as we get to the end and leave. The needs are ever changing, last minute requests to fill, things to gather that you use right up until you leave that have to be transferred into a place for safe keeping while you journey into this foreign land. You prepare to change the way you think, act, and even eat. You ready for physical changes, spiritual changes, emotional changes, and even mental changes. Life is uncertain at best, and now you are going to fly right into the teeth of it all! It is daunting and fierce and enthralling all at once, the seesaw of emotions and faith and circumstances are very challenging to say the least. Missions of mercy are also missions of courage. They test your faith and patience and resolve! So bring it on! This trip brings upon us another unique set of circumstances for this time our kids (young adults now!) are staying behind in Haiti when we leave. They will stay to minister in the church and orphanage and any other capacities they can over the course of three months. Are we ready? When are you ever fully ready for the big moments in life. When are all the loose ends tidy, when do you fully have it all under control? So much submission and humility is part of this journey, so much of trust in God and His faithfulness to meet the needs and provide the way. You need only say you are going to go to Haiti, and the mere mention of it brings about a strike of offensive by the enemy of all that is good, crashing into your life in such force you often wrestle just to breath spiritually, and maintain balance and direction. And so it is, after so many trips now, after having fairly extensive knowledge of what to expect and prepare for, tonight the force of frenzy assaults me, a mere four days to go, and I am wondering how we will tie up all the loose ends, where the money will come from, how it will go on the ground, whose lives are to be impacted and changed? What danger will need to be averted by God's mighty hand, what does He mean to accomplish through my vain little plan, and will I be ready to move when prodded! Beneath this frenzy though a peaceful stream courses through my battered frame, a calm in the midst of the storm, for faith pierces through the thunder of distractions and I am reminded that I need not be in control, but keep submitted to the one who controls all! Destiny lies straight ahead for the obedient, and in this moment I am reminded to fret not, nor give in, but to step forward in faith, and the soul calms, and ready's itself, peace tempers the surface waves, and stillness settles upon the heart, and I lay down beside still waters. And into Haiti we go again! Blessings to all!

Toyota

2011-12-08T20:23:00.010-05:00

Several months ago, we sat around a small porch in Haiti, sharing with our team. We were recounting a days activities, a few centered around an old, white, dying 1986 Toyota Land Runner that in it's lifetime had served many, and served well. It had been purchased used in Haiti approximately 10 years prior to this night as a service vehicle for Robinson, and he had done incredibly well to keep it up and it had served the ministry steadfastly. But time and rough country had taken their toll and a weary sight of metal and rubber and oil drips and slow starts bore out the truth that the old white mare was about to find her final resting place. Someone said, "you are going to need a new vehicle for Robinson, what are you going to do?" Prayer and efforts to raise awareness of the need were all that came to mind. Shortly after our return to the states, that poor old truck succumbed to wear and tear, and finally quit. We prayed and scrounged, but nothing surfaced for a replacement. We were laden with raising funds for the daily operations of the orphanage and church and we were remiss to load the financial burden of a new truck on our supporters. Then a door opened unexpectedly, a customs official needed a well! We prayed and a path formed, rough and fraught with setbacks and obstacles, but a path all the same. The faint signs of a God journey marked the pathway as we walked by faith. Laborers joined with us, and a miracle was born. I wrote the other evening of a 1992 Toyota Land Cruiser that had made it to St. Marc, and how through a set of miraculous circumstances the 2 tons of goods that were on the Toyota were delivered to Robinson duty free. This afternoon, Robinson went down and that 1992 Toyota was also delivered to him duty free! We are rejoicing with joy words cannot express. God has shown once again His mighty and faithful hand, He has joined with our efforts His abundant grace and provision, and we marvel tonight at what He has brought forth. We rejoice this evening with our Haitian family, for a miracle of epic proportions has come to pass. We wish to thank all for your prayers, financial contributions, and endless hours of sorting, packing, organizing, collecting, and giving from your hearts. A bountiful blessing has been unleashed by the hand of God, for He took our frail efforts, and multiplied them 100, even 1000 fold, and countless lives will be touched by love and generosity and hope. Faith found a foothold, love turned the key, and hope poured in like rain on a desert landscape of shattered dreams and broken promises. As I listened to the Haitian voice (Pastor Robinson's) on the other end of my phone tonight, the fragrance of fresh hope was palpable, joy echoed a sweet refrain, and promise found fresh soil to cultivate. God has delivered again! Blessings and peace to all. And might I add a prayer request for my dad and brother-in-law as they head in this weekend to drill the well that will cover the efforts to get this vehicle in quickly, safely, and without fees! They will drill the well this coming week. Will update on the progress as they arrive.

Much

2011-12-01T21:43:00.004-05:00

This little four letter word, carries a two ton meaning tonight! We used to sing a song in church; "Little is Much when God is in It!" In the worlds terms, we have a "little Toyota" carrying a "big" load. Well... maybe the Toyota is not so little when you compare it to a car, but in a world of Semi's, Ships, and Cargo planes, our little Toyota is pretty small. It weighs 4500 pounds, we packed in another 4000 pounds! It traveled from Michigan to Florida as an 8500 lb. cargo truck where it was boarded onto a ship bound for St. Marc. We asked everyone to pray over this package. Tonight, while the Toyota awaits clearance papers, due to a burglary attempt, all 4000 pounds of goods stowed in the vehicle are now residing safely at Robinson's house in St. Marc! God works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform! I know I have not penned much in a while, but our labor on the ground has continued regardless of our slack fingers and thoughts to this digital page. We are not weary in well doing, but we have been weary! The physical ebb has been weak and the strain has been long. But tonight heralds incredible news, God prevails. He takes our little loaves and fishes and blesses them once again, multiplies them, and feeds the masses. We have prayed for the delivery of these goods for months. We didn't know how God would get it there, the needs are so great and yet the path for deliverance is so broken. However, faith the size of a grain of mustard seed, (at least on my part) has seen a mountain moved, and it may seem like a little mountain to some, but for those to whom the deliverance is coming today, it is a bright and glorious hope! The picture above in some ways does not do justice to what is here. But God is in the process of delivering a 20 year old mint condition Toyota Land Cruiser, loaded with medicine, clothing, food, a three burner stove, a welder, a host of tools, gifts, toys, pipe for water wells, school supplies, shoes, sandals, and a list of other goods that would fill several pages! The talk of St. Marc tonight is how did such a vehicle hold so MUCH! It's just a little sack lunch, but then "The Master" opens the bag, blesses what is inside, and behold such a marvelous and amazing host of supplies comes forth! Marvel with me, and glorify the Father! Blessings tonight, and remember to pray for the expedient delivery of the Toyota out of customs in the next couple of days. I will update as soon as it is released! Thank you again for all the gifts, and giving, and support. Lives are being changed, children are being delivered, God's hand is being extended through your generosity!

Contrast

2011-09-30T21:24:00.004-04:00

I have thought for a week and one day for the title for this post. An unexpected text on my phone, with a cryptic message, and with grand implications reminded me once more of a universe where miracles still happen, where good trumps evil, where God still orders the ways of men. It turns out after a year of separation, a brother and sister who were orphaned have been reunited. We learned about six months ago that one of our little orphan boys had a sister in the country who was orphaned as well. In the first picture seen here, this is the moment we discovered her. When the news broke from Robinson to myself, I was grief stricken. I knew in an instant many things about this little girl via stories that had come through the suffering of her brother. I just didn't know that with his suffering there was yet another suffering even more! Over the passed few months these eyes have haunted me, I wanted so desperately with others to reach in and snatch her from the fire of pain that burned through her very existence. We had rescued her brother, my prayer was that she could be rescued as well... enter last Thursday evening when we got word that little Diane (pronounced Dion) had been picked up and brought to the orphanage. A brother and sister united after so much tragedy and separation. My heart soared, I am still on cloud nine. Day after day you invest, you sweat, you pray, you labor, and often life's thin vapor makes you question if all isn't vanity, and then, a divine ray of hope and grandeur penetrate the ruts of our weary existence and we are reminded of the greatness and goodness that streams through our days and the divine moments flush out the searing and temporal vestiges of insanity. We see roses and diamonds all around, in the midst of the shadows of suffering the bright light of hope takes issue in stark contrast. And somewhere a shudder blinks, and the lens's eye captures the contrast, and we marvel again. Faith bears up on eagles wings, and hope catches heavens' breeze and we soar again in God's great mysteries! With great joy in my heart, blessings from the blogoshpere!

Graduate

2011-08-27T20:49:00.003-04:00

This picture is a very proud moment for this young man and for several surrounding him, including my own parents who have supplied his educational funding since adopting his sister 12 years ago. My dad had the honor of being able to attend his graduation ceremony a few weeks ago, and while there Manius gave a speech in Creole to family and friends. The circumstances my father witnessed with people's reactions to his speech that day prompted my dad to request it translated in English. It was so stunning that I wanted to put it up on the blog for everyone to be able to read and digest. For all who are sponsoring a Haitian child for school, this serves as a tremendous impetus for continuing to aid these wonderful and deserving children. Very few Haitian children ever graduate, they cannot afford the cost and the land deprives them so badly it is difficult to even survive, let alone get a full and complete education. But for change to come, Robinson believes in the necessity of education. This year with your help we have 64 children back in school! What a privilege for us to be a part of this kind of impact. Read this speech and allow the meaning to settle, it will surely stir your heart!

My warm greetings go to everyone this morning. Today I feel really enthusiastic about completing my secondary classes which, to me is a miracle, impossible, an enigma. After a past loaded with efforts I've been successful in making the impossible happen. Suffering, hunger, lacking clothes have motivated me to reach that impossible thing. I question now whether suffering is for destruction or construction; what is its role in a man’s life?

In my opinion, suffering is there not only to fashion our character and enable us to become mature but also it is presented to us as a way of better self-knowledge like a thinker says: "Trial is the time that reveals the truth in human beings; until it comes you never know all about a man." Suffering presents itself as the essence, the salt of our life, and a movie camera which records our past. It trains us for the future. Every time we remember that we have much suffered in order to get something, we value it. Besides, suffering is there to help us understand others in their suffering, like the great philosophers and protagonists of introspection say: "Who knows himself well also knows others." Jesus Christ, when He came on earth, went through so much suffering and that's what characterized his earthly walk. That's the reason He understands and has compassion for us when we call upon Him. As a matter of fact, anyone who wants to eat the best production of the city, of the land, and even of heavens must show determination, patience and courage. That person should even drink the cup of suffering because to get any good thing requires an extra and particular effort.

That contentment that I feel is not only my fruit but also that of other people because I am like a chain, a house built with materials from other houses in the same way that God created the world out of opposites and yet from the union of opposites came the most beautiful harmony. I don't know what I have to give to those people who have helped me achieve that seemingly impossible thing. No new word, no new expression comes to my mind for me to express my gratitude towards them. Anyway, I'd like to use my poor speech to address them.

First, I particularly thank my family, my father who accepted to bear all sorts of sufferings, like lacking clothes, going thirsty and hungry, for my sake. There were times when he was even exposed to death. Those sacrifices cannot be acknowledged with just thanking words but I believe that God who, in His love can give beyond my request, is able to reward him according to his works. Thanks to Pastor Louis Robinson who accepted to love me all the way. When my mother passed away I was on my 2nd year of primary school and I found myself in a dead-end due to my family’s incapability to handle the situation then. My father was on the point of moving to the Dominican Republic by himself. As for me, I thought it was the end of my life but yet it was the beginning brought about by God’s direct intervention.

God has chosen Pastor Louis Robinson to help me. This relationship that God has established between him and me is unexplainable; I see it as an enigma. Pastor Louis Robinson is from Desdunes and I am from Terre Blanche. It is unthinkable to everybody that Pastor Louis Robinson would treat me so well while we’re from different localities. He doesn’t discriminate against me like I would be his slave and he would be the master, nor as orphans and non-orphans. At some point I have been asked whether Pastor Louis Robinson was my father. That’s how God works; whatever He does is beyond our understanding, our intellectual abilities. Although we live in a world where everybody is after their own interests he (Robinson) makes the difference, he cares about the happiness of others. He agreed to help me selflessly, he accepted to be a father to me. I don’t have enough time to speak about his works. May God, in His grace, protect and bless him with all sorts of blessings.

My thanks go to the believers of Christ Community Church in Michigan, particularly the (Doyle) Berg family who considers me as their son. This family was not afraid to give of their life to me, to make personal sacrifices for me, accepted to walk in the snow, cared about me, worked hard every day so that my dreams could come true. I know the sacrifices and tribulations they went through in helping me. They always put aside their nationality, their skin color and their culture for my sake. What a love! May God, in His mercy and boundless grace, pour down on them all sorts of blessings.

Thanks to Mrs. Louis Robinson, sister Eloude, sister Paulette, sister Anie´ce, brother Emmanuel Pierre. Special thanks to Mrs. Hermane Fleurina, brother Cluvinson Ginius. I don’t have enough time to quote all the names but they are ineffaceable. I pray for special grace of God on every one of them, may God protect them each day. I say a large thank you to all of you for spending this moment with me. Americans say; “Time is money.”, which means time is precious, but still you put aside your personal business for being here with me. May God, in His love and grace, be with you ‘til the end of the world.

Thanks!

Hope you were as moved as I was, blessings always.

Frustration

2011-04-22T08:53:00.002-04:00

Since I have been back from Haiti, life has been moving like a freight train, or perhaps a high-speed rail would be a better term. I was sharing with someone a couple days ago how when you go into Haiti the first days there seem to drag by. You enter this time warp where a type of freeze frame rate occurs to your life. As the week moves along the approach of returning home begins to warp your time awareness again, and a blurring effect commences. When you arrive stateside, you experience a kind of congestion as you try to re-acclimate yourself to our cultural rush. It leaves you extremely weary, and there is a kind of delayed re-engagement process. Part of the delay though is a rebellion of your mindset. A realization that technology and materialism have left you bankrupt in some very critical departments of your humanity. In Haiti you are always surrounded by people, someone trying to enter your space, desiring to be with you, especially the children. At times you can actually feel smothered. But the pull, the desire for relationship is fully engaged in that culture. They thrive on it, relish it, and live it. To our detriment, we forsake it for much more trite and trivial pursuits that promise much more than they actually deliver. I am settling back into my groove now, but I must confess a sphere of frustration has lingered longer this time. A sense of revulsion laces my soul, I long for deeper connections, for richer relationships, for fuller engagement. I am thankful for my recurring ventures into Haitian poverty, for there I am finding gold mines of meaning and depth desperately missing or sadly misplaced in my culture. My mining experiences in Haiti are helping me with my 'panning' practices back here at home. There is still "real gold" in this country, and a lot of it, but we have really muddied the waters and made the screening process much more cloudy than intended or what it should be. People are golden, but we get buried beneath the rubble of media, money, and selfish motives. But don't give up, richness lies beneath the surface still; frustrations fire, patiently tended will consume impurities and give birth to the pureness potential that lies within us still. The grace of God is sufficient to restore us to former glory and to genuine ancient love! Think about it! Blessings from memories of St. Marc.

