Healing Haiti

PASSION

2009-11-27T09:38:00.001-08:00

When I look back at Haiti, I still sit and wonder about myself before the trip. How is it that i was able to lose my passion in life, how come I fell under the spell of laziness? So much emptiness in my life. Now, after returning from Haiti, I am happy to say that passion has returned in my life. A true feeling of joy. In Haiti I experienced so many different emotions, I was able to accomplish so much during my journey. I witnessed the visual horrors in the slums, the sick and dying children, but I will also never forget the true beauty of Haiti. It is truly evident that my life will never be the same.

Now, upon returning home, I realize that God has left me with a great gift, and now I must struggle to find ways to utilize this gift. The gift of knowing Haiti... and knowing that things can change, not only for the people of Haiti, but for myself and all those I come in contact with. God Bless, Jeff, Missy, Shelly, and roommate Marco.

Zach Aho

Healing Haiti Team Member

When I think about Haiti...

2009-11-21T14:55:00.000-08:00

When I think of Haiti... I think of beautiful children, endurance, mounds of garbage in the street, watchful eyes and deep wounds. I think of Shelley always smiling, Jeff being mischevious, Zach dancing on the beach and Marco gently comforting a baby. I think of contrast, charcoal, tootsie rolls, chaos and faith. I think of disfigured feet, rows of metal cribs, the rumble of the water truck, simplicity and sunshine. I think of hunger, grace, rocks, drinking from a coconut and crying. I think of strength, fevers, bombed out buildings, the crowded marketplace and helping. I think about spicy peanut butter, hair ribbons, hernias, honking when you drive around a corner and the homes they live in. I think about hope. I think about God. I pray that I never stop thinking about Haiti.
Missy

Healing Haiti Team Member

Poor and Beautiful...

2009-11-21T13:16:00.000-08:00

Haiti is a very poor country but I found it to be a very beautiful country. It was wonderful to see the variety of colors in nature from the blues of the ocean to the different shades of green on the sides of the mountains.

Many the buildings and vehicles also added to the palette with their bright colors and bold designs.

The slums however do not have the rich colors that other areas of Haiti had but I found them to be equally as beautiful. They were not beautiful because of the garbage lying in the street or the rusty pieces of tin used as housing material... they were beautiful because of the people who lived there. It was wonderful to experience the beauty of people apart from the material world.

It is refreshing to see people who have next to nothing share what they do have with others and to see the smiles on the faces of children after a simple wave hello.

All my experiences along with the beauty on this trip make me want to come back.

Marco

Healing Haiti Team Member

THE WOUNDS OF HAITI

2009-11-21T11:42:00.000-08:00

This was my second trip to Haiti and I was open to experiencing new things. I went with my girlfriend and the nuns from Mother Theresa's to the wound clinic at St. Joseph's one afternoon.

I don't have a medical background but Alyn told me a little about what they did at the clinic so I thought I could handle it.

So off we went to clean people's wounds. After driving through massive amounts of people, we entered the gates of St. Joseph's where we were greeted by beautiful music. They were having an all night fast and prayer service in the church and all of the people were singing.

As we entered the wound clinic, people sat waiting for us along a cement ledge against the wall. We got a quick lesson on what to do... put plastic on a little stool for the people to place their foot, unwrap their cloth bandage, take off the gauze underneath, spray the wound with saline water, wipe it, spray benadine, wipe again, put on antibiotic salve, more gauze, then wrap it up with a new cloth bandage. It sounded easy enough.

The first man I was helping took off his own bandage and I couldn't believe what I saw. He had an open sore from the bottom of his foot to the middle of his calve. In one spot I could see his bone. I can't even explain the smell and sight of that open sore but I knew it needed to be cleaned. He helped me by pointing to the spots that needed more cleaning and let me watch him put his bandage back on. There were others waiting so I had to move on.

One after another they came with similar wounds. They didn't cry or even flinch as I scrubbed the open sores. It was so hard because I knew it had to be painful and I didn't want to hurt them.

I was down to the last person. He was a young man probably in his twenties. He put his foot on my stool and I saw that the bandage was between his toes and farther up on his leg. I knew what was under that bandage had to be bad. I said softly "I can't do this" thinking he wouldn't understand me. He looked up at me and said "yes you can". I had to keep repeating in my head I'm washing the feet of Jesus and by the Grace of God, I did it.

I don't know if I would ever return to the wound clinic, but the image will always be with me.

I love the Haitian people and right now my heart feels like a big open wound for them. The Haitians are strong, beautiful people trying to survive in a country that should be so much more.

Throughout my trip I saw more wounds in many of the people. The hunger, the sick children, the need for water, the need for shelter, the need for money. So many times I wanted to say "I can't do this", but I know that I would get a reply, "yes you can".

As I sit here today in my comfortable home in America I can still feel the wound in my heart for the Haitian people. I pray that the Lord will provide me a temporary bandage and guide me according to His Will to be able to help the Haitian people from home until I can return again and have a new bandage.

Shelley

Team Leader

HealingHaiti.org

He looked into my eyes as if to say...

2009-11-10T09:07:00.000-08:00

I am finding it difficult to find words to accurately describe my first trip to Haiti. It just isn't possible to put into words how emotional and moving a journey it's been. As I write this message and remember all the beautiful children and amazing people I have met over the last four days I am moved to tears.

Didn't I come to Haiti to help people and to make a difference not the other way around? I did go out on the water truck and fill empty buckets with clean water; played with the sweet children in Cite Soleil, the poorest slum in the Western Hemisphere and spend time with children in orphanages and schools; held and fed tiny, sick babies at Mother Teresa's hospital for the sick and dying babies. And I hope through these actions I was able to help in some small way and, if nothing else, provide some comfort. But something else happened...something so unexpected. As I reflect on the last few days, it appears that the purpose of this trip was to show me my Purpose, to give me a better perspective on the world and my place in it and maybe, most importantly, as Jeff would say, to break my heart wide open.

It's impossible to go to Haiti and not have your heart broken wide open. We all live unbelievably comfortable lives by comparison and while we shouldn’t feel guilty for this, I do hope that our good fortunes will motivate us to want to help others who have less than us. There are so many stories to tell from my trip but I know I can't share them all. I’ll let my photos tell some of the stories and I will share with you one experience that was particularly touching. I met a two year old named Nixon at Mother Teresa's Hospital for the sick and dying babies. As I was holding him in my arms and feeding him his lunch of rice and beans, he reached his little hand into his bowl and picked up a couple of grains of rice and brought it up to my mouth. He looked into my eyes as if to say here, you have some of my food. My heart nearly burst I was so moved. Here is this child who has experienced more hardship and rejection in his two short years on earth than most people do in a lifetime and he is sharing his food with me. What an amazing spirit!

I am not leaving Haiti a different person but rather a person with a different perspective on what is truly important and what really matters in life. The last four days in Haiti have been a true gift and words cannot describe how grateful I am to all of the wonderful people I met here. I have never felt so inspired to do whatever I possibly can to make a difference and to raise as much money as I possibly can to support the projects in Haiti.

I look at my role as a sales rep with Print for Change a little differently now. Yes, I want to produce great products, provide excellent customer service, meet customer expectations but I don't want that to be my primary focus. Ultimately, my job everyday is to help feed, educate and shelter children in Haiti. And now, I've met these adorable, innocent children and their families, looked into their eyes, held their hands and heard their pleas for help. So, I came to Haiti with the intentions to help people but as it turns out, the people in Haiti also helped me.

I urge every person who reads this to take the time to think about what they can do to help the children in Haiti; whether it's to participate in a mission, donate money, spread the word, get others involved. Every act and every donation helps no matter how big or small.

Joey Perry

New York, NY

Healing Haiti Team Member

[Joey Perry works as an "agent for change" at Print for Change, a print management company that donates 50% of all profits to support missions in Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere. Visit www.printforchange.info for more information on how you can use your print purchases to make a difference in this world.]

God knew just what I needed to hear.

2009-09-04T14:15:00.000-07:00

I am at home now sitting at my computer after spending 2 weeks in Haiti. Nine people joined us on our trip and as I reflect, I am amazed at God's work. Not only in what we do in Haiti, but in my own life. I left Haiti feeling overwhelmed by all the need and commitments we have made to help and not knowing how we will be able to do it all. I know that it is not us, but God that is doing His work through us, but I still try to plan and figure things out myself on how we are going to get everything done.

