The Future of Our Kids

Today we headed back to Port au Prince in preparation for our flight home tomorrow.  One of our objectives today was to see three young men from Desire who are now enrolled in the Pathways program.

Pathways was developed to provided a next step for children who are aging out of orphan care.  When a child reaches the age of 18 they are no longer considered a child but an adult and therefore need to exit the orphanage.  For the past several years Global Orphan has wrestled to address this issue that was becoming a reality very quickly at the orphan projects across the country.

Last year they launched the Pathways program which is a two year program designed to prepare young adults for a life beyond the orphan projects.  The program includes training in a trade for employment, life skills, discipleship and English.  The hope is that at the end of the two year program, a young adult will be able to lead a productive life including a job for income.

Since we have been partnered with Desire the last several years we knew that the first group of kids would be aging out soon.  We had been praying that Pastor Jeannot would encourage the young adults to consider enrolling in the Pathways program.  This fall three young men- Charlecson, Nasson and Wilson are enrolled at Pathways.  We had the opportunity to connect with them today and it was truly a blessing for us and I hope for them as well.  We will be seeking sponsorship for these three young men for the next couple of years of this program.  More details will follow soon but if you want to learn more, contact me and I'll fill you in.

While touring the GO Threads we discovered that a girl from the Desire community is enrolled in the Pathways program and is in her second year.  She recognized me and Chuck called out to us- what a great reunion with one the community children of Desire.  And a small taste of the effectiveness of connecting to the community children as well as the orphans we support!

In addition to seeing the boys, we had a chance to see some of the training programs the students can join.  There is the Go Threads program that teaches sewing and students will be cranking out school uniforms for all GO schools.  There is also a Mechanics program that teaches students

automotive repairs.  Finally there is the Agriculture program that includes a chicken farm, livestock and crop production.  We were super encouraged to visit those aspects of the Pathways program.

Tomorrow we head home with heavy hearts but encouraged hearts for all the work that the Global Orphan Project is doing in Haiti.

Last Day in Desire

It's always with a bit of sadness that I write about our last day in Desire because inevitably we say goodbye to the kids- Lord willing, for a little while.  Today I got several questions about whether we would return tomorrow but I had to explain that we would not because they have school and we need to go back to Port au Prince so that we can see our Desire friends that are now enrolled in the Pathways program- Charlecson, Wilson and Nasson.

Those three young men have officially aged out of orphan care and have chosen to enroll in Pathways.  I'll share more about it after we visit them tomorrow.  But we are sad and excited at the same time because of our visit to the other guys coupled with leaving Desire.

Today was another great day as we had a longer afternoon session due to the kids being in school in the morning.  We strategically used our time today to do activities where the kids could use their artistic creativity on paper as well as canvas backpacks we gave them.  Later we broke out the parachute and soccer balls.

But the most touching thing this afternoon was the kids getting letters from individuals who wrote personally to them.  It was special because the kids were excited that someone from our church would write specifically to them.  The kids brought the letters to us and asked us to read them to them.  In that moment I wished I could translate them into their language but it didn't seem to matter much because they enjoyed listening to the English.  But I was happy to listen to Pastor Jeannot read a letter to a girl- first in English and then in Creole.  Pastor Jeannot said he would read and translate to each child over the next several days.

This has been a trip full of new experiences for both us and the kids.  We still have one more day...

Trouver Nemo

Today was another great day.  Morning worship at Desire, an afternoon rain storm that we thought would prevent us from going back up to Desire- but didn't, and another first in Desire- watching a movie after dark with the kids up in Desire.

This morning included prayer, worship through song sung accapella, a solo song by Guerline, one of the older girls, and the gospel.  The kids heard the story of Jesus from Luke 22-24 and signed their names on a cross signifying Christ's sacrifice for them.

We got word that the rainstorm that dropped a lot of rain on Gonaives did not hit Desire and so we moved forward with plans to have Cinema Night in Desire watching Finding Nemo in French which is called Trouver Nemo.

