Monday

Today was a great day, we were all refreshed after a great church service yesterday as well as a trip to the beach. We all started off the morning bright and early, which wasn't too bad, in fact it was nice since a few of us stayed on the roof and chatted for a while. Once we started our trek to the orphanage we got to experience Monday morning traffic in Haiti. As we sat in the hot bus not moving very fast, we all realized how blessed we are to live in a place where it doesn't take half a day to run a few errands. Eventually we made it to the orphanage and started off our busy morning. It was exciting to see everything the girls remembered from the previous lessons this week, they seemed to be much more active in the learning today which was neat to see. After we were done teaching we all made cross necklaces with the girls and gave them bracelets that had the 7 C's listed on them. Even after all of that we still had a lot of time before the girls could leave. Each group today, once they were finished with the lesson, took their group of girls into a room to go "shopping" for a few new outfits. To keep themselves entertained for the rest of the wait they sang and danced. I learned a Haitian song during that time and taught the girls a song in english which they caught onto quickly. Their voices are so beautiful and listening to them sing is amazing! After a little wait, these very patient girls were able to go get their new outfits. These activities alone took up our whole morning, so we took our lunch break. After lunch we were out with the girls again having fun:) I brought a jump rope that I (with the help of Riley Barnett) had made and the girls loved it. They are crazy good at jumping rope and can move in and out as well as spin while jumping with such ease. The jump rope and bubbles kept them busy for a long long long time, in fact I think they were playing with them until about 15 minutes before we left. They say you learn something new all the time and today, that rang true. As I walked down the steps, some of the older girls looked at me and said, "Kayleigh! Pa belle!" and started laughing. I had a little girl, Shelove, do my hair and I knew it was a mess so I had no doubt that pa belle meant ugly. It was pretty funny and soon enough someone was already taking my hair down to redo it. Luckily it turned out better the second time, although I did enjoy every moment with Shelove. As she was doing my hair she was humming to herself and all of a sudden she turns my head up to her and kissed my cheek, looking then at me and giving me a huge smile. I think I will remember that moment for a long time. The time here has gone by so quickly and I have enjoyed so many little moments like that on this trip. Tomorrow is our last day with the girls before we head home and it should be a blast. We have a party planned and are ready to celebrate the girls. The chickens should make it to the orphanage with us (we are picking them up on our way and bringing them on the bus.) God has been providing everything we need here and is showing himself to be faithful and at work once again.
-Kayleigh Shillinger

Monday

Today in Haiti it has been really cold...Just kidding, it's really hot. After five or six days of being in Haiti you get used to the heat a little bit.
At the orphanage today we gave clothes to the kids for the first couple of hours. They really enjoyed getting new pairs of clothes. For the last couple of hours, Jack, Stevie, and I played monkey in the middle with the kids while the older guys finished the chicken coop. The day went by so fast, I can't believe it's almost time to go back to the states.
-Zac Huizen and Jack and Steven Stidham

PHOTOS again

Yesterday was church and then the beach.  I have a few photos of each but promise to get more today- I will TRY to get everyone in at least one picture.  :)  We go to the orphanage to distribute clothes from the bus donations and others, go shopping for shoes, teach another few lessons, and finish working on the coops.  The chickens SHOULD come today!!  YAY!!!  Redgi is also buying the food for the big party and fun day tomorrow at the orphanage.  We are all well but some are feeling the effects of the Caribbean sun vs. the Michigan sun from being at the beach.  It was much more intense so even people who "never burn" saw a little pink!

Sitting in church before the service

During church Jack made a buddy!  :)

Pastor Robby translating for Pastor Steve

Steve hugging one of the associate pastors of the church- Pastor James

Haitian Father's Day (they had all fathers stand up 

Pastor Robby and Pastor Steve hugging 

Pastor Steve preaching

Taking photos at the beach-  (you can see the blue of the water in the background)

Zach and Pastor Steve enjoying some "pop"

Some of the men hung out in the shade- Haitian and American alike

Anlin at the edge of the water

SUMMER STAFF!  What a blessing these two have been so far...  (thank you, God for sending them)

The group in the water!  So pretty and actually shallow for quite a while.... 

