Reunited!

Last night we FINALLY found Jean Bernard!  For those of you who do not know, he is an orphan my very first team in the summer of 2010 found living on the streets and helped out with school, lodging, etc... for a few months.  However, like many street children, he didn't like living in a family setting with rules, didn't like having to go to school regularly, and other structure.  So he would often run away.  We would track him down, find someone to keep him, offer to help them with expenses and the cycle would repeat itself.  Then, in May of 2012 when we had a team in Carrefour he showed up complaining of pain in his groin.  Praise God it was a medical team and they were able to examine him.  After examination, they concluded he had both an inguinal hernia and an umbilical one.  God provided the finances and doctors needed to get him surgery quickly and I was blessed to be able to extend my stay in Haiti for two weeks to care for him prior, during his hospital stay and a bit during recovery.  I left Haiti that year in early June and said goodbye to Jean Bernard thinking he would be staying with his aunt.  BUT, when I returned later in July I found he had run away once again and we have spent the past year and a half searching and asking for him.  Praise God last night we finally followed up on a tip that lead us to him and I had about an hour visit with him!  He now knows where our base is and when I will return with a team (December) so he will be able to keep in touch.

It was pure joy to hear his (now manly/deep) voice, to have him sit with his hand on mine and to have him keep hugging me over and over and over.  :-)  :-)  We gave him a soccer ball, some food, and some other things including a hygiene kit but he said he needs clothes.  I had some here but didn't anticipate it being so long until I saw him and how much he would grow. (12 year old boys do that!)  He is not in school- he said because he doesn't have his birth certificate to enroll.  The family he is staying with provides him with 3 meals a day but he has to sleep in a tent in the yard with two other boys- both a little older than him.  He said he has to do a lot of the chores for them.  I explained that they are providing food for him though and a safe place to live but he needs to get back into school.  I highly doubt this will happen since he told Redgi and me that he enjoys the fact that once his chores are done he can just hang out with his buddies and play soccer all day.

Please join us in prayer for Jean Bernard.  Pray that he will be safe and that he will come to realize the value of education and that rules/structure are part of life.  Pray he will come to know Jesus as his savior and that he will realize how much God loves him and has protected him all these years and that his life is valuable.  Pray that we can continue to interact with him (and maybe those who care for him) in the future.  Praise God for the way we have been able to provide for him thus far - with the surgery, foster families, education, clothes, food, etc...

Thankful Journal- (con't)...

I totally forgot that I had started the thankful journal on here as well as on the Hearts United facebook page.  I kept up with it on the facebook page until I got to Haiti where internet is scarce.  Today I am blessed to have pretty good reception AND time to get things done too ... so this entry is to say that if you desire to follow the "thankful journal" you will have to do so on our facebook page.  "Like" us on facebook to get all the updates when we post them.  THIS one is used when we have teams present and that one is updated at other times.  Too much for one person to keep up with- sorry for my "slacking".....  -Crystal

Thankful journal- Day One

November is the month we in the USA celebrate Thanksgiving.  A time to stop and count our blessings, spend time with family/friends and celebrate ALL we have been blessed with.  We shouldn't need a certain day/time of year as a reason to be thankful but sometimes with the busy lives we lead we don't take the time to just notice the little things and thank the One Who gives us all we have.  So, I will do my best to update regularly this month with a "thankful journal".  Since this is the Hearts United facebook site I will probably concentrate a lot on Haiti but since my personal life is so intertwined with the ministry there will probably be some blending of the two.  For today, to kick off the journal, I will say that I am thankful for Jesus Christ- the reason for ALL we do!  I never cease to be amazed at the fact that God sent His Son to willingly die for MY sins (and yours). Though I was not yet born, though I still have things in my life that I will probably do to disappoint Him and not in accordance with His will for my life (which is the definition of sin), though I do not always take time for things like this journal thanking Him, etc... He still loves me, waits longingly for me to come back to Him, and forgives my transgressions EVERY time I ask without judgement or condemnation for waiting so long but instead with compassion and understanding!  How amazing.  Christianity is not a crutch, but instead an honor.  To be used daily by the Creator of the Universe as a vehicle to transmit His message of love and salvation to others is unbelievable.  And to have Him readily available to listen, comfort, guide, and (YES!) communicate with me at the same time as millions of others around the world is mind-blowing.  But, to know I AM that special that He hears me and longs for my voice as I long for His is beyond anything I can describe!  So, today (and every day) I am thankful for Jesus and the gift He gave us all when He came to earth, lived for a bit as a man, taught us so much by example and through words and then died to cover our sins so that today we may live for Him the Father and some day be united with them in Heaven for all eternity!  Amen!

