Home

Sitting on the plane now and heading back into the states. Crazy trip that I am still in the midst of processing. Scripture spoke loudly to me during this trip. Moments in Cite Soleil helped expose me to more of the truth of the slums. Looking into the eyes of the women as we walked around to talk with them exposed me to behind the scenes of the streets. Got just a glimpse of life at home for the women and children. It is so complex like any country, neighborhood, culture could be. But somehow this place seems even more complex as it is so saturated in poverty.

Read this verse the other night and it spoke very loudly to my heart. Spoke loudly because in the middle of Cite Soleil it is so complex that is becomes overwhelming and exhausting at times. But this verse became a sweet comfort.

When I am with those who are oppressed, I share their oppression so that I might bring them to Christ. 1 Cor 9:22

We are called to share the oppression with others. In sharing this oppression the word claims that people will see Christ through us. The last day in Cite Soleil we sat in the streets and talked for hours. In my head I wanted to be planning for the next trip, look at land, but then I thought of this verse and it brought a stillness and peace. We are called to share oppression with our brothers and sisters. I know I get so caught up in doing that I sometimes forget to just be his child and be with his children. Told Ryna that sometimes I just like being in Cite Soleil because I think so much of it is about relationships. Working together, embracing struggles together, fighting together, rising up together, worshiping together, weeping together, laughing together, and visioning together.

We are thinking about sending some young adults to trade school and visioning about how we can create a platform/base to bring that back into Cite Soleil for the other people and children. I asked the seven young adults I was sitting with to write me a letter telling me about their heart for the vision, his/her dream for themselves, his/her dream for Cite Soleil. One young adult wrote, “Thank you in advance because I see we are thinking with Cite Soleil.”

It was a neat sentence to read, as a prayer for Making Roots is that we are always working to equip, disciple, and empower. In that sentence I heard the voice of one communicate that we are in this together for the good of the people in Cite Soleil.

A friend told me a story the other day. He said that his father came to serve at their home they were supporting in Haiti. The father saw one of the ladies that worked in the kitchen opening a can with a knife. She got it open, but the father could not help but think there is an easier way. He went out and bought an industrial can opener for the kitchen, but it still sits in the corner of the kitchen unused. My friend said it perfectly, “You didn’t solve her problem, and you solved your problem.” A neat sentence to hear.

The trip held so much listening, working together to think about the future plans in being in Cite Soleil. While the place can seem overwhelming, and exhausting, one thing is sure; Making Roots feels called to that place and our partner Robinson. The passion that flows from the people is contagious and they are hungry for so much more.

Lamentations (chapter in the bible) spoke loudly to me this trip. Feel like you hear such sadness, oppression, sorrow in the chapter, but at the same time you also hear that there is still hope in the Lord. The Lord is my inheritance, therefore, I will hope in him.” That verse was confirming in that Cite Soleil is so vast, overwhelming, full of this chapter, but I believe in the inheritance and hope of Christ.

Day by day..looking forward to the summer. Until then I just want to say thank you to all of you for your support, joy, prayers, love that you pour on us, Making Roots, and the people of Haiti. We could not do it without you all. More pictures coming….

What a day....

What a day...it started with a simple sit, hanging with the guys and the kids. As we were sitting made a little friend named Robins. While we sat there we watched a woman carry about 5-7 buckets of water on here head. Back and forth...the women work here. I thought I knew work, but I didn't know work until today. We saw that over and over today...

Ryna, is a nurse and today we had the chance to walk through the allies of the shanties and talk with the women. She was hoping to better understand the needs of the women, struggles, lifestyles. We visited about 15 homes. Every home we visited, there was a woman, but no man. We got to talk with some more than others, but the common denominator was the man was absent. The woman was raising the children. We met with one woman that left me without words and stumbling on my thoughts. We came down the alley and walked behind the sheet to find a woman sitting in a one room "home." She had three large washing buckets. She was hard at work washing. The washing buckets, her sitting, and the twin bed, piles of clothes took up the entire room. It was probably the size of a van, maybe an SUV. We talked for a bit to find that she doesn't work. She expects the father of her children to come every month, maybe. When we asked where her and her 3 children slept she pointed to the twin bed that was up against the wall. A twin, I complain about a twin and it is just me. The walls were tin, the roof was tin, it was far from a home, but it was her place. It is so deep here. The poverty, the oppression, the struggles, it leaves your head spinning and spinning, trying to grab hold and comprehend something. What makes sense? At the end of the day, it is God. His peace passes our understanding. At the end of the day you hold fast to his love, his grace, and his promises and you continue to keep the faith and fight the good fight.

