CrossRoads to Haiti, 2012

Haitian Traffic Rules

2012-02-10T10:14:00.000-05:00

On our first drive through Port-au-Prince, we were so busy taking in our surroundings that some aspects of the driving experience were lost on us. The drive back to the airport yesterday was a different story - our focus was completely on the road. And what a ride!

Here are a few unwritten driving rules we discovered in those few hours.

He who has the largest vehicle has the right of way.
The exception to rule #1 is: He who is least worried about the condition of his vehicle has the right of way.
Two short blasts on the horn means “Hello” or “Bonjou.”
Several short blasts on the horn means “Small vehicle coming through.”
One long horn blast means “Large vehicle coming through – get out of the way!”
It is perfectly acceptable to drive into oncoming traffic, on the wrong side of a divided road, as long as the correct lanes are congested and you turn on your hazard lights.
Pedestrians do NOT have the right of way. Nor do livestock animals, children, or motorcycles.
The middle finger is not used for traffic violations; however, stare downs and the occasional shouted exchange are acceptable.
The taxi (also known as a small pickup truck with a colorfully painted canopy and ‘benches’ in the box) will continue to accept passengers to the point the front tires lifting off the ground in transit.
Should a taxi be unavailable, other vehicles will gladly accept passengers in the truck box, on top of cargo loads, or riding on bumpers.

Pretty much everyone is home now. Or at least on home soil. So now we ask for your prayers as we emotionally process returning to North American culture. We also ask you to lift up Jim & Dolores these next couple of weeks - Jim has stayed on at Haiti Arise to complete some welding projects and will return home on Feb. 23.

Personally Speaking

2012-02-08T14:28:00.000-05:00

I wrote a long post today about my Haiti experience. Because it's more personal in nature, and speaking only for myself and not at all on behalf of the team, I put it up on my personal blog.

My time in Haiti has been marked by roller-coaster emotions. There have been tears of sorrow, tears of joy, moments of laughter, and vents of frustration – all squashed together into a big melting pot covered by prayer.

I hope you’ll indulge me as I share some of those experiences…

Click to continue reading.

Alex's Journal

2012-02-07T21:59:00.001-05:00

(Today's post is courtesy of Alex.)

Wow. What can I say about my experience in Haiti so far? I joined this team without any expectations hoping to embrace each moment with complete authenticity and allow God to break my heart and move me in ways I couldn’t imagine. The people of Haiti are indescribable and I am so thankful for having the opportunity to meet them.

I have never witnessed such joy and excitement before coming to Haiti. From spending time with the children and the teachers at Haiti Arise School to walking through the community, the Haitians overwhelm me with their loving nature and passion for the gospel. The people here in Grand-Goave have little in the way of material possessions, yet few appear bitter or resentful. Instead, the expressions on their faces are filled with joy and excitement. The children are so excited to see visitors (to the point where every shirt I wore was stretched two sizes from little hands pulling at me).

One of my favourite experiences has been the opportunity to be a part of delivering a seminar to the teachers at Haiti Arise. We shared ideas for incorporating hands-on learning and the importance of a student centered teaching approach. It was such a blessing to be able to share my passion for teaching with our talented and gracious hosts.

I am so thankful for the way God has moved me and changed my heart. He has inspired me to strengthen my relationship with Him as well as others and to live a life of graciousness and appreciation. What an amazing gift it has been to witness faith in such a broken yet beautiful nation. My eyes have been opened to the power of our Saviour and His ability to save.

A (Lazy) Day in the Life

2012-02-05T23:01:00.000-05:00

Sunday's Timetable:

7:00 am - Breakfast

8:00 am - Team Devotions

9:00 - Church

11:30 am - Rice Distribution

12:30 - Hanging out as a Team (and eating lunch)

3:00 pm - Children's Church

5:00 pm - Dinner and games by candelight

7:00 pm - Team Debrief by candelight

9:00 pm - More games with electricity!

A Day Off

2012-02-04T20:30:00.000-05:00

A Day Off

Apologies for the ‘dead air’ on the blog – we ran out of bandwidth and couldn’t get online. Welcome to Haiti!

Today’s post is a hodgepodge of brief comments from team members…

Melissa:

Today was our first day off. We went to the market in Grand-Goave in the morning. It was CRAZY busy!

Imagine a one-way street. Then put booths on each side of the street so that the walkway is just about wide enough for one person. Next, add hundreds of people walking the path – many with large bunches of bananas on their heads and other large packages in arms. Finally, insert a few people pushing wheelbarrows full of purchases, a few others leading donkeys carrying their loads, and even more riding their loaded-down motorcycles in the lane.

Later, we swam in the Caribbean Sea. It was so refreshing after the stifling heat of the market! We snorkelled, we ate lobster cooked on the beach, we got sunburned, we purchased some baubles. What a great afternoon!

On a funny note (that Melissa doesn’t want me to share) – the beach was crawling with teeny-tiny little ants. Melissa discovered that they bite when she got out of the shower today and found her hind-quarters itching!

Alan:

A mass amount of green soccer balls were donated for our team to distribute, so Alan planned a soccer game. Well, planned is a relative term in Haiti. Basically, Alan suggested it, so we packed up and headed out. With no word out in the community, we were found by dozens of children.

The game commenced, and a fun time was had by all. At the conclusion of the game, we handed out a few balls. One boy who spoke English said, over and over, “I am so blessed to meet you today!” Another young fellow said “Mesi,” and walked away with tears rolling down his cheeks.

Next, we’ll figure out what to do with all the basketballs that were donated!

Gerald:

While we were on the beach today, a young man’s chain (aka necklace) caught Gerald’s eye. Gerald asked him where he might find a similar chain. The Haitian man removed his own chain and passed it to Gerald. Gerald offered to pay him for the chain and was refused. Then he offered to trade for the one around his neck – again, refused. The young man said, “It is a gift for you. See you at church tomorrow.”

Until today at the market, we hadn’t seen many older people. It was interesting to observe their manner… Unlike the very outgoing children, the older adults do not make eye contact. However, when we greet them with a “Salut!” or a “Bonswa!” they light up and respond in kind. Perhaps this is tied to the mentality of days gone by, when the Haitians were treated as inferior to whites.

Our Day in Photos

2012-02-01T22:06:00.000-05:00

The Goats are Happy

2012-01-31T22:55:00.000-05:00

(Today's post is provided by Dolores.)

The goats are happy.

Actually, the goats are happening. But when Dolores was dictating to me, I was sure she said "happy," and I'm sure they will be once they arrive at their new homes.

A while back, money was donated for the purchase of goats in Haiti, to help families in need. Dolores has been toting that money in her carry-on for the past few days, wondering where the goats are. We had no idea how the details would come together.

This afternoon, a small group of determined ladies decided to pray for the goats. Well, not pray for the goats, but for the purchase of them. In only a few short hours, God has answered their prayer, and within the next several days, those goats (or the families that receive them) will, indeed, be very happy.

What else happened today?

We had the privilege of worshipping with the Haitians in church tonight. It was so meaningful to see the joy of the Lord in the people as they worshipped, in spite of all that they’ve gone through. There were a couple older women waving their hands and dancing back and forth in front of their pews, and their celebration brought tears to the eyes of more than one team member.

The message, in a nutshell, was "stop complaining," be filled with the joy of the Lord, and "God is able." (Please tell Pastor Dan that he really ought to preach a little longer on Sunday mornings! We're rather fond of the two-hour church service.)

The children are beautiful! We’re enjoying every opportunity to be with them. As we walk through the community, small, partially-clothed children find us wherever we are and follow along. It's like an odd procession of the Pied Piper. The children are especially fond of our younger team members, Alex, Lydia, and Melissa. Probably because they don't bring out the "mother voice" when the children get out of hand like the rest of us are prone to do.

Day two...or maybe it's actually day one...was great!