Junie

2011-04-11T21:42:00.004-04:00

This is a picture of our amazing orphanage house mother. This is a very special young lady. In the past she has lived at Robinson's house, but moved out last year. We have been sending her to school for the last two years. Last year she failed her tests and moved away because she was so embarrassed by her failure. But we saw incredible good in her, she has a zeal for life and a warmth about her that is genuine and pure. Beth was able to reach out to her last fall when they went in to get the orphanage underway. She encouraged her to try school again this year, invited her to help at the orphanage, gave her a place to stay there, and a miracle has blossomed! She is a living flower, radiant and exquisite! She has taken such good care of our kids, it shows in their attitudes, actions, and behavior. There are many good people around the children, from the director on down, but we are attributing much of the character change in the children to this incredible young woman. She faces some really difficult circumstances in her own life, she has had typhoid fever that gives recurring symptoms. But even when she is feeling down physically, she has this marvelous loving attitude that prevails through her difficulties. She attends school during the day while the orphans are in school, and then is at the orphanage for the kids through the evening and night. Unbelievably she is pulling really good grades in school, and is still able to provide an amazing loving environment for the little ones. She doesn't have to do all the work, we have a laundry lady, and a cook, and a house director, but when it comes to the management and mothering care of the orphans, she is that one. She gets them dressed, keeps the house organized, and tends to keeping the children clean, readies them for bed, and loves the daylights out of them. We are so proud of her and what she is accomplishing in her life, and we are glad for the opportunity we have afforded her to be able to fulfill at least some portion of her life destiny by serving with us in this labor of love. It continues to awe me at how God has provided through the steadfastness of one orphan (Robinson) through the years, and now that one orphan is bringing great hope and help to so many, and Junie is another one of those lives that is being touched by the generosity of so many! God bless you all as we impact these incredible lives. Blessings again.

Word

2011-04-07T21:47:00.005-04:00

What is in a word. Words they say are powerful tools. They can be weapons for war, contracts of peace, litigation for defense, they can stage a nation for success or doom it to failure when used by the right person at the right time the right way. They are a puzzle that fits together many ways to contrive many pictures. One picture may be worth a thousand words, but one word can also command a thousand pictures. Take for instance the word 'Hope', this word alone contrives a thousand scenes, actually millions. A word that moves us at the core of our being, at least it should. The picture in this post is one small piece of what hope holds. The eyes of this little girl draw you in, unmistakeably, the setting for this child defies hope, but the arms that hold her carry oceans of hope, and hope has found her. She has been discovered, her beauty is raw and her depth is deeper than the sea. She is hope, and 'hope' is her. One word, a mountian of meaning. As I wrote this week at times my weariness was so vast it was hard to catch the right words, to spell the occasion, to pen the pieces together with the right tapestry of words. As I press the cursor across the screen of my computer tonight, tapping away at the keys, emotions are cascading through my heart and mind and the words are not being so cunning. With this post I wanted to send out a message of thanksgiving to all who commented this week. I have written somewhere around 6500 words this week, to all who commented, you wrote almost 8000. I copied them over to a Word document and read them to the team every day. It was so encouraging. Your words contained life force, and your hope spread hope to us, who in turn spread the hope to our beautiful family of Haitians. Already I have received promising words of wonderful life change as a direct result of our visit. I am reminded again tonight that true power is not in silver and gold, although at times I wish I had more to help these people, but the true power is in the Word, and not just any words, but the Word of Life himself. Therein is the greatest power of all. At the times we grow weary in this endeavor, and we do, let us remember that we have a powerful message to carry, a message all deserve to hear. A message seated in words that change lives forever. We cannot risk this message going unheard, lives like this little one hang in the balance, we must succeed. Blessings to all!

Home

2011-04-06T21:51:00.003-04:00

Life is a journey. A common saying by Robinson. Tonight I am home physically, and my heart is getting here. But at this point, part of my heart will always remain in Haiti. We journeyed long and hard over the past couple of days, and tonight we are weary of the travel, but we will rest and attempt to return to normal over the next couple of days. Our trip was inspiring to us and our team. We accomplished much, and impacted many lives. We are so grateful to all who are supporting us along this winding path. I am reflective tonight and have so much to say. But for now I will rest my weary flesh. I have gone over a few of my posts and see I need to do some editing. I will work on that as well, please excuse my oversight as I was busy trying to get things done and missed some English along the way! I will be posting up more blogs following our return now. I have several thoughts started and will share as quickly as I finish them up. I will also be posting more pictures. The one I am putting up here is a of a fisherman fishing without a pole. The backdrop is stunning. Haiti is a country with so much potential. We can only pray that God continues to bring healing to this land. We count it a joy to be a part of that process, and continue to trust in the amazing prospects of the spirit of our Haitian brothers and sisters. Blessings tonight!

Secretariat

2011-04-06T01:22:00.002-04:00

The movie night at the church was a fascinating revelation of differences in culture and people's ability to experience life on different levels. I loved this movie. I loved the story. I thought the people of Haiti would love it too. I was right and wrong, they didn't just love the movie, they went into it. A horse race run over 35 years ago ran again Sunday night, complete with cheering, stomping, and outright screaming! It was thunderous. I'm not sure how many people were here, but it had to be between five and six hundred. I love the way Haitians are capable of celebrating life, of championing a moment, of relishing the joy and extracting the delight found in the simplest of things. I have become hardened to the majesty of the moments in my life. My culture has demanded polish and focused behavior, etiquette above excitement, restraint in rejoicing. These are not necessarily bad things, but sometimes it brings distortion to our reality. As the horses hooves pounded down the track and the drama unfolded, I found myself transported to a different place and time, it was moving beyond words. The force of nature, the power of the human spirit, the high drama of hope and promise captured on a movie screen were absorbed into a bleak place of minimal hope, and swallowed by parched souls ready and expectant for greatness. These people continue to shatter my misconceptions and false senses of security found in my routines and my expectations birthed by the surreal world in which I live. At first I understood that their world was surreal, but then I discovered that my own is. We take things for granted that we should not, we focus on the wrong things at the wrong time, we cherish the trivial above true treasures. Haiti has brought a more central understanding for me, helped me purge out the dross of vain thought, and grasp with a greater clarity what it is exactly we are here for, how quickly time and circumstance can change, and to seize better what is right in front of me! Let us strive to be in the moment, to cherish the real, to love without abandoned. The seasons of time are sweeping by, let's not miss it by being somewhere else. Blessing always.

Ice Cream

2011-04-04T21:37:00.002-04:00

Today has flown by! We kind of knew it would, you hope it would go a little slower. But we did get much accomplished all the same. Early this morning Robinson went to the motorcycle store and got a number to purchase a bike when the store opened at 8:00. He went at around 4:00 am to get the #2 purchase of the day. They had 10 bikes ready to sell this morning, and they were all spoken for before the store opened! It was crazy to me. But Robinson bought a black 125CC, and we went to the gas station and filled it up. He went to the police station and registered it. It runs great and starts easy. I can tell he is very pleased. His birthday is tomorrow, and this is a great present he wasn’t expecting, but was so needed. I didn’t plan it this way, but God must have! It has a heavy duty suspension so will work great for those periodic heavy loads. Parts can be easily had for this machine, so it should give more service time than the last one. We are going to fix the old one up a little, and give it to a couple of the associate pastors. They are going to be shocked! Another great event of the day was hooking up our neighborhood well; it doesn’t produce as much as the other wells, but it is going to service this community. There was a lot of fun and excitement in the street as Kelly started a water fight, and Karen finished it. It included water balloons, a garden hose, and a five-gallon bucket. When all was said and done, I’m not sure who was wearing the most water, but it was definitely between Kelly and Karen! Some good laughs and soaked shirts later; it made for a memorable moment on the trip. The property owner had me run the hose into his glass and his exclamation ‘clear!’ said it all. We spent a portion of the day with the orphans, and that was also a magical time. The older I get the more adept I am at seizing a moment; these with the orphans are especially special! Tonight Rick took us down to the Deli Mart and we had Ice cream with the orphans, Robinson, Naromie, and Manius. We had a plan to surprise Robinson by singing Happy Birthday, and it came out that his wife had forgotten it! It made for another joyful and awesome time. We then went down to a couple of stands and the store to pick up a couple of souvenirs’ for the team members. It got eerily quiet on the streets and the announcement for president was made, and then suddenly it was as if a dam broke and they spilled into the streets. It’s hard to read, but there was a lot of celebrating. We made for the house quickly, as they were pretty boisterous. The announcement was an unofficial one, so it is a bit unclear. The musician is the supposed winner; it would appear that those who are knowledgeable of Haitian politics are afraid of more of the same. To have a president who has danced naked in music videos as president does tend to make one a little cautious. But time will tell. This is something only God can fix anyway. We will forge ahead, our task orders do not come from men, but from Him! We had burritos for supper tonight, the ladies have been fantastic with the meals this week, and tonight was no exception. The Haitians viewed their plates with suspicion, but they seemed to have all cleaned their food! We made too many to count! It is time to go deliver this final post from St. Marc. We will finish packing tonight, shower, have our final devotion in Haiti and set our destination north by south in the morning. Wish us God speed on our journey home, and pray for our sadness as we say good-bye once again to this incredible amazing family of loving people who relay on the provisions God seems to be sending through us. We stand faithful in our place on this journey tonight. As God give us strength we will continue to bring hope and help as long as we can! Blessings from St. Marc tonight.

Dust

2011-04-03T16:56:00.002-04:00

What a morning! We had an incredible service today. A packed out house greeted our arrival, and the experience was nothing short of amazing today. We had to be up at 5:00 am again, and boy did morning come early. I have not slept too well on this trip. It has been so hot and dry; it is hard to take. The first spotlight of the morning was the mountain man who we gave the donkey to. My heart soared as he checked out his animal for the first time this morning. We took a few photos and suddenly he climbed right up on that donkey and away they went. He is a pretty old Haitian man, and the smile on his face says it all. We are still making sure he gets a pack-saddle and rigging for the donkey. But they probably won’t get to him until we are gone. Our morning was also decorated with a bit of sadness. Ray had to head back to the states to keep a prior obligation with family. I felt bad as the emotions of the moment hit him like a tidal wave. He was okay with going, and I am sure by now he is experiencing great relief from the ravaging heat. The other picture you will observe here is what appears to be snow in Haiti. In stark contrast to the pictures in posted on the blog titled beauty, this is not snow, but dust. When Rick saw the pictures I had put up on that post, he was like, ‘oh Doyle, you shouldn’t do that, people will think we are down on some Caribbean vacation’! Well here is the reality check! It is dusty, dirty, smelly, and pretty rough on our bodies that have been dealing with extreme Michigan cold. I will confess that when I hit Miami I am relishing air conditioning. At least the thought of it! Church was two and a half hours long, but it didn’t feel that way. We were swept away with their focused intensity. Then we spoke to them about their value before God, how with God there is neither Haitian nor American; that we are all loved equally and powerfully by God, and closed with a short little excerpt about Brandon. It was received well, and we are thankful for the opportunity to share with them. It has been a eventful day at the house, games being played, Noah and Brandon are at the neighbors playing some ball. Rick in getting in some reading time. Karen and Deloris are reminiscing with their digital cameras. Photography is such a blessing. To be able to capture a moment in time and go back to it, well, it’s just short of time travel. Memory is an incredible gift and photo’s to back the memories are a gift. Whoever discovered the lens of a camera gave the world an incredible invention. We are going to show a movie tonight at the church, we are showing the ‘Secretariat’. It has to be able to play in French. I am posting early as I won’t have time tonight. For all those posting comments, they have been truly inspirational! Thank you.

More Team Pics

2011-04-02T21:40:00.001-04:00

Team Member Pics

2011-04-02T21:37:00.001-04:00

Pic for Alan

2011-04-02T21:29:00.001-04:00

Just for you Alan and Bethany!

Beauty

2011-04-02T21:25:00.003-04:00

What defines this word? To be frank and honest, Haiti is a conundrum to me. We sat at the Deli Mart just a few minutes ago, everyone weary and filthy from the driest and dirtiest day I have experienced here yet. It is so dry, so dusty, that there is a fog that seems to be so thick at times you could cut it with a knife. Autumn sat across from me in an air-conditioned climate and said it feels really American to me right here, but when she turned around and looked through the glass the sight that greeted her seemed surreal. Then she said these words, “why does it not seem beautiful here to some?” I listened as comments were exchanged and pondered her perspective. She is right you know, you have to be careful with negativity. We talked again about happiness, and how kind these people are in the midst of their circumstances. Brandon even commented on how they are compared to the inter-cities of the States. To be deprived does not necessarily equate to being mean spirited. There are some mean folks down here, but that does not necessarily mean they are that way because they are Haitian, any more than a thief in the States would mean that it’s the trademark of an American. I say all that to say we saw a lot of beautiful people today. Precious, kind, loving, people. The team is beginning to feel the sting of leaving, a certain anxiety that is hard to explain begins encroaching, time begins to draw us back into it’s slipstream, like a vortex we feel the gravity of our departure coming. We have accomplished so much, but we still have so many things we would like to do. And then there will be the good-byes; tears, sadness, a touch of remorse. Will they all be here the next time we come, when we come, if we come? Time will change this landscape as it will our own landscape. Our bus driver today was the same one who took us to Desdunes last spring, his child was terribly ill the day he took us, he had been in the hospital; he died last May, just after we left. I could see the lines of sorrow written on his face. We had prayed for his child, and God saw fit to take him anyway. But still he is a gracious and loving man, refusing the hardening of his heart by terrifying circumstances. We took the run up the mountain this morning; it was a great run, albeit very dirty, and once again Rob’s motorcycle broke. I was so frustrated, but it was as it should have been, it guided my decision that God wanted Him to have a new motorcycle Monday morning. Hopefully we can pull it off. We had a wonderful time with the mountain people, and made the decision to purchase a donkey for a special mountain man. When we arrived tonight, we still didn’t know if he had been able to make the purchase. As we drove down the road in St. Marc returning from the only luxury we afford the team on the trip (Haitian Pizza) Robinson suddenly saw a donkey in the street and declared he was pretty sure they had made a purchase. When we arrived at the house the man was there, and said they had not been able to get one. Rob made a call, and to everyone’s delight, a donkey has been found! I wish you could have seen the expression and gratitude on the mountain man’s countenance. It was as if he had been given a million dollars. I will try to post up a picture tomorrow, as it is too late tonight for one. Rick was terribly sick last night, but seemed to regain his footing enough to get up and through the day. At one point he told me today how much he appreciated the American bathroom last night at the church from the perspective of being on all fours for quite a bit of it. We think he suffered heat stoke from their furious paint job last night. He and Ray got the front wall painted again and it looks fabulous! I have to lay up the pen for tonight, and ready to preach in the morning. Time to trade out for a different pen, my sermon one! Goodnight and Blessings after a glorious day in St. Marc!

