48 hour day...

Hello blog followers, friends and family...

I am currently waiting for my club sandwich and sipping on refreshing coca cola. Let me tell you... Our team is wiped!!! We taxied into porta au prince about 930 this morning, most of the team was pretty exhausted... Eyes in a glazed over state.

We were greeted by. Mr. Bigs who as usual lead us through the gauntlet of aggressive and persistent men who ALL thought we needed their help. Jackson and Jimmy picked us up and then we headed to the hotel to drop of all the 13 bags, 11 carry ons...yadda yadda!

Then we made a quick hour stop over at Pierre's orphanage. A couple cool highlights are

1. Getting to see Angie and Ruth at the orphanage. We also met Ruth's husband, Todd, who happen to be there because they were going to be baptizing Anne Sarah. If you recall from the last trip she was one of the first Lil newborns that Jen and I held. There is a pic of Anne Sara and me in the rocking chair at the orphanage. So excited for Ruth and her family to welcome her to their home. They are currently in the process.

2."Mega mind", or Immanuel , was a lil timid at first but he warmed up to me and fell asleep on my legs shortly after I reassured him I was here to love on him!

3. Filder and franz were back in the mix and I chatted with themm for a few minutes as well. Fortunately for us, Franz joined us for the rest of the day.

Next we headed to Zanfan Lakay, the boys home. It was a different welcome when we arrived because many of the boys were not home from school yet. So instead of a huge swarm of love. We were greeted with love for a good straight hour with staggered hugs and "Dougie!" from my boys.

I must say that it was awesome to see them and they all seemed super excited that I was back. They loved the mustache... I mean why wouldn't they? But... Their eyes turned to concern or sadness as they repeatedly asked, "Dougie, where is Jenny?" I told them that she missed them and that she would hopefully see them in the summer. They def wanted to see her... And yes, they asked about Kristan, and Jessie as well. Nicky and Carolyn were also missed and they are waiting for your return.

Highlights from Zanfan Lakay:
1. Hangout time and lunch with Creole chicken, Mac and stuff, and rice, rice, rice. Oh how I love rice!!! katia , Nadia, Jimmy took good care of us and we were well fed with ice cold coke.

2. Jam session in the kitchen with Jeff Lucky, my roommate, playing bob marley, oasis, and lots and lots of worship songs. We did some sweet harmonies to "How He Loves." The boys started to huddle around and they were singing all the worship songs with us. Super cool moment!!!

3.Zakat where Jimmy, "Papa Demo", rules the streets was pretty gnarly. The food distribution and passing out of bags (shirts, lollipops, toothpaste and brush, candy canes and toys for the lil ones.) I got to share a quick 2 minute sermon to the men waiting for food and provisions and bless the food. Then Jeff and I sat on top of Zakat with guitars in hand and played a lil mini concert with Steeve Joseph accompanying us with the new djembe that we brought! We had to make a quick exit when the street people started to get disgruntled and turn it into a shoving match. We were outtie five thoutie! Who would have thought that bringing a bag of hats and passing them out would turn into such a fiasco?

4.Minute to win it challenges... face the cookie and back flip we're huge hits. We broke them into six groups with leaders- Ivnet, Reginald, Patrick, Mackenson, T- Blanc, and Clivens. These are my boys and did a fantastic job leading their groups! I have lots of pics of all the kids trying to move the Oreo down their face. As for back flip, we just had the leaders compete and T- Blanc owned it by getting all 12 pencils flipped and caught. Later, I had him try 30 sticks and he caught all of them flipped on the first try! Incredible!!!

5. I had a heart to heart with Ivnet, who asked me if I could take him home and help him with his studies. Too much emotion and too much to write about! I told him that I loved him, that. I was praying for him and that God is going to take care of him.

Welp, I think that's enough reflection for now. I will be adding pics some time tonight. Thanks for all your prayers, and support. I would love to hear from you encouragement as our team ministers here in Haiti.

tomorrow on the agenda... going out to the land, party at Maison orphanage and day one of Zanfan Lakay Christmas extraveganza!