(PS- they won't all be this long- lol)

LONG overdue!

Sorry I have not been keeping up with the blog. I have been SUPER busy traveling around and speaking with groups either planning to come to Haiti or those who support our ministry/are considering doing so. I just returned from a 5 day, 1826 mile trip to Pittsburgh, Michigan and Ohio where I was blessed to reunite with some wonderful people who have been to Haiti and meet many new people. God is simply amazing and though I spent over 27 hours driving between locations (and more "around town" in both states) I thoroughly enjoyed the time in the car listening to worship CD's or praying as I went. I barely used my laptop for a few reasons (the keyboard is now missing two keys, internet wasn't always secure and the laptop is just getting so old/slow after two years and 14 trips to Haiti- not bad for a used one given to me in spring 2011 but the dust and transportation takes a toll) so I really had time to just "unplug" a bit and seek God.

Also, when meeting with people they are bound to ask questions about the ministry, our focus, our direction, etc... and God often really uses those questions to challenge me long after they are asked. I spent a lot of time asking Him to show His answers to them- HIS direction, HIS focus and HIS plans for future ministry.  I am excited as we approach another year doing His work in Haiti- about some of the things/visions He has shown me and continues to do so.

In just two days Ron and I will leave for a trip to North Carolina and will be gone for another five days. Then I will be home in Pennsylvania for five days before I leave for Miami and then Haiti for almost two weeks. I won't return to the states until just before Thanksgiving and will stay until just before Christmas.

For now, I ask that you please continue to pray for all of us- myself, my wonderful husband Ron and our daughters/their families, our Haitian missionaries- Redgi and James, our ministry partners- Pastor Yves/Pastor Robby/Dr. Carl/Madame Esther/Madame Josee & family/Rony/etc...., and whatever else God puts on your heart.  Thank you for your support of the ministry.  I will leave you with a FEW of the photos I took these past few days on the road...

The beach on Lake Michigan- too bad it wasn't warmer (but then there would have been crowds....)

Another shot of the beach- I had some good "quiet time" here

The church that hosted me in Michigan- what a GREAT group of people!

One of the sea gulls by the beach.

The lighthouse in Ludington. Simply beautiful

Can you tell I loved sitting by the beach?

A different shot of the lighthouse- I didn't dare walk out to it. The waves were fierce as was the wind.

SOME of my friends in Ludington who have been to Haiti with us!

Pittsburgh (Steeler's stadium) from the restaurant where I went with friends. (this is the group that put the water system in Chaveneau- wonderful people. I will see them again soon in Haiti when they come to install 2 systems)

Another view of the city of Pittsburgh. Just beautiful! (I wish now I had taken a night photo with all the lights)

My room in Michigan. It was sooooo nice (as were my hosts- Bill & Judy). If you are ever in Ludington, MI look up Abbey Lynn Inn- they will treat you well!

The leaves were simply beautiful. This is a state park in Michigan where I took a hike.

Stayed 2 nights in this Super 8 Motel in Wooster, Ohio because I had a meeting at Malone College and also hoping to see a group that has been to Haiti.  Unfortunately only one person was able to make it, but our time together was AWESOME!  (I needed a day to sleep and relax too so I explored the town of Wooster which was pretty and historic)

Historic area of Wooster.  These statues were in front of a huge old building.

This was the top of the building above. I took a ton of photos walking around town. 

