Tuesday, August 11
Today was a special day for us. Butch put it pretty accurately when he said "today we are just vacationing." We had a later start at around 9:30 and we loaded onto the truck to visit a place called Apparent Project by Papillon Enterprise . This is a place about 15 hours *cough cough* I mean minutes away that was developed by a Ms. Shelly to provide jobs for around 400 Haitian citizens. Apparent Projects began when Ms. Shelly realized that she could provide the most help to Haitian people by providing jobs. The beginnings of her mission started in her living room with five women making jewelry and has now grown into an enterprise that partners with companies in America such
as Walmart as well as American local artisans.
When we arrived, we noticed we were in an affluent part of town and Apparent Projects was placed
on a quite side street with multiple buildings devoted to their mission. The inside of the building we went into first was festive and catered to a foreign audience (namely Americans). There were actual printed signs and every piece of jewelry had a price tag (something I had not seen for the past week). There was pleasant music for the shoppers and a nice canopy that Lloyd tested thoroughly with his eye closed. The rest of us sauntered through the array of clay beads, metal work, and cereal box jewelry. Many of us will be bringing back wonderful finds, maybe one of you reading this will be fashioning these beauties in the near future.
A young woman named Cali (from California) gave us a tour of their facilities and the whole system seemed extremely positive. They had some phenomenal ideas about progressing their market, caring for their workers, and educating their workers. I really liked that Cali encouraged the workers who spoke English to explain what they did in a specific location because it promoted their ownership of the enterprise. I especially enjoyed going into a room where the employees could educate themselves using laptops. Many of them were on Rosetta Stone. I was really impressed! Check them out on literally any social media cite because they are on top of it.
We ate lunch with their employees in a cabana like deck area and Carrie and Beth, being so giving, thought to share our cookies with them since many of them were using their lunch break to relax (also, I learned that Haitians usually only eat two meals a day, so many would just wait until dinner). We shopped a little while longer and it was time to go.
The rest of the afternoon was fairly relaxed. Some folks went to Ryan Epps to check on the completion of the metal work. Wes and Dave also had a chance to give little Tracy a little elephant they had purchased at Apparent Project. I stayed back with Sarah and we both rested from the long long journeys we took that day. When the group got back, Carrie came in carrying a mysterious bag. I asked what she had bought and she showed me a beautiful piece of stonework. She told me that there was a man out in the courtyard selling stonework around where madam CheepCheep usually set up.
I visited this man. I never learned his name, but he was a very cool dude. First of all, his stone work was simply magnificent! I ended up buying a beautiful piece for my friends wedding on Saturday. I ended up chatting with him for a bit and he told me his wild life story. He had lived in West Africa and New York City and had come to stay in Haiti. He had all of his working equipment stollen from him and he had to start over in the mountains of Haiti making stonework. It's hard to describe, but you could tell that he was a wise man who had truly had a whirlwind of a life. He was a good father too. He had his two sons with him and he encouraged them to talk with the customers. His sons had also made some stonework that he was eager to show us. We truly have met some amazing people in Haiti. He was one of them for me.
So since we come back tomorrow, (yes, tomorrow. Please don't forget to pick us up from the airport) I am going to list some things I forgot to mention:
1. Claudel is spelled Claudel, not Claudelle. I know this now because we are Facebook friends. Yay!
2. If you ever go to a pool party with a Californian, beware, they are splashers!
3. Lloyd can fall asleep anywhere (so can our friend Son-son)
4. Debbie can rock a killer top ponytail that should be in the next Molly Ringwald movie
5. Sarah is our resident queen! She has earned this position by being the ultimate trooper and to attest to this esteemed position I will tell you today she had three people fanning her with various found objects.
6. Marilyn is the group mom! She has stayed back with some, checked on all, and she always
manages to keep a beautiful smile on her face.
7. Villa Mamika never had a meal I didn't like
8. Wes now calls Matt papa, Wes is Sarah's new grandson, I am Debbie's daughter
, Carrie is Marilyn's daughter and we are all related because these kids made it so
9. Dana stole all the children's Chapstick and tried to get away with all 46 until we caught her....no not really...but it seems pretty plausible
10. Tom is the IT wiz, and loves to say everyone's name in a Haitian accent
11. Beth had earned a degree in medicine. It is official.
12. And Dave is a just a jerk...jk everyone loves Dave
Follow First United Methodist Church Fuquay-Varina on their mission trips to Haiti.
Photos
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Monday, August 10, 2015
They'll Know We Are Chrisitans
I'm going to summarize two days in one, cause that worked so well last time:
Sunday, August 9
We stayed at the Villa Mamika and didn't do anything...
Monday, Aug 10
Muahahahaha you thought I was going to just going to breeze over what happened on Sunday. Alright, alright...I'll give you the sweet and condensed version of Sunday:
So, we knew going into Sunday that we were going to stay at Villa Mamika for the whole day. This was out of respect and out of precaution for the Haitian elections that were happening through out the city. See, Haitians have no problem corralling interest in elections. Many gangs are offiiliated with certain politicians and it was explained to me that the main incentive is money. People in Haiti may be paid to be at a rally to support a cause at 1pm and show up to be paid to be against the same cause at 2pm. Needless to say, it was better to be safe and stay indoors.
We had our breakfast in the usual fashion that we had become accustomed to. We then all had a lovely stroll to the chapel that Villa Mamika uses for their weddings. In fact, Marilyn was describing to us, before the service, how a Haitian wedding would be in this space. It was very adorable to see her get all excited about each detail as she scurried to different areas and gave us such imagery of what everything looked like.
We eased into the beginning of the service that began with a prayer. I love that Butch always starts his prayers by saying something like "with the air we breath we give you thanks". I like this because it reminds me of the song Breathe that we sing in church. With the air he gives us, we breath in and we breath out and we give him thanks. Butch asked me to sing and I stood in the back of the church and sang a song my mom taught me when I was very young. I sing it in my head when I want to praise Jesus and sometimes when I drive, I sing it when I see a beautiful sky, so in this country where I feel and see Jesus so much every day, it felt appropriate. Then Matt prayed for us. It was a beautiful prayer that set all of our hearts on Jesus.
Butch asked us first what our favorite part of the trip was. Many mentioned the Haitian men that we have been working with like Claudelle and Williams. These men are inspiring and is definitely agreed that they have made our time here special. We mentioned how caring many in our group have been, especially Wesley. Dana had a specific moment like many of us that she shared when she was playing soccer with the children at Ganthier. Butch then shared a message that was based on a reading from Isaiah. He challenged us to think of how we can bring Haiti into our lives so that we may always be leading a life of service. Debbie then lead us in a song that perfectly encompassed our ultimate goal. We sang "they'll know we are Christians by our...." (I am trying to condense...I figured you could fill in the blank) We ended the service by singing surely the presence. And it surely was in that place. We left the church feeling a revival in the spirit and we walked back together.
