Haiti 2011 | Blog 7.

Mother Teresa once said:

“Each one of them is Jesus in disguise.”

Each child. Each orphan. Each human being. In Haiti. In Williamsburg. Each one - everyone.

How I treat one is how I treat Jesus. What a sobering thought.

Jesus initiated this concept when He said:

“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” [Matthew 25:40].

I just wanted to take a this last post to introduce you to the last four children at Wings of Refuge.

Wilson is one of the quieter ones but his facial expressions speak loud and clear. It was easy to see his disapproval of something or someone by some of his priceless expressions.

Adelin can always be found in the middle of all the commotion and fun. He loves to play seems to never run out of energy.

Adeline can often be found jumping rope or combing the Wings of Refuge doll’s hair for the thousandth time. She, like her brother Adelin, seems to always be full of energy and ready for anything that comes her way.

Renelson (like all of them) loves to be held. The hard thing is he is not three or even five so he is much heavier than the little guys. He is on the quieter side and simply loves to have you near him. So many times I would find him right by my side helping hold the tape as I put up a new alphabet or a number chart. He was always quick to help.

I hardly thought it was possible to miss a place and a people as much as I have the past few days. I miss the kids’ smiles and their hugs, I miss their unique mannerisms and personalities. But, one thing is for sure - I will be back very soon and hopefully with a team from CLC!

Haiti 2011 | Blog 6.

15 Things that I learned about Haiti while in Haiti:

1. Power outages are a normal thing. Whether in church, the supermarket, or at home, you never know when you will lose electricity.
2. Sweating is a staple to living in Haiti. Just get used to being hot.
3. Hand-washing clothes is very therapeutic.
4. You cannot leave your purse in the car, ever.
5. When playing a game of street soccer, your team has to do push-ups when they are scored upon.
6. Receiving an apple from a boy is a serious thing.
7. Eating mango with only your teeth and no knife is the way to do it - messy but so worth it.
8. You can expect to be woken up to either the sound of roosters, dogs barking, or the church singing.
9. The people are simply beautiful.
10. All-night prayer is REALLY all-night prayer.
11. People are quick to help you (even if sometimes they expect something in return).
12. Jesus is so present.
13. Haitian food is delicious.
14. Driving laws are open for negotiation - speed limit, side of the road you want to drive on, passing someone, everything...
15. The children are so appreciative of anything. They are perfectly content coloring the same drawings you drew for them the three days before. They simply want you, your attention, and your affection.

After a 10 hour flight yesterday (it was supposed to be 3.5 hours) and waiting at the airport for 10 hours today for my flight back to Richmond, I am thankful to have made it home though I do feel like a part of me remains in Haiti. I guess, I will have to go back soon...who is with me???

I will be posting the last four children soon.

Thank you for all the prayer!
Much love!

Haiti 2011 | Blog 5.

Saying good-bye to the kids was much harder than I anticipated. I suppose this was mostly because I had not thought about saying “good-bye” to them. It was hard partially because I was unable to let them know that I would not be there tomorrow (or for a while, actually).

Since it is my last night in Haiti, I want to introduce you to the other five of the children at Wings of Refuge Children’s Home. I will save the last few for tomorrow.

Sarah is a beautiful and bright seven year old. You can read her full story at the Wings of Refuge Website (http://wingsofrefugehaiti.com/). She is so smart and is picking up English very quickly. She already can speak French and Creole. She is a real leader and cares for the other children. She has such a sweet presence about her.

Jovannes has got leader written all over him. Whether he is helping clean up a mess, pointing the younger boys in the right direction, or simply listening to directions, he leads. He learns quickly and does not speak very much. He is kind and gentle with the others.

Widmy is Jovanesse’s younger brother and in many ways, it shows. He is kind and thoughtful like his older brother but he also can often be found in a corner playing with blocks by himself or throwing a ball around.

Migelite cannot help but giggle when the camera approaches anywhere in his vicinity. Once I hold up my camera to take a picture of him, he bursts into a gorgeous smile and giggles.

Clifford is the sweetest little-guy. He will share with anyone (to a fault at times) and in a home with twelve kids, sharing is a rare thing. He is content being by himself and is the quieter one of the bunch.

They are each so special, unique, and beautiful. I have loved every minute that I have had to get to know them and will miss each one dearly, but at least I know they are in good hands!

Haiti 2011 | Blog 4 & Prayer Points.