P.S. Blanche wanted to mention that it's a toasty 28 degrees here. ;)

Total Assault

2012-01-31T08:54:00.001-05:00

Port-au-Prince was nothing less than a total assault. Every sense was overwhelmed.

Heat and humidity, thick and fresh, greeted us when we first disembarked the plane. Fourteen of us entered the chaos of the customs building (shack is really a more accurate description) filled with excitement. We were greeted by Officer Price, who came from Haiti Arise to serve as security for our team.

Time passed, bags were slowly gathered and stacked, nerves took over and anxiety stepped in. Stale air, crowded with humanity, and being approached at every angle by someone who wanted to help with our luggage quelled our excitement somewhat. To add to the stress, we were informed that nothing less than a tip of $20 for the three men who helped us would suffice.

Eventually, shy just one bin (out of 28 pieces of luggage, total), we trekked through the front doors to be met by Chris and Marc Eddy from Haiti Arise. The outdoor breeze was refreshing, but the exhaust fumes it brought was not.

We drove for about three hours, dodging potholes, speed bumps, and other vehicles as if we were dropped straight into a game of Frogger. The crazy ride was both exhilarating and terrifying. We made it through with only one small fender bender…

Along the way, the sensual assault continued. At one moment the smell of rotting refuse and standing sewage was strong enough to elicit the gag reflex. The next, the smoke of burning trash choked out our chatter.

Children, so beautiful in their clean school uniforms with freshly bow-wrapped hair teemed in the streets. Some small ones walking hand-in-hand with Mommy or Grandma. Many walking in groups of two or three on their own.

The heartache brought on by the vision of acres of miniscule tent homes was soothed by the picture of dump trucks, shovels, wheelbarrows, and Haitian men hauling away the garbage lining the streets.

My meagre words cannot possibly do justice to this experience, so we’ll upload a post chalk full of photos later. Suffice it to say that it was more beautiful, more terrible, and more overwhelming than most of us expected.

Want to ask me which phase of culture shock/stress I’m in tonight?

A couple highlights…

Team leaders running late and forgetting the keys that would gain us access to the bins. (Yes, I am the half responsible for the oversight.) But team members with the skills necessary to break in and retrieve the imprisoned supplies.

Team members (Jim & Dolores) meeting up with a Haitian friend outside of the airport, giving him a care package, a hug, and prayers.

The fender bender. Well, the guys all found it pretty exciting. The girl sitting in the back right corner of the van, who saw a massive construction truck scraping up against the thin, metal fender that separated her from the huge truck – not quite as excited. (Yep, me again.)

Getting our “Welcome to Haiti” tour of Grand-Goave and encountering a number of children gathering water to bring home to their parents…Those children falling instantly in love with two beautiful young ladies (Alex and Lydia), holding their hands and skipping down the lane.

My most profound moment…

As we drove through the mass of humanity that makes up PAP, I was snapping photos of anything I thought our friends and prayer partners might be interested in. There were three handsome little boys walking along in their school uniforms. As I lifted the camera to my eye, I noticed them scowling at me and shaking their heads “no.” Before I clicked the shutter, their backs were turned.

In that moment, I felt terribly thoughtless, inconsiderate, selfish, and more. Here I was snapping photos of children living in devastating circumstances, completely violating their right to privacy. Showing myself for the true westerner I am…

Don’t worry, I did eventually stop beating myself up and began to snap more pictures. However, I paid close attention to the people around me and tried not to click the shutter when I got the “no” vibe from people.

Things I learned…

Siham speaks French with excellence and is a blessing for our team!

The children of Grand-Goave are nothing like the children of PAP when it comes to taking their picture. (Probably because these children are used to foreigners coming to their community.)

Although I claim I can eat mystery meat with confidence, the reality is that I can’t get it much past my lips. I’m not sure if it would be a help or hindrance to inquire of the amazing kitchen ladies.

Things change, and what you expect to happen probably won’t. For example, if you promise your children you will Skype them, you will probably not be allowed to use Skype and you will probably get in touch so much later than you intended that your children will need to be pulled out of bed.

There’s nothing like living with a group of people (even if only for 24 hours so far), to make you comfortable discussing personal issues such as bowel movements.

And that, my friends, is the thought I’ll leave you with today. ;)

Fill us up and Send us out, Lord

2012-01-10T08:54:00.003-05:00

This past Sunday, we had the honor and privilege of being commissioned by our church family...

(Click on any of the photos to enlarge.)

(If you're reading via email, you may need to click through to the post in order to watch the video.)

Counting Down

2012-01-06T08:54:00.001-05:00

Twenty-three sleeps. Three short weeks. Suddenly, it's very real. We're going to

Haiti

!

Here are some commonly asked questions…

When are you going? January 29 to February 9

What will you do there? To be honest, we don’t have a lot of specific details yet. (If you’ve ever been to

Haiti

or another “warm culture” climate, you’ll understand! Things move more slowly and can change at any moment.) What we know for sure is that we’re going to build relationships, to pray for the people and the country, and to serve Haiti Arise in whatever way they need. Chances are good there will be a building project, and we’ll likely work with children, too. (After all, we’ve got a team chalk full of construction/trades people and teachers!)

How can we help? There are three very important things you – our friends, family, and church family – can do:

#1 – Pray for us. We appreciate your prayers as we prepare, while we’re in

Haiti

, and even afterward. Please pray for team unity, for the faith and strength to persevere when things seem hard, for the work that we do in

Haiti

, and for the work that we expect God to do in each of our hearts. If you want to be kept up-to-date with our team, please subscribe to our team blog. (You can subscribe on the right, through email, a feedreader, or as a follower.)

#2 – Fill our bins. You’ll notice some Rubbermaid tubs in a couple locations throughout the church, just waiting to be filled. We will be taking items for the people of Grand Goave. Some ideas are: skipping ropes, deflated soccer balls, air pumps, first aid supplies, small containers for medicines and creams (i.e., old 35 mm camera film containers), school supplies (back packs, pencil cases, small water bottles, rulers, geometry sets, scientific calculators, crayons, small notepads/notebooks, coloured pencil crayons, pencils, blue and black pens, glue sticks), French/English dictionaries, Bibles in French and/or Haitian Creole, hygiene items (tooth brushes, hair brushes, etc.)…

#3 – Financial support. We are a large team, with a number of couples going together. It costs approximately $2,000 per team member to make this trip. If you feel called to support the team financially, there is still time! Please get your donations (marked “Haiti Outreach”) to the church office no later than Sunday, January 15^th. If you’d like your support to go toward a specific team member, please include a separate note indicating who (please do not write names on the cheque); otherwise, your support will be divided amongst the team members.

When are you being commissioned? Our team will be commissioned (sent out and prayed over by our church family) in all three services on January 8, 2012.

Will you tell us about your trip? Yes, we will! We don’t have a date, time, or location yet. But we have definite plans for a coffee/dessert time where we’ll share some of our experiences.

Our thanks go out to our friends, family, and church family, for supporting and encouraging short-term missions trips. We move forward fully expecting our lives and hearts to be changed!

Meet the Team

2011-11-07T09:18:00.000-05:00

TEAM HAITI - Jan. 29 - Feb 9, 2012

Back: Russ, Beth, Curt, Alex, Pat (aka me), Gerald, Melissa, Jim
Front: Siham, Alan, Tyler, Blanche, Lydia, Dolores

82 days and counting!!!

Departing but not done!

2010-10-30T11:06:00.004-04:00

Friday Oct 29.

