Coming Home

We are up early this morning to begin our journey home.  It is tough to say goodbye.  It has been another wonderful trip with so many highs, challenging lows and evidence of God doing incredible things in the midst of so much pain and poverty.  This team is a special team because in so many ways they were pioneering new territory for our future of ministry in Desire.  God is stretching each one of us as we pray for what His will is for each of us.
Now we pray for a safe trip so that we can return to our families tonight and share the wonderful stories.

Our Final Day in Gonaives and Desire

Today was our last full day as we prepare to go back towards Port au Prince tomorrow.  We started the day with visiting an American missionary who owns and runs an orphan home in Gonaives.  Jan just received 5 new children this past week and the kids came only with the clothes they were wearing and just a little more.  Our adventure was to go to the market and split up to find clothes for the new children.  Jan said it was an answer to her prayer that we were available to help buy clothes for the kids where for two people and five children the task would be very difficult.
For the afternoon we went up to Desire after the kids finished with school.  This was to be our last visit for this trip.  The community kids were invited to join in and we fed all the kids who joined us for the afternoon.  Pastor Jeannot will feed the kids after we leave as well so that they look to the church as the provider and not the Americans.  It was a blessing to see so many children at the project yesterday and today.  While our church is committed to caring for the 63 kids at the project, we also have a heart for meeting the needs of the community- spiritually, physically, and through education and self sufficiency.  We love the model of The Global Orphan Project where the local church is at the center of the project because the church is the hope of the world.

Market in Gonaives

This morning we had an opportunity to serve an American missionary who recently received orphans just 5 days ago.  The kids arrived at the home with just a small sack of some clothes.  Our task?  To go shopping in the market to get clothes for the children.  We split up into 5 teams, each with a translator and a child or two to head out for clothes.  It was an answer to prayer that we were able to help.

A Couple Moments

Sunday in Haiti

I love spending Sundays in Haiti because I get to worship God in a different country with a people so passionate about God.  At home I have the comfort of a cushy seat, where the temperature is controlled so that it is just right.  In Haiti, we worship in cement buildings where you pray for a small breeze to enter the building and give you relief from the sweat pouring down your face, or in a stick-framed structure wrapped in tarps where the slightest amount of rain would make communication difficult because of the noise of raindrops pounding on the tarps.
But its not about the building, is it?  Its not even about us.  It's all about God.   Just to be able to join my Haitian brothers and sisters in worship warms my heart.  Whenever I take my Sunday worship for granted, I remind myself that God wants me to worship Him wherever I am.  And I count it a privilege to be here on this Sunday.
After worship, our team continued with the activities of telling a Bible story, making crafts and teaching English.  The English program we are piloting on the trip has exceeded my expectations.  I am very pleased with the overall response and the passion that the students have demonstrated.  After English activities were over, all of them were practicing their newly learned phrases on all of the Americans.  Praise God for answering another prayer about direction.
Overall today was another great day and we are preparing for our final day with the kids tomorrow afternoon after school is finished.We are expecting up to 200 kids to show up and join us for a final day of activities.

Simply Love On Kids?

As our team debriefed tonight we had a lot of great discussion from the high and low points of the day and the challenge of communication because language barriers to what it means to come on a short term trip and simply love on kids.  That phrase doesn't necessarily sound like a compelling reason to come to Haiti- unless you have come before.  Once you come, you get it.  The power of showing love to those children who don't know what its like to have a mom or dad has incredible power in the life of a child and the life of a team member.  You get it when you see the surroundings and the circumstances that the people of Haiti find themselves caught in- an endless cycle of poverty and disaster relief that only helps (for a few who may not need it) for the short term but never having the intention of helping for the long term.  Simply coming to love on kids is the first step that many team members take before they come to the realization that that is only a small part of a bigger picture- and they become sold out for doing so much more.  They want to be a part of something bigger than themselves.  And so starts the process of seeking the Lord for carrying on the vision to make a difference in the lives of 63 children and partnering with a local church.
God has called Faith E-Free to do hard things- to care for orphans through a local church partnership.  The local church desires to have help in building up its leadership and at the same time, raise 63 orphan children who want to have a thriving relationship with Jesus Christ and we as a church step up to that call.
Is it really about loving on kids?  Yes, but it is also so, so much more...

Frames and English

Today was our first full day at the Desire project with the 63 kids we sponsor.  One of our ideas for introducing our kids to the congregation was for the kids to demonstrate their artistic ability by painting photo frames that we brought with us and bring back their masterpieces to share with our congregation.  After getting instructions, the kids went to work on the unfinished pine frames.  Things went very smoothly although some creative boys were trying to keep the unused paint in cups for use later not realizing that it would dry up quickly.  Mission accomplished and the frames are packed in the boxes awaiting a return to Fort Collins.
Today was also the day for us to launch a pilot English program for the Desire kids.  Over the past few visits to Desire our teams have noticed that when we arrive the younger children run to us immediately and the older kids hang back not wanting to compete for attention.  We decided that we would focus an activity to engage them and try teaching some basic English through introductions and weaving the story of creation into the lessons.  Our team did a fantastic job with the English and Pastor Jeannot was filled with joy by what he saw.  I was too.  English has been on my heart for the Haitian kids because in Haiti, if you can speak English, you have 10 times better chance at getting a job than if you don't speak English.  As we look into what is one of the best ways that Faith can pour into the lives and future of these kids, English has been one of those ways.  By piloting an English program, we have discovered how this might be implemented as an ongoing focus of our ministry to the Desire kids.
God truly had His hand on this day as we continued to learn the children's names and grow closer with them through demonstrating the love of Jesus.
Reflecting back to our second day on our first trip this past March, I remember Pastor Jeannot saying to me, "Listen to that..." as we heard laughter and sounds of happy children, "Today is a very good day."  I would say that today was also a very good day with the Lord smiling down on His children because at Desire, God is moving in big ways.

