Wow! What an awesome week. Where to begin? Maybe some of my highlights.
*We built 5 houses in 4 days!
*The Team was Awesome- great leadership and great team members wanting to be led.
*Team Unity- by the end of the week everyone had got to know each other
*Testimonies- everyone on the team got to give their testimony. It was amazing to see where everyone has come from and where everyone is going!
This week was absolutely amazing-again. I still am on a high from it. I spent the week at Grace Village with a team from a church in Portland (Solid Rock). We spent the week building houses and working in The Lords Kitchen (see my other post). The houses go to earthquake victims. They are 12x12 steal frames and roof with plywood walls. Now remember as I write this I am no construction worker, so if I have any information wrong let me know so I can change it.
I got to Grace Village later on Friday and the team got in early Saturday morning. We went to church on Sunday morning. It was gat. As a team we went up t the front to be introduced and sing a song to the congregation. "Lord I lift Your Name on High
On Monday it took us all day to build one house. I think I can say some, probably most of us had to learn to use power tools- this definitely includes myself. By Thursday we could build 1 1/2 houses in less than a day. Phsyically and emotionally I know God gave us the power to do this. On Thursday there was one point where I thought I was done- but knew I had to power through. I was getting frustrated with some of the workers and physically was done. My prayer was to get through the next few hours and to have strength. And I did. I know if it was just up to me I probably would not have made it. I was and still am super impressed with the hard work the team out in, if I was tired and working my butt off I know everyone else was too. God kept us all going thoug, and kept us safe. No fingers cut off by the power saw which was definitely freaking me out. One of my most used sentences was "Pa Touché!" working out to be "Don't Touch!".
After a house was finished we would give the new owner the keys to the front door and pray over them and the house. That was my favorite part of every day. A lot of the time e new owner would be working along beside us and we wouldn't even know. Or at least I wasn't always aware of this fact. giving them the new keys was like giving them a fresh start. Which they deserved. We all held hands and a prayer was said in Creole then in English. It was mind-blowing. I really don't know what else to say.
We got to goto the boys home for a while on Friday and Chris gave us a bit of a tour and told us all about it, it is where he grew up and that is his home and family. To make the day even better I got to see some of my other friends at the home I hadn't seen in a year.
Since we got all the houses done by Friday we got to go to the beach. I don't remember where it was but it was beautiful. It is actually the beach that Michael got married at. But we didn't just go to lay on the sand (which was also great I won't lie).... Martha, one of the amazing inspiring women on the trip got baptized. It was such an honor to be there for her experience. After hearing her story, and how far she has come with God working in her life it was breathtaking.
Martha, you truly are an inspiration and am so proud of you for coming to Haiti. Thank you for now becoming a part of my life.
Love and prayers
5/30/11
Forward Edge- The Lords Kitchen - May 25
Forward Edge- The Lords Kitchen - May 25
Today I took a break from building houses and worked in thhe Lords Kitchen instead. It is a program that is run by Grace International, and it feeds the school children and children in the camp. They take turns feeding the kids from school and the camp kids day to day so everyone can have a chance to get food.
We spent the first part of the morning helping prepare the food. We went through bags of rice- not the little bags that we get- each bag was 50 pounds. We took metal bowls and shook the rice, separating the good from the bad. We also sorted through beans picking out the bad ones. I think we went through around 4+ bags of rice. Then the ladies in the kitchen cooked it all and prepared it. The ladies that work in that kitchen are amazing. It is not a kitchen like ours in any sense. Everything is done by hand and done well. I think the food tastes so much better because of it. It was very hot and kind of dim and a big experience. We got to help cook and feed 600 kids for one day. That is the reality of those ladies lives everyday.
We fed the younger school kids first today, then we set up to fed the children and the older students. Smallest to biggest. In total we fed 618 children! So exciting! The kids all brought their buckets or bowls or jugs-whatever they had to carry their food in. Sometimes even a toddler or baby as young as 2 came walking through to get his or her little bucket filled. My job was to help Alix mark the kids as they came through the gate gate with a sharpie. If they had a black line on their fingernail they had already got food. Each kid was so thankful and polite when they got to come in. A the same time the kids in the back or who didn't get food would start to push to the front, or fight. It was a mixture of emotions all a once. sweet and salty.
The was still more kids outside the gates waiting for food after we ran out, which was sad, but the reality of how many we fed was much greater. That bucket of food they got was so much greater than just lunch for them. Sometimes it gets split between kids in that household- and it is one less mouth to feed for their parents that night, so the rest of the family will get that much more food for everyone else. Even for one day.
It was amazing how the food multiplied and we fed so many. At the beginning I didn't think that we had half the amount that we did. God definitely blessed the food that those children received and the hands that made it.
Lovelove
Today I took a break from building houses and worked in thhe Lords Kitchen instead. It is a program that is run by Grace International, and it feeds the school children and children in the camp. They take turns feeding the kids from school and the camp kids day to day so everyone can have a chance to get food.
We spent the first part of the morning helping prepare the food. We went through bags of rice- not the little bags that we get- each bag was 50 pounds. We took metal bowls and shook the rice, separating the good from the bad. We also sorted through beans picking out the bad ones. I think we went through around 4+ bags of rice. Then the ladies in the kitchen cooked it all and prepared it. The ladies that work in that kitchen are amazing. It is not a kitchen like ours in any sense. Everything is done by hand and done well. I think the food tastes so much better because of it. It was very hot and kind of dim and a big experience. We got to help cook and feed 600 kids for one day. That is the reality of those ladies lives everyday.
