Eat My Dust

There are distinct odors in Haiti. Fires seem to be prevalent throughout the countryside. It took me a while to figure out the reason. Simply - trash. Those are the easy odors to identify. The others are still a mystery to me. I found out day two after arriving back in the states and unloading our soiled clothing from the suitcases. Dust. I can tell you that dust is something to get over - because you will get dusty; clothes, hair, nose, and of course shoes. I think I brought home my weight in dust. I look back to a video that I've seen that talks about the disciples following Jesus so close that they would be covered with His dust. When you consider that we tend to be clean freaks and despise dust I actually welcomed it. There is just something about not wanting to leave Haiti. It permeates your senses and caused me to forget about the comforts of home and engage the opportunity in front of me.
Maybe it's the work never seems to be complete. To be honest with you I don't ever want the work to seem complete. The Kingdom of God is alive and active. The Kingdom of God is moving and growing, as it should be. The people of Haiti are hard working people. They labor for everything they get. All too often I see many people (in the Kingdom of God) standing on the sidelines or better yet - sitting idle watching others complete the task. The Church of America is lazy and far too many have no desire to lift a finger to further the Kingdom. i refer to them as punching their spiritual time clock. And by observation that just means they come - they sit - they leave. Rarely, if at all, do they participate in the service. They have become spectators in the greatest game that will ever be. The game of Life. ....Jesus came that we might have Life and have it to the FULL...
So when I step off the property of 7100 E. 31st and engage the world, whether near or far, I love following the Lord and I love getting dusty. My goal is to "leave it all on the field." A quote I hope they say that I was guilty of: "My life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather I will skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming..."Wow...What a Ride!" I want to be covered in Dust.

mike

Not Too Close

I've got to tell you I've never been near a Mosque. I've never been near a Hindu or Buddist Temple. I've never been in a position that I felt uncomfortable. Yet I never imagined in my wildest dreams I'd be so close to the enemy. I remember some dialogue I've heard about a prerequisite for ordination with a minister in Cuba requires one to have served prison time. No, not for something illegal unless you consider preaching the gospel illegal. Of course this is just what I've heard. Day Three in Haiti we had the privilege of going to a nearby village and painting a house. No big deal? Well, consider the house was built ten years ago and imagine yourself living in your current house and having gray concrete walls and floors. It was such a joy to be hosted by the families Son. He was very gracious and at times even joined in on the fun. Our contractor had given us instruction to keep the floors free of paint. Well, that lasted only for the first few minutes. To make matters worse one of our interpreters was very wild with the brush and roller. Soon the floor was covered paint. Near the end we started working on trying to get up this paint. No water and no rags didn't help. Strangely enough on one of my trips around the exterior of the house I discovered a razor blade on the ground. Ouch. And it wasn't the only one I found. However our efforts only removed so much. That afternoon we came back to this village and spent time with the children in the area.
During dinner our contractor came over and said we needed to go back and clean up the mess. No problem. But we couldn't all go so a few guys went with the contractor and intern. By now the Sun is going down rapidly and it gets dark out in the country. You see this village and this house had no lights. So by flashlight a small team of men got down on their hands and knees with water and towels and cleaned as best they could. Things were going well until the contractor said, "we need to leave and we need to leave NOW!" Really, uh, there's more to do. The family was grateful that we had come back to clean but unknown to anyone in the team during the day or the team that went back to clean that the whole time we were next door to a Voodoo Temple. Is that why there are candles lit all over the place? Well being the only white people in an unlit village on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince didn't really need a second call to retreat. Think about that for awhile.

mike

Haiti 2011 Delayed!