Marathon Day on Day 1

After nearly 40 hours of almost no sleep for the Haiti team, we finished our marathon day by sharing dinner together and our first day debrief capturing the best things that happened today as we made our way up to Desire this afternoon.  The team was a group of real troopers as we endured a night in the Miami airport finding a corner on the fourth floor by an auditorium where it was quiet and relatively dark.  Trying to sleep on a hard floor with the air conditioning cranking kept even the most tired members of the team from getting any real sleep.
After finally arriving in Haiti a little later than scheduled, we began the three plus hour bus ride to northern Haiti to the city of Gonaives.  After checking into the hotel we gathered ourselves for the 45 minute ride of 12 or so miles to the Desire project.  Once again the arrival was almost magical as the kids scurried to run to the bus to meet us.
I had prepared individual photos of each child with names and birthdate so that we could begin learning the children's names and matching them with their faces.  I even surprised myself with how many names I remembered.  And to see the huge smiles when I said their names earned me a big "Oui" when I got it right.
Spending time with Pastor Jeannot after dinner to begin dialog and discussion about leadership was great- and an answer to prayer with the way he responded to our desire to partner church to church and have both our churches become all that God has in mind.
Tomorrow we have a heavy agenda to have kids paint frames that will come back to the U.S. and bless our church family, and the older kids will participate in our English activities pilot program.
This is just the beginning...  expecting God to show up in a mighty way!

A Fall Trip to Desire

It's been a while since I have posted.  In fact, we are getting ready to send another team down to Haiti in just a couple of days.  The team this time is comprised of a lot of experienced team members who have made at least one trip to Haiti in the past year.  For most of the team however, it will be their first visit to Desire.
Our agenda for this trip is to engage the older children with some English activities as a test run for possible future teams to spend significant time teaching English.

But first and foremost, our goal is to love on the kids with the love of Jesus.  We also will be pouring more into Pastor Jeannot and beginning a discipleship time to encourage him and help him strengthen his leadership of his local church.

So here we go... for another adventure.  It never gets old for me.

Final Day at Desire

Today is a tough day to put into words.  Not just from an emotional standpoint but from the overall fullness of the day and the way the team spent every bit of themselves in loving the kids today.  I challenged the team to make the most of every opportunity because now is their time in Haiti and I don't want them to return home wishing they had done more somehow.
With approximately 175 kids at the project, the kids heard the gospel of Jesus Christ.  And even though the story team felt they somehow failed in communicating because of language and other obstacles- God showed He was clearly in control.  60 kids stepped up to give their lives to Christ this day and almost all of them community kids who had never heard the gospel before.  God is so good- in our weakness, He is strong!
This afternoon we closed our time with dancing, games and strong bonding.  Yesterday was a great day- today I was surprised that it could get better.   God is not surprised by anything and He gets all the glory.  We prayed for Pastor Jeannot and the orphan kids as well as the community kids before we left.  Tonight concluded with a highly encouraging and an emotional team time. God is not done with this team yet...

Sunday was a Great Day

Morning came with a quick breakfast and off to join worship at Pastor Jeannot's church in Gonaives.The congregation welcomed us warmly as we worshipped with our Haitian brothers and sisters in Christ. I loved the passion for which Pastor Jeannot preached the gospel. The gentle man I have come to know and love raises his voice to preach with authority and the urgency of his message is felt throughout the neighborhood as I am sure those living near the church can hear the Good News being preached even if they are not present at the church.
From church in Gonaives we began our journey to church in Desire.Because of yesterday's challenge for the bus versus river, we used Pastor Jeannot's four wheel drive pick-up. But the interesting thing about the pick up is that Pastor Jeannot does not know yet how to drive it. Since Bertrand has to drive the team on the bus to the river, someone had to drive Jeannot's truck so that it could then be used to shuttle our team over the river and to Desire. I was the man for the job! I haven't driven in Haiti although I feel confident that I could find my way around having been here eight times now. So today was to be the day I got to drive in Haiti. And I'll admit it was fun! I got to dodge giant potholes, oncoming tap taps, moto-taxis, giant road construction trucks and a few goats.
So we made it to Desire to join about 175 kids and a handful of adults in worship late this morning- truly a blessing. The heat and humidity made sitting in the church (a tent) feel like an extreme sauna as sweat continuously poured down my face and my clothes soaked through. But the joy easily overwhelmed the heat as we lifted our praises to God. The exciting thing for me was to see so many kids from the community join us in worship.
We returned later in the afternoon to rejoin the kids at Desire. One of the highlights was having to walk part way to Desire from the river. Having traveled many times in the safety of a big white bus, our new circumstance afforded us the opportunity to take in the scenery of the countryside on foot and greet local people as we went.  We were warmly greeted in return.
The only bummer of the day was having to cut short our time this afternoon because of rain. The rain began to fall as soon as we arrived and we worked hard to push on with our program. But again, I was loving the adventure of walking in Haiti even while the rain was falling and looking forward to driving the truck back to the hotel from the river.
The team has been fantastic and I love getting to know the members better.  God has called a special group of people to minister with joy to so many kids- they don't even know the orphans from the community kids because they have all been together this whole time.  But maybe that's not important- what is important is that they are sharing the love of Jesus Christ with everybody they meet and encounter.  Today was a great day!

