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
Showing posts with label Haiti. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Haiti. Show all posts
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
Sunday, June 23, 2013
On the Ground
Saturday came early for everyone on the Haiti mission team. We met at the church parking lot at 2:45am, loaded the church bus and headed to Charlotte. Surprisingly, our team of 18 was first in line at the American counter. In fact, we were there before the counter was open. But promptly at 4:00am, we started checking luggage. We checked and checked and checked some more. As the last person checked in, we had a total of 32 bags headed to Haiti with us.
Both of the flights (first to Miami and then to Port-au-Prince) were uneventful. The best news was that because we were had to purchase tickets in advance, 16 of the 18 were in business class (sorry, Reese and Christi). Once we landed in Port-au-Prince, we were baptized into Haitian culture in the baggage claim area. Men in red shirts were eager to help . . . but (there's always a but) for a fee. But we were told to accept no help and to keep our luggage close. So we kept one eye on the luggage carousel and one on the bags that we had already gotten.
We came in two groups. The first arrived at 1:00pm and headed to the compound in the bus. The second group arrived at 4:00 and headed to the compound in an SUV and a truck. Jody, Jim, and Pedro had the good fortune of riding an hour and a half in the bed of the truck with the luggage. Needless to say traffic and road conditions in Haiti are very different than in the states. Apparently it's not illegal to ride on the left side of the street. If you blow your horn you have right of way. And if you meet a bigger vehicle coming in your lane you get out of its way.
Once we were acquainted with Haitian traffic rules, we settled into the compound at SMI. Our students went out and played soccer with a lot of the local kids. Rita is our cook for the week and made rice with beans and sausage for supper. After supper, David led a brief devotion and we headed off to bed.
On Sunday, we will be at two churches (Guitton and Nawash). Please pray for our team this week as we get to work and serve alongside the Haitians.
FBC Haiti mission team
Scott, Vickie and Rebekah Blackburn
Jamie and Victoria Burdette
Jim and Kasi Clark
Terry, Belinda, and Seth Ezell
Christi and Reese Hinchman
David Mitchell
Pedro Pena
Ashley and Madison Rinehart
Jody and Sara Catherine Watts
Both of the flights (first to Miami and then to Port-au-Prince) were uneventful. The best news was that because we were had to purchase tickets in advance, 16 of the 18 were in business class (sorry, Reese and Christi). Once we landed in Port-au-Prince, we were baptized into Haitian culture in the baggage claim area. Men in red shirts were eager to help . . . but (there's always a but) for a fee. But we were told to accept no help and to keep our luggage close. So we kept one eye on the luggage carousel and one on the bags that we had already gotten.
We came in two groups. The first arrived at 1:00pm and headed to the compound in the bus. The second group arrived at 4:00 and headed to the compound in an SUV and a truck. Jody, Jim, and Pedro had the good fortune of riding an hour and a half in the bed of the truck with the luggage. Needless to say traffic and road conditions in Haiti are very different than in the states. Apparently it's not illegal to ride on the left side of the street. If you blow your horn you have right of way. And if you meet a bigger vehicle coming in your lane you get out of its way.
Once we were acquainted with Haitian traffic rules, we settled into the compound at SMI. Our students went out and played soccer with a lot of the local kids. Rita is our cook for the week and made rice with beans and sausage for supper. After supper, David led a brief devotion and we headed off to bed.
On Sunday, we will be at two churches (Guitton and Nawash). Please pray for our team this week as we get to work and serve alongside the Haitians.
FBC Haiti mission team
Scott, Vickie and Rebekah Blackburn
Jamie and Victoria Burdette
Jim and Kasi Clark
Terry, Belinda, and Seth Ezell
Christi and Reese Hinchman
David Mitchell
Pedro Pena
Ashley and Madison Rinehart
Jody and Sara Catherine Watts
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Banana Grove Prayers & Divine Encounters
Day 3 June 18 2012.