June 29th Sunday(Fathers day in Haiti)

Well its been really hot here as you know but today when we were at the beach we finally got that Michigan breeze you said was coming.Another thing we did was SHOPPING at a grocery market, all together we have enough vanilla to last 10 years. The best thing about the the market was it had A/C. We just finished talking about our day on the roof. We also tried to sing songs but it was very difficult because it was dark and extremely hard to see the lyrics on the packet but we sang anyways and it turned out very well. Now we are playing The Name Game and then we will call it a night and see what God has in store for us tomorrow.
~Anlin and Jeff Larson

Sunday in Haiti

Well, it is Sunday in Haiti and it has been a good day.  But first let me say I love you to Deni, my beautiful bride who I miss dearly.  The boys are doing great and have decided to let me cuddle a little with them since you are not here, but I do not think they want me to get used to it because no one can replace Mama's cuddles.  I so wish you were here because you are the one I need (besides  Christ) to look to when I am feeling not so sure of myself.  Give Kyle and Payton the biggest hug you can and let them know that Daddy will be home soon.
I preached this morning at Pastor Robby's church and it went well.  Pastor Robby did a fantastic job of keeping up with this redneck preacher and even added a little himself.  It is fathers day in Haiti and we were sung to. Happy birthday seems to be the song to sing for this occasion.  We just laughed and really soaked it all in.  I preached in a suit and lost about 10 pounds of water weight...wow is it HOT here right now.
We then went to the beach for a couple of hours and Steven and Jack just loved it.  I decided, Deni, not to take a shower at the beach this time around...didn't need anyone walking in on be again without you here to protect me. :)  Jack wanted to bring back some sea erchins but I let him know that it would not be healthy for them and he let them go.  The rest of the team is now at the local grocery store to pick up some vanilla, coffee and other things from Haiti.
Haiti needs much prayer but you can see so much that is changing each time that we come down.  It is exciting to watch it all.  The chickens are supposed to arrive tomorrow as the coops are basically done.  It was an adventure with design modifications along the way but we worked through it and got enough coops to hold about 30 chickens.  We will have lots of pictures.
Love to all, especially my Deni...see you soon honey!!!!

PHOTOS 2

Sorry for the lack of photos- we are trying!  Two days ago we were super busy and had no electricity so we were "conserving" the battery of the computer, then yesterday my camera got "borrowed" by the girls and a setting must have been pushed cause they all are a little blurry, but you can get the point.  Becky has been doing really well (as has the rest of the team blogging) with keeping you all up to date.

Yesterday the men worked on the coops and we ordered the chickens to be delivered on Monday (that's the plan- you never know in Haiti) and the women/Zach taught the lessons, played a bit with the orphans and then sorted LOTS of clothing donations which we will hopefully give the children on Monday. We got water at about 10 pm. last night by using the generator so that was a blessing.  Today we will go to church and then see a bit of the countryside.

Steven's birthday celebration on Friday

One of my favorite photos- Jack helping Daddy build a bench for Monalissa

Working on the chicken coops- they are done now except for ramps to get in and some bedding.  :)

Sorting a LOT of clothes- each girl will get a dress (and a pillowcase dress if they are 12 or under), two pair of new underwear, two tops, one bottom (skirt or shorts) and a pair of play shoes (we will buy some new ones on Monday for those we do not have sizes for).....

teaching again..... 

Laundry at the orphanage- hanging on the railing.  

