Mission Trip

Widerson returns home

2010-11-17T10:01:00.001-08:00

On Thursday, October 14, 2010 Widerson was brought back home in the arms of Pastor Henry and friends from Fayette Baptist church.
A miracle child, found in the mountains of Sufferrier by one of our medical teams, diagnosed with Retinal blastoma and a very grim future. But, with one doctors determination( DR. Laurel Coleman) and others giving generously, Widerson was given a second chance to life.
He is back in Haiti! Living with a loving family, attending school and is happy and healthy. Thank you God!

Fayette team

2010-11-17T08:13:00.000-08:00

Romans 12:13, Share with Gods people who are in need.

The second team that came in were led by Pastor Henry, and one of our board of directors Rock West. Several on the team had never gone on a short term missions trip.
They had incredible hearts and were willing to roll up their sleaves and help where they could. I am not sure if you have experienced this, but it seems like the people that have the least give the most. This team was always ready to share, and surrounded me with love and encouragement. We did have a busy week planned for them.
The men had prepared to help with one of our work projects. Our clinic in Labruyere need a cement floor laid where the patients wait. They met with our mangaer Max and our project boss Anthony. Lots of preparation was needed. Anthony, worked up the materials list and prepared the way. By the time the team got to the clinic, many were busy at work. Hauling sand, gravel, large barrels of river water,digging and spreading. Anything you do in Haiti, especially in the country is difficult. Everything is done by hand, we do not have the luxury of small equipment. It always turns out to be an event and wonderful fellowship. These projects improve our clinics but also gives some of the men work they wouldn't have. It opens our eyes to the conditons many live in and how hard they have to work. The best part is even though they don't know each other by the end of the week friendships are formed, lunches and laughter were shared. One memorable moment, was when Anthony the boss, gave some young men work gloves. They weren't part of the core group, but had helped some through out the week. There smiles were big and they jumped up and dowm, thrilled to get these gloves. Pastor Henry visited the bosses house, met his family and prayed for them on. It was an eventful week.
The ladies on the team helped me with the mission house. Organizing, cleaning and encouraging me along the way. It was wonderful to have their support. We were blessed to have a Dental hygentist on the team, she had prepared a school program. She visited 2 schools and was received graciously. This went right along with our school screening program. She was pleased with the condition of the childrens teeth. She demonstrated proper brushing, showed pictures,reinforced good nutrition and good dental hygiene. They learned a song and did some arts and crafts. Everyone enjoyed this time. At the end, the team shared a bible story, performed a skit and sang some songs.
Back home at the missions house, some of the ladies help fill some small basins with baby items that have been donated and will be given to our staff to give to the parents for their babies.
The last week in Haiti, there was news of a Cholera outbreak. We did what we could to prepare for this outbreakd and especially if things got worse. Our nurse took time to educate our patients on cholera and taught them what to do. The schools were also teaching the students. The department of health began to hold inservices and meetings with community workers and public health workers. Our nurses attended these meeetings. When we left the Cholera outbreak had not reached our area. It was in the area of St. Marc. which is south of us.
We are very thankful for the teams that join in and help support our ministry and work along side our dedicated staff and family. The teams help in so many ways. One big way is by praying. They got a peak of Haiti and our wonderful ministry.

mission teams sept/october 2010

2010-10-15T16:38:00.000-07:00

Haitian Ministries continues their amazing journey. The 3 years of praying about the desire to implement a

school health program has become a reality!! Haitian Ministries and Schooling Christian Haitian's Out Of Love, Inc., joined forces and began a health screening initiation on Sept. 29th at LaBruyere and Lassoudray elementary schools (K-6).

The nursing team did a general assessment on a number of children collecting information from parents concerning their childs general health. We were happy to find that most children had received vaccines prior to attending school and their overall health was better than expected.

The nurses took this opportunity to teach the children and parents about hygiene, nutrition, and eye exams were given.

In Lassoudry, a woman arrived asking for help with her son who was very sick. When the school screenings were complete for the day, the nurses walked to the mother's home to assess the needs of the son. His mother explained he had been sick for about four years but the last 9 months had gotten progressively worse. He was lying on the floor in pain and short of breath.

The nurses and Pastor Rosa prayed with the mother and her son and said they would return in the morning early with supplies. The nurses arrived the next morning, being met by a distraught and crying face that relayed in Haitian Creole that her son had passed away. The team comforted the mother with their love, providing her support during her grieving.

The next day when they were in Lassoudray again, they visited the mother. She was pleased to see them and receive their love.

Back at the mission house, a prayer and song would always be a part of the team's time together.

Whether at meal time or just before bed time, it was a welcome event at the end of an exhausting day in the field.

The Church Services we attended were filled with praise and handraising to Our Lord. United we look to the Lord for hope and unconditional love that only He can provide. -

The Theme of this weeks experiences at the Mission House was "Love". How appropriate!!

Our scripture verse was 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

June 2010

2010-06-20T19:57:00.000-07:00

2010-02-08T17:41:00.000-08:00

Bonjour one and all!

Two weeks have sure flown by fast :) It's hard to know where to begin, or how to describe the country that has had so much publicity and attention over the past couple weeks. But the images that stick in my mind are of the beautiful people; women with huge bundles or buckets balancing atop their heads, men sauntering along in groups singing acapella into the ocean breeze, while children peek out from behind rusty tin doors, and catching a sight of my white skin shout, "Blanc! Blanc!" (white!) and giggle hilariously. Yes, the contrasts were great in many senses :) Other images that I shall not forget easily are those of rubbish filled streets and rivers, dust like fog that filled the roads and then filtered through barred windows into peoples homes, shanties and slums, with children playing on open roofs above the busy markets below. I'd never seen anything like it, but it reminded me a little of the images I'd seen of Calcutta, India.

Firstly, just to clarify, I never actually went to the Port au Prince area, or even close to there. This trip had been scheduled a couple months ahead of time, and it was planned that the team would visit rural medical clinics in and around the city of Cap Haitian, on the North Coast. So the first week we basically did as planned. I was with a team of 6 others - 2 doctors, 1 nurse, 1 translator and 2 pastors - and then me the student :) And boy did I learn a lot! Two of the days we visited clinics that are run by very capable Haitian nurses. It was interesting seeing the types of problems and sicknesses they had to be prepared to deal with - from scabies and malaria, to birth control and immunisations. The medical team has to carry all their equipment with them, as theft is a big problem due to the desperate situations everywhere.

On Saturday we left early and drove out to the base of a mountain. Then, loading supplies onto the backs of a couple donkeys, we hiked up into the stunning hillsides of Northern Haiti. What a beautiful country Haiti is....Mountains beyond mountains extending far into the distance, deep troughs plowed neatly across steep hillsides, and children running freely down into the valleys below. Two hours later we arrived at the village of La Suffriere (meaning 'the place of suffering'). We went with a Haitian nurse named Prudence who, with her husband, has been traveling up there for 20 years, planting and building a church and running a clinic. They have seen hundreds of people saved over those years, and seen the power of God to set villagers free from the bondage of voodoo-ism and transform them into people who worship and love the Lord. Praise God that He is so able to turn a "place of suffering" into a place of hope! We spent about 5 hours in La Suffriere, the doctors and nurses seeing over 170 patients in total. My job for the day was to take blood pressures of each one - great practice, though my ears were a little sore afterwards :) Aunt Laurel saw the most serious case; a little boy about 3-4 years old, whom Laurel thought had a retinal blastoma (or a tumor behind one eye). His right eye was protruding a little from the socket, and he had lost all sight on that side. Due to the severity of his situation, he and his mother hiked back down with us to the base of the mountain, so that they could go to the city hospital to be seen by a specialist. Again we realised how perfect God's timing really was, as the day the mother was able to take her son to the hospital there was a visiting American doctor, an opthamologist, who was able to confirm the diagnosis. Right now, the American medical team are still discussing whether to fly the boy and mother into the States for surgery, or do the operation in Haiti. Without this speedy operation, the boy could well have died. God is so good, and I was reminded many times these past couple weeks of what an honour it is to be His child and be guided by His hands.

Church was awesome. Sunday morning we went to Pastor Santiel's church situated in the poorer district and slums of the city. It was beautiful and really special to be able to worship with Haitian brothers and sisters; though separated by language, we were united in love for the Lord. And boy do they love the Lord. I think one thing that God was illustrating to me through the Haitian people was complete dependance on Him. These people had nothing else but the Lord - no assurance of their next meal, or of saftey or health, no hope outside of Jesus. Yet that same dependance is what God desires of me, to trust in Him with all my heart, and lean not on any understanding or knowledge or security outside of God. I too have no hope outside of Jesus, yet the comforts that fill our western world serve to deceive us and blind us to how empty and helpless we really are. I want to learn to live like the Haitian believers - praising God in all circumstances, and trusting in Him alone with all my heart!

