Jamaica 2013: Little Blue Houses and Beaming for Buckets

Little Blue Houses

Little 10'x14' houses dotting the landscape of Steertown, Jamaica.  Painted a brilliant blue.  Providing a permanent home for those living under piles of scrap material, out in the open, in old chicken coops (let that one sink in for a minute).  This has been the mission of Colonial Hills Church through IsleGO Missions for the better part of the last seven years or so.  Teams from our church have built over 40 houses during that time, but teams from around the U.S. have joined in the effort so that the number of "little blue houses" in Steertown is an estimated 94 by the end of the year.

A team of 33 from CHC spent last week in Jamaica, where they joined forces with a team of 16 from Sherman, Texas, to build four more little blue houses.  You can click on the CHC Missions Facebook page to see some little blue houses from start to finish. 

More Than Little Blue Houses

I first mentioned our church's involvement with St. Christopher's School for the deaf in a post entitled "The Numbers DO Lie."   While many teams that go to Jamaica build little blue houses, not many visit St. Christopher's.  I invite you to visit the school today through the eyes of Andrea Jackson.  She and her husband were among the first-timers on this year's Jamaica trip:

Brad and I had a fabulous time in Jamaica. The deaf school is one of the main reason we WILL be going back next year.

From the moment we arrived at the school, I was amazed at the children that recognized the CHC faces from last year.  They asked about people who were there last year who were unable to make this years trip.  They were excited beyond belief to see that our group had not forgotten about them and was back to see them once again.  It was as if they have waited all year just for the moment our group returned. This was more than just a visit from strangers for them.  These were their friends coming back to see and love on them.  From what I understand, we are the only group that comes to visit these precious children.  Many of their parents are unable to even come visit because of the lack of funds.  Unfortunately, we (Brad and I) were not a familiar face to them, but they instantly began to hug and love on us and we on them.

Beaming for Buckets

On the second day we were there, we passed out buckets for each child.  It was Christmas in June for these children.  Each child received their own children's Bible in honor of Julie, Brad's sister that passed.  The boys also got dinosaurs, capes, masks, race cars, kites, etc., in their buckets, and the girls each got their own baby doll, lip gloss, hair bows, bracelets, etc.  I saw one little boy go sit down on the lawn with his bucket, and his legs just bounced off the ground the entire time he sat going thru his bucket.  The smiles, oh, the smiles of these children, were unreal. They beamed!! Their poor mouths had to almost be sore.  They were all so grateful.

See the beautiful smiling faces of all 43 of the children at St. Christopher's here.

I must admit I wondered how many children I could cram in my suitcase and bring home with me.  I never knew I could love children not my own SO much and SO fast.  I could go on all day about the things I took away from this portion of the trip.  I will end with this: I was most in awe that despite the communication barriers, we all understood the common language of love.  No matter the age, color, or county of origin, we all need the love of Christ and the love of one another.  Can't wait for Jamaica 2014 :)

Andrea Jackson

Nothing beats the look of joy on a child's face.  Or the look of hope.  Thanks, Andrea, for taking us there.

Thanks for reading.

4theVoiceless,
Al

SHOUT OUT to my friends Jeff and Brandy Witt, whose goal is for all of their CHC small group to go to Jamaica on mission.  This year, they had enough group members (including Brad & Andrea Jackson) to actually have a couple of small group meetings in Jamaica -- now that's "discipleship together"!

Friday Little Bits: Around the World in 3 Minutes

4theVoiceless is spanning the globe today in four quick updates:

Orphan Sunday

Orphan Sunday is the first Sunday in November each year, November 3 this year.  This is a time for churches worldwide to focus on some aspect of orphan care in response to the consistent commands of God in His Word to care for orphans.  Orphan Sunday originated in a small church in Zambia, Africa,  and has grown exponentially in the years afterward.

I am one of a couple of the Christian Alliance for Orphans' (CAFO) Orphan Sunday coordinators in Mississippi.  The coordinators were introduced to some of the resources that we have available for this year at the Summit conference in Nashville last month, and more resources are being made available as we move closer to November.  If you would like any information about Orphan Sunday for your church (no matter the denomination), please contact me; you do not have to have a full-fledged orphan care ministry to do something for Orphan Sunday.