We are up @ 3:45am(2:45 our time) to start our journey home. Leaving Haiti Arise @ 4:45 we experience the start of a new day in Haiti. As we approach PAP the sun comes up, the traffic and people get heavier and busier to the point that we are just crawling along a few feet at a time. The sounds, smells and sights heighten our senses as we make our way to the airport. We finally arrive at the airport at 7:30 and say our final good byes for this trip to Streling and Lucianna.
Struggling through the crowd and porters we get in and through the first step of security and check in for our flights. At some point through this process I have misplaced my cell phone or was relieved of it. We cleared the rest of the security and board the plane for the first flight on our way home. Flying through Ft. Lauderdale, Dallas and arriving in Calgary at 10pm. then home to Red Deer and bed around 1:30am. Sat.
As I sit here typing and reflecting, I shiver and realise that I am not sweating, its 10am and my shirt still dry. I also can't believe that I was up at 7am. I'm sure I will need to rest today.

Thank you so much to our families, friends and prayer warriors for your prayers, support and encouragement while while we where on this mission.
May God continue to lead and guide us all as we re-enter our routines here at home. I pray that we take what we have experienced in Haiti and apply it to our lives here at home and BOLDLY move forward and trust in the God.
Thank you Richard, Venta, Simon, Darlene, Pat, Katrina, Mike, Kendra, Lenic and Nelda for being on this journey with me. There is more for us to experience!
Blessings to all.
Keith

Arise the new creation

2010-10-30T09:26:00.004-04:00

This post is for Thurs. Oct28.

As I Arise this morning in the Dark (whats with this?? Its 8:30 in Haiti) I realised that we missed posting, so I will try to fill the gaps.

We start our day with devotion(2 Cor 5:16-6:2) and prayer and are so blessed the God meets us where we are and through him we are Christ's ambassadors.

This is our last day here as tomorrow we will leave for the airport @ 4:30am. We find ourselves pulled in different directions as we put finishing touches on projects that we started and some won't be completed. We have spent time working on panels for the walls of the medical center, play ground, Dentistry, relationships, electrical, plumbing, painting, teaching and playing with the children, and the wall for the adjacent property. The play ground equipment is a huge hit with the children(young and old). There is so much joy in their faces and so much excitement. The sounds of little children playing is a blessing. There has been so many teaching moments with all of these projects, that we feel that we are the ones being blessed. Our day is filled with opportunities to share and we take each one as it comes. I find Simon tying rebar then he heads to the make shift office to pull teeth. We have been very diverse.

At 3pm we head to the church for a special baptism service. We listen to the testimonies from the Haitian people, then our Katrina goes forward and shares her desire to be baptised as well. Then with songs in our hearts we walk through the community sing and praising God for the joy and favor he is showing and bringing us. As we approach the oceans edge we look up and see the most beautiful rainbow and the sun clears the clouds. When we reach the water Lenic asks if he can confirm his sprinkling baptism by submersion? Pastor Marc welcomed Lenic to share then we proceed with the baptisms. We shared in glory and joy as over 25 people were baptised. This truly was a God moment. With songs of praise we made our way back to the Haiti Arise campus for the 5:00 praise and worship service.

This glorious day is drawn to a closed with supper, good-byes, and tears as we pack and clean in preparation for our departure.
We are so encouraged and humbled to be apart of this mission trip as each of us has experienced Gods presence and favor.
Our prayers are that God will continue to build relationships and show his presence in Haiti.
Praise to Marc and Lisa, Haiti Arise for this chapter in HIS story.

Not one of us has been sick, thank you God for our health.

Can we see the blessings???

2010-10-27T20:02:00.003-04:00

It Rained very hard last night along with thunder and lighting. What a light show and as I type tonight it is raining again, it has been very dry here.
The rain appears to have caused some issues with the internet, so I will post this when I can.

Today was very busy and HOT as we worked on the playground, painting, pouring concrete, assisting with the fence and helping with the children, while still taking time to arrange for material and parts to keep the projects on the go.
Once again I'm reminded of the difficulties of securing material. We went to the gravel pit to arrange for a load (5 cubic M) of sand and when we get there we first have to negotiate a price again. Then we have to find a truck to haul it, then when the truck gets there the loader is broke down, so the truck leaves and goes to a different job........... It takes 7.5 hrs to get a load of sand and the workers are ready to go home. Tomorrow we will mix concrete.
The important thing is the relationships that we are building as we interact with the translators. Marc Eddie is one of these translators and has a beautiful heart and a passion for God that is contagious. It is a joy to be with him. The other relationships that we continue to expand are within our team and the Nowochin's as we work on these projects together.
Through all of the challenges we see Gods presents everywhere and are extremely blessed to be apart of HIS story!!

(sent on Thursday due to internet problems)

Hi from Haiti

2010-10-26T21:48:00.000-04:00

Most days in Haiti are filled with God moments. Today was no exception. Keith went to PAP with Mark again to get the sea can out of hoc. It did not happen again but he came back safe and that is a God moment. He showed up to the Tapion Church with Richard at just the right time to help with the rice distribution (I’ll come back to that).

This morning I walked with the Nowochin family to Marc and Lisa’s house so the kids could all do their school together. It was good to walk and talk with Charles (father) and hear his heart for God and his family. I took great pleasure hearing the wisdom he has in child rearing, being a family leader and a man. I can only imagine the blessing that will be poured out on that family for stepping out in obedience and coming to Haiti as a family for 5 weeks.

In the afternoon we took rice to the Tapion Church. Our goal was to help clean up the area and work side by side the Haitian people to restore that beautiful location. I personally had a lot of worries about doing a rice distribution out in the open without the safety of the security guards at the HAM campus. We prayed and went with the hope that God would keep us safe and we would be able to bless the people in that area. When we got there we had to go in two groups and those of us in the first group forgot to bring an interpreter. That was a fun hour waiting for an interpreter to show and explain to these people why we had 35 – 50 lbs bags of rice. It was a mixture of emotions as the people living in the area came and begged for rice from us. Anyway once Lisa showed up and tried to explain to somewhere around 200 people what we wanted to accomplish. Things seemed to calm down. However the people “living” in the tents did not want to take them down for fear that if houses were to be built for them because they were living in these tents they would miss out. So the community clean up did not take place. However Mike got up a spoke to the parents of the children and told them that we wanted to bless their children with the rice. The actual distribution went as smooth as it possibly could. Now for the best God moment of that little adventure, we gave some rice to Ivan (one of the Haitian’s who helped us with moving all the rice up and down the mountain 4 times) and he could see we were running out of rice and still had people to serve he dumped his rice back in the bin.

We ended the day with a prayer service which was great. Richard shared with the church and Chris (another missionary staying here as well) both were fantastic. It was a great day. Thanks for your prayers they are felt, we love you.

Sweat before work

2010-10-25T19:07:00.004-04:00

At Haiti Arise we have had our days full with activity that regularly surprises us.

Today the temperature was close to 35c and almost 100% humidity, in a beautiful country where almost any tropical plant will flourish.

Part of the challenge is that the people in Haiti are so used to burning allot of wood that there are areas that have been deforested. Most of the places we go, all along the way there is smoke from the outdoor kitchens and the smell of burning and rotting garbage. The side roads are in rough shape because everywhere the people have dumped piles of broken house rubble, since the earthquake.

The traffic is what might be called a free for all, because if there is room to pass or get by (even into oncoming traffic), all vehicles take the space. (horn blaring) As Pat says "The only difference on the highway is that everything is the same only way faster".

