Chaveneau Photos

Some photos of Redgi's four days in Chaveneau that you may not have seen yet:

Some of the food provided by Paulos- THANK YOU!  

Unloading at the last river before you cross into Chaveneau.... 

Loading up the food to deliver-  Praise God for most of the truck cost being donated by Haiti Awake and their staff!

Another shot of unloading at the last river...

So... for those of you who have never been to Chaveneau.  There are three rivers to cross.  One is the LARGE one, one is the smaller one where there is a foot bridge (not for vehicles, though we had to drive on it because the truck could not get through the mud) and then a third river which has no bridge.  The first two trips to Chaveneau this river was unable to be crossed, but as the week went on, they were able to get all the way into the village and cross this last river.  Praise God.

The guys had to wade through the last river to go into Chaveneau to meet with our friends (Isaiae, Manuel, Marie-Rose, Robinson, etc... ) to discuss how to handle distribution of materials.  

The truck slid in mud up against this tree.... and sliced the tire in the process.

The lug nuts were smaller than the tool provided by the rental company.  The tool to release the spare from under the truck was missing. So.... a two hour "trek" around the town of Chantal began- to find what was needed to put on a spare! 

This is from the top of the truck- looking across to the access road into Chantal.  This river is normally large, but with all the rains, it is VERY large.  Thank God it went down enough to cross with the truck and 4 wheel drive.  

Crossing the foot bridge- barely wide enough for the truck, but the only choice.  

Connections

The other day on our facebook page I asked you to pray for "connections".  I was overwhelmed by the magnitude of trying to get some sort of immediate relief into Chaveneau.  I KNOW our God is able, but I also knew that there were a ton of little towns just like Chaveneau all over the southern peninsula of Haiti with people equally in need (or even worse).  I also knew that we only have Redgi, James and Magdiel on the ground to do the work that would take MANY (plus our regular ministry needed to continue).  I knew that we didn't have contacts for the food/supplies in the quantity needed for all the people we heard were displaced and staying in the church building in Chaveneau.  Many had not eaten since the storm a week earlier.  BUT.... we had gotten some financial donations and we had faith in Him- the one who could provide all that we didn't have.  So.... I asked you to pray.  And, you did.  This is what happened this past week and we have Him to thank.  THEY have Him to thank!

The water building is not operating because they lost the solar panels, tanks and batteries BUT it makes a great depot!  

(the "short version")..... Sunday night I put out a message on a private facebook group reserved for those ministering and working in Haiti that we were trying to get aide to Chaveneau.  I stated that Redgi made it to the community on Saturday and we would need a 4 x 4 pickup truck and anyone who could connect us with some food or supplies.  We had funds available, but not a great amount.

Sunday night I got the first message.  There was a group sending food to the south.  They had a large truck and the load was paid for, but it did not fill the entire truck.  Rather than leave with a truck 1/2 full, they offered to finish filling it Monday morning and send it on it's way provided Redgi met them at their secure drop off location near Les Cayes.  Since the load was already funded, we could have the excess (almost 1/2 of a truck load) food/supplies if we wanted them!

Monday morning a mutual facebook friend (met through that same facebook group) and I were talking .  I told her we were thinking of renting a truck to go to Chaveneau but it was going to be very expensive.  Our Montero needs some suspension work and is in the shop, plus a truck would haul more material.  Anyway, she had a few guys with her organization (Haiti Awake) who needed to get to Les Cayes so she talked to them.  In the end, they offered to pay for the truck if we took care of the gas!  How amazing!

These guys stayed with Redgi for four days and helped him with gathering other supplies, helped him buy tin and deliver it (3 different times), they invited him to join them to stay with a pastor friend they had in Les Cayes so he didn't have to find his own lodging, and they included him in their ministry as well- to a church that pastor friend has that was also affected by this horrific hurricane.  They even provided many of the photos we have been able to share with you- our faithful donors and prayer partners.

