Bon voyage. Until we meet again... Wednesday morning? Doesn't seem possible. How could time pass like that? As always all good things must come to an end. But this is so bittersweet for all of us. :(
Breakfast consisted of scrambled egg casserole, papaya & toast. Ashley presented a devotion on hope.
Four members of the Bohoc leadership council met with us for the last time. Adibas, the president of the leadership council, opened by telling us how thankful they are that The Lord protected us this week. He said the home visits & prayers were very beneficial. He expressed sadness that we were leaving & hoped that we stay in Bohoc next time so we will have more time with them. Jerome, the Vice President, thanked us for coming into his home yesterday as we experienced a day in the life of a Haitian. All blessed us & asked that we continue to pray for them. We ended in prayer & hugs.
We loaded the bus & headed for Port-au-Prince. About 45 minutes into our ride, the bus driver stopped to check the radiator that had caused problems yesterday. He found it was leaking again so he removed it. He asked someone on a motorcycle if he would go get some things to fix it. Meanwhile we waited.
Because of our sovereign God, He had us "breakdown" in the middle of a community called "Colledere". And it was where ALOT of school children gather. God at it again! So most of us got off the bus & interacted with the kids. Ramsay, Leah & Tracey worked with the kids on their English. It was 2 1/2 hours before the bus was fixed. Praise God for Myron! He's not only a doctor but a mechanic. He assisted in the repair.
We finally arrived @ Mon Chez Moi in Port-au-Prince. We settled in & gathered for dinner. Our meal consisted of beef stew, rice, pasta cheese mix, lettuce, and hot French fries. They were pretty good!
Following dinner, Leah opened the debriefing by giving us some guidelines as we re-enter our lives back home: 1. You know yourself but you don't know yourself here. 2. Don't make any quick life changes. 3. You might hear "I know you're glad to be home" which can make you feel guilty. Dave continued with the debriefing by reviewing the handout he gave us on how to respond to our Haiti experience. He then shared his thoughts of each individual on the team and his hopes for each of us. We concluded in prayer.
It is hard to say good-bye but all of us know we will be back as God has it planned. We are devoted to pray for our Haitian brothers & sisters. May God be with us as we fly home tomorrow and that we arrive safely.
In Christ,
Cathy
Team Kenya 2013: July 25, 2013 - August 3, 2013
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
We Laughed, We Cried, We Danced, We Cleaned
Where to begin...
First, let me start by saying today was my favorite day. God showed his presence among each and every one of us. I have never seen the Holy Spirit work in such a powerful way within the hearts of an entire group of people, and I can honestly say, it was comforting and refreshing.
We thank God for waking us up this morning and for blessing us with the opportunity to spend another day with our brothers and sisters in Haiti. Our morning started off just right with the taste of home. Our lovely hostesses filled our bellies with southern cooking. We enjoyed fried chicken, potatoes, papaya, and toast. And yes, you read that right, fried chicken and potatoes.
Following breakfast, we had our daily devotion, which was led by Myron and Lynn or should I say, my lovely parents. Their devotion focused on humility and learning to be humble. We prayed that throughout this journey and when we return home that we will decrease ourselves and increase God. It was the perfect devotion when you look at our lives and our culture. Being in Haiti is the perfect place for allowing you to humble yourself and be more like Christ.
With the morning off to a great start, we were excited and ready. Jedlain told us that our agenda consisted of experiencing "A Day in the Life of a Haitian" in the morning, followed by the souvenir market and the Wisdom Club in the afternoon. What a great day ahead! As I stated from the first day, Satan has been working overtime since we started on this journey, and it wasn't any different today. Shortly after the conclusion of devotion, we were told that there was a hole in the radiator of the bus, and therefore, we would be unable to leave and head to Bohoc.
Little did we know that it was all God's plan. What we thought was Satan working overtime was a blessing in disguise. God was in control all along. With no where to go and nothing but time on our hands, God came into our hearts and worked on us. I spent the morning sitting outside on the patio, taking in the scenery and using the time to reflect on the experience and how God has called me to be a servant in international missions. Joey, Christi, Ramsay, Tracey, and Leah used the time to take a walk around Pignon. While they were walking, they ran into two people who were in need of prayer, and they prayed and laid their hands on those individuals.
Even though they didn't understand nor speak English, God is God in every language. Those individuals knew what was in our team's hearts and they knew the love of Jesus Christ. Just look at the way God works. God is always in control and He always has a plan, no matter what.
Dave and Carson played a game of chess. Well, it was really Carson teaching Dave how to play. Cathy, Jonathan and Ashley entertained a few of the children in the front, while Leslie conversed with Jedlain. Myron and Lynn spent the time relaxing on the patio, catching up on social media, and sending a few emails. Everyone found a way to keep busy and relax.
About 10:15 a.m., the bus arrived. Come to find out, our driver, Jarelu, was able to fix the radiator all by himself. Pretty impressive, if you ask me. So, we loaded the bus up and headed into Bohoc, where we would have about an hour and a half to spend with a Haitian family. We split into two groups with each group spending the morning with the family. Everyone took on the life of a Haitian, where we washed dishes, washed clothes, swept floors, mopped floors, dusted, made up beds, cleaned windows, folded laundry, ground coffee beans, peeled peas, and straightened up around the house. One group went to Jedlain's house and spend the morning with his family. My group went to a different house, but they were so welcoming. My group had a dance party in our house. The 14-year-old girl in the house was showing us dance moves and was playing carnival music. It was a blast! I'm sure she thought we were crazy, but we all laughed. It was a wonderful experience and a great way to take in the culture. What a great time!
The morning was complete and it was time to head back to the guest house. When we arrived back to our home, lunch was ready and on the table. Once again, lunch did not disappoint. We had a pasta dish that was similar to spaghetti, but it was HOT! My mouth was on fire afterwards. After a delicious meal, we had about 45 minutes to rest before heading back out again.
Around 2:15 we loaded up the bus and headed for Bohoc to attend the souvenir market. All of the ladies in the town had set up a market, just for us, with all of their things. They had everything from jewelry to clothing to figurines and straw purses. Let's just say, I spent WAY too much money. And, I 'm sure, I am not the only one. It's a great way for us to bless the community by purchasing items from each one of the ladies out there. They not only bless us with a gift but we bless them by purchasing their goods. It's an even exchange in my book!
What was next on the agenda was what I had been waiting for the whole trip. Many of us on the team have children that we sponsor from Bohoc through the 410 Bridge. They are part of the group of children that a team in April from newhope church helped to register for the program. Ramsay, Leslie, Tracy, Myron, Joey, Dave, and myself were all a part of that team. For those of us who have sponsored children, we were getting ready to meet them. Jedlain took the group of us who had sponsored children to meet them, while the remaining team members headed to the Wisdom Club to teach English to many teenagers and young adults in the community.
Jedlain took us to the Maranatha Church to meet the children. Each child was called out one-by-one and they were introduced to their sponsor. Dave was able to see his little girl. Joey was able to bond with his little boy, who is just two years old, and take many pictures. Leah and Ramsay had the opportunity to meet their young lady, while Cathy and I each met our children. After we spent some time with our children, we took a group photo and it was time to go.
I have to say, meeting my little girl was the highlight of my trip. She is the most precious child and I absolutely love her. Being able to sit, talk to her, and meet with her mom was truly an honor and a privilege. To see how truly appreciative and grateful they were for me was a blessing. I almost shed some tears because I was so touched. I am honored to have her as a part of my life and I look forward to the relationship we will build. God Bless Her!