It seems that most of the serving people in Haiti feel like we are superior and that is something that is very far from the truth.
The people that are less educated, live in a sort of fear driven response to how they do life.
We have also felt some spiritual oppression as we are in the community, and that can feel very dark.
Probably is because of the acts of voodoo, not sure
We are very far away from the out break of cholera and protected but it is still a concern.
As I am blogging we just had a very small shudder of aftershock, the crickets stop completely then what sounds like a very big subway train underneath and the ground shook...gives me shivers.
We really appreciate the coverage of prayer because that has, and will continue to give us freedom as we build on these relationships.
Only a few more days but wow what a trip of change and growth.
c-ya
Richard

A message from Lenic

2010-10-24T22:18:00.002-04:00

Today the weather was pretty nice, I went to church this morning and I shared my testimony! I felt God was with me when I was saying it, because usually when I get in frin of people, I get nervous and the words don't come out clearly. I felt His presence, like He was right beside me, it was hard to comprehand was I was feeling at that moment! In the afternoon we went to the Tapion church...that's a childrens church. That church is pretty huge at times there can be over 200 kids there, today there were just over 100. *Right after the earthquake the church had many adults in it but as the pastors taught on specific spirtual issues, a lot of the adults did not want to change their lifestyles and stopped coming to church...BUT the kids wanted to still come, so the directors of the church said lets devote this church to the kids. It started out at 30-40 and just got bigger from there!
While I listened to the kids recite scripture from the Bible and sing songs...it went into my spirit. There is one lady who has been led to shepard these children..what a mighty task she has taken on, I felt as I was praying that God would find someone to help her, to share the load.
I enjoyed Darlene's testimony and how Keith has really felt God's power today..we all did, but Keith said he saw God today! Amen!
Each person in the group has God moments. Everything from how smooth thing went today to spending time with the children...they like to touch and hold hands...what a blessing they are!
God bless you all!
xoxox
Lenic

2010-10-24T13:10:00.002-04:00

We had sunday church this morning. It was great! Great worship, great preaching and wonderful people. Time is not a big issue here so people were arriving from 8:30 right until 10:30 probably. Something that Im not used to. We live in such a schedule driven culture and this is so opposite. It is nice though. I like it lots. The Haitian people put on their very best to come to church. Big change again where at home we dress casual for the most part. They love to adorn themselves here with colorful ribbons scarves etc. Especially the little girls.
Marc and Lisa addressed the church concerning the cholera outbreak. They warned of its seriousness and how to prevent it. Since most of the community dont live in sanitary conditions or even have running water it was important for them to hear. Lots of hand sanitizer.
Yesterday I met a little boy who plays with Marc and Lisa's kids. He is 5 years old and only speaks creole. But we were able to communicate a bit through and kids. Both is mom and dad were killed in the earthquake. He now lives with his gramma. He spent the day with us and came to the ocean with us. I helped him in the water because he didnt know how to swim but he was as daring and any other 5 year old boy. Then at supper he brought his plate to the table and it was totally full of food. Twice as much as I had Im sure. He ate so much and of course when it came to the green peppers he picked them out with his fingers and put them on my plate. I guess he figured i should eat them. Kinda cute I thought.
Its starting to sink in that people are so devasted here. So much loss! They are so strong to be able to withstand all of it. We in Canada are so blessed and think its rough when little things dont go right. We have no idea how much these people have lost. Anyways, thank you everybody for your prayers. love you all

Lenic's Post

2010-10-23T21:32:00.001-04:00

hi this lenic am doing great.am glad i came to haiti.the lord has ban showing new things. Im finding that the Lord is teaching me to be patient and to wait on Him and to be myself. The more I see how the people live the more Im reminded how I used to live. It brings tears to my eyes. Just like in Psalm 40 says I feel like God has rescued me from death. Because I feel like I would have died if I hadnt been taken from Haiti and adopted into a canadian home. now He put a new song in my heart. because of His grace which I didnt deserve.
On to other things, I went swimming in the ocean and the weather was awesome. We went to the market and saw how the people would sell their produce. While i was in the market some on the Haitian people tried to talk to me in creole. It was pretty hard for me to respond because I have lost the language. I helped with building some cement walls. I untangled a goat that was stuck too. I bought some of the workers coke to drink and gave them some snacks. They were pretty happy about that.
Tomorrow I will be sharing my testimony and going to childrens church in the afternoon. Im looking forward to it.
im enjoying this trip so far and God has been working in my heart. The challenge will be how to apply what i have learned here into everyday life. Hopefully something will happen beyond my understanding. God bless you all.

Eye Opener

2010-10-23T19:22:00.002-04:00

Its been an exciting day all around, several of us went into Petite Goave today and had the market experience. You could find just about anything there, from super soakers, to discmans to fish and motoroil all under the same roof. I have been trying to get the Haitian money around in my brain. They have Gourdes aka Gooda's and also Haitian dollars, but they will also take American dollars. We did a little business with the folks at the market, a couple of wooden spoons and hair bobbles were bought. along with the food supplies for the week. Yes, I did sit on a bag of potatos (?) in the back of the truck on the way back....how many people CAN you cram on a truck?
There were protestors in town, and the UN and the police. I felt save though. I can feel the power of prayer. We are very blessed to have a team of people praying for us!
Kendra, Nelda and I started painting the school this afternoon. A nice coat of primer in the principal's office :)
I have had the opportunity to massage the kitchen ladies here. It's so incredubly rewarding to get their hugs and merci's !
The food has been delicious and the sleeps have been good (especially since I moved from the top bunk to the bottom!)
I have seen barely any creepy crawlies...a cockroach and a couple of geckos and half a lizard, which I think the cat brought in.
Well, I smell supper so its time to jet!!

2010-10-23T07:45:00.002-04:00

We are having problems uploading pictures, so here is the picture for fridays blog. I'm not sure who had more fun, kids or team??????????

We are starting our day @ 6am with 2 Cor 2:5-11 Devotion.

Excited to visit the market in Petit Goave later today.

More to come later as our day proceeds.

Many thanks for your prayers and blessing to all at home.

Keith

2010-10-22T20:32:00.002-04:00

Marc and I went to PAP early this morning to see if we could get a container out of customs, but it appears that the paper work on this end is going to be the hold up now. Not all was a waste we were also able to pickup some material to build some play ground equipment for the elementary school. Our plan is to start painting the school tomorrow as well start building the play ground. Also included is a trip to the market as it is Saturday.
Some of the other highlights of today were Lenic, Venta, Richard and Simon were busy laying out and tying rebar for the wall panel molds and helping with the posts for the medical clinic while adding in a trip with Pat to the local Haitian hardware store (Canadian tire ha ha!!).
Mike, Pat, Kendra, Katrina, and Rebecca took pictures of all the elementary school kids, what an experience. The children were so excited it was hard to keep them focused.
this busy day was topped off with a walk through the community ending up at the beach for swim in the ocean.

Around Town

2010-10-21T12:29:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was an adventure and what seemed like exercise in futility.

The people and country of Haiti have had alot of cash goods and personell poured int the country.

We have noticed that the expectation of many here is that rebuilding will be done for them. What is so great and amazing is what Haiti Arise is doing by showing and teaching people how to do it themselves. This empowers not only the student but any of the teachers.

It is also apparent that the Haitian people are very resilient, and can continue to do comerce in the face of strife.

God has come close to each of us as team members and streached us to a place that we may not return to. I am speaking about the same comfort we knew as people before going on a short term outreach.

Thank-you all for praying for us.

As I sit here typing (pick and peck) sticky because the humidity is close to 100%, I am reminded that we are all being watched over by an amazing loving Father.

May all of you reading this find encouragement in something around you in your life today.

c-ya

2010-10-21T10:06:00.002-04:00

The day started at about 6:30 am with some group devotions and then breakfast shortly after. The plan today, and I say plan loosley, is to do a dental clinic. Simon is the dentist in our group. Katrina and Nelda are nurses so they are assisting with blood pressures etc. Kendra and I are trying to help with it but there is only so much we can do. So here I am to report back home.
The staff here at Haiti Arise are the first to be seen by Doctor Simon. They get a check up and possible extractions if necessary. Our supplies are limited so Im not sure what there is for medication and anesthesia. But the Haitians are being very brave about it.
As for the rest of us, Mike is helping in the clinic, Richard is taking video, Lenic, Pat and Keith are doing some manual labour. The manual labour consists of mixing concrete and making wall panels. And our course there is the trade school that also needs to be rebuilt. The ground was dug up and staked out to begin the foundation. But according the blue prints the digging was done all wrong. So we start from the beginning. The plan is yet to be made with an architect and engineer from alberta. The will be working on this today. So lots to be done!
And by the way its about 9:20 am and probably 30 degrees with major humidity. Everybody is in a constant sweat. But the day is going to be great! Have a great day everybody! love ya

Mobbed!!