On Tuesday the 26th, half of the team left, while half of us stayed on. I spent the majority of that week up at the local gymnasium, which had been opened up to accomodate the hundreds of refugees fleeing Port au Prince and arriving in Cap Haitian by the busload. The displaced Haitians were being processed by the city council, but it was pretty unorganised. A lot of the people were wounded, most traumatized, and needed medical attention. There was another US medical team in charge of taking care of the refugees, and so for a few days I was able to help them. I did little things - taking blood pressures and temperatures, learned how to give an injection :) handing out water and food, taking patients to the bathroom, and just sitting and praying with others. It was great though, and I'm so thankful for the opportunity I had to be involved, serving in small ways, and learning lots. I think one of the main feelings I had during that week was a feeling of helplessness and inadequateness for the situations that I was facing. What do you say or what can you do for a woman who has lost all three sons in one day? Or a young widow who sobs while waiting in line, as she is reminded of her two children now dead? I don't know. But God knows, and in that I had to rest. God tells us to weep with those who weep, mourn with those who mourn. Praise God that He is the Healer of the broken hearted, Restorer of what has been lost.

I really believe that this is a time for us to rise up in prayer and financial support of the churches in Haiti. The pastors of churches all around Haiti are seeing an influx in their communities as people flee Port au Prince to live with family members all over the country. Yet the people and the churches are usually very ill equipped to meet the physical needs of the refugees. Healing and restoration is going to be a long process, one that can only happen through the Lord, and this is a vital time for the western church to encourage and support our brothers and sisters in Haiti.

I know this is a terribly long email already, so only two more paragraphs I promise! You've done well to make it this far :) During the second week we were also able to get in touch with and visit about 10 beautiful orphan kids, recently transported from the capital. These kids had nothing when they arrived in Cap Haitian - they had lost their parents, homes, and everything they owned in the earthquake, and were gathered onto a bus and dropped off in the streets of Cap Haitian. They banded together, and found a lady willing to help them, who put them up in a vacant house out of town. It was hard to see and to feel the pain and loss these kids faced - Pam and Luke (the couple I stayed with) brought supplies, bedding, toys and activities, and we were able to visit them almost everyday until we left. I had fun playing with the kids, sitting with others, and pretending to understand as the little ones rattled on in Creole :) They are so sweet, and leaving Haiti became hard mostly due to them. At this point I feel like the only thing I can do really is pray for them, for their protection and God's healing and comfort in their hearts. The UN now knows where they are, and so food supplies and other basics should be taken care of. I've been realising that it's one thing to see the news and feel sorry, and another to discover that 'tragedy' isn't just a word, but a face, a touch, an empty pair of eyes.

But I'll stop there...whew, you say :) Sorry for the length...I'm not very good at summerising. Last thing was that I wanted to thank each of you so much for your faithful prayers and encouragement to me while I was in Haiti - I know that God was so present, protecting, guiding, and blessing me abundantly! I was not sick at all, nor every felt in danger or afraid. Thank you my faithful prayer warriors :) God is good; I sure don't deserve His blessings that surround me everyday. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask, and I look forward to catching up with some of you soon in person!

Have an awesome & blessed week,

love Hannah

PS. Here's a link to some photos if you're interested (might have to copy and paste it):

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=149124&id=799583747&l=3e637178a9

You can only give God as much of you as you understand at that moment.

2010-02-03T04:44:00.000-08:00

Our friends in Haiti continue to praise God and press forward in a country that is very difficult to find work and feed families. The remnants of the earthquake disaster will be felt for a long time. We saw some difficult things and heard many stories from hurting people. But we also heard many miracle stories. We saw a little girl that was pulled out from under a school that had fallen on her and she didn't have a scratch on her. Another young girl jumped off a collapsing building and a man caught her in his arms.

There were many other stories shared by people telling us how they lost everything and everyone.

It was a difficult trip. To be honest there were times our words sounded empty and meaningless. I would search the scripture to find what God wanted me to share to comfort and even then, the words seemed inadequate for the magnitude of what the men, women and children were living.

It was a time of trusting God for His faithfulness in others lives. God was the only thing they had to rely on, they had nothing else. We had to trust God because we were so inadequate.
Through it all God was directing our paths hearing our cry of help ( Isa.30;19)

We have children that have touched our lives and have left their little foot
prints on our hearts.

and remembering our ways are not His and we have to trust the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding...(prov. 3;5)

o

"I AM with you always" - January 2010

2010-01-27T16:51:00.000-08:00

Matthew 28:20b "I am with you always."

The January trip to Haiti had been scheduled for months ahead of time. Then January 12th arrived and disaster struck Port au Prince. I was at home, and our family was all there. The phone rang and our son answered, and said "Mom, you better sit down and turn on the TV." From that point on, life became a flurry. Phone calls, emails, anxious friends and family. We couldn't pull ourselves from the screen, and the images of the earthquake and the destruction it caused. Our hearts ached for our friends and the people of Haiti. By a miracle, I got through that night to Miss Pat, and she reassured us that everyone in the North were safe. They had felt tremors, but no structural damage was caused.

Luke and I arrived in Vero, a few days before joining up with the team. In our minds we knew that Missionary Flights International would be needing volunteers at this critical time. We have flown with MFI over the past 12 years, and have come to rely on their faithful service. For the next couple days we experienced first hand the tremendous work that is involved in disaster relief. We were in awe of the commitment of all the staff and volunteer pulling together day and night to send thousands of pounds of much needed supplies to Haiti. My hat's off to this wonderful organisation, with 40 years of service, whose motto is "standing in the gap". Thank you and God bless you MFI!

The team continued to prepare for our departure to Haiti on the 19th, though not knowing what would await us nor where we'd be needed the most.

After getting settled at the mission house, we checked in at the largest hospital in Cap Haitian to see if we could be of assistance. At that time, the displaced and injured people of Port au Prince had not yet begun to arrive in the North. We were starting to hear that thousands of refugees were predicted to arrive over the coming days, in a city that already is overpopulated and impoverished.

The next day, the team set out to visit our clinic in Lasoudrey and observe the elderly feeding program there. It was a great chance for the team to experience the rough roads, the beautiful countryside, and smiling faces shouting out "blanc! blanc!" along the way. I think they gained a greater appreciation for the staff's commitment to travel to and work at the clinics week after week.

Throughout the week, we were blessed to share in the many joyous occasions of families who'd received the news that their long awaited adoptions had finally been approved!

Saturday we rose early, and drove to the base of a mountain outside the city. Backpacks full, and donkeys loaded, we wound our way up and around the stunning Haitian countryside, our destination La Soufrierre, meaning "the place of suffering". Praise God that He is transforming places of suffering into places of hope! After 2 hours, we were greeted by over 200 people waiting in an overcrowded church building, without power or water, to be seen by the doctors. After introducing ourselves, we joined in a time of song and prayer. The time passed quickly as everyone stayed busy in their various roles - from consulting 170 patients in total, to translating the various c/o, to distributing medication.

I will share about one little boy who I believe really is a miracle story; Dr Laurel examined a young boy, maybe three years old, and immediately noticed one eye was swollen and pushing out from the socket. His pupil was fixed and dialated, and he had no sight in that eye. Realising that this child could be facing a very serious situation, she consulted with the Haitian nurse to arrange for him to come down the mountain to the hospital in Cap. The doctor suspected a retinal blastoma, that untreated could result in death. On Monday, we searched the hospital to find this little boy, not being able to contact his family member. Things looked pretty grim, and we doubted whether we would find him. However, later in the day we discovered we discovered that not only had he been seen by a visiting American doctor, but the precise specialist that he needed! The doctor suspected a brain tumor, and made arrangements for the little boy to be flown with them back to the US. God's timing is so perfect!

On Monday, the city of Cap Haitian began to feel the influx of displaced people arriving from Port au Prince. Wounded, hungry and traumatized, the refugees arrived by the busloads, and were slowly processed through the hospital. The city's gymnasium was opened up, and all refugees had the opportunity to be seen by US and Haitian physicians, nurses, and psychologists, and receive food supplies. Each day there is mounting tension, rumors of unrest, and a great sadness that lies heavy on many people's hearts. You cannot find anyone who has been left untouched by this tragedy, whether a family member or friend.

