Tuesday, November 30, 2010

New addition!

This past weekend we stayed home from Sat until Monday. We heard reports of rioting and several concerned Haitians called to make sure we were staying put. From our home though, we heard nothing, we had no problems, in fact we were able to carry on our gym class with the Good Samaritan girls and take a walk through the beautiful surrounding area! We continue to pray for this country as results are giving later this week. From what we understand, if no one has a majority vote, there will be another election in a few weeks. We are very grateful for your prayers for our family and ask you would continue to pray for the country of Haiti.


While we were housebound, we made an addition to our family! Since we came here in October, we had been watching our neighbor's puppies play. When we could hear their little puppy barks, we'd run out to our balcony to see them. We watched the children run and play with them and we also saw the mother and father (who reminds us of our dog Tundra). Next thing we know, the girls began asking if we could get a puppy. We held a family meeting and agreed we would get one with the help of the kids in caring for he/she. So, about a week later, I finally worked up the courage to approach the neighbor (with a translator, which is kind of weird). I had been praying about this decision because we have had 2 bad experiences with dogs and we couldn't have that with all the kids. To me it is such a petty thing to pray about, but how do you even go about getting a healthy, well behaved, and friendly dog here without knowing people that have raised them? So as I approached our neighbor, I sort of thought if we were going to get a dog here, this has to be the right situation. Unfortunately, after a very friendly conversation, the couple apologized and said the puppies were already claimed and the buyers were coming this Wed for them. Ok, so now what? So the next morning in my prayer time, I simply asked that the right puppy be matched with our family and left it at that. Several hours later as the kids and I were playing outside, some of them came running to get me and said the neighbor wants us to have their puppy...hmmm...I did manage to learn the phrase "how much does it cost?" just the day before in Kreyol class, so I used my new line when I approached the neighbors gate. Only to find they were saying they wanted nothing and handed the puppy out the gate and shut it before I could ask any questions in fact, I barely got the words "messi anpil" out. I was kind of stunned. So now we have this cute little girl named "Nessa". She is already housebroken, she hasn't chewed anything(yet), and she loves the kids...hmmm! We just love her and we really hope to get Tundra down here to meet her little sister soon:)
I'm trying to post a picture of Nessa, but today the computer won't load it, maybe tomorrow...that's Haiti!
Wed, we are preparing for Mom and Dad Denlinger to arrive for a ten day visit. We are very excited to show them around some of our recent projects and just to catch up a bit. After having power and running water for 2 weeks straight, we now haven't had city power for 24 hours which means we will soon be out of battery power and running water. We're kind of getting used to it now, not sure what mom and pops will think of it:) ...welcome to Haiti!
~Deb

Saturday, November 27, 2010

We hope you all have had an enjoyable Thanksgiving week spending time with family and friends!
This Thanksgiving came upon us quickly as we are still in summer mode. We haven't quite transitioned ourselves from associating weather with time of year/holidays. We were able to enjoy a full Thanksgiving meal, minus pie, with the Cazeaus, Jacques and Schneider, a few of our Haitian friends. It was a first Thanksgiving meal for all of them!
Jeff and I are so Thankful for the support of our parents and our AWAKENHAITI leadership team. We couldn't do this without you all!
We are also Thankful that God is giving us glimpses of the mission ahead for us here. We are very encouraged that when we truly seek God's direction, he blesses.
This week, Jeff met with Pastor Nathan and began talking through some potential plans for our involvement in Canaan. We will follow God's leading in this and we are very excited for the vision that has already begun for that community. We have seen God working there, bringing people to himself and we see a community forming within the church there that will bring about honor to HIM!
I went to visit a new preschool for a day this week. This school was started in the home of Dr. Jude who some of you know we have been working with. His wife, Rachel, is doing a lot of research and is leading the teachers to establish a great little school for their neighborhood. Kylie, Brooke and I will be visiting there many Fridays to teach the children English. We are very excited to get to know the teachers and children there.
Vanessa spent a day working with Dr. Jude in his medical clinic. This was kind of an introductory day for her to observe some of the illnesses frequently seen here among children. She is hoping to work with him next week as he opens some days of treating Cholera. This bacteria continues to spread among many who do not have access to clean water and appropriate bathroon facilities. The children are being educated in school about prevention. Unicef delivered rehydration packets (which is the treatment for Cholera) to us because of the orphange. Please continue to pray for people here dealing with this, that they would seek and find treatment immediately and that this could be stopped.
Beginning late this afternoon until sometime Monday, we will be housebound. Many of you have heard reports of chaos and riots breaking out and while we haven't seen any close to us, we have heard it is best to stay home for those few days. We live between the UN base and their housing so we feel completely safe. There are many many UN personnel here right now and they are out and about. Please pray for this country on election day tomorrow not just for the calm and safety of people, but also that this could be a turning point in leadership.

