Home Again, Home Again… February 28, 2011

Well, we made it home around 1am today. Our flight to Jacksonville was delayed in Miami, but we didn’t complain too much. We had time to eat a cheeseburger and french fries! There was good conversation in the car on the drive back to Moncks Corner. I have to admit, that I slept through about half of it, but the part I heard and participated in was good! I’ve had some stomach and muscle aches since late Saturday night, so I took some medicine and passed out in the car. One of the last things I remember was something about Adam singing on the worship team…

So we’re all back in our homes today. Kayce just sent me a text a little while ago to check on me. We’re both experiencing the same things – We are very glad to be home and especially to be with our kiddos, but there is an ache in our hearts for Haiti. I tried talking on the phone to my youngest brother this morning to tell him about the trip and couldn’t do it. The tears were a heavy stream and I couldn’t stop them. There is a soccer ball sitting in my living room that David took from the kids in the last village we visited. He exchanged it for a brand new one. I wish you could see it. It’s half-deflated and has rips and shreds all over it. I’ve stared at it all morning remembering that just 48 hours ago, I was standing on a dusty Haitian street with 50 kids who were playing with this ball…it’s all they had. My mind is messing with me today; it keeps wanting to suppress what I saw and experienced, but I won’t let it. Instead, I’m praying for people – for Steve and Momma Kay; for Eddie and Miguelson; for Pastor Meno and Pastor Edmond; for Esther and Evan and Etale … David woke up this morning at 6am, sat straight up and began praying for the Haitian women who were, at that moment, gathering all they had in a bucket or large bowl, placing it on their head, and heading for the streets to hopefully sell enough to buy food for today.

I’m not sure what all is going on inside of David, Adam, Kayce and myself, but I know that something has been permanently planted inside of us that we may not know the full magnitude of until it unfolds one day at a time. As for me, I’m thankful that I have a couple of weeks off to “decompress” and process all that I’ve experienced. I don’t know a whole lot right now, but what I DO know is that I was introduced to a different Jesus than I’ve ever known. I saw Him in a way I’ve never seen Him before and it has made me fall in love all over again. I’m looking forward to spending sweet, undistracted time with Him and truly getting to know Him as the Hope of the World.

The Last Day… February 27, 2011

I wasn’t able to post anything yesterday…It was a full day and, of course, you would know that on the last day, I don’t feel so hot. But I pushed through and am feeling better this morning. Yesterday was an unbelievable finish to our experience here. We visited another village where there were probably 50 children gathered in the “church”… I put that in quotes because it was simply a shelter with a roof on top. The kids were singing in Haitian Creole and in English and they were so happy to see us! David and Adam told the story of David and Goliath and Esther translated. It was hysterical! I have it on video so I’ll have to post some footage when we get home. Can anyone guess who was Goliath?   Adam came out bellowing and screaming and scared those poor kids half to death! Momma Kay saw what was happening and started laughing until the kids caught on and laughed with her. It was a sight!! We gave them bracelets with colored beads that tell the story of salvation and candy too. After that, the guys spent about an hour playing soccer in the road with the new soccer ball we had brought. And Kayce and I? We sat for about an hour in a tiny shaded area while dozens of little girls played with and braided our hair! I think they were mesmerized! There was one baby girl, probably 2 or 3 years old, that hadn’t eaten or drunk anything in days. She has “thrush” as we call in English and the pastor said she needed an to see a doctor. Thankfully, as we depart today, a medical team is coming in to the Mission House and Momma Kay promised that they would tend to the little girl. She would have broken your heart – so limp and so affectionate. Actually, all the kids here are affectionate. They LOVE to hold hands and touch! (And for those of you who know my Edgar roots, you know I was right at home!) Toward the end of our stay, the kids were gathering in the church for their lunch – It was a couple of crackers and a cup of Kool-Aid. They wanted us to sit with them and we heard them over and over say, “Share? Share?” I have been replaying that this morning over and over in my head – That these children wanted to share whatever they had. Talk about Acts 2? It’s living and breathing in Haiti. I was overwhelmed this morning about how NOT like that I am. These children have taught us something that will change our lives forever…