We have been praying throughout the week for God to show us how where we can give. A Haitian woman aiding the relief work at the gym, told Luke their were 15 orphans she was housing that had no food, clothes, or family. Today we went to visit the children and found them in an empty house, with no furniture. The woman had no means of providing, but knew this was an vacant building that could house these kids. We took a couple boxes of shoes, toys, and clothing, beans, rice and corn, and tomorrow we will plan on visiting the children, and each day until we leave. These kids have tremendous emotional needs, as well as the basic physical. One young man told us the mosqitoes were terrible, so we will buy mosqito nets, matresses, and blankets for these children.

It's hard to understand the tragedy that shaken this country and it's people. We don't understand why God allows the innocent to suffer. But I do know that Jesus suffered, and that He is with us always. He is unshakeable, and in that we have hope.

" You shall know them by the love they have for one another"

2009-11-10T20:25:00.000-08:00

The clinics continue to be the hub of activity in the communities we serve. Our committed staff, demonstrates Christ love to each patient that comes.

Before their day begins, they travel one hour over bumpy roads ,that only allows you to drive around 15 -20 miles per hour. If the roads were good they could make it to the clinics lin ess than 20 minutes. When they get to the clinic they sing songs, share from the bible and then close in prayer. The Pastor goes out to the waiting area ,shares the Gospel and then leads the patients in prayer and closes with a hymn.

This is a blessing to witness.

Today, I helped with injections, visited with some of the elderly and spent time holding babies. At the end of the day, I drove the truck home and dropped the staff off along the way.

Tomorrow, we will have a staff meeting to discuss some of the needs, ideas to serve the people better, pray and eat.

It is a privilge to serve along side of my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Mwen te deside pou swiv Lesenye

2009-11-06T18:32:00.000-08:00

Dear Family and Friends,

Phil. 2:1 says " Your life in Christ makes you strong, and His love comforts you.

It is scripture like this one that gets me through the difficult times when I am serving in Haiti. It gives me strength and empowers me to continue the work God has prepared.

The first week in Haiti I hosted a team of 10 . They were from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine and Utah. Six churches were represented in this team. For many, this was their first missions trip. Some were new believers and some not but all of them demonstrated a willingness to serve in what ever area they were needed. The beginning of the week, they helped a friend with her child sponsorship program; measuring, weighing, taking photos, playing with the children and do arts and crafts. The rest of the team visited the two medical clinics, familiarizing themselves with the staff members in the communities. Experiencing medicine for the first time in a third world country, and witnessing the hardship, they have a glimpse of people living in absolute poverty. It seems the continuous education piece is missing for medical personnel in the remote areas of Haiti. It makes me really appreciate our medical system back home, although not perfect. Our staff always takes the time to explain the programs we have, answer many questions and allow them to come in with the patient during their consultation. I wonder what they really think, when the blancs come and take pictures and ask the same questions over and over. I thank God for all of them and their patience with us.

We had a chance to go to different areas with the team. It gives them a better picture of this country. Many of the people on the team said " my life has been changed". There is never a time that these words aren't spoken by team members that have come down over the years. This is one of the reasons I enjoy bringing teams down, knowing God has brought them here and His plans are bigger than ours. We need to just trust and obey. The doctor that traveled with us has been on other mission trips. He was compassionate with the patients, and a wonderful teacher. He has given me suggestions for future medical teams and has given me a better picture of what doctors will need to serve effectively when they come down. God has revealed many things to me in these two weeks by using His people, circumstances and situations which are not always easy. I remember thinking before I became a Christian how boring it must be. I need to tell you my life does not have a dull moment and it is exciting working for God.

The rest of the time here I will go to the clinics with the staff and continue studying Creole.
Every trip I learn more Creole and more of the culture.
Phil 2:3 says " Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself".

I thank God for each of you. Thank you for your prayers and support.

Words from the Son-Seekers___ October 26, 2009

2009-11-05T16:34:00.001-08:00

After a 4 a.m. wakeup, we were driven to the Mission Flight International base and introduced to our two missionary pilots and an operations manager, Joe, who led us in prayer-a first on an airplane for us!- after pointing out the exits, life jackets and life rafts. A special caution was made to not sit or sleep on the life rafts. Also on board was Miss Karen, our guide, who traveled with us to help during a fuel stop in Exuma, a small strip of land in the Bahamas, and aid us in the laborious task of clearing customs in Caphaitian. Suffice it to say, the chill of New England was a distant memory, as we all struggled with the acclimation to the heat and humidity of CAP.
We are grateful to be here and feel blessed. Our team represents 6 churches and one nurse is from Utah. The rest of the team from New England.

Day 3
We wish each of you could be here to share the many blessings that come from working in Haiti . It’s easy to tell you about the things that are difficult-the poverty, and the needs of all here, without adequate food, clean water and medical care. It’s much more difficult to express in words the joys that fill each day and to really convince you of the hope that most express by waving to us, when we travel the roads, and how many people immediately smile and wiggle their fingers in a wave, when we call out “bonjou” or “bonswa”, good morning or good afternoon. When we walk the streets or drive past in our truck (that has carried up to 12 --don’t ask how!).we pass young and old toiling with the chores of maintaining a marginal existence. Girls and women carry tall and burdensome loads on their heads, wash clothes by hand, and spend a considerable amount of time making meals, which are often cooked over charcoal fires. Men are busy with manual labor, doing a lot of craft work and moving things by wheelbarrow, large wooden carts, moped or bikes. Amongst the throngs, along the city’s roadside, are entrepreneurs making things out of metal and wood, repairing tires and making goods to sell. It seems as if all of life goes on outside, along the roadways, as most Haitian’s homes are hot inside and there is no electricity.

We “blanchs” (white people) are noticed everywhere we go and, in general, feel loved. When traveling after dark, there is the need to take more care and we are learning to be very respectful of the difference.

Our 4th day in CAP was doing much of the same type of work in the field. Returning to the Mission House to pack for the road, we ate a delicious meal of red beans and rice, with chicken, fresh avocados, mangos and salad, and then embarked in two vehicles for the country and our 4-day assignment in Terrier Rouge. Leaving the melee of noise and overcrowded streets of CAP, where 5-6 vehicles are always vying for the same road space at the same time, we breathed a sigh of relief to arrive in the country.

We were greeted warmly by Pastor Noel and his wife, Marie, and given room assignments in their lovely home. Marie served an evening meal of rice, red sauce, meatballs, avocado, papaya and cake muffins. The night came to an end with the voices of children who came to sing for us (an incredible blessing!) and our own voices lifted in song and praise.

Today, we are doing medical clinics , some of the team did crafts with a large group of children. They loved it and were very creative. Paula, Peter and I also helped feed 150 children in a small yard. We were very impressed at the patience of the children, as they waited for a long time for all the meals to be served before they prayed and then could eat. Paula felt it was like the Bible story of the disciples feeding the 5,000. It seemed, at first, as if there would not be enough to go around. But, amazingly, there was –and with a small amount of leftovers. The medical staff had a long and grueling day.
We have no electricity and no Internet connection at the moment".

We miss and love you,

The Team

Words from the Son-Seekers

2009-11-05T16:34:00.000-08:00

A team orchestrated by God,

"Our DC 3, twin-engined airplane squiggled down the runway of the Ft. Pierce; Florida airport and droned as it lifted our Mission Team of 10 and a hefty load of mission cargo into the early morning darkness. After three months of planning, Paula and Sue were underway to Haiti!

We met with up our new team mates in Orlando yesterday, enjoyed a meal together late evening and began to script out the work for our 10-day stay in Caphaitian, at the tip this hemisphere’s poorest nation. After a 4 a.m. wakeup, we were driven to the Mission Flight International base and introduced to our two missionary pilots and an operations manager, Joe, who led us in prayer-a first on an airplane fur us!- after pointing out the exits, life jackets and life rafts. A special caution was made to not sit or sleep on the life rafts. Also on board was Miss Karen, our guide, who traveled with us to help during a fuel stop in Exuma, a small strip of land in the Bahamas, and aid us in the laborious task of clearing customs in Caphaitian. Suffice it to say, the chill of New England was a distant memory, as we all struggled with the acclimation to the heat and humidity of CAP.

It was truly joyful to arrive at the Mission House and find Rocky West and Peter Kapiloff were here to greet us, after flying in from Port-au-Prince. Many other friends came by to greet us and help with meeting needs as we begin work. Paula and I are now assigned tasks with a school and feeding program and the medical personnel go to the local hospital tomorrow and begin clinics on Thursday.

We are grateful to be here and feel blessed. We send our love to all, and a special thanks to those who helped support this mission.