Adventure in Haiti

Today was a great day- a challenging day but a great day of discovering God's adventure for us.  This morning we made the trek to Desire to be with our kids.  In addition to the 60 orphan children we had well over 100 kids from the community join us at the Desire project.  As we made our way down the narrow road for 3 miles of challenging obstacles for any driver but our driver Bertrand- we pulled up to the project and were greeted by the kids jumping up and down cheering as we pulled into the gate!  There really is no way to describe the scene- you just have to experience it. 
Many of the kids remembered team members from previous trips and many new friends were made on this day.  As we packed out the small building with 160 kids and our team, we sang to one another- first in Creole and then in English.  The story of God's creation was told by our story team with the kids interacting with the seven days of creation- all with the hope and promise of Jesus Christ's love for us.
We concluded our morning with games of soccer, nail painting, dancing and just hanging out.  We said goodbye with the intention of returning later in the afternoon.
That is when Bertrand met a challenge that got the best of him...  part of our journey to Desire requires crossing a river- there is no bridge so we have to ford the river by driving across it.  The river beat us this time- we got stuck in it and the bus could not get out.  With every attempt we made the bus seemed to sink into the loose rock and scree.
We became quite the spectacle for the locals as we tries to push and maneuver with no success.  Some men from the surrounding area began to pitch in to free the bus.  A Catholic missionary vehicle tried to pull us although the driver didn't realize he didn't have his front hubs locked.
As the time and daylight started to slip away, the team by now was beginning to interact with the people from the community while we were waiting for a big truck to come pull us out.  Finally the truck arrived and backed up to the bus- on the first attempt the rope snapped in half.  As the truck backed even closer to the bus, a second attempt was made but this time they doubled up the rope.  In a furious 20 seconds that followed, the bus became free of the river that stumped Bertrand- who I believe is the best driver in Haiti- and maybe the world.
As darkness settled in, we were unable to make it to Desire to see the kids again and we headed back to the hotel for our waiting dinner.  So as I reflect back on the events of the day, I ask the Lord- what was your mission for us this afternoon?  We had a chance to meet and interact with people from the Desire community that we otherwise would not have met.  And as we shared why we were a bunch of Americans in this remote area of Haiti- we were able to share that we are here to share the love of Jesus Christ with not only the orphans we partner with but also the community that Pastor Jeannot minsters to.
God had planned an adventure for us on this day- I can't wait to see what He has in store for tomorrow!

Arrival in Gonaives

We arrived in Gonaives this afternoon after a long, smooth journey to get to Haiti.  The weather is very warm with super high humidity- I feel like I am just constantly dripping with sweat.
The whole team is doing well- we are just tired.  Everyone should sleep well tonight.
We just returned to the hotel after visiting 2 projects and dropped off supplies.  Tomorrow we will have a full day at Desire.  I asked Pastor Jeannot if we could invite the kids from the community and he excitedly said we could expect about 250 kids.  We don't know for sure until the morning.  But we are excited to minister not only to the orphans we sponsor but all the kids from the surrounding community as well.  We would ask for prayers that things continue to go smoothly.

Another Trip to Desire

Tomorrow Faith is sending another team to Haiti to minister to our orphan project Desire in northern Haiti.  I am excited to see the kids again and introduce them to a whole new team of faithful servants wanting to love on the kids.  Our senior pastor and his wife are coming this time as well as several college students and a father/daughter duo and a retired couple.  Each team that goes to Desire is diverse in its age and each team member has incredible gifts, abilities and passions that will work well in the environment of orphan children.

We are excited to see the ongoing progress of the site where the kids live- each time I have visited the transformation is amazing as there is always something new that is completed.  Please pray for this team as we travel.  Stay tuned to updates that will follow.





From left to right: Matt Jui, Kim Luymes, Melissa Ellenberg, Ed Davis, Sue Davis, Chris Conradson, Autumn Dreessen, Liz Swanigan, Kyle Massey, Justin Mower, Ryan Pahlau, Brandon Mathis, Adam Hood, Amy Struthers, Emily Hood.
not pictured: Brad Jensen, Thea Jensen, Mike Swanigan. 

   

Why Psalm 82:3-4?

I was going back over earlier blog entries and realized I never really told the story of how I have come to latch onto Psalm 82:3-4 as a kind of theme verse for my blog and my life.  So here we go:
 
In March of 2010, just two months after the devastating earthquake rocked Haiti, we sent our first mission team to serve orphan and abandoned children with The Global Orphan Project.  As the leader of this trip, I was seeking confirmation that a.) God is indeed calling Faith E-Free to serve and make a difference in the country of Haiti; and b.) That this organization- The Global Orphan Project- is who we should partner with in order to serve in Haiti.