Click here to read how I spent an unforgettable Orphan Sunday in 2012.

House of Abraham

One of the new HoA bedrooms as I last saw it in March.

I communicated back and forth with Fenel last week, and they are about a week now from moving out of the current home of House of Abraham.  The new house is not completely ready, but he is trying to get a couple of the rooms completed and the security wall finished so that move-in can begin.  Please make it a matter of prayer over the coming days that the new house will be prepared (enough) and that the transition from the old house would go smoothly.

And speaking of Haiti . . .

These kids would love to meet you or see you again!

Haiti 2014

Colonial Hills Church will be headed back to Jacmel, Haiti, to serve the House of Abraham and various other discipleship programs in early 2014.  The dates are either February 7-14 or 8-15, depending on the cost of airline tickets.  This team will be limited to a maximum of 24 people.  We will be planning a meeting on both CHC campuses in the next couple of months to give you more information on this mission trip, but if you are interested in being part of this team, contact me and I will get your name on the list of those who have already let me know they wanted to go.   If you do not attend CHC but would like to go on the trip with us, you can contact me, as well.

And finally . . .

Jamaica 2013

 

 

 

A past "little blue house" dedication.

The CHC Jamaica team leaves tomorrow morning.  There are 33 from our church who will meet up with 16 more from Fairview Baptist Church in Sherman, Texas, to build four houses as a continuing part of our "Little Blue House Project" and to also serve at the deaf school there.  This is where two of our teams built a playground last year.  Pray for our team as they build houses and relationships in Jamaica this week.

Jeff Witt & a child from the deaf school.

Check out the CHC Missions Facebook page to know how to pray for the team and also for updates throughout the trip.

 There you have it: Africa, Nashville, Haiti, Mississippi, Texas, and Jamaica -- around at least a considerable part of the world in three minutes or so.  Thanks for reading.

4theVoiceless,

Al

Making the Most of Moore and Newtown

The News You Never Want to Hear

The meetings for this past Monday at our Colonial Hills Church staff advance were drawing to close when we first learned of the deadly tornadoes in Oklahoma that had happened earlier in the day.  After making sure my sister and her family, -- who live in Broken Arrow -- were okay, I began to watch the news about the devastation of this storm.  News that included injuries to one of our church member's parents, injuries that they would survive.  News of damage that resembled a war zone.  And news of the numbers of children in the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore among the casualties.

Normally, the focus of the 4theVoiceless blog is children who have lost or been separated from their parents, but as the funerals have now begun for the children killed in the Oklahoma tornado, I felt compelled to write as a parent today.  A parent grieving with those who will bury their children over the next few days.  A parent who grieved with the parents in Newtown, Connecticut, late last year as they buried their children.

I have walked through the steps of grief with some good friends who lost their 10-year-old son almost a decade ago in an automobile accident.  The Lord was so gracious to them as they steadfastly placed their hope and trust in Him, even amidst their enormous grief.  I know that in Newtown, Connecticut, and in Moore, Oklahoma, you can multiply my friends' grief many times over, and that is an overwhelming thought to me.  I pray for their ability to trust in the Lord, even as the world as they know it has changed forever. 

Newtown and Moore have caused me to reflect on my own children and how grateful I am to still have them with us.  Having dedicated them to the Lord when they were all very young, I am aware that they belong to Him and that Loretta and I are caretakers of His children.  God will take them on His timing, just as He will us.  I hope that that time comes long after we are gone, but, as we have seen with the tragedies in Connecticut and Oklahoma, we have no such guarantees.

Celebrating My Children

I can't imagine life without any of my own children.  I'm so proud of them, for who they are and what they are doing to make a difference in this world. 

Ashton is in Russia right now, loving on orphans alongside Russian college students.  You can read more about that trip in "To Russia With . . . Hesitation?" 

In the photo to the right, she is holding a mouse (or rat, depending on whom you ask) that one of the kids in one of the orphanages had as a pet.  The girl then took the mouse back and put it on Ashton's head.  Ugghhhh!

