ONE YEAR...

"I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.." Genesis 9:13-15 NIV

October 21, 2012 marks one year since Son of God orphanage in Carrefour was closed.  One year since the girls (and boys) were loaded onto a UNICEF bus and taken away from the only "home" many of them had known for a long time.  When relocated the children were malnourished, infested with scabies/parasites, sick, dirty, etc..  I am sure they were scared - not knowing what the future held for them.  Were they headed to an even worse fate?  Were they going home to family?  Were they finally going to be somewhere safe?  Were they ever to see the Americans who had come to love them (and they had come to love in return)?

You can look back at these posts from 2011 to read the stories and some of my old blogs. You can see how many never gave up on the children. MANY were praying for them.  We held a prayer vigil and personally were fasting until we heard of their safe relocation.

http://heartsunitedwithhaiti.blogspot.com/2011/10/ok-to-finally-share.html

http://heartsunitedwithhaiti.blogspot.com/2011/11/home-again.html

Though things did not turn out as WE planned, God did not forget these children and He will not forget them ever.  That is what gets me through when I find myself missing the girls at Life is Wealth Orphanage where the girls are now located and where we have our sponsorship program for them.  It is difficult being away from them and sometimes when I get frustrated because things at Life is Wealth are not being done the way we would prefer, I have to remember that God is the one in control.  He has brought these beautiful girls through much.  He has protected them and healed them physically. They are now fed regularly, most attend school (we are still working on that), they are clothed, and we visit them regularly. Emotionally I know there are still scars but with time and love I pray those heal as well.

These past few days I have been remembering the days leading up to the close of Son of God, the months prior to that when the investigation was going on and the children's health and physical status was failing, and the days after they were moved- when Emily and I were in Haiti with those assisting them and were caring for the girls ourselves.

Like God told Noah when He placed the rainbow in the sky, He will remain faithful to what He has promised.  And He has promised to care for the widows and orphans.  He commands us to be His hands/feet to do that work.  Will YOU consider being part of His work here with these orphans?  We still have 41 in need of sponsorship.  Contact us at huwh.orphansponsorship@gmail.com and we will be happy to match you up with an orphan.  Please pray for these precious children- HIS children!

been BUSY

The past two weeks have been crazy busy but amazing just as well.  I have included some photos of my latest adventure- taking the Montero to Florida and leaving it at the shipping company to send off to Haiti.  I will call tomorrow to see how things are going- it is being reviewed by US Customs right now to determine if everything is OK to ship.  Then, it goes onto the boat from West Palm Beach, Florida and once the boat leaves it takes about 2 to 3 days to get to Haiti.  From there, it has to get into the country (this is the tricky part from what I hear).  We have no idea what the assessed value will be of the Montero and the contents but anticipate it being around $2000 US.  We also have a guy we can pay to stay with it and keep it safe as it sits in port once unloaded.  It is VERY common for them to get broken into and to have things stolen.  What is inside does not have great monetary value but it is full of items we will use for our house (base) in Haiti as well as donations for the orphanage and school.  Please pray with us that the SUV will just slide through this process with no trouble.  Thank you!  (and a very very special thank you to those who donated items to ship inside the Montero- if all arrives in Haiti safely it will save us a LOT of money to not have to buy all those things for the house)

View from the back- almost packed!  It got a lot more "cozy" inside there-

took a photo at every state I could on the drive to Florida

South Carolina!  

Georgia

Finally in Florida!

At the holding yard at port!  :)  :)  

The company that is shipping the Montero.  Their boat is the Monarch Queen and it is HUGE!!

God's blessings!

I had dinner last night with a good friend I have known a long time and we were talking about ALL God has blessed Hearts United with these past months and in the past year. Since I have been working on my "end of year list" of all God's blessings to us I was acutely aware of some of these things. I shared with her how humbled I am to be part of God's plan to reach the people of Haiti, those who come to minister and those who (like many of you) join us in prayer and support this ministry. Sometimes I just have to stop, look back and realize that.....

- in January of 2012 we were approved for 501c3 status

-we had a truck donated but then decided it was cost prohibitive to ship it so it was sold and the money used to purchase another vehicle which we are planning to ship to Haiti the week of Oct. 8th

- over 300 hygiene kits have been handed out to orphans, school children, people in the community, etc... and people were educated on proper hygiene and the spread of disease (as well as wound care, puberty/growing up, women's health issues, etc...)

-many donated supplies were handed out such as pillowcase dresses, shoes, soccer balls (and hopefully uniforms if they get there by our Dec. trip), etc..

-fruit/milk and food given out monthly to the orphans

-Jean Bernard's surgery for two hernias (this was life-threatening) was very successful and there's now a little orphan boy in Haiti who is alive thanks to the combined generosity and efforts of many

-school supplies/uniforms/tuition/books/etc. have been purchased for all sponsored orphans at Life is Wealth in Port au Prince

-clean water is coming SOON to Chaveneau (well is dug, building is being constructed to house the system)

-a roof was put on the outhouse in Chaveneau, water pipes were repaired there, the roof on the host home was painted, etc...

-we were able to rent an apartment we will use as a base for teams who come to Haiti!

** This list could go on and on.  These are just highlights but they are also things that would NEVER have happened this past year without those willing to GO and those willing to SEND/SUPPORT.  I know I get to be on the front lines and get to be the one who seems to get the recognition but this is a group effort. And without God NONE of it would be possible.  He has blessed us with working in spite of some of our mistakes/failures.  He has blessed us with opportunities to become involved and made connections between people that have no other explanation except that God ordained those meetings. (like a nurse examining Jean Bernard at the perfect time when his surgery was urgent- and then her advocating for him like she did)  Yes, working in Haiti has it's share of frustrations and disappointments but it's FULL of blessings and excitement if we stay focused on Him and His love for us and for the Haitian people.

If you are feeling led to come to Haiti with one of our groups, please contact us.  We promise you will be forever changed and if you are willing to step out, God will bless that far beyond what you can imagine!

The same is true for those of you considering supporting our ministry- God will use your support to bless so many.  Without the financial and prayer support from people we could not do most of the things listed above.  A base or applying for a piece of paper from the IRS may not seem glamorous or exciting to donate toward, but the fact remains that they are needed and are important foundational items for the ministry.  With a means of transportation, a place to live while in Haiti and other things such as that, those who come to serve can minister much more effectively.

So, God is good and we need to take time occasionally to reflect upon what He has done to bless us ALL.  This was my time of reflection on the way He has blessed Hearts United and therefore, blessed others and blessed me!  To be able to do this ministry and share it with others is beyond exciting for us!  THANK YOU once again for allowing us to be part of change in Haiti and in those we serve.  - Crystal Funk

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!!