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Updates from SWI's
Second Outreach in Haiti
 
UPDATE 5:
- 04/10/2010
Today has been a wonderfully rewarding day. After 3 days of intensive training, the participants of the PTSD seminar were able to go into several of the local camps and begin
interviewing people for signs of PTSD. Each team
was able to identify several people that are in need of follow up. In total, somewhere around 150 people were interviewed!
Each person that was interviewed had a story and the children were given paper to draw a picture of their story. One little girl described how her house fell on the house next door. She wasn't home, but was at a friends house. When the earth started shaking, she and her friend were standing next to a wall and ran for the door. The wall collapsed behind them, but they were able to escape. The stories were heartbreaking, but the hope that came with the ministry was priceless.
After the ministry time, we all gathered back at the youth center for a graduation ceremony. Each participant received a certificate of completion. They were so energized by the success of the day and actually starting the practical application of what they were learning. They were very serious about serving God's purpose for their lives and one man I spoke to had already made appointments to follow up with the people he had interviewed and was thinking about what else he could do just to bless them. Once again, our new friends demonstrated the love of Christ so beautifully to us. They are truly an
inspiration.
In the morning, while the PTSD teams were out, some of use spent a few hours with the children back at house #1. We did a lesson on Job,
emphasizing God's love, power, and trustworthiness no matter what the circumstances. The lesson was followed by a craft expertly administered by Suzanne.
DF followed up with an animated contest in "Simon Says". And we also had bubbles and a fun time with balls,
frisbees, Nerf rocket balls, and jump ropes. The children play so well together even as their games seem to overlap in 3-D space. They are such a delight to spend time with.
And lastly, the water team was back on task. VW was excited to use her leatherman today. They had some shopping to do, and
LJ got a birthday coke, but not too many birthday breaks! They focused today on finishing a project that had been started during the last trip. The missing part was a venturi device that was shipped over and should have been waiting at DHS, but somehow someone else had already picked the package up. It became a logistical challenge, but finally they were able to meet up and retrieve the package.
The installation was for Pastor D., a local pastor in Port-au-Prince, and this system has the capacity to serve as many as 5,000 people! He intends to use it to serve the whole community around his church. His church building was demolished in the earthquake, so the purifier was installed at his parsonage. Fortunately, it is now up and running and will be a huge blessing to the community in the years to come.
That's all for now... thanks for praying!
SWI Haiti Team 2
UPDATE 4:
- 04/09/2010
What a wonderful day today has been. It's pouring down rain right now as I type. I wish I could convey the beauty of Haiti in the rain after a sweltering day. The house we've set up our tents in has generous windows with decorative ironworks, but no glass, so we can hear the music of the rain on all the stones in the courtyard. We can feel the cooling night air. And you can sense the cleansing of the air from the dust of the day...the smoke from the cooking fire, the dirt from the road kicked up by roaming tires and a hot breeze.
As soon as the rain started, D., one of our Haitian hosts, jumped into action and began mopping up the rain that blew in the front windows. One of the ladies that cooks for us found myself and
VW working on some laundry in the rain. We were overwhelmed and humbled by her servant heart. She went and got the "real" soap, and put the laundry back in the tub, starting again, and teaching us her technique. She rinsed and hung it while we stood by trying to help however we could, as rank
amateurs! I am an expert clothespin holder! And VW was gently rebuked for trying to take the mop at the end. God was teaching us that giving sometimes means being willing to
receive. What beautiful people our new friends are. They
carry the aroma of Jesus, and I'd like to be like them.
This morning the PTSD seminar entered the practicum portion of the training. The students interviewed and assessed one another, and also were given scenarios to evaluate. All of the students, of course, have their own stories about Jan. 12, and many of them are filled with devastating tragedy. And yet, they continue, letting the resilience of Christ in them shine through. They were energetic and engaged and are so excited to have this vital training to help themselves and fellow Haitians as victims of the earthquake and potentially PTSD.
The water team went into action today with BF's arrival yesterday. We spent the morning shopping for pieces and parts, visiting many bustling stores. We started at Enterprises Maxime Castera (E=MC2) which is like the Haiti Home Depot, but with better security. Outside there were trucks loading and unloading all kinds of building materials. On and on we went, purchasing a 250 gallon water tank, pvc piping, a submersible water pump, and various other pieces and parts.
The first water purification installation went into Pastor
J''s house where all 28 children are currently living.
BF explained and supervised each step in the assembly process of the purification system. It was a major group effort and learning process including team members and Pastor
J's local helpers. In the end, we discovered they gave us the wrong pump, so we'll have to go back to the store tomorrow to finish. But we've got a good head start!
More tomorrow! God Bless you all!
SWI Haiti Team 2
UPDATE 3:
- 04/08/2010
PTSD Seminar Continues...