2010-10-20T23:01:00.002-04:00

What a day! We got to meet the kids at the school here at Haiti Arise. One of the best parts of the day was walking into the playground and having all the school kids rush to hold your hand. The kids had so much enthusiasm and joy while we played. I have never seen so many kids on a teeter totter! I was honored to join them and the laughter got harder...the smiles of the children was such a highlight, can't wait for recess tomorrow!!

2010-10-19T21:49:00.000-04:00

Well there is lots to say but I will try to keep it brief. We arrived into Port au Prince at approx 9am. The heat was so intense even at that time of day. Getting our luggage and loading it into vehicles was a major undertaking. Once we were loaded we were on our way. The first plan of attack was to try to find tires for one of the vehicles. So we drove around Port Au Prince trying to find a tire shop with the tires we needed. After making a few unsuccessful stops we decided to go to the Haiti Arise compound. The trip through the city was overwhelming in so many ways. First the heat, then the smells and then the sights of ruin and destrution. But not only to the buildings. The people are living in such unimaginable poverty and overwhelming circumstances. Within the first few minutes off of the plane we saw young people with amupated limbs and they were calling to us for help. Its something you dont ever think that you will see.
The drive through the city took us about 3 hours. And then another hour or two to the compound. It was such a relief to get here and be able to rest a little. Since we got here we had church in the yard here. It was really awesome even though we couldnt understand much of what they were saying. But Lisa was a great translator.
A quick note on the heat. Its so hot that our clothes were saturated with sweat for most of the day. Not something that we are used to in Canada. Looking forward to a good night sleep tonite. There is so much I could say but I will let others tell some stories too. Goodnite everybody back home.

2010-10-17T13:19:00.000-04:00

Leaving in 16 hours!! Oh my goodness Im so excited!

6 Sleeps and counting

2010-10-12T22:29:00.000-04:00

Its hard to believe that it is almost 1 year ago that we were packing to go to Haiti. Please join our team on Friday Oct 15 @ 6 pm at Crossroads Church for Pack and Prayer. We depart for the airport at 415am on Monday Oct 18 and arrive in Haiti, 8am Tuesday Oct19. The excitment is building and we request that you keep us in your prayers.
Pray for safe travels, good health and spritual protection.

Keith

Remembering and Anticipating

2010-08-29T19:09:00.000-04:00

Home at Last

2009-11-01T03:27:00.000-05:00

Just a short message to let you know we arrived safely. The trip went well.
We are glad to be reunited with family and loved ones again. We will enjoy a hot shower and a cozy bed,
...and having our garbage picked up every week!

See you soon!

Day 11 - Time for Goodbyes

2009-10-30T23:02:00.000-04:00

Friday. One night left to sleep in Haiti. We are tired, but we are blessed and fulfilled. It has been an honor & blessing to serve God here alongside his people at Haiti ARISE.
First sunburn of the trip for me! We went out to walk around town this morning and the sun was just cooking! It was great to see the streets of Grand Goâve as our last walk in the community was in a rural area. We were trying to imagine how funny it would be to walk around in Canada and wave at people and say hi to almost everyone we see, in the same way we do here!

The last event of our trip. We went to “Tapion Church”, a cell church of Haiti ARISE. It’s a children’s church and we estimate their number to be around 140-150 kids! It was really great to hear them sing so loud, to see them say some memory verses (the older ones were able to say John 1:1-14 by heart!). Some of them sang solo. They were all very cute, and it was good to see the joy of the Lord in them. Lots of them are from non-christian families, and the ministry this church has in their life is great! We were able to pray with them, encourage them to be lights to their families and friends, Sarah gave her testimony, Mr Crocodile was used again to teach tooth brushing and hand cleaning. We also had the opportunity to give them rice, toothbrushes, soap, pencils and crayons.

It seems that going to Tapion was the best way to end our trip. It was a blessing. Those kids are so full of energy and joy, it filled me up and rejoiced my heart.
Please pray for the people we have met here, that the bit of relationship we have started would carry on in Christ, that the work God sent us to accomplish would bear eternal fruits, and that Haiti ARISE would continue to expand their ministry for the glory of God our Father.
Pray for a safe return home, pray that we would be able to rest before work starts. Please pray for each one of us as we re-enter Canadian culture, we know that it can be difficult to fit back into our own culture after exeriencing two intensive weeks in the missionary field.
Thank you all for your support, thank you for being part of our trip, we love you and may God bless you all.
P.S. I’m pretty sure there should be a few more blog entries, our experience is not over, stay with us!

The final health day!

2009-10-29T18:26:00.000-04:00

Today was our fourth and final health day in Haiti! What an experience it has been! From the onset, our goal was to provide preventative health education for the Haitian people. It did not take long for us to realize that our expectations were much different than those who attended our health days! They came seeking consultations and medications, and after witnessing first-hand the state of health care in this country during our visit to the hospital earlier this week, we now understand why!

Our initial health day was very difficult and completely chaotic. It left our team feeling discouraged and the Haitian people feeling dissatisfied that their wants and needs were not met. With lots of prayer and problem-solving, we were able to regroup and restructure the remaining health days in a format that provided a good balance of education, consultation, and treatment. We started each session in the church, where the adults learned about breastfeeding, vaccinations, and preventative health measures from our Haitian nurses and the children were taught about handwashing and toothbrushing with "Monsier Crocodile."

Dominic closed each session with a presentation on sources of clean water, including teaching on the SODIS method of water sanitation. The patients then made their way to the Haiti ARISE Mission Centre where we set up a consultation and treatment station manned by Sara, Katrina, Bonnie, and myself. The patients each had an opportunity to receive soap, toothbrushes, vitamins, de-worming treatment, and whatever other health care we were able to provide.

What exposure to tropical medicine! We have seen things that are completely foreign to us in Canada and many cases that were absolutely heartbreaking:

Several babies whose mothers died in childbirth
Malnutrition
Child abuse
Infections
Trauma
Heart disease
TONS of scabies

Our health days were very busy! We ran 2-3 sessions each morning and each afternoon, seeing approximately 100 patients each day. Given the language barrier, unfamiliar culture, uncertain diagnoses, limited resources, and the Haitian heat and humidity, we found each day extremely draining. And at times, frustrating and overwhelming!

Many times we felt ill-equipped and helpless to truly provide real care to these patients, especially compared to our Canadian standards. There is little access to investigation and definitive treatment in Haiti, so many times it felt like we were simply providing a band-aid solution. On the other hand, the health care we provided was so much more than most of these patients could afford to receive elsewhere.

Hopefully the education we provided will effect change in the health behaviors of the Haitian people, empowering them to improve their health and prevent future illness. We were thrilled to work alongside the three Haitian nurses that provided our teaching and pray that their involvement equipped them to continue acting as a health resource for their community and build sustainability even after we are gone. Above all else, it is our prayer that the patients we encountered felt love and saw Jesus during their time with us!

We have enjoyed our time in Haiti and God has challenged and grown us in many ways. Nonetheless, we are glad to be wrapping up our work in Haiti and are looking forward to returning home! Tomorrow we will visit the Tapion Children's Church to distribute school supplies, soap, and toothbrushes. Otherwise, it's our day to pack, clean, and then quickly sleep before leaving for the airport in Port-au-Prince early Saturday morning.

Thanks again for your prayers and support... don't stop!

Day 9 in Haiti

2009-10-28T21:13:00.000-04:00

Guess what? We had pancakes again! Yesterday was a very moving day for me; I had to say my testimony at church. I was very nervous. I really hoped that the people were moved by it. Today is a rest day for us; we got to sleep in an hour and a half. We felt much rested. In our bible study we read 2 corinthians 4: 1-6. After lunch we headed down to the beach to have a nice relaxing time and we were growing as a team. I’m so glad the God made this team. I have learned so much about God though them than I had ever before. I pray that when we head back to Canada and back to our old lives that we will keep in touch and we can still server god together.

