Morning Journal:
Storm blew through last night. I was up a number of times. I don't know how much it rained but the wind was vicious. The sound was something I would hear while walking through a haunted house. It was almost unreal. As creepy as it sounded....I was not afraid. It made me realize how fully I trust Jesus with my life... but when it comes to taking care of my children I don't hand it all over to Him. If my kids were there would I be freaking out? I think so. That is where I get so anxious. My anxiety is b/c I need to keep my kids safe. Help me to hand it ALL over to you, Lord!
Late Day Journal:
We started the day in worship. It was in Creole A few of the songs were half English/half Creole. So Cool! Watching the Haitians worship was inspiring. It lasted 2 hours and they knew how to worship! We then went to visit Madame Cheap-Cheap. She is the on site sales person. She walks around saying, "Cheap, Cheap!" We then got the Mission of Hope tour. A-MAZ-ING! They have 63 orphans, they feed 53,000 kids a day. They have 2,500 students attending school. They have a prosthetic lab, clinic, and church. They are in the process of building a hospital.
We took a few village tours and other MOH campus tours. In the first village a boy showed me his car made from an oil bottle. That had an unexpected outcome! A women handed me her 4 month old baby. (I think that was his age. I was counting on by fingers and she pointed to 4 of my fingers.) He didn't have a diaper on. I prayed he wouldn't pee on me. She was trying to tell me something about his belly but I didn't have an interpreter with me. I felt so bad that I couldn't understand her. She wanted me to know what she was saying so bad. As I continued walking through the village it began to rain. A sweet, sweet lady was calling me out of the rain. She brought lawn chairs out of her home so I could have a place to sit on her patio area. She had her children clear off the porch for me. I could tell how important hospitality was to her. We did not share the same language but our exchange of smiles, laughter, and hugs spoke loudly. (I still think about her often.
) The rain came down hard and the interpreters and inters ran through the village gathering us up. We needed to get out of that valley fast. Unfortunately, we did not move out fast enough. The water/mud combination caused vehicles to get stuck. Men were pushing vehicles up the hill. The big bus had no chance. CRAZY! I have to admit it was entertaining! We all made it back to MOH campus by cramming into vehicles.
So many amazing God moments today. I love it here. The Lord has lit a fire in my heart for Haiti. I don't miss home yet. Just too many needs here. I pray all is well in SC. Thank you God for today!
Our day started at church. My friend and I were sitting out front when we were joined by two Haitian boys. Their fathers were inside the church cleaning and getting it ready for the upcoming service. They had a ball playing with our cameras. They were sweet boys. Although they didn't know most English words, like most Haitian kids, they knew the word PHOTO.
Inside the church waiting for worship to begin.
It was a full house.
Campus Tour
This is where we ate our meals.
This is the inside of the hospital that is being built.
So far it has been mostly funded by the owner of Hobby Lobby!!
This ambulance has an amazing story behind it. It was donated to MOH in 2009. Although MOH INSISTED they did not need it, the donor said he knew God wanted him to send it overseas.
It arrived and sat b/c it was not needed.
Soon after a EMT called and said that he was moving his family to Haiti b/c he felt God was calling him there. He was also told he was not needed at MOH but he INSISTED.
Months later that ambulance and the EMT were run rapid helping earthquake victims.
I guess they were needed!!
They listed to their call and responded.
Obedience. How often do I listen?
This is the new building that is under construction on the MOH campus. It is a food storage facility.
Currently MOH is feeding 52,000 children A DAY!
The goal by 2015 is to be feeding 100,000 a day.
The building was actually funded by another organization. (I didn't get their name.)
The deal was...they build it and MOH fills it with food.
There were other really cool things on the tour. One being the prosthetic lab.
They have the best prosthesis person in the Western Hemisphere on campus.
He is the only non-Christian on payroll.
He is mentoring two Haitians that are schooling now.
He will stay until they are ready to take over his lab.
After the earthquake there were many, many amputee victims.
This is a very important service.
Growing children get a new custom fit leg every 3 months.
There is no other place in Haiti where prosthetics are custom fit.
Off Campus Tour
One thing was true at every village.
The kids want to be held and loved.
They swarm you.
Some have clothes on and some are naked as a jaybirds.
I had to get used to that.
But I did.
These kids needed love!
Okay...so funny story! I was very impressed with this little boy's toy. It was an plastic oil bottle with soda cap wheels. He was pulling it by a string. When I was telling him how impressed I was with his car he turned my attention to the hatchback door he made.
I bent down to take a photo of his toy and out pops a bird!
A live bird!
I gasped and jumped. Others were cracking up at me.
There was a problem.
The bird was stuck inside the bottle.
His leg was tied on something.
I tried to help him out.
The boy was trying to rip him out.
So as I am working to get the bird freed an audience gathered.
Even a boy left his bath time to check out the action :)
This land of the Bercy Campus has big plans.
They are planning to build a pastor conference center, a resort center
(to create jobs), lodging for groups to come, the rest of the school,
another orphanage, medical clinic, food warehouse and elderly homes.
This land was GIVEN to the MOH by the government because of all the good they are doing.
It is 55 acres on oceanfront.
This is a school on the Bercy campus.
It will soon be joined by a church that they just broke ground on.
There are big plans for this area. I can't wait to go back and see the progress.
This was a village that MOH is building. The goal is to move all people out of their temporary tent homes (that they moved in after the earthquake) and into more of a permanent structure. The homes below are home that MOH have already built. 300 down and another 200 to go.
They currently have funding for another 100 homes.
The homes cost $6,000 a piece to build.
This is the point where the storm blew in and we were rushed back to the bus. This next picture is a picture of the tent part of the village. 4 poles with tarp wrapped around it. Tin roof.
You can't see it in the picture but each home has a Samaritan's Purse logo on it.
I saw the presence of Samaritan's Purse in so many places around Haiti.
It is an organization that I will be honored to continue to support!
So the rain drenched us all.
The creeks filled with water and the roads turned to mud.
And the bus...was stuck!
We all made it back safely.
Our time was cut short...but it was beautiful!
Thoughts at the end of the day...
I was a happy girl!