Pastor Robby, Purple Pox and Flip-flop

Hi to all the nice cool Michiganders! :)
I just wanted to add a quick note to let my sweet daughter know that the chickens have been ordered and we will be able to get them before we leave. So I will have pictures for you Kylie of some beautifully-made chicken coops and the chickens that go in them (if everything goes as planned). Thank you to Kylie and Steven for so selflessly donating your time, creativity and energy to helping raise the funds for this project. Kylie you inspire me so much and I love your thoughtful heart. (For those of you who are reading this Kylie would like to name a couple chickens Purple Pox and Flip-Flop).
We also had the opportunity to meet Pastor Robby very quickly today. He is a wonderful man and his laugh and love for the Lord are equally infectious. Aaron- I told him who I was and received a very long and strong hug because I was Aaron's wife. He speaks very highly of you and can't wait to see you again.
We are looking forward to going to Pastor Robby's church in the morning and experiencing that.
Please pray for Pastor Steve tomorrow as he will be giving the message and please also pray for a nice cool breeze.
I love you all and miss you very much. Kisses to Aaron, Kylie, Grady, Luke and Laney!
Love, Mommy (Katie)

It's Becky again---(everyone is laughing at me) - We really like it when anyone responds to the blog posts because Crystal reads them to us on the bus ride to the orphanage.
Also - to those who asked me to be a Mom to their kids this week - no worries.  They have found Haitian boyfriends!!  :)

Day 3

The word that comes to the forefront of my mind today is: INSPIRATION! Since arriving in Haiti, the power has gone out just before dinner (5:30 PM ish) and has been restored sometime after we fall asleep (11:00 PM ish) allowing for additional fans to run in our rooms at night and light to shower by in the morning. Last night we learned a nearby transformer had blown and that we would most likely not enjoy the convenience of our nighttime electricity. We also learned our water supply is running low. The city water is only on occasionally and there is a pump (that requires electricity) that transports water to a reservoir on the roof. To say we are at the mercy of perfect timing is an understatement! Sounds like adding insult to injury, right? That's where the inspiration comes in. Not a single one of us took this news in distress. Instead, game plans for worst-case scenarios were hatched and we continued on. How inspiring! How refreshing!

At the orphanage, Ronni and I are working with a group of about thirteen 12-14 year olds. This morning during our group time they not only remembered the topics we had covered the two previous days but also the verse of scripture we had asked them to memorize. I could not have been more proud of them! I am so inspired by their joyful and open hearts!

On a personal note: I can say with 100% confidence that I have never sweated so much in my entire life. Nor have I ever been quite so dirty. But you know what? I couldn't be happier! Both are a small price to pay for such a rewarding experience. I knew this trip would inspire gratitude for all the things I take for granted but I had NO IDEA the depth of it! I'm excited to tell you all the tiny details and am looking forward to what the next three days will bring!

I miss you all more than you know! Love, hugs and smiles...

Holly

P.S.
As I'm sure you've noticed, I have NO service on my phone (even after I thought I would). I think I've touched my phone maybe once since I've been here. Can't even begin to tell you how liberating it is! I have no idea what any of you are up to which is so strange but it only makes catching up with you when I return all the more sweet! See you soon!

Hi - it's Becky again.  I know it comes as no surprise that I have a little more to say but had to end last night because of electricity issues (we've had none since Friday morning).  I wanted to mention how easy us girls have it because we basically play with and just love on the kids.  The guys have the heavy, hot work with building the chicken coops.  And they are terrific looking chicken coops!
Also, just so Grandma doesn't worry -  When Ronni said we travel up a steep mountain, I wanted to clarify that it is a steep paved road in the city.  There are times we think the school bus is The Little Engine That Could as we silently say, "I think I can. . . I think I can."  And I only grabbed Ronni's hand once on the climb.

Day two, back at the orphanage

Hello back home to all you Magee's out there, Yes they gave Becky and Ronni free rein of a blog. We began day two with yet another early morning. After a COLD bucket shower we headed up the mountain to the orphanage. Because it was day two the children were less shy and we were greeted with smiles and hugs. The lesson today was corruption in which we taught them how sin entered the world. After the lesson we spent the afternoon playing with the children (Becky enjoyed jump roping with the girls, but it took her a minute to get her footing correct (on the slope she says) after a fall on her behind). Some of their favorite things to do are braid hair, play with our phones, get their pictures taken, and play monkey in the middle. We headed down the mountain for dinner and Steven's birthday celebration. Steven turned 9 today! A memorable birthday! We are enjoying our time here and miss you all very much, much love to you all and we are now off to pack goodie bags for the kids!
~Love you mom and dad--ok and Mallory- Ronni (Sorry Randy you too!)

