Merry Christmas, Haiti!

Are you tired of the busy crowds at the stores as you spend hours deciding what Christmas presents to buy for your friends and family? Wishing there was a way to give the perfect gift without all of the "world-li-ness" during this blessed Christmas season?

Are you asking yourself, "How do I find the real reason for the season?"
(I thought you would never ask!)

At LCF, we are celebrating this Christmas season with the Haiti Christmas Fund.

Here are four easy steps to be a part of this exciting time:
1. Think of that special person that you would like to give a gift like none other...the gift of helping others.
2. Give a monetary donation to the LCF Haiti Christmas Fund in replace of a gift for a family member or friend.
3. Take a card provided by LCF of the most adorable children from the St. Louis du Sud orphanage.
4. Give the card to that special person so that they know how much you care to help orphans have the basic necessities of life.

The donations given will be prayerfully used to help improve the basic conditions of the orphanage as projects arise throughout the coming year.

Thank you for your prayers, your time, and your donations as we continue to be God's human hands and feet for the children in St. Louis du Sud.

Merry Christmas,
Amy

Monthly Prayer Time for Haiti

HELP WANTED: Prayer warriors for Haiti

Before each Family Gathering Night at LCF we have a prayer group that meets at the LCF Church house to devote prayers of thanksgiving as well as prayer requests to the Lord on behalf of those in Haiti that we serve.

Please join us at 6pm at the Church house this Wednesday for a vital time of prayer for the upcoming missions trip in January.

Colossians 1:9
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.


-Amy

Prayer request: health concern

Just a quick blog to say that we have received word of an unconfirmed case of a family of four in Les Cayes (the nearest large town to St. Louis)with cholera. We are asking for prayers to be lifted up concerning the health of the people in the village of Les Cayes and the surrounding area...including the children in the orphanage in St. Louis.
Please pray specifically for protection against cholera, especially for the children. Pray also for God's healing hand upon those that have acquired cholera.

Psalm 34:1-3
I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.

Day 7

Our last full day in Haiti was.................full.

It began around 5am when we awoke to prepare for church in Les Cayes at 6. There was no water, which meant no flushing toilets and no showers. Thankfully everyone had showered Saturday night, except me! In typical Haitian style, we didn't leave for church until almost 7, but not to worry; they were just getting going when we arrived.

As I have said many times, worshipping here is like a taste of heaven; John's vision in Revelation of people from every tribe, and tongue and people and nation worshipping before the throne. While we couldn't understand most of what they were singing, we worhsipped together nonetheless. They did sing one song in English, and I was moved to tears.

We left Cayes church early at 8:30 to attend church in St. Louis du Sud with our kids. They are always precious, but in their Sunday best, they are adorable! What a blessing to worship alongside them! Don't know how to put it in words, but when they sing, you feel like you are in the company of angels. We were blessed. I had the opportunity to preach and as always, count it a special blessing.

We spent the afternoon with the kiddos. About 3 it began to rain so we headed to the church and sang; first our songs, then theirs. As we finished, several team members shared with the kids what the week had meant to them and then we prayed for them. As they left the church, each child got a vitamin, a snack, and a hug from each team member. It was special! Near the end, several boys broke down in tears, and so did the team. Then Pastor LaBastille's wife was crying. Even after a week, goodbye's are incredibly difficult. We tried to explain a team will return in January, Lord willing. But I am not sure what their minds comprehend. Hopefully over time, as we continue to come back, they will know how much we care.

After a quiet bus ride home, we had dinner with Samuel, our translator. Today is his 25th birthday. We sang Happy Birthday and had a cake for him. He grew up in an orphanage and said it was the first time anyone had every sung Happy Birthday for him. Afterwards, we gatehrered around and prayed for him. Louis told me later that Samuel was very blessed by the evening. He was sure a blessing to us. The week wouldn't have been what it was without his help. Hopefully he will be a regular when our next team comes!

You would have been so proud of this team. I stood back and watched them, love, serve and minister here. Our two teenagers, John and Jenna did an amazing job. The kids loved them! If they weren't kicking soccer balls around, they had multiple kids in their laps.

Greg and John S. were thinking, planning and working all week. What a blessing to have people who understand construction and site planning. The future of our village will be vastly improved as a result of these two guys being on the trip. But those skills were secondary to their love for the kids; they did such a great job of loving our children. Even when they were working, they had kids following them around, sometimes even helping!

Kelli cared for sick and scratched kiddos, while showering them with love. By the end of the week, some were looking for reasons to see the "Doctor".

Rob was always serving, anticipating needs and taking care of things before anyone could ask. He usually had a child over his shoulder or wrapped around his arms.

Brett led singing, often times in Creole. It was very impressive! He was always juggling, dancing and doing anything to make the kids smile.

Cindy, who had all of 36 hours to prepare for the trip, did an amazing job keeping us organized, preparing daily craft time with the kids, leading singing, and loving on kids. They loved her back!

Thank you for your prayers; we could not have done this without them! God is doing some really neat things in Haiti, and we are blessed as a church to be able to join Him here. Thank you for allowing us the opportunity.

We will leave on a 7:45 flight out of Les Cayes and hope to arrive in KC by 10PM. Please pray for safe and on time travel tomorrow.

Love from Haiti!

Scott
for Team Haiti

You Won't Relent

I have Haiti on the brain. Many of us at LCF do. Reading the blogs from the team are so inspiring. Once again, God's fingerprints are all over the missions trip.

Lately, every time I think of the Haiti trip a certain song pops in my head. I am wondering if it could be the theme song for this missions trip. Do missions trips have theme songs? If so, this would be a great song choice.

"You Won't Relent" by Misty Edwards.

You won't relent until You have it all
My heart is Yours
You won't relent until You have it all
My heart is Yours

I'll set You as a seal upon my heart
As a seal upon my arm
For there is love that is as strong as death
Jealousy, demanding as the grave
Many waters cannot quench this love

You won't relent until You have it all
My heart is Yours
You won't relent until You have it all
My heart is Yours

I'll set You as a seal upon my heart
As a seal upon my arm
For there is love that is as strong as death
Jealousy, demanding as the grave
Many waters cannot quench this love

Waters cannot quench this love
You won't relent until You have it all
My heart is Yours
Waters cannot quench this love
You won't relent until You have it all
My heart is Yours

Come be the fire inside of me
Come be the flame upon my heart
Come be the fire inside of me
Until You and I are one


So, instead of a Bible verse for the day, I have a strong feeling that God is rejoicing in song just as much as the team is right now for the love, time, and effort that has been shown to the children and adults.

Praise you God forever and ever!

Amy Newberry

Day 6

Day 6

Day six started out a little slow and with some uncertainty. But it turned out to be one of the fullest days of the week for the team. The plan was to leave at 8am to go to the orphanage and to leave for the beach at 10:30. There was a problem with the rides and finally our van came, we loaded everything up, and the van wouldn’t start. So we got out of the van and prayed. While we were praying, God had laid the song “This is the Day that the Lord has made” on both Jon and my heart, but before we could share it Rob shared it in a prayer. So after a few more prayers, we sang the song, “This is the Day” and gave the day to the Lord. John Skillman would say in our sharing time at the end of the day, that once we gave the day to the Lord, everything began to work out right.

After our prayer time, we found that the van was just out of gas, and we were on our way after 10 or so more minutes. We got to the orphanage quite late, but found we had 30 minutes before the bus would come, which we got to spend with the kids. When the bus came, 110 people got on the bus including the 90 kids, the house moms, Paster Labastille and his family and the LCF team. As Kelly put it, you could just tell it was a special day for kids that probably don’t have so many special days. The girls were in their Sunday best – to go to the beach!. The neighbor kids looked on as the St Louis de Sur kids got on the bus for their field trip. We made our way thru the rough, but beautiful countryside to a Haitian national park beach area. It was great to watch the kids gaze out at the views. Even packed sometimes 4 in a seat, the ride was a real treasure for many of the kids.

