Thursday, June 30, 2011

Let the little children come

Matthew 18:3: "And he (Jesus) said:  “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

The adorable Dorthy and me :)

These past few weeks I've had the opportunity to love on numerous kids and it brought a few verses to my mind...

James 1:27a "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress."

Mark 9:36-37 "He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”

Matthew 25:40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me'."

For me, the hardest thing to say goodbye to in Chaveneau was the kids. So many longed for attention, although each showed it in their own unique way. My intention was to bless the kids, and I believe that I did. However, I feel like they ended up blessing me more than I blessed them. I'm glad that I was able to love them for the short time I was there and I hope that they know that we love them, but more importantly than that I pray that they will grow up knowing that they are dearly loved children of God.


Cherishing Jesus' love,

-Michelle


Highlights

Hi everyone! So much has happened since I last updated! Partially because I haven't updated in a while and partially because so much has happened in a short amount of time. :) Crystal and Jordan covered a lot of what went on the past couple of weeks, but I just thought I'd post of few highlights (sorry if any of these are repeats from what they posted) :

-Seeing some of the kids from the VBS we worked at and our neighbors from last year in Carrefour and having them remember me!
-Enjoying and soaking in God's gorgeous creation on the way out to and in Chaveneau.
-Meeting, playing with, and loving the kids! They are amazing.
-Praying for a young man named Anbute who was having severe stomach pain and visting him later in the week to find him not only physically healed but spiritually healed as well! Praise the Lord!!!
-Seeing the God's healing power again when a teenage boy named Geoftay had a 104 degree fever at noon when Pastor Duval and a couple of others prayed over him drop down to a pefect 98.6 in a matter of hours.
-Worshipping on the roof under the stars
-Praying for/with a Vudoo man (Joseph) who previously wouldn't let any white person come near his house (see Crystal's post for more about this)
-Futbol! sometimes in a skirt, sometimes with no shoes, sometimes with a deflated ball, and sometimes in the pouring down rain :)
-Being a "pioneer" for Hearts United and helping lay the foundation for future years. Getting the details ironed out for future teams, meeting pastors, networking with other people and ministries there, and praying over future property, etc.
-Seeing God working in this country and being encouraged by the strength and dedication of the Christians here (in Chaveneau they have church sevices every night, twice on Sunday, and every Friday they have an all-night prayer/worship service that goes from 9pm-6am)
-Trying to wash clothes in the river with Crystal and having to keep getting corrected by the ladies because we weren't doing it right. And carrying the basins on my head like a Haitian. :)
-Literally feeling prayer in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep because of my severe swimmer's ear and waking up the next morning with it gone and not sore at all. (All glory to God)
-Having the privilege of teaching an English class and watching all the people (adults and kids) so eager to learn.
-Swimming in the river in Chaveneau everynight to cool off and play with the kids, hiking to the waterfall and swimming in it, and swimming in the amazingly blue Carribbean Sea.

I feel so blessed that God gave me the privilege and opportunity to come back and be a part of His work here again this summer. These last 3 weeks have flown by! I feel like we just got here... But I know that when we leave here God isn't going to stop working in Haiti and He also won't stop working in my life when I leave here. We serve the same God no matter where we are and He never changes. God is good, all the time. It is His nature.

Bondye beni ou (God bless you)
-Michelle

URGENT prayer

OK.. here's the deal,... this morning we were praying about the vehicle situation here in Haiti (the one we were negotiating to buy is a money pit- we are finding one thing after another wrong with it).  Pastor Duval, Michael and I were talking about our options when I got a facebook message from a friend of mine who is a missionary stateside.  She asked if we were still looking for a vehicle and said God woke her this morning (right when we were in Haiti discussing things) with a burden to pray for us about transportation.  We told her what we were praying about and she posted on her facebook to see if anyone she knew would be interested in donating a vehicle to us.  Within a few minutes (literally) she had a man contact her and he is willing to donate a "short bus" for $1000 US plus we pay to get it to Miami and to ship it to Haiti.  What an answer to prayer this seems to be! 

Of course we do not have that money yet so we have agreed to pray about it and see what God says in one week.  So will you join us in praying about it??? AND will you consider helping with the costs if God puts that on your heart as well??? He will make it clear if this is what He has for us to help with our transportation needs. 

I know one thing for sure... it was an amazing morning of shooting messages back and forth, praying, and watching the team get excited to see God answering our requests so quickly.  We will see where this leads.  God is soverign and His plan is perfect- whatever that is!  - thanks

(donations can be sent to Hearts United with Haiti-  PO Box 55   Morgantown PA 19543-  make a note that it's for the vehicle in Haiti)