We departed the Maranatha Church and walked over to the Wisdom Club to meet the rest of our team. The Wisdom Club is always one of my favorite activities because I love being able to go there, bond with the people and teach them English. They are so hungry to learn. Each of us paired up with an individual. Well, some of us had a group. And, we worked on English with them. It ranged from basic conversation to reading books to pronunciation and vocabulary.
What truly touched my heart was when my sponsored child's mother told me that my girl had a gift for me and that she wanted to bring it to me. I didn't expect anything from here. God sent me to help her. Not the other way around. As we know, God is in control. While I was sitting in the Wisdom Club helping Dieunel with his English, little Georges comes up to me and hands me a bag. Inside the bag is six eggs. She loved me so much, she wanted me to have some eggs. The love and the appreciation that showed me was beyond words. All I could do was hug her and tell her that I love her. Knowing she cared about me that much was a blessing. She has blessed me already and we've only just met. Imagine the possibilities. It just melts my heart.
After spending a good bit of time at the Wisdom Club, it was time to say goodbye. We prayed together and went on our way. It was a bittersweet ride back to the guest house because we all knew that we were coming to the end of our time in Bohoc. The week has flown by, and I think I speak for everyone when I say that we are nowhere near ready to leave. Bohoc has a way of making a permanent place in your heart. And, it is a second home.
We unloaded the bus and headed inside to get ready for dinner. A few of us spent the last little bit of time we had with the local children. Donald came over to give us the necklaces that we all had ordered. He said he had spent all night and all day working on them. It was great to see that he was able to get all of them done. We got our necklaces and went inside for dinner.
Dinner was delicious as we enjoyed turkey, beet salad, and rice with peas. To our surprise, we took the coverings off of the food, and the rice and peas were designed in the shape of a cross. It was truly fitting as we had just had one of the most beautiful and God-filled days in Bohoc. God was definitely present and he touched each of us in our own way.
Following dinner, we wrapped up with our daily debrief, where we laughed together, cried together and sung together. It was a joyous evening for everyone. And just so you know, as of yesterday, Carson had one sugar cane stick left, but I'm not sure of the status today. He has been sleeping a lot, so I think the sugar cane must be finished. I'll let you know if I find out.
And for Christi's sister ... she is alive and well! :)
Unfortunately, our time in Bohoc has come to an end as we head to Port-au-Prince in the morning. We will meet with the Leadership Council before taking off for the city. Until then ...
Reah P. Nicholson
First, let me start by saying today was my favorite day. God showed his presence among each and every one of us. I have never seen the Holy Spirit work in such a powerful way within the hearts of an entire group of people, and I can honestly say, it was comforting and refreshing.
We thank God for waking us up this morning and for blessing us with the opportunity to spend another day with our brothers and sisters in Haiti. Our morning started off just right with the taste of home. Our lovely hostesses filled our bellies with southern cooking. We enjoyed fried chicken, potatoes, papaya, and toast. And yes, you read that right, fried chicken and potatoes.
Following breakfast, we had our daily devotion, which was led by Myron and Lynn or should I say, my lovely parents. Their devotion focused on humility and learning to be humble. We prayed that throughout this journey and when we return home that we will decrease ourselves and increase God. It was the perfect devotion when you look at our lives and our culture. Being in Haiti is the perfect place for allowing you to humble yourself and be more like Christ.
With the morning off to a great start, we were excited and ready. Jedlain told us that our agenda consisted of experiencing "A Day in the Life of a Haitian" in the morning, followed by the souvenir market and the Wisdom Club in the afternoon. What a great day ahead! As I stated from the first day, Satan has been working overtime since we started on this journey, and it wasn't any different today. Shortly after the conclusion of devotion, we were told that there was a hole in the radiator of the bus, and therefore, we would be unable to leave and head to Bohoc.
Little did we know that it was all God's plan. What we thought was Satan working overtime was a blessing in disguise. God was in control all along. With no where to go and nothing but time on our hands, God came into our hearts and worked on us. I spent the morning sitting outside on the patio, taking in the scenery and using the time to reflect on the experience and how God has called me to be a servant in international missions. Joey, Christi, Ramsay, Tracey, and Leah used the time to take a walk around Pignon. While they were walking, they ran into two people who were in need of prayer, and they prayed and laid their hands on those individuals.
Even though they didn't understand nor speak English, God is God in every language. Those individuals knew what was in our team's hearts and they knew the love of Jesus Christ. Just look at the way God works. God is always in control and He always has a plan, no matter what.
Dave and Carson played a game of chess. Well, it was really Carson teaching Dave how to play. Cathy, Jonathan and Ashley entertained a few of the children in the front, while Leslie conversed with Jedlain. Myron and Lynn spent the time relaxing on the patio, catching up on social media, and sending a few emails. Everyone found a way to keep busy and relax.
About 10:15 a.m., the bus arrived. Come to find out, our driver, Jarelu, was able to fix the radiator all by himself. Pretty impressive, if you ask me. So, we loaded the bus up and headed into Bohoc, where we would have about an hour and a half to spend with a Haitian family. We split into two groups with each group spending the morning with the family. Everyone took on the life of a Haitian, where we washed dishes, washed clothes, swept floors, mopped floors, dusted, made up beds, cleaned windows, folded laundry, ground coffee beans, peeled peas, and straightened up around the house. One group went to Jedlain's house and spend the morning with his family. My group went to a different house, but they were so welcoming. My group had a dance party in our house. The 14-year-old girl in the house was showing us dance moves and was playing carnival music. It was a blast! I'm sure she thought we were crazy, but we all laughed. It was a wonderful experience and a great way to take in the culture. What a great time!
The morning was complete and it was time to head back to the guest house. When we arrived back to our home, lunch was ready and on the table. Once again, lunch did not disappoint. We had a pasta dish that was similar to spaghetti, but it was HOT! My mouth was on fire afterwards. After a delicious meal, we had about 45 minutes to rest before heading back out again.
Around 2:15 we loaded up the bus and headed for Bohoc to attend the souvenir market. All of the ladies in the town had set up a market, just for us, with all of their things. They had everything from jewelry to clothing to figurines and straw purses. Let's just say, I spent WAY too much money. And, I 'm sure, I am not the only one. It's a great way for us to bless the community by purchasing items from each one of the ladies out there. They not only bless us with a gift but we bless them by purchasing their goods. It's an even exchange in my book!
What was next on the agenda was what I had been waiting for the whole trip. Many of us on the team have children that we sponsor from Bohoc through the 410 Bridge. They are part of the group of children that a team in April from newhope church helped to register for the program. Ramsay, Leslie, Tracy, Myron, Joey, Dave, and myself were all a part of that team. For those of us who have sponsored children, we were getting ready to meet them. Jedlain took the group of us who had sponsored children to meet them, while the remaining team members headed to the Wisdom Club to teach English to many teenagers and young adults in the community.
Jedlain took us to the Maranatha Church to meet the children. Each child was called out one-by-one and they were introduced to their sponsor. Dave was able to see his little girl. Joey was able to bond with his little boy, who is just two years old, and take many pictures. Leah and Ramsay had the opportunity to meet their young lady, while Cathy and I each met our children. After we spent some time with our children, we took a group photo and it was time to go.
I have to say, meeting my little girl was the highlight of my trip. She is the most precious child and I absolutely love her. Being able to sit, talk to her, and meet with her mom was truly an honor and a privilege. To see how truly appreciative and grateful they were for me was a blessing. I almost shed some tears because I was so touched. I am honored to have her as a part of my life and I look forward to the relationship we will build. God Bless Her!