After sightseeing some yesterday afternoon and experiencing a Haitian traffic jam – Believe me, you’ve NEVER been in a traffic jam until you’ve been in a HAITIAN traffic jam! – We came back to the house and began to say some “good-byes.” The other team from Kentucky left early this morning and we said “good-bye” to Steve and Momma Kay a few minutes ago. I stink at “good-byes” anyway, but THAT was a difficult one. Here were Pastor Steve’s final words to us: “Stay the course. When God speaks to your heart and tells you to do something, there will be ‘nay-sayers’. Don’t let them keep you from doing what God tells you to do. There’s a spark here and I can’t wait to see where God takes you. Keep your heart open.” Needless to say, Kayce and I were a “tad” emotional in that moment. We love these people and they have loved us like their own.

One final thing and then I’ll close. We found out that the other Kentucky team was so moved by our stories about Pastor Edmond and the orphanage that they came up with the $2000 needed to secure the land for their new building!!! Praise the Lord!! And they were going home to see about raising the rest of it. The pastor said he felt like challenging his people to provide food for the orphanage for an entire year! Steve told us before he left that they had never had a team come through and do all the ministry that we have done this week. We were flexible and just wanted to serve and God opened door after door after door. And then our stories moved the hearts of others to act. We are so humbled by this and will forever be grateful for this experience. THANK YOU to everyone who has supported us, prayed for us, taken care of our kids for us, and loved us through this trip. None of us will ever, EVER be the same and we couldn’t have done this without you. We love you very much.

“A-Ha!” February 25, 2011

We all slept pretty well last night…We needed it after the emotional day we had experienced. Today we made a few stops – First, we visited another organization in Port-au-Prince called International Outreach Mission. The Pastor, John Hanson, has been a friend of my grandfather’s for over 30 years. As a matter of fact, my “Poppa” was here in Haiti to preach the dedication service of their first church building. If you could see all these people have done in 35 years, you’d be amazed! They have over 5000 children in schools all over the country and churches planted throughout as well. Their facility is beautiful and they are well-respected for the work they do for the Haitian people. Pastor John was out when we visited, but we were able to sit with his wife, Joyce, for a little while and talk. She reminisced of their friendship with my grandparents and I’m so glad we were able to visit with her.

After that stop, we headed back to the village we had visited earlier in the week. David and Adam were going to help with the cement block church building and see if they could help that team make more progress. On the way, we had the special privilege of viewing what we would call the “Governor’s Mansion” in Delmas. It is a gorgeous facility and is for the people. The governor is a Christian and loves the people and desires to see them prosper. They would love to see him run for President, but because of the people’s love for him, they say he would not get very far. Apparently, the current government wants someone in who will continue to keep the people impoverished. These precious people deserve so much better. If it comes to your mind, join us, as we committed to pray, for Governor Wilson Thursday (translated into English)…

At the village, we were once again surrounded by children. Many of them remembered Kayce’s and my name and were excited to see us. It was really amazing that within 5 minutes of our arrival, the same little boys had grabbed our hands that had attached themselves to us the previous time. They were so sweet! One little boy in particular is still right in front of me when I close my eyes. I’m telling you the truth: I could have easily snuck him into my carry-on and brought him home! We gave out more coloring sheets and crayons and lollipops, and I was able to tell them several stories using a colorfully animated children’s Bible one of the Kentucky guys had given us. The very best part of the day was when we went on a walk with Esther, our translator. We came across a young woman – probably in her 20′s – with her young daughter in tow. Esther asked her if she knew Jesus and she said, “No.” Esther talked to her for a moment about Christ and asked her if she wanted to receive Him. The girl answered “Oui” and dropped to her knees right there on the dirt path! Kayce and I prayed with her and she gave her heart to the Lord! A little further down, there was an older man who wanted to pray to rededicate his life to Christ. He told us he had been a Christ-follower, but had gotten sick and had not been back to church. His family still served the Lord, but he didn’t. He invited us into his home and knelt down beside his bed and we led him back to the Lord! He told us before we left that he knows now that the peace of the Lord will be in him and that his family will be restored. It was amazing!! We told Esther that moments like those – such easy moments – are few and far between in the US. It’s so sad…

