John 8:12

Today's Haiti verse:

John 8:12: When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

God seems to use many "light" references when I pray for Haiti. Maybe this happens with others as well.

Blessings,
Amy

Proverbs 19:21

Today's Haiti verse:
Proverbs 19:21
Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails


Blessings,
Amy

Proverbs 3:5-6

Today's verse:
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

This verse was a highlight during Scott's trip to Haiti a couple of weeks ago. Both Bev and I received this verse the same morning (we realized it later during our Haiti prayer time). As I was praying for the trip, the word "trust" came to mind and then this verse just was evident as the verse to pray over.

Blessings,
Amy

Updated information and prayer requests

Updated information about LCF and the orphans in Haiti:

Please be in prayer this week that God will open or close doors to the possibility of LCF purchasing the land that was once the orphanage we sponsored in St. Louis du Sud. There will be a meeting this Friday with the Haitian organization that owns half of the land to decide if they would like to pursue selling their part of the land to LCF. There are many other aspects to everything working out for the sale to happen, but the outcome of the meeting will be the first step. If God opens the door to have ownership of the land, we would then pursue a Haitian partner in opening up the orphanage again.

Here are the prayer requests and if I have left any out, just pray for God to show up BIG as decisions are made this week and the weeks and months to come.

*Pray for ESMI Haiti organization to have a clear and open mind that is focused on God's plan for their work in Haiti
*Pray for ESMI to prayerfully consider the option of selling the land to LCF
*Pray for all other details to work as smooth as possible and as quickly as possible if the sale of the land is approved
*Pray for discernment if the land is not sold to LCF on what to pursue next and who to team up with in Haiti to help orphans
*Pray for Pator Moise, who is a light in a dark world in Haiti. Pray for his dedication to building an orphanage and a school as well as leading a growing church
*Pray for Scott and the Haiti leadership team as they are seeking God during this entire process of what to do next to help the least of these in our world...sweet and adorable orphans

I will post a new verse to pray over each day this week as we seek God and His plan.

Today's verse:
I keep a picture of the orphans in my Bible. When I opened my Bible to search for God's word, the picture of the orphans was laying next to this Psalm. It just seemed right that the picture and the verse are pressed together when I close my Bible.

Psalm 5: 11-12
But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

Blessings,
Amy

Fireflies

I have always enjoyed the summer months. Perhaps it is my Texas roots that help shape my view of summer versus winter temperatures. What I love most about the summertime is sitting out on a porch with our neighbors while the fireflies seem to dance around us.

You might be wondering about the connection between fireflies and the children that lived in the St. Louis orphanage. Beautiful bonds formed between the LCF congregation and the children. It has been painful for many with the latest developments of not being able to locate the children. Yet God has other plans at this point that will ultimately bring His glory to the situation. When the LCF team first found out that the government would displace the children, many of us grieved for the loss of the connection with the children. One night we prayed in small groups for the children. Many of us felt so helpless in the situation yet knowing that God was and is in control. As we were praying, I saw a visualization in my mind of the children as fireflies on a summer night. Little lights in the darkness. They are dispersed and moved throughout Haiti, but God's light in their hearts continue to shine. Since that night, I have been focusing my prayers on our Haitian fireflies...the precious children from the orphanage.

I encourage you on your summer nights, to pray that God will dwell in the children's hearts even though they are separated from each other. What many of them knew as family has been changed dramatically. Yet, God is so faithful and so good and so real that I know God will use the children to further His kingdom no matter where the children are. He ordained each of them as His light...His fireflies. Thank you, Jesus, for being our light and being the light for the children.

Blessings,
Amy

Isaiah 49:16

I received a book of pictures beautifully chronically the last Haiti team trip to the orphanage. Looking back on these pictures, it seems that it was God's design to have so many pictures as a remembrance to pray for the children that are now separated and placed in other situations besides the St. Louis du Sud orphanage. I encourage those that hold the children close to your heart to look over the pictures or just picture the children in your mind and PRAY over the children and the tough situation in Haiti.

God never promised us anything to gain for ourselves as a result of loving and caring for these particular children. I believe that God wants us to continue to pray for each child's physical and spiritual well-being just as if they were living in the orphanage. It is a difficult challenge to pray over people that we don't have contact with. It is difficult because our nature is to want to see physical results of our prayer requests. When God has other plans that do not involve us, it is difficult to understand and yet, I am so relieved that God is in control of the situation.

There is no way LCF could go on this journey of helping those most in need without God leading the way. So, what is left after the children have been displaced? Continue to pray. Do not let Satan crowd your mind (and mine) with our daily lives that we forget to pray over the children. The children need prayers for their faith to grow. For the seeds that were planted to flourish not matter what situation they are facing right now or in the future. And, in a sense, I believe we need to pray for them because our faith grows to allow us to "let go and let God".

Isaiah 49:16: See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands, your walls are ever before me.

Focus on God's hands... the children and the circumstances in Haiti are right there before Him. Set your mind on Him, pray for the children, and continue to pray for LCF's involvement with Haiti missions.

Blessings,
Amy

Taking a minute to dwell in Him

This blog entry is tough to write. Tough because I, like many others at LCF, are feeling a loss. Because of many circumstances beyond our church's control, all of the children at the orphanage have been dispersed to other people and places. We so much want to understand how this happened, why this happened, and now, what can we do to make sure they are okay.

But God has reasons beyond our understanding for allowing all that has happened in the last few weeks. He has a plan for each child. We just don't know the details. To be honest, God doesn't have to ask our permission or our opinion. There is no doubt in my mind that LCF followed God's plan for the children ever since the orphanage opened in 2008. God hasn't left the children, He just has another plan for their lives. I believe He is commanding our church to not let go of our mission to help orphans. God is asking us to not let go, but instead, He is asking us to "let God". I, and many others in the church are on our knees asking God to continue to reveal His purpose, His grace and, most importantly His abounding love for the people most in need in this world... orphans.

What now? Pray? Cry? Mourn? Yes to all. I am really trying to focus on one word in particular... DWELL in the Almighty. I thought I would look up the meaning of the word "dwell" in my dictionary. First of all, dwell is a verb, an action verb. A doing kind of thing. It means to "focus one's attention, to continue in a place or a condition, to reside." I would like all that read this post, all that pray for the orphans whether you have been on a trip or not... to dwell in Him with all of the concerns we have for the children. Dwell in prayers for the children. Dwell in prayers for the people in the organizations that are involved with the orphans in Haiti. Also, dwell in prayers for Scott and the LCF Haiti team as they seek to know God's direction in all of this.

I feel strongly led to dwell in a specific chapter in the Bible. Isaiah 43 is a beautiful chapter filled with hope, redemption, and grace. I will share just one particular verse and then ask you to read in your Bible for the other promises God shares in the chapter. We can use these verses to dwell in prayers for the children.

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."

Our outpouring of love and devotion to share the love of Christ to each and every child that lived at the orphanage was no accident. It was by God's design. He chose each child and even each villager to hear the message of true salvation. He chose each LCF team member that would take a week of their time and give hugs, smiles, and show the children Jesus's love through songs and skits. We were and we continue to be God's servants to reach out and bring light to a dark world.

Thank you for dwelling in prayer with the LCF Haiti team. To God be all the glory, all the honor, and all of the praise, forever and ever. Amen!

Blessings,
Amy

A Mother's Day prayer

Happy Mother's Day!
As I celebrate the day with my own children, I can't help but think of the children's faces in Haiti that have captured so many hearts here at LCF.

The situation in Haiti concerning our orphanage continues to leave us with more questions than answers. The LCF Haiti team asks for your prayers for God to continue to show us His will for these precious children.

The children are ever-present in many people's minds at LCF. Their spiritual growth, physical wellness, and emotional well-being are of great concern. They are so precious.

