Fall 2016 Ministry Needs (SCHOOL)

Once again I find myself falling behind with the blog.  It is easy to stay up to date when groups are around, but, frankly, when they leave I rarely get out my computer and I HATE typing long messages/blogs on my phone.  So.... the result?  It doesn't get done until I am stateside again.  Well, I got "home" to Pennsylvania early Sunday morning and am taking this week to catch up on paperwork, e-mails, phone calls, etc...

Some of you have contacted us asking about our current ministry needs.  They change regularly but right now there are a few that come to mind as a little more pressing than others.  Here are some highlights but remember that one of the best ways to give is to our "greatest needs" fund which we then use for needs as they arise.  Our administrative costs for the ministry are extremely low given that we are all volunteers and that I have good friends who donate all my flights to/from Haiti.  Therefore, when you donate to the "greatest needs" account a large percentage goes directly to our projects and ministry IN HAITI. This way we have a little more freedom when God directs us to a certain need as we minister.

So... what are the current needs?  Well, school is about to begin.  We have about 2/3 of the orphans sponsored at Life is Wealth Orphanage but we would LOVE to be able to offer each child a backpack, uniform, books, shoes, etc...   Last year we provided all children with backpacks (sponsored or not) and it cost about $450 US to do so.  We also were able to give a uniform to most of the children.  This cost us about $500 US more (on top of what the sponsors pay for their children).  It is hard for the ones not sponsored when school begins. They do not receive items from our organization.  They cry and/or are jealous and they can not help the fact that they do not have a sponsor to help with their expenses.  So, it would be nice to be able to get them needed items as well.  We have also been asked to help this year with shoes and books for those not sponsored as well.  We told the orphanage directors that we can not do so currently, but that we would put the need out on social media and ask YOU if this is a way you would like to help out.

Also school is about to begin in Bas-Citronniers!  They have a budget to work with during the school year for teachers/staff and food to give the children a hot meal daily.  They work hard to make sure they maintain that budget, BUT.... they need to do some things to get ready for this school year since they are adding a new classroom (5th grade) and 25 new students.  They are in need of 5 desks ($100 each) a fence around the school yard ($165 US), and they need to paint & fix a few spots where the roof is leaking again ($450 US).  We also had someone come out to give us a quote to install solar power so they can hook the water pump up to it.  They use water for the kitchen and bathrooms and currently pump water to a holding tank using a generator which uses gas. This is not sustainable but a solar power system for operating the pump would be.  Stay tuned for info. about this one!

Mirebalais girls:  There are two who need tuition paid this year for regular school ($100 each) and two would would like to take classes at the professional school ($100 each).  We would love to offer this, but it is not in our budget right now.  

Finally, along the same lines is the fact that we are planning to start our first English class on September 20th at the Training & Discipleship Center.  YAY!  We are so excited that this is finally coming together.  We interviewed and hired an experienced English teacher over the summer and are currently enrolling students in the program.  We will be using "English in Action" as our curriculum.  But, we still need student desks (they should cost about $100 US each to build) and we need to supplement the salary of the teacher since we are not charging the community much to attend the classes.  We are anticipating about $150 per month for his salary (3 months needed).  We also need to make copies for handouts, pay for gas for the generator when we do not have power, and pay someone to clean the building on a regular basis.  All these might not seem exciting, but they are needs for the English classes to take place in a professional manner.  So, any donation right now toward the Center would be used for these things.

Do any of these ideas resonate with you?  Is God calling you to fill one (or more) of these needs?  You can do so yourself.  You can collect among your Bible Study group.  You can mention the needs to your friends (ie:  share on social media).  You can commit to praying for the needs and/or the ministry in general.  We are praying and trusting that God will fill all the above needs through people like YOU- those who believe in this ministry and trust that we will use your funds wisely.  We guarantee that we will!  And, don't forget that your donations are tax-deductible as well.

Visit our website to donate (there is a page there) at www.heartsunitedwithhaiti.org  or e-mail us if you would like to talk directly -- heartsunitedwithhaiti@gmail.com.  You can also call the office and/or cell phone 610-286-0612 or 484-332-5021.
     ** We also have larger financial needs and other things that are not mentioned here.  These are the most time-sensitive right now with school starting SOON in Haiti so we are praying that all are filled by September 15 (my birthday!).  Thanks in advance for your prayers and support regarding these current ministry needs. We are so blessed by each one of you who joins us in His work in Haiti. Blessings-  Crystal

A New Normal...

For over four years things in leadership here in Haiti have pretty much remained the same. We have our core group of Haitian nationals who run the ministry full time. I come and go as does my husband- pouring into them when in country so they can be more effective when we are not in Haiti. 