Below is the Pilot’s Psalm, we thought you’d enjoy it as much as we did.

We wish each of you could be here to share the many blessings that come from working in Haiti . It’s easy to tell you about the things that are difficult-the poverty, and the needs of all here, without adequate food, clean water and medical care. It’s much more difficult to express in words the joys that fill each day and to really convince you of the hope that most express by waving to us, when we travel the roads, and how many people immediately smile and wiggle their fingers in a wave, when we call out “bonjou” or “bonswa”, good morning or good afternoon. When we walk the streets or drive past in our truck (that has carried up to 12 --don’t ask how!).we pass young and old toiling with the chores of maintaining a marginal existence. Girls and women carry tall and burdensome loads on their heads, wash clothes by hand, and spend a considerable amount of time making meals, which are often cooked over charcoal fires. Men are busy with manual labor, doing a lot of craft work and moving things by wheelbarrow, large wooden carts, moped or bikes. Amongst the throngs, along the city’s roadside, are entrepreneurs making things out of metal and wood, repairing tires and making goods to sell. It seems as if all of life goes on outside, along the roadways, as most Haitian’s homes are hot inside and there is no electricity.

We “blanchs” (white people) are noticed everywhere we go and, in general, feel loved. When traveling after dark, there is the need to take more care and we are learning to be very respectful of the difference.

Our 4th day in CAP was doing much of the same type of work in the field. Returning to the Mission House to pack for the road, we ate a delicious meal of red beans and rice, with chicken, fresh avocados, mangos and salad, and then embarked in two vehicles for the country and our 4-day assignment in Tierre Rouge. Leaving the melee of noise and overcrowded streets of CAP, where 5-6 vehicles are always vying for the same road space at the same time, we breathed a sigh of relief to arrive in the country.

We were greeted warmly by Pastor Noel and his wife, Marie, and given room assignments in their lovely home. Marie served an evening meal of rice, red sauce, meatballs, avocado, papaya and cake muffins. The night came to an end with the voices of children who came to sing for us (an incredible blessing!) and our own voices lifted in song and praise.

Today, we are doing medical clinics and Paula and I did crafts with a large group of children. They loved it and were very creative. Paula, Peter and I also helped feed 150 children in a small yard. We were very impressed at the patience of the children, as they waited for a long time for all the meals to be served before they prayed and then could eat. Paula felt it was like the Bible story of the disciples feeding the 5,000. It seemed, at first, as if there would not be enough to go around. But, amazingly, there was –and with a small amount of leftovers. The medical staff had a long and grueling day and had to perform emergency surgery on a young boy and treated many other illness and traumas.

We have no electricity and no Internet connection at the moment, but have made plans with a priest to use the Internet at the local Catholic Church at 5 pm. God is good!

We miss and love you,

The Team

2009-11-05T16:18:00.000-08:00

2009-11-05T16:14:00.000-08:00

October/November teams experience

2009-11-03T18:35:00.000-08:00

2 Timothy 1: 7-9

2009-07-01T06:35:00.001-07:00

June/July 2009

We have been given a Spirit not of fear but of power and love and of a sound mind. Do not be ashamed.

We continue to thank God for our work in Haiti. I will never get use to the fact he has chosen me to participate in His plans. His hand leads us and directs us to places we could never imagined in our own planning. Each trip is so special and God is visible through out. I am still excited when I come, but always anticipating the unknown, a healthy fear. In Haiti , I cannot depend on my own strength like we do back home. Back home I think all of us at times have a false sense of security, putting our trust in people and things. These past few weeks God has arranged many ways of appearing in just the right times. His goodness and faithfullness was evident, for example, bringing the right people at the right place and time when our car broke down, providing work for Gabrielle in the orphanage.

Another example, I have been wanting to meet Dr. Embury who has been an intricate part of Haitian Ministries over the years. Luke and I have talked about flying out to Nebraska to meet him, we didn't know when or how. Well, God has been arranging a perfect meeting. The doctor is planning a trip to Maine this summer and hopefully Luke and I will give him a " Taste Of Maine" . It will be a great time of fellowship.

Our daughter Gabrielle joined me this summer. It is always a blessing to have her with me. She had an opportunity to work at our friends orphanage, teaching english, bible devos, building friendships with the young girls and teaching guitar to the boys. She experienced riding in a local "tap tap" ( a taxi to us, picture a taxi that is a small truck with about 15 people in it) also. Gabrielle stated often throughout our time here how amazed she was at the Lord's working. She thouroughly enjoyed her time with the kids and Cheron.

The rest of the week we went out to the clinics to see the staff. We prayed together,sung praises and shared needs. Gabrielle took pictures of each staff member to put on our website. This will allow everyone to meet our dedicated staff. We continue to see many children that have respiratory infections, skin rash, fever and diarrhea. Malaria and Typhoid are still be detected from time to time amongst adults also. We also saw many patients struggling with hypertension (240/110!!), diabetes, urinary infections, some respiratory infections and asthma. We have a wonderful nurse that works with the pregnant women. The have started a program where every friday the pregnant women will come and learn about how to take care of themselves through out their pregnancy. After the classes, they will receive a small gift. The staff are also give our layetttes to the moms and their new babies. We have a couple of churches and individuals that help wth this project.

Our other nurse takes care of the immunizations, nutrition and post natal issues. Something else that is available to the community is food, we have a food depot and are responsible for its distribution. Our staff works closely with the community health leaders, they have meetings to review the overall health issues that they have encountered in the clinic and through their home visits.

I was invited to work with a ministry called Eternal Hope for Haiti. They go into the rural areas and administer medical care, it was great. I worked along side three nurse practioners. We saw some very sick children and adults. One little girl was a month old and had a clef palette and clef lip, she was wasting away. One of the missionaries will try and get her connected with an organization in Hinche that performs surgery on this problem. This organization has been working in Haiti for the last 25 years.

The last week we hosted a team from Maine and Massachusetts. Two pastors were part of the team. They spent the week observing different ministires. They spent time with Pastor Saintil and Pastor Julio. There eyes were opened and God allowed them to see Haiti in a different light. It was so good having them here. Each morning and night we would share from Gods word and reflect on the day. I suspect it won't be the last time in Haiti for any of them.

Today, Gabrielle said good by to her friends at the orphange. In the afternoon, we had visitors from other missioanries and their children. They invited Gabby and Valerie to go swimming. Last June Gabrielle taught Valerie how to swim. Today he swam the whole distant of the pool. He was grinning from ear to ear. Those of you who have met Valerie know his beautiful smile.

We have rekindled our friendship with a couple of the street kids. Which is proabably a no..no., but when you see how hungry they are and you find out they are sleeping in a car at 7 or 8 yrs. old, what does peanut butter and bread with water cost. One of the little boys has a real bad infection on his finger. It could easily lead into osteomylitis( bone infection) With the time I have left I will treat him with an antibiotic, ibuprofen and vitamins. At times they are sweet little boys and then other times they get alittle hateful with each other, hitting and punching. I try to encourage the them to be nicer. Gabrielle and I had about 7 days of Creole Lessons. It was very helpful. Lots of practice.

Tomorrow, we sit down with Pastor Saintil and plan the February pastors conference. There has been quite a lot of interest from pastors from the states to help with this. We have about 35 that come regularly. We are praying that we could reach more men. The pastors wives are wanting more teaching as well.

We have joined a network that is for the Cape Haitian region. This has been started by a doctor in Florida that would like to improve on communication amongst the teams coming and going. It allows others to know the projects that are already happening and good work that is being done by others everyday. It will also provide a contact if resources are needed. Dr. Jasmine from the Department of Health of Haiti is encouraging people to work together and partner with exisiting organizations that are already here. Many ministries are struggling and need support to continue their work.

God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. An example of one woman that came to
Haiti a few years ago. She was prompted by God to help one of our pastors who was in need of a church. She has committed herself to this each year and does yard sales to raise money to send down. It is wonderful to see the progress each time I come. Another block laid and another wall up. An ordinary woman doing extraordianry things.
Our mission provides medical, spiritual and emotional support to the poor. We do this by
partnering with the nurses, doctors, pastors and committed men that have given their hearts to Jesus. The people that understand their situations and country best.

I hope this gives you a glimpse of life in Haiti. The best way to experience missions is to go.... that is why I encourage you to come and visit.

God wants people to step up and step out and we continue to learn and experience the Spirit of power and of love and of a sound mind, not a Spirit of fear.