As I think about the children on this blessed day, I am reminded of a Bible study that I read a few years ago from Beth Moore. It is in her Book of Esther study. The words made such an impact on my own life and now I am praying for this over each of the children in Haiti that we love so much. Please join me as we focus on God's will for each child no matter what the circumstances.

Prayer: Dear Lord, as we read the statements below, may your blessed love for each child surround them and protect them always.

(There is a fill in the blank to add the specific prayer request/concern)

If _____________, then God will take care of the children.
If ______________, then God has a plan.
If _____________, then God desires to accomplish something monumental in them.
If _____________, then God is going to demonstrate His sufficiency to each child.

Amen

Blessings,
Amy

Matthew 17:20

Big things can happen even when we offer the shortest, tiniest prayer. I fully believe God adores our big long prayers as well as our short, to the point prayers. The Holy Spirit takes all of our prayers and lays them at Jesus' s feet. Thank you, Lord!

The orphanage that LCF supports in Haiti especially needs prayers right now. Satan is trying to get a grip around certain aspects and certain people in Haiti that directly impact the children. The prayer team is asking anyone that reads this post to pray Big, pray Often, and to pray Over the decisions that need to be made for God's will concerning the children's well-being.

Matthew 17:20
He replied, "Because you have so little faith, I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Blessings,
Amy

Good Friday wishes

I miss the children! Strange, I know, since I have never met them. It has been a couple of weeks since the Haiti team visited the children at St. Louis. I love hearing their stories about how the children are doing. I especially love imagining their smiles and giggles.
I was reflecting on the fact that today is Good Friday. The day Jesus told the world, "I pick you" over his own life. It is an overwhelmingly beautiful thought. I imagine that being an orphan can lead to thoughts of abandonment and that no one cares. The greatest thing that we can do for the orphans is to let them know about Jesus and his unfailing love for each one of their sweet faces. To let them know that God is whispering in their sweet ears, "I pick you, come follow me, I will never forsake you".
Take time to pray for God to continue to guide the children to Him. They are precious in His sight!

Blessings,
Amy

Psalm 19:1

All week long, the prayer team felt two themes for this Haiti trip: joy and God's mighty power. No matter where the team was yesterday, you can sense from the blog that they felt God's joy pouring out on the children and God's mighty power as he orchestrated the time with the villagers during the showing of the Jesus film. May the seeds that were planted yesterday spread across Haiti! Pray big!

Today's verse: Psalm 19:1
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Continue to pray for the team today as they leave the orphanage. Pray that tears of sadness turn to tears of joy of good memories. Pray for the safety of the team and for smooth travel as they travel back to PAP today and then leave for home tomorrow. And one last thing, please take a moment to thank God for how he orchestrated this week through the happy times and even through the struggles.

Blessings,
Amy

Day 6

From Saturday

Today felt like a day full of accomplishment. We started off in your standard size school bus instead of our typical passenger van packed with about seven bags of clothes and additional supplies we still had to give out to the mommas and children. Samuel, our interpreter even got a little western wear. He is such a blessing to have with us. As we pulled into St. Louis, Scott had already effectively delegated duties as we were on a tight schedule today in hopes to get everything we had planned to complete.

Several of the ladies were busy laying out all the clothes to distribute. Jewel worked closely with Madame Pastor as she helped to evenly distribute the clothes. They were very grateful and a resounding thank you was given.

The library was in full use this morning with new toys breaking the scene. Puzzles and zooming cars were keeping kids busy, while Linda was having tea parties with all the boys and girls. Other girls enjoyed the baby dolls. Sarah and Andrea completed the last of the children getting their checkups.

We also had the men pulling up the bunk mats that the children sleep on to take outside and spray down with a bleach solution and dry in the heat of the sun to eradicate any remnants of scabies and other diseases that remained. We finished in very little time so we split up in teams of three to walk the street inviting the patrons of the town to our Jesus movie that afternoon. It was an eye opening experience to be a part of the culture and feel the way of living so close. We made our way back to St. Louis and gathered the children into the bus and began our trek about 30 minutes east to the beach.

We were excited to see the children’s faces when they set their feet on the sand and see a glimpse of the beauty God has created for us. It was funny to see that most of them were rather intimidated by the water. It took our hands holding theirs or picking them up and wading in the shallow water to build up their confidence. There were about 15 brave souls that were comfortable enough to walk down the shore and get their feet wet. Many were playing under the shade of the palm trees with the various sport toys that we brought along. We made them peanut butter and honey sandwiches and gave them fruit juice to help finish off the last of their antibiotic pills. Amazed by how well they listen and wait patiently in line, we attended to all the children in less then 30 minutes. Our time was cut shorter then expected because the weather looked like it was going to rain on our parade… AND…we still had all the bunk mats sitting outside in the heat that needed to be put back in the dorm rooms.

We pulled back into St Louis surprised to see that the mats had been moved indoors. Several of the men, with the assistance of the momma’s, put them back in their places while the ladies got out their buckets and soap to start washing the children’s hands and feet. It was humbling to sit next to Brandi while she prayed over and washed the hands of several young boys. Kelsey, Aubrey, Lisa, and Andrea manned the other soap stations washing hands, scrubbing nails and then applying lotion. I was cracking up because a few of the children would take and wipe the lotion from their hands on their faces and legs to make them smoother.

The church started filling up with those that we had invited earlier in the day. We passed out peanut butter and honey sandwiches to all the guests and shortly thereafter, started the movie. A rough count of about 180 filled the church walls and there was an anticipated silence as it began. Our prayer is that a seed was planted where fertile ground was ready.

Sunday is going to be a tough. Anticipation has already set in and the children know we will be leaving. We will miss their smiles, we will miss their giggles, and we will miss the hands that come up behind us to hold ours and the hug from behind showing just how much they can love. Love breaks the boundaries of verbal communication. We have seen it everyday. Thank you for your prayers back at LCF. Please keep Aubrey in your prayers as she is under the weather tonight.

In God’s Grace,
Travis and Brandi

Deuteronomy 33:12

A day like today makes Satan mad. He doesn't want the team to have a blessed day with the children and the mommas at the beach. Satan doesn't want the team to share the gospel to the people. Please take time to pray over the last full day that the team has with the orphans and the people there. Satan is furious. You know what? God will always be victorious! Pray, pray,pray today!

Today's verse: Deuteronomy 33:12
About Benjamin he said: "Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders."

Take a moment to picture that verse. Then picture the LCF team, the children, and the people in the village being able to rest between God's shoulders...beautiful verse to consider as the team fulfills God's purpose.