When we got to the beach, we all filed out and picked out a spot a little way back from the water in a shady grove of palm trees. In groups of 5 or so, each of the kids went out and waded in the water for several minutes and then went back to the shady area under the palms. There we had fellowship, just hanging out together, many of the LCF team commented that it was the companionship not the ocean that was the center of the day. It was much different than we expected kids to act at a beach.

Yesterday, God had put the boy, Marck Gerald, on my heart. He had come over to me several times, but was quiet and slightly withdrawn. He kind of smiled, but it was a Mona Lisa smile. I was hoping to connect somehow with him and I prayed for an opportunity. We had brought a shovel and buckets to build a sand castle by the water, but since we weren’t by the water, Brett and I decided to bring the water to our sandy beach under the trees. Brett went to get some water and I started digging with the shovel. Out of 90 kids, who do you think came over to ask to dig with the shovel but Marck Gerald. Isn’t God great? Marck and I built a nice castle with the help of the water from Brett and when I started making a wall across the moat that he had dug, Marck did the same for the other half of the castle. Some of the other kids decorated the wall with domes made filling sand in a half of a plastic egg and after a bunch of photos, we all jumped on the castle and smashed it to smithereens. Marck and the kids had a full smile that day.

We went back to the St Louis de Sur and showed the Jesus Film (in Creole). The new projector worked great. The kids watched intently as the story of Jesus was told. About 15 or so neighbors wondered in and saw the film also. When the film highlighted the parable of the Good Samaritan, many of the our kids talked between themselves that was the story that they had had in one of their lessons. Isn’t it neat how God weaves the message together. (Thanks Bev for preparing that lesson!) The Jesus Story shared the gospel and asked the audience to pray along if they wanted to accept Jesus as their Savior. Please pray that the seed planted tonight would bear fruit in the lives of our kids and the neighbors that visited.

At the end of the day, Scott shared that he had been a little perturbed that the day started out like it did. Samuel, our interpreter, told Scott that maybe God wanted to show us what it is like everyday for the Christians in Haiti. There are a lot of struggles, but we take joy in knowing that God is our strength. Samuel said happiness is for a time, but the Joy of the Lord is forever. May the God’s Joy fill your life, it certainly filled ours today and the day that started out weak finished strong thru God’s Grace.

We have a big Sunday ahead of us tomorrow with two church services and the foot washing time with the kids before saying the hard goodbye’s tomorrow afternoon. Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers.

Gregg and Jon Lehenbauer

Isaiah 35:10

Today's verse centers around JOY. A joy that only God can provide no matter what the day brings.

Isaiah 35:10
...They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.


*Just a reminder that the prayer group will meet again Monday morning at 6am at the church house.


Amy Newberry

Day 5

Tonight, our bodies are exhausted, but our hearts are overflowing with the spirit. God is providing for our needs in Haiti, as we try to help meet the needs of these kids.

"I lift my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, maker of heaven and earth" (Psalms 121:1-2).

God used all of us in a lot of different ways today, and he is really showing us the needs that each kid has here. Today the team finished putting the second coat of white paint on the inside of the Church, and John and Gregg put a solar powered fan in the roof of the kitchen, which really helps to keep the smoke out of the room when cooking, and the temperature much cooler. John said the mamas were very excited to have it, and very appreciative. Kelly, Cindy and Jenna were also able to spend some time with the mamas and Samuel (our interpretor) while the kids were in school. The shower house concrete was finished, and the drain is working as we hoped it would. The kids seem to be quite anxious to use it. They even decorated the concrete walls on the outside of the shower house with beautiful pictures in colorful chalk.

God gave us a lot of time to spend loving the kids today, because they got out of school a little early. Before singing some songs, each of the kids made an egg shaker with rice, decorated with stickers and their names. The kids eyes lit up as they all started to shake them at the same time during the first song. They were a big hit. After the kids ate their big meal for the day, we had a variety of crafts that the kids could make. Kelly, Cindy and Jenna made friendship bracelets with some of the kids, and Rob, Jonathan and I made paper airplanes with the kids (or avion in creole). John hung pictures of previous LCF trip teams on the dorm walls, and Gregg got some help from some of the boys when measuring the buildings for a layout of the orphanage. The boys really loved holding the end of the tape measure. Kelly is still seeing kids each day to assess their medical needs, and is making a lot of progress.

When playing with some of the older boys today, they wanted me to throw them in the air, just like you often see a father do with his very young son or daughter. I couldn't help but think that these older boys have never been able to have that experience with an earthly father. It really touched me to see the smiles light up their faces as they held on tightly to my shirt as they went high into the air, not certain on the first time that I would catch them on the way down. It was a moment I'll never forget, and I know that many of the team here had experiences like this today that they will never forget.

Tomorrow, the team is taking all of the kids to the beach, which is about a 25 minute drive from the orphange. For most of them, it may be their first time outside of the orphanage, and we can't wait to see their faces when they see the ocean for the first time. It will truly be an amazing day, and we know that God is going to reveal himself to these kids even more than he already has tomorrow. Pray for us as we continue to look for ways to love each kid in the way that they need, and pray that God would continue to work on the heart of each kid at the orphanage.

Brett Blanton

UPDATED prayer time for Saturday

We will be meeting at 9am tomorrow morning (Saturday) at the church house to pray for the Haiti team. Please spread the word!

Amy

Psalm 105:4

It is 3am and I am awake. I fully believe that God woke me up. I started thinking about the children at the orphanage as they are sleeping right now. Hoping they are in a blissful sleep. Trying to sense their excitement as the team showers them with God's love. Praying that the team is getting enough sleep so that they can have the strength to do God's will on this trip. I fully believe that God uses our church body to be involved in this trip even while the team is so far away. He wants us to be prayer warriors.

Keep praying! God is doing MIGHTY things in St. Louis du Sud!

Today's Bible verse:

Psalm 105:4
Look to the Lord and his strength: seek His face always.


Amy Newberry

Day 4

Day 4 in Haiti has been our most productive so far in terms of our projects, which translates into the longest and hottest for us. As John, Greg, Rob and Brett poured a new shower floor for much of the day and the rest of us painted the inside of the sanctuary we were amazed we could sweat that much and still function. Pastor Scott spent hours up on a ladder while Jon, Cindy, Jenna, and I tried to get more paint on the walls than on ourselves. Kid-wise, we are almost done weighing and measuring all the kids. This will give us a good baseline in the future to assess their nutrition and health. They like the digital scale and dont quite understand why we want to know how tall they are. We are teaching them to take a vitamin everyday and have brought enough to last until the next team comes in January.

They are starting to realize that I (Kelli) am the nurse and today started bringing me their friends who needed a bandage or didnt feel good. Several have infected sores but so far nothing too serious as far as I can tell.

We also distributed the shoes and clothes that we brought for the children after their lunch...those who didn't have shoes were fitted for shoes first, then all the kids chose clothing items (shirts, shorts, skirts, dresses for church, etc). This took quite awhile to try to fit everyone, especially with the language barrier and only 1 available interpreter.

It has become a daily ritual for singing a few songs in Creole and English with the children and play-time is always a highlight! The kids love popping bubbles with Kelli, dancing and throwing the football with Brett, playing soccer and taking her camera and loving on Jenna, jumping rope with Cindy, watching in awe as the men worked on the shower, following Pastor Scott around, and listening to Jon play guitar and watching the videos on his camera.

A great experience has been getting to know our Haitian interpreter, Samuel. God has blessed us with the perfect man for the job as we need him for nearly everything. He lives 2 houses down from Pastor Lewis' house, drives with us to and from the orphanage, and eats dinner with us every night. He is definitely a part of our team, and a vital part at that.

Our team (plus Samuel) has bonded during the trip, uniting us to serve each other and serve God's purpose for us. God is teaching us many lessons to share with our LCF family and providing us many chances to experience His love and joy. It is so clear, especially here, that He is our only hope. Continue to pray for our team and the orphans that we will see Jesus' love and accomplish our mission here.

Love, Kelli Carr and Jenna Turner

Acts 11:21

At the Haiti prayer group yesterday morning, there was a mom praying for her daughter while she is on this trip. She shared Acts 11:21 with us to pray over the team. Words to live by...

