Audacious Faith

WOW, what a week! As I sit here and write this blog with my incredible, beautiful, inspiring, strong (the list goes on) mother beside me we are just in awe of God's handiwork and his perfect timing throughout this entire trip. As we did our morning devotional this morning, the reading from Steven Furtick's Sun Stand Still about audacious faith was a perfect summary of our week. Audacious faith is not passive and neither is audacious prayer. Every aspiration you have in prayer needs an accompanying action otherwise your not really praying. You do the natural, TRUST God to the supernatural. That is what we did this week. We stepped out with audacious faith into the streets of Haiti to deliver water in the poorest slum in the Western Hemisphere. We fed the love of Jesus to the children in the streets, in the orphanages, in the schools - and they fed us too. We worked together as a team to activate our faith and trust that God would give us His strength, both emotionally and physically, to serve the people of Haiti. In return we have received hundred fold blessings abound.  We were amazed by the impact of going into the homes of the elders of Titanyen - we washed their feet and massaged their aching bodies, sang to them, and most importantly prayed for them.  Their prayer requests were so beautiful - and so similar to our own - for their families, for financial support, for health, but always prayers of thanksgiving for the blessings the Lord Jesus has bestowed on them. We toured Grace Village, Fleri Bakery & Farm and danced in the courtyard of Hope School to kick off celebrating Carnival.  Audacious faith with accompanying action. WOW, what a week!

This morning we attended a local church which was filled with people from many different countries. The worship and message were in English. We received communion - it was so beautiful to share in the intimate celebration of breaking bread with so many others in the mission fields. We are called to be in communion with God's family on a daily basis, at home and here in Haiti. The pastor taught about calling on the Holy Spirit to be our 'Bodyguard', our protector.  The Holy Spirit is always available to us to help keep us following in Jesus's pathway but we must call on Him and ask for His guidance. How reassuring to think about always having my bodyguard with me - I just need to call His name and trust! We were all filled with so much joy and hope this morning as we worshiped the Lord freely with people from many nations. One body of Christ.

To close out our final blog post from this trip it feels fitting to share about the family that was created in our team this week. Each day after our serving activities we would come back to the guest house, share a meal with our team and unpack the events of the day. This time was so special. We had a lot of laughter, some tears and even more moments of encouragement and prayer. Our team became a family this week. Only 7 days ago we were strangers meeting each other in the airport and we will leave here tomorrow as brothers and sisters. We just cannot wait to see what God has planned for the future relationships that were formed this week, not only just within our team members but relationships with the people of Haiti as well. We are so humbled at the opportunity we have had to share Gods love and stretch ourselves to live with audacious faith!

Blessings,
Denise & Kathy

The Potters Hand

Another amazing day in Haiti with our awesome team! Our word of the day was "molding" and that is exactly what God is doing in our lives. We came to Haiti with no expectations and as a workable piece of clay. Throughout the entire week as we gave our hearts to the people of Haiti, sharing Christ's love and hope, God had our hearts on the potter's wheel molding and shaping our lives into something new. As we near the completion of our mission trip in Haiti we are not the same. We came to bless and serve and in return have been changed ourselves by the master's hand.

Today, we had the privilege of visiting the Haiti Deaf Academy. Driving from the guest house to the academy was crazy as usual with vehicles swerving and honking around our tap tap bus, the smell of burning garbage, the vendors on the street and the motorcycles zooming made our destination to the academy a definite noisy experience. The moment we entered the gates, we were met with such quiet joy and expectancy from the children. Our time with them was spent loving on them, making rubber band bracelets, necklaces, nail polish and crafts. We also took an instant photo of each child. They had so much fun looking at themselves and so proud that God created them perfectly...exactly as they are. Dorothy and I also performed our mime skit showing that when we receive Christ in our heart He makes everything good and that when our hearts get broken, he can renew our heart...and we can share the love of Jesus with others. As we did the mime skit, every child was watching with so much intent and upon the completion, were asked several questions and they "got it"!! We didn't need to know sign language to share the great news. We had lunch with them and went to the sports field to play jump rope, soccer, baseball, bike riding and of course bubbles!! As you can imagine  the field was strangely quiet, but you could see and almost hear the joy on their faces.