When we arrived in Desire there was a buzz of excitement because Pastor Jeannot had told the children what was happening.  The church was already alive with music since we borrowed a generator in order to supply the church with power to show the movie.  We quickly got the computer and projector set up and started the film.

The scene was incredible- the sound of children excitedly jumping up and down with expectant chatter for what was going to happen- to complete silence from the children as the movie started to play.  You could hear the kids laughing and the mamas got into it as well.  Many from the community showed up for this special event too.

This was special because it's never been done in Desire.  It was great to witness something special.  On top of that, the team got to experience a completely new  adventure- traveling to Desire as the sun was setting.  We were treated to grand views of massive thunderheads in the mountains and later the lightning show they provided.  What's even more, there were millions of stars to view that were not covered by the storm in the mountains.

Sunday is the best day of the week- I've said it before and I will continue to say it! What could be better than worshiping God, playing with His children and being present in His creation?

New Adventures

Our team today attempted something new in Desire.  We set out on a hike on a mountain near the Desire village.  The kids were excited to go on an excursion and happy to share their surroundings with us.  Coming from Colorado I definitely was happy to have the lung capacity coming from a higher elevation.  The challenges though included high humidity and heat causing me to sweat profusely (sorry -TMI).  

About an hour into the hike I was drinking my water and many of the children were also thirsty.  They didn't bring water, they were asking for ours.  That made us think we weren't as prepared as we should have been and that we should probably turn back considering the kids needed water too- so we shared and began our journey back.  I'd love to say we made it to the summit but I can't, but we did get some incredible views from our vantage point.  In Haiti there is a saying that says there are mountains beyond mountains.  If we had made the summit, we would have discovered that the was another peak to climb.

Tomorrow we get to worship in Desire.  Praying for good rest tonight as I get to share the incredible gift that Jesus offers each and everyone of us.

Tomorrow will be another "first" so stay tuned for what comes next.

Arrival in Haiti

This morning our team got an early start as we boarded a 6:15 am flight for Haiti.  Our flight was smooth but when we landed in Port au Prince we discovered that they had a torrential downpour last night and it apparently knocked out a lot of power around the city including the airport.  We entered a darkened airport and suddenly memories of 2010 came back as we had to wrangle our bags just like the old days before the great airport improvements.

Once we cleared customs we found our van and loaded up for the journey to Gonaives.  This afternoon we ventured up to the Desire project and had time with the kids.  As I continue to come back time after time with teams, I find myself surprised at how quickly I tend settle into a mindset of "here we are again" only to be jolted into remembering the call on our church to love and care for these orphan children- and I suddenly feel convicted (in a good way) to lead the charge of God's call for His work in Haiti. The kids aren't just pictures on my phone or computer- they are alive little miracles that God Himself created with a specific purpose.  And in our limited time with them, we need to do all that God has called us to do.

I am really excited for this week- I get to pour myself out and be used- I now pray that I am used effectively.

The team is well but tired.  We are turning in for a good night's rest and a jam-packed day tomorrow!

Heading to Haiti!

Our team starts their journey to Desire in the morning and we have supplies for the kids- vitamins, school supplies, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes and bed sheets for the 70 or so orphan children at Desire.  We are excited to see them soon and we are a unique team because of our size.  We are small but we have outside-the-box plans for the kids.  First and foremost, we want them to know that there is a church in Fort Collins that loves and prays for them.  So we are hand delivering personal letters to each child.  Our goal as a team is to just be present- to spend ourselves, love and hug kids, go on hikes with them and to have our first-ever movie night up in Desire.  We are going to relive epic stories from the Bible culminating with the most important story ever told- Jesus' love and free gift to us- eternity with Him!  Pray for our team as we begin a long journey and three flights to get to Haiti.  We are expecting big things from God!

