Sharing time

Every evening when we have a team, we have a meeting, but really it is sharing time.  It's a time where we share what we experienced through the day.  It could be little activities, it could something we learned,  or something God spoke or showed us.   It's always very cool to hear all the different things that can go on in one location with 15 people.   Today, one team member wrote about her experience in Haiti so far and I thought it fitting to share. 

Poverty. Oh the looks of despair. Tap-taps(Haitian taxi’s) moving this way and that. Trash discarded on the streets. Goats, horses, dogs, cows and bulls roaming the streets alongside of people. Jesus are you here in Haiti? We are looking for you Lord. We beg you to show up as we attempt in a humble way to be your hands and feet to these precious people. The needs are wide, they are deep. Jesus we know you are here but where?
Sawing saws, drills drilling, pills being counted, prayers being lifted on behalf of Haitians, children pointing to the ‘Americans’, shacks/lean to’s containing broken lives who desire hope, laughter being heard, tears being shed, the Holy Spirit moving in mighty ways. Oh Lord you are alive and moving all around us. You are here. We see you, we hear you, we feel you! Do our new Haitian friends feel your love as well?
Did the adults at Canaan Church like their new walls, their newly assembled kindergarten tables, the kitchen walls for the school? Did the community of Canaan sense the health clinic wanted to minister to their physical and spiritual hurts? Did the children of Canaan sense love, acceptance, hope and peace making their puppets, playing “Fishy, Fishy Cross my Ocean”, playing “musical bubbles” and eating a lunch of crackers, Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches and water? Oh Lord you are present in poverty. You are hope to the hopeless, you are an ever present joy in the midst of Canaan. Do you know how I know dear precious Lord? I heard YOU in their songs of praise. I saw YOU in their smiles. I felt YOU as I was touched by Haitian children. To God be the glory AMAZING, GREAT things YOU have done. To partner with you here in Haiti has been a life transforming time. Teach me to use what I have learned to make a difference in the lives of those who you bring to me. Don’t ever let me forget your goodness!
~ Kim Sunderland

Kim, it's been a priviledge to watch you heal as you love on the kids and people here.  It's been amazing to see your daughters laugh and share their love with the children.  It's been a blessing to have you here as part of the process AWAKENHAITI is in both in Canaan and the Good Samaritan Homes!  May God continue to bless your efforts!

Team December 2011

Welcoming Team December 2011 today! 
We have a few Good Samaritan sponsors coming for the first time to meet their sponsor kids and a few returning to spend some time with their sponsor child, it will be a fun day for all of them!

Tomorrow, the team will be doing some light construction at the Good Sam Boys Home, physicals on all the kids, first aid training for some of the older kids and workers, and Christmas cards for their sponsors.

Wednesday and Thursday will be spent in Canaan doing medical clinic, first aid training, kids activities, and light construction on the church/school building.

Friday will be spent in Delmas at Pastor Nathan's church doing medical clinic and children's program.

Saturday the team will take the Good Samaritan kids to the park in the morning followed by an afternoon of team bonding at a pool & restaurant.

We trust that God will be very present as this team ministers to our brothers and sisters.
Please be in prayer for good health, safety, and for each person serving to experience God in an awesome way throughout the week!


Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness.

Psalm 145:3

Celebration of birth and life!

May the celebration of Christ’s birth and life be at the forefront of this season!
Thank you for your love, support and encouragement!

Merry Christmas!
Jeff, Deb
Colton, Kylie, & Brooke

Brooke's rendition of T'was the Night Before Christmas

The nite befor Chrismas all snug in beds


not under our cuftrs (comforters)

so hot in our beds.

I can’t go to sleep because the dogs are barking.

I here something krunchy

I look out

It was Santa.

He was waring a tantot (tanktop)

And shorts

He was swetty

And standing in frunt of a fan

He saw the cokes

He chuwd (chowed) them down

He put down the presents

So happy to go

I yelled up to Santa

Thanks for the presints.

Heres sum bug spray

 
by Brooke Denlinger

Twelve Days of Christmas

On the 12th day of Christmas Haiti gave to me   


12 Cars honking

11 Bats flying

10 Frogs quacking

9 UN driving

8 Giant Rats

7 Broken Tap Taps

6 Mosquitoes biting

5 Barking Dogs

4 Flat Tires

3 Pterodactyls

2 Lane roads

And a skinny cow to feed my family.
 
~ by Colton Denlinger

Merry Christmas!

Decorating for Christmas in shorts and flip flops…



Last year we just couldn’t really get in the spirit of Christmas. Everything here was so new and awkward. The weather, we found was so tied to our idea of Christmas. Getting our minds in the spirit of decorating and listening to Christmas music was difficult. Making Christmas cookies was out of the question, we couldn’t buy flour and Crisco let alone M&M’s or Hershey kisses for some of our favorites. There were no Christmas programs at the elementary school or church. There was no Christmas party with friends.



But this year is a different story. The weather is still a bit weird but kind of fun. We stood outside hanging lights in summer weather. We think it will be a Griswald Christmas if we can get power to stay on long enough! We’ve been listening to Christmas music. We’re baking cookies (we can now buy M&M’s even if we have to buy 20 little bags to equal what we would normally buy and Hershey kisses with almonds are now on the shelf at Belmart!) We’ve gone so far as to plan a Christmas party with some other missionaries!



All those little traditions aside, last year we were blessed to experience Christmas in a very different light. We talk about “The Reason for the Season” and “getting back to the spirit of Christmas” but honestly, I don’t remember a time where I truly felt we did that. Every Christmas was so filled with shopping, programs, parties, kids asking for every toy and gadget under the sun all to the point of being overwhelmed and so tired by the time Christmas day actually rolled around, it was almost a relief when it was over. Last year though proved different. We didn’t have any of those things. While the activities and such can be good, they can also distract us from “The Reason for the Season”.
We love the fact that our kids don’t see all the catalogs and best toys of the year. Their view of Christmas has changed. Their experience of Christmas has changed. Our experience of Christmas has changed. Changed to really celebrating Christmas because of Jesus and the sacrifice God made in sending his son to live as human just so he could be sacrificed for our sake. It’s the greatest celebration we could ever have, why would we let all the little traditions and expectations of a society that fills itself with stuff override that?
Have a wonderful Christmas! Take time to celebrate!