Balloons

2011-04-01T21:51:00.001-04:00

Our American culture has lost track of the appreciation of the simple things. We have witnessed since yesterday afternoon the delight of a balloon. We gave them out as part of a gift to all the children at the service yesterday, so there are a few hundred of them around. I was surprised to find them still working today! The children have played with them for hours. Did I get annoyed as the balloons bounced around my head, as I nodded back and forth to duck it in the middle of conversation, absolutely not! Well… actually I did notice, but couldn’t be offended, I can’t remember the last time I saw such joy over a bubble of air wrapped in rubber! Children’s service was a blast, a blast of energy that is! We arrived at the church to discover the tent already full of children, before we could get things cut off, at last count there were 550! It’s good the numbers were down a little yesterday! We used the rest of yesterday’s supplies plus today’s. It is pretty intense at the kid’s service, always a little dramatic for the team. It will test your resolve to remain cool, but if you do, your steadiness is met with the reward of many smiles. I have shared their intensity in previous posts, but it all came back to me again over the last couple of days. The teaching is simple, but has the profound capability to change a nation should the children return to God! Robinson gets a golden star for his ability to handle 550 Haitian childen that are in the property for the children’s service as well as the 100 or so in the streets that came too late to get in. After the service we borrowed a neighbors truck and headed to the ocean. I remember when I baptized at this location years ago; it was a delightful spot. It was still a great picture zone today, but you needed to keep your camera focused up. We took some splendid Caribbean shots, but my heart was broken by the view of the shoreline. As far as my eye could see, rubble lined the sandy/craggy edge where the water sheds its awful cargo of debris. The people litter the riverbeds, which are dry right now, but when the rain commences in June, the trash is washed to the sea. As an active water well driller, it is one of the most tragic scenes to witness. With the growing awareness of the shortage of fresh water world wide, it’s difficult to watch this pollution occurring even when I know they don’t comprehend the damage they are assaulting on the ecosystem. Be that as it may, the water was warm, and the young people were led by none other than Brandon himself to do some rock climbing to stage for some pretty cool pictures, even the girls braved the circumstances to get up on top of the rock, although it cost Brandon and Krystle a dip in the ocean! We fed so many at the house tonight it was hard to count. What a blessing. There are lots of full bellies tonight. We will head to the mountain in the morning, and on to Desdunes in the afternoon. Rick and Ray are painting the front wall of the church as I type this blog post, hoping it dries by morning, so when the children congregate it won’t harm the paint or get the paint all over their clothes. Rick has been such a great help to Ray, I am confident that painting was not on his roster for Haiti, as he does it plenty in the States, but they have certainly brightened the property, and made Robinson very, very happy. Everyone deserves a break tomorrow, and will get one. So ends another day of our journey. Blessings tonight.

Father Time

2011-04-01T12:51:00.003-04:00

As usual, the internet service has been a challenge. It is almost a full time job trying to make that happen. The place I usually go to was down all day yesterday, so had to go downtown, and that always adds significant time to the operation. We had a great children's service yesterday afternoon! Karen did a fabulous job of communicating the creation story to the kids and having fun with them all at the same time. I think we ended up with about 400+ or -. Not sure. We are doing our second one this afternoon. Last night we went up the mountian behind the church to look at a house that belongs to our church guard. It needs some serious work. We are contemplating what we can do. It really needs a 'Extreme Home Makeover', but we are not those people, and this is not America! The motorcycle broke last night, the throttle handle went to pieces on the inside, so I ordered the part this morning and fixed it for Rob and it is back in circulation. It has been a little difficult this trip with Rob's truck broke down, but this morning he borrowed a neighbors truck and gave the team a lift to the house, after that the girls slipped downtown for bread. We must be quite amusing to the Haitians! At one point Brandon said that when Robinson took off, all the girls fell into the bed of the truck! But they had a blast anyhow. This morning the guys got the front wall washed and prepped for paint, and the final coat is on the American bathroom. Ray got after final cleaning and the place literally shines! The girls along with help from a couple of the guys have the bags all ready for the children's service this afternoon. When that service is done, we are going to drive down to the ocean for a bit and spend some time playing with the orphans there. I also purchased a truck load of stone to spread at the church property to get people off the dirt. Did I mention it is hot and dry here right now! I'm not sure if I ever visited at a dryer time. We also set the pump to test the neighbors well, and it looks like we are going to be able to furnish water to the neighborhood at Rob's house now, including Rob's house as he gets no city water right now. It's noon now, so I have to run back for lunch and roll along with the day. The internet is slowww today, so will try to put up pictures later. We are getting lots of pictures! There will be plenty to show when we get back. I will get a bunch loaded up as quickly as possible. The kids (Noah, Autumn, Krystle, and Kelly will be affronted by me calling them that!) have been having a great time. It is refreshing to see young people picking up the torch in both countries! If there is to be a future, they are it. How quickly the seasons of life pass, time used to move slowly for me, and at times still does in Haiti, but more and more, even on these trips I feel the gentle nudging of father time, and at my most weary point I remind myself that this will soon be over. For the sake of grace we press on! I was having a moment last night, will tell about it in another post, but as I was sitting under the stars at 3:00 am, the sky was stunning, and I was reminded again of the creators will, His power to act, save, restore. He alone holds the keys and the power to restore, reclaim, rebuild. I feel like He has included us in this venture of His, and it is great to be on board! Blessings today.

Oceans

2011-03-31T11:47:00.000-04:00

Last night we slipped over to the orphanage. It was late, and they were all asleep. We found out late in the day that they had skipped school thinking we were coming over yesterday. We had some suitcases of supplies delivered there, and it must have been before school, they were so excited; they wanted to stay and wait for us. Cell service has been spotty lately, so Robinson didn’t know. It was probably better that way because when he found out they had stayed home from school, he was not too happy! But one look in their faces melts even the director’s heart! When we woke them up they were so affectionate! So happy to see us, and as I held Otelson in my arms I was reminded how much love every heart has to give and receive. We are capable of oceans of it, and yet we live life in existence mode, we chose isolation over immersion, we fixate on the most improbable things as we lose sight of our vast value to affect others. I have recently been reviewing some of my genealogy and have been reminded how connected we all are. We all have royalty flowing in our veins, we are the incredible creation of a magnificent God, and when you are prone to question His goodness, even in adversity, you have to remember we are on the front side of the exam of life. We will all leave this place one day, and where we land is a choice we all have to make, but God has prepared a place for the ready! And all questions will be answered, all wrongs made right, in the blink of an eye we will be changed forever. As we rode to St. Marc two days ago, Brandon declared this place has great potential for beauty. He is right; it’s so hard to see past the rubble, to be reflective of grandeur here. Its great to have a viewpoint like his on the team. He has been an incredible force of enthusiasm and positivity! He relishes in everything, and it’s been a joy having him on the team. Every trip God provides the exact team members, and every trip they shine. We have not been without some set backs, but this team is firing well. A little shout out to Michelle, Brandon’s amazing wife, your packing was incredible, every time someone has needed something he seems to pull it out of his magic bag! He’s like, I didn’t pack that dude, my wife did! LOL At least he is honest! Time to move on with the day. Children’s service is this afternoon, the second coat of paint is on the office and bathroom complex and they are tackling the inside of one of the bathrooms now. The children’s service craft bags are almost done. A great start to day two in Haiti. Blessings until later!

Risk Factor

2011-03-31T11:46:00.002-04:00

This afternoon Ray and Rob were in a little motorcycle accident; Ray’s shoulder was used as a motorcycle mirror removal tool! Fortunately, nothing worse happened. He is pretty sore but it looks like he is okay. We always know these trips are not without risk, but we are cautious about doing off the wall things just because everyone else in the country may be doing it. However, necessity drives some circumstances. Such was the trip that they were making from the church to the parsonage via motorcycle. It seems Americans aren’t the only folks who have a problem with texting and driving, it seems Haitian share the same propensity. The silver lining was that he received some extra attention from the team! Ray, Rick, and Noah blazed away with the paint this afternoon, the back office, inside and out has a first coat of paint on it. They were going to try to get the inside of the office painted, and ended up getting it covered on the outside as well. They are getting up to finish it in the morning. It looks great! I was so pleased. The interaction with the people has been incredible, although we are surrounded with some difficult circumstances. My heart breaks for the suffering of this people. I know from a theological standpoint that God provides, that His mercy though not evident to me still flows. I know that weeping endures for the night; I have heard it here. Joy they say comes in the morning, well… what morning, what day, what year. Who will be alive to experience it? I know joy is not what we have, nor what we eat, it’s not houses and land; it’s not tied to things. But the physical suffering is tough to stomach, especially when there is no evident break. But the Haitians have taught me there is a break, it’s just not the break I think they deserve. Herein lies the complexity of it all. My perception of joy is often warped by my materialistic indulgence. True joy exists outside of that. I practice this at certain levels, but on others I still fall short. Each trip broadens my understanding a little more, erases with confident strokes my alien aspirations, my stingy understanding of real joy. The Haitians are not an outwardly smiley lot of people, but they are radiant! Speaking a kind word and hearing the gratitude in the response back is inspirational to say the least. Every trip here revs up my understanding that we are partly the joy in morning, not all the wonderful things we bring, but we the people are the joy! The joy is in Jesus, and the connection of love He fosters between us, by knitting our hearts with these people brings them great joy, and it brings me great joy as well! Sometimes I feel my posting turns a bit rambling, I apologize, but invite you to our journey with us. You spend part of your time here wrestling with psychological questions. The culture and the suffering and the struggle shift you in ways you cannot fathom. The mind bending is often very difficult to do, especially when you are not practicing mental flexibility! You look for resolutions, but it seems they defy you at every turn. What at one moment makes good clear sense; the next is obliterated by some other part of the equation. There are no easy, quick answers to the rebirth question of a culture, of its deliverance from tragedy, of its restoration to some former glory if ever there was one. We need to be grateful each of us today for what we have. In a moment it can be shattered except for the grace of God. We need only glance away from our shoreline but a short distance to realize what miracles and potential exist in our own country. We need to be cautious with what we take for granted! Rejoice and be glad today! Blessings in the moment!

Unpacking

2011-03-30T13:20:00.002-04:00

Sort, sort, sort. But it does seem to get easier every trip. The suitcases are now re-organized and the restless are walking downtown to wear off some energy playing basket ball at the town court. They are probably going to get taken to the cleaners, but oh well! Live and learn, right?! We were up early this morning. 6:00 am to be more specific. It gets bright and busy here so early. The sounds of Haiti filled my ears through the night, I never wondered were I was at as I slept. We got up and put our bedding away, and helped put the tent back in order with all the benches so it was ready for noon prayer. And no, I am not talking about a 15 second prayer before you eat, nor a 3-minute devotion prayer, I am talking a three hour all out assailing of the heavenly for divine intervention and deliverance for this land and people. We then made the one-mile trek back to the parsonage to do our re-shuffling act to ready us for the rest of the time here. We are going to do a childrens service tomorrow and Friday. So we will have to pack all the bags of stuff for 500 children per service. That will take a little time! We are going to do a benevolence project for a very poor family at the church; we are putting on 3 doors for a house where they have not been able to have them for 2 years. The family comes to the church, and they have not security for their children all this time! We are going to pay a special young man in the church to install them tomorrow. So far so good on day one in the country, time to get to the internet and post. The picture is of Brandon reading scripture with a Haitian young man. They took times reading to one another in English and Creole. Brandon is fitting in on this trip like a veteran! It’s been very refreshing to have him along. Blessings today.

Thoughts

2011-03-30T13:12:00.003-04:00

The day is finally coming to a close. We prepare tediously around this day. We make good plans, and execute as well as we can, and yet we still get tested. American Airlines changed baggage rates Feb. 10th. It is so frustrating when my greatest struggle in helping in Haiti seems to be on American soil at the airline terminal. I know that is not fully true, but at times it sure feels that way. We made it through with an added $160.00, passed through security, and had smooth flights. We arrived on time, and went through customs without an issue. A bright spot was that as we were trying to get the bags together, I heard a familiar voice and turned to see Robinson inside the terminal there to guide us out! What strings he had to pull, I’ll never know, but it made for a very easy exit with the team. There was less yelling and prodding and arguing, and my helper at the airport, a one armed man named Jackson got his pay for he and his men and gave me a hug! I was so grateful, I almost wept on the spot. One thing that alarmed me as we were coming in for the landing is the actual increase in the amount of tents and tent cities around Port. It is stunning. Fifteen months after the earthquake and it seems worse. These people are getting next to nothing for help. Yet they carry on in the midst of their suffering with a resolve that seriously puts mine to shame. The ride up to St. Marc was uneventful for the most part. We arrived at the house just before dark, and set to gather up the items necessary for our first night. That is where we met a bit of frustration again, as the house was a sweat box, people were hungry, the house was full of people, Naromie, her mom, a friend from Desdunes and her son were all ill. Adalaine has an ear infection; the stove would not cooperate and light, we ordered some bread only to not have enough, and had to send for more. When we finally got over to the property, there was a small miscommunication and we didn’t have an air pump for the mattresses. The ‘All in a day’ saying was an understatement for this day. Karen shared a short devotional on ‘bringing every thought captive’, and I think we all failed on this at some moment today! Now most are asleep, exhausted, but so grateful to be here. God has once again provided, and I am certain this week will be filled with ministry opportunities. Pray we are able to be the hands and feet of Jesus. No matter where we are, that is our job. It is a delight to be with our Haitian friends once again, we look forward to the day tomorrow. The weather was a little mild for a bit when we first arrived, but was short lived! It takes a couple of days to adjust, so we will have to grind our way through it! We’ll see how everyone does! Exhausted, but grateful from St. Marc. The picture is... you guessed it, baby Vladimir, as it turns out he likes us white people!!! Blessings tonight.

