Vini! (Come!) .... by Sara

 It was Friday morning in Haiti when I met my newest little friend. Our team took a 3 1/2 hour journey into the mountainside of Haiti to a small town known as Maisade. Here, in a little blue church, we would meet a most amazing community of Christ followers- and I would meet an incredible little girl. The people were already in the church, awaiting our arrival and as we were entering they were very much alive with worship. Oh how I love to hear my family in Haiti worship! As worship came to a close and the team finished up their time of sharing, a final prayer was said and many of the people hung around to meet and greet the team. 

 I had just finished teaching a small lesson and was putting my things away when a little girl, about the age of 9, slowly walked by me and stopped. I looked down and noticed right away that she was looking at me. I smiled and said "Bonjou" and it was then I noticed she couldn't make eye contact with me, nor could she stand steadily on her own, let alone walk well. To be real honest with you, my initial gut reaction when someone of this physical circumstance is near me, is to remain at a distance because of my own uncertainties of what to do or what to say. It's a sad truth, but perhaps that's how many of us, if we are really honest - react. Sometimes pain and suffering can tend to push us away rather than draw us near.

  Yet, then I heard God whisper gently to me in my spirit, "I've healed this one." And as He said this, I took a step toward her, knelt down, and said to her again, "Bonjou". Unable to make eye contact with me she stood there, holding her mother's hand. Her and I in this awkward limbo for about three minutes. As I knelt there in front of her, she took a step towards me and then fell into my arms, leaning on me for support. It was then that Chris (my Pastor and Haiti-missionary friend) explained that this little girl had been healed. She was at one time completely crippled but the pastor and her mom prayed for her and now she could walk! Wow! - I began to realize right there, in my arms I was holding a real miracle!

  Over the next 15 minutes I would spend a moment with this little one that would deepen my faith as well as my love for Haiti further. Our time together went like this: I would take a step away from her, say to her one word in Creole- Vini! (which means "come"), and stretch out my arms towards her.  In response, without any hesitation she would walk right into my arms. Bliss! And then I'd repeat it all over again.... take a step, maybe two or three, away, say Vini! and she would come to me, falling into my arms. Over and over we would have this small game between ourselves.... and over and over again I kept praying in my heart, "Thank you Jesus, thank you Jesus for healing this little one." At one point towards the end she even began to smile and then chuckle to herself. What a beautiful sound that was... and still to this day I have in my mind.

 Praising Jesus with every step she took; as I knelt there with arms wide open, I cheered and celebrated this great miracle. And with each new step she took I thanked God for the continued healing He has yet to bring to her. When one day she will run, not walk, into the arms of her mother, maybe myself if I am privelaged to see her again, and most definitely into the arms of her Healer.

Oh, how much I love and miss Haiti this morning for such simple yet miraculous reasons.

Saying Goodbye (jack)

Saying goodbye continues to be my most challenging time in Haiti. This is my third time in Haiti in 12 months, and it does not get easier. On this trip, I wanted to be more focused on one thing, relationships. I wanted to build a relationship with three young men that had made the effort and of keeping in contact via facebook or The Savini’s from the January trip. In January I met them and I thought of them often. It seems to me that when you visit an orphanage you tend to gravitate to the little cuties knee high. Honestly I do, my maternal desire gravitates to the little bitty ones. But what of the older ones? The ones who have many chores and a lot of children to help care for? So my focus was going to be primarily Eastwood, Josias, Yvens and of coursed I snuck in a big hug with Moles ( who just melts my heart when he sings) and Billie Jean (who I fell in love with instantly in January).
Eastwood and I had agreed that we would meet nightly to learn/ practice English and I learn Creole and that's how it started in the beginning of the week. As the week progressed there was a shift from studying to sharing life. We talked about my piti gason (son) a lot. They were very interested in how he was like, what did he like, what was his style? We talked about music, America, and Haiti. I think of the conversations I have with my son, that sound so different and wonder how could I leave and leave them here. My heart rejoices when I see them playing with Erik, Caleb and Bobby. I marvel at how God brought our three American teens to impact these three Haitian teens and so many more.
Tonight, our last night together, I sat with GiGi (Who's smile and servant heart has stolen the hearts of many of us), Yvens and my very quiet and loving Josias. We sang, cried, prayed and just sat in silence. Josias writes me everyday I am here; Yvens just listens to Eastwood and I when we talk. Eastwood is the one with many questions of America and acts as the protector of Jacqueline a lot. Eastwood seems to be a leader in the pack, he excels in sports, is a great musician and is very smart, he speaks the most English of the three and if he doesn't know he uses my Google translator (if we have internet), my dictionaries or goes finds a translator. One way or another he will get his question answered.
Tonight’s conversations were very sad. Conversations of "don't forget me", "I will miss you", "pray for me" and "I wish I could go with you". I wondered if building relationships here was wise, it's so much easier to just not attach yourself. I wonder if I hurt them more than help? I cried, they cried. I promised, God willing I will come back soon but that did not bring their bright smiles back. Eastwood, retreated to bed early tonight, and maybe it was much better to not go through the goodbye process with him. That goodbye is one I cannot do with composure. Josias, when asked "kouman ou ye?" (How are you?) All he could say in his soft voice, "not good." Nothing more was spoken but his letter tonight was the hardest to read. Yvens, the one I see so alive for God, we prayed for each other in our respective languages and cried. Immediately after our prayer he retreated quickly and went to bed.
Getting to know these young men has inspired me in so many levels. In what may my role be in the lives of young people in my community, in Haiti and specifically in theirs?
My time in Haiti as expected has been fulfilling, it's been a blessing, and has again opened my eyes to more.