Many blessings and thanks!
~Deb

Friday, November 19, 2010

Faith with no boundaries

This week has been busy as we continue to adjust and learn to live here. We have experienced several frustrations.
We attended an English speaking church for the second week in a row and we have been really blessed by the genuine worship there. On the frustrating side, it has been difficult to meet other Americans or to move past "hello, what are you working on?" It is also hard because it takes 35-40 minutes to get there. There is always heavy traffic no matter where we are going and many roads are not maintained which makes for difficult travel.
We had to put significant money into our vehicle last week after it left our team sitting and it still isn't running properly. We don't trust it. It is stressful driving anywhere with the traffic normally and now adding the vehicle situation makes going even local places difficult.
The "beast" generator we thought was running as back up for when city power stays off so long our batteries go dead, in fact does not run. After a week of maintenence and expense, we had to order a part from the US and wait. Hopefully, next week, the part can be replaced and we will have electricity 24/7.
Despite these frustrations, God is very present and real to us. We continue to feel his guiding hand and provisions for us. We are blessed to have Max and Margarette (the parents of Good Samaritan Orphanage) to call on. They have helped us in so many ways with the car, meals, and support and encouragement. We are blessed to have 23 orphan girls living below us. They are great kids and building relationships with them has been so fun and will be very significant as we move forward with AWAKENHAITI. I am beginning to develop a "motherly" role with them, taking care of sick kids, boo-boo's, giving vitamins, etc. Never saw myself in this particular role, but God has a way of using us according to HIS plan, not our own!
We had the priviledge to travel to Grande Goave on Tuesday which is a beautiful area with both mountains and beach. We went to meet with a friend who is a nurse running medical teams. We knew she would have some very helpful information on illnesses and medications often used. This will help the planning process as we look to establish a mobile medical clinic for medical teams. Minus the stress of traveling 2 1/2 hours each way in a car that doesn't always run, it was a great trip.
We saw some beautiful sights, but as we made our way up the mountian, at first, my heart broke for what I saw. Homes that were barely there. The youngest kids at best partially dressed. No cars, only an occasional motorcyle(these people walk miles to go to town). Then God changed my perspective and what I also saw was people making the most of what they did have. Corn growing on a mountain top is not something we see in PA! People living in community with one another. Multiple generations still together.
When we reached close to the top of the mountain, we stopped to see a church where medical clinics are sometimes held. The building consisted of block walls in some places only stacked about 5 or 6 blocks high. No protection from the rain and only a little protection from the sun thanks to some surrounding trees. The inside consisted of concrete blocks for benches. And I can remember trying to find a seat in our church in PA where I would be most comfortable, I could see the front well, I wasn't too close to the speakers, all with coffee in hand. If anyone has a right to be frustrated about their circumstances, it is them, but once again, the spirit and faith of the Haitian people was very apparent. We were blessed to meet them and see their desire to worship God.
We also continue to experience confirmation in our decision to uproot our kids and our lives to come here. Our kids are jumping into everything we do so willingly and have been very patient with the frustrations we experience with electric, water, car, traffic, etc. They are learning to appreciate and recognize how blessed we are not because of material things and to share that with others. They are seeing God provide for people right in front of us and that is a gift!
As Thanksgiving approaches, we as a family will celebrate in a different way. We will celebrate not for the blessings we have in material possessions, electricity, water, transportation. We will celebrate the opportunity we have to serve our God here with brothers and sisters who teach us so much about faith with no boundaries.
thank you for your continued prayers as we settle into our lives here!
Blessings,
Deb










Friday, November 12, 2010

Team work!

We have had a great week with a small team. 4 people joined us and Cindy and Vanessa on Monday after being delayed because of Tomas. We have seen God at work in and through this team.

They painted the outside of the building and put up some much needed shelves at the Good Samaritan boys orphanage. The boys are doing great. They take great care of their home, they have a really special mentor and father figure. He spends a lot of time with the boys doing school work, studying the Bible, and in prayer. His name is Ellie, but I prefer to call him Eddie:)

We distributed 170 bags of beans and rice in the tent city (Canaan), began building relationships with some of the church members, and played with a bunch of joy-filled kids! Afterward, in a broken conversation of my very little Kreyol and a lady's limited knowledge of English, she pointed to the sky and said nou we (we see) God. I realized that she saw God through us as we simply did what is biblical in providing food for the needy. Sometimes we leave a mission like this wondering if we even made any difference when the food will only last a short time. But in reality it isn't so much about the physical gift as it is about what the people take from it as we serve and minister to them and for that day, she saw God.

