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| "Picture Perfect" |
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| rooftop view |
I love the winter months in Haiti. The average daytime temperature is in the mid 80's and in the evenings it drops to the lower 70's. Guests pull out blankets and light jackets as the evening breezes cool the air. The rooftop is the favorite gathering place as we talk about our loved ones in the the cold weather at home.
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| Sadie |
Let me first introduce you to our newest team member at Our House of Hope. Sadie is our new 11 week old Mastiff puppy and future guard dog. We love her!
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| Our new security gate |
Speaking of security, we had a new security wall built out front with two beautiful entrance gates. It was amazing to watch these talented Haitian craftsmen hand cut and punch each panel. They were so proud of their work and we feel very safe!
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| Hard labor |
We began 2013 with three consecutive weeks hosting mission teams. Every team has it's own unique personality and purpose. Our prayer is that everyone who walks through the gates at Our House of Hope will feel the presence of God and His love, and that they will leave these premises with their hearts and bodies refreshed and blessed.
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| Sharing |
One of my favorite events while in Haiti was our first Women's Missionary Renewal Retreat which we held on Saturday, January 19, 2013. Thirty seven (37) wonderful women from all over Haiti attended the full day conference for a time of networking, sharing, praying, eating and learning. One lady rode a tap-tap (Haiti public transportation) for 12 hours to get here! I shared "Life's Balance Wheel" and we discussed the unique challenges of balancing the Career, Social, Physical, Financial,
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| First Women's Mission Renewal Conference |
Spiritual, and Emotional demands of life in Haiti. Debbie sang several beautiful songs and we spoiled
the attendees with goody bags, door prizes, homemade sweet rolls baked by Pastor Paul, and
a great lunch of lasagna and salad. New friendships were made, resources were shared, spirits were refreshed and we decided to make it a quarterly event. What a blessing to see our ministry center full of local missionaries and to be able to use my speaking gift here in Haiti.
In my last blog, I described our typical day of working from 5:00 a.m. until about 10:00 p.m.
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| poolside |
and I shared many of our favorite mission sites where we take our visiting teams to work. Thanks to the recommendations of local missionaries, we recently found a great place at an airport hotel where
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| pizza night |
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| Wahoo Beach |
we can get delicious pizza at a reasonable price. I especially love this particular night out as cheese is one of my favorite foods and it is very expensive here in Haiti - a pack of 8 string cheese sticks is $10! Our guests enjoy sitting at the outdoor tables around the hotel pool and I am reminded that there is life beyond the slum areas where we work in Haiti. In January, our first mission team wanted a day of relaxation at a tropical beach, so we traveled for two hours for our first trip to Wahoo Beach where guests snorkled, swam and tanned at the beach. I mention these two places because they have been such a blessing to our weary bodies and souls as we work seven days a week here hosting new teams. There are few recreational activities and days off to renew OUR spirits, and these unique places energize us so that we are ready to continue giving and serving.
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| new kitchen cabinets |
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| kitchen in progress |
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| Faith in Action Team |
While I can not tell you here about every single team that visits, I do want to tell you about a very special team called Faith in Action that visited in January. Perhaps the easiest way to do this is to share an exert from my February article in South Carolina Woman Magazine. "This group was founded by the big hearts of Jim Jeske, Mike Edge and Don Shire. Each year this group of talented construction workers selects an international short term mission project. They spend their vacation time and their own money to leave a legacy by building a home, church, or school. This amazing team of 16 dedicated construction workers from Minnesota and Wisconsin arrived and built us two beautiful new kitchens so that we could better serve our mission teams. This team of skilled men and women operates like a well oiled machine, working long 10 to 12 hour days in the heat and primitive conditions to accomplish the seemingly impossible in a limited amount of time. More impressive than their work ethics is their spiritual strength and bond. During their short stay with us, two different team members received devastating news from home regarding the health of family members... one member had a daughter diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and another had a son diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. After each phone call, the fathers shared their news through tears and the entire team instinctively gathered to surround their friend in supportive prayer and love. I watched this team work together, pray together, cry together, laugh together, and worship together. I will never forget those sweet prayers of faith that we shared with this team. Their commitment, love and spiritual strength will be forever etched on my heart. They are a shining example of Christian love in action."
