October trip summary

Haiti Oct 8-12, 2009
By Deb Denlinger
October 8, 2009, a team of 16 Americans traveled to Haiti and very humbly became the hands and feet of God by ministering to pastors, teachers and orphans. This was possible because of the many people here who gave of their resources so willingly before we went. So while 16 people actually traveled to Haiti, many, many more were part of the team. We took with us; hygiene items, towels, school supplies, clothes, and first aid supplies. We planned to take these items to three different orphanages to help their daily lives be just a bit better. We also set a goal of raising $1000 to buy food for a large orphanage in Leogane, Haiti that was in need. That $1000 turned into $2700. I couldn’t imagine how we would physically take that much food to the orphanage. I resigned to the idea that we would take as much food as we could and the rest of the money would be left for someone to get more food for them in a month when they were in need again. I didn’t know at the time that God had a plan for that money.
Another item we took with us was a portable sound system for a pastor whose church is bursting at the seams with members, but has to rent a sound system every week because they don’t have the resources to buy one. As we presented the sound system to Pastor Nathan, he talked about how his church, which he started in the downstairs of his home, began small and now there are so many members that people sit in the stairwell and stand in the street to hear him preach and to worship God. This sound system blessed him because now, many more people will be able to hear about God’s love and forgiveness. His faith in God for providing for the church and the people in it is unshakeable. He shares love abundantly with the people in his community. I learned how to give praise to God for everything we have through Pastor Nathan.
We took some of the supplies brought with us and spent a day helping to get a boys orphanage ready for opening. We painted, cleaned, hung ceiling fans and shelves, and played with some of the boys that would be living there. What a blessing to see the smiles on the boys’ faces when they saw their new home. We were God’s hands and feet that day. I learned that a little can go a long way.
We visited a new school whose purpose is to educate kids in the community who wouldn’t be able to attend school due to poverty. It started with 2 students and is now up to 20. The school has very little supplies and the teachers work as volunteers because there is no money to pay them. They do it anyway because it is important. Our mere presence as Americans in the school put a stamp of approval on it so Haitians in the community would know the school has a future. Just by being there, we supported the two men who started this school and the teachers who are giving so freely. I learned what it means to give without expecting recognition or anything in return.
Our plan for the Leogane Orphanage was to take the load of food and supplies, do a basic medical clinic, and spend time with kids who are not only physically hungry, but also emotionally hungry. Before going to Leogane, I prayed that God would reveal to us if there was a need we didn’t yet know about. We then found out that a Haitian doctor would be traveling with us to help check the children. He assumed some of them probably had intestinal worms and scabies. We used some of the extra food money to buy medication to treat both illnesses for about 20 children. As the team worked in the medical clinic, the games, the craft center, the play-doh center, I made my way around the orphanage and the activities and my eyes were opened to what I may have missed when I visited there in July. I heard those in the medical clinic talk about how very sick most of the children were with worms, scabies, fevers, and mal-nutrition. I saw many beds lined up side by side with germ infested wool blankets for mattresses. I saw bathrooms that were an avenue for sickness to thrive and to be shared. I saw the children’s arms when I lifted their shirts which were nothing more than bones with skin and it cut me deep. For a moment, I felt overwhelmed. I questioned what we were even doing there that day and how we were even going to make a difference. Then God spoke and His peace took over. He loves these children. God made it clear that we were there for a reason and I could either sit back and feel bad for them or I could seek to find ways to allow God to work through me and this team. Then I saw that God was already there working through the team…loving these children, holding these children, having fun with these children, and helping them physically and medically. We would come up with some more steps to help this orphanage get better physically. We would provide more stuff that would help to prevent the spread of germs. We would ask Dr. Jude to educate the pastor, caregivers, and kids on hygiene and prevention. The extra food money that I couldn’t figure out what to do with would be used to treat all 100 kids for worms and scabies. We trust that God will bring more people to help buy more food when needed. But after reflecting on the worship we witnessed in that place prior to our activities with the kids, I realized, yes, we helped these kids in many ways, but their faith in God for their very existence and for their basic needs has taught me so much more. We may be rich in resources and knowledge, but these children and their pastor are rich in faith and trust in God and that is what matters for eternity.
Who is ministering to who here?
We give much to Haiti, but Haiti gives us so much more.