After an eventful arrival in Haiti- two flat tires late in the afternoon in Port au Prince- we finally arrived at what was known at the OTV- the orphan transition village- after the dark had settled in, hungry from the long journey from Colorado.  It was my second trip to Haiti, and it was everybody else's first trip- we were all taking in the incredible poverty stricken landscape of this country.  We all seemed to be on the verge of sensory overload from the sights, smells, sounds, heat and humidity of Haiti.  When we arrived at the OTV we were greeted as if we were long lost relatives of the children, we had a reception fitting for kings and queens- we certainly were not worthy of this kind of reception.  They ran to us and literally jumped into our arms and latched onto our legs and hands.  We just wanted to serve them.  But in that reception it was as if the Lord was saying "Yes- these are my children and they love you- and right now they need your hands, your arms, your time, and your love."

After a fitful night of sleep in the uncomfortable heat and humidity and the endless buzzing of mosquitoes in our ears that kept us slapping at our heads, we woke up to a beautiful Haitian sunrise.  Searching out some coffee to jolt me to life, we watched the children from our balcony play, bathe, and seemingly keep busy with the chores of the morning.  One little boy was sitting under a mango tree on a big discarded tractor tire reading a little pink New Testament.  I decided to get my first experience of significant interaction with a child who speaks a different language from my own.  I went downstairs and walked across the courtyard to the little boy who's name is Pierre.  I said "Good morning" in Creole which is "Bonjou."  I studied hard to remember just a few Creole words and phrases so that I could hopefully communicate clearly with the kids.  He understood a little bit of English.  Noticing that his pink New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs was in English, I asked if he could read  English.  He said, "Non."  I asked if I could sit down with him and read to him from his Bible.  He said, "Oui."

So I sat down beside him on the old tractor tire.  He had his finger inserted in the Bible as if saving the page he was reading/looking at.  I decided that wherever his finger was when he opened the Bible and handed it to me is what I would read.  His finger was on Psalm 82:3-4, "Defend the cause of the weak and the fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.  Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked."  Pow!  Do you ever feel like God is sending you a message that you were not to miss?  I felt God's overwhelming message to me as I read the words out loud.  A flood of emotions came over me and before I could finish reading these verses, I was pushing back the tears that were beginning to fill my eyes.  God had used this little boy- Pierre, to be his messenger by placing his finger on the words God wanted me to read and hear.  Message received!  In that moment, I realized that God did indeed ask Faith E-Free to come to Haiti to serve the least of these, his orphan and abandoned children in Haiti.  Every trip since that first trip has had incredible God moments that only continue to confirm the call He has placed on us to serve the orphans in Haiti and to partner with the local church in a country that is considered the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

We had planned to come and give of ourselves in hopes of being a blessing to the children but in the end, we discovered that while yes, we had been a blessing to the children, we were surprised that it seemed that we were blessed so much more.  And so the adventure continues!

God's little messenger- Pierre

Highlights from the June/July Haiti Trip

Having reflected back on this most recent trip, I can think of so many highlights:

• Seeing Pastor Jeannot again and deepening our relationship
• Seeing so many changes at the site of the project- a completed home, shipping containers delivered that will soon be converted into homes, healthy, happy kids, a generator to bring a sound system alive for Sunday worship, and many more signs of activity
• Presenting blankets to the children of Desire that the children from our VBS spent time finishing and praying over
• Seeing God's provision of water through three small springs that only trickle water to fill buckets that represent life at Desire.  Truly a miracle
• Baptizing my daughter
• Leading another fantastic team to minister the children of Desire

But perhaps the easiest thing for me to do is share some of these highlights in pictures.

Kennedi with her friend Jameson

One of the homes finished- this was only partially constructed on our last visit.
Pastor Jeannot had run out of funds to finish it.  It's done now!

Community kids outside the project seeing what's going on in the Desire project.

A couple of buddies hanging out with me.

We presented the children with blankets that kids from our church's VBS worked on to finish.
This is a great example of how kids from Fort Collins can help kids in Haiti.

The miracle spring that provides water to the community.  The
ground well has been closed due to being contaminated with cholera.
It was truly incredible to see this with our own eyes.

Girls at play

Our crew and all the kids of Desire

Baptizing Kennedi in the Caribbean Sea.  What an honor for a father.

Truly special

Croix des Bouquets is known worldwide for it's metal work art.
Here a worker carefully cuts and pounds out his art work.

Another fantastic team that served the Lord well.
It was a pleasure working with this team!

A memorial at the mass grave site outside Port au Prince.
This is a reminder of the hundreds of thousands who lost their
lives in the earthquake.

A Great Trip

We've been back a few days and all of us are reflecting on the trip and adjusting back to our lives here in northern Colorado.  In the coming days I will be posting pictures and thoughts as I do some introspective thinking about this most recent trip.  Some of the things that stand out to me initially are being able to share the Haiti experience with my oldest daughter Kennedi and watch her as a team member on this trip and the culmination of baptizing her in the Carribbean on our way back to Port au Prince.  Another stand out was seeing the kids three months after visiting for the first time and seeing how much has changed at Desire- both in the physical well-being of the kids and the improvements being made at the project by the Global Orphan Project who is working on getting kids out of the tents and into permanent homes on the site.  God sure blessed us on the trip and I pray that we were a blessing to Pastor Jeannot, his family and all the kids at Desire.