2 Timothy

2009-07-01T06:35:00.000-07:00

Matthew 21; 21-22

2009-03-05T16:17:00.000-08:00

Dear Family and Friends,

We arrived in Cap Haitian on February 4th. We had an ambitious two weeks planned.
The first week we encountered lots of rain, (anpil lapli) which put a damper ( no pun intended on the work we had planned. The roads were very muddy.
It all worked out. Gods plan, was for us to spend time with Pat and Clark and work at the mission house. The guys laid tile on the bathroom floors. A system was designed to allow us hot water in our showers and had some great fellowship with Pat and Clark and each other.

On Friday, Judy and I met with the youth at Pastor Joseph Saintil"s church. Judy challenged them to know what they believe and why. Also, talked to them about friends and the pull of the world. At the end we showed " Fire Proof" they loved it, lots of cheers, discussion amongst themselves and applause. It was really cool to watch them. They do not have very many opportunities to watch a DVD.

Saturday we held a Pastor and wives conference. Judy was wonderful. God was at work through her. She taught on relationships, marriage and again challenged them from the Word of God. We had a meal and then shared the movie " Fire Proof" It was amazing. There was laughter and you could feel a buzz in the room during certain parts. At the end they asked Judy for her notes and would like a copy of the movie to share with their leadership. Each year the conference gets better. They are so hungry for good material on relationships and marriage. The pastors shared how much they appreciated the conferences and the material we share with them. They are looking forward to next years. I am hoping to get more Pastors to come down and come along side of some of the faithful men of God. The ladies also enjoyed the topic and agreed that even their husbands needed to hear some of the material Judy challenged them with. The first Sunday the team attended a Haitian church. It was totally spirit led. Tears shed during the worship time for some it was an amazing experience. Even though they sang in a different language, it was powerful and you could sense the Holy spirit moving through out the team and church. It is a wonderful experience and I believe a taste of what heaven will be. Lots of singing and praising going on!
The second week we spent time in Terrier Rouge with Pastor Noel and Marie. We have worked with them for about 10 years now. We have a medical clinic started there. We also do some medical work in the village of Ouvre. We had to hike to the village of Ouvre. It took us about 2 hours the first day. There was so much mud it made the going slow. The cheers and smiles of the children when we arrived made it all worth while. The team fell in love with the people and the children there. Two days we saw patients, mostly children that were relatively healthy. Thank God! A couple of the men worked on a school project that we have worked on for the last couple of years. Pastor Noel is putting a second story on a school for the older students. Les, Leroy and Luke and Marven worked along side of the men. Relationships continue and it is obvious a brotherly love is forming with the men. One of the men " Roden wrote to us once and said "Friendship is like a flower that becomes more and more soft and tender with each passing year". Luke has become very fond of one of the men. He shared it reminds him of his old mill right he worked with for years. Les has gained their respect and is considered one of them. He has a difficult time talking about them with out a few tears welling up. We had others on the team that shared bible stories with the kids, did games and skits at a couple of schools. One couple made a solar cooker. He showed them how to make it and then cooked some chicken. It only took 3-4 hours in the direct sun. He was hoping to encourage them to build these cookers and see the value in using the sun for cooking. The second week we had 2 more men join the team. It was one of our friends and his son-in- law. They spend the week videoing the work in Haiti. Ryan interviewed many of the nationals. During the interviews he would ask how short term missions have impacted their lives or the work they are invloved in. Our friend Phil had spent time in Haiti about 20 years ago with his Father- in-law. There mission was to share a story about HOPE in Haiti. We are seeing changes, slow, but it is encouraging to see the work people are doing. There seems to be more gardens, things are green and more animals roaming around.

The team was great. Exactly what you need in a team. They were flexible, willing to do anything you asked of them. They were warm and loving to the children and our sisters and brothers.

On Valentines day we had a Banquet. We had over 50 couples. There were some teasing going on , a word on love and marriage. Lots of smiles and twinkles in the eyes. It was wonderful to see the couples together. The pastor mentioned to us he did not know some of the husband and wives. So many times he only sees one or the other and does not see them together. The Haitian couples are not overly touchy, feely with each other. One thing they did was have the men sit on one side of the church and the ladies on the other. Then they would call there name out and the husband and wive would stand, then they would join each other. Sometimes, the husband would walk over to the wive and other times the wife would walk over to her husband. As the time went on they started to get a little more comfortable and had some fun with it. One wife just strutted over to her husband and they were laughing and she laid one on him. It was so funny. So then, it started each of them would kiss when they got to each other. I hope you can visualize this. It was so good to see them enjoying one another and spending time with each other. The pastor said it isn't something they do. Well.. it was such a hit, they want us to have another one next year. How can you say NO.... Guess there will be a trip next year around Valentines. We'll make it even better for them.
Many nights the team would share about there day and we would delve into the bible. Our friend Marven shared in Matt.21;21-22 Assuredly, I say to you, If you have faith and do not doubt, and say to the mountain, Be removed and be cast into the sea, it will be done, and whatever things you ask in prayer, believing you will receive.
It sparked lots of discussion, prayers, and thoughts through out the weeks I believe we all grew a little closer to God and our trust in God was demonstrated many times with different situations we all went through. They showed compassion and courage. God knew exactly the team he wanted and needed to get his work done. His Assignment and he allowed us to be a part. Praise God! I hope you have enjoyed the stories. If you want to join us some time on a short term mission trip just give me a call. It is life changing.
Oh yes, I wanted to share. Ever since I have been a Christian I have wanted a Life verse. I have prayed about it and have searched the scriptures and not just one has jumped out at me. But,.... this trip God showed me the one. I love it and am so excited to finally have a life verse. Hear Goes...
Gal 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Faithful

2008-11-14T17:25:00.000-08:00

Pictures from November 2008 trip

2008-11-14T17:12:00.000-08:00

Matthew 18:4

2008-11-11T05:16:00.000-08:00

Have you ever felt so much happiness or contentment that your "heart felt full". I don't know how else to explain it. Let me share with you my experience last evening.

Our mission house is on ocean blvd. We see the ocean from the house. It is beautiful, but you would not want to swim there. There are many people that love to walk there. Last evening, I went out to sit on the cement wall that over looks the ocean. I was studying Creole. Five little boys came over and started asking for one dollar. I showed them my creole/english book and they loved that. Then I had them write there names in the book. You could tell some knew how to write and a couple didn't have much confidence. It was so fun. We spent an hour doing that. They would smile and giggle, tease each other and me. Great kids! I asked if they had a momma or papa, they shook there head no. Three of the children were street kids. They told me they washed cars. Two of the little boys told me they sleep in a car down the road. I told them I would give them a peanut butter sandwich if they kept practicing writing their names, they gave me a great big grin. I had my friend Men come out and read to them a bible story. A couple of the boys got real close to me as they listened attentively. They snuggled close. One laid his head on my shoulder and another put his chin on my hand, that was on one of the small boys back. It was so touching. I thought my heart would burst. They had many questions for Mem about the story. We prayed and ask God to give them a good nights sleep and thanked Jesus for the sandwich. I gave them all a great big " moms hug" and told them good night. They asked me if we could do this again tomorrow " Demen" ( in Creole) I shook my head yes and again a look in their eyes that I can't even put in words. It is difficult to put in words the look you see in their eyes. God gave me this wonderful night and I thank Him. I can't wait to see these children again tonight.

November 2008

2008-11-09T17:16:00.000-08:00

Dear Family and Friends,

I was very glad to come to Haiti. I was worried about the effects the hurricane had on our brothers and sisters. I was pleased to see that Cap Haitian had very little damage from the storms. The town of Gonaives was hit the worse. At one point, the countryside had 20 feet of stagnant water. Our friends report that it is covered with mud now. Many from that town have moved to Cap Haitian. A group of students from UCNH is going up to help the families next week. Before I arrived in Cap, I spent one afternoon at MFI missionary flights international) helping box up supplies, clothes, and food that had been donated for the victims of the hurricane. MFI will fly it into the country and pass it on to one of the Pastors who will distribute the supplies to the people. The biggest problem still in Cap is the high cost of food and gas. It has been 2 or 3 months since they have had power. It comes and goes and you never know when we will have it.