Blessings,
Amy

Day 5

Hey from Haiti!
Praise God!..today was such a fun and encouraging day! It rained again today. I am loving the correlation between prayer and the rain..thank you prayer team! The kids did not have school today so we had a full day to play with them!! The team got kids in the library to play today and they had a blast! The kids loved all of the toys and reading the books. I was really surprised at how well clean-up went (definitely better than the average American play room). We are hoping that the library will get used more often. The kids are very well behaved. We also played games and sang songs in the school room like down by the banks, the hokey pokey, and Father Abraham (which the kids thought was hilarious). The rain stopped and we had more time with the kids outside. The men worked in the rain and finished the roof today! They had quite an audience of kids watching. Scott hit his finger with a hammer (its pretty blueish/blackish). The men worked very hard and got very sweaty so they are getting the first showers tonight. The men also put a cross, which they made, on the front of the church. Not long after they were asked to take it down because it is mainly a Catholic symbol here and the pastor's wife did not want it there. We got a picture outside the church with the cross on it before it was taken down. We also had a couple pretty sweet dance parties outside today..even the mommas were getting into it. We are all very encouraged at the way the mommas have been involved in the activities and are much much more receptive to us. Several women have gotten hugs or at least a bunch of smiles and waves from them! We discovered outfits for the mommas in one of the bags tonight and are majorly pumped to give them to them! Please continue to pray for the mommas and our bond with them. I volunteered to do laundry this week and they are lovin’ it. The mommas work very hard with the resources they have. The VBS today was about the resurrection. The kids had another coloring sheet, which they always love. They also got egg shakers and toilet paper tubes to color, shower with stickers, and yell threw (of course the stickers also ended up on their faces and clothes). The kids had a blast singing and using their instruments. We went out to dinner at a restaurant in downtown Les Cayes with Samuel and Sarah tonight which was fun and delicious. We discovered that Nelson, our driver, speaks Spanish so he and I talked as the team fed me questions to ask him. He was very grateful to be able to converse with us and I’m sure he was very entertained as we were all cracking up. Sara and helpers completed the assessments of the younger girls today. We haven’t had our nightly meeting, worship, and prayer yet but we had great fellowship again today. I have been very blessed by the other team members this week. It’s crazy to think that today is Friday..that means one more full day with the kiddos. It definitely gets harder and harder to say goodbye and the end of each day. My little buddy Mardoche, who is very shy and quiet and rarely talks, laughs, or smiles has been opening up to me more and more each day. I put him down today to say bye to the other kiddos and he immediately jumped right back up into my arms. Hanging with these kids and this team has definitely given me a very cool picture of God’s love and challenging me to go all out to share it. We all continue to be blessed with the service at the Pastor Louis’ house. Please pray for them as well. The plan is to take the kiddos and perhaps the mommas to the beach for a few hours tomorrow. They have been looking forward to the beach all week. Please pray for sweet time there. We also plan to show the Jesus film tomorrow and have tracts to pass out to the people that come. Please pray that the Lord would work through the movie and that time and bring lots of people. Well thanks again for all of the prayers!

With love and blessings,

Kelsey (with some input from Greg)

Isaiah 40:11

I just read the Day 4 blog. The team talked about the rain yesterday. The daily blogs from the teams are so inspiring. I cannot wait for each post to see what God is doing through the team and how we can pray for them.
I felt lead to share a correlation between Day 4 post and the prayer team's gatherings...After the prayer meeting last night, I received a text from Janese asking for a specific prayer for Samuel, the interpreter. He is a man of God that interprets each time the team is in Haiti. My text back to Janese and Scott was, "Let me just say that the team and everyone involved has been BATHED in prayer. I am surprised if they don't feel dripping wet from our showering of prayers." Little did I know when I sent the text that the team actually did get rained on yesterday AND the mamas washed their feet in a humbling act of kindness. God supplies the needs of all involved with LCF Haiti even through a rainstorm AND the team hopefully feels a showering of prayers from us as well. PRAISE GOD for a new day!

Today's verse was inspired by Cindy, one of the prayer team members. The verse comes by accident and she may not even realize that her typo in a text lead to a beautiful verse for today.

Isaiah 40:11
He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

Blessings,
Amy

Day 4

From Thursday

Bonjour!
Thank you God, for the way you have created the sun to rise and shine light on a new day. “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalms 118:24. This is the overall feeling we received this morning as our group began the day. Last night as we talked about the many unexpected discouragements we faced that day, we went to the Lord in prayer and gave our burdens over to Him. This followed by a few hours of praise and scripture sharing (as Drew and Sara have already mentioned) prepared us to start fresh today.

After breakfast we loaded up as usual and headed to the orphanage. We traveled through some small patches of rain but were hopeful they would not follow us to our final destination. However, that was not the case. The men had just gotten underway on the roof project and the kids had headed back to class after their morning break when the rain began to fall. After the men had received a good bath while gathering their tools our team convened in the orphanage clinic to wait out the rain. The ladies prepared to bring children through the clinic for their health screenings as the men headed to the church to repair some worn out pews.

Scott missed out on the fun as he had already left with two of the children (Windy and Rosela) to go to the medical clinic in Les Cayes for further test. After the testing that took place Sara was able to start Rosela on an anti-biotic for a minor infection and we are awaiting results on blood tests before taking further action. Windy was examined by an eye doctor who thinks he has a cataract on his left eye that could possibly require surgery. So progress on medical issues are certainly taking place.

Back at the orphanage Sara and many other team members were able give all of the boys their health screening along with a lot of personal love and attention. This involved height and weight tests along with general questions to help us learn more about the kids.

God continued to sprinkle in many blessings as the day went on. A large amount of mud was created due to the abundance of rain. Two of the children and one of the mommas were able to bless Lisa, Aubrey, and Jewel by washing their feet. Lisa later mentioned, “We came to serve them and here they are washing our feet, what a humbling experience.” With the rain postponing the construction on the roof the men were able to spend more time with the kids as they awaited their turn in the clinic. The mommas shared smiles throughout the day and as we left said they would see us tomorrow as they waved good bye. This progress with the mommas is an answer to prayer and a drastic improvement, even from the day before.

Drew and Sara had requested prayer for the meeting Scott was to have today. Thank you for those prayers. The meeting that was planned did not end up taking place; however, Scott and Drew were able to meet with Pastor Louis this evening. They both said they felt the meeting went well and please continue to pray as they seek God’s face concerning our kids.

We are thanking the Lord for His abundant grace and the many blessings He is pouring out on us daily.

Thank you for all your prayers,
Tyler and Andrea

Romans 8:28 and Ephesians 6:10-20

The prayer team has been praying in earnest for the Haiti team as they are facing trials as well as times of joy on the trip. We sense a spiritual battle happening. Satan does not want us there helping the children in the orphanage. But God has other plans. Please pray in earnest for Scott and for the team today as they face some tough situations. Pray that God shows them His desire and His purpose for the children. Their basic needs must be met. Our main mission is that these children find Jesus in their mind, body, and soul.

Thank you, God, ahead of time for Your will in this situation. Thank you for being right there alongside Scott and the team as they just want to do Your work for the least of these...the precious children.

Romans 8:28: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Ephesians 6: 10-20: The Armor of God (These are too beautiful and powerful of verses for me to type...take some time today to read them in your Bible)

Blessings,
Amy

Day 3

As we write this, it is 10:45 PM and the team is still together following our 8 PM meeting—still worshipping, praying, sharing Scripture with one another. There is a sense that we must come together and rely upon God’s power more than we were prepared to do when we woke up today. Some extra time before his throne will help, and we all know it.

During the debriefing session at the beginning of our meeting, as we shared our hearts’ reflections on the day, there was one major theme: discouragement. Maybe not what you expected to hear, but if we are honest, it is true. We experienced some things today that caused our hearts to hurt . . .

The two of us (Drew and Sara) took eight of the kids to a medical clinic in Les Cayes. One kid, Windy (new since January) does not use his left eye (we’re thinking he may be blind in that eye). Another, Rosela, has been ailing for a while, and we were hoping for a diagnosis for her prolonged disability and suffering. The other six have an itch outbreak on their skin. After sitting in the waiting room for a while (precious time with those kiddos!), the kids were rushed one-by-one in front of the “doctor,” and he hurried through, not answering Sara’s questions and not giving us anything conclusive.

The rest of the team experienced disappointment in St. Louis at the hands of the administration of our orphanage. Kelsey, Lisa, Jewel, Linda, Brandi, Aubrey and Andrea made a concerted effort to reach out to the mommas, but the mommas were defensive and disengaged. Meanwhile, the kids did not eat all day until 4:45 PM when they were treated to a pudding mixture of flour, sugar, and water. Add in the fact that there are rising tensions between our administration and El Shaddai Ministries, and we have a recipe for tension and sadness.

The day was certainly not all cast in gloom. There were several sprinkles of light along the way! Later in the day, Jewel received a hug from two of the mommas who appreciated the shoes we brought for them (the kids got them too). Kelsey and others heard several “mesi”s (“thank you”s) from them after helping with the laundry. The two of us received a love note from Rosela while we waited at the clinic. Travis had the whole camp busting tunes after they attended his spontaneous beep-box and rhythm class. Greg had a kid attempt to share half of his granola bar after Greg gave it to him. Linda is now known as “crazy lady” after she told the kids that “sweet potatoes have eyes” in Creole (she was trying to tell them to share!) Travis, Tyler, and Greg got started constructing the roof for the latrine. All of the ladies had the opportunity to pray with Sarah (our translator Samuel’s girlfriend) and hear her testimony. What a tangible, powerful reminder that there are Haitians who worship our Lord passionately!