Hi - this is Becky.  Wow - what an experience and we are only 2 days in to our week!  I was a little concerned about the language barrier (the everyone at the orphanage speaks Creole) and with so many of us, and so many kids, a translator cannot be around every minute.  But when a little one takes your hand or literally jumps on your lap as soon as you sit down and hugs you tight, no translation is needed.  I will say the translators are wonderful during out lesson time.
  I return each evening to the base headquarters bone weary, but amazed and humbled at the display of God's love to the children by this Path of Life team,  I fell asleep last night to Sarah G. reciting out loud (when I realized what she was doing I asked her to speak up) the book of James and Romans chapter 8,  How cool is that - no matter what country you are in!
On a personal note - Ronni is doing great - volunteers for all duties with a smile,  Steven and Jack play with the kids from the time they get off the bus till they get back on for the ride back to base and all the children love them.  Love to all!

FIRST PHOTOS

Yesterday (Thurs) we got up, had devotion time and finished a little orientation.  God provided the lumber and wire we will need for the coops RIGHT DOWNSTAIRS which helps our local neighbors and also made it much easier for us to not have to go searching all over for supplies.  :)  This was such a blessing!  We did have to make one stop on the way to the orphanage to get extra boards (35 of them that we loaded between bus seats) but they were pre-ordered by the man downstairs so we just got them and kept moving.

We went to the orphanage as reported by some of the participants in their posts and got to do lessons with the children in the morning and then play in the afternoon.  It was awesome and a great time of bonding with them.  The men worked on designing the coops after measuring the area and thinking things through.  Today we should be much more organized since having been there once.  The first day is always kind of rough until we make a "game plan"....

Highlight for me (and MANY others):  Watching Bryan and Dejna (his family's sponsored child) meet.  She was soooo looking forward to seeing him.  They hugged and both cried as did many of us.  It was simply beautiful...

Second would be the team (and then individually Pastor Steve) praying for Redgi and his family at this tough time with Madame Josee.  She is doing a little better after administering IV fluids last night.  Redgi said she did recognize him and was talking a bit before he left.  He got back to base at about 10:45 pm.  LONG day and he is so tired but for now things are a bit calmer at home.  We will see what today brings.

By the way- the bus ran like a champ!  Those new batteries did the trick and it went up the orphanage hill like it was on a flat road.  So different than those little tap taps that have to weave to maintain speed/power.  The only problem is that it was sitting so low due to all the weight from the wood and people so it did scrape the "U-joints" I think they are called.  Scared us all, but it didn't do any damage.

Here are photos to enjoy!  Thank you for all the notes of encouragement.  The team LOVES hearing from home.... -Crystal

Becky and Anlin's class (the little ones)

Ronni and Holly's class

Holly gets her hair done by Marie-Laure

David playing with Lovely

building the chicken coops....

more coops..... 

looking at photos on the iphone (with the summer staff- Ally and Jenny and Jerry)

Monalissa and Pastor Steve.... both soooo happy

Pastor Steve praying for his brother Redgi (and their family)

Anlin playing hand games... she jumped right in and rarely needed a translator (using signs and gestures and SMILES)

Katie, Emily and Zach's class... 

Madame Josee Update

Just to let you all know that this afternoon Redgi got a call from his father saying that Madame Josee is not doing well at all.  She is extremely weak and dehydrated. It has been extremely hot and she has not been taking in fluids (eating or drinking).  He is currently home (left once we got to base after Life is Wealth) with our Haitian Doctor who will do an assessment and decide whether or not to insert an IV or not.  Please pray for this family as they make these tough choices.  I don't think she is very responsive (talking or alert).  Her sister (Madame Carolle) is still here for now cooking but may have to leave too - to be by her side.  We will try to keep people informed.  God bless-