We departed the Maranatha Church and walked over to the Wisdom Club to meet the rest of our team. The Wisdom Club is always one of my favorite activities because I love being able to go there, bond with the people and teach them English. They are so hungry to learn. Each of us paired up with an individual. Well, some of us had a group. And, we worked on English with them. It ranged from basic conversation to reading books to pronunciation and vocabulary.
What truly touched my heart was when my sponsored child's mother told me that my girl had a gift for me and that she wanted to bring it to me. I didn't expect anything from here. God sent me to help her. Not the other way around. As we know, God is in control. While I was sitting in the Wisdom Club helping Dieunel with his English, little Georges comes up to me and hands me a bag. Inside the bag is six eggs. She loved me so much, she wanted me to have some eggs. The love and the appreciation that showed me was beyond words. All I could do was hug her and tell her that I love her. Knowing she cared about me that much was a blessing. She has blessed me already and we've only just met. Imagine the possibilities. It just melts my heart.
After spending a good bit of time at the Wisdom Club, it was time to say goodbye. We prayed together and went on our way. It was a bittersweet ride back to the guest house because we all knew that we were coming to the end of our time in Bohoc. The week has flown by, and I think I speak for everyone when I say that we are nowhere near ready to leave. Bohoc has a way of making a permanent place in your heart. And, it is a second home.
We unloaded the bus and headed inside to get ready for dinner. A few of us spent the last little bit of time we had with the local children. Donald came over to give us the necklaces that we all had ordered. He said he had spent all night and all day working on them. It was great to see that he was able to get all of them done. We got our necklaces and went inside for dinner.
Dinner was delicious as we enjoyed turkey, beet salad, and rice with peas. To our surprise, we took the coverings off of the food, and the rice and peas were designed in the shape of a cross. It was truly fitting as we had just had one of the most beautiful and God-filled days in Bohoc. God was definitely present and he touched each of us in our own way.
Following dinner, we wrapped up with our daily debrief, where we laughed together, cried together and sung together. It was a joyous evening for everyone. And just so you know, as of yesterday, Carson had one sugar cane stick left, but I'm not sure of the status today. He has been sleeping a lot, so I think the sugar cane must be finished. I'll let you know if I find out.
And for Christi's sister ... she is alive and well! :)
Unfortunately, our time in Bohoc has come to an end as we head to Port-au-Prince in the morning. We will meet with the Leadership Council before taking off for the city. Until then ...
Reah P. Nicholson
Monday, January 20, 2014
Blessings abundant!!
Cathy here. Giving Reah a break. As I write, there is the most awesome shower coming down, the third night in a row. It is so refreshing after a hot Haitian day. Before breakfast we were able to see the children walk down the dirt road in their school uniforms on their way to school. They actually look forward to school.
Our breakfast consisted of oatmeal, hard-boiled eggs, bananas, & toast. Devotions were presented by Ramsey & Carson. We were all challenged to use our senses today as we spent "A day on the life of an Haitian". As previously mentioned by Reah, we have been truly blessed by the Haitians. Today was no exception.
At 8:30 we took the bus to Bohoc to visit some Haitian families. We divided into 2 groups, one group led by Jedlain, the other by Diranot. Each group visited about 8 homes. Every Madame of the house was glad to have us visit. While their homes are very small & modest, the houses are clean & well-kept. Tin roofs, no screens or window panes yet comfortable. Most homes have 6 plus living there, children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, orphans, etc. Several women were widows. They all asked for prayer, mostly for the young that they will be able to get an education. Despite their circumstances, they have a great love for Jesus Christ, true believers that He will provide for their needs. Refreshing to experience.
After visitation we took the bus to the open air market. The market is open every Monday. Livestock & poultry are there for purchase as well as fresh vegetables. The place was packed with people. It was quite an experience.
We headed back about 11:00. Lunch consisted of goat, rice, some kind of sauce for it & black bean soup. I personally didn't eat goat but those who did said it was good.
After lunch, the local children had returned from school so we went out to play with them. They are a joy!
We loaded the bus around to 2:30 to go back to Bohoc. We were meeting the children at the Kris Sel Espwa school. We made a stop at Madame Jacque's home where some of the Bohoc children we know sang a few songs for us. Precious!!! We then did the "Christian" hokey pokey with them. A wonderful time for sure. We walked over to the school with the children for playtime. Everything from boomerang, frisbee, bracelet-making, nail painting, picture taking, reading, to just running around. Most of all & importantly making friends who hopefully we will see again. They have so much love and appreciation for the interaction we have with them. It is amazing just to sit back & see God at work!
We returned around 5:30, played with the local children til supper. We had a quiche/pizza entree, yucca root & the best hot chocolate ever!!! We finished the night with our debriefing. We shared our "senses", some tears were shed, but all of us are abundantly blessed.
.
Our breakfast consisted of oatmeal, hard-boiled eggs, bananas, & toast. Devotions were presented by Ramsey & Carson. We were all challenged to use our senses today as we spent "A day on the life of an Haitian". As previously mentioned by Reah, we have been truly blessed by the Haitians. Today was no exception.
At 8:30 we took the bus to Bohoc to visit some Haitian families. We divided into 2 groups, one group led by Jedlain, the other by Diranot. Each group visited about 8 homes. Every Madame of the house was glad to have us visit. While their homes are very small & modest, the houses are clean & well-kept. Tin roofs, no screens or window panes yet comfortable. Most homes have 6 plus living there, children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, orphans, etc. Several women were widows. They all asked for prayer, mostly for the young that they will be able to get an education. Despite their circumstances, they have a great love for Jesus Christ, true believers that He will provide for their needs. Refreshing to experience.
After visitation we took the bus to the open air market. The market is open every Monday. Livestock & poultry are there for purchase as well as fresh vegetables. The place was packed with people. It was quite an experience.
We headed back about 11:00. Lunch consisted of goat, rice, some kind of sauce for it & black bean soup. I personally didn't eat goat but those who did said it was good.
After lunch, the local children had returned from school so we went out to play with them. They are a joy!
We loaded the bus around to 2:30 to go back to Bohoc. We were meeting the children at the Kris Sel Espwa school. We made a stop at Madame Jacque's home where some of the Bohoc children we know sang a few songs for us. Precious!!! We then did the "Christian" hokey pokey with them. A wonderful time for sure. We walked over to the school with the children for playtime. Everything from boomerang, frisbee, bracelet-making, nail painting, picture taking, reading, to just running around. Most of all & importantly making friends who hopefully we will see again. They have so much love and appreciation for the interaction we have with them. It is amazing just to sit back & see God at work!
We returned around 5:30, played with the local children til supper. We had a quiche/pizza entree, yucca root & the best hot chocolate ever!!! We finished the night with our debriefing. We shared our "senses", some tears were shed, but all of us are abundantly blessed.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Grace, Joy, Chaos, and Sugar Cane
It has truly been a blessed and God-filled morning. First, I woke to the sounds of dogs barking, roosters crowing, babies crying, people running, and children laughing. It was the many beautiful sounds of being in Haiti. It was the perfect time to enjoy the moment, immerse myself in my surroundings, and hear the sounds of God's creations. What a glorious morning!
After taking some time to live in the moment and count my blessings, it was time to get ready for the day. The day started off with a magnificent breakfast at 7:00 a.m. Breakfast was followed by our morning devotion, which was led by Cathy and Jonathan. It was a very soothing and reflective devotion, which focused on accepting change. We should thank God for the things that we can change, and accept the things that we can't. It taught us about being open to the plan God has for each and every one of us. That is why we are in Bohoc. We are here because we heard the calling upon our life and it was in God's plan for us to be here. What happens here, is in his control. We are here to be servants to Jesus Christ and to obey His will.