Leaving... For Now

I know if I look back over previous blog posts from trips to Haiti that I am sure I have said that Sunday is my favorite day. In case I didn't, I want to tell you Sunday in Haiti is always my favorite.  I love the worship.  Today's worship ranks up there with some of the most memorable for me.

It's been 4 years since I last worshipped at Pastor Pudens' church called Philadelphia.  The church is completely different because it was under construction when I was there last.  We were some of the first to arrive and service started with an hour and a half worship/prayer time with brief moments of prayer as a segue into the next song.  The message was inspiring- especially since we got it translated and for those of us English speakers, we felt a part of the 3 hour service.  Yes, I said 3 hours but it didn't feel like it because after all our focus was on Christ.

This afternoon we arrived at our final destination before we depart the country tomorrow.  Expecting to get on the road to the airport in the morning, I'm sure the team will turn in early to get some rest.

As I reflect on this trip, and there is more reflection coming, I am thrilled to have been invited to this exchange.  I've learned a lot, I caught the passion that educators in Haiti have for teaching students and have a new found respect for their work.  I want to see them succeed.  And I hope in some small way, my contribution was found helpful for the teachers.

Certificates and Good-byes

Today was our last day with the Educator Exchange.  The morning was spent with a few more learning activities for students as well as discussion and exercises for active listening.  There was a school principal breakout that was led by Dennis as he addressed some of the challenges brought up by the school principals.

The morning drew to a close with the presentation of certificates for the teachers attending the exchange.  The pastors represented at the Exchange congratulated and presented certificates.

The goal of the afternoon was to make a quick trip up to Desire to show a few of my fellow teammates the project including Dennis who joined me on the trip for the Exchange and is in Haiti for the first time.  We got a couple miles away from the hotel when a rear tire blew.  Knowing there was no spare, Pastor Jeannot set out to find a tire to replace the blown one.  This event might keep us from getting Desire.  About a half hour later, with daylight burning, the tire was changed and we started the long, bouncy journey in Pastor Jeannot's Pathfinder that has seen better days (and shocks).

With the amount of rain we received last night, I was still a bit skeptical that we could make it to Desire on the narrow, often muddy road.  We barely forged the river and creeped through muddy sections of the road before we finally arrived in Desire.

Our visit was short but sweet.  It was difficult because I had seen our kids for a total of about two hours on this trip.  But it was two hours that will sustain me until I return.  All the kids wanted to know where the rest of my family was.  I had the challenge of trying to explain that Kennedi is now married and that her husband is a real special person and now my son.  They had fun looking at a few of 
the wedding photos on my phone.

Tomorrow we worship with our brothers and sisters in Christ at Pastor Pudens' church at 7:00 am.  Then we make our way back towards Port au Prince to stay at a hotel by a beach before heading home on Monday.

I am so thankful for this opportunity to participate in the Educator Exchange.  I have new insight to new areas of ministry and I look forward to seeing how God may use our church in the future.

Coming to a Conclusion

Another great day with a lot of excitement.  Teachers arrived ready to dive into today's topics.  As is the case when in Haiti you adjust when things don't go quite as planned.  But that's one of the reasons I love working and being in Haiti- everything is at a different pace and things happen when they happen.  Our late breakfast turned out to be good on timing because of our late lunch.  

I would say that on this trip I have had to step out of my food comfort zone.  And what I mean by that is having meals cooked by the host mamas for the teachers.  It is quite an experience to actually see the goat you will have for lunch tomorrow being "prepared" today.  It really has been delicious and interesting at the same time.

Our day got cut short by a torrential downpour and the raindrops on the metal roof made it nearly impossible to hear.  So we resorted to doing math games with decks of cards.  All in a day in Haiti.

One of the things we are doing as a group from the States is asking what are the teachers finding helpful that they would want to implement in the classroom when school starts in a couple of weeks.  Today a young man stood up and expressed his appreciation for spending time with other teachers to collaborate with same grade level teachers.  They are having intentional time to discuss and share ideas with one another and that seems to be a new idea for them.  