As we walked farther we came to another house. On the tin wall was written, "Tann Bondye, Kwe nan Jezi, Gen puisans pou Bondye." I had to smile at what was written. Wait for God, Believe in Jesus, Have patience for God. In a shanty, in the middle of Cite Soleil, I was reading the very words that I struggle to do daily, that I believe we as people struggle to do. It is so hard to wait on the Lord and to have patience in his time. I know I don't even know the half of what it means to wait on the Lord. I wait a day for something and it is too long. These people have been waiting for years. I visit with these people and listen to their hearts, waiting, praying, and continue to be amazed and humbled. It is a true testimony.

In my head today I kept hearing the word, "revival." Lord, I want to see a revival in this place. I want to see men love their wives with passion, patience, and honesty. I want to see a revival for the children, their hearts to know the beauty and richness of you, how you provide. A revival where people come together and worship in unity. A revival for the women, where they don't have to work day to day, but they can have the freedom to live and joyful come together.

Still processing the day...working to be present, open to listening, displaying love.

Finished the day with a fruitful meeting and hopeful planning for the next couple of days. We let the kids crawl on us a bit. The smell of urine and dirty hands in my hair was nothing to scare me away. Might have scabies by the end of the week, but grateful for his grace, his love and how he continues to move in Haiti.

Continue to pray for our time here. Pray for the time in Cite Soleil. Pray for the days ahead that is would bear fruit. Pray that we would have fruitful conversation with our leaders in Cite Soleil. Pray for time with the women. Pray that God would continue to reveal and help us determine our steps.

Brushing Away Guilt, a Day of Waiting, Ended with a Meeting that Humbled and Brought Energy

The morning was quiet, Ryna and I took some time to read and had the thought of heading out to get some lunch and check out a place that makes flip flops in Haiti. We were supposed to head into Cite Soleil in the afternoon. Everything went not as planned. I have learned to not schedule in Haiti. God teaches me patiently enduring every time I am here. Today we were sitting and waiting and felt like God said,"Just wait, be patient, let me work in my timing."

We headed to lunch and it was actually very hard to embrace. Went to another hotel to get lunch with a friend. Walking into the hotel, the restaurant, the people, the smells, everything about it screamed, "I feel so guilty being here." The wait staff brought us a glass, poured our water. In the distance a man was smoking a cigar, the smell made me want to vomit. Not because I couldn't handle the smell, but because with the smell of that cigar I thought about the money that was poured into the cigar, their lunch, our lunch, the hotel, the pizza we ordered. As I sat there, had the hardest time enjoying the pizza. Thought about our friends in Cite Soleil, the food they would not eat, the education they would not receive, the church they could not attend. I got home and had to brush my teeth. I told Ryna, it was like, "brushing away my guilt." Hard moment of the day.

We thought we would get into Cite Soleil and ended up staying at the hostel and having a meeting with the man that we work with in Cite Soleil. I left it humbled and amazed by the strength that God has given him. Humbled and encouraged as I listened to this man's passion for his people and city. I wish I could have recorded it and played it for you all. It is so hard to communicate through words. You listen to his heart, hear his burdens, and listen to his dreams, and you are humbled at his perspective of it all.