Orchestra

2011-03-28T21:14:00.003-04:00

Day one has past, but not in Haiti where we had planned to be experiencing it! One good thing about constant setbacks, after a while you become accustomed to them happening. That may sound a little pessimistic, but I actually don't mean that. The testing of our faith works patience, and as patience grows, so does our tolerance to the ever changing landscape of our ministry and lives. And as I experience these scenarios, I gain more faith that it is not the 'devil in the details' but 'God in the details'! He has purpose and design to all He allows and disallows in our lives, the sooner we stop fighting those things, the quicker we gain balance to our walk of faith. To fight them wastes our energy and distracts our attention from where our focus is meant to be. Working with the Haitians, and more specifically Robinson, I see this more clearly with every passing day. So today was quiet, with special team sharing times. This is going to be a good week no matter what happens. The circumstances behind all the preparations is divine, and God is in charge of this trip. Whatever He means to accomplish, He will. My spirit is calm tonight. Morning looms just five short hours away, but we are ready. We will rise at 2:30 am, quickly get a few things together, get the 26 suitcases out to the front of the motel with all our 11 day packs, deliver our vehicles to the parking lot, load our transit buses, we will travel to the AA terminal, check in, and move through security, all under the direction of the Divine. This is not our orchestra, it's His, we are the instruments playing, and we just need to work on staying in tune! So as we shared today, our instruments became more tuned to each other, and it was good. As we carry 'His Hope' to these wonderful people, harmony is important, and we have a harmony that is special. Not more special than any other group, but a harmony specific to this team and trip. Pray for safety in the air and smooth transitions through each of the airports and flights tomorrow, for a safe trip up to St. Marc, and that we stay healthy! Time to end this post, and time for bed, this will be a short night! Thanks for following, and thanks for all the prayers! Blessings always!

Resolve

2011-03-27T23:12:00.002-04:00

What a day! Many do not know that a huge fire did massive damage at the Miami airport last Wednesday, and has canceled out hundreds of flights. We checked this afternoon before we left and the flights were all still on. We made it an hour down the road and the first leg of our journey was canceled. We pulled over and Deloris spent 45 minutes with AA and finally we had flights on Tuesday for 7 of us and Wednesday for the Reyhl's. We decided to forge ahead not certain of what God was doing, but trusting anyway. We met up with the whole team in Ann Arbor this evening for a bite to eat and discuss strategy with the changes. (Not that we are in control of any of it!) We made another call and now we are all back together again scheduled on a flight out Tuesday! We extended our stay one day returning next Tuesday. We are reminded every trip that this is a struggle of epic proportions, for our Haitian family it is a struggle for life itself, for us it is a struggle that tests our resolve. Our struggle is the lesser of the two, and I am reminiscent again tonight that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers of the air! We are reminded at every turn of our incapability and finiteness, but at those moments we turn to find an infinite and unswerving gracious God who will cause His plans to prevail. I am not sure what tomorrow holds, but I am sure of who holds tomorrow! As we write tonight, we are all settled in, the suitcases are safely stored behind the front desk of the hotel, and we have a little time to catch up on some much needed rest before we commence the journey to St. Marc. I'm not fully certain of the reason for the delay or why, I found out a couple of days ago there is a national strike in Haiti on Monday, everything will be closed. I was not too happy with the situation because if anything would have happened our recourse's would have been very limited or perhaps non-existent. Whatever the reason, it is His reason, and we are simply trusting that. Pray as we go forward, we do have limited time, and hope to prevail in spite of the setbacks. So now to rest a while! Joyful in the journey! Blessings tonight!

Four Weddings and a Celebration

2011-03-23T23:23:00.005-04:00

The picture in the last post drew inquisition. It is a startling piece, though a bit unclear. It was the evening of our Haiti churches ten year celebration. The grounds were packed most of the day as they celebrated the ministry and growth of this wonderful church. It started with 12 of the orphans who had been with Robinson in the orphanage years ago, and 12 people from St. Marc. They are now running over 600 and still growing! Each year they do a special thing for the community, they perform a free wedding ceremony, including everything needed for the wedding. They pool their resources and actually rent the wedding dresses for the brides, suits for the men, they arrange travel for the brides to the property, and fix a wedding meal, all at no cost to the couples. It is a way to help the young couples who have been living together and cannot afford a wedding to be able to get married. This year Robinson and the ministry team married four couples at the same time! It was a highlight of the community. Ladies can you imagine sharing your day with three other couples and a rented dress. When you think economical, do you even consider such a thing?! Now there's a new perspective on desperate! The ministry has gained high favor among those who we seek to minister too. Together with the orphanage, the giving out of thousands of gallons of water, the feeding of the poor, medical attention to the afflicted, children being put into school, and the preaching of the great hope of the Gospel, lives are being changed in incredible ways. That we all have been able to be a part is stunning and humbling. God is famous for taking little, blessing it, and delivering much! We have pretty well finalized our daypacks today, stitched up several lose ends, and double checked lists. Robinson let us know our newest orphan, baby Vladimir has been very ill, but seems to be doing a little better. They took him to the hospital as he had been vomiting and had diarrhea. They will have test results tomorrow, they have been a little anxious. In Haiti these symptoms are a grave concern, as they are common killers of infants. Something we take so for granted here anymore, has life-threatning implications there. They lack so many of the common treatments there, and symptoms so easily diagnosed and treated here, can bring devastation quickly in this land of the deprived! Keep them in your prayers. Just a couple more days and we head toward Detroit again. We are excited about what we will be able to accomplish this trip in. It is always daunting, but we rise to the challenge as we have been blessed and graced by God's infinite love. We have much more to share, but will do so in more posts! Blessings tonight!

Department Store

2011-03-21T20:09:00.004-04:00

Suitcase, baby clothes, food, pump, computer, Tylenol, Shoes, pants, dresses, hats, welding helmet, wire, baby seats, soap, Bible, crafts, crayons, candy, sunglasses, popcorn, bumper pads, clothe diapers, tool sets, fans, lotion, mattresses, pillows, pictures, playpen, soccer balls, DVD's, utensils, projector, kid's clothes, microphones, you name it, we've got it packed! I feel like a mobile department store, except all the goods we carry are going to be given away! 11 people, 37 suitcases, and a wallet of cash. Does that sound like an adventure? Sign up today! We are blessed to be journeying into the land of Haiti again, and God has provided in unbelievable ways. What can we say, except thank-you again to all our wonderful supporters and laborers on the ground raising funds and bringing in goods to continue to drive the message of hope and love to these suffering, but steadfast people. My mind often wrestles to grasp a hold of the ruthlessness of life, and the compound struggles that are part of it. But we are grateful to be part of carving away at the devastation armed with God's love and the generosity of many hearts! What a difference a little can make. When you see a smile wash over the face of one of these desperate souls it looks like a cleansing away of years of crusty and haggard exposure to the dusty trail of injustice and hopelessness. In a moment hope crushes despair with a simple act of love, and shadows flee before it's ebb and flow. What a honor and privilege it has been to be the hands and feet, taxing though it is at times, what joy and satisfaction reside in such labor. In just a few days we will be wheels down in the country, we will endeavor to keep you up to speed on our progress through the blog. Stay tuned.

Retrospect

2011-01-12T09:50:00.004-05:00

One year ago today, January 12th, 2010, 4:55 pm, in an instant life changed in Haiti. Terror and confusion gave way to sorrow, and agony, and suffering beyond what can be imagined. Almost a quarter of a million people died in the blink of an eye. I just got off the phone with Robinson and he was sharing that there are going to be special meetings and services all over the country today. He is having his people stay at home for the 4:55 time frame to give God thanks for sparing them and their homes. The church will then be open for those who want to come there and pray. They are also having a big meeting going on downtown at the park. There are several events taking place in Port; they are meeting at the mass burial site to remember those who lost their lives, they are also going to name the site and plant some trees in remembrance as well. People ask how much has changed in a year? Truthfully, not a lot. A few months following the earthquake, quite a bit was done in the way of cleanup and shoring up of buildings, but the actual rebuilding process has been marginal. There are still around 1,000,000 people displaced, living in tent cities, or worse. But how do you define worse? So many were already living in conditions hard to describe or even conceive. They are a people who have learned the true definition of survival, who have to fight for life every moment of every day in ways they themselves don't understand. Will things get better? For the lives we touch they do! There are no guarantees, but there aren't guarantees for any of us. We don't know what today may hold, but with God's help, we will make a difference even if it's only one life at a time. For a 32 day old baby orphan just taken in, it's the chance of a lifetime. For our four other orphans we have taken in, there is great promise, they sleep in real beds, with real blankets, they get real food, love, schooling, and tender care. How do you measure success? I measure it one life at a time. And working with all the wonderful people giving and going into this country, I am confident of improvement. We live in a culture of the have it your way, and have it now. We are impatient with process, with change that is not instant. I realize more and more the value of due process. For it's in the struggle we grow and truly change! God took some incredible people in the earthquake, He spared some incredible people from the earthquake. He left them behind because they still have work to do, lives to change, love to share. I am grateful in the aftermath of the earthquake for the goodness that flows to and from the country of Haiti. These are a marvelous people, deserving of the best of what we can give. I intend to continue to do what I can with the responsibility left on my shoulders with those who God has spared! May you rejoice today as well with the goodness that is yours! May we reflect with these people and be thankful for what we have, remember those who were lost, and press forward for healing that which is broken! Blessings today!

Addition

2011-01-04T20:55:00.003-05:00

I wanted to let everyone know, it's official, we have our first baby orphan! He is 25 days old now, and after seeing the doctor this morning, suffers from malnutrition, runny nose, and is recovering from having been given some bad food by those attempting to take care of him. Not intentional of course, Haiti is an unforgiving culture and climate with severe deficiencies. His mother died shortly after giving birth to him, she was from our church family and lived on the mountain behind the church property, a very impoverished area. The father came to Robinson and wanted him to take him into the orphanage because he has no way of feeding him and taking care of him. We took him officially yesterday morning, the transaction has been in the works for a few days. At this point Rob and Naromie have taken him to their house because of the work to take care of an infant is very intense. Naromie is very happy though, as they have not been able to have a baby yet. There is a chance they may adopt him, but that is something down the road. Right now they are in serious adjustment mode! I asked him how they slept last night and he said, "not enough!" Any new parent can relate! We are very excited to be able to be a part of this deliverance. For such a time as this God has readied us and now we are His hands extended again! The baby's name is Vladimir, we don't know how the parents came to name him this, as it's not a common Haitian name, but as you can see in the picture, he is a cutie! Continue to pray for Robinson and the work in Haiti, they continue to struggle with the Cholera epidemic, election corruption, and financial crisis unknown to us. Without our intervention, this baby was destined to an early death, the strangle hold of poverty is ruthless and relentless, and claims it's victims without remorse. We are thankful God placed us here to help deliver this one, and God only knows what He has in store for this life! We will keep you updated. Blessings always!

Reflection

2010-12-29T10:41:00.004-05:00

It's hard to believe that in a couple of days we say goodbye to 2010 and welcome in a New Year. For some there will be very little notice given to the passage of time, they will be working at midnight Dec. 31 and a task that they commenced at 11:59pm will flow into the New Year making nothing of the precise moment we pass from old to new, from then to now, from 2010 to 2011. We are prone to the festive, to making great moments, and we should, it is a celebration of life! But we cannot neglect the fact that while we have reason to celebrate, that elsewhere a dynamic struggle for basic survival might be taking place, that there are places of resentment, futility, and hopelessness that others might be having to wrestle their way through. I felt compelled not to expose the suffering again that is the normal part of the Haitian culture and life, but to recall my gratitude at the end of this year for all the great changes and accomplishments that we have been able to inject into this climate and desperate culture over the past year. With your help and God's help, we have shifted the outcome of the lives of many Haitians. Your help specifically no matter how small or large, has changed life outcome for good. A child crying in the night is now laughing, and happy, and full. A mother begging is now employed, energetic, hopeful. A father frustrated is now leading, protecting, faithful. These are just a small representation of the astounding ways God is using you and I in this His endeavor to reshape, save, and reconcile a culture lost to common goodness, and the essentials you and I take for granted. That God is including us in His flow of mercy is both humbling and extraordinary! We are grateful! I want to thank each of you for your help this year, for being a part, for walking beside us, some on the ground with us, and many through the venue of your generous pockets. I know for many it has not been without sacrifice, and I want you to know it is appreciated in ways you will never conceive both by me and the many Haitians to whom our aid flows. Robinson and Naromie just celebrated their 3rd anniversary, and I can sense the joy and appreciation that is part of their lives because of the way God is using them even in the midst of personal struggle. Currently the city water system is now broke and their community does not have regular water coming into their cisterns now. They have to travel two miles by foot to the orphanage where we do have a well to do laundry; basic hygiene is now doubly difficult for them with no water at their house. There is a well at the church property that is only a mile away, but hauling water in large quantities is a very difficult challenge with no truck or a way to load it on and off. They have no idea when they will get their water back, a broken pipe in a bridge could prevent them from having water at the home for months! And yet joy exists in abundance. We are looking forward to great things this year as God opens doors and continues to supply needs for us to fill. Pray for wisdom, strength, and endurance as we labor together to share His love in this dark place where light shines the brightest because of the depth of the darkness. May your year be blessed with God's richest blessings, and may you be reminded how your generosity has brought hope, help, and salvation to so many desperate lives. From our grateful hearts to yours today, thank-you; and many, many Blessings for a sensational New Year! God Bless!

Sidetracked

2010-11-18T21:57:00.002-05:00

When I am back Stateside, the crunch of time assaults my life, and it seems increasingly difficult to maneuver my mouse over the blogger dashboard. We just lost a precious Parishioner here at our church yesterday, and my comments about the fragility of life mentioned in one of my recent blogs takes on new meaning. I was sharing with Robinson tonight on the phone and he remembered this person well. Death in any culture brings the same reaction, the same isolation, the same grief. A life lost creates a vacuum, a space of emptiness, a void of loneliness. As Rob and I shared, I had to reflect on God's goodness to protect him in the midst of the circumstance of his life. I try not to take things for granted, but I found out this week I still do on some levels. There is a propensity for bitterness to set in when God crashes down those walls. But time has increased my awareness and understanding of His Sovereignty, and in these seasons of challenge and difficulty, we need to seek even more His leadership, His wisdom, and His comfort. My Haitian family is far more adept at this than I. As I listen to them pray for three hours each day at noon prayer, it makes me choke on my own indifference to my reliance on God. We all need Him far more than we think, our materialism blinds us to our needs. I would not be so bold as to ask God to take it all away that I may better concentrate and focus on Him, but I desire to rebuke my fixation on such trivial pursuits and guard myself more forcefully from harboring to much confidence and a false sense of security that comes with depending on what I can see, touch, or feel, as opposed to what I can grasp hold of through faith! So much was accomplished in Haiti this trip, but we cannot take credit for it. We are hands extended, God's hands. He added to the fruits of our labor a wonderful increase, and Robinson confirmed that tonight. I am grateful for life, love, and for hope. May these increase as we fulfill the destiny created for us, as we reach out and touch others may we remember only what's done for Christ will last! Blessings.