At church last night I was reminded by God to be faithful... and that through him all things are possible... and that God works for the good of those who love him and have been called according to His purpose. That God uses the low points and struggles in our in our lives to prepare us to do profound things. God knew just what I needed to hear.

So as ordinary people, just like all of you who read this, God has once again inspired Jeff and I to continue on His mission. To provide clean water, food, education, housing and a living faith to the poor and most vulnerable in Haiti.

Last week, our orphanage caretakers asked us if we would take 30 orphans from Cite Soleil to swim at the sea. These children have never been to the sea so we rented a tap tap bus, and went to a deserted resort that had the most perfect swimming area for the kids.

I wish you all could have felt the simple joy that came from all of these children as we played in the water. It was so much fun. We had peanut butter sandwiches, cheese puffs, cookies and juice for lunch and I have never seen 30 kids so well behaved and thankful for such simple things... things that most of us would take for granted.

After lunch, we headed back into the water and all the kids started singing songs to God. It was so touching. These children who have nothing physical in this world... still abound with joy, faith and hope in Jesus.

During our swimming and spa day, we noticed some health issues and skin sores with the children. For the poor in Haiti, there is not such as thing as going to the doctor. In emergencies, kids are taken to the hospital to be treated but we couldn’t bring 55 kids to the hospital. We took photos of some of our concerns with the hope of identifying what the illness was. Mike, one of our team members, emailed them to his brother-in-law who is a doctor. As he finished, a medical team that had been at the hotel earlier in the week came in for dinner. Mike took the photos over to them to see if they help identify the sores or could guide us in anyway. The group were nurses and told us that the doctors in the group had gone home earlier in the day... they could not identify what the sores were.

As Mike came back to our table, two women and a couple of men stopped by to ask us what our mission group was doing in Haiti. We told them about our mission and and then told them about the sores that many of the children had and showed them our photos. One of the men was a doctor... a Haitian doctor. He knew immediately what they were... Zona. He suspected that it was caused by dirty water. After more discussion, he agreed to go with us the next day to do a medical clinic for all 55 kids. God had placed this man in our path at the exact time that he was needed...it was amazing.

So the next day, after 55 checkups that took most of the day, we were saddened and overwhelmed to hear that only one child did not have any medical needs. We had 5 hernias and several swollen tonsils... most of the children needed antibiotics and hydrocortisone creme for the Zona and skin rashes from the unclean water. A few need to be taken to the hospital to be checked for typhoid and malaria. We had one case of pneumonia, several very bad teeth, several that were anemic and malnourished along with one ear infection and several high fevers. The doctor wrote up 54 prescriptions that Jean, our director of Grace Village is working hard to procure.

After viewing the well at the orphanage, we discovered that the water table is only 5 feet underground. This is not deep enough to cleanse the surface water that sinks into the ground and is most likely the cause of the Zona sores that many of the children have. We made plans to install two new water tanks at the orphanage and have our truck deliver clean water for the children. We also planned hospital visits for the fevers and pneumonia. Going forware, we are going to start collecting vitamins, tylenol cold medicine, antibacterial and itch cremes to have on hand at the orphanage and figure out a way to get more protein in their diets. We will by the antibiotics in Haiti until we can get a medical source here in the US that can provide it for us. Doctor Sem also said that the dirt the children walk in and play in is also part of the problem. When the new orphanage facility at Grace Village is completed this problem will be solved.

When working on the water truck in Cite Soleil, my heart was burdened by all the requests for food. It is so difficult to continually say "I only have water and love to give you. God Bless you". It just tears at my heart. At the end of August we have a container of 270,000 meals from Feed My Starving Children that we are shipping to Haiti. We are grateful for the donated food but most don’t realize is that we still have to pay $10,000+ for the shipping and customs.

The night before we left, we had a pizza dinner with the ten street boys that we sent to school this last year. Only 4 had final report cards. We asked why the other six did not stay in school and were told that they had to quit because they had to make money to pay rent for a small room that they shared. It is amazing that 8,10 and 12 year old children have to make a decision whether they stay in school or drop out to pay their rent.

After some discussion, we made a deal with them... we would pay their rent for the next 6 months and will continue to do so, as long as they stayed in school and receive a passing report card. They live in groups of 3, 3 and 4. We had one condition though. If one drops out of school, funding will stop for the others in their group too. We hope that this will encourage support from each other and lessen the financial burden of them living on their own. We discussed how they could still work on weekends to earn money if they need too. They all are street window washers.

After the negotiations we discovered a new room in the hotel that the management said we could use with the boys for a short time. They got to play pool, foos ball and sit on big couches in front of a wide screen TV. This group of tough boys turned into little kids. They explained to me how much they liked the big couches and wished they could sleep on those instead of a floor. Of course they wanted us to buy them a big screen tv too. Please pray that these boys will stay in school this year.

Visiting Grace Village and seeing the foundations for the girls dormitory, boys dormitory, feeding center and cistern being dug out was wonderful to see. They workers were having difficulty because the land is so rocky. We watched as they pounded under the hot sun with sledge hammers to break up the rock. It is difficult and demanding work. Eighteen workers from the community started the project but only 4 are left. The work is very hard and many have gotten bad blisters and sore backs.... please pray for strength and health for the workers at Grace Village.

One of our team members gave me a couple books on Mission Trips and Creating Strategic Partnerships. After reading them, I felt again that God was speaking to us on how to better run Healing Haiti, be more effective with our giving, encourage sustainability and to further the Kingdom in all we do. Some of our projects are just humanitarian and short-term relief oriented... but with this new knowledge, we are challenged to see how we can grow these into more in the future.

Something I did this trip before reading the books mentioned above, was to choose seven children that we've come to know over the past 3 years while making water deliveries to send to the school we support in Cite Soleil. One is the brother of one of our water truck workers who is 18 but will only be in the 4th grade. The others have all touched my heart over the years and I felt lead to do something. I met with the parents while we were delivering water and then met them again the following week at the school. The parents were so grateful and the kids so excited. It was a $70 per child per year investment that will hopefully impact their entire life... the cost of one latte per day for many of us.

Other great memories include my niece giving breast feeding directions to a new mother, visiting inside the little tin shacks in Cite Soleil with some of the people to discuss their needs, caring for Pierre at Mother Theresa‘s who looked like he was 5 years old, but was really 10 and had a kind spirit and a very inquisitive eye for watches and glasses, the man that Melissa cared for at the Sisters Wound Clinic who had a dead foot, the hugs and greeting from Marie Alice from the prayer house, FanFan, who opened up to everyone and had such a great time with lots of laughter and fellowship and getting a bunch of kids in Cite Soleil to do the "Alleluia" song along side the ocean.

With great faith and trust that God will show up, and driven by obedience, Jeff and I will continue to develop new relationships, work on additional funding and create more efficiency in what we do. If you are moved or nudged by the Spirit to help, please contact us.

Blessings...

Alyn

There is no beginning or end...

2009-09-04T13:58:00.000-07:00

Jeff told me something early on my first day in Port-au-Prince that has stuck with me; when it comes to the need for help in Haiti, there is no beginning or end. You just jump in the middle and try to make a difference. I didn’t understand the implications of this statement until our first trip into Cité Soleil.

We boarded the water truck for the first of two runs that day, to bring the only free water into the projects on the backside of Bobby Duval’s soccer fields, where about a hundred kids were practicing and learning life skills (disguised as a soccer camp) by an attentive staff. These kids, I was soon to find out, are very fortunate to have this facility and the opportunity to escape their daily existence.

As we wound our way through the pot marked streets, and still war torn buildings into the main thorough fair my senses were overwhelmed by what I saw, smelled and heard. Nothing in life can prepare you for experiencing this for the first time. The corrugated tin houses built over a flimsy wooden skeleton with roofs held in place by broken cinder blocks sporadically placed over it. The air, thick with the combined stench of raw sewage, garbage, diesel fuel and burning charcoal. (It was 98 degrees that day, with a heat index of 114.) The never ending mounds of garbage that invade everything you see- the streets, the open sewage canals, the doorsteps to a shanty where the barefooted children play, eat and sleep. The eyes of these kids staring at me, some smiling at the “blanc” staring back at them, others shouting “Hey you!” and holding out a tiny, empty hand.