Wow what a day. It started with
pancakes, both plain and berry along with bacon and some fruit. We would need
the fuel for later. It was very hot today but overcast which was a blessing. Today we
were working at Cipress where we did so much work last year. Lots of changes,
new security walls, foundation has been dug to build a church building to
replace the large tent where services are now held. Several more homes built and
occupied and 2 homes ready for roofs and another under construction. We worked
today on painting the two houses and were able to get one of the houses framed
for the new roof. We should finish the roof on one tomorrow and also get
started on the 2nd roof. We had a quick lunch and no siesta today. Then it was back to the
site for 3 more hours, then back to compound.
Remember on Sunday
we shared the church we attended (which is the pastors house) had bought land to build a formal building on. It
was a bananna grove on about 2 acres. This morning as we drove by where the new building will be, folks had started clearing the field. This is done with machetes and human labor. At 5PM this afternoon, we participated in the dedication service with songs and prayers. About 125 gathered and at one point, we split up and went to each corner and prayed that the Lord would bless this site. We ended in a large circle in the middle of this now-cleared field holding hands and praising God for what He had delivered to this church congregation. The dedication wrapped up at about 7:00PM.
We came back to have dinner, devotion and to map out tomorrow. We will work on the houses but we also have 55 dozen bags of rice to breakdown and we will visit some needy areas and hand those out on Tuesday. This is a great chance to share God's word.
Everyone is doing well here. No injuries or illness. Today Emily was reunited with a young deaf boy she met last summer. When he saw here, the look on his face was priceless as was Emily's. They picked up talking in sign language just like long lost friends. At the land dedication, a child we all remember, Lovely, went up to David Sloan and called him by name and she told him she had missed him and was glad he came back. You never know the impact you have on people but today, Emily and David saw firsthand that their being here last year made a tremendous impact on those 2 children, all because God placed it on their hearts to make the first trip last summer.
Wow! It is only Monday.
Jim Clark.
Monday, June 18, 2012
A Very Good Day
June 17 2012. Day 2. Guitton Haiti.
Typically when you are in Haiti, you wake up with a rooster crowing. But he must have been off today so the cows filled in. We had a great breakfast along with opening the day with scripture. We arrived at church at 8:30 and it was a special service. There were probably 150 people in attendance. The lady who was a voodo queen and was saved last year was in church! The singing and the preaching was inspiring. We each introduced ourselves and, since it is Father's Day in the states (Haiti celebrates Father's Day next week), they sang a happy Father's Day son to us dads. The service ended around 11:30. We had a short lunch break. Then we walked 1 1/2 miles to a small village to see the village and an almost-finished church building that has been started and will soon open for worship services.
Today, it has rained a lot. It has been torrential at times. The kids kept on playing soccer outside. They never stopped.
Our devotion tonight was on allowing God to be in control and us learning how to get our own will out of the way. Everyone is well and excited to see what tomorrow will bring. Looks like along with sharing Jesus with folks here, we have a couple of roofs to install tomorrow. The church here prayed this morning for you in Rock Hill. Keep praying for us.
God bless and goodnight!
Jim Clark.
Typically when you are in Haiti, you wake up with a rooster crowing. But he must have been off today so the cows filled in. We had a great breakfast along with opening the day with scripture. We arrived at church at 8:30 and it was a special service. There were probably 150 people in attendance. The lady who was a voodo queen and was saved last year was in church! The singing and the preaching was inspiring. We each introduced ourselves and, since it is Father's Day in the states (Haiti celebrates Father's Day next week), they sang a happy Father's Day son to us dads. The service ended around 11:30. We had a short lunch break. Then we walked 1 1/2 miles to a small village to see the village and an almost-finished church building that has been started and will soon open for worship services.
Today, it has rained a lot. It has been torrential at times. The kids kept on playing soccer outside. They never stopped.
Our devotion tonight was on allowing God to be in control and us learning how to get our own will out of the way. Everyone is well and excited to see what tomorrow will bring. Looks like along with sharing Jesus with folks here, we have a couple of roofs to install tomorrow. The church here prayed this morning for you in Rock Hill. Keep praying for us.
God bless and goodnight!