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Overwhelmed by a Feeling

If any of you saw my Facebook status from last night you saw… “Today was pretty overwhelming....trying to find God's will definitely creates confusion…” So I’m here to explain. As Crystal said in her post from earlier, yesterday we did some more pioneer work. We went and saw some of the parcels of land that Pastor Duval owns and that he plans to give over to Hearts United once everything is squared away with incorporation, non-profit status, etc. We prayed over the land and Crystal discussed the various visions that they have for the properties. Office space, a base, and housing for future teams. The one they want to put housing on overlooks the ocean and it is so beautiful.  
Anyways, I digress. The whole time we were walking around I could not ignore this feeling that I had deep in my heart. It was one of those hard-to-describe feelings of excitement, calling, longing, purpose, anxiousness, butterflies, and joy all bundled into one feeling. I was praying that if the feeling was not from God that he would take it away, because it’s a pretty scary feeling . To feel called to a foreign land where I barely speak the language, and have little vision for what God even wants to do with me here is scary. Yes, of course God could work all those things out, but all I know for certain is that God has given me a burden for the people of Haiti. This isn’t the first time that I have felt this burden. When I left last summer I knew that God was calling me here, and so I followed that calling back here this summer. Now when I leave on Friday, how can I walk away and ignore the feelings, burden, and calling that God has placed in my heart? You can say, “Well, Jordan, that’s easy just don’t leave Haiti.” Well that would be great but I’ve only told half the story so far. ..
For the second half, let me take you back to December of last year. I had just gotten my acceptance letter for my dream college since I was in the 6th grade, Purdue University. I’ve always wanted to be a pilot, and they have one of the best pilot programs in the country, and it is in-state; who doesn’t like in-state tuition? So that was a Friday, I was all excited and pumped, ready for high school to be done. By the time I was driving home from church that Sunday, something had happened in my heart. God had essentially said, “Hey find a different school.”  I was no longer at peace about going to Purdue. So when I got home I started searching for schools, specifically Christian schools and sent for information on 3 of them:  San Diego Christian, Liberty University, and LeTourneau University. I was the least thrilled about San Diego so it was the first out. Liberty called one day and I wasn’t thrilled about their sales pitch. LeTourneau was the most impressive so that was the fourth school that I had even applied to. (I was so set on Purdue I had only applied to 3 schools at this point). Before I had even gotten accepted I got an email telling me that I had qualified to compete for their Heritage scholarship, the largest one they give out. So I traveled down to Texas at the beginning of February to compete with their 70-something best applicants for 8 scholarships. It was a long shot at best in my mind. Long story short, I won the scholarship. And I’m completely at peace about going there simply because looking back at the way that God has worked everything out to get me to this point.
I don’t think that God is in business of sending mixed signals, but that He is in the business of guiding those who love Him and want to follow Him to His perfect plan for their lives.  
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Jeremiah 29:11  
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
So now the dilemma is how I reconcile these two seemingly opposite directions that God has called me to. But maybe they aren’t opposite; who knows? I pray that God will make His plan for my life clear, and to give me patience as I wait for his perfect timing for that revelation.
All I know is that I’m going to be an emotional mess on Friday leaving the place where God has called me. God is doing amazing things here and I’ve been so blessed to be a part of it for the last 3 weeks. And if this burden is real and God doesn’t take it away, and it’s His will, I will be back at some point.
In the power of Christ alone,
Jordan


6/29

Today Steve, Auston, Michael and Melissa (Michael’s girlfriend) will return from Chaveneau and join Jordan, Michelle and me in Carrefour.  Please pray for them as they will have a LONG ride home- pray for the vehicle, for their safety on the road and the time they will spend in the car.  Also pray for them as they leave that special place.  It is so difficult to leave a community when you have really become part of it- even if it was only for a short time.  The children of Chaveneau really love Steve and Auston and they will miss the attention I am sure.  Steve’s Creole is coming along amazing and they love teaching him as he teaches them English. 
While in Carrefour Jordan, Michelle and I are having fun being “pioneers”!  (just like we did in Les Cayes when we were living in Chaveneau- we just took the car and Zick as translator and explored- we found a beach where we can take teams, a grocery store, etc… ) Yesterday we went to the land Pastor Duval would like to donate to Hearts United some day and we were able to pray over the land.  Then we went to see two other lots Pastor Duval has in Gressier (where the land is that he wants to donate)- one has an amazing ocean view.  I have been really sick the past two days so we got lots of laughs as I had to make pit stops along the way to “visit the bushes”.  TIH (This is Haiti). 
After visiting the land in Gressier we decided to go visit a young woman named Megan who has become a friend to me through facebook.  Her heart for that community is amazing .  She has lived there about 6 mos.  She does a weekly feeding program for the children and  is also in the process of building a school for about 300 kids.  Exciting!  We also got to visit the house where I lived last summer with the group of Christian school students.  It brought back MANY memories and I was blessed to be able to visit there. 
Megan is fantastic and our time fellowshipping with her (though short) was one of the highlights of my time here.  God is showing me more and more how I do not need to depend on anyone but HIM when in Haiti.  We were able to take the car (yes, I drove in Haiti) and even had to figure out how to put fluids into it when it started to act up while we were far from home.  I feel so “accomplished” to be able to get around on my own- just the three of us and Michael’s brother, Obed as translator.  For a long time now I have become way too dependent on Michael and rested in the knowledge that he would take care of things for me- he would drive, he would arrange food, he would set up ministry, etc…  God is certainly directing this ministry and I am even more excited now about the next two weeks I have “off”.  I am praying for direction as to what He has for me those weeks- what ministries to visit, where to go, etc… He will make it clear.  I have no doubt!  He certainly has so far. 
Pray for our time tonight since we will have our “final debrief” with the whole team together.  It will be sooooooo hard for me to say goodbye to everyone- especially Jordan and Michelle who have become my partners in this ministry.  They have such vision and together we follow where God is leading us.  I am blessed they are part of this “foundation year”- very blessed. 

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

"home" from chaveneau

Yesterday Ron, Robert, Jordan, Michelle and myself came back to Carrefour in one of our vehicles (so far we are 1/2 way to paying for it!! - we pray the rest of the funds will come in.... about $2000 more) and Michael, Steve, Auston stayed in Chaveneau for a few more days to do ministry.  The work there is far from completed, but relationships were formed and we were blessed to work there in the community.  It is hard (especially for men) to "work" somewhere for 2 weeks and not have something tangible to look at when you leave- or at least not as much as you wanted to.  I have photos still to download to post, but the pit is dug, the walls are pretty much up and the floor should be poured for the outhouses.  Somewhere along the lines they turned from outhouses in a traditional sense to "flush" toilets (bucket flush) so they will be more "western" and make it easier for those ministering in the future in Chaveneau.