The rest of the day could be summarized in simple words: roof, view, wow, sleep, read, crossword, more PB and J, chat, read, sleep, Haitian hot dogs, read, phone, sleep, dinner, cards, devotion, Upper Room, "No, I'm not busy", discussion, sleep. Noticed how I didn't use the words: scared, worried, voting, election, fight. It was a very relaxing day and we give thanks that we were protected and we thank you for all your prayers
Monday, August 10
When I woke up this morning, I felt sick. I think that we all have been there. It's not anything catastrophic, we're not out of business sick, but if you have ever been to a country like Haiti, you're going to have your off days (except for Marilyn. She flawless). So, I am sitting on the truck trying to keep my cookies from being tossed and Marilyn said that a pastor from the California group had said something to her that she wanted to share. He said: make Jesus proud. After that I felt rejuvenated. Not to mention Beth Munzenmaier has been taking care of me like I am her child, (however she is too young to have me as a child. :)
We arrived at Ryan Epps for tools and then went off to Orphanage 46 where our hearts were patiently waiting. My sweet, sweet Ernso was waiting for me and as soon as I jumped of the truck and Richardson join in our big hug. Now, we had to strategically move the children outside for this visit because we planned to surprise them with new bed sheets and pillows when they came back in. So, many of us moved the children into the dirt field. We played or attempted to play many games with them. They liked duck, duck, goose and red rover. One of the best moments was watching Williams teach all of us a game I have never seen. He tied a blindfold over David's eyes and he tapped two rocks together and David had to find him by the sound. The kids loved this game and so did our team.
Finally, the beds were complete and the children were allowed back inside. They excitedly jumped on their beds, but we had even more surprises than that. We sat them all down and we revealed a special bag for each child at 46. You should have seen their faces. They were so excited about their new items that they'd scurry to their room and place their new bag on their new bed and took the items out and put the items in and them take the items right out again. These donations were wonderful! Debbie will have some great pictures to capture their joy! We gave a packet of fruit snacks to each child and I lost it again when I saw Ernso open his packet and without a shread of reluctance he took some pieces and gave them to other kids and other adults and took the last few and popped them into his mouth. I had tears in my eyes when he offered me his last two and I squeezed him with all the love I could muster.
Butch asked some of us if we wanted to go to some stores. David, Wesley, Lloyd, Butch, and I were the brave souls that ventured out. The store experience was actually the close to American culture that I got. The hardware store was like Home Depot (except for the 5th of vodka next to the check out line) and the supermarket was just like Food Lion (except for the security officer posted outside). On our way back with our supplies for an electric water pump at 46 and enough ice cream for 46 and Ryan Epps, we made our way home. On the way home, we witnessed a terrible accident. We saw a very injured man walk beside our truck and I felt very helpless because we couldn't help him. Butch tried frantically to find anything, but any helpful item was at 46. I put my head down and I prayed,
because what else could we do. It was a rough moment because I had gotten used to helping so immediately, but with this man, I helped the only way I knew how.
After we returned, it was ICE CREAM tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimmmmmmmmmmmmeeeeeeee!!!!!! No, but really, it was a very exciting moment! I don't care what country you are from, watching children eat ice cream is about the same wherever you go. They looked as content as a frog on a Lilly pad. We had to leave shortly after and I hear that might've been the last time we will be there. I squeezed my boys tightly, am I looked them both in the face and I said "Je T'aime" and they looked back at me and they said "Je T'aime" and they asked me if I was going to cry and I could say in French "in my heart" . I reluctantly, very very reluctantly walked to the door and many young children ran up and gave me a last hug. The pastor of the orphanage said thank you and kissed me on the cheek. I walked with Ernso's hand in mine until we had to separate and I got on the truck. I found an open spot at the back of the truck and looked at a group of kids that had collected outside the orphanage. I looked at the little girl I rocked to sleep, I looked at the little toddler that I had tossed in the air, I looked at the young woman I had talked with as she played with my hair, I looked for Ernso, I waved and waved and soon we turned the corner. It was sad, but I know this won't be the last time I see them.
Sunday, August 9
We stayed at the Villa Mamika and didn't do anything...
Monday, Aug 10
Muahahahaha you thought I was going to just going to breeze over what happened on Sunday. Alright, alright...I'll give you the sweet and condensed version of Sunday:
So, we knew going into Sunday that we were going to stay at Villa Mamika for the whole day. This was out of respect and out of precaution for the Haitian elections that were happening through out the city. See, Haitians have no problem corralling interest in elections. Many gangs are offiiliated with certain politicians and it was explained to me that the main incentive is money. People in Haiti may be paid to be at a rally to support a cause at 1pm and show up to be paid to be against the same cause at 2pm. Needless to say, it was better to be safe and stay indoors.
We had our breakfast in the usual fashion that we had become accustomed to. We then all had a lovely stroll to the chapel that Villa Mamika uses for their weddings. In fact, Marilyn was describing to us, before the service, how a Haitian wedding would be in this space. It was very adorable to see her get all excited about each detail as she scurried to different areas and gave us such imagery of what everything looked like.
We eased into the beginning of the service that began with a prayer. I love that Butch always starts his prayers by saying something like "with the air we breath we give you thanks". I like this because it reminds me of the song Breathe that we sing in church. With the air he gives us, we breath in and we breath out and we give him thanks. Butch asked me to sing and I stood in the back of the church and sang a song my mom taught me when I was very young. I sing it in my head when I want to praise Jesus and sometimes when I drive, I sing it when I see a beautiful sky, so in this country where I feel and see Jesus so much every day, it felt appropriate. Then Matt prayed for us. It was a beautiful prayer that set all of our hearts on Jesus.
Butch asked us first what our favorite part of the trip was. Many mentioned the Haitian men that we have been working with like Claudelle and Williams. These men are inspiring and is definitely agreed that they have made our time here special. We mentioned how caring many in our group have been, especially Wesley. Dana had a specific moment like many of us that she shared when she was playing soccer with the children at Ganthier. Butch then shared a message that was based on a reading from Isaiah. He challenged us to think of how we can bring Haiti into our lives so that we may always be leading a life of service. Debbie then lead us in a song that perfectly encompassed our ultimate goal. We sang "they'll know we are Christians by our...." (I am trying to condense...I figured you could fill in the blank) We ended the service by singing surely the presence. And it surely was in that place. We left the church feeling a revival in the spirit and we walked back together.