We have formed a really close team and God has built up our relationships together as well as the relationships with our ministry partners and support staff (translators, cooks, etc). We truly embrace and appreciate the family God has created among us all. We consider ourselves blessed and realize more and more the uniqueness of those relationships here in this country where true relationships/friendships are often difficult to find and maintain. 

But, our God is a God who loves to stretch us!! Soooo as we become comfortable in our present situations He often beckons us to step out. Leave the familiar. Enter into that place we call "unknown", "scary", "intimidating". Trust that He is there to guide and direct us even if we can not always see Him right away. Trust that He is not only walking with us on this new path, but that HE laid it out and created it long before we ever knew it was being built. 

This week as I spent some alone time with God and explored new parts of Haiti as I love to do on my respites before returning to the USA, He gave me such a beautiful vision. As we drove along crazy dirt/dusty roads through mountain passes (sometimes only one vehicle could pass through and we were not even sure it could) I thought, "OK God, I know people pass this way every day so there is no need to fear."  But sometimes it was a bit scary. I admit I wondered what I had gotten myself into on this adventure. 

And then.... seemingly out of nowhere, we rounded a bend in the road and it was magnificent. PAVED road! Smooth and clean! Unknown to me, someone had been working on that part of the road- preparing it for the future when it all connects together to form one nice, paved road all the way across the mountains linking this part of Southern Haiti with the more populated section we had just left. For miles we enjoyed the nicer road. 

Then, guess what? It changed again and went back to dirt and dust and holes and rocks. Once again at times we needed four wheel drive and slowed to a crawl. Once again we inched along the edge of cliffs and prayed we wouldn't meet another car coming toward us. (at least I did- Redgi loved the challenge but that is for another blog: How what I see as a challenge/scary someone else sees as exciting while what I see as calm/comfortable is boring to them. Haha)

Anyway..... All this was used by God to comfort me. He was showing that this road is like our lives. Sometimes smooth and easy- sometimes rough and unknown. BUT He is there. He is working ahead of us, preparing the way. Would He want it all perfect and smooth? I am not sure because when in that place we forget quickly to rely on Him and to trust in our own strength. 

Haiti has done much over the past six years to teach and grow me. This past few months (and the next few to come) are just a part of that road. We will be restructuring some of our staffing and ministry. It is scary and I want to hang on tight to what has become comfortable/familiar. It has been rough on me. I have had to pray a lot, seek a lot of advice/council from others I trust that God has it under control but, frankly, I just want to stay on that smooth road and not continue onward. But, if I do, I know we will miss so much more that He has to teach and show us. 

So I trust. Smoother times are coming. But, I pray rough ones will too. Though I don't always like them at the time, they are needed and they are part of this process we call growth. 

(by the way.... here are some photos of what was waiting at the end of that road. A beautiful little town, some great missionaries we got to meet/fellowship with, and MUCH time with the One orchestrating all we do. I am so glad we continued forward- just as I will be later with this time in our growth as an organization.  Blessings and prayers for direction for us all. Thanks-)

REUNITED! :-)

       Those who know me well will tell you that I am not into facebook drama and it actually frustrates me when people use social media either to seek attention for themselves or to portray only the sad parts of ministry in Haiti (usually just for donations- “Look how bad it is and how much ‘they’ need you!”) Argh!  So, my very vague posts last night were not intended to do either.  I was truly at a loss for words and processing A LOT.  Reality is that life here can be TOUGH.  Not only for those who have no choice but to live in this country because they were born here and are part of a system that makes it very difficult to rise up and/or leave.  But also for those of us who CHOOSE to be here.  (I put choose in capital letters because I am not sure I ever chose to live part time in Haiti, but rather I chose to follow God and HE sent me here.  Not with answers.  Not with solutions.  Not as one who is going to “fix” Haiti.  But rather as an ambassador for Him.  As one who tries to show His love, compassion and forgiveness to all.  And, as one who seeks to point others to His obvious love and guiding hand in all situations- no matter whether we see the results we want or not.)

       Anyway-  back to the story….   Yesterday started like any other day when we don’t have teams.  We had a plan with about 5 different errands and were hoping to accomplish at least a few of those before heading back to the mission base around dinner time.  We left the house a little after 9 am.  First stop:  to buy some items for the orphanage that they had requested.  We were quoted one price by them but the first store wanted about $25 US more than that.  So, we proceeded into the city of Port au Prince to continue our search (at about four other stores until we found it finally).  After leaving one of the stores we rounded a corner and Redgi said that he felt something strange with the steering and that the car was “pulling to the right”.  A few more feet and we realized we had a flat right front tire.  PRAISE GOD there was a tire man right where we stopped to look at it.  He quickly took off the old tire and replaced it with our spare and we were back on the road.  Now we were about 1.5 hours behind schedule.

