Coming Home!

It's funny how you always want what you don't have.  Reminds me of a great Bible Study I did with the ladies at my home church last fall. There was a story in there about Leah and Rachel and Jacob.  How both sisters wanted what the other had.  One had love but couldn't have children (thought "if only I could have children I would be happy").  The other could have children but didn't have the love of her husband (thought "if only I had his love I would be happy").... It's in our nature to desire that which we can not have at the present time.  Instead we are to find contentment/happiness and God's purpose for the NOW!  He has each of us in a certain place at a certain time for a reason and even if we are completely out of His will and not where He has placed us we are able to rest there, seek Him and He will minister to us!

I write this because I did not choose to stay in Haiti an extra two weeks.  Because of circumstance and necessity I felt this was where God had called me and I still believe that to be true.  He has made it abundantly clear and I believe these weeks were for me as much as they were for Jean Bernard.  God has taught me much in the "waiting" time and the time I have had to sit and reflect upon Him and His desires for my life, the ministry, etc....

But I am also VERY happy to say that on Saturday I return home to Pennsylvania!  I can not wait to return to those I love and to share all that God has been doing in the past six weeks.  The April team and the trials/growth from then seems like an eternity ago.  God has REALLY been working overtime these past weeks.  I am still processing a lot but I am thankful that we serve a God who loves us enough to walk alongside us as we grow and strive to be more and more like Him in all we do!

So, when I say goodbye to little Jean Bernard tomorrow after his stitches are removed I will be sad, but I will be excited too- not only to physically go home, but to put into practice all God has been teaching and showing me!  Thank you Jesus for Your patience with me!  :)

Jean Bernard Update

Well it's been quite a week!  Monday to the hospital, Tuesday surgery, Wednesday home, Thurs/Friday back for dressing changes and now we are "free" until next Friday when we return to have the stitches removed.  Each day Jean Bernard feels a little better (he was never really "down and out") and seems more and more frustrated because he feels good enough to do things but I won't let him.  I have had THREE different translators explain to him that he needs to rest and not play hard even though he feels good enough to play.  The incisions look amazing and I pray that they continue to do so but now they seem to have started to itch (healing) so I constantly find him sneaking away to scratch UNDER his dressing.  I keep trying to tell him that his hands are dirty and show him the dirt under his fingernails to prove it but he sneaks away later.  I am sure he is thinking I am quite a pain in the neck -- nagging him all the time but with the amount of money and time we have spent on getting him well we do not want any complications.

Today I will head to Carrefour.  I honestly just need a fun day away.  Spoke with a friend last night and they may be going to the beach later today so I may join them.  If not, Redgi and I will just go do something.  I would LOVE to rent the car and just drive around different areas of Carrefour and towns west looking at the lay of the land and praying about where it would be nice to have a base.  I have been getting some pretty strong feelings about a certain area but I hear it is unsafe.  BUT so is Carrefour if you ask people who do not live there.  If God calls us somewhere He will make it clear.  I also have another friend I may go visit.  This has truly been a trip of visiting friends and other ministries.  I still want to spend a few days with my friends in Carrefour (have been ministering there over 25 years) but they are "full" right now and having some other issues with their ministry so they asked me to wait until another trip- probably this summer.

JB will stay with either the Arris family or the Cornet's since my trip may take me overnight.  But, he will be fine and I will teach them how to care for his incisions and what his limitations are according to the doctor.  I will not be that far away that I can not just run back should the need arise.

Prayers are appreciated for this week.  I can only imagine as he feels better and better that he will give me more and more problems wanting to run around and play more.  Every time I have left him alone while here at the orphanage he has gotten himself into mischief:  taking a black crayon and writing all over the floor of my bedroom, pulling apart the pillow and beautiful bedspread in the room thread by thread so he has string to play with, etc... I even woke up from a nap one day to find him on the balcony outside my room playing soccer with the other children from the orphanage- diving for the ball and all.  (later he was literally laying on the bed in tears because his belly hurt)  I have gotten little sleep and I am dirty (there is no shower or working toilet here) so it is time to move to a place I have called "home" for almost two years.  They treat me well there and will help with JB's care.