The rest of the day could be summarized in simple words: roof, view, wow, sleep, read, crossword, more PB and J, chat, read, sleep, Haitian hot dogs, read, phone, sleep, dinner, cards, devotion, Upper Room, "No, I'm not busy", discussion, sleep. Noticed how I didn't use the words: scared, worried, voting, election, fight. It was a very relaxing day and we give thanks that we were protected and we thank you for all your prayers
Monday, August 10
When I woke up this morning, I felt sick. I think that we all have been there. It's not anything catastrophic, we're not out of business sick, but if you have ever been to a country like Haiti, you're going to have your off days (except for Marilyn. She flawless). So, I am sitting on the truck trying to keep my cookies from being tossed and Marilyn said that a pastor from the California group had said something to her that she wanted to share. He said: make Jesus proud. After that I felt rejuvenated. Not to mention Beth Munzenmaier has been taking care of me like I am her child, (however she is too young to have me as a child. :)
We arrived at Ryan Epps for tools and then went off to Orphanage 46 where our hearts were patiently waiting. My sweet, sweet Ernso was waiting for me and as soon as I jumped of the truck and Richardson join in our big hug. Now, we had to strategically move the children outside for this visit because we planned to surprise them with new bed sheets and pillows when they came back in. So, many of us moved the children into the dirt field. We played or attempted to play many games with them. They liked duck, duck, goose and red rover. One of the best moments was watching Williams teach all of us a game I have never seen. He tied a blindfold over David's eyes and he tapped two rocks together and David had to find him by the sound. The kids loved this game and so did our team.
Finally, the beds were complete and the children were allowed back inside. They excitedly jumped on their beds, but we had even more surprises than that. We sat them all down and we revealed a special bag for each child at 46. You should have seen their faces. They were so excited about their new items that they'd scurry to their room and place their new bag on their new bed and took the items out and put the items in and them take the items right out again. These donations were wonderful! Debbie will have some great pictures to capture their joy! We gave a packet of fruit snacks to each child and I lost it again when I saw Ernso open his packet and without a shread of reluctance he took some pieces and gave them to other kids and other adults and took the last few and popped them into his mouth. I had tears in my eyes when he offered me his last two and I squeezed him with all the love I could muster.
Butch asked some of us if we wanted to go to some stores. David, Wesley, Lloyd, Butch, and I were the brave souls that ventured out. The store experience was actually the close to American culture that I got. The hardware store was like Home Depot (except for the 5th of vodka next to the check out line) and the supermarket was just like Food Lion (except for the security officer posted outside). On our way back with our supplies for an electric water pump at 46 and enough ice cream for 46 and Ryan Epps, we made our way home. On the way home, we witnessed a terrible accident. We saw a very injured man walk beside our truck and I felt very helpless because we couldn't help him. Butch tried frantically to find anything, but any helpful item was at 46. I put my head down and I prayed,
because what else could we do. It was a rough moment because I had gotten used to helping so immediately, but with this man, I helped the only way I knew how.
After we returned, it was ICE CREAM tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimmmmmmmmmmmmeeeeeeee!!!!!! No, but really, it was a very exciting moment! I don't care what country you are from, watching children eat ice cream is about the same wherever you go. They looked as content as a frog on a Lilly pad. We had to leave shortly after and I hear that might've been the last time we will be there. I squeezed my boys tightly, am I looked them both in the face and I said "Je T'aime" and they looked back at me and they said "Je T'aime" and they asked me if I was going to cry and I could say in French "in my heart" . I reluctantly, very very reluctantly walked to the door and many young children ran up and gave me a last hug. The pastor of the orphanage said thank you and kissed me on the cheek. I walked with Ernso's hand in mine until we had to separate and I got on the truck. I found an open spot at the back of the truck and looked at a group of kids that had collected outside the orphanage. I looked at the little girl I rocked to sleep, I looked at the little toddler that I had tossed in the air, I looked at the young woman I had talked with as she played with my hair, I looked for Ernso, I waved and waved and soon we turned the corner. It was sad, but I know this won't be the last time I see them.
Saturday, August 8, 2015
Here's two days for you. You can handle it.
Aug 7th and 8th
I've gotten a little behind so I am going to get two days in one entry if that's alright with you. Good? Good.
Yesterday we went to Ryan Epps home. We knew that the plan was to bag rice and beans. This was a large ordeal and we were ready and prepped for the challenge. However, the challenge didn't come. We spent a long time moseying around the compound and sitting in shade here and sitting in shade there. At some points in time a person would walk over to the water cooler and drink some water and retreat back into the shade. There was really only work for Butch and Donnie.
The rest of us in the shade had a thought. Where are the children? Why not go to them and greet them? Granted this was a different approach than Orphanage 46 where the children came to you, but it was worth a shot. Slowly we bridged the gap and children started to mingle. Finally after our third visit to Ryan Epps, we were talking to and playing with children. I actually had two girls come and speak to me one was named Jenny and the other Rodline. They were very meek, but soon we were talking and I shared my notebook with them. They drew pictures of flowers and houses. These children seemed pretty content. I also brought out a word search which I ended up leaving there. They will be pretty entertained for a while, I hope. Many of us also bonded with a little girl named Tracy who was obviously knew how cute she was because she had all of us picking her up and playing with her. We also went to view the community center. It wasn't open the day we went, but it was nice to see the production of a functioning Clinic and sewing shop.
After a time when it seemed like the rice and beans would never get there (there was some serious traffic), we heard the honk and everyone jumped to their feet. We quickly formed an assembly line and we started to pass off 55 lbs bags of rice and beans. During the line passing the boys got excited about flexing their muscles and they threw these bags to each other. The boy in front of me moved all of a sudden I saw a 55 lbs bag fly at my face. With a loud "oft" sound I caught the bag (cough cough just as good as any fella) and we decided to take it a little more easy on account of protecting my life from another unexpected incident.
The sorting process was really fun to me because I was being productive which helped to alleviate the heat, I like relay kind of projects, and because our good Haitian friend Claudelle was singing praise songs beside me. I would scoop up the rice and David would bag the rice and a Haitian friend, jimmy would tie the bag shut. In the end we had bagged around 223 bags of rice and beans! Hallelujah!
After the sorting it was time to go. We said farewell to our new friends and went home.
Today, was a hard day for me. In many ways. I woke up to a spider bite on my arm that we are still monitoring. I went out to see Madame CheepCheep, a kind old lady who sells souvenirs within Villa Momika. She is so sweet and asks about my family. We loaded up soon after and went to Ryan Epps to load up. Today we had to flex our muscles because we loaded 223 bags of rice and beans, plus some full 55lbs bags of rice and beans, plus some heavy oil boxes all on the truck. There was barely room for us to fit on the truck but we managed.
We rode on the truck longer than we had ever been before. There were many times we had to brace our bodies with all our strength against the sides of the truck to not spill the beans (haha). We drove into the country and I loved seeing the mountains grow bigger as we got closer to them. We arrived at Ganthier, an orphanage with 8 girls and one boy. (P.S. The boy was the sweetest boy I had ever met. His name is TeeTee. He has cerebral palsy and you should have seen his joy when he got his own soccer ball.) We brought them rice and beans, clothes, and soccer balls. I loved watching the girls carry around the dolls my boyfriend's mom had specially purchased for them. Carrie quickly scooped up the cutest baby and held her the whole time we were there. We barely had time to give them dresses and pump up the soccer balls (roughly 10 minutes) before it was time to go.
