Home Sweet Home

My mind is foggy from not enough sleep and being back in our "reality" so we'll see how well I recount the details of the last two days. Plus, I don't have Jim telling me what to write!

Yesterday was our last full day in Haiti. It was a national holiday - Flag Day - so the school was closed. We set out bright and early for Village of Hope School to paint the cafeteria. Our team quickly assessed what needed to be done and got to work. The walls and pillars were dry-brushed and areas scraped and tape was put down. We quickly realized that the 5 gallons of paint we had was not going to be enough to completely finish the job. We were able to apply one coat but the concrete walls were as thirsty as we were after a few hours of work! We're hoping another team will be visiting soon and can finish our job - many of us did not like leaving the job half done! Unlike in the states, though, there are no Home Depots to run to when you run out of paint! While the rest of us worked in the cafeteria, Jen and Susan finished putting together some care packages and painting a chalk board with new chalk board paint. After cleaning up with turpentine (because we used oil paint) and taking a group picture we were off for our next adventure - lunch at MacEpi.

After the earthquake, a small "fast food" store was built called MacEpi. It had crepes, burgers, fries, pizza, soda, beer, and cakes. We enjoyed not only eating Haitian fast food but relaxing in the air conditioning! Then we headed to Debbie's apartment where we took down the beds, folded up some bedding, and grabbed a few more items for her to take to Hope House.

Next stop was Hope House for a quick unloading of the truck and a cold drink. Then we were off to Marie's. Marie Major is a Haitian woman who started an orphanage for girls. The orphanage is no longer under the Lazarus Project but those of us who were there last year wanted to visit again. Instead of walking, like we did last year, we drove as there is a tent city along the way that has developed since the earthquake and Debbie feels it is safer for visitors to drive instead of walk past it. As we pulled up to Marie's, many of us were confused as to why were stopping. We didn't recognize the orphanage because of the damage done by the earthquake. The church and dormitory area for the girls had collapsed but is in the process of being cleared. We enjoyed making balloon animals and hats for the girls, playing with bouncy balls, blowing bubbles, and making them laugh. After a short visit we returned to Hope House. While we waited for our precious generator to be turned on so we could shower, we practiced making balloon animals and played with the puppies that are so, so cute! Madeline, Bubba, Monroe, Jolie, and Bonnie are the names we gave to the puppies of Hopie, the dog that lives at Hope House.

Our evening meal was yummy chicken, choyote pear (as we call it in the states), beets, potatoes, and other great dishes. This was followed by a birthday celebration for our fearless leader, Greer! There was cake that Debbie had gotten at the MacEpi and ice cream provided by Tom and Liz. And best of all were the balloon flowers for the centerpiece and balloon hat for the birthday boy! At the end of the celebration, the skies opened up and we quickly ran for shelter. Our devotions and reflection time were done in Debbie's living area while we waited for the rain to stop. After sharing our funniest moments and our most meaningful experiences of the trip, we were given beautiful steel suns from Debbie and were off to enjoy some more generator time before bed!

Morning finally arrived (for those of us that couldn't sleep) and we loaded up the truck for one last time to go to the airport. Jen and Julie had a later flight and didn't even get up to say good-bye! Our trip to the airport was full of sites as we saw the effect of all the rain and people headed to work. We waited in several lines to clear the firearms security check point, check bags, clear customs, and clear security. We had enough time to enjoy some more delectables from the MacEpi at the new airport terminal. And then we were off. Unlike last year, we did not have to return to the terminal several times and were able to take off with no incidences! There were many people on the flight from the U.S. who had been in Haiti with various organizations doing work similar to ours. It was interesting to hear all the conversations going on as people compared their experiences. We were a little late getting into Miami but not enough to impact us making our connecting flight. Elizabeth headed from Miami to New York and the rest of us made our way to Northern Virginia.

One thing we forgot to mention on Monday was that Susan and Jim had the opportunity to meet the children that they sponsor who attend the Village of Hope school. It was very touching to see them meet, talk, and get their pictures taken together!

I had planned on posting some pictures of our adventures but that will have to wait until tomorrow! Thank you for all your prayers as we complete another mission trip to Haiti. Continue to pray for the Village of Hope School and the Little Children of Jesus Home, as well as our team as we adjust to being back home.