Tonight is especially difficult and tomorrow, well tomorrow will not be any better.

Sprinkles (by Sara)

Sprinkles. Little did I know that this tiny candy that we use on top of cupcakes and ice cream cones would bring such joy to the children of Haiti. Tonight, as we were listening to the children sing to us, I realized that living a life of restoration can come in the most simplest of ways- even through sprinkles. Tonight was our night with the children. We all were looking forward to tonight because of our ice cream party with the children. All the children lined up in a single file line. They first received their ice cream and then came to the "toppings line".  Chocolate sauce, caramel, then strawberry sauce, gummy bears, then finally at the end I was waiting to give them sprinkles. With huge smiles on their faces they kept saying, "Wow, oh boy- yeah!". They were so happy to receive their sprinkles. There were about 50 people all together and all I had was one container of sprinkles.

As everything was finishing coming through the line, the children came back to me for more sprinkles. "Yes, nice..... sprinkles... Yes nice, sprinkles...." they kept saying. boys 15 and even 17 years old were smiling so big and were so very happy to receive their sprinkles. As if the ice cream was already enough- the sprinkles kind of put the "wow factor" on it all.

 But then, the moment I was fearing would happen- did indeed happen. I had run out of sprinkles. I had no more. All that was left were the incredibly large smiles of the children eating their ice cream and happy to share this night in Haiti with us. Jenn shared with us that this was their first ever sundae! Perhaps I far too sentimental tonight because I am leaving Haiti tomorrow- but something great happened tonight for all of us on the team and Jesus and ice cream were all in the mix. One container of sprinkles equals probably about $1.49. One night of serving these children sprinkles is simply priceless.

As I head to bed tonight, I am so grateful for the opportunity to come to Haiti and take part in this restoration work. I am humbled and honored to know all these people and changed again  and again by living with them for the short time I was here. Sprinkles. Who ever knew they'd could mean so much.

Women of God (by Sara)

Over the last year, there seems to be a reoccurring theme in my journey through Haiti; an area where God has been challenging me to kind of "step out of the boat" and trust him more. For whatever reason, when I come to Haiti, it is the older women who seem to draw my heart. I love children and play with them every second I can get (literally). Yet, on top of this God is revealing to me more and more the position and posture of women in Haiti. For example. many of you are probably familiar with my dear friend - Madam Timachet- who is now at the time I am writing this 109 years old. The moment I met her I was in awe of her story. Her life explanation was summed up like this:

Hello, my name is Virgini, many people refer to me as mama or Madam Timachet. I have 22 children and I am 107 years old. Praise Jesus, as long as I am alive I will help my children. See here, this community, this is my home, this is my people- as long as I have life in my bones I will use it to serve my people. 

And on and on she went. WOW! We then prayed with Madam Timachet and asked that God would begin to stir up His mission within our lives. I wanted in that moment to be so much like this woman for everything she shared echoed the heart and story of Jesus.

Which brings me to this trip and to today. So how can I become like her? How can I continue doing what I am doing but perhaps create further and more lasting impact? How can I become the kind of 100 year old woman who inspires others to be more like Jesus?  Over the last year, God has begun doing an incredible work in my life and in my heart, shedding away my "outer shell" and filling me with a hunger for only Him. In the process He blessed me with an iincredible apprentice leader. A woman of God who echoes His heart for the lost and broken and who daily seeks His face- no matter the circumstances. I have learned so much from Jacque this past year, and her fresh love for Haiti has been not only encouraging but monumental in our Haiti team's growth and raw love for the country. She has led us all into more times of prayer and abiding. What a gift we have to be able to have Jacque on our team.