Highlights from the past week included playing with the children, church and worshipping together- in two different languages but to the same God, a program for the parents done by the children in which we participated, taking hikes on the mountain and meeting some from the community, exploring a waterfall deep within the mountainside, etc... One of my personal highlights was a man named Joseph.  He is a voodoo priest who lives on the mountain overlooking the church property.  When I first met him in November he would not let me come near him and when I asked to pray for him he outright refused!  So, in faith I took the team there to see if he would let us talk to him.  The first visit he let us come as far as the porch.  He said he is considering Christianity but is not ready yet and he needed to talk to his children about it.  The second visit, he let me pray for him and the third visit (just yesterday morning) he invited us all into his home (he is bedridden and we went to bless him with money for a wheelchair so he can leave his room and at least sit on the porch) where we were able to hear a little of his "story" and pray with him again.  He actually has two children who are Christians and one of them is in seminary.  So, pray with all of us for his salvation.  He is very well known in the community and influential.  His salvation is important of course, but God could really use him to impact many and be a witness to them.  We really could see God at work softening his heart but those strongholds of the enemy are tight.  We serve an awesome God though and rest in the knowledge that He is soverign and in control- working in Joseph's life to draw Joseph to Himself.  I know I will be excited to go there and see him in his wheelchair later this summer. 

Today we will take the men to the airport and then Jordan/Michelle and I will have some time together to do ministry here in Carrefour.  We are sooooo excited to see what God has for us the next few days.  Unfortunately I have had a stomach bug.  After almost 11 weeks and 7 trips to Haiti it is about time I got sick once.  :)  I will be fine though- right Jordan??? (we have cipro)

Thank you for your prayers- keep praying for us please.  Pray especially for Steve, Auston, Jordan and Michelle who will be going home on Friday after serving here for 3 weeks.  It will be tough for them to re-enter America (Jordan/Michelle go the very next day on another mission trip to Philadelphia).  It is always so hard to go back to "normal" life after living here.  We are so blessed to get experience what we do in Haiti and to have time to spend with only God and His people who love Him so much.  They teach us much about priorities.  Amen!  

Monday, June 27, 2011

Jordan Update...

Hey everyone this is Jordan, and I’m finally getting around to doing a blog post (Crystal won’t stop bugging me about it). It’s Thursday the 23rd and there are a bunch of little kids around me fascinated by the computer. They have no clue what I am writing because they hardly know English, but they are still trying to read it. Anyways it has been really fast, exciting, and busy little over a week here in Chaveneau. 
Crystal chronicled a lot of our activities in her previous post. Since she wrote that we have been doing much of the same. In the mornings when school is going on we hang out with the kids. We feel like rock stars, or animals at a petting zoo most of the time.  We joke that we are going to charge them 5 gourdes to play with our hair, or watch us swim in the river. We are a huge attraction simply because we are probably the first white people that they have been in contact with for this amount of extended time.  This week is exam week at the school so from what we can understand they only have to be in school for the time that they are taking a specific exam. That means the kids are hanging out a lot more than they did last week when they had to be in school from 8-1 each day. It has been a lot of fun getting to know them and laughing together when we try to communicate and fail. We have gotten closer to the kids from the family that live on the school property because they are here all the time. They are awesome kids and we have had a ton of fun with them.  Their mom is out “host” while we are here. She cooks our amazing food, and makes sure that we are comfortable in our sometimes uncomfortable living conditions. 
At night, under the generator lights, we are holding English classes for the community, and it is so awesome. The turnout has been overwhelming, at least 50 people every night. We are teaching some basic conversational phrases that you learn whenever you learn a new language: How are you? I am good/bad/so-so, Good morning/afternoon/night, “What is your name?,” “My name is”, etc. If you’ve ever learned a new language, you know the drill. Speaking of a new language, my Creole learning is going very well. Building off the basic phrases I learned last year, I’ve learned some new verbs and tenses of verbs, and some vocabulary. My most common phrase is, “I don’t understand’.  
We got to the river almost every day to relax, and cool off. We aren’t sure if it’s the cleanest place in the world (it IS cleaner than the river/garbage dumps in Carrefour) but another line we have been using a lot, “Oh well we have Cipro”. We always sleep under the stars instead of our stuffy tents, but sometimes we have to rush back inside when the rain starts pouring down.  Some of the days have sporadic rain showers and we have to run to the roof to cover our tents, but that’s rainy season in Haiti for you.
Yesterday, Crystal, Michelle, Zick, and I went on an adventure to Les Cayes to get water and oatmeal. It is about a 40 minute drive, most of it being bumpy rock and dirt roads. Crystal was driving for the first time in the jam packed Haitian streets. I’m told that Les Cayes looks a lot like New Orleans due to the lay out and architecture because of the way the French did common things in all of their colonial cities. We had to stop and ask for directions at nearly every corner, back up, go the wrong way down one way streets, but we finally arrived. We were really excited about our find, the prices were so reasonable. Once again it’s exciting to be a part of seeking stuff out for future teams and missions trips that, God willing, Hearts United will be running here in Chaveneau.
Well that is all for now!
In the power of Christ alone,
Jordan       


Friday, June 24, 2011

we're ok!

Hi everyone! This is Emily (Crystal's daughter). Some of you may have seen that there was an earthquake in Port au Prince. It wasn't a very big one, and it didn't affect Hearts United at all. I've talked to my mom, and she wanted to make sure we knew that everyone in Carrefour is safe, and the team and everyone out in Chaveneau are also alright. Continue to pray for those that were affected, though. I'm sure even the slightest tremble of the earth brings back horrible memories for these wonderful people. Thanks!

-Emily

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

photos...