Comfort

The first few days back in the US, I must say, I wasn't sure I was going to be able to settle in and enjoy this break. My first night, all I could think about was Suzette sitting outside on her blanket. As much joy as we feel radiating from her, the reality is; there is poverty, sadness some days, hunger other days, pain many days, loneliness, and disease. And I am here in my comfort. Yet, there is discomfort in that comfort.
It took only a day or two to work through and process that mental/emotional extreme from the third world to the first world. Since being here, Jeff and I have been so blessed by the overwhelming support shown to us through our community. We have so enjoyed time with friends and family. It's one of the things we miss most while we are in Haiti. We've loved our time here for the last two weeks. We are so grateful that our kids have had time to reconnect with their grandparents, cousins, friends and our hometown. We're thankful we've had time to reconnect with so many people. Jeff and I are blessed to have the opportunity to be together for a few days in Canada to connect with some great friends and some wonderful people and to refresh ourselves. It's been over a year since we had a date night. God has sustained us and strengthened us.
We've enjoyed the many comforts here in the U.S. too. Organized driving on smooth roads, ease of grocery shopping, walking through town, familiar language and culture, running in clean air on a beautiful nature filled fall day, warm showers (Brooke took 2 a day for the first week), brushing our teeth with sink water (as Kylie would say), kids playing with friends...all comforts and ways we have been blessed in the USA.
Yet, there is discomfort in the comforts when Suzette, Wilbert, Ketia, Junior, Jacques, Viviane, Stephanie, Pastor Nathan, the Cazeaus, the Good Samaritan children and many other of our haitian friends come to mind.
When we committed to going to Haiti, it was because of a transformation God did in us. We were challenged to live a life of significance, to live a life that demands an explanation, to live our lives as Jesus lived his life on earth. What exactly that meant for us or what it would look like, we didn't know, we just committed to try.
What we've found is that living as Jesus lived, living a life that demands an explantion, living a life of significance isn't really anything spectacular or significant at all, it's simply these people. Living a life like Jesus for us means loving and mentoring Stephanie. It means teaching a Haitian man named Wilbert who lost everything a new way of building and combining it with his skills and knowledge then providing job opportunity. It means taking Jacques and Junior out of poverty and providing jobs. It means visiting and praying with Suzette in her time of sickenss and need. It means supporting a Christ filled man named Pastor Nathan and helping him carry out the vision God gave him in Canaan to build up a church, school and medical facility. It means discipling a community that desperately needs Christ. It means rescuing children like Ketia from abuse, hunger, sickness, and poverty and giving them a home and a family. It means coming alongside the Cazeaus with support in the ministry they have been doing for years. It means taking the children they have educated and fed for years into a new phase of life called adulthood with opportunity for success and independence.
It's nothing significant...except when it is significant.
It's nothing that demands an explanation...except when it does demand an explanation.
It's what Jesus would do. It's how he lived and it's how he asks us to live. Whether it's in Haiti, in Canada, in the U.S. or anywhere else in the world. It's how he asks us all to live.
Sometimes we fail, sometimes we doubt,sometimes we want to run from it and back to what is comfortable and easy, but it's in those times God strenghtens and sustains us.
Yes, we are blessed with many comforts in the USA, but Tuesday, we'll return to a world where living without all the comforts has become the norm. For now, that is where God is asking us to live a life of significance, to live a life that demands an explanation, to live as Jesus lived.
There is comfort and peace in that.

Jeff and I will be sharing ministry updates and some 2012 vision for AWAKENHAITI Sunday morning 11/27 at Engage Community Church in Carlisle @ 10am for those who couldn't make last week's event. 320 E. Louther St

We'd love to see you there!

Credit Reel.mp4

THANK YOU!!! to everyone who was part of making this event come together and to everyone who came to support AWAKENHAITI!!
Jeff and I are once again humbled and so thankful for the amount of support shown to us and this ministry both in our home town community and now many other communities!
Happy Thanksgiving!

2011 AwakenHaiti Celebration and Benefit: Join the Journey...

Our family is flying back to Pennsylvania tomorrow, Tuesday November 15th. We have been counting down the days! Over the next few weeks, we'll be meeting with our AWAKENHAITI board of directors, holding some other ministry meetings, and visiting family and friends for Thanksgiving! Then we'll be traveling to Canada to meet with some great people!

Please join us this Sunday November 20th 3-5 pm as we celebrate all God has done and is doing in and through AWAKENHAITI! We'd love to see you there!
Jeff, Deb, Colton, Kylie & Brooke

Thank you team November!

This has been an awesome week. Some of my favorite times with teams is in Canaan when we have multiple types of service all happening at one time. This week, we had a crew working on the church/school putting siding on the exterior, painting, and brushing on poly. We also had a crew building the outdoor kitchen that will be used to prepare food for the school children (currently, it is prepared at Pastor Nathan's other school and brought to Canaan). We had another crew running health classes then a two day medical clinic. We had yet another group doing a few home visits, encouraging and praying with people. God has continually formed teams of different talents and brought each person at just the right time. We enjoy seeing others love and care for the haitian people the way we do.

A few captions from our week...

putting siding on the church/school building

Kids eating every day!

Kylie on a home visit to Wilbert's home

framing the outdoor kitchen

outdoor kitchen

siding and trim almost done!

Brenda with Gesner translating in the medical clinic

construction crew

prayer for Suzette

Team November 2011

Team November's arrival today will bring some "eh" and "right" and after we remind them of how often they say these sentence enders, they'll remind us of how often we say "huh" !!

We dearly love this group from Canada that we deveoped a realtionship with initially a year ago with Bob,then a group here in April and Jeff recently spent time with them in Canada so we are really looking forward to the 9 days they'll be here taking over our home!

We have some great things planned for them...
health education class for Good Samaritan girls
health education class for women in Canaan
CPR training for the church family and school teachers in Canaan
construction of the outdoor kitchen in Canaan (for school feeding program)
hanging siding, sofit, gutter system on school/church in Canaan
supporting Good Samaritan boys soccer
6 month check ups for Freedom House Bethesda Girls

And lots of fun in between! Please pray for safety, good health, and for God to be evident as we serve Him this week with this team!

Beach Day

Fun with new friends!

We’ve been waiting to take a beach day for a while now. We all needed to get away for some family fun. Club Indigo added a floating ocean trampoline this summer that we have been dying to try.

When we arrived, we were told “the guy who sets it up isn’t at work yet, he’ll put it up around 12. We all anxiously awaited 12 noon. Shortly after noon, we were told that they only set it up on Sat & Sun! Then, they said ok, we’ll put it out, however, after another half hour, still no trampoline. Finally, the trampoline came out to be blown up and things began progressing at break necking speed, NOT.
Eventually we all got to swim out and try this floating ocean trampoline. Things were going very well until Colton decided to challenge Jeff to a “King of the trampoline Match”. As boys will be boys, the rough housing began…and ended inevitably with someone getting hurt. After falling on top of each other, Jeff came out bleeding and needing medical attention.

Thankfully, some friends with us had a nurse, Melissa, with them and she took a look. Stitches were in his future. Melissa happily offered to do this at their maternity center when we headed back home.

Jeff was possibly the first man to use the birthing bed!

Computer class

One of Drew's vision for the Good Samaritan Boys is to give them opportunity to learn computer skills beginning with the basics of keyboarding to eventually much more advanced classes. He did an awesome job of getting the word out and looking ahead when he returned to the states in August. He came back to Haiti with 6 donated laptops to get the computer lab up and running. Great job Drew and thank you to those of you who gave for this computer ministry! Jeff, Drew, Colton, Barry, and Jacques built cubicles for the boys to work from this week so they are ready to begin on Saturday!
I found out this week that 7 of the Good Samaritan girls now are assigned homework and research online...Ummm...they haven't really used computers before, haven't used the internet before, don't have internet at the homes...
So, the computers are not only being used for the boys' computer lab, they are also now being used for the girls here at the guest house to learn basic computer and internet skills. I will be working with them 2x/week. One day to teach keyboarding and basic skills and one day to do homework assignments. I'm very excited about this endeavor!
Today was our first crash/unexpected course with no translator and the added pressure of...um...oh yeah, my homework is due tomorrow!
We fumbled our way through with as much Kreyol as I could bust out and Resinette and Manoucheka's few sentences of English. It would have been funny to have been a fly on the wall! We made it, all homework assignments are done!
It just shows how much I take for granted. These skills are things my own children have been learning since toddlerhood.
Looking forward to this new adventure!

One Year Reflections:

Wow, one year!!! What a year it has been. There have been struggles, frustrations, days of uncertainty, joy, blessings, victories, defeats, moments of insight, moments of stupidity, and moments of clarity. All in all, it has been a whirlwind of a year. For those who think following Christ and His will for your life is boring or unadventurous, I would beg to differ. When I think about a year of consistently trying to “take up our own cross” to sometimes what seems as daunting and unimaginable circumstances, God has been nothing but faithful every step of the way.