Adam had his “a-ha!” moment on our way back to the Guest House. We had 3 soccer balls left in the van and as we drove down the road, we were looking for kids to give them to. Esther spotted a little boy and his younger brother holding hands walking down the sidewalk and she said, “Him! Him!” So Adam rolled down his window, called out to the boy, and threw a soccer ball to him. The little boy’s face lit up like a flashlight and his brother’s eyes were as big as saucers! The boy waved to us to tell us thank you. We watched him walk a few steps, then place the soccer ball in his backpack to avoid anyone trying to take it. As he began walking again, he reached his hand toward heaven and pointed. Such a simple thing as a soccer ball but we can’t even begin to express the look on that little boy’s face. Adam said to us tonight, “How do we know that this particular little boy hadn’t been praying and asking God for a soccer ball and all of a sudden, it appears to him from a stranger in a car driving down the road?!?” (We all joked that the little boy took one look at Adam and had to believe that Jesus Himself and tossed him that ball! )  Such a simple thing…but being obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit and there it is…the A-HA!

Our night concluded with talking to Pastor Steve and “Momma Kay” about their adventures around the world including how they got to Haiti. I could have sat there all night listening to them talk about how God led them and completely changed the direction of their lives. One thing Pastor Steve said tonight was this: “If I had it to do all over again, even knowing what I know now, even knowing how difficult it would be, I’d still be standing right here with you in this country tonight.” And there was my “A-ha!” We don’t always have to know the answers; we don’t always have to know the details. All we have to do is surrender when the Lord calls and desire His will above everything else. He will take care of the answers and He will cover every detail if we never give up on our call and desire His way above our own comforts. Pastor Steve and Momma Kay have known material wealth and they have known giving it all up. And their encouragement to us tonight was that we can have all the “things” in life we want, but if we are outside of His will, we will never be satisfied. Only when we are completely surrendered and willing to give it all up will we know the feeling that Pastor Steve has every day here in Haiti….A-Ha!

 

The Hardest Day Yet… February 24, 2011

Today was definitely the hardest day we’ve had since we arrived. We’re all physically tired, but emotionally, we are spent. We started off back at the same church we visited yesterday so that David and Adam could help the team from Kentucky continue the work on the roof. They made significant progress and the church will more than likely be finished by tomorrow. The people may be able to worship there on Sunday!

Mid-afternoon, the four of us left with “Momma Kay”, as she is affectionately known here, to head toward the countryside and visit an orphanage. (Momma Kay is the Team Coordinator here at the Guest Mission House.) People who lost their homes in the earthquake are able to live in the rural area around the mountains for no cost as long as they have a tent. There’s no way to describe what we saw. There is a “marketplace” in a busy part of the area that was so crowded, there was barely room to drive. We finally arrived at the orphanage where we were greeted by Pastor Edmond. He is by far the most gracious, humble, precious man we have met. Pastor Edmond and his wife and seven children care for 30 orphans, from infants to preteens. He lost everything in the earthquake – the orphanage, his church building, and his home. The “orphanage” is a group of several tents, one being used as their school. Pastor Edmond told us that he had been praying and fasting for three days asking God for supplies to care for the children and especially for food. He said when we drove through the gate, we were God’s answer to his prayer. We gave the children most of the donations that we had brought from the US – soccer balls, jerseys, candy, bracelets; and even were able to leave special “care packages” for each orphan that included things like toothpaste and a toothbrush. One of the teams from Kentucky had given us money to give to Pastor Edmond and he was so thankful that he could finally go and buy food. Looking at those children and knowing that they had not eaten in 3 days was overwhelming, to say the least. A little girl latched herself onto Kayce and it was difficult having to say “good-bye.” Adam and David were amazing with the kids – especially the boys. They held them in their laps and kicked the soccer balls around the yard…Kayce and I are blessed to have husbands that are good “daddies.”