This guys, is the BODY OF CHRIST working together at it's finest.  So.... you prayed for connections and that is EXACTLY what God gave us!  God bless you all for your prayers and your donations that made all this possible.  Here is a listing of all that we were able to take to Chaveneau in the past week over multiple trips in and out of the village.

Food:  17 large bags rice, 2 bags beans, 2 bags sugar, 3 cases laundry soap, 2 oil, 1 clorox, 7 salami,
          2 milk, 4 huge bags corn flakes, 6 bulk packs of 1 # spaghetti packets, 1 large bag kotex packs,
          2 cases toilet paper, candles/matches, 1 case bar soap, large bags of Chikos (cheese puffs), etc..
                   (the food was put into bags equally and was able to serve 71 families!)

Water:  30 large bags of water were taken (60 single serving bags in each) = 1800 water bags total

Tin sheets:  320 individual sheets to do roof repair- the greatest need
Roofing nails:  161 pounds of nails were bought and distributed

Some of the food and supplies taken into Chaveneau!  

THANK YOU for your prayers.  THANK YOU to Haiti Awake and their partnership in this (and the people who provided the food-  Paulos Group).  This is far from over, but God has guided and directed us so far and we have no doubt He will continue to do so.  Stay tuned for further updates.

PRAISING GOD TODAY!

I don't have many details yet, but am so thankful that Redgi was able to shoot off some photos in between runs to Chaveneau.  This morning he was able to drive in there (flat tire and stuck in the mud on the way didn't stop them) and deliver a whole truckload of food.  Now he is filling up with water and more sheet metal for roof repair/replacement.  He was able to get someone to lead up a committee to decide who will receive the materials and what criteria will determine that.  Also, they will do their best to monitor so that materials donated are not sold by recipients.  This is all because of GOD first (some of it was donated through an amazing series of events) and because of the prayers and donations from YOU.  Thanks to you a community that was completely cut off from clean water/food/supplies now at least has some start.  More will come in the weeks ahead, but this will get them through for a while at least.  THANK YOU just doesn't seem enough.

(sorry some photos are not the best quality, but I think they were a LITTLE busy to stop and take too many photos- that is NOT what this was about...... )

Keep praying... this is a marathon for these people, not a sprint.  This is just relief to get them through for a bit!

PHOTOS- Chaveneau

These are some photos Redgi took from his trip to Chaveneau on 10/8/16.  We hope to get some food/water/tarps out there this week-  maybe even some sheet metal and roofing nails.  Prayers for safety, wisdom, connections, direction as to how to best help going forward and how this will impact our other ministries, etc...

How are WE helping?

     I have gotten so many private messages asking, "Just what are you planning to do to help after this hurricane in Haiti?"  People are getting more diligent about donating- wanting to know to whom they are giving their funds and WHERE/HOW that money will be used.  To that, we say:  THANK YOU! We are encouraged to see that people are asking for accountability (as anyone with nothing to hide should be) because it is those organizations who are not being responsible with their stewardship that are making it difficult for the rest of us to raise money at regular times- much less during times of crisis like this storm.

     Here is an excerpt from something I wrote today to a group asking some of the above questions.  I hope it resonates with you and helps explain our philosophy on helping our Haitian brothers and sisters in need.

