Ever Changing

Life here in Haiti is never the same from day to day. The only constant is the heat and the rising and setting sun. (not that it changes the heat) Let me give you an idea of the comings and goings, shifts and craziness around here.

Monday: We thought we were doing a kids club not the case
We picked up Mark at the airport
2nd Earthquake of 4.7 close by
More people move outside under tarp

Tuesday:
Start building bunk houses so people have the option not to sleep under cement.
3 people from CARE come to do just that.
4 new teammates arrive
Mark Leaves to stay closer to the airport

Wednesday: 2 bunk houses are well under way
Most people move outdoors


Thursday:
Brian and Sarah Leave
CARE team leave
One bunk house is almost finished



I tell you this not to complain, but the opposite to share with you how fantastic my team members have been here. And how God is helping to guide and direct us, how He graciously gives us wisdom and the people we need as we need them.



Our Construction Crew are some of the most amazing men I have ever worked with. I have not heard a grumble, have not seen them without a welcoming smile. 3 great friends from MA and 1 from MN and now a guy from Vancouver, and one from WI, and one who already had to go home...have worked everyday to make the Haitian Queen a place ready to welcome teams and last for years to come. They have:

Knocked down walls,built new ones, installed shelving, made benches, designed and constructed these 2 bunk houses when things seemed a little too shaky, made a stool for our cook so she can reach the high shelves, fixed generators, rewired the house, worked on solar panels, plumbing, water systems and made 9 sets of bunk beds, carried blocks, mixed cement and likely far more. All this done with a great sense of humility and humor.

They are truly a blessing and we would be in a heap of dark hot mess without them.

He is my refuge and my fortress my God in whom I trust

Psalm 91 (New International Version)

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. [a]

2 I will say [b] of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."

3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.

8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge-

10 then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;

12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."

Thank you for all your prayers for the time I have been here. Especially for yesterday and the prayers for our security. God is faithful, and last night their was rest! No Quakes!!! After two nights of 4.7 and smaller tremors, located only 8 miles away, this was such a blessing to us and we awoke refreshed and ready to work.

Beautiful Worship

My teammate said it well today after we attended this mornings worship service under the trees, "the church was forced out of it's walls and now there is no borders!"



It was not only at the service we attended that people were pouring out praises to God. Later this afternoon, our neighbors across the street met with their home church and sang praises for hours, it was truly beautiful. Brian and Sarah went for a stroll up into the surrounding hillside and heard praises ringing out all around them echoing off the hills!

Joy in the midst of Suffering

It is a popular phrase, "Joy in the midst of Suffering" but until you see it I don't think you can fully understand the power of God to bring peace to us. (at least that is true for me)

On Friday night I was asked to put together a 2 hour kids club for about 50 kids in a room that is smaller than most American living rooms for Saturday morning. Ok, I can do that, I have run kids clubs, camps, I was a Children's Ministry Director, and a Youth Pastor. Not a problem. And to tell you the truth it was not a problem. We made a ball out of a t-shirt and duck tape, balled up my socks for smaller balls, brought along a clothes line and a key chain ring for another game. I found a Bible story that was simple and relevant and we made a game plan. I was confident that we (my team of 5 and I) could pull this off.

But on the way to the club my emotions crept up to the surface and I found my self overwhelmed with tears as I thought about the kids we were going to minister to. Kids who have lost EVERYTHING, kids who have not had enough to eat in weeks, if not their whole lives, kids who have witnessed more death and destruction in their short lives than most adults ever will. My heart broke, even now as I type my heart breaks and the tears well up.

I lost my confidence, that I could hold it together. But God is faithful, we hit traffic, and by the time we reached Delmas 19 I had been comforted by my team and had managed to pull it together again.

When we arrived, things were already in full swing. Chairs in rows, filled with children 3-15 years old singing praises to God. My heart was truly blessed. We listened, and tried to sing along. Then kids took turns reciting scripture verses from memory! With such pride they stood up to share!

Then it was my turn to take the reigns. I took the stage, with my interpreter, Orange and retold the story of Jesus feeding the 5000. Then Linda (one of my teammates) wisely shared how we too had seen God meet our needs in a similar way this week. It was great. Then we sang, played games and sang and prayed. It was a beautiful morning! Filled with Joy and Peace that ONLY God can provide.

We spent the next hour or so taking pictures with kids, which they could not get enough of. We exchanged, smiles, hugs and love.

After the kids had been picked up we headed out into the Neighborhood of Delmas 19 to take a tour with the Pastor Absalom and his brother Orange of the neighbor hood they and the kids call home. They wanted us to see that this area had been missed by the distribution maps. Which means they have not gotten food or tents. It was once again heartbreaking. We were so devastated that we could not meet their physical needs, but we are making efforts to get them connected.

I promise you that I will always remain heartbroken when I hear a child from America complain their room, their meal, the latest toy. The kids we met, have nothing. And yet they have more joy and smiles, than any kids I have ever met.