We drove again along rocky, bumpy roads knocking into each other. I have to say though, it was nice to get out of the city and feel an ease at looking at nature. It was about 30 minutes between Ganthier and Cotin. Cotin is a town we learned about from a man named Boaz. He was a young boy from Cotin who was adopted by Helen Little. She supported him through his college career and now he is going to use his contracting skills to help his home town (aka he is my hero). Butch, Donnie, and Donna had been there before, but it was everyone else's first time.
As we drove into town the population seemed to follow us to the church. We backed up the truck into the storage area and we unloaded as children and some adults collected. These children did not have
shoes so their feet were covered in ash and dust, they wore tattered clothes and they had the skinniest legs I have seen. There was a small boy who was only wearing an oversized shirt and his legs barely supported him from underneath. Just writing about this makes me cry. We assembled our line and we unloaded the bags as the children watched us in wonder. It was hard to not just place the food into their hands, but we know Boaz and the other Cotin men will do this much more efficiently.
The next part was the only time thus far that I haven't been able to control my emotions since we've been here. It was time for lunch for us and we went into the sanctuary of the new church. It was beautiful and just built by previous teams with Butch. It had large gated windows and a lovely metal ceiling. We all prepared for a PB and J...singular. We sat as they were being prepared and I watched as more and more kids gathered at the windows and looked in at us. I ate my sandwhich and saw that same boy in his t-shirt reached through the bars with an open hand and looked at me. I knew I needed to eat, so I wouldn't pass out, but I stared down for the rest of the time. I watch as other team members had a similar reaction. Thankfully, we decided to give them our cookies instead of eating them. They reached with all their might through the bars and when they got their cookie they ran away in excitement.
We walked out of the sanctuary and we waited under a shelter. As we waited, Boaz introduced some kids to me. I spoke some French. "Je m'apelle Abigail" "ca va?" "Tres bein!" And soon many children were telling me their names. I bent my knees to get on their level, but they all bent their knees too. Hm.... I stood up and they all stood up. I patted my head, they patted their head. I rubbed my tummy, they rubbed their tummy. Soon we had made the game of following the leader. Then it morphed into head and shoulders, knees and toes. Then we ended up making a large circle and Tom suggested the Hokie Pokie! That was a great moment for me! I love to sing and dance with kids.
Soon it was time to go. I had three kids holding my right arm and three holding my left and I was escorted to the truck. We loaded up and went down the road lined with the children racing after us. They met us at the place where Boaz plans to build a new kindergarten. It was a beautiful thought to see rubble and know it would soon be a bustling school for the children. We got back on the truck
after saying our final goodbyes and drove down the road. We decided to make a pit stop at the beach. We will have some beautiful pictures and I will have a beautiful scar from this experience.
We drove an hour to get back and I am sitting by the pool at Villa Momika. I look down at my cut and spider bite and I am worried. I think back to the unclothed child and the hungry child and I am
worried. I think of all the people in Haiti who will be voting tomorrow and I am anxious of unexpected issues regarding this event, but tonight I will be leading our devotional on worry and fear and how it is not something that should stop you from doing God's work. Today we may not have fixed all of Cotin's problems, but we did feed many who are hungry and clothed many who were naked. I am deciding to let go and let God. He has never failed me and I will trust in him.
That's it for now, folks. Hopefully I've painted a good picture for you.
.
I've gotten a little behind so I am going to get two days in one entry if that's alright with you. Good? Good.
Yesterday we went to Ryan Epps home. We knew that the plan was to bag rice and beans. This was a large ordeal and we were ready and prepped for the challenge. However, the challenge didn't come. We spent a long time moseying around the compound and sitting in shade here and sitting in shade there. At some points in time a person would walk over to the water cooler and drink some water and retreat back into the shade. There was really only work for Butch and Donnie.
The rest of us in the shade had a thought. Where are the children? Why not go to them and greet them? Granted this was a different approach than Orphanage 46 where the children came to you, but it was worth a shot. Slowly we bridged the gap and children started to mingle. Finally after our third visit to Ryan Epps, we were talking to and playing with children. I actually had two girls come and speak to me one was named Jenny and the other Rodline. They were very meek, but soon we were talking and I shared my notebook with them. They drew pictures of flowers and houses. These children seemed pretty content. I also brought out a word search which I ended up leaving there. They will be pretty entertained for a while, I hope. Many of us also bonded with a little girl named Tracy who was obviously knew how cute she was because she had all of us picking her up and playing with her. We also went to view the community center. It wasn't open the day we went, but it was nice to see the production of a functioning Clinic and sewing shop.
After a time when it seemed like the rice and beans would never get there (there was some serious traffic), we heard the honk and everyone jumped to their feet. We quickly formed an assembly line and we started to pass off 55 lbs bags of rice and beans. During the line passing the boys got excited about flexing their muscles and they threw these bags to each other. The boy in front of me moved all of a sudden I saw a 55 lbs bag fly at my face. With a loud "oft" sound I caught the bag (cough cough just as good as any fella) and we decided to take it a little more easy on account of protecting my life from another unexpected incident.
The sorting process was really fun to me because I was being productive which helped to alleviate the heat, I like relay kind of projects, and because our good Haitian friend Claudelle was singing praise songs beside me. I would scoop up the rice and David would bag the rice and a Haitian friend, jimmy would tie the bag shut. In the end we had bagged around 223 bags of rice and beans! Hallelujah!
After the sorting it was time to go. We said farewell to our new friends and went home.
Today, was a hard day for me. In many ways. I woke up to a spider bite on my arm that we are still monitoring. I went out to see Madame CheepCheep, a kind old lady who sells souvenirs within Villa Momika. She is so sweet and asks about my family. We loaded up soon after and went to Ryan Epps to load up. Today we had to flex our muscles because we loaded 223 bags of rice and beans, plus some full 55lbs bags of rice and beans, plus some heavy oil boxes all on the truck. There was barely room for us to fit on the truck but we managed.
We rode on the truck longer than we had ever been before. There were many times we had to brace our bodies with all our strength against the sides of the truck to not spill the beans (haha). We drove into the country and I loved seeing the mountains grow bigger as we got closer to them. We arrived at Ganthier, an orphanage with 8 girls and one boy. (P.S. The boy was the sweetest boy I had ever met. His name is TeeTee. He has cerebral palsy and you should have seen his joy when he got his own soccer ball.) We brought them rice and beans, clothes, and soccer balls. I loved watching the girls carry around the dolls my boyfriend's mom had specially purchased for them. Carrie quickly scooped up the cutest baby and held her the whole time we were there. We barely had time to give them dresses and pump up the soccer balls (roughly 10 minutes) before it was time to go.
