It is Wednesday afternoon & I stayed behind at campus for our afternoon shift of painting. Katrina had a little battle with her malaria meds this morning and the meds won. When we were painting a home in the village of Bercy the fumes started to bother her already upset stomach. The Haitian people were so kind and helpful to us in helping to get her into the shade, telling us to pour water on her neck & head, and we bought her a Haitian version of saltines being sold right next to us. She is feeling much better, but we decided an afternoon of rest was a good idea so she could be good for tomorrow.
I have been so impressed with the kids on this trip! They are respectful & motivated to help out in whatever way. They also make me laugh so hard I'm crying!! I'm trying to think of stories about each kid for this extra post that I'm getting to do this afternoon while I'm staying behind. So here goes.
Sass was the first to jump up at the first few meals and gather dishes for people as we we were visiting & take them the proper spot...others have jumped in now and helped with that as well. Even with her being so helpful there are several individuals(that will remain nameless...however I will say one is a chaperone, can you guess his name Lori Tucker?) that have given her a hard time all week about the Uno cards that were lost the first night we were here. (FYI...It has all been very good natured teasing & Sass holds her own well. So no worries!)They claim it's her fault the cards are gone because she cleaned the cards all up(helpful Sass again), while everyone else left to play Spikeball. The bag of cards got left on the table instead of put into Jason's backpack & the staff here picked up tables & they have ended up in one of the staff dorms. We are still hoping to get them back before we leave. They will be nice to have for our 6-7 hour layover in Ft. Lauderdale on Saturday!
While Katrina was resting in the shade this morning, she was teaching our Hatian intern(Jean Marc), who speaks very good English as well as his native Creole, some chinese words as well as spanish words. Jean Marc was loving it & i was having fun listening to HIM try to get the correct accent. The Hatians laugh at us white people as we try to pronoun thier words.
I know Chelsea from church, but have not really gotten to know her. God gave her a quiet demenor & it has been so fun to get to know her a bit & watch her be with the group. One of our Interns, Jean Marc, is super fun & has us singing all kinds of songs while traveling in the Canter, some with movements and all of them FUN. I've loved seeing Chelsea have fun with this!
Holly was awesome yesterday in the village during our Strategic Village Time, were we go to specific homes and collect data of living conditions, and also have the opportunity to get to know the family a little bit and share the gospel. We were split into two groups for this and Holly was in the same group as me. At one of the houses Holly took charge and asked questions with the help of the interpretor. She then had the opportunity to share the gospel with the young women we were visiting and she did an excellent job!
Drelyn has been our unofficial "videographer". I found out the other day she is making a video for Jason to use during his Senior Expo presentation as well as some other people for similar purposes. I'm really gratful she is doing that & super excited to see the video!
Caleb has been our comic relief. If you know Caleb, I don't need to say much more :) No really, his humor has been very much appreciated!! He says he's planning to meet his future wife here in Haiti because apparently Dr. Toby Travis met his that way. We are all waiting to find out who that will be :)
Nick took charge on our painting instructions today & I was grateful he knew what he was doing. He has joined in just a bit with dare devil activities described below, but he doesn't make me quite as frantic to keep track of as some :)
Sean started out the week with a bit of dehydration, but quickly recovered with the help of the MOH people and has been fine since that day. Sean is a bit of a dare devil and would love to hang out the Canter we ride in each day to the village. A Canter is like a big pickup truck that has a roof & open windows in it. There are benches on each side for us to sit on. Sean will try to sit in the windows. I told him he was going to give me a heart attack :) Good thing God gave me boys & I understand their need to be dare devils :) Also the Hatian kids love his longer hair. He had braids in his hair as well as Nick & Caleb, which were done a few days back. His lasted the longest out the three of them. I'm pretty sure there were some Hatian teenage girls laughing at the three of them the next day in the village when we went out. I know the rest of our group got a kick out of them!!
Nathan also has dealt with a little bit of something not making him feel well, but he has been fine today. He stayed behind with our other female chaperone, Kristina, a couple days ago to rest up that afternoon. Nathan has been a steady worker & he has a bit of a quieter sense of humor, but says things that catch us off guard & the laughter starts again(we have been laughing a lot).