        Second stop:  To visit a friend of mine.  I had borrowed some things from her earlier in the summer and needed to return them along with some money I owed her.  I got to her place to find there were others visiting her so we had to wait about an hour to see her.  No problem.  I had come unannounced because, frankly, we had been having a bit of tension between us due to a series of circumstances beyond either of our control.  She has been hurt (and I totally understand why) because of another close friend of mine and I have been kind of stuck in the middle.  I love both of them and don’t want the situation to affect the relationship I have with either, but I feared it had.  Anyway- I wasn’t sure how I would be received but needed to go.  And, in her true character she graciously accepted me into her home as if there was nothing wrong between us.  I am so grateful for that and it showed me once again the character she has and confirmed that she is indeed a good friend- believe me, they can be hard to find here (or anywhere).  So…. what I planned into the schedule for about 30 min to an hour turned into about 2.5 hours.  But it was GOOD and my heart was full as I left there- knowing that no matter our differences in opinion on one certain thing, we can still have friendship.  I pray she sees my heart as I see hers .  

       Third stop:  By now it is 2 pm. and Redgi is starving so we decide to stop quickly for a sandwich.  It is looking more and more like we might not get fruit/milk, Nanny pay, finishing letter writing, delivering bags for the Nannies, etc.  done at the orphanage until much later than we thought.  But, we headed off.  That is when Redgi’s phone rang!  

       Had you asked me to guess who was on the other line I would NEVER have picked this girl.  But, a voice on the other end said, “Redgi, it is Betty.  I am trying to get ahold of Crystal.  Can you help?”  He quickly pulled to the side of the road where we sat and talked to her over speaker phone gathering information about the past four years since we had lost contact with her.  I couldn’t believe it.  Of course I remembered her and her sweet Bettina (daughter).  I vividly remember when they left the orphanage vowing to keep in touch…. but we soon lost phone numbers and/or contacts and they were gone.  I thought forever, but God knew differently.  

       Betty had been an orphan at Son of God.  There were two stories of how she got pregnant (at 14 years old). One was that she was raped by her stepfather and when found to be expecting that she was thrown out and someone brought her to Son of God.  The other was that she was raped by one of the sons of the director of Son of God.  To be honest, they probably were both true.  Either way, this girl had her own little one (Bettina) at age 14 and lived at Son of God until it was closed- enduring the horrors that all the children there had endured- not only for herself, but for her daughter.  One of my favorite Haiti photos is of my own daughter, Emily with little Bettina making funny faces at one another after the girls were rescued and brought to Life is Wealth.  Though sick and severely malnourished she was still a little child and loved to play and laugh with my Emily.  They had quite a bond.  

       We found that Betty is now living in a tin shack on land that is not hers though she has paid $150 US to “squat” there and still owes another $150 to get an agreement for so many years.  She had been in a tent community but an organization gave them money to relocate and this piece of land was all she could find.  She has had two more children (she is  22 years old now- younger than any of my own daughters).  Twins.  All three are in an orphanage that only allows her to visit once per month.  A Haitian orphanage far from where she is living now.  She desperately wants them with her.  I know she would be a good mother because she was always so close with Bettina at the orphanage.  Bettina is now EIGHT years old- crazy for me to even believe.  

        After talking on the phone for a while we hung up.  Redgi and I looked at each other.  We happened to be sitting more than halfway to where she is living now (she is about 1.5 hours from our mission base in Carrefour).  There was no question.  I could feel the Holy Spirit saying, “You must go see her.  She reached out for a reason.  She needs to know you love her still.”  So…. we called her back and asked if we could meet.  She gave directions and we were off!  We met her on the side of the road for safety reasons (we don’t want a foreigner to show up and put her in an unsafe situation).  We hugged and talked and were so excited to see one another.  I showed her photos of SO MANY PEOPLE she asked about. I was shocked to see how she remembered them. 

        **Note:  If any of you wonder if you made any impact, this is the answer!  It was like looking at a living example of that saying, “People may not remember your name, what you wore, etc… but they will always remember how you made them feel.”  To watch her light up as I brought up photo after photo on facebook and she had recognition and then would ask personal questions about many of you or tell stories of what you had done at Son of God.  