My first (not last) Haiti trip

Hello all!
To begin, I am so blessed that I have stayed healthy thus far on the trip. One of my biggest fears coming here was getting sick and not being able to participate in everything going on. Praise Jesus that I am healthy and feeling great!
Today we spent the day at the orphanage. We began the day by grouping the kids up and teaching a lesson on creation. Katie and I taught the girls ages 8-11. Although it was difficult because of the language barriers, our translator did an amazing job helping us out. The girls were pretty shy at first but opened up pretty quickly.
 Although I have only been here one day, I know this will not be my only visit to Haiti. It was so amazing today watching and interacting with the girls. It was a nice change of pace to see kids being entertained by simply playing with a piece of string and a button, kicking around a ball, or braiding each others hair. Being able to simply hug and hold these girls was an amazing feeling that I will never forget. They enjoyed singing to me and laughing at my dance moves :)
 We will be going to the orphanage again tomorrow and I can't wait to learn more about them.
Jack- Say hello to Marley for me. :) I miss and love you. Hope everything is going well!
Shout out to Mama Sue. We love you.

Emily

Hi to my Family!!!!

Hi everyone! I hope you are all enjoying Michigan weather because it is ridiculously hot here. We just ate dinner in the "birdcage" and there was absolutely no breeze, so beware when we all come home with super stinky laundry;)
Yesterday was a busy day of people-watching. We had some bus issues when we arrived in Port Au Prince so we spent a couple hours sitting in the shade people watching and talking outside. Then the bus finally came to get us and we were heading back to the base. I felt something on my foot and just assumed that it was sweat dripping, but when I looked down I saw an enormous, disgusting cockroach hanging out on my foot. I freaked out and the wonderful little Steven Stidham came to my rescue and squashed him. So gross. And then last night we saw 2 geckos running around the base. I will take geckos over cockroaches any day.
It has been such a blessing being able to come down and spend time loving on the kids at the orphanage again. It was so great to see some familiar faces. I spent time today reconnecting with sweet Elena, Manulita, Antoinesse, Mique and had the opportunity to meet some new girls. The boys did a great job starting the chicken coops today. They worked really hard in some extremely hot conditions, but everyone seems to be happy and healthy.
Keep praying for us!
Aaron and kiddos- I love you and miss you so, so much! I showed some of the kids pictures of you all today. Wish you were here:)
Love,
Katie

Day of Arrival

The team arrived yesterday (Wed.) with no trouble except on our end but they handled it like champions!!!  We (staff) went out to start the bus 10 minutes before we needed to leave for the airport but it wouldn't start because the batteries were dead.  One was cracked and even melted on one edge so it must have been an issue that was coming already.  We worked for over an hour trying to jump the batteries and other solutions but no luck SOOOOO we had to call Peterson to get us a rental bus to pick up the team.  :)  Redgi drove James, Ally, Jenny and myself to the airport to meet the team that was at that point already out of the airport and waiting for us in a shady park area.  We got to sit with them another hour until Peterson and the bus arrived to take the team to the base.   What a crazy first impression of Haiti for some of them.  Praise God though that we have friends at the airport to call, Peterson has connections to get us a bus to rent and we had some extra funds available to buy three brand new batteries (almost $600 US- $195 each).  Redgi got the new batteries installed in the bus last night and it should be ready to go today.  Everyone got a good night's rest but it was HOT..... God bless and thanks for the prayers/encouragement.  By the way - I got a new Haitian phone number which is (509) 4350-3329 for emergency.

First Night

Good evening from Haiti,
   
     Thankfully we had a wonderful day for travel.  No delays, no lost luggage, so for a start of a week long trip its going very well.  Just a few things that stand out in my mind are, the driving situation down here is absolute mayhem.  You go where you want and however you want.  The driver we had did a great job getting us safely from the airport to the base.  Next would be the amount of motorcycles.  Not just person travel but more for a taxi service.  At the base you hear them go by almost every thirty seconds.  This place is very much alive for being 7:30 p.m.   I have a feeling that every one here is looking for a good nights rest after being awake since 3:00 a.m.   Tomorrow we go to the orphanage and meet the children.  I can't wait to see what God has in store for the team in this coming week.
   