Acts 11:21
The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.


Praise you, Lord!
*Praise God that the team has internet access to blog about their days!
*Praise God for pinwheels!
*Praise God for the children wanting to be helpers!

*Pray that the weather is dry for the next two days to finish the projects
*Pray for the video about Jesus can be shown and that lives are changed because of it
*Pray that the team can show God's love to each child that lives there.
*Pray that God fills the team up with blessings beyond measure


Amy Newberry

Day 3

From pinwheels, to young boys handling the tools (yes, saws and drills) and hours spent in hardware stores (they do not look like Home Depots here) it has been an interesting day.

We tried to get out early from our guest house and hoped to be at the school by 9 a.m. but 4 hardware stores and a few hours later we got to the school about 11 a.m. We did get many of the supplies we needed to prep the shower building for a new floor, getting paint for the inside of the church and John and Gregg used their work force of 15 boys helping them to hang three lights for the facility.

After school let out, aside from the time working on projects, time was spent just loving the kids, doing Bible story time, praise songs and making pinwheels (and the video will make you smile of the children running and having their new toy spin in the wind).

The shower facility is something to behold and after a very intense cleaning we hope to put in a floor that allows for better draining...so pray for great weather so we can complete this project in the next 2 days. The painting of the church is for all of us that do not have the skill of John and Gregg (more like Tim Taylor-Home Improvement) and we hope also to complete that in the next 2 days.

It is a true privilege to be here and watch God in action with these kids and the people who support them. In 1 John 1:1, it talks about "we have seen with our eyes and what we beheld and our hands handled, concerning the Word of Life". It is so impactful to watch and act and know the love of God is in these children.

Thank you for the support LCF has shown our team. We are blessed to be here.

Rob Miller and John Skillman

Isaiah 43:10

Today's Bible verse for the team:

Isaiah 43:10
"You are my witnesses," declares the Lord, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am He. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me."

The team is asking prayers for the projects and the ordering of materials. That it all will go smoothly. They would also like to have good communication and interaction between the translators and the children so that the team can go deeper into talks about Jesus' love for them.

Thank you for your part in this trip... your prayers!

Amy Newberry

Text from the team

Here is a text that was received from Scott tonight:

It was a good day. Lots of assessing. John and Greg have things under control. Sand and gravel already delivered. Tomorrow we will attempt to paint inside of the church and clean the shower house floor in preparation for more concrete. Also paid to have masons finish the front of the church. Three dump truck loads of sand were delivered.



The team may post at a later time, but I thought it best to post this text update.

Keep praying! God is working!!

Amy Newberry

Day 1 & 2

We had our first full day here in Haiti. Yesterday was a long day of traveling, but after 17 hours we made it to Louis St. Germain's house around 10:15pm. All our flights were on time, and all our luggage made it here-a big praise! Our bus ride from Port-a-Prince to Les Cayes was an exhausting and bumpy 6 hour trip, but luckily there was no car trouble and no problems with crossing rivers. Driving downtown in Port-a-Prince was very sobering, seeing all the devastation and debris from the earthquake. There are still many living in makeshift tents 9 months after the fact and the poverty is heart-breaking.
Today when we arrived at our orphanage around 10:00am, the kids were in school. After we took a look around the buildings they let the kids out for a break and we got to meet them. What sweet, beautiful children! There are still around 90 kids here, only a couple of different faces than when the last team came in June. We got to visit just a little before they went back to finish their school for the day. (they get out each day at 1:00pm) We decided on a couple of work projects that we will be doing each morning while the kids are in school; painting the inside of the church, adding a drain in the shower house, and putting an exhaust fan in the building where they cook. From 1-5pm we got to enjoy getting to know the kids and hanging out with them. We also did a craft, worked on a bible verse, and sang songs with them, they have such sweet voices! We are looking forward to seeing them each day and appreciate all your prayers for us.
Cindy Davis

Safely there

I received word that the team arrived safely in Haiti. Praise God!
I do not have any details than that at this time.
Keep praying for them!

Amy Newberry

Matthew 18:1-5

Daily verse for the Haiti team:

Matthew 18:1-5
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me."

Praying for the team to have a glorious day with the orphans and the Haitian people!

Amy Newberry

Ready, Set, God!

God is in control of the missions trip to Haiti that will begin tomorrow. In the last few days, God revealed who He destined to go on this trip. Due to personal circumstances, two members will stay behind while another church member has quickly prepared herself to join the team. Praise God that He is the ultimate travel agent with all the details for this trip!

Job 37:5 : God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding.

Pray for the team as they go in unity and flexibility to minister to the orphans in St. Louis du Sud this week.

Please pray for all aspects of this trip...from beginning to end. May Jesus be glorified in every detail!

Amy Newberry

In preparation for a trip...even if you aren't going

God is preparing the upcoming trip to Haiti on October 11-18. How does God prepare for the trip? By preparing the hearts and minds of all of the team members that are going. God also prepares the Haitian orphans and the adults as they receive blessings both physical and spiritual once the team arrives.

How does God use those of us that are not going on the trip? What is our involvement on this very important journey to Haiti? Do we even need to be involved? Proverbs 16:3 says "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." So, guess what? The exciting part about God is that He involves all of us in His plans for this world.

Those of us that are not on the physical journey to Haiti can commit to being involved to help with God's plan for the orphanage! God has given me hints to His needs for my commitment to the orphans even though I have not ever step foot on Haitian soil. Many times when I am eating breakfast, a thought about the orphans jumps in my mind. I pray right away for them. I will be teaching in the middle of the day and an image of an orphan from St.Louis that I have not ever met before will pop in my head. I pray right away. At nighttime, I look outside and wonder if the children are tucked in their beds. I pray for them. Each time I feel as sense of peace. God reminds me in my busy day that He needs prayer warriors for the orphans. Prayers that are said even without knowing the details of what to pray. God is in the details.

Whether you are reading this as part of the Haiti team leaving in eight days or whether you just have a heart for the orphans... God needs you. Ask God to help you know what to do to help Him prepare for the upcoming missions trip. There is no doubt in my mind that the team, orphans, and those affiliated with the orphanage will feel your involvement as they commit to the Lord the plans they have for the trip.

In Jesus' Holy name,
Amy Newberry

October Trip

Our next Haiti trip is fast approaching! A team of 10 will travel to St. Louis du Sud from October 11-18, to spend a week with our children there. We would apprecaite your prayers as we make final preparations for the trip.

Our plans for the trip incldue painting the church, working on the shower house, and other projects as they arise. As always, our pimary objective is to love the kiddos and staff at our village. Pray that we would demonstarte Christ's love to everyone we come in contact with on the trip.

Check back for more prayer requests as the trip gets closer, and then for daily updates while we are in Haiti.

Blessings

Scott
for Team Haiti

Team Haiti - October 2010
Brett Blanton
Kelli Carr
Scott Hickox
Gregg Lehenbauer
Jon Lehenbauer
Bev May
Joelle May
Rob Miller
John SKillman
Jenna Turner

Reflections - Jody

How do I even begin to write a reflection on a week that has changed me forever… I must start by giving thanks and praise to our God, and creator, for he orchestrated the whole event.

When I committed to going on this trip I wondered what I had gotten myself into. I was excited and apprehensive at the same time. On so many levels, the trip was way out of my comfort zone - I didn’t really know anyone else going; I have never been to a foreign country or where English wasn’t the primary, or even secondary language; and at 53, I’m pretty use to the comforts of air-conditioning, electricity, hot water & toilets… I tried to assure myself that this was God’s will and everything else would to fall in place. It did.

As we exist the airplane in Port au Prince the phrase, “Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore” hit me. Not because of the beauty, as in the Wizard of Oz, but because of the chaos, congestion, noise and lack of any language I recognized. As we drove through PAP, an overwhelming feeling of despair and sadness went through me. Our focus for the week was suppose to be ‘hope’ but with what I was seeing; I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to feel it. Children walking barefoot over piles of debris, tents everywhere amongst the ruble, and people bathing or fixing a meal right on the edge of the street; even during the pouring down rain. Feeling this way is why I think the events over the next couple of hours were so crucial to our spiritual journey.