As for money- I have honestly not sat and figured it all out but I know I had $800 cash on me (personal and ministry money) and I am down to less than $50 and I still have another week to provide food for this child and myself plus lodging and transportation to the hospital next Friday and today from the orphanage to Carrefour.  So I think it will cost us about $1000 US total for everything.  OOPS!  Your donations toward his care have been appreciated though- greatly!  If anyone would like to still contribute you may send in your donation via our website (heartsunitedwithhaiti.org) or you may mail it to Hearts United with Haiti  PO Box 55  Morgantown, PA 19543.  Clearly note that it is for Jean Bernard's surgery.  Thank you and God bless!

Operation Hernia: Day 3

Well here it is 2 pm and WE are home already from the hospital.  YAY!  Went in this morning at 7 am and JB was all smiles.  He is in a lot of pain but his incisions look amazing!  I think Dr. Felix could get a side job as a tailor.  (hahaha)  Dr. came in this morning even though it's his day for paperwork and to present cases to the medical board for review so he is not in scrubs or his lab coat in the photo.  Sorry.  He spent a great deal of time talking to us and explaining things.  Overall everything looks GREAT.  I am amazed by how they do things here (differently) compared to how we do them in the USA.  Not better- not worse- just different.  I asked if I could have some ice to put on his incision area cause it is swollen and they laughed at me.  So.. now that we are "home" at the orphanage we will put ice on whenever and wherever I want!  ;)

Anyway, I don't really have time to write.  Just gave him his amoxicillin 250 mg. and some tylenol for pain (praise God we had both here at the orphanage) and he will be feeling better in no time.  I will have to take him every morning for a dressing change even though it already came off cause it didn't stick to the betadine they swabbed him with first- lol.  We will see how long that lasts.  I will talk to Dr. Felix and see if I can just clean/take care of it here.  I really CAN handle this but if there's anything I have learned in 2 years of working with Haitians it is that they have their way of doing things and it is right and any other way or opinion is wrong.  That's said with love (honest) but I find that over and over again.  From how I wash my clothes to how I cook my food to everything else including how to change a dressing on a wound.

Anyway- I am very sleep deprived and hot and I have a very sick little boy to attend to.  Thanks for your continued prayers- especially for the language barrier.  I want to help him but don't quite know how to get things across all the time.  Gestures go a long way but only so far.... mesi!

trying to skype with Jordan McRae..... :)  

Operation Hernia- Day 2

post surgery- poor little guy- but he will feel MUCH better soon!  

Surgery is over, Dr. Felix is my hero, Molena is amazing and so is Redgi- enough said!  :)    Seriously- Went in the morning and they started IV's at about 10:30 - took him back at 12:30 and into the OR at about 12:45.  We (Molena and I) had to wait in the sun for over three hours outside the OR building just in case they needed anything during the surgery. Redgi came during that time (even though we told him we didn't need him- what a blessing he is!)  Dr. Felix came out at about 3:30 and said it was done and very successful but they had to use general anesthesia which they were trying to avoid.  He took a LONG time to come out of it and only at about 7 pm. did he finally know who I was and give me that JB smile.  He is in a LOT of pain but both hernias are repaired and we are looking forward to healing quickly.  Dr. Felix informed me that I will need to stay close to the hospital so that I can bring him in daily for dressing changes (which I am thinking I can do myself once shown how) and so they can see how he progresses.  Got him all set up with more fluids and antibiotic IV's and pain medication.  Total for today was another $150 (about).... OUCH!  This is getting to be more than I thought- "Welcome to Haiti boss" as Redgi would say.... Tomorrow I will bring in the wound care things I have here and hopefully they will work out fine.  I have tons of antibiotic cream, gloves, bandages, tape, etc... Will be staying at the orphanage with me until at least Sunday I think.  Then he should be well enough to go to Carrefour and we will see from there.

