The mission of Hope For The Hungry is to "Share the Bread of Life with a Starving World". God has called us to serve people who suffer from hunger that is both spiritual and physical. According to scriptural mandate, we offer food for the body and salvation for the spirit to those who do not know Jesus Christ and will suffer eternal death without Him.

Saturday, March 19, 2016

Saying goodbye

Today was beach day, so an early start was necessary. The whole team was up and ready before 6 am, breakfast came at 6:15, and we were on the road by 7. 


The girls packed into the Tap Tap van while our team was split in between Jean Alix's truck and a van. The two hour drive was bumpy at times, but the morning wind was enjoyable. We had time to stop for some quick souvenir shopping, where bargaining was a challenge that a few conquered. 

We got to the Comier Resort around 9 and the view was spectacular. 


It didn't take long for the girls to dive into the ocean and the party began. Splashing, jumping over waves, and playing in the sand filled the hours up until lunch. There, burgers or chicken sandwiches with French fries were on each plate along with soda. 


All the girls cleaned their plate and left with full bellies, ready for more hours in the ocean. The afternoon carried on and even the adults joined in on the fun. Everyone was covered in sand and smelled like salt water by mid afternoon, so we all rinsed and dried off before heading back into the vehicles around 3. 

The ride back was quicker (but still just as bumpy) and we are now all unwinding at the girls home. Some came back with sunburns and most are just plain tired. We are all preparing to leave tomorrow, with packing left to do, so that's what the night will consist of. That and party time with the girls, of course. Club Ferrier to come! 


Pray for us as we begin our goodbyes. Pray for a great last night in Ferrier. And pray for safe travels Saturday and Sunday. We love and miss all of our family and friends very much.

Thursday, March 17, 2016

VBS Day 4

And just like that we are finished with VBS. 


It is crazy to think that our time here is almost finished and that we have completed our main task for the week, but it has been amazing. Our assembly time went really well. We reviewed all of the verses and songs and the kids have really caught on to the truths we have shared this week. In today's assembly we looked at how David was disobedient to God and looked at what forgiveness and repentance looks like. We also shared the truths of Jesus and how redemption is found only through him. 



Our class time went really well today. We are all pros by now and know how to manage and control our classes. Plus our students are really responding to everything we are teaching. 


As the day was winding to a close we got to do something very special in our primary classes. We got to give each of our kids, teacher, and community kids a brand new leather bound bible. 



As we went from class to class we were able to teach them how to treat their bible and why it is such an important book the deserves respect. 



The children were so happy, for most of them this is the first bible they have ever owned, and for some it will be the only bible in their family. The smiles on their faces and their applause and gratitude is something that we may never forget. It was such an emotional moment and their joy is indescribable. 


One of the girls that received a bible just hugged it close, smelled the pages and just shouted thank you! It was hard to hold back the tears, and was a wake up call for us. 


The pure innocence of their joy for having a bible has changed all of us and makes us appreciate what we have so much more. 


It is humbling to know that we were a part of sharing these truths and bibles with over 200 kids today. Please join us in praying for these kids, their families, and the truth that they now hold in their hands. We have already been blessed to witness some of the kids reading their new bibles with the memory verse book marks that we passed out this week. It is such an amazing thing to see. 

The rest of the day was spent cleaning up and taking inventory of all our supplies for the next VBS this July in Guibert. We also got to give the girls from the girls' home new soccer balls and jump ropes. 




And the photo shoot of profile pictures will continue tonight. We also got to visit The Village which is another children's home that works with trafficked children here in Ferrier. It was good to see another place and that there are people working everywhere. 

Pray for our team as we are preparing to leave and transition back to life at home. Pray for the bibles that we passed out and the families that will be reading scriptures tonight. Pray for our fun day tomorrow as we get to take all of the girls on an adventure to the beach. Pray for Colton as he begins his journey home tomorrow.

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

VBS Day 3

Day 3 VBS is in the books! The day started off really well. As we got to the school for the assembly time, our Haitian friends led most of the time. They started with songs, memory verses, and then performed one of the best skits ever. They acted out David and Goliath. Full of props and costumes, the best was a suit jacket that was too big and had a rock tied to it. It was to represent the armor that was too big for David. It was so cute and great to see them getting and understanding the stories we are sharing. 
We then taught some new songs and the memory verse for the day. After that we headed to our classes.






We have finally found what works for our classes and it is working. It is crazy to think that tomorrow will be our last day of VBS. 



 I think this was the best day of class for everybody.




We have a special surprise planned for tomorrow. We have the privilege of presenting each of these kids with a brand new Bible in their language. For some of them this will be their first one and we are so excited to pass them out to over 200 kids! 

The rest of the day has been spent at the girls home. We've danced, played, colored, braided hair and have had a great time. We also measured all of the kids for new shoes that our team will bring in July. 



We are also doing a photo shoot where we will get new profile pics of everyone. We are all enjoying our time and are slowly picking up the language. 


It will be hard to leave this place as it is slowly taking a piece of our hearts. Pray for our team that we could finish strong. Pray for our health that we would continue to be healthy and fight off anything that might be trying to get us sick. Pray for our final day of VBS and for the Bibles that we will pass out tomorrow.

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

VBS Day 2

Day 2 VBS is done and went really well. Our numbers actually grew a little bit today, and we made a slight change to our plan. Instead of all of the kindergarten being in one large class we were able to find a few more translators which made things much easier. 


