Hard to believe we have now all but wrapped up day 6. This is the 3rd trip to Haiti that FBC has supported and my 3rd visit. Each trip has been blessed by God and each has been very unique. This trip has refreshed our souls and validated why we are called to go to all the corners of the earth and preach the gospel.
This week there were a lot of children loved, families fed and sweat sweated! I know that this team was obedient to God's will. I am so impressed with our youth. How they embraced the challenge and not for even a second backed off from loving the Haitians. Each were stretched outside of our comfort zones but especially our youth.
I am so proud of this team and my prayer is that some of the seeds we planted will manifest into more souls won to Jesus. First Baptist family, thank you for your support and prayers. Without both this work cannot be accomplished. Praise God for what he has done and will continue to do.
Jim Clark, Haiti team leader
Friday, June 28, 2013
My Estafano Moment
As we visited the orphanage on Tuesday I was very unsure of how it would go. I felt very much outside my comfort zone. When we arrived, the children sang a few songs for us and then they broke up and filtered through our group. I was standing toward the back not sure what to do next.
At that point, I looked down and a small child, probably no more than three, was standing at my feet with his arms stretched up for me to pick him up. I hesitated at that moment because he had visible sores, a running nose, and a bad cough. Our host Jeff had warned us that some of the children were sick and that it was OK for us to be "selective" in who we interacted with. I was embarrassed that I hesitated for that reason, but I did.
I shared with our group later that at the moment of hesitation, God placed a portion Mathew 25:40 on my heart. What I heard was "the least of these" where Jesus said that whatever you do to one of the least of these my brothers, you do also unto me. At that point I picked this child up (I learned later his name was Estafano). From that point on I had him for the duration of our visit. It was clear he did not feel well and just wanted to be held. We played together and later one of the staff took him from me to go get his food. I spent a few minutes with several of the other kids and then Estafano appeared at my side again with a plate of food in his hands. I heard later from several of our group members that he came out of the kitchen searching for me. We sat down and I fed Estafano. I noticed that each spoonful he would "kiss" the food before I put it into his mouth. Occasionally he would point to my lips before he did this but I was unsure what he wanted.
To the side nearby was a group of larger boys, probably 10 - 11 years old. They had stayed back from the rest of the group but one of the boys was keeping a close eye on me. In a while he came up to me and Estafano and I learned that they were brothers. Estafano's brother took the spoon from me and filled it, then blew on it (as if cooling it) and fed it to his brother. The food was stone cold but somewhere in these children's past, someone had blown on their food to cool it before spooning it to them.
When we finished feeding Estafano, the brother (Marcus) stayed with me and wanted to play some games. He showed me several and as we played, more of the older children gathered around. Before long we had a large group of the older children gathered around us and playing. I don't think the older kids get as much attention from "Blancs" (that is what they call us - whites). But we had a great time as a group playing games for the remainder of the visit.
I shared this story with the group in one of our daily devotions because my hesitation was natural - but what a joy and blessing I would have missed if I had made the decision not to pick up Estafano. God did not call us to come to Haiti to "fix" Haiti, or build a church or a bath house - he simply called us to come. God can accomplish much through us if only we take that first step of faith in obedience to his call. That act of obedience blesses God and He in turn blesses us. During that devotion time I told the youth in our group that they will make many important decisions in the next five to ten years of their life, and these decisions will set the course for their future. I wanted them to remember this trip and how God blesses us in our obedience.
I was blessed in my "Estafano moment" because I set aside my personal concerns and fears and responded to God's urging and the simple need of a sick little child to be held. I may never know the impact that had on others but I know it is a moment I will never forget. And it is a daily reminder to me to make the obedient choice whenever I feel a moment of hesitation. The blessing is ours to receive.
Jody Watts
At that point, I looked down and a small child, probably no more than three, was standing at my feet with his arms stretched up for me to pick him up. I hesitated at that moment because he had visible sores, a running nose, and a bad cough. Our host Jeff had warned us that some of the children were sick and that it was OK for us to be "selective" in who we interacted with. I was embarrassed that I hesitated for that reason, but I did.
I shared with our group later that at the moment of hesitation, God placed a portion Mathew 25:40 on my heart. What I heard was "the least of these" where Jesus said that whatever you do to one of the least of these my brothers, you do also unto me. At that point I picked this child up (I learned later his name was Estafano). From that point on I had him for the duration of our visit. It was clear he did not feel well and just wanted to be held. We played together and later one of the staff took him from me to go get his food. I spent a few minutes with several of the other kids and then Estafano appeared at my side again with a plate of food in his hands. I heard later from several of our group members that he came out of the kitchen searching for me. We sat down and I fed Estafano. I noticed that each spoonful he would "kiss" the food before I put it into his mouth. Occasionally he would point to my lips before he did this but I was unsure what he wanted.