While the physical work was not as bad today, the emotional part was draining. We came back to the Mission House and are trying to figure out how we can help raise $2000 to put down on a piece of land for Pastor Edmond. This would secure him a place to build his church and school, and give shelter to the orphans. The total cost of the land is $7000 and there are teams that would and could help them build. I wish I was able to post pictures tonight, but the signal is low and it would take hours to upload them. When we return to the US, we will definitely share pictures so you can see for yourself the conditions these children are living in. Tonight, we are asking that you pray for Pastor Edmond and the ministry God has called him to here in Haiti. And pray for our hearts…they are broken.

The City… February 23, 2011

We spent today in the city; it was quite a difference from the village we visited yesterday. Busy streets and smaller spaces, but still people to minister to! David and Adam worked hard on rebuilding the roof of a church that collapsed during the earthquake. It is a 2-story building and they have been meeting downstairs with little to no ventilation. We met the pastor and one of the deacons, and they have a vision to feed the hungry and, in doing so, take advantage of the opportunity to show them the love of Christ. These men are passionate about their mission! We met several other church members who showed up to help with construction. One of the men, Pierre, was such a great help. He said several times, “This is my church; I want to help build it.” Such ownership and pride that we see over and over with the Haitian people! Kayce and I had the opportunity to do some ministry with the children downstairs while our guys worked in the hot, 100 degree sun. We were limited on the games we could play because of space, but we still managed to love on babies, tickle toddlers, and tell stories. We gave out candy and coloring sheets and heard “Merci” over and over from grateful kids. In all, the church has around 98 children that are a part of their congregation! That’s more than some American churches’ total attendance! The pastor asked us to pray for their efforts that God would bless their ministry. He is so grateful to us for being here.

Kayce and I also were able to visit a Haitian school today. There were 150 students gathered in ONE ROOM separated by curtains! Chalkboards were up and kids practically sat on top of one another as they learned to read, write and solve math problems. The kindergarteners met in another room, and there were about 20 of them in a 10×10 space. It was unreal. They gathered together for us to speak to them and I shared the story of David and Goliath while Esther translated. She is so great with the kids…They lean in and hang on her words! The children sang a few songs that they had learned in school; one in particular blessed me so much! The idea of the song was that when we pray and worship Jesus, the enemy is set to flight and we have victory! These people really know how to worship the Lord and are so unashamed in their expression to Him. They have little or nothing, but they sing about how great our God is. At the risk of sounding like my pastor , I’m seeing first hand that in the US, we are definitely Americans before we are Christians. We have everything at our disposal, yet we don’t see the greatness of our God. I will never sing that song the same way again.

Just a few more neat stories, and then I’m turning in for the night! It’s early rising around here…

• David and Adam joined a team from Kentucky to do the work on the church today. They were so grateful for young, strong guys to assist them! It’s amazing that not many young people are making trips to this country. We’ll have to see what we can do about that!  Anyway – The guys from Kentucky told us that on Monday, they were out there working and they ran out of nails. They weren’t sure what they were going to do, but they decided to keep working until their carpenters’ aprons were empty. The pastor told us they were able to work three more hours and still had nails left over!
• Tonight, we were packing care packages to take to the orphanage tomorrow. We had exactly enough supplies for each child to have a package, as well as one for the caregivers.
• The school that Kayce and I visited is part of another church in town. The pastor of that church was in his office on the bottom floor of the church the day of the earthquake. He was trapped in the rubble for three days and was rescued alive and healthy!

These stories keep coming and I’ll do my best to relay as many as I can remember. God is definitely at work in Haiti and I’m so thankful He’s using us to help with it!