No one likes delays and I'm no exception. Monday morning March 14th the whole team was looking with great anticipation of stepping foot on Haiti soil. The last thing we wanted to deal with was delay. I'm still not sure why but I do know there was a lesson to be learned for me and that was patience. Everyone arrived in a timely manner and we all got checked in and through security. The plane was ready and boarding went like clockwork. When the pilots arrived and were going through their checklist they discovered a warning system was not working correctly. No problem. After all Tulsa maintains the top knowledgeable people in aircraft maintenance. So a call was made and soon maintenance people arrived. Systematically electronics were checked and the culprit was found. Here is where it got interesting. Everyone had to de-board the planed while it as being worked on. I suppose I can see the need to maintain safety for everyone. From this point everything went downhill. Quickly a line formed to reroute. Unfortunately we certainly didn't think this would effect us. After all our next flight from Dallas to Ft. Lauderdale wasn't until 8:45 and the Tulsa flight was 6:10, I think. But minutes started to accumulate and accumulate fast. By the time we neared the counter to reroute the plane was fixed and in an effort by utilizing too many people to help us we canceled 8 team members. Now the plane had plenty of room and that was real frustrating for me because we haven't left and 8 of our team are not on the plane. So by now I'm a little over the edge and ready to well, not be so nice. But I kept my mouth shut and went with it. Here is where it got crazy. We had already missed our Ft. Lauderdale connection and we knew we would get stranded in Dallas. So why not the whole team. The other 8 had to rent a car and drive to Bentonville, Arkansas to catch a flight to New York LaGuardia to then transfer to JFK and find a hotel to sleep in so they could catch a flight the next day for Haiti. It looked like the Dallas team was going to get stranded until Wednesday. That is until I happened to wonder over to another counter in Dallas and met, unknown to me, the terminal area manager. This man was amazing. He held the key to opening 14 of 15 seats that were available to fly on Tuesday or we would have been stuck until Wednesday. ON top of that he set us up with a hotel and meal voucher's and a shuttle to take us to our overnight stay. PLUS, we received all boarding passes to get us through to Haiti. Wow!!! When we arrived in Haiti we discovered the other team had arrived and been taken to Mission of Hope earlier and all of our baggage was waiting in baggage claim.
But I've got to tell you if we would have all traveled to Dallas we all would not have made it to Haiti until Wednesday. So all in all the Lord knew what He was doing. In addition one of our team members Holly would not have had a real God moment. As we were boarding the plane in Ft. Lauderdale for Haiti a lady (obviously filled with a Spirit of Discernment) stopped Holly and asked her if this was her first time out of the country. Well Holly broke down because not only was she leaving the country but she was leaving her daughter for the first time. For a mom this was huge. So right there in the middle of boarding, a Christ follower reaches out and prays for another Christ follower. It was a real God moment and if for no other reason to being Delayed - it was worth it. God knows best and I learned a valuable lesson in patience and divine appointment.

mike

Haiti 2011 Day Four

Like a breath of fresh air Haiti is gradually changing and the evidence is very clear. You wonder how in the world something good could come as a result of an earthquake or tsunami or any other natural disaster that might strike the earth at any moment. Mission of Hope is literally exploding on the scene of a hopeless situation. Since last year the progress and completion of building projects is mind-boggling. I sit in the cool of the afternoon overlooking what will soon be a new guest house that will house 150 guests (short term missions groups). The buzz of conversation fills the air as some bask in the cool breeze after having showered and cleaned off the dust of the day. Others are arriving from the field having completed their assigned task for the day.

Dust is a constant. We are north of Port-au-Prince just in the foothills of dirt, rock and brush. The dust infiltrates your sinuses, hair, skin, clothing and well just about everywhere. But it’s good to know that the water pressure here is far above any youth camp I’ve ever attended. A Haitian shower is really simple; get wet turn off the water, soap up, turn on the water and you’re done. There is no hot water and there is no reason to waste what is so precious to these people – fresh water. I’m sure that it is a matter of life in the villages that we’ve visited – but most people are just covered in dust and it doesn’t even seem to bother them.

We went to a village and picked up trash along the road side and hauled it back to the Mission for disposal. You’re probably asking – why don’t they just pick up their own trash? Good question. But let’s stop and think about that for a moment. There are no trash trucks in Haiti. Trash bags are a premium and most struggle just to eat one meal daily and maintain what they call a home. So the luxury of trash disposal is not high on their list of maintenance issues. I’m amazed that more people do not cut themselves on razor blades, broken bottles and metal pop lids scattered seemingly everywhere. This is not Kansas Dorothy and the Mission of Hope does what they can to help clean up and demonstrate this with the help of teams dispersed to serve the community. Really it’s not much different than what Woodlake has done to go out and clean up our community. So before you think Haitians or even your neighbors are slobs stop for a moment and put yourself in their place and offer to help and serve as God leads you.

Haiti 2011 Day Three

Today we went to Titanyen (which is a nearby village) and painted a house for a couple. The house was large - 4 rooms and a few out buildings, 2 dogs and 5 chickens. Interacting with the Haitians is a blast. This afternoon we went back to the village and hung out with children. We spent most of our time in the town square. Picture in the middle of the square a common source of water, lots of buckets and a hand pump that was continually working while we present. Rock roads - lots of children and curious onlookers. Jeremy stole the show making balloon figures until things got out of hand and he shut down his operation. The children have all been in awe of Paul Markwood's beard and hairy arms. It has been quite funny. The heat is here but nothing like last year. Last night I even had to cover up with a sheet because it got cold. The team is doing well. Pray for Megan she is having trouble with a tooth. Other than this all is well in Haiti.

Haiti 2011 Day Two

Both teams arrived without incident on Tuesday. Thankfully our luggage was waiting for us in their baggage claim area. The country looks much better than it did one year ago when we first visited. The sights and sounds are the same from congested traffic where it’s every man for himself which is the reason for the constant honking of horns as you maneuver the highway. The familiar smells are present. Thankfully the Mass Grave were most of the Port-au-Prince casualties are buried no longer reeks of death. We’ve noticed a big effort to clean-up a lot of the devastation.