These moments cause us to fall deeper in love with our kids. As Linda said tonight, we feel like we each have about 90 Haitian kids of our own now. And this is why we are so disheartened when we realize that they are not being cared for to the fullest potential. Please pray for Scott as he prepares to have a tough conversation with some leaders tomorrow. Pray for us, that God would continue to supply us with his energy and love to pour out on the kids. Pray for our kids, that God would care for them with his omnipotent hands.

It was sweet time tonight with the team tonight. We are leaning on the Lord and leaning on each other as we minister together. Please join with us in seeking God’s power and control over our situation. He is the King. We are simply serving him and trusting Him.

With love,
Drew and Sara

Philippians 4:19

Last week I was thinking about the Haiti team and the children waiting to see the team. The children's song, "Jesus Loves Me" came to my mind. I started singing the song but changed it to "Jesus Loves You" and praying that the children would know that they are loved by us and, most importantly, by Jesus. They are so precious.

Please pray for two of the children with medical issues. The team will hopefully be able to take them to a clinic to find out answers to their needs. Pray as the team interacts with the children and plays with them. Imagine the smiles on the team's faces as well as the children's faces. It will make your day brighter :)

Today's verse:
Philippians 4:19
And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Blessings,
Amy

Day 2

Okay, forewarning, I’m long-winded.
It seemed as though everyone woke up this morning feeling pretty refreshed, even though we didn’t get a ton of sleep last night! Today was the first time for me and many others on this team to be here in Haiti and also to see the orphanage. The roads here are…bumpy. Sometimes they’re non existent. In fact, in both going to the place that we’re staying in Les Cayes and to the orphanage, you turn onto roads that look like either you’re going into a ditch, river, or other dangerous trench. Since being in Haiti, I have discovered that 1. Haitians are loud, and 2.They are the best drivers bar none. I thought we were going to die….well not really, but God is faithful in keeping us safe and getting us everywhere we need to be. I’ll just leave that ride up to your imagination, and yes, you who have been to Haiti before know EXACTLY what I’m talking about!
The Haiti team boiled with anticipation as we arrived at the orphanage. As we walked in, the kids were still in school and were all looking out the windows as we waved excitedly to them. We kept busy in the morning, the guys all scoped out the latrine in preparation for the new roof, while the ladies helped wash laundry then proceeded to hang the clothes to dry over cactus and other assorted bushes.
The kids got a break and we got to hug A LOT OF THEM!! Unfortunately their break was really short so we had to wait another couple of hours to see them again. We did have some time to scope out the area and get to visit with the mommas a little. We plan to spend much more time with them this week. It’d be great if you all could be praying that they would open up to us and see our love and care for them as well!
FINALLY the kids got out of school (I seriously could hardly stand it). We spent the afternoon playing, jumping rope, with lots of hair braiding (with the ladies), some games of dominos, duck duck goose, and “down by the banks” (the group laughed on the last word every time “POW”).
We also had a time of VBS. We taught them about Palm Sunday, which involved some acting out of parts within our group…We decided Travis would be Jesus, and yes, Scott was the donkey. After Travis took a piggy back ride over the palm branches that the kids made (they LOVED coloring them and putting on stickers…even on their faces), the kids got to ride on the backs of the team members, too, while the rest of the kids shouted “Hosanna!”. It. Was. Awesome.
After VBS, we took the kids inside the church and watched the Haiti video and the personal messages from the previous Haiti team. The kids LOVED it! They all got excited at different parts throughout the videos, and I could tell the girls I was sitting by got excited when they heard their name on the personal message video. They all remembered the team members’ names! After the video, the kids all got their daily vitamin, a snack, and we all went out and played for the rest of our time there. The kids are way more active than what Scott and other team members have seen in the past! It’s a great thing! Also, even the mommas enjoyed the snack (they call snacks “bon-bon”).
As we were leaving, the kids kept asking if we’d be back “demen”, which means tomorrow! So before we left, Samuel (our wonderful translator friend) told us how to say “See you tomorrow!” I can’t wait.
Everyone at Pastor Louis’ house has been wonderful and feeding us amazing food. We’re so thankful for everyone’s prayers…we can feel God’s presence here and we’re all excited to see what He’ll be doing for the rest of the week. It’s an amazing feeling knowing so many people are praying for us while we’re here. The kids are understanding God’s love through our commitment to them as we continually return.
I feel so blessed to be a part of this.
All the best,
Aubrey and Jewel

Day 1

Greetings from Haiti!

We arrived in Port au Prince about 5:30 yesterday (just 12 hours since we had gathered in the KC airport!). After delays in Dallas and talk of missing our flight, we were thankful that we made it. If our flight had to leave just 10 minutes later from Fort Lauderdale, they would have cancelled. They do not allow flights after dark in Port au Prince.

As we were loading our luggage outside the air port, we heard the shouts and celebrating of Haitians in the streets. The election results were announced at 5:00PM, just thirty minutes before our plane landed. Thankfully, most people were happy about the results. Martelly is the new President of Haiti. Pray that he would lead with integrity and that there could be positive change in Haiti.

While traffic was light because of our late arrival, we were slowed at times by crowds of people marching and celebrating in the streets. You could see and hear the happiness and hope in the people.

The drive to Les Cayes was slightly less than 4 hours, a record for us I think! There was food waiting for us, so we had some rice, etc about 10:30. It had been along day, so the team headed to bed soon after.

It’s Tuesday morning. The roosters have been crowing for hours. The sun is up and we are excited to see the kiddos today. Pray we would shower them with the love of Christ today!

If you are interested, we are "tweeting" more frquent updates. Text "follow rshickox" to 40404 and you will receive them on your cell phone. As Amy Newberry said, "tweets from a third world country, isn't technology amazing?"

Blessings

Scott
For Team Haiti

Psalm 138:8

The team arrived in Les Cayes in record time...only a 4 hour bus ride!

Pray for the team and for the children as they meet and interact with one another today. This is the day that the Lord has made!

Psalm 138:8
The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever--do not abandon the works of your hands.


Blessings,
Amy

The team has arrived in Haiti!

I just saw a Twitter post from Scott that the team has arrived in PAP. They must go through customs and then they will begin a 5 hour bus ride to Les Cayes. Pray for them as they still have a long journey ahead of them. But...with a great reward to come... seeing the children! Praise God for His blessings upon this trip!

Amy

Travel update

The team has arrived in Florida! They are scheduled to leave for a flight out to Haiti soon! Praise God!

Amy

Weather delay

I just received a text from Scott that said that the team is stuck in Dallas due to a weather delay. Please pray that the weather clears up and that the team can arrive in Haiti today. I will update as soon as I know more.

Blessings,
Amy

James 1:5

Team Haiti is on their way to the orphanage. They have a long travel day ahead of them. Please keep them in your prayers as they begin their journey of showing God's love to the children this week.

Today's verse:
James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

If the team has internet access, they will blog from Haiti. I will also post daily verses and any information that I receive through texts. Please PRAY!

Don't forget to come and pray for the team. There are daily times. Even if you can only join in one prayer session or all of them, please join us as we cover the team and the children in prayer. We pray for one hour.

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 8pm at the church house
Wednesday: 6pm
Friday: 8pm
Saturday: 9am
Sunday: 5:30pm

Blessings,
Amy N.

Hugs are almost on the way!

The LCF Haiti team will be leaving Monday, April 4 through Monday,April 11. Please pray as they prepare for the trip. Many are feeling the stress of getting ready for a trip with the the to-do list for home, work, school, and a mission's trip. Several of the team members are feeling a little under-the-weather. Please pray for their health to improve as the week goes on. Even with all of the preparation and last minute details, one thing is for certain... the team members are ready to give hugs to the children and to have fun getting to know them!

