We will ROCK you!

What an awesome day! We woke up sore and tired from a hard day yesterday but God gave us the strength we needed throughout the day! We moved three truckloads of rock before going down hill to haul more rock up the mountain! Jeff, Clay, and B (aka Braxton) were at the bottom of a rock wall lifting rocks over their heads to Alex who sent them up the line where we placed them for the men who were constructing the wall. Several of us were also running cement up and down the mountain to fill in between the rocks! We talked a lot about the wall we are building today. We talked about how the wall is made of rocks of different sizes and shapes but they fit together to create something needed and useful. In the same way, the Body of Christ is made of all different kinds of people that God uses to do his work and spread his love! Also, we are building the foundation out of bigger rocks and in the same way we build out faith on Jesus, our firm foundation. The wall will offer protection from evil just like putting on the armor of our faith can protect us from evils and temptation. Playing with the kids at school today was a blast as usual! Jen was able to witness one of the boys reading out loud! Just last summer he was struggling and needing to repeat his grade. It is so neat to see those who have been before interact with the kids and be called by name! At one point we were working and the kids were watching and singing VBS songs from last summer! By the way, they love to sing and dance when you ask them! It was so cool to sing songs that we all new and could sing together! We also sang the worship song that we learned in creole, with some of the older boys. Jean Alix, Mylene, and their children have been so much fun to hang out with when we are at the house and the ladies who cook for us are always smiling! All in all, another great day! We continue to see evidence of God's work in our hearts and in the lives of those around us! Today is the halfway mark on our trip but pray with us that the end of our trip will not also be an end to this chapter of loving and learning in our lives! Go is not finished with us and the work in Haiti will continue! Praise God for his faithfulness and blessings!

We ROCKED today!

Today our main task was moving rocks and cement to help build a wall around the mission home. We had about 5 dump truck loads of stones ranging from 5lbs to 100+lbs that we moved. As well as clearing the area around the house, which took most of the morning.It was a good day of physical work and truly being the hands and feet of God. It's was good to see our team bonding as we worked together and moments of bonding with the Haitian workers. This is the work that we will continue to help with throughout the rest of the week. Today we accomplished 30 ft of wall that is about 3ft tall. Doesn't sound like a lot but it is looking great. Be prepared for some amazing before and after pictures.

It was incredible to be back and play with the boys and seeing all the faces of little ones running around and playing with such joy in their smiles! It was also good for some to see those boys from the trip 3 months ago and them being remembered. We look forward to get to bond with them more in these upcoming days and continuing to build relationships. Our hope is that they see the love and service of Christ in our work. We are all pretty tired but reusing the strength of Christ to get us through.

Pray for rest of sore muscles.

Pray for strength and clear minds for our work.

Pray for continued team unity and bonding.

Pray for safety.

Pray for Jesus to be glorified.

Worship in Haiti

Hello from Haiti! Or shall I say "bon nwi!". It is about 9:00pm here and we have celebrated a wonderful Sabbath with our Haitian brothers and sisters! We awoke around 6am, had coffee and quiet times and then had a glorious breakfast! The ladies who cook for us are amazing! We have eaten awesome food at every meal so far! After breakfast we loaded up in the van and headed to church. When we arrived Pastor Jean Alix informed us that Haiti decided to Spring forward this year so we were late! But the funny thing is he didn't know either so we were all late together! Worship in Haiti is like nothing I've never experienced before. Even though we couldn't understand most of what was being said we understood God's Spirit and felt Him moving! We were able to pray, and read scripture as we listened and some of us sang along even when we didn't know the words! Some of the beautiful things that we witnessed and experienced today were shared at our group time today. Jeff and Jen got to pray over the newborn baby of their friends Sinclair and Berline in front of the church. It was similar to a baby dedication. It was so sweet to see this family rejoice in the blessing of their first child! There was a time of prayer where some of the boys from the orphanage helped lead and we broke out into a concert prayer where we all prayed at once, Hatians and Americans alike! It was so beautiful! Seeing the way God brings people together and connects us over great distances is awesome! It truly makes a difference to see the work that is being done in His name!

After church we were able to tour the boys home and see the work that has been done since the last visit. Even though this is my first time to Haiti, it was exciting to see and hear the reactions of those who have been before!

After church we came back to the house for a restful afternoon. The Haitians truly honor the Sabbath by resting. It is a great feeling to just be at peace and prepare for the work that is ahead of us with restful quiet time.

After talking out our experiences from the day, our team member Clay, led us in a time of worship at the house. It was a great way to end the day! I am excited about what is ahead of us and ready to work hard and serve the Haitian people who have already blessed me so much in the short time we have been here! "Monsieur ben ou!" God bless you!

Welcome to Haiti

Haiti Day 1-

It has been a long 2 days of travel and we are finally in HAITI! As our plane landed in Port-au-Prince reality set in that we are finally in Haiti. For some of this it is returning to a place and people that we know and love, but for others this is their first time to experience Haiti. As we went through customs, immigration and baggage claim it was one step closer to being out and in the culture. We were greeted at the airport by Shalmie (our driver) and some of the older boys from the orphanage (Guinsley, Asten, and Wilberson). We loaded our bags into the back of a dump truck and loaded ourselves into a van and were on our way. As we drove to pastor Jean Alix's house we noticed all kinda of new things: smoother and paved roads, pedestrian bridges, new buildings, but the most shocking of all was the absence of the tents and tent cities. Jen and Jeff were here in December and there were still 2 large tent cities, one by the airport and the other in Petionville. But today they are gone. There is the return of parks, grass, playgrounds, and that center part of the community that has been gone for so long. It Is strange not to have that part o the culture and scenery, but it is amazing to know that Haiti is being rebuilt. When we got to the pastors we spent the day here resting and hanging out with the family. We are sitting down to an amazing dinner right now an are looking forward to tomorrow. Tomorrow we get to worship with our Haitian brothers and sisters.