Malone College in Canton, OH. This is where most of the nursing classes are held. I loved taking a tour and hearing about their nursing program/meeting staff.  I have had some GREAT Malone students come to Haiti! :)

God bless- He has SURE blessed me by letting me be part of His work in Haiti!

Short bus needed!

Does anyone out there have ideas on who we can talk to about getting a short bus donated or getting one as cheaply as possible?  We will use it for transporting teams to/from ministry sites, the airport, etc.  This seems to be the next logical step in saving money on rentals (we usually rent this short bus which costs $750 for six days).  The more money we save in transportation costs, the more we can put directly into the ministries we have to the Haitian people.  We are hoping to get a short bus here in the USA and then ship it to Haiti loaded with supplies we need to ship anyway (thus also saving on shipping costs because it is the same price to ship a vehicle empty as it is to ship it full).

Note:  According to our records, the 1997 Mitsubishi Montero we sent to Haiti last year has saved us at least $3175 in vehicle rental alone from November 2012 to September 2013.  It cost us $2250 to purchase! ($6500 total with shipping- it was loaded with items for the base we rented!)  In just two year's time it will more than pay for itself not to mention all the ministry that has been able to occur that would just have been "too inconvenient to rent a vehicle or hire a private driver just to do that".

If you have an idea or would like to help with fund raising for this, please let us know!  You can e-mail us at heartsunitedwithhaiti@gmail.com  or call the office 610-286-0612.  TOGETHER we can all help get a short bus to Haiti to use next year!  Thanks.....

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** Other large ministry needs include another 5-6 bunk beds and mattresses for the base, folding tables- 6 or 8 ft. in length, furniture for the living room at the base, trash cans, a dorm sized fridge, white boards for teaching, etc.. We can ship these items in the bus if we get it, otherwise, we will have to buy them in Haiti IF we can find them.  We are also still praying about purchasing land or a building somewhere to use for ministry and outreach.

No Chemo this Week~

Many people have asked for an update on Madame Josee' and her chemotherapy.  Last week (Sept. 16) her bloodwork was not good enough for them to feel comfortable doing the chemo so they instead gave her 12 ensure shakes and sent her home.  She did not get chemo again today but instead was told to come back on Monday, Sept. 30th for her next treatment.  The family wants us to thank those of you who have sent cards to encourage her, notes, and made financial contributions to her medical care and/or to help pay expenses the family has related to her illness. (different food, gas to/from medical appointments, etc...) Right now expenses are running about $50 - $70 per week.  Would YOU like to sponsor a week of care? If so, let us know or just send in your donation to Hearts United with Haiti, PO Box 55, Morgantown, PA 19543 or donate online (from our website www.heartsunitedwithhaiti.org ) and mark it for "Madame Josee'.

Here's a photo of Madame Josee' (no hair left but just as beautiful)  She is showing her right collar bone area- no more lumps showing!  

We are excited to report that she no longer can feel the lumps in her armpits or along her collar bone on the right side (the left breast is the one with cancer), and the swelling in her breast is reduced.  Her pain is much less and her spirits remain great.  She reports that she can feel the prayers of everyone and is so grateful to have people all over who love her and her family so much!  

Sponsors Needed!

"You educate a man; you educate a man.  You educate a woman; you educate a generation"  - Brigham Young

School is starting the first week of October in Haiti and we still have about 15 girls not sponsored at the orphanage in Port au Prince! Part of the sponsorship money each month goes toward education- paying for school tuition, books, uniforms and other needed items.  Part also goes toward food, water, medical care and more!  Would YOU like to sponsor an orphan in Haiti?  Go to our website and fill out a contact form (www.heartsunitedwithhaiti.org) and we will send your information to our sponsorship coordinators who will work with you to find a great match.  It only costs $32.00 per month - just about $1.00 per day!  God bless and THANK YOU to those who are investing in the lives of these young women (and a few young men as well).


 (PS-  the uniform you see in this photo was from the spring of 2012- last school year they changed color/design.  Also, this girl has since left the orphanage and been reunited with her family about 2 hours outside the city.  We were blessed as an organization have funds available to pay tuition for her and four others no longer at the orphanage for the 2013/14 school year.)