The clinics are doing well. Our part- time doctor has been out on maternity. She had a baby boy. She will return with in the month. Our food depot was broken into again. Robbers steal our food that is donated from the organization P.A.M. This is a big problem. Some of the families that live where the clinics are located are very poor. This food is a relief to many of the families. The staff talked about maybe having a security guard. We have a great staff. Our nurses are so kind and show so much patience to our patients. They do a lot of teaching and are always smiling. Now we have a battery-operated microscope, we really need a solar panel. This would allow the nurses to have fans and a light in there exam rooms. It would also be nice for the patients. It gets very hot during the day and especially summer months. I worked one day in Terrier Rouge. We have a new nurse who started this month. We have not had one for a while. She lives in Cap Haitian and will travel out 2 days a week. Wednesdays she will work in the school and Saturdays at the clinic. I have been praying for this now for a couple of years, answered prayer! Therefore, I was very pleased when Pastor Noel told me we have a nurse. I hope that we can give her another day to work in the school as funds come in. There is new road now from Cap to the boarder of the DR. What use to be a 2-hour trip form O’Cap to Terrrier Rouge, now takes 30 minutes. It is awesome and allows us the opportunity to have someone work in Terrier Rouge that lives in Cap. Each night I study Creole. I will probably spend the rest of my life learning it. It seems funny not having a team with me, but it has given me time to be with the staff and friends.
I will return in February with a team. We will have a Valentine Banquet at Pastor Noel’s church for the married couples and help with the school construction, spend sometime at the clinics and hope to work with the children.

When I get home, I will post some more pictures. Thank you for your prayers and support.
2 Timothy chapter 4:1-5
Stand Steady and do not be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Bring others to Jesus. Leave nothing undone that you ought to do.

"Beyond the Norm " June/July 2008

2008-08-19T14:08:00.000-07:00

On June 18th, five of us traveled to Haiti. Three of the five were my children. My oldest son, youngest son, daughter and a friends son. It was great having them there and a big help. The first week we were there, we prepared for a group of teens that were coming down to do a VBS program. I need to confess that I was a bit worried how it was all going to fall into place. I had 19 young adults, whom many had never been on a short term missions trip, let alone a Third world country.

My prayer was to just keep trusting God and have confidence in Him who started the work. ( phil. 1:6)

Our friend Enoch and his Dad had been praying about an area called Quartier Morin, a very poor area that had never had a team come before and do a VBS. The area was perfect. A small church to hold the bible stories and crafts. A big back yard for
I was so proud of my kids and the others. They stepped out of their comfort zone and trusted GOD. Numbers 6:25 reads, " The Lord make His face shine upon you." The young adults were the light God called them to be. Not only were they serving the Haitian people but each other. I thank God for this team and allowing me to be a part of it.

After the teams went back, I had a chance to go to the clinic and see our new immunization room. Our nurse Camilla who is in charge of this program is extremely busy with the immunization program and our new Medika Mamba program. The Medika Mamba is a fortified peanut butter we can get right in Cap Haitian. It is used for our malnourished children. They are started on this program for 7 weeks. The Mom or Dad comes in and is taught about how to make healthy choices, good nutrition and encouraged. Usually, by the end they have gained enough to be taken off.

We met one evening with one of our Pastors and his youth group. Doug showed " Facing the Giants" and then did a bible study with them. The kids were very receptive of our youth and the discussion time.

Thank you for your prayers. Our work in Haiti gives us an opportunity to equip and encourage our brothers and sisters as we continue our partnership to bring light into a dark place.

I will return in November, again in February and then June. I have 2 teams, one will go with me in February and one in June. If any of you would like to join us, please call me at 207-491-4775.

We are now selling Haitian coffee. It is DELICIOUS! The proceeds go toward the work.

All Our Love,
Pam and family

February 2008

2008-02-28T16:11:00.000-08:00

The team left for Haiti on February 13th. We originally had 12 going. Due to a family death and illness two dropped out. We had two very busy weeks. We stayed the first week in Cap Haitian. Some of the team went to the clinics to help with the work projects. We are adding a room to the clinic in Labriyere for our immunization program. In Lasoudrey the clinic needed painting. The first week we also had a youth conference at Pastor Saintil's church. Approximately 175 young adults attended. We also had a Pastors conference that was held at the Christophe hotel. At last years conference, the Pastors asked us to invite their wives. We had 45 all together this year and the emphasis was oneness. It was exciting to see the younger pastors responding in such a positive way. They want another one next year. In the afternoon, we split up the husbands and wives and some of the ladies on the team did manicures and pedicures on the ladies. At first they had reservations and then they relaxed and had a great time. Lots of laughter! One special day we went to Asiles (missionaries of the poor). This is an orphanage. We helped bathe the children and then helped feed them. The ladies really enjoyed this time.

The second week we stayed with Pastor Noel and his wife Marie. We held a two day medical clinic in the village of D'Ouvre. The men worked on a project at Pastor Noel's school in Terrier Rouge helping build the floor of a future second story. This school has 1000 students. One night there we asked our sisters to come in and we gave massages, manicures and pedicures. It was a very special evening. Pastor Noel's wife Marie, shared with the team that it was the first time she had felt equal. It was a moving moment for the team many of us cried. It is difficult to hear words and see the pain from one feeling inferior to another.

The team was great and God allowed us to get all the projects done that we had planned on. ( he had planned)
This year we prayed that Gods Will be done. There were many times during the preparation and planning of this trip that darts were being thrown at us but we used Gods shield of protection. We trusted God and praised his name for giving us an opportunity to be used. Psalm 27:13 I would have lost heart , unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Thank you for your prayers,
" your sister in Christ"
Pam

pictures

2007-11-12T20:37:00.000-08:00

pictures

2007-11-12T20:29:00.001-08:00

Hiking up to Soufriere

2007-11-07T17:46:00.000-08:00

MORE PICTURES

2007-11-07T17:28:00.000-08:00

PICTURES OF THE HIKE UP TO SOUFRIERE

2007-11-07T17:10:00.001-08:00

pictures from Hiking

2007-11-06T18:01:00.000-08:00

Pictures of Soufriere

2007-11-06T17:08:00.000-08:00

Hike up to Soufriere

2007-11-06T16:15:00.001-08:00

Today I went on a hike with Enoch, Clark, Laura. We left at 6 a.m. We went to the mountain of Soufriere. This was the area Enoch was born in. The hike took us about 2 hours. The land was beautiful green and lush. We saw a lot of gardens. They were growing corn, rice, squash, pwa kongo and tayo. We saw yams growing cocoa and coffee beans. We hiked through many rivers. We had to get help crossing the rivers. We gave our friends a lot to laugh and giggle about. Clark who is Ms. Pat's husband, has studied the island of Haiti for over 40 years. He has found many artifacts over the years. This December he will be in the magazine "Smithonian". During our trip, we found colonial pillars that dated back to the 1700's. Clark was excited about this. This was his first trip to Soufriere. We took lots of pictures and actually had fun with the GPS Clark had. We all were surprised with the beauty of the country side. There has been lots of rain this month and we enjoyed avacado. October is the season for them. We passed many kids in school uniforms that had to walk for miles to go to school. Laura and I both agreed our kids probably wouldn't believe this. This has been my first trip here in October and have enjoyed this time here. It has still been very hot. We have not had power very much. Each trip I learn more about the Haitian Culture and the beautiful people that have to endure so much misery at times in this land. The hardships they go through each day can be very sad. But their smiles are beautiful and faith remarkable. We can learn a lot from our sisters and brothers here.

Hike up to Soufriere

2007-11-06T16:15:00.000-08:00

Today I went on a hike with Enoch, Clark, Laura. We left at 6 a.m. We went to the mountain of Soufriere. This was the area Enoch was born in. The hike took us about 2 hours. The land was beautiful green and lush. We saw alot of gardens. They were growing corn, rice, squash, pwa kongo and tayo. We saw yams growing cocoa and coffee beans. We hiked through many rivers. We had to get help crossing the rivers. We gave our friends alot to laugh and giggle about. Clark who is Ms. Pat's husband has studied the island of Haiti for over 40 years. He has found many artifacts over the years. This Decenber he will be in the magazine "Smithonian". During our trip, we found colonial pillars that dated back to the 1700's. Clark was excited about this. This was his first trip to Soufriere. We took lots of pictures and actually had fun with the GPS Clark had. We all were surprised with the beauty of the country side. There has been lots of rain this month. We have enjoyed avacado this month. October is the season for them. We passed many kids in school uniforms that had to walk for miles to go to school. Laura and I both agreed our kids probably wouldn't believe this. This has been my first trip here in October and have enjoyed this time here. It has still been very hot. We have not had power very much. Each trip I learn more about the Haitian Culture and the beautiful people that have to endure so much misery at times in this land. The hardships they go through each day is can be very sad. But there smiles are beautiful and there faith is remarkable. We can learn alot from our sisters and brothers here.

