Lespwa Fè Viv (Hope Makes Life) - Part 5

This week's final installment from Hudson re: the work in Les Cayes.

Jack Charlie who is a very strong man, spiritually and physically, who helped us every day from the morning to the night and didn't expected to receive anything from us.  His family -  Yvena Cadet and their 5 children -  are also in need.

But through all their pains they don't stop to believe, to preach and hope that God always has a plan for their life.

We could have more samples stories from that community, the people that are living in that community have the same issues.  We noticed a lot of repetition seeing what they have been through.

But they are not desperate because they know someone who is awesome, powerful, amazing - a God that will never stop taking care of them.

They're are so thankful, and they ask us to pray for them, like they will always hold us in their prayers, too.

Thanks to God, to Haiti Awake, Fre Jack, and everyone who has made that trip possible by helping with prayers, love, and finances.  We are thankful that God always give us His hands for the broken-hearted, the ones that are far beyond our reach.

“But they are not desperate because they know someone who is awesome, powerful, amazing - a God that will never stop taking care of them.”

— Louis Hudson, describing the people he met in Les Cayes

Lespwa Fè Viv - Hope Makes Life (Part 3)

More in our week-long series regarding the work in Les Cayes as seen through the eyes of our co-worker, Louis Hudson.

Moise Marieta. A few words cannot tell all her story, but by the privilege we had to talk with her.

We know that she is a mother of seven children, and Hurricane Matthew destroyed her house. She used to sell food (Manje Kwit), but the life she is actually living now is to stay nearby the beach and wait until someone gives her some fish to sell . . .  if only they had a good day fishing.  This is most difficult.

When we got to where she was supposed to live, we saw the place.  We can't call this place a house any longer.  Some of her neighbors told us that since the hurricane all that she does is to live nearby the beach.

We could not help her this trip.  There are so many people, so many needs . . .   Time and funds are limited.

More from Hudson tomorrow . . . 

Lespwa Fè Viv (Hope Makes Life) - Part 2

Yesterday, Hudson began to tell you about the work in Les Cayes.  Today he continues . . .

Let me introduce you to some of our fellowship here as we worked. 

At MEBSH,  Pastor and his wife were happy to welcome us in their house during these 4 days.

And we met different families at the church that are in need because of the hurricane.   Even though we couldn't help all of them, there were a few we have decided to visit.  Let me introduce you.

This is Guety Salomon.   She has six children, but she is living with two of them.   She used to be a vendor but right after the hurricane, she had to leave her home with her daughters, because she have lost almost everything.

But God always has a plan.

Look at what we were able to do thanks to your donations!  Thank you!

Tomorrow I want to introduce you to Moise Marieta.

Lespwa Fè Viv (Hope Makes Life)

An image can tell more than a thousand words.

““As a photographer, I am bringing you more than one image and multiple words and making them a great story...””

— Louis Hudson

Life's companions are HOPE and FAITH in God. God is amazing everyday. He takes our prayers and gives us grace. We are so thankful for everything He has never stopped to provide in our lives, no matter what the circumstances.

We are in Haiti, at "Les Cayes," a place where the people have never stopped to be strong, to have faith, to struggle with life's obstacles, even after what Hurricane Matthew did to our beautiful countryside. According to the people who are living here, this place in Les Cayes is named "Gelee" where we are visiting and helping people who are in need. Gelee is a nice place where tourists would ever like to visit because of its natural, humid and fresh air nearby the beach.

Yes! You see "beach"? that's what I mean, a place to swim, to have fun and also to admire the marvelous sunset.

It's also a place where parents use their knowledge in fishing to earn their daily bread, to educate their children and maybe save some money for tomorrow. We also have farmers, vendors... different people who are using the natural resources to survive and try to gain a life.

Now they are facing a very bad situation where they can't even sleep without to have to think and fear about rain because most houses were touched and broken by the hurricane. Some people have lost almost everything, pets, house, garden... but God preserves their life.