I am very grateful for the young woman of integrity (amidst the goofiness) that she is and for how she is making a difference in the world . . . right now.


Garrett is finishing up his first year at Lewisburg High School after homeschooling for his first 9 years of school.  I think it was a courageous move on his part.  He has made good grades and found his place on the baseball team.  Though his freshman team's season ended several weeks ago, he gets to be a part of the varsity team that plays for a state championship tomorrow.  He knows the value of simply being a part of the team.  From all accounts he has made a positive impact on his school, and I am very proud of who he is.  He heads to FCA camp next week, and I eagerly anticipate how the Lord will use that in his life and in the lives of others.

Drew is having a blast during Garrett's baseball season, running around and playing with his friends Robinson and Tate (other little brothers of guys on the team).  I have thoroughly enjoyed all the trips to games and the father-son time that he and I have enjoyed over the last few months. 

Drew has recently committed to go on our church's mission trip to Haiti next February, trusting God more than his bank account to provide the necessary funds.  (For those of you who don't know Drew, he's 10 and without a viable job to pay for such a trip; God has already given him a glimpse of His provision for this trip!)  The kids at the House of Abraham are going to love him, and they have the most potential of actually wearing him out -- though I will believe that when I see it!  I love Drew's relentless energy (though, admittedly, it drives me crazy sometimes) and look forward to seeing it used for God's glory in Haiti and other places.

Celebrating Your Children

If you are reading this post today and you have children, I beg you to take time to celebrate them for who they are (not so much for what they have done) and make the most of every moment you have with them.  Use the disaster in Oklahoma and the tragedy in Connecticut to break the ice and say the things that you need to say to your kids.  We are not promised tomorrow with them.  Simply, make the most of today.

Thanks for reading. 

4theVoiceless,
Al

3 Things I Hate About Staff Retreat

Two conferences/retreats in less than three weeks, and I am nearing overload.  The first of this month was the Summit 9 conference in Nashville.  This week, it's the Colonial Hills Church annual spring staff retreat (to be followed by our annual fall staff retreat in a few months). 

Pastor Shannon O'Dell from Brand New Church suggested to us yesterday as he talked leadership with our staff that we should change our title from staff retreat to staff advance since we are not moving backward.  I like that.  Just words, but words matter.  Nevertheless, there are some aspects (besides the obvious being away from my family) about staff retreats or advances that I just don't like.

Not the view -- it's remarkable.  Great backdrop for private times with God.

Not a lack of activity before and between meetings.  We have plenty of opportunities to have fun together during our 3 days here and plenty of opportunities to connect with one another.

Not a lack of inspiration.  Many of our volunteers joined us last night to be encouraged and challenged.

No, there is much to like about staff advances, but there are several things that always come to light.  Necessary things.  The reasons we have these getaways in the first place.  But uncomfortable nonetheless.

1.  You realize how far you have drifted.

Even with the best of intentions and plans, ministry drift happens.  As the small groups pastor at CHC, my primary filter during our conversations, is discipleship, but the principles transfer to the ministry of 4theVoiceless, as well.  What happens between the fiery-hot vision for a ministry and the here and now?  Life.  Busyness.  Unexpected responsibilities.  Choices.  The actual work of carrying out of a vision.

There are certainly stories that reinforce that the vision that God planted in the hearts of leaders is becoming reality.  Our focus in small groups this term has been learning and -- more importantly -- practicing how to lead someone to Christ and how to help that person take the first few steps in his or her new relationship with the Lord.  There are multiple stories of how the Lord has used the most unlikely people to accomplish great advances for His kingdom over the last few months.  This has been one of the most fruitful small group terms I have ever experienced in many ways.

But there are still far too many people who are missing out on what small groups offer.  We term it simply "Discipleship Together."  There are still far too few leaders and groups. 

And still far too many children in need of families.  In need of the knowledge of the Father who loves them.  Too few of the Father's arms (to be clear, that's our arms as the body of Christ) reaching out to them.