As we continued on the wild bus ride toward Les Cayes, a ride that would rival the most adventurous theme parks; we encountered the now infamous river crossing. We found ourselves stuck in the middle of a flash flood, pitch black except for the lights from other trucks and buses plowing past us. Our van dies halfway through the river, water up to the floor, sparks flying up in the cabin. We didn’t know if it would continue to rise and cause the van to topple over or not, so we decided it was best to evacuate. One by one we cautiously (with help) made it through the rushing water and up to the bridge that had been condemned due to the earthquake. We stood there amazed, confused and thoroughly convicted of the fact that things were totally out of our control. In an instant our group truly became a team at God’s mercy. A short time later, after we had joined hands in praise & prayer, a woman called me over to her car – in English- and asked if we needed help. The rest is now history, but for me, this was a crucial part of our trip. God was telling me unmistakably: TRUST ME, I AM IN CHARGE- NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!

The people we met in Haiti were amazing. From Marie and her family that worked so hard at a moment’s notice to make us comfortable (even taking the mattress off of their bed), to the women at Pastor Louis’ in Les Cayes, that went above and beyond to feed and care for us, to the children and their caregivers… Oh the children. These kids live in conditions that we couldn’t even imagine, yet they have so much joy and love. Their smiling faces, their laugh, their touch, and their absolute trust, just made you love them instantly.

We were able to see how our support was allowing these children to survive and helping to teach them about God. Though God was working through us; he was also working through them. God worked through the children to teach us the simplicity of true faith without all of the distractions. Trust in God for all of your daily needs. They live this way every moment of their lives.

We didn’t completely understand each other through language, but that didn’t alter the bond we felt. Each of us in our team made special connections. It was like God placed a child in our heart and they will never be forgotten (whether we say their name right or not). Josue was mine. I love him so much and I believe I will think about him the rest of my life. But there was also Roseline (hopefully she will either be a teacher or the next president of Haiti), Jeny, Judson, Dorson, Andersline, Jerry, Benson, Rodrigson, John, Jeff, Dieunika... too many to name and each have a special place in my heart. I can’t wait to see and hold them again.
The work our church and others are doing in Haiti is not in vain. God’s spirit there is strong and he is working through Christians to help make things right. Through the Haitian plight, God has called us to step out of our comfort zone and look at what really matters. Maybe not by ‘our’ standards, but Gods. Not in our timeframe, but His.

I learned that like the Haitians, I too need to become skilled at trusting God with all of my needs and concerns… To simply make myself available to Him.

Jody Fowler

Reflections - Travis

“I never worry about tomorrow, it will be good because it’s in God’s hands,”-Haiti Project Director Moise Vaval w/Global Orphans Project.

If only we could live by that principle more often; we get caught up in what the world has to offer and what we have to get done.

My first day back I feel like the world is ran by a watch. So many things to do, so little time. Haiti- so much time, seemingly so little for these children of God to do. We are not much different then them. We both hunger, one for worldly possessions, one for something to eat. That is... for food or more of God’s love. It’s not hard to decide what category I fall into most of the time.

The children of St Louis de Sud are pure. Little of the world’s distractions allow them to steer off their ability to feel God’s love for them. They just want to be touched. They want to touch you, the hair on your head, the smoothness of your skin, the shape of your nose, the hair on your arms, the color your skin makes when it’s pushed with a forceful finger. They brush the slightest speck of dirt off my skin when it shouldn’t be there. They are eager to get water from the well to wash my hands when I get them dirty AND THEY DON’T EVEN KNOW ME. I think “I am different then them”

Upon returning, I noticed most prominently the feel of the soft carpet between my toes. Flipping a light switch, turning the knob for some warm running shower water. Clean sheets and surfaces that I’m certain are free from possible harmful bacteria and bugs. A comfortable seat, cool air and the warm breeze available at my discretion. Eating whatever, whenever I want. Nothing at all common with our kids at St Louis de Sud. They have each other. Most importantly they have the Hope of eternal life with God.

Shame on us and all our wants. God will bless those who bless others. I have been blessed by children who can’t speak MY language, don’t know when to smile at a camera or laugh when I’m trying to be funny. By our measure, they have very little. I believe I couldn’t be any more wrong. How is that possible? All things are possible through Christ. They truly have everything because their hope is placed in their savior Jesus Christ and not the promise this world has to offer. I never want to forget that; what little but how much they truly have. Love, Hope, Mercy, Peace, Provision. They’ve taught me to count my blessings. I knew I was much more fortunate than them but I see now that as they wake up every day, they need a meal or two and water and the rest is in God’s hands. They have very few worries (so I think), God has provided for them without the need of idols and things we love to gather. That is something far more powerful then I may ever understand in my lifetime.

I met a little girl, her simplicity, her innocence, her smile, her openness to just be loved touched me for the rest of my life. Rose Darling. I think of her often. I layed her down in a bed after she fell asleep in my arms Sunday before we left. She wouldn’t wake up. That was our goodbye. I think it was better that way. I believe God intended for her to be at peace sleeping instead of watching us all drive off into the world they do not know about.

I will not forget the closeness of our team. I was fortunate to experience this mission alongside my wife. I will miss you all and the experiences we had together! We relied on each other, lifted each other up, became vulnerable to one another, endured together, prayed together and loved together. Thank you for the laughs and the memories I’ll have forever.

Travis

Reflections - Heather

It’s so hard to explain a different world. I was only there 4 days ago, and I feel memories slipping away. While in Haiti, I wouldn’t have thought that possible. The sights, smells and sounds seemed too vivid to fade. My window to their world was small, but they seem to be such kind, beautiful people. I was overwhelmed with the chaos of transportation, the endless poverty, the destruction of the earthquake, the mountains of trash, seeming idleness, but at the same time the landscape is breathtaking, their buildings, vehicles, clothing are all in vibrant colors, and their overall disposition seemed like one of peace.
We had such a dramatic story the first night. I’m surprised by people’s lack of enthusiasm when I retell it, but God really did mean it for us. If anyone had any doubts about the trip, God stepped in on day one to strip those away. His mighty hand was so evident in each detail of that evening. As the men were pushing our waterlogged bus down the road, I remember just giggling because I felt so loved!
Our time at the orphanage was slow and sweet. Slow doesn’t mean boring because the time moved quickly. We just were able to BE with them all week. Working, singing, playing, holding, hugging. I have no doubt that God places His love in our hearts to pass out. I wasn’t sure how I could spend 5 days with strangers with whom I could barely communicate. But upon arrival, I knew it wouldn’t be a problem, especially for the kids. They long to be held and touched. I love how they looked into our faces. It felt really important. Our interaction with the adults came slower, but it came! I left feeling like I could easily return as a friend.
Our team arrived as an eclectic, randomly gathered bunch, and we left loving eachother. You know that’s only by God’s hand as well. We all came together desiring somehow to please Him, and he truly blessed all our time together. It was wonderful! We had a lot of fun.
You know how it’s hard to explain God? Maybe that’s why I’m having a hard time explaining this trip to people. It was kinda other-worldly. Not because I was overtaken by the Holy Spirit and saw white lights or anything. God is still working with me as it relates to the trip. I don’t have the right words or enough knowledge to describe what He’s doing in Haiti or in me. I was able to see a glimpse of His power and care, so now it feels so much easier to trust his mighty power and perfect care for Haiti and me.

Heather

Reflections - Jake

This was my first overseas mission trip, and I had no idea what I was getting in to. I really had no idea what is was going to be like in Haiti, and had no expectations. For me, it had always been tough to look at pictures of people in poverty or orphans and really think of them as people, sacred to God (Psalm 49:7). But that week made everything so real to me. The devastation in Port au Prince hit me hard, and our orphans were so human and longed for affection like I've never seen. Just a smile in their direction would make their faces light up with joy, and to hold them in your arms meant so much to them.
In that way, they're like us. We share their desire for love, and we all must turn to God to satisfy it fully. But, the main difference is that here in America, we can turn to many things to take the place of God in our lives, such as sports, TV, school, or even our own family.
However, most Hatians have nothing to turn to besides Him, which produces devout followers and radical Christians.
I want to thank LCF for providing me this opportunity. This was huge for my faith and very encouraging, and I hope that you have an opportunity to go. You won't come back the same person. God bless!

