Saturday, March 19, 2016

CENTER

We do a really good job of updating this blog every day we have a mission team in town, but between groups it is not something we do well with.  Sorry for that.  If you want updates, we DO update instagram and facebook regularly, but this news was just too exciting so we had to share here too!

If you remember, one of the dreams/visions God gave us a long time ago was to have a Center (we called it a Training & Discipleship Center) where we could interact with the community He has placed us within.  We have ideas of offering classes (nutrition, parenting, first aid, health/wellness, c literacy, English, etc), Bible studies, and job training/continuing education.  Well, in November the property across the street from our mission base was for rent.  We looked at it, prayed about it, and felt like we needed to take a little more time so we left Haiti with the idea that we would give it a few weeks before making a decision.  Sure enough, the place rented two weeks after we left (to a family to use as their home).  "Well God, there's our answer.", we replied.  But, the very same day the property NEXT to the mission base came available for rent.  This one had a huge yard and open floor plan that would be perfect for what we felt God wanted us to use the Center for.  At the same time, a generous donor contacted us and asked what our greatest needs were.  One we listed was that we were praying that we could rent this building and start the Center God had impressed upon our hearts and minds.  Low and behold, the donor decided to pay the first year's rent for the Center.  So... with that confirmation, we decided to step out in faith and rent the building.

On this most recent trip to Haiti the former tenants finally moved out (a week before I was due to leave) and we were able to take possession.  We are still working out the details of what the Center will be used for to start (we can't do ALL the above right away) but we do know that we are opening it up for a small business to use in the mornings.  More about this business in another post, but this has created 3 jobs for locals from Carrefour.  We are also figuring out how to fix up the yard and building to best utilize it for classes and outreach.  It is in a GREAT location and we couldn't be more excited about the potential it has.

This is where YOU may come in.  We are looking for some people to come to Haiti from June 18-25, 2016 to help us set up the Center.  People are needed to clean, paint, do yard work, build shelves, move items into the Center, do some wiring & plumbing, etc....  We hope to open the doors for English classes again on or about the 27th of June if possible and need to have the building ready to host them.  Cost for a 7 day trip is $500 and that includes all food, lodging, clean water, translators (if needed),  and some for materials.

Here are some photos of the Center as it looks right now. (video on our facebook page- too big to load here)  Feel free to share the info. with others and pray about whether or not YOU can come help us.  If not, we are always in need of financial donations to buy materials for those who do come to set it up.  We need to buy paint, wood, nails, and other supplies to build benches, temporary (mobile) walls to section it into different rooms, chalkboards, etc.  

THANK YOU for your prayers and support.  It is beyond exciting to see how God is providing for this project.  It is obvious that this is going to be a great way to reach our local community and walk through life with them- learning about Christ together and discipling as we go.  God is so good!

From the office- looking toward the front door...... 

From the front door looking toward the office (left back of photo- brown door)

From the one classroom looking toward the front of the building  (front door is to the right but not shown in this photo)

Looking toward the back of the Center (large windows everywhere)... 

From the front door - looking out into the entrance/foyer area.  

Looking straight out the front door -toward the street (up those 3 steps)... LARGE yard to the left of the photo- beyond the block wall.

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Orevwa!!

The team made it to the airport and should be checking in right now. Their flight is in a few hours but we wanted to be sure they were on time. Pray for their travels. It was a GREAT trip. 

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Photos-Day 6

Babies at the nursery!!

Nutrition poster at the hospital

Hailey assisting with wound care again. 

Enjoying some beach time

The beach. We pretty much had it all to ourselves!








Day 6

Hailey: This morning we went to the maternity hospital. Although since it is a hospital, people go there for anything so there were a lot of wound care patients as well that they saw. The hospital does a lot for these people; they do free vaccinations for babies up to age 5, they do lab tests, ultrasounds, prenatal care, nutrition education, family planning, and then obviously labor and delivery. They also have a NICU for the little premies. Kayley and I got a tour of the hospital and got to do a little bit of wound care. It was cool to see an actual hospital funded by the government in Haiti. We also got to go THE BEACH! It was beautiful, clear waters. This country has some hidden treasures and the beach was breathtaking. It was a good ending to a wonderful experience here. I just want to let everyone know how awesome Crystal is and what her mission is doing down here. The world needs more people like her.