Jason has done a good job being our "leader"but I might be a bit biased :) Really though, he has stayed on top of things well here with keeping up with what the leaders need to know. He left the states with a couple nasty spider bites & an antibiotic for it, but the nurse on this campus took a look at them when we were concerned that they were looking worse after our flights. After following her advise on how to care for them in this climate & taking his anitbiotic he got the day before we left, he is doing much better. I don't think he has especially loved that his mom was concerned about the bites though...oh well :)
You all should be very proud of these kids. They represent Desert well as well as their families. It really is such a blessing to me to be on this trip with each of the other 12 people that God called to do this trip. There are so many stories I'd love to tell, but I'm exhausted, Ive been hunched over typing this on my bottom bunk that doesn't have enough head room for me to sit up & I need a nap while I have a little down time before the team return.
One last thing. Please keep Matthew in your prayers! He has been sick for the past week & we aren't sure if his JRA/JIA is acting up or what is going on. Fevers everyday, soreness,etc. Even though I am loving being here and serving the peopleof Haiti at MOH, my mama heart is having a hard time being away right now. So please pray the doctors will figure out what's going on soon & how to help him. My wonderful husband is doing an incredible job getting him into see who he needs to see!!
Sorry for mistakes. This tablet is a little difficult & im too tired to really care :)
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
June 20-Caleb Kruis
As i lifted my head out of the pool of sweat that was my pillow, my first thought of the day, was frustration against Jason for waking me up. then after lying in bed forabout ( the space baronthisthingdoesn't work) 30 more minutes, i had to decide what clothes to wear for the day. I needed to find something that was breathable but also presentable for the vilages we were going to that day. after getting dressed i went to breakfast which, on this particular morning, was oatmeal, pb&j, and cereal. i went for some off brand lucky charms and proceded to openthe bag.this resulted in the spilling ofmuch cereal. anyways, i ate breakfast. then it was off to the village. Today in the vilage, was perhaps the best time I've had in a very long time, but im not gonna talk about that. "poiuytr" that means potato in Creole. I snuggled with a goat named Larry. ive played with a lot of kids and missed my Dog . also that is not how you say potato in creole. also its really late. thank you all for your prayers. parents i hope youve enjoyed this time without us. ihope the food is as good there as it is here. i will close this very grammatically incorect and crazy plog bost with a joke that Jean Marc (John Mark) told our first day: there are two canadian penguins aye, they are canoeing through the saharah desert aye, the one in back says to the one in front "hey Frank where's your paddle aye?" and the one in the back replies"sure does!"
good bye
good bye
June 20-Holly Roden
Hey Everyone! I hope you are all doing well and are constanty keeping us in your prayers. Today, we were able to go to a village nearby and educate the Haitain people about food and water saftey. We split up into two teams and visited different famlies with a translator at our side. As we informed the Haitians about purifying their water and keeping food clean, we were also able to ask about their health, their income, and their relationship with Jesus. My group got the chance to share the gospel with a few of the families and pray for them and it was truly an unforgettable experience. Later, we participated in a woship service with some of the Haitains at the other campus. It was inspiring to witness the joy and the boldness of the Haitain people as the praised God with everything they had and allowed their knees to hit the floor and their hands raise up towards the sky. As the adults worshipped, the Haitain children had a dance party in the middle of the church that made everyone smile. On the bus ride back, we all sang some lovely Haitain chants, lead by Caleb, that we learned from an Intern at Mision of hope, Jean Marc. I'm pretty sure the other passengers on the bus were extremely annoyed, but it was fun :) . Overall, Haiti has been wonderful, we are all healthy, the food is amazing, the children are precious, the sunsets are beautiful, and the people are inspiring. To all Parents; in case you are wondering exaclty what your child is doing right now... Katrina, Sass, Chelsea, and Nathan are playing cards, Drelyn is editing some beautiful pictures she took today, and Sean, Caleb, Jason, and Nick and tossing a flat football around and screaming a lot. Haha I am sitting at a table typing this blog with the ocean 25 steps to my right and our dorms 25 steps to my left (not complaining). With each day, my love for Haiti grows more and more. But, to my Mom, Dad, and Family: I miss you lots and I am so excited to see you on Saturday, I love you guys!