(Steve's hand with one of the kids- he brought beads to make these bracelets similar to What Would Jesus Do? but in Creole)
Michelle and one of the kids...

Auston and his buddy Daneilson

where we live... on the roof of the church/school building... notice that nice NEW ladder they build us??

Monday, June 20, 2011

update - 1/2 way through our time in Chaveneau

I am writing from the Arris house in Carrefour but the team is in Chaveneau  right now working and ministering in the community there.  It has been almost a week since I have been able to update this site, so I have a lot to fill you all in on.  So, bear with me if this is a LONG post. 
Last Wednesday we all piled into two vehicles and drove to Chaveneau.  What a drive it was!  Ron took the Toyota we are negotiating buying with Pastor Duval and another person who knows the road and the rest of us went in a rented van.  That way we were able to take all the water, luggage, food, donations, etc…  The ride was CRAZY fast- it should take 4.5 hours and it only took us 3.5.  The van driver gave us all an education in Haitian driving at its’ best.  But it was a blessing for me to be with the team and listen to them as they saw the beauty of the huge mountains and the pristine beaches along the way. 
When we arrived we realized that the best location to sleep was on the roof of the church- which meant climbing a very scary ladder with all the tents and luggage.  But, the guys all pitched in and helped and the tents were up in no time.  And that is where we have slept for the past 5 nights (and they are sleeping tonight)- on the roof under the stars.  It is beautiful and breezy and very peaceful.  We hear crickets and frogs and LOTS of farm animals.  There are a few local donkeys and roosters  we are getting to know by sound.  Unfortunately one of the roosters  was lunch today.  TIH (This is Haiti)
Ministry has consisted of prayer walking (in the pouring rain) up the mountain behind the church/school.  We were able to pray for many and one man (Anbut) was suffering from a stomach ailment.  Jordan prayed for him and when we went to check on him yesterday, his family and he reported that he felt better immediately after we left the first visit AND the whole sickness gave his sister a chance to present the gospel and he accdepted Jesus as his Savior.  So… we rejoiced with the family.
We have also bonded with many of the children from the school and community.  We each have our “buddies” and they call our names when we are on the roof and wait for the missionaries to come down to play and hang out with them.  We have colored together, made bracelets, sang songs, played hand games, etc…   It is amazing o live in the community and share God’s love.  One of the highlights of working with the children is all going daily to the river for a swim and to laugh, play, splash, etc.. and just cool down together. 
Ron and some of the others have been digging the pit the whole time.  We thought it would be done for us but we have had to dig too.  It is very tough digging because it is very deep.  We will eventually have 2 to 4toilets done, but will certainly not get it all done this trip.  Things move slowly in Haiti but at least they are moving- Praise God!! 
Friday was Field Day at the school- the big “celebration” before exams this week.  The children played tug of war, musical chairs, soccer, they had relay races, and much more.  It was really fun because we got to participate in some of the games and compete against the Haitians in others.  Michelle and Jordan had fun running a relay race against Michael.  They won but yesterday Jordan and Michael had a foot race in town and Michael won.  I am guessing a tie-breaker will happen sometime this week when we return to the team. 
A very encouraging moment was when Pastor Duval took us for a walk and showed us a new medical center that has begun in the past month.  It is very close to the church/school so part of the vision he originally had for the community is coming true.  Right now it is staffed by locals who volunteer and they only have one trained nurse but we pray soon we can have medical teams come and offer care the people so desperately need.  So far at the school I have taken care of a badly burned foot on a little boy, a few minor cuts/scrapes, and we saw a little girl with a swollen jaw/tooth.  We are all amazed and saddened by the malnutrition of the children in the community.  Auston has bonded with one little boy in particular named Daneilson (Da- neil- son) who looked to be about 5 years old but we found out today he is 8.  How sad.  He is so tiny for his age.
Overall everyone is having an amazing time.  All are healthy and managing taking showers behind a tarp (often with Haitian children peeking inside to see how different we look), going to the bathroom in the squatties, etc…  We have all been blessed by the Haitian hospitality.  People  have sent  food, given us gifts, washed our clothes, built us a better ladder, etc…   It is “roughing it” but I can’t think of a better way to spend my summer.  I have not been this happy in a  LONG time. 
Tomorrow we will pick Robert up from the airport in Port au Prince.   This is why Michael and I have returned to Carrefour.  Please pray that we are able to get him with no problems and take him all the way to Chaveneau.  The roads can be “interesting” and you never know what to expect.  Just today on the way home we had to sit for a long time in traffic only to find out that the UN had killed someone and there was rioting.  We know that you were praying for the team’s travels last week because of how smoothly the trip went. 
Other prayer requests: 
-           The vehicle we are considering buying.  It has more “issues” than we originally thought.  The transmission is leaking and the rear tire needs to have the seal replaced (rear differential I think Ron called it) Please pray we can get all this done tomorrow morning early before we have to get Robert from the airport. 
-          That we will all remain healthy and are able to complete whatever tasks God calls us to. 
-          That we will keep our focus on Him- if we just bring “facilities” to this community or health care or play with the children but do not tell others about Jesus and help them form a relationship with Him, we might as well not have come. 
-          Those considering or planning trips with Hearts United with Haiti this summer- that God would make His will known to them.  We really pray for God to work to bring teams to Haiti- especially Chaveneau.  There are so many needs and so many to love there!  :) 

Thanks again for all your prayers and support.  You have no idea how much it means... to all of us!  Blessings to you-  I will write next week when we return from Chaveneau (and maybe I will put up a few photos tomorrow if I can)....   Bondye beni w (God bless you)

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Off to Chaveneau

Today we plan to go to Chaveneau.  Ron is planning to drive with Pastor Duval in the truck we are working to purchase (we have about 1/2 the funds so far).  It will be filled with supplies for the 2 weeks we are out there- all our suitcases, water, food, donations, etc...  The rest of us (Jordan/Michelle/Steve/Auston/Daniel (a translator)/Michael and myself) will take the bus.  This will be an experience- those vehicles going to Les Cayes get PACKED with people and supplies.  Ron and Pastor Duval will get to the school in Chaveneau and then they will unload the supplies and head back to Les Cayes (they have to go through the city to get to the school) to pick us up.  The public transportation only goes that far. 