Kayley: Today we got to see the maternity hospital! It was awesome to see how they have things set up and the different types of care they offer. They have labor and delivery, neonatal, lab, family planning, vaccinations, and some wound care from the streets, pharmacy, dentist and an HIV clinic. Hailey was able to assist another nursing student with a dressing change. There were not many moms laboring today so there was nothing really going on there. It was so interesting to be able to see the place and all that they offer as well. We went back to the house to eat lunch and then it was time for the beach. This was a nice break to have some time and relax. This was truly and eye opening week and I am so blessed to be able to serve in this Beautiful country. I think this night is bitter sweet for Hailey and I. We are excited to come back home and see everyone we missed you, but we are also sad to leave the people we made connections with this week. It was definitely a God filled and guided week, He is doing wonderful things in this country and through this ministry. Our journey in Haiti this week is over, but all of the mission work here still continues and it is not always an easy thing. Please keep Hearts United with Haiti, Crystal, Redgi, James, David and all other missionaries in your prayers! Thank you! See you all soon! (Yes mom and dad we will call you at home or work if you’re working when we are in the US again love you!)

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Photos- Day 5

Wound care
Consultations

Waiting area.... So many people!!

Checking hemaglobin
Assessments
Sunset on the mountain
Overlooking the city








DAY 5

Hailey: Today was very hectic. This morning after breakfast we went to a nutrition clinic that an American mother and daughter have in the city. They are so overwhelmed. They just moved to a new location and are struggling with staffing and supplies. This is really sad because they have such a huge impact on the community. What they do, or at least what they did today was helped moms with breastfeeding education and formula feeding. They also take admits everyday into a nutrition program they have for malnourished babies and young children. It’s all about their age compared to their weight, but we saw some incredibly malnourished babies today. There was a 6 month old baby whose arm was probably the circumference of like a bottled water lid. You could see his spine and ribs. We also saw a 4 year old boy who if you saw him probably looked like an average 1 year old boy. And he just had a very sad affect that never changed while he was in the clinic. The mother and daughter, Mickey and Liz “admit” these children in their program and supply them with proper food or nutrients necessary to pick back up growing and developing. It is truly amazing, they check on these people once or twice a week until they are healthy and normal growth. They’ve also taken in some babies that moms just leave at the clinic. Also, they offer their phone number and say there are available 24/7. This is crazy that they just drop whatever they have in the US, move to Haiti where they believe they are called, and just help hundreds of families every single day. Every day they struggle to stay afloat and you can tell how exhausted and stressed they are, but they never quit and they have amazing and huge hearts for these people. So if you have a second, stop and think about what you may be going through daily and just think about this family and how awesome they are and how they could use your thoughts.


Kayley: Today we went to Children’s Health Ministry which is a program for malnourished children. Mickey and Liza (Mother and Daughter) run this huge organization that helps over 700 babies, children, and pregnant moms. They give babies formula and Medika mamba. (peanut butter mixture packed with nutrients to help the children gain weight). They give the pregnant and breastfeeding mothers rice (with nutrients in it) to keep them healthy. They do STD screenings and treat the mothers before birth. This ministry does so much it is incredible. There are so many babies in need here and they are doing so much to help them. I got to take a babies blood sugar and check his hemoglobin level. That was something you don’t do in maternity clinical! I just ask for prayers for this ministry because they are doing so much good, but are being attacked so much because of the lack of help. They definitely need some helping hands and some good workers so they can get some rest and not completely burn out. They are so compassionate and have the right attitude for what they are doing so I know God will provide the help they need! Goodnight!


P.S. Who is blondie??

Day 4 photos

**note: woke this morning to see that the photos did not send last night. Haitian internet is not always reliable. Sorry. Here they are!!








Charting back at the base

Some from the drive up the river

Taking home hygiene kits, coloring books, toothbrush/paste and crayons. 