We left and drove a little farther down the coast and saw more of the beautiful countryside and stopped at a resort called Wahoo to have a drink and snack and to swim in the amazing Caribbean sea. It was nice to take a short break from all of our spiritual, emotional and physical work.  For supper we stopped in Titanyen at the bakery to support the ministry of  Fleri and eat pizza.  It is amazing seeing what God is doing here to help the locals in the City that means "Less Than Nothing". 

Driving home it was DARK! There is very little electricity in the homes and no street lights. It gave  us an erie feeling. In our evening discussion time we talked about how dark we saw Haiti, but in a dark world we were called to be a light to serve and be the light for Jesus in Haiti.

Dave & Dorothy Smith

Fall Back On Me

We began our day in prayer as we left for one of the poorest slums in the western hemisphere to deliver water. The impact of the beginning of our day can hardly be explained only to say the act of bullying was evident in Haiti as it is in America today. This unexplainable injustice was on 2 special needs children. We wiped our tears and reminded ourselves that the short period of love and compassion we shared with these children will carry them just as Jesus promised He would for all His children.

We delivered thousands of gallons of water to the town of Cite Soleil. We were humbled as they stood in line with their 5 gallon buckets to carry their precious water to the places they call their homes. We have a greater respect for the gift of precious water we so freely get at home.

Our last stop was at the home for special needs children. It was a fresh relief from the heaviness earlier in the day. Our hearts were delighted to be there sharing Gods love!! It was apparent in the staff and all the kids there that they were one big happy family.

We ended our day praising the Lord that we could be His Hands and Feet for a short time while we are here. The Haitian people are so beautiful while having so little yet so much joy in their hearts. We rest in His love that passes all understanding with any struggles we have in our lives.

We are eagerly awaiting to see what God has in store for us in the next 3 days. We feel Gods love and passion in so many ways. Keep us in your prayers!!!!

With Love and Blessings, Julie and Kim

Tis the Day to Flourish!

Today was another day of great "firsts" for me.  Our eyes and hearts were opened by worshiping at Church on the Rock.  Seeing the sunrise to Haitians who love their Lord so much shows me how we all need to have more gratitude for the simple things...that is where JOY really comes from.

With the last two days being so physically and emotionally demanding, it was a great REJUVINATION day.  We were so fortunate to visit Grace Village...a place where God has placed miracles to those who believe. Yes...a clinic, school, orphanage, a bakery and restaurant with so many more dreams in the forefront.  It astounds me that one vision from one person could change a small piece of the world that needs every blessing possible. 

Thank you Alyn Shannon and Jeff Gacek for your vision.

It is beyond words to be a part of this mission team...to be the hands and feet of Christ to our Healing Haiti elders.  We washed their feet, pampered them with lotion and massages to make this one day a special one to honor them...especially their faithfulness to the Lord.  Their stories touch your heart and ones I will never forget.

To my team...thank you for your faithfulness to the Lord. How you serve is incredible.

Jacque #1 :)


"Give me Your eyes, Lord."  This was my prayer this morning.  A desperate prayer to God to break through my fears and give me His eyes to see people the way He does. We started off the morning bright and early at the Church of the Rock.  This church meets every morning at 6 am and people come before work to praise God.  As I sat in the service, God showed me the beauty in Haitian worship.  As we walked back to the guesthouse, we passed men and women going to work and children going to school. Instead of just looking straight ahead, focused on my destination, I looked each person in their eyes and I saw what Jesus sees...beauty.

We then piled into the tap tap and headed to Titanyen to visit some elderly men and women in their homes to wash their feet, sing and pray with them.  As I massaged the feet of these precious, wise Haitians, I looked into their eyes and saw what Jesus sees...love.