Today we talked more about the children living on the streets. His vision to raise leaders in the community of Cite Soleil. My head hurts from all the thinking and my notepad is packed with notes, but the meeting was God. That is the only way to explain it. I feel like he moves every time we sit down and talk together. I wish I could write all my notes out because my brain is going a thousand miles a minute, but I will save you from that. The neatest thing we talked about today was looking at land in hopes to build a "home." The reason I put home in quotation marks is because we talked a lot about the actions of a child living on a street. We talked about how it needs to be a choice for the children living on the street. It needs to be a haven, a place of refuge, a place where they learn to trust you, and then THEY WANT TO STAY. They will not stay if they don't trust you. He had the neatest idea, "What if we had a bus that could pick up street kids, bring them to the home and then bring them back to the streets at night." It is a safe place, a haven, they learn to trust you, and when they have gotten to a place they let go and trust you completely, THEY STAY. Neat to visualize a bus picking up kids and bringing them to a place, a haven, a home. Street ministry in full effect and a hopeful true transformation as you begin to walk life with these children and youth.

That was an earfull...sorry about that. This might be debrief time for me. The day ended with smiles and another night of FLAN. This flan thing has become a running joke with us here. We are staying at a hostel and this is the fourth night we have had flan. People are now mocking me for it....makes us laugh. So the day of thinking, guilt, patient enduring, ended with a smile and FLAN.

Some images from the North...

Veronica, the little girl we met that had TB. Happy, Happy


A walk into the moutains brought these images....


Another day....it was a day of seeing and thinking a lot. We had the chance to visit a home outside of Port-au-Prince. The couple is supporting a home that houses 21 Haitian children. Amazing to see it up and working. Had some great conversation with them about there process of getting to Haiti, how the home functions, learning, asking, and seeing how God is moving in there lives. Before we left the children had a chance to sing for the people that were visiting. As they harmonized together, had to close my eyes and be amazed at how God is moving in this country.

A friend that works at the home had a chance to share this video with us. He recently watched it at a conference in Haiti. Today we watched it together and watching it again. I would encourage all of you to watch it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxASM44gPlU. Compelling, moving, challenging. Makes me think about how we have and are moving in Haiti.

It can be a bit overwhelming, but working to be patient and be faithful in the little things and praying that God will continue to determine our steps. Being faithful by listening, praying, embracing what God is giving us. Tomorrow is another day...into Cite Soleil in hopes to deeper root ourselves in the community and listen to the people. Hopeful to look at land this week and dig the vision of a future home deeper and talk about working with the children living on the streets.

We are having a grand ole time. Still smiling, still eating flan. Till tomorrow....continue to pray that God reveals his plan for us, pray for our patience and strength, pray for safety, pray that God would show us the land. Pray that God would expand our territory. Pray that we would follow him and not try to orchestra our own steps. Today we read this verse, "Proverbs 20:24-25

24 The LORD directs our steps,
so why try to understand everything along the way?

Sometimes this is me, more than sometimes. I always try to understand everything along the way. I try to look 20 steps ahead and understand what is going to happen. We read this verse today and just had to smile at God lightly tapping me on the shoulder saying, "Just trust me, I will direct you."

So another day....

A Moto, a Hot Box, a Bus, and 80 people

What a night! Went into Port-de-Paix last night and spent the night at a friends house. Snuggled up with Ryna in a twin bed and the room had to be the temperature of 90 degrees. It was brutal, woke up at one and actively had to focus on not being too hot. Woke up at 145 and made the walk to the bus to come back to Port-au-Prince. It is one adventure after the next. This time around we were traveling in the night. brutal, hahah. This time around we had nine people across the seat. This is a normal school bus. Usually you put three to a seat, maybe. Nope, not on the Haitian bus. 9 across, feel asleep on a kid and got woken up by another Haitian. Priceless, the blanc falling asleep on a kid. We had to have about 80 people on the bus. Brutal!

Woke up again to Back Street Boys playing at 4 in the morning. If the road didn't give us a headache, it was the Haitian music, with a little mix of Celion Dion cranking through the speakers that were directly above our heads. hahah. It is one of those stories that I will tell my grandchildren...."When your grandmother was 28..." We made it back safely and getting dolled up to go to a Haitian wedding. The man that we work with in Cite Soleil is getting married today. A day to rejoice. Leah is putting on a dress for the very first time in Haiti.

Tomorrow we head out to visit a home that is outside of Port-au-Prince. We hope to visit, hear their story, learn from them, meet their children, and see where God leads us. Then back into Cite Soleil next week to enjoy time with the community, vision, and spend some time with the children. Day by day...that is how we go here:) Love you all. Continue to pray for our safety, time in Cite Soleil, vision time with the leaders, and time that we will be praying about a hopeful one day home. Love you all and we could not do it without you all! More pictures when I get home, the internet is slow here.

