Last Night

It is my last night in Haiti, and it is hard to wrap my mind and heart around leaving. I am ready to go home in many ways, but I think much of my heart will linger here for quite sometime. As it should.

Today was a day of passing on information and helping paint the bunk houses. But more importantly it was a day of goodbyes to a lot of lovely people.

Rosita, Marco, Roman, Miguel, and Meglan. Not easy goodbyes I will miss them all. They are an integral part of the ministry and life here at the Haitian Queen.

Please pray for tomorrow. I leave here at the house at 6am, the airport is a series of check points and security checks, I need to be on a plane at 10:20am Haiti time. Then I fly to Ft. Lauderdale, then wait for 6 hours then on to Dallas for 2hours then home! 11:30 pm CA time

Thanks again for all your love and support!

Answered Prayer and Completed Tasks

It is a pretty calm day here at the Haitian Queen, aside from our director forgetting his passport and wallet on the floor when he left for the airport early this morning and people having to go catch up to him at the Airport. Thankfully it all worked out. I am taking advantage of the slow time, to catch up on a few things and to take it easy as I am on day 9 or 10 of being sick.

I did manage to get the bunk houses set up for the 8 people arriving this afternoon, hanging bed nets and moving air mattresses out. Here are some pictures of how great the bunk houses are looking right now...





The addition of the bunk houses continues to draw the attention of the neighbors, one newly wed couple have even stopped by to get the directions, and find out what supplies they would need to make their own. We have more roofers coming on Sunday so we hope to get the tarp roof on the girls replaced with a metal one soon! But with the addition of the window tarps that Rick conjured up and the tar to patch the leaks in the tin they have stayed dry!

Other good things is that our 3 day kids club was a success, the first day there were 4 of us leading 75 or so kids and the rest of the time it was 3 of us and more kids. But even with a huge language barrier, limited equipment, i.e. a few balls, a bit of sidewalk chalk and a rope, and bandannas we managed to keep them not only entertained but share the love of Jesus with them and they with us.

I never ever want to hear someone complain about a VBS program, or budget or lack of staff. 75-85 kids 6months-15years in one room and under a tiny tarp for 2-3hours a day in 3 languages, with no budget means with the same goal accomplished as any other VBS except after and during Earthquakes and aftershocks, means I am pretty sure we make life much more complicated than it needs to be at home.

Thank you for all your prayers and support! Looking forward to coming home on Tuesday and sharing with you more in person about life and God here in Haiti.

Looking up

I am happy to report that things here in Haiti are improving. As we drove through PAP these last two days it was evident that the heaps of garbage that had covered the streets and water ways are being cleared away! Even in front of the major market where I had witnessed some of the worst unsanitary disturbingly awful conditions the piles are almost non existent now! Praise God!

One or maybe more of the humanitarian organizations are paying locals to clean up the city and that program seems to be working! There are groups of Haitians in blue shirts and yellow shirts clearing trash, sweeping streets and even beginning to clear rubble. It is drastically different from this time last week.

The big machines have also finally come, and you can see them moving piles of concrete and and demolishing buildings that are ready to topple.

All of this is a huge answer to many, many prayers!

Our driver commented today that the streets were never clean before the earthquake, so it is even an improvement from what used to be!

Some more ways you can pray:

1. We finished our 2nd of 3 kids clubs this week. They are going well, but we are tired. I have been sick for 7 days and am pretty worn out.
2. Pray for our translators at the kids club they to are tired.
3. We are getting a heap load of new people, pray for transitions and the safety of those coming and going.
4. Praise that all those who have left have made it home safely! (I think, ROB?)
5. Our cargo is supposed to arrive in Cap Haitian anytime, please pray that God works a miracle and we can get the trucks and stuff that is on that boat out of Hawk and get them safely down here.
6. I am trying to come home the 9th, I think I have my ticket, but my itinerary never showed up in my email. :O( this was a 2 hour process, pray that it works.


Thank you for all your prayers for Haiti, for the teams here and for me. We all greatly appreciate it.

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.

The Arrival

Well I made it safe and sound to PAP. And for the most part it was a pretty easy trip. We got a late start, as our plane was held up for some reason, still not sure why. But the flight from FLL to Haiti was actually much more roomy than most planes I have been on lately. They also handed out brown lunch bags with goodies which served as our Breakfast and Lunch. We touched down briefly on an island in the Bahamas called Exuma.

Then we landed in Cap Haitian where we waited for our friends from Missionary Aviation Fellowship who picked us up in a beautiful Kodiak plane. Which we loaded up with all of our luggage and flew to a smaller airport in PAP.

We were met at the airport by Mark. The Airport you should be pleased to know was invaded by the British and many many supplies. We loaded up a "Kia Truck" with the luggage and us plus all the food and stuff that was already in it. Picked up an electrician and our wonderful Haitian driver spent the next hour and half or so navigating the crazy streets of PAP.

I am still processing that part of the journey, but needless to say it was overwhelming how bad this city was damaged. And yet the people I am told spent the whole weekend fasting, praying and singing worship songs. The Whole City. They shut down everything, so that they could spend the weekend getting right with God. Sad I missed that.

I am now at our house, but till be sleeping out under a tarp and my mosquito net. I will share about that later. Those of you who know me well know my biggest fear and let me just say they found a huge one upstairs. PRAY.

A Different Kind of Valentines Day

I can honestly say that I never imagined spending Valentines Day traveling alone to a state where I know absolutely no one to head to Haiti.