We drove again along rocky, bumpy roads knocking into each other. I have to say though, it was nice to get out of the city and feel an ease at looking at nature. It was about 30 minutes between Ganthier and Cotin. Cotin is a town we learned about from a man named Boaz. He was a young boy from Cotin who was adopted by Helen Little. She supported him through his college career and now he is going to use his contracting skills to help his home town (aka he is my hero). Butch, Donnie, and Donna had been there before, but it was everyone else's first time.
As we drove into town the population seemed to follow us to the church. We backed up the truck into the storage area and we unloaded as children and some adults collected. These children did not have
shoes so their feet were covered in ash and dust, they wore tattered clothes and they had the skinniest legs I have seen. There was a small boy who was only wearing an oversized shirt and his legs barely supported him from underneath. Just writing about this makes me cry. We assembled our line and we unloaded the bags as the children watched us in wonder. It was hard to not just place the food into their hands, but we know Boaz and the other Cotin men will do this much more efficiently.
The next part was the only time thus far that I haven't been able to control my emotions since we've been here. It was time for lunch for us and we went into the sanctuary of the new church. It was beautiful and just built by previous teams with Butch. It had large gated windows and a lovely metal ceiling. We all prepared for a PB and J...singular. We sat as they were being prepared and I watched as more and more kids gathered at the windows and looked in at us. I ate my sandwhich and saw that same boy in his t-shirt reached through the bars with an open hand and looked at me. I knew I needed to eat, so I wouldn't pass out, but I stared down for the rest of the time. I watch as other team members had a similar reaction. Thankfully, we decided to give them our cookies instead of eating them. They reached with all their might through the bars and when they got their cookie they ran away in excitement.
We walked out of the sanctuary and we waited under a shelter. As we waited, Boaz introduced some kids to me. I spoke some French. "Je m'apelle Abigail" "ca va?" "Tres bein!" And soon many children were telling me their names. I bent my knees to get on their level, but they all bent their knees too. Hm.... I stood up and they all stood up. I patted my head, they patted their head. I rubbed my tummy, they rubbed their tummy. Soon we had made the game of following the leader. Then it morphed into head and shoulders, knees and toes. Then we ended up making a large circle and Tom suggested the Hokie Pokie! That was a great moment for me! I love to sing and dance with kids.
Soon it was time to go. I had three kids holding my right arm and three holding my left and I was escorted to the truck. We loaded up and went down the road lined with the children racing after us. They met us at the place where Boaz plans to build a new kindergarten. It was a beautiful thought to see rubble and know it would soon be a bustling school for the children. We got back on the truck
after saying our final goodbyes and drove down the road. We decided to make a pit stop at the beach. We will have some beautiful pictures and I will have a beautiful scar from this experience.
We drove an hour to get back and I am sitting by the pool at Villa Momika. I look down at my cut and spider bite and I am worried. I think back to the unclothed child and the hungry child and I am
worried. I think of all the people in Haiti who will be voting tomorrow and I am anxious of unexpected issues regarding this event, but tonight I will be leading our devotional on worry and fear and how it is not something that should stop you from doing God's work. Today we may not have fixed all of Cotin's problems, but we did feed many who are hungry and clothed many who were naked. I am deciding to let go and let God. He has never failed me and I will trust in him.
That's it for now, folks. Hopefully I've painted a good picture for you.
.
It's all about style!
Sorry I'm so behind. We have a second missionary group here from California and it is hard to connect to the wireless so this is the first time I have had connection in a while. I am going to jump back to
Thursday, August 6th
Today was exciting for the little fashionista in me. We had spent the previous night sorting clothes into boys/girls, type of clothing piece, and general sizes. We had quite the system going!
We traveled to Orphanage 46 early this morning where we saw similar sights as we had seen in previous days during our travel. Today, we were astonished that beyond not having any noticeable road rules (NONE!) there was a brave man who was working in the middle of the street with no protection! With no road lines, speed limits, or signs whatsoever, it was wild for us to imagine anyone. Who would dare work in the middle of the chaos.
When we got to Orphanage 46, we only dropped off Donnie and Donna and the Haitian workers. The rest of us went to Ryan Epps. Wait no...rewind to Dana and Beth and Butch ( with a u) going in a different direction that morning. They left Villa Mamika to order pillows. They now describe that process by saying:
1. Stuck in traffic
2. We saw Jesus, literally...on a wall
3. Lots of guns at every store to protect merchandise
4. And a Mack truck encounter that you will just have to ask them about
Now, where was I.....the rest of us Ryan Epped. We simply viewed their metal artwork, which is beautiful by the way. Carrie and Matt handed about twenty requests for special artwork that they will certainly master. As we looked around at Ryan Epps, the children were there, but we noticed an empty feeling that was not present last year. No child greeted us, however we saw their peering eyes staring at us from their dining hall. We left feeling a little disheartened.
When we returned to Orphanage 46, our new friends greeted us at the door. We reunited and it felt so good to hug and love on these kids again. I'm aware that I am getting too attached, but I simply cannot help it. I have so much genuine love for these kids. We immediately started pumping up "balloons" as they called them or beach balls and soccer balls by our standards. They were overjoyed and Tom got some great footage of the boys kicking the soccer balls around.
The next task was to help the girls try on clothes. We sprawled the clothes across a large table and brought two girls into the room at a time so we could help them pick out two outfits of their choice. They were so cute! They would run into the room and wait patiently until they excitedly pointed out shirts and pants they liked. I don't know who had more fun, though. All of us had fun trying to match the right shirt with the right girl. They were so happy when we found the perfect shirt or pants. We LOVED watching the girls try on the made dresses from FUMC. As soon as the ribbons tightened, they would twirl and smile and look down at all the magnificent colors. They were just perfect!
After lunch, the boys tried on their new clothes. We mused that the boys were more stylish than the girls. Some of the little boys would run into the room already half undressed in preparation to try on new clothes. We would hold up a shirt and say "oui" or "non" and do this until they found the perfect size, fit, or Star Wars graphic.
After a long day of "shopping" we packed everything away and we almost immediately loaded up. It was hard saying goodbye again, but we gave our final hugs and we were on our way.
Thursday, August 6th
Today was exciting for the little fashionista in me. We had spent the previous night sorting clothes into boys/girls, type of clothing piece, and general sizes. We had quite the system going!
We traveled to Orphanage 46 early this morning where we saw similar sights as we had seen in previous days during our travel. Today, we were astonished that beyond not having any noticeable road rules (NONE!) there was a brave man who was working in the middle of the street with no protection! With no road lines, speed limits, or signs whatsoever, it was wild for us to imagine anyone. Who would dare work in the middle of the chaos.