Anyway- I have had NOTHING to eat all day but a few almonds at 10:30 and a Ragaman (energy drink) and a few sips of Redgi's mango carrot juice.  I am exhausted and dirty and very very hungry/thirsty.  Will post more tomorrow but for now know that you ALL made this happen and that there's a little boy in Haiti who may not be happy right now, but soon will be so thankful that people cared enough to help him get this surgery.  God bless each of you as He has us down here!  :)

waiting area for the day- we sat in the sun on this porch and this was the view (people have to bring their own clothes/sheets so they wash them out back here)

Operation Hernia- Day 1

So... writing this when exhausted and after just getting home from the hospital.  Got up this morning and got ready only to find that Redgi was stuck in horrible traffic and wouldn't be able to get to me on time, the car was not back from taking Pastor's kids to school in PAP, couldn't find sheets for JB's bed at the hospital, etc... BUT everything has a way of working out when God's people get together and pray!  So, we arrived at the hospital (Pastor's son Lens took me and dropped me- I met James/JB and then Redgi met us later with the car) at 9:20 only to have the lady tell me "You can only come for the paper you need to admit him on Wed."... I was NOT taking that so I politely but firmly explained that we WERE there last Wed. AND Thurs. and she was not there to fill it out.  Friday was a holiday so we were back.  She filled it out and after paying for the surgery (2000 gourdes even though I was quoted 1000- blan surcharge??  I think so) he was admitted and sitting in his bed by 9:40!  No lie!  That was so fast.

Dr. Felix came down and talked to us forever and wrote prescriptions for the needed supplies (then I get a receipt).  We sent a man to buy the supplies while we went in search of a moneygram with no luck so we just went to the grocery store for some personal items for JB and some stuff for me.  Surgery should happen tomorrow morning around 9 am but we will see.  I am just relieved he is there and things are moving.  We went out and got some other needed supplies (basin, two folding chairs to sit on, etc..) and went back.  I sat with him for a long time and taught him how to play tic-tac-toe and he caught on quickly.  I let him win a bit in the beginning but now he can strategize. Tried teaching him the dot game (where you make boxes- not sure of the name) but he hasn't caught onto that one yet.  There's still time.

All told today's total expenses were about $ 225 US but that should be the bulk of the hospital supplies and things!  Tomorrow I leave at 6:30 am. to head into the hospital with Pastor (he will drop me at the front door) and I will spend all day waiting for JB to have surgery and making sure he is OK afterward.  I have been SO IMPRESSED by this whole process- they treat me well but they do the same for the other patients too.  Everyone is SO NICE (typical Haiti) and helpful.  Continue to pray - especially for Dr. Felix and Dr. Mathurin as they do the surgery.  Pray for Molina who is staying with JB overnight tonight and while he is in the hospital. Thanks again for caring!

Base & Vehicle!

It has become more and more apparent as time goes by that we really need a base for Hearts United as well as our vehicle.  Right now we have the truck (donated) for sale in Colorado but we still need about $3,000 to get a good vehicle down here even if/when that sells and we get the funds.  Also, this past trip we had a large group and we had to relocate which meant packing ALL of my suitcases into a tap tap and hauling them up to the second floor of a house, unpacking them all, setting up "camp" only to do the reverse a week later.  Now that Jean Bernard needs surgery I need to purchase supplies that I HAVE on hand at the Arris house (where they graciously let me store all these suitcases and things) but it will cost me about $50 in transportation to get there (at least) and then I have to dig through packed/stacked suitcases to find what I need.  I will probably just buy some of it in Port au Prince rather than go to the trouble.  This is sad because so much of our time and money between trips is spent on things we wouldn't need to spend it on if we had supplies organized at our OWN base and had our own transportation.  Yes, we would still use Peterson for teams- he's the BEST as many of you know, but for those little errands we could use our vehicle.  

Not to mention how nice it would be to have an organized space for teams- one where we can play worship music, where we can begin to develop an inventory of items left/donated from group to group, where we can build bunk beds for sleeping, etc.... 

PLEASE consider giving toward our vehicle fund or base fund.  BOTH are so worthwhile and would bless many!  They are not the most exciting things to give toward (not like helping little JB get his surgery) but they would really really help down here in Haiti- just ask anyone who has been on a trip with us!  God bless!  :)

SOME of our suitcases full of things.... we have SEVEN suitcases, three duffle bags and a water cooler (along with two basins, a bucket and other misc. things).... crazy!