They are still optimistic and do believe that there will always be a way that God will use to take care of his children and God does so.

This is Part 1 of a 5 part series we will share this week.    More tomorrow...

#haiti #haitiawake#glwapoubondye #thegospel #hurricanematthew  #prayforhaiti

The Heart of True "Ministry"

This summer my wife and I were able to travel to Haiti to join our partner organization, Haiti Awake, in the incredible ministry they are doing in one of the most intriguing countries in the world. There were so many unforgettable moments that were crystalized in my mind, but one unique moment sticks out above the rest.

One afternoon while we were in Haiti, I was invited by Steeve—a local Haitian seminary student who works with Haiti Awake—to join him for some ministry in the neighborhood. I wasn’t exactly sure what he meant by “ministry," but I told him I’d love to join him since I’m always up for a new experience. I’ve been a pastor for years, so I was sure this wasn’t going to be anything new for me.

I was wrong. What unfolded was pure ministry bliss. Part of Steeve’s regular “ministry” in his neighborhood includes walking to various homes and praying with those who are sick or in need. So, for the next couple of hours, we walked and entered homes to spend time with people who are in need. We sat. We listened. We shared Scripture. We laughed. We cried. We hugged. And we talked about the goodness of God and how he cares for us as his dear children.

One of the families we spent considerable time was this couple. Though facing a trial in life, they were the happiest people I’ve ever met. Though walking through significant pain and hardships, they were confident that God was working all things for their good.

I’ll never forget that day. It was beautiful. It was amazing. It was a day I experienced the kingdom of God and learned more about the heart of true “ministry.”

- Ethan Welch

Note:  Fre Jack, pictured above with his wife and Pastor Ethan, has been a vital part of our hurricane relief efforts.  We are thankful for his hard work and the way God has allowed us to work together with him to bring healing and hope to our brothers and sisters on the southern peninsula of Haiti.

Another way to give to Haiti Awake

The generosity shown by gifts of time and money to Haiti Awake is truly amazing and continues to grow.

We have shared various ways of giving that cost you nothing extra (for example, shopping through with Amazon Smile when shopping on Amazon).

One of the things that we wish we could do is accept all of the physical items that are offered. Some of these items are valuable and would be useful, but the cost of shipping and customs is prohibitively high.

Given this problem, I wanted to give a short explanation of eBay community charitable selling. This allows you to sell these items on eBay and contribute the proceeds to Haiti Awake.

It is very simple. When you list your item one of the very last options is a little check box that says "Donate a portion to charity."

Check this box and then under "Donation Percentage" choose 100% of proceeds (when you sell for a charity eBay will credit the listing fees back to you).

The last line is "Donate to." Click that drop down menu and choose "Search for Charity." Type "Haiti Awake," and Haiti Awake will pop up.

You are all set! The proceeds will be sent to the Paypal Giving Fund, you will receipt a gift receipt, and 100% of those funds will be sent to Haiti Awake.

For more detailed information you can go to http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/selling-nonprofit.html

- Rick

A new staff member

We at Haiti Awake are extremely happy to announce the addition of a new staff member, Manoucheka Derard Pierre.  Manoucheka has been helping Haiti Awake since day one because she's Steeve's wife, but now she officially has her own position as the Health Care Manager for Haiti Awake.  

Manoucheka will be responsible for overseeing both the staff and children's healthcare, as well as coordinating healthcare outreach in the future.

Congratulations, Manoucheka!

Happy birthday, Haiti Awake!

Yesterday I sat in a coffee shop, chatting with a friend about life and service and responsibility and what it means to live on mission.  And my thoughts were directed back to this quote from Richard Stearns:

“The adventure that God invites each of us on is a life filled with meaning and purpose. His plan for each of us is unique, but it is always filled with a sense of passion to complete God’s mission to demonstrate and share His love. He may send you to Wall Street or the local soup kitchen. He may ask you to spend years in preparation or to drop everything and start doing what you feel totally unprepared to do.”