2.  You are reminded of how much work there is yet to do.

The fall of man and the effects of sin in this world leave an insurmountable task in front of all who follow Jesus.   As a ministry staff, we get away to a cabin for a few days and talk about what God is doing in our church and the needs that are in front of us.  The need is always overwhelming and intimidating.  The good news is that the greatest work has already been accomplished on a cross and at an empty tomb. 

When we come together on Sunday morning at our Southaven and Hernando campuses, we are encouraged as we worship together with other believers.  When our church all comes together at one time -- what we call our One Church events -- like we did for a giant party this past Sunday, we are encouraged by the growing numbers of Christ-followers in our church.  However, when those numbers are dispersed into neighborhoods and workplaces, they don't seem so big anymore.  There are many who still don't know the Good News of what Christ has done on their behalf.  The work to reach them seems daunting.

Similarly, the overwhelming nature of the orphan crisis -- the sheer numbers of orphans and the complex issues surrounding why many of them are orphans in the first place and will likely remain orphans -- can easily lead one to do nothing.

3.  You realize how small you are.

I don't have the capacity to disciple large numbers of people in their walks with Christ.  I don't have the capacity to make a significant dent in the world's orphan crisis.  I just don't.  I don't have enough of the education or the experience or the creativity or the anything else that great leaders have.

But . . . 

. . . that's the beauty of retreats or advances or whatever you want to call them.  The God I serve is the God of the universe who holds the whole world in His hands, who never sleeps, who knows has known the tiniest detail of every one of 7 billion lives.  He is able to do anything He wants.  He is able to bring me to what He wants me to do and provide everything I need when I need it in order to accomplish His purposes.  By reminding me how small and incapable I am, I realize how big and capable He is.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever.  Amen.   (Ephesians 3:20-21, ESV)

"He must increase, but I must decrease.”  (John 3:30)

Thanks for reading.  I pray that God shows you how to apply this to your own life.

4theVoiceless,
Al

Orphan Run Mississippi in Photos & Captions

Orphan Run Mississippi 5K and Fun Run

Hernando, Mississippi

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Race day preparation beginning before the break of dawn.

Registration table -- part of a large army of volunteers doing an outstanding job!

Nice walk-up crowd on a cool, beautiful morning

Michael Satcher -- orphan care champion, virtual runner, T-shirt model

233 runners plus about 100 others milling about before the race.  Other encouragers at different spots along the route.

Running for orphans and remembering others.

And . . . they're off!

The real winners on this day: Some of the world's 147+ million orphans

Amanda & Amy -- orphan care champions from Cordova

The Johnsons -- orphan care champions from Senatobia

Part of Team Colonial Hills -- 9 medal winners from CHC!

That's my boy! 2nd place in his age group!

Fitting finish to the day: EmilyFaith accepting a framed photo of one of the children's homes like this race will help fund.  Handprints of some of the actual orphans in Mabaale, Uganda, who will have a place to live because of her efforts.

On behalf of the orphans in Uganda, thank you to everyone who showed up Saturday to live out James 1:27 on a beautiful Hernando morning . . . and had a blast in the process!

Thanks for reading.

4theVoiceless,
Al

Postscript:  I blogged a couple of weeks ago about my running goal for the race, a new personal best.  Alas, that did not happen Saturday.  Maybe next year.  I did, however, finish third in my age group (out of I-don't-know-or-care-how many) for my first 5K medal!

Previous Orphan Run Mississippi Posts:

"And Suddenly...Orphan Run MS"
"Prepping to Run for Orphans"
"Orphan Run Mississippi: A Personal Best, Half a House, and You"
"Orphan Run Mississippi: The Essentials"

Haiti 2013: The Highlights

CHC 4theVoiceless 2013 Haiti Mission Trip

After a week in Haiti and a couple of weeks of blogging about our team's experiences, I have tried to encapsulate our trip in about four minutes in a photo slideshow set to Kristian Stanfill's "Children of Light."  Trying to capture a week's worth of memories in four minutes is incredibly difficult, but I hope that it moves you to move toward children at risk.