It is a lot of "planning" so we will pray that God gives us traveling mercies and He directs the timing and keeps us safe as we embark on this adventure.  We are all excited and looking forward to the trip.  Pray with us that we stay focused on Him as we travel and that He gives us opportunites even as we go to bless those we meet. 

Last night was a perfect example of "it is a good plan, but not necessarily God's plan" which is something you will hear me say often in Haiti.  We PLANNED to go to a crusade where a Nigerian pastor was speaking but we were just relaxing around the house and it never seemed to happen.  Some of us were feeling the effects of sitting for a few days (yes, we had gone out walking in the community yesterday, but so far we have not been very productive) and were anxious to get out and about.  So, I was a little "stir crazy".  BUT then as I was sitting Auston asked if he could use my camera.  I told him "yes" and watched as he went to the edge of the balcony and peered down.  As I went to see what the "photo op" was I saw Steve sitting on the ground with KIDS all around him.  He was sharing English with them and they were sitting attentively.  He came upstairs and got stuff to make crafts with them and that soon turned into a dance party/fun time of hand games, piggy back rides, etc. with all the team down there loving on the kids of the neighborhood. 

God spoke to me in those moments and said, "Crystal- this IS ministry.  They are having fun and they are sharing MY love with the children of Haiti"  Thank you Lord for giving us the chance to be here and to love these children and this community.  (and it's not just the children- there was an older gentleman sitting there watching the action and his smile was huge!)

Can't wait to get to Chaveneau and build relationships with those people too.  :) :)

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Reminisce

Hello! It's Michelle again! :) Just checking in and giving you a brief update on what been happening. This morning was pretty chill; we spend some time in listening prayer (where you ask God to reveal to you what he wants you to do that day) and head-to-head prayer (where you pray with another person and they don't tell you any prayer requests, you just pray as you feel led) and talked as a team and got to know each other a little better. We decided to do some things around the Aris house in the morning and go out into the community in the afternoon. As we were walking this afternoon Crystal mentioned we were not too far from Pastor Cornet's house and immediately Jordan and I asked if we could stop by to see Jean Bernard (a little boy that we met last summer, most of you probably know his story). We stopped by his house and saw him; he is as sweet as ever! As soon as I saw his shy smile and big brown eyes I was immediately started to reminisce about last summer and the day we left when he was riding around the house on a tricycle saying "My name is Jean Bernard!" at the top of his lungs and how I thought that was probably the last time I would ever see him. I felt so incredibly blessed that I had the opportunity to see him again. Then we walked down to the lighthouse by the ocean and seeing that reminded me of playing soccer by the ocean last summer and all the great people I met, played with, and ministered to there. God brought back all the faces that I got to know and share the Gospel with and as I reminisced I prayed for them all. Silently. Right there as I stood looking out at the ocean. After we left the beach, we walked to the house where Jordan and I stayed for a week last summer. As we walked down the steep steps down to the street where the house was I was again taken back. I saw the roof and invisioned all our tents up there and thought of our roof-top chats on the "peaks" and the tropical storm that took down all our tents. And I remembered how God got us through it ALL. As we approached the house and some of the neighbors were out. I recognized them and they recognized me! One girl who I prayed with last year was standing off a few yards away and I said "Bon swa! Como ou ye?" (I'm sure I spelled that wrong but it means "hello, how are you?") and she smiled and I said "Muy rele..." (My name is...) and she said "Mechelle!" and I said "Wi!". After a brief exchange, we had to go but I could tell that she was really touched that I remembered her and came back to see them. On our way back to the Aris house we saw Pastor Jean Philippe's church; it has walls now! and steps! the progress is incredible! As I snapped a few pictures I again began to reminisce. The memories of VBS and "Papa Abraham" and hectic craft time and soccer games in a 10' x 10' area... I feel so blessed that I was able to come and minister to these people not only once, but twice! God is truely working in this country. Although there's still MUCH to be done (spiritually and physically), progress has been and is being made! I am so excited and joyful and blessed that I am able to join God at work here. "Greater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done in HAITI."

In the power of Christ alone,
Michelle

photos from the trip so far...




Monday, June 13, 2011

Michelle's preyme (first) blog

Hey guys it's Michelle! For those of you who don't know me I'm summer staff for HUWH for the next three weeks in June! :) Like Jordan, it's my first time blogging...I couldn't let him have all the fun ;) I came to Haiti last summer for a week with my youth group and this summer God blessed me with the opportunity to be here for three weeks and I'm super excited about it and what God is doing/going to do. :) But enough about me, you're reading this (hopefully, otherwise I'm just talking to myself) because you want to know about the ministry. From the first minute I arrived here I have loved every second of it! The Aris family and everyone here is GREAT. Although we haven't done much "designated ministry" yet, it's been cool to hear about how God is working. We have mainly been preparing for the summer, getting organized and such. Acutally, right now we are all having a meeting about our trip out to Chaveneaux (hopefully) on Wednesday. (We were supposed to be going out tomorrow, but of course TIH so everything is on Haitian time). There is so much to be done behind the scenes that needs to be done, it's been incredible to see the dedication of everyone here. Thanks for all the prayers, please continue praying (a lot!) as this is a formative summer for the organization. We are hoping to lay a solid foundation this summer for the years to come and from what I've seen so far, with God's help we are off to a good start! :)