Pastor Jeannot and the kids of Desire

Last full day in Haiti

Today is the last full day before we head back home tomorrow.  This morning we were a little sad to leave Gonaives and Pastor Jeannot but encouraged greatly by our time there.  On the way back to Port au Prince, we stopped along the coast and witnessed two baptisms- Kennedi Conradson and Autumn Dreessen.  It was an honor for me to perform the baptisms and a special bonding moment between me and my daughter.
After a quick (relatively) tour through Port au Prince, we arrived back at Jumecourt- Global Orphan's headquarters.  Some of us have built relationships with many of the kids here at the site of our first and third mission trips last year.
Tonight we end with our final Haiti team meeting where memories are recalled and team members share what God has been showing them on this trip- this team has bonded extremely well and as a trip leader, I love to see the fruit of our time together played out during this trip.
Please pray for our safe travel as we begin our journey home beginning at noon tomorrow.

Last Day at Desire

Today started with a visit to Jan Thompson's orphan home called Christopher's Hope.  The kids performed several songs for us- another incredible blessing to this team.  A new experience for me was meeting two of the children who have special needs- one was a deaf boy who in spite of his disability had incredible energy and a warm heart that made us laugh.  The other boy- Marvins has AIDS.  Both of his parents presumably died from the disease. All of the other kids are earthquake orphans.  We were happy to spend a little bit of time with them this morning.
In the afternoon we went up to Desire which would be our last time together with those kids.  The Bible story included a gospel presentation done by Ryan- who afterwards was called a little Billy Graham :)
Much of the afternoon was spent writing down names so we can remember to pray for the kids by name.  Kennedi had kids write their names on her shirt with a Sharpie which then kids wanted to write their names on her skin and stamp her arms- all because they could see it on her skin as compared to their own.
Another highlight was taking most of the team down to the miracle source of water that is sustaining the kids and those in the community.  The spring reminds me of Jesus' description on living water that when you drink- you will never thirst again.  A fitting picture of the Lord providing living water for the orphans.  We took off from Desire a bit sad but completely filled with blessings from the children.  And I can say our team was a blessing to them as well.
There is much more to process from this trip and I plan on going deeper with recalling the experience over the next week and will include my thought and prayers from this experience in later posts.
Tomorrow we head back to Port au Prince with a stop off at a beach where two members of our team will be baptized- Kennedi and Autumn.  I am excited for them!

Going Deep in Desire

We had another awesome day at Desire.  Yesterday we left early because of an approaching storm.  Today we saw why it was good we left when we did- the river we have to cross to get to the project was swollen with more water than I have ever seen.  So, late this afternoon another storm was closing in and we headed back for the hotel 30 minutes away.
Today we had the opportunity to share two Bible stories and two crafts- another first for our Faith teams.  We feel like we need to take advantage of our time with them and the kids respond well.
We also presented each child with a blanket.  The blankets were a mission project for the kids who attended our Kidz Day Camp in June.  I was able to share with the kids of Desire that there are kids back home from where I come from that are praying for them that God would bless them and protect them.  I also asked the kids to pray for our kids who live in Colorado.
Tomorrow we visit an American missionary's orphan home before we go back to Desire in the afternoon.  The afternoon will be our last time with the Desire kids until the next team comes down.  Please pray for the kids and our team because I know it is going to be tough to say goodbye to those precious kids.

Connecting with the Desire kids

After a wonderful time of worship at Desire filled with special music by the kids, communion and a baby dedication, our team jumped into action with the kids.  After some play time, the goal was to make some musical instruments to be used during our worship time.  The kids made paper plate noise makers to be used to make a joyful noise to the Lord.  Heather, Autumn and the rest of the team led music by singing songs in Haitian Creole- a first for a team from Faith.
Our time was cut short because of an approaching rain storm and we left to make sure the bus didn't get stuck.  So our plan is to head back to Desire after things dry up a bit from the rain we are getting now.
A highlight for me was to walk to the location of the miracle water spring that is providing water to the community since the well has been closed due to contamination.  It is a slow trickle but it is sustaining life for those who live here.

Made it to Haiti

This morning we arrived on time to Haiti and then began our journey to Gonaives where we are staying each night while here.  But before we could begin the 3 1/2 hour drive two tires on our bus needed to be replaced.  This gave us little extra time at Jumecourt catching up with some of our friends there.  Traveling through quite a bit of rain, we arrived in Gonaives late afternoon.  After getting checked into our hotel, we visited two projects in the city and played with the kids there.
The team did very well giving it all their energy despite getting very little sleep on our overnight flight to Miami.
Tomorrow we worship with Pastor Jeannot at his church in Desire.  After church we will begin our programming with the kids of Desire including music, Bible story, craft and games.
I am excited about this team and what I have already seen from this great group of servants.

2nd Attempt

With no phone calls from the airline, and everything seemingly okay, we are heading down the airport this evening at about 7 p.m.  Our overnight flight gets us into Miami before 6 a.m. with a connecting flight on to Port au Prince at 6:45 a.m.  Pray for the flight to go smoothly so we make our connection with no troubles.  I was able to adjust our trip so that we stay an extra day making up for the lost day.  We will now be returning on July 7th next week.  We are praying for good weather since rain is in the forecast throughout the weekend and the road to Desire is under repairs- so hopefully it holds out and we can carry on with our ministry plans.

We're excited to see the kids of Desire.

Keep us in your prayers.  Next update should be from Haiti...