Pray for rest.

Pray for team unity.

Pray for our worship.

Pray for god to teach, use and mold us.

Two Years Ago in Haiti

Since 1983, Hope for the Hungry has served in Haiti alongside many volunteers and nationals to help meet the physical and spiritual needs of children and their families. Hope for the Hungry also believes in breaking the cycle of poverty by offering these little ones a Christ centered education. Two years ago today marked a day which claimed the lives of over 210,000 men, women and children from the devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake. Hope for the Hungry has worked to continue our efforts to educate, feed and disciple children as well as help their families. 1,100 children in four schools and two children’s homes in Haiti are fed, loved and educated daily plus the provision of other basic needs. Additionally, Hope for the Hungry has help rebuild or replace 37 homes since the earthquake.

Today, while our ministry extends far beyond Haiti, we are still determined to serve the children and families of Haiti and have 5 open trips scheduled this year. We are also committed to the construction of a new Mission & Training Center to help us more effectively serve in this region. The kids in our schools are excelling in education and growing in Christ. While the rebuilding and restoring process is a long way from finished, progress is being made in this nation and God is being glorified in Haiti.

Remember Haiti today and join with us in prayer or join us on a trip to Haiti this year. You can also donate to Hope for the Hungry and we can use your donation where it is needed most. Thank you for your contribution (prayer, volunteer and donation) in helping to restore lives, rebuild this nation and offer them a fresh start in Christ.

Click Here to Go on a Mission Trip

Click Here to Donate to Hope for the Hungry

Remember Haiti: Two years ago on Jan. 12, 2010 the earthquake that devastated Haiti and took over 200,000 lives. Here is one man's story of Hope.

Joseph Masillon took out a loan in October 2009 to pay for a roof for his house. It was to be a typical Haitian roof: a solid two feet of concrete with little rebar in it to hold it together, costing approximately $9,000.
On January 12th, 2010, an earthquake destroyed 80% of the homes in Joseph’s village of Guibert (“Gee-bear”). Joseph’s home was one of those destroyed. Joseph was inside the home at 4:53pm when the ground started to shake. As his home began to crumble on all sides of him, he was able to escape, unharmed. His brand new roof came crashing down, but no one was hurt. What a miracle! However, Joseph and his family didn’t have a place to live AND still had to pay off the loan for the roof, which was now in pieces and worth nothing to the family.
By late February, Hope for the Hungry decided it was time to move from emergency relief, where we handed out tents to those whose homes were destroyed, to begin rebuilding Guibert. Temporary shelters, such as tents, last for only a year. Permanent homes are important for everyone for both safety and security. We are currently working with the local church to assist in building homes (38 are completed now) because it gives us the opportunity to share Jesus with the home owners and teach them ways to walk with Him daily.
The Haitian church leaders determine which families qualify for a new home and Joseph was on the list! In May 2010, Joseph and his family of 12 were able to move into their brand new home!
To remind the community of the focus of our efforts, we have a dedication service for each of the home owners when the construction is complete. Each service includes a prayer of dedication, a reminder that Jesus is our true and ultimate Shelter, the installation of two scripture plaques, and the giving of keys to the home. So, now at the front door of Joseph’s brand new home is a plaque that reads, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person and they with me.” (Revelation 3:20, NIV). Inside his home is one that reads, “They replied ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved- you and your household.” (Acts 16:31, NIV). Joseph may still be paying off his loan, but he and his family are now able to begin putting their lives back together in their new home, encouraged that Jesus, our true Shelter from the storm, is always faithful.

Ronald

Remember Haiti: A story of Hope of a rejected and abused boy named Ronald (“Whoa-nal”).

Ronald’s mother died a few years ago. His father got remarried to a woman who hated Ronald and would not allow him to live with them. His father sent him to live with an Aunt who was very abusive and made him beg on the streets of Petionville for money and food. Our Haitian pastor saw him on the streets and went to his father and asked him to let Ronald come and live in our boys’ home. If he were to come, he would receive not only food, clothing, shelter and an education, but love and daily teaching about the Lover of our Souls, Jesus. His father agreed and Ronald came to live in our home on Jan 11th, 2010. The very next day, Petionville was completely destroyed in the earthquake. The streets where Ronald roamed were completely covered in rubble. If the Lord would not have lovingly placed Ronald in our home, the day before the earthquake, he surely would have died.

When I met Ronald (10 years old) for the first time in January 2010, he was a broken little boy with no life in his eyes. He had seen no love and had obviously been abused. He cried all of the time and was shunned because of the horrible skin condition that he picked up from the streets. He had never been to school, and didn’t even know the alphabet.

At the New Year’s Eve celebration this year, only a few minutes after I had seen Ronald during this trip, he immediately took my pen out of my journal and quickly wrote his name in cursive on his hand. When he raised it up to show me, there was such joy and excitement in his eyes. He was so proud of himself and was beaming! He knew how big of an accomplishment this was and couldn’t wait to show off his new skill!

I’ve been able to watch Ronald transform before my eyes over the past year. He is no longer the empty shell of a boy that he once was, but has a beautiful new soul. He has the Love of Christ in his heart and it’s evident in his eyes!

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)