    To my wife Jenna, I miss you and love you.  I hope that you had a good day today and that the kids are behaving themselves.  I pray that this week goes smoothly for you.  There is a slight breeze so its not unbearable.   I cannot wait to see you again and tell you about this interesting place.


                  God be with you all,
                           Bryan Sanders

They're here!!!

The team has finally arrived!! They are all settling in and unpacking their generous donations!! We are getting ready to have dinner and orientation! Someone from the team will update later on tonight with more info about their journey!

FINALLY an update!

So... my internet plan is horrible.  I use a different "provider" than the rest of the staff so updating has been very difficult.  We have spent the past three days getting things organized and ready for the teams this summer.  The staff is seeing "the other side of missions" as we talked about yesterday.  We are also spending a lot of time talking about the upcoming groups and meeting with our ministry partners (and others).  James has been at the base helping us get little errands finished.  Redgi has been gone most of the time- returning the Mercedes (not a good choice after all- praise God for showing us that), picking up the Jeep (yes, we bought a Jeep Liberty- maybe just for the summer, maybe forever- time will tell) and doing all the necessary paperwork to take care of that, etc... We literally have not seen him except to sleep here the past two days.  We probably won't see him all day today either because...............
         THE BUS IS READY TO PICK UP!!!!!!!!!!!!    Yes!  Today Peterson will get Redgi this morning (in about an hour) and they will drive to meet Toussaint to get the bus and bring it to Redgi's house.  He has a welder there who will (we hope) be able to help him install the seats and then he will bring it here to the base later in the evening- Just in time for the team coming tomorrow!  This is such an answer to prayer and we are super excited about it.  Two weeks to the day since arriving in Haiti (off the boat) we should have it in our possession.

If you are worrying about any of us, we are fine.  Currently we are living on mangos, avacado and ramen noodles during the day but there is a nice restaurant to go to at night that has air conditioning and great/safe food.  Both staff have internet plans that they purchased for their phones so they are able to keep in touch with home.  This is important since they will be here for seven weeks each.  We are all healthy (just tired) and getting ready to see all God has prepared for each of us over the summer.  No chikungunya so far.  :)  :)

Some photos of the Jeep- 2003 Liberty (4 x 4).  It is nice and only has 36,000 miles on it!  Owned by a man in Petionville.

Friday, June 20, 2014

Friday, June 20th update... First of all, if her parents are reading this- ALLY IS HERE! :)  She finally arrived (after many delays due to storms in Miami) at about 7:30 last night and we stayed up until midnight talking cause we were all so excited!  Jenny arrives tomorrow after a night in Miami (again, cause of the storms but also because her flight from Washington, DC to Miami was delayed too).... 

Yesterday was pretty uneventful.  James, Redgi and I put two bunk beds and a futon (the other futon will have to wait until we have a little more space) and unpacked MUCH of the stuff from the bus.  It is starting to look like a base again but there is still plenty to unpack and organize before the team comes next week.  

Redgi also had to drive to the city to meet up with one of Toussaint's men to give him another copy of his passport to try and get the bus, the license plate, the insurance, etc... Toussaint says MAYBE Saturday we will be able to pick it up.  WOO HOO!  

I had a meeting with a Social Worker (American) who is going to do an evaluation next week at Life is Wealth and then help us develop a plan for hiring and training staff/"house mothers" for the children  This is VERY exciting news!  Please cover this in prayer.  As we were meeting, Redgi was getting the Mercedes SUV to borrow for the weekend to see if we want to buy it.  The man is really working with us and has given us a good price, but it has lots of "little fixes" it needs (they do not have to be done to use it- just to make it more marketable later) and we hope to decide over the weekend if we should buy it or not for the summer at least (use it, then re-sell it and ship something better from the USA)

We also got to see Madame Josee who is very weak, in horrible pain still, and is completely bed-ridden now.  Pray with us that her pain is eased by the medicine I brought.  It is difficult for Redgi to be here and know he is missing these last days with her, but it is just as difficult to sit there and watch it happen. He is torn and our hearts are breaking for him.  

Here are a few photos from yesterday unloading the bus.... God bless and thanks for the prayers.  HE does hear you- we can feel it.