Someone else said that our team has been challenging them to answer their own questions by discussing challenges and issues that they face as teachers.  This has been intentional on our part- we don't want to presume to have answers that they are looking for but instead open dialog with each other and us at times, to find the answers.  Hearing those kinds of responses let us know that we are accomplishing some of our goals.  It is important for the teachers to not look at us as someone who has all the answers and that they do not.

Tomorrow is a celebration and certificate day for the Educator Exchange.  We will have fun celebrating all their hard work of the past four days.

Depending on the roads from today's rain, we are going to try to make it up to Desire to visit the kids up there.  All of the mamas are enjoying a much deserved break from their responsibilities as Global Orphan is sponsoring a retreat for the area mamas at a nice beach resort.  Pastor Jeannot as well as the other project pastors have recruited people from their congregations to stay with the kids while the mamas are on their retreat.  So we will get a report on the road conditions in the morning when Pastor Jeannot joins us at the Exchange.

Haitian Educator Exchange Day 2

Yesterday was great and today was even better because the teachers were fully engaged from the beginning through to the end.  As someone who has never been a part of something like this, it has given me a new perspective about things in Haiti- like education in this instance.  I came into this expecting to "equip" the teachers to be more effective with their students.  That is my ignorance showing through.  What I am now witnessing is a group of very passionate, dedicated teachers who are seeking to improve but the benefit of something like this event is bringing the teachers together to share experiences and ideas and begin to create a true collaborating effort between 3 Gonaives-area schools.

Dennis started the conversations this morning by inquiring with the teachers on classroom management and the difference between dealing with the difficult students and creating a positive atmosphere in the classroom to give students the best chance at success.  They discussed strategies and things they could do to create a positive classroom.

I then had the opportunity to share about active storytelling with the teachers.  Asking how can we make learning the Bible memorable for the students.  I then demonstrated telling the story of Jesus healing the 10 lepers in a fun, active way that all the students (teachers) would have an active role in telling the story.  After the story we used time to ask questions to help cement the message of the passage so that kids could make the connection between what the Bible says and what it means for each of us in our lives.  We had a hilarious time as 10 volunteers placed sticker dots on each other only to find out that they were going to be the "lepers" in our story.  We made them feel like lepers- left out of everything and cast out.  In the story, the lepers wanted a chance to see Jesus but were made to stay far away because of their leprosy.  Jesus healed the lepers when He told them to show themselves to the priests but only one came back to give thanks to Jesus.  The moment wasn't lost on the teachers as one of the lepers came running to the front of the room to give me a hug and say thank you as if I were Jesus in the story.  The point of my exercise was to get teachers thinking about creative ways to bring Scripture to life for their students.

The rest of the day teachers really engaged with the exercises and worked together to create strategies.  Their passion became even heated at times and we ended up with some really great teaching moments with the teachers as they were challenged to actively listen to one another and use encouraging words with each other as they shared ideas with the whole group.  We couldn't have scripted that better.  The Lord was at work with our time today.

Tomorrow is day 3 of 4 and we have another full agenda.  I am looking forward to the conversations that will come out of this experience as we seek discernment and direction for our church and these exchanges in the future.

Haitian Educator Exchange

As I shared in my earlier post, I am here in Haiti on a different kind of mission trip.  Exploring the possibilities within education to help the Haitian teachers grow in their teaching ability for orphans and community children.  It is true that if a child receives a good education, they can accomplish just about anything.  And in the context of a Christian school, they also grow in their relationship and understanding of God's incredible love for them.

Today was our first day of the Educator Exchange and being on "Haiti time", those of you who have been here know what I mean, the 8:00 start time really got going at 9:00.  But once we started, we were in high gear.  About 30 teachers from area Global Orphan Project schools are in attendance from Gonaives, Desire and Marmelade.  The turn out is a huge encouragement for me because I realize that each of these teachers really desire to be the best they can be in educating children.  We have three more days of the Exchange and while the teachers may be exhausted at the end of our time together, our prayer is they will return to their schools recharged and encouraged to try new ideas and collaborate with one another in teaching these children.