Jake

Reflections - Cameron

What a trip! God was so providential, blessed us in so many ways, and gave us the pleasure of being agents of his love and mercy over and over! One thing that I will probably never forget about the trip is, of course, the river incident. God was so sovereign and amazing there, it was such a humbling experience to be under his hand! The orphans will always hold a special place in my heart. I hope one day, LORD willing, I can go back to see them again. The love I feel so deeply for them is so inadequate compared to the love with which God loves us, which has been very encouraging to me these last few days. The things that are standing out in my memory right now are the contentedness that the Haitian people have, and how amazing the body of Haitian believers is. The Haitians have nothing. Absolutely nothing, and yet, those who know and love Jesus there are some of the happiest people in the world due to the treasure they have in Him. We would do well to follow their example and break our bondage to prosperity and stuff by following Paul’s example when he said, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” (Phil. 3:8) Too often we fall into the snare of being satisfied with our stuff, instead of solely in Christ. We fulfill the words of God in Deuteronomy 31:20 far too often. We are blinded to and forgetful of the glory of Christ because of all our stuff. The Haitian body of believers is so simple, yet so joyful. For worship we simply clapped, raised hands, and sung loudly. Not many American churches would be sustained by such simple, yet wondrous, praise. We would tend to complain that the lights, sound, instruments, or whatever isn’t working the way we think it should be. Still processing a lot, and I’m sure this is just the beginning, but God is providential and will bring light in the darkness and much discernment! Thanks for all the prayers!
Cam

Day 7

Sunday morning we got up and headed to church in St. Louis du Sud. The church members were all dressed up lookin fine. The kids were all dressed up in some of the clothes we brought, and the girls were loaded down with hair bows. We were the worst dressed bunch in the crowd! The Haitians seem to be doing fine but we must have looked kinda funny cuz we were sweating like dogs! The most moving part was when they had the orphans sing and they were crossing the room toward us.
Watching them worship was so wonderful with their eyes closed and hands raised. The next part was the hardest part as we said good bye. We took some photos and left. The van was quiet as we all were reflecting back on our week. We stopped back by our new friend Marie's. She is the lady who took us in on our first exciting night in Haiti. Then if it wasn't sobering enough driving through port au prince, our driver drove us thru "the city of the sun" , a expansive slum that is wholly indescribable. Overwhelming poverty. We spent the night at Mission of Hope with about 100 people. They house groups who come in to do short term mission work. It was the first white people we had seen in a while. We had our last group meeting in the midst of all the activity then bunked down for the night. We shared the back of a truck with with 16 other Americans and all our luggage and bounced and lurched to the airport. The road travel has been a whole other story in itself! Now we're all waiting patiently at the airport for our flight has been delayed 2 hours. This is heather and Amy signing off. See you soon!

Day 6

Sorry it's me again. The team has gone to bed and nobody was left to blog. Promise when we return each team member will post their reflections from the trip. Until then.......more from me

Our last full day at St Louis du Sud began with a stop at the lab. We had taken Rose Marilyn in yesterday and they had done a few tests. It appears she is fine. We picked her and her momma up, along with Amanda and Fritzner (our translators), Dr Don, and Henry, our El Shaddia chaperon. Needless to say, the van was packed!

We spent the day loving our kids. More bubbles, jump roping and singing. Travis finished the storage shelves for the rooms; they look great! The mommas are very happy. With the extra lumber he also built shelves for the kitchen that the cooks had asked for. Jon built a shelf for the storage room to hold medical supplies. He and Dr Don gave every child a pill to treat worms and a vitamin.

We sent Henry to the market and he returned with two goats (male and female) and chairs. The kids loved the chairs; they will get lots of use. Hopefully the goats will reproduce and provide income and nourishment for the home.

In the afternoon we spent time washing little hands and feet. It is one of my favorite things to do with the kids. We finished the day there giving pictures our LCF children had colored for them, as well as photos from our last trip. They were so excited. Afterwards we drove to the ESMI guest house to see the view. It is beautiful.

Packed our bags as when we leave for church in the am, we will not return to Les Cayes. We will drive from st louis directly to PAP to spend the night before leaving Monday am for KC. We are excited to see you all, but will miss our family here. Hard to explain how attached you become so quickly.

Thank you again for your prayers. God has moved in mighty ways this week. Pray that we have a safe trip back to PAP tomorrow. We plan to stop briefly at Maries tomorrow to say thank you again for her hospitality last Monday night. Don't know what we would have done without her

blessings from Haiti

Scott
for Team Haiti

Verse #2 John 17: 20-23

From Amy:
Bev prayed John 17:20-23 at this morning's prayer time. This is the last full day the team will be at the orphanage. Pray for unity between the team, pastors, mamas, and anyone else the team comes in contact with today. Pray that God's glory will shine through the team members. We are praying for the rains to continue to hold off so that the churches can have services on Sunday morning. Continue to pray for the safety of the team as they drive to the transitional orphanage near Port au Prince Sunday evening. Please, Lord, no rushing waters! The team will fly home on Monday.

John 17:20-23
"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in my and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."

Psalm 118:24

From Amy:

I woke up this Saturday in anticipation of seeing a blog post from the team about yesterday's events. One thing that the prayer group prayed about yesterday morning was that we asked God to let the rain stop. AND IT DID! The power of prayer never ceases to amaze! The group said that today will be a big day as well. It sounds like a busy day. May God allow the group to fulfill His will for the blessings the team is bringing to the orphanage today...especially to show love to the orphans and mamas and pastors!

Psalm 118:24
This is the day the LORD has made: let us rejoice and be glad in it.

May God bless every second of the day that the team has doing His work...His hands, His feet, His eyes, His ears... and most importantly His heart. Amen and Praise you God!

Day 5

What a great day in Haiti! It was the first day without rain at the orphanage and it was a blessing.

We began by digging a trench to channel water away from the dorm entrances. The kids were a huge help as they gathered rocks to line the trench. Hopefully this will eliminate some of the mud and standing water around the well. They really enjoyed helping and made the job go so much quicker. After that, Travis went back to work on the storage shelves for the dorms. Kids sat and watched him work for hours. Natou, the orphanage's do it all guy helped Travis, moved benches, led singing and had a devotion for the kids before we arrived. Pray for him; he is such a joy and the kids really respond to him.

On our way this morning, we stopped at the home of a young woman dying of cancer. John was able to see her, but unless God miraculously heals her, she does not have much longer to live. Jon is going to the clinic early in the morning to get an iv bag and some meds to keep her comfortable. At the orphanage, Jon continues to have an opportunity to treat our children. We are so thankful, no major health problems.

Tomorrow will be a big day. We hope to finish the storage shelves, brought gifts to give the mommas and found creole bibles today to give them as well (one for Natou too), hope to buy 2 goats and some chairs tomorrow as well. The kids don't really have anywhere to sit.

Thank you so much for your prayers. We can feel them. It is so apparent that God is orchestrating our every step, and that is so comforting.

Scott
for Team Haiti

Isaiah 41:10

From Amy:

During the prayer time this morning for the Haiti team, Cindy prayed the verse Isaiah 41:10. As the week goes on, we pray that the team be refreshed, renewed, and reminded of God's provisions and feeling of delight for the team's outpouring of love to the orphans.