As for me personally, I forgot how much I love it here! Here's a few highlights so far...
Seeing friends we met last year (Pastor Jean Philippe and Zick)
Sleeping on the roof under the stars
Playing guitar and singing while on of the Aris girls sings in Creole
Having a little girl (Zazu) fall asleep on my lap

That's all for now!
Bondye beni (God bless)
-Michelle

Jordan's Debut

Hey! All is well in Haiti. So far it has been pretty chill. Yesterday I drove around with Michael to get water and bread for the weeks. Haitian driving is crazy!!  Oh and also on the way home from the airport we saw the presidential palace, which has propbably come to to be the symbol of the earthquake destruction here. Today I got to catch up on sleep after being tired from travel, worked on getting the chords to songs that Crystal has but Michelle didn't, took a walk to the dump/river, and that's it. But thats ok with me because it's hard to do God's work while exhausted, so rest was very welcome.

Since we didn't plan on being in Carrefour for tomorrow (TIH), we will be praying about our ministry for tomorrow and see what God has for us. Exciting!

Overall, being staff for this misistry has been great so far. I love to be a part of the decision making and the behind the scenes logisitcal work that goes into doing all this, especially since it is a young ministry and they are still feeling things out. Currently sitting in a "meeting" with Michael's dad working things out for our trip to Chaveneau on Wednesday. Thanks for all your prayers. Hopefully we will still be able to update the blog while in Chaveneau so you know what is up. :)

In the power of Christ alone,
Jordan

Steve/Auston here

They arrived with no problems today... we got them at the airport after taking Pastor Duval to work in Port au Prince and then paying for Michael's travel visa appointment (Yes- we are trying again) and then going to pay for internet at the house.  After picking them up we went to lunch at a deli. YUM- Haitian sandwiches. 

Tonight after dinner we took a little walk to throw the trash from the bridge by Son of God orphanage.  It was a new experience for everyone.  Tomorrow we are doing ministry around here- we will see what that is-  God knows.  We are planning on going to Chaveneau on Wed.  A man is out there now digging the hole for the outhouses. 

As for the truck... we received a donation toward the lease/purchase of it plus we are putting some of our money from the budget for this trip toward it (transportation budget) so we should only owe about $1500 on it... but we need that as soon as possible.  So keep praying... and THANK YOU for those who have been supporting this... :)  One more chicken bar-b-que and we would have it... yay!!

Anyway... still in a meeting with Pastor Duval so I will turn the computer over to someone else to update.  Blessings to you all..... 

Sunday, June 12, 2011

staff is here...

Jordan and Michelle arrived at about 11 am this morning after spending the night in Fort Lauderdale and then finding out their flight was cancelled.  So they were shuttled to Miami where they caught a later flight.  All is well--- this is Haiti!

So far we got all the water filled (25 jugs) and bought the bread for sandwiches for lunch.  We also sorted the donations and things so we will not have to worry about that later.  We are still praying about how to get from Carrefour to Chaveneau (a 4.5 hour drive) on Tuesday morning- should we take the vehicle that broke downn on the way to the airport OR should we get a van/driver to take us all the way.  That would leave us without a vehicle once we are there though... God knows... it will work out.  We have no doubt. 

We ARE pleased to announce that aparently some money came in to be used wherever needed in the ministry this summer??? (I don't know details but will find out tomorrow when Steve and Auston get here)... will fill you all in at that point but keep praying about finances for the summer. 

Tomorrow we will post when Steve/Auston get here (if we are able).  Pray they have a safe trip tonight.  :)

Saturday, June 11, 2011

We are here....

.... and safe.... we just got on here for a few minutes to let you know we are at the Arris house... and we are soooo hot but happy... Michael was late to get us at the airport because the car he had rented for the day broke down on the way... so we stood for about 3 hours... but in the mean time we were SOOOOO blessed to see some of my friends from last summer-  Samuel and Morney (two of my translators) and Marcio (a former staff member).... we had a blessed time catching up for a bit before we parted ways.  AND ... even cooler than that was a man named Hermann who is a taxi driver who talked to us for a while.  He is 76 years old and lives in Carrefour... he offered to do airport runs for us for a LOT cheaper than we have been quoted before... he normally gets $40 each way but he said he would work with us.  This is SUCH and answer to prayer.  Then, when Michael came to pick us up he told us that the car we were borrowing from his friend is for sale- only $4,000 US which is a STEAL for that vehicle... it is not exactly what we have been praying for because it only seats 5 people BUT it is at least a vehicle to do airport runs... and would get us to and from Chaveneau all summer... Please join us in praying that people would donate toward this... we have been told the man would take $2000 down and the rest at the end of summer.  So we need to pray about this ... I can not tell you how awesome this would be because we are currently paying $100 each time we use the vehicle AND we can not afford to have it many days this summer.  Plus if we "own" one the Arris family will be able to use it after the summer is over for transportation to and from Chaveneau.  The car needs some work done to it, but it would not be too expensive and Ron may be able to do some while he is here. 

Anyway, we are doing well... and I can not believe we are about to begin the summer!  God is fantastic and He continues to bless us with this ministry. -- posted Sat. night at about 8 pm.

Sunday- 4:47 am:  Well- I woke this morning at my usual time BUT Haiti is one hour earlier... it will take me a few days to get used to the time change.  Roosters are crowing, the sky is getting light, people are singing and praying as they get ready for church, etc.... I LOVE HAITI....

