Reflections of our time in Haiti

As we celebrated Thanksgiving we were reminded of all the things that we are so thankful for....our children, grandchildren and those that God has placed in our lives. We continue to reflect on our time in Haiti......those that were hungry, those who needed desperate medical attention, children with no shoes, some no clothes, and many that were not attending school. That is why we left the shoes that we had brought with us with the principal who will be able to give them to those who need them in order to go to school.

We were told about a woman who's husband borrowed money and he went off to the Dominican to get a job. The men to whom he owed the money came and locked up the wife and her 6 children in their tiny little home, in that unbearable heat, but someone went and got them out and we were able to send some rice over to the family. I sat next to an 10 year old girl and she showed me some blood on her shirt up by her shoulders, as she pulled her shirt off her shoulder I saw 2 "holes" in her shoulder where she had been beaten. My heart sank for that precious girl and prayed for her that God would protect her and get her out of that place. Her parents had died and was left with an aunt & family. The principal of the school was given money to take her to a clinic. We saw some children and adults that were so thin and one little girl who suffered with malnutrition.....as are many others.

We will continue to do what God has called us to do in Haiti and that is feeding the hungry and putting shoes on as many as we can. Our greatest need right now is to get the shoes that we have here to Haiti. We will try to ship them or get them there by any means possible. If you could help with the cost of shipping.....that would be greatly appreciated. God bless you!

TOUCH SOMEONES LIFE TODAY!!!!

Music to my ears........

Haiti

We woke up to another beautiful day here in Haiti. We headed to our favorite "brush arbor" school. The children were so happy to see us and they sang a song for us and greeted us so warmly. We also sang for them and then passed out rice, beans and candy. After loads of hugs we headed down the "trail" and I mean rocky trail, thank goodness for a 4 wheel drive that takes you over and through everything! Next stop was the womens meeting where they were waiting for us to arrive. They too were singing and just praising the Lord with all their hearts. It is such a beautiful sight to see, these women with years of life that has taken a toll on their lives and yet they are lifting their hands and praising God. One lady told how her and her husband were in bed and she heard some noise outside and she made him go out with her and look at what was going on outside. While they were outside, their roof collapsed. They were praising God for sparing them. Each one of us shared with the women and spoke what the Lord had laid on our hearts. How could we ever begin to understand their lives and the hardships that they have suffered but we know that God is faithful know matter who or where you are. Our hearts were touched by a few ladies that were so thin and looked so hungry.......all the women were given a sandwich and a drink and we gave ours away to the 2 ladies little boys who were waiting outside for their moms.........

Our last stop was another small school started by a young man that Bettie once had as an orphan. He told us about the lessons he had learned at her side and the things that she had taught him about loving others. Emmanis showed us his school proudly, it had a concrete floor and a roof. The desks and benches were handmade and as I sat on one, it swayed. I sat next to a girl and she pulled her shirt down over her shoulder and I saw two deep bruises. She had been beaten by the relatives that are taking care of her........so much hurt here............

The Shoes

GIRL IS DESPERATE TO GO TO SCHOOL.......NOTICE HER SHOES!

We have made a decision about the shoes that are stuck in Port au Prince at customs and also the ones that we brought down in our suitcases. We have decided to give the shoes to the principle of the schools here and he will distribute them to those who really need them and also give them to the children that don't have any shoes so that they will be able to get an education. He will also get the ones from Port au Prince when they clear customs. We feel that is a good decision because he really knows the kids. And he also has requests for children that want to attend school but can't because they have no shoes or uniforms. God has been so faithful to provide the shoes and the finances for us to buy them.......we so much appreciate your help! Without the help of many we could not do what God has asked us to do. We will continue to collect brand new sneakers and get them to Haiti by suitcases or shipment.

Today we went to church at Grande Gode, what a wonderful service we had with Pastor Morvan, Pastor Damil and Phil Snyder from Glow Ministries. Later we went to a church to pass out rice, beans and candy and found the church but there was nobody there!

Tomorrow will be a full day for us, passing out more food to the hungry and then we will head back to Port au Prince early Tues, stay at the orphanage there and play with the kids and Wednesday we head back home.

When I get back we will post pictures of our trip........check out facebook. We were able to post some there. God Bless............till tomorrow!

A unique adventure feeding the hungry!