Another Powerful Day

Today was another powerful day for our mission team - physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Physically we once again were challenged with an extremely hot and humid day as we handed out the care packages to the students. We started the day at The Village of Hope School participating in the upper grades morning assembly which included songs, prayers, and praises to God. Our mission team was introduced to the school and we were welcomed with songs of joy. Following the assembly we quickly broke into teams to distribute the care packages to all the classes which meant delivering about 640 packages! We went to each class, distributed the bags where staff and students were extremely happy and appreciative. They sang songs of thanks for us in English! Most of us walked signficant miles in conditions that would compete with Washington, D.C.'s hottest, most humid day! We also experienced eating in the school's lunchroom and experiencing a typical Haitian meal of beans and rice with fish sauce. For many of these kids, this may be the only meal they eat all day. Our time at the school ended with a parade in honor of flag day which is tomorrow. The students marched and sang as they waved their flags. The highlight for returning veterans of last year's trip was seeing kids who remembered us as those who gave them new shoes last year. They would excitedly point to their shoes as we interacted with them!

The day continued with an emotional experience for many. We visited the Little Children of Jesus Home for the Disabled at their new facility. Those of us that were here last year were excited to see the improved, spacious conditions. All of these children have profound physical and/or mental disabilities. However, they were full of love and joy and tons of energy! We played ball and made balloon hats and animals with the children. With those not able to engage with us due to their disabilities, many of our team went around touching and tickling them in a nurturing, caring way. All of us walked away with greater appreciation for life. We even recognized some children that we met last year!

We returned to Hope House and finished the job that even Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs would have gagged at!

Our evening concluded with an emotional exchange of feelings and reflections which was cathartic for us all.

We'll catch up with you tomorrow! Haiti out!

Feeling Privileged to Serve

We traveled out to the Village of Hope School for church today. We were all struck by the gusto with which the children sing. Liz shared some thoughts about spreading God's word with others for the sermon. Our group sang some songs for the students - none of us would get very far on American Idol! We also passed out the beaded bracelets that the Sunday School students from St. John's made for the students.

After church we drove to a historic sugarcane plantation where there is now a restaurant. We all enjoyed our meals which were almost all some form of bbq. Some of us also enjoyed some very potent rum punch!

Odney, the driver, took us the long way home so that we could see some of the areas more heavily damaged by the earthquake. It was very eye-opening. We arrived back at Hope House tired from the sun and dirty from the drive. Several group members attacked the boxes of prepared rice meals and repacked them while others (Elizabeth and Sarah) played with the new puppies!

Our devotion tonight was more of a debriefing session. It was nice to hear what others were thinking about the trip so far and their impressions of all they've seen. Tomorrow we are headed bright and early to the Village of Hope School to pass out the bags and then to the orphanages to play with the kids!

Hot and Humid

Some of us started the day quite early thanks to Sarah's phone still set to Eastern Standard Time as well as the incessant sound of the car horns on the street - the Haitian version of a stop and go light! Only two mangoes fell on our roof during the night. Some people slept right through it. Others describe it as a bowling ball crashing onto a tin roof!

After breakfast we loaded up 90 - 50 lb. boxes of ready made meals that were packaged at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Springfield, VA, by some members of our team and congregation through "Stop Hunger Now." Thanks to Tom and Paul we strategically placed the 90 boxes plus 12 people in the back of the truck for the 30 minute drive to Village of Hope School. Upon arrival we assessed the situation, divided into teams for the purposes of preparing care packages for each of the students. The care packages included five bags of the prepared rice meals, crayons, toothpaste, and a coloring or activity book. The working conditions were like being in a sauna. Frequent water breaks were necessary. After three hours we completed about 640 care packages and divided them into classes for easy distribution on Monday. In a half a day, we did what would have taken Debbie and a few workers about a week to do. We felt it was a very rewarding experience to have helped prepare the rice meal bags and now have the opportunity to distribute them on Monday (more to come)! We also enjoyed a picnic lunch in the chapel where we also assessed what painting needs to be done there. Presently we're considering the lunchroom. Our biggest obstacle will be the numerous hornet nests and spider webs.

We then traveled to the metal workers village where we spent about an hour shopping and spending. Many of us came away with some great pieces of art. Walking around the area and looking at how people live in these conditions is eye-opening for us. They cook, sleep, work, wash, etc., all in the same room.

Upon returning to Hope House we refreshed and started all over again with doing various tasks. Those tasks included re-boxing the rice packages due to some damage to the boxes and transferring them to the brand new depot at the back of the property (who needs Gold's Gym?). Some of us sorted clothing and medical supplies for Debbie to distribute to various groups. There were quite some surprises in some of the packages. What some people will donate is amazing - digital picture frames, torn up shorts, huge pairs of underwear, a baggie of beans, etc.! The weather being hot and humid is an understatement. Many of us were sweating like you wouldn't believe!