We concluded the devotion with the Serenity Prayer, which was the perfect start to a Sunday. After a devotion on trusting God with His plan and accepting change, we were pumped and ready to attend one of the local churches. At 8:30 a.m., the team loaded up the bus and headed into Bohoc, where we had the pleasure of worshipping with our friends at The Church of the Brethren under Pastor George. It was truly a treat for many of our team members who, years ago, had the opportunity to help build the foundation of the church building. It was definitely a blessing for those individuals and a blessing to many in the community to have us there. And not to mention, the service was absolutely beautiful. The spirit was present in God's House. Just being able to be a part of the worship service and to praise God with them was a blessing.
Once we departed from the church, we took a pit stop at the Wisdom Club, where we met with Tyrondo, the leader of the Widsom Club. We visited with him for awhile, met his family, and listened to him talk about the blessings God has provided him. The Wisdom Club has truly been blessed as more and more members are joining. Tyrondo mentioned that he was going to need a bigger space to accommodate his meetings due to the large number of attendees. That is truly God's blessing as more and more young men strive to learn English and study God's word.
As the morning drew to a close, we made our way back to the guest house. Several team members used the down time to catch up on their rest, while others checked in with the social media world and took care of much needed business. The rest of the team entertained the children outside as Ramsay turned into a balloon artist and Leah into a manicurists. Cathy, Jonathan and Carson transformed the yard into a football field and a frisbee course. It was such a beautiful sight and the perfect picture of God's love in all of us. We are God's people!
Well, we just wrapped up lunch, and I have to say, that was the best meal that I have had since arriving in Haiti. I had to get seconds this go around. It was absolutely delightful. We had beef, potato casserole, pasta salad and fried plantains. What a meal! Now, it's down time until our afternoon activities begin. Time to rest before we go to battle with the scorching heat.
All right, I'm back. It's about 8:00 p.m. and we just wrapped up the day. Time to give you the scoop on our afternoon and then I am headed to bed. I'll keep it short and sweet.
Around 2:30 p.m. we loaded up the bus and headed over to Kris Sel Espwa, which is a school that is part of one of the local churches. The kids gather there in the afternoons to play. Just like the first time I came to Bohoc, it was an experience you could never forget. The kids gathered around as Ramsay and Leah led a game of Twister before heading over to the field for a little parachute experience. Cathy, Leslie, and Christi made beautiful beaded bracelets with the little girls, while Ashley set up a nail salon in the dirt. Dave played a game of chase and run from the scary monster with many of the young boys. Tracy and I worked on our Haitian Creole and helped with conversational English with many of the teenage boys. Myron, Joey, Carson, and Jonathan hosted a game of soccer and taught the kids about throwing a boomerang. And Lynn served as the area photographer, taking photographs of all the happenings. Let's just say that the children were pretty well entertained and they were learning English.
What a blessing it is to spend so much time with the children and help them learn English. In the meantime, I get to practice my Haitian Creole. Unfortunately, my Creole still needs a lot of work, but I'm learning, and I guess that is all that matters. One of my favorite things about coming to Bohoc is spending time with the children. They are so full of love, joy, and a passion for Jesus. I have never seen so much love for God, and I've never truly seen the face of God until I looked into the eyes of the Haitian people. The joy they bring to me and to my team can not be explained, described, or communicated. It is something that has to be seen first-hand.
After a couple of hours at Kris Sel Espwa, we loaded up the bus and headed back to our home away from home. Many of us were still in the mood for a little fun and games. So, we headed outside for a little more horse play with the children and people of Pignon. It wasn't long before dinner was ready and it was time to eat. We gathered around the table and enjoyed a delicious dinner of beef stew. Once again, it was very tasty. When dinner concluded, we closed the night out with our daily debrief, which was led by Christi, one of the Bohoc newbies.
Following our debrief, we were given the opportunity to order necklaces from Donald, one of the young men here in Pignon. Donald makes necklaces and sells them in order to provide for his family. We have met just about all of his brothers and sisters because they make up the majority of the children playing outside at our guest house. Each necklace is made individually and he hand carves the wooden cross on them and personalizes the cross. They are beautiful!
One thing that I forgot to mention earlier was Carson, the nephew of Ramsay and Leah, wanted to try sugar cane, which is one of the most popular crops grown in Haiti. So, when we were enroute to Bohoc on Saturday, Jedlain had the bus stop briefly so that he could grab some sugar cane. That might have been a bad idea. Now, Carson can't seem to put the sugar cane down. Every time we turn around, Carson has sugar cane in his mouth. We will have to wait and see how long his stash of sugar cane will last. Will it last until the rest of the week? Stay tuned.
Until then...
Bòn Nwit (Good Night)
Reah P. Nicholson
After taking some time to live in the moment and count my blessings, it was time to get ready for the day. The day started off with a magnificent breakfast at 7:00 a.m. Breakfast was followed by our morning devotion, which was led by Cathy and Jonathan. It was a very soothing and reflective devotion, which focused on accepting change. We should thank God for the things that we can change, and accept the things that we can't. It taught us about being open to the plan God has for each and every one of us. That is why we are in Bohoc. We are here because we heard the calling upon our life and it was in God's plan for us to be here. What happens here, is in his control. We are here to be servants to Jesus Christ and to obey His will.
We concluded the devotion with the Serenity Prayer, which was the perfect start to a Sunday. After a devotion on trusting God with His plan and accepting change, we were pumped and ready to attend one of the local churches. At 8:30 a.m., the team loaded up the bus and headed into Bohoc, where we had the pleasure of worshipping with our friends at The Church of the Brethren under Pastor George. It was truly a treat for many of our team members who, years ago, had the opportunity to help build the foundation of the church building. It was definitely a blessing for those individuals and a blessing to many in the community to have us there. And not to mention, the service was absolutely beautiful. The spirit was present in God's House. Just being able to be a part of the worship service and to praise God with them was a blessing.
Once we departed from the church, we took a pit stop at the Wisdom Club, where we met with Tyrondo, the leader of the Widsom Club. We visited with him for awhile, met his family, and listened to him talk about the blessings God has provided him. The Wisdom Club has truly been blessed as more and more members are joining. Tyrondo mentioned that he was going to need a bigger space to accommodate his meetings due to the large number of attendees. That is truly God's blessing as more and more young men strive to learn English and study God's word.
As the morning drew to a close, we made our way back to the guest house. Several team members used the down time to catch up on their rest, while others checked in with the social media world and took care of much needed business. The rest of the team entertained the children outside as Ramsay turned into a balloon artist and Leah into a manicurists. Cathy, Jonathan and Carson transformed the yard into a football field and a frisbee course. It was such a beautiful sight and the perfect picture of God's love in all of us. We are God's people!
Well, we just wrapped up lunch, and I have to say, that was the best meal that I have had since arriving in Haiti. I had to get seconds this go around. It was absolutely delightful. We had beef, potato casserole, pasta salad and fried plantains. What a meal! Now, it's down time until our afternoon activities begin. Time to rest before we go to battle with the scorching heat.
All right, I'm back. It's about 8:00 p.m. and we just wrapped up the day. Time to give you the scoop on our afternoon and then I am headed to bed. I'll keep it short and sweet.