Haiti is the poorest country in the world, and we saw and often smelled this poverty firsthand.  However, you will find little, if any, evidence of this in the video.  Why?  I wrote about this topic last November in a post called "What You Choose to Remember."  I encourage you to read it before you watch the video.  The answer is compelling. 

Poverty may define Haiti to the rest of the world, but poverty doesn't define Haiti.  There is hope in Haiti and for Haiti.  That hope is in Jesus Christ, the same as it is here in the United States, the wealthiest nation in the world. That hope is evident at the House of Abraham in Jacmel, Haiti.

Enjoy the pictures of hope from Haiti. . .

I have enjoyed bringing you stories from our mission trip from my admittedly limited perspective.  Other members of the team could add much, much more.  As always, thanks for reading!

Day 1: The Team's Unexpected Challenge
Day 2: Boaz, Super Ninja. Who Knew?
Day 3: Accomplishment! (and the Return of Josh's Man Card)
Day 4: A Hurtling Batter, Barbie, & Team Determination
Day 5: Puddles, Suncatchers, & Ethan Befriends a Goat
Day 6, Part 1: Pillowcases Without Pillow, a Sliced Arm, & Lobster
Day 6, Part 2: Mwen Fou Pou Ou & a Rah-Rah

4theVoiceless,
Al

P.S.: I think I'll celebrate the completion of the video (which kept me up well into the night last night) with an Orphan Run Mississippi prep run.  The run for orphans is 2 weeks from tomorrow in Hernando, MS.  Hope to see you there!

Haiti 2013 Day 6, Part 2: Mwen Fou Pou Ou and a Rah-Rah

CHC Haiti Mission Trip Day 6, Part 2

I could have told you when Jim May and I first began to plan this CHC mission trip to Haiti that Thursday would be the most bittersweet day.  It would be the day that we would sum up -- to the extent that we were able -- what God had taught us and worked in us during the previous week; that's always one of my favorite parts of a mission trip.  The last team meeting on the roof of the current House of Abraham home was sweet.  Fenel's words of encouragement and gratitude to us (which included dubbing us Team Determination) were sweet.  We would see our families and loved ones the following day; that was a sweet thought.

When we returned to the house from our beach excursion, it was time for a little more time with the kids and a lot of good-byes.  We were to leave at 3:00 the following morning to try to assure that we arrived at the airport on time (We had experienced what Port au Prince traffic can be like the previous Friday when we arrived, so we were taking no chances.)  So the good-byes began.

For me, my good-byes came through a T-shirt I had bought that says, "Jacmel: Mwen Fou Pou Ou."  That means "Jacmel, I'm crazy for you."  When the team returned to the house, the kids wanted to see what I had bought.  I looked at one of the boys, called him by name, and said, "Mwen fou pou ou."  And that's how I said good-bye to each of them and how they said good-bye to me.

The good-byes continued throughout the night.  Many individual farewells took place before the formal good-byes, when we had a chance to speak to the kids through Fenel.  He also interpreted the kids' words to us.  We went upstairs to the team area to finish packing and get ready for the early wake-up call, only to have the kids call us down later to come in there rooms for one more round of hugs and good-byes.  

The good-byes were bittersweet.  For me, I had been before and, Lord willing, I will go again.  For me, it was more "until next time" than good-bye.  Still, there was work on the new home that was still far from done.  There were kids who didn't want to go to sleep, knowing we would be gone the next morning; that was bittersweet.  There were the discipleship programs that Fenel and Jean Jean lead that we didn't get to experience on this trip.  There was just so much that we were seemingly leaving undone or un-experienced.

The heat was worse on Thursday night than any other night of the trip, so sleep was hard to come by.  Then, some of us were awakened around midnight by a rah-rah on the street right outside the home.  And, of course, we were awakened again at 2:30 to gather our things and head to the airport.  We encountered one other rah-rah on the way to the airport but had no long delays.  It took 22 minutes to cover the mileage that took us four hours to get through the previous Friday.  And then, just like that, we were home.

The kids gathered around "Papa Fefe."

Hangin' with the boys (plus one).

Robbie with Lucien and David (Bubba).  Must be after 6:00; Bubba's sleepy.