After a break we enjoyed a great dinner of cabbage stew, garlic bread, and mango cobbler. We did our nightly devotion and many of us showered and called it a night. For those of you that are interested, that means, hot, no air movement, and little sleep!

Today we are off to the school to attend chapel, then out to lunch, and a visit at Little Children of Jesus. More to come tonight!

We've Arrived!

We made it to Haiti! Jennifer and Julie arrived via Miami at about 10:30 and the rest of us via JFK/New York at 12:15. The airport was crazy as we expected. We deplaned and then were taken to a hangar by bus to get our luggage. Debbie, Julie, and Jennifer met us outside customs and we pushed our way to the truck. We made our way to Hope House seeing many tent cities and flattened buildings along the way. The rookies along for the first time got a good taste of the dust in Haiti as we bumped along. After we had a snack and orientation at Hope House, we quickly sorted the 20 suitcases of donations that we brought along and are now sorting donations Debbie had here already. It is VERY hot but there is a nice breeze. Many of us are looking forward to dinner and bedtime although it's only 4:30!

We look forward to going to the Village of Hope School tomorrow to unpack the "Stop Hunger Now" meals that many of us helped prepare at Prince of Peace Lutheran in February. We are excited to see the project to the end - meals getting to the Haitians!

Prayer Requests

Please refer back to this post daily and use the following as a guide as you pray for our trip!

• Thursday, May 13: St. John's Servant Team departs for Haiti tomorrow. Pray for safe travel and good health, and that our team will be blessed to be a blessing to everyone they meet in Haiti.
• Friday, May 14: Team Arrives in Haiti. Pray for Debbie Berquist, Director of the Village of Hope of the Lazarus Project, as she faithfully manages this ministry. The team is scheduled to bag rice and beans. Pray for team members Greer Putnam and Sarah Finger.
• Saturday, May 15: Team begins project. Team travels to school to paint the chapel and dining room. Pray for the children and families served by The Village of Hope, as well as the staff who continue to struggle with the affects of the January 12th earthquake. Pray for team members Jennifer Hills and Julie Heck.
• Sunday, May 16: Team attends church and tours Port-au-Prince. Team travels to The Village of Hope for church service and tours the Delmas Region. Pray for Jorel Carte, and the children who lead worship, and for the team as they see and experience the devastation in Haiti. Pray for team members Susan Gutjahr and Jim Lofgren.
• Monday, May 17: Team visits Food for the Poor and Little Children of Jesus Orphanage for Disabled Children. Pray for the children and staff that they may be surrounded with the love of Jesus. Pray that the team's time with them is filled with God's love, hope and compassion. Pray for team members Tom and Liz DeMik.
• Tuesday, May 18: Team completes painting and repair work at the school. Team provides food for a picnic at the Village of Hope School. Gifts from St. John's SS are given to children. Then the team assists Debbie in packing boxes and other tasks. Pray for team members Cynthia Campbell and Paul Swicord.
• Wednesday, May 19: Team returns to Virginia. Pray for safe and timely return of our team from Haiti. Pray for needed financial support for the new clinic (The Carol Herget Village of Hope Health Center) still in the planning stages. Groundbreaking is planned for October 2010. Pray for team members Mark Bacon and Elizabeth Bloss.
  

Less than a Month

It's hard to believe, but in less than one month another team from St. John's Lutheran will be heading to Haiti! Greer Putnam, our fearless leader, is again heading up the team. Joining him from last year's group are Jim "the hills are alive" Lofgren, Paul "would you like to see this shoe in another size?" Swicord, Susan "can I have another?" Gutjahr, and me, Sarah "le champion" Finger. The new members of our team include Cynthia Campbell, Liz and Tom DeMik, Jennifer Hills, Mark Bacon, Julie Heck, and possibly a couple more! We depart for Haiti on Friday, May 14 and will return Wednesday, May 19. Our group is busy purchasing supplies, gathering donations, and praying for a successful trip. We are all excited as we look forward to painting (with oil paint!) Village of Hope school; visiting the children at Little Children of Jesus Home for the Disabled and Grace Orphanage and School; and getting to know one another since not all of us are from St. John's!

Please pray for us as we continue preparations for our trip! St. John's will be holding a "commissioning and sending" at the 10:45 a.m. service on Sunday, May 9. We hope to see you there!