Here are the Prayer times that will happen daily while the team is on the trip:
(All prayer times are at the LCF church house)
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 8pm-9pm
Wednesday: 6pm-7pm (before Family Gathering)
Saturday: 9am-10am
Sunday: 5:30pm-6:30pm

Team members that are currently planning on going on the trip:
Andrea Weir
Tyler Weir
Kelsey Heuer
Gregory Heuer
Linda Novak
Lisa Nishimura
Jewel Callahan
Aubrey Callahan
Travis Kreutzer
Brandi Kreutzer
Scott Hickox
Drew Matthews
Sara Matthews

We are asking for prayers for each team member, the children as they enjoy the team's visit, and the adults that are involved in the ministry in Haiti.

We will post more as the trip goes along.

Amy

April 4-11: Next LCF Haiti trip

LCF has a Haiti trip planned for April 4-11. Please pray as the team and the LCF leadership prepare for the mission trip.

Even if you are not able to go on the trip, you can donate much needed items for the children: Crocs (children, youth sizes), coloring books, and play-doh. Please bring the items to the Haiti tub located in the Multi-purpose area. I can already see the smiles on the children's faces when they receive the items! Thank you in advance for donating.

Please be praying for the team, the orphans, and the Haitian adults and organizations that are involved in the St. Louis du Sud orphanage. May the trip be a blessing to the people and children of Haiti as well as for the LCF team members.

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

Blessings,
Amy Newberry

Day 7

Always the hardest day on our trips, the day to say goodbye.

More than most, this day was a roller coaster of emotions. From the joy of worshipping with our children, to the sadness of saying goodbye. From the grief of seeing two dead men lying in the road to the pleasure of dining with Moise Vaval in his home and worshipping at his church to end the day. Wow. Those are the cliff notes, read on if you want the more complete version……………..

We left for St. Louis early so we would have a little time with the kiddos before church. We knew we would have to leave immediately after church, so wanted as much time as possible.

From the moment we arrived, the looks on their faces told us they knew. The children are learning, they know the last day is hard. We hugged and took lots of pictures before church started. As always, it is a joy to worship with our orphans. A group of them sang a special song during the service. Everyone on the team had the opportunity to share something with the congregation. There is no doubt the children and the church there know how much we love them, and that an entire church in the US is supporting them. Thank you!

Leaving is bittersweet. Cameron’s French, which has been a blessing all week, was a curse for him on the last day. He hears the children begging us to stay. As difficult as it is, we realized that they are understanding relationship. They are experiencing love, which has always been our goal. It doesn’t make the leaving any easier, but does give us hope they can understand the love of their heavenly Father.

We were on the road to PAP by 11:30, with hopes of stopping at Marie’s (the lady who rescued our June team from the river!). We arrived at Maries about 1:30, but she was not there. She had left for the states just a few days before. We did see some of the staff who had served us in June, and Cameron left pictures for them from the river experience. It is so neat to see how God has allowed us relationships with people around Haiti. It is exciting to think how many we might have years from now.

On our way to PAP, we passed a terrible accident. Two young men were lying in the street dead. It was a vivid reminder of the life and death realities in Haiti. People here are far too accustomed to tragic death. I wondered how long the bodies had been there, would an ambulance come, would they get a funeral, would their family even know? Life in Haiti is hard.

When we arrived in PAP, Moise met us and led us to his home. Moise is the Global Orphan Project country director who was featured on 60 Minutes after the earthquake. His son, John Mark was killed in the earthquake. Moise is an incredible man of God, and what a treat to spend a few hours with he and his wife, Françoise in their home. She prepared a wonderful meal and the fellowship was sweet.

We then had the opportunity to visit his church. The church was destroyed in the earthquake, but the congregation has rebuilt it, and it was dedicated on the one year anniversary of the earthquake, January 12. There were thousands at the dedication service. This was the first Sunday to worship in the new building. What a blessing to celebrate God’s goodness with them. While we could not understand the songs they sung, it was easy to worship with them. Their dependence on the Lord shows in their worship, it is real joy. I had the opportunity to preach, what a humbling experience. It was one of those experiences I will never forget. During the service, the power went out for a minute or so, and God was faithful to just keep us going. Moise prayed to close the service and people were giving their lives to the Lord. The Holy Spirit is moving in Haiti. Thank you Lord for a glimpse of that to give us hope as we return home.

We spent the night at the Global Orphan Project Inn and will head to the airport shortly for our trip home. We are excited to return to families and friends, and to share our experience with others, but a part of us will always remain here. God has used Haiti to change us. I am praying He keeps changing me.

Thank you for all your prayers. We have definitely felt them. God was so good to us on this trip. To Him be the glory and honor and praise.

Blessings

Scott
For Team Haiti

Philippians 4:8-9

This is the last day there for the team. The team most likely is feeling many emotions right now. Please be praying that the goodbyes that they say today will be filled with joy and not sorrow. The tears of the team and the children will be full of joy and hope and not sadness. Please pray that the children and the adults in the village will develop a deeper bond with Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. Please pray that God stirs their souls.

Specific prayers for the team today:
1. Pray for their last few moments with the children and Pastor and his wife along with the mamas, and all of the adults that the team has been in contact with.
2. Pray for safety of travel as they drive back to Port au Prince today.
3. Pray as Scott preaches this morning and then preaches at Pastor Moise's church tonight. Scott specifically asked for prayers that God use him to speak His message to the people. We also pray for Scott to have the stamina to preach tonight after a long drive.
4. Pray for safe travel home tomorrow. On-time and smooth airline connections would be awesome :)
5. Pray for the team as they re-enter the States. Pray that God will show them just what they should do with their memories of this week and make their world around them a better place just by finding their purpose in You in their day to day living.

Today's verse: Philippians 4:8-9 (Beautiful verses)
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

*Amy

Day 6

Salutations,

Hebrews 12:2-3 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him, endured the cross, scorning the shame and set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

This verse spoke to me (Tami) as we prepared to go out into the city of St. Louis to invite people to the Jesus movie. Every person we met was welcoming and truly happy to talk with us. We have been told several times by our interpreters that our presence in Haiti is encouraging to the people. It is mind boggling to think that our presence is so welcomed by those we interacted with. The villagers were so warm and open to invite us into their space and let us in return invite them to be with us at the church. Pastor and his wife, Venice accompanied us during this time of going out in to the town. Amy Newberry sent us the verse from Mark 1:38-39 where Jesus is preaching in Galilee and instructs his disciples to go out into the towns. We all felt that is what we were doing today.

A huge highlight of this trip is that the children are asking for previous visitors by name. That is such a huge honor in the Haitian culture, when one is not present and asked for in conversation they are verbalizing that they care for you.

Yesterday we finished and opened the library which the children have been enjoying. When we returned to the orphanage this morning you could hear the sounds of laughter and toys buzzing. After a while, some of us began to wonder where two of our members disappeared only to find them in the midst of approximately 50-60 children in the library observing them play. Thank you all for bringing so many smiles to their faces.

Prior to leaving the orphange for the day, we got to teach hand washing and wash all the children’s hands. Similar to when Jesus washes the disciple’s feet in John chapter 13. There is something to be said when you humble yourself and wash another’s hands, you feel more like you are channeling Jesus. You could see the children relax and enjoy us clipping their nails, washing with soap and water and rubbing in cocoa butter. Oh yeah, we also prayed over each child during the special one on one time.

Randomness from Team Haitian 2011.