Jodie enjoying some Bubba time.

One last game of soccer.

Jim and Jean Jean

The formal good-byes.

The last sunset we would enjoy from the current House of Abraham home.  Next trip, new home!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Relationships

Colonial Hills Church has long been a relational church, for better or for worse -- and we've seen plenty of both.  The way we do missions is no different; it is relational.  Why did we go to Haiti in the first place?  Relationships, specifically with Dusty Cooper and IsleGo Missions (whom we partnered with through -- you got it -- relationships).  So we'll be back in Jacmel at the House of Abraham.  If not the specific people from this team (or the one before that or the one before that or the one before that), then others in our body will go.  And so will our brothers and sisters from Illinois and Florida and New Jersey and North Carolina, and so on.  And the work that God is doing in Haiti through Fenel Bruna and the House of Abraham will be accomplished.

None of us can point to the completed house here in a few months and claim more that a part of the foundation or the roof, a painted room or two, some blocks on the wall.  But we can all point to the God who brought us to Haiti at one time or another to accomplish works bigger than ourselves.  Not just in building a house but in encouraging and strengthening the next generation of leaders in Haiti to be young men and women of integrity who seek to glorify God in how they live their lives and serve others.

Mimi & Fenel Bruna

Haiti 2013 Team Determination: Jodie, Jim, Robbie, Ethan, Heather, Dusty, Josh, Al, Fenel, Gary

So that's our mission trip to Jacmel, Haiti, and the House of Abraham.  I hope that you have enjoyed the posts and that you have been challenged to get involved.  At last report, the new house is still about $10,000-$12,000 away from being fully funded.  The current lease runs out in May (and that was after a much-prayed-for extension), so time is running short.  You can click here to help.

Sponsor one of the House of Abraham kids here.
Does child sponsorship really make a difference?  In a word, yes!  Check out this article.

 A look back at previous day's posts:

Day 1: The Team's Unexpected Challenge
Day 2: Boaz, Super Ninja. Who Knew?
Day 3: Accomplishment! (and the Return of Josh's Man Card)
Day 4: A Hurtling Batter, Barbie, & Team Determination
Day 5: Puddles, Suncatchers, & Ethan Befriends a Goat
Day 6, Part 1: Pillowcases Without Pillow, a Sliced Arm, & Lobster


Thanks for reading. I hope to have a video slideshow of our trip ready for the blog tomorrow. 

 4theVoiceless,
Al

Haiti Day 6, Part 1: Pillowcases Without Pillows, a Sliced Arm, & Lobster

Haiti Mission Trip, Day 6 (Thursday)

Thursday would be the last full day in Haiti for the Colonial Hills Church 4theVoiceless team.  The last day of a mission trip is usually reserved for sightseeing, purchasing souvenirs, relaxing, saying good-bye, and preparing to return home.  As I have written already, this team was so task-oriented that we had determined that at least part of Thursday would be a work day.  Our later-than-expected arrival the previous Friday had turned Saturday into a relaxing day, so we told Fenel that we wanted to work on Thursday.

As it turned out, the paint team had used all but a gallon or so of the paint.  Also, all of the HoA kids would be out of school for Easter holiday on Thursday.  As a result, Jim, Gary, Dusty, and Josh returned to the work site to hopefully finish out the work on the roof, and the rest of us prepared for a craft we had brought for the kids to do.

Pillowcases Without Pillows

We had brought pillowcases and fabric markers for all of the kids to create their own masterpieces to cover their pillows.  They went to work diligently and had a blast personalizing their pillowcases.  Somewhere amidst the joy of the work (and I don't even know how she discovered this), one of the ladies on our team told me that the kids did not have pillows to sleep on but that they were to be getting some soon.  You would have never known it by the way the kids poured their hearts into their works of art.

Robbie, Jodie, & the girls sharing ideas.

Ethan enjoying a welcome into Widly World.

Luciana's pillowcase nearing completion.

I like the thought of my "hand" holding Tchi's head as he sleeps.

Roberson was full of joy with every craft we worked on all week . . . what a joy!