As we drove deeper into the shanties, I was weighed down with the reality of a people struggling just to live beyond today. The make-shift stands in front of their houses selling anything that may be of value, but with little results as no gourdes are to be found in Cité Soleil today or any other day.

As the truck navigated to the narrow cluttered intersection that was our first stop, the bucket line had already formed, easily fifty yards long with others running, buckets in hand to the back as it grew to well over a hundred yards within seconds.

Kids were coming from every direction now, surrounding us, wanting to hold a hand, play a game, sing a song, or to get in the way of the hose as it fills the buckets, getting a moment of relief from the ovens their tin houses become in the summer heat of Haiti.

As the water began to flow the controlled chaos began. People saw the line was too long, and unless they could get in front somehow there would be no water for them today. Most respected the fairness and intention of the line, others kept trying again, and again, and again to get their buckets spirited to the front. I have never known in my life the certainty of life or death residing in the position of a five gallon paint bucket that doubled as the only clean water available to me. My heart hurts for them, but I don’t know how that truly must feel.

As the water tank filled the last bucket, the line still a hundred people deep, we walked with the children through their neighborhood. We ambled through the narrow paths between the shanties, the temperature now 20 to 30 degrees hotter as the sun reflected off the tin, and any breeze was blocked by how tightly compacted the shanties had become. We slowly emerged into what seemed like the back side to Cité Soleil and a narrow path that wound along the side of a drainage canal filled at least ten feet deep with garbage that emptied into the bay a half mile in front of us.

This path led to a vast open expanse that ended at the ocean’s shore. It quickly became apparent why this space had not been built up.

As I looked down, dodging the ever present garbage piles, and navigating the two small children holding my hands through this maze, I saw their bare feet instinctively missing the intermittent human excrement piles we were walking through. We had indeed stumbled into and were walking through their bathroom. As the reality of this hit me, I looked up and immediately saw the children and few adults squatting not a few hundred feet from us.

These children walking with us, bare footed, some naked, all hungry and suffering multiple untreated sicknesses, live in this reality every day of their life, knowing nothing else.

As I fought back the tears, I knew there was no beginning, no end, I just had to jump in the middle and begin to make a difference...

Blessings...

Michael Cohen

My body left Haiti but my heart stayed behind.

2009-08-15T06:08:00.000-07:00

It's Thurday night and I go home tomorrow.

How can I leave this place.

Did I do enough?

Did I understand the people?

What do I do now?

Will life ever be the same?

This was a mission trip for me but as I get ready to leave I think Haiti was on a mission trip for me. I learned more from the people of Haiti than they could ever learn from me.

I don't want to leave but what happens if I stay?

Will it be too much?

Will I always have in the back of my mind that I can leave this place?

What about them - longing to leave and knowing they cant.

Could I listen to the kids cry day after day at Mother Theresa's orphanage?

Could I handle seeing people in desperate need everyday for water, food, money, medical attention?

Could I watch the pain of parents who can't even send their kids to school?

Would I ever become de-sensitized to it all if I stayed?

I don't want to stay but what happens if I leave?

Will it be too much?

Will I get tired of seeing the waste in the U.S.?

Will I get tired of having everything I need?

My family is alive, healthy, happy, and functioning well. Do they really need me here?

How do I explain to people in the U.S. what I saw, felt, heard, smelled?'

Would people really listen to me and respond to the needs of the Haitian people?

Where would I do the most good for the people?

It's Friday

My body left Haiti but my heart stayed behind.

Saturday morning

I'm feeling a little numb and confused about being home so I went to church.

Before mass started I was asking God what it is that He wants from me and praying for help to open my mind to be able to listen.

Well he heard me and I heard Him loud and clear.

The homily reading for the day was Luke chapter 9 verses 57-62

The Cost of Following Jesus

⁵⁷As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."

⁵⁸Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

⁵⁹He said to another man, "Follow me."
But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."

⁶⁰Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."

⁶¹ Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family."

⁶²Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

So now I say to you Jeff & Alyn - The cherry bomb has just exploded!

God Bless Haiti

Shelley

Soiled

2009-08-15T05:56:00.000-07:00

The word of the day was: soiled. My black shirt was completely discolored by the end of the three hour trip to Reiser Heights. I rode in the back of the truck the whole way – and my shirt was brown by the end of the night! The countryside was breathtaking. The sights, sounds, and smells completely different from the city of Port-au-Prince. Culture seems to shift once we are in the country. The mountains were amazing!

Everyone seemed relieved to step off of the toptop or truck and into the school of Reiser Heights. The kids were energetic and overjoyed to see us. We blowed bubbles, passed out bracelets, tootsie rolls – and made jokes with the kids. We also were able to feed them and watch the kids glow with laughter.

I visited Reiser Heights two and a half years ago and the change was enormous. The foundations were only there – and this time when we visited, the whole school was constructed and very much in use. Kids were packed inside – and it was the summer! I can only imagine the school year. We were given a tour and I can’t wait to see how kids’ lives are changed and molded by this school.

We stopped halfway on the way back at the Baptist Mission... with an American style restaurant– what a treat!! We ate food ranging from chicken fingers to hot dogs, and some of us enjoyed ice cream (besides David). At the end of the day we drove around Port-Au-Prince and were able to see the Palace and street markets.

All in all it was a wonderful day. It was a sad conclusion to an amazing trip. Tonight as we sit around the table we are going to say our goodbyes – but it is not the end of what God is doing. It is just the beginning. I know we all hate to leave Haiti but we cannot wait to see how God’s work will advance through this trip, not only in the work in Haiti but in our individual lives. We all feel the conviction, fire, and passion of the Lord. This light will be visible when we return to our homes. Our everyday life may go back to “normal”, but I know each one of us will never be the same.

Sarah

Missionaries of Charity

2009-08-12T11:32:00.000-07:00

Today we went to visit Mother Teresa's Orphanage. What a moving, overwhelming experience. So many precious children with so many physical, emotional and spiritual needs. My word that I picked to describe the day was "unfair." Why have my children been so blessed? I guess they just happened to be born on the right side of the hemisphere...?

I pray I do not ever forget the sight, the smells and the desperation of the babies I held. I so want to make a difference -

I thank God for this incredible experience. I know with the experience, comes an incredible accountability. God, help me to be a faithful servant, one that will make you proud.

Linda

Our good friend FanFan holds the 2 boys that Carol Plamann from Minnesota is adopting from Mother Theresa's

Grace Village Orphanage

2009-08-11T06:17:00.000-07:00

This is my first Blog ever but here it goes! Tuesday, was our trip to see Grace Village, it was quite a drive up the to Titanyen. The drives are alway such a cultural lesson and an "eye opening" experience. We arrived at the beautiful land that Jeff and Alyn have purchased... it was a lovely spot with an ocean view and cactus on the property. The area is so dusty, and it was a hike up to see where they were breaking ground and literally breaking the ground and getting it ready for the Foundation with a Sledge Hammer. The task looked insurmountable, honestly, to see the men trying to break up the ground was hard to watch but they will do anything to make a living here, no jack hammers, just blood, sweat and tears.

While we were there, we stopped in to see Marie Alice's new home that Jeff and Alyn had built for her. We peeked in the door but she wasn't home. We were able to see the her Prayer House and admire the faith of a woman who lost everything in the hurricane last including her family and was left with nothing but the love of her Heavenly Father and in her misery. She turned to God and created a place to come and pray and heal. I would have loved to meet such a true follower of Christ.

From there we walked to the local market, it was unlike any outdoor market that most have or will ever see. It was crowded and hot, people every where. We were there to buy goats to give to families in need. We ended up at the market way longer than anyone had intended, I am sure, we Blanc's made "making a deal" almost impossible... our presence just drove the price up!

After much negotiation, and a bottle of the most wonderful tasting pop (we were all parched, sticky and dirtier than I have ever been) we purchased our goats...16 of them. We were given "Certificates of Ownership" for each one and we headed to go to Yvon's Orphanage.