Litter

2010-11-15T14:59:00.003-05:00

Ever wonder why there are littering laws. What's up with throwing out a little trash, nature will take care of itself, no harm in a tossing a little wrapper. Right? Wrong! It is a disregard and a disrespect of the incredible goodness and greatness that surrounds us. There is a massive difference between Haiti and the Dominican. Two countries that exist on the same island. As people lose their sense of value, they also begin to devalue things around them. Our value as a mighty creation is often overlooked in our everyday living. As I was readying for church Sunday morning, I picked up my dress shoes that I had worn in Haiti last Sunday morning. I turned them over and one shoe in particular had a good sized chunk of Haitian dirt affixed to it. I carried it downstairs and beat it off out on the front porch, where the Haitian dirt will now mix with the Michigan dirt. I don't believe that little amount of dirt from Haiti will ever hurt anything at all, but it reminded me of the differences between the dirt outside my home and the dirt in Haiti. Ours is a rather clean soil compared to theirs. As you will see in the picture, most trash is just thrown where people are finished with it. The sewage runs down the city streets or lays in puddles unable to escape to the river. It is a horrific mess, and the only way to clean it up is for everyone to take responsibility for their own space. But in this land of destitution, that is a big thing to ask, when you yourself feel like the biggest piece of litter. I worked hard at improving the personal sense of value while I was there this time. We worked with the leadership, but it is a slow process, and the restoration of balance will take time. As you properly value yourself before God, you will also value His creation properly. The next time you are tempted to let that small piece of trash slip through your fingers, think of this photo, remember where that steers your thinking about yourself, and the God who created you. There is a fine line fixed between us and total irrational thinking and actions. If you ask the Haitians how they arrived at this juncture, they can't tell you, it happened slowly over the course of time, letting go little by little, one piece of trash at a time, and a nation is ravaged and plundered by the simple scheme of the devaluing of themselves and their land. Let us not be blind to this plight. Every time my fingers touch my front yard again, I will be reminded of the mixing of the soils, and the danger that resides in a tainted heart and tainted actions. Keep a clean life and a clean yard. Tend your space with high regard for the gifts however small that God has given you. Blessings.

Inspiration

2010-11-14T20:24:00.003-05:00

This is a special poem that came through the comments the other day and I asked Autumn Reyhl if I could put it up on my regular post so more people could see it. She kindly obliged so here it is for you to enjoy. The Reyhl family went with us on our first group trip and have continued to be an inspiration and encouragement to us in our labors in Haiti.

I Long to be Near

The simplicity of water to one,

Is the matter of life or death to another.

Not even a world apart from here to the sun,

Yet we care, love, and pray for each other.

Dirt stained feet, calloused and unbearably oh so sore,

Never to experience life's ordinary pleasures;

Only partially represent the rich-hearted poor,

Who are full of the worlds non-material treasures.

Thankful for all of God's many blessings,

Never ending smiles and everlasting strength.

Though they don't view their lives as depressing,

Their precious lives are tragically shortened in length.

Even though my mortal being is here,

I long to have my Haitian family near.

Thank you Autumn for this wonderful contribution. Blessings.

Lost

2010-11-12T21:22:00.005-05:00

Every time I arrive back home from one of these trips, things happen. I awoke this morning to discover my driver's license, bank card and credit card were all missing. After looking for two hours, I finally left for work, on my way I canceled both the cards and made preparation to go get a new drivers license. I'm still fighting a terrible cold and weariness. I never ask God why, it's never been a practice of mine. At this stage of my life I also know that when we reach out as God's hand, we are picking a good fight. Normally I feel pretty prepared, but today I was whipped. But then a blessing came along, a gas station down state had found my cards and had called our home to leave a message. I called them and my stuff is on it's way via mail. I didn't feel like posting tonight even though I knew I should. And this will be short, but I felt it important to let everyone know we were back, we were safe, and God is providing in the midst of our circumstances here just like He does in Haiti. I never want people to feel they have to go 2000 miles from home, into desolation and starvation to see the handiwork of God, He works in mighty ways right in the everyday place of our lives. Like He did in protecting my ID yesterday and today. You can't get that kind of insurance anywhere! Please continue to pray for the Cholera outbreak in Haiti, we didn't see anything to alarm us while we were there, and to a point I am glad, we didn't need that as we are not doctors and nurses, but the outbreak continues to spread, and people are dying. Matter of fact, one of the places I was trying to take Julie was Haute St. Marc, I found out tonight that 60 have died there in the last couple of days, thankfully we were turned away from there and now I know why. Robinson said tonight that there are so many in the hospitals now that people are being turned away. I told him to run our well and give out as much water as possible. When there is electricity, that is no problem, when there is not, we have a generator, but that takes gas to run, so they are only able to run it when there is adequate money for fuel. This is another provision I am working on as well. I told him to get the people fresh water, to get everyone in our area coming for drinking water from our well. While we were there last week I figure we gave away enough water to furnish between 164,000-175,000 cups of water. (It passed the coliform test perfectly again!) It is simply amazing what God has brought to pass the last year! So tonight rejoice in your life, God's life in you, take heart, He moves! All is not lost! Behold, we are found! Blessings.

Humor

2010-11-11T14:24:00.000-05:00

These posts often stay pretty serious, I try to thread in some humor, but there is a pretty steady flow of personal trauma going on. I ran into a nurse yesterday and there are 500 hundred cases of Cholera in the main St. Marc hospital. I don’t know the full report, there is a pretty good cover-up going on leading up to the elections on the 28th of this month. Many of the medical staff is reporting that the Cholera is not under control at all. Robinson is doing a training seminar in his hometown in the countryside this weekend. He was planning to do it last weekend, but the hurricane made him cancel his plans. He is concerned for the country people. They lack knowledge and proper understanding to help them fend off the risk of getting the disease. A pastors wife died in the mountains last week, the Cholera dumps your fluids so fast, that often they cannot get to the hospital fast enough. Apparently there are pretty decent supplies at this moment, but if you are too far away from the help, it does you no good. She was dead in a 24-hour period. That said, there are also many great belly-rolling moments. The other night Rob and I had stopped by the house late, and as I stood in the kitchen and big rat ran along the wall and into the room where several of the Haitian girls sleep. I told him, and he said I know. I said are you going to kill it, he said don’t worry about it! So last night Beth and I were finishing up cleaning up in the bathroom and heard a terrible shriek, we could tell it was Naromie. The house erupted and I knew the rat had been spotted. Those crazy Haitians went after that rat with a vengeance. Meckson showed up with a plastic bat and they finally cornered the critter and he killed him with that bat! It was hilarious to watch. Rob had been lying on the couch and never moved until the rat was finished off. Then he quietly got up and walked around behind his wife, reached down and pinched her leg as she was previewing the dead rat. She jumped and the house fell apart again. She got right after him! It was hilarious! We had a good laugh at her expense, but she took it with a good sense of humor. It’s nice to have breaks from the seemingly unending drama that floods the lives of these people. In the midst of all the bad, God’s grace freely flows and even the difficult things are often laced with goodness and a bit of a reprieve from the constancy of the struggle. God is good all the time, while we fail, He never does! Blessings always.

Plugged In

2010-11-10T23:34:00.004-05:00

We are now nestled safely in a room in Detroit. I fired up my machine and the frustration and difficulty of the past week in Haiti trying to post up melted away at the blazing speed of electricity. No wires to connect, no fees to pay, lights are on, the magic of our techno world begs my fingertips to caress the keys, to travel time and space, to explore and move swiftly through information lost in the transition of the last week. It's like I have re-entered the matrix, I have been unplugged, exposed to the true reality of life and now the digital age beckons me back to its alluring sights and sounds. Already it suffocates memories, stifles significance, and suppresses reality. Luxury, ease, relief, back from the edge, forward in time, the transition is almost too easy! Should there not be some fear here? Some trepidation, how can one live like this when others are perishing, staggering along though broken corridors of time. The visage of their lives shattered, pulverized, annihilated by circumstances beyond their control. Let me not be so weak as to fail to understand the pull, the luring of my soul to sleep, the nodding of my head before the intoxicating drug of our age. Do not rest my soul, but persevere. Lives are counting on our ability to sustain the actions taken against our beings, to avoid the imprisoning of our hearts and minds, the paralyzation of our wills. We as a team have truly been unplugged this week, we have experienced life outside our box, our matrix of understanding and perception. Would to God we not lose our focus, or sacrifice our hearts. May the hurt, the sadness, the hunger, the tears, the love in these eyes let us not forget our true place, our true purpose in life. As we plug in, may we cautiously remember our lot in life, our true purpose, our real goals. And may we all be reminded by this journey that we are above all most blessed. Blessings from Fairfield Inn.

Connections

2010-11-10T23:30:00.002-05:00

It never is a dull life when you reach out and risk a little, when you push the boundaries of your faith, and trust God. Traveling in and out of Haiti the last few years is an amazing experience in and of itself. I mean literally the traveling to and from Haiti. It would stun people to know just how many individuals there are collectively and independently who go in to labor in this place of insufferable need. Since the earthquake, it seems the efforts have redoubled, and I for one am grateful. It seems with all the money that has flowed into Haiti from the governments of the world, there should be absolutely no problem in this country of just 9,000,000. But that is what a broken infrastructure will produce, nothing. I am not sure where the money goes, but as I travel the country I see things that peak my interest. Especially along the ocean front behind great privacy walls. Corruption at the highest levels will often result in neglect of the people. And to be truthful, that is occurring in Haiti, to one degree or another. That is why I am such a big fan of private sector involvement, where volunteers carry the help or deliver it directly to the need base, most often at their own expense and sacrifice. I will say that once you have been to Haiti you better understand sacrifice, and you quickly learn your sacrifice is always minor compared to theirs. Gratefully Haiti as a democratic country is open to this kind of ministry and aid. My blessing has been meeting many of these wonderful people and hearing the great stories of God’s deliverance and the miracles taking place as we reach out to the helpless and distressed of this land. Today has been another day of connecting with some very key people in moving our own mission forward. When we do what God asks, He then often obligates Himself to do what we cannot. I have it on my heart to see to construction of a church facility now. Over the past few years God has blessed us with property, and we have labored alongside of our leadership to put up tent facilities, restroom facilities, thanks to Ray and Bob we have furnished the tents with pews, and many other supplies. The church has grown to around 600 people moving out of a little 18 x 30 house, they are now distributing free fresh water, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, taking care of the widows, the homeless, and the orphans. It is incredible as I take stock with what has come to pass as we have just taken one single faith step after another. Having said that, my heart has a fire growing to give these people a more permanent facility. I was doing some calculations and entertaining these thoughts this week. Who do you think God placed me beside for the flight out of PAP today, a man who has built two churches, a hospital, a school, some boarding buildings, and has some key connections with builders on the ground in Haiti who will gladly assist and provide us with structural engineering, labor force, and material for a 32 x 70 foot building. He told me we could get a building up and fully functional for $26,000 dollars, labor and material! They are doing a steel structured building instead of the concrete supported ones common to Haiti. This has been a very big concern of mine for several years, the concrete in Haiti is frail at best, and while it will withstand hurricanes fairly well, it’s a deadly weapon when the earth shakes! The composition of this building style is cutting edge for Haiti, and I see the hand of God in my connection made today. I don’t have the answers as to how this will all come to pass, but I have no doubt that He who is faithful will provide. I remain in awe of what God can do, of what He has done, and what together we can do in this incredible journey to rescue lives, shine hope into darkness, and drive back despair with love. Upward, onward, forward, be not weary in well doing, for in due season you will reap if you faint not! Blessings from 30,000 feet!

Solitude

2010-11-10T18:24:00.002-05:00

Here I sit, two thousand miles from home. A stunning sky above me, I see patterns I am familiar with on my own back porch. It is simply mind blowing to me that while the earth seems on one hand so big, on another, it seems so small. The same sky staring down at me tonight, stares at a very bleak picture. Should the smell alone of this land make it’s way heavenward, perhaps the sky itself would revolt. It’s view of my home, of my country is something far different should the lay of the land and the countenance of the hillsides mean anything at all. What saddens me tonight is the state of the human heart. I am afraid at each location, the same erosion has occurred. The erosion of the heart. And I am not speaking of all hearts, while I believe we all suffer the same plight, I am speaking of mine specifically. I seek to avoid the barrenness of soul that I have experienced in the past and if not careful can be engulfed in again. There is such a fragile and delicate balance to life, if we are not careful we trespass against our very existence and suddenly the landscape of our lives is affected, vegetation dies quickly in a drought, and then the torrential rains of life pour down, my existence is not prepared and I lose my life to mudslides all because I failed to properly tend the garden of my heart as instructed by God Himself. I don’t mean to get too theological tonight, but my heart weeps for this country. Changes, restoration need to come, will come I believe, but the rapidness of the change will depend on the people, it always does. When we fight for our way of existence instead of God’s way, we disturb the balance and harmony of life, and in due course set ourselves on a path to destruction. As I sit here and write, the team is asleep, the power is on so I wanted to refill the water tanks. I want to help restore balance to this community, to this country. I know I alone cannot do that. But I also know that imbalance in my life will alter the course of events here. We are all connected this way. We are dependent on one another in ways we cannot imagine. Take heed to this tonight, remember your place, find your place, tend your place. Get healing for the broken parts, throw away false pretenses, live in wholeness as God has created us to live, let the healing begin, not just in Haiti, but throughout the whole world tonight. It’s a big sky up there tonight, I can see that plainly, but an even bigger God rules the universe, turns on the light on those stars, it’s massive energy, power, sustenance that we can’t even imagine. That power can heal Haiti, can heal every broken heart, abandoned child, ruined countryside, or damaged family. It seems like only such small things in our lives that God uses, but He blesses them and increases them, and suddenly a cup of cold water becomes thousands of cups of cold water, one life saved turns into multitudes. And then a nation is changed! Let us go forth and be healed! Let Haiti be healed, let every heart everywhere be healed, and may that power light the world! Blessings always!

Proper Instruction

2010-11-09T20:50:00.001-05:00

Julie has made a pretty good joke of how some things were not given proper instruction. Take for instance riding a motorcycle for the first time in a dress! Some explanation would have been helpful in light of how skirts are prone to catch air! She has provided great humor through our entire stay. After our session with the school children doing thank you cards tonight it was time to start doing the hardest part of the journey to Haiti, saying goodbye and leaving. Placing our last tender kisses on the orphan children, hugging them tight, feeling their love, and reassuring them of our support. Telling the people who have labored long and hard with us this week goodbye, giving final hugs, sharing many tears. So many special and loving people are here. Fighting through the day-to-day struggle to simply survive, yet doing it with joy. It will almost tear your heart in two. When we arrived back to the house tonight, I caught Julie in a more somber moment, and playing on her lighthearted comments from earlier, I said; “sorry Julie, I probably didn’t properly prepare you for this either.” We both chuckled as we wiped moist eyes. There is a great sadness in saying goodbye here; there are so many unknowns, so many harsh realities. You can say “I will see you next trip,” but it doesn’t mean that it will be. We have the grace of this moment only, so finite, so defined, so raw. Herein is another great lesson from this country. Live today only, revel in its reality, be joyful in each breath. We have don’t have the promise of the next breath, just this one that we are currently taking in. So as we share our last moments, as I ponder the laughter and the joy in the living room as we pass out the softball team tee shirts from this summers softball season, I soak in the journey of the past few days, I rejoice in the solitude of my heart, giving thanks to God for His faithfulness in this trip, praying for all the lives we have touched, that the miracle of grace will continue to flow through God’s labor of love here in St. Marc and all of Haiti. Rejoice with us, sorrow with us, soak in this season of life and be glad. Lord willing tomorrow we take to the skies to return home. This will be my last post from St. Marc. We will do more blogging on the way home, and over the next few days we will get up pictures and more thoughts. Thanks for following the blog, please stay in touch, we labor on in faith and all of you are part of the journey! Blessings from our hearts tonight!