 

Jesus and Zechariah Visit the Village… February 22, 2011

We began our morning at 4am with roosters (that’s plural) cock-a-doodle-dooing outside our windows. That’s early for us! We rolled out of bed, got dressed and headed downstairs where we ate a delicious breakfast of eggs with English peas, ham, fresh papaya and bread with peanut butter. The food is delicious! We left the mission house and arrived at the Disaster Relief office where all the crews gathered to pack the trucks with supplies and have prayer and worship before leaving for the work sites. Our team drove an hour and a half to a remote village on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince. We were the first Americans to visit this village and it was quite an experience! Adam and David (AKA “Jesus” and “Zechariah” nicknamed by the people in the village!) helped a team from Kentucky with rebuilding the village church that had been destroyed in the earthquake. Kayce and I spent the entire day with the children – blowing bubbles, singing songs, telling stories, playing games and giving out crayons, coloring sheets, jump ropes, suckers and soccer balls. The kids were attached to our hips – many of them holding our hands and pinching our skin! To see the way these people live – so simply and so full of joy – was so different than America. We complain about so much and we don’t even realize how much we have.

Haitians are a laid-back people who only worry about today…no clocks to punch, no schedule to keep…just getting through each day. Despite their circumstances, the kids we loved on were so full of joy! Their songs were all about Jesus and their answer was always “Oui!” when we asked about Jesus living in their hearts. Probably the most touching moment was when one of the girls (21 years old) from the village told us that we were “God’s people” and that because of us coming to serve them, God was going to bless us. She kept saying how much she loved us and then proceeded to offer us what they had – fresh mangoes from a tree nearby. One of the young men climbed HIGH into the tree and dropped several mangoes down to us. This was their way of thanking us for coming and helping them and they BEGGED us to come back. Amazing. Even though their church building is a pile of rubble, they still meet to worship – no instruments, no stage, no electricity, no roof. Just people coming together to sing and worship and hear a message from the village pastor that Jesus is their only hope.

The people of Haiti LOVE America and LOVE Americans! They know that the US was the first country to respond after the earthquake and even with the cholera epidemic, Americans STILL come and assist their people. We represent hope to these people so they love to see us in their country. We are all physically tired but are excited about tomorrow…We’re not sure yet exactly what it holds, but we know that God will direct our steps and open doors. There’s lots more to share, but it’s late so we’re turning in for the night…We’ll post more tomorrow!

P.S. – We JUST found out that we ate goat for dinner. Oh geez. Pray for us.

We’re Here! February 21, 2011

We have safely arrived in Port-au-Prince! The flights from Jacksonville and Miami were both very smooth and entrance to the country was not nearly as stressful as we thought it might be. We were met at the airport by members of the Florida Disaster Relief and they took such great care of us! We were able to see some of the earthquake devastation immediately and were instantly overwhelmed by the “tent cities.” We are staying in a compound owned by the Florida Baptist Association and the people here are some of the most precious, caring people who epitomize “servanthood.” We have been given a driver and an interpreter who will be with us for the duration of our trip and we’re already nuts about them! Esther, our interpreter, travels up to 4 hours one way to work here as an interpreter in order to take care of her family. She has 2 children and her husband is a pastor of a village church. She took us all around the city today and showed us the Haitian Palace, which now lies in ruins, as well as the remains of a Catholic church that had some of the most beautiful architecture. She told us that 12 priests were gathered together for a meeting in the church the day the earthquake hit; all 12 perished. This is the story we are hearing over and over – brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, children – all casualties of the 7.0 earthquake. Esther said the ground literally moved her children up and down in front of her eyes. None of us can even begin to imagine…

With all of that in mind, we know that we are here for a purpose. We’ve already been part of a “miracle!” Kaye, our Ministry Team Leader, told us when we arrived that the opportunities for ministering to children are prevalent this week. They had been praying about what they were going to take into the villages and thought they may have to purchase items. But then they prayed that maybe, just maybe the team coming in from South Carolina would bring some things with them. And boy, did we ever! When we told her about the Dum-Dum suckers, the soccer balls, the jerseys, the Happy Meal toys, the jump ropes, the coloring books, the crayons, and even about David bringing his guitar, she was THRILLED! So off we go tomorrow, about an hour and a half away, to help with rebuilding “White Stone Church” and to minister to the children in the area. We’ll have the chance to play with the kids and tell them stories and share the hope of Jesus! God is so good and we are so excited!