       Finally, she asked if we would like to see her house.  We were hesitant but it was really important to her.  So, we drove as far as we could, then hiked down a ravine to a river bed, trekked up the river a bit (it was mostly dry) and then climbed up to a shack on a hillside overlooking the river.  There was a little shack with one room.  It was covered with tarp that leaks.  She had little potted plants (in buckets) around the outside for decoration.  She was proud of her little home.  But…. she is alone there on the hill.  She misses her girls.  She asked us to take her to see her children and I pray we can do that before I leave.  Otherwise, she asked for nothing though I already plan to bring her a few things next time we go.  We have an extra solar lamp here and some other things she can probably use.  She NEEDS a new tarp to cover that roof.  

       There is so much more I could write but this post is way too long already.  I could tell you about how she found her way all the way to Carrefour and searched until she found the old Son of God building. There she found Max and Marie and asked if they have information for any of the former children.  They gave her the phone number for the Marcials (the girls who make bracelets) so she contacted them.  They, in turn, got her Redgi’s number.  Just the thought of her going back to that place breaks my heart.  It must have been SO TOUGH but her desire to reconnect with SOMEONE who may still love her and care was greater.  I thank God it was. 

       So… where do we go now?  I wish I had all those answers.  I held it together until it was time to say goodbye.  Then, in Creole I told her I never forgot her.  GOD never forgot her.  And that I have prayed for this day when I could see her again.  That she is a daughter of the King and that He loves her.  That I WILL be back.  I don’t know when.  I don’t know what the future holds.  But, to know that I am so glad she called us.  The tears began….. and they still have not stopped. 

       I have three beautiful, intelligent and BLESSED daughters at home in the USA (and now 2 granddaughters).  But,  in October 2011 God gave me 37 more….   As Emily and I lived at Life is Wealth with those girls after they moved from Son of God I promised myself and Him that they would know how much He loves them and that I would do all I could to see to that.  We have set up the sponsorship program for those still at Life is Wealth.  We have helped the girls in Mirebalais learn to make bracelets to sell.  Just this past week we took one girl to stay with missionary friends of mine until she turns 18 so she can hopefully move to Africa with another missionary friend of mine.  We are doing our best to fulfill that promise.  But, it can be TOUGH.  Please remember to pray for those girls who have left the orphanage.  They too are not forgotten.  I still pray for them (as I did for Betty all these years)- that God will make Himself known PERSONALLY to them and that He can use me (and Hearts United) to show them that love in a tangible way. 

       Thanks for reading.  It helps to pour out my thoughts sometimes.  I also know many of you want to hear this story because you too knew Betty and Bettina and have wondered about them.  God is still writing this story and maybe you are still a part.  If not, know that He is still using you in Haiti to bless people.  

(PS- on the way home from seeing Betty we were stopped by police who said it is illegal to have tint on our windows in the Montero even though it was there when we bought/shipped it to Haiti.  They took Redgi from the car and I had to sit for 20 min. in the dark in Port au Prince not knowing if they arrested him or where he was.  Finally, he came back, but that was just one more part of our “Haiti day”.  Understandably, I am exhausted today but we are off in about an hour to Bas-Citronniers for a meeting about this upcoming school year.  Please keep the prayers coming for strength- physical and emotional.  It has been a summer full of these kinds of stories)

Hiking up the river

Up the hill to the house

In front of Betty's house

Inside is a small bed and table. (You can see light through the tarp on the side)

Life is Wealth Update

I know many of you have been asking for an update about the status of the orphanage since Pastor Yves has passed away.  We are over there a few times per week (only once with the last team) and have been VERY encouraged by some of the changes we have seen since two of the sons (Lens and Lardo) have taken over the daily operations.

As many of you know, consistency and follow-through has been an ongoing issue in the five years we have been going to the orphanage.  Often programs were started but then they fell apart over a short time.  There were many good intentions but the fact that Pastor was trying to run the church, orphanage and school was a lot for him so he was not able to monitor as much as he should have.  Plus, given the fact that he was sick made it even tougher.  Many of those great ideas came from Lens but were not fully supported by his father – either in theory or practically for one reason or another.  Now that Lens himself is in charge, we are really seeing his heart for the children. Here are some of the very positive changes we have witnessed first-hand:

- The children are eating meals together at the table in the great room daily. (with plates, cups and utensils!)  Both Lens and Lardo are instructing the children in manners and even eat meals alongside them- sharing in the same food.

-There is scheduled time for dance, choir, devotions, crafts, chores, etc… and the schedule is being followed.