Isaiah 41:10: So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Day 4

Hello fellow readers! Wednesday's blog got caught off due to technical difficulties by me. We had breakfast and got ready for our day. We picked up lumber on our way to st louis de sud. Travis built one of the shelving units & it looks great! The batteries ran out so he was done for the day. He will make 3 total. Dr. John checked out the kids and treated them which is so great to know these kids are getting what they need. Fritz was able to get some additional medication that was needed. It rained or we could say poured most of the day. We sang, played games, did oragami and while the rain stopped we played limbo and jumped rope. The kids are very giving, loving and sweet. The last 2 days with the kids has been an amazing experience. I'm thankful for the way god has showed himself this whole trip. He got us through getting stuck in the river at night with people driving by us to meeting Marie who is a strong Christian who took us in and gave us a place to stay to meeting other new friends like Natalie who lost her group and spent the first night with us to Amanda and fritz who have been a huge help in translating, getting things we need and helping with the kids. Read Hebrews 6:9-12 in the message bible. This verse has stuck put in my head since pastor Scott read it last night. Due to the technical difficulty it is getting late and we all need to get to bed so I'll end today's blog. It's raining once again. Please be praying that we all complete what god has sent us here to do. Plans seem to change daily - we don't want our will to be done, but his! Thank you god for this experience and to LCF for giving us this opportunity. In Christ, Brandi for Team Haiti

Days 3 & 4

Power is back on and the Internet is working, so here goes.

Wednesday was our first full day. Hospitality continues to amaze us. We were greeted with breakfast before we prayed and we were off to the orphanage . Along the way, we picked up Amanda (who is from a farm town in Iowa) and her Haitian fiancé Fritz as our Interpreters. Wednesday

While driving through Les Cayes and other villages, we saw the local market as Wednesday is market day . The streets were crowded people and their cows, goats, donkeys, and horses were there for trading.

When we arrived the kids were getting their morning snack- mangoes. The kids were very excited and very willing to share. Most of us accepted their generosity. Because of the water well built by LCF, the kids are able to wash their hands and feet. We spent the day with the children playing with our hair, checking out our skin and wanting a loving touch. After we finished our bible story, the hard afternoon rain began. We ran to the classroom shelter and gave the children their animal cracker snack. The children took much pride in their coloring sheets they did and enjoyed snack waiting for the rain to subside.

When we arrived back to the guest house, we had dinner and talked about our first full day with the children and prepared for Thursday. What a great first day at St Louis de Sud!

Jody
for Team Haiti


We fell asleep last night to the sound of a generator drowning out noises. The hospitality continued as we received a hardy breakfast and we got ready to leave for the orphanage. The children were ready and excited to see us as we drove up. It rained most of the day. Travis, Michelo and Natou worked on building shelves for the kids dorms. We spent the day with the kids playing with our hair and skin. They are amazed by how different we are compared to them. The kids are very lovely and giving and

Colossians 3: 12-17

From Bev:
The team didn’t have power/internet last night or this morning where they are staying (at the home of Pastor Louis) so they weren’t able to make a blog entry. But by text they have let us know that yesterday was a very good day spent at St. Louis du Sud! There are more kids there than they expected, but the same mama’s caring for them. They will blog as soon as they have power again. Thank you for praying!



Verses to pray for the team today as they love, teach and play with the children, encourage the mommas, and build relationship with Pastor Labastille & his wife, Venice :



“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Colossians 3:12-17)

Acts 26:17-18

From Amy:
Today's verse: Acts 26:17-18
God never ceases to amaze when he links prayers between fellow Christians. I was meditating on scriptures last night for the team. I woke up this morning to read the team's Day 2 post. What the team learned about yesterday about voodoo correlates to one of the verses that God led me to pray over the missions team yesterday. May God use you as a "link" for the needs for the Haitian people and the team as well.

Acts 26: 17-18: ...I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.

Please be in prayer today for the time that God has provided for the team to love on the orphans and the adults that serve them.

Day 2

Second day in Haiti
After the van in the river debacle, we were rescued by Marie Masson, president of Lafana institute of hope school in Fauché, Haiti. She sacrificially and joyfully let us sleep the night in a guesthouse on the complex (and we suspect they gave us their mattresses and fans. She is a very strong woman of god and was very encouraging for us on our mission. After we woke up we went down about 100 yards to a beautiful beach where we meditated on the word enjoyed gods creation. We also had a wonderful session of prayer and journling. While on the beach we saw some pigs, cows, goats, chickens, and natives showering in a freshwater spring.

Then we went back and visited the schoolchildren who were in session. The school was free and all children walked there, up to 3 miles. One thing I (Jake) really enjoyed was that we were given a whole coconut to drink the milk, which was very good, and eat the meat, also good. We left some sports balls with the kids as a gift then got on a different bus and visited st louis du sud for about five minutes. God planted a desire in all of us to love on those kids as much as possible. They're so adorable and I just want to hug them all all the time! We also had another change of plans: instead of staying at the guest house, we are now at louis st germains house. But don't worry, Natalie our friend from Miami is at the guest house with the rest of her group (Natalie joined us in PAP and thought she was going to have a tranquil ride to the guest house but ended up experiencing our river adventure)

Tonight, we ate a delicious dinner of fish, turkey, salad, rice, and beans. We also prepared a snack and a pack of photos to give to each kid and talked with barbara, a woman who ministers at pastor louis' church. She told us much about voodoo and the spiritual battle in Haiti. Hearing about all the curses, spells, and demons helped us to understand what the daily battles of those who minister here longterm are. Her words gave new meaning to he promise if 1 John 4:4 that he who is in us is far greater than he who is in the world, since Haitian Christians boldly take a stand against voodoo. I (cam) am really struck by the total schism that exists between Haitian Christians and those who haven't been born again. The believers truly do shine God's in all they say and do. A few prayer requests from the team. First, that we would all be changed in dramatic ways and that God would give us strength to serve in his power. Also, tomorrow, lord willing, we will b with the kids all day, so pray for connections and influence for the name of the LORD!
Thanks!
Jake and Cam

Psalm 40:5

From Amy:
A reminder: Please join us in prayer from 9am-9:30am at the LCF church house this week to pray for the Haiti team. If you are not able to make it to the prayer time, please take a few moments from your day to pray for the team...

It was great to hear from the Haiti team. Their post shows God at work! God is so good to help the team through the flooded road! Praise God!

Here is today's Bible verse for the Haiti team:

Psalm 40:5 Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.

Day1

As a team we talked about flexibility before we left. Little did we know What lie ahead. Know before I start we are safe and well. We were driving at a good clip toward les cayes and we came to a road that was covered by a river. Before we really knew what was happening our driver was going for it. Our van became stuck in the rushing water. We vacated quickly carrying what we could. Several of us gathered to pray while the others waded back in to get more bags. The prayer on the embankment was that the van would get out, we would somehow find shelter and that there would be no more rain. In no time a large truck was pulling out our van, an English speaking Haitian woman who had seen our group in Miami pulled up and had us follow her walking distance to her home, church, school compound. Marie is wonderful and had just been to the states to raise awareness about her ministry. We slept here because of their unbelievable hospitality! We walked down to the beach this morning to gather and pray that we would see what excitement Godp would have for us today! We're now waiting for our new van and are being treated to coconut. We're marvelling at his provision. It's always perfect and we're going with it!

Heather
for Team Haiti

Hi everyone!

This is Amy Newberry from LCF. I am running a "test" post to make sure I know how to blog while the Haiti Summer 2010 team is away. Scott asked that I post Bible verses that God lays upon my heart while the team is doing God's work this coming week. Although I have never been to Haiti (I hope to some day), God has shown me that I have a heart for the Haitian people. Praying for Haiti is a great way to show love and support for the Haitian orphanage as well as for the mission teams that LCF sends to the country.

I prayed that God would show me the verse to start this mission trip. Considering the massive devastation that has been felt by the Haitian people, this verse is very timely from the viewpoint of our earthly home and our heavenly home. In my reading of the verse, I substituted "Jerusalem" for Haiti. It just sounds like just what the Haitian people need right now:

Isaiah 65: 17-19
"Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem to be a delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more."

May God bless the Haiti team as they are His hands, feet, eyes, and ears to the orphans and the mamas in St. Louis.

Amy Newberry

Ready.........

Just a quick post to let you know you are in the right place if you are looking for Haiti updates!

Not sure if we will post again prior to the trip, but for sure beginning Monday evening, 6/21, (assuming we have power and Internet when we arrive), we will begin daily postings. We are humbled by the opportunity and grateful that you are interested in sharing the journey with us.