Flexibility test #1

Well a trip to Haiti is not just any trip- we always have a few surprises that pop up to make sure we are trusting on the Lord for His provision.  Our flight out of Denver was cancelled tonight due to weather in Miami.  So the trip has been bumped by a day with our arrival in Haiti set for Saturday morning.  Working on the possibility of staying an extra day to gain back the one we lost.  Stay tuned...

Packing Supplies

Tonight we are packing the supplies we will be taking to Haiti.  Supplies include children's medicines, tooth brushes and toothpaste, peanut butter, kids underwear, blankets and anything else we can fit into our check bags. 
One of my goals this trip is to sit down with Pastor Jeannot and create a list of the ongoing supply need the orphan project has so that with every team that goes down, we are keeping the orphan kids supplied with the most critical of supplies.
We head to the airport tomorrow evening for an overnight flight to Miami and then a connecting flight to Port au Prince first thing Friday morning.  Please pray for our safety.

Faith's June Haiti Team

As we make our final preparations for the upcoming trip that leaves in a couple of days, let me introduce you to our team:

Back row: Chris Conradson, Chuck Landgraf, Bob Schuchard, Pattie Schuchard, Ryan Stewart, Autumn Dreessen, Tami Gustafson, Hayden Camp, Lynn Jacquart, Desiree Chasco
Front row: Heather Haddox, Kennedi Conradson, Michelle Colby, Amanda Folmer

We will be leaving June 30 and returning on July 6.  Please pray for safe travels, good health, and great opportunities to serve those we are going down to be with and sharing the love of Jesus with all those we encounter.  Updates will be posted during the trip and photos will come after the trip.

Faith's response- God's provision

The original water source 1/4 mile away

As a first step in our partnership with Desire, The Global Orphan Project informed us that before anything else, the project needs a well.  When we visited back in March, I was struck by the fact that the caregivers have to walk a quarter mile to a ground well to draw water.  So Faith got busy raising funds for a new well to be drilled on the property of the orphan project.  As a church we participated in a 5K run that allowed people from Faith to raise support funds for the well.  The response was overwhelming- we needed to raise $6,000 for the well and instead raised almost $15,000! 

God's new source of fresh water!

In the months that has followed, Haiti is in the midst of their rainy season.  The situation with the rain has forced the open ground well to be closed because it is contaminated with cholera and is deadly.  Knowing that the well was the only source of water for the 60 orphan kids we sponsor, I was very concerned about how the kids will survive until the new well is drilled.  The rains have made it nearly impossible for vehicles to get back to the project- meaning the well is delayed until the road and weather improves.  Faith has sent funds to help repair the road.  So God has provided a spring where fresh water is coming out of the ground!  Talk about a miracle- close by the project water started coming right out the side of the dry river bank.  The community is currently getting their water from the new, God-given source! 

Our team leaves in two days to go to minister to the children of Desire, and no doubt, we will be ministered to by the kids, the caregivers and Pastor Jeannot and his family.  I am super excited to see all the changes occuring at the project including the building of homes for the kids, and maybe perhaps with the timing, the well will begin to be drilled!  Please pray for our team and continue to pray for the kids of Desire!

The March trip in a few minutes- courtesy of John Crane

I was going back over all the memories of the March trip as I prepare for the upcoming trip we leave for in just a couple of days and I remembered John putting together all the images he shot set to kids singing at Jumecourt.  For those of you who haven't seen it- here you go:
https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=120421398034072

Highlights from the March trip to Desire

Click this: March Haiti Trip

Desire is the Place for Faith

As a follow up to my last post, I spent this last week speaking to the team that went with me to Haiti most recently and reporting to the leadership at Faith what happened on the most recent trip.  It is very clear that the Lord has confirmed His call on Faith to partner with Pastor Jeannot and the Desire project.  The very things that I prayed for in interacting with Pastor Jeannot was clearly answered beyond my expectations.  This is a very humble, faithful servant of the Lord as he shepherds two churches, two schools and 60 orphans at the Desire project.  I am excited to share more about Pastor Jeannot as we develop our partnership.

The next step is revealing our partnership to the rest of the congregation who have been patiently waiting for the PLACE in Haiti that we will be commited to for a long time.  I am excited to cast the vision of our partnership to our congregation so that they can see the who, how and what the Lord has called us up to.  I firmly believe the Lord is calling us to a difficult challenge and while the orphans and Pastor Jeannot is compelling, it will be difficult because of the location and the need- but certainly one that Faith can and will step up to.  For now then I would like to share some of the images from Desire:





From Google Earth- Desire is about 1/2 hour drive northeast of Gonaives.



Ben leading song time inside the church.

This is the church.

Looking down the property of Desire.  Kids live in tents.

One of the little ones of Desire.



Dinner time at Desire.





Pastor Jeannot with Penny.

The Journey of Faith with the Global Orphan Project in Haiti

One year ago Faith embarked on a journey to make a difference in the country of Haiti by saving infants, serving orphans, feeding and clothing children, putting kids through school, strengthening churches, developing leaders and sharing the gospel. We do this by partnering with local church-based, evangelistic ministries that are the very best at what they do. One of those partners is The Global Orphan Project. In March of 2010 we sent our first team to minister to the orphans who were displaced or newly orphaned as a result of the January 12, 2010 earthquake that devastated the already poorest country in the western hemisphere. It became very clear after that trip that Faith would partner with The Global Orphan Project in serving the orphaned children of Haiti.

