A base for Hearts United!

Here are some photos of the BASE for Hearts United. It is located in Carrefour and we have signed a 6 month lease which will end in the middle of May 2013.  Now we need to get it fixed up and ready for groups and get people registered for the Jan and March trips!!!  :)  :)  Enjoy the photos- can't wait to fix it up, make it feel like home but more importantly can't wait to see what ministry opportunities God has for us in this new area of Carrefour. If YOU would like to help us with setting up the base and getting the supplies we need, please go to our website on the "Wish List" page:  http://heartsunitedwithhaiti.com/Wish_List.html  THANK YOU in advance.  If not, we will "rough it" a bit longer, but at least we have shelter and we can slowly fix it up.  :)  :)  We are thinking it is kind of like having a Hearts United housewarming/shower!!

Large kitchen with locking cabinets- we need to put in a stove, small (dorm size) fridge and other items to host groups

The main/shared bathroom- this will be shared by 2 bedrooms and is located  between them- accessed from the hallway.

Bathroom #2- this is in the one bedroom- no door to access- just an opening from the bedroom.  We will have to work on that and see what we can do.  

HUGE flat roof for worship.  This is shared by all units on the property (3 others) so sometimes there is laundry and other things, but they will work with us and keep it open.  We MAY be able to sleep here in tents but we can't keep any valuables up there since it is a shared area.  

The view from the roof is really pretty- the mountains of Carrefour and the surrounding community.  

This is the building from the road- we can park behind this big metal gate so our vehicle will be secure.  

The steps to the apartment- there's a secure gate at the top of these stairs- off the landing and then you can continue to the roof from there.  We have the whole second floor and access to the shared space on the roof which is REALLY big!

The front of the house- facing the road.  The window (covered) will be to my bedroom/office/storage area (one room) and that little porch is my own personal one!  :)  I can't wait to sit there with my morning coffee and relax/watch the community I will grow to know/love.  If God  has brought us here, we will be blessed I am sure.

Well in Chaveneau!!

Redgi is out in Chaveneau tonight to check on the status of things and he sent me these photos.  Things are moving along.  The well driller is there and the builder will work on the water building starting tomorrow (he has done some work- digging footers).  SOON we will have clean water for this community.  What an amazing thing that is to think about- how God has used us and His people to bring all this together.  THANK YOU to all of you who have been praying and supporting this and our many projects.  We are blessed and pray you are as well.

Back to School

One of the girls last year- so proud of her books and the fact that she was going to school ! 

We are getting ready for the children at the orphanage to go back to school. This is such an exciting time of year for them and they are eagerly counting down the days until they can begin learning again and see their friends from last school year. Many of these children only started to attend school for the first time last year! (the old orphanage wouldn't send them)

For those sponsored it is easy- we have raised enough money to be sure we can pay their tuition, buy them a uniform/shoes/books/supplies and more.  But what about those orphans who are NOT sponsored?  What will happen to them as school begins?  Well, that's a good question.

There are about 80 orphans at our facility and we only have 20 sponsored. The money from sponsorship each month is pulled together and is used to pay for food, clean water, personal products, staff to cook and care for the children, education, etc...  We will make sure the sponsored children have what they need to start school, but the money in our "excess" account will need to be split among the other 60 or so school age children. Donated supplies will be evenly distributed as well.

This is the new uniform color/style for this year- everyone must have new ones made.

Currently it costs about $80 US to begin the school year.  This includes the items mentioned above.  Another tuition payment is due in Jan. and yet another in April but those are not nearly as much (only about $10 US each)

So, right now we are asking if anyone would like contribute toward the purchase of a uniform, tuition and/or books for an orphan to start the school year.  School begins the first week of October.  THANK YOU in advance for your generosity!

** also- if you would like information on sponsoring an orphan please contact us.  They get so excited to receive messages from their sponsors and to hear they are loved/prayed for!  They pray for their sponsors as well and long for the day the two can meet- whether here on earth or in eternity.  God bless!

Water for Chaveneau :)

 I wanted to give an update on the clean water project for Chaveneau (the remote farming community where Hearts United has done most of our ministry).  Last winter we took a medical team to the community with the intention of developing a long term plan for ministry.  It was determined that the people needed better nutrition and clean water first.  Then we could concentrate on education (school) and a medical center.  If the people (especially the children) are sick or hungry they are unable to learn properly and will continue to get sick and/or die from things that can be prevented.  So, we began a campaign to bring clean water to this community.