Also, sorry for any spelling and grammar tissues... It's late here and I'm exausted :)
Also, sorry for any spelling and grammar tissues... It's late here and I'm exausted :)
Monday, June 19, 2017
June 19-Christina Jorg
I was supposed to post something last night, but by the time I was back at our campus with our devotion time done, & showered it was time for lights out in our cabin. All of the females on our trip are in the same room and also are sharing that room with other ladies from a church in North Carolina.
Yesterday (Sunday) we had worship service at the church on the MOH main campus. This was a moving time of worship with brothers and sisters in Christ from many places in the USA and with many Haitian people that live nearby. To watch people from difference places geographically and culturally all worship our Lord Jesus...I just don't have words to describe it! It was pretty awesome though! In the evening we had a second worship service that was all in English. At different points in the day we got to have tours of our MOH campus(Bercy) and the main campus in Titanyen as well as the village of Leveque. We ate dinner at the main campus last night & I was looking forward to this specific meal. Those who have been here before all said how good it was. I wasn't disappointed :) Yum!
Today was our first time working out in the village of Bercy, where we will be all week. We planted 10 coconut and mango trees. This gave us opportunity to meet families, so I actually didn't shovel anything. I loved on the cutest little one year old boy named Collins and tried my best to communicate with his mom, Alexandra. We also met Alexandra's grandmother. I think 4 generations live in their home together. After we got done planting trees we had some time before lunch and the highlight of my day and quite possibly this trip happened!
Two months ago our family started sponsoring a little 8 year old boy, named Jowensky, through MOH and hoped we could set up visit to meet him. I was sad to find out a while back when I was trying to set this up, that the arranged visit happens at school, so we could not make formal arrangements to meet him because the school year just ended this past Friday. However, I was told by the person I talked to at MOH that since we were going to be working in the same village he lives in I could bring his picture & show it to our Village Champion(the person the works with our group all week and is from the village we are working in) and maybe he might know Jowensky. He didn't know him, but he worked hard to try to find him, asking many people as we walked through the village. Well after about a half hour of searching, and with the help of other people in the village, we found him and his family!!! Our whole group spent about 45 minutes or more with him & his family. We met his dad, who speaks English, his mom, and his two brothers. Jason and I spent time getting to know Jowensky after there was some translation for him as to who all these people were and why I had his picture :) We introduced the Jorg family to him through pictures on my phone, took pictures with him and his family, played some clapping games with him and the other kids there, learned somethings about him, and prayed together before leaving. I was praying we could meet Jowensky and his family, but didn't have high expectations. I realized if we had come last week we would have been able to setup that visit at school, but then I would never have had the opportunity to meet his family and see where he lives. And how cool was that, that God allowed Jason and me to (and the group) to do that! We look forward to writing to Jowensky and getting to know him & his family more over time. So a funny Haitian fact: The MOH leaders said it's pretty crazy, but everyone(or at least a lot) in Haiti have Facebook. They live in MUCH more humble surroundings than we are used to, but they still have cell phones and social media. So, as I was leaving Jowensky's dad took out his cell phone to get my name so we could be friends on Facebook :)
Yesterday (Sunday) we had worship service at the church on the MOH main campus. This was a moving time of worship with brothers and sisters in Christ from many places in the USA and with many Haitian people that live nearby. To watch people from difference places geographically and culturally all worship our Lord Jesus...I just don't have words to describe it! It was pretty awesome though! In the evening we had a second worship service that was all in English. At different points in the day we got to have tours of our MOH campus(Bercy) and the main campus in Titanyen as well as the village of Leveque. We ate dinner at the main campus last night & I was looking forward to this specific meal. Those who have been here before all said how good it was. I wasn't disappointed :) Yum!
Today was our first time working out in the village of Bercy, where we will be all week. We planted 10 coconut and mango trees. This gave us opportunity to meet families, so I actually didn't shovel anything. I loved on the cutest little one year old boy named Collins and tried my best to communicate with his mom, Alexandra. We also met Alexandra's grandmother. I think 4 generations live in their home together. After we got done planting trees we had some time before lunch and the highlight of my day and quite possibly this trip happened!