We arrived at the orphanage and heard the children pray and sing. We heard these Children, all pray out loud, at the same time, their own, different prayers and watched as they poured out their hearts to the Lord... it was precious. These Children had nothing, Jeff and Alyn have done so much for them but the needs are still so many and so constant. We did another "Spa Day" for the children. We set up stations, painted nails, massaged their little Arms with Lotion and rubbed oil into their dry curly hair... the girls got cute little barrettes. The children were given Tootsie rolls, stickers and candy bags. We had some paper and markers and supplies for them too. Those who weren't doing the "Spa Day" played with the kids and they just had a great time.

Today was a humbling day for me. As I finished a girls nails, she gifted me by taking out my Pony Tail and combing my hair and making Haitian Braids! Well, that's just not a good look for an old "White Girl", yikes!! It was hard to sit there, and just let her do it but she did it with love and compassion, she even pointed out that I had a dirty neck and she wiped it for me... what love for a stranger. She really touched my heart. I am not sure exactly why she did it. She did ask me for the fingernail polish that I had but either way, it was done with care and love.

It is getting late and I can't blog much more, but after we presented our goats with their certificates of title, we headed for Visa Lodge and all showered and scrubbed. I think it was the best shower yet.

Another wonderful, heart wrenching day in Haiti, so unlike home, so filled with needs but we got to see God at work in those who have nothing but Him! Oh, to be like them.............

Darcy Ciatti AKA - Pippy!

Cite Soleil

2009-08-11T05:50:00.000-07:00

In the baking heat with no shade, we entered the area called Cite of Soleil.

I'd heard about this place, most Haitians won't even come into the area because it was too dangerous. Riding in a local tap-tap vehicle, you could see the news spread from one home to the next about our arrival. Perhaps that's easy to do through shanti homes which are all connected together with sticks, tin and rock.

We watched people run to line up as far as we could see. Each one guarding their space in line with a 5-gallon bucket. Utter Desperation. You see mothers with ragged clothing and some with shoes. Kids, some with clothing, and some with none, which was acceptable as well. Shoes are mere remnants, if they have them at all. The kids range from being thin to having bloated bellies and several have huge belly buttons that protrude 1-2 inches from their stomachs~ we were told that these belly-buttons are from home-job ambilical cord cutting at birth. Yet, when they smile, it warms you on the inside. They are the most loving, affectionate kids, and were so glad to see us.

Near the truck, the fire-engine type hose pours out water with such speed that the line keeps moving. 10 at a time are allowed to set their buckets near the hose in single-file order. Of course, there are the people who come forward and break into line causing a little chaos within the somewhat organized area. You gotta be tough and organized or else real chaos could errupt near the water truck. Smaller containers would sometimes appear when I was holding the hose; usually these were for a little rinse water for someone's bucket while they stood in line.

Just as I was starting to get the hang of working the hose, a little cup appeared from behind me and I looked down to see. It was a little boy who had grabbed onto my leg and began to balance himself on me while he stretched his whole body to fill his cup. Perhaps I broke the rules when I let this little guy dip one cup of water from a bucket, but he didn't know that I saw him, so it seemed okay. From the corner of my eye, I watched his next moves. I thought he'd drink it but instead he took that little cup of water and poured it onto his chest and then scrubbed himself as if it were his shower. A minute later, he was back for another cup. I knew that one cup couldn't wash him, so I allowed another cup for him. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched him again pour that cup,but not on himself, instead he poured it on a smaller boy standing naked next to him. That smaller guy was so serious and focused as he scrubbed his body that the scene overwelmed me;

Unbelievable. One cup. That was it, his shower for the day! For the week? The month? Only God knows.

After the water ran out: We walked down the main street where we caught a view of their living area, visited a few homes, and learned of the different unending needs. Jeff and Alyn have developed relationships with those familiar with the area who can help them discern all the requests. They've helped with medical treatments and paid for local workers to repair hazzardous living conditions. The stories were countless... and I'm overwelmed.

Barb Knutson

Terre Promise School

2009-03-15T06:05:00.000-07:00

March 11
Today we took the water truck back in to Cite Soliel to visit Terre Promise, a school we support. We delivered money for the teachers salaries to Elder and his wife who run the school. Elder has had some health issues and looked skinny, but assured us he is feeling well. We also brought him aspirin and printer cartridges. In Haiti, most schools cannot afford school books so they use their printer/copier to copy pages out of the one or two books they own. This is the only way for these children to have the tools for learning.

We interrupted every class room to show off our Kreyol...we did get some blank stares....I had lots of fun doing watercolor with the little kids.

We continue to be inspired by the experiences we have in Haiti. Here is a picture of one of Terre Promise's 11 classrooms. As you can see, they are jam packed with children who want to learn and who want a better life.

Jean then took us to Croix des Bouquet to the metal artist community which was interesting to see and then back to Titanyen to do a quick tour of Hope Mission, another mission that is close to the Healing Haiti's Grace Village property. Brad Johnson, the director was back in the states so we will have to meet with him next trip.

Thank you for following our blog and for the wonderful emails that help us when we are in the mission field. Your prayers, love and support are a blessing to us and the people we serve.

Thank you for your kind heart.

House of Prayer

2009-03-15T05:45:00.000-07:00

March 10
Today we went back to Titanyen to the Grace Village land to check on the well drilling and to spend some time just visiting with the community. As always we attracted a crowd of kids wherever we went.

We met one of our new neighbors. She is a woman who just moved to Titanyen after losing her husband and daughter in the hurricane last September. She said they were swept away in the water and only herself and her son survived. She invited us into her home made of sticks, tin and tarps and told us it was a "house of prayer". In the video you will see the benches, fabric hanging with bible verses, a simple pulpit and mats that her and her son sleep on. It continues to amaze us how much despair and suffering we are exposed to while at the same time, through these same people, we're exposed to such great faith. While we hurt inside hearing about the tragic consequences of being born in Haiti, we are also very inspired by their faith and the openness that we are received. What a real blessing to us.

While we were at her house, a little neighborhood girl who had been following us asked me to braid her hair. Our new neighbor offered me a chair to sit and communicated to me that she used to braid her daughters hair. I felt so sad for her. But it is her faith that gives her hope, and peace and I was so glad for that. How could she even go on without it?

I think I did a great job on the little girls hair do...look at the before and after shots....

We then took these 4 kids that were just hanging on us to get them shoes. Adrenoi knew them and told us that 2 of the kids needed shoes for school. So we got 2 of them sandals and two of them sneakers. Part of the Haitian culture is that you must wear nice clothes to church and a uniform and good shoes to school (no sandals).

We then visited a new small school that has 35 students in a small church. It is so fun to see how anxious these kids are to learn and how they get by with just the bare essentials. The text on the chalk board reads "God the Creator".

Next we went to the Maranatha orphanage and met with the 2 directors about budget. A small boy from the neighborhood just came up to me and sat in my lap. It looks like he just needed a rest. Life in Haiti is hard.

We ended the day at Global Outreach,who is a mission close by and who is drilling the well at Grace Village. We met David's wife Judy. They have been living in Haiti for 26 years. It was such a treat... not only to have homemade chocolate chip cookies and 7 Up, but to tour the buildings and hear about their mission. I asked Judy to be my mentor and inspiration. I just felt so comfortable with her and thought she would be a great teacher for me. As David said...we need the prayers and you need the practice:).

So after looking through the photos for today, I told Jeff I couldn't believe he let me leave the room this morning with that top on...I'm sticking to the smock top from now on....

Too much to do...

2009-03-15T05:39:00.000-07:00

March 9
Our trips to Haiti are always filled with too much to do. Combine that with the speed at which things move in Haiti (normally slow) and we have a recipe for disappointment.

This trip we decided we would schedule one day for ourselves... this was the day. We are very tired from being on the go... and the heat takes it's own toll. We did go to Mother Theresa's to see the babies in the morning, and met with Kevin and Legitine over lunch about the water truck, but other than that, we spent time updating the blog and napping.

Here is a photo of the Healing Haiti moto scooter that Kevin uses and Legitine who said he would never ride with Kevin on the back...In Haiti, you can never say never...and now to our room to take a nap. Jeff is snoring loudly while I have been writing...no, wait a minute...he says he doesn't snore...