Two years ago God clearly called the Graves family and the Derard family to partner together in Haiti Awake.     He has given us a passion for Haiti and her people, and He's continued to clearly show us what He would have us to do day-by-day.

On this special day, we are thankful for the many people, both Haitian and American, God has used over the last two years to teach us, to encourage us, to support us, to help us more clearly define our mission and our philosophy of ministry.

We are excited to watch our Haiti Awake family continue to grow, and we look forward to continuing to share the goodness and faithfulness of God in the years to come.

Below are just a few of the memories we're been blessed with here at Haiti Awake.

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

— Ephesians 3:20-21

It's a New Week

“It was so hard (seeing the devastation in Les Cayes last week). Most of the people are homeless. They don’t know when they will have a new house. They lost everything. It is so hard for them when it is raining. They can’t even stand under a tree . . . because there is no tree.”

— Polo

The men will leave early tomorrow morning to travel from Port-au-Prince to Jeremie, and by Tuesday evening they hope to be in Les Cayes again.  Current plans include food distribution and repair work on the church where they will continue working with Pastor Joseph Jeneve Delpeche, Mission Eglise Baptiste Sud d'Haiti.  

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Specific prayer points for the week:

1.     Pray for the safety of our men as they travel.  People are getting desperate out on the peninsula, and desperate people do desperate things.     

Psalm 4:8:  'In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety."

2.     Pray for God-ordained, Gospel opportunities that point people to the true hope of Jesus Christ.    

2 Corinthians 4:18:  "As we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.  For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."

3.     Pray for the men to be able to find the supplies that they need at a reasonable price.      

Psalm 90:17: "Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yea, establish the work of our hands!" 

4.     Pray for the vehicle they are driving to run smoothly and clear the roads ahead of them as they go.       

Psalm 40:2  "He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure."

5.     Pray for Americans to continue to have a heart of generosity toward the Haitian people and not be overcome with compassion fatigue.        

James 2:15-16:  "If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?"

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I'll end with some photos from last week. Daily updates might be hard this week because Jeremie is more remote than Les Cayes, but we will update Facebook and Instagram as we can.  

Please continue to pray for Haiti.  The road ahead will be a long, difficult one.

The Lord continues to direct our steps

“As humans, we will miss seeing so many things without God’s eyes. That’s why I’m so thankful to Him, because He gave us His eyes to understand things that we couldn’t, and to show us that He is always in control.
He provided what we didn’t expect and make us feel useful to help our brothers and sisters.
We have crossed rivers by walking, taken out trees from bumpy roads...
As a photographer I couldn’t use my camera as often I used to... because I felt the necessity to carry things and to do my best to help our fellows Haitians in need.
We are also thankful to Haiti Awake team, Redgi from Heart United, and other friends that were there to help during these three days.”

— Hudson

We thought we had a plan for Monday.  The men were supposed to meet a friend at the airport and caravan down to Les Cayes with her group to start relief work.  Instead, that plan fell apart . . . just as another friend reached out to Haiti Awake and offered to partner with us for work in the same area.  I am very thankful for Crystal Funk and Hearts United with Haiti.  As the day unfolded on Monday, it became evident that this was the partnership God wanted for us to pursue for this week.

Here is the short version of what has happened on the ground so far this week.

Monday:  Polo got to Les Cayes by airplane thanks to Gene Schmidt.  Gene is a new friend, an amazing man, an excellent pilot.  Hudson, Wesly, Fre Jack (a friend from church), and Redgi (from Hearts United with Haiti) headed down with the truck later in the day.  Polo had already made contact with Pastor Joseph Jeneve Delpeche at Mission Eglise Baptiste Sud d'Haiti, and the men were able to sleep at his house all week.