For anyone who stumbles on this post that did not receive the LCF email, I am including it here as well:

The countdown is on! Team Haiti leaves in 4 days and we are excited. We are busy making final preparations and packing supplies. Our flight leaves early the morning of 6/21 and we return late on 6/28.

If you are interested in keeping up with the details of our trip, go to the LCF website (www.lcfliberty.org) and click on the link to the Haiti Blog. Our goal is to update this blog site daily while we are there so that you can keep up with all that God is doing on our trip. As long as we have an Internet connection (which is not a guarantee), we will post daily. Hopefully the posts will give you a glimpse of what is happening in Haiti.

In addition to the daily updates, we will send prayer requests and we would be honored if you would join us in prayer. We would ask, above all, that you give an Epaphras Effort on our behalf. Paul describes Epaphras' effort in Colossians 4:12, "Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God." Please pray that we would stand mature and fully assured in the will of God. Specifically, we would covet your prayers for a few details as we prepare to leave:

Unity - Pray that our team of 9 would be unified in spirit and purpose, and that His unity would be a witness to those around us. Team members include: Heather Anderson, Jon Blake, Jody Fowler, Amy Hickox, Travis Kreutzer, Brandi Kreutzer, Jake Ohlhausen, Cameron Riemensnider, and myself.

Compassion - Pray that God would be working in our hearts, giving us compassion for our brothers and sisters in Haiti

Divine Appointments - Pray that God would ordain situations and opportunities to minister to the people He has for us. As of right now, the plan is to do work projects around the village every morning (while kids are in school), then spend time loving kids in the afternoon.

If you are interested, there will be a group gathering daily from 9:00-9:30AM at the church house to pray for the trip. Those gatherings will begin Monday, 6/21.

Thank you so much for joining us on this journey. We believe God has ordained the trip, the team, and the details and we are confident He will accomplish His purpose. We pray that He will be glorified in all we say and do.

For the sake of His Name

Scott
for Team Haiti

Reflections continued.............

How do you write a few paragraphs about such a powerful 5 days? Janese heard me talk and show pictures for nearly an hour to a guy on the plane from Dallas to KC (a doctor from Liberty)! When I grow up I want to be like those who love the Lord in Haiti (adults & children alike) - content, joyful, and thankful, with an eternal perspective that helps them walk through even the hardest of circumstances!

A definite difference I saw in the Port-au-Prince airport, besides the fact that most of the rooms being used were temporary, small & overly-crowded, was the number of "blancs" being so much greater than in October. There were many medical teams and Christian workers coming and going - it reminded me of our many trips to Pascagoula after Hurricane Katrina - the Church doing hands-on ministry for people in need!

Highlights for me were:

1. Spending time with Pastor Moise Vaval. What a gentle, humble, and yet powerfully filled with the Spirit of God, man! Pray for him and his family as they continue to heal from the loss of their 8 yr. old, Jean Marc, in the earthquake. I was blessed by his resolve to be obedient in worshipping and serving the Lord even in the grip of his grief. We gave him 6 solar audio Creole New Testaments for him to distribute as the Lord leads - pray for the impact of God's Word in people's lives. And he is praying for us at LCF - a bond was definitely created by the Lord!

2. Seeing the happiness and health of the kids and the leaders at Global Orphan Project's Transitional Village in PAP, and envisioning that for our kids at St. Louis du Sud.

3. Arriving at St. Louis du Sud and being remembered and warmly greeted by Pastor Labastille and his wife, Venice, as well as by a mama, Therese, and the hard-working do-it-all man, Natou, who were there in October. Then the children - there's nothing like being surrounded (closely) by many Haitian kids who want to hug you and kiss you and sing you songs and hold your hand and play with your hair!

4. Building friendships with the mama's - Sherline, Berlinda, Evena, Melane, Therese. They would appreciate our prayers as they care for the children (in what we would consider a very primitive setting - no stove, no refrigerator, no electricity, no toilets or showers), as well as for their "spiritual lives" and to have "time to study."

5. Sitting on the porch of the guesthouse on a hill near Les Cayes looking out at a beautiful countryside and having Jerry (10-11 yr. old Cambry orphan who didn't speak for the entire first year that he was there as a 3-4 yr. old) read all of Psalm 8 to me in wonderfully-accented English. "O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!...From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise..."

6. Watching Scott & Janese lovingly wash the hands of all the children, knowing they were praying for each one and God was listening.

7. Worshipping Jesus with the children in the Sunday morning service in St. Louis, and seeing some of them with their eyes closed and their hands lifted to the Lord.

8. Seeing the wonder on the faces of children and adults alike when they were each given a small book of Bible stories in Creole, then watching them work at following along as I read (and Philemon interpreted) the story of Joseph. These small books were a treasure to them!

9. Experiencing the joy of the girls as they received what in most cases was their first baby doll, and watching the boys excitedly read the numbers on their little watches or play with a matchbox car. The joy that such simple gifts gave them was humbling and refreshing - again I found myself thinking, "I want to be like that!"

10. They spontaneously gathered around the open doors of the van as we loaded up to leave on Sunday and sang to us. Through our tears, we took pictures and drank in their voices and faces. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for these precious children of yours ~ please protect and bless them!

Bev

Reflections

Why go all the way to Haiti, when there are needs right here? Wouldn't it be better to send money than to use that money for travel expenses? Do you really believe things in Haiti will ever change? Is it safe? These are some of the most common questions/inquiries I receive from people who are not sure why I would choose to go to Haiti. They ask out of curiosity, concern and desire to know more. For me going to Haiti is simple...God told me to! Who am I to doubt the Creator of heaven and earth? The One who gave his only Son as a sacrifice for my sin so that I may have eternal life. I haven't always been obedient, but I am so glad I was when it came to Haiti. I don't have solutions for the many problems that plague Haiti, but I would like to share a few stories that may help to illustrate why we as a church are called to go to Haiti and other places like it.
Jerry arrives at the Cambry orphanage he's four years old and does not speak a word for the entire next year. Fast forward 6 years Jerry speaks Creole, French and English. His face lights up when we see him at the Guest House and call him by name. "You remember me!", he says. How could we ever forget him?! He figures out how to play video games on Scott's phone. By the end our stay he figures out how to change Scott's screen saver and it now displays a picture of the two of them, something Scott still has not figured out how to do. A safe place, food and lots of unconditional love from everyone who visits. God has always known Jerry was special, now Jerry knows it too.
 
October 2009 David is sick and at our orphanage in St. Louis. He cries at the sight of us. Tami slowly breaks down the barriers, he spends the next two days taking afternoon naps on her chest. We come to take him to the hospital, he is gone. His mother came and got him in the night. A teacher knows her, promises to tell her we want to help. We give her a picture with Tami loving on him and we pray. April 2010 David is back at the orphanage. He is not scared of us, in fact he pushes his way through the crowd and wants to be held. Our pleasure! Dr. Don checks him out prescribes some medication. He is on the road to healing. Praise God!
 
A friend of a friend is going to Haiti with a team of eye specialists. We have an orphan with a lazy eye and vision loss. E-mails are sent, phone calls are made, connections, plans and then ..a devastating earthquake. Eye teams' trip is canceled. One orphan's lazy eye seems like a small problem in the aftermath. We can't let it go. This boy needs every advantage he can get. We pray, we ask many to pray. Trip is back on the books for May, please pray for God to clear a path.
 
A 9 year old boy is missing thousands pray for him and his family. His body is found. To this his family gives praise, because they know so many will never find their family members. A small group of tennis players hear the story of the young boy. Haiti needs help....they network, plan, call in favors and use their collective talents. They throw a fundraising party and get others to do the same. A party? You bet and people were able to speak freely about a mighty God and his grace with people that needed to hear it. They raised over $10,000. They can support 1 Momma & 10 orphans for over a year. The Gospel was shared where you don't talk about religion or politics. Amazing!
 