Dougie signing off... Love you Jen! Wish you were here with me!!!

Christmas Trip to Haiti 2011

JWAYE NWEL!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Doug is leaving with a team tonight to deliver some Christmas JOY to Haiti.

They fly back on Tuesday, so it is a fast trip but they have every minute accounted for and will be super busy!! Doug, Monica and Carrie are heading up the party planning and they have so many cool things planned for the kids. Christmas is a very special time of year to celebrate the birth of Jesus and oh how the Haitians LOVE to celebrate together!! Each child from the orphanage, Maison and the boys home, Zanfan Lakay were sponsored for Christmas by caring volunteers from Coast Bible, Stoneybrooke and others. When you sponsor you get to shop for your child by filling up a gallon Ziploc bag. Doug and I had such a fun time with it since we know our 3 boys, Yvenaire, Clivens and Aly and were able to personalize there gifts according to each of them. We barely we able to fit it all in!!

I am SO SO sad that I won't be on this trip so I told Doug to make sure the team gets good video of all the kids opening the gifts. :0) Won't it be SO fun to see the faces of these excited kids!
Doug really wanted his kids in his 6th grade class to get involved and so he gave them a chance to sponsor a child and almost all of them did!!!

Doug was able to have Pastor Pierre come to his class and talk to the kids. What a cool idea!! I am sure it was fun for the kids to hear from him.

So please keep Doug and the team in your prayers. Also if you can try to follow along on the blog, Doug tells me he is going to work to keep us updated on a regular basis. :)

Day 8: A Bittersweet Goodbye

Our last day in Haiti we had the earliest day of all…we had to be up by 6am for church. On our way I was surprised to see quite a few Haitians also on their way to church. Each of them had on their Sunday best, despite the conditions that surround them. Men in long pants and button downs, women in skirts, dresses and heels and the little girls dressed in fancy Sunday dresses, similar to styles little girls at home would wear for Easter, complete with ruffle socks and dressy shoes. It was so amazing to see, especially after thinking about the effort it took them despite their surroundings. No washing machines, dryers or even an iron and yet everyone looked so nice, it truly gave new meaning to putting on your Sunday best! We arrived at Pastor Pierre’s church around 7:15 and the service had already started. Immediately the people sitting in the first two rows got up and shifted to the back so we could sit there. The Haitian hospitality continues to amaze me. The church had been destroyed during the earth quake and so the building that we were in was newly constructed and was a small with a concrete slab, a roof with block walls, that stopped a few feet before the roof began so the sides were open. They have the “band” up in the corner to the right of the pulpit. They have electricity (powered by a generator) and during church people have their cell phones all lined up charging in every available outlet.
There was a lot of singing and prayer, and after they finished their songs Pastor Pierre called Doug up to play and share a few songs. Kristan and I went up to hold the mike and music. As we sang together, Oh how he loves us, it was such an emotional moment. I felt so thankful that God brought us to Haiti and the way he showed us his love. We have so many distractions where we live, choices and options that can steer us away from God. Here in Haiti they have much more of a simple life, they fight to survive every day, and their reliance on God is something Christians in Haiti cling to.

Doug led us all in a prayer, and Pastor Pierre interpreted for him. As Doug spoke to God, I could feel the Holy Spirit speaking through Doug, shaping and praying such encouraging, loving and uplifting words for our Haitian friends. It was so sweet to see a woman come up to Doug after and tell him she was blessed by his prayer.

The church service was about 3 hours and it was SO hot and humid in the church but it didn’t even faze those in the service. Poor Doug who always sweats when leading worship was drenched!!! Pastor Pierre sat behind us and interpreted while the other pastor gave the message. We were surprised that the message itself was only about 10 min long! After there was more singing and then the pastor’s wife came up and explained the new series that would be starting for Sunday school. They also had a time for Q&A where many asked questions.
After church we gave the backpacks we had brought, filled with school supplies to the church. They planned on giving them out to the children in their congregation as well as use them as an outreach to the children in their neighborhood.
After church we drove back to the hotel to change and finish packing. We went through our things and made a pile of what we were going to donate to the Zanfan house. We had a HUGE pile of tee shirts, sports jerseys, tank tops, dresses, toiletries and shoes. After seeing how little they have and knowing all that we are blessed with we were happy to be able to give them some of our things. We loaded up the vans with our luggage and headed to Maison, the orphanage for lunch.