We went back to Canaan on Thursday to paint 4 of the wooden shelters that had been donated and constructed previously be another organization. Again, we had a mission; to paint the houses, but more importantly, to build relationships with people and to encourage them. The first house we painted belonged to a woman named Celia. She is a single mother who lives in a one room wooden shelter with 7 children and 2 other adults. They don't have much of anything. As I painted her window, I looked inside to see Celia laying praying and praising God. Would I be able to praise God this way if I were in her circumstances? Again, I am truly amazed and humbled by the faith the Christians here have.

People often say God's timing is perfect. We have lived it in our process of preparing to move here and we saw it again today as we painted a new wood shelter for Gesner and Youdeline. This afternoon, the guys went to move them out of their tent city and into their new home and we just got a phone call this evening that Youdeline is at the hospital, baby is on the way! Perfect timing is always God's timing.
Jeff and I have been encouraged this week as our children served along side us. All three of them jumped right in to whatever we were doing. They helped with each project joyfully and we are very proud of each one. God continues to confirm our commitment to serve in Haiti and we are so thankful our children see that too.
Thank you to Eric, Michelle, Keith, and Lauren for giving of yourselves, for working so well together and for following God's plan for our ministry this week! We were blessed to have you here working with us!

Bondye beni ou,
Deb

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Seeing God at work!

Pastor Nathan mentioned to Jeff a while ago that he would like us to visit a tent city that he has been ministering in for a bit now. Finally Saturday we made our visit. What I had envisioned was the pictures you see on TV (and most of what we have seen so far) with tents lined up right on top of each other. This type of tent city can be intimidating and overwhelming to consider how to even begin doing any type of ministry with the mass of people. What I envisioned and what we encountered were two totally different things.




There absolutely is a lot of need here. Most of these people live in tents, some have been blessed enough to have received a "house" from a Spanish organization. There is little to no opportunity for work here. The only source of water in this city is a water truck that comes through every day for people to purchase and fill jugs of water. Protection from the sun is inside one's tent, some of which had to be 100 degrees. There has been no American presence here.
As we drove our way through the "roadway", I began to notice a few things; people actually have fenced in their yard, some have gardens growing, many have curtains hanging in their doorway...all of which to me means, this is their home. They have taken permanent residence here. This particular piece of government owned land allows people to make this their home which is different from many of the tent cities we have seen before.
Pastor Nathan explained to us as we drove that he started a church 2 months ago here because after the earthquake, some of the members of his church in town had moved out here and he visited them to pray with them and to minister to them. More and more people began to accept Christ and now he has a church of about 50 members here as well as his growing church in town.



We reached the church/school and were warmly greeted by a few of the leaders. Right now the church meets in this tent as well as half of the 150 kids attending school. The other half of the kids meet in an identical tent just a few yards away.















We made our way around to a few of the church members' homes and they gladly let us look inside. They seemed proud of what they have made of their homes.














We know God is working here and we are so blessed to be part of what He is doing. We look forward to building relationships with these families and coming along side them. Wednesday we will take a team of people to play with the children as they finish school, then we will distribute rice and beans to all of the families connected with the school. We will also set up a large military tent which will allow more space for church and for the children to be separated for schooling. Please be in prayer as we seek God's guidance and as we build relationships and minister to these people!
Partners in this mission!
~Deb








































































Friday, November 5, 2010

"Where is your faith"


In Luke 8:25, the disciples found themselves in a raging storm and their boat was filling with water. First they were afraid, then they were amazed when Jesus did what they desperately wanted. Jesus asked the "where is your faith?" We find ourselves like the disciples.
I just need to back up to tell the story of the past few days here. Looking back, it is a bit comical.

We were joined by Cindy and Vanessa as well as a complete stranger (or at least he was just a short time ago)last Sunday. Bob and his wife got in touch with us about a week and a half ago through a mutual friend. Bob was to come to Haiti and after some communication, it was decided he would spend a few days with us after serving with another organization. Fortunately for Bob (and for us too:), he carried our phone number with him while traveling, because his ride never came for him at the airport. Imagine flying into a third world country you haven't been previously, where you don't speak the native language, then having to stand outside the airport for 1 1/2 hours alone except for the 10 Haitians trying to earn some wages by carrying your bags. ..over and over! Jeff and Colton picked up the abandoned Bob and brought him into our home. God really wanted him here with us. What a blessing, encouragement, and great help he has been. We have had many laughs over the process of him getting here. Now he is family.