It has also been great to see the challenges and growth that is evident in the lives of others serving in and along side AWAKENHAITI as well. God has blessed this ministry with people of ability, desire, and vision for change. People who are not satisfied with just reaching for the norm. People who want to make a long lasting change. People who hear “you can’t do that in Haiti” and respond with, “you want to bet”. People who think outside the box to achieve God-sized goals. People who will fight to enroll our kids in a soccer program that is filled with the Haitian elites, because our boys deserve to run on that field too. People who want what is best for the people of Haiti, and are not satisfied by administering Band-Aids to make themselves feel good. People who are willing to give their time and resources for the benefit of others. People who know that brokenness comes in all shapes and sizes and does not have boarders. People who seek out that brokenness and want to walk with it even when it gets messy. People who are reading what it means to follow Christ and are responding.

God never promised that this walk would be easy. But why would we think that doing something like taking up our cross would be? All I know is that I would rather fight with that cross on my back and have hope for the future beyond this life than to be free of the burden for others and not have that hope.

Thank you all for your love, prayers, and support and for helping to make this year for us like no other!!!

Bondye Beni ou,

Jeff

One year later!

October 14, 2010, we arrived at the airport in D.C. with as much as we could stuff into 10 large check bags, 5 small suitcases, and 5 back packs. We had sold our home. Jeff left his job. We had no vehicles. Our kids gave up much of their belongings, left their bikes, their pool. We left our friends and family and all that was familiar. Knowing we were asking so much of them to follow and trust, we promised they would not have to give up their beloved dog, Tundra.
Sounds simple enough, right? Clearly, we knew this wasn’t a move across town or even a move to another state. We really couldn’t predict what the decision we were making would feel like when we stepped onto a plane in D.C. and onto Haiti soil.
Unfortunately, when we approached the check in at American Airlines, the attendant informed us that even though we had all the necessary paperwork for Tundra, she would not be able to travel with us due to the temperatures forecasted being higher than they allowed. WHAT???? This could not even be happening. The five of us sobbed our way through a good bye and made our way to our gate. All I could think and process was “it wasn’t enough that we gave up everything else, now we had to leave the one thing we promised our children they would not have to. It wasn’t enough to get rid of all the STUFF, leave our comfortable lives in Carlisle, and leave our friends and family?” Mature, I know.
The first two days were filled with intermittent, crying and sleeping spells. Not the kids, but Jeff and I. We were angry. Angry that we couldn’t keep our promise to our kids. We were scared. It’s one thing to be in this country serving for a week or even three weeks at a time, but being there knowing we weren’t boarding a plane back to comfort anytime soon with our children scared us to death.
Slowly, God brought us to a better place of being able to function.
Our kids on the other hand, handled things so well. They all immediately embraced the 22 girls living below us. Our girls couldn’t wait until the girls got home from school so they could go downstairs to play.
When we made an initial visit to a family we knew and cared for (with one little girl and another due soon), living in a tent, their eyes were opened and their compassion increased. When we made our first trip to Canaan just a few weeks after arriving here, their eyes were opened and their compassion increased. Our pastor in Haiti continually says that missions is seeing first. They saw. They questioned. They grew. Now they all want to give. Jeff and I were amazed and proud at how God prepared them and the way they just jumped in with both feet!
Over the course of the following months, we as a family have experienced a variety trials. So much of our lifestyle changed. Public school to home school. Grocery shopping at any one of 5 fully stocked stores within a 5 mile radius to…well Belmart(which may or may not have what I have on my list to make any one particular meal). Friends and people we knew almost everywhere we went, to 2 Haitian families we knew and trusted. Driving in an organized fashion with strict laws for our own good, to um…Haiti driving (which I’ve kind of learned to like in a weird kind of way. It’s always a challenge and it requires prayer every time we get in the car). There’s so much more…if you want more, come to our fundraiser on November 20th to see “you know you’re in Haiti when…”
Beyond those little insignificant trials, there have been bigger ones. Spritual trials. We have felt Satan at work in a new way. We had not seen Satan so visibly working before we moved here. We see the struggle in some living in dire circumstances. Satan so clearly plays on that. We see Satan trying to stop the work we are doing. He hates it.
So many people come here and comment that they are able to really experience God in a new way here. He’s so very real almost like you can touch him. Part of that I am certain is that people aren’t distracted by so much busyness here. Truly we have experienced God in a new way here. This country requires people to be self-sufficient in so many ways, which in turn, teaches Christians to trust God more. We have experienced God’s spirit here so heavy at times. Times of healing, praising, changing not only Haitians’ lives, but our own. We have felt God’s presence even on our own property in an unexplainable way giving strength when needed.
We have been filled with amazement in all that God has done in and through this ministry in a year. We’ve had the privilege to see all of the vision unfold as God provided and lead. We’ve seen lives changed in tangible ways in the building, in providing food, in relief from pain and suffering for life here on earth. But we’ve also experienced God changing hearts, changing focus in people, changing priorities, therefore changes for eternity!
So, yes, there have been many struggles over this past year, but truly the blessings have been far more, far greater. The growth in the ministry, the growth in the kids at Good Samaritan Homes, the growth in the community in Canaan, the growth in team members serving here, the growth in the relationships we are building here, the growth in our children, the growth in us. It’s all worth it. It’s all for Him! Our family is blessed to be used by God here. We’re blessed to have this opportunity. We are forever changed!
Here we are one year later...ready for more challenges, more change, and more blessings!
~Thank you to our families for supporting and encouraging us!
~Thank you to our AWAKENHAITI leadership team for working so hard to get this ministry up and running and for supporting us!
~Thank you to all of you who pray for the ministry, for the people we serve here and for our family!
~Thank you to all of you who support us financially!
WE COULDN’T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU!

What to do on a rainy afternoon in Haiti???

I know in Pennsylvania, it can rain all day for days at a time, but we've gotten used to this weather here rather quickly. It's not too often it rains during the day in Haiti. Normally it rains for a while in the evening, so today when it began to rain just after lunch time we had to do things a little differently around here...

So what DO you do on a rainy afternoon in Haiti?

Take a shower outside under the waterfall coming off the roof!

Play silly games with your best friend!

Dress for a Pennyslvania fall day!

Take the Australians up on their offer to make dinner so you can get some ministry work done only to be distracted by all the unusual events of the day!

Transform your hallway into a laundry-mat!

Play a game of Ninja!

Watch a movie!

***Not pictured; haircuts for Jeff and Drew & skit acted out by Deb, Kylie, and Brooke!

church/school freshly painted!

Thank You!

Thank you to those of you who sent cards for us and our children to celebrate our first year in Haiti! We had a fun celebration last night with the Good Samaritan kids, some haitian, American, and Australian friends!

Team October

we welcomed Team October on Saturday. This team is made up mostly of people who sponsor kids at our affiliate orphanage, Freedom Grace Orphanage in Jacmel. They spent some fun time yesterday at our other affiliate orphanage in Freedom House Bethesda Orphanage in Port-au-Prince. This morning they packed up and headed up over the mountain to Jacmel to spend the majority of their week there. They will be doing work on the existing girls home, work on the new boys home, and do some general physical exams on the children there. Surely they will love these little children, have lots of fun, and do a great job ministering as they work. What we are praying for is that God will do His work in each one of them. God tends to be more visible here when team members put aside all of their distractions, whatever they may be.
We have already seen him changing hearts through the church service yesterday and know that it will continue!
They arrived safely this morning to find the new boys home (which the team is using as a guest house and the boys will be moving in after the team leaves), has no running water hooked up yet. This is going to make for more work for the team for using bathrooms and showering from a bucket. I will be anxious to hear their stories as they will experience a taste of Haiti that they might not here at our guest house! Should be some good ones!
Please be in prayer for this team as God does his work in them and as they travel back to Port-au-Prince on Thursday.