Monday, March 7, 2016

Day 4

Hailey: We went to a school today, these kids were absolutely adorable. They were mostly 3-7 years old and there were a few 8-12 year olds. Kayley and I sat at a table and did 140 student’s height, weight, and temperature and started their own growth charts that they can have kept at the school. The school was about an hour and a half away from the house, we literally drove up a river of flowing water because this school is so remote it is the only way to get there.  The kids were surprisingly in mostly good health; their average temp was probably around 99.5. We got to do some basic wound care and we saw some incidents of worms and fungal infections of the scalp. I really enjoyed this experience, it was very hands on and we got to educate and give them supplies that they do not have to keep them as healthy as we can such as toothbrushes and general hygiene kits. We also gave the school some gauze, Neosporin, alcohol pads, bandaids, and a thermometer to keep up with anything that can come up when we are not there. Crystal is going back next week with a doctor to see all the kids that we marked in need to see a doctor which is good to know that their care didn’t stop after today. Even the drive to and from the school, we learned a lot about the culture in the countryside and I found it very interesting.


Kayley: Since we are a small group and we can drive in the car we got to go to Bas- Citronniers which Crystal has never taken a group up there before! When Crystal and Redgi said we were going up the river I didn’t know they meant literally driving up the river. We went in four wheel drive and Redgi drove right up the river. It was scary at first, but on the way down the water was lower and it was kind of fun! The people who live around the river make these rings of dirk to filter the water so the dirt is not in the water; this was cool to see. Once we got to the city we unloaded and it was time to see 140 adorable little kids. At first the 3 year olds were too shy to even talk around all of the white people because they are not used to seeing us, but they got more outgoing as they were older and we were able to do all of the things Hailey listed and put some bandages on the kids. I taught them good ways to prevent sickness like using the latrines (bathrooms) and not going to the bathroom outside, washing their hands before eating and after going to the bathroom, and keeping animals outside. Hailey taught them how to brush their teeth. It was crazy to see that many kids, but it was such a blessing to be able to see them medically where they would not have maybe had someone to check them out before! We came back to the house and did some “charting” and placed all of the height and weights on a growth charts and added medical information to them. There was a light rain after dinner (the online weather predictor is never right by the way the weather is so different from what phones say!) We enjoy all of your comments thank you!! 

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Photos- Day 3

Crystal got called up front in church...

Making friends at the orphanage



Day 3

Hailey: Another day in the books! Today we went to a Haitian church service. The passion and excitement the community has for Jesus is crazy. Although we couldn’t understand much, the energy was great and seeing all the people together smiling and carrying around their bible no matter how rugged or small it was was pretty cool too. The children were also pretty engaged aside from the distraction of us being there. The pastor was fun and exciting and gave me the best most welcoming hug I have probably ever received. After church we went to a Haitian orphanage in the city. This was a pretty cool and eye opening experience. For one, I’ve never been to an orphanage so I didn’t really know what to expect in the first place or have anything to compare it to. The orphanage receives no money from the government even though the government sends girls there when they want. It is all run by donations. The orphanage was all girls except for three boys that were there because they were the grandsons of the pastor who owns it. The pastor who is supposed to be supervising had his leg recently amputated and he is caring for his wife who recently had a stroke. So the kids weren’t getting as much supervision as they used to. They hired some nannies and the son is starting to take over so the progress is good. Also, the pastor and his wife are improving health wise as well so that is good. The conditions they are in may not be ideal, but all the children were so happy and welcoming. No matter what past they had or where they came from, the girls were such a delight and blessing to be around. It is tough to see people in situations like this and really shows how grateful we are for the family and support that we have. I learned a lot today and experienced something I believe everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime.



Kayley: This morning we went to a Haitian church service. It was awesome to see people so passionate and emotionally involved in praising God!! They all sing at the top of their lungs even if they don’t have a good voice. Everyone dressed up super nice the girls are in dresses and skirts and there was one little boy in an adorable white tuxedo! They are very loud and proud when praying and speaking, which is awesome to see. The Holy Spirit was definitely moving through that church! They had some time for new people to speak and say who invited them. Some people said they just felt called to come to church and no one had invited them. A girl said she wanted to come back to church and asked for prayer and they took a good chunk of time to pray for her. That was not planed and was awesome to see them take her request seriously. After lunch we went to the orphanage which was amazing to get to interact with the kids. They were so sweet and wanted to hold your hands and hang on you even though it is so hot! It was nice to be able to give them some of the physical love that they need in orphanages. They were happy and giggly. The girls were braiding my hair and teaching us hand games like patty cake (but not really patty cake) we did the Macarena and they enjoyed that a lot! I did a impromptu Bible lesson about Love and even used 1 Timothy 4:12! They colored a picture, sang some songs, and did a craft. We also checked on Pastor yves and his wife. He has diabetes and just had a right bka and his wife just had a major stroke where she couldn’t move anything on her right side. She is doing better now after the stroke and can even walk while holding onto the wall! Her arm is a swollen (with pitting edema) because she is not moving it a lot. We made sure he was comfortable taking his blood sugar and we checked their blood pressure. A very eventful and exciting day! Please continue to pray for us and everyone we meet, thank you!!! <3 Miss you all! 