Today, we went on a windy and dangerous five hour drive to Lartigue - an area in the mountains of Haiti where Pastor Wilson has a church and school. The school provides all the kids with uniforms and a meal each day. Today was the kids’ last day of school so they were excitedly anticipating their report cards. We spent the first half of the day playing with them, holding them, and following them around.

The kids were beautiful and so joyful. They loved having their picture taken and having your arms around them. They have so little besides what the school has given them. They cook meals in straw huts, wash clothes in the river, and live without electricity.

Everyday while here in Haiti I am reminded to a new level of the fulfillment and joy that comes with giving. Many times this week, Mother Theresa’s words have come to me:

“It is in giving that you truly receive.”

That is true not only for the children but for my life and not only for my life while I am here in Haiti but for your life in Williamsburg. When we give and pour out, we receive far more.

It makes me think of the rich young ruler who came before Jesus searching for the key to eternal life. Jesus told him to sell everything he had and give the money to the poor. Jesus was not trying to scare the man off, make him miserable, or discourage the man’s faith. He was simply giving the man an opportunity - an opportunity to give and to be free from the bondage that stuff can have on us. He was offering the man the ticket to freedom and from what we see, the man was not interested (Matthew 19:16-22).

The people here give so generously and freely. There is no holding back even though in my eyes, they may have so little. We serve a great God who does not see things the way we see them. Hallelujah!

A few more points that you can be praying for:
Eglise Communion De La Manne Evangelique D’Haiti|
Pastors Roger and Gladys Wilson: wisdom, strength, and grace as they lead their church.
Unity for the church and the churches of Haiti.
Finances to support adding a facility so that they can provide a children's’ program during the services. Due to the earthquake, everything was ruined so that there is no separate space for the children.
Grace to grow and reach the unreached.

Thank you! Much love to you, Church!

Haiti 2011 | Prayer Points 1.

A few points that you can be praying for:
Wings of Refuge Children Home|
- Building Project: Currently, they are renting a home that is too small and does not give the kids any yard to play in. The land is bought and the foundation has been set. The project now just needs the finances to finish it.
- Pray for financial provision! Pray for the right people to partner with what God is doing here and for strategy and wisdom to know how to better raise the funds.
- Pray for the children: a few more will be coming this and next week to live at the home!
- Pray for the children to be healthy: many of them come with sicknesses that need medical attention (which adds to the cost).
- Pray for the Staff (Stevenson, Nana, Kenson, Aluna, and Ketchia). They work long and tirelessly to give these kids a different life.
Pray for the kids to know Jesus!

Tomorrow, I will post some prayer points for the church, Eglise Communion De La Manne Evangelique D’Haiti.

Love you all and thank you for praying!

Haiti 2011 | Blog 3.

In the church we have been visiting (Pastor Wilson’s church) here in Haiti, Psalm 94:17 is painted above the alter. It says,

“Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul would soon have settled in silence.”

I love that. Unless the Lord had come through, there really would not be anything to say. There is a dependence upon the Lord in this verse that I think is so beautiful. There is an acknowledgment of who He is that makes everything else so simple.

A corporate service or prayer service here in Haiti is a different thing. The Sunday service begins at 6am and ends at about 11am. Then, there is the youth service that went from 3pm till about 6pm. And then there is the night service from 6pm to about 9pm.

The church has corporate prayer each morning of the week at 4:30am in a different home and people attend! They also have a monthly prayer service on Friday that goes from 6pm to 12am and then on Saturday from 6am-12pm (where people fill the church with sleeping bags from 12am-6am to rest in between).

The church is filled with people who really seem to believe in what they are doing whether it is engaging the Lord in prayer, worship, talking with others, or listening to the message. They really believe that Jesus is everything and that without Him, they are nothing and this is obvious by the way they pour their lives out before Him. They know how to cry to the Lord and they know how to dance before the Lord. They really don’t care what the person to their right or left thinks of them - that is what a right perspective of God will do for you.

Here is an introduction to one more of the beautiful children from Wings of Refuge:

Erinel is five years old and is the happiest little guy I have ever met. He rarely is not smiling, laughing, wanting to be held, and sweating. We spend most of the day laughing at his little mannerisms - from his facial expressions to his inability to talk quietly, to his fascinating skill in repeating English words and phrases (you have to hear him say “I love you”).

I will be updating the blog shortly with prayer points. Thanks for staying tuned and for all the prayer! I feel it and appreciate you all greatly.