When we got to Orphanage 46, we only dropped off Donnie and Donna and the Haitian workers. The rest of us went to Ryan Epps. Wait no...rewind to Dana and Beth and Butch ( with a u) going in a different direction that morning. They left Villa Mamika to order pillows. They now describe that process by saying:
1. Stuck in traffic
2. We saw Jesus, literally...on a wall
3. Lots of guns at every store to protect merchandise
4. And a Mack truck encounter that you will just have to ask them about
Now, where was I.....the rest of us Ryan Epped. We simply viewed their metal artwork, which is beautiful by the way. Carrie and Matt handed about twenty requests for special artwork that they will certainly master. As we looked around at Ryan Epps, the children were there, but we noticed an empty feeling that was not present last year. No child greeted us, however we saw their peering eyes staring at us from their dining hall. We left feeling a little disheartened.
When we returned to Orphanage 46, our new friends greeted us at the door. We reunited and it felt so good to hug and love on these kids again. I'm aware that I am getting too attached, but I simply cannot help it. I have so much genuine love for these kids. We immediately started pumping up "balloons" as they called them or beach balls and soccer balls by our standards. They were overjoyed and Tom got some great footage of the boys kicking the soccer balls around.
The next task was to help the girls try on clothes. We sprawled the clothes across a large table and brought two girls into the room at a time so we could help them pick out two outfits of their choice. They were so cute! They would run into the room and wait patiently until they excitedly pointed out shirts and pants they liked. I don't know who had more fun, though. All of us had fun trying to match the right shirt with the right girl. They were so happy when we found the perfect shirt or pants. We LOVED watching the girls try on the made dresses from FUMC. As soon as the ribbons tightened, they would twirl and smile and look down at all the magnificent colors. They were just perfect!
After lunch, the boys tried on their new clothes. We mused that the boys were more stylish than the girls. Some of the little boys would run into the room already half undressed in preparation to try on new clothes. We would hold up a shirt and say "oui" or "non" and do this until they found the perfect size, fit, or Star Wars graphic.
After a long day of "shopping" we packed everything away and we almost immediately loaded up. It was hard saying goodbye again, but we gave our final hugs and we were on our way.
Thursday, August 6, 2015
Our first day
I guess from this point on I have to try to describe the indescribable. There is something so strange that happens to your heart in Haiti. I can feel/experience all of Haiti through my heart. I'll explain...
We woke up at various times within the 6:30-8am window and experienced impeccable food once again. It was a pretty laid back start to the day. We all jumped up as soon as Butch said "time to go" and we loaded up into the standing room only truck. We ventured out into the streets of Port-au-Prince and quickly stopped at the market to pick up bread, water, cookies, and ice. As one of the selected volunteers to go into the store, I got to experience the heart-racing task of purchasing our first items. I was completely safe, but the market can be a scary experience, a biker group stood between us and the mart and as soon we got to the front door, a guard equipped with a gun opened the door and we were ushered inside. Once inside it was peaceful and we could grab cookies, bread and order the ice and water. A quick transfer of materials and the process was over.
We continued on to Ryan Epps Orphanage, a pretty well-off establishment with comparatively good accommodations. We only stopped for a little bit to get tools and a ladder. We didn't even have time to get off the truck.
We drove on to Orphanage 46 (named by Americans due to the inability to pronounce their name, and the fact that they have 46 children that they take care of). When we got to Orphanage 46, the initial view was heart-wrenching. Right when we arrived we could just barely see over the wall from our truck, but what we saw was wonderful. We saw all the children waiting for us and singing! I'm Helga Bogardus' daughter, so you can imagine what little children singing does to my heart strings! We stepped off the truck and these children RACED into our arms. Each of us were surrounded by 3 or more children who attached themselves to us and didn't let go for the next 8 hours. This feeling of their immediate and all consuming affection for us was astonishing. One of my fellow missionaries described it perfectly by saying "I've never experienced love like that before." Now be advised, love ones: you give us so much love. Don't worry. It was a new kind of love that comes from a complete stranger that acts as if they have know you forever and it's as if they are welcoming your return.
Most of us had a specific child that we can say we experience that love with. I personally bonded with two boys named Richatson and Eruso. They fell asleep in my arms and sang with me and played with me, but mostly they held me, as if releasing me would detach us forever. I looked around and saw this happening in all forms with my fellow missionaries. Dana had a child sleeping in her arms for hours, David would play slaps with the young boys, Wesley was literally under a pile of about ten children at all times, Marilyn was getting a wild doo that was akin to the bride of Frankenstein, Lloyd was even carrying a baby on his shoulders.
To give you a quick overview to express exactly why we were needed there , I'll just transpose what I wrote to my boyfriend in a conversation later that evening:
The kids don't wear shoes and they walked on the ground where we found glass, metal, screws, and rubble. Their feet are hardened to this. The children don't have a working toilet that they may use so they use the shower. Most of them have a cold and no band aids, but many cuts. They all share 1 cup to drink from a water pump they have to hand pump themselves. They will drop food on the ground and eat it. Some children have clothes that don't fit or are ripped badly. They were astonished by cellphones and sunglasses.
First of all, this is the state of things post-a lot of improvement. So we are grateful for what the children do have. Secondly, some of these details seem upsetting, but rest assured that it was not an upsetting time. The children were easy to laughter and so willing to do anything that we wanted to do. They were joyful! So very joyful! They found joy in something as little as receiving a bracelet (what a wonderful idea by Tom's daughter, Caylee and her classmates). They found joy in giving a present. Eruso made a bracelet/ring combo with a few beads they had available. This boy with only enough personal items to fit beneath his mattress thought to make me a bracelet! WOW! If that's not Jesus' love, I don't know what is.
We essentially had taken the task of entertaining the kids while our Haitian friends (workers from Haiti) built a roof, painted walls, built a roof, and fixed a door. We had some part in this, but most of the time we took the role of caretaker to the children. Some of us struggled with the need to do/build more, but our job that day was to give some much needed love to some adorable cutie-patooties!
After 8 hours of love, we had to leave. I remember Eruso walking me to the truck and waving to me until we were out of sight. As we left, I felt the immediate need to go back. Tomorrow we will be bringing them clothes! I'm so excited! Till then Bon chance!
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Arrival
So much has happened in the last two hours. It's impossible to describe but I will try.
We arrived in Port-au-Prince with a turbulent entrance. Butch told Dana and I stories to bide the rocky decent. As we passed over the Haitian terraine I noted the beauty of the mountains, I also compared this airial view tm,o the only other one I know in the US. The land was browner than I had seen water was so blue, that beautiful aqua-marine Ive only seen in movies. It was , a unique sight that can only be described in pictures. When we touched downour whimsical flight attendant echoed our relief by saying "We made it!"