Hike up to Soufriere

2007-11-06T15:32:00.000-08:00

Today was a great day! We left the house at 6 a.m to go to the Mountain of Soufriere. Our friend Enoch was our guide. He was born in the area we went to visit. Clark who is Ms. Pat's husband went with us to do research. Clark has studied Haiti for over 40 years. He is going to be in the Smithonian magazine this December for all his archeology work.
The hike took us about two hours. It was beautiful. The land was very green and plush. We would see rice and corn growing. It was a nice surprise to see all this green land. We had to walk through many rivers. When we crossed the rivers many Haitians would help us cross. Lots of giggles and laughter. If nothing else we give our friends something to talk about. We would see the women washing their clothes in the river. At one point we saw many children that were getting out of school. They had their school uniforms on. We would pass them in the morning walking miles to school and then at the end of the day the kids walk back home. Laura and I decided most of our kids would never believe this. Remeber we are up in the mountains. No stores or clinics. We did see one school and a couple of churches.
A beautiful hike and a beautiful day indeed. Each trip I learn more about this beautiful country and the people who endure God kept us safe.

The Lord Stood With Me and Strengthened Me

2007-11-03T14:53:00.000-07:00

Today is Saturday, November 3rd.
We had a quiet day today. This morning we went to visit another missioaries compound. It has been good to see the other missionaries here. Some of the stories you here are amazing. It reminds me of the importance of praying for our missionaries. We went back to the hospital to visit the little boy that had a fractured femur. We took him water, food and prayed with him. He had the biggest smile when he saw us. We also met some of the group from Konbit Sante. They are out of Portland , Maine. This will be short and sweet we have a chance to go for a cheeseburger...YUM YUM Lots of Love sent your way.

Through Love Serve One Another

2007-11-01T16:50:00.000-07:00

November 1st. 2007

Today we went to visit Asile. It is a Catholic run home for handicap children and the elderly. It is operated by 14 Brothers. One of the wonderful young men we met was Brother Johnson from the Phillipines. He gave his life to Christ when he was 15 and joined the brotherhood a year later and went to Jamaica. He gave us a tour of this facility that is set up as a big dorm with only beds. Sixty elderly women and sixty elderly men. Then we continued to an area that held forty handicap children. It was set up as a dorm with cribs. We felt a peace there. There were very little extra's. It was apparent to us there was alot of love being taught and displayed. The brother explained to us that the down syndrome children/adults show love to one another by feeding, washing and helping the elderly to bed and they can be seen pushing them around in wheelchairs. Then he went on to say when the kids are given a piece of bread they will break it into peices to share with one another. We all agreed this place will leave a lasting impression on our hearts. One of the signs they had in one of the dorms said this " THE CALL TO SERVE THE POOR IS AN INVITATION TO TRUE HAPPINESS" I will go back for sure! He actually invited us to come back and help bathe the children. This is an answer to one of my prayers. For the last few years I have had the desire to bring a team down to an orphanage and spend a week holding children who are forgotten and cast away. Matt. 25:40 "The King shall answer and say to them, Verily I say unto you, in as much as you have done it unto the one of the least of these by brethren, you have done it unto Me.
We also went to visit Children of the Promise, another orphange run by missionaries. They had sixty one children. There are over thirty Haitian women who help with these children. It is so awesome to see God in action and to see the many missionaries being so loyal to the work they feel God has called them too. I have one more week left. Will return in February with a team and then again in June with a youth group that will be helping a dear friend of mine, Enoch Firmin, who works for Hope Seeds. We will be doing a BGS( bible garden school) and soccer clinic in a village where it is very poor. How exciting to do God's work! Thank you for your prayers.

pictures of the clinic in Terrier Rouge and elderly at the clinic in LaSoudrey

2007-10-29T18:58:00.000-07:00

October 29,2007

2007-10-29T18:32:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

It has been a great couple of days. This past weekend I went to Terrier Rouge. There was a team from Maine there that I joined up with. Haiti has tugged at many Maine hearts.

Laura and I worked at the clinic with the new Doctor. We saw around 40 patients. We had one young girl who was from Fayette Baptist church excited about working at hte clinic. She has a desire to be a midwive and do missions work. She bought a doppler on Ebay and had a chance to use it on 2 of the pregnant ladies we saw.

Church was awesome as usual. Sunday evening I had a chance to go to Justinian Hospital. Laura and I job shadowed a nurse we met Yanick. We worked in the emergency department. I cannot put in words what we saw. It was very difficult and we felt it was all a bad dream. There was a small 10 year old boy who was hit by a car. He was a street kid. He ended up having a fractured femur. This was determined only from only observing and assessing. The hospital has not had an x-ray machine for a 5 years. There is 800,000 people in this city and this is the only hospital. Every nurse and intern came up to us and would share that there are no supplies, equipment or materials. We saw quite a few sick patients. I will share more later. It is very hard to find the words.

Today it rain very hard and the wind was strong. We did not go to the clinic today. We stayed home and worked at the house. We fixed wound boxes for the clinics. We cleaned out the pharmacy and went thru all the supplies and medications people have sent down. Ms. Pats house in on the ocean and the salt and dirt from the road gets all over things. It is very difficult to keep things clean.

We heard about the tropical storm that is coming. So far we are ok. We are praying the storm will pass.

I have 9 more days here. It has gone fast. It is hard sometimes because I miss Luke and the kids.
Please pray for Haiti. The clinics and the staff. Also we lost one of our dogs here today. It got hit by a car. It was so sad. This country can be harsh. Love you all. Thanks for your prayers.

pictures of my first week here in Haiti

2007-10-24T20:04:00.000-07:00

October 2007

2007-10-24T20:03:00.000-07:00

october 2007

Dear family and friends,

I arrived in Haiti on October 18th. The flight was good and the trip with Missionary Flights International was even better.
This year I have a friend that wanted to come and spend some time in Haiti and see how our medical ministry works. It is been delightful to have someone with me.
I was very anxious to get out to the clinics and see the staff again.
I found out one of the young boys I told you about from last March died. This is always disturbing. We are seeing more babies and children than adults right now.
Respiratory and skin infections. When I come it is like being here for the first time. I never fail to be in awe of the country side and the people.
It has been extremely hot. The power has been off and on...sometimes we have it and sometimes we don't. This can make the nights very long if you don't have fans. The last couple of nights we have heard voodoo drums in the back ground.
On Sunday Laura and I had a chance to see around 30-40 people get baptized. We went to church at Pastor Santil's church. They were having a revival. A special speaker was there and he challenged the congregation. At the end 4 people went forward for salvation. There were also 4 baby dedications. It was great worship! God has been revealing many things this past week about missions to both Laura and I. We have been studying on encouraging one another. My prayer is that we somehow encourage our brothers and sisters here. ( and believe me if you come to Haiti you will see why they need lots of prayers and support) I do believe we are seeing progress and evidence of God's hand here. We went to an english missionary service the other night and the message was about our light. Matt. 5:14 You are the light of the world, a city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden,5:16 Let our light shine before men, that they may see our good works and Glorify your father in heaven.The Haitian pastor challenged us, comparing the light to a candle and how can we protect our flame. The answer is prayer and fellowship with our brothers and sisters encouraging one another. Also, time spent in God's word. Coming to a place like Haiti reminds me that my very life depends on God and his strength. It is kind of exciting though..
I went to the clinic in Lasoudrey today. There were a couple of elderly standing around talking in Creole. They had just left our elderly feeding program. One older gentleman asked me for shoes. I looked down and on his feet he had a pair of worn out sandals. He took his foot out and there were holes in the bottoms. I will start asking people to save there old shoes for me to bring down. Before I leave I will make sure this poor man has a pair of shoes. Our old are brand new backhome. I cannot think of one pair of shoes I actually wore out before I bought another pair. Kind of sad when you think about it. I will keep you posted with pictures and my work. I am real excited because this sunday I have a chance to work at Justinian hospital. I will mostly watch. A friend of a friend has offered for me to go and work the night shift with her. This will be a great experience. It is so good to be here!