"I'm not the smartest tack in the shed."--Tami-after a long days work
"Ma'am you are in a third world country anything can happen"--Bob American baggage claim man
“Du...Rag. Look du-rag! I spoke Creole. What does that mean? (As it sits below a photo of a man wearing one on his head)- Tami
“ I thought after the second time he would be whatever.” Erik- after tuna left his hand for the third time and landed on the Haitian next to him.
"Don't take a picture of my beef bourguignon"--Tami saying and Janese thinking
“Hey baby, I Love You!!- Random Haitian man’s proclamation to Joelle.(prayers being anwered???)
"Our driver is from Son-of-a-Mango?"--Jake (that would be Santa Domingo)
“Did you say..Girls we have a long drive to Port au Prince to eat more apples.” Janese- the slightly hearing impaired member.
"That just gets my Goat!"- Tami

Tami, Janese, Erik, Cameron, and Jake

Mark 1:38-39

Set your phone alarm today or kitchen timer or put sticky notes everywhere like I do...
Pray at 2pm as a church body at the church house as God is having the team work full speed for His glory today. This will be the first time that I can recall that the video of the life of Jesus narrated in Creole will be shown to the people in the village. With Satan full at work in Haiti with voodoo, this is a HUGE opportunity to share the hope that only Jesus can give.

Today's verse: Mark 1: 38-39
Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else-to the nearby villages-so I can preach there also. That is why I have come. " So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

This verse has pressed upon my heart since early yesterday morning. Satan has gripped many in Haiti to believe in evil. Yet, Jesus promises that He is the only way, the only truth, and the only life. Pray that Jesus becomes a bright light to many today.

*Amy

Day 5-Pineapples

“Just abide in God's pineapple...” a famous quote of the day. Thanks Jake!!
No really, we must abide in God’s love and live out His greatest commandment. John 15 explains the vine and the branches and how a branch remaining in God’s love will bear much fruit but one who strays will be unproductive. It is easy in our modern day world to be distracted and to gradually decrease the amount of time in the word. I tend to then wonder why I am seeing unanswered prayers. Being convicted of this, I realize I am not always turning to the Vine or Christ to help prune me so I may bear fruit. Yes sing with me now as the song is going through my head too.

It is so refreshing to see two young men growing and maturing. It reminds me so much of how my walk with Christ was beginning at the same season of life that Jake and Cameron are in. Seeing these guys grow and on fire for the Lord and soaking up His word is amazing, a great reminder for all. I am enjoying seeing their zeal for God. Seeing this, I am also convicted on how God wants me to slow down, reduce the distractions, and quench my thirst. Being so focused on the distractions, I have been neglecting my vine.

Last night, I was compelled to turn to Mark chapter 5, and to my surprise, for numerous reasons. The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus’ teaching on laying a foundation of moral and ethical living that is unachievable without Him as our center is so convicting. God has shown me in my quiet time here in Haiti that I have not fully given Him full reign over some aspects, i.e. thoughts of inferiority, reconciliation.
One I will share with you all is that I have felt lacking as a medical professional to even help the children here and I know of others that are much more suited for this. This lie has been so repulsive that in order to “Kill the bug,” I must surrender everything to God and ask the Holy Spirit to heal and show truth. I have started this process and am in awe of the peace that floods in and my thirst for His word continues to grow. I have noticed that I want to read the word when I wake and when I prepare to sleep. Every night, I have been going to sleep with a song or a portion of a lyric replaying in my mind. In your presence, I Surrender All, and I trust in you Lord to name a few.

Now that I have been so openly vulnerable I am moving on to what today brought. When we arrived to the orphanage, the children were still in class and we knew we had some projects to get done. Since we didn’t have our bags for the first few days, we couldn’t accomplish those tasks till today. Pastor Scott, as we call him, painted the front of the church while Janese and Tami finished applying a second or third coat of paint in the library that we started yesterday. Jake and Cameron bounced back and forth doing whatever needed to be done. I, being so ADD, started to finish organizing the clinic, helped Janese and Tami for a little, helped Pastor Scott, and bounced back to the clinic.

Once the bell rang for the kids to have their snack and a little outside free time, we had numerous little hands slip into ours, smiles flashing all over the place and kids hopping into our laps and arms. I with the help of Tami, Cameron, Jake, and Samuel (our interpreter) finished obtaining assessments on the children and continue checking back on a few kids and mamas that needed some interventions. I will say that I am so grateful for Janese’s phone, which has now been changed to our phone. Janese was able to obtain software to help me with the interventions, prior to leaving the United States, which has proved useful.

Since I was in the clinic for the majority of my time today, I will say that I did miss the VBS session today as well as Joelle giving her testimony to the children, which I heard was an amazing one.

One last thought:
We came to Haiti to love on orphans as Paul stresses in James, rather the orphans demonstrated God’s greatest commandment, Love. Seeing these children run to us, hold our hands, and give us kisses, is like God showing us a little preview of what eternity will be.

Erik
for Team Haiti

John 3:16: PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!

If you are new to this blog, you might notice that when a team is in Haiti, there are many posts... posts from the team, updates from texts that I receive, and a daily prayer verse that I post as a prayer team verse to uplift and encourage the team. Please scroll through the posts to make sure you read each one to get a better picture of God at work.

I sent a text to Scott last night that I was sensing that God was pleased, wait, let me rephrase, EXTREMELY pleased about what happened at the orphanage during the day. Then I wake up this morning to read Bev's post, and it confirms what amazing things God is orchestrating in Haiti. It confirms more than that... God's hands and feet, ears and eyes are being used to the greater glory, saving souls and giving hope.

PLEASE pray extra prayers for the team at 2pm today and tomorrow. The prayer team realized some time conflicts for Saturday morning. We decided to move the time to 2pm on Saturday. Today, we know why God orchestrated that time change. That is the exact time the video will be shown. Please come to the church house at 2pm Saturday to pray as a church body for adults and children to come to know Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.

Verse for today: John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

*Amy

"God of this City"

The team sent a text and asked if I would post the lyrics to "God of this City" by Chris Tomlin. They are feeling convicted to the lyrics of this song. According to Janese, they had a great night of singing and worship after a great day of working and loving in His name.

"God of this City"
Verse 1.
You're the God of this city
You're the King of these people
You're the Lord of this nation
You Are

You're the light in this darkness
You're the hope to the hopeless
You're the peace to the restless
You are

Bridge:
For there is no one like our God
There is no one like You God

Chorus 1:
For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done
In this city
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done here

Verse 2:
You're the Lord of Creation
The Creator of all things
You're the King above all kings
You Are

You're the strength in the weakness
You're the love to the broken
You're the joy in the sadness
You Are

Bridge:
For there is no one like our God
There is no one like You God

Chorus 2:
For greater things have yet to come
Greater things are still to be done
In this city
When glory shines from hearts alive
With praise for You and love for You
In this city

Greater things have yet to come
Greater things are still to be done
In this city
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done here.

Day 4

"Paske, Bondye sitelman renmen lezom li bay sel Pitit li a pou yo..." That's the beginning of John 3:16 in Haitian Creole, which has been our theme verse this week, even moreso than we thought it would be! We can't seem to move away from it - the Lord is putting on our hearts the salvation of the children and the community of St. Louis du Sud. Yes, we want to be Jesus to them in any way we can, but we are also praying that they would know Him personally and that we would spend eternity with each of them! We have the Jesus Film in Haitian Creole and are praying about whether to show the adult 2 hr. version on Saturday afternoon or the children's 1 hr. version which the team showed in October as well. Tomorrow we will be handing out flyers and inviting people to come to the church Saturday afternoon at 2:00 - please pray for the Holy Spirit's directon.

This afternoon Samuel, our main interpreter (who also did the October trip - you would love this young brother in Christ!), helped the kids memorize John 3:16 (which they do very quickly), then shared his own story with them. He was taken as an orphan, along with his sisters, as a 2 yr. old after his mother died. He was in the same Haitian orphanage 11 years, taught to love Jesus by a godly woman from the States who he calls Mama. As he shared in his warm animated way, all 95 kids were completely quiet, and you could sense the Lord speaking to them as they listened to someone who knew better than any of us how they felt and what their life is like. He told them about being hungry and praying for food to come, and someone showing up with a large warm meal for them all. He challenged them to trust in the Lord with all their hearts.

