Bonswa-Our Arrival in Haiti

Bonswa, from New Life Children’s Home in LaPlaine, Haiti.  Courtney and I met the team at the gate in Miami and after a fast walk to our gate and some food for the team members arriving from Chicago we boarded the plane.  Bob and Patrick had what could be called a passport malfunction.  Bob misplaced his and Patrick’s was actually gate checked in his carry on.  All is fine Bob found his in his other bag and Patrick had his gate checked bag returned in Haiti so he could travel through customs. 

We arrived at the Prot Au Prince airport and made it out of baggage claim and to our bus with the help of several very energetic porters.  Several of the porters actually recognized the Impact for Jesus shirts and asked about some of our frequent Haiti travelers.

We saw several tent cities and some of Port Au Prince on our short bus ride to the New Life Home.

We enjoyed a wonderful dinner and unpacked many of our bags.  We are ready to start the soccer camp.  Courtney, Will, Austin and Patrick put up a new net and already started to make friends on the futball pitch. 

We took a short tour of the compound and then Bob and I walked around the area where the children live and saw some of the workers helping the handicapped children.  Several of the team members are hanging with the kids watching Alvin & The Chipmunks “The Squeakwil”.  I made my first friend his name is Jakeen and he has a beautiful smile that lit up his face as I held his hand and gave him a hug.  The children were singing Praise Songs as we joined them before the music started and it warmed my heart and brought a tear to my eye.

We have only been here a few hours, but I could continue on about the things we have already seen and done.  Please keep the team in your prayers as we begin the soccer camp.  Some of us may actually join another team that is at New Life and go to work on a construction project. 

As I close I will share something we saw as we pulled in the New Life Home.  A man was sitting by the front gate with a child in his arms.  The child and the man both looked to be ill.  We were later told by the New Life staff that the child was near death and had to be taken to the hospital and the man had severe health problems as well.

We are thankful for your prayers for the team and the people of Haiti.

God Bless,

John (sharing for the New Life Team 2011) July 1, 2011

Soccer Camp 2011 - Haiti Style

We will be holding a soccer camp in Haiti from July 1st to July 8th. However, the team will be doing so much more than just playing soccer at one orphanage. The itinerary has us feeding children at a tent city, working at other orphanages, doing crafts with local children and checking out the medical clinic Impact For Jesus, Wheatland Salem Church and the Lazarus Project funded. Each stop on this journey will be an opportunity to share the gospel, minister to others and change the world - one child at a time. Please pray for the team, the people we meet and for an abundance of opportunities to share the Good News.

Stay Tuned for Haiti Team Posts

Pastor Bob and a team of 12 will be leaving for Haiti on Friday July 1st. They have a full week planned so stay tuned for their updates directly from Haiti.

Easter/Monday 4-25-2011

I arrived at New Life 4 Kids at about 5 PM Easter Sunday and the celebration was well underway. The 100 or so kids had just been given their Easter treats of candy and toys and they were filled with excitement (and sugar). I am told they had been worshiping and singing praise all day. It was quite a celebration.

Monday—up at 6 AM. We set aside this day to visit various friends in Haiti and catch up on their lives. We met our friend Rene who now works at New Life as a driver and anything else they can keep him busy with. Rene drove us to Marie’s house and the Grace orphanage, after a brief stop to see a Syrian friend who runs a small grocery store and picking up our friend Frenzy who would join us for the day. Marie is doing well and is expecting a team from Kentucky on Tuesday. The girls are doing well and we hung out, did some coloring in coloring books, sang songs, and did lots of hugging. It was great to see all of them. Then we stopped to see our friend Debbie at the Lazarus Project and caught up with her.