The next step in the process was for Global Orphan (GO) to identify a possible partner for Faith in a village project that is in need of a North American partner to help fund the ongoing care of the children in a project and to meet other needs as they arise such as funding new homes, schools, medical facilities, churches, water wells, latrines, etc. As a result of the first trip, we felt the Lord calling Faith to minister in a challenging environment in Haiti and that desire was communicated to GO. Working with Adrien Lewis, GO’s Community Director, a target for Faith was communicated and proposed to Faith in April of 2010. That project was a village in Port Salut at Haiti’s extreme southwestern tip. Plans for our next trip began with the intention to go to Port Salut, minister to children there and ask the Lord to confirm His call on Faith. By late May GO informed Faith that the trip had to be postponed because of an emergency situation- a staff member had been abducted and they were negotiating her release and it was not safe for us to be there. At the same time GO was having to redirect our trip from Port Salut. GO communicated with us that they were addressing a developing situation in Port Salut and the already struggling village was being assessed to discover if a focus on a school and feeding program might be the best fit for Port Salut. In essence the Lord was closing the door for Faith in Port Salut. We were thankful that the door closed before making the trip.

Gonaives in northern Haiti has always held a place in my heart because of its painful history. In October of 2009 Pastor Brad and I had flown over the city on our way to investigate ministry opportunities in northern Haiti. I pointed out the city as we flew over. In 2008 Gonaives, the 3rd largest city in Haiti was hit by two hurricanes. The city flooded and thousands of people lost their lives. The city is still digging out the settled silt from many homes. Flooding is the city’s greatest threat because it is surrounded by deforested mountains and hillsides and even the smallest amount of rain presents the threat of flooding. Gonaives has a very violent history in that it is usually the epicenter for every revolution or coup that takes place in Haiti. It is said that the city is run by gangs. The hurricanes of 2008 seemed to stem the tide of the gangs as many of them left.

The need in Gonaives is great for the orphan population and the Global Orphan Project presented the opportunity to partner in Gonaives. Logistically Gonaives is a challenge; the Lord seemed to place Gonaives in our sights and GO has a great need there. So once again, we began planning on seeing Gonaives and asking the Lord to confirm His call on Faith to Gonaives. Faith’s trip in August of 2010 allowed us to assess if Gonaives would be a good fit for us as a church. The trip was a success and my evaluation of it made Gonaives a great and challenging opportunity for Faith. I really felt the Lord calling us to do something hard. The need is great as we were able to see firsthand but we were encouraged by the opportunity Gonaives presented us. Upon our return from Gonaives, I met with Adrien to discuss specific partner opportunities in Gonaives. At that time, GO was in the middle of transitioning children from smaller, struggling projects to larger, well established projects. One of the projects we spent time at was Fayeton. Fayeton had 130 kids at the time of our visit. Fayeton also already has a partner- the Nebraska Global Orphan Project. GO proposed that Faith co-partner with Nebraska because Fayeton was receiving more children because of the transitions happening. Fayeton’s new number was 200 and so Faith could step in and partner at Fayeton. I contacted Nebraska Global Orphan leadership to talk through how this partnership might look moving into the future.

In October of 2010 Faith sent a third team to Haiti but this time the team spent time at what was known in early 2010 as the Orphan Transition Village. Since GO was working on the transition of kids in Gonaives, they felt a trip to Gonaives could disrupt the already fragile process they were in the midst of. The trip was another success and further giving us great confidence in the work that The Global Orphan Project was doing in Haiti.

At the beginning of 2011 Faith began planning a Spring Break trip to Gonaives to engage the children there and ask the Lord to confirm His call on us to Fayeton. Three days before we were to leave with the largest team Faith has sent to this point- 20 members, GO called to inform me that something had come up that they had to deal with at the Fayeton project. This meant that we would not be spending the majority of our time at Fayeton- in fact we would not visit at all because of a serious issue that came about the previous weekend. It appeared that the Lord was once again closing the door on a partner for Faith.

Adrien contacted me Wednesday, the day before we left to fill me in with some information and to firm up our adjusted plans to visit other projects in the Gonaives region. One specific project he was interested in us seeing and checking out is a project called Desire (pronounced dez-er-ay). Adrien was extremely excited for this new possibility because 4 months earlier as he was seeking a good partner fit for Faith, Desire came to mind. He did not share this with me at the time because Desire was one of those projects slated to transition children to the larger projects. Desire is located almost 30 minutes northeast of the city and is nestled in the foothills. Desire is a tough location- very primitive with no real road to get there, no electricity to speak of and no water except an open well a quarter mile away from the project.

Pastor Jeannot is the pastor of the project which includes a school and church as well as 60 children that live in tents- yes, tents. When informed that he would need to move his children into the city he refused because he felt strongly that those children should remain there in their current community. Pastor Jeannot held to his convictions so deeply that he said if he were to lose funding by not moving his children, he would find another way to provide for the 60 children. GO sent a couple staff members to sit down with Pastor Jeannot to listen to his heart for the children and the ministry up in the hills above Gonaives. Struck by this man’s heart, character, humbleness, faith and perseverance, GO decided that he was correct and GO would continue to support him any way they could. Pastor Jeannot not only leads a church, school and orphanage in Desire but he pastors a church and leads a school in Gonaives as well.