We started off this morning's session with a question answer session. The questions were intense and well thought through, which was super encouraging as it indicated that the participants were really engaging the teaching and were beginning to really "get it". In fact,
G. had to move on into the next teaching with questions still in the air.
The main part of the lesson today was how to treat PTSD once you've identified that a person is suffering with it. We also learned about the physiological reality of PTSD and different ways to help a person change their thought patterns and consequentially the behaviors that result from PTSD. It was a tough day as the reality began to set it that this was a long process that would require a
commitment to follow through. But it was also encouraging to realize that there really as something you could do to help victims of PTSD, and sobering to learn what the consequences would be if nothing was done.
In the evening, we spent some more time with the children.
S. made up a Pictionary type game which was really fun and could be played by children of any age. Also, we finally got to meet
BF, our water purification specialist. His flight was delayed, but he finally arrived and we got our first introduction to his water purification system. He brought a notebook of past trips with many, many stories. We didn't want to stop and go to sleep, but
6 am comes pretty early!
Tomorrow will be a big day as we split the team for the first time. Some will return to the practicum of the PTSD seminar and some will go with
BF to start the water purification installation! We appreciate all your prayers!
All of His Best Blessings to you all!
SWI Haiti Team 2
UPDATE 2:
- 04/07/2010
What a long and fruitful day! We were up at 6 am and were
greeted by a delicious breakfast of pumpkin soup that the ladies began preparing for us well before 5am! And by the time we took our ambulance ride to the seminar, we'd been well fed, reasonably groomed, had a team meeting and devotions with the Lord.
Pastor J. told the meeting that had been praying for a way to help people with the emotional affects of the trauma (specifically for PTSD) that they have experienced, and also for education in earthquake preparedness. When he met
DF on SWI's first Haiti trip the subject of PTSD was first on his list of priorities. Fortunately,
DF was able to get G. on task and the result is a perfect answer to Pastor
J's prayers.
The PTSD seminar taught by our teammate
G., got a great kick off. Registration has gone without a hitch. Pastor
J's team are efficient and joyful in their administrative tasks, and a real pleasure to work with. There was room for only a few more, and we heard that the 'Food for the Hungry'
program would be sending more tomorrow! The people attending this conference are Haitians, seeking to help restore their fellow Haitians. Pastor
J. has given them the mandate to take what they are learning and teach others in order to maximize this investment.
G's teaching, of course, was spot on, and super well received. They were quite engaged, and there were so many questions at the end that some had to be saved over for the morning. Our team is also learning a great deal, and we're expecting God will put this investment to good use in our communities back home as well.
After dinner we went over to meet and play with the children next door. They are all 28 kids from each of the four homes that have been consolidated to a single house since the earthquake. We had a wonderful time making fun foamy name tags with fancy string to hang them from. We were serenaded by a young man on an electronic piano and also got to meet their tiny little puppy.
DF was the life of the party as he was able to magically pull his thumb off! (no worries, he put it back on...;o)
And off we go to bed with great expectations of what God has in store for us tomorrow. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning... (Lam 3:22-23).
God Bless you all.
SWI's Haiti Team 2
UPDATE 1:
- 04/06/2010
Hello friends, thanks for checking in on our trip progress!
So far so good. We praise the Lord for bringing us all safely together here in Haiti. Our team of eight (soon to be nine) came from as far as California,
Idaho, Ohio, and North Carolina. The airport in Port-au-Prince is an active and
bustling place. We were encouraged to see several teams sent by other Christian organizations bringing in relief supplies and the love of Christ. Seeing bin after bin, come off the baggage claim gave us a glimpse into the greater plans of God here.
We spent the first evening setting up our tents inside a house and enjoying a delicious meal prepared by local ladies. And we've been vigilantly attended by several young men ready to serve our every need. The people's hearts here are so warm and grateful to receive us. The love of Christ is evident in the care and labor they have taken for us. We are deeply blessed.
Later in the evening we listened in rapt attention to Pastor
J, our local host, tell his story about the earthquake of January 12th. It's difficult to capture the power of his own telling of it, but I've tried to capture it here for you:
Pastor J's Story of the Haiti Earthquake
"How can I help change Haiti?" It is a question that God has answered clearly for Pastor
J. Pastor J is a young energetic man, making a difference in Haiti. God has given him a vision to change the culture of Haiti from the self centered culture lingering from the influence of Voodoo in the Island to the Christ-centered service oriented culture of the Kingdom of God. His heart is especially for a new generation - the children - to create a new heart and a new mindset to serve Christ by serving one another. He is instilling purpose and a reason for living to the youth of Haiti. The practical reality of his vision is manifest in a youth center and several small homes for orphans, housing them in a family setting of around seven children in each house. He has watched God multiply his efforts and bless the investment of his life among the people here, as he models his work and teachings on the life giving principles of the Bible.