Jim Clark.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
The Longest Day
Most of us were up past midnight last night and were back up at 2am so that we could meet the rest of the team at 3am in the church parking lot. We prayed in together before we left the church parking lot to head to the airport. We were at the international counter at CLT by 4am. We had 26 checked bags for 14 people at $65 a head for a total of $800 plus one excess baggage fee to the tune of $200. So our total baggage fees were supposed to be over $1000. United WAIVED our baggage fee. Having $1000 worth of baggage fees waived by United? Priceless. Blessing number 1
Our 6:10am flight to Newark gave us a nice view of lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty as we landed. Not as nice, shuttle bus ride from gate A20 to gate C110. Our 10AM flight to Port-au-Prince landed at 2:15PM. It was 64 degrees leaving Newark and twice that when we landed in Port-au-Prince. All of our bags arrived intact! Blessing number 2
We left Port-au-Prince at 3PM for a 1 1/2 hour bus ride to Guitton. After unpacking all of our food and gear, we grabbed a quick ham sandwich for dinner. Then had a quick intro to our week from SMI's Jeff Dahl.
After that, we had a chance for a cool shower and to stretch our before 8PM devotions. During devotions each team member received a personal card from one of the GAs from First Baptist. WOW! That made us all feel great.
Thanks to all the prayers for traveling mercy we are here safe and ready to see what else God has in store for us this week. Keep praying for us and with us. The travel to get here is over, but the real journey has just begun. Rest assured that we will all sleep well tonight.
David Sloan
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Haiti 2012
On Saturday, our Haiti team will be meeting at the church office at 3:00am to pack up and leave for the airport. Yes, you heard that correctly - 3:00am. Yes, it's early. Yes, it's inconvenient. Yes, they would love to still be sleeping. But the team knows that comfort, convenience, and the so-called 'necessities' are all optional when the opportunity to take the gospel to the world is the goal.
Please pray for our team as they pack. They will not only be packing clothes and toiletries. They will also be packing all of their food for the week. Charlotte Elliott and Sandy Wilson are shopping and then packing a weeks worth of cans, packages, and boxes on Thursday. Pray that the food will fit in as few bags as possible. The airline baggage fees still have to be paid.
As I sign off, let me include a bit from an email that Charlotte sent to the team earlier today,
I am excited and hope that you all are too. The physical food will soon be taken care of……..it’s the REAL meal that I am looking forward to. God will lay out a terrific ‘Spiritual Banquet’ for us all! Only our Great and Mighty God could take us to one of the 4 poorest countries in the world, and feed our souls. I am going to be looking for the Voo Doo Princess that got saved last year ( I have a gift for her). My prayer is that God will give each of you a special set of your own stories. I can’t wait to see how he shows off…..
Stay tuned to this site over the next week and catch up on their trip each day.
Grace and Peace
Jamie
Please pray for our team as they pack. They will not only be packing clothes and toiletries. They will also be packing all of their food for the week. Charlotte Elliott and Sandy Wilson are shopping and then packing a weeks worth of cans, packages, and boxes on Thursday. Pray that the food will fit in as few bags as possible. The airline baggage fees still have to be paid.
As I sign off, let me include a bit from an email that Charlotte sent to the team earlier today,
I am excited and hope that you all are too. The physical food will soon be taken care of……..it’s the REAL meal that I am looking forward to. God will lay out a terrific ‘Spiritual Banquet’ for us all! Only our Great and Mighty God could take us to one of the 4 poorest countries in the world, and feed our souls. I am going to be looking for the Voo Doo Princess that got saved last year ( I have a gift for her). My prayer is that God will give each of you a special set of your own stories. I can’t wait to see how he shows off…..
Stay tuned to this site over the next week and catch up on their trip each day.
Grace and Peace
Jamie
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Haiti Team - Day 7
Last night in Haiti.
This is long winded blog so I apologize in advance.
First we want to thank each of you that have followed our journey this week in Haiti. Without your support and prayers we would not have been able to perform the Lord's work.
Today was slightly different. Several of us went back to the school and church to do some work. One of the outreach mission programs going on at the church-school compound is building homes for earthquake victims. The homes are about 200 square feet and 2 rooms. The house we painted today is being given to widow lady with 3 children whose husband died during the quake. Once we finished we had a group prayer in the front room of this house that the family would be blessed and thanking God for allowing us to assist in this ministry. Some of the group remained at the compound and did painting, cleaning, and some general work items that were needed. I will get a little out of sequence now but it will make sense later.