At the airport we see Pastor Louis from the church Scott preached at. He thanks us over and over for making the effort to come to his church. Bev and I had not planned to go to his church. We wanted to get to St. Louis early. We had a plan. God had a different plan. Philemon drove us to listen to Scott preach. He was awesome! Did God change are plan so we could her Scott? Maybe?, but then Pastor Louis tells us that just our presence in his church is a huge encouragement to his congregation. Although I feel completely unworthy I am so thankful that God led on that morning and we did not question the unexplained change of plans. For Bev and me that in itself was a miracle to behold!
 
The key element to all of these and many other stories are God's people stepping out in his name. Haiti breaks my heart. Empty's me of myself and fills me with the Holy Spirit. I am learning to worship more fully from my new Haitian brothers and sisters. As I watch an elderly Haitian born American citizen gently kiss his passport upon re-entry to the U.S. I am reminded to give thanks for my family, paved roads, tap water and the multitude of luxuries I have never had to live without. Not everyone is called to go to Haiti, but if you are one of the lucky ones I can't wait to read your blog one day.

In Christ-Janese
 

Day 5

Once again, the entry is late. Yesterday, Sunday was a full day. It began with the 6am church service in Les Cayes. It is always such a blessing to worship with our brothers and sisters in Haiti. The joy they posess is amazing. They praise the Lord, not based on their circumstances, but based on who He is. We could learn a lot from them. I had the special proviledge to preach at the service. Hopefully the translator made some improvements!

We then went to St Louis and though the heavy rain kept most people home there, we enjoyed a sweet time of worshipthere too. The children from our orphanage sang several songs and we gave Creole Bible story books to the children and adults there. We spent the rest of the afternoon playing with our children, washing hands and feet, and giving some gifts before we left. The children were so appreciative, as was Pastor LaBastille when we gave him two solar powered audio bibles. They speak the entire bible in Creole! Janese found these and what a treasure they were. Pastor said "10,000 thank yous".

It is hard to say goodbye, but we pray the Lord will allow many more trips in the future.

I am stuck in the Miami airport so am posting, but will have both Bev and Janese post their trip reflections later this week. Thank you so much for all your prayers. There is no doubt in our minds that God is at work in Haiti.

Day 4

Sorry I am late I'm writing this. It is early Sunday morning and between the roosters and cows, I can already hear the voices of Haitians singing. They begin their Sundays early here! I am headed to preach at the Cayes church, which begins at 6am, then will meet Bev & Janese at the St Louis church for another service which begins at 9.

Yesterday was a full day. It began by meeting Amanda, a Young woman from America who is GOP's new regional director. She will report to Moise and live in Cayes. She will be our point of contact regarding St Louis. What a blessing it will be to have someone close to our village who we can communicate with. Them we visited Cavillon and Caa Major, two other GOP orphanages. It was good to see other homes.

Finally we made it to St Louis. Where Dr Don conducted a clinic. He saw every child, gave medicine for scabes, infections, etc. We are so thankful for medicine and a Dr today!

Praying today will be a joyous day of worship with our brothers and sisters here. Thank you for all your prayers!

Blessings
Scott

Day 3

We spent the majority of the day in St Louis du Sud! Greeted warmly by Pastor Labastille and his wife who remembered all 3 of us and wondered if the others would be coming! :) all the mama's are new except one. There are 4 young mama's very sweet who told us they love the kids and asked for prayer for personal studying time and for their spiritual lives. We enjoyed talking with them through Dr Dons help. Then the kids came! We love these kids! Same kids minus just afew with 17 added, 40 boys and 27 girls and so delightful! They started singing the songs Joelle, Chase and I taught them in October rmembering every word and action! It was great! While Scott spent time with the pastor, Janese and I hung out with kids. They are no longer malnourished or dehydrated, had two meals each day now and plenty of water which they love to pump themselves! They still have infection issues and Dr Don is going with us tomorrow to check each child, administer antibiotics where needed and give us and the adults there recommendations for their care. Pray for us and him as we again pursue good health for our kids.

Exciting things with a C3 business opening today in Cayes! We stopped by to see and visited with Mike Fox, others from KC, Moise Vaval etc! God is up to many things down here! Thank you for being a part of it!! Love in Jezi (Jesus),
Bev

Day 2

We left Port-au-Prince today. Before we left Pastor Moise Vaval shared with us that during the search for his son people kept telling him how strong he was. He told us that it was not his strength, it was the strength of hundreds of people praying for him. The power of prayer was evident in so many stories we heard. We flew to Les Cayes and were warmly greeted by Philemone. He has been a great friend, team member and brother in Christ. The three orphans that were moved to Cayes to be with Dr. Don look much better. They are being loved on and well cared for. We are so thankful for the many people who listened to God's call to Haiti and have made it possible for the LCF family to care for our orphans. Blessings to all. Goodnight from Cayes, Haiti

Janese

Day 1

The day began at 3:30am, so while it is only 8:45 in Haiti, we are heading to bed

We are staying tonight at the Global Orphan Project's transitional village outside Port au Prince. We arrived to the cheerful voices of children playing. What fun to meet them and love on them. Today there are about 70 orphans at the village. Just this morning 40 kids were moved to a more permanent home. It really is a transitional village. There is a hotel (dorm) on site and our accomodatioms are very nice for Haiti.

Stacey Evans and two others flew with us to Port au Prince to work on an agricultural project for GOP. Pray that they have a productive trip. We will separate from them tomorrow, but it was nice having familiar faces on the plane and in PAP airport!

The earthquake has altered the usually chaotic baggage claim at the airport, so now it is a bit more chaotic. After a few minor disputes about who would carry our bags, we finally made it to our vehicles and drove to this location. Before dinner, we had the chance to spend some time with Moise Vaval, GOP's new country director. He was the man featured in the 60 Minutes story. What a humble man of God! He is a huge addition to the GOP team in Haiti. All the orphans under GOP'S care will benefit from his leadership. Hopefully we will get a little more time with him in the morning. There will be time to meet the other staff here and love on some kiddos before we fly to Les Cayes at 4PM tomorrow.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday will be spent at our village in St Louis. We are excited to get there! Thank you so much for your prayers. We can feel God's hand on the trip already.

Typing on the iPhone with my fingers is a challenge so will stop for now. Praising God for the availability of technology even here.

Blessings
Scott

Haiti Blog Launch

Today is the official launch of our Haiti Blog! The goal will be to keep everyone better informed on things in Haiti, particularly things relating to our children in St. Louis du Sud. The link to this blog will be on the LCF website, but you can subscribe to get notifications when new posts have been written. We are new to this, so please give us your feedback!

A few updates since our last communication:

• Earthquake relief money - Through your generosity, we collected $3,000 for earthquake relief. We have donated the money for the purpose of providing prosthesis for earthquake victims. Your gifts are changing the lives of these people. Thank you!
• Christmas Haiti - While the earthquake slowed the process, we have new metal bunk beds and plastic covered mattresses at our orphanage! We still have a significant amount of money remaining, and after this trip we will have a better idea of the best way to use those funds. More info to come on this soon!
• 60 minutes - If you missed the 60 Minutes segment on Haiti, go to the Global Orphan Project (GOP) website http://theglobalorphanproject.org/ It is a moving story and you will meet Moise Vaval, GOP's new country director who we will be working with in the days ahead.
• Stacey Evans leaves tomorrow for Haiti, leading a team for GOP. Their focus is on agriculture and how to provide food for the people of Haiti. Please pray that Stacey and his team will find the right land for this project and that God will use this to help our villages become self-sustaining.

At 6:00AM tomorrow morning, a small team will leave for our first post earthquake trip to Haiti. Janese Brown, Bev and I will spend a day in Port au Prince, and then travel to St. Louis for the balance of the trip. We will return on 4/12. The goal of this trip is to assess the situation in St. Louis and to focus on building relationships with our partners in Haiti, our pastor and our mommas. The better we understand them, the better we will be able to serve them. Pray for wisdom as we ask questions and listen, pray for empathy to understand them and their situation, and pray that trust and love would flourish in these relationships. Pray too for our health and safety.

We will attempt to update this blog daily from Haiti (if we can get Internet connections), and then bi-weekly or so when we return. Check it regularly and continue to pray. What a privilege we have to serve our brothers and sisters in Haiti. Thank you for your partnership in this work!

Blessings
Scott