Another beautiful day in Haiti.

2009-03-14T14:57:00.000-07:00

March 8
This morning, we took the 15 minute walk to attend the childrens mass at Mother Theresa's. The mass was 2 hours long and focused completely on the children, interacting with the priest and singing. It is very touching to see what faith these children have coming from such a desperate situation.

Carol and her boys met one last time with the children (2... maybe 3) they are thinking about adopting and talked openly about who they could find to take a little girl that they had become attached to. I think they've been very touched by the people of Haiti. Please keep them in your prayers as they ponder this very important decision.

After taking Carol and her boys to the airport, we went back out to Titanyen to meet with community leaders to better understand their needs and get their support for our Grace Village project. Thirty eight people came to the little school where we were meeting including a deacon, a couple of pastors, teachers, an impoverished children representative, orphanage leaders, a technology person, a steel worker, masons, farmers and even two vodoo priests. The meeting started with a prayer from Jeff (we all know how he enjoys praying out loud). The meeting was lively and helpful to understand the different perspectives in the community. It was also a chance for us to introduce ourselves and our mission to the broader community. We didn't leave until 7 pm and we were exhausted. We ended the meeting with one of the community leaders praying in Kreyol for God to guide us and provide a way for this project to move forward. We all prayed for for direction for our project and unity for all involved.

This is the day...

2009-03-11T04:47:00.000-07:00

March 7
What a day! When Jeff was delivering water in Cite Soleil last year, a woman approached him and pleaded with him as he lifted buckets onto the head of women and children coming for water. This is not unusual as people ask for help at every stop. Jeff had no idea what this women wanted as she only spoke kreole and Jeff new little, he just new her plea was different. She kept pointing at her scarred legs and those of her children hanging onto her skirt. As she tugged over and over at his shirt, Jeff finally decided to get one of our workers to interpret for him. He was told that she and her children cut their legs when going up and down a steel staircase to their home that was rusted out. Jeff followed her to her house, the second story of a concrete housing project that had built years ago. He could not believe what he saw. The staircase was in complete disrepair. Most steps were rusted out and only partially there and quite a few were actually missing. She then showed him how she had to climb the stair, carrying her 45# bucket of water. He knew he had to do something.

Last December, I met this woman while we were preparing to distribute food in Cite Soleil. She was older, so nice, and helped me with the food packing for the next three hours. Towards the end, she inquired when we were going to fix to her steps. Jeff and I discussed it and told her we would fix them when we came back in March.

Well, this was the day. Over the last three months, we've raised funds to purchase a Miller welder generator, steel, rebar and concrete. Our friend Kevin McClellan did all the frame building, cement work and installation and Healing Haiti provided all the supplies. He loaded up the steel and generator onto the front of our Bobcat and drove it into Cite Soleil.

I hope the photos show you there were no steps left... 2 stories of rusted metal... kids and elderly have been climbing this to get into their house. It was incredible to see. USAID had built this housing project years ago and no one has done the maintenance that is desperately needed.

Quite a crowd of onlookers hung out, mostly children. I felt bad for this little kid who must have had a tooth ache. He had a hankerchief wrapped around his head. Mud rubbed on his scalp..but what was most impressive was his shoes!

The kids really enjoyed doing the itsy bitsy spider with Jeff. The video will show you these cute adorable kids and why I had this crazy idea....

So if you watched the video you've seen how cute and sweet these kids are...and why I had this idea. I knew better... and Jeff told me no way... but I just wanted to try this. We went to the market and bought 120 packages of cheese puffs to hand out to these kids. Since they did the itsy bitsy spider so well, it seemed like it was a manageable number of kids. I thought they would be willing to stand in line for a bag of cheese puffs and because I had bought 120 bags, we would have enough for everyone.

Well, I'm just calling it "The Cheese Puff Riot." Once it was known that we had these bags to give out, chaos broke out...it was not a pretty site...kids trampling other kids, adults taking bags away from little kids...grabbing, pushing, pulling. It was bad judgment on my part... I just didn't want to believe it.

We have no photos of the riot because we were all trying to get control of the situation. Cite Soleil is a desperate place and these kids are not only starving for food, but also for something that is their own, something new in a package, something that brings excitement to their day and because of their extreme poverty, sharing, and understanding 1 per person isn't part of their survival mode.

We ended the day in Titanyen, Haiti at the our property for Grace Village to measure and mark the area for the future projects we will be building. It is amazing how wrung out we feel at the end of each day... both physically but also mentally. Life is very hard in Haiti.

March 6

2009-03-10T07:09:00.000-07:00

A Visit to Titanyen, Haiti and Grace Village.
We visited Titanyen yesterday but have come back today because Friday is "Market Day" and we have some Buya.org orders to fill. The market in Titanyen is something that is hard to describe... you just have to experience it. People come from miles and miles around usually with a donkey loaded with goods and produce to sell... fruits, vegetables, rice, beans, fried fish and many kinds of foods we've never seen. There are also chickens tied in pairs and herds of goats that have been walked for miles. Having grown up in the city, it somehow doesn't feel real. Imagine seeing the "donkey parking lot" where all the vendors park their donkeys... it just doesn't seem real... but it is.

We're met at the market by Yvon, the caretaker of our orphanage and Andrenoi, the director of our eldercare program. They have offered their services to translate for us and help us negotiate our purchases. Its very rewarding to personally fill orders when we come to Haiti and really look forward to it because we not only get to pick the animals but we get to present them in person. We wish the donors could experience this first hand.

Carol and her boys had received donations from their friends and family to buy four goats and we needed an additional three. For us it's so out of the norm to be goat shopping but to the people that receive these goats it is such a wonderful gift that can brings fresh milk for their families and an opportunity for income by breeding their animals.

We cause quite a commotion being the only "blancs" at the market. As we peruse the goats, we're sure the locals are thinking we're "goofy" because we have no idea what we're looking for other than the "cutest" goat. This is where Yvon and Andrenoi come in. They guide us to goats that have sturdy hind quarters... ones that would make good breeders and produce the most milk. They also help us with the negotiations which is a whole different story. Of course all of the sellers want us to buy their goat, so there is heavy selling going on....(most of which we can not understand...) Believe it or not, each animal has a title just like the title of a car and once the purchase has been made, the title must be transferred before you have ownership. We made sure we had good title when we presented them to their new owners.

We bought some bananas at the market and handed them out to all the kids that told us they were hungry. Most of the time they ask for a dollar, but the bananas seemed to work out well. And as usual, their was more hungry kids than bananas. While it "feels good" to give a banana to a hungry child it also "feels bad" when we run out and have none left to give.

After the goats and bananas, we bought some children shoes with money that Danielle and Luann from Alyn's pottery class gave to her. These kids were so excited to get a pair of shoes, and their moms were so happy! There are so many children that walk around with bare feet, already hardened by the rocky roads they've walked in their short lives. We caused quite a commotion, everybody wanted shoes. Word spreads fast on the street and it started to get out of control. We found ourselves surrounded by 50-75 children and parents trying get in on the shoe thing.... people pushed and shoved to get their children nearer to us so they might also have a pair of shoes.

It's hard to understand how desperate people can be when we live so abundantly at home. We finally had to leave and have Andrenoi buy the rest of the shoes later for the most needy children.

A School Visit with Teachers
We then visited a school in Titanyen. Pergam Foundation Church Centre is a Christian school for poor children. They have been pleading with us for support during the last year. It is so hard for us to decide who to help. There is more need than we have the ability to support. We pray for wisdom and discernment and ask God to guide our decisions so the funds we are entrusted with have the greatest impact. This school has 180 students and 10 teachers. The teachers have been working all school year with no pay. They continue to work because there are no other jobs available and hope they will be receive some pay in the future. How desperate is it, that one would continue to work even without pay... they were all so thankful to receive the $60 (one months salary) payment... we wish we could have done more.

We pray for additional support for teachers salaries as we believe the future of Haiti is in the children. By receiving a Christian education these children learn to know Jesus and receive the foundation for a better life than the one they were born into. Without Jesus and the ability to read and write, there is little hope for the children of Haiti. If God moves your heart, please consider helping the poor children of Haiti by helping to pay teacher salaries.