Well, after much prayer and direction from God we are happy to report that we have partnered with a group from Pennsylvania who will be coming in the end of November to install a water filtration system!  To prepare for their work we needed to first drill a well and construct a building to house the system, find locals to maintain it, find people in the community committed to learn and educate their neighbors about clean water, etc...   As of this morning we are SO BLESSED to report that we have paid a well driller who is expecting to dig the well this coming week (depending on whether or not he can get his drilling rig into the site- if not he will do it as soon as possible) and the funds for construction of the building are ready to be sent by the group donating them so construction on the building should begin within the next week as well!!  We are well on our way to having clean water for this community by the first week of December 2012!  WOW!!!  Only God can put the pieces of the puzzle together the way they have come together.  He never ceases to amaze me and to prove His love for His people.

Until then people in Chaveneau will continue to gather water from the new spigot system our July team installed- this water comes from a spring up the mountain and travels by pipe to this spigot.  This water has been tested and is contaminated but it is better than the water they receive from the river- the other alternative in the area.  Pray for those who will be receiving clean water SOON- Thank you Jesus!!

Isaac photos...

Here are some photos that will show you the damage from Isaac to Haiti.  Just yesterday I was visiting a friend and she asked me "Did they have much damage from that storm?" so I thought I would share these.  Most were found on the internet so I can't take any credit and wish I could give credit to the photographer.  The first two compare a photo I took about a month ago of the tent community in Carrefour to a recent photo taken after Isaac.  There are captions under the photos explaining what they are of.

This is the photo you have seen before- that I took in July 2012 in Carrefour 

Same community after Isaac- looks like many of the tents are still standing, but they are more tattered and people are obviously drying out their clothes, blankets, etc... 

This is from the internet- standing back up their tarp that fell.  

From what I read this one is of the road on the way to Les Cayes (where we drive very close to the ocean and many take photos- there's usually a retaining wall to the right of this photo if it's where I think it was taken- you can kind of see that)

Just another photo that struck me.   Oh how I wish I was there to help clean up!  

Keep these people in your prayers.  I have been there to clean up after Hurricane Katrina (in New Orleans and Mississippi) and can tell you that it's tough sifting through things to decide what can/can not be salvaged, seeing your belongings ruined from the rain, etc.. Haitians are resilient but this is a LOT to deal with for anyone.  :)  :)

Isaac update...

Still have not heard from some of the people I know in Haiti, but wanted to give you a bit of a follow-up.  I have heard from some of my translators and friends.  One had their tarp blow apart/rip and had significant wind/rain damage to their house (photo below- same house as the bottom photo of my last post).  One has had two different families whose tarps/tent home blew apart come to live with him.  His apartment has grown   to 10 people in a matter of a few hours.  Another has been helping survey the area around his home for damage and offering to help his neighbors where he and his family can. Still no word from Chaveneau, from Jean Bernard (probably won't hear from anyone about him to be honest), no word from the girls who left the orphanage yet, etc... So I am asking that you continue to pray.  There is a LOT of clean up needed.  I did talk to Redgi and he said in his neighborhood there was severe wind damage as well.  Thanks for the e-mails, phone calls and facebook messages asking about the situation.  And THANK YOU to those who have donated toward our December construction trip so we can get a family into a better living situation.  Yes, it's only one family, but to that family it will mean SO MUCH.  We are still a long way from our goal though- please pray about whether or not you would like to help out.  heartsunitedwithhaiti.org (go to the "donate" page and follow directions to either donate online or to send in a check/money order- remember it is tax deductible and will be used to bless MANY- thanks)

Notice how the tarp separated and let water in (the blue tarp in the background- kind of to the right- was also covering the house but blew off).  This is the same house in my post below at the bottom.  When asked how much was damaged they said, "We had very bad damage.  We need to repair a lot."  This breaks my heart- they are a family who has already been through enough yet their faith remains strong.  

Tropical Storm Isaac

Please pray for Haiti over the next few days- rains expected to start falling soon from what was expected to be Hurricane Isaac and continue through Sunday.  Here are some images from photos I took in the last three months alone!  (I have many like this)  MANY in Haiti are living under tarps or in areas prone to flooding and are in dangerous situations.  Pictures make it that much more real.....

Here is part of the large tent city as you enter Croix de Bouquet.  The tarps are nicer now in some areas but still tarps.

In the city- Port au Prince by the hospital.  

North of the city- going toward St. Marc-  these little villages are all over.

And so are these houses.  

I know the family that lives in this house well.  They do have another house on the property but it's dirt and rock.  This is more the kitchen but I am sure they use it for sleeping too.  

This is the tent community in Carrefour as you travel along the beach road.  

This is the home of one of my friends- pretty sturdy, but still scary with the winds and rain that is expected.  In July we had a quick wind gust in Carrefour and it knocked an almond tree over (like the one in the back of this house) and it fell on someone's small tent home.  It was really interesting yet scary to see how quickly things can happen and the damage that can be done.  Luckily no one was hurt and the house was fine.  Praise God.  

PLEASE continue to remember these people in your prayers!  Not only through the hurricane, but ongoing.  And if you ever want to go/serve in Haiti let us know- we would love to have you join us on a trip.  Mesi!