When we arrived our fabulous interpreters, Frantz & Filder were there and we were so excited to see them and be able to say goodbye. Doug had brought a guitar that he used the whole week to lead worship and he had planned on leaving it in Haiti. He really wanted to leave it with someone who would know how to play it and be able to use it to lead the Zanfan boys in praise and worship. Doug was excited that Filder expressed interest and knows how to play. He promised Doug to take the guitar over to the Zanfan kids on a regular basis and also work with Ali (Jimmy’s son who sings and knows some guitar). We also talked more with Frantz about a ministry opportunity for women on the streets who are widows, he has such a heart for the Lord and it’s so exciting to see. We are praying for them and look forward to hearing more about the details.

We left the orphanage, said our goodbyes to everyone and headed to Zanfan to spend a little bit of time with them before we had to say goodbye. We arrived and as soon as the boys saw Jimmy and Katia (they had stayed the night away at the hotel after the wedding) they all gathered around them shouting out…they were thrilled to see “Papa” Jimmy and Katia. We spent about an hour at Zanfan and you could feel the somber vibe in the air as they knew we were leaving. The boys were so cute, asking us if we would be back in December. Not wanting to make a promise I couldn’t keep I was vauge telling them I hope to be back but not sure when. Some of the boys just broke my heart, wanting us to adopt them. The bonds that we made and the love that these kids had to offer made us want to say “YES! We will take you all home!” But even so Doug & I had found out earlier in the week that God had shut the door on us adopting in Haiti because we do not meet 2 of the three requirements. #1 You need to be over 35, #2 You need to have been married or together at least 10 years and #3 You cannot have more than 2 children already. We pray that maybe in the future we will again be able to consider adopting from Haiti. We took a group picture of our team with all the boys and said our goodbyes.

It was bittersweet leaving, we were looking forward to getting home but sad to leave these boys we had gotten to know and love.
Pierre dropped us off at the airport and we got in line to check in, go through customs and we had to go through a security scan 3 different times!!!

We boarded the plane to Miami exhausted emotionally and physically. Carolyn and I had lost the battle against getting sick and both had bad coughs and needed rest.

We landed in Miami and it was SO strange to be back in the states. We all took notice of the little things: public trash cans, charging stations, clean bathrooms with running water and seat covers, no trash piled up on the side of the streets…the list goes on. We checked into our hotel and immediately met downstairs around 10pm to find something to eat.
We decided to walk to a sports bar and grill that the concierge recommended. We set out hoping to get their quickly. We walked a few blocks, but didn’t seem to find it. We stopped into another restaurant to find out it was a few blocks more. Some of our group didn’t want to go any further, so they turned back to go and eat at the hotel. Kristan, Jessie, Doug and I were determined and up for the adventure of finding our destination. It was quiet on the streets and it was a hot, balmy summer night so the walk was nice. We found the restaurant in about 2-3 blocks and we were THRILLED with what we found!! There was a large selection of food and drinks. It hit us hard how many choices we take for granted. We all had a difficult time deciding on what to eat, everything looked amazing!! We decided on chips, guac and salsa to start, then seafood macaroni and cheese, shrimp scampi garlic pasta, and steak fajitas. DELISH!! We ate so much and were thankful to be able to walk some of it off on the way back.

Our hotel room was perfect!
We took a shower…and it was delightful!! The water was warm, with a shower head, no geckos or cockroaches, if water splashed in your mouth no worry for what it would do to your stomach AND there were BIG, WHITE, FLUFFY towels. I plugged in my cell phone and didn’t get electrocuted (we had major issues with the outlets in our room in Haiti and Doug and I were both repeatedly electrocuted…a few times each day). We fell into our pillow top bed, sinking off to sleep.

We had to get up the next morning at 5:00am, which was really 4! All worth it to get home.