Faithful

God has confirmed that this was indeed the correct choice- to stay and look after little JB and make sure his surgery happens and in a timely manner (and look after him a bit post-op).  Money has been sent in via our website to cover all I had mentioned before ($600 US).  THANK YOU to those who helped this happen so fast.  We honestly have no idea how accurate this figure is but God does.  If people are still interested in sending in donations we will keep an accounting and let you know what else we are able to do with the funds for others here in Haiti. I have a feeling I have forgotten things anyway or my figures are not completely accurate.   :)  And we will let you know exactly what we end up spending on little JB- his surgery, his care, his medical supplies, post-op care, etc... I am actually curious myself to see how this all works out.  I am new to this too- but God knows and has been opening doors right and left!

Thanks again for your generosity for the people of Haiti and of course PLEASE continue to pray us through this.... I really want to be home but am being obedient to what I feel I have been called to do.

Also- new clothes, undies, socks have been collected for JB and are being sent through a woman I have yet to meet except through facebook. She comes to Haiti next week.  Isn't it cool how things like this unite people together?

God is amazing and I am blessed to be on the front lines but never forget the importance you ALL have! I couldn't be doing this without you.

Jean Bernard

At the hospital in Port au Prince with some of the May team...

Jean Bernard in June of 2010

OK... for those of you who have been asking (and rightfully so) "WHO IS THIS CHILD and how are you two connected?" here is the answer.  Jean Bernard (JB) is an adorable little 12 year old boy that I met my with my FIRST team in Haiti in June 2010.  Some of the group was on a prayer walk and they found him living ALONE on the street.  They brought him to our base, loved him, clothed him and prayed over him.  He was so skinny but soon began to thrive and just light up when we "blan's" were around.  The next team to that location had a woman who just fell in love with him and his story and offered to sponsor him to go to school and to live with one of the pastor's I know well (consider him my pastor when I am in Haiti). He has many health issues- most of which are congenital but with no family to ask about history we do not know much about what (if anything) has ever been done to help him.

Fast forward a year or so and this past December I had my doctor take a look at him because he had developed an inguinal hernia.  At that time he suggested that little JB get surgery to correct the problem.  It was swollen and they said if it twisted at all he would die.  Through some friends here in Haiti he was actually scheduled to go to the US Navy ship for surgery by American doctors but (This IS Haiti- no urgency and no real advocates for the orphans) he did not make his appointment- which my friend worked VERY hard to get for him!  Many people want to get on those ships for surgeries and other things.  He has also not made other appointments simply because no one is willing to go with him most of the time.

SO..... this last team was in Haiti and their first real day of ministry the pastor (where he had been living- he now lives with an Aunt that they found) brings him to the team because he knows the group is medical and asks us to look at him.  I can not tell you how much it has grown in the last five months.  It was obvious even to my untrained eye that he needed surgery ASAP.... So we took him to the general hospital to be looked at.  Praise God we got seen that evening and referred to an amazing surgeon that I really trust.  He has even referred me farther to another surgeon that we will meet with today if all goes well.

Right now I am scheduled to leave tomorrow to come home but I feel this is not what I should do.  The surgeon I know said that even if JB gets the surgery this week (they do them Sat. and Tues) he will be in the hospital for a few days.  He needs someone to stay with him, get him food, pay for his medicine (they do not give it- you have to go out and buy it at nearby pharmacies), administer the medication, take him to the bathroom, bathe him, etc.. I will be doing some of this but will also need someone who speaks Creole to come too.  (we have someone willing for $25 US per day)

Pray for all the decisions that need to be made and for clarity for me.  Pray for logistics as I find housing for the days I will not be at the hospital (but need to stay close).  Pray that changing my plane ticket is not too much.  Pray for finances to come in to support this decision.  I am currently thinking of staying another 7 to 10 days.  Pray mostly for Jean Bernard as he is in a lot of discomfort.  I will try to keep people updated here as we go along through this process.  Don't know about internet availability.  Time will tell.  Mesi!!