After lunch we went to a local beach called wahoo beach. A very beautiful place with lodging, restaurant, fantastic beaches with plenty of amenities. There were probably about 150 other folks there all performing similar work as us in the area. What struck me here was the huge contrast of what only a few miles could bring. This is a place the average Haitian would never enjoy. Such is this island.
On the way back we stopped at a little village church where the plan was to hand out some rice and clothes. It all started orderly but it did not take long for the pushing and shoving to start. While we were never in immediate danger, because of the tension we stopped the handing out of rice and clothes, boarded the bus and returned to our compound. This brought home the real plight of people who are starving. Today was humanitarian and is needed in addition to evangelism.
Now to get bet to the out of order sequence. Scott and Vickie Blackburn along with their daughter have been part of this week's team. For many years they have been sponsoring a Haitian child. A young girl. When they knew they were coming on this trip they began praying and seeking a way to meet this child. It is very difficult to get anything to happen in this country but through prayer and interpreters and more prayer, they were able to meet this beautiful young Haitian girl today and spend time with her and finally have not only a picture-and-letter relationship. But they were able to hold and hug her and be able to tell her in person how much they loved her. They were able to see first hand how God has not only blessed them but has blessed this child.
There have been many highlights this week and in a few hours we will leave this place and in about 24 hours we will be in our nice homes and air conditioning with plenty of running water with our families who we have missed and love dearly and yes we will be thankful for that. But a part of us will remain here forever. Our ongoing prayer is that God will use what seeds we planted and grow up strong christian leaders to give this country the one thing it needs more than houses, clean water, clothes or even food but the gift of life through Jesus Christ. Amen
Jim Clark, Team Leader
This is long winded blog so I apologize in advance.
First we want to thank each of you that have followed our journey this week in Haiti. Without your support and prayers we would not have been able to perform the Lord's work.
Today was slightly different. Several of us went back to the school and church to do some work. One of the outreach mission programs going on at the church-school compound is building homes for earthquake victims. The homes are about 200 square feet and 2 rooms. The house we painted today is being given to widow lady with 3 children whose husband died during the quake. Once we finished we had a group prayer in the front room of this house that the family would be blessed and thanking God for allowing us to assist in this ministry. Some of the group remained at the compound and did painting, cleaning, and some general work items that were needed. I will get a little out of sequence now but it will make sense later.
After lunch we went to a local beach called wahoo beach. A very beautiful place with lodging, restaurant, fantastic beaches with plenty of amenities. There were probably about 150 other folks there all performing similar work as us in the area. What struck me here was the huge contrast of what only a few miles could bring. This is a place the average Haitian would never enjoy. Such is this island.
On the way back we stopped at a little village church where the plan was to hand out some rice and clothes. It all started orderly but it did not take long for the pushing and shoving to start. While we were never in immediate danger, because of the tension we stopped the handing out of rice and clothes, boarded the bus and returned to our compound. This brought home the real plight of people who are starving. Today was humanitarian and is needed in addition to evangelism.
Now to get bet to the out of order sequence. Scott and Vickie Blackburn along with their daughter have been part of this week's team. For many years they have been sponsoring a Haitian child. A young girl. When they knew they were coming on this trip they began praying and seeking a way to meet this child. It is very difficult to get anything to happen in this country but through prayer and interpreters and more prayer, they were able to meet this beautiful young Haitian girl today and spend time with her and finally have not only a picture-and-letter relationship. But they were able to hold and hug her and be able to tell her in person how much they loved her. They were able to see first hand how God has not only blessed them but has blessed this child.
There have been many highlights this week and in a few hours we will leave this place and in about 24 hours we will be in our nice homes and air conditioning with plenty of running water with our families who we have missed and love dearly and yes we will be thankful for that. But a part of us will remain here forever. Our ongoing prayer is that God will use what seeds we planted and grow up strong christian leaders to give this country the one thing it needs more than houses, clean water, clothes or even food but the gift of life through Jesus Christ. Amen
Jim Clark, Team Leader
Friday, July 1, 2011
Haiti Team - Day 6
We just wrapped up our nightly devotion which was conducted by Billy Finch. Today we wrapped up some painting at the school. The exiting part was the school and church area we have worked all week was have a good old fashioned revival and the classrooms we cleaned and painted were being used by the families that were here for the revival.