Veronica and the North

Great to be up North and visit people and plan for the summer. Had a time to sit with some of our youth workers and it was great to hear about some of their ideas to strengthen the camp and make it more fruitful for the children and community. Most of all it was neat to see that leadership in them. Had some time with the Pastors and was able to think about hopeful steps for the camp and community. Encouraging and fruitful. The trip has been neat in that we have been able to vision more with the relationships that we have already formed. We are working at creating some youth workshops for the summer. We were talking with the workers about gifts we could teach the children. Gifts that are already in the community. We were able to pinpoint a couple of them and get some research on them in hopes to implement them this summer.

Funny moments of the time in the North:
Ryna saved a goat. It was laying in the middle of the road. We walked house to house trying to figure out who the goat belonged to. It was hilarious to hear each house call to the next house by saying, "The blancs are trying to bring you a goat." We finally found a home for it.

Neatest moments of the trip up North:
Veronica was this little girl in the hospital. I think she was 8. When we first arrived I couldn't believe her back. She had been diagnosed with TB. The doctor didn't know how long she had it before she came to the hospital. They think it had been for awhile since her spine was the way it was. I hate making this comparison, but she walked and ran like the cartoon character, Hunchback of Notre Dame. But I will tell you something, the JOY and HOPE that little girl radiated was so humbling. I have never seen such a happy child. So happy, she would see us and come running down the hall. One day she sang for me and I played it back to her and I could not believe the way her face beamed. Her joy was beautiful. It was humbling as I think about the things I worry about in my day to day living and her is a 8 year old girl smiling away and her back will never be the same, but she is a fighter, she will make it and make it with a smile. Wish you could hear her sing, my word....made my heart smile.

Another moment where I saw God. This morning we were waiting for the bus, at 2 a.m. (that is another story) but as we were waiting 6 boys came out from behind the buses. They looked about 8-11 and I had to assume they were boys living on the streets. How they interacted and just had this God feeling that he was bringing me face to face with the future vision of Making Roots. Just watched them, observed them, their sassy hearts, their smiles, their rough around the edges spirits. Had this moment of, "Lord this is where I want to be, in the streets with these kids. I want to learn from them, understand them, know their needs, share joy and Christ with them, love them, teach them." Neat moment at 2 a.m. under the Haitian sky. This week we are going to be digging deeper about the hopeful vision of a home for boys living on the streets. Neat to learn, vision, and watch what the Lord reveals.

First Adventure...."The White People Have Yet to Pee"

Where to start? We had about 5 days off from Cite Soleil so we decided to head North to see friends in Passe Cataboise and do some planning for the summer. We heard the bus was 250.00 and we decided to look into the choice of the bus. When I say bus, I mean a school bus. No Grey Hound...a flashy school bus with the words "God is Everything" across the front. We were packed onto the bus, 6 across. We were told not to drink anything because the bus does not stop. We are ready to go, but the bus wasn't. We sat there for two hours. First it was the horn of the bus and then we had a flat tire....what does everyone do when we have a flat tire? They got off the bus and got water. Not the blancs:) We stayed on the bus and refused to drink because we didn't have to pee an hour down the road. The first half the road was paved and swift, the second half was a rollercoaster. Once we hit the rocky, dirt road it was an adventure. There was one mountain we were climbing, felt like being on a rollercoaster. A slow, steady climb to the tip of a big drop. Our bus hit the top of the crest and then it was all down hill. Ahead we saw a bridge and the bus didn't look to aligned with the bridge. All you can think is, "Have a little faith." We made it. To top the trip off, the last hour the women in the back were wailing because they had to pee. The bus driver finally stopped. After everyone loaded back on we heard some guy talking about the "blancs." He was saying, "The Haitians keep peeing and the blancs haven't gone once." To this Ryna responded, "Because we didn't drink anything." OOO, we laughed. Love that they observe us so well...hahaha. We made it safe and sound up North. This picture doesn't do it justice, but this is a photo of the front of the bus.