Day 7: I love you for LIFE

Today was Jimmy and Katia’s wedding. We were thrilled that it didn’t start till around 11, so we had time to sleep in until 7am and then enjoy our breakfast. In Haiti weddings are not very common because most people can’t afford them so when there is a wedding people get very dressed up! Up until today we hadn’t really put makeup on or done our hair so it was strange but fun to get all dressed up today. We squeezed everyone in the van and headed to the wedding site.
The wedding was at a hotel and it had a beautiful outdoor patio like stage with tables surrounding it for the reception. The ceremony was held a few steps away at the chapel and it was such a special ceremony. Three of the children were included in the wedding procession, a flower girl and mini bride(Nu-Nu) and groom (Hey you-nicknamed for always calling everyone hey you), they were SO cute!! Katia looked beautiful as she walked down the aisle; she had a fun gown with a long beautiful train and lacy gloves. She had a sparkle in her eye as she approached her groom and you could tell she had waited a long time for this moment. Pastor Pierre assisted another pastor and we were all thrilled when Jimmy walked up on the stage and asked Pierre to translate in English so we could all understand. The Pastor spoke about the 5 love languages: physical touch, acts of service, words of affirmation, gifts, quality time- and how it is so important to have them in your marriage. Several songs were sung, mostly hymns in French, a few solos from friends and Ridje (Katia’s son) and Alli (Jimmy’s son) sang a song/rap together.
After the ceremony we all headed over to the reception. Mike gave a speech: He reflected on the past two years and the change that he has seen in Jimmy . He told him that he was proud to call him his son. He wanted to let everyone know that Jimmy was a true living example of someone who was first changed by God and is now changing the lives of many. His love for Katia and the 68 chlldren at Zanfan Lakay is a blessing to all who know and are friends of Jimmy’s. Our team was honored to be part of this special day.
Alli, Jimmy’s son, asked Doug to play a couple songs with him- so in true Dougie style, he gave him a riff on the guitar and Alli rapped about his dad and giving thanks to God for everything in his life. Then they sang “I Can Only Imagine” together and even some of the wedding attendants sang along. It was a significant moment for Doug and Alli in honor of Jimmy and Katia.
We had planned on going to see the new property for the future site of the boys’ compound, however a storm hit just as the reception finished. Because of the crazy downpour of rain, we headed back to the hotel.
Our team took some time to rest, pack and then we all met up for dinner. We had our favorite club sandwich for the last time. Around 6:30pm we headed back to the boys home to hang out with them for a few hours.
It was still raining when we arrived so most of the kids were inside hanging out. However once the van pulled up, they came rushing out to open the door and greet us.
We all just chilled together, some of the boys were reading to us, we played cards, many of the boys played on some of our electronic devices (Angry Birds and Pinball were the popular choices!) and just enjoyed some of the last time we would have together. Doug even got to put a few of the very young ones to bed- Gerwinski , Peter and Stacey.
Tomorrow is going to be hard to say goodbye. Doug is already fighting back the tears as the kids continued to ask him and the others when we would be coming back. I was able to tell them tomorrow… but after tomorrow only God knows the plans He has for each of our team members.

Tomorrow is church with Pastor Pierre. They have asked Doug to sing a couple songs… Today is the Day and Chante, Chante, Chante. We have to be up before 6 am and on the road by 6:40.
Doug and I have been reflecting and praying quite a bit how we might continue to stay invested in the lives of these kids here in Haiti. We know that this was God’s perfect timing to have us come to Haiti and invest hardcore in these special kids. We will be back and we are forever changed from this real experience of loving the unloved.