PRAY for the people of Delmas 19!!! Who are sleeping under sticks and sheets, who have not had food to fill their bellies. PRAY that God will provide for them like he did for the 5000.

After our tour we were welcomed into Pastor Absalom's home, to visit with him and his pregnant beautiful wife. They fed us a wonderful lunch even though they have nothing. Our conversation was sweet.

Now I am off to church, to worship with people who once again have nothing but God, who realize that and love Him even more because of it! What a blessing. May you too be blessed today!

Day 5

It is so hard to believe that I have already and only been here for 5 days. I feel like I just got here and that I have been here forever.

Everyday is different, each day my role has changed, but tonight Mark (Our Fearless and intrepid leader) has suggested I..." be the go to person for volunteers when they arrive, to have figured out where people are sleeping, to communicate with rest of team/rosita who and when and how many are coming…, do team debrief when the leave, do orientation and set up monitor the house rules, to listen and invest and challenge the teams as they hang out in the evenings, to be like ‘cruise director Julie on the Loveboat’… ok, probably dating myself… and that could be you if you are willing. "

Today I spent the whole day at my computer, I know doesn't sound like life in Haiti, but part of what we are doing this week is preparing for future ministry, and that means systems and procedures need to be worked out. So today I typed, created and brainstormed how we can set up a lasting ministry here in Haiti. At the end of the day I have completed 8 documents that explain everything from Meals to Job Descriptions. Funny how skills like starting a non-profit come in handy.

At the very end of the day we found out that we are doing a kids club for 50-100 kids tomorrow morning at 9am. So I spent the last hour "planning" what that might consist of. But given that I do not know the kids, have not seen the room, don't know the language, and a millions other factors the best I can do is have a general game plan and be prepared to wing it! Looks like years of Child Care, Youth Ministry, VBS and Kids Clubs was good preparation.

All that said though, I covet your prayers for my emotions tomorrow morning. Seeing one little boy who was blind was almost more than I could bear,

Tomorrow's Bible Story is the Matt 15 version of Loaves and Fishes, I found it in Haitian CreoleThank you Jesus and I will have an interpreter,yet another new experience for me.

Please pray that the kids who come will experience the overwhelming love of Jesus tomorrow, that they will get to know Jesus a little better or for the first time if need be!

Marche' Day

Tuesday and Thursday's are the days for shopping here at the Haitian Queen (Our Headquarters/Home) Shopping in Haiti is always an experience today was no exception. Myself, Linda and Barb accompanied our cook, (I should say Chef, because she is amazing)Rosita to the local Marche' to purchase our groceries for the next few days. First we went to a small store called Deli Mart to get the meat and a few other things, on the way there I took the video below of Rosita and Miguel singing together as we drove.



After Deli Mart we stopped to buy some a box of frozen chickens and then headed to the Marche'/Market. We had no idea what to expect. We have seen markets from the car windows, but this was our first time at the market.

I have watched the Travel Channel and read tons of travel books and every travel host will tell you that you should check out the local market to know the culture. It is true of Haiti. The Market like most everything here was operating on a pile of rubble. Little stalls set up admits the debris where the locals sell produce and other goods.

Here are a picture.(more to come but not tonight I am tired.)

Life Observed

I am still processing my feelings about life here in PAP, but I wanted to share simply what I have observed, without my opinion involved in the matter. Before doing so I want to be clear that these are just my observances, I am not saying this is how life is only how I perceive it to be, I have in no way been here long enough to say how life really is.

Of course, the buildings are but piles of rubble. Those that are not completely crumbled are soon to be, the vast majority of the city is in shambles. And yet, are making do with what is available. Which is to say that they are breaking away what is left of the crumbling buildings in order to use the scraps to make shelter.



Shelter- there are still houses standing but you won't catch a Haitian in them, especially at night. Which is why tent cities are popping up all over the city. So for now the lucky ones have tents and the not so lucky are making do with tarps and whatever scraps of lumber and tin they can get their hands on. Some have ended up living on the median of the streets. Risking life and limb living between crazy amounts of insane drivershref="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNPu4JFq1iWlB1ZPzsRaK51k35j9hGcR80tqaWKvWOQKobqNde0VFEZ4tejvFe6o1FcbkNGXNrFsevngbLi2hhnKa10GxVP7d02AMcik_loJ_-GxrzaZkGnA11TTyLHd7HJBRPjLEdKs4/s1600-h/Haiti+1+061.jpg">





One area that is not at all kept up is a market place down by the port. It is over crowded with life. Human and livestock, owned and stray. All doing their business seemingly unaware of the filth and disease that they were doing life in. The smells of rotting food, urine, waste and sweat hang mingled in the humid air.



Not far past this point there is a lined up thousands of women waiting food ticket in hand hoping to secure a bag of rice for their family today. Yesterday there was an equally long line waiting in the squelching heat and as we drove by the call rand out from the armed guards that there was no more rice today. Those who had obtained their 50lbs sacks hurried off with them on their heads, while the rest left tired and empty handed, likely to come back again tomorrow.