Mission of Hope has changed A LOT. There are many new buildings and accommodations. The Lord is doing an incredible work here. Obviously being spring break there are many people here working and the new guest house will be ready to occupy soon which will house 120 visitors. The Hope House now has 62 orphans and new accommodations to house 120. The school is growing and the clinic is growing. Today we went and worked one of the projects that has been talked about. Currently there are 40+ house being built off site for new residence of Haitian families. In all, this project will build 500 homes. We painted inside these homes and painted trim on the outside. Others planted cactus which was harvested off trees and planted in rows to serve as a privacy fence. These plants grow as tall as eight feet within a year. The cactus will be topped at 6 feet and will fill in to complete the privacy fence. No injuries except the minor cuts and scrapes. The team is in good spirits. Thanks for continuing to pray. We realized our travels were challenging and stressful but most dealt as best they could. All in all if we would have stayed together one of the teams would have arrived today and missed two days. The other thing shared by Jeremy was missions is not supposed to be an easy thing. Just ask a missionary. It takes a lot of determination and patience to carry out this work. Be blessed, we are!

Haiti 2011 Day One

Haiti 2011 – Day One

Wow, all I can say is the temperature is much cooler than I expected. It’s only 49 degrees and it’s 4:00 o’clock in the afternoon. Wait a minute. This isn’t Haiti – this is Dallas, Texas. Today has been an adventure in what missionaries would term “Patience,” which is not one of my strong points. If it’s mechanical – it will break. This morning’s 6:00 am flight finally left the gate in Tulsa around 9:00ish. Our connecting flight to Florida that departed DWF at 8:40 was missed. Subsequently the 1:15 flight from Florida to Haiti was departing as we were finalizing our plans (minus 8 people) to get to Haiti on Tuesday which is tomorrow which is better than the fall back plan to leaving for Haiti on Wednesday. (#!O&@!)! Translated this means I want to put the Spirit of Slap on airplane carriers. But they say not to slap the hand that feeds you. Kaysarasara.

In the mad dash to try to reschedule and such and considering we had to disembark so the infamous and well equipped mechanics of an airline who will remain anonymous could work on the plane (FFA rules) we rescheduled and cancelled 8 people standing at the gate who would not get on the plane but are now in Bentonville, Arkansas (by auto transfer) catching a flight to New York City to fly into one airport – transfer to another – and fly out tomorrow to Haiti. We on the other hand have all had a nap and waiting to eat dinner on the unnamed airline at a hotel at DFW. Tomorrow morning we leave again at 6:10 to Florida then 1:15 to Haiti (which was our original flight times today). We had the privilege of working with the most amazing man at DFW. His name Matthew Gilmore and was the Operational Supervisor in the gate area I just happened to run across. Not only did he take care of us – we hold in our hands boarding passes for both flights in the morning. We bypass the ticket counter in the morning because 1st we have no luggage and 2nd because we have everything we need, we just need a plane that functions. The 8 members in New York arrive in Port-au-Prince around 1:00 PM and we arrive around 2:20 PM. We cross our fingers and pray our luggage, which should be somewhere in or near Fort Lauderdale now, will be on the same flight we take from Florida to Haiti tomorrow.

So I ask myself – what in the world? Well first – traveling airlines seem to have its challenges. I remember Pastor Heaston describing Nairobi and the street conditions and obstacles they had to overcome just to drive down the street. So, I shouldn’t be surprised. It just reminds Rhonda and I about our dream 30th anniversary cruise that never happened. I can’t believe my blood pressure didn’t spike today but I’ve for all practical purposes remained calm. Oh I’ve had my moments. So, Lord, for what practical purpose did todays events play in your master scheme of “all things work for the good of those that love the Lord?” Yes, I think it’s ok to ask God why.

Three Days and Then

Three long full days ahead and then our team leaves for Haiti. Counting Rhonda and me, last year we took eleven great people to minister at Mission of Hope. This year our group has doubled. Excellent growth I'd say. When you stop and think about it, for a church that seemed to always throw money at missions our teams are growing from last years initiative. To me that spells success but more importantly it spells excitement and enthusiasm to take the message of the gospel ourselves into the world. From every indication I see that temperatures will be 10 degrees cooler than last year. You might be saying, "Big Deal." When you consider last year we left after a snow storm and when we got off the plane in Port-au-Prince the temp was 98 degrees, I'll take 10 degrees cooler.

There is so much excitement about the trip. Some are veterans and others are newbee's. Of course we have no idea yet what we will actually do but we know it will be life changing. Mission of Hope is in the process of building a new warehouse for Convoy of Hope. That's right people - Convoy of Hope distributes (along with two other relief groups) their resources and donations out of Mission of Hope. This speaks volumes to me of the reputation of Mission of Hope. In addition Mission of Hope is in the process of building homes for the people of Haiti. This is huge. So off we go into the Wild Blue Yonder to do the work that God has called us to do - serve others, make disciples, share the Love of Christ. The orphans, the orphans, the orphans - can't wait.