Tomorrow is a big day, we have another health day. We are going to teach them how to clean there water properly and show them a new ways to do it. We have some Haitian nurses to them teach about vaccinations, washing their hands, and how they can properly take care for their children. We have a little station for the kids to show them how to wash there hands and how to brush their teeth. I am really excited about it.

Being in Haiti has helped me to have a deeper relationship with God and it’s amazing. The people here in Haiti are happy and they have such a thirst to learn about God’s word. It’s amazing to have the opportunity to grow with them and to grow in our relationships with each other. They will always be in our hearts and prayers.

Eric and Lindsey in Cold Lake

2009-10-27T22:17:00.000-04:00

Well we made it home. We had a very busy couple days traveling but we’re here. Picking up Abby this morning was very joyful. The look on her face was priceless. She has changed so much in just one week. We were both in tears when we saw her.

Our trip was good. My first hand washing in Port Au Prince was a surprising experience. I wasn’t expecting warm water. Its funny how quickly you forget about things like hot water.

Back in the states we immediately began re-entering cold culture climate. Suddenly you don’t say bonjour to everyone you meet. No eye contact. No smiles. No garbage. It was very different for only being a two-hour flight away.

By the time we reached Red Deer we were exhausted. I’m not sure how many hours it was but we were so grateful for a couple of hours to simply not move.

Our drive from Red Deer to Cold Lake was beautiful this morning. We watched the sun come up over the prairie. It was so wide and so bare. The fields had no animals, no people, no garbage. The occasional cow or horse here and there but it was remarkably empty.

The longer you’re away from Haiti the more it feels like a dream. Did we really go? It was so fast. Are we really home. It feels strange leaving our team behind but life carries on. Eric’s off to work tomorrow. I’ve got chores and bills and groceries etc. We are happy to be home, but sad to have left.

I think the lessons we learned are still being written on our hearts. We saw, smelled, heard, tasted many new things. But things really don’t matter. People matter. We connected with 8 other amazing people on our voyage. Friends that we will miss greatly. Our time in Haiti was very special. It was so much more then we expected. An experience everyone should enjoy, and we plan to share about it.

Love to you all,
Eric and Lindsey Kowalchuk

Father thank you for our team. Thank you for their desire to serve you. I pray you would be with them for the remainder of their time in Haiti. Speak to them and encourage them as they work to honour you. Protect them from illness, fatigue and despair as they serve in the community. Bless each one of them God and bring them home safe. In Jesus name Amen.

2009-10-27T22:07:00.000-04:00

Day 8 in Haiti

Today was better day for the team with the temperature reaching about 33C. With the main focus being the pregnancy health clinic for the gals and Dominic. This clinic ran a lot smoother than the previous ones had and there were lots of babies! (I am sure someone else will expand on this) Praise God for the extra hands of Emily, Kayla, the interpreters’, and the Haitian nurses.

Pat worked on some plumbing issues for the morning and in the afternoon laid tile for the trade school walkway. He is working with 2 Haitians I think they are teaching each other how to tile as they work shoulder to shoulder.

As for my self I was able to assist with the installation of lights and ceiling fans in 1 of the class rooms. Some of the electrical students came on their non-class days to gain some practical experience when they found out that I would be helping. Their program is mainly book knowledge with very little practical. Therefore in the classes that I have been able to assist teaching, I have tried to incorporate some hands on training. The instructor indicated he had never seen even simple switching circuits demonstrated in a classroom setting. They are currently working with multiple switch circuits and are having trouble grasping the idea. Tomorrow’s class is going to have a complete circuit for them to wire and test. This should help the students understand the principals of the circuit. It is a real joy to be able to work with these young men, they are so eager to learn.

This afternoon Pat and I got the ultimate experience of driving on the roads and highway of Haiti. (By ourselves) Marc’s Canadian mom, Clare and grand daughter, Emily and friend Kayla needed a ride back to the mission that they are helping at so Pat and I offered to take them back and Lisa agreed. Just so you know if we were to drive at home as they do in Haiti we would go to jail!!! It was a good thing that Pat was only on the highway for about ½ mile and the traffic was light, other wise we would have had trouble. Oh ya the horn is your best friend while driving in Haiti. Road rage? No the bigger your vehicle the more right-of-way you have. (Take this off our list of things to do)
This evening Sara, Kendra, and I each shared our testimonies in church and were blessed by the acceptance of the Haitian people. They are very interested in our stories and want to get to know us. We just have to over come the language barrier.

Please continue to pray for our team, as we are getting tired and the heat is taking its toll on our bodies. Pray for Chauntille, Pat, Katrina and Dominic as they prepare to give their testimonies in the next couple of days. Pray for the relationships that we are building with team members and with the Haitian people.

Blessing to all back home,
Keith

Safe Arrival

2009-10-27T08:47:00.000-04:00

Hi Team and all,

Eric, Lindsey and I arrived safely in Red Deer near midnight after a long day. Going back into Port-Au-Prince after experiencing the shelter of Haiti Arise was shocking. Even at 6 Am the clamor, smells and crowds were overwhelming. The three of us spent the day reminicing and trying to put things into perspective as we completed our evaluations and debriefing forms. What an incredibly valuable experience. I realized that, in Gods design, absolutely everything is knit together. There are no loose strands.

Eric and Lindsey spent at least part of the night here to get some sleep and then left early to return to Cold Lake. This morning, my body is here with my boys but my heart is in Haiti with my team (Keith and, apparently, the rest of our 'children' - I am honored!).

Today is prenatal health clinic day at Haiti Arise. As you prepare, I feel all of your emotions. Do not be discouraged! Remember John 15:16 - "You did not choose me, but I chose you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name." I am praying for you and the Haitians that will be impacted through you today.

Say Hi to Mirto, Janan, Izgar, David, Miriam and most of all Frankie - Tell him its another day of tete (breastfeeding) at Haiti Arise. It is 8:50 and your first patients are at the gate waiting to see you. 'According to me' what you are doing is the best way! There are no loose strands.

Enormous Blessings
Bonnie

PS - Did Madam Atis make you pancakes this morning?

Day 7 in Haiti

2009-10-26T23:23:00.000-04:00

Today was a tough day for a couple of reasons. It was very busy from the wee hours of the morning. We lost three of our team today to go home. Two from the health team (Bonnie and Lindsey) and one from the Trades team (Eric). They will be dearly missed for the remainder of the trip. Bonnie was our Mom and it is hard to be in a place without your Mom around. Lindsey was our strong power she was always willing to lift the team up when we were feeling down and keep us pushing forward. Eric was our go to guy when we needed help with anything. Eric had a calmness about him that is unbelievable. They should be landing in Calgary right about now so please pray that they arrive safely and are able to go back to there families refreshed and blessed by this trip.

Rice distribution happened today which was interesting to say the least. The people that came where thankful for what was given to them and we pray that God will do things in their life with that little bit of rice. It was a busy time so it was hard to take all of that in. The team was tired by lunch from packaging rice (by the way it was like a thousand degrees today, but it was humid so that made it a little easier to take).

After lunch the team went to Petit Goave to assess the medical centres available to the people here in Grand Goave and surrounding area. The team came back disheartened with what they saw. The health care available to the people here is non existent. I don’t want to go into to many details as I will be here all night. If you don’t have money (and sometimes even if you have the money) there is no treatment. It was a very dark place and the team was spiritually exhausted when they returned. They prayed for as many of the patients as they could before leaving.

I stayed back to help Marc with surveying the children’s orphanage and new church location. Regretting not going when we starting digging holes in the ground. Then when the team returned I was selfishly thankful I wasn’t at the hospital with the rest team.