To the side nearby was a group of larger boys, probably 10 - 11 years old. They had stayed back from the rest of the group but one of the boys was keeping a close eye on me. In a while he came up to me and Estafano and I learned that they were brothers. Estafano's brother took the spoon from me and filled it, then blew on it (as if cooling it) and fed it to his brother. The food was stone cold but somewhere in these children's past, someone had blown on their food to cool it before spooning it to them.
When we finished feeding Estafano, the brother (Marcus) stayed with me and wanted to play some games. He showed me several and as we played, more of the older children gathered around. Before long we had a large group of the older children gathered around us and playing. I don't think the older kids get as much attention from "Blancs" (that is what they call us - whites). But we had a great time as a group playing games for the remainder of the visit.
I shared this story with the group in one of our daily devotions because my hesitation was natural - but what a joy and blessing I would have missed if I had made the decision not to pick up Estafano. God did not call us to come to Haiti to "fix" Haiti, or build a church or a bath house - he simply called us to come. God can accomplish much through us if only we take that first step of faith in obedience to his call. That act of obedience blesses God and He in turn blesses us. During that devotion time I told the youth in our group that they will make many important decisions in the next five to ten years of their life, and these decisions will set the course for their future. I wanted them to remember this trip and how God blesses us in our obedience.
I was blessed in my "Estafano moment" because I set aside my personal concerns and fears and responded to God's urging and the simple need of a sick little child to be held. I may never know the impact that had on others but I know it is a moment I will never forget. And it is a daily reminder to me to make the obedient choice whenever I feel a moment of hesitation. The blessing is ours to receive.
Jody Watts
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Pulling in the Nets
This post is getting up late because the internet connection was down last night because of a storm that rolled through yesterday evening. But Wednesday was an eventful day. On Tuesday afternoon, we bagged rice in 5lb bags to be delivered on Wednesday morning. Bright and early Wednesday morning, we headed to Royale to pass out bags of rice. Royale is a village sitting on the beach. As we walked toward the water, men were pulling in nets to draw in their catch. The guys in the group, led by our missionary Big Jeff, jumped in and started pulling. By the time we finished pulling, a crowd had gathered. Big Jeff stood up and shared the gospel with the group of people. Then Terry stood up and shared his heart. After that, we passed out bags of rice to the moms in the village. We had a few bags left when we got back to the bus so we handed them out as we walked out of the village. Jeff's goal is to have a church gathered in the village in the future.
We left there and went to another village that is closer to the mountains. It's surrounded by plantain fields, mango trees, and an assortment of other agriculture. After a walk around the village, we went to the church building where Jeff shared the gospel and Jim shared his testimony. We passed out rice to the moms and as they walked out of the church each mom would raise her hands and say, "Merci, Jesus!"
After a siesta, we spent the afternoon painting a community outhouse and putting a roof on it. The outhouse is in the community where our team had worked last year building two houses. We had planned on building a house in the same community this year but weren't able to get to it. It was quite the experience doing the work because the outhouse was already in use. Let's just say it was a very odoriferous experience. The work went quickly and we were able to finish painting inside and out and get the roof on in one afternoon.
Thanks for all of the prayers . . .
FBC Haiti mission team!
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Heaven in a Haitian Orphanage
We had been warned by "Big Jeff", our missionary host, before we arrived at the orphanage to expect to be shocked emotionally at what we would see and experience. As I got off the bus and walked into the orphanage grounds, I viewed conditions akin to a labor camp in Nazi Germany during WWII.
Then I entered into a large lean-to tarp/tent with crude wooden benches where about 60 Haitian orphans were singing, clapping, and praising Jesus at the top of their lungs in their native language---with huge smiles on their faces! I stood there in complete amazement as I took it all in. And I was humbled.....a doctor from the U.S. on a one week mission trip to Haiti got a glimpse of what Heaven will be like as children with absolutely nothing from a material standpoint sang to Jesus with incredible JOY!
And this joy was obviously completely INDEPENDENT of their circumstances in life. A child would be hard-pressed to find himself in more difficult conditions than these children experience---no running water, one outdoor bathroom without septic facilities, tattered clothing, poor nutrition, no toys, etc. Yet they were full of joy. And I felt ashamed. So often I have complained about various circumstances in my life. I have allowed circumstances to steal my joy. I was reminded by these precious Haitian orphans that TRUE joy is found only when we rest in Christ Jesus alone. And I was convicted to stop complaining and to count my many blessings---to thank God in ALL things, ALL the time.
Terry Ezell, MD
Then I entered into a large lean-to tarp/tent with crude wooden benches where about 60 Haitian orphans were singing, clapping, and praising Jesus at the top of their lungs in their native language---with huge smiles on their faces! I stood there in complete amazement as I took it all in. And I was humbled.....a doctor from the U.S. on a one week mission trip to Haiti got a glimpse of what Heaven will be like as children with absolutely nothing from a material standpoint sang to Jesus with incredible JOY!
