Haiti Day 5

Today has been a day of leisure and a day of challenge. Brad Johnson (and his wife Vanessa) run Mission of Hope. Brad had traveled to Haiti for many years with his parents and experienced first hand the challenges with orphans and malnutrition.
On one particular trip Brad and Vanessa were visiting the site basically where we are camped and a man and woman’s child was literally dying right before them. They jumped into their vehicle with the father and rushed 30 miles to a hospital and when they arrived the child took its last breath. They had to travel all the way with this man carrying his dead child and the mother collapsed when they returned. It broke their hearts. Yesterday when we visited the another mission that words could not describe how desolate and poor Brad saw a little boy in the corner who’s belly was swollen with worms and of course no underwear and guess who migrated to Brad and reached out his hands to be picked up – yeah that’s right. The part that makes it all interesting is the Lord told Brad this is your son. He put the child down and left. The malnutrition and living facilities where far worse than I even saw. He told Vanessa the next day to go to this orphanage and take some nurses to access the situation but whatever you do don’t pick up the little boy with the bloated stomach and orange hair (malnutrition I think). Well guess who made their way to Vanessa and wrapped his arms around her feet. She reached down and discovered the child had a high fever. So when Vanessa returned she walked in carrying guess who – right the little boy the Lord told Brad would be his first son. They took him in and for two weeks he did not respond with any emotion. Soon he began to respond to their love and came around. Now J.D. is a handsome young man of 12 and you would never know he was an orphan with no hope.
During Brad’s talk about the history of Mission of Hope I found out that the Green Family (David and Mart) help start their clinic here. They have purchased now 55 acres adjoining to expand services. Imagine in your mind a Vision (because where there is no vision – the people perish) now that supports 60 orphans, a school enrollment of 1200 children – feeding out of their warehouse (with the help of organizations like Convoy of Hope) 100,000 people a day. Is this a big deal? Uh, what do you think! “Suffer the little children to come to me.” Are we supposed to help the widows and orphans of this world? Brad talked about not thinking about Missions once a year for a week or just sending someone or money – but think Missional – 24/7. I know I am and I hope you get an opportunity to take a mission trip soon.
A mission trip will change your life forever. Rhonda yesterday said – It’s not about someone in need (because there will always be a need somewhere in the world) – it’s about deciding which need to invest into” – and I can tell you Mission of Hope is the real deal. They are working with the government and doing things that right way.
Brad told about a lady who works in the kitchen here at the guesthouse. She has two children who both graduated from Mission of Hope school. They both attend college. The son graduates this year with a degree in Accounting and aspires to be President of Haiti one day. The daughter attends college in the Dominican Republic and will be a Pediatrician. By the way – their mom cannot read or write. Mission of Hope wants to see their children go on to attend college or technical schools and help to change Haiti for Jesus Christ. How do you change the world? One person at a time – it’s all about Relationship!!! Sound familiar.
We spent time relaxing today at a resort on the beach. Are you kidding me? That’s not Missions. Actually Mission of Hope does this so people can see the good things about Haiti – they do exist. Plus – you need some time to regroup and reflect on the week. My emotions are in overdrive and others and we need this time to make the transition back. We will see you Sunday morning – We Are Changed Forever.

mike

Haiti Day 4

Today was a good day. Believe it or not I slept last night. I knew that because I had two dreams. So I knew I slept. Now you may be saying “Big Deal!” Well considering at night in our room with the fans full blast it is still 85 degrees and that is hot. The other miracle is personal too. Ever since I was a child I’ve had issue of traveling. I can go from one city to another city and change water systems and on the 3rd day I have major issues and usually get sick. After the 2nd day I took some anti you know what medicine and I have not had one problem – PERIOD!!! And that is a personal highlight on this trip – knowing I Can Do This!
The concrete crew – the MOW completed their task and our other group moved another two rooms of medical supplies and set them up and they are ready for the clinic to use. This week we literally have been the Hands and Feet of Jesus. Taking a break this morning because of the heat and believe me you need breaks I stopped off with my Haitian interpreter and project manager and he wanted me to see a picture of his girlfriend. While there I heard some music playing on his portable pc. It was Claudel, who at times travels the US with the Vice President, Otis Garrison, raising awareness and funds for Mission of Hope. Let me tell you from the moment I realized who it was (who I met today) and him singing as well as any professional “When I Think About the Lord” in Creole I was deeply moved and once again starting crying. The music has overwhelmed me and the spirit of the people is moving. The Lord is all over Mission of Hope and what they are accomplishing for the Kingdom of God.
This afternoon we went to another orphanage. Their facility looked like it had been hit with a 500 lb bomb. I’m not sure it was earthquake but it was terribly in ruins. Considering no indoor plumbing, housing in ruins holding services on the dirt ground across the street with a blue tarp shielding the sun – if that’s not enough now consider 120 kids and you maybe able to start thinking about it. Mission of Hope looks like a resort compared to what we saw today and Mission of Hope is no resort. Yes, they are making a huge progress but it is only by continued support and the determination of Brad and Vanessa Johnson and their staff and Haitian staff but just as important the Volunteers who give their time. I can’t tell you enough how committed Rhonda and I are to Missions more than ever before and yes we have determined that we want to bring another team next year. If we could do it and if I could figure out how – we would spend two or three weeks yearly working here. Today had several emotional moments that are too personal to share that I experienced with our team – I will let them share in May when we give you a recap. I will also post photos when I get back and have highspeed connections. Be blessed – WE ARE!!!