So today is the day that we need prayer. If you have friends that are not reading this blog please either direct them to this blog or copy and paste these prayer requests and email them out.

Praise items,
The team is healthy and have been able to serve this community without too much suffering.

Prayer
Keith and Chauntille please pray for their spiritual protection as they lead this team. At times this country can feel very dark. We all feel it but I know they are getting the brunt of it. Please lift them up in prayer.

We have a health clinic starting tomorrow and they are very exhausting for the team.

The health of the team to continue to be strong.

God Bless you all and thank you for your prayer support.

Here is our team photo for you to see who your praying for while praying. If that helps, If not its a nice picture anyway.

Day 6 in Haiti

2009-10-25T21:52:00.000-04:00

Today was another great day in Haiti. We got to sleep in an extra hour . Then we came down and had breakfast together and then we got ready for church. Church was very powerful and moving with the singing and praise. Bonnie, Lindsey and I gave our testamonies. There were about 500 people present and it was VERY Hot and muggy but it went by very well. After church we took a few team pictures while waiting for lunch.

After lunch we drove down to see the town car wash and wow it was really different. The car wash was a spring fed stream going into the ocean. After driving back to the compound we took a walk to the goat farm and the other 12 acres of land that they are planing to build a childrens school, church and a parent compound. So for every 4 or 5 children there will be two adults with them.

The women went back to the compound and started to bag beans. The men stayed back and dug a couple holes to start soil sampling. After digging two holes it was 5:30pm so we headed back for supper. Supper was very delicious they cooked us lasagna. Bonnie tried to balance a tub of water on her head. It worked with Dominic`s help. Its Lindsey, Bonnie and my last day in Haiti. We are going to start packing and then call it a night. We have to be up at 4:30am and be gone by 5:00am to Port-au-Prince airport. I had a great time here bonding with the team and building relationships with the haitian people. I hope to come back again in the future.

Posted by Eric Kowalchuk

Day 5 - A Day of Rest

2009-10-24T21:27:00.000-04:00

Another day, another experience, and more awesome pancakes! After this first week of work, our hosts, Marc & Lisa offered us a day of rest. Our day started with a surprise! We were told that the English class had not started yet, but as I was looking through the mission’s gift shop this morning, Pat came up to me and asked: “want to teach ESL”? Off we went, Kendra, Pat & me found ourselves in front of a beginner level English class. We had a great time, and I believe they enjoyed it too.
We then drove west to Petit Goâve to visit the market. Here we were, a large group of ten “blancs” wandering through chaotic narrow ways, looking around, making people talk. Beans, veggies, mystery meats, fish, coal, some cooking here and there, and the overwhelming smells blending with the permanent smell of burning garbage.

Later in the afternoon was beach time. Marc & Lisa drove us to Taïno Beach where we enjoyed the Caribbean Sea. Surprisingly enough, none of us has turned into a lobster yet! Though, we did enjoy fresh seafood right after. Lobster type creatures, “crayfish” I think? and crab. Marc sent out some locals to go fishing for us and they brought back those lovely creatures.

Tomorrow is church day, and I’m looking forward to play saxophone with the Haitian band, and also to meet new people. I am starting to make friends here and enjoy spending awkward time and conversations with the people God places on my path.
I thank God for the ways He uses us, even in the littlest of things, His plans are bigger than our intentions.
Please pray for the team’s health, some have had minor illnesses and most of us feel tired already. Pray that we would have energy and strength to do what God wants us to do, to be where He wants us to be, and to speak what He wants us to speak.

Thank you all for your support. God bless you all!

The Health Team & Clinic Setup

2009-10-23T22:17:00.000-04:00

Day 4 in Haiti

2009-10-23T21:25:00.000-04:00

What an amazing day in Haiti! After struggling through a discouraging health clinic yesterday, we spent time regrouping and refocusing to prepare for today. By all accounts – ours, the Haitian nurses and translators and most important the patients – the clinic went ‘bien mieux’ – much better! We were able to provide education for disease prevention and health promotion that we feel is so important. We were also able to spend time with each mom to hear their stories, discuss their concerns and treat what conditions we could.

Over the last three days we have been working with our three Haitian nurses, Mirto, Izgar and Janan. Today, these nurses provided the Haitian moms with most of the education about vaccinations, prevention and treatment of dehydration and the importance of clean water and handwashing. It was awesome to watch these nurses teaching their own people. This does not have to stop when we leave Haiti and this, for us and for the Haitian people, is so important.

The rest of the team was busy today with building projects like the tiling in the technical school. Tonight, Keith taught an electrical class while Marc Honorat translated. We have had a few people feeling under the weather, but for the most part, we are doing OK!

It is an honor to work with this team. Watching these young people grow and develop as they serve others is incredible. I am moved by two things: the joy of the people of Haiti and the joy of our team to serve them. We have learned more than we taught and have received more than we have given! God is good.

Oct 22 09

2009-10-22T21:08:00.000-04:00

Today was interesting to say the least. The day started with a lot of worries on how the day would go. We got a nutritious breakfast this morning, and then we headed out side to meet with the Haitian nurses and our translators. We were running a bit late this morning. We prayed, and then we leaded the first group of ten to the white chairs that we had set up earlier today. Bonnie started to teach the first group that came, but took aside a young man and his child that needed an assessment. We found out pretty quick that they were inspecting us to be like Dr. Bob, just doing treatments. Our plan was to mostly do teaching and if there was a child that was sick, we would treat.
The first round was crazy. We found that all of us were treating, instead of teaching. So we had to regroup, prayed and discussed how we can make this work. Kendra also prayed for each member that was there for strength and wisdom. So we decided that instead of putting them into groups that we would keep them in one big group. Also that the Haitian nurses should do most of teaching so the language barrier wouldn’t be there. We found that this worked much better. The Haitians may have been disappointed with this, but we felt that it’s very important for the Haitians to be able to be leaders of their own health instead of relaying on donations. Prevention is the key.
Sorry that we haven’t got any pictures up on the blog yet, but we are trying.

Day 2 in HAITI

2009-10-21T19:42:00.000-04:00

Today we started off with prayer and devotion and a wonderful breakfast of pancakes, scrambled eggs, bananas, avocados, and real hot chocolate or coffee. They were the best pancakes we ever had!

After breakfast the girls got busy unpacking the medical supplies, setting up the pharmacy, and planning for the pregnancy health clinic tomorrow. The team was able to meet with 3 of the Haitian nurses who will be working with us during the clinics. (the boys were kept busy with lots of fix-it projects) The nurses are trained very well in Haiti which made out conversation about breastfeeding, anaemia and iron very easy. I am sure our translator Frankie never thought he would have to translate breastfeeding! The health team was able to gather information about what the Haitian women already know about breastfeeding and the importance of delivering their babies in a hospital and having them vaccinated. The nurses were very open about having health promotion clinics for the people. We are all eager for the first clinic!

After lunch and a bit more clinic work Lisa took some of the team for a walk in Grand Goave. We were able to tour the hospital that was under construction and will reopen in mid November. A Cuban organization is renovating and will send some Cuban physicians to work in it. We saw a lot of older donated equipment in storage and were able to see many rooms including the operating room. We also saw a private lab where people can pay to have tests done. The rain really started to come down and Lisa let us hide out at her house from the rain. When the rain didn’t let up and we were going to be late for dinner the team braved the rain, we all jumped in the back of the truck and headed down the road… I was one of the lucky ones who got to sit inside and did get soaked. As we were driving some school girls maybe about age 9 or 10 ran after the truck and jumped on the back bumper for a ride up the street.

Well we have all just finished another lovely meal and are getting ready to prepack some toothbrushes and vitamins for the clinics. We all feel truly blessed to be in Haiti and can see God’s hand at work.