There was a stark difference immediately perceptible between the airports we traversed. For instance, The Haitian airport used a truck with stairs in the trunk to let us off the plane. This was unique and pretty innovative if I do say so.
Customs, Immigration, and the whole airport process was already explained as an overwhelming endevor, however, it is one thing to be warned and and another to experience exactly what they were talking about. It wasnt too crazy until we got to the baggage claim. There was an ugency with every person in this space. An ugency from the folks who were desperately trying to spot their personal items and an urgency from the Haitian baggage men to find a group to assist for a few dollars profit. We saw many Haitian men argue to see who was going to help us, but with a little bit of effort we found our bags and the men that were going to help us outside and we were off to our truck.
The next part of our journey is especially hard to describe. I hate to cop out as the journalist , but it's something that you truly have to experience first hand to understand. There is a part of the American metality (or at least my mentality) that supresses the images that we see on television or that a missionary shows us, but when you are put right smack dab in the middle of poverty, it is inescapable. You almost welcome this first hand experience though. I was glad I was able to see this first hand. I kept thinking, "Thank God we (or anyone willing to help) are here" and I finally understood exactly how much help is needed. We loaded up into a secure truck where we stood and looked out at the Haitian streets as we traveled towards the Villa Momika. Many faces stared back at us as we moved through the streets. There were people at every corner trying to make a buck, setting up their own shops with a make shift tent. Temporary shaded area and a house were mostly syonymous and we noticed the development of a tent village being made once again in the same spot where it once was right after the earthquake. The streets were mad with potholes to make the trip exciting and a "biggest car wins" type of deal to add to the traffic. There are colors everywhere as tap-taps raced by mixed with the brightly colored establishments. A little boy played with a toy car in the dusty floor under a canopy. A man washed his overheated head in a ditch with a bucket of water. A motorist honked his horn as he scurried to his next destination. A card game with paper in place of cards transpire. And we roll along. Fast andslow. On the road and off the road. Honking and rocking. So much for one set of eyes to take in. I'm glad I am the journalist and not the photographer.
We finally arrived at Villa Momika, which is guarded and quite an oasis of serenity. I feel so blessed and thankful that we are able to serve here and yet live with the wonderful accomidations provided by this establishment. We have all the amenities any person could wish for, from a pool right outside to A/C (yes, they even cut us a deal on that) for our rooms. We spent the later portion of our evening louging by the pool, making a few new friends (with interesting perceptions on our ages), and resting after a long day of travel. Oh, and the food! I am a food lover, so excuse my gushing, but we are getting the best food in Haiti (okay, so I'm a little biased, so what)! We were given vegetables (fresh avocado people!) and rice and beans (a staple), and beef tips with mushrooms (delicious).
We ended the evening with a lovely devotional by Marilyn where she spoke about service. As we sat on the breezy roof of the Villa Momika, we were reminded that this week is all about providing for the Haitian people with every fiber of our being because that is what God taught us to do. "When I was thirsty you gave me something to drink, when I was hungry you fed me"
So, this is where I leave you for today. I'll check back in tomorrow!
We arrived in Port-au-Prince with a turbulent entrance. Butch told Dana and I stories to bide the rocky decent. As we passed over the Haitian terraine I noted the beauty of the mountains, I also compared this airial view tm,o the only other one I know in the US. The land was browner than I had seen water was so blue, that beautiful aqua-marine Ive only seen in movies. It was , a unique sight that can only be described in pictures. When we touched downour whimsical flight attendant echoed our relief by saying "We made it!"
There was a stark difference immediately perceptible between the airports we traversed. For instance, The Haitian airport used a truck with stairs in the trunk to let us off the plane. This was unique and pretty innovative if I do say so.
Customs, Immigration, and the whole airport process was already explained as an overwhelming endevor, however, it is one thing to be warned and and another to experience exactly what they were talking about. It wasnt too crazy until we got to the baggage claim. There was an ugency with every person in this space. An ugency from the folks who were desperately trying to spot their personal items and an urgency from the Haitian baggage men to find a group to assist for a few dollars profit. We saw many Haitian men argue to see who was going to help us, but with a little bit of effort we found our bags and the men that were going to help us outside and we were off to our truck.
The next part of our journey is especially hard to describe. I hate to cop out as the journalist , but it's something that you truly have to experience first hand to understand. There is a part of the American metality (or at least my mentality) that supresses the images that we see on television or that a missionary shows us, but when you are put right smack dab in the middle of poverty, it is inescapable. You almost welcome this first hand experience though. I was glad I was able to see this first hand. I kept thinking, "Thank God we (or anyone willing to help) are here" and I finally understood exactly how much help is needed. We loaded up into a secure truck where we stood and looked out at the Haitian streets as we traveled towards the Villa Momika. Many faces stared back at us as we moved through the streets. There were people at every corner trying to make a buck, setting up their own shops with a make shift tent. Temporary shaded area and a house were mostly syonymous and we noticed the development of a tent village being made once again in the same spot where it once was right after the earthquake. The streets were mad with potholes to make the trip exciting and a "biggest car wins" type of deal to add to the traffic. There are colors everywhere as tap-taps raced by mixed with the brightly colored establishments. A little boy played with a toy car in the dusty floor under a canopy. A man washed his overheated head in a ditch with a bucket of water. A motorist honked his horn as he scurried to his next destination. A card game with paper in place of cards transpire. And we roll along. Fast andslow. On the road and off the road. Honking and rocking. So much for one set of eyes to take in. I'm glad I am the journalist and not the photographer.
We finally arrived at Villa Momika, which is guarded and quite an oasis of serenity. I feel so blessed and thankful that we are able to serve here and yet live with the wonderful accomidations provided by this establishment. We have all the amenities any person could wish for, from a pool right outside to A/C (yes, they even cut us a deal on that) for our rooms. We spent the later portion of our evening louging by the pool, making a few new friends (with interesting perceptions on our ages), and resting after a long day of travel. Oh, and the food! I am a food lover, so excuse my gushing, but we are getting the best food in Haiti (okay, so I'm a little biased, so what)! We were given vegetables (fresh avocado people!) and rice and beans (a staple), and beef tips with mushrooms (delicious).
We ended the evening with a lovely devotional by Marilyn where she spoke about service. As we sat on the breezy roof of the Villa Momika, we were reminded that this week is all about providing for the Haitian people with every fiber of our being because that is what God taught us to do. "When I was thirsty you gave me something to drink, when I was hungry you fed me"
So, this is where I leave you for today. I'll check back in tomorrow!
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Second Flight
There is something so exciting about flying to me! I have the window seat and so I have a stellar view of the gridwork below. We have just started our flight from Atlanta to Port-au-Prince. The transition between flights was quick and calculated. We were missionaries on a mission! There was a slight hiccup at our F11 gate when we found out that four of our members didnt have seats on our flight! They had overbooked our flightand we had to rely on the kindness of strangers to change their flight a full 24 hours later. Those with tickets in our group boarded with reluctance as we were assured that our team mates would have a seat, but without their presence as proof. We waited with anticipation as we saw Tom and Lloyd enter the plane. We still needed Carry and Matt before we could sigh with relief.