But also something else has happened just today that has stirred my thinking even further. Believe it or not, when I am in Haiti I am really not asked that much of. Sure an occasional child might ask for candy, food, or water- sometimes money. Yet, for the most part I am seldom asked to do anything beyond giving something away. Today something unique happened. We visited a beautiful community in the mountains where Pastor Kensnel has partnered to do a children's ministry. As soon as we arrived, we were greeted with smiles and hugs. We then began to make our way into the church when to of the women who were walking with us happen to pull me aside. They asked me right away a very clear question. This being- "will you help us with our women's ministry at church?" This in and of itself was a strange conversation to have because we did just meet and it is really uncommon for such a direct question to be asked right away. Putting the "L" in B.L.E.S.S. (Listening) to practice, I then asked them what they meant by "helping them". They then went one to explain their need for prayer, biblical resources, as well as venues to begin small businesses for their community. From that moment up until now I have continually thought about their "ask".

And tonight as I head to bed and close out one more day in Haiti, I think about all the women I know and have met in Haiti throughout my time in this country. I am not at all clear on what my response will be to their request. I do however know that this country is full of some incredible women tonight. I am very honored to have met some of the youngest and some of the oldest- some of which have given their life away to service to children, their husbands, and their churches; while others I am certain will leave a legacy behind because of their love and self-less lifestyle. Some of these women, such as Jenn Savini and Jacque Arellano- I am learning so much more about Christ through; as I witness daily how they surrender their all to Jesus. And when placed all together, I am honored to be with all of them, partnered together in the work or restoring God's dream here in Haiti.

This post is especially for all of my sisters- for those who have traveled with us to Haiti and for those who teach us while we are here; thank you for being part of this great work. Little by little we will see His kingdom restored here on earth. - We need one another to finish this great work!

"Home" by Dave Ferguson

We left home early Monday morning to catch a flight from Chicago to Port-au-Prince, Haiti with a brief layover in Miami.  I thought I was leaving home; but after being in Haiti for the last five days, I have learned that I didn't leave home at all.

When we arrived in Dargut, Haiti we were greeted by Chris and Jen Savini and Pastor Kesnel & Yannick Joseph.  Pastor Kesnel, a native of Haiti who after living twelve years in the U.S. as a successful businessman returned to his home country and founded One Family Christian Church.  This dynamic and growing church is also the home of 41 children in their orphanage and a school for 200+ students.  When Kesnel greeted me it was with a huge embrace and an explanation, "Welcome to One Family where we are all a part of the same family; which means you are home."  Over the course of this week I've heard him say that over and over again - sometimes to our group, sometimes to the 41 orphan kids him and his wife have adopted and sometimes to other church leaders.  The picture above is of one of three locations that are part of One Family Church; this one was located in Maissade, a small town in the mountains.  Upon our arrival Pastor Kesnel spoke to Pastor Jackson and his congregation in Maissade and reminded them, "We are all one family."  He gestured to his U.S. visitors and said, "Whether your skin color is dark or light, we are one family."

The Bible teaches us that a core part of our identity in Christ is that we are family.  We are God's children.  He is our Heavenly Father.  We are brothers and sisters.  Together we make up the family of God.

As this week comes to a close I've learned that I really didn't leave home.  Whether I'm in Chicago or Dargut, Haiti when I am with other believers I am home.

Eye-opening, Contentment, and HOT! (by Laura)

Eye-Openeng, Contentment, and HOT! At the end of each day, our team gathers to "de-brief" nad talk about the days events. Tonight instead of our usual format, We played a game where each team member chose three words to describe their Haiti experience so far. In case you think this was a simple, team building game, let me tell you, it was fierce competition. At stake was coverted "shot-gun" position for tomorrows trek to the mountains; a 4 hour journey (each way) over some of the bumpiest roads in Haiti. These were the three words I chose.

Eye-opening.In Haiti, I have seen a way of life that I could not have imagined. We were invited into a typical Haitian home for a prayer service. The home was made of two 10x10 rooms of concrete block, had no windows or doors, a corrugated metal roof that you could see daylight through, no electircity, water, kitchen or bathroom, and the only furniture was a folding table, a wood hutch, and a bed. We drove through a open air market, with throngs of vendors and people and saw raw chicken, fish and meat covered in flies sitting outside in 95 degree weather. We witnessed the destruction of the 2010 earthquake and the squalor of tent cities.

Contentment. In the USA, contentment is a rare commodity. Parents spends extraordinary time and money on extravagant birthday parties, prom preparations, and private lessons for their children, because average just isn't good enough. The desire to be the first to get the newest technology has people camping out overnight at the Apple store. We can't live without a cell phone, flat screen TV, cable package...even if we Have to go into debt to gt it. In Haiti, I see a level of contentment and joy in the people, the pastors, and the missionaries. Not to say they don't hope for improved conditions in their life, but they do not let their current circumstances rob them of their joy. They choose to find joy in what they have.