Marrying Young

2010-11-09T20:49:00.000-05:00

Today most plans have been able to be fulfilled. We are waiting right now to go over to the church and meet with the school children that we are putting though school. We had a very exciting trip to the mountain this morning. Our motorcycle ride was fraught with danger, breakdowns, fall downs. We came around one corner and I saw a bike upside down, I looked and it was Robinson! His motorcycle has need of some mechanical work, and he is going to get it fixed after we leave. It stalled at a very strategic moment going up hill and he couldn’t stop the backward motion. He was fine and we got it running, and made it to the top. We also visited a couple of schools today, and those were very enlightening moment. The mountain school we visited has 118 children. They are struggling to pay the teachers who make $64.00 a month. They even had to let one of their teacher’s go because they could not afford it. I asked if it cost money to attend and was told the cost was $100.00 for the year, then the magical question, how many students had paid? The answer was nine! Talk about a budget crisis. They were so thankful that we stopped by and visited them, they said it would bring a lot of hope to the community just that we had come, and that if they had money they would pay us for having taken the time to stop by. I was so touched by their humility and the appreciation. It took me by surprise. They have so many needs, but didn’t ask us for a thing. We are going to see what we might be able to do. I always consider the fact that these appointments are divine in my life, that there is a reason why we are at certain places at certain times. Perhaps my thinking may be a bit on the grand side, but in a mission work like this, I try to keep my eyes open for opportunities, somewhere buried in the details are lives God is raising up to impact a country, a city, a community, a village. A life He means to use mightily, and in doing so He empowers us to be His hand extended. When we were on our way back to town we stopped to get everyone back together, a man approached Robinson’s bike where Krystle was his passenger. Some debate took place, and I could tell it was a little intense. He stood about 6’6” tall without a shirt on his back. Turns out he was a witch doctor and wanted to marry my daughter! Can you guess my answer? Well, suffice it to say, there was no wedding and my daughter is still single like she will be for at least 20 more years. We made it back to town and everyone seemed to have an enlightening time! Blessings until later.

Spit-polished

2010-11-08T21:04:00.003-05:00

Here we are at the end of a complicated and busy day with lots of stand around time. You say what? How can you be busy and have stand around time. It's Haiti. The truck broke down several times today, I think it is about time for a new vehicle for Robinson. We normally don't depend on his vehicle to get around, but Ray's back surgery and the torn up road that we usually take to the church cost time, money, and undo aggravation. But I believe it was Jim Gallo who said in one of our missions meetings at the church one Sunday, if your going to go to Haiti, leave yourself at home. It will try every bit of your intestinal fortitude, and some you didn't think you had. A simple switch, that I have installed twice down here myself took us 3 hours! I think we finally discovered the problem and it had nothing to do with what we did. Some of our plans for the day went terribly astray, but we ended the evening at the Deli Mart downtown eating pizza. It was kind of a treat, we have not done this with a team yet. And it wasn't without it's own little sideshow. Apparently the ladies bathroom had in its attendance a person of the male agenda. What a riot that turned out to be. Robinson said it seems sometimes people have an 'education problem', I'm not sure that's what this fellow had, but he sure provided for some interesting table conversation. It was supposed to be air-conditioned at the Deli Mart, and some part of me wanted to believe it was, but when I walked out onto the street, I think it was as cool there as it was inside. We had some good laughs together, made a few plans for the morning that I hope won't get shot down, and then Jim drove Alisa home on the motorcycle while Beth and I tried out the very rear of Rob's Toyota, (because we were also carrying Bob, Julie, Ray, and Maura) in case your wondering, no there are no seats there, and no doors there, no seat belts, just a crash bar and lots of Haitian dirt! Rob’s car is a two door five person vehicle. It was quite a ride. But I had to make sure Jim had the full on motorcycle experience here. You don't see any Harley's, and any group riding is just taxi drivers in the same vicinity of one another delivering their human cargo. I'm afraid a Harley wouldn't cut it here, first of all the owners pride would be crushed because they couldn't even keep it clean, by the time the first spit-polishing was concluded at the rear of the bike, it would be time to start over at the front just because of the dust and dirt in the air, let alone taking the thing out for a spin where it would probably get a ding or a scratch on these rugged and unforgiving roads. Jim and I both witnessed different accidents right in front of us today. Well enough of the motorcycle talk. I just came out of another productive leadership meeting, and am confident in the direction the church is going. The orphanage is running superb, and our team there is doing great things. We got the pictures up on the wall today and got some photos of them to put up on the blog and website. Bob and Ray are like a finely oiled machine; you can tell they have been working together in Haiti for a few trips now! They continued to roll on their own production plan today. We gave out several hundreds of gallons of fresh water today, the children especially race for the fresh water, they are so thirsty here, it's profound to watch what a difference cold clear water makes in a community. And the expressions of thanks is a never ending tide of warm fuzzies! Much hard work and gracious giving has made this possible, it is amazing to watch the fulfilling of this dream. May many more follow, would to God that no more Haitian children should have to die of thirst! We are into our final day on the ground tomorrow, pray it goes smoothly. Sorry there is only one post today. Will try to write a little more for tomorrow. Thanks again for all the comments, the team loves them. Blessings!

Love

2010-11-07T19:56:00.002-05:00

Here are more images of the love of these children and how it captures you heart!

People

2010-11-07T19:29:00.002-05:00

Today has been a good day. We were graced with a little cooler weather, church was 3 1/2 hours long, so we got lots of church in today. Jim did a little project at the house this afternoon, Ray's back flared up a little so we had to get him to the house a little early, and I spent the afternoon in meetings with leadership. We made some tremendous headway, one of the the many aspects of a growing church is the load it places on leadership. We have an amazing team on the ground here in St. Marc, but they are also human. We were able to unpack some frustrations and give some guidance for growth in the future. This work is amazing that is happening right now, and the most incredible part is that people's lives are being changed. You want to move into harms way, try interfering in the vicious cycle that destroys peoples lives. It's hard to believe we are moving into the last two days of our trip, at least our on the ground time here. Tonight the projector failed me when we tried to show a movie to the church, we pulled out plan "B" and it works. However, it took around 45 minutes. In our country, I would have been booed out of the facility. Here, They took to singing and praying, and it was simply moving. Another great reminder of how out of balance material things can make us. With the advancement of technology, something has happened to break apart our understanding and appreciation of the needful things in life. Our wants become needs and our needs go unmet because we simply neglect them. It's a travesty of who we really are, and what we are meant to do. Listening to them sing tonight stirred something deep within me, and my frustration at the projector melted with the onslaught of their appeal to the deeper things of life. Of worship, of relationship, of common sharing of the heart. Let go of the frustration tonight driven by 'things', focus on the deep seated needs of your heart and those you are meant to touch, worship God, love supremely, live deeply. The shallow pool of materialism will dry up and run out, if you live in that pool, prepare to thirst long and often. As for me, I'm headed to the deep oceans, I'll risk my chances in the deep, where God's storehouse of love will never run dry! Be blessed this Sunday evening.

Bragging Rights

2010-11-07T19:28:00.000-05:00

Day five is closing in. Preparations for Sunday are well under way. We had a good day. So much happens, but s-l-o-w-l-y. When you do the calculations at days end, you realize just how much you have accomplished, and then there is the stuff you cannot see or measure. Today was extraordinarily hot! The humidity was through the roof, literally. I need to take a moment to brag on Bob and Ray; they have worked hard and steady. Besides the benches being done tonight, they have four specially constructed shelving units ready for varnish. For their break we put them in the line after children’s service to pass out the craft albeit in chairs! We had right at 500 today. It can be a bit rowdy at moments, but these kids are delighted with the smallest things. The girls have the food thing flowing like a river now, through all the twists and turns of the day they have been wonderfully efficient. The new stove and cooking pan we brought in this time have been a big plus. Tomorrow we will pause, it’s Sunday, and we will try to get our second wind. This trip has been a first for me; I have fought against an irritating and draining cold. It has really been tail whipping me. Jim has been more than my right hand man, steady and diligent and untiring, I would have been in Dutch without him. It has allowed me to work on some other things though this time. And I hope to spend an encouragement session with the leadership of the church in the next couple of days. In times past my attention has been required fully on projects, limiting my interaction with the leadership. This has been able to change some this trip. I have also been able to start to fully construct an orphanage budget, and see the working dynamics in action. Being placed there the last two nights because of the storm has actually been a blessing in disguise. (We’ll be glad to get back to the cooler sleeping in the tent tomorrow night.) By now news has covered the fact that Tomas was directed around Haiti for the most part. We are thankful, but to tell you the truth there are so many more dire circumstances here, it was hard to be overly focused on the Hurricane, or whatever it turned out to be. Today was business as usual; the waters abated over night, and except for the raging humidity, you can’t even tell a storm came through. We are grateful for all the prayers all the same. While I am bragging on team members, I finally wanted to say what a joy our first timer has proven to be. Julie has fit our team like a glove and brought added brightness to our journey. She is practical minded, consistent, and uplifting to be around. Her family can be proud of her! She is leaving a very clear mark here among these people. Beth, Alisa, Maura and Krystle, all rather old hands at these trips have been incredible. We are grateful for how God always orchestrates these teams; it is great to be a part of such a wonderful work and ministry. We appreciate the love and support that allows us to be your hands and feet on the ground here in Haiti! Blessings from our hearts to yours!

Awkward

2010-11-06T13:05:00.003-04:00

I put Jim through his paces so far! Here are more pics.

Diet Coke

2010-11-06T12:54:00.004-04:00

Here are a few misc. pics. I managed to stumble across Diet Coke finally! Had some very excited team members.

Rooftop

2010-11-06T12:34:00.001-04:00

I have been fighting a cold this trip, well at least for a couple of days. Last night was a bit of a long one, our mattress is not holding air, and the night was very, very still. I felt rather that I was roasting like a pig on a stick, except I did not turn over and over! So when the dawn was crawling up on the horizon, I found myself awake. I dressed and headed to the top of the orphanage three stories in the air. Would anyone care for an ocean view? A big ship is heading away from the port against the gray early morning sky. A lone palm tree silhouettes itself against the greenish haze of the ocean water. I am a half of a mile from the ocean, yet this is not an ocean view I would ever want to claim. Littered flat rooftops, gray concrete in composition, chase along between the shoreline and me. Muddy, rough streets, a stench the rain did not wash away last night greets my plugged nose, and the knowledge that last nights rain flooded the river to the bottom of the bridge means that the trash of the last few weeks has just emptied itself into this ocean make me cringe inside. No, its not the ocean that beckons me back to this city, nor it’s sometimes spectacular views. It’s the desperate people that live here who shine the brightest for me. The view from the rooftop that is most cherished by me this morning are two boys sitting on a water tank. They sit on top of the tank facing each other, no doubt enjoying their perch, although not as high as mine. Another four boys draining a rooftop. They did this yesterday morning as well, their house sits below the roadway, so they have to force the water out a long pipe and over the concrete fence in front of their house to drain. Their yard around the home is filled with water; if the roof had emptied in this space it would have flooded the house. I would judge from the ankle deep water they are walking in we got about 3 inches of rain yesterday and into the evening. The city is waking up, the threat of the storm is over, they have been hunkered down for two days, and you can feel their energy. They play in the streets, dancing around the mud puddles. We would be calling the city road commission to come clean up their mess! Here there is no commission to call, so you just make the best out of the worst. Would to God I could learn some of these simple lessons from them. Every one of these trips sets my resolve a little deeper, to not take life events quite so seriously, to enjoy more what I have right in front of me, to cherish my relationships in life, and to share more of what I have with those who don’t’ have anything. So as I bring hope through Christ to them, they share deep lessons of life right back, their humility begs studious review. Granted they are not all this way, but the majority of these people are amazing, and would to God I could be as much as they are if I were placed in their circumstances. So it’s not the ocean view that brings me back, it’s the people, people for whom I pray for this morning, that fresh hope and courage rise with the dawn, that the coming days of their lives will be better. For the children in our new orphanage, this is surely the case, it may be a small dent in a very large problem, but it is change, God change. And I know that change can rock our world. So on to our next day we have been given to share here, may it be extraordinary and blessed, and may yours be as well! Blessings from a rooftop, Google earth can you see me now? I surely know God can!

Weather

2010-11-06T12:33:00.000-04:00

Dashing raindrops, we are surviving on the ground. Amidst the rain, we were able to still get more work done today. It delivered setbacks, but everything in God’s time. The team had some good conversation, and a small blessing for us in the storm has been a bit of cooler weather, although the humidity has tempered our gains with regard to temperature. I am not sure I am going to be able to post up tonight. Everything has closed down today. We can’t buy anything; we will see what tomorrow brings. Bob and Ray got a couple of shelves built, and Jim and I were able to get a bunch of plumbing work done at the orphanage. Just a couple of small things to touch off, and it will be in good shape for consistent water for our children. The church people went in and set up 9 rows of benches this afternoon. They are very excited, and Ray’s dream of several months has come true! It was quite a vision he undertook, and it has been a great run! And to be able to see the end result of an undertaking like this has got to be very rewarding. All services were cancelled today, including the children’s service. At one point when we stopped by at 1:30, it was not raining and they were lined up in the street for the 3:00 p.m. service. You hate to have to cancel, but something that will keep these people inside is rain. We had a great time watching a movie with the family tonight; Kelly and Jim went and bought our one luxury on these trips, pizza! We have had a great night, it has rained pretty good on and off, nothing very serious. Some pretty good thunder, and lightening reminded me of home. All is fairly calm here. Off to bed at the orphanage again. Blessings from St. Marc.