Two months ago our family started sponsoring a little 8 year old boy, named Jowensky, through MOH and hoped we could set up visit to meet him. I was sad to find out a while back when I was trying to set this up, that the arranged visit happens at school, so we could not make formal arrangements to meet him because the school year just ended this past Friday. However, I was told by the person I talked to at MOH that since we were going to be working in the same village he lives in I could bring his picture & show it to our Village Champion(the person the works with our group all week and is from the village we are working in) and maybe he might know Jowensky. He didn't know him, but he worked hard to try to find him, asking many people as we walked through the village. Well after about a half hour of searching, and with the help of other people in the village, we found him and his family!!! Our whole group spent about 45 minutes or more with him & his family. We met his dad, who speaks English, his mom, and his two brothers. Jason and I spent time getting to know Jowensky after there was some translation for him as to who all these people were and why I had his picture :) We introduced the Jorg family to him through pictures on my phone, took pictures with him and his family, played some clapping games with him and the other kids there, learned somethings about him, and prayed together before leaving. I was praying we could meet Jowensky and his family, but didn't have high expectations. I realized if we had come last week we would have been able to setup that visit at school, but then I would never have had the opportunity to meet his family and see where he lives. And how cool was that, that God allowed Jason and me to (and the group) to do that! We look forward to writing to Jowensky and getting to know him & his family more over time. So a funny Haitian fact: The MOH leaders said it's pretty crazy, but everyone(or at least a lot) in Haiti have Facebook. They live in MUCH more humble surroundings than we are used to, but they still have cell phones and social media. So, as I was leaving Jowensky's dad took out his cell phone to get my name so we could be friends on Facebook :)
June 19-Nick Jacob
Today we started the day off by taking a bus to a nearby village called Bercy. We brought along picks and shovels so that we could plant coconut and mango trees in the yards of various residents of the village. We split into three groups and went to work. Once a tree was planted, we would spend time talking to the families through translators that came along with us. After talking with them for a while we asked them if they had any prayer requests and we prayed for their needs and prayed that the tree would grow and provide for them. We finished planting the trees ahead of schedule and we looked for Jason's sponsor child we had been told lived nearby. It turned out that one of the locals knew were he lived and we were able to find him and spend time together.
After lunch, we headed off to an orphanage that was in the same village we had planted the trees in. Upon arrival, we could hear all the kids shouting and singing along with songs and chants that were being led by one of the Haitan interns working for MOH, Jean-Marc. Everyone came in and sat with the kids and we participated in their games as much as we could. After about an hour and a half, we served food and played with the kids for another half hour or so and then left and that concluded the day.
After lunch, we headed off to an orphanage that was in the same village we had planted the trees in. Upon arrival, we could hear all the kids shouting and singing along with songs and chants that were being led by one of the Haitan interns working for MOH, Jean-Marc. Everyone came in and sat with the kids and we participated in their games as much as we could. After about an hour and a half, we served food and played with the kids for another half hour or so and then left and that concluded the day.
June 19-Sean Hargadon
Today was the first day in a long time I was truly happy. We started off the day by heading to a nearby village and planted some mango and coconut trees. While planting trees was fun and all the best part of this activity was after we planted the trees we had small conversations with the local haitians and got to ask them about thier life, if they believe in God or not, thier children, and if they have any prayer requests. We finished a little early started to look throughy the village for the Jorgs child that they sponsor. We found him and his family and we visited wiht them for about 30-40mins. THis was a wonderful sight, it was really cool to see the Jorgs interact with a child that they did not know yet still sponsored him. Then we broke for lunch and after that we returned to the same village to play with some of the local kids. This is what really made my day if not my year. As soon as we walked in the children came up to us and started high fiving us and eventually they would pick us out of the group and you were basically thiers for the day. It makes you feel so special inside that just the sight of you makes kids feel so good. We sang, danced, played games, talked and eventually we feed the kids. Although very rowdy and a little out of control i am still so happy with this and would not trade it for anything in the world. These kids have been thorugh so much and just the fact that I can make thier day just by beeing thier is the most amazing feeling in the world.
Quick Update!
I got a quick call from Jason and Christina yesterday for Father's Day. The team ended up being quite busy with worship in the morning and tours of the mission sites and another fellowship time in the afternoon and evening. It looks like a busy work week ahead! Got a text today that the blog will be updated tonight with a couple more entries about what's transpired over the past couple of days.
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