God is God and I am not

Humility - is the quality of being modest, and respectful. (Wikipedia)
synonyms - lowliness, meekness, submissive

I always just thought that humility or being humble meant simply not bragging. Not something I normally do. I pretty much have this under control.
But as I have been praying lately and honestly asking God to "show any wicked way in me" or "rid myself of me" God has begun showing me otherwise.
I began the school year with our girls using their devotional bible and the theme for the month of September, Humility. Ha, ha, coincidence. Only I really don't believe in coincidences. I still chose not to pay too close attention.
But after hearing a message from a guest speaker at our church a few weeks ago on Colossians 3:12-15...
12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
I began seeking out what this might mean in my own life. I began seeking passages in scripture that talk about each one of these; mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
I began with mercy and found some great passages on mercy and even there the word humble was used. Then I moved on the next day to looking up passages on humility. Seeking out what it really means and what God has to say about it. Again, I felt as though I had this one in the bag. But why then, did it keep coming up.
As I'm researching humility using my study bible many, many passages kept coming up. But a few really hit home. ..
Philippians 2:8 He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross.
The comments following "Do your attitudes reflect the humility and self-sacrifice of Jesus?"
Not new words to me... but new meaning because I was open to hearing new meaning. Hmmm...just because my actions say I am sacrificing doesn't mean my attitude says that.
Another one...
Philippians 2:3 Don't be selfish, don't try to impress others. Be humble thinking of others as better than yourselves
1 Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you should be of one mind. sympathetic with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted and keep a humble attitude.

"Humility leads to wisdom, takes advice, leads to honor, ends in honor, brings honor." (NLT study bible)
The Sunday following the sermon on Colossians, our regular pastor, Pastor John spoke on humility(because I still hadn't gotten it yet). Here's what he had to say about humility:
* true intimacy with God always brings humility
*Humility comes when you see that God is God and you are not. He still loves you and uses you with no condemnation or belittlement.
*It's realizing we are not worthy, how great he is...how great we are not
*the closer you get to God the more humility should be seen in our lives

John 3:30 He must become greater and greater and I must become less and less.

God has really been speaking to me recently about ME. About me being in Haiti not only for the haitians, but for the growth and transformation that he is doing and will do in me. I continue to find myself humbled by the ways he is using me here, but I need to be transformed enough that in my own home, in the United States or wherever else I am, I still have a humble attitude. I need to remember every day, no matter where I am or what problem I want to fix, or how I want to help someone, that God is God and I am not.

I can't wait to get to the patience section of the verse in Colossians, I am pretty sure I'm good in that area!

New little blessings

For most of our involvement with Good Samaritan Ministries, the same children have been at the orphanage. While we opened the boys home August 2010, the boys that came to live there had already been involved with the orphange at it's old location. The boys were living in poverty and they and their families were part of Max and Margarette Cazeau's ministry of reaching out to the community.

That changed this summer! We are thankful that we along with you all will play a part in making a difference in these children's lives.

I thought you might like to meet some of our newest little blessings!

Marlineda age 10

Lens age 9

Chelda age 8 (bottom), Ketia age 10 (on Chelda's left)

Loubens (back) Loubenson (front) age 3 1/2

Suzette

After our last visit to Suzette, I wasn't sure what condition we would find her in when we went back. As we approached the little path that leads to her place, she began waving her arms with excitement from the blanket she rested on under the neighbor's tree. She had been sitting outside getting some fresh air. It was good to see her feeling a bit better, even well enough to get washed up and changed into a dress when I mentioned I wanted to take her picture because so many people praying for her don't have a picture to go with their prayers. I'm so thankful she has been given some relief from the pain she has been enduring just to enjoy something as simple as sitting outside. Thank you for your many prayers for this wonderful friend. Please continue to pray for Suzette's pain, for healing from her cancer and now for a hernia.

Where has the time gone?

Jeff has been home for almost a week now and I am just finding the time to follow up on his trip. I am still trying to figure out how to finish school with our girls in a timely fashion so I can spend more time on ministry stuff, but for now feeling overwhelmed with getting started and establishing a routine keeps me from what I like to do...write. I'm looking for any little time to write the newsletters and do some updates on our website and more, but for now it's slow go and it's ok. I couldn't say that earlier today, but I can say it now because I had a sweet reminder today that, daily, I take up my cross. Not when it's convenient, when I have time, when I feel like it...but daily.
Thank you for prayers over Jeff's trip to Canada! He had an amazing time meeting with some great people, raising funds for Canaan, and vision planning for the future of AWAKENHAITI in Canada. God was definitely moving there and people gave very sacrificially to help the feeding program get started at the school in Canaan and to support the work their team in November will be doing on the church/school building! We are so very excited to see this school year begin with feeding the kids! We'd appreciate continued prayer as we continue to work on vision planning with this awesome group of friends!
more to share tomorrow about this past week...after school of course!

AWAKENHAITI in Canada

In November 2010, we met our crazy Canadian friend, Bob. He came to Haiti just after we moved here which was kind of ironic because he felt as though God was calling him here just after the earthquake. Thinking he would be here a few times shortly after the earthquake, for one reason or another it didn't work out for him. Finally, he decided he would go ahead and buy a ticket for October 31st to come not knowing why he was coming or what for. He linked with another organization, they were to pick him up at the airport and he was to serve with them for part of the week and then come to us for a few short days. We got connected to Bob through a mutual friend (another Canadian). At the last minute the night before Bob took his first flight to Haiti, we skyped with him and gave him our phone number.
The next day, Sunday afternoon, we received a call from Bob saying he was at the airport, had been there for 2 hours, his ride never came to get him. So after rescuing him, he spent the week with AWAKENHAITI.
This week brought lots of laughs from the airport scenerio to he and Jeff boarding up the house for a hurricane that didn't come while all the neighbors looked at them like they were Noah.
This also happened to be the week we took our first trip to Canaan. Just as we fell in love with the place right off the bat, so did Bob.

Bob went back to Canada and gathered a group (including his ever so sweet wife, Donna), they raised money and came in April and did some great projects with AWAKENHAITI. They worked on Jacques home, they did some medical stuff both in Canaan and at Freedom House Orphanage, and they built an office/storage building in Canaan.
Upon their return, the team began sharing with their friends, family, and churches.
Jeff is there this weekend with Bob and Donna raising funds for their next trip, speaking to a church, those interested in coming to Haiti and some others.
We don't know what this relationship will end up looking like, but we are so very excited that God has chosen these wonderful people to be part of AWAKENHAITI.
Some might considerl the events of last year with the timing of Bob's trip, him being left, and us taking our first trip to Canaan while he was here, a coincidence. I call it God. I call it His timing. I call it His plan. And we are so thankful for it .

We'd love it if you would join us in praying for the remainder of this weekend as Jeff continues to share our ministry and as we move into working with this area of North America!

We love you Bob and Donna!
thank you for all you are doing to be part of this ministry!

Suzette

Many of you have been asking for an update on Suzette. We were unable to get any information until today. But before I share what we experienced today, I want to share a bit with those who have not met Suzette in person. I have shared a bit about Suzette in the past(June 6), but looking back now on the last 9 months, I feel compelled to share more.


The day I met Suzette, she sat on her thin mattress on the floor of her shelter wincing with pain she was suffering from Uterine cancer as we made our way through introductions, sharing family information, and praying together. Each time back from then until June was similar only sometimes, less pain. June was a turning point for Suzette. She agreed to take some pain medicine, try to walk in her home a little, and try to get outside after our friend Dr. Dave spent time with her and encouraged her to do those things.