Orphan Eyes

2010-11-06T12:32:00.001-04:00

The following poem was the fruit of a night spent with the orphan’s. I cannot tell you the rare joy it was to have these bundles of brokenness crawl into our arms this morning. A surge of love so rare came crashing across the canvas of my life. I have thought long and hard today, and recalling the stories, watching Robinson, soaking in their pain, the words worked out something like this:

I am hungry, can’t you see,
I wonder who will care for me,
I stare and stare, it is my plight,
To lift my eyes reveals no light.
I can’t cry, and I can’t feel,
My sadness grows against my will.
Day and night, they are the same,
A never-ending circle of pain.
I dare not hope, for hope is dashed,
Every dream I have is always crashed.
Who can hear my wailing heart,
Who can mend the fracture parts?
To look at me is to see disdain,
To care for me, you can’t stop the rain.
Torrent’s come, I am drowning now,
I fight for breath, but fail somehow.
Yet I live on, it is my curse,
Depending on the Samaritan’s purse.
I beg and beg, my pride has fled,
It vanished with the arriving of my dread.
Pure fear, pure pain,
Pure sorrow, what is my name?
To who do I belong this day,
Where is my justice in life’s way?
It is my lot to carry this burden,
I am strong , though heavy laden.
Through my eyes, the world is different,
I see much deeper than the affluent.
I see past charades, I see past your pride,
I can see your heart through your eyes.
You may not like me, but it true,
If it were different, you would be me,
And I could be you.
Only through my orphan eyes,
Only through my silent cries.
Hold me if you dare to see,
The only difference is who we’re born to be.

Dilemma

2010-11-04T21:05:00.001-04:00

The end of another day is upon us. And it was a great one. So much accomplished today. The benches are all made, and just 10 need their final coat of finish. The rain has stayed long enough for them all to be coated at least once. We didn’t know if we were going to make it. The plumbing work is done and we gave out over 1600 gallons of water today. It was a rush, filling buckets, setting them on the girls heads and watching the children rush up the hill with their precious cargo. It was a steady stream. The girls did extraordinary at the children’s service, in the neighborhood of 440 attended. The kids had the day off school because they don’t know what is going to happen with the impending storm. We are hunkering down at the orphanage tonight, as nobody knows quite what to expect. St. Marc is a very protected town from inclement weather and earthquakes. Many people have moved here since the earthquake. It is astounding to see all the construction happening here since our spring trip. We had a blast with orphan children today. Many hugs and love to share and receive. Otelson (one of our orphan’s) does not know it, the family does not want him to know, but his father just died in Desdunes from the cholera outbreak. It breaks your heart to watch these people in their suffering. The dilemma of the world, of all humanity, the problem of pain and suffering. So many things are explainable, but this, this is an equation we don’t yet have an answer for outside of God. Fortunately, God has a plan in the midst of pain, and His love often shines the brightest there. I can attest to that as sit here in Haiti tonight. We make our breaks with reality, we hide behind a TV screen, the delights of material things, we fill our minds with trivial thoughts, but here, you deal straight up with the insufferable reality of what life delivers, and without the grace of God, you can’t make heads or tails of it all. But we are blessed, and thankful as we share this week with them, to be a ray of hope, a thread of help, a small glimmer of mercy. Pray God continues to bless our efforts, to protect us, and to make a continuing source of encouragement through our time here. Pray tonight God protects this country from this impending storm! Blessings from grateful hearts!

Will Power

2010-11-03T21:57:00.000-04:00

For the slow start we had to our day, we mopped up on the rest. Right equipment, small blessings, will-power; and the guys have ten benches ready for varnish, (they still have to be mounted to frames), the new pump is in at the property, the new distribution line is run to maximize how fast we can give the water away, the tank is freshly cleaned, the new fill valve is installed, and the system has been filled, run out, chlorinated, and will be refilled before bed. The girls got the suitcases organized, the new clothes tried on for the kids at the orphanage, two meals served, the medicine organized ( a huge project!) and now everyone is readying for bed while a movie plays for the family. It is such a joy to soak in the laughter, to see the smiles, to relish their relief from their daunting plight. Internet service has been spotty and challenging this time. We are sitting down town with Alisa and Beth, getting off my earlier blog that I wrote while sleeping, (at least that’s what the team says, they apparently have photo’s to prove their point, whoever posts them will never travel with me again!) and getting up tonight’s quick note. Overall, a very great day! We are working hard and are well spent this evening. So off to finish our final tasks, and deliver the team to our sleeping quarters. We are grateful for all the comments and prayers, we press on! Blessings again!

Hilton

2010-11-03T21:34:00.001-04:00

We finally settled in after some excitement at the church last night, it’s always a bit of a job getting the sleeping arrangement, mattresses, and bed sheets around. So as we are finally getting laid down, Julie looked totally relaxed (I always watch our first-timers). The breeze was pushing the cool air around, and I said to her, you look comfortable. She said, “It’s the Hilton.” I had to laugh. I said maybe if we started telling people that we would get many more to come with us! The reality is that circumstances are what you make of them. If you fight against the current of events, you will rue your existence. But if you can bend with the tide, you can glean much from the journey! We went to the bank this morning, as we stepped through the door, a line in the building greeted me that I couldn’t see the end of. Rob put me in a corner, and disappeared. He told me he would return in a few minutes. I was thinking to myself, well I’ll see you in a few hours! Shortly he returned, and we left. I asked him if the lines were always this long at the bank, and he said yes, sometimes longer. I found out later he had sent someone to stand in line for him, and call him when they got close to the counter. I’m not sure how many of us Americans have close enough family and friends who would go stand in line for us anywhere, for anything, to help save us some time! The wonderful person who took his place must have waited for at least an hour or two, the next time you get impatient standing in line at the store behind a couple of people, and gripe because your not next in line, be reminded again of how blessed you are to be next in a very short line. We have flexed our schedule already, several little changes. Who would have thought I had to go to five motor stores before I could find 10W30 motor oil for the new generator for the orphanage! It’s a never-ending process. Change happens slowly, and by the time the change comes, something else has broken, and now you are back to where you started. At times it does seem a bit futile. But then you get another hug, you see a child going to school that you are sending, you see a life transformed by the power of God, and new life surges through your heart, fresh passion washes away indignation, and energy is born for another day. What a wonderful life! Blessings always.

Righteous Anger

2010-11-02T21:23:00.002-04:00

We are safely on the ground in St. Marc. All went rather well. Although the team got to see some righteous anger out of their pastor and leader today. I was hoodwinked just a little at the airport this evening, and when I was done, there were blue shirts staring open mouthed. It reminded me of how furious God must get when we try our little stunts on Him, the difference is He is never hoodwinked! This is another story for another day though. We are in a hurry to get the team to the property and get bedded down for the night. Everyone is well, and we have actually been greeted with cool breezes tonight. We set up the new stove and the girls went to work, we fed the house, managed our luggage a bit, and now we settle in for the evening. Getting around this time promises to be a little more difficult as our main road to the church is torn up now, but we will endure this minor hardship realizing our inconvenience is but for eight days, and these people don't get a reprieve. Thanks for all the prayers, the plane engine not starting in Miami gave a start, but must have just been a small issue. The flight was smooth and we landed without a hiccup. Have a blessed night, we will blog again tomorrow! Blessings with thanksgiving from St. Marc

100 lbs.

2010-11-02T21:22:00.000-04:00

What is in a 100 lb suitcase? The older I get and the more trips I make, these become a quandary for me. My back complains when my eyes register the size and weight, the wisdom of the years beckons and pleads with me to revise and reduce. So we get to the ticket counter this morning and the bag registers exactly 100 lbs. The ticket lady says if it registers 100 lbs, they cannot take it. What is up with that? So the magic number is 99.5? I guess so, and of course we have packed carefully. Time for an adjustment, she says what’s in the bag? I open the side of the suitcase and a mound of candy sticks peers out at us. Okay, now human nature kicks in, what child is going to be denied a piece of candy? We can’t take that out. Verses for the children’s classes on strips of paper are the next thing I set my eyes on, what child will be denied their verses? We took a handful and Jim says; “That will go with me!”
The bag now registers 99.5 lbs. The ticket lady was happy, she didn’t want to be the person to disqualify a 100 lb bag to touch all those children. So what is in a 100 lb suitcase, as much as possible to meet as many needs as possible, to spread as much hope as possible. We pack every bag with the same criteria, everything we can get in will meet some need for some desperate struggling life at a very critical moment. So regardless of the wisdom of my mind, I look to the strength still in my bones and say; “Lift!” As long as we can go and make a difference, as long as the way is paved, we will carry on. Thank you to all who continue to labor along with us, who carry the torch either by contributing or by going. Together we are making a difference. Thankfully God measures success far differently than we! We are safely on the ground in Miami. Over halfway to our destination. Rob and the bus are on their way, it is nice being able to text back and forth now, technology is amazing in it’s ablity to connect us when were worlds apart! Julie has now joined us safely, came in through the gate we all go out on! Miracles never cease, and these journey’s always remind me of how so intricately God goes before us! Never fear! Blessings until later.

Record

2010-11-01T22:13:00.002-04:00

This is the earliest I have been to Detroit with a team. The luggage is stored behind the front desk, most are bedded down, and it's time for lights out. A new record! These trips always come with hindrances, aggravations, frustrations, and your above average challenges. They are not for the feeble, they are tests of raw courage, of faith, and of love. I am always grateful to be in such company. While we are tested often, and sometimes without reprieve, there is much good accomplished even in the midst of our struggle. Pray we are successful to the point we get done what we are meant to, not necessarily our expectations, Haiti as a country is quite humiliating when it comes to expectations. Especially American expectations! Tonight we are settled in comfortable beds, temperature controlled rooms, warm food in our bellies, we have had our temperature controlled showers, slipped into our machine washed bed clothes, and fluffed our pillows to suit our bodies demands. That will change drastically tomorrow! We will be reminded in a moment that all we think of as necessary, even deserved, are actually luxuries. We are still a very blessed nation, with enormous responsibility to do our best to aid the defenseless, impoverished peoples of the world, to think a little less of ourselves and a little more of others. Sleep well tonight, enjoy that bed, fancy that pillow, for thousands of Haitian's will sleep on the dirt or the concrete, with no sheets or blankets to fend off the cold nor the hardness of the surface they will try to rest on tonight. Be glad again for the little things, take nothing for granted. Give thanks in all things, for you are blessed! Blessings!

Cholera

2010-10-22T23:42:00.002-04:00

Just a quick update on my parents, sister, niece and Manise (my adopted sister from Haiti) in Haiti. They went in and arrived safely in St. Marc Wednesday night. Rain has slowed some projects, but provided some good rest time and fellowship time. Manise has really enjoyed connecting with her family, a brother, two sister's and her Papa. Her biological father is so grateful to my folks for bringing her in to see them. It has been a long time, and I know he has missed her. When I called at one point Manise was sitting at the kitchen table playing pick-up-sticks with two of her siblings. Lots of laughter and good times! Many are aware that there has been some kind of epidemic going in Haiti, it has been covered up by the government (Haitian) because of the upcoming elections. We found out about it shortly after my folks landed in Port Au Prince. It is in fact Cholera, and many have died. We are not in the area infected, but because it is in the water, in can spread. However, many of the sick are being brought to St. Marc for treatment. Pray for swift deliverance from this epidemic. Cholera is still a big problem in third world countries and claims many lives every year. It can be treated quite successfully now days with IV therapy, it's just that often that is not available to the masses in these poor nations. Here is another thing to give thanks for at the end of the day, our tremendous heath care system. We are privileged to live in a land where we get the kind of help that we do, it may not be perfect, but it is light years ahead of where these poor people live. The other bright news today is that we have a pump in the well at the orphanage, and it delivers 10 gallons a minute, the same as our distribution well at the church property. The new pumps we took in on this trip run on a very small amperage draw. We can run them on the little generators we have purchased to help when there is no electricity which happens to be most of the time! We are so excited about this development, the city water lines to the orphanage building we discovered are broken and we have no idea when they will be fixed. Now it doesn't matter. We have clear water coming up out of the ground. What an amazing blessing as the rise of Cholera seems to add it's own exclamation point to this accomplishment! Keep my family in your prayers, they will be heading home Sunday afternoon. Blessings tonight.

Conditions

2010-10-17T07:47:00.003-04:00

It's hard to believe the next trip is already upon us. What's even harder to believe is that two weeks before we go the suitcases are packed, tagged, and taped! 27 to be exact. There are 10 of us going on this trip, one is joining us in Miami coming from Texas. We are loaded for the orphanage, our children's services, over the counter medicines, Christmas supplies, school supplies, project supplies, and the list goes on! We are going to be building 22 benches for the church this time, modifying the water distribution system to be able to give away more water more quickly. We have found special pumps that will run off very low electrical demand, so our small generators will run them. This is going to allow for more water more consistently. We are going to be setting up a small internet service network for Robinson to hopefully improve our ability to communicate more economically and consistently. An added bonus we have just uncovered is that we are now able to text back and forth and that is working quite nicely. We are going to do some paint work at the orphanage, build a couple more shelves and do some organization work, hold three services for the children, a movie night at the church, and some training sessions. That's the short list! We are busy, but thankful for the way God is bringing this trip together. There is always anticipation and a touch of anxiety as you ready for these journey's. Things are not the same in Haiti as they are here, or most places for that matter. I know times have been tough in our country, but we have no idea the depths to which real poverty can plunge us. I often wonder about the condition our culture would be in if we were dropped into the same conditions as these poor hurting people. We appreciate all the prayers and support as we launch, we couldn't do this without our base of faithful supporters! Someone asked me the other day how we do this? The simple answer is: by God's grace. And I like to keep it simple! Our time here this side of eternity is short, we press against the limits of time to get done all we can, to prevail against the night, to forge out new beginnings from the void of darkness the enemy has lowered. Time rushes on! Until later, blessings today!

It's Official

2010-09-22T22:12:00.004-04:00

This is a memorable day for our Haiti family and Robinson. The orphanage is now open with children in it's beds! They arrived last night, were fed, and tucked happily into bed. They awoke this morning to a story, devotions, singing, and a meeting with the director! He shared with them at the table a few rules, one being the boys are not allowed in the girls room and the girls are not allowed in the boys room. No exceptions! Funny, some things are the same in every culture. The kids are doing really well, and we are very excited for them. Robinson said they are very happy to be at the orphanage which means a lot to him. When he was six and dropped at the orphanage, he was not given a chance to discuss whether he would be happy there, while he went to the bathroom, his uncle left, and when he came out, his life was immediately and totally changed. I think he feels it is important not exactly that the children have full say in what happens to them, but that they at least have time to process the changes coming, after all, most of them have already undergone more tragedy than any child should have to face, and have had no chance to deal with the pain and loss that has been dealt them. We are thrilled tonight to be able to report this tremendous event. God has been very good, and many have come alongside to bring this amazing dream to fruition from one orphaned generation to the next! What incredible potential, what great accomplishments will flow from this wonderful work. Blessings tonight from grateful hearts!

Happines is cont.

2010-09-15T23:00:00.003-04:00

And more pictures. Robinson's smile in the last picture says the most of all. What a moment caught on camera. Getting a Haitian to smile for a picture is hard enough, but actually to be caught like this, well, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Enough said for now! Blessings.

Happiness Is

2010-09-15T22:46:00.002-04:00

Here are some more pictures.