Tomorrow, Joelle will be sharing her testimony of asking Jesus to take over her life as a young child, and feels led to then ask if any of them would like to do the same. Samuel has a very evangelistic heart as well, and it will be exciting to see how the Lord uses them (as he interprets). The rest of us will all be sitting out under the mango trees, with kids crowded all around us and on our laps, praying as they speak. Please join us in prayer for these precious kids - it will be at approximately 2:00.

Another sweet highlight of today was going into the church building after the kids got of school and watching a slide show of the October trip here, as well as a video where each of the October team members shared personally with the kids (interpreted into Creole by Brad & Monica Gautney). Pictures of each child showed on the screen as our LCF team told them that Jesus loved them and that they loved them. The kids were enthralled by seeing themselves on the screen (a white sheet), and excited to hear and see their friends from far away! Again, you could sense the Holy Spirit touching young hearts. Another really sweet moment that brought tears to my eyes was when our LCF kids (led by Cindy Davis) were on the video singing the song we taught these kids first in October of '09 - "Ho Ho Ho Hosanna" - and they started smiling and looking at each other then starting singing with the LCF children on the video! Talk about special! I'm sure even heaven was enjoying that one!

Scott, with help from Jake, Natou and a number of the boys, built shelves for the little library we'll be introducing tomorrow and to add to the medical clinic/storage room.

"Dr. Erik", as he's referred to here, saw "patients" throughout the day, from children to Mommas, for cuts to fevers and sore throats. He's become quite popular, along with his wonderful assistant, Tami!

A number of us cleaned out and painted the room that will house the library. The Mommas came in and oohed and ahhed when it was finished (almost - tomorrow is the completion).

Erik explained "de-worming" medicine to the Mommas and the need to give it to the children, which they were happy for. Then Janese explained it to the kids (after we played our paper plate tambourines and sang songs to Jesus). You should have seen their faces when she told them there were bugs inside them taking away the good nutrition from their food, and that these little orange chewable tablets would "kill the bugs!" They laughed but couldn't way to eat the tablets! :)

Okay, one last thing - a little boy named Mardoche, who lost both his parents in the earthquake, new to St. Louis du Sud, who tears up often - the Lord put him on my heart last night and this morning. When I got there, he came right over to me and wanted to be held. He was holding on tight, with his face pressed against mine. I said, "I will be your Mama," and he nodded and held on tighter - I assume he understood the word Mama, and just wanted her. I had the privilege of filling in today, as he fell asleep in my arms during the videos. Thank you, Lord, for letting us represent You this week. And thank you, LCF, for sending us.

Love you,

Bev

Time change

****Prayer time change for Saturday*****

Please join us at 2pm on Saturday at the Church house to pray for the team.


*There is still an opportunity to help the team by praying for them:
Friday 6am, Saturday 2pm, Monday 9am


*Amy

Romans 8: 38-39

Today's verse for the Haiti team centers around one of God's many promises to us, as believers:

Please keep the team in mind as they lead the children in Bible songs, stories, and lead the children to the love of God.

Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

*Amy

Day 3

Bonswa friends in Liberty!

It's Joelle from Haiti. :) It has been such a lovely day here. Today marked the one year anniversary of the devastating earthquake. I had wondered what today would be like, and was so humbled by what I experienced. Today the kids were out of school because of the anniversary, and were sat down to remember what happened. Many in our orphanage in St. Louis du Sud did not lose family from the earthquake, but all remembered the tragic day and were most likely affected in some way by it. Yet, their response as they remembered was so amazing: they responded in worship to our God! As the pastor, and our translators spoke on all the devastation that happened, they did not remain on the topic of sadness, instead they quickly proclaimed God's wonderful truths: 1.That it is only by the grace of God that they are alive today, therefore God must have big purposes for their lives! 2. They gave a reminder to not worry, and surrender all to Jesus 3. And they talked about even if devastation or tragedy happens, it is all for the glory of God. After their talks, we just worshiped, it was simply beautiful. I sat by an orphan named Roseline as we sang, and it was so cute she grabbed my hands and lifted them up like hers to make sure I too was worshiping :). They know how to worship their God there! I was so humbled to think of my "trials" here in the USA. They are so small, and yet I can get so caught up in them, get discouraged, and quickly forget God's powerful truths. I want to become more like these people who today talked about one of the greatest tragedies I've ever heard of, and yet they responded in worship! And not just downcast worship, they sang at the top of their lungs, clapping and lifting their hands, and closing their eyes, looking up and smiling in joy. The joy of the Lord is truly their strength!

There were two boys in the orphanage that were transfered from Port au Prince and had lost parents in the earthquake. One of them is named Mardoche, and he's very new to the orphange. I'm guessing he's about three years old, and his face looked so sad today, there were several tears. I tried to hang around him and love on him as much as I could, but if you all could be praying for him and the other little boy, that would be wonderful, for I know only God can fully give them the comfort they need. I can't imagine being three years old and losing my family.

Today we also received our luggage!! So we were very happy to have all of our belongings! We were able to give the kids snacks, color with them, blow bubbles, and begin treating them medically. It was nice to have the kids out of school and just play with them all day! They really are some of the most precious kids in the world, their giggles, smiles, and hugs could brighten anyones day. It is amazing how you come to love on them and really they continually are loving on you!

Tonight after dinner mom and I got to talk to our translator Samuel for awhile, and he has an amazing story! After the earthquake last year he led continual worship and prayer with people for about two weeks straight! After that, he got very sick and came very close to dying, but still remained having so much faith in the Lord even when all obstacles were against him. He told us of how God was faithful and saved his life!! Not only that but provided for him every step of the way. The people in Haiti have such great faith, and I believe that Jesus is truly all they want and all they need. I believe because of this the Holy Spirit moves so much here. I pray that we can become more like this in the USA, that we would stop being so consumed with everything in this world and TRULY be COMPLETELY SURRENDERED to Jesus, that Jesus would be all we want!!

Speaking of Jesus being all we want, I got to learn the song Give Me Jesus in Creole tonight! I believe the words in this song truly describe the heart of the people in Haiti. :

Le matin lem leve, Ban mwen jezi.
In the morning when I rise, give me Jesus.

Le mwen sel pou kont mwen, Ban mwen jezi.
When i am alone, give me Jesus.

Le lavi mwen va fini, Ban mwen jezi.
When I come to die, give me Jesus.

Ban mwen jezi, ou met pran tout bagay
Give me Jesus, you can have all in this world,
Ban mwen jezi
but just give me JESUS.

This is already one of my favorite songs, but now even means so much more thinking of the people in Haiti singing this, for they can sing this song TRULY meaning every word.
Wow, I've really made this blog long! One last thing though, a funny story of the day: I was talking with the orphans and was talking about how cold it was at home, and how happy I was to be there with them in Haiti where it was warm! A young Haitian man was translating for me and then he interrupted and said if you love it so much here, you should marry a Haitian man so that you can be here all the time! Then he told me just pray, and then maybe God will give you that. haha, I was defintiely laughing inside :)
Well I think that's finally all for today, auvoir!!
God bless,
Joelle

The luggage has arrived!

I received a text from Janese that the luggage and other bags have arrived!

Praise God!


*Amy

Day 2

Sent via text message from Janese:

Lamentations 3:22-24 is our verse to start the day.
Rick Curtin cut his hand last night. He is fine. Had to have several stitches in his hand. Scott Rogers came to hospital to help. What a blessing. Rick will travel with Globals Tour de Haiti Team to PAP and they will all fly out on Thurs. He will be able to attend the rededication of Moise Vavals rebuilt Church.
We pray for continued healing and hearts turning to God in Haiti. On the one yr anniversary of the Earthquake.
The team wants to thank all for their prayers. We feel completely at peace with the challenges we have faced. Can feel that many our praying on our behalf.
Yesterday was our first day with the children. We continue to be amazed and delighted by their graciousness and joy. We were thankful for having no supplies! No distractions!