Over the summer, I think I began to forget what I had seen Suzette suffering through. With each visit, we found her sitting outside enjoying the fresh air. We found her full of joy and happiness despite the illness inside her. The joy in Suzette, the faith she continues to have, has been a huge testimony to so many that came to encourage her, that came to pray for her. People came expecting to give, but left having seen that joy in God alone is possible. Joy in having nothing but faith in a living God truly is all one needs, being lived out right before us.
Even though we continued to take pain medication to her, in my mind, her smile told me she was doing better. We had been praying with her and for her healing since January. Believing God can heal and after asking him to heal, I began to see healing even if it was temporary.

Suzette has been such a testimony to her family and those around her for so long, but even if she was only put on this earth for the few short months this summer just to minister to the people coming here to serve the way she did just by living out her faith, that would have been enough. She simply lived out her faith the way God asked her to.
She played her part in God's story......and she's not done yet!


In August, the week we had a team here building the church & school, we visited Suzette. She was so excited because she had been able to walk the whole way from her house to the church to take part in one of the week long evening services to pray for the church, the team and for the hurricane to move away. She had prayed for this and was so excited to be part of the church again. It had been a long time since she had been able to walk that far, let alone walk without bleeding.
Friday night, after the celebration service at the new church, somone came barreling at me
in the dark parking lot...SUZETTE!!! I was amazed to see her walking, no, running at me, laughing and celebrating. It was like catching a glimpse of what her life will be like in Heaven when she is cancer free, pain free. Celebrating like a child!

Last Friday, Suzette was taken to the hospital with severe pain and bleeding black blood. It didn't sound good. We couldn't get answers through out the week, finally yesterday, we got a call from Pastor Nathan saying can we please bring more pain medication to Suzette.

TODAY, more than ever, I couldn't wait to get to Suzette's house. To see that smile. To feel the joy she exudes. To spend time just talking with her and praying for her. Hearing her tell about her latest dream and what God spoke to her. For this particular visit, I had my two brother-in-laws, Doug and Steve, with me.
I wasn't prepared for what I found. Suzette laying on her 1 inch thick mattress, in so much agony she couldn't get out a complete sentence. She was obviously happy to see us, but the pain was too much to muster much of a smile. She tried to share her latest dream with us as she always does, but couldn't put all the thoughts together into words we could understand. She winced, and tried to keep from screaming in pain and agony as we just sat and watched. I tried to ask questions about her trip to the hospital, what the doctor said, how much medicine had she taken...but sitting beside the bed, I selfishly couldn't get my thoughts pulled together. How was I going to leave her house with her the way she was. What is there that I can even say to her in that moment that she doesn't already know or that would change anything for her.
But, God is God and he reminded me that it was Him who would do all that needed to be done, it wasn't on my shoulders to make her feel better or to take away her pain. So, we offered prayer. Because as God has taught me so many times before in Canaan, prayer is all I need to DO sometimes. This was one of those times.
We knelt with Suzette and began praying for healing, but more specifically for relief from pain. Inviting God's spirit to just fall all around Suzette. When we got up from praying and went back to the chairs we had been sitting in, we looked over to find Suzette sitting up in her bed carrying on normal conversation as she did on the previous summer visits. Joy, Hope, and Faith in the living God regardless of her circumstances.
God allowed us to be part of Him doing a work in Suzette today. God allowed us to pray for His spirit to fall on her and lift her suffering. He didn't need us to. He allowed us to. Then He allowed us to see Him work.
A man named Zak that had cancer once said, "if God chooses to heal my cancer, God is God and God is Good. If God chooses not to heal my cancer, God is still God and God is still good. To God be the glory."

I don't know if God will heal Suzette on this side of heaven. I know He can. I ask that He does. Either way, I believe and I know Suzette believes...

GOD IS STILL GOD AND GOD IS STILL GOOD
TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

Not my plan

Sometimes people say they open their Bible and wham, there is the scripture they were looking for! Not me. I usually have to search and search and use my concordance. Last night though, as I was reading my Bible, this verse jumped out at me...
"We can make our own plans, but the Lord knows the right answer." Proverbs 16:1 NLT

While moving to Haiti in the first place was never my plan, I knew it was God's and was ready to move forward with it...with some conditions...
1. I would not homeschool
2. If I were to home school , we wouldn't move til after Brooke was finished with first grade, I didn't want the responsibility of teaching her to read...too much to ask
3. If I were to home school, it would be for one year til we knew what was what and found what school would be best

I guess God doesn't like conditions...
after praying the last few months of homeschooling in my one year, with Brooke in FIRST GRADE, learning how to read, for God to reveal to me where they would be best in school for 2011/2012, I find that all doors have closed except, you guessed it, homeschooling for a second year. I think, no I know God laughed at my conditions and now I'm eating my words.
But, thank goodness God knows what is right and closed all other doors. I do believe now this is the best thing for our family and for the ministry. Cost for private school...unimagineable + Travel to private school...we could spend 3-4 hours/day in the car + homework & studying in the evening = not realistic, not an option, CRAZY!!!
Breaking the news to our girls was less than ideal, they were dead set on going to a "REAL" school with a "REAL" teacher with a "REAL" desk, library, and cafeteria. I believe God did a work in them as well. Yesterday we set up our school room, after setting up their own desk space they asked for an assignment and can't wait to start on Tuesday!
Colton has been on board with the idea all along. He loves getting the work done and being done. He loves working with Jeff and projects the teams are doing. For him the dreaded was all of what the girls wanted.

I don't expect me or them to have patience every day. I don't expect me or them to want to follow such a strict routine after last year being so crazy. I don't expect them to become geniuses with their mom being their teacher. But I can rest in God's answer. I can rest in the fact that this option will allow our children to walk this ministry with us, not behind us. I can rest in the fact that because our kids will walk this ministry with us, they will know far more and understand far more about the world in which they live and about loving others.
Thank goodness God knows the right answer.

good samaritan cookin'

tonight we spent the evening at the Good Samaritan girls home for two reasons.

#1 it was the monthly birthday celebration for the kids. This month was Kylie, Nadia, and Gamaelle. The boys come, the girls hang decorations, a talent show/church service precedes the food we will share for the evening...which leads to

#2 the older girls have had cooking class with Margarette 1x/week for about 6 weeks now. Today was the big exam and they needed judges!:)

Group 1: macaroni and cheese made by Resinette, Stephanie, Stephanie, and Phara! Yum

Group 2: fried chicken, national haitian rice and beans, fried bananas made by Phaline, Kevencia, Wilmine, Carme-Suze, and Marie-Josee (the new caregiver for the younger girls)! Yum



Group 3: CAKE made by Daphney, Dania, Judith, and Lovely! Yum

Group 4: Fish, Lam (a vegetable similar to potatoes), Yams, lettuce, tomato, avocado made by Martine, Manoucheka, and Marie-Ange! Yum (I don't eat fish although Jeff said it was amazing)

And the winner is...Group 3 with their cake!

we are so proud of these girls, they were all fantastic and hats off to Margarette for all she is teaching them!

HOME

Sometimes people ask me if I am starting to feel like Haiti is home...hmmm
doesn't sound like a tough question, but I always think before blurting out an answer based upon my feelings of things here for the day. Sometimes Haiti feels like home. Sometimes Haiti feels foreign. Sometimes Pennsylvania feels like home. Sometimes Pennsylvania feels foreign. On days I am feeling "uncomfortable" nothing feels like home. It has taken a while to sort of get used to the idea of saying "I am home at both places, yet I'm not at home either place".

Yesterday we took our August team to do a kids program at a kindergarten school in Delmas 33 for those of you who know a bit about what's what here. This school is run by friends of ours and was opened a year ago. Earlier in the summer they mentioned they would like to do an outreach for their community this summer and when I spoke with them 2 weeks ago, they still didn't have funding to do it. The team already prepared a program so we thought it vital to help them reach out to their community. Many of these children live in surrrounding tent cities.