We later went to a tent city that had been built following the earthquake by Samaritans Purse. We handed out bags of rice and clothes to the families. These tent cities were to be temporary but they are not and are filled with the most desperate of the Haitian people. We were very humbled by what we saw. Words cannot capture the despair that is everywhere in this country.
Our medical team again today was called in to service when a local had a major motorcycle wreck and he was brought to this compound for treatment. He had head wounds and possible internal injuries. Our team stabilized as best they could and we transported to a hospital in St.Mark. The missionary staying at this compound told us in Haiti you must pay at the hospital in order to be treated and if he could not offer payment he would not be treated. Very harsh and cold but that is how it works here.
Again another fruitful day. We are all exited about coming home Saturday and look forward to being with our families again. Continue to pray for us and the people of this country.
Jim Clark, Team Leader
We later went to a tent city that had been built following the earthquake by Samaritans Purse. We handed out bags of rice and clothes to the families. These tent cities were to be temporary but they are not and are filled with the most desperate of the Haitian people. We were very humbled by what we saw. Words cannot capture the despair that is everywhere in this country.
Our medical team again today was called in to service when a local had a major motorcycle wreck and he was brought to this compound for treatment. He had head wounds and possible internal injuries. Our team stabilized as best they could and we transported to a hospital in St.Mark. The missionary staying at this compound told us in Haiti you must pay at the hospital in order to be treated and if he could not offer payment he would not be treated. Very harsh and cold but that is how it works here.
Again another fruitful day. We are all exited about coming home Saturday and look forward to being with our families again. Continue to pray for us and the people of this country.
Jim Clark, Team Leader
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Haiti, Day 5
Another great day in Haiti. The temperature pushed 100 degrees + high humidity. Today we saw a couple of real life Haitian situations. First, thank God that we have a couple of nurses on the combined team. Vickie Blackburn who is traveling with us and a nurse with the KY team were faced with a medical emergency this morning. A local older Haition lady set her sheets on fire with her lamp during last night. She suffered sever 2nd and 3rd degree burns over her chest and abdomen. As is the custom here when there is a emergency, they call the local pastor. In this case the pastor then contacted the missionary who resides in the compound where we are staying. Long story short as the closest and best medical available on this island happend to be the 2 nurses that were part of this 30 person team. The lady was brought to this compound in the missionaries truck and Vickie and her fellow nurse began what most likely could be life saving service on this lady and began to treat her wounds as only a qualified health care proffessional can. Without this treatment most likely this lady does not make it through the day.
The other instance I want to share is on Sunday I told you of the voodo princess being saved. Well part of what occured was all of her voodo items and her clothes were placed in the street and they were burned in her presence. Today members of our team visited with her and provided her with new clothing. I can't fully explain what we are seeing here but in this ravaged country people are in desparate need of Gods promise and as we work among these proud people we are sowing seeds and touching lives but even more than what we give them God is blessing us daily and I know each of us will return home with a stronger conviction to listen to Gods call and respond in obedience.
The other instance I want to share is on Sunday I told you of the voodo princess being saved. Well part of what occured was all of her voodo items and her clothes were placed in the street and they were burned in her presence. Today members of our team visited with her and provided her with new clothing. I can't fully explain what we are seeing here but in this ravaged country people are in desparate need of Gods promise and as we work among these proud people we are sowing seeds and touching lives but even more than what we give them God is blessing us daily and I know each of us will return home with a stronger conviction to listen to Gods call and respond in obedience.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Haiti Team - Day 3
Another fantastic day. We spent the day at the school painting, picking up rocks, sifting sand, and interacting with Hatian people. Again the children with their bright eyes and wide smiles. They are so attentive to us and are always ready to sit and talk. We have had many oportunities to share the word of God. This entire 30 person team that has come from SC, TN, & KY have jelled as a very cohesive team and all with the same focus - share the gospel. As this day winds down and we prepare for our evening devotional, led by Hadden tonight, we ask you to remember us in your prayers and to pray for these Hatian families. While we would like to provide water, proper housing, clothing, indoor plumbing, and the list goes on and on, we have realized we can't meet all those goals. What we can do is share the word of God and in Gods time the seeds we plant this week will grow into a most amazing harvest. Praise God.