When we first heard about Hurricane Tomas, we immediately turned to prayer for those living in tents and tarps. We watched closely and tried to follow the forecast and continued to pray. While we prayed and knew God could move the storm, we also felt we should prepare for Tomas. So Thursday, Bob and Noah (I mean Jeff) began boarding up the house and gathering food, gas, and enough water to get us through several days. Neighbors were enjoying the sight as a homemade rendition of scaffolding came together to reach a window two stories up, over stairs. We got many double takes and vehicles actually driving slowly down our road to see this new idea of preparing for something. Our children prayed each day for God's protection over the homeless. I found myself pleading with God time and time again and I know others were doing the same.

Today when we expected the category 2 hurricane the forecast was still calling for and it didn't come, we were actually a bit surprised. We sat on our balcony for a period of time waiting for it to come. So we had some more laughs. Our drill will pay off when a real hurricane comes through, we will have it down pat! We also laugh because we prayed for one thing, but prepared for another. I think we would be fools not to have prepared. I think God wants us to use our minds and to do things in order to protect ourselves and our families, but he also wants us to trust HIM to protect us. Knowing this storm hit hard 1 1/2 hours from here with major flooding tells me the forecast was right and we were right to prepare for a big storm, but it also tells me our God is in control of all things and because we had faith (and you had faith as you prayed), he moved this storm out of our path and those living in our community in tents. We learn over and over to have more faith and more trust especially when we ask for specific things as we did with this storm. So we prepare like Noah, and we learn to trust the God who is powerful enough to control a hurricane.

Tomorrow, we won't be laughing as we visit those dealing with mud, wet soggy tents they call their home and possible flooding. Please continue to praise God for his protection and pray for those who experienced much worse.

~Deb

Tuesday, November 2, 2010






The first two weeks here was a bit of a roller coaster for all of us. We have spent the first two weeks here trying to get settled, unpacked, emotionally transitioned, and really just trying to figure out how to do life here. Our kids have done a tremendous job. They are getting adjusted quite well and are embracing the orphanage kids. Kylie loves playing soccer with a few of the girls every day. Brooke loves running and chasing with a few of the youngest girls. They both enjoy sitting with the older girls getting their hair done and learning Kreyol. Colton has enjoyed playing soccer with the boys and chatting with Max. Colton has been our calculator at the grocery store as we translate Goulds into American dollars. He is really looking forward to being part of the work teams will be doing. We don't have it all figured out my any stretch of the imagination, but we definitely feel as if we are ready to begin looking outward.




We have spent time with the girls and boys of Good Samaritan Orphanage learning to do life with them, rather than just visiting. We have been able to help a good friend by providing work for him. After praying at lunch one day, he said to Jeff, "the same God we thank for this food, I thank for you and Deb coming here and providing work for me." Many of you know Gesner from translating for teams or from his visit to PA two years ago. Some of you have been praying for he and his wife Youdeline. They have been in a tent city since the earthquake with their 1 year old daughter and are due with a second baby in mid-November. We plan to move them into a shelter built and given to them by the Red Cross on Friday of this week, however if this storm runs through here, they will be staying with us until we can get them into their new home.

Yesterday we ventured out with Cindy and Vanessa and our new friend Bob from Canada. We visited a clinic that ministers to young mothers with prenatal care and baby care, bible studies, sewing and jewelry making classes. We made some really good connections with some families we will attend church with and are encouraged by the number of families with children serving here. We also visited Dr. Jude. He will be working with Vanessa and Cindy; giving them experience in his clinic and introducing them to Haitian culture in the medical field, as they prepare a program for teams to do mobile medical clinics. His wife just opened a day care/preschool which is right up my alley! I was very excited to talk with her and see her doing such a wonderful thing for their community right in their home. They have given up most of their living space in order for the school to run.
We have been praying everyday for Tomas to weaken and go around this country. We know there are a lot of you praying too. It is unimaginable to think about so many in tents and tarps and what this storm will do to them. Please continue to pray with us for those families. We are preparing for Tomas at our home and we are ready to take some people in, but we are still hopeful that God will intervene on this storm path. Our God can overcome anything and we stand firm in that truth!

We will be seeking God's guidance and discernment in all of these areas as we move forward and join Him in the work He is doing here. We are so blessed to be here right where we are supposed to be! Thank you for your support and prayers! ~Deb

Our girls make pets everywhere we go!