After our elder visits, we visited Fleri Resto and Bakery and Grace Village.  As Jacque #1 wrote above, this is a miraculous place.  There is so much amazing work being done here and it could only be done by God's mighty hand.  When I looked around at the faces of the children in Grace Village, I saw what Jesus sees...hope.

This has been a day of beauty, love and hope.  Thank you Jesus for giving me Your eyes to see.

Jacquie #2

Overflow

Thanks be to God for the opportunity to serve the people of Haiti. Today we distributed water in three different areas, which was very exhausting physically and also mentally. I started the day off holding the hose and instantly found it frustrating to be splashing water out of their buckets because of the pressure of fluids coming out. It soon came to me that this was going to happen and that I needed to see the bigger picture: Jesus was the water and I was the bucket, I needed to let the splashes happen so that those whose buckets are dry will get the over pouring from mine. An answer to a prayer from the night before that I would be over flowing with love to give.

I had enough strength and stamina to endure the whole day of filling water buckets and also carrying them back to their homes. Another answered prayer from the night before, but not only for me but also those in the group. After each stop as we looked upon one another's face you could see the fatigue, yet each time we were getting to the next water station our demeanor changed. Determination is the only word I can use to compare to this; we knew that this was their source of water, so our trust and hope turned to God in order to serve the people. The day had truly made us tired but I know that if we were to have done more water stops, we would have been poured into and given the energy needed.

Time really does fly when you don't consume your life around the clock. In my mind the day is a blur and yet I see each and every moment just as clear as the next. The joy of the people resonate deep in my heart. At times when walking back to grab more buckets to help carry them, I heard music playing and began to dance. Strangers could see the joy I had even though I was doing a job that was so taxing. Little things like this keep my cup overflowing and encouraged to be steadfast in the task that has been bestowed upon me.

Rylie Smith

Knocked Over By JOY

Today can be described by many words: Emotional, Inspiration, Joy, Laughter, and Love, just to name a few.

We started our day at the home for sick and dying adults. This was truly a moving experience where myself, and the rest of the group were able to really connect with the elderly, and despite the language barrier, leave as friends. Initially some of the men were hesitant to receive a massage or have their faces shaved, but once the first man volunteered, there was a steady stream of smiling face asking to be "next" for whatever we had to offer. Their ability to laugh with us throughout our visit made the experience so much more special.

Second, we were blessed with the opportunity to visit an orphanage in Port au Prince. The word that could have almost physically knocked you over, was Joy. The children were not only excited to be held, but show you around, play with you, and learn your names. I will never be able to match the kids' level of joy and happiness that they possess. Back home I want for nothing, but when the kids saw us break out the pack of chalk, their smiles touched both ears, and would've gone farther if physically possible!

To end our day we spent time at the home for sick and dying babies. For many, this was the most emotional part of the day. All these babies want is to be held, and I just wish I was able to hold more than two at a time. I did not quite have the strength to go into the room where the especially sick babies were, and I am beyond impressed by the members of the group who were able to hold and comfort those babies. Simply holding baby Jameson and feeding him his lunch is something I will never forget.

Today was a blessed day, and I am excited for what the rest of the week entails for the Lord has for us to accomplish!

Erik Brandt

Day 1 - Travel to serve Haiti with LOVE

Discovery...Release...Challenged...Love...Serve...Trust...just some of the words on our hearts tonight.  And my word for the day was SMOOTH. God's plan for our travel day was perfect!  We got to MSP 3 hours before our flight, as recommended due to Super Bowl traffic. Everyone was on time, and there were no lines at check-in or security.  We were shocked how quickly we got to our gate.  The airport didn't seem to get busy until we got settled:)

There are 12 members on our team, 9 leaving from MSP, and we connected with the Smith's in Atlanta, again, smooth. All our bags made it, easy security, all truly gifts to ease any anxiety and settle us for a big serving day tomorrow.

We were greeted at the guest house by LOTS of dogs and puppies, and delicious sloppy joes.  We are very excited and maybe a bit nervous for our day of serving tomorrow.  Stay tuned for our God sightings and stories of how God is using and stretching us as we step on in TRUST with a flexible spirit!

Barb Brandt