Haiti, Day 2
Here is the report from Sunday.
Well day 2 is winding down. Hard to believe that 48 hours ago our major concern was a broken bus on the side of I85. Amazing what 48 hours can reveal. We started the day with prayer and were blessed attending the church here at the mission home. For 2 hours we heard the word of God spoken in a language we did not understand but we heard the message of Jesus in the most real way. We have in a short amount of time been humbled, broken, and blessed more than we could have imagined. The children are so prescious and grateful for the touch we bring. We did a total team gathering at seaside this afternoon and it was a very special time. Lots of sharing and prayer. God is working here and we know this week is for his glory. The day has ended with a local voodo queen accepting christ. We are seeing first hand the true power of God in a way that we could not imagine 2 days ago. Praise God.
Our team is a part of a larger team that is working in Haiti. The team was joined by 15 others from across the U.S. in reaching the lost there.
Grace and Peace
Jamie
Well day 2 is winding down. Hard to believe that 48 hours ago our major concern was a broken bus on the side of I85. Amazing what 48 hours can reveal. We started the day with prayer and were blessed attending the church here at the mission home. For 2 hours we heard the word of God spoken in a language we did not understand but we heard the message of Jesus in the most real way. We have in a short amount of time been humbled, broken, and blessed more than we could have imagined. The children are so prescious and grateful for the touch we bring. We did a total team gathering at seaside this afternoon and it was a very special time. Lots of sharing and prayer. God is working here and we know this week is for his glory. The day has ended with a local voodo queen accepting christ. We are seeing first hand the true power of God in a way that we could not imagine 2 days ago. Praise God.
Our team is a part of a larger team that is working in Haiti. The team was joined by 15 others from across the U.S. in reaching the lost there.
Grace and Peace
Jamie
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Haiti Team
The Haiti team left Rock Hill on Friday night, June 24. After dealing with a bus breakdown, they finally arrived at their hotel in Atlanta early Saturday morning. Their 8:30 flight from Atlanta to Miami was delayed for almost 2 hours. But they arrived in Miami with plenty of time to spare for the flight to Port au Prince, Haiti. They arrived in Haiti about 4:30 Rock Hill time.
The team leader, Jim Clark, sent me the following email this morning:
End of day one. We have made it to the compound and have been blessed. We stopped on our way out at a mass grave site where 250K unclaimed were buried after the earthquake. It brought home how fragile life is and we must work every moment on doing as God directs us. We have started coming together as a large team. Continue to pray for us and let the prayer be that God will show us how to love these hatians we have come to help. Let us not focus on getting task done but to be open to the direction from God. Take care
Please continue to pray for the team - Rebekah Blackburn, Scott Blackburn, Vickie Blackburn, Amanda Cavin, Jim Clark, Charlotte Elliott, Billy Finch, Hadden Finch, Doug Hurst, Jessica Shaver, David Sloan, Emily Walker, Duane Ward, Doug Westmoreland.
Grace and Peace
Jamie
The team leader, Jim Clark, sent me the following email this morning:
End of day one. We have made it to the compound and have been blessed. We stopped on our way out at a mass grave site where 250K unclaimed were buried after the earthquake. It brought home how fragile life is and we must work every moment on doing as God directs us. We have started coming together as a large team. Continue to pray for us and let the prayer be that God will show us how to love these hatians we have come to help. Let us not focus on getting task done but to be open to the direction from God. Take care
Please continue to pray for the team - Rebekah Blackburn, Scott Blackburn, Vickie Blackburn, Amanda Cavin, Jim Clark, Charlotte Elliott, Billy Finch, Hadden Finch, Doug Hurst, Jessica Shaver, David Sloan, Emily Walker, Duane Ward, Doug Westmoreland.
Grace and Peace
Jamie
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