mike

Haiti Day 3

Today was quite an adventure. The concrete mixing construction team labored hard again (Dallas and Jeremy). Several others moved medical supplies from a building to a storage tent for the Clinic's use. That seems to have taken its toll. One head injury that required 4 staples, one strain knee and scrapes and one heat exhaustion. But everyone is fine and healing. Yes, last night was even hotter and sleep was limited. That's Haiti and that's the way it is - soooooo suck it up and God will sustain.
This afternoon we went to an orphanage down by the ocean. The man that started the orphanage was a traveler who owned a large boat and decided he wanted to buy some property in Haiti along the ocean. He purchased the property and built a large boat dock then proceeded to build a Night Club. A friend bought a piece of property next door and built a house. The neighbor had some missionaries visit and the missionaries told the Night Club guy they were praying for him. The Night Club builder noticed kids hanging around his property hungry and then later children sleeping where he was building when he would come in off his boat. One thing led to another and this man of 60 became a Christian and started an orphanage. His wife left him and he started building. Over time the orphanage and support came and children were added. The children sang and performed and we loved on them and Sam shared the gospel with them. Last March the Night Club owner, now 75, was working on the roof and fell and was killed. This produced great trauma on the orphans. This along with the earthquake has been quite an ordeal for them. Pray for this orphanage. It needs direction and divine intervention in order to survive. After the earthquake the children would not sleep in the building until a couple of weeks ago when the rains drove them inside. We had a BLAST with these kids today. We are on dial up so downloading a photo is longgggggggggg.

mike

Haiti Day 2

Sleeping in Haiti takes me back to the 60”s. For years my parents had only an exhaust fan and then moved up to a window unit. It’s been a long, long time since I slept without air conditioning but last night I accomplished it, I think. Wow, it is hot. Let’s just say I have a phrase “I’m Miserably Happy”! We started our workday in the warehouse sorting medical supplies from food supplies. This seemed like a hot job but nothing compared to the other group who carried bars up hill about 200 yards and other materials for building. This afternoon they spent time mixing concrete and pouring it – now that was in the sun in the heat of the day. All survived. Now back to the warehouse. Mission of Hope is the warehouse and distribution point for Convoy of Hope here in Haiti. That should get you very, very excited. Mission of Hope and Brad and Vanessa Johnson are the real deal. This morning we took a brief tour of the grounds and then started on our work projects.
The warehouse stores food but inadvertently placed medical supplies with food supplies. Our job was to sort through the medical supplies and carry what was current up a hill to a large tent area where medical supplies were already stored. Here is the biggest kicker of all. I am shocked by the people who sent expired supplies overseas thinking that they could be used. The Haitian Government will not allow expired medical supplies or food supplies and such to be used – otherwise all licensing to operate a medical clinic would be jerked. I’m telling you water has been sent and other supplies that can only be burned. It’s really a shame but people sent things that were not wrapped properly and had to be thrown away. Funny thing – it’s the big joke with us – "well you know it’s expired" – but we still took the Orbit gum expired last September and believe me it still taste good. LOL.
Ruben, who picked us up at the airport, is also a very talented young man who survived the earthquake with a incredible story. He was in Port au Prince attending ministry school when his building collapsed. A friend fell on him and died. Ruben was one of eight out of a class of (I believe) 30 who survived. Ruben plays the sax, piano, leads worship at the church, sings, gives tours and is a true man of God. He is very humble. Tonight we attended a night of worship at Church of Hope here on the mission grounds. From the guesthouse we could here nothing but by the time we descended past the warehouse you could hear the beautiful sound of Haitian people raising their voices to God. We joined the service and from the very get go I was engaged right along with them in worship. I would say about half the songs I figured out and knew and could sing along with them – others I couldn’t. Worship, WOW, I mean real worship and praise took place tonight. About 200 people were really worshipping their Lord and Savior. I suppose when hope is gone and all the hope there is in this world is Christ Jesus – then you really have no reservations crying out in song. About halfway through having already shed many tears of praise and calling out to God for these people they started the song – “Hungry.” But the time the chorus came around I was crying out and tears where flowing. The chorus says, “I’m falling on my knees….” And I did – I totally lost it emotionally. Here I am standing in the front in the midst of people who I don’t know worshipping my heart out with everything I’ve got and they seemed light years ahead of me. Talk about a real wakeup call. They really mean it with all their heart and with all their soul and with all their mind. I’m reading Mark Batterson’s book “Primal” and I saw first hand a lot of what Mark is describing of the early church. These people and many cases have lost everything they have and still they worship. Many who had no hope now find real hope in Jesus.