I had not seen my friend Johnny and his wife and their little two year old John Kelly for the last several visits because Johnny has a job and they have moved from Marie’s neighborhood to a “tent city.” Tent cities are still home to about 1,000,000 people in Haiti who have been displaced by the earthquake (15 months ago). When I was here two weeks after the earthquake in January of 2010 several of the workers who were working on the demolition of the orphanage had taken the day off to stake out some land that they heard the government was going to give away to those in need. It was a rumor but they still left to stake out their own space—an opportunity to have a piece of land to call your own in Haiti is not obtainable for almost all Haitians. I remember the line of people walking down the road to get to this land—thousands upon thousands of people in search of their dream to have land they could call their own. These are not acre lots they are small lots that are based on the number of people in your family. Johnny, his wife and son along with his nieces and nephews have a space that is about 10 feet by 20 feet. The house occupies about 2/3 of this space and there is a little garden on the rest of it. The house is built out of plywood (unpainted) and rusty tin that was salvaged from somewhere. It is raised up about a foot off the ground sitting on four by four posts so when it rains the water runs under the house and not through it. The public restrooms are not too far away and there is a well to pump water within a mile of his home. Our friend Philistine and his wife and two kids have a similar space right across the dirt road from Johnny. They haven’t completely moved in yet but they will be soon. It is hard to believe that they are living their dream—land that one day they hope to call their own…and a home they can call their own. There are no schools in the area so most of the kids are not in school…if they are they have a long way to travel to get there. Johnny is still active as a deacon at Marie’s church and he travels there several times a week. His wife and two year old were heading there after our visit for a prayer meeting. It would take them an hour or more to get to the weekly prayer meeting but that is not an obstacle…just a way of life for many Haitians. This was another humbling visit to see our friends in this setting which we would think of as “unlivable”…and they are full of joy, living the high life, and always praising the Lord.

The kids there were playing a game that would only be played in Haiti—called Cholera—really it’s a new form of Haitian tag—when you’re “it” you are the one with Cholera and when you tag someone else you say “Cholera” and run…then they have Cholera and they are “it.” It sounds sick but there has been a public awareness campaign about Cholera and washing your hands and keeping clean…so the kids are even aware if it and hopefully it will help. Cholera continues to be a big issue in Haiti.

We left Johnny’s to go to see Michelle and Merlinda. They used to live with Marie at the orphanage but they were released because they were old enough to leave (age 16). They now live with their mom in a 10 by 10 foot room that they lease. They want to move from there because the public restrooms are awful (if they say they are awful I’m not sure what word we would use to describe them…I didn’t want to ask if we could take look).They are both in school and we hope they continue their education. We had previously attempted to help their mom get started with a small “concession” stand but she claims she lost everything to voodoo…someone in the marketplace took all her money using the power of voodoo? Haiti is always Haiti!

We arrived back at New Life with Rene and Frenzy about dark. They had to take a “tap tap” (taxi) back to Marie’s neighborhood where they live. It probably took them an hour and a half to get home. We had a good day with them.

Last night there were a couple of nearby gun shots that woke us up. No one here is concerned about it though since we are inside a secured compound. We hear that there is some continuing political unrest (why not—there has been for 200 years) because of a new president and the old regime who still controls the legislature. Nothing new for Haiti.

The people here are generally loving and peaceful and filled with the Holy Spirit keeping God at the center of their lives. We don’t hear much about that in the US…we only hear “newsworthy” stuff. Glad to back and happy to have touched base with our friends...and once again we are humbled by the lives they so happily live!

Jim Meyer

A good Friday

April 22, 2011   A Good Friday

Two more days have quickly flown by and I’m already counting on my fingers how many more days I have left, and trying not to begin whining about how I wish I could stay longer.  I spent yesterday at Grace House of Hope with Marie and the girls.  Fedner was my driver for the first time!  He’s 22 years old and Marie’s only boy/man at the orphanage.  His tasks are many.  I have always had a huge soft spot in my heart for Fedner – so I enjoyed our time together in the car amongst all the traffic.  Without stop lights, designated lanes or any semblance of order it’s amazing to me that there isn’t an accident every 30 feet.  It’s nothing to have a motorcycle with four people on it (one probably caring a live chicken) cut in front of you and then cross over a sidewalk to an adjoining street.  The action on the street is more than you can take in.

Marie and I had time to chat and catch up before I went down to see the girls.  As I came driving up I could see little faces sticking up over the security wall.  I was so excited to see each one.  Even though I had just seen them in February – they all seemed taller!   Being a bit partial to the younger ones – I just wanted to scoop every one of them up and hug them until they screamed.  They had tables already set up with chairs for every one of them and were ready to get down to business, as they know I always bring a project of some sort.  This time I brought them their OWN color book with a set of crayons.  The older girls got activity books with word search and such – which will keep them occupied here and there for awhile.  It was so quiet at first.  Everyone was so focused.  Then the “Look, Sister Patty!” started and I ran from one table to the next admiring and exclaiming on every stroke of the crayon.  When they would smile with such pride my throat would tighten and I had to hide the dripping tears.  I don’t think the girls realize the impact they have on my life.  The oldest six girls are getting so mature and it’s very obvious they care about their appearance – as their hair was braided so beautiful and shiny lip gloss on each of their lips.  They are getting that mid-teen look of “coolness.” 