(PS- if you would like to give toward these expenses please donate from our website and note that it is for Jean Bernard- there are directions there for online donation and/or mailing it in to us. www.heartsunitedwithhaiti.org   All donations are tax deductible and any excess money we raise will go directly into the ministry to assist children like JB who are in need here in Haiti and we will make it very clear what that is)

Last night...

is always hard when you have any team- much less when you have an amazing one!  Pray for these girls and their leaders as they travel back to the USA and all they will have to process/deal with.  God is amazing and He was evidenced all this past week in these students and their leaders as well.  SO MANY stories to tell and things to talk about but for now just know that the group was amazing, they followed God and they grew so much in their relationship with Him. I was particularly blessed when they gave testimony at final debrief and not one of them shared about the medical work they did.  They did some amazing ministry and were able to see and experience many things but what stuck out to them was God- what He is doing in Haiti, how He is at work and how He impacted the group and each of them individually.  WOW!  That was really cool to hear.  God used the medical work and course requirements to get them down here to Haiti but he then revealed Himself in BIG ways!  How blessed I was once again to be part of this group!  Rob/Kim from UR Missions did a fantastic job leading them, Scott England was a FANTASTIC worship leader and that all gave me freedom to relax and only have to worry about logistics.  I felt like a participant at times and I loved that!  Thank you Jesus!!

PS-  On a personal note, Jean Bernard (little boy that we worked with for a few years now and know well) has to have surgery on an inguinal hernia.  I will take him for a medical appointment on Monday and we will see where we go from there.  Hope to have the surgery this week.

other blogs...

Here are some posts from the UR Missions blog.  Hard to keep both updated with limited electricity (we have only had it about 12 hours since the team got here) so we are copying and pasting them from one to another.

     Hello all, this is Kayla. This experience has been great so far. God has blessed us so much thus far. Yesterday and today we broke into 2 groups... group 1 went to a hospital yesterday and the other a school, today we switched. My group went to the hospital yesterday and we got a tour and some helped with stitches, while others took blood pressures. Today my group went to the school and educated some kids about the hygiene bags that we prepared and the medication bags we prepared. The translators have been so great and helpful. We were able to treat about 30 kids today--some had scabies, ring worm, athletes foot, and one little boy had a stage 2 ulcer on his ankle, probably with staph infection. The principle was very thankful and kept saying "Merci beaucoup" which means thank you very much. We even taught her how to do some of the medical things we did and we left supplies with her to treat the kids in the future. Thank you all to who donated things--they are a huge help and the kids light up with having their own soap, shampoo, toothbrush, and toothpaste. The kids were excited to get vitamins and iron pills. We taught them when to take them.

     The other group had a fantastic day as well. I hear a couple of them got to watch a c-section :)
     Keep praying for us... the weather is humid and we are a bit worn out. When we walk around kids flock to us and come running saying "hey you, hey you" so cute!  Yesterday at an orphanage we went to the kids hung all over us and pulled is in so many directions. Must of us are feeling healthy, please continue praying for our health. Pray that the Holy Spirit would be ever present and active within us and continue teaching us. Thank you all for your help and support. Love to you all!                           

      xoxo, Kayla

     Today we had the opportunity to go to the local hospital in Carrefour. We were taken through a tour of the hospital to see the maternity wing, radiology, phlebotomy, medical records and immunizations given to children. Ashley and I were able to be in the maternity wing and witnessed the birthing process. The care for laboring women was very different from the care given in the US. The women were all lying in beds against the wall waiting for the midwife when she would be available. There was no privacy or curtains to separate the individual patients. A Haitian woman who was 3 months pregnant had arrived yesterday with continual bleeding. She was in a lot of pain and was losing a lot of blood. After a half hour of waiting she had miscarried. There are no words to describe the devastation and the overwhelming emotions in the room.  Despite the sorrow of the this one poor woman, we were able to witness life. We were rushed into the operating room and got to see another woman who was about to have a cesarean section. It was amazing to see the different techniques that were used by the doctors and nurses. Around 1230 a baby boy was brought into this world and he was absolutely beautiful. While we witnessed the birth, Crystal was able to go and pray with the Haitian woman who miscarried earlier. She was so grateful and comforted by the love that was poured out to her. We were so grateful and blessed to be able to witness joy in new life in the Haitian culture. 