Saturday, March 5, 2016

Photos - Day 2

Jovania's baby girl.....

Kayley with the baby (Loudema)

Hospital in Mirebalais

By the large mural in the hospital in Mirebalais. 

Another photo inside the hospital. It is such a nice facility for the people of Haiti. 




Day 2

Kayley: Today was fun, we went two hours away to Mirebalais to visit some girls that Crystal has been keeping in touch with. It was so beautiful up in the mountains! They all were friendly and grateful for the supplies that we brought to them! One of the girls just had a baby at the end of February and the baby was so cute and tiny. It is very humbling to see what people live with here and the smaller houses. We got to see Partners in health hospital which is one of the nicer hospitals in Haiti. It was super nice with beautiful architecture. We got to pray with some of the family members in the kids section of the hospital too! Now were just relaxing on the porch as some rain is about to come and cool everything down. All is well!! Mom and dad (or anyone)  you can comment and we can see it, I’m sure mom is dying not telling me anything lol! J


Hailey: Today seemed like a long day! First, we went back up the mountain with the doctor and saw that sick lady from yesterday. She is doing so much better! Her fever was gone, she seemed much stronger and very thankful. We went up to the countryside and saw a much quieter environment than where we live in the city. This is where we got to see the orphans that Crystal met several years ago. We just checked on them and gave them some supplies. It was really cool to see how excited they are when Crystal pulled up. The Haitians get so excited to see “blancs” and just come and greet you with a hug when they really don’t even know you. The family aspect is so strong here, we got to see one of the orphans who recently had a miscarriage and even through all that, her sister just had a baby and she helps take care of the little guy with a smile on her face.  Although the drive to the countryside was about 2 hours and a half so I was able to get some naps in, the heat is very exhausting. Us Ohioans are not used to this. 

Friday, March 4, 2016

Photos -Day 1

Walking through the mountain community...

Blood pressure checks & more blood pressure checks. 

Kayley doing blood pressure checks

Hailey again....

Kayley again too......

For those of you following from Malone..... the Dutch Blitz tournaments have resumed!!!!


More tomorrow as we travel to a really remote area to visit a newborn and some women the ministry supports in many ways...check back tomorrow night for updates. 




Day 1

 Today was our first day in Haiti after a long road of delays with the airport. It has been Kayley, Myself (Hailey), Crystal, Reggie (who lives at the team house and translates), and James (another translator that lives in town). We also met our amazing cook, who spent all day making us a delicious dinner. We went out in the community today, where we got to take a bunch of blood pressures and help a sickly woman. We saw the smallest puppy I have seen in my entire life. The work ethic and lengths the people in Haiti go to to support their families is unreal. Also, these are some of the nicest and most humble people I think we have met. Kayley and I definitely have some work to do with our Creole/French. So far we can pretty much say yes, thankyou, and good afternoon. This is has been a good first day and we are looking forward to the rest of the week!


Kayley: WE MADE IT!! I’m so excited that we finally arrived in Haiti! We got to the house safely. (that’s for you mom) There are definitely some cultural differences we have to get used to, but everyone here is super nice! We went up the “mountain” where the shanties are and took lots of people’s blood pressure. They all just came right up and pointed to their arm to say that they wanted their bp checked. We went into two people’s houses to talk, pray, and hand out supplies. There is one woman who just had a baby and she has had a fever for nine days. When we checked it was 104.2 so please keep her in your prayers. She received some medicine so hopefully that helps. Crystal also fell up the stairs today and banged her leg up pretty good. She is walking around fine and the swelling has gone down a lot. We miss everyone at home, but are excited for the work we are going to do here! Please keep us in your prayers, thank you!

Team has arrived!!

Kayley & Hailey have arrived safely and are in the Montero on the way to the base. We will begin ministry today and post later about it. Stay tuned!!