Lots of fun. Good teaching. The team did a great job! The kids did a great job! We took 5 of the girls connected to our girls orphanage and they joined us in ministering to these kids and that was beautiful! But something in me was missing.
I couldn't put my finger on it until last night as I was looking through the pictures of the day. This wasn't home to me. These weren't the kids I've come to know and love on. I missed Canaan. It had been only a week and a half since being there so it wasn't the time away necessarily. Not to take away from the kids we ministered to yesterday, but those weren't the kids I've come to know and love. I'm not sure I can even put into words the strangeness of this feeling. I was having trouble understanding how I could miss a place that to many seems to have been forgotten.
Truth is...it hasn't been forgotten. God is there. His presence. He has not forgotten this place or these people. Everytime we go we feel him there with us. Hope is there. Everytime we go. We have not forgotten this place. We have not forgotten these people. AWAKENHAITI has not forgotten this place or these people. Many of you have not forgotten.
The only thing understandable in it is when we enter the territory of the community we are working in, peace falls. Hope falls. It's not when we enter Canaan. It's entering the community to Bethanie Church of Canaan. It's become home. Not home in the sense of where I sleep at night or where my kids go to school. Home in the sense of where my heart is. I can picture a little plaque hanging in a living room "home is where the heart is". I never really appreciated that little thing growing up, actually thought it was pretty tacky. But now I'm living it.
I belong three places, yet I don't belong anywhere. Now I'm realizing though that belonging 3 places on earth means I have a lot of security here, right? Yet not belonging anywhere here on earth means I have no security here, right? This is what God wants. He doesn't want us to become too comfortable, too at home. While these 3 places make me feel like home, it's temporary and HOME is yet to come. I'm pretty sure there will be no confusion there, no feelings of we don't fit in, we don't belong. Just HOME.
Hebrews 13:14
"For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come."

Shared thoughts of AWAKENHaiti

Some friends of ours for the past 8 months have shared their thoughts after spending the week with our team building the church/school in Canaan. The following link takes you to their blog write up.

http//www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Faussiesinhaiti.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fhumbled.html%3Fspref%3Dfb&h=4AQCcxSmt

Bethanie Church of Canaan

Leading up to the church build in Canaan, we knew God wanted AWAKENHaiti there working in that community, but I don't think we realized how much until this past week.
When we didn't even know where to begin with projects in this community, God made it clear it should be the church. The church should be the foundation.
When we didn't know where the funds would come from to build the church, God made it clear that he wanted to use His people to give, not some organization with grant money that would be easily handed over. He said he would provide what was needed.
When the small team of 8 formed to build some walls on the church, we all thought that minimal money would be raised. We would just build what we had the funds for then it would sit until November when we had another construction team come (Go Canada!).
When we submitted to this idea and gave it to God to do what He wanted with it, it became a "God-sized" vision. It was too much for us. It couldn't be us.
Instead of the amount the team committed to raising, it was almost doubled, providing enough to do the foundation, frame the walls and roof the church all while employing some Haitians and bringing two cultures together.
The only way this could be accomplished was if the foundation could be complete before the team arrived and all building material could be secured ahead of time. For those of you who know Haiti, this seems next to impossible. Jeff did an awesome job of preparing and working with the haitians to get the foundation done. At the guesthouse, the family pitched in plus a few extras to build the trusses. Still, no guarantees.
The week started off great. Walls were up before we knew it. This team was amazing. The energy, patience, and love they poured into this...awesome! And for a bunch of old guys, really tolerated the Hot Haiti sun so well. Of course they did have some great water girls keeping them hydrated too:) Each American partnered with a Haitian and gave them their own tool belt full of tools that could provide them with work in the future. Watching this team partner with haitians teaching them skills that they could take with them was so cool. Even the power tools were shared, and after all, what man doesn't get a smile on his face when there are power tools involved.
Tropical Storm Emily was making her way toward Haiti and these guys were determined to get the roof on the church before she hit. The work there would have been done for the week and there would have been no celebration service due to the mud if Emily had hit. Emily dissipated.
The same God who provides also protects. This God-size vision was not going to be hindered by weather, heat, or insufficient supplies...nothing.
So Friday night, as planned, a celebration service took place. The service began with the song "How Great Thou Art". As two nations came together to worship the same God for his faithfulness and provision for the team and this community, it was impossible to hold back the tears.
The service that began with only 3/4 of the building full and people singing quietly in their place soon turned into a packed house, people sitting even in the window cutouts from outside and people freely worshipping our God. It was a beautiful experience that I won't forget.
Men, women, and children . Haitians and Americans. Kreyol and English. Brothers and sisters in Christ. All worshipping the same God while seeing the results of a God-size vision.

GRANDPARENTS - this one's for you!

I DO BELIEVE IN GOD
by Kylie Denlinger (age 8)

God will use His shield to protect me.

God is higher than any storm and God is greater than anything you can imagine.

God can control everything He wants to happen.

He didn't make us to sin, He made us to love one another.

God will answer your prayers.

Follow God and Satan may try to temp you, but don't pay attention to him. Pay attention to God.
If you sin, you should pray and ask for forgiveness.

God wants you to think of others not yourself.

God will love you no matter what you do.

God will always want to be your friend.

God is the greatest God, there is no other god as good as Him.

God is powerful, you are much weaker than him.

So believe that there is a God.

ps. Don't just say you are a Christian so people will like you.







Sometimes we worry and feel guilty because our children are missing out on things in the states. Things like sports, school as they know it, things that make life easier or more comfortable. But if we are living our lives for eternity as we are called to do, not for the things of this world, than this little girl isn't missing a thing!

The end of work day 3

Tonight as our team met on the breezy balcony, Colton led us in a few worship songs with his guitar. Can I just say this proud mom loves to hear him play. For a 13 year old to have taught himself to play several songs in just a year of playing...proud mom momment.


He chose Mighty to save. The words "Savior, He can move the mountains" stood out to me as we so clearly saw God move a tropical storm out of our path today!

Sometimes I think we are surprised when we pray for things such as this and the thing we prayed for actually happens. Almost like we are surprised that God did it. Not that we think He can't. Why is that?

Just as in the funds for this church/school build. We asked and from what many are saying, they doubted, wondering how a large sum of money could be raised now. But we prayed that the money would come, knowing God was asking AWAKENHAITI to take on this project. So if He asked this of us, wouldn't He provide what was needed? It's a call to obedience. Then it's a call to faith.
We see God moving in this church community already. I went out into the community to visit a few families on Wednesday. One of the questions I asked was "have you been up to see the new church building?" 4 out of 4 replied with a joy filled smile, yes! Suzette hasn't been able to leave her home in months because of the bleeding she has when she walks from the cancer within, asked God to relieve her the previous night so she could walk the whole way to the church and back...He did and again, she saw a loving God answer her prayer!

Every night this week, Pastor Nathan has lead a worhip service outside the building. They have been in prayer for the building, for the workers, for the storm to move, and for Christ to move. Tuesday night many many new people came to the church and many people gave their life to Christ. I joked with Pastor Nathan that he was going to have the church filled before it's even done being built, he just laughed and said "yes, many people can come now". The fact that he can now reach more people doing God's work...that's what it's all about! I was reminded of the woman at the well. This community needs food and water and many other things, but as Jesus says in John 4:13-14, "anyone who drinks this water will soon become thristy again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life."

We are so excited to be joining Pastor Nathan and this community in the first worship service in the church tonight! It will be a huge celebration of praise!

End of work day 4...the roof is done!

Canaan Church/school building

BEFORE

Sometimes the work we do here is intangible. We can go weeks and not really see the fruit of our labor. When there isn't much happening that we can touch/see, I think this perhaps is when God is really working the most. This is the waiting place for us, but God is doing His thing. Psalm 37:7 says "Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act."