Item for prayer
Praise
The resources of the Haitian nurses for the health clinics and the translators
Keith’s wonder strength and guidance as our team leader

Prayer
Knowledge to help treat and meet the health needs of the Haitian women
Pray that God will also continue to walk with the team members not only through this physical and emotional journey about also through the spiritual journey with Him.

Posted By Sara

The Arrival

2009-10-20T22:42:00.000-04:00

So today we arrived in Haiti. We got here at about 9:00 this morning after a full day of travel yesterday. I will let someone else go into the Blessings we received during that day alone.

I was asked to blog about my first impression of Haiti as I got to go on a very cool adventure on our drive to the compound. I’ll go into that in a minute.

The day before we took off and the first day of flying I was a little on edge about coming here. I am still not sure why, I was not afraid of anything we may encounter, nor was I concerned about the flight, I was just uneasy. I am sorry I can’t explain it any better than just uneasy. Anyway to my point, the moment the wheels of the plane hit the ground in Haiti, like I mean the instant the wheels touched, I was in a whole new mood. I was at peace, I was ready for whatever came my way, all I wanted to do was get off that plane and get started with whatever God had for me during this trip.

We got off the plane and got through customs, Marc had come to the airport to meet us and was able to get us a phone and line up a few guys to help with our bags (the outside of the airport is whole blog so again I leave that for someone else). We got all the bags loaded in Marc’s truck and the containers loaded on to the top of the van. Everyone had a seat for the ride back except for one of the security guards, Jemsly. Marc asked Jemsly if he would mind riding in the back of the pick up with the luggage bags. Jemsly said “No problem” (I am assuming it was all in French and happened very fast) and he jumped in the back on top of the suit cases and settled in for the ride. Now I kinda felt bad that I would get to sit in the truck in the air conditioned cab while Jemsly rode in the back by himself. However I hadn’t ridden in the back of a pick up since I was like ten and never done it through Haiti so I asked if I could ride back there with Jemsly.

If you want to experience something with all your senses this is the way to do it. I not only had a 360 view of the entire trip but all the smells, sounds, heat, just everything. It was a lot of fun and it must have looked fun, hence me writing this post, but it was so much more than fun.

At times I was pretty sure we were near death. Rules of the road like we have in Canada are not even remotely followed here. Amazingly though (just thought of this now) I didn’t see one accident. The only two rules I seen that were commonly known to all the drivers whoever has the biggest vehicle wins the showdown and honk to let the little guy know you are showing him you are bigger. I think that is pretty much it. Jemsly asked me if I knew how to drive. I said yes but that I would not make it very far here. If I drove like this at home they would lock me up and throw away the key. He just about fell out of the truck he was laughing so hard.

The smells are incredible here maybe because of the heat and humidity. In Port Au Prince it smells like driving through the city dump and looks like it too. I don’t want to sound rude but that is the truth. I can not explain the amount of waste any other way than to picture millions of people moving into the city dump and building a city in, around and on top of it. Even a picture doesn’t show it well. You can tell that it looks dirty but it is truly more than a little bit of garbage.

Then you move to the more rural communities and you can smell the fresh ocean breeze. Someone cooking a very tasty lunch for their family and the fire they are using to cook with. The smells of tropical forests not sure how to explain that one, a greenhouse I guess, would be the best way to describe it.

The sights are a little overwhelming to think about. I don’t know what I was expecting to see when I read about the poverty when we prepared for this trip but this was not it. I guess what I had in my minds eye was what I have been shown in TV and Movies. Seeing it in real life watching it happen in front of you is a lot to take in. Seeing a kid my daughters’ age sitting with his blind grandma asking for money as we drove by so skinny I have know idea how they walked to the side of the street. That was one, two foot section of the side of the road of miles upon miles of the same thing. I guess they are the lucky ones that are able to make it to the side of the road.

Then you look up to the mountains and it so beautiful that you can hardly take your eyes off of it. The buildings up in the mountains look like they have been there a thousand years and you can’t help but to think back about how beautiful this place must have been while first settling.

We got to the Haiti Arise compound after two hours of driving through all of that over and over. You go from little cities to rural areas (nothing like at home of course) over and over until you get to the compound. Which really is an oasis in a desert filth. I know that sounds horrible but it really is the only way to put it.

HAM has clean water for the people of the area to take away. This place is a safe place for teens to come and hang out and play music and just be kids while my new friend Jemsly makes sure they and us are safe. So this is a very long winded way of saying that we are here we are safe and we have all had some laughs and some real God moments in our first day here. There will be more to come of that I am positive.

Some prayer and praise items
Praise
We are all safe here in the compound and have all our luggage.
We are all feeling OK no illnesses.

Prayer
The medical team will be getting into the nuts and bolts of accessing things here tomorrow. Please pray that they will have a successful day.
Prayer for other teams as they try and get a sense of the needs and prioritise those needs.

God Bless,

We're Here!

2009-10-20T17:49:00.000-04:00

We have arrived! It’s been a long and tiring couple days, but we’re here and doing well! Our travels went very smoothly – no lost luggage and no issues at customs! We’ve spent the day getting settled at our new home-away-from-home at the Haiti ARISE Ministry compound. Thank you for your ongoing prayers as we prepare for our work projects and begin to adjust to the Haitian climate and culture. Our internet access is limited, so this blog is the best way to follow us!

Only a nap away...

2009-10-18T18:20:00.000-04:00

In approximately 10 hours time, we will be meeting in the parking lots of CrossRoads Church to begin our caravan to the Calgary Airport. 10 bodies, 10 suitcases, 10 carry-on bags, 10 large rubbermaid containers of supplies, a saxaphone, and a piano... Whew! Thank you to SO MANY OF YOU who have supported us with finances, supplies, and prayers! We have been overwhelmed by your response and know that God will use your generosity to bless the Haitian people! Please keep us in your prayers as we travel. We will arrive in Haiti Tuesday morning and hope to have an update for you soon after!

Oct 1

2009-10-01T12:58:00.000-04:00

Well its October. That means in 18 days we're on the road to Haiti. We're gearing up to go and the donations are pouring in. This Sunday Lindsey will be teaching at Kids Church in Cold Lake about our upcoming trip. The Cold Lake children support two Compassion Canada students in Haiti and are very excited that we're going to the country where their friends live. They'll be following along as we minister to the kids in Haiti with the toothbrushes and soap that they've donated. How exciting! Kids ministering to kids. God is awesome.

The Basics

2009-09-30T23:05:00.000-04:00

Who are we? What are we up to?

We are a group of 10 individuals who will be travelling to Haiti from October 19-31, 2009 to work with an organization called Haiti ARISE. As you can see, the physical and spiritual needs of the Haitian people are great. The purpose for our time in Haiti is threefold:

1) Assess the needs of the Haitian people and Haiti ARISE to guide ongoing outreach
2) Develop relationships and show compassion
3) Share knowledge and information to empower the Haitian people

Specifically, we will be leading Pregnancy Clinics and Child Health Clinics for the community of Grand-Goâve. We will work to assess the health needs of the Haitian people, provide basic health care, and present educational topics aimed at health promotion and disease prevention. Knowledge of simple handwashing, teeth brushing, clean water, and nutrition can have huge impacts on the health of the Haitian people!

Additionally, several of our team members will be involved in assisting with work projects and teaching at the Haiti ARISE Trade School. Plumbing, tiling, electrical work, painting, and ESL are a few items on the agenda as we assist in the development of a facility where the Haitian people can be educated and equipped!

We are excited to visit with the local Haitian people in the homes, interact with them in marketplace, bless them with a rice distribution, and join the local church in worship!

Thank you for the support you have already showed us! Already the donations and supplies are pouring in. We would appreciate your ongoing prayers:

Pray for the protection, health, safety, and unity of the team
Pray for spiritual preparation and growth through the Holy Spirit
Pray that our outreach may provide a means to share the Gospel

We invite you to follow us on this journey, as we go in His Name!