mike

Haiti Day 1

It is Monday, March 22, 2010. Three o’clock this morning started my day in preparation to travel to Mission of Hope in Haiti. This mornings flight to Dallas was a typical – Monday morning business travel so the plane was full and of course travel to Miami was a full plane. What surprised me the most was the packed plane to Haiti.
I think we all have a tendency to live in such a small world. And what’s even more frightening is we often live our entire life within this small world around us. We live in a great, great big world and if Humanity Relief and Compassion for the displaced human being is any indication to the enormity of the flight today – then people really do care. Everything was smooth until departing Miami which was 45 minutes late leaving because of the trash all the people from the previous plane left behind. At least that’s what they said. I think it was because someone who will go unnamed might have taken a pillow from American Airlines. We think they were doing a pillow count and well enough, inside joke. Uh, it’s a she. Interesting that we were on that plane and it wasn’t I who left such a mess. Well if you think that’s a mess – you gotta be called to Haiti.
Airport at Port au Prince was literally destroyed by the earthquake. It will have to be torn down and rebuilt. So we were diverted to makeshift immigration and entry into Haiti. Wow – what a trip!! Imagine landing on an airstrip then proceeding to taxi back to the gate on the SAME landing strip. Then being bused over to immigration; which went very smooth until baggage claim. It was a zoo. A room about 30 by 50 with a hundred sweating people with no order or rhyme or reason and people trying to get you to let them help you or drive you by taxi. All the way out to the gate – with people all over the gate pressing into you as you are trying to leave. Guard your purse, wallet and such – then up the street full of people and cars and such trying to get to the bus to take us out to the mission. Roads, WOW! Narrow, holes everywhere and sometimes three cars wide – no rules just drive and overtake people and drive around a stop fast and on and on and on. It was an adjustment. We passed the mass grave where they buried will over 150, 000 people. And once we got down wind – it was no guess where the odor was coming from.
However, we are now at the mission and have fellowshipped with others staying here: Canadian nurses, doctors, Convoy of Hope reps and a group from Minnesota. It’s hot and muggy but the sun has gone down and the tree frogs are singing and a shower soon then the generator comes on so we can have fans to sleep. Great day and can’t wait to get started tomorrow.

mike

Haiti

It's Sunday, March 21st and I'm getting ready to go to bed. Today Kari Jobe was in concert at Woodlake Church and she did an outstanding job. Tomorrow marks a new day for Woodlake Church; I along with ten others embark on the first Mission's trip in a long, long time. I suspect it will be life changing. I'm counting on that - not only for me but my wife and the other ten faithful members of our team. We are headed to Mission of Hope Haiti. I don't have to tell you the devestation that Haiti suffered because of the earthquake. Last November our church made a commitment to plan 5 trips for 2010. I told the Lord, I'd really like to go to Ireland of Romania and I really didn't want to go to Haiti. About a week later our Lead Pastor called and asked me and my wife to head up the team to Haiti. I knew it was the Lord and I knew I didn't really have a choice. Then the earthquake hit and there was a lot up in the air. However - the airport is open and we are a go and we are going and loving on people and helping the Mission with whatever needs to be done. Our team is excited and prepared for whatever the Lord leads us to do. Checkback and I will update this blog as I can with updates.

mike