Thirteen precious children will lay joyful heads down on those pillowcases, and thirteen precious children will at times cry tears of sorrow into those pillowcases.  Hopefully, they will think of us -- a team that showed them each the love of Christ -- when they lay their heads down on their pillows at night.  Even more importantly, I hope they are reminded that no matter what tragic life experiences led them to the House of Abraham, there is a God who knows them by name and loves them very much, as I reminded in these lyrics:

 I have a Maker
He formed my heart
Before even time began
My life was in his hands

I have a Father
He calls me His own
He'll never leave me
No matter where I go

He knows my name
He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
And He hears me when I call

"He Knows My Name" by Tommy Walker

Along with the pillowcases, the HoA children will also have personalized towels brought on my previous trip that have been put up until after the move to the new house.  One of the things my small group purchased with our Change It Now money was a "Welcome" mat.  It, too, was put aside for the new house.  As if a new house wasn't enough . . .  Reminds me of my Father, who lavishes on me way more than I deserve or could even ask for and who has stored up for me treasures unimaginable . . .

A Trip to Didier's

The "pillowcase team" was also able to walk down the road to meet Didier's (pronounced like D.J.) family.  He is part of the House of Abraham staff who moved from one one the many tent cities that were in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake into a house that one of the IsleGo teams built.  He is incredibly proud of his home and his family.  Hospitality, like kindness and play, transcends language barriers.  It was an honor to be welcomed into Didier's family's home.

Didier & family

Robbie's new friend, Didier's family dog.

 

 

 

 

An Unexpected Turn of Events

I was in my room when the roofing team returned a little earlier than we had expected.  I asked Josh how it had gone up there, expecting that they had finished early.  Instead, he said that they would have gotten finished if Gary hadn't tried to cut his arm off.  Turns out a gust of wind lifted up a piece of sheet metal that gashed Gary's arm, maybe somewhat short of cutting his arm off but a pretty significant cut, nonetheless.

Our "arm repair team" shifted quickly into action.  Heather and Jodie, a pediatric nurse and a pediatric physical therapist, respectively, are well trained to take care of injuries to kids like Gary.  Jim joined in, carefully cutting the hairs our of the wound.  Gary winced a few times but was a model patient.  The nurse that he saw when he returned to the States was very complimentary of the job our team had done on his arm; the only thing she added to his recovery regimen was a healthy dose of antibiotics.

Oh, and the roof was almost completed.  Fenel and one of his workers would be able to finish that work in just a couple of days.

Nurse Heather goes to work as Gary winces and trusts.

Nurse Jodie joins in with steady hands.

Nurse Jim does his part; this time, Jim and a blade were a good thing.

All patched up, nice and neat.  A permanent souvenir.

What Gary Missed

Gary, understandably, decided to stay at the house and take a nap while the rest of us enjoyed one more trip to the beach and one more souvenir run.  Fenel took us to a different beach this time, one that I recognized from my last trip, one that included this!

Lobster, conch, & bottled soft drinks!  Fenel knows how to reward a hard-working team!

When you love missions & love the beach & love your spouse, it doesn't get much better than this!

I will save the good-byes and wrap-up of this mission trip for tomorrow.  Let me just say that even days' worth of writing about a trip here or anywhere else doesn't do it justice.  I'm just one-ninth of the team trying to write from both a team and a personal perspective.  There is so much more that I simply don't have room or time to write and so much more that others experienced that they would add.

There are already those from this trip and others who have been to Haiti -- and even some others who haven't been yet -- who are already looking ahead and even saving ahead for next year.  What about you?  Where will you serve -- both near to home and far away?

Previous Days from the CHC Mission Trip to Jacmel, Haiti:

Day 1: The Team's Unexpected Challenge
Day 2: Boaz, Super Ninja. Who Knew?
Day 3: Accomplishment! (and the Return of Josh's Man Card)
Day 4: A Hurtling Battery, Barbie, & Team Determination
Day 5: Puddles, Suncatchers, & Ethan Befriends a Goat

Sponsor one of the House of Abraham kids here.

Thanks for reading. 

 4theVoiceless,
Al