Hot. Self explanatory, it is brutally hot and humid and there is little relief except the cold showers. I must admit, I am looking forward to some cool A/C in a few days:)

Overall, this has been an uncomfortable experience for me. I am a natural introvert, and recharge by being alone, and in Haiti, you are NEVER alone. I am not a real kid person, and prefer teens and adults to small children, and here thr are children clinging on you all the time. And the heat. I hate the heat.

I am glad to be in Haiti. I am glad to have seen what I have seen and have meet the people I have met. I have enjoyed the fellowship of my Brothers and sisters in Christ. And I am excited to see how God uses this experience in the future for HIS purposes and HIS glory.

The Haiti Experience (By Erik Strand)

This week so far in Haiti has been one of the most memorable in my life. There is so much about it to describe that I don't even really know how to start, but I will do my best to put the indiscribable into words. Hopefully you will get some idea of what is going on within me.

Haiti is amazing in many ways. I will start with the people here. As a people, they have so much more hope than I expected. They inspire me in so many ways. I have heard the stories and accounts of Pastor Kesnel, Pastor Alsa, Pastor Romnal, and others. They have inspired me in different ways. Kesnel and Alsa struck me because they both come from hard backgrounds and yet have the hope and the will and the love for Christ to expand His kingdom in everything they do. Just today, while we were at a metalworkers shop, Pastor Kesnel told two of the workers enough about Christ in about 30 minutes that they both asked to be converted to Christianity on the spot. It was so powerful. Meanwhile, Pastor Romnal from World Relief left me with different ideas. During his account of the Umoja strategy, he made a point that has changed the way I see service. He said that when outsiders go into an underresourced community and ask what the community has to offer to help itself, they often will reply with "I have Nothing." He used a story from the bible to illustrate this. In it, a woman is asked what she has. She replies, "I have nothing, except a small jar of honey." She then used that honey to pull herself out of her financial hole. Basically, the idea is this: poor communities often will say they have nothing. But there is always some small "except" at the end. They undervalue what they have and don't realize that it can be used to help them.

More on the people of Haiti. Believe it or not, the pastors have not had the deepest impact on me. What has really struck at my heart is the children here. Our translators, David and Ralph, are both around 20 years old. They have told us their stories, their background, their hopes, things about them that I didn't expect to hear. They have inspired me. Also, the children at the orphanage are incredible. Pastor Kesnel's son, Eastwood, is 19, but is almost exactly my size. We have been hanging around together a lot the past couple of days, which is made slightly difficult given that he speaks little English and I speak almost no Creole. Still, he has made an impact on me. I enjoy his company and love to hear what he has to say. The other kids have impacted me too. Now when I say kids, most of the ones I have gotten to know are older than me, so they aren't little kids by my standards. But they are amazing. Yvens, Josias, and all the others speak little English, but say so much by what they do say and by their actions that I can't help but to be moved by them. The little children as well are awesome. From bringing mangoes to us fresh off the tree to holding our hands every time they see us, they strike deep in me and I will not forget them.

There is so much more to say about Haiti, but I feel none of it is as important to me right now. I could go into the poverty or the hopelessness or the hunger that are all very present outside of our safe little community of this orphanage, but what has captured me is the children. I know that when I leave here I will not forget them ever. I would love to come back, to do everything I can for them. We will see how that works out. In the meantime, I will leave you with our activity from this evening. We were asked to use three words to describe our experience here so far. Mine are as follows: inspiring, exhausing, and home. The inspiration comes from the people, the hope they have despite their circumstances. The love they show others despite having so little for themselves. It is both heart warming and heart wrenching at the same time. The exhaustion is both mental and physical. Physically, it is over 90 degrees and we have 15 hour days, in addition to several hours of sports daily, so we are exhausted. Mentally, we are worn down too: I have seen so much in so little time that I had never experienced before. Just trying to process all of that leaves the mind frayed. It is exhausting, but worth every second. Lastly, I said home. This really sums up the trip for me. I mean it both literally and figuratively. Literally, we feel at home, we are welcomed, the people are hospitable, it is a loving environment. Figurativelly, however, I feel home, like this is where I should be, like I was made for this. Whatever I experience when I get back home, I know that part of me will stay here, and one day I will have to return for it.