Finally, in the last moments of boarding we saw their faces emerge at the from of the placeand we cheered loud enough for them (and the rest of the plane) to hear. We are all very grateful that each of us have a seat. Our bellies are full or are filling with Butch's quickly bought sandwhiches and salads. Most will take this opportunity to take a cat nap in the midst of this wild day. We know what we have in store as soom as we touch down and this might be our last chance for rest. I should follow suit, if I can. The excitement might proove to be the victor in my subconcious. Oh, and also Butch's snoring might keep me awake, too!
Finally, in the last moments of boarding we saw their faces emerge at the from of the placeand we cheered loud enough for them (and the rest of the plane) to hear. We are all very grateful that each of us have a seat. Our bellies are full or are filling with Butch's quickly bought sandwhiches and salads. Most will take this opportunity to take a cat nap in the midst of this wild day. We know what we have in store as soom as we touch down and this might be our last chance for rest. I should follow suit, if I can. The excitement might proove to be the victor in my subconcious. Oh, and also Butch's snoring might keep me awake, too!
Departure
Hey God,
Today I pray that you guide the plane safely to our destination. I pray that you prepare our hearts for the journey ahead and give us patience for our travel. I give thanks for this beautiful day and that everyone arrived safely to the airport. Thank you for all your blessings.
- Amen
I am now sitting in the middle seat between Dana and Butch in a filled-to-the-brim flight as we prepare to depart from RDU airport and travel to Atlant, GA. Believe me when I say it is a blessing that we are all on the flight. Between a misspelled passport ("Hiare") and the regular insanity that is expected - take off your shoes, belts, take out everything in your pockets, put your hands over your head, then juggle cats and sing your ABCs - it's nice to be here in the knee-knocking quarters of the plane.
I hear the engines start to whirl and I am as excited as the toddler a few seats behind who asks "when are we going to take off?" in anticipation. I get even more butterfliesas we chat about what we will be doing when we getthere. Ithink I speak for all of us when I say that I cant wait to meet the children. So much is unexpected, but that excitement pretty much remains a constant. I've made a list of games I hope to play with the kids, but I am ready for anything...
Now we are hearing the always unsettling "if we crash"speech and the plane slowly moves along. I suppose I'll leave this entry at lift off so Ican sstare out the window, because after all I am a four year old that gets excited about this stuff!
- Abigail Bogardus
Good Luck
I would like to wish all of the people going to Haiti this year the best of luck, good fortune, and the necessary divine intervention when needed. Whatever your expectations are for this trip, I feel certain that you have no idea what is about to happen, and this is a good thing. You will feel love when you least expect it, you will feel lonely in a crowd of children, and you will even feel satiated by a single peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
I may not be with you, but trust me, I am "with you."
Now a note to all of the families, friends, and all of the people supporting this mission trip from home. Please follow along, use those buttons below each blog entry to share with your friends. (It was very reassuring when the page view count ticked up every day)
I may not be with you, but trust me, I am "with you."
Now a note to all of the families, friends, and all of the people supporting this mission trip from home. Please follow along, use those buttons below each blog entry to share with your friends. (It was very reassuring when the page view count ticked up every day)
Sunday, August 2, 2015
Commissioned
Two days til launch. On Tuesday morning, the sequel convenes: F10 and Friends, the reboot returns to RDU at 6:25am.
This morning, the team from First United Methodist Church of Fuquay Varina was commissioned during the 11:00 worship service. We were then all inspired as Pastor Anne, with the help of some of the children, blessed the 91 dresses that will be going to the children of Haiti. We then spent what seemed like days playing Tetris with the pounds of pillow cases, school supplies, and dresses that we are taking down there. Between those and what we packed on Monday, it would appear as if we are invading Port au Prince, and not a sneak attack at that.
There are 12 members of First Church going this year: Dana Vaughn, Beth Munzenmaier, Tom Gilbert, Marilyn Gardner, Debbie White, Lloyd Williams, Wesley Haire, David Haire, Sara Markle, Abigail Bogardus, Carrie Jackson, and Matt Jackson. They will be joining 3 other people at the airport: Butch, Donnie, and Donna. Please stay tuned to this blog for more about each of these ministers.
We call these 15 ministers not because of any formal training or school, except Butch, who I believe literally walked with Jesus...(crickets). They are ministers because of the message of love and grace that they carry with them in their hearts and smiles. They will be the hands and feet of Christ that are shown to the children and people of Michaud, which is just outside of the capital of Port au Prince.
Our itinerary is not set in stone. We do know we will be building, whether it be tables and walls or relationships and hope. Sometimes the most worthwhile projects cannot be checked off of a to do list.
While our goals may be big, we know there will still exist problems when we leave on August 12. No one aims to end worldwide hunger in just over 1 week. There will still be a wealth CANYON that will have to be breached by the people with the help of upstanding government officials. We do know this, however: if we are the light of Christ and the illustration of God's grace to even ONE person in need during our stay, it will have all been worth it.
This morning, the team from First United Methodist Church of Fuquay Varina was commissioned during the 11:00 worship service. We were then all inspired as Pastor Anne, with the help of some of the children, blessed the 91 dresses that will be going to the children of Haiti. We then spent what seemed like days playing Tetris with the pounds of pillow cases, school supplies, and dresses that we are taking down there. Between those and what we packed on Monday, it would appear as if we are invading Port au Prince, and not a sneak attack at that.
There are 12 members of First Church going this year: Dana Vaughn, Beth Munzenmaier, Tom Gilbert, Marilyn Gardner, Debbie White, Lloyd Williams, Wesley Haire, David Haire, Sara Markle, Abigail Bogardus, Carrie Jackson, and Matt Jackson. They will be joining 3 other people at the airport: Butch, Donnie, and Donna. Please stay tuned to this blog for more about each of these ministers.
We call these 15 ministers not because of any formal training or school, except Butch, who I believe literally walked with Jesus...(crickets). They are ministers because of the message of love and grace that they carry with them in their hearts and smiles. They will be the hands and feet of Christ that are shown to the children and people of Michaud, which is just outside of the capital of Port au Prince.
Our itinerary is not set in stone. We do know we will be building, whether it be tables and walls or relationships and hope. Sometimes the most worthwhile projects cannot be checked off of a to do list.
While our goals may be big, we know there will still exist problems when we leave on August 12. No one aims to end worldwide hunger in just over 1 week. There will still be a wealth CANYON that will have to be breached by the people with the help of upstanding government officials. We do know this, however: if we are the light of Christ and the illustration of God's grace to even ONE person in need during our stay, it will have all been worth it.
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