And this joy was obviously completely INDEPENDENT of their circumstances in life. A child would be hard-pressed to find himself in more difficult conditions than these children experience---no running water, one outdoor bathroom without septic facilities, tattered clothing, poor nutrition, no toys, etc. Yet they were full of joy. And I felt ashamed. So often I have complained about various circumstances in my life. I have allowed circumstances to steal my joy. I was reminded by these precious Haitian orphans that TRUE joy is found only when we rest in Christ Jesus alone. And I was convicted to stop complaining and to count my many blessings---to thank God in ALL things, ALL the time.
Terry Ezell, MD
Rocks and the Gospel
We hit the ground running on Monday morning. After breakfast, it was a short ride to the church building in Guitton. Our jobs today were to paint the outside of the building and to prepare sand for the stucco. "How do you prepare sand?" you ask. Well, it involves a big pile of dirt and rocks of every size, a sieve, a shovel and a wheelbarrow. One person tosses a shovelful of dirt and rocks into a sieve. The person holding the sieve shakes until the only thing left is a bunch of rocks while the pieces small enough to use for the stucco end up in the wheelbarrow. Rinse. Repeat.
Pedro and David were assigned the job of making sand when we got off the bus. Eventually Seth, Reese, Ashley, Victoria, and I took turns shoveling and sifting. We worked with a Haitian named Richard. In the course of the morning as we shoveled and sifted, Pedro and Richard were able to communicate using a mix of Spanish and French Creole. Richard is 30 years old, lives two doors down from the church, is married and has a couple of children. After some conversation, Richard invited Pedro to his house. While Pedro wasn't able to go, it was awesome to see Pedro and Richard create a relationship that overcame the boundaries of race, class, and language.
As he shoveled, Pedro asked Richard about his view of God, his relationship with Christ, his hope for heaven. Pedro did his best to share about Christ's love. In the end, Pedro was able to pray with Richard in the hopes that he would come to know Jesus as his personal savior.
It was awesome to see how a pile of sand and rocks led to an opportunity to share the gospel.
Keep praying and keep believing that our Savior can make a difference in our lives and the lives of those we meet here.
Jamie
It was awesome to see how a pile of sand and rocks led to an opportunity to share the gospel.
Keep praying and keep believing that our Savior can make a difference in our lives and the lives of those we meet here.
Jamie
Treasure
Today we started painting the church building at Guitton. But then we decided to clean up a soccer field for the kids who had showed up. While we were there, I met three little girls. They decided to help us pick up trash. I noticed that one of the girls liked my sunglasses so I gave them to her. She looked at me as if I had just given her gold. She was so grateful. She hugged and kissed my cheek. Then she called me sister. I was amazed one little thing could mean so much to a person.
Rebekah
Rebekah
Monday, June 24, 2013
Mountains and Smiles
Today started early - very early if you got up when the roosters started crowing - with biscuits and gravy before heading to worship services at two different churches. One group went to Nawash. The other went to Guitton to worship. After a bumpy ride in the bed of a truck we arrived at a small church building which sat near rows and rows of plantain trees.
Despite our inability to understand the words of the church member there, their love for the Lord was evident and their worship indescribable. It was hard to resist clapping, dancing and raising hands to the songs they poured out in such a beautiful language. It was amazing to see these kind and gently people become so full of passion and life as they sang and prayed with a fervor that I've rarely seen before. Merci, Senor!
After lunch and quite a few rounds of card games at the compound, our group ventured nearer to the mountain to see the structure which sends water throughout the villages. The children who played in and near the water there clung to our hands and posed for pictures. Their smiles were more beautiful than the mountains.
As this is my first trip out of the country, I have been amazed at how different life here is - in both heartbreaking and beautiful ways. There is poverty yet contentment, worn buildings yet breathtaking mountains, a foreign language yet so much understanding. My prayer is that through us God would touch the hearts of those we meet and also touch our hearts through them.
Victoria
Despite our inability to understand the words of the church member there, their love for the Lord was evident and their worship indescribable. It was hard to resist clapping, dancing and raising hands to the songs they poured out in such a beautiful language. It was amazing to see these kind and gently people become so full of passion and life as they sang and prayed with a fervor that I've rarely seen before. Merci, Senor!
After lunch and quite a few rounds of card games at the compound, our group ventured nearer to the mountain to see the structure which sends water throughout the villages. The children who played in and near the water there clung to our hands and posed for pictures. Their smiles were more beautiful than the mountains.
As this is my first trip out of the country, I have been amazed at how different life here is - in both heartbreaking and beautiful ways. There is poverty yet contentment, worn buildings yet breathtaking mountains, a foreign language yet so much understanding. My prayer is that through us God would touch the hearts of those we meet and also touch our hearts through them.
Victoria
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