What I've Seen So Far (by Bobby)

In my first few days in Haiti, I have seen things that do not happen all the time in the States. I've seen people just hop on the back of trucks to get a ride. I've seen kids come up to our car and ask for money. I've seen destruction when we passed the capital building, where the president had lived, and it had collapsed. Not all of the things I saw were negative though. I saw pure joy when the car pulled into the orphanage and all of the kids flooded to us to greet us. I saw generosity when the kids came up to us with  mangoes, one of their few possessions. I saw hope for a better tomorrow, and a bright future for this country. Most importantly I saw God moving in these people and changing lives. I saw God when Pastor Kesnel shared his remarkable story. I saw God when John Baptist told us about how his coffee bean market had boomed with the help of World Relief. I saw God during the prayer walk we took. Even though I could not understand a lot of what they were saying, I knew that the Hatians were passionate about what they are doing on this mission to restore their nation. I saw God on the first day when Chris told us that Pastor Kesnel was serious when he said that this church was really one family. This trip has been a tremendous experience so far, and it looks to only get better. I am looking forward to the rest of the trip and I hope I can meet more great restorers that God has sent on this mission.

Generosity (by Caleb)

Generosity is something that for someone with much is easy. For people with so little though generosity can be very difficult, but here in Haiti, especially in the orphanage, generosity seems like something that comes as second nature to these people and the children of the orphanage. It seems extremely present with these children here in the orphanage, and despite the fact that they have almost nothing their first response is always to be generous and share all that they have. All that they have though probably doesn't seem like very much to most people. their only possessions that they actually have that they can give away are mangoes. There is a mango tree in the corner of the court yard of the orphanage, and the kids will wait and wait sometimes for hours on end for one of those mangoes to fall from that tree. I personally have seen multiple children go sliding, or even diving head first, straight onto the rocks and rebarb just to get one of these mangoes. Some of the kids will get up in the pouring rain at three in the morning just to try and check for one of these fallen mangoes. Now going to all this trouble just to get these mangoes may seem silly to some people, but it is the only thing that they can actually have as their own. Saying this absolutely speaks magnitudes to the generosity of these children when all they ever want to do with these mangoes is give them to you. Just seconds before coming up to write this I was in the court yard with the children throwing a frisbee when two mangoes fell from the tree near us, and the two children just bolted straight for the mangoes. When the kids got the mangoes the first thing they did was turn straight around to give them to someone, and I got lucky and they actually gave me one. They gave all they had just to see someone happy and see the smile on that person's face. This is what generosity really is.

Church (by Sara)

Throughout this week, our team is taking a closer look at the life of Nehemiah- a legendary RESTORER in the Old Testament. Today in particular we learned about how God used Nehemiah, a cup bearer to the King, to bring restoration to the city of Jerusalem- the idea being that God can use us all (no matter our earthly position) to take part on his restoration team!  In such an extraordinary way, I saw the church of God alive and at work here today in Haiti. Throughout the day today our team had the chance to meet and hear stories of pastors and church leaders here in Haiti. My favorite part of the day was the community prayer walk we took part in this afternoon.

A group of individuals from the church showed up this evening and gathered together for prayer. We then began walking through the community and soon arrived at a lady's house. She had been in need of a lot of prayer for herself and her family. What I like most about this time was the fact that about 20 people from the church came out to pray specifically for this sister. On top of this, what I thought would only be a 15-20 minute prayer time, was actually an hour long worship and prayer service coupled by the reading of scripture.

A group of 10 Americans praying along with 20 Haitians- all coming together in Christ to pray for our sister. It was church and it was amazing!! The church here in Haiti is still so very much alive and I am so grateful for the opportunity to come here and meet RESTORERS already at work rebuilding God dream for His church here.  God reigns and His presence is evident in the prayers and lives of many people we are meeting during this trip!

My Favorite Part of Haiti (by Sue)

We only have a few minutes before we leave on a prayer walk to visit a family in the neighborhood, but I wanted to take a few minutes to say that my favorite part of Haiti is being with the children!  They are so happy!  They are so friendly!  They may not have much in terms of material possessions, but they are rich in love and faith.  My faith in enriched by witnessing theirs!   My other favorite part is watching our kids (Bobby, Erik, and Caleb) interact with the children here!  They are doing such a good job!  I'm super proud of them.  God is good - all the time!!

Distance

It usually happens this way- after I return from Haiti, weeks after I have said my "farewells", hugged my friends goodbye and parted ways (temporarily of course) with the team; after I am nestled back into the comforts of my own home, and find myself getting back into life's typical routine- I'm overwhelmed with homesickness. The distance between Chicago and Haiti by plane is only about 5 hours, but yet the reality of being able to live life there, with all of my life here begins to settle in. It's an ever present tension in my life- which as long as this God sized love for Haiti remains in my heart I am not really sure will ever go away. It might just be one of those facts of life I'll have to get used to. Unless of course one day I can really "go there".

