God is Working

WROTE this blog two days ago and since then she had been released. Hard morning, the craziness of getting ready for Haiti is kicking in and in the midst of the blessings that God is pouring on us to get ready I came up weeping for the people and country of Haiti. Just got word from a friend that her Haitian boyfriend, his aunt got kidnapped yesterday and the kidnappers are asking for a lot of money. Got news that up North where we are headed there is a big drought and food is scarce and very expensive. Seems constant, the daily opposition that Haitians face. This morning I am working at remembering to worship God in the midst of valleys and obstacles and burdens. Remember after the earthquake footage and viewing women worshipping in the streets, hands thrown up and praying and worshipping. We visited a home last year. We met a young man that was rescued and brought to the home (he was a restavek, term used for child slavery) He spoke about his battles as a restavek when he was 6. Then he spoke about how when the earthquake was happening (now 28 years old) he was on top of a 7-story building. The building came down and he jumped to a tree, tree saved his life. They lost most of their project, 7-story building that supported children housing, and school. I asked him what they were going to do. He said something that will forever stick with me. Not just because it was powerful scripture, but because of the person that was speaking it. He said, “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh. We will rebuild” I thought about what this man had overcame, walked through, been subject to “embrace”, and here he was continuing to claim God’s love and provision and say, We will rebuild. Haitians continue to amaze me with their strength and faith. Leave Haiti humbled. Thankful for this place that God has brought us. Thankful for the people that God has aligned with Making Roots. Went back and read this email to post today. Since this post I wrote two days ago the woman in Haiti has been released. I didn’t get many facts, just heard she was safe and well. I believe that God works in all things. Many of you have followed us over the years as we have been given the opportunity to venture in and out of Haiti and work with the people. God has laid many burdens on our heart for the people of Haiti. As I found myself getting this news yesterday I was reminded of the constant opposition that Haiti faces, but also the deep need for leadership to rise up for that country. Leadership of integrity, leadership led by faith, leadership that comes from good intentions and a heart to serve the people. As we enter this summer there is a lot going on that we are excited about. We have a couple new people coming over to Haiti. Our fundraiser coordinator will be making it over for a couple days to see Caitlin paint a mural the 1st week in August. We are excited for her to get over to Haiti and see first hand how she has been supporting Haiti. This will be her first time to Haiti. She has been committed to fundraising and supporting Making Roots for the last two years and we are so thankful for her commitment and joy to travel over with us. Please be praying for her as she gets herself ready to head over and embrace the people. We have some “old timers” coming over. We have our good ole sidekick Ryna coming along again and she will be helping with the camp for all five weeks. She is Haitian at heart, speaks Creole like a Haitian and can snap her fingers like a Haitian. She is going to do some health lessons in Cite Soleil with the children and also help to support the other weeks of camp. Always grateful for her leadership, strength, wisdom, and love for Haiti. We got another faithful servant, Ricky. This will be his second time back and he will be throwing it down with us in the mountains and in Cite Soleil. Brother, has a heart for the people and specifically working with the men, which has been a sweet blessing to ministry. Thankful for his leadership and willingness to serve and work with the Haitian people and us. Then you have the Beidler sisters. We are just excited to get back on the ground with the people. I was back in February, but Caitlin was not able to go in Feb. We are excited to get our hands dirty and “sling some paint,” work with friends, chat some Creole, be with the people and continue to learn how we can be available to serve with and for Haiti. We will be establishing youth workshops and growing camp by serving more children, providing more weeks, and hiking into the mountains to reach out to children that might not know about camp opportunities. Caitlin, will be painting it up in Cite Soleil in August. Always love those times because it brings the community together to voice what they want on the mural, work together, and grow together. We will be blogging while we are in Haiti. We are looking for prayers. Please pray that God provides safety for our team. Pray that the camp runs smoothly and we have more boldness and freedom to let the youth run things. We are working to let go of more because we want to equip and empower the locals to take ownership over the camp and youth workshops. Pray for wisdom in a knowing of how to hand more off to the locals so that they can have greater ownership for the camp. Pray that we may reach some children that need to be reached. We have never hiked into the mountains to try and get children that don’t know what we are doing. We would love to take this year to go beyond the local community. Pray for our workers, that they would feel energized and equipped to work, bold to speak up and take leadership, joyful to serve the children, and respected working with us. Pray that the Lord would continue to reveal to Making Roots how we should move forward in this season. Pray that God would provide more than enough finances. Pray for strength for both Caitlin and I as we are tired already and we have yet to go to Haiti.hahah, I laugh because the heat alone in Haiti makes one tired. I personally take off June 28th and come back August 17th. Volunteers’ will be coming and going throughout the summer. Pray for travels and that transitions would be swift and easy. Love you all and continue to be blessed by your involvement with us. Thank you for your prayers, financial support, and encouragement. We love you. Below is the link to our blog. While I am in Haiti I am just going to blog, not send emails. We would love if you followed us while we are there. Thank you for all your support and prayers.

Hope

This little girl had been in the hospital to get treatment for TB. She came to late and because of that her back had already created a hunchback like posture. Her spirit was something beyond words. I wanted to weep everytime she spoke because her joy was that beautiful, her hope would put me, us, to shame. I asked God to let me hear a mighty testimony while I was there, I didn't only hear one, but I saw one. It is her. A true encouragement to my heart. This is her singing to me one day. I could not help but record it. Listen to all of it. Look at her smile. Hope.

Being with the People

One day we found these kids..they made their own slip and slide

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.