In our assembly we saw that the kids are planning ahead and are learning the memory verses before we start, which is awesome! Today we focused on how man looks at the outer appearance and God looks at the heart. We saw how he did this through David's life and focused on David and Goliath and how King Saul responded to this. The kids even presented a skit with props today. It was very hard to hear, but they did a great job. 


One of the highlights of the day was hearing the kids sing praises. They let their voices ring out and it is an amazing experience. 




Our class time went well today. We had the kids try out several makeshift slingshots and it was a lot of fun. They also got to see what it was like to walk in Goliath's shoes, it was really difficult but hilarious to watch. We are slowly learning names and building relationships with our kids.



It is great having the church volunteers with us. Some of them are really stepping up and leading out. The day always ends with lunch. It is the sweetest thing to see the kids get out their bowls and silverware, wash their hands, and then say their prayers for the meal. Some of us were able to help serve the food and pray over the kids. 


We then came back to the girls home and had lunch. Now we are helping out around the house by cleaning, doing dishes, helping with dinner, peeling peas, braiding hair, helping with homework, and having a great time. Everyone is really enjoying themselves and building relationships. It is crazy to think that we are half way through our time here. 


Pray for us to continue strong as we serve here. Pray for recovery, that we could get good rest. Pray for the heat, it is pretty hot his week. Pray for our relationships with the friends we are meeting.

Monday, March 14, 2016

VBS Day 1

Today was a great first day of VBS. We survived the first day, and we had over 200 kids in attendance. We started off with an assembly where we heard some beautiful singing from the kids. During the assembly we taught the theme verse of 2 Corinthians 12:9 and half of the kids had learned the verse last week in school. Jeff taught our assembly lesson and introduced the kids to the story of David and how God prepared his life from an early age to do great things, and God can use us just like he used David. 



After the assembly time we broke into our classes and spent the rest of the day in our classrooms. During this time we became very familiar with the word "blanc". This is the Haitian word for white, and when they didn't know our name then blanc is the go to. Hopefully after today they will start learning names, but I think we will always respond to blanc. 

Each of our classes also had a church volunteer or two. These guys were awesome and have given up their week to come and help us lead out. They are helping to drive home the scriptures and are making sure these kids understand and comprehend the truths we will teach. 



All in all it was a great first day. The kids, teachers and volunteers are really buying in and we are eager to see where this week takes us. The rest of the day was spent making some changes and preparations for tomorrow. We were able to just hang out at the girls home. We are helping with homework, cooking and cleaning, letting our hair be played with, and learning the latest Haitian dance craze. 


Continue to pray for us as we serve this week. Pray for our classes and the sweet faces we get to work with each day. Pray for the truth of scripture to be known and understood.


Sunday, March 13, 2016

Rest and Preparations

It has been a great sabbath here in Haiti. Our first night of sleep was interesting with all kinds of new sounds, but we all managed to get some sleep. Our day started off early with a great breakfast with some amazing Haitian coffee. Once we were all ready we headed off for church. This was our first time to venture out into the village of Ferrier. As we walked the path that would be our normal route we were able to see even more of Haiti. We saw how people lived and how they maintained their way of life here. It is very simple but speaks volumes.


As we rounded the corner we got our first glimpse of the church and school. Sunday school was in progress but we came in and found our places. Church in Haiti is very different, for one it is not in English so that was a big change for us. The service started with all of the classes standing and reciting their memorized scripture for the week. It was so cool to hear to verses recited in a new language... And then they started to worship. It was such a beautiful sight to see people worship in their native tongue, completely unhindered and vulnerable. It was a joy to get to experience this. The pastor preached from Ephesians 4 and really challenged the congregation. 



After church we took a tour of the facility and put a picture to where we would be teaching our VBS for the rest of the week. 



We came back to the girls home and spent the afternoon relaxing and preparing for VBS. We had a meeting with the teachers, translators, and church helpers to go over what we will be covering with VBS this week. 



The rest of the day has been spent helping out where we can at the girls home. We have learned how to wash dishes the Haitian way. Some of us helped prepare food by washing and peeling vegetables. And all of us have had a great time just hanging out with the girls. We have colored, played with hair, learned creole, taught English, sang songs, and have just had a great time. 

We are eager to start VBS tomorrow and are ready to be flexible with whatever comes our way. Pray for rest and for us to have the beefy for this week. Pray for our relationships and that we would be able to connect and really make an impact. Pray for the kids and volunteers helping with VBS, that they would know the truths we will be sharing. 

We love and miss everyone back home and truly appreciate your prayers.

Saturday, March 12, 2016

We Made It!

We've made it to Haiti!
After some long travel days we have finally made it to Haiti. 



The best part of the day has had to be driving into the girls home. As we pulled into the driveway we were greeted with the warmest smiles and hugs from the girls here. They showed us to our rooms that were already set up and ready for us. We got our bags unloaded from the taptap (a Haitian taxi, think a box truck painted up for the Caribbean) and got settled in. 



Each of us got to meet and hang out with the different girls from the girls home and are starting to get settled in. We are eating an amazing dinner and then will have some team time and get ready for our week in Haiti! Pray for us as we experience our first night in Haiti. Pray for us as we get to worship in Haiti church tomorrow. And pray as we continue to transition to life here.