Distance- what is it really though between here and there? It seems like yesterday I was playing "Lion and Chase" with the kids, I can still feel them touching my arms (pinching actually). I can still see their eyes full of joy as they look at me- waiting in expectation to sing more, play more, talk more together. I can still smell the food and the roads- and the smell of the fish market we'd pass occasionally. I can still hear the children singing, and laughing, and and asking me to hold them. I can still- so very much - feel Haiti within; almost as if I would just close my eyes long enough I could be back home; back to playing endlessly, back to caring and holding others, back to praying anytime for anyone without hesitation, back to singing and laughing - and back to speaking Creole as much as I'd like to. What is the distance anyway between there and here. I am not sure it is that far at all.

When I consider the example of Mary- the moment she chose to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to him rather than being busy like Martha; the Bible tells us that Mary "treasured all of these things in her heart". Even after Jesus ascended into heaven- it was the the beautiful memories, the stories, the rare moments between her and Jesus she treasured within her heart which kept Mary full of hope and joy.

Even though I live with this constant tension of the "there and here", although tonight I cannot truly feel at home, I am full of hope and joy. Haiti is very much alive in many hearts throughout Chicago tonight as many Ambassadors, myself included, are pondering in their hearts the stories and words of the Haitian people.

We will not forget you Haiti; the stories you have told and the dreams you are still dreaming. We will not forget the past from which you rise, the hope in God you still proclaim, and the door you leave open for our return.

Haiti, tonight you are so close to Chicago. 

Why Haiti

We are spending our final night at One Family in Jesus Christ Foundation, an orphanage, private school, church, and the new home to Savini’s. The Savini’s is a family of four who relocated from Naperville, Illinois to serve these people.  I couldn’t understand exactly why you would come for far to help the needy, but I didn’t really know much about Chris Savini, other than the fact that he got seriously sick on my first trip to Haiti.

When Chris was sick I asked him if on his previous trips to Haiti had he gotten ill.  He replied, “Most of them.”  I knew he was intending to create a church in Haiti so I had to wonder if he might be a little crazy.  Why would you come to live in a place that made you sick?

After spending a few days here with Chris and his family I got the answer to my question. Here in One Family in Jesus Christ Foundation God lives in the lives of those who need him the most. I asked the Lord that I wanted to get closer to His heart. It is the journey I stared over ten years ago.  I must say that the Lord’s heart is beautiful to see, touch and feel up close.

I won’t bore you with the usual details of activities, people, conditions, large spiders, and so on.  You must see, God’s heart, feel his pain, touch his sorrow to know why the Savini’s have come to Haiti.  What a blessing to be a part of this.  I can say only that I will be back.

Bondye Beni  On, Jack

Joy (by Sara)

So many things are happening everyday here in Haiti. I have been trying to find a moment to sit down and write a few thoughts for all of you- but then I get called away. :) I find a good "busyness" when I come here- one that I really have a hard time saying goodbye to when I return home. This trip in particular has been incredibly exhausting. When I come to the end of the day- I simply have no energy left. Life here is constant and changing and I love it. However, there is a great joy that I find here- a joy that can only be found here (for me anyways). This joy seems to take me by surprise and overwhelm my soul. This joy seems to creep its way into my memory and implant incredible moments for my keeping. This joy cannot be manufactured and cannot be denied.

When I see Jack helping a little girl, losing himself (and his mind) in a skit for the children, or praying for another Haitian brother- my heart is full of joy.

When I see Lydia playing the drums with a smile in church- surrounded by Haitian children, playing soccer with the children, or saying "I love Haiti"- my heart is full of joy.

When I see Jackie praying for team members to find strength and determination, or hear her share her testimony with others, or sit down and be touched and caressed by little Haitian girls- my heart is full of joy.

When I see Brent helping out with all the supplies we need for the team, speaking to and hugging and showing God's love to Haitian pastors, and even jamming for Jesus on his guitar for worship every night- my heart is full of joy.

When I see Kevin speaking truth in the lives of three young Haitian men, sharing the vision of children's ministry he's been entrusted, or even empowering others to give forth the gifts God has instilled in them- my heart is full of joy.

When I see Rob up by the mountain top view, hear him teach a class of young Haitian students, or put endless smiles on children's faces by just about anything possible- my heart is full of joy.

When I see Betty give give give- more and more to others- constantly asking them if they need help, when I see her holding Anyaka in her arms for hours or sharing her gentleness with the children- my heart is full of joy.

 

When I see Tara in Haiti- with Roberta at her side, when I hear her say "Wi" and follow in the footsteps of her life giving impact on others- my heart is full of joy.

When I see Dan shoveling all the dirt in Leogane :) to help plant mangos, dancing with the children, or working with Haitian men to repair a truck- my heart is full of joy.

There is something so simple yet profound that happens in each of our lives when we take a step out of our own world and enter into another's for HIS name sake. The chasm of foreignness between "them and us" is bridge with the name of Jesus. No longer do we realize that we must be the most gifted or eloquent in speech to love God's people. We do not necessarily need a degree or have the most eloquent of speech to impact a mission.