As I sit here alone in my hotel room in Ft Lauderdale, FL watching the Olympics counting down the hours till I leave for Haiti you might think I would be sad or at least overwhelmed. Shockingly, I am not. I am thankful for the chance I have to go and love people, I am excited to understand the God I love in new ways as I have to depend on Him more than ever before. It is in fact maybe as it should be. On a day that we have dedicated to celebrating those we love and our love for each other, I get to show my love for God by obeying His call to go to Haiti, I get to experience His love as He travels with me.

I don't know what you are doing this Valentines Day, I hope you are spending it with people that you love, but more than that I hope that you know God's unfailing love today. I hope that you trust Him more and find Him to be your greatest love.

Thank you for all your prayers, God is answering by giving me an overwhelming peace. I hope to keep you involved in what we get to do in Haiti through out my time there, if at all possible.

Holding Pattern

First off thank you for all your kind words, your prayers and your support!

I wanted to let you know that as of yesterday (meaning could change at any moment) I am in a holding pattern for Haiti. I spoke with some of the men in charge and they felt that at this point Haiti is too unstable/unsafe and they would like to hold off in sending me.

So I am waiting.

When I signed up to go I was willing but not longing to go. In the past week I have developed a heart for Haiti, and for the people there, and I can honestly say I long to be there helping as soon as can.

I will keep you posted.

Please continue to pray for those serving there, and for the people of Haiti who for so long have lived in the midst of death and fear. Pray with me that God will use the people who are left and the people on the ground to bring peace, and life to the nation of Haiti! That He will not only meet their needs but will raise them up out of the rubble and plant them on a firm foundation!

I want to be sure you see positive images coming out of Haiti not just the stories the news chooses to focus on. Here are some pictures from last Sunday morning in Haiti, where hundreds of Haitians gathered together in a tent to worship God!



The images are of my team leader Sarah and some local people, whose names I do not know. Please pray for more of these kind of situations and reports flowing out of Haiti!

"Are you excited? Are you Ready?"

These are the two most popular responses of friends when I tell them I am heading to Haiti. Excited is not the right word, and I am having a difficult time finding one that sums up the energy about me when I think of going to Haiti. I am not scared. And as surprised about that you, but I can honestly say I have an indescribable sense of calm. Peace, maybe, but peace implies that I am not bothered,and I am. I am saddened by my lack of knowledge about Haiti prior to this Earthquake, disturbed by the ongoing decay in the country and lives of the people who call it home. At the same time calm, because I fully see hope in the person of Jesus Christ and have joy in the fact that in some small way I will get to minister to the needs of the people in a country that to be honest I still know very little about.

Which leads me to the question of readiness. How can one ever be ready for this? I am more prepared than I was last year, even more than last week ore yesterday. I have been through training with ReachGlobal, I have worked a week here and there at the Dream Center, never imagining that I would need that experience as much as I am drawing on it now. I got my shots, I am getting Malaria meds in my system. I am reading Mountains Beyond Mountains, watching the news old and new on Haiti, and I am collecting my supplies, but no I am not ready.

I doubt I will be ready. But I am not sure that it matters...if I failed to go because of my lack of preparedness I would miss out on having God meet me in my weaknesses. I know I am going to need God like never before, and I am ready for him to meet me in Haiti in ways I cannot prepare for.

God and I met this morning when he woke me up so we could have an early morning chat. He kindly reminded me of the call He has placed on my life. A call that fits for Rome, fit for Youth Ministry, Children's Ministry and fits for Haiti. Jeremiah 1 is God calling Jeremiah to be a prophet to the nations. It is also how God called me into an awareness of who He created me to be. It was what I needed to hear this morning a reminder of God's hand that knit me together, His hand that touched my lips and placed His words in my mouth, His hand that is holding me now and His hand that will rescue me in my time of need.

So, yes I am excited to see how the life God has created me for continues to unfold as I follow His prompting. And yes, I am ready to know God in new ways as I encounter Him in the lives of His children in Haiti and as I struggle to understand Him in midst of a disaster so devastating.

BIG NEWS Going to Serve in Haiti

I have been asked and approved to head to Haiti to join the Crisis Response hand of TouchGlobal and ReachGlobal from February 9th through the first week of March to serve with Brian and Sarah and other Reach Global missionaries. It looks like right now I will be working to set up two houses that will be used to house all the future teams of relief workers. I will also be working on building and maintaining relationships with all of the new organizations we will be partnering with to be the most effective in helping the people of Haiti.

Many of you are giving to my financial support for Rome, and I still need you to keep doing that, and I will be continuing work on raising the remainder of my support. I am pleased to point out that I am now at 50% of my monthly support for Rome up 8% from last week. It seems that God is honoring my obedience to go wherever He leads and new supporters began rolling in as soon as I said I was willing to go.

If you would like to Give a special gift towards the ministry I will be doing in Haiti, I do need money for airfare, and to get some Haiti appropriate clothing and supplies as well as all the shots and travel insurance that I need. Please let me know if you would like to give in that way and I will let you know how to do that.

If you cannot give above and beyond what you are already giving but would like to be involved I would REALLY Value your prayers. Pray that God would be preparing my heart and mind for this time, that I would be a blessing to all that I work with and for. And of course Pray for the people of Haiti. I am also in need of some supplies like:

good boots (size 9)
water purifier for a water bottle
First Aid kit
Bug Net
Batteries
High Energy Snacks

I will let you know of other needs.

Pray Pray Pray

Thanks

Where He Leads I Will Follow

Thank you for all of your prayers for me and my team! Here is the latest from Brian and Sarah...
Update on Brian and Sarah

Also it is looking more likely that I too will be heading to Haiti to work with the team there. I am still waiting to hear the details and get the final approval, but I would greatly appreciate you joining with me in prayer about this.

For more on what we are doing in Haiti check out the EFCA Crisis Response Blog