On Tuesday the men bought supplies and distributed them.  But the day was not without incident.  According to Polo, they had a flat tire far away from where they could get help.  He said it was difficult to get the help they needed, but in the end they were able to get the tire fixed and finish the work they had set out to do, including buying rice and re-bagging it for the Wednesday distribution.

Today the men gave out rice in the pastor's community before going to his church where they met with the people and gave rice.  They then helped Redgi get iron sheets to people his organization knows and has worked with for years.

“We passed a beautiful 3 days with the Haitians in Les Cayes. The pastor who shared in his house is a good men.
I pray to God for the people in Les Cayes.
God bless Haiti Awake. It can help the people in Haiti.
We need your help, Dear Father, like the Haitian song says, ‘Papa Bondye nou bezwen ou kounye a.’”

— Wesly

Tomorrow the men plan to return to Port-au-Prince after helping Redgi with another project. The current plan is to return to the Les Cayes area next week - hopefully to help with fixing the roof at Mission Eglise Baptiste Sud d'Haiti.

“I am thankful because God had given us this opportunity to help our brothers and sisters who were in need. And I felt so good working with some of the Haiti Awake staff and Jean Frtiz and Redgi from Hearts United with Haiti.
We worked as a team. We worked hard. The road was bad - trees in some road, but God was with us.
The Pastor this morning said the fact we come to help them it a prayer come true; they were hopeless. They said they will pray for us.”

— Polo

Further, having Fre Jack on the team has provided wisdom and experience, as well as a point of contact who already knew people in the area, including Pastor Joseph.

Please continue to pray for Haiti as the road to recovery will be a long one.

We are thankful for a great team of Haitian men who are helping their fellow Haitians and making a difference in the community in which they are working.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

— 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

The heart can only grieve what the eyes have seen

The last 72 hours have been a whirlwind as I left Wilmington, arrived in Pensacola, flew to Haiti, and then went deep into the countryside.

The day yesterday was not what we had planned, but it was what God had planned.

We had planned to Les Cayes, and we did.  But when the contacts in Les Cayes did not direct us to great need, we decided to go on to Jeremie.

From Jeremie we took motos for approximately 3 hours, going through Mafranc to Morow and finally arriving in Chambelan.  From Chambelan we crossed the Riviere de la Grande-anse.  And we climbed further up the mountain until we arrived at Maken's family's home.

When we arrived at Maken's family's house, we found a once lush, beautiful place barren.   The breadfruit trees that surrounded his family home are gone.  The plantain trees are gone.   The coconut trees are gone.  They lie all around on the ground.  Amazingly, his parents' house still stands, but the same can not be said about many houses in the area.

We returned to Chambelan to locally purchase rice and oil and carry it back across the river.  And this morning Maken's father was able to share food with his neighbors and friends.   We returned to Port-au-Prince this afternoon.

 Tomorrow Polo will be going to Les Cayes.  We hope to have more news to share with you later tomorrow.

“The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.”

— Nahum 1:7

I wish I could tell this story better tonight, but we are all so tired.  I hope I am at least conveying the information well.  Please pray for Haiti.  People are suffering.  They need help.

Please consider donating through Haiti Awake.  We assure you that 100% of the money that you donate will be used right here in Haiti . . . to benefit Haitians.

Happy September Birthdays to Widcherline and Stanley!

You are wanted.

You are treasured.

You are loved.

God's Work Through God's People

Two years ago right now, these kids were barely eating.  We visited them in October of 2014 and found them dirty, hungry, thirsty . . . miserable.

And then something amazing happened.  God spoke specifically to one family.  And that one family made a commitment to these children.

Later, God spoke specifically to another man who had a vision for these children to not only have a safe place to live and daily food to eat but to have an education, as well.

That man shared his vision with others . . . 

The first day of school - September 2016

And  last year they went to school - many for the first time.

