Blessing from the Challenge

Our day started off with a trip up to Desire in the morning to visit the kids while they were on a break from their school day.  We arrived and immediately jumped in with a couple of our planned activities for the teen girls and games with the younger children.

I had a chance to reacquaint myself with the teachers since I had a met them last August during the educator exchange.  I met a new teacher to Desire and the surprise was that he is teaching English to the Desire children three days a week.  When I met Celestine I was completely taken by surprise because of his greeting to me in English.  The more I spoke with him about the children the more I was encouraged about English being a part of the Desire kids' education.  He has never been to the States but learned his English from missionaries in Port au Prince and continued to learn and practice after the missionaries had left by immersing himself with movies to practice his conversational English.  Here's the kicker- the missionaries were from Texas and he has a bit of a Texas accent when he speaks- no joke!  I am very encouraged about what our team experience could look like in a year or more from now.  The number one frustration expressed by team members currently and in the past is the language barrier.  I see the barrier being lowered even now.

Today's overwhelming low point was the craft that we had planned.  We really struggled with keeping order and having the children assemble the craft in an orderly fashion.  A bit of chaos erupted when we were trying to create lines for the craft pieces.  There was some pushing and shoving happening as kids were jockeying for a place in line.  However, in spite of the bit of chaos the craft was a giant success.  There was great joy shown as kids were able to let their wind socks blow in the wind whipping around Desire.  And so there was the blessing from the challenge.  We just need to be used by God in whatever way He sees fit and then stand back and watch.  What we watched this afternoon was a thing of beauty.

Thank you Stephanie and Ben for your awesome photos!

Sunday Part 2

We made our way up to Desire before the sun had set so that we could get set up to show the Jesus Film for the first time in Desire for the community.  The kids were excited to see us and we spent some time hanging out playing impromptu games.  Once dusk set in we set up the projector and computer to show the film.  As the film started, it was very quiet.  The Jesus Film has a Haitian Creole audio track so the film is dubbed making it so everyone can understand.  During the course of the film, more people kept entering the church from the back as the life of Jesus came to life onscreen.  Prior to this event we had been praying that the Lord would allow Pastor Jeannot to use this film as a tool to share the gospel with the community.  And now we trust Him for the results and pray that some prayed the prayer presented at the conclusion of the film.

Sunday Part 1

Sunday's are a special day in Haiti.  Most of Haitian life happens fast and people are pretty independent during the week trying to get things done.  And for many people just surviving is the task for the week- day by day, scraping together some semblance of a life.  That all changes on Sunday.  Sunday is the day in which Haitian people release.  It's a day to worship God in full voice and emotion. You hear cries, see tears, listen to passionate devotion to God.  This is the day the Lord has made- they rejoice and are glad in it.  It's a simple reminder for me to rejoice and be glad.  I too, can come to God with thanksgiving and praise.

I'm so thankful for this team and the Global Orphan Project.  I'm thankful for Pastor Jeannot and the work he is doing in Desire.

That's only half the day.  Tonight we go to Desire to show the Jesus film to the community.  We are praying that the Lord will use the film as a tool to reach the community in the language of the people.

Feeling Full

Today was a full day.  And when I say that I mean in every way possible.  I was full after breakfast.  We had a full morning of activity.  We had a full afternoon too.  We have a full tank of gas even.  But most importantly, I feel full of love.  Love for the kids.  Love from the kids.  Love and respect for Pastor Jeannot for the work the Lord has given him in Desire.  And finally, a full personal tank from the team.  We have a great team and they are working hard, playing hard, guiding well, loving unconditionally- those things fill me and energize me.  A team unified by a love for Jesus Christ can accomplish much.  This team is really getting into a rhythm.  Enough of my words- check out the pictures that tell the story of today.  These photos are from a few team members.

Haiti Spring Break

It's another spring break trip to Haiti but this isn't just any old regular trip.  This team is a very diverse team.  We have a retired couple, a mom, daughter and her niece, a dad with two young daughters, three college students, and a few returning veterans.

Prepping for this trip has been fun because of so many first time Haiti team members.  We spent a little extra time preparing for Haiti a little differently so we could focus on cultural aspects of Haiti to bring greater understanding for what we encounter.

Today we arrived after a long day of travel that started with a 1:20 am flight out of Denver.  Even with a delay on the tarmac in Miami, our team was determined to get up to Desire to see the kids before the close of the day.  We stopped for one short restroom break before pushing on for another half hour drive on the backroads of Haiti to reach our destination in Desire at the literal end of the road.  The payoff was worth the effort to get to Desire.  From several hundred yards away from the Desire project kids started to follow the white bus that can mean only one thing- the team from Colorado has arrived!

One team member expressed her surprise tonight in our debrief that from three rows back in the bus the children at the door were already claiming her for their very own.  She just had to step outside to be mauled (in a good way) by the anxious children.

Everyone is healthy and tired.  Tomorrow we go for a full day of programming with the kids.  There are many stories to share, games to be played, crafts to build (and eat), and love to pour out on the kids at the end of the road in Desire.

I thank God for this privilege to play a small part in the lives of these kids - all of whom I've watched grow and mature over the span of 4 years.  Please pray for our team's health, strength, safety, and that we would fully seek God in the moments we spend in Desire.

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!