For those of you who are covering us in prayer, here are a few specifics:

1. David has been struggling with a sore throat and congestion. The dust here is terrible and we need the Lord to do a complete healing work in him!
2. Voo-Doo is very strong in the entire nation of Haiti. There is a saying that Haitians are “80% Catholic, 20% Protestant and 100% Voo-Doo.” We’ve been told stories about strong Believers who still struggle with fear because of the hold witch doctors have on people. Please pray that we will be able to love on the people here and show them that “perfect love casts out all fear.”
3. Pray for open doors, creativity, and wisdom on how to engage the people. We were reminded tonight that we’re here to rebuild, we’re here to serve, but most importantly, we’re here for relationships.

Thank you for praying for us…We’re expecting great things tomorrow and all week long!

On Our Way! February 20, 2011

We have safely arrived in Jacksonville, FL, and are getting ready to turn in for the night. Today was bittersweet as we said “good bye” to our friends and families; but to say we are excited about this trip is an understatement! We formed an assembly line tonight to finish stuffing all the bags that will be given out to families once their homes are built. These “care packages” contain items we take for granted – like toothbrushes and toothpaste, soap, bouillon cubes, matches, q-tips, and more. We have filled EIGHT LARGE SUITCASES with donations for the people of Haiti! Happy Meal toys, soccer balls, sports jerseys and much, much more! THANK YOU to everyone who brought donations…We feel like we’re taking a part of you with us on this trip!

Our flight for Miami leaves at 7am tomorrow and we will arrive in Port-au-Prince around 11:40am. Please continue to pray for us for safety in our travels and for all the “unknowns” we will encounter. David, Adam, Kayce and I all believe that this trip has been “divinely appointed” for us, and we are ready to take the light of Jesus to a place that is dark and without hope. Pray for open doors to share Christ and begin praying now for the people we will meet…that their hearts will be open to Jesus – our only real Hope!

HAITI-BOUND! February 19, 2011

I can’t believe the day is already here…TOMORROW we leave town and begin our adventure to Haiti! David and I are so excited to be sharing this experience with another incredible couple – Adam and Kayce Bradshaw. Already we know that the Lord has put us together “for such a time as this” and we are all filled with expectation about this trip! I am going to do my best to keep this blog updated and maybe even be able to post some pictures and/or video. We definitely covet your prayers…especially for the people we are going to encounter – that they will be receptive to the message of Jesus! Here is our itinerary as of now:

Sunday (following the 11am service): Depart for Jacksonville, FL

Monday, 7am: Flight from Jacksonville to Miami, Miami to Port-au-Prince, Haiti (arrive in Haiti app. 11:40am)

Throughout the Week: Work with the natives on the rebuild effort; take advantage of EVERY ministry opportunity presented!

Sunday, Feb. 27: Flight from Port-au-Prince, Haiti to Miami; Miami to Jacksonville; Drive home

We have been overwhelmed by support from our church family at Pointe North, our friends and extended families, and the community. We’ll share as the week goes on all the donations for the children that we are now trying to squeeze into suitcases! =) We love you guys and can’t wait to share stories of life-change! Please check back daily…If Wi-Fi in the compound cooperates, we’ll post daily!

 

History or Destiny? January 8, 2010

I was listening to a message today by one of my favorite speakers  and he asked this question: Are you living in history or destiny? I had to ponder that for a minute. He went on to point to the story of Abraham and Isaac. Remember when God told Abraham to take Isaac, his only son, and head out to a mountain to sacrifice him? Long story very short, Abraham set out with Isaac in tow, toward a mountain that God would show to him. The journey took three days. When Abraham saw the place, he left his servants and donkeys and took Isaac up to the top. God allowed Abraham to go so far as to tie up his only son and raise his knife  before He stopped him and provided a ram in the thicket. Here’s the point: If Abraham had continued to obey the instructions and revelation of God from three days before, he would have killed Isaac. If He was not continuing to seek God for his today-word, the story would have ended much differently.

So the question remains alive and burning in my heart – Am I living in history – of what God used to say or even said yesterday – or am I living in destiny – receiving today’s word and staying sensitive to His interruptions? My prayer is, and will continue to be, that I will hear the interruptions of the Holy Spirit so that I won’t “kill” what He wants to “keep”.