The first day of school - October 2015

Now look at them today.  God does amazing things through the generosity of His children.  We at Haiti Awake are thankful for the many people God has sent to Haiti on short-term missions teams in the last two years - people who have seen specific needs and addressed them with financial support.  It is because of the generosity of many people that Haiti Awake is growing in its ability to fulfill its mission statement:

“Our goal is to equip these local Christians to reach their own communities and their own country through showing Christ’s love in action.”

“This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.”

— Psalm 118:23

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Those of you who know the children might notice that Idelmy is not with the rest of the children today.  Please pray for him.  He has been struggling with his health in recent weeks, and he was not able to attend the first day of school.  I know this is difficult for him.

Special thanks to Hudson and Polo for getting some great photos to share this morning.

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These two handsome young men started school at IMPAD this morning, too.  We are thankful for the way God provides for everyone associated with Haiti Awake.

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,  to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.  Ephesians 3:20-21

Speak Life

A huge thank you to Graham Freels for this amazing new video for Haiti Awake.

Please feel free to share. We at Haiti Awake think it's pretty fantastic . . .and shows the heart of our ministry.

Proverbs 18:21 - "Death and life are in the power of the tongue ..."

The Cost of Discipleship

“Yet over and over in the Scriptures, Jesus warns people of the cost of discipleship, that it will cost them everything they have ever hoped for and believed in—their biological families, their possessions, even their very lives.

He warns them to count the cost before putting their hand to the plow.

And Jesus allows people to walk away.”

— Shane Claiborne

Last weekend's surprise trip to Haiti was supposed to be filled with fun and laughter.  That was my expectation.

And it was a great weekend, in many ways . . . except when it wasn't.  This past weekend I was again confronted with the realities of Haiti . . . Harsh realities.  Dark realities.  Realities that rip at my heart.  Realities that are often more than I want to ponder.  Realities that affect people I love and know by name.

And so, this past weekend I counted the cost.

But I'm not walking away.

Thankful for friends who are infinitely patient with me as I navigate life between two vastly different worlds.

Thankful for Rick, Justin, Jared, and Ethan understanding my heart ...

I'm not certain this will ever get any easier.

Be Faithful To What God Has Called You

“He does great things too marvelous to understand. He performs countless miracles. ”

— Job 5:9

Steeve and his precious family as he prepares to go to STEP for his first night of seminary, year 2.

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As I look at this photo tonight, I am reminded of the story of the 12 stones Israel placed for a memorial after crossing the Jordan River (Joshua 4).  Somehow I see Stevenly, Caleb, and Lorie asking a variation of "What do these stones mean?" when they grow up.  

Haiti Awake is not even two years old, and already we can look back and see God's hand of guidance and faithfulness.  God has done amazing, miraculous things for the Derard family during this time.  It has been the Graves family's privilege to walk this journey with them, as friends, as ministry partners.

We eagerly anticipate the future.

“And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,”

— 2 Timothy 2:24

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Steeve, here's our advice for you as you enter your 2nd year of seminary:

“Listen: Just do your thing with passion , joy, honor, and humility, and folks will notice.

Actually, even if no one notices, be faithful to what God has called you.

Remember, we do what we do not for people’s applause but for God’s glory.

Don’t be held captive to either praise or criticism.

Know who you are, what you’re about, and most important, who you serve.”

— Eugene Cho

And remember, you are greatly loved.

July 17, 2013

Three years ago today, God in His providence, caused my path to intersect with a little guy named Handy.  Handy was three years old at the time.  I met many, many children at different orphanages that day, but Handy was the one my heart could not forget.

Only God could have known what the future would hold.   About six months later, God brought our lives back together. The circumstances surrounding our reunion can only be explained as God's enabling.

When we said goodbye that day in early 2014, we had no idea when . . . or even if . . .we would ever see each other again.  But God knew!

In July 2014, our paths intersected again.  And this time, Rick and I knew we had to do something.  We weren't sure what something was, but we knew we had a future with Handy.

When Haiti Awake was founded in October that year, the very first children's Bible school we did was with Handy and the other children at his home.