God has also given his ministry a youth center to be used for meetings, library, research, and cyber center. He teaches his people to invest in one another and in service of labor for God if you don't have money. Now there are 4 centers for children.
It is a beautiful thing to watch Pastor J. among his people. As we drive through the streets he often stops to say hello or to offer a ride, to encourage and check in with people he pastors. We're riding around in an ambulance that was donated to his ministry years ago, but strangely for such an hour as came this January. The
donor was also the connection to SWI, and many of you have probably seen it on the news from images taken in the aftermath of earthquake, but I'm jumping ahead...
Thinking back to December, Pastor J. related a sense that something was coming to Haiti - something that instilled dread. Over and over, God brought a strong burden to pray to Pastor
J and his friends. Even as he went on a short vacation trip to Jacmel with his wife the sense that something terribly serious was going to happen would not leave him. On Jan 6 he had been planning on taking a day for himself, but as the day progressed he felt compelled to prepare his family, bringing food and supplies to each house in his care. He had already been storing up supplies, including medicines and food as he built his ministry, but on that day, his focus was on preparing for something more immediate.
On Jan 11, Monday night, he couldn't sleep. The heaviness would not leave him. He had to get up and pray... several times he tried to sleep, but could not. Each time, he returned to prayer. He stayed up until 4am when he was finally able to sleep for 20 minutes. But then, then he returned to praying. He felt God put many names in his mouth, most of whom he didn't even know who they were. He just kept praying and praying as God released the burden...
Tuesday morning he decided to go to a fasting service, but when he was ready to go, he realized he was going to be 30 minutes late. So he decided to go to another service. On the way he went to get gas, but discovered he had no
Haitian money. So off he went to change his money. He found the gate closed and locked. After knocking, finally someone answered and he found they were in the middle of a devotion, so he joined them. While he was with them he felt impressed to tell them to be home by 4pm.
After that he went home to be with his children, and the burden to pray returned. He called his friend to go to the youth center and prayed for two more hours. Along the way he saw two young men he knew in a top-top (truck taxi) and
greeted them with tears in his eyes for them. As they went their separate ways God impressed him to pray for them. As they prayed, the names kept coming.
He left to go to a devotion at the children's school, but couldn't stay as an overwhelming sadness came upon him. He left and went to another school where he is supervising. He had a meeting with two men making a movie about his work with the orphans, but at 2:30, he thought, I need to get out of this place...I need to be home with the children at 4pm. He wanted to take them to lunch, but it would take too long, so instead he called home and made sure food was ready and went home for lunch.
And then the earth shook. Quickly he got all the children into the courtyard. He could hear screaming from beyond the gate. The sky was dark with dust, and the phone wouldn't work. Next he went to each house, #2, #3, #4... Praising God, he found all the children were fine. And then somehow the phone worked and then his wife called, "I am fine," she said. He told his wife he had to get to work...
He hurried to the ambulance and rushed into the city to transport people to the hospital. His was the first on the scene, given by God years before for such a time as this. Over and over, life after life, he drove as many as he could to the hospital, saving many, but sadly cradling one boy as he died in his arms at the hospital. Many were missing limbs, all were in great need of care. But as the hours passed Pastor
J. realized that the hospital and clinics were overwhelmed and running out of medicine and bandages. The doctors didn't know what to do. Again he realized that God had prepared him. He went and collected his own stockpile of medicines and bandages and took them to the hospital and clinics. So many lives were saved...
Finally he went home, but he couldn't sleep. He went back to work to save as many lives as he could reach. Eventually, the rescues turned into transporting the dead. For days, he worked with just a little sleep here and there. He visited the local churches encouraging them to get out and show the love and compassion of Christ by helping those in need. He lead by example.
At one point, the ambulance ran out of fuel, but the gas station was closed. He ran the siren to get the station owner to come. He brought the police, who insisted that the gas would be made available or he would arrest the man. After this, the police provided him with security.
The two young men that he had seen in the top-top, he later learned, had been on their way to work in a five story building. The building collapsed, and many were killed, but the two young men were saved. One was injured, but managed to walk all the way to Del Mar and collapsed in front of a clinic where he was cared for. Over and over, he saw the hand of God answering his prayers.
For a while people avoided him because he had been touching dead bodies, but "people are seeing what God is doing for Haiti through them by the strength and power of Christ in them... to help the people to change their mindset to principles in the kingdom of God." Pastor
J sees the church as a bridge bringing the blessings of God in Christ from Heaven into the earth. His passion is to see God's hand, God's power, and God's love manifest for the people of Haiti.
If you want to learn more about Pastor J, CNN is doing a special show on him later this month. And TBN is doing a story as well.
Blessings to you all!
SWI Haiti Team 2
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