Highlights from yesterday -  obviously what I wrote above about the car, the man at the airport and the friends I already saw.  Another highlight was seeing Jean Duval and Ron when they saw one another... they are sooooo cute together and it is a joy to watch their faces as they talk and listen to them catch up with one another in Creole/English... both trying to talk to the other in a language that is not their own.  Dinner was another favorite.  We enjoyed an excellent meal of fish which Margarette (Pastor Duval's wife) had bought special just for us at the market.  It was so good and though we felt awkward being the only ones eating at the table specially prepared for us in the kitchen, we enjoyed every last scrap. 

Today's plan:  I will get my shower soon.  I will wake Michael at 7 am. if he is not up before that.  Then he and I will travel to the airport to get our June summer staff- Jordan and Michelle.  They spent the night in Fort Lauderdale (at the airport - on the floor).  Bless their hearts.  Their plane arrives at 8:25 am.  After we get them home the "boys" (Ron/ Michael and maybe Jordan) will head out for water.  We have 21 five gallon jugs we need to have filled (exchanged for full sealed ones) and then they will get some other supplies for our work in Chaveneau.  Then we will go through the supplies left in March as well as the groceries we purchased yesterday.  We will get this all organized for the trip to Chaveneau on Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning. :) 

Steve and Auston arrive tomorrow around 1 pm.  (they are two participants). We will get to the airport early though because I know that flight traditionally gets in earlier than that (they did not figure the time difference).

Ministry this upcoming week will mostly be physical labor and getting to know some of the people in Chaveneau and build relationships with them.  We pray we will have the vehicle to use (the one that is for sale -a toyota 4 x 4) so we can keep it out there and use it for "runs" to town for supplies, etc...  

That is all for now... God bless each of you and thank you for reading- nothing too exciting yet, but just wait.  God is going to do amazing things this summer.  We just know it!

Friday, June 10, 2011

24 hours...

.... from now Ron and I will be on our way to the airport to go to Haiti- me for nine weeks and he for almost three.  It's crazy getting ready to go for that long- making sure the bills will be paid, medications are filled, all necessary items are packed, etc...  There has been SO MUCH on my mind and I am always found with my notebook- making lists and lists and lists of "things to do/people to call".  But in it all, I have such a sense of peace and excitement because I KNOW this is where God has placed me- this is where He is leading our family- this is exactly what I am to be doing this summer.  And that is a great feeling.  :) :)  Thank you, God!! 

So.... for now this is "goodbye" on this blog- next post will be from Haiti.  Please continue to follow us.  We pray we are able to post photos and stories from the field pretty regularly.  Pray for those who are called to join us this summer- as staff and as participants.  Pray that God would use us/them to bless Haiti and the people there and pray as well that He would use this time to teach us much about ourselves and about Him.  Pray for our safety, for our health, for our relationships with one another (we will all be together a LONG time), our relationships with the community, for opportunities to share God and His love with others, etc...  Just pray as you feel led-  The prayers of those at home are essential in this ministry. 

Also, there will continue to be "needs" (financial and physical) while we are away. 

For our family:  Ron will be missing almost 3 weeks of work at the most busy season/time of year (he is a landscaper) so please pray that we will be fine financially-  the bills will continue to come in even when we are away.  Pray for the girls who are at home while we are away.  Again, I have people "in place" to check on them, to provide them with needed things, etc.. but they will still be "alone" here at home taking care of things that come up.  Then, when I return I do not have a job to go back to so pray that God would begin to work already to provide some income this fall/winter through me.  :)

For the Arris family:  Even though school is ending and teacher salaries will not need to be paid, there will be expenses that Pastor Duval has this summer.  Pray that he receives the needed support for this and he not have to continue to use his savings.  Pray also for Obed as he will need to have some medical care this summer.  Pray for Michael as he decides where to go to college this fall- he is thinking of changing his major and going to seminary.  He wants to become a pastor.

For the ministry:  We still have openings on the summer trips (July 17 to 23 and July 24 to Aug. 2) that we hope to fill.  See the website if you are interested or know someone who may be.  We are also still praying for a vehicle.  The cost of rental for summer trips is going to drain our finances drastically.  It is at least $100 per trip to the airport to pick up people (this weekend alone we have three trips to the airport).  The drive to Chaveneau is much more than that.  This is not bad if we have 10 people, but when we only have one or two the price still stays the same but can not be passed on to them.  So... we absorb it.  This takes money away from ministry- which is where we would MUCH rather spend it.  We are still praying someone will donate a 4 x 4 to the ministry (used is fine- one that can hold  at least 7 people would be ideal) and that we will be able to ship it to Haiti which is another $2000 to $3000. 

The board also decided to set up a "Justine fund" within the ministry so people can send money which will be designated to be used to see that children in need of medical attention have enough money to get there.  We will also use some of this money for medications, etc. for these children.  If you would care to donate to this, please include a note with your donation indicating that. 

Anyway- those are some things to be praying about.  We will continue to update you as we go through the summer.  And as always- thanks for the prayers!!  They are needed and appreciated. 

Blessings- Crystal

PS-  The Arris family just had a team from Colorado staying with them this past week.  They have their own ministry and are not associated with Hearts United with Haiti, but their coordinator and I worked together to arrange their use of the home/location as a base for the week they were in Haiti.  From what I hear it was an amazing trip - the family was thrilled to have them.  They are looking to send a team down every few months and "share" the housing location with us.  This would be a blessing to all  It would give them a location.  It would give the Arris family someone to be at the house when our teams are not.  (which will bless them with a little income from "lodging" expenses to that team) And it will give us the blessing of knowing that when we are not there, someone else is pouring into the community/family.  :) :)  It is a "win-win" situation so we pray for a long partnership with them!  God bless you and your ministry- glad we could "share" the family/location with you!  :) :)

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Justine




I sent out an e-mail which I will not repeat (not enough space or energy and many of you will receive it) but the basics are that my "Haitian granddaughter" Justine has passed away.  She is with Jesus now and her real grandma/grandpa but my heart aches for her family- especially her "father" James.  He was actually her uncle but assumed the father role since no one knew who the real father was.  Justine was special to me because I helped name her, I loved her as my real granddaughter and I will GREATLY miss her this summer and in the years ahead. 

