Another tough goodbye

I'm sitting in Miami having arrived safely from Haiti. The last day was a fun, tough day. To continue from yesterday, I went to hang out with the kids during their break from school this morning. The kids run to you, grab your hands and your legs and just want to hold you. It kind of makes you feel like a celebrity. The community kids look on with curiosity. They stare and move closer. I smile and ask, "Como rele?" (What is your name?). They move closer and answer and I tell them my name is Chris with a smile. They come even closer to me and reach out to feel my hair. It's interesting to think that this is probably the first time that they have interacted with a white person. I just want them to know that Jesus loves them- Jezi remen ou!

The highlight of my day was the unexpected chance to see Pastor Moise before I left. Moise was in Nashville visiting a church and sharing his vision for the Global Orphan Project. I had hoped to spend time with the Haitian staff team during my visit including time with Moise but I found out he would be in the States while I was in Haiti. He probably got on the plane I had got off in Haiti. He was returning today but I didn't expect to see him. So when he pulled into the OTV an hour before we departed for the airport, I was thrilled to give my Haitian brother a great big hug. He asked how my family, everybody from our team and the church was doing and that he has been praying for us ever since our last visit. I shared with him that it was a joy for me personally to give the message at his church and see his family once again. A very poignant time on Sunday morning was having 6 year old Moise Jr. who goes by the name Junior tell me that he wanted me to tell Ryan to come back to Haiti. Ryan from our team bonded with Junior in a way that seemed as if Ryan became Junior's big brother.

Saying goodbye to the kids again was tough. My buddy Pierre and I spent a lot of time together on this trip. And when he asked me if I was going to leave, he said, "No please don't go" and then began weeping. What do you do with that? It's tough. Yes, I go home to the family I love and back to my life I have in Fort Collins. Pierre stays at the OTV. No mother, no father. Don't get me wrong- he is well cared for and thank God for that- but he doesn't have his parents. And that breaks my heart deeply. As I wrestle with trying to understand it all, I will continue chasing after God's heart for the helpless.

They got my back

Today was a chance to recuperate a little bit. No major tasks to accomplish or places to visit. School is back in session in Haiti as of 2 weeks ago. So many schools throughout Haiti were destroyed and likely will not open. This is a major concern for Haiti. School on the OTV opened although they do not meet in the building, they meet out in the yard with makeshift classrooms set up with black boards included. Each weekday school is in session from 8 in the morning until 1:30 in the afternoon. School at the OTV includes 70 orphan kids in the Global Orphan Project and 100 more kids from the community who come onto the OTV campus for school. All the kids are in uniforms- it's quite a sight to see.

The kids get a break around 10:30 in the morning for something that resembles recess. Even though the kids are in uniform, you can tell the orphan kids from the community kids. I went down to take some photos of the kids playing. The orphan kids called out my name- "Chris! Chris!" The community kids call out- "Blan! Blan! Give me dollar. Give me shoes." Blan is creole for white. The orphan kids shush the community kids and tell them my name is Chris- they got my back.

That brings up one of the main issues with Haiti. Haitians who are extremely poor expect you to give them something. They have been handed well-intentioned aid and they have come to expect that from anyone who is white or from anyone who looks like international aid workers. This isn't a new thing, this has been the problem for decades. It is systemic. Global Orphan is really coming at the problem a different way- a way of helping and not hurting through their model of orphan care. The idea is to create a village that includes a local church, school, medical center, wells, and of course the orphan homes. A strategic part of the village is to create businesses that then support the ongoing care for orphans making the village self-sustainable thus making the need for US dollars history.

Reflecting

As I reflect back on yesterday's events the gravity of things slowly sink in as I scramble to take it in and relect upon it. Yesterday when I said that I wasn't feeling well before giving the message in church, I know it was a spiritual battle. In the moment I knew I just needed God to give me the strength to allow Him to work through me, but as I reflect back, I know that Satan would not want me to give the message I did. While giving the message, I felt fine and for the rest of the day I was just fine- just cautious to not get too hot. So I thank the Lord for His strength and protection.

On the previous trip, I never really felt the strong voodoo presence that you hear about so often. There may be two reasons for this- one, we had incredible prayer coverage over our team from our whole church body. Two, Port-au-Prince is such a large city that you may miss the influence that voodoo has on the culture. This trip has been different. Not because there is any less prayer coverage for me and the teams I am serving Global Orphan with. But I believe God is helping me get a proper perspective for the spiritual battle that is being waged down here. Even in the community around the OTV I am hearing ongoing activities of gatherings with constant chanting that is really yelling and it certainly doesn't sound anything like church I've experienced here. It has been said that rural, outlining communities have a stronger voodoo influence. And I know the community that Faith is going to partner with- Port Salut does have a strong voodoo influence and the the young church is truly a beacon in the community.