Day 6: Hangin with the Boys

I know you were all waiting on PINS and needles…we found our camera in the van!! Thank you Lord! I KNEW I didn’t lose it. :0)

Today was the last day of VBS. As soon as we got to the church they told us that there was going to be a wedding taking place at 11:00 and we had to finish an hour early!! (Not to mention it look like we maxed out the occupancy of the church- at least an extra 75 -100 more kids) Yikes! We had a jam packed day, learning the last Bible point…God Wants you to Finish Strong!! The verse was out of 2 Timothy 4:7-8 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day.” Today was the day we did the backpacks for the craft. As you saw in my earlier post our church worked on the backpacks for a LONG time and MANY people helped us color one side of over 600 back packs!! We told the kids that when they use the backpack they should remember that there are Christians all around the world working together to finish strong!! The kids loved the back packs and as soon as craft was over they put it on. Even though we were rushed near the end we had another opportunity for kids to come up to the stage who had accepted Jesus into their heart. We had 25 kids come forward today!!

It is customary to serve a traditional Haitian meal on the last day of VBS so the ladies started cooking at 6am so they could have it ready in time. We served rice and beans, chicken (which Christian picked off the bone sometimes using his teeth…eeek), a beef/veggie sauce and salad (a piece of lettuce and a tomato). And guess what??? SURPRISE we ran out of food before we had served everyone. By this time we were pros at running out…we didn’t panic and waited patiently till the next batch arrived. For some reason today was more hectic then the others. So many of the leaders from VBS stormed up wanting to take food for their groups, it was a mess. The interpreters and people helping us were yelling and trying to get people to move back…so finally we were able to get things under control… It was so hot and the food assembly kind of made me lose my appetite, so I enjoyed the beef jerky I packed for my lunch.
The wedding was getting ready to start so we wisked the boys of Zanfan out to the street to get in the vans to go back to their house. Doug, Jessie and I had not yet driven in one of the tap-taps so we decided to ride with some of the boys. Our security guy Michele rode with us to ensure we would be safe. For those of you that don’t know a tap-tap is a truck that has a camper shell on the top, with metal grids below it holding it up, there is enough room for you to sit underneath it. It is the taxi of Haiti and quite fun and exhilarating to ride in, besides the metal grid/bars that you hit your back on as you bump along the road. We all arrived safely at Zanfan after a thrilling ride through the city.
Mike, Doug, Christian, Lloyd, Bob and Jimmy headed out to the cemetery to take the street girls back (they had been at Zanfan working on bracelets again) and to also visit where they live. Doug shared with me that they were shown around the cemetery seeing where the girls sleep and bathe. He told me what a horrible environment the girls are in and what their living conditions are like. These girls are rough and hard….with good reason, they have had to protect themselves because they have no one to care for them or look out for them. Jimmy, the director of the boys home, Zanfan is the one who introduced Mike and Carrie to the street girls. Jimmy does help them and occasionally brings them food as well.

While the boys on our team were at the cemetery the rest of the team hung out at Zanfan. I had a great time teaching the boys how to make bracelets. They all would point to the ones I was wearing and then point to themselves. It was so cute to see them asking me to show them how to make them. There were about 8 boys all at once making friendship bracelets together. Most of them don’t speak much English, but they do know some words and they like to try and teach you words in Creole. My pronunciation is terrible as well as my memory and the boys would crack up as I would try to repeat words and sounds after them. Many of them are learning English in school so they pick up words and phrases fast.

Tomorrow Jimmy and Katia are getting married, but not all of the boys will be attending the wedding so we had a celebration at the boys’ home tonight. Mike and the guys picked up PIZZA and CAKE on the way home from the cemetery. We were all SO SO SO excited to eat pizza and it totally hit the spot since many of us didn’t eat lunch. We had a BIG party with Jimmy, Katia and the kids. All the boys know us now and want so much to hang out with us, to talk with us, hold hands, laugh, play games and just spend time with us. So many of them love my long hair and want to touch it and braid it. I’m sure because their hair is so different. We had a major dance party on the front patio with everyone. Jimmy pumped up the music and we must have had over 40 kids moving and grooving to the music. The weather cooled down and a thunderstorm started, with the most refreshing rain!! What a special night we had all celebrating Katia and Jimmy!!

We returned home later than usual, but it was probably one of the most fun nights so far. No meeting tonight for our team, everyone is relaxing. We are having trouble with the internet…possibly from the storm so I will post pictures tomorrow.

Please pray for Jimmy and Katia’s wedding tomorrow that everything will go smoothly.