Woke up this morning wondering what God was going to do today....... He has lead us every step of the way and today was no different. A young Haitian man named Emanis took us through the middle of the saturday market, people pressed in with just enough room for the car to drive through, Frank constantly honking to clear the path. As we cleared the market we began our trip through the beautiful countryside, homes and huts scattered just off the rocky path, with onlookers wondering what was going on. We arrive at a small village named Russo (my spelling) where there was a small church/school with no benches or desks. The people began to gather and Bettie spoke to them and began to cry because she had not been there for years and her heart and all of ours was touched by the needs of these people. They began to sing for us and the sound of their voices praising God brought joy to our hearts. They were happy and excited to have us there. We were able to pass out bags of rice them. For many, it maybe the only food they have for the day. Our hearts were sad to leave but it felt good knowing that the village would be eating tonight. As we drove back towards home we handed out rice and some candy to the people we met along the way. Many were riding their donkeys and one donkey was giving his owner quite a ride! The donkey did not like the car and ran around in circles a few times till the owner got her under control. We saw kids along the way with no clothes on or just a shirt.......... We saw a few motorcycles on the way home, one with up to 6 people on one motorcycle!

We stopped in the market to buy some bread, water and coke. Bettie gave some of the bread to the hungry kids hanging around the market.

Safely back at Bettie's house, Dunios was there with his wife, baby and the 6 girls that they have taken into their homes. They sang for us and we feed them some hot dogs and some cake that Teresa made........without oil or eggs! It turned out pretty good!

God was faithful again and we are getting ready for our dinner at the hotel, we had a swim in the pool and last night Frank, Teresa and myself went into the Caribbean, in the dark just to get some of that saltwater on our skin because the mosquitoes are eating us alive!

So far we have bought 8, 50 # bags of rice and one 100 # bag of beans! God Bless you all.......please keep us in your prayers.

More news from Haiti

On Thursday the team left Port au Prince and headed for Kalico, Haiti. When we got to Kalico we sorted shoes and put together bags with toothpaste, toothbrush, candy, and stickers for the kids at Troufanban School, provided by Glow Ministries. We are waiting for 3 boxes of shoes to come in from Port au Prince today........we are praying that they came in so we can pass them out to the kids here along with the ones we took in our suitcase. Today (Fri) we passed the bags out at the Trufanban School, took pictures of the children that need sponsors for Glow Ministries and played with the kids. They sang for us and we did the "hokey pokey" which they just loved, and then made a train and "danced" all around inside the school house. The children were laughing and having a great time. Lily prayed with them and one little girl came up to us and showed us her scars that she had on her stomach from falling into a fire. Our hearts were touched by the love that these kids showed to each one of us. I started a "free hug" line and I think I hugged every child in that school, probably some several times. Thank God for this school at Trufanban...........and the teachers who are doing a great job of giving the kids an education.

Got to bag a lot of rice for tomorrow! Please keep the team in your prayers. There is Bettie, Teresa, both from Glow Ministries, Lily, from Pennsylvania and Frank and I. Oh, its so hot here.....and very muggy, probably in the 90's!!!

WE ARE HERE!

We arrived in Haiti around 10:30 this morning. After a quick lunch we headed to "Rusty's House" and orphanage in Port au Prince. We were met with smiles and loads of hugs from all the children there. They sang for us and then we passed out some candy and just played with the kids for a while and toured the grounds. The kids were so excited to see us and we hugged and hugged them. It was so sad when it was time to go...... we hating leaving those precious children.

Next we went to New Life Children's Home where we will be spending the night. Teresa, Frank and I went around to all the children and hugged them and talked with them and played some games with the girls. One little girl has such a bloated stomach and needs prayer, as I laid my hands on her I prayed that God would do a miracle. The children here raise rabbits, chickens and have a garden. Many were handicapped and we loved on them and some gave us a great big smile.

It was a wonderful full day.........time for devotions with the kids and then off to bed. God Bless you all from Port au Prince, Haiti!

Sorry I am unable to load any pictures..........will try again tomorrow.

HEADING TO HAITI.... wed. Nov 4 to wed. Nov 11

The bags are packed, the shoes are in their suitcases with lots of candy stuffed into the toes! The kids at church donated a "tithe" of their halloween candy to the kids in Haiti. Thanks kids, I know the kids in Haiti will love their sweet treats.

Please keep an eye on this blog, we will try to write a post as often as possible and also share some pictures.

We covet your prayers.........please keep us in your prayers for the next week.