     "We were ministering in the south in a remote village called Chaveneau, but pulled out in November 2012. The community we were partnering with was pretty much self-sustaining. About a mile walk to the closest town, (and through 2 "rivers" that are prone to flooding), they were managing pretty well on their own. We took a medical team there in Dec. of 2011 to determine if there were needs we could assist with. It was decided that their greatest need in the area was clean water. This would help with many illnesses the medical team saw. While ministering there, we helped connect them with those who could fund the drilling of a well and others who came to install a water purification system for the community on the property of the local church.  They also trained the community about when/how to use the purified water.   Were there other needs? SURE. Were the people materially poor? SURE. But, they were making it on their own and  though they had their struggles, they were independent and surviving.  They weren't prosperous, but they had pride and dignity and did not need to beg for foreign assistance to survive.  (though, of course, some still did- learned behavior unfortunately too common)
      We learned so much from this community and our involvement there---about independence (and about doing things the wrong way when we brought others in who planted the seeds of doubt..... like the serpent did with Eve- "Maybe you could have MORE". "Maybe this life isn't 'good enough'" , "I can help you get **** out here"- argh! Imposing OUR perception of what's important on others as we, the arrogant foreigners sometimes do- myself included at that point at times I am sad to admit) So, through a series of events- we mutually decided (them and us) that our time there was finished and God was leading us to other projects.  We firmly believed that, though we continued friendships there (and sometimes some assistance with small projects) we were finished as an organization with any formal ministry there.  But, we kept some solid friendships and relationships.
     Fast forward to last week-  October 2016!  They were hit by Hurricane Matthew. HARD. As were so many. We are one of their only connections still (actually one of our friends stateside made contact- our local contact is too sick and had no phone service) to the foreign "aide" community.  So, we/he got some text messages and pleas for immediate assistance. Texts received said things like:  "About 200 of the locals are sleeping in the church without clean water/food/etc."  "Two people broke their legs- one is dead".  "We can't sleep because we are hungry or scared".  "We are completely cut off and you can not even get in here because the rivers are too high and dangerous to cross yet".  "We lost many homes and others are badly damaged".  It goes on and on.  Imagine the emotions of myself and my friend who still has contact with them (much more than I do honestly).  It was difficult to sit in my warm, cozy home here in the USA and not let my thoughts wander to my friends there in the southern peninsula of Haiti- enduring all this hardship.  
     So... we could stand it no longer.  We cried out to other organizations and people for help, but they were either too busy with their own ministry partners (which we TOTALLY understand) or they could promise nothing because they need to have a local contact with a phone and a guaranteed secure drop off location for food/water (again we understand that- it gets CRAZY when you try to drop off food/supplies with no security). Others have needs too and are desperate.  Yesterday our staff took a "survey" trip with some relief - just to see if we could even get in because they are so remote and to figure out how we can move forward to best assist with both immediate and long term efforts.  We have our own ministry partners with needs, but couldn't stand thinking that some people we know/love in the community of Chaveneau were in need and we could potentially help in some way!      Our Haitian coordinator did get in and made an assessment. I am still waiting for more info. I got a brief call from him last night as he drove back but will debrief with him further today. We are a small organization so we don't get a lot in donations. But, we believe in sustainability. Coming alongside people for a period. Providing connections and assistance while working with the locals to see them gain that independence - which brings dignity and pride with the accomplishment. We have Haitian staff. We do host short term teams in Haiti but with the goal of the trips being "learning trips" rather than service. We use ministry funds from those trips to hire local labor whenever possible. We also use the teams to TEACH and share skills/knowledge they may have- especially trades. I can't imagine organizing a short term team to go in and do the work to help rebuild when Haitians need work and income to rebuild themselves.  
     That being said, we ARE planning to go back to the south and come alongside this community as we did in 2010-2012 (before we pulled out). We have relationships there. We know their situation prior to the hurricane and we know who to trust in the community after 6 years of knowing them and continuing friendship with them.  We can see organizing a group to work WITH them, but we will see how that develops. 
     Funds donated will go to immediate relief (for now that is water/food/tarps) and then quickly transition to rebuilding efforts. We also need to get the water building operational (solar panels to run the batteries were lost as was a water tank when it fell). Currently they are having to boil water from the river or other sources to drink. We need to get some sort of filtration system to them before the water building is up and making clean water again. We will need to buy tin sheets/roofing nails, lumber, and hire SOME local labor (though many will just need the materials and will rebuild their own homes- working together as communities do). We need to follow GOD wherever He leads us.  
     Our website is www.heartsunitedwithhaiti.org  if you care to donate. We maintain records for accountability and are a legal organization in both the USA and Haiti (donations are tax deductible- we're a 501c3) Plenty of people can vouch for our integrity and passion for the Haitian people and our desire to do it all responsibility- always keeping the Haitian people and their dignity in mind and seeking to lead toward independence, not continue the cycle of dependency we so often see in the country we love.  LONG, but I hope that helps." 