After marshmallow chocolate bunnies and Easter Egg bubble gum I lost their attention – but I just love to watch them interact and so wish I could understand Creole to know what they are buzzing about to each other in their precious voices.  I wasn’t as sad leaving them, as Jim and I will be going back to see them next week - after he arrives here on Sunday.

I ended up going to bed at 8:00 p.m. last night. After being in the heat all day – this old body starts shutting down.  Jim can attest that I hate getting up early.  But every morning so far I am up 6:00 a.m. and enjoy sitting in the morning sun and breeze to do my devotions.  I can hear people singing hymns from somewhere and the activity of the children here has already begun.  It is truly serene.

There is another guest here named Tammy who arrived yesterday. She brought three filled 50 lb. bags of Easter goodies for the children.  She had many friends and such donate so the menagerie of items and candy was unbelievable.  The majority of the day was spent filling over 600 Easter eggs with candy and sorting.  By late afternoon we had successfully made a personalized Easter treat bag for 97 children.  The littlest ones are getting a cute little metal bucket filled to the top!  The oldest 23 boys are getting a baseball hat filled with eggs, candy and fun stuff.  The 16 oldest girls are getting a canvas bag with the same goodies – but with lip gloss and fingernail polish – of course!  The remainder of the children have a cute Easter bag with such fun things…made me remember the fun when our children were younger.  (Who wouldn’t like an edible bracelet and necklace, for old time sake?)  So, after church on Sunday – the chaos will begin.  They have never had anything like this before – so the Pastor will explain to them the tradition in the United States and the religious tie in.  I can’t wait to see the excitement in their faces.

I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting under a little hut with about 15 of the kids doing puzzles and “word search.”  They love doing that!  Then I started writing out mathematical problems to solve and the requests were unanimous and even more children joined in for the challenge.  It was something how they found solving math problems was such fun.  I was very impressed with their arithmetic skills and rarely was there a wrong answer.  Bubble gum and root beer barrels are always a good incentive for a job well done, of course.  I started turning into a mosquito magnet – so was relieved that tonight is Friday night – and that means movie night.  Math problems aren’t that much fun when you can huddle in front of the tv to watch a movie. 

By today being Good Friday – they had special devotions and a special meal of fish at dinner.  The Pastor for the children came to me and said that every day the oldest group of boys gather with him for prayer.  I had seen them in the center of the soccer field – but assumed they were working on strategy.  In reality that was where they were all praying.  He told me that as they were praying they heard me say to one of the children, “You have a special person who is your sponsor!”  He said the boys were so excited that they just started thanking God over and again that He is sending people to be their sponsors.  It was very humbling to hear and learn what an encouragement that is to them.  The Pastor lifted his hands to the sky and said their prayers are being answered.  What a gift.

Lastly – You may or may not know that two of the dogs here had puppies to the tune of 17!!  They had their pups two days apart so at five weeks old they have mastered the ability to cry all night.  THEN – yesterday it was discovered that the female goat had a “kid.”  So much for the goat has a “tumor” theory.   Won’t be too much longer and this could be a “petting zoo.”  Something tells me that raising the goats, chickens, rabbits, and tilapia for food isn’t going to happen….not the way they are coddled and loved.

Throughout the day when I recalled Christ’s death on the cross for each of our broken, sinful lives, I had waves of unworthiness.  I will never grasp the depth of love He has for us, as well.  The reason that originally brought me to Haiti eight years ago was because I wanted to “go and do” in His name, for His children.   I never expected for a second that it would turn into being such a big part of my life.  The problem is, the harder I try to bless others with His love --- the more He gives the blessings right back to me through these wonderful people of Haiti.  Their love is the closest thing I have experienced of unconditional love.   Try giving it away – you’ll see what I mean.