When Jeff and I stepped foot in Canaan for the first time in November 2010 (I wrote a summary of Canaan on March 23, you can find it in the archive posts) , we had no idea what God had in store. No idea what He would ask of us, what He would do through us and AWAKENHAITI. But we knew we were supposed to be there and we began praying for God to just show us what He wanted from us. And we waited.
In January 2011, we felt we were to begin building in Canaan. Our days of just visits were done, we needed to do something sustainable in Canaan, something tangible. God began speaking to Jeff about the church/school building and then it was on paper. Then it was "where is this money going to come from?" While we had a contact to apply for a grant for building, God spoke to me about how He didn't want us to take the easy way out. He wanted to use His people to give toward this project. He wanted us to have faith that He would provide what was needed.
People began forming a team to come and build and before we knew it,the money for the building came pouring in. God is good. God provides. God is faithful.
Ground breaking for the foundation of the church/school building was on June 6th. This week, we have a team of people raising this church up.
We are amazed and humbled that God chose us to use in this community. We are blessed that He allowed us to see Him working in this.
While we sometimes think nothing tangible is happening, God is preparing something big.
This week is a Big tangible week. For Pastor Nathan, for AWAKENHAITI, for the haitians we are serving, and for the team here right now.
This church and school will be making a difference in the lives of those involved for years to come.
So here's to tangible! Here's to raising the walls. Here's to waiting on a God that always tells us his timing and his plan when we are ready to listen.
We are so excited to see what God does throughout this week, in and through this team!

NOW!

Vanessa went through a successful surgery yesterday (Thursday). Please continue to pray for her as she recovers and begins therapy.
We miss her here and know she will be back when she is able.

Yesterday and today, the foundation is being poured for the church/school in Canaan. By poured...don't picture the big concrete truck you would picture in the states where the actual pouring is being done in no time. Instead, picture the mixer part of the truck taken off the truck, shrink it into the size of maybe a 10 gallon drum and put it on a stand. Then add to the picture a man with a shovel and 1 gallon jug, scooping concrete and water into the drum. On the other side, a bucket brigade of 5-10 people carrying 2 gallon buckets of concrete to the guys with the 2 x 4 smoothing out the concrete.
I promise to have pictures soon. Again, the resiliance and innovative haitians continue to amaze us!

Please be in prayer for Vanessa over the next few days and the coming weeks. After seeing a doctor in Hershey yesterday, she is scheduled for surgery on her elbow on Thursday followed by extensive physical therapy. Please pray for comfort, strength, and peace.

Yesterday proved to be an unexpected eventful day. We had plans to clean the guesthouse, finish laundry, bake cupcakes for the monthly Good Samaritan birthday party, and do necessary ministry work.
Vanessa started the day by checking the water tanks on the roof to see if we needed to pump water in order to do laundry. To get to the water tanks we have a ladder in our dining room (yes, our dining room) going up to the roof. When she was coming back down, she decided to skip a few rungs. Please don't try this at home.
So, we were due for our first trip to the hospital in Haiti. In the meantime, Jeff had come down with a stomach virus (our high school nurse, back in the day, called it an intestinal virus, but I prefer stomach virus). So, Drew became nurse to Jeff while I took Vanessa to the hospital, our 3 kids were on their own for the morning, which means as much movie time as you want.
The American/Haitian hospital is definitely Haiti style...triage in a small building with only shower curtains for a door, waiting room on benches outside in shade or sun depending on how long you wait. x-ray machine from the year ???? This hospital has American doctors that travel in and serve here short term. We are so thankful for them, their knowledge and the cultural norm they brought for us.
Vanessa broke her elbow. The American doctors who looked at her x-ray, recommended that she fly back to the states, she will most likely need surgery. Please pray for Vanessa as she deals with the pain this weekend, for travel, for clear answers over the next week. Please also lift her up in prayer for the disappointment she is feeling with not being able to be here to see the church/school building in Canaan go up and to do the medical clinic she promised in two weeks to those she serves in Canaan. That need will still be here when she returns, it's a huge blessing to many haitians in Canaan.

Today, Jeff is much better. Vanessa is having a good bit of pain and having trouble getting comfortable to sleep.

thanks so much for your prayers!

Beyond Mountains are Mountains

On Team July I, we had a very talented young man. As a high school student, he plays several instruments, plays in a band and writes songs. Upon returning from his trip to Haiti, his way of processing all he had seen and learned was pouring his heart out into a song. Below are the lyrics and the song Tim is now singing.



Lyrics:
I come a broken man, to a rich and wealthy land
full of lost and hungry people, and you meet me here
your face shown in their eyes, for them my soul cries,
but Lord when we leave, will home recognize me

Through their hungry smile and their abandoned eyes,
and their desperate kiss, oh Lord why?
We've gone so wrong, Lead me

My worlds no longer mine, its lost in all these signs
but oh Ill stay strong, until you meet me here
every time i take a bite, how I think of their hungry nights
so dive into my heart and keep this world apart

So ill stand strong in you, to be the body that moves,
and Ill stand strong in you lead me.
http://soundcloud.com/timehrhart/beyond-mountains-are-mountains

Canaan project

The foundation on the church/school building in Canaan is almost complete. Today Jeff went to meet with the haitian workers there to go into the next step of finishing the foundation. The pre-existing church tent came down last week! What a cool transition and the timing is impecable...the tent was just about in shreads, they have moved to the second school tent for church which will also soon be in shreads.
For the next few days, the guys (Vanessa and I may pound a few nails too) will be building the trusses for the church/school. It's been really cool to see God bringing this all together using so many different people. From funding (this money has come from all over) the project to working on it, it will be amazing to see it finished and who will have been involved by then. We had our last team spend a day shoveling rock & dirt for backfill in the foundation, but there is still a ton to be filled in...yesterday a friend from another organization came to Jeff and asked is he had any physical labor for an unskilled (in the construction field) team of 15...BACKFILL in Canaan! What a blessing to have this help!
Next week ??? (I need more of Jeff's input on this one)getting ready for team July II who will spend the entire week building the church/school.
We hear the team preparing to come is very excited to be part of it, they are all working together in different roles to get funding, supplies, and support one another. A team working this well together before the trip is going to be awesome to see in action here. In our service at PAP Fellowship yesterday, we were reminded that yes, tasks and good works are good and are part of sharing the message of the gospel, but can't replace sharing the gospel with others. Our prayer for this team is that while this is a big task and a great deed, that we would allow God to speak through us to someone who needs to hear His message!
We're also excited to see how God will work in each team member while they are here, how he will change lives in team members as they serve.