All we need is HIM in us for this is the hope of all nations- and to offer everything we have and are and jump into whatever He sets before us. Seeing all these Ambassadors doing just that- laying it all on the table and giving God everything they've got not matter what that means- in order to love, touch, and serve the people of Haiti- this fills my heart with joy.

I don't want to leave. - Lydia Reyes

I don't even know where to begin. This past week has changed my life forever. All I can really say is that I love Haiti. Each day, I fall in love with it all over again.
My favorite days have been the last two and a half, here at 1013 Ministries with the Savini's. It warmed my heart to be completely swarmed by children when we got here. It was an indescribably beautiful thing for me to experience. You could truly see the love in their eyes and hearts. Smiles stretch all the way across their faces when we pick them up, or do something as simple as smile and wave. It is easy to tell that all they want is love, and I am more than willing to give it to them.

Today really hit me hard. We only have about 40 hours left until we leave Haiti, but I pray that I will be able to return as soon as possible. There is so much on my mind and in my heart right now, and I am not the best at getting it out, so I hope to really process it all tomorrow at the beach, and be able to truly explain how I feel. In Haiti, I feel so many emotions at all times, and I wish that this could be easier for me to express. I just feel blessed more than anything; to be with such an incredible group of people, to be able to be in Haiti (where my heart is now), and to be living some of the best days of my life. I thank God for all that He is doing in our lives here in Haiti, and I can't wait to see what else He has in store for us.

Rebuilding With Roberta

I am currently sitting on the steps of what is the existing church here at the orphanage.  Cinder blocks nicely stacked together are stepped upon day in and day out, welcoming the littlest ones and the oldest ones to come and fellowship in the Lord.  Right beside me nestled against my arm is my new friend, Roberta.  We can't get beyond common greetings together due to the language barrier, so we sit in silence a lot.  Feeling the cool breeze blow through our hair and watching life unfold right before our eyes, there is something deeper happening.  For it is in these moments I am completely overwhelmed with the love and faithfulness of God.

Life is so different here, it happens so fast and yet unfolds with grace ever slowly as moment by moment one can look and see the glory of God in this place.  Every time I have closed my eyes this week in prayer and/or worship, I see Jesus.  Yesterday He was playing soccer with the children, laughing as they whizzed right past Him to score yet another goal.  Today He was in the classrooms with them, sitting amongst them.  And yes, He is here now with Roberta and I-just sitting, just being.  It is here in this place and in this moment that I feel the most peace, just resting with a new friend at the feet of Jesus.  Emmanuel, God with us.

The tattered tarp walls blow gently with each new breeze that passes through, and amidst the rubble and collapsed buildings I am reminded that God is making all things new.  Oh yes there is much work to be done here in Haiti, but I have seen so much of what God is doing here this week.  Hope has been restored, children are being rescued and loved well, buildings are going up and yesterday a woman was picking up trash from the creek that trickled down the street.  I wish you could be here, to see what my eyes have seen and hear what my ears have heard.  Let me finish by sharing last night with you.

It was late, everyone was exhausted.  There were over 50 Haitian children with a dozen or so Americans singing "And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us?" under the clear night with bright stars.  The glory of the Lord echoed in the air and hearts were stirred.  It was in that moment that my tear-streaked cheek turned to see children embracing adults and dancing together with such a jubilant innocence.  Yes, the church is being rebuilt here in Haiti.

Look out world, God is raising up a generation of children and youth who know and follow hard after Jesus...the love they have for Him and receive from Him is big enough and strong enough to break the greatest of strongholds that has held this people captive for so long.  God is at work here, Jesus is among His people and He will make His name and His glory known.  Thank you for praying, thank you for giving, thank you for being a part of the church that Christ is rebuilding to make it again His beautiful bride.

Thursday - Why Haiti?

Thursday was our first full day at One Family in Christ Jesus Foundation, an orphanage, private school, church, and the new home to Savini’s. The Savini’s is a family of four who relocated from Naperville, Illinois to serve these people.  I couldn’t understand exactly why you would come for far to help the needy, but I didn’t really know much about Chris Savini, other than the fact that he got seriously sick on my first trip to Haiti.

When Chris was sick I asked him if on his previous trips to Haiti had he gotten ill.  He replied, “most of them.”  I knew he was intending to create a church in Haiti so I had wonder if he might be a little crazy.  Why would you come to live in a place that made you sick?

After spending one day here with Chris and his family I got the answer to my question. Here in ??? God lives in the lives of those who need him the most. I asked the Lord that I wanted to get closer to His heart. It is the journey I stared over ten years ago.  I must say that the Lord’s heart is beautiful to see, touch and feel up close.