And the poverty- I have also seen things that I had not seen on the previous trip. Yes it's horrible; yes the earthquake compounded an already extreme situation. I can't help but think of the children who are without a family and the terror they face everyday trying to survive. On the way to Moise's church yesterday we passed the market. This is the main market in Port-au-Prince and it is near the port. Imagine in your mind what an outdoor market looks like in any city around the world including in other third world countries. This one blew me a way. There was no rhyme or reason for the layout of the market. There was a mass of humanity, people were selling their goods on trash heaps. There were fires burning here and there. And the smell- I have never smelled anything so intense- was almost nauseating. The ground was as black as the people. I have seen poverty before, but this was a completely new level altogether. You can unmistakeably find the market if you look on Google Earth and see it from the satelite image. It really defies description.

On the other end of the spectrum, 4 boys went with us to church yesterday- Rogelin from the OTV, Jacob, Pastor Calix's son who just gave his life to the Lord last weekend, Jeff and one other boy. After church we toured the city so that the California team could see the extent of the devistation before we took them to the airport. We stopped for lunch at a very nice hotel where people from the international community are staying. The boys had pizza for the very first time and loved it. In fact, the poured left-over spagetti sauce from someone else's lunch over the remaining few pieces. There was a pool at the hotel too and it looked very refreshing. I wanted to jump in just to cool off. The boys said they wanted to jump in to bathe. There are the two extremes coming together. Something that I would take for granted is seen by these boys as a blessing and a necessity.

No, wait, it doesn't get any better than this

In an earlier post I said it doesn't get any better than this when I was greeted with a scream and a hug from 13 year old Renise who just had her baby and was someone that our team, and the world for that matter, got to know too. While that was an awesome experience, I had one that topped that- sharing the gospel in Pastor Moise's church this morning and having 3 young boys give their lives to Christ!

I was asked after arriving on Thursday if either I or Pastor Steve who was visiting from California would give the message on Sunday. I have learned that you should always be prepared to give a message in church wherever you are visiting throughout the world. It was decided that I would do it. I've got to be honest with you- I'm not sure that God has equipped me to teach or lead in front of a whole congregation- but I will do whatever the Lord would have me do. I decided that I would share the gospel in a story format. The story was about a little boy who loved to play and was quite close to an old man that had passed away. The boy began to think about what happens after you die and became afraid to die. Then the greatest gift that one could ever receive was shared with him. And that is how I framed the gospel by interjecting the boy throughout the story. The boy came to accept the gift- that boy was me. I told the congregation that God was offering that gift to them today and that they too could receive it.

The message was translated by an incredible young man who is on fire for God and following His lead. Lucson has an incredible passion to do the Lord's work for his people here in Haiti. A highlight during the message was when I shared John 3:16- I said it first and then when Lucson started to say it, the congregation started reciting it right along with him- that was cool.

Three young boys came forward after the invitation and prayer. They were then prayed for by elders of the church and their information was taken.

I have to admit- I was not feeling well- I didn't know if it was nerves or if it was the heat. I was afraid I would do something embarrassing like faint from the heat or puke on the pulpit. But I knew that I could only do this through the Lord's strength and nothing of myself- thanks God!

So now I have to say that it doesn't get any better than this!

A New Home

Today was a hot day- I came about as close to heat stroke as I ever have. And I was drinking a bunch of water. It was a very fruitful day on the OTV playing and loving on the kids. We paid a visit to Pastor Calix's new home where he and his 34 kids moved in last week. When our team was here a month ago the walls were just going up. Now the kids have a nice, safe, new home. Calix's story is another on the Global Orphan blog. Calix's home collapsed in the earthquake but miraculously all the kids survived. However, with no place to go, no wall to protect them, no food or water Calix had to make a very tough decision. He had to place his trust in Global Orphan to provide food and shelter for the kids- it took 3 trips by Global Orphan for Calix to finally allow his kids to come to the OTV. After 2 and a half months on the OTV Calix and his kids moved into their new home and we celebrated with them today.

Another trip we made today was to Pastor Joseph's place- he has a bed making business and he has employees from the community. The business is part of a microenterprise business that is designed to help the community and provide employment. These bed frames are then placed into orphan homes.

Tomorrow is church at Moise's and I will give the message- that's a first time for me.

Old friends and new friends

Didn't get much sleep last night because we lost all power including the back up generator and internet. I tried to lie still and not think about how hot and sweaty I was with no air movement. I woke up at 5 a.m. feeling a little air from the ceiling fan. I put my pillow at the foot of my bed and fell back asleep- for a little while.

Today we got to hang out with my "old" friends at the OTV and play with them. It was funny how they all confirmed who I was since I was there a month ago by the way they kept pointing to their left eye because I have a red spot just under my left eye- anything that makes you memorable right? Oh, and I hate to admit this but they also remember me because I was the guy that could make farting noises with my hands- yep, trying to bring a little humor to the world one fart at a time (with my hands).

We traveled to Juli's House to visit the kids there. A lot is happening- they are getting a new well and an addition to their home. They also have received a lot of rain making it difficult for the drilling truck to not get stuck. When we arrived they were singing their hearts out for us- awesome!