*I will add that the team asked for prayers to receive their luggage/supplies today. Only Bev, Joelle, and Cameron have personal items. Janese said there is a sense of community as they are helping each other out with this challenge. Praise God!

Prayer team verse for the day: Psalm 63:3

Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.


*We will have prayer group on Thursday at 8-9pm, Friday at 6-7am, Saturday at 9-10am, and Monday at 9-10am. Please join us at the church house.

*Amy

Day 2

Day 2 from Cameron and Jake

We had a skeleton of a plan. Upon awakening still with no bags in possession, I (Cameron) found myself bonding with other members of the team, Tami in particular, as I had to give her my new toothbrush. After spending time in the Scriptures and eating some breakfast, we loaded into the truck and heated for St. Louis. Once there was a chicken in the way. Our driver did not stop. As we arrived at the orphanage, the children were in school. Natou, the handyman and papa, opened the gate for us and greeted all of us with a smile of familiarity, as most of us had met him on previous trips. After a time, Pastor LaBastille sounded the bell for the children to assemble for lunch. The majority of our afternoon, since we had no supplies, was spent primarily in hanging out with the kids and showing them affection as our heavenly Father does.

I, Cameron, had a really neat opportunity to talk to the two schoolteachers. The female teacher, Liusette, has incredible faith. It was very fun to delight mutually in our Lord and Savior! The other teacher, however, said that he did not believe in Jesus and only believed in a creator of some sort. As these two individuals pour into our kids day in and day out, pray that he would come to know the Lord and be a spiritual role model for our kiddos. Lord willing, I'll have another opportunity to talk to them both again on Thursday. There is no schoolbtomorrow because it will be the first anniversary of the earthquake. Pray that the Lord would speak to them in a powerful and saving way. Erik suggested we invite both to our showing of the Jesus film on Saturday.

I, Jake, had a wonderful time simply being with all of the children. The younger boys especially seemed to hover around me. Therson, age 5, was especially attached, even after only a few hours. One of our main "activities" was coloring in coloring books (which by the way, would make an excellent donation to LCF Haiti missions!), and Therson used my legs as a table to color on. After he finished, I assumed he wouls either keep his picture or turn it in to Janese with all the other children, bit he gave it to me intead! It was so touching tonrecieve a gift from this child who had next to nothing, especially seeing how intently i labored on it. It rinsed me so much of how we are to trust christ. Although the quality of our service will never be close to what He deserves, He is so glorified by the sincerity and focus that we can only give because he gives to us.

A few other notes: the tour de Haiti bike team from the global orphan project stopped by the orphanage today to give our kids fifteen bikes and spend some time with them. LCF's own Scott Rodgers was with them!

Also, Rick, a team member from PVBC, lost his footing walking down a staircase and broke a glass bowl, breaking it against the wall and cutting his hand. He was quickly taken the the hospital in Les Cayes and received stitches. Because of Haiti's less than sanitary environment. It has been decided that Rick will return home on Thursday, Lord willing, after spending tomorrow with tour de Haiti team.

The verses of the day were James 1:2-5: consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you encounter trials of various kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Perseverance must finish it's work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you asks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

-Jake and Cam

Prayer time clarification

We will meet tonight (Tuesday) at 8pm at the church house to pray for the Haiti team.

*If schools are in session tomorrow morning, we will meet to pray at 6am as originally planned.

*If schools are not in session tomorrow morning, the prayer time will be at 9am tomorrow morning.

I have a feeling that the team is sweating right about now just as we are bundled up with many layers to keep warm. Continue to pray for the team no matter where you are or what you are doing. God listens to us all! Amen to that!

*Amy

Prayer group tonight: Psalm 28:7

We will be meeting at the church house tonight from 8-9pm to pray for the Haiti team.

*Verse for the day: Psalm 28:7

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.

*Praying that the team is able to have a blessed time with the children.
*We also lift up prayers that the 25 bags will be delivered today.



*Amy

Day 1

The snow delayed our 6am flight only slightly. Our connections were tight the rest of the day but we arrived in Port au Prince on time, about 4:15 (we are in eastern time now). Filing a lost bag claim in Haiti is a time consuming process. Since we had 25 missing bags, it took a long time! We left the airport about 6:30pm. The good news was by then most of the traffic was gone! We made it to Les Cayes a little after 10:30.

They had a meal for us and then a tired team was off to bed. It is 6:30am Tuesday. All are still in bed, but not sure anyone is sleeping with the roosters and barking dogs.

We are so excited to see the kiddos today! Will try to have someone blog tonight about our day. Thanks so much for your prayers!

For Team Haiti
Scott

Ps - if our bags arrives today, that would be a bonus!
Pss - missing Todd and Becky. Praying you all are doing better.

Arrival

The team arrived in Haiti. Unfortunately, 25 bags are still in Miami. The team asks for prayers that the bags will arrive safely and securely to them tomorrow.

They are currently on the last leg of their destination to Les Cayes. It is a long and bumpy drive. Please pray for their safety and comfort. From the conversations I have had with former team members, I get the distinct impression they don't have the luxury of an interstate highway in Haiti.

Amy

No prayer meeting tonight. Pray Ephesians 5:8-10

*Due to the increasing amounts of snow, we will not be meeting to pray for the Haiti team at 8pm tonight (Monday).

*I received a text from Scott saying that they safely arrived in Miami. Praise God! Please keep the team in your prayers as they have another flight and then a 6 hour drive to the village after that.
*Scott mentioned that one of the team members, Becky, was unable to go on the trip due to back problems. Please pray for her healing as well.
*Pray for safety as they travel, pray against cholera, and pray for any political riots to cease during this week.
*Pray for the children to be blessed and to feel without a doubt that they are loved!

*Today's Bible verse:
Ephesians 5: 8-10
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.

*One thing that I am sensing about this trip is that God is impressing the word "light". The song by The Afters keeps replaying in my mind when I think of the trip. After much searching and praying yesterday, I knew God was leading me to Ephesians 5, which focuses on light. Please pray that the Haiti team shines light into the darkness that seems to encompass Haiti.

Amy

Light Up the Sky

A team of 10 people will be going to Haiti this week to be God's hands and feet as well as His ears and eyes for His work to be done. We will be updating you throughout the week on the praises and prayer requests of the team. We will also have daily prayer times devoted to praying for specific prayer needs for the team.


May God "Light Up the Sky" for the children and adult workers at the orphanage, the pastors involved with the children, and for the LCF team dedicating their week to serve Him.

"Light Up the Sky" by the Afters:

When I'm feeling all alone
With so far to go
The signs that know we're on this road
Are guiding me home
When the night is closing in
Is falling on my skin
Oh God, will you come close

You light, light, light up the sky
You light up the sky to show me that you are with me
And I, I, I can't deny
No I can't deny that you and right here with me
You've opened my eyes
So I can see you all around me
You light, light, light up the sky
You light up the sky to show me that you are with me

When stars are hiding in the clouds
I don't feel them shining
When I can't see beyond my doubt
The silver lining
When I've almost reached the end
Like a flood you're rushing in
Your love is rushing in (your love is rushing in)

You light, light, light up the sky
You light up the sky to show me that you are with me
And I, I, I can't deny

No I can't deny that you and right here with me
You've opened my eyes
So I can see you all around me
You light, light, light up the sky
You light up the sky to show me that you are with me

So I'll run straight to your arms
You're the bright and morning sun
To show your love there's nothing you won't do (nothing you won't do)

You light, light, light up the sky
You light up the sky to show me that you are with me
And I, I, I can't deny
No I can't deny that you and right here with me
You've opened my eyes
So I can see you all around me
You light, light, light up the sky
You light up the sky to show me that you are with me

*Posted by Amy

Prayer time

We are having our monthly prayer time for our Haiti missions teams and orphanage. Please join us at 6pm before Family Gathering at LCF in the Church house. Hope to see you there! Prayers bring God's power into focus!

Amy