Around 2:30 p.m. we loaded up the bus and headed over to Kris Sel Espwa, which is a school that is part of one of the local churches. The kids gather there in the afternoons to play. Just like the first time I came to Bohoc, it was an experience you could never forget. The kids gathered around as Ramsay and Leah led a game of Twister before heading over to the field for a little parachute experience. Cathy, Leslie, and Christi made beautiful beaded bracelets with the little girls, while Ashley set up a nail salon in the dirt. Dave played a game of chase and run from the scary monster with many of the young boys. Tracy and I worked on our Haitian Creole and helped with conversational English with many of the teenage boys. Myron, Joey, Carson, and Jonathan hosted a game of soccer and taught the kids about throwing a boomerang. And Lynn served as the area photographer, taking photographs of all the happenings. Let's just say that the children were pretty well entertained and they were learning English.
What a blessing it is to spend so much time with the children and help them learn English. In the meantime, I get to practice my Haitian Creole. Unfortunately, my Creole still needs a lot of work, but I'm learning, and I guess that is all that matters. One of my favorite things about coming to Bohoc is spending time with the children. They are so full of love, joy, and a passion for Jesus. I have never seen so much love for God, and I've never truly seen the face of God until I looked into the eyes of the Haitian people. The joy they bring to me and to my team can not be explained, described, or communicated. It is something that has to be seen first-hand.
After a couple of hours at Kris Sel Espwa, we loaded up the bus and headed back to our home away from home. Many of us were still in the mood for a little fun and games. So, we headed outside for a little more horse play with the children and people of Pignon. It wasn't long before dinner was ready and it was time to eat. We gathered around the table and enjoyed a delicious dinner of beef stew. Once again, it was very tasty. When dinner concluded, we closed the night out with our daily debrief, which was led by Christi, one of the Bohoc newbies.
Following our debrief, we were given the opportunity to order necklaces from Donald, one of the young men here in Pignon. Donald makes necklaces and sells them in order to provide for his family. We have met just about all of his brothers and sisters because they make up the majority of the children playing outside at our guest house. Each necklace is made individually and he hand carves the wooden cross on them and personalizes the cross. They are beautiful!
One thing that I forgot to mention earlier was Carson, the nephew of Ramsay and Leah, wanted to try sugar cane, which is one of the most popular crops grown in Haiti. So, when we were enroute to Bohoc on Saturday, Jedlain had the bus stop briefly so that he could grab some sugar cane. That might have been a bad idea. Now, Carson can't seem to put the sugar cane down. Every time we turn around, Carson has sugar cane in his mouth. We will have to wait and see how long his stash of sugar cane will last. Will it last until the rest of the week? Stay tuned.
Until then...
Bòn Nwit (Good Night)
Reah P. Nicholson
Saturday, January 18, 2014
It's Not About Us...It's About God
It's day two of our Haiti journey and God is continuing to show his face in every direction. We started the day off with an 8:00 a.m. breakfast, which definitely hit the spot. We enjoyed eggs, hotdogs, mangos, and watermelon. The fruit in Haiti is so fresh and delicious. Breakfast was followed by a devotion led by Leah. It's funny how God works sometimes. After the adventurous day we had yesterday and the many battles with Satan, the devotion was right on time. The devotion talked about taking time out to enjoy the moment, cherish where you are in life, focus on your surroundings, and be blessed for the simple things in life. God has blessed us in so many ways, and we have to be thankful that we are here and able to be his servants.
Once we wrapped up our morning devotion, it was time to load up the bus and head for home. That's right, to me, Bohoc is my second home. And for many on our team, coming to Bohoc is just like going home. We are a part of the community and we are all family. So, you can imagine the excitement and joy as we loaded up the bus with our luggage. It was time to head home!
We pulled out of the Mon Chez Moi Guest House around 9:30 a.m. and headed out on our four-hour journey. It was an absolutely stunning drive. You wouldn't believe the picturesque views of the mountains, lakes, and rivers, and not to mention the Caribbean blue water. The scenery looked like something out of a Hollywood movie. It was breathtaking. After passing the postcard perfect views and battling the rocky, roller coaster roads, we arrived at our final destination.
As we crossed the familiar stream and saw the community members hard at work, we knew we were home. We had arrived in Bohoc. For many of us, arriving in Bohoc was bittersweet. We were happy to be there, but we received the unexpected. We stood up and started cheering as we arrived at the Haiti Unlocked Guest House, but the bus driver didn't stop. He kept on going. So, eventually, we asked Jedlain, our wonderful community leader and translator, where we were headed. Then we received the news. We were not going to be staying in the center of Bohoc, but on the outskirts of Bohoc and near Pignon.
The Haiti Outreach Guest House welcomed us with open arms and was a familiar place to many of our team members, with many of them having stayed in this house on prior trips. So, it wasn't what we were expecting, but we know that this trip is not about us, but it's about God. We are here to do His will and he has a plan. Putting our emotions aside, we arrived just in time for lunch. And, it didn't disappoint. We enjoyed a meal of turkey, rice, and beans.
With about two hours to kill before meeting with the Leadership Council, the team had some down time. Some members decided to take it easy and grab a quick nap. Others jumped on their mobile devices and laptops to handle business (or check Facebook). And the others joined the children and young adults outside. What a sight to see outside. Witnessing the team practice English with the young adults, play soccer with the young boys, blow bubbles with the little girls and wrestle around in a field full of animal droppings was a true example of God's love. The love this community has for newhope church and the love that they have for Jesus is unimaginable. It makes us even more intrigued and excited for the upcoming days.
Once the Leadership Council arrived, we bid farewell to our new friends and headed inside for a brief meeting before dinner. Abidas, the President of the Council, opened the meeting by sharing his excitement and joy to have us in the community and how he is so glad to see us. Five of the 10 members of the Leadership Council were in attendance and they each shared their gratitude, joy, and love for our team and for our church. They even thanked Pastor Benji for allowing us to come to their community and spreading the love of Jesus Christ. Below is a brief transcript of the meeting with the Leadership Council:
Abidas: "I'm very excited to see you. I praise God for allowing you to get here safely. I'm
thankful for you coming and I am especially grateful to those of you who are here for the first time. We welcome you to our community. I can tell those of you who love our community because they keep coming back, and we are so thankful for you. You are always welcome."
Jerome: "My name is Jerome and I am the Vice President of the Leadership Council. It is a pleasure for us to meet with you this afternoon. I become younger every time I meet you. We thank God for having you. We thank your church for allowing you to be here. We already hope that the people who have come for the first time will come back. We love having you and may God bless you."
Madame Emma: "My name is Madame Emma and I am so happy to see you again and we invite you to come back. Thank you for coming and God bless you."
Pastor Isaac: "I am happy to see you. We are glad to have you in our community. Thank you for coming to be with us. I love you."
Fahly: "It's a pleasure to have you here. God bless you and I love you. Thank you for coming to our community"
Once the introductions of the Leadership Council were complete, our team introduced ourselves to the members of the Leadership Council. Every one stated their name and mentioned how excited they were to be in Bohoc and among the community members. They stressed their passion and love for the community and wanting to return to their second home. We thanked the Leadership Council for always welcoming us to their community and for allowing us to work along side them and be with them. After introductions from the newhope team, Adibas continued the meeting with an update on several community projects that are in progress.
Adibas: "Blessings to you for coming. The community is always happy and excited to have you in our community. We thank 410 Bridge for sending you to our community. A few of the projects that were are working on our the water system project and the child sponsorship project. The water system project, we hope to get it up and going soon. It's in the planning stages. Our biggest project is the child sponsorship program because it's for the kids. We want to thank you for everyone who helped with this program and made it possible. One of the biggest problems in our community is being able to send the children to school and the sponsorship program makes that possible. That program is a blessing to our community. We thank you and we hope God will continue blessing you for your love. What you are doing this week is the greatest thing you can do for this community. We appreciate you going into the house and praying, spreading the name of Jesus to the children and everything you do for our community."