     Thank you all for supporting us and please continue to pray for our health and ministry to the Haitian people.

Marie Konstan and Ashley Spurlock   

Photos...

Here are some photos from the trip so far....

Kim and Rob teaching about Jesus to children (and adults) on the street

at the orphanage

first night- at the Arris house- stopped in for a visit

** Also- Do not forget to check the UR Missions website!  www.urmissions.com

Merci Savior!

Greetings from Haiti! It is great to finally share some of our experiences with you, as we finally have power to update this blog! Praise Christ!! Since our arrival, we have been to a Haitian church service that showed us what a truly God-run service looks like (lots of worship in many forms and to-the-point preaching), we showed the Haitians a video about Jesus that led to rejoicing and a packed church building, taught school children the importance of hygiene, observed nurses at work in a Haitian-run maternity hospital, and visited an orphanage to teach them about medicines and give them hygiene kits. Of course, these past few days we have also been bombarded by the most joyous and lovable children that I have witnessed and have ever been blessed to encounter. We have also taken time every night as a team to praise God for what He has been doing through us and everything that He has shown us during our time so far. Worshiping God and discussing His greatness with this fantastic team has definitely helped shape my relationship with the Haitians, the team and with God, and I know everyone else can share this sentiment. We are realizing that though our intent was to come to this impoverished country and bless the Haitians, we are being blessed in more ways than we can describe or bless them in return. We know in part that this is because of the prayers we are receiving from home. Thank you all so much!! We are very grateful for all you have done for us and want you to know we appreciate you more than we can express. We can't wait to share more of our experiences with you, both through this blog and in person when we come home. Be blessed today!!

Chrissy Wilthew 

P.S. The food here is delicious!! I highly recommend looking into a recipe for Haitian rice and beans if you haven't tried them already. I promise you won't be sorry! (Hint hint mom and dad. Love you!! :)

Let their be light!!

We are so grateful to finally have electric for the first time since we arrived. That means showers and being able to make our way around the house without flashlights. We have been blessed beyond belief so far by the amazing people of Haiti.
Today we split into two groups. One group went to the school that hearts united works closely with and the other group went to the hospital in Port au Prince.The hospital group helped in the maternity unit and got to see some of the OR in the hospital. In the afternoon we went to a all girls orphanage that has 85 orphaned girls. We all worked as a team and treated many children who have scabies. We worked with many little girls who had staph infections as well and had a chance to do some great hygiene teaching.  We treated a little girl whose lymph nodes were very enlarged and was very sick. The pharmacist in the group Rob mixed some antibiotics together so that they were the right strength for her 2 year old body making it possible to treat this tiny girl. Her name is Mylove and we would love it if you would keep her in your prayers. We have been blessed beyond comprehension by the generosity and love we are receiving from these people. We are all healthy and doing well. We are working hard to remain hydrated and trying our best to get the rest that we need. We love it here and are so thankful for your prayers! We will be switching groups tomorrow and the group that went to the hospital will go to the school and vice versa. We will continue to treat the scabies and measure the growth of these beautiful children. Continued prayers are appreciated as we continue our work in this amazing country. We feel as thought we are being blessed personally more than we can bless the people. We love you all and miss you but are doing fantastic. Your prayers are working and God is moving.

Allison Knowlton


Much love to my family and Adam! Dad and I are having a blast and love you all a ton. We are both healthy and doing well. Only a few skeeter bites so far! ;)

Day 1

Sorry- no time to write plus we haven't had electricity yet.  So I am on here ONLY to update this and it will be fast.  Team is amazing!  Each one is totally different and even though I tell them not to have expectations I sometimes develop them before groups come but this one has helped me lose any ideas I may have had.  They are unified (all from the same college) and organized.  They jump in and do whatever needed before I have to ask or realize it even needs done which is a blessing with such a large group.