The new friends I met today were at Nicole's House nearby Juli's house. There are over 50 kids that live there. But my newest best friend is Kimberly- Renise's little 4 week old baby girl. Here is Renise's complete story: Renise Matters

Well I'm off to the "cinema" with the kids. They are watching Shrek in French.

Doesn't get any better than this...

I met one of the teams I am leading on behalf of Global Orphan today and we arrived safely in Port-au-Prince after an hour delay from a cargo hatch that would not close. It's kind of fun seeing anew the eyes of a team that is experiencing Haiti for the first time and hearing much of the same reactions to Haitian life that is now defined as normal in post-quake Haiti.

But the icing on the cake for the day came as we pulled into the OTV. We were delayed because of traffic and the overwhelmed gas stations. Apparently a shipment of gas did not come into Haiti and everyone is swarming the gas stations just to get a little- and if you're lucky, it'll cost you $10 a gallon. Back to our arrival- the kids were waiting for us and it was just getting dark. As I climbed out of the bed of our pick-up I was greeted with a scream and a hug by Renise. Renise is the young 13 year old who before the earthquake was a restavek- a child slave and she was raped and became pregnant. The earthquake was a blessing for her although initially she was homeless but then was connected with the Global Orphan Project. Under their care she received prenatal care and then gave birth to a baby girl about 3 weeks ago. If you go to Global Orphan's website you can read the whole story on the blog there. She did not know I was coming so the surprise was overwhelming even to me! Tomorrow I will meet and hold her baby (I'll attach pictures- don't worry). Great start to my time here.

Heading back to the OTV

Last month a team from Faith E-Free went on a missions trip to Haiti to minister and serve orphans as a part of the Global Orphan Project. GO (Global Orphan) cares for over 2300 orphans in the country of Haiti. As a result of the earthquake in January, GO mobilized a plan to care for not only their own orphans but to reach out and make sure other orphans from devistated homes had a place where they could find food, shelter and care. Our team went down in mid-March to be a part of GO's orphan care trips. GO set up an Orphan Transition Village for children who were displaced from their families, earthquake orphans and orphans from area homes that were destroyed. This is the place we went to serve and get to know and love on over 100 kids. Many stories came out of experience that I will share later. But as of now I am getting ready to head back down to the OTV to serve GO by leading a couple of teams going down to love on and serve the kids there. Need to finish packing and head out the door before sun comes up in the morning.

The Beginning of it all

This journey of mine started about 2 years ago. The KidzZone ministry supports several Compassion children and I wanted our congregation to get involved more broadly. I knew we had several families supporting Compassion children. So why not foster a partnership between our church and Compassion International? A trip to Colorado Springs to visit Compassion International's headquarters with the church's lead ministry team began the process of strategically developing a partnership with Compassion. The next question was how would this partnership look? We prayerfully decided to focus on two countries- Haiti and Togo. Haiti because the need is so great with it being the poorest country in the western hemisphere and so close to the United States. And Togo because we had the privilege of helping fund the first ever translation of the Bible for the Moba people of Togo, west Africa. Things have been moving at break-neck speed ever since. And maybe that's why I am trying to discern ALL that God has in store for me personally and for the congregation of Faith.

My first trip to Haiti came last October as a part of a Compassion Vision trip and we decided to explore another ministry that is working in Haiti to see if that would be another ministry we could work with on the ground in Haiti.

Let me frame Faith's vision for making a difference in the country of Haiti. By the grace of God we feel called make a difference in Haiti by saving babies, serving orphans, feeding and clothing children, making sure kids get an education, strengthening churches, developing leaders and sharing the gospel. By partnering with Compassion we fund a lot of these types of programs, but that doesn't give us a way to send people to Haiti. So in seeking out another partner, we were looking for the right fit with our vision and having the ability to send our people to serve in Haiti.

During our visit to Port-au-Prince I had the opportunity to meet the girl that my family sponsors. The bonus was meeting her mother and grandmother. We had a lot of fun as we spent an afternoon hanging out together playing games, talking (through a translator) and going for a walk.

Upon returning from Haiti, we were planning to send a team to Haiti during Spring Break and then on January 12th, the world changed in Haiti with a 7.2 earthquake. Life in Haiti went from bad to horrific...

So, why am I attempting to blog?

I've never been one who journals very well or consistantly. But God has been doing something in my heart over the last couple of years. I'll discuss that a little later but what it has culminated in is a couple of trips to the country of Haiti where God has opened my eyes and wrecked my world. So I've entitled my blog "Chasing after God's heart for the helpless" because as I'm chasing, I don't know where He's leading- exactly. Psalm 82:3-4 says, "Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." This verse came to me at the end of the finger of a little orphaned Haitian boy as I sat down beside him and asked if I could read to him. God has an incredible way of surprising us and showing us what He wants us to see and hear. More on that later too.