rice, beans & bags.

vbs is a huge part of just about every single trip i take to haiti.  i always love to see what the teams come up with & love to be a part of it any way i can.

this was my first year serving up fresca which is  like our version of a snow cone. the kids LOVE it. 

this little sweet pea got 2 cups.

all the kids lined up to get a cup. 

all the kids from CIY were so great with the kids. i always love seeing them be so open & loving with them.

every place you go you end up playing soccer. these kids are so good.

one of my favorite places we visited was pastor destiny's church that is being built. i learned that the community is putting there money into building it which made me almost cry.

1. Three quarters of Haitians live on less than US$2 per day and half of the population earns less than US$1 per day. Access to education is low, with illiteracy rates almost 50%. In rural areas, almost 90 percent live below the poverty level and basic social services are practically nonexistent.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   these are supplies that they are putting in a room until they have enough to keep building. i am amazed on what this community surrounded by voodoo temples is doing. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   the kids there were the cutest & wendy did an amazing job teaching. we passed out cookies, water & peanut butter sandwiches to the kids. we played games & did some coloring. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   jusme is an amazing man. he writes songs & teaches them to the kids. he is the perfect translator. we are blessed to know him & he is such a blessing to those kids. the people that the lord places on our paths makes you realize how 
   
   
   we also did some distribution in villages. we all packed bags of rice, beans & hygiene kits. we teamed up & walked door to door taking turns praying for families and practicing our creole. it was an amazing thing because our last home the lady was deaf & it just so happened that a girl in our group new sign language & was able to speak with the lady. God works in amazing ways. thank you to every single person that donated money to make these things happen. you have know idea how much a simple bag of food, how much a toothbrush and toothpaste means to  families. it means the world. seriously. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   thank you to everyone that spends time in prayer over luke 101. thank you to everyone that spends time in prayer for me & every single trip i take to haiti. thank you than you thank you. to know i have such a huge support means everything to me. i need your prayers & i am so thankful for them. 
   
   
   continue to pray for my upcoming trip to haiti in september with my family. 
   
   
   bondye beni ou. 
   
   
   - E
   
   
   
   
   
   

the aging home.

Isaiah 46:4

Even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.

i felt so many things. when i first walked in. i was overwhelmed. i was confused. i was angry. i kept thinking in my mind, "how does this happen?" i have a " i can fix this attitude about most things, & i felt helpless. i walked around not making eye contact with anyone for the first 5 minutes. i didn't know what to do, what to say, how to act, how to feel. i remember following jj over to one lady's bed & she was reaching up towards jj saying things we didn't understand. we called for alex to come over & help us & wendy came too. wendy bent down & the lady was reaching for her & wendy hugged her & with tears she sang amazing grace to the lady. i was so broken. i just looked out the window trying to keep it in because at that moment i didn't want a flood of tears. the lady just wanted to be held, she wanted to feel loved, she needed that moment to cry with someone with their arms wrapped around her. 

1 Peter 5:6-7  Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,  casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

concrete walls. little cots. nothing personal. a lot of darkness. wet floors. dirty walls. this is basically their last stop before they pass & it was like a concentration camp. it was full of sadness & despair. it was filled with loneliness & anger. 

i met one lady who is now my grandmother. we prayed for her & she stood up & danced for us with her frail little legs. she smiled for me & in that moment my views changed about many things. in the midst of all of this she was happy. she was happy someone came to visit her. we were her happy moment. to be used like that for such a small moment made my heart skip a few beats. thank you lord for allowing me to be apart of one happy moment in that ladies life. 

i knelt down with one lady who waved me over & she held tightly to my arms & was just talking like we knew each other for years. i just smiled at her & listened. when she was done talking i hugged her neck & went on my way. to sit in that place & not be able to have conversation from day to day breaks my heart. 

we gave away hygiene kits to every single person there. to every person laying in their beds not able to move. to every naked man sitting in a wheel chair. to every single person & they were so happy. 

akisha was simply amazing. i absolutely loved getting to know this beautiful girl. the lord has such a plan for her life & i cannot wait to see what that is. she carried her guitar into  the aging home & led worship songs for all the elderly. to be able to do that was astounding. so much strength. she walked down the halls entering  each room bringing a little piece of heaven. what a thing to witness. they were clapping to the songs & it brought so many smiles. all the young people with ciy were raising their voices & singing with her. the voices were echoing in those rooms surrounded by concrete walls. in those moments you realize how your purpose is  being fulfilled. this is church. this is what we are supposed to be doing. akisha you are inspiring & NEVER forget the calling the lord has on your life. never doubt it for one second. you are a special young lady & the lords light radiates from you. 

there was one hallway where they have men stripped of their clothes & they were in wheelchairs lined up to get a shower. i can't even begin to tell you how shocked i was to see this. i felt so much sadness for them. stripped of their clothes & dignity waiting for someone to push them through a little bit of water. guys, we have so many things to be thankful for,  don't waste time complaining, we all do it- i do it daily. god forgive us. 

*photo red by jeremy westbrook

colossians 3:2 set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.

we meet alexander. he gave his life to christ & wants to be baptized. i was broken again. in the midst of all this he chooses you. he chooses a life in you. 

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

amazing day at the aging home & with all the sorrow there was so much happiness. i cannot wait to take my family there in september. please pray for all the elderly in haiti & around the country. if you would like to help the people at the aging homes please email me. there is a research team going to haiti to see how they can make some changes for these amazing people.

cheers,

e