Since that first trip, every Haiti Awake team has held Bible schools with the children, and thanks to team members who came and got a vision for the future, we are now doing life with Handy and his friends.  The children now have better living conditions and a constant food supply, and they are going to school.

One life encounter has turned into many friendships and lots of love for Handy.

“For You, O LORD, have made me glad by what You have done, I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands.”

— Psalm 92:4

This photo was taken in January of 2015 as we said goodbye after a week of Bible schools with the children.  It was so hard to leave that day because, at that time, we had no communication between trips.   This entire team felt so burdened for the children, but we still didn't know what the future would hold.  But God knew.

Just over three months later, God provided a way for the children to move to their current home . . . which is roughly a mile away from our Haiti Awake home.   He provided funds for monthly food.  And He provided a vision of the future.

Just a month after that, God added Polo to our Haiti Awake staff . . . with his primary responsibility being the children.

And one month after that, God provided the finances for the children . . .  Handy and all of his friends . . .to go to school for the first time.

Now goodbyes look like this. . . because goodbyes aren't goodbyes.  They're "see you later"s.  We know there will be another trip soon, and we know Polo, Hudson and Wesly will send plenty of photos in the meantime.

“You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told.”

— Psalm 40:5

Getting outside the walls

Yesterday our kids had the opportunity to go on a summer field trip with Hudson, Polo, Dieussait, and Wesly.    One of our goals as we walk through life with them is to expand their world, helping them to see possibilities they never imagined.  Each trip outside of the orphanage allows them an opportunity to learn and grow.

Thankful for monthly support that provides the funds needed for days like this.

Donalson Antoine

On our very first trip to Haiti, we met a little boy.  His name was Donalson.

We came home from that first trip having met many, many people.  A few of them we just couldn't forget.  Donalson was one of them.  We knew him, and he knew us.

In fact, when Jared and I went back to Haiti a few months later, Donalson was one of the first people to greet us upon our arrival.  To say we loved him would be an understatement.  There was just something special about him.

And so a friendship began.  With each trip to Haiti, we looked forward to seeing Donalson and spending time with him.  He frequently came to visit.  He was bright, inquisitive, ready to learn.  He never once said, "Hey, YOU. YOU!" and he never asked for anything.  We knew his name, he knew ours, and what we shared was shared out of love.

He gave us beautiful drawings, and we often gave him the paper and pencils with which to draw.

When Haiti Awake was founded in October of 2014, Donalson began to come by our house to visit.  He then started coming to the neighborhood Bible schools, but it was obvious he was uncomfortable.  He wanted to be with us, but he is not a child anymore.

Soon Donalson was helping us at Bible schools - distributing crafts and snacks, helping with crowd control . . . even doing some interpreting.

And at some point . . . he became part of the Haiti Awake family.  He's an essential part of our team.

And so, today we are very proud to announce that Donalson Antoine is officially part of our staff at Haiti Awake.

God is good.

“
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.”

— Psalm 32:8

What a fine young man Donalson is becoming.  

Praising God for His Goodness

“Thanks for all your prayers and support for the school year. I have learned so much for the first year.”

— Steeve Derard

Last night of the 2015-2016 school year

We often commemorate firsts in life and forget to acknowledge lasts, so tonight we want to acknowledge Steeve's last night at STEP for this school year.

When Haiti Awake was founded in October of 2014, we knew one thing:  Steeve felt called of God to pursue his education.  And we knew that God was calling us to walk alongside him on the journey.

Last year Steeve went back to high school and graduated.  And then he was accepted into STEP for this school year.    We thank God for so many things as we look back.  And as we look forward.

Thank you to those of you who have supported Haiti Awake with your prayers, your time, your donations, and your finances.  Without you, this night would not have been possible.

“My mouth will tell about Your righteousness and Your salvation all day long, though I cannot sum them up. ”

— Psalm 71:15