Adrien’s original idea of partnering Faith with Desire has come full circle and was back on the table. The Spring Break trip would go a long way to determine if Desire is the place that Faith will partner. Acts 16:6-10 came up as a correlating passage to Faith’s journey to find a place to partner in Haiti. The text says, “And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”

God closed the door on Faith to Port Salut, and then again to Fayeton. Is Desire Faith’s Macedonia? Is the man in the vision Pastor Jeannot asking Faith to come to Desire and help? We are praying, but the Lord has given us so many confirmations along the way. In my prayer time in the weeks leading up to the trip, I knew that I would be able to spend significant time with a pastor to hear his heart, his vision for reaching the lost with the gospel and his dreams for the orphan children under his care. I prayed for clear communication and a connection- the Lord provided all of that- with a different pastor I didn’t know I would meet until the day before we left for Haiti. The Lord is so good and faithful- and I love His surprises. It teaches me to pray continually for these things even though He may change it up and surprise you. It truly is in the Lord’s timing- Faith needs to stay faithful to the Lord’s leading and call to make a difference in the country of Haiti.

Heading Home

After a wonderful week in Haiti, our journey home begins shortly.  This team has been wonderful.  All the members served well.  They took the risk to come to Haiti to see what God would do through them, have their hearts broken by seeing the need and accepting the challenge to stay in the moment 24/7 and serve, love, hold, cry, play, pray, and worship while in Haiti.  We saw a lot, played a lot and were physically challenged.  God is at work in Haiti- and we saw that!  Now the team members return home with many stories to share and asking God- what's next?  There is much to do here, but our goal is to come alongside the Haitian church and partner with it so both may be mutually blessed.  There are many Haitian children in the Desire project that are living in tents.  Ever since our return to Port au Prince, we have thought about those children often and prayed for them.  Those children are on our hearts and we would love to share their story with you- can we challenge you to listen?

Back in Port au Prince

We arrived back in Port au Prince with the team already missing the kids from Desire.  Nothing cures the blues better than playing with the kids from the Orphan Transition Village.  Some of the members of our team has had the opportunity to get to know these kids from the previous trips we've made.  The trip has been incredible with wonderful interaction with kids.  Each project has been a unique experience making them all very different from each other.  But our hearts right now are still in Gonaives with the kids at the Desire project with Pastor Jeannot.  Join us in praying for the 60 plus kids who are living in tents currently that God would continue to protect them and keep them safe.

Sunday- A Great Day

Today was a great day worshipping with our Haitian brothers and sisters.  The Holy Spirit filled the house of worship this morning.  After church is Gonaives we went back to visit the Desire project.  The scene of our arrival has forever left an imprint on the heart and minds of our team.  Yesterday when we arrived, the kids were expecting us but had never had an American team visit them before.  It took a little while for them to get used to the site of 20 Americans.  Today we were greeted by cheering kids who rushed our bus when we entered the property.  The party was started and lasted until right before dusk.  God has allowed us to be a part of something truly amazing.  Pastor Jeannot is a man with an amazing faith and an incredible heart to serve and care for orphans in addition to pastoring 2 churches and running 2 schools.  We have had a real privilege to witness something special while serving Pastor Jeannot and his orphan children.

Day Two

Wow- is all I can say about today!  We visited two projects today and the interaction was great but the need we saw is great- particularly at the project called Desire which is pronounced desiree.  You will have to see the pictures and hear the stories from the team members.  The team was great at engaging the kids in the program we prepared.keep praying for the health and safety of the team.  We are looking forward to worshipping at church tomorrow and the return to Desire in the afternoon.

Great Day One

Today felt like a marathon because of lack of sleep at the airport in Florida.  We visited a project where there are currently 12 boys but we has quite a few kids from the neighborhood come join in the fun.  The team did a great job of jumping in and playing and loving on the kids.  Tomorrow will again be another full day as we visit two projects.  As a leader I get joy out of the wrestling with what God is showing each person and the "all in" attitude everyone embraces.  The team is a bunch of real troopers.

Arrival in Gonaives

Keeping this short but we just arrived in Gonaives and are getting settled before heading out for our first visit to Pastor Benoit.

Ready for Haiti!

We just arrived in Fort Lauderdale- our final stop before heading to Haiti in the morning.  We are staking out some space between baggage carousels in order to catch some zzzz's before our flight in the morning.  Team is bonding well.  We are very excited for the adventure of heading into Haiti.  Pray for the team- as we journey to Gonaives during the morning and make our first visit to a project in the afternoon.  I am praying that God "wrecks" our hearts as we reach out to love on kids.

Flexible

One of the things that I always stress in the preparation for a trip is flexibility.  No matter how prepared we get as a team for interaction with the orphan kids that we go to serve, things always change.  We make our plans but the Lord determines our steps.  Every trip is an adventure because things change on the fly- and this trip will be no exception.  Instead of going to the Fayeton village, we will instead be visiting 3 other projects in and around the city of Gonaives.  We are praying that one of the projects we visit will be the one the Lord has planned for us.  So with that, Gonaives, here we come!

Getting Ready for Haiti

In less than a week a team of 20 will be ministering to kids and staff at the Fayeton village just outside the city of Gonaives in northern Haiti.  14 members will be experiencing Haiti for the first time while 6 others have been to Haiti at least once before.  Preparation, funding, and team building has gone well.  Please pray for our health and safety.  Pray for my interaction with Pastor Woodman as we discuss the partnership between our two congregations and discover the steps the Lord wants us to take.  Haiti- here we come!