-Supervisors have been hired (we are helping with salaries as we do with the Nannies) and are in charge of seeing that schedules are kept, children are clean, meals are healthy and prepared well, bathrooms are kept in good condition, any medical needs are addressed, etc…

-The closet is almost complete.  This will hold the supplies and items the Nannies will use when working with the children (crayons, paper, notebooks, games, craft supplies, toys, etc…).

-There have only been TWO new children added to the roster since June- this is a HUGE praise!

We pray this trend continues and aim to support both Lens and Lardo as they strive to make the orphanage a safe, secure environment for all the children.  Please continue to pray for them during this time of transition. Once the routines are set it will be MUCH easier to continue with them.  So far, the orphanage smells better, looks cleaner, and the children are getting  more of the love/attention they need!  So, to answer your questions:  Though the passing of Pastor Yves was a tragedy and very sad for all the family has really stepped up to continue his legacy and to do it with excellence.  We are supporting the work they are doing and changes they are making 100% and appreciate your prayers and concern for all involved.  God bless!

PHOTOS-FINAL DAY

We parked our bus at the church...

Then, we all boarded a full size bus together. 

James at the beach-always playing games, listening to evangelists or networking on his phone. 

Tim & Jen went on the roof to take photos. 

Mountains in the background

The coastline from the roof. 

Indoor soccer

Taking it all in..... (this is Pastor Robby's daughter). 

The long day, busy week and sun caught up with some people. 

The whole group on the beach...

Last Day Update from Alicia and Hannah! (If you are Alicia's Dad... You need to comment!)

Today was our beach day with all the translators and the people from Pastor Robby’s church who have been helping with the VBS all week.  We started out early, leaving the base at 7:45 to get to the church at 8, where we were supposed to meet all the other people going.  The church people had slept at the church last night, so that they could cook the food for lunch today and also so that they wouldn’t be late.  However, when we got there we were still waiting on a couple people, so we didn’t end up leaving the church until like 8:30.  Then we all piled into a big bus (I think there were 44 of us) and headed out for the beach.  It took about an hour and a half to get there, but it was worth the drive.  The water was beautiful!  It wasn’t much of an actual beach, like with the sand and all, but the water was fantastic.  It was cool but not cold, and super clear.  We all swam around for a while, even the Haitians.  Most of them didn’t know how to swim so they stayed in the more shallow water, but they enjoyed it too.  Some of the guys played futbol (soccer) in the pavilion area nearby, and the girls played a clapping sort of game in the water, and we joined in. 

After a little while a group of us decided we wanted to swim over to a nearby island.  Some Haitians came with us, and we set out.  Turns out it was slightly farther than we thought it would be, so we were all pretty tired by the time we got there, but it was a really cool island.  There was some coral around the beach there, and a really cool drop-off into the ocean.   After that we walked back to our original beach, because we were too tired to swim that again. 

It was a good day at the beach overall, in my opinion.  We got to hang out with the people we have been working with all week, without the pressure of a VBS to run or any little kids running around and creating chaos.  And even though we still had the language barrier, we have all gotten progressively better at pantomime and charades and facial expressions, so it was okay.  That’s one of the hard things about leaving here – we have become comfortable with the people and formed relationships and it’s hard to leave behind.  This week has been really awesome, to hang out with the Haitians and experience their world with them.  They’ve been very hospitable towards us, gracious regarding our cultural mistakes and giving us a fantastic welcome to their country.  The translators especially, I think just because we’ve had more time with them and because they speak our language and we can have conversations with them. 

Alicia, you now get to write the ending. J

The End J just kidding…we are all in various stages of getting ready to leave. Between writing letters, packing, and playing a very violent game of spoons we are ready to come home! It will be an emotional morning tomorrow as we lead part of the service and say good-bye to the many friends we made over the last week!

Can’t wait to see you all!

Alicia and Hannah

PHOTOS- DAY 6

Sorry but I didnt take a lot of new photos yesterday but here are SOME highlights. 

Alicia explaining one of the small group activities where we used aluminum foil to make an image (mask) of our faces and then talked about how we should shine the light of Jesus. 

More neighbors observing from neighboring rooftops. 

Dancing and singing more songs. 

Jen took a GIANT group photo with her "selfie stick"

Small group time

More photos of the songs

We came home to find the man painting our name on the Center!!!

Some painting at the Center!! It looks soooo good!

Shelves are now organized over at the Center. 

More painting!

Thank you God for a great Bible School this week and this group that is investing in PEOPLE rather than things! When they leave this place in a few days may the people of Haiti remember YOU more than they remember the group. That is our ultimate goal: to help people grow in their relationship with You and to build a longing for more of You!