Being able to see how the much the sponsorship program means to this community really touched my heart. Having been a part of the team in April that worked to get all of the Bohoc children registered for the program, it was truly a blessing to see how much it has made an impact on the community and how it has helped them. And knowing that all of the children that we registered for sponsorship during that week were sponsored by a member of newhope church is even a bigger blessing. Look how God works!
The meeting concluded with a brief closing from Jerome and Adibas.
Jerome: "We are praying that the days coming, will be a blessing to you, and that you will enjoy your days in Bohoc. The Leadership Council is here to help and assist the community of Bohoc. You will see how much they love you. I'm sorry because you have to leave, but we know that you love Haiti and that you will be back. The last night that are you are here, we will meet you to debrief and to see what we can do to make things better."
Adibas: "I want to apologize for the other members of the Leadership Council. We have five other people left. They are preparing for church tomorrow. I hope while you are here in the community that you will get to meet them. We thank you for coming. We hope to see you in church tomorrow. You will be at our church. Have nice dreams!"
The meeting closed and we said our farewells. It was then time for dinner. We gathered around the table as a team for a scrumptious spaghetti dinner. It was a delicious meal that was complemented with squash and bread. And, we can't forget about dessert, which was vanilla cookies with chocolate filling. They were pretty tasty if you ask me, but I am a chocoholic. At the conclusion of dinner, we gathered around for our daily debrief, which was led by Leslie.
Now, it's quiet time and we are getting ready to call it a night as we prepare for another beautiful day in Bohoc tomorrow. Our children's activities committee is meeting to organize the activities for tomorrow as we prepare to head to Kris Sel Espwa in the afternoon to teach English and play games with the children of Bohoc. Everyone else is heading to bed.
Tomorrow should be a fun day as we head to one of the local churches in the morning, participate in home visits, where we will pray for various community members, and spend some quality time with the children teaching English and building relationships. I'm going to call it a night and head to bed. Until then ...
Reah P. Nicholson
Once we wrapped up our morning devotion, it was time to load up the bus and head for home. That's right, to me, Bohoc is my second home. And for many on our team, coming to Bohoc is just like going home. We are a part of the community and we are all family. So, you can imagine the excitement and joy as we loaded up the bus with our luggage. It was time to head home!
We pulled out of the Mon Chez Moi Guest House around 9:30 a.m. and headed out on our four-hour journey. It was an absolutely stunning drive. You wouldn't believe the picturesque views of the mountains, lakes, and rivers, and not to mention the Caribbean blue water. The scenery looked like something out of a Hollywood movie. It was breathtaking. After passing the postcard perfect views and battling the rocky, roller coaster roads, we arrived at our final destination.
As we crossed the familiar stream and saw the community members hard at work, we knew we were home. We had arrived in Bohoc. For many of us, arriving in Bohoc was bittersweet. We were happy to be there, but we received the unexpected. We stood up and started cheering as we arrived at the Haiti Unlocked Guest House, but the bus driver didn't stop. He kept on going. So, eventually, we asked Jedlain, our wonderful community leader and translator, where we were headed. Then we received the news. We were not going to be staying in the center of Bohoc, but on the outskirts of Bohoc and near Pignon.
The Haiti Outreach Guest House welcomed us with open arms and was a familiar place to many of our team members, with many of them having stayed in this house on prior trips. So, it wasn't what we were expecting, but we know that this trip is not about us, but it's about God. We are here to do His will and he has a plan. Putting our emotions aside, we arrived just in time for lunch. And, it didn't disappoint. We enjoyed a meal of turkey, rice, and beans.
With about two hours to kill before meeting with the Leadership Council, the team had some down time. Some members decided to take it easy and grab a quick nap. Others jumped on their mobile devices and laptops to handle business (or check Facebook). And the others joined the children and young adults outside. What a sight to see outside. Witnessing the team practice English with the young adults, play soccer with the young boys, blow bubbles with the little girls and wrestle around in a field full of animal droppings was a true example of God's love. The love this community has for newhope church and the love that they have for Jesus is unimaginable. It makes us even more intrigued and excited for the upcoming days.
Once the Leadership Council arrived, we bid farewell to our new friends and headed inside for a brief meeting before dinner. Abidas, the President of the Council, opened the meeting by sharing his excitement and joy to have us in the community and how he is so glad to see us. Five of the 10 members of the Leadership Council were in attendance and they each shared their gratitude, joy, and love for our team and for our church. They even thanked Pastor Benji for allowing us to come to their community and spreading the love of Jesus Christ. Below is a brief transcript of the meeting with the Leadership Council:
Abidas: "I'm very excited to see you. I praise God for allowing you to get here safely. I'm
thankful for you coming and I am especially grateful to those of you who are here for the first time. We welcome you to our community. I can tell those of you who love our community because they keep coming back, and we are so thankful for you. You are always welcome."
Jerome: "My name is Jerome and I am the Vice President of the Leadership Council. It is a pleasure for us to meet with you this afternoon. I become younger every time I meet you. We thank God for having you. We thank your church for allowing you to be here. We already hope that the people who have come for the first time will come back. We love having you and may God bless you."
Madame Emma: "My name is Madame Emma and I am so happy to see you again and we invite you to come back. Thank you for coming and God bless you."
Pastor Isaac: "I am happy to see you. We are glad to have you in our community. Thank you for coming to be with us. I love you."
Fahly: "It's a pleasure to have you here. God bless you and I love you. Thank you for coming to our community"
Once the introductions of the Leadership Council were complete, our team introduced ourselves to the members of the Leadership Council. Every one stated their name and mentioned how excited they were to be in Bohoc and among the community members. They stressed their passion and love for the community and wanting to return to their second home. We thanked the Leadership Council for always welcoming us to their community and for allowing us to work along side them and be with them. After introductions from the newhope team, Adibas continued the meeting with an update on several community projects that are in progress.
Adibas: "Blessings to you for coming. The community is always happy and excited to have you in our community. We thank 410 Bridge for sending you to our community. A few of the projects that were are working on our the water system project and the child sponsorship project. The water system project, we hope to get it up and going soon. It's in the planning stages. Our biggest project is the child sponsorship program because it's for the kids. We want to thank you for everyone who helped with this program and made it possible. One of the biggest problems in our community is being able to send the children to school and the sponsorship program makes that possible. That program is a blessing to our community. We thank you and we hope God will continue blessing you for your love. What you are doing this week is the greatest thing you can do for this community. We appreciate you going into the house and praying, spreading the name of Jesus to the children and everything you do for our community."
Being able to see how the much the sponsorship program means to this community really touched my heart. Having been a part of the team in April that worked to get all of the Bohoc children registered for the program, it was truly a blessing to see how much it has made an impact on the community and how it has helped them. And knowing that all of the children that we registered for sponsorship during that week were sponsored by a member of newhope church is even a bigger blessing. Look how God works!
The meeting concluded with a brief closing from Jerome and Adibas.
Jerome: "We are praying that the days coming, will be a blessing to you, and that you will enjoy your days in Bohoc. The Leadership Council is here to help and assist the community of Bohoc. You will see how much they love you. I'm sorry because you have to leave, but we know that you love Haiti and that you will be back. The last night that are you are here, we will meet you to debrief and to see what we can do to make things better."
Adibas: "I want to apologize for the other members of the Leadership Council. We have five other people left. They are preparing for church tomorrow. I hope while you are here in the community that you will get to meet them. We thank you for coming. We hope to see you in church tomorrow. You will be at our church. Have nice dreams!"
