Trip Report: Haiti Relief, June 2010

Team Members: 11

Travel Dates: June 12 - 18, 2010

Ministry Partners: Int’l Missions Outreach, His Home for Children

Supplies Distributed: Shoes, Medical supplies, Baby formula

Locations Visited: Port-Au- Prince, Delmas, Thomazeau, Terra Rouge, Petionville, Boutialle

Day 1 - Travel

The travel to Haiti went fairly smooth, except that we couldn't find our driver at the airport at first. Once we connected with him, we headed to the IMO compound and we settled in for the night.

Day 2 - Acclimation

We woke up Sunday morning to the sound of the local church worshipping. We had the privilege of joining them for the 9 am service and then we experienced the children's services as well. After lunch and a short rest, we were given a tour of the devastation in downtown Port-Au-Prince. Five months after the earthquake, and there is rubble still everywhere. We drove past the national palace lying in ruins. Our driver kept explaining that the crumbled buildings were all "broken". I can't help but see a connection as my heart broke for those affected today as well. There is so much to do, but we realized that we will only be able to accomplish small tasks that the Lord has placed us here to complete.

Day 3 - Organization

We have been very busy working with the IMO staff. We have started every morning by having a team devotional and then joining the IMO staff for their devotions as well. We have enjoyed the Haitian worship and prayer.

The hospitality of the IMO staff has been second to none. Every meal we have eaten has been superb.

On Monday morning, we were able to tour the school on the Delmas property. Every class was able to perform a small song for us and we distributed candy to them all.

After our time at the school, we worked in the IMO warehouse and helped breakdown and sort pallets of food for them. We worked as a team and assembled 8 - 10 full pallets of food for them. It was fun to see the team really come together and accomplish the goals.

Day 4 - Thomazeau

A visit to a school

On Tuesday, we left after devotions and traveled to the IMO school in Thomazeau. They have about 400 enrolled but there are many students out right now because of a fever, either from the water or mosquitos.

The children were very excited and we were blessed to share the shoes with them as well. We were also able to leave approximately 200 pairs of shoes and hundreds of tubes of toothpaste so that the church and school could distribute to the other students and local children in the community.

Afterwards, we traveled to a new mission compound that IMO recently purchased and we helped clean part of the land and prepare the buildings for further construction.

Day 5 - Terra Rouge

We spent the day painting the newest IMO church. We were really amazed by the beauty of the area.

Day 6 - His Home for Children

We had attempted to connect with His Home for Children since the second day of the trip, and we were finally able to visit the children about 12:30 pm on Thursday. Everyone immediately connected and soon we were all playing with the children. It was a very rewarding time.

Day 7 - Travel Home

On our way to the airport Friday, we were able to drop off two boxes of baby formula for the children. We are hoping to collect supplies for the next trip so that we can bring more formula and diapers to assist the orphans.

Seasons

A few thoughts on the current season...

1. Salad, the simplicity of making a salad.

We recently had a few Indian families move into our apartment complex. At a dinner event a few nights ago, the sweet mother of a cute, little boy was getting more of my salad. She stopped to ask me how to make salad. At first I was baffled by the question. I quickly realized by her sweet spirit and demeanor she honestly didn't know how to make one. I later learned the family had been in America for less than ten years. I told her i bought the large box of salad from Sam's. I chopped carrots and tomatoes and threw it all together. She was so thankful I took the time to explain salad making to her. Sometimes I forget how simple even the smallest things are. This season reminds me that making salad can be the easiest of task to some but to others it may mean the world.

2. Baby cows, otherwise known as calves.

I'm not sure what about them makes me smile, but never the less they do. On my way home every day, I pass a field of calves and their mothers grazing. Sometimes they are resting, other times they are at the edge of the water. Every time I see them I just want giggle. Something in my heart leaps because of the fact that a new creation has been born.

3. Driving & Worshipping.

On our way to Beaumont for Easter, Garrett took us through a part of Texas I wish I could see more of. All we could see were lush fields for miles, filled with wild flowers. Every once in a while, the field were filled with baby cows. We had the music turned up loud and began to worship our KING. My heart is so thankful I am able to worship my KING in such a way. I am sitting next to the most amazing man, I feel the presence of my Creator, and I am admiring his Creation. Worshipping like this completely erases the chains that bind me and keep me from loving my two men the way I am suppose to.

4. Cleansing comes with seasons that change

As much as the world says, I am dirty. My king says "You are clean, you are clean, oh so worthy." I am washed as white as snow. I hear the Savior calling..... my sins are washed away. My relationship with the KING doesn't always change with the seasons, but I do have different seasons with Him. In the Winter, things must die so that there can be new life that appears in the Spring. When the Spring comes, He is singing these verses over me. Right now I feel HIm singing these love songs over me in such a way that I am just at peace thinking about it. He is declaring these things over my life right now, and I am continuing to run to the one who is calling me.

i pray you feel the Savior singing sweet love songs over you.

Samantha

Running

I am reading Beth Moore’s To Live is Christ, for my Saturday morning ladies life-group. She takes the reader through Paul’s journey of faith. I recently read about when Paul and Barnabas heard about a plot to stone them to death. Before the mob came for them, they fled the town.

Proverbs 22:3 “a prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep on going and suffer for it.”

Wooh, the Bible clearly states that it is perfectly acceptable for us to flee from danger. I think at times as believers we want to suffer for His name sake, never stopping to ask ourselves if we need to run from danger. Think about it...

It’s dark out and I am walking to the car by myself. A strange man comes behind and begins to follow me. At this point, my womanly and natural instincts kick in and yell to me, “QUICKLY GET YOUR BUTT TO THE CAR!” I never once have to stop and ask myself if I should run from danger.

Join me now on the flip side of this, the spiritual one. I’m frustrated about my bad day and I’m alone in my car. Satan takes this grand opportunity to join my depressed thoughts. Together him and I build up negatives thoughts regarding the people who made my day progressively worse.

HELLO...instead of fleeing/running/getting away as fast as possible from this DANGER....I allow it to join me in my thoughts. Why???

I know I need to run from danger more often than I have lately. We are in a war, not a physical one but a SPIRITUAL one. Meaning spiritually, I need to start running in to the arms of my Father a whole lot more.

I will be running more, will you run too?

~Samantha