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| Ra Ra Dancers photo by Shannon Kelley |
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| Gonaives cross |
January and February were filled with many Haitian holidays. The streets were filled with music and parades as they celebrated the New Year, Ancestor's Day (comparable to our Fourth of July) and Carnival (Mardi Gras). Our guests had to use ear plugs to drown out the loud music and all night partying that surrounded us, and we had to change daily travel plans and routes to ensure safety during the mobs of Mardi Gras revelers, locally known as RaRa. I am reminded of the first time I experienced Ra-Ra in Haiti during a 2009 trip to Gonaives. When I first saw the large 20 foot cross on the plaza in the middle of town, I celebrated it as a sign that Christians were at work for the Lord in the area. Later that night I realized that this cross was the final gathering place for the many Ra Ra parades that wove their way through every local street and neighborhood. The cross still had Jesus hanging on it and was used as a symbol for Satan having defeated Christ. Drunken parties and sexual interludes took place at the foot of that cross as voodoo drums kept their mesmerizing beat. I remember the cultural shock that pulsed through my body as I realized the strong presence and power of VooDoo in this land. The Ra Ra parades this year in Port au Prince brought back those same strong feelings. Life in Haiti is not the norm...as witnessed by one of our most recent teams. As the loud panicked screams of a woman filled the night air, the concerned group exited their bedrooms in fear that someone was being raped or beaten. The continuous shrieking came from the house next door, so Jim asked Johnno, our Haitian live-in, to jump the wall and see what was happening. Johnno returned to report that there was an exorcism taking place in the woman's bedroom with two local ministers.
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| Luke gets baptized |
The team prayed together as Haiti once again revealed the reality of the battle going on between good and evil on earth. Here in Haiti, it is much more visible than in America, where the battle is often masked behind media and acceptable cultural norms.
The beauty and power is in knowing that Our God is stronger than the work of Satan and any challenges we can face. Here in Haiti, we see miracles daily. As we profess God's love in actions and words, He blesses the seeds that are planted and we get to see many Haitian and mission team members claim their
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| Pastor Cenor and wife |
salvation. A teenager who recently visited with his church worked alongside us all week in the mission field and then asked to be baptized in the ocean at Wahoo Beach before leaving. It was a beautiful moment for all of us to celebrate with him. This week, we celebrated answered prayer with a beloved Haitian friend who has struggled to conceive a child with his wife. Last month, Jim and Pastor Paul prayed with this precious couple for God to bless them with a child. As Jim laid hands on the woman and prayed specifically for her conception, he said he felt an overwhelming feeling of assurance and peace flow through him. Yesterday, Pastor Cenor stopped by to share that his wife is pregnant! We laughed, cried and celebrated God's faithfulness with our dear friend. I love these beautiful moments.
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| Dr Karen McCarthy and her amazing medical team |
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| keloid before surgery |
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| keloid after surgery |
Our medical teams continue to make a huge difference in the lives of our Haitian friends. Dr Karen McCarthy's team comes about three times a year and sees an average of 330 patients per day. In addition to treating their medical needs, these amazing volunteers dance, laugh, cry, and pray with the patients. Their love for the Haitian people is tangible, and where there is love...there are great miracles. Two medical teams, Dr. McCarthy (from Florida) and Dr. Crews (from West Virginia) have visited in the last six weeks and both performed necessary surgeries to remove huge growths from Haitian patients. I thank God for the caring professionals who give of their time and talent to make a difference for those in dire need of
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| Needs help |
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| Pastor Paul makes balloon animals |
medical treatment.
This month I had the privilege of speaking to the Women in Philanthropy and Leadership Conference in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, sponsored by Coastal Carolina University. I met some amazing women there who also have a heart for missions and for Haiti. I firmly believe that these ladies were my "angels unaware" as they offered physical, financial, and emotional support. The longer I work in the mission field, the more I understand how God used his people as His hands and feet to strengthen others. I challenge you to always follow through when prompted to write a note or send a check to someone in the mission field. You will never know how much that gesture of support may mean to an exhausted missionary!
We are celebrating God's faithfulness in helping us raise the necessary funds for the purchase of
Our House of Hope. We currently have $138,949.50 toward our goal of $225,000. We are excited
about our Easter fundraiser where friends and supporters in the United States are making and
selling 3 foot wooden crosses for $20. We have several churches who have agreed to make and sell 300 crosses each. Now we need a few more people to step up and agree to participate in this important fund raiser to help us reach our purchase price goal Please pray about it and let us know if you would like to help. It is a minimal investment for an eternal outcome!
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| Easter Cross Fund Raiser |
Thank you for your continued love, prayers and support. You truly are the wind beneath my wings.
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| Dr Dennis McCarthy and twins at clinic |