The meeting closed and we said our farewells. It was then time for dinner. We gathered around the table as a team for a scrumptious spaghetti dinner. It was a delicious meal that was complemented with squash and bread. And, we can't forget about dessert, which was vanilla cookies with chocolate filling. They were pretty tasty if you ask me, but I am a chocoholic. At the conclusion of dinner, we gathered around for our daily debrief, which was led by Leslie.
Now, it's quiet time and we are getting ready to call it a night as we prepare for another beautiful day in Bohoc tomorrow. Our children's activities committee is meeting to organize the activities for tomorrow as we prepare to head to Kris Sel Espwa in the afternoon to teach English and play games with the children of Bohoc. Everyone else is heading to bed.
Tomorrow should be a fun day as we head to one of the local churches in the morning, participate in home visits, where we will pray for various community members, and spend some quality time with the children teaching English and building relationships. I'm going to call it a night and head to bed. Until then ...
Reah P. Nicholson
Friday, January 17, 2014
Satan Is Alive and Kicking...But He Can Be Defeated
The day has arrived and it's time to make our journey to the beautiful village of Bohoc, Haiti, an adopted village of newhope church. The majority of the team arrived at central campus around 4:15 a.m. to catch the church van to the airport. That's right, you read that correctly, 4:15 in the morning. Steve Adler, our delegated Haiti missions trip shuttle bus driver, cranked the van up from behind the church and swung it around to the front, where the team was waiting with their luggage in the 30 degree temperatures. It was just a little bit chilly at that time of the day. Once the van was in place, Steve shut the van off as we prepared to load up.
But, unfortunately, Satan had a different plan in the works, and it wasn't a nice one. As we started loading up the van, someone suggested that we start the van's engine and get it warming up as we get everything settled inside. Steve went to crank the van back up and ... BOOM ... Nothing! It looks like the van has died. So, the men jumped into action. And, so did Satan. Myron, Joey, Ramsay, and Steve decided to try to give the van a jump, but in a long drawn out attempt to get the hood of the van open, their plan worked to no avail. No one could figure out how to get the hood up and the team needed to get to the airport. So, once again, the devil was alive and kicking, plotting to keep our team from doing God's will. But, with God on our side, we knew this was just a minor setback. The team hopped in cars and carpooled to the airport, arriving to Raleigh-Durham International Airport by 5:00 a.m.
After an adventurous morning, the rest of the morning went pretty smoothly. We arrived in Miami on time and made our way to the gate. With about two hours to spare, the team had plenty of time to relax, enjoy our last American cuisine for a week, and meet up with the rest of our team. Now, the 14-member team was complete and it's on to Port-au-Prince.
We landed in Haiti after a very pleasant flight, and we had the opportunity to talk with several other teams that had come to Haiti to spread the love of Jesus. Because God's presence was so strong and there were so many believers who had gathered in Haiti to do good, it rubbed someone the wrong way. Well, you could have guessed it ... Satan was not a happy camper. He was once again up to his dirty tricks. Lynn, Leslie, Tracy, and Ramsay found themselves without luggage. Somehow, their luggage managed to miss the flight. So now, it's a waiting game. We are sitting on the nice, hard ground at the baggage claim, waiting on our next move. With a little prayer, trust in God, and a glimpse of hope, we decided to wait on the next flight coming out of Miami, which is due to land at 4:30 p.m. If the luggage doesn't arrive then, a 410 Bridge representative will have the bags transported to our destination tomorrow morning. Stay tuned as we continue to battle Satan.
If God is for us, than who can be against us. That line is so true of our trip. Satan can and will be defeated. Sure enough, all four bags arrived on the 4:30 flight out of Miami. So, now, everyone is happy and we are ready to make our journey to Port-au-Prince. So, we head out of the baggage claim area, pass through customs, and walk outside to meet our team. And to our surprise, we are greeted by Jedlain and Ronald, our two favorite 410 Bridge translators and team leaders. It was such a warm and gracious welcoming, and a great way to step into Haiti.
As we load the bus, we are informed by Ronald that due to our delayed timing and with darkness around the corner, that we would have to stay in Port-au-Prince for the night. Unable to make the trek to Bohoc, 410 Bridge has reserved space for us at the Mon Chez Moi Guest House. So, with a little change in plans, we pull up to the guest house and unload. Ronald gets to work on finding our rooms and getting us settled in. Shortly after the guys dip their feet into the swimming pool and the girls chit chat about the day, dinner is served. After a pleasant and scrumptious meal, Dave goes over the plans for tomorrow. Next destination: Bohoc.
And, now, it's time for bed. It's been a long and adventurous day, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I absolutely love coming to Haiti and being with the Haitian people. Getting to sit and talk with Ronald for awhile after dinner was truly a delight. One of my favorite things about coming to Haiti is getting to know the people and the culture. I can't wait until tomorrow. Until then ...
Reah P. Nicholson
But, unfortunately, Satan had a different plan in the works, and it wasn't a nice one. As we started loading up the van, someone suggested that we start the van's engine and get it warming up as we get everything settled inside. Steve went to crank the van back up and ... BOOM ... Nothing! It looks like the van has died. So, the men jumped into action. And, so did Satan. Myron, Joey, Ramsay, and Steve decided to try to give the van a jump, but in a long drawn out attempt to get the hood of the van open, their plan worked to no avail. No one could figure out how to get the hood up and the team needed to get to the airport. So, once again, the devil was alive and kicking, plotting to keep our team from doing God's will. But, with God on our side, we knew this was just a minor setback. The team hopped in cars and carpooled to the airport, arriving to Raleigh-Durham International Airport by 5:00 a.m.
After an adventurous morning, the rest of the morning went pretty smoothly. We arrived in Miami on time and made our way to the gate. With about two hours to spare, the team had plenty of time to relax, enjoy our last American cuisine for a week, and meet up with the rest of our team. Now, the 14-member team was complete and it's on to Port-au-Prince.
We landed in Haiti after a very pleasant flight, and we had the opportunity to talk with several other teams that had come to Haiti to spread the love of Jesus. Because God's presence was so strong and there were so many believers who had gathered in Haiti to do good, it rubbed someone the wrong way. Well, you could have guessed it ... Satan was not a happy camper. He was once again up to his dirty tricks. Lynn, Leslie, Tracy, and Ramsay found themselves without luggage. Somehow, their luggage managed to miss the flight. So now, it's a waiting game. We are sitting on the nice, hard ground at the baggage claim, waiting on our next move. With a little prayer, trust in God, and a glimpse of hope, we decided to wait on the next flight coming out of Miami, which is due to land at 4:30 p.m. If the luggage doesn't arrive then, a 410 Bridge representative will have the bags transported to our destination tomorrow morning. Stay tuned as we continue to battle Satan.
If God is for us, than who can be against us. That line is so true of our trip. Satan can and will be defeated. Sure enough, all four bags arrived on the 4:30 flight out of Miami. So, now, everyone is happy and we are ready to make our journey to Port-au-Prince. So, we head out of the baggage claim area, pass through customs, and walk outside to meet our team. And to our surprise, we are greeted by Jedlain and Ronald, our two favorite 410 Bridge translators and team leaders. It was such a warm and gracious welcoming, and a great way to step into Haiti.
As we load the bus, we are informed by Ronald that due to our delayed timing and with darkness around the corner, that we would have to stay in Port-au-Prince for the night. Unable to make the trek to Bohoc, 410 Bridge has reserved space for us at the Mon Chez Moi Guest House. So, with a little change in plans, we pull up to the guest house and unload. Ronald gets to work on finding our rooms and getting us settled in. Shortly after the guys dip their feet into the swimming pool and the girls chit chat about the day, dinner is served. After a pleasant and scrumptious meal, Dave goes over the plans for tomorrow. Next destination: Bohoc.