pictures

2007-10-23T21:20:00.003-07:00

pictures

2007-10-23T21:20:00.001-07:00

october 2007

2007-10-23T20:11:00.000-07:00

Dear family and friends,

I arrived in Haiti on October 18th. The flight was good and the trip with Missionary Flights International was even better.
This year I have a friend that wanted to come and spend some time in Haiti and see how our medical ministry works. It is been delightful to have someone with me.
I was very anxious to get out to the clinics and see the staff again.
I found out one of the young boys I told you about from last March died. This is always disturbing. We are seeing more babies and children than adults right now.
Respiratory and skin infections. When I come it is like being here for the first time. I never fail to be in awe of the country side and the people.
It has been extremely hot. The power has been off and on...sometimes we have it and sometimes we don't. This can make the nights very long if you don't have fans. The last couple of nights we have heard voodoo drums in the back ground.
On Sunday Laura and I had a chance to see around 30-40 people get baptized. We went to church at Pastor Santil's church. They were having a revival. A special speaker was there and he challenged the congregation. At the end 4 people went forward for salvation. There were also 4 baby dedications. It was great worship! God has been revealing many things this past week about missions to both Laura and I. We have been studying on encouraging one another. My prayer is that we somehow encourage our brothers and sisters here. ( and believe me if you come to Haiti you will see why they need lots of prayers and support) I do believe we are seeing progress and evidence of God's hand here. We went to an english missionary service the other night and the message was about our light. Matt. 5:14 You are the light of the world, a city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden,5:16 Let our light shine before men, that they may see our good works and Glorify your father in heaven.The Haitian pastor challenged us, comparing the light to a candle and how can we protect our flame. The answer is prayer and fellowship with our brothers and sisters encouraging one another. Also, time spent in God's word. Coming to a place like Haiti reminds me that my very life depends on God and his strength. It is kind of exciting though..
I went to the clinic in Lasoudrey today. There were a couple of elderly standing around talking in Creole. They had just left our elderly feeding program. One older gentleman asked me for shoes. I looked down and on his feet he had a pair of worn out sandals. He took his foot out and there were holes in the bottoms. I will start asking people to save there old shoes for me to bring down. Before I leave I will make sure this poor man has a pair of shoes. Our old are brand new backhome. I cannot think of one pair of shoes I actually wore out before I bought another pair. Kind of sad when you think about it. I will keep you posted with pictures and my work. I am real excited because this sunday I have a chance to work at Justinian hospital. I will mostly watch. A friend of a friend has offered for me to go and work the night shift with her. This will be a great experience. It is so good to be here!

Mission Trip 2007

2007-03-14T20:14:00.000-07:00

Mission Trip
Hi Everyone, It has been some time now since I've blogged. On February 26 Myself and a team of 9 went to Haiti. We had an awesome 2 weeks. We were involved in medical clinics in a small village called Douvre and another called Terrier Rouge. We saw some pretty intense cases. We saw one little girl that we were quite sure had menigitis. A young woman who had the worse case of mastitis I have ever seen, Her baby was 14 days old and very weak. Another nurse that went with us spent over 2 hours working with the Mom and her baby. We saw a older man that could not swallow, we think he had cancer. The team did so good especially the younger girls. They stayed very strong through out the day . There were 2 little boys I saw one day that were so weak I 'm not sure if they will make it. They had lost their Mom a year ago to TB. These boys were so thin they probably had HIV or Tb, they were so thin and had very high fevers. Thank God we had a Haitian Doctor come on board with us the very first day. We also had a pastor with us that did spiritual counseling each day. We would have prayer with the patients. They were appreciative of that. Besides medical missions, we had work projects that invovled putting a roof on a school and a gutter system on one of the clinics in Lasoudrey to collect water when it rains. We sponsored a Pastors conference at the Christophe Hotel, 32 pastors registered. They were very receptive to the information given to them and participated in the Q & A sessions as well. There was a consensus to do more of these conferences and would like one for their wives. We also had fun doing a youth rally in Terrier Rouge. The team I took represented 5 other churches and many of the team left their hearts in Haiti and want to return. So.. We have a trip planned for next year already. Will start preparing for this as soon as we can. I will share more with you later and post pictures. God surely protected and provided for us during those 2 weeks. I wasn't ready to come home, but of course is necessary to raise more funds.

Mission Trip

2006-07-24T04:55:00.000-07:00

Mission Trip
Hello Everyone, I am back in Maine. The flights went well. I have lots of work to do before I go back with a team in February. I am specifically looking for a couple of exam tables for the clinics. We want to start doing PAPS and Breast exams. It was a good trip this year. If anyone is interested in helping please email me. If you would like to go to Haiti just let me know. Thank you for all your prayers. Until next time, God Bless, Pam

A day in Haiti

2006-07-16T18:12:00.000-07:00

When you are in Haiti, sometimes it feels like you have stepped back in time. The mule driven cart reminds me of what it would have been like 100 years ago. It is not unusual to see men pushing big wooden wheel barrows loaded down with all kinds of stuff. On the road we came upon a big mud hole. The children would run ahead of us guiding our truck through the mud hole. They were cute. After they would want some money or food. We gave them both.
I had a great day today. I met a missionary who works for Medical Ambassadors, we went to a Haitian church and experienced some of the most beautiful singing I have ever heard. We also saw some families go forward to dedicate their babies to the Lord, it was awesome. In the afternoon we went to 4VEH radio station for an English service where some of the missionaries meet to pray and worship together. There are also Haitian friends that go too.

The message today was in Isaiah 55:8,9 " For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways" declares the Lord. " As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Jerimiah 29:11 " For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." These scriptures are so important for us, we need to remember this when we don't always understand why things are happening in our lives or other people's life.

A visit to Fort Liberty

2006-07-15T17:38:00.000-07:00

Today, I worked at the clinic with our Dr. Rock. We saw 40 patients. It was nice having him there to explain the different skin problems. We saw scabies, boutons which are swollen and a little smaller then a dime in size and they are infected. One pregnant woman had a blood pressure of 178/110 this is serious so the doctor referred her to the hospital for follow up care. Later on in the day we traveled to Fort Liberty in the North east of Haiti. There is an old fort there named Fort Dauphin. We were right on the ocean. The home you see is a typical Haitian home. The weather continues to be very warm. I will be home soon. This trip has been very good. Each time I learn more about the culture as well as the diseases we see and how to treat. Dr. Rock has agreed to go to Terrier rouge once a month to work . He will see some of the more difficult cases and do some training with the nurse and staff members. It would be nice if the clinic in Terrier Rouge could be licensed by the country, then, we could receive immunization. Please pray for that and also we need another nurse there. The end is near and I have had fun sharing with you. In September Luke and I will go to the Phillipines to do a short term missions trip there with our Pastor and his wife from Bangopr Baptist Church. In February 2007 we will return to Haiti again with a team to work on Pastor Dorleans church and do some work at the clinic. We will also do medical clinics in Terrier Rouge and the village of Douvre. We apprecitate your prayers and support. Deut.15:11 " For the poor will never cease from the land. Therefore I command you, saying you shall open your heart wide to your brother."

Labruyere Clinic

2006-07-13T15:04:00.000-07:00

This is our new clinic that was built by some teams. This clinic has a toilet and running water. We are hoping to get a toilet and running water in the other clinic this winter.

Today, I went to see the Elderly feeding program. We have 13 that we can feed right now. We need help with this program. I love the faces of these folks . I can only imagine the stories they could tell and all that they have endured...

Mission Trip

2006-07-10T15:06:00.000-07:00

Mission Trip

Sharing My Work With You.

2006-07-10T07:29:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends and Family
This summer has been very busy. Luke went home after 2 weeks. The following week I hosted a team from Indiana. It was good experience for me. They worked with Pastor Joseph Saintil doing a VBS. Each day they fed close to 800 children and did story time arts and crafts and song time.
Our clinics are doing good. I went to my clinic in Terrier Rouge this past weekend. We have 2 cuban doctors that have volunteered to come 2 times a month. I sat in on the consultations and got good advice on treating some of the skin diseases we see. Next week I will go to the other clinics and work with the Haitian doctor there. We had to buy 2 new tires for the truck, we have to replace our tires every 3 or 4 months because of the road conditons. This is the only truck we have and this is how the staff gets back and forth to the clinics. We are starting a new acct. to put money in for a new truck. This one is starting to need lots of repairs.
It is always so nice to come back and see my friends . The work continues to do well. There is much work and at times it is overwhelming. It takes alot of prayer and listening to God to see what he wants me to do. If it wasn't for the prayers and support I get from family and friends this work in Haiti would be impossible. Thank You (:) I continue to study creole ." Mwen pale sel Ti Kras Creyole"

Thank You Again, Will update you again next week.

First Two weeks in Haiti summer 2006

2006-07-10T07:09:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends, I have jsut discovered this new site and I am very excited to start using it. I will be able to keep you all updated on my work in Haiti. I have been here 3 weeks and have 2 more to go.. The clinics are running smooth. My husband spent the first 2 weeks with me and then flew home. It was great having him here. He had a chance to see the work I am involved in and meet the people I have grown to love. I will write more later as I am trying this out for the first time. I will add pictures as I go along.

" In His Strength"
Pam Brochu