Return to Haiti

It's been a long time between blog posts.  Almost as long as the time gap between my trips to Haiti.  It has been almost 10 months between trips to Haiti for me.  That is something new, especially for someone who had an average of 3 or 4 months between visits to Haiti.

This past year has been one of transition for me and it has forced me to remain close to home to ensure a good transition for my new role.  It has also forced me to spend time reflecting and praying for our ministry in Haiti.  So the absence has been fruitful for me and is focusing me to look at the next period of three years of our partnership in Haiti with Desire and Pastor Jeannot.

I am in Haiti to explore an opportunity to help Haitian teachers look at other methods for teaching, learning new strategies for classroom management, and becoming better equipped to teach the children in Haiti.  I invited a retired, seasoned educator to accompany me and participate in the Exchange.  This is Dennis Baker's first trip to Haiti.  As we pray, process and evaluate this opportunity, we look forward to engaging teachers, project Pastors and administrators.

Tomorrow starts the Exchange where there will be 8 presenters- 4 Americans and 4 Haitians.  By Saturday afternoon we will have covered various topics, observed teachers impletement new concepts with students and celebrate the hard work they are investing in this week.  

It's good to be back!  And I am trusting The Lord for His direction for the future.

Spring Break Team: Treasure and Friendship

From Hayden:

Today was our last full day in Desire.  The team worshipped with the kids and the community.  Pastor Charlie preached about the treasure of Jesus.  When presented with that amazing gift, we have to ask ourselves, what will we do with it.  Do we embrace it, do we run from it, do we hide it?  When we embrace it and accept it, we have true life.  This message hit home to us as we wrestle with what we see here in a land filled with hopelessness, poverty, and corruption.  How do we reconcile with it? As we were worshipping with our Haitian brothers and sisters, we were reminded that no matter where we come from, we all get that chance to choose God because He first chose us, and He sees all of His children the same.  They are His children.  And tomorrow, we say good-bye to these children that we have embraced.  While we say good-bye, we know in our hearts that these children represent God's treasure on some level.  Their love, their desire for a relationship, and their hope of a future beyond our wildest dreams all point us back to what we know is the greatest gift of all, God's treasure.

Spring Break Team: Sunday in Desire

From Hayden:

On Sunday, we had the chance to worship in Desire with the kids and some from the community.  Pastor Charlie spoke on behalf of the team and preached on God's treasure.  Afterwards, we had time with the kids.  The highlight was a gift of a picture to each of the kids and mamas.  They were so excited to have this special piece of them taken.  In the afternoon, we had a quick review of the English lesson and some music.  It was mainly a time to play with the kids.  We saw girls jumping rope, soccer, dodge ball, and kids learning to make friendship bracelets.  It was great when a team member heard Pastor Jeannot say, "when the kids play, I am happy."  And, so were we.

Spring Break Team: Ruth and Dodgeball

From Hayden:

Today the team really poured it out.  They  spent time playing with the kids in the morning while we took pictures of all the kids.  Each child will receive a picture of themselves by the time we leave.  It was exciting to see the pride and excitement in their eyes about getting their picture taken.  In the afternoon, our team shared the story of Ruth and shared the gospel with the kids.  The story involved the team and the kids and was entertaining.  Later they were introduced to the game of dodge ball.  How exciting it was to see  the kids enjoy this classic game.  No one was hurt, and the team had great fun playing with so many kids at one time.  The last part of our day was spent visiting  with Jan Thompson and the 32 kids (Hopesters) at Christopher's Hope Mission.  It was another look at an orphanage in Haiti and time to hear Jan's story.  In all, it was a great day and the team really emptied their tanks to fill these kids with hope, love, and time.  Tomorrow, we get to enjoy worshipping with Pastor Jeannot, the kids, and the community.