An ElderCare Visit
We then went with Andrenoi who is our eldercare director. He brought us to visit two of the women we help care for.

One is 92 with severe lymphodema in her leg and is unable to retrieve water and food for herself.

The other is 106 and is unable to walk. It is hard to comprehend how difficult life must be for them. From the basics of food and water to the difficulties of going to the bathroom... it's just incomprehensible. Please keep the elderly and invalid of Haiti in your prayers.

And lastly, as we left the village we did our famous tootsie roll distribution.

Thursday, March 5

2009-03-06T16:23:00.001-08:00

Today we went to Titanyen and met with David Heady from Global Outreach who has been drilling our well on the Grace Village property. It was decided that we would drill a second well for the feeding program and orphanage, but saw how the community is already using the hand pump we installed on the first well and watched as they pumped water from it.

A group of young boys gathered at the pump after collecting water and started to sing a song for me. I just thought it was such a God thing. They were singing in English and the words were "Welcome..you are at home." Here is a small video with poor audio but enjoy anyhow...

We then went to Maranatha House Orphanage and visited with the kids. St. Michael's church in Bloomington, has just started a 15 week program with us to learn about Haiti and how the kids at St. Michael's can be the hands and feet of Jesus for the poor children in Haiti by raising money for water, food and education. They had sent cards with photos and greetings to let the children in Haiti know that they were praying for them. The children at the orphanage were fascinated with the cards. They all studied the photos very carefully. They have probably never seen so many white people, or such nice clothes! We then had the Maranatha House kids make their own cards to bring home with us for the kids at St. Micheal's. It was so fun to watch the kids draw and write messages in english about love, God and Jesus with images of flowers, palm trees, soccer balls, and houses... and with such care and attention to detail, it was very touching.

Healing Haiti just provided the orphanage with 2 water tanks that hold 450 gallons of water each and will be delivering clean water with our truck to them every other week. Until now they have been rolling 55 gallon drums down to the well, filling them up one five gallon pail at a time and then rolling them back to the orphanage. The new tanks with water delivery will make life a bit easier for them.

Wednesday, March 4

2009-03-06T15:53:00.000-08:00

In the morning, we walked back to Mother Theresa's to help feed and care for the children. Carol, Mike and John were anxious to get back to see the children they had met the day before. Carol wanted to meet with Sister Martin to discuss the adoption process. At the same time, she wondered aloud how to break it to Dave (Carol's husband) that she wanted to do it again and that not one, but three of them were tugging on her heart. We don't know "the rest of the story" but will let you know once she has talked to Dave.

Here are a few more photos of the children at Mother Theresa's...

We then headed out on a tap tap to do a couple of runs on the water truck in Cite Soliel. Carol, John and Mike were just amazed at the depth of poverty they saw. They say you can't even explain it... and pictures just don't tell the whole story. People have to come and see it for themselves. They are still processing the sights they saw and are still a bit unsettled by them. Times are so tough in Haiti right now. People in the water lines repeatedly asked us for food and money to care for their families... more desparately than ever before. At the last stop a man came up to me with his little girl and told me they needed food. I said we only have water to offer. When we pulled away in the truck he was still standing there and motioning that his little girl was hungry. We tossed him 2 tootsie rolls that we had in our back pack. He was so thankful and a big smile came on his face. He didnt stop saying Mesi, Mesi (thank you, thank you) the whole time he was still in our sight. It was like 2 tootsie rolls were like winning the lottery. How can this be when those of us in the USA live so abundantly?

Tuesday, March 3

2009-03-06T15:42:00.000-08:00

After some bumpy and scary weather with a missed landing in Port-au-Prince and a return to Miami, we finally arrived back in Haiti on Tuesday. We dropped our bags off and immediately headed right for Mother Theresa's home for sick and dying babies.

Traveling with us are Carol Plamann and her 2 oldest sons John and Mike. Carol had previously adopted 2 children, a girl and a boy from Mother Theresa's 3 years ago. Her husband Dave and his parents made the trip to Haiti to pickup the children, because Carol did not want the images and visuals of the poverty in Haiti to define who these children were or to impact how she would raise them. After 3 years, she is now ready to see the orphanage and country where they came from and may even decide to adopt again.

As always, there are plenty of sick babies and lots of love to be given by holding, changing and feeding these precious children of God. It is a blessing to see that Mother Theresa's has the support to care for all of these children. We saw more medicine and IVs being administered than ever before. I saw one child go home healthy with his mom with a big stuffed teddy bear, and new shoes that had been generously donated. We continue to see some of the same children who still have a long battle ahead to put on weight or clear their bodies of TB and/or parasites. The children that are HIV positive are given desperately needed medication and hope for life.

These children always tear at our hearts... and help us realize what is really important in life...

Monday, March 2

2009-03-06T15:29:00.001-08:00

I departed Minneapolis at 6am for Haiti with my wife Alyn and 3 guests from St. Patrick's Church from Oak Grove, Minnesota. This was Carol's and her sons Michael and John's first trip to Haiti. This trip has become routine for Alyn and I and has always been uneventful. After landing in Miami and a 4 hour layover, we finally bordered our DC10 for Port-au-Prince. These flights are always full with both missionaries and Haitian's returning home or visiting from the US. Our boarding had been delayed because of a mechanical problem but we were now seated and buckled in. After another half hour we were told the problem had not been fixed and we were returning to the gate and were deplaning. This can always be part of travel, and Alyn, Carol, Mike and John just took it in stride. We had warned them that when it comes to Haiti, the schedule is always in flux and could change at anytime. This was one of those times.

After another two hours we finally switched gates and boarded a different plane with an uneventful departure. Because of the time delay, we realize that this would be our first landing at night. Port-au-Prince airport is fairly short, with no taxiways. To taxi to the terminal, the pilot must turn the plane around at the end of the runway and back taxi down the runway. Port-au-Prince airport is in a valley with mountains to the north, mountains to the south, mountains to the east and the ocean to the west.

Our 90 minute flight was short but we we're all tired when the captain called for the flight crew to prepare for landing. It had been a long day starting with getting up at 3am. This is when the fun began. As we descended towards the airport, everyone became abruptly aware that this was not a normal approach. The plane bounced, banked, banged and bumped violently as we heard the landing gear deploy. I've been on many flights and I have to say, this was the roughest. As the wings bank wildly from left to right, I was hoping for a straight in approach. It was then that I heard the reduction of the engines and felt the beginning of the landing flair. I knew it would be just a couple minutes more and we'd be on the ground... I was looking out the window when we dropped below the cloud deck and it was still pitch black with no airport in site. That's when I heard the roar of the engines and felt the plane change attitude as it began to climb back through the turbulence we had just experienced. The pilot was aborting the landing and "going around".

We heard many gasps and groans as we tumbled through the turbulence and bounced in our seats as we climbed out. After a few minutes the captain came on the overhead and said that had to abort the landing because of a major thunderstorm that was directly over the airport. He informed us that we would be circling for a while and if it didn't clear up that we might head to Dominican Republic and wait it out. A few minutes later we were informed that we were going back to Miami... we were all disappointed, but it was the right thing to do.

So our first night it Haiti was spent in Miami and Tuesday morning we got up to do it again.

A Miracle in Haiti...

2009-02-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, we've been attempting to drill a well in Grace Village, Titanyen, Haiti on the land that we purchases last summer. The first attempt was at the highest point of our land and after 190 feet, we hit gray clay/mud which is a sign of a dry well. The second attempt was in the lowest valley on our property where a small stream flows during the rainy season... again at 60 feet we hit gray clay/mud and a dry well.

We were told by David Heady, our well driller from Global Outreach that he would attempt one more drilling near the entrance of our property but if they did not hit water, he would recommend not drilling again. Last night after four days, we were informed that again, we had come up with a dry well. They said that they were pulling the rig and moving onto another job.

We obviously were very disappointed but thought, "we'll just have to build a large cistern and truck the water in... that's all we can do..." But with Christ, all things are possible.

When I called David this morning I was going to thank him for all his hard work but instead he said "Jeffrey, we have water!"

