Re-Entry

So as I am sitting hear in my apartment the day after getting back from Haiti, I am thinking about all that I experienced on our trip. Honestly it is a lot harder than I thought to come back to the States after being in Haiti. It’s almost like over stimulation when you come home. There are so many more choices here and people are in much more of a hurry than in Haiti. I have talked to some of my team members and they are also feeling the “re-entry” effect.

As I think about all of the things I experienced on the trip there is one story that has really stuck with me and it would be the letter that we got right before we left. Our week was spent working on cleaning up the first floor of team housing. There are five boys who live down there that Sandra and Nixon sponsor. They are able to go to school, have meals and get mentored by Nixon. We worked on renovating their rooms, kitchen, dining area and bathroom. When we first saw where they were living it was not very good. Paint was peeling, mold was growing on the walls and we even found remnants of where mice had been there. As we fixed up the rooms, I found myself thinking we should have done more, it should be nicer than we are making it, but of course we ran out of time. This is where the letter comes into play. The night before we left the boys wrote us a thank you letter that Nixon read to us. It was so sweet. They were so appreciative of their new rooms and one boy thanked us for his new shower. It made me realize that the little things really matter. This was a huge deal to them and they were able to see and experience God through our scraping and painting of their rooms.

Even though “re-entry” is very hard we can all hold on to the stories and experiences we have had. It has helped me to see God in even the small things. Thanks for all of your prayers and support. I can’t wait to share more pictures and stories with you all.

-Johnna

On our way...

Hey guys...I have to be quick, we're getting ready to taxi out to the runway, but the flight is thankfully on time. Our flight # is AA 978 from MIA to RDU. Thanks for your prayers, and we'll see you soon!

-Travis

Peace

This week has gone by so fast it’s hard to believe it’s already Thursday. It’s not over yet – we still have the rest of the day and tomorrow morning (I’m writing at about 2:00 on Thursday). I am looking forward to souvenir shopping and going to the restaurant later. It will be interesting to see how restaurants operate in Haiti; we had to place our order 2 days ago so they could make sure they actually had what we wanted to order. Later it will be time to pack up and get ready for our day of traveling tomorrow.

Yesterday I was able to go with Gwenn Mangine, her daughter, and Devin to the beach to pick up trash and put it in bags. First we went to the public beach and got a few pieces of trash. That beach had been raked for trash recently so we left and drove over to the beach on the HCH land. When we got there these 3 boys followed us all the way down to the beach and helped us pick up trash. It was so nice to see them so eager to help. They were such sweet boys. I gave them a whole bottle of water, and between the three of them they had that water drunk when I turned around next.

The thing about that beach on the land is it is so incredibly peaceful. It is like a beach you see in a movie about a desert island. No hotels, no mansion, no snack shacks, and no tourists with beach umbrellas and boogie boards. It was nice not to see all that action for a change. After we picked up a bunch of garbage I was able to get my feet wet and explore in some of the rocks. It was so peaceful, especially looking out into the sea. What a wonderful experience to have. God made the oceans to connect the whole world together.

- Emily

Devin's Week At a Glance

Hi all! I m having a blast in Haiti! I’m excited to come home and see you all, but I wish I could stay longer! Today is day 6 out of 7, and today we are going to a souvenir lady on a beach. Here is what happened this week:

Day 1

• Took the bus ride to Jacmel, (had a little nap)
• Just hung out the rest of the day

Day 2

• Met the kids @ HCH (Haitian Children’s Home)
• Went to the land (purchased by our church)
• Went to the beach (SO MUCH FUN!!)
• Water felt perfect (not too hot, not too cold)

Day 3

• Went to a blazing hot church for 3 hours!
• Rode on the Jimmy (truck) yesterday…. (On top of a car on a platform)
• Ate mangos (small ones, DELICIOUS!)

Day 4

• Went to the Mangine’s house today
• Did some projects

Day 5

• Went to beach again with Gwenn Mangine, her daughter Nia, and Emily from our group
• Found some really cool shells, sea glass, rocks, coral, and a crab claw
• Went back to HCH after dinner where we had goat…(it was actually yummy!)
• Said goodbye to the HCH kids (I’m gonna miss ‘em!)

Day 6

• Today we are going to finish up some work
• Going to a souvenir lady later
• Going to a Haitian restaurant
• Leaving tomorrow

I have had so much fun on this trip, I can’t wait to get back and share my stories with everyone! <3

- Devin

On the walls...

Hi all!

So, here I sit on the second story porch outside Nixon and Sandra’s house. It’s late, but there are still so many sounds on the street. Some Latin music, a motorcycle, people laughing…ahhh, the sounds of Haiti. I am in love.