Lighter Fluid

2010-09-14T22:23:00.010-04:00

I promised more stories and pictures, well here's a start. Beth was wondering what the rave about the purchase of this piece of wood was about when the ladies returned from shopping Saturday. She kept inquiring, and finally received her answer. The normal method of cooking in Haiti is over charcoal for every meal. With a knife they shave slivers off this block of wood to light the coal. This piece of wood will last a month. I always like to bring perspective into my life, and here is another great example of how good we have it here in this country. Remember this block of wood every time you to go to the kitchen to turn on a burner or the oven. A menial flick of the wrist here converts to a chore there to light charcoal using wood for lighter fluid! Cooking can be a pretty big job, in Haiti cooking is a gruesome task. A campfire cookout is fun for a few nights, then its back to real life! The stove, the microwave, the convection oven, a burner and we are baking and cooking in a matter seconds or mere minutes. In Haiti, it's smoke, and heat, and slow going. Fanning the coal, or cooling by removing the pot, there are no easy heat adjustments.
How about the leaf funnel, any of you guys used one of them recently. Talk about innovation. I know, I know, just make a paper funnel, it's a piece of cake... unless you don't have paper! I wonder how this works with the going green principle. Again this country with its deprivation and devastation challenge my status quo. Matter of fact they take me so outside of my box, I often wonder how these two realities can co-exist.
We are so grateful for the accomplishments of this trip. Is was wonderfully productive. There are several great stories to share, it has been a chatterbox of delight since Beth arrived home yesterday. She captured many great pictures and I will work to get them up for you ASAP. As I spoke with Robinson this evening, he again expressed his gratitude for all the help in getting this orphanage up and running. He misses Beth and Deloris and was happy we shared them with him for a few days. The orphanage will be open within the next week or so. Blessings until next post!

Homeward Bound

2010-09-12T09:52:00.002-04:00

Our ladies have been on the road since 7:00 this morning. They leave PAP airport at 12:10. They are in very good spirits this morning, very delighted with the accomplishments of the week. Pray for their safety as they travel toward home today. They will not actually arrive at home until tomorrow around noon. They get into Detroit tonight around 11:00 and will spend the night at a motel there and make the final leg of the journey in the morning. We are grateful as we go into service this morning for all the prayers and help along the journey to this point. Blessings until later.

Special

2010-09-11T21:41:00.003-04:00

Beth and Deloris just left this as a comment under my last blog. I thought I would share it as a post because some will not see it under comments. Here it is.

"Good evening! We are sitting at the internet all by ourselves....Wow! Robinson must really trust us!!! He plugged the fan in and we have been sitting here reading the blog and getting cooled down. He had to go put gas in the truck to get us back to Port au Prince in the morning. (He said we are going to leave at 6:30 - 7:00 am.) It is wonderful to be able to get on here to still feel in touch with our loved ones at home. Don't worry baby, I am coming home! It is hard to leave these children here but I know they are in good hands and feel very confident God is doing a great thing. Deloris and I have been sharing a lot and both of us feel that this was the right time to come. It wasn't something we tried to make happen, He has worked out every detail and it has been amazing to be on this journey together! Deloris sends her love to Ray and her family. Hugs to Kelly, Krystle and my Sweetie! We will be home to all of you soon! I know you are all proud of us that we could get on the blog in Haiti and send a message by ourselves! :) We have to go home to pack and get our cold showers so we'll be ready for morning. By the way, we were able to get everything done on our list for the day.....thanks to the prayers of all of you! Blessings to you tonight from Beth and Deloris in Haiti!"

Blessings!

Market

2010-09-11T18:17:00.006-04:00

It's morning right? Sorry, my day didn't go quite according to plan, so here it is a few hours late today.
The women finally made it back from shopping for the rest of the needs for the orphanage. Beth and Deloris weren't allowed to go because the people all felt it would have been too much. It took the ladies six or seven hours to get the list of stuff Beth, Deloris and the ladies put together. Except for the bigger charcoal stove, everything is ready to go. There is food, utensils, pots and pans, tubs and soap, buckets and barrels, lamps and much more. We are ready for the orphans.
The orphanage has been a bustling happening place for the last couple of days. The people are so taken with the endeavor, they are so happy. Beth said you can read it in their faces when they walk through the door. She said the atmosphere inside the orphanage is so warm and inviting. Today many young people came through and are amazed. They are telling our ladies how thankful they are we are doing this for these children. Several said they would like to stay. Many of them want to help. I think this is going to prove to be a great asset to Robinson's church ministry. While it is not a church ministry as such, it is a ministry of the church to care for the orphans. And I think our church family in Haiti is going to get much joy out of being able to serve their community through the orphanage. It is a wonderful thing.
Beth said the ladies were exhausted when they walked in tonight with all the purchases of the day. Meckson went with them and stood guard all day in the hot sun over the purchases for the ladies. One by one the purchases were made. Then they loaded everything into a bus and brought it back from the countryside. They went to the countryside because that is the place to get the best deals. They are a frugal people,and know how to stretch what they have. We are so thankful to be working alongside of them. We are blessed with air conditioned/heated malls, out of the wind, the rain, and the hot sun. Today it was very, very hot in Haiti, and the girls shopped in that heat, not for themselves, but for the continuing vision and dream that is coming to fruition, the 'Orphan Dream Ministry'. My hat is off to them and my heart is humbled by their service. It makes the ministry all that much more special when you know the commitment of the hearts behind it. Deloris said she sweated more today than in her lifetime combined! That's hot! I'm sure they are looking forward to a reprieve as they travel home, they probably won't be delirious about our northern cold front that awaits them though!
Beth got all the stuff organized for the school children for Robinson today. With everyone's help on the local level here in Traverse City, we are putting over 55 kids in school this year! It is incredible. These lives are being changed right in front of us, and what an opportunity for us to exercise God's gifts to each of us by helping a child get an education that can change a Country's future!
Our ladies hit the road in the morning to catch a 12:10 p.m. flight out of Port Au Prince. Pray for safety as they journey home over the next two days. We will stay active on the blog with pictures and stories as they arrive home. Blessings again.

Tears

2010-09-10T20:37:00.004-04:00

One of the trials of Haiti is the massive spending of emotions. Unless you have a heart of concrete, Haiti will crush it. Not necessarily in a bad way, but it will compromise your understanding of your reality. When you interact with these people in the midst of their hardships and very intense struggles, when you see them tapping something so deep that allows them to keep going, it is at moments overwhelming.
Today was one of those days. Beth and Deloris listened in on interviews with ladies wanting to work with the orphanage ministry, desiring to come along beside their pastor in bringing this dream to fruition, and they heard from some very golden hearts. Beth said there were lots of tears. At one point the women told them that they would accept as payment whatever God told Robinson to pay them. They said they needed to help the children of their country, and this is something they could do. In a land so desperate for so much, these are truly words of faith and inspiration to us all. Would to God we could be satisfied with what we have instead of always pressing for more and more. We always look for tomorrows opportunities instead of grasping what is right in front of us.
They also listened to the sad stories of the little children. So much pain, so much struggle, yet they can still smile, and love, and laugh. Children are amazingly resilient. And these children, well they are just incredible. Help me pray my wife comes home, if you noticed her look in the picture on my last post, you will understand. Her heart gets lost on these kids! I just hope she doesn't forget me! LOL
God is working out so many details for this operation, it is simply amazing. Beth was so fired up she had Robinson call me to tell me to call her earlier today! She could hardly contain herself with what is happening in bringing this work to a functioning orphanage. She had to tell me as soon as she could. At one point I asked if the electricity had been on at all since they had arrived. She told me it came on last night, stayed on all night, and was still on this morning. That never happens! God's hand is all over this little journey. We are rejoicing in His goodness and mighty provision. I am going to run for tonight, but will write more in the morning. Blessings to all!

Meetings

2010-09-10T17:42:00.003-04:00

Today was a day of meetings, trying to assemble the team who will run the orphanage for now, it was also the day we aquired the first two orphans! Here is Beth's email to me along with some pictures. Will blog more later on this evening, wanted to get this out hot!!!

"It's me! I just wanted to give you the names of the ladies helping us. Natacha is going to do the laundry for us. She has the bright yellow shirt on in the picture. LaMercy will do the cooking and she has the light yellow shirt on. They got some food for everyone to eat (rolls and avocados) and she took right over and served everyone! Naromie will be helping for sure and seems very excited! She was just getting back to the house from the orphanage when we were leaving for the internet and she thought we were going back to the orphanage and she said "I better go back with you". We can tell she has a lot going through her mind at the moment.
Liline is our new little girl in the white dress. This is Arcine's niece from the country-side. She is beautiful as you can see and is absolutely a sweetheart. Bernado is getting so big and he is so happy to be coming to the orphanage. He was so happy to see me and was not so shy today. He is a sweet boy!
We are doing very well and feel very blessed to be here and be able to witness all of this today! We have lots still to finish between tonight and tomorrow."

So as you can see, a great day for the ladies. These children both have very sad stories, and I will write more later about their history. For now, they both have a new home, a place of hope and help. We are so grateful for this opportunity, and so thankful to God that He is making this all possible. Blessing until later!

P.S. The other lady pictured here is none other that our beloved Deloris with LaMercy. Just thought I would point that out, in case you were wondering.

Burning Desire

2010-09-09T18:51:00.004-04:00

Day 1 is about done and it was a big one. With lots of hands and hard work, the beds are made, cleaning supplies are in place, and more cleaning is done. Beth said they worked hard all day and tonight they are ready for food! I am putting up some pictures of the beds and ladies at work. They spent some time working with Robinson's kids teaching them some of the games they brought in for the children.
At one point Beth discovered a spider she said was 3" in diameter. I didn't think a spider could find anything to eat to get that big in Haiti! Maybe it was her eyes that where 3" in diameter! Wait until she reads this post tomorrow! The boys took care of it for her. Actually, she's pretty calm about those things when she is there, not so much when she is here!
Another point of news is that Rob and Naromie have taken in another child at their own home, and Beth said she is a sweetheart. Her name is Tina with the 'i' pronounced long. She is nine years old. At this rate, we are going to have two orphanages running, one at Rob's house and one at the orphanage itself! What incredible people they are. We are so blessed to be walking beside them in ministry.
The table in the picture is kind of the centerpiece of activity. It was also hand crafted by one of the men in our Haitian church family. The children will spend a fair amount of time around it doing craft activities, watching a movie now and then when there is electricity, and eating and interacting with one another. Robinson was adamant about having this in the orphanage. He remembers all the good things that happened around the table when he was an orphan, and is really excited for the children that will be taken in. As I shared in my first post Tuesday evening, this has been a dream of his he has shared with me often. A burning desire to help the lost children of his country as he was helped. So many dreams never come to fruition in this land of devastation, people live their whole lives with a dream that never comes true, they die hungry, without cures, without tears, without hope. But here is a rainbow in a land flooded with loss, a promise of hope to small tender hearts crushed by the fierceness of a ravaged and brutal country. A salvation from the tyranny of the deprivation of love. A dream come true for one orphan now given to another. God is Good!
Time will go quickly, and there is still much they are working to get done. We pray for expediency and efficiency for their goals tonight. Thanks for all your words of encouragement on their behalf, they are reading them daily. Blessings continue.

Wheels Down!

2010-09-08T21:22:00.002-04:00

The ladies are safely in St. Marc tonight! The day of travel in went really well until the trip up to St. Marc. They were met with a pretty good rain storm, and if you know Haiti, hard rain creates hazards of flooding almost instantly. Beth said they saw many flooded homes along the way, with people standing outside. I can't imagine what those living in tents right now are going through. At one point a big truck slid off the road right in front of them. Fortunately they avoided the accident and made it on into town. The trip was so slow that they ended up traveling in the dark, which makes driving in the rain doubly, maybe triply dangerous. That said, they are safe and have eaten. Beth said Deloris is doing good, and that they were going to get out needed supplies for the night.
It has been a long first day, it always is on these trips, the morning starts so early and the connections going into Haiti are limited so it is hard to get in early coming from Northern Michigan. By the time you are able to get to bed, you have seen a difficult 16-18 hour day. So they are tired tonight. The rain cooled things a bit, hopefully they can sleep well tonight. They will be anxious to get to the orphanage facilities in the morning, and will be excited to work with Robinson laying out the supplies and starting organization.
We are so blessed by the generosity of so many in realizing this dream for Robinson. On Memorial Day of this year, God made it clear to me that the time for action on the orphanage had arrived, it was wheels down time! It's almost hard to believe that from Memorial Day to Labor Day, all the necessities would be in place and that in that short period of time the dream of many years would come to pass. I have witnessed many miracles in my life, but I never cease to be amazed at the handiwork and mighty performances of the Sovereign God of this universe. I pray we never lose our awe of Him. I too am weary tonight, so will end this post for now. Until tomorrow, blessing at eventide!

Sky Captain

2010-09-08T07:42:00.002-04:00

What is up with this? All these trips in, and never a sky captain, this morning, our women get a sky captain who smoothly transports the luggage from the bus drop off clear to the ticket counter(a long jog for those who have done this with 45 suitcases). They had one little mishap over parking the car this morning(they still need us guys!), but with a little aid from the kind bus driver the crisis was resolved for the damsels in distress, and as of now they are airborne somewhere between Detroit and Miami.
The presence of the sky captain this morning is just another pointer to this concerned husband that God goes before us, and nothing will stand in the way of His plan. Our first step of faith in His plan is often a step into the darkness, but then He takes over and reveals His power and sovereignty! So I leave to the workplace with confidence. Will post later when I get a moment. Blessings today!

Sleeplessness

2010-09-08T04:54:00.002-04:00

...4:40 A.M. Can't sleep. What a conundrum, the very thing needed for a trip like this and your mind and body denies you sleep. Must be I am suffering empathy pains! So I called Beth and they are about ready to head down to the shuttle. She didn't sleep much last night either. The excitement courses through your veins, expectation, anticipation, and finally dread... dread that if the alarm does not go off... what if I fail to hear the phone ring, can't miss the flight, can't fail the mission. Wow can we lather on the responsibility! I have to laugh at myself on occasion. I declare how much I trust God with one side of my mouth, and then fight with the physiological side of my being that seems to resist my faith and understanding. I guess that is why the scriptures talk about being conformed to the mind of Christ, there is a bending, a molding, a prying of myself into the place of rest sometimes, the place of full surrender and resignation. God will pull this off, not us, not me, not my time, but His, not my way, but his.
Adrenaline, sweet adrenaline kicks in over the next couple of hours, bags are carried and lugged, waiting in line, checking in at the terminal, passing security, and then your through. You walk forever to your gate, your wide awake now, your ready to go. Now you just have to wait until you land in Haiti! Pray for safe travel for the girls today, for good flights and calm hearts. God is in charge of this trip, and assurance is a blessed commodity! For now I will darken this screen and rest, soon my alarm will sound and I will call again to lend support to their journey. Blessings come with the dawn!