This morning, Feb 13, 2009, by the Grace of God there has been a miracle at Grace Village. David went to finish pulling the rig this morning and could not believe what he was seeing. In the 30 years that he's been drilling wells, he says he's never seen this happen. He told me they looked in the hole and it was full of water.

We give all the praise and glory to God for he is faithful. We thank all our friends and family for their prayers and support during this venture. We want you to know that you've been part of, and have witnessed, a true miracle from our Lord and Savior.

Thank you. All glory goes to God.
Bondie Beni'ou ("God Bless You!")
Jeff & Alyn

Returning to Haiti...

2008-12-23T05:44:00.000-08:00

I can't tell you how much it meant to me, only that I'm grateful for the opportunity to return to Haiti again.

Since my cancer diagnosis in February, the hugs from friends and family have been longer and a bit tighter... Haiti is no exception. Our friends did not expect to see me again until March 2009 so it was a surprise to them when Jeff asked them to come to the airport and greet a "new friend" that he had coming in. It was pure delight for me to see the look on their faces when they saw me. The hugs were longer and a bit tighter... and they came with squeals of happiness too!

Only by the Grace of God has this trip been made possible. I was humbled to learn that 600 school children we sponsor and 2 churches had been praying for me. It was like they saw their prayers answered... a bit chubby and with very curly hair!

As we drove to the hotel and turned up the bumpy, washed out road, with a blazing pile of garbage and a big pig scrounging around it, I told Jean and Fanfan "See what I have missed?" and they laughed. It felt and smelled so good to be back!

Street Kids, Sledge Hammers and Pizza.
The first day, Jeff and I hopped on a tap tap and went to find the street kids we have been supporting and sending to school.
Jeff thought they might be at a busy intersection washing car windows as people waited for the light to turn. After walking a couple blocks, we finally spotted one of them. He immediately called some of the others over... boy were they happy to see Jeff! This was the first time I had met them. Jeff told them in broken Creole that he had a job for them to do. No questions asked, they followed us, all eight of them and got onto another tap tap and headed to Bobby's soccer field.

When we arrived at the soccer field, Jeff opened the container and got sledge hammers, axes, picks and shovels out and told the boys we were going to "bust up" the wall. These tools were like magnets to these kids as they each vied for the biggest one.
You see, when our container tipped over, it knocked over a concrete wall next to it and we now had the job before us to break it up and haul it away. They were quickly hammering away with concrete flying every direction.
As I watched, I thought to myself "This is an accident waiting to happen." But the only accident this day was Jeff falling over trying to avoid a large falling section of the wall, ripping a big hole in the seat of his pants... another good laugh.

These kids worked so hard! They had no idea how much they were making. They had not negotiated any price. They didn't know how long the job would take and there was never any bickering... they actually made fun in it. I suppose letting a young man loose with a sledge hammer does have some entertainment in it.

One of the pure joys I had today was flying a kite made of sticks and plastic with homemade string that a little boy made from garbage. He came to see what was going on while flying his kite. After a few minutes he motioned for me to fly it. He was so sweet and this was such a touching moment.

After about 4-5 hours, the wall was down and neatly piled in front of the container.
As we took a break and drank some badly needed water, one of the street kids pulled a pink folded piece of paper out of his pocket... it was his report card from school... his very first one he'd ever received.
Others quickly unfolded theirs, some carefully taking them from a plastic bag used for protection. Soon 6 or 7 of the kids were all waving their report cards showing them to us. They were all so proud. We had told each of them last August, that we would pay them $1 US for each report card as an incentive to keep them going to school. They now wanted to be paid. When we took this picture, Thomas, the little one on the right in the front kept turning his around because he wasn't sure which way was up. These boys are between 13-18 years old and are just learning to read. Jean (our director in Haiti) says they really don't know how old they are or what their real names are because they have no paperwork or family. Imagine, being 13, living on the streets alone... in one of the poorest countries in the world. We are so blessed.

It was starting to become dark as our dump truck pulled up from a long days work. Piece by piece, bucket by bucket we lifted the broken concrete up into the truck. It was grueling. Everyone was dirty, covered with dust, tired and exhausted... but never a complaint. They were all happy to have a job. By the time we finished, it was completely black out... with no lights around... it was dark.

We asked the boys if they'd like to come back to the hotel for Pizza. They were so excited as they climbed up onto the top of the dump truck for a ride to the hotel... and they were so very tired. Some actually fell asleep at the table while waiting for the pizza to come. I gave them all hand massages with wet ones and lotion, wondering when the last time they had been lovingly touched was.

One last observation. I commented to Jeff what good manners they all had. He told me he had had them for pizza in August and Jean and him had to teach the kids how to use a fork and a knife... can you imagine? Please pray for these precious children of God.

Food for Schools and Cité Soleil
The next day, we headed back down to the container to prepare and distribute more food. Mialta Miracle, the director of Reiser Heights, our school in the mountains of Lespinasse, arrived in a hired tap tap to pickup buckets of food for the school children.

He also received a check for teachers salaries and the nurse at the school clinic. He told us of the devastation that the September hurricanes had brought wiping out crops, banana and plantin trees, making it very difficult for parents to feed and pay for their children's education. He was so happy for the help and support and thanks the Lord for our generous donors.

Afterwards, we started to prepare for our Cité Soleil distribution. Cité Soleil is one of the worst slums in the world with a population of over 300,000 people in a 4 square mile area. Because of the desperation and lack of food in Haiti, and because of our lack of a concrete walled facility and previous experience with food distribution in Cité Soleil, we determined it was too dangerous to distribute the food openly without causing a food riot. So we handed out ticket vouchers in Cité Soleil neighborhoods to elders, pregnant women and mothers to be redeemed for food at the soccer field the next day. We hoped this would allow us to control the crowds of people as they waited for food.

Earlier this fall, I had packed food at Feed My Starving Children to celebrate a group of friends fall birthdays.

Now I'm repacking the food for final distribution... it was coming full circle.

Jeff, Kevin and I spent the rest of the day counting and packing 600 bags of food for tomorrow's distribution, 14 bags of Feed My Starving Children food (84 meals) for each ticket holder.

We knew tomorrow was going to be a long day and headed home for the night.

Desperation, Anguish and Frustration.
One might think that handing out food to those in need might be joyful or even fun. But the anguish on people's faces is sobering. It breaks my heart to see so many people, so desperate and frustrated. Desperate for food to feed their children, frustrated they have to walk a mile or more to redeem their voucher, anguished about whether there will be food left by the time they get in the gate. It breaks our hearts to see the pain of daily life in Haiti.

This morning, Jeff, Fanfan and I took a tap tap down to the soccer field to prepare for the food distribution. We arrived at 9:30 and people were already lined up for the distribution scheduled for 11am.

We met with Kevin and began to instruct our helpers how it would work. We knew that more people were coming every minute.

The word was out that we were distributing food and some people outside the gate did not have a ticket.

For us to have enough food for all the ticket vouchers we handed out, we would have to make sure no one without a ticket was allowed in. We learned from other missions that it is best to establish a system within the gates that would include multiple checkpoints and a "maze" for them to follow allowing only a limited number of people in at a time. This would help to create a single file line that would hopefully be orderly.

We decided to test our system so at 10:55, we opened the gate to let the first 5 people in. As soon as we unlocked the door, the people stormed the gate, pushing, shoving and yelling to get in. It took quite a few of workers to safely pull the first five people through the gate and get the people pushed back so we could lock it again. We now knew what we were up against. Good people desperately fighting for the basics of food for life. We wonder, what would we be like if we we could not provide for our children... would we also push and shove and yell? Would you?

I think this is what it means to see life through a different lense. We might look at this and become frustrated ourselves, that our own needs of feeling fulfilled are not being met by these circumstances... but it is not about us. We need to constantly take ourselves out of the picture. It is not about us, it's about being the "hands and feet" of Christ and getting into the middle of the brawl to try to do something good. It is not about these people appreciating what we are doing but about us appreciating the situation they are in... dire poverty with complete and utter desperation. Hearing all the yelling and commotion, I sat back at the end of the table and thought this is what starvation sounds like.

After sending some workers outside the gate to try to quiet the crowd, we reopened the doors... letting only 5 people with vouchers in at a time.