I am also honored. Honored to be here to serve the servants. I love being around the kids at HCH, but I also really love serving Danny and Leann, Nixon and Sandra and now, Nick and Gwenn! Today we got to paint, paint, and paint some more. The first floor of team housing is occupied by about 6 boys (and one ‘nanny’) that Nixon and Sandra have sponsored from different parts of Haiti to come to Jacmel for school. We painted their dining room, bathroom, two bedrooms, a small (and I mean small) kitchen and a storage room. Yesterday we cleaned the rooms, scraped the old paint off the cement walls and ceilings (oh my, what a job!) and today we painted – with oil-based paint. Some of the rooms were a bit small, with little ventilation, so you can imagine the ‘fun’ we had!

One of my teammates (Ashley) asked us a question at devotions tonight that was pretty interesting. For thought, how does painting and cleaning show Christ? I mean, we’re not on a street corner telling people that Jesus loves them…can painting some rooms really be showing Christ’s love? Yes, I think it can. And does. Christ humbled Himself for us. The least I can do as a ‘blanc’ (white) American is to do the same. No task should be too menial, too beneath us.

Tonight, after coming home from saying goodbye to the Pye kids (which is one of the HARDEST things to do here), we saw some of the boys that live here…Jean-Robert, Whiskey, Franzi (not sure how to spell that….) and the smiles on their faces when we asked them how they liked their rooms were, well…priceless. I really hope that when they look in my eyes they see Christ, but if not I hope they see Him on the walls.

- Andrea

Pictured here is Mdm. Coco's room after scraping and cleaning, while before painting.

Tool Time with Anthony Bruno

Hello family & friends. I want to let you know that I’m doing great and time is going too fast. It’s Wednesday and we have accomplished so much. There’s no comparison to this trip from last years. I feel very useful and I’m thankful I can give back. Each one of us has a very special gift to contribute. Mine is to make things more efficient. I know HCH & the kids are important, but without the people who run it there are a lot of little tasks that are over looked. I feel like everything I repair or correct will make their lives a little better.

My experience with fixing things down here is not always a simple task. It’s not like you can go to Home Depot and purchase what you need. The hardware store doesn’t have everything. It can be very frustrating. For instance…we needed washers and the clerk said, “We don’t have them.” I said to myself, “You have to be kidding me.” I kept thinking to myself – you’re in Haiti – so I’ve just been going with the flow and moving on. I’m very thankful for the people in this group that are here. We started off as strangers less than a year ago. We have grown together so fast before and during this trip. I consider them my family and I love them. I will be sad when this trip comes to an end, but I know that we really made a difference in people’s lives and that makes me happy…I want to say I love and miss my family and can’t wait to see you. I also want to say I LOVE YOU April & Kelsey!

-Anthony

Woody's Update

Friends,

As most of you now know, Woody has been through his first surgery after reaching Port au Prince. Woody is one of the Pye family boys who over the weekend broke his leg. The injury needed medical attention, which sent Nick Mangine and Danny Pye with Woody to Port au Prince to the Doctor’s Without Borders Hospital there. This is a very capable and well-maintained facility, with knowledgeable doctors and nurses to care for him. Woody was scheduled for two surgeries, one of which he has already had and he is currently recovering from. He had a fever this morning and is being treated for infection. Please keep him in your prayers throughout this entire recovery process. Also, pray for Danny and Leann who are doing their absolute best to keep everything running at home with their other children, while loving and caring for Woody while he’s there. Pray for Woody’s brothers and sisters who are nervous and worried for him – that their hearts would be calmed and their worries put to rest. Pray over the Doctor’s hands that will be taking care of him, as well as those in the next surgery. Pray for Nixon, Sandra, Nick and Gwenn as they are helping out in Jacmel and stepping up to the plate to allow the Pye’s some time to work through the situation.

With all of this being said, one of the things that I love about our relationship with Danny and Leann is how much more we do with them than just writing a check and wishing them well. We are on the ground here this week, helping to provide care and love in the moments that need it most, and you all have been a huge part of allowing that to happen. We thank you for that, and want to encourage you that we are all doing well. With that being said, the relationships we’ve built with Danny and Leann do in fact need funding at times – more as an act of love than necessity. I would love for our supporters and community that love them to step up and meet a very specific need that has presented itself.

The total amount that has been estimated for the surgeries and expenses that are occurring is about $2,000. As a community, we are always looking for ways to partner alongside this mission and the relationships that we have with Danny and Leann, which leads me to how you can tangibly help. If you would like to help by covering part of the costs of the hospital stay and surgeries, as well as the hotel and meals that are being funded for Danny and Leann in Port au Prince, please let us know. Even if it’s just a small contribution, everything counts and everything is a blessing. Out of love, we have a great opportunity to come alongside them in support for everything they are doing here, above and beyond what we as a community already do. Pray over that decision, and if you would like to contact us for this specific reason, please e-mail travishinton@mac.com.

Thank you for your prayers and support as we honestly can feel them. God is working in each of our lives this week, and we are so thankful for that. Grace & Peace,

Travis