Yesterday we went to church- a four hour experience this time but at debrief at night they shared how blessed they were.  In the afternoon we just played with children in the community and hung out.  Presented the gospel message to those who gathered after the playing.  We were encouraged to see that the children and adults knew it as much as we did BUT there were a few on the edges/outskirts of the group (particularly older teens/young adults) who were listening intently so who knows what seeds were planted.  And then after dinner we all hiked back to the church for a showing of the Jesus movie in Creole which was amazing.  I have NEVER seen so many Haitians in that building.  People were poking their heads into the tarps anywhere they could just to see it.  They gasped, clapped, yelled "Amen" and cheered all throughout the movie and as Kim said, "The cool thing is they will NEVER look at the gospel the same way again- they will have a visual now in their heads".

Redgi and I were talking about taking a team of girls home (10 of them college girls) in the dark and how to make sure they were safe. It is a nice community but you never know.  After dark the translators can not see our surroundings as well and they are always worried for our safety.  Well, sure enough right after the movie it POURED rain so we were forced to travel home in a 15 passenger van that Pastor Cornet arranged to come get us.  We managed to cram 23 people into it only to return to our house and find that it had barely rained there (literally about 3/4 mile away if that). Redgi and I talked about it this morning.  About how God works behind the scenes and we sometimes never even know/see why certain things happen.  Who knows if we were protected from something or if we were not supposed to see/experience something or if it just rained.  We may never know this side of Heaven but I can surely say that we serve a mighty God!

Prayer items:
-today we split into two groups and go to two totally different ministry locations.  Pray for logistics as well as safety for both groups

-health (we have had a few headaches and upset/queasy stomachs but that's all)

- team unity

-a little boy I know who NEEDS surgery!  Please pray that we can find a doctor who can see him and SOON.  He will die if it's not treated within a very short time (I will be making lots of phone calls this week)-  for those of you who know our ministry- this is Jean Bernard so you know he is dear to my heart.

There's so much more to write, but I have no more time.  Thanks for the prayers and pray also for electricity so we can get on here and blog as well as have water for showers, etc...  God bless!

Team arrived safely!

Just to let you all know the team is here and safe.... will post more later- ready to EAT!

House for Rent!

Just a quick note to let people know that we are praying for financial support (and obviously welcome prayer support as well) so we can move forward with renting a house here in Haiti to use as a base.  To get the size and amenities that we desire we are looking at about $5000 needed.  In Haiti you must pay the first year's rent up front prior to moving in- not monthly like we do in the states.  After the initial payment the lodging fees for teams will be collected and should be enough to pay future rental.  Please consider donating toward this!  It gets very frustrating having to unpack all that is needed to make a team feel at home/comfortable and to be able to host.  Even more frustrating/exhausting is packing it all back up again at the end of the trip and taking inventory for the next group.  Thanks in advance for your prayers and support for this vital step in our ministry.

(PS- if you do the math, $5000 per year comes to about $420 per month rent- not bad at all!  Lodging fees between the March, April and May groups was about $1200 so we would be right on track)

Photos from April group

Here are some photos from the April group- we had a blessed week!  God is amazing and the way things came together was TOTALLY from Him-  enjoy....

Peterson's beautiful wife and baby!  Just a few days old here-

Kim in church- this little boy just climbed up on her  lap- adorable

Jessica at the orphanage

Amanda at the orphanage

Alison was a HIT!  Everyone wanted their teeth cleaned.  

Pastor Cornet gave us coconut as a thank you.

hiking FOUR miles into Chaveneau and back out in the rain- just to do education with the children

our tour of the hospital

teaching the girls at the orphanage about germs

Sarah getting her hair braided at the orphanage

Johnny at the orphanage

looking out over Port au Prince at the clouds (rained every day)

Redgi carrying water to the medical clinic

Jessica got to see a few wounds and this broken wrist.  

Boys being boys.  They had so many inside jokes and so much fun with Ethan

These two really bonded.  It was cool to watch.  (this boy lives by our host family and came along to the beach with us our last day)

final tap tap ride- to the airport!  We pray you will return and thank you ALL for being a blessing to Haiti and to me personally-  love you guys!  -Crystal