Little by little as people got in and out, the process started to function.... but as always, there is never enough.

After 3 hours, all tickets had been redeemed and their were still over 100 people outside the gate begging for food. We decided to assemble some more packets with what bags we had left and handed out another 50-60 packages. Even though it was good to see so many people receive this food, we all ached knowing many went without.

Fanfan, Jeff and I walked for a while afterwards, then took a tap tap back to the hotel. We were silent and tired... and emotionally drained. Please Dear Lord, heal Haiti.

Blessings...
Alyn and Jeff

This is Haiti... (part 2)

2008-12-15T13:10:00.000-08:00

Everything is Hard in Haiti.
It seems like everything in Haiti is more difficult than it should be. And this trip is no exception. Friday morning we went to the port to finish repacking the container. We decided to get a jump on distribution by packing some of the items in our dump truck so we could start delivering while we waited for the container to be delivered. Here is a picture of our container being lifted off of a stack so we could finish.

It is an amazing thing to watch a 60,000 lbs. container being pickup and moved around like a tinker toy.

First Stop
Our first deliver was 300 empty five gallon buckets that were donated to us by ER Systems. These buckets are used by Haitians to retrieve water for their families. They will be handed out by Father Rick from St. Damien's Children's Hospital in Tebarre.

Also in the truck for the hospital were medical supplies and stuffed animals for the children. Each of the workers asked if they could have a stuffed animal. It was amazing to see fully grown men, cling and hold their stuffed animals. Dave said "It just touched my very heart that grown men would cherish these toys... it almost brought tears to my eyes." We wondered if they ever had one when they were small. How can it be that we have so much and they have so little?

L'Athlétique d'Haiti
Our second stop was to Bobby Duval's Soccer Program in Cite Soleil. Bobby has a heart moving testimony. He was a professional soccer player for the Haitian National Team before being imprisoned for two years by the Duvalier's, ruthless dictators of Haiti in the 70's and 80's. He saw 180 people executed while in prison and had one die in his arms. Twelve days before his own execution, Jimmy Carter intervened and successfully obtained his release along with 12 others. Here is a picture of Dave and Bobby together.

During the worst violence in Cite Soleil, Bobby started a soccer program in Cite Soleil to give the children something to do instead of becoming a gang member. He taught them soccer, fed them and gave them mentoring and a safe haven from the streets. He now has several hundred children come to his soccer field every week.

We delivered water buckets and boxes of used school books that he will use to teach the children.

We also delivered food donated by Feed My Starving Children. It is wonderful to see someone who cares so much for the children of Haiti as does Bobby Duval.

A Painful Contribution
Everything in Haiti is hard including heavy lifting in a 100+ degree container three days in a row. During all the moving and lifting and loading of tens of thousands of pounds, Dave's back went out. Haiti is not the place to have a bad back (I'm speaking from experience). Here is a picture of Dave and our friend Fanfan hiking back to the hotel after a hard day's work and a bumpy Tap Tap ride... (can you feel his pain?).

To make matters worse, we received a call from Jean, our director that the container was not being released and we were to come down to port immediately. By the time we arrived, the problem was taken care of and were promised a Saturday morning delivery.

What is the worst that could happen?
Saturday we patiently waited with anticipation for the phone call telling us our container had been delivered. Little did we know what call we would receive. The phone rang and Kevin said "The container chassis just collapsed, knocked over Bobby's wall! Take a TapTap down here as soon as possible". I thought to myself, "sometimes doing God's work for the poor is really difficult"... this was one of those times. Here is a few pictures of our newly delivered container.

The load of 60,000+ lbs was too much for the ground under the right front leg of the trailer. The leg sunk into the ground two feet taking the container with it.

For the next few hours, we talked about many different options for securing and leveling the container but came up with none. Several small tow trucks heard about our dilemma and showed up willing to hook up and pull it straight but none of the ideas made any sense. We were now resigned to emptying the container on an angle. We didn't have time to wait for a crane... especially one that could pickup 60,000 pounds.

Plan B.
Believe it or not, there is life after your trailer collapses. It's what Dave calls "Plan B". We are so thankful and thank God that through this all, no one was hurt, nothing damaged except for the wall. While things are difficult in Haiti, it could have been much worse... and this was our blessing for the day.

We carefully opened the back doors on our container and pulled out buckets to load in our dump truck. It adds a certain amount of extra work and uncertainty working at an angle.

BioSand Water Filters
Our next delivery was to an organization that builds water filters for the poor of Cite Soleil. Charles Adams, a contractor from Queensbury, NY is working to provide clean water to the poorest of the poor by building concrete biosand water filters that filter bacteria and parasites form dirty water making it drinkable.

Last year, armed men grabbed Charles from his car near the Port-au-Prince airport. The gunmen took him to a house in the slum of Cite Soleil, near the international airport, where other kidnapping victims were being held. Adams was released within 24 hours, apparently without having paid the $500,000 demanded from his captors. The kidnappers reportedly told Adams that kidnap-for-ransom is their only means of support. The FBI, now says Haiti has surpassed Colombia as the riskiest country in the Americas for kidnapping.

Each one of our buckets will accompany a water filter for a family in Cite Soleil. We are grateful to ER Systems for their generous support.

Terra Promise Ecole
Elder Morland, Director of Terra Promise School in Cite Soleil, a school we fund, brought a taptap to pickup his food and buckets. To save room in the container, we packed 1000 buckets full of Feed My Starving Children meals. He was so happy to receive both food and buckets and thanks God for the support of our donors. We tell him, all the glory is God's... we are only blessed with the opportunity to do His work.

Sunday Service
I asked Dave if he wanted to go to church or deliver buckets. He said "We're here to serve God, I think that's the best Sunday service we can go to." So Sunday morning, bright and early we started to pack 280 five gallon pails of food for Titanyen.

Because Dave's back was out, we hired some of the street kids that we send to school to come and help with the buckets. They were very hard workers.

It was like a plan made in heaven. We estimated how many buckets we needed in Titanyen and when fully loaded, had zero room for even one more bucket... God is Good.

Titanyen, Haiti
Titanyen is where we are building Grace Village, a place where God's loving Grace can touch the people of Haiti. It is also the village where our orphanage and eldercare programs are.

Our first stop was at our orphanage to visit with the children and drop needed food. Food in Haiti has doubled in price since the first of the year making it very difficult for many Haitians to care for their families. Here Dave meets the children of the orphanage for the first time.

Here is a photo of the children celebrating the arrival of food and buckets.

Here is a photo of the children holding signs made by the children who packed the food at Feed My Starving Children back in Minnesota. These cardboard signs were on the tops of each skid of food. They contained, greetings, prayers, blessings and pictures for the Haitian children. We brought them along to let the orphan children know that children in Minnesota care about them. It's such a blessing to be the conduit for this.

Grace Village
In between deliveries, we stopped at the site of Grace Village, 16 acres of land on the outskirts of Titanyen, future home for the orphanage, eldercare and feeding programs.

When Dave first got out of the truck on the top of the land he said "This is just a perfect picture of God's beautiful artwork". Again... we are so blessed.

A difficult job...
Like being on the water truck, we knew going in that we did not have enough food for everyone. That's what makes this part of our job bitter sweet. It is a blessing to be able to hand out food to those in need but there just is not enough.

Most of the roads in Titnayen are too narrow for the dump truck so we off loaded buckets into the back of our pickup truck. Word spread fast and very soon we were surrounded by people desperately seeking food.

The anguish on some of the faces was heartbreaking...

A time for babies...
In between the chaos, Dave and I stole some badly needed hugs and kisses from the children. We needed them as much as they did.

Desperation as an Emotion.
These final photos are of some of the food distribution from the dump truck. It is completely incomprehensible to understand the feelings you have when you experience the utter desperation in Haiti. We are so blessed to be able to just go to the corner store, stocked with any and everything we can imagine. I cannot explain the feelings but only wish everyone, once in their life could experience it. It would truly change your life forever!

When all the food is gone...
When all the food is gone, all we can do is drive away. The children continue to chase us hoping we will stop again and start distributing food again... please Lord, heal Haiti.

Blessings from Haiti...
Jeff & Dave