I won’t bore you with the usual details of activities, people, conditions, large spiders, and so on.  You must see, God’s heart, feel  his pain, touch his sorrow to know why the Savini’s have come to One Family in Christ Jesus Foundation. What a blessing to be a part of this.  I can say only that I will be back.

Bondye Beni  On, Jack

Jesus said...

We have definitely had a full day, every day while here in Haiti.  There is constantly so much to take in that at times it can be a bit overwhelming at best, but it seems as though at the end of every day there is a resounding theme, a recurring thought...and today it has everything to do with the heart of Jesus about children.

Can you imagine the scene?  Jesus has been ministering all day long, feeding people, making crooked legs straight and bringing the dead back to life.  And surely at some point He eats some fish along the way.  It is nearing the end of yet another packed day in the life of our Savior, and oh snap...here come the children!  Who lets those kids in here after all?  The disciples, in the "good intentions" of their hearts (though God calls our hearts desperately wicked), shoo them away.  But in a still moment, Jesus stops them and says this, "Let the little children come unto Me for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."  Wow...sit on that for a minute.

We had an incredible training with the staff of World Relief today and the Haitians shared their burdens and struggles in working with the children here...there is not enough help, there is not enough money, the problem is just too big...and the list goes on and on.  We shared together, exchanging ideas and brainstorming and yet by the end of it all had also laughed together and cried together.

A mere few hours later and we find ourselves surrounded by 50+ orphans.  Smiles bright and their faces lit up, they simply could not stop climbing all over us, holding our hands and asking our names.  It is here that we will spend the remainder of our trip, conducting a childrens outreach and loving on some precious children.  Their stories are graphic, their hope is dim and yet their inheritance as a child of God is rich.  The kingdom of heaven belongs to these ones.

I sat for awhile tonight on a step while a precious girl slept in my arms, taking it all in.  The dust kicked up and the echoing laughter of the children, the running around in circles and feeling our hair, the dogs barking in the background and the resounding sounds of car horns littering the streets...for a moment it became a blur and was just too much to take in.  Then I heard Jesus speak again, in that still small voice and most gentle of a whisper...and yet with such authority and power that all of creation pauses to listen:  "Let the little children come unto Me, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to these."  With a tear streaming down my dust-covered cheek and a precious girl in my arms, I couldn't help but wait in eager expectation for what God would do these next few days.  It's beyond amazing how just one word spoken from Jesus can change everything...what has He spoken to you?

Day 4

We returned from Christianville today where we spent the last two days.  This is a large facility that contains a church, a school K-12, agricultural nursery, chicken farm, fish hatchery,  goats, and cattle. Our visit there was filled from the time we arrived to the time we left.  We worked in the agricultural program, tending to avocado seedlings, and prepared mango seeds for planting.  Jack and Dan helped get a dump truck started, which was carrying dirt for the nursery.  We visited an earth quake ravished structure that was three stories tall.  We interacted with a group from West Virginia that constructed the building we stayed at.  There were others from Indiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.   

When we returned to the World Relief center we had a briefing on a new church program for Haiti and World Relief called Umoja which was developed in Africa.  A 5 step program that empowers a church community to become the church God intended it to be. The program is especially designed to help church communities in impoverished situations.

Tomorrow we are off to work with our church planter and his family.

by Dan Drews and Brent Norton

Today was our first full day in Haiti.  We were fortunate to have several options for church this morning.  Some of us went to the Haitian speaking service and remarked how amazing it was to see all the native Haitian people worship in their language.  Brent, Jack and I went to the service held at the local private school.  This service was in English, but was attend by both Haitian and non-Haitian too.  Many of the attendees where from all over the world including their new pastor from Australia.  Some of them were on short missions like ours, others were there on a longer term basis.  The service was packed and everyone was VERY welcoming.  We were also fortunate to witness a baby dedication who's parents were Haitian and the God parents were white (from New York).

After church were took a long ride in the back of the World Relief truck up to the home of Carla who has been in Haiti for 27 years and has been a major activist of all things Haiti. 

After meeting with her and many of the Haitians she works with, we were treated to an authentic language lesson and the importance of not only the words, but also their meaning and culture implication (i.e. "Bon Jou" is not just simply "hello" to them).  Pictured below is Yaya, who was our teacher for the evening. 

 Carla also talked much about their self-sustaining resource efforts like the brickets pictured below.  These are made from old cardboard and paper soaked in water, cased in tube, dried and sliced in usable pieces to replace coal.

It is now 9:30 at night and we are all tired from a long day, but oddly, we are looking forward to getting up in about 6 hours to go to visit and work at a World Relief agricultural site in Leogane where we will be working in planting mangoes.  God bless these people.