One little baby shoe

After the last few comments about not having power, "let haiti be haiti" yada yada...I've had to be away from the computer for just about a week. Until tonight, we hadn't had city power since last Saturday night...a whole week. We were able to run a small generator and run two extention cords into the house some for a few hours of power to have light in the evening a bit and to return necessary emails and check in with a few board members, but our time was limited and the connection was always bad. I couldn't load pics. The kids only watched a little bit of Saved by the Bell when we could charge the computer battery. We couldn't wash the mountain of sheets and towels left by the last team. Everyone in the family took a turn to hand washed clothes this week except the 13 year (I won't mention any names). I have pics of Jeff and Drew to prove it. We had a few inches of water left in our tanks when the power was restored and we were able to pump more water so we could continue to have running water in the house. We laugh about not having power and water, we may get a little frustrated, but I can't bring myself to complain.
I know too many people who never have power. I know people who only have power during the day from a 5" x 7" solar panel so they can listen to the news on a small radio. I've walked into homes where the only source of cooking is a small stand on which to set one pot over charcoal. I have met people who can't afford to feed their children.
Wednesday when a few of us (mainly myself) was getting a bit grouchy about the pile up of things to be washed, God sent a reminder to our door in the form of a young mom. Those of you who know me well, know my heart for children. I have really developed a burden for moms and their young children since being here. I see so many just doing their best to provide and take care of their kids and struggling to make it.
A few years ago when my sister talked of her adopted children from China...how hard it must have been for their mothers to make the decision to give them up, I couldn't understand. In my naive, judgemental mind, I thought, "how could a mother ever give up her children?". Sharon, now I understand. Now, I get it. But I don't.
This young mother said she heard there was an orphanage at our house and she was looking for medicine for her sick baby, actually came to ask us to take all three of her boys. 7 years old, 4 years old, and the baby just around a year. She has no husband. She lives in a tent with someone else. And now is so desperate giving up her children a better future is her best option, she asks if I would take her baby on the spot. Stunned in disbelief, I understood. Yet I didn't understand. I have no idea what this mother goes through on a day to day basis. I have no idea what these children endure. I have no understanding of what it feels like to feel like giving up my children is my best option, yet I get it. Poverty is complicated. We can't understand all that goes with it, all that is the result of it.
As I stood there in front of this mother asking for help, I had to turn back to a decision made months ago that our children's homes would only take kids who were truly orphaned and tell her "no, I can't take your children, but I'll take your friend's phone number in case I find someone who can". The mom's response, "I will pray that God brings someone".
After we sent her away, and I began processing what just occurred, I became very angry at God. Why was He showing me this? Why was this asked of me? Why do these people suffer? What does it mean to truly be orphaned anyway? that your parents are both deceased or that dad is not around and mom can't do it and is going to give her kids up regardless of whether I say yes or no? Angry. Broken. Hurt. Confused. What was I supposed to do? If I say yes, when will the next one show up at our door? If I say no, it haunts me to think about where they are a few months from now. I'm caught somewhere in this gray middle of "what would Jesus do?" and being realistic about the number of kids we can care for and the ramifications of saying yes everytime and in all situations.

The following morning upon returning to the place I stood in front of that mom and said "no", there was ONE LITTLE BABY SHOE. I haven't been able to pick it up and do something with it, until now. I will pray for this little baby and his brothers as I look at this ONE LITTLE BABY SHOE until God sends someone to help.
I can't say how this whole thing affected the other adults in the house that witnessed the same thing I did, but for this mom, it left me broken and seeking God's all surpassing wisdom and grace.

Yeah, I love God's sense of humor. After my last statement in my last blog entry of me "letting Haiti be Haiti", we lost power...complete power with a team of 14 + 3 translators + our family of 7. When I say we lost power, I don't mean just no electricity. As I have previously mentioned, when we have no power, we can't pump water into our water tanks so eventually running water will be no more. I mean no fans at night = heat and mosquitos. I mean coffee for 20ish people done in our camping perculator (thanks MOM and DAD D). No power also = grumpy husband. Yeah, God's got a sense of humor.


Any way, Team July I actually got to experience some of this and they just rolled with it, which I love! Everyone showered by flashlight. The guys bucket showered. So, we couldn't live in our normal comfortable way, I don't think anyone would say they suffered anything.
Sunday, we took a tour of PAP. One change I have noticed over the past 2 months, the Presidential Palace is being torn down. From the very top all being carried away. I am hopeful and I think our Haitian friends would say this is representative of a new start of government for the Haitian people.

Team July I did a children's program Monday with a bible story, playdoh time, games, and hygiene education. All were great and we so appreciate. This team is a piece of the puzzle in AWAKENHAITI'S long term ministry both in Canaan and Good Samaritan Orphanage. Canaan is a lot to take in. It can feel overwhelming, but we do what we can where we know God has called us to focus.
We are looking forward to another day of time with the children in Canaan. We hope today encourages the families there and that they will see God through activities today!

"Let Haiti Be Haiti"

We decided a few months ago, we had to stop comparing everything here to the states and what we were used to. We had to stop having American expectations in a country that isn't America.
"Let Haiti Be Haiti", states it very well. This is my new moto! Spoken by Tony Brandt before his trip here in June. He said it because we were without city power for 4 days which meant our batteries (which provide power for our house when city is not on) could not be charged. The generator broke (which provides power to charge the batteries when city is off too long). So...no power means no lights of course, but it also means no fans which = sleeping outside which = mosquitos. This also means eventually we run out of running water because we can't pump it from the cistern to our tanks on our roof. I'm not sure he knew what he was saying when he said it, but none the less, he felt more prepared for the unexpected, the unexplainable, and the awesomeness of this country. There were moments of each in the week while the June team was here. City power came on 2 hours after that team arrived.
For me, it was spending an entire morning driving to 4 construction stores to get tap cons to hang shelves on concrete. Nope not one carried tap cons. A country that builds all of it's buildings out of concrete and 4 construction stores do not carry tap cons. I tried to get Jacques to explain it to me, but it's unexplainable.
For Dan and Tony, it was going to the construction store and not being able to get what they needed to hook up the power at the girls orphanage the way they wanted. There's no ordering. If they have it, they have it, if they don't, they don't.
For Jeff, it's picking up the part for the generator that was shipped from the states, having a man working on it one morning, then to have him up and leave it to go to work saying he'd be back that night. That was two days ago. Still no generator repair man. Unexplainable.
For Drew, it was getting yelled at by an old lady for throwing brush beside the full dumpster like everyone else does. Unexpected.

"Let Haiti be Haiti" this week...
Last week, I asked Drew to work on some landscaping around our outdoor patio in the yard. I love flowering bushes and lots of color, other than that, no special requests. Jeff walked in on the conversation and thus began the brainstorming.

Those of you that know Jeff well, know he is a visionary and can see the finished product before there is actually anything even there. You also may know, he doesn't do anything small scale. I decided it was best to step out of the way and let he and Drew go to town. So my simple idea of a few nice bushes turned into Pond/waterfall/fountain.
Digging began promptly on Monday morning. Stones were moved around the yard and put in place on Tuesday. Taken down and redone Wednesday after the liner was in place, now some of the stones could be secured with hand mixed concrete.
Pump...hmmm well one store (after driving 40 minutes to get there) sells the pump in one size, but the adapter in another size...don't have it. What store orders a pump in one size and the adapter for it in another size? unexplainable. No problem, they can make their own adaptations. They get the parts, set everything up, only the part of the pump that should pump water up to the waterfall doesn't.
Drew, risking getting stuck in rush hour traffic,shows up at MSC 10 minutes before closing knowing that getting the part would only take 2 minutes. But the shotgun-armed guard would not let him in saying they were closed, when there were clearly more customers in the store. The waterfall would have to wait another day.
Thursday, the final stones could be placed around the pond, the fountain is working, the waterfall is working, but still something missing.
As Drew was cleaning out our paint shed, he cames across a box of solar powered lights my parents gave us maybe 10 years ago, never opened. I guess you could say, we were saving them for something special. This was the missing thing, which meant some stones had to be shifted again. Finally the last light was in and the final stone was where it should be. Now all we had to do was wait for sunset.
At sunset, the lights came on, had dinner out by the pond/fountain/waterfall and lived happily ever after...awesomeness... Until the next time we are required to "Let Haiti be Haiti".


There are many things here that we don't understand, we can accept and try to mesh with, but don't understand. There are also many beautiful things here. We have to remember those things and laugh at the unexplainable and unexpected with our new moto "Let Haiti be Haiti"

For now, I'm going to "Let Haiti be Haiti" because I've been trying to upload a picture of the pond for 3 days and our internet won't let it. I'll try again another day because I still have American expectations.