And, now, it's time for bed. It's been a long and adventurous day, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I absolutely love coming to Haiti and being with the Haitian people. Getting to sit and talk with Ronald for awhile after dinner was truly a delight. One of my favorite things about coming to Haiti is getting to know the people and the culture. I can't wait until tomorrow. Until then ...
Reah P. Nicholson
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Team Haiti January 2014 and Their Prayer Requests - Draft in-progress
Greetings...
On Friday, January 17th, 14 newhopers (and newhope affiliates) will depart RDU in Raleigh/Durham, NC, for Haiti, where we will spend seven days with our Haitian friends in the village of Bohoc. For those of you who might not know, Bohoc is a rural, mountainous village in northeastern Haiti, approximately 2/3 of the way between Port au Prince and Cap Haitian. This will be our sixth trip to Bohoc, a village we adopted in 2011
Provided below is the team and their prayer requests.
While we're in Haiti, please feel free to follow us on this blog site as Reah and Cathy, our trip blogmasters, write of our comings, goings, doings, and non-doings while we're in-country.
Peace...
Dave
Ashley Anderson
That God will use me to bless the Haitian people.
That God will show me the will he has for my life and help me better follow his plan.
That God will use this experience in Haiti to make me even further appreciate all that I am blessed with.
That God will help the whole team work together flawlessly for his will.
That Got will equip me with the words and actions to deliver the message of hope to the people of Haiti.
That God will protect each member of our team in our travels.
Dave Brown
That God will bless our Haitian brethren as they seek to follow Jesus and to create a sustainable community devoted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
That God will prepare the heart of every travel team member to be an open conduit of God's loving kindness to every other team member and to our Haitian brethren.
That God will erect a high hedge of protection around every team member.
That God will bring our team together as a family.
That I will live a surrendered life.
That I will know the Mind and feel the Heart of Jesus.
That I will humbly serve my team members.
Tracy Crosby
"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 3:10
Dear Lord Jesus,
I am so grateful and humbled that you have given me another opportunity to be your light to the people of Haiti. Words can't even begin to describe how blessed and at the same time how broken I've been on my previous trips to Haiti. I pray that I am forever changed by those trips, but I want You to renew a right spirit within me Lord. I do not want to have any pre-conceived ideas or agendas, I only want to do your will and purpose for my time in Bohoc this year.
Lord, I pray that my heart would be open to receive all the blessings you have for me on this mission trip, especially the ones that are disguised as suffering. Lord, this trip is during the beginning of my Spring semester, so please help me stay focused and not be double-minded.
I pray for all of my team members as they prepare for this journey. Lord, keep them physically healthy, emotionally and mentally healthy, and most of all reassure them that You are the God that created the heavens and the earth, You hung the stars in the sky, and You own the cattle on a thousand hills. There is nothing that is out of your control – everything is “Father Filtered.” Give them, and their families that are staying here, your peace that passes all understanding. I pray for their time in Haiti; that it will be all that You want it to be for them and the people that they are going to touch.
I pray for my mom, Lord while I'm in Haiti. I pray that you'll protect her and give her strength; that she will not be anxious or fearful about anything, but she will trust that You hold her and me safely in the palm of your hand.
I'm so excited to do your work Lord Jesus, to be a small part of your plan for these people you love so much in Haiti. I give you all the praise and all the glory!!! AMEN
Jonathan Fisher
Safe travels for our mission team.
To come back more grateful for all the smaller things in life.
For God to bring our team together.
To spread the Word of Christ to the people of Haiti.
That we all serve to the best of our abilities.
Leslie Love
Lord, my prayer is that you open my heart, my mind, my spirit to be able to receive and give all that you ask of me in being a servant vessel to honor and bring you the glory on this mission.
Fathe,r I ask that you protect each of my sisters and brothers in Christ as we travel, serve, work, and rest. Cover us with your hedge of protection, allow our angels to walk before us, beside us, above us, and below us at all times.
Father, my prayer is that each person that we encounter sees only the unconditional love of you through our words, our actions, and simply our presence, allowing your light to bring peace, encouragement and hope.
Lord, my prayer is that while we are absent in the physical body from our family and loved ones that You protect each of them, our homes, our jobs and allow us to return safely to perfect harmony and all being well.
Carson MacMillan
That my life will change as a result of this trip.
That I will make friends with some of the kids in Bohoc.
That I will become more respectful of other people and more appreciative of what I have back in the United States.
Leah MacMillan
For Your peace in the hearts of our two foster (soon to be adopted) children, an understanding that we are not leaving them, and that they will not be replaced by other orphans.
For safety in our travels.
That God will continue to work on my heart and mind, that I might continue to be transformed more into the person I already am in His Eyes.
That I will not have become desensitized to what I see and whom I meet just because I have been to this country and community so many times before.
That I will be given the gift of rare moments and opportunities, so that when I return, I can share them with those that ask.
Ramsay MacMillan
That God will open my heart to the deep understanding of the meaning of why I return to Haiti every year (for 4 years now).
For safety and peace in our travels.
For ever strengthening relationships between me and my teammates (including my wife!).
That God will speak to those who are not believers but who have supported this mission with their financial donations.
That this trip will strengthen my relationship with God.
Lynn and Myron Nicholson
We pray for the humbling and preparing of our hearts for His Glory.
We pray for safe travels for our team.
We pray for a spirit of unity and oneness amongst our team.
We pray for GODs strengthening and changing us to better know and serve him.
We pray that we will be used to help our Haitian brothers and sisters in whatever is needed to praise and bring God glory.
We pray for continued blessings on our family and friends at home during our time away.
Reah Nicholson
I pray for safe travels and good health for all of our team members.
I pray for my parents, who are participating in their first mission trip together, that God will continue to be the foundation of their marriage, and that this trip will make their marriage even stronger, spiritually, physically, and emotionally.
I pray that God will use me as a vessel to spread His love, grace, and mercy to our brothers and sisters in Bohoc, as well as allow me to share His Word with others.
I pray that this trip will continue to strengthen my relationship with God.
Cathy Oakley
Father God,
First and foremost I give you praise for placing the desire in my heart and providing the way for me to go to Haiti. You took care of all the obstacles that tried to keep me from going. I pray for our group:
That you will watch over us and keep us safe;
That we will be the hands and feet for you, God, to be a testament of your love;
That we have the understanding that we can't change their world, only support as best we can;
That we are humbled by our Haitian brothers and sisters; and
That we return home with a grateful heart.
In Jesus name I pray,
Amen
Joey Reaves
Pray for traveling mercy for entire team, to and from Haiti.
Pray for emotional and physical strength while on the trip.
Pray that God uses each of us in whatever way He sees fit.
Pray that our hearts and minds will be open to whatever God will have us do.
Pray for the Haitians we will meet and interact with.
Christi Wallace
Each of the team member's heart will be open to God's leading and the opportunities He places before us, that we will be used as His hands and feet, that this opportunity and experience will be life-changing, drawing us closer to God, and giving us more of a heart for His people wherever we are.
The God-given gifts and abilities of each team member will be used together to humbly serve with love, compassion and kindness, and seeds of His truth will be planted.
The Haitian people will feel God's presence and be receptive to living their lives according to His perfect plan, and that they will be encouraged through faith and hope in Jesus Christ.
Protection, safety and good health for the team so He can accomplish His plans through us, as well as for our family and friends while we are away.
Family and friends will keep us constantly in their prayers.
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