There you have it.  Sorry it is so long, but responsible ministry is a passion we have and share with many others.  Each has his/her own opinion on what that means, and we seek to follow God's lead always with our organization.  We certainly don't know everything, but we have learned a lot in our 6.5 years of service in Haiti.   Pray for us- for wisdom and discernment, for safety, and for donations to support what we believe God is leading us to do in this situation.  We already have our normal ministry/partners to keep up with and we don't want to neglect them either.  It has been a LOT to process and negotiate our way through in less than a week.  Prayerfully consider donating- if not to us, then to someone you feel will manage that donation wisely.  Thanks!

Here is a photo from yesterday-  the home of one of my friends, Isaiae.  She hosted us many times in that home- often sleeping on the floor so I could sleep in her bed, cooking for us, and caring for our teams with love!

Hurricane Matthew

I posted this on our facebook page this morning but it bears repeating here!
                   (posted 10/4/16 at 5:30 EST- a few hours before landfall)

        I am awake and can not sleep (maybe 2 hours last night). For now I have lost contact with our Haitian staff staying at the Center and mission base (I am stateside right now- flew out Friday to prepare for our fundraising banquet on Oct. 16th). Last I heard from anyone personally it was getting VERY VERY windy and scary in Carrefour with some heavy rain starting. Reports and personal accounts we are hearing from the southern peninsula do not sound good. And all these are from people who have internet access and made it to safe shelter. Oh how my heart aches for those who are in homes that are not as stable.
        One of the people I know on facebook had this posted on her wall and I thought it was worth copying and posting here. I have already received FIVE calls from those wanting to help post-hurricane. We will keep you posted about the true needs as we know them after hearing from our staff and community.
         Here is the post: (sorry so long- not sure of the original author)

"Hello friends,

        I am asking you to please please please consider this when our media begins to cover the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, especially when it comes to sending aid.

        I can't share how much it is pressing in my heart right now. I have seen firsthand how what we intend for good can do so much harm. I could right now contact many different people with many different organizations that have (rather wet) feet right now on the ground in Haiti. TRUSTWORTHY, and accountable people. People who work directly, EVERY DAY, to help the business men and women who have to struggle to make an income from their goods because the goods market is flooded constantly by first-world subsidy. People who try to help laborers find employment when the world's volunteers flood the market with workers. **That is not a criticism of givers, by any means.** It is a fact that Haiti is about to become media fodder in the next few hours and days, and that there really ARE ways to make a MASSIVE impact for good.

        Please please please get in contact with someone who you know who can account for every penny, who can tell you the names of the *HAITIAN* people on their payroll, who can tell you the names of the boroughs they serve. Some Faith based and some simply Faithful. And if you don't know someone like that, please message me for suggestions.

        Thank you for every ounce of compassion you all have. I have an astounding group of friends. Most of my friends share compassion, and I know look for ways to help when they see need. Pray for the people of Haiti, as their country undergoes flooding of many kinds. May we all come out of it renewed."

        As I said, we will keep you posted when we hear from our staff on the ground. Until then, this is BAD folks. There is massive damage and there is going to be MUCH need in a country that already had serious issues. May the aide that pours in be administered responsibly and may it truly HELP those who need it most!  -Crystal

(above photo taken May 2014- We personally know people living just a few shelters down from this one in the foreground. We pray they are safe today)

(below photos are to give perspective of what many live like so you can realize the severity of this situation)