No one knows why or how she passed.  She just had a fever and started losing weight.  I guess they did not feel it was urgent enough to get medical care but I don't know if they could have afforded anyway.  It only costs $5 US to go to the medical clinic (the hospital is much more) to be seen but that is a lot more than many Haitians have available.

Will you consider helping this family with their funeral expenses?  Any excess will go to help other children like Justine get to the clinic this summer.  I have been able to take a few there on previous trips.  The care is good and your money will really ease the burden for many of these families.  Please send your donation to Hearts United with Haiti  PO Box 55  Morgantown PA 19543 and then follow this blog.  I will update as I am able this summer- to let you know how much was donated and what it was used for.  ANY amount will help and will be a blessing to them. 

Thank you and PLEASE continue to pray for James and his family (as well as the many Americans who loved Justine) as we grieve together.  And if you did not get the e-mail about Justine and about James (who he is and what his history is/life has been like in Haiti) or would like to subscribe to receive my e-mail updates/prayer requests, please e-mail me at heartsunitedwithhaiti@gmail.com  or post on here and include your comment and e-mail address.  We will add you to the list.  Thanks and may God bless each of you.  Take time today to tell those important to you that you love them and hug those precious children God has blessed you with!  For Justine!

note: When we are in Haiti we do have someone here at the "office" taking
care of business so donations will be accepted, recorded (for tax purposes) and WILL make it to Haiti to help.  For those of you who were wondering/asking.  Great question though

Friday, June 3, 2011

WOO HOO!!

How do you know when you are doing something that is going to help further the Kingdom of God?  What encourages you in tough times?  How do you discern that you are growing in your relationship with Him? 

Often the answer to these questions for me is this:  When the enemy "attacks" or tries to discourage you!! 

Let me explain.  I firmly believe that sometimes when things seem to be happening to frustrate you,discourage you or to prompt you to give up it is because the enemy of the Most High God knows that He is going to use you or work through you to bless others.  And that is NOT what the enemy wants to happen.  Satan is not going to go after stagnant Christians.  It is those who are in God's will- doing His work that he is most threatened by.  Because it means that once again- he "loses"! 

So... I write this note/blog here to say I am sooooo excited/encouraged about what God has for this summer.  It seems that this week there has literally been something every day that is "meant" (I believe) to discourage me.  But, I hold fast to God and His promises.  To the belief/knowledge that He has called me to Haiti.  He has called Ron to Haiti.  He will use us to do great things this summer through Him and for Him if we stay focused on Him.  Which I pray we will. 

Yes, I have one of my summer staff thinking of doing something else this summer and (of course) I had great "plans"- MY plans for how she would be of use in Haiti and I was disappointed to think of losing her.  Yes, I just found out today that we need ANOTHER $300 or so more than I thought to be able to pay our bills when I am gone this summer.  Yes, Ron's work is crazy busy and he is realizing the implications on our family (financially and otherwise) of him taking almost 3 weeks from work to go to Haiti.  Yes, I just found out that Jillian does not have the money (she broke her wrist in four places with no health insurance) to afford a plane ticket to come and see her sister- our youngest, Danika- graduate next Friday night.  Yes, ....... you get the idea...

There are many things weighing down on me if I let them.  But I CHOOSE to focus on the positive.  On God and the eternal.  On the things that last.  And trust that "He who calls you to it will see you through it".  He has called us here- He WILL see us through and ....... take that Satan!  :) 

** continue to follow to see how God works this summer.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Chaveneau video

I realized that some of you have not seen the video yet.  I know I posted it on here before, but I am reposting it for you "new" people.  It shows where we will live this summer -- at least part of the time and where we will be building the outhouses for use by the school and the teams who will travel to Chaveneau in the future.  Enjoy!! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-v3F0W33Xqw  

 If the link does not work, just go to youtube and search for chaveneau  .... you will see the video there.  It is about 10 min. long. 

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Almost time to go...

Well... it is ALMOST time to leave for Haiti and I am not ready at all as far as packing, organizing the house when I am gone (paying bills ahead, arranging my phone to be turned off to save money, ordering enough of my daily medications, etc...), getting ready for Danika's graduation, etc... BUT I am more than ready spiritually and emotionally.  We are all so excited to see what God has planned this summer in Haiti- for each of us, for the Haitians and for the communities we will serve.  Please pray for us as we embark on this journey together.  That we will follow Him in all we do and that His name will be glorified and built up always.  That as people would look at us and this ministry they would see Jesus and how much He loves them. 

Pray also for our finances.  We are really stepping out in faith - that God would provide and that He would use our testimony to bless others and (again) to turn them to Himself.  We know He is able- there is absolutely no doubt.  If you would like to help with this, please send your donation to  Hearts United with Haiti  PO Box 55  Morgantown, PA 19543.  If they (my treasurer or secretary) receive it by the end of June, they can bring it to Haiti and it will be used to bless the Haitians.  If it is received after that time, it will still be used in Haiti, but may need to wait until a later trip.  God will richly bless you for your generosity.  Hebrews 6:10 is my life verse.  Check it out. 

Have a blessed week- I know I will as I plan for this upcoming trip on June 11th.  It is very exciting stuff- to watch God work and to be able to have this opportunity because of people like you supporting our ministry.  THANK YOU soooo much!!  :)

-Crystal