We fed the younger school kids first today, then we set up to fed the children and the older students. Smallest to biggest. In total we fed 618 children! So exciting! The kids all brought their buckets or bowls or jugs-whatever they had to carry their food in. Sometimes even a toddler or baby as young as 2 came walking through to get his or her little bucket filled. My job was to help Alix mark the kids as they came through the gate gate with a sharpie. If they had a black line on their fingernail they had already got food. Each kid was so thankful and polite when they got to come in. A the same time the kids in the back or who didn't get food would start to push to the front, or fight. It was a mixture of emotions all a once. sweet and salty.
The was still more kids outside the gates waiting for food after we ran out, which was sad, but the reality of how many we fed was much greater. That bucket of food they got was so much greater than just lunch for them. Sometimes it gets split between kids in that household- and it is one less mouth to feed for their parents that night, so the rest of the family will get that much more food for everyone else. Even for one day.
It was amazing how the food multiplied and we fed so many. At the beginning I didn't think that we had half the amount that we did. God definitely blessed the food that those children received and the hands that made it.
Lovelove
5/25/11
Jacmel and Les Cayes
Hey Guys,
Right now I am in Tahini which I believe is Carrefour. Later this afternoon I will be going to Grace Village Compound and I am meeting up with a team there tomorrow. We stayed here last night at a place that Johnny and his friend Davenel have in Haiti.
Jacmel was great. It was awesome to see all the kids a the orphanage. They have grown SO much. I got some great pictures that Jen will be posting soon. Wen she does I can link them to my blog. We spent the morning at Faith and Love in Action Children's home playing with the younger kids and catching up with some of the older ones. Some of the group brought toys and bubbles and even spray on sparkles. The kids loved it. I got to see two of my favorite boys ( even though I don't have favorite's...) and they a doing very well. I also got to see my sister's best friend who still lives at the home. I gave her some photo's of my sister and she was very excited.
I got to spend some time with some of my dear friends. One wants to be a car mechanic, but he is not in school for it right now because there is not a good school located close to him. He is trying to work sometimes as a translator for teams who come through. Another one wants to become an airplane mechanic. He will have to go to the Dominican, or the States for school for that. He is very musically talented and has a dance group going at the home. One of my other friends is in his second year for nursing. He is studying hard and said it is going well. I cant get over how hard they all work at school and just in general. It reminds me every time how much we take schooling for granted in North America, including myself.
Yesterday after we dropped off most of the group at the airport (minus Charlie, Riikka and Johnny), and after a street vendor declared his love for me, we went to a shop where Johnny used to work in Haiti. We spent part of the afternoon there and also got to look around the word working area. They build coffins, church pews, desks and since the earthquake, houses for people to live in. The items for the churches and schools are non-profit and some of the homes a giving to people who have lost everything in the earthquake. I can't remember the exact amount of houses that have been made and shipped through, but it is ALOT. They also mostly have Haitians working there, providing jobs for over 200 people.
Last night I was introduced to barbecue. Which is chicken we bought from a vendor off the street. It was DELISH. Absolutely loved it. Yum. I also now have a mobile in Haiti, which has already made things easier. I have kind of figured it out... A lot of it is in french even though I have it set to English so a
I am taking wild guesses at what it is telling me.
I don't have consistent power or wifi so I don't know exactly when my updated will be posted, but hopefully soon!
Love Love
Right now I am in Tahini which I believe is Carrefour. Later this afternoon I will be going to Grace Village Compound and I am meeting up with a team there tomorrow. We stayed here last night at a place that Johnny and his friend Davenel have in Haiti.
Jacmel was great. It was awesome to see all the kids a the orphanage. They have grown SO much. I got some great pictures that Jen will be posting soon. Wen she does I can link them to my blog. We spent the morning at Faith and Love in Action Children's home playing with the younger kids and catching up with some of the older ones. Some of the group brought toys and bubbles and even spray on sparkles. The kids loved it. I got to see two of my favorite boys ( even though I don't have favorite's...) and they a doing very well. I also got to see my sister's best friend who still lives at the home. I gave her some photo's of my sister and she was very excited.
I got to spend some time with some of my dear friends. One wants to be a car mechanic, but he is not in school for it right now because there is not a good school located close to him. He is trying to work sometimes as a translator for teams who come through. Another one wants to become an airplane mechanic. He will have to go to the Dominican, or the States for school for that. He is very musically talented and has a dance group going at the home. One of my other friends is in his second year for nursing. He is studying hard and said it is going well. I cant get over how hard they all work at school and just in general. It reminds me every time how much we take schooling for granted in North America, including myself.
Yesterday after we dropped off most of the group at the airport (minus Charlie, Riikka and Johnny), and after a street vendor declared his love for me, we went to a shop where Johnny used to work in Haiti. We spent part of the afternoon there and also got to look around the word working area. They build coffins, church pews, desks and since the earthquake, houses for people to live in. The items for the churches and schools are non-profit and some of the homes a giving to people who have lost everything in the earthquake. I can't remember the exact amount of houses that have been made and shipped through, but it is ALOT. They also mostly have Haitians working there, providing jobs for over 200 people.
Last night I was introduced to barbecue. Which is chicken we bought from a vendor off the street. It was DELISH. Absolutely loved it. Yum. I also now have a mobile in Haiti, which has already made things easier. I have kind of figured it out... A lot of it is in french even though I have it set to English so a
I am taking wild guesses at what it is telling me.
I don't have consistent power or wifi so I don't know exactly when my updated will be posted, but hopefully soon!
Love Love
5/18/11
First week in Haiti
Hi everyone!
Sorry for not updating you so far on my amazing trip. We just got Internet late last night.
A this point in my trip I am in Jacmel. We got here yesterday and were in Les Cayes until then. You all know I am here with a team of 14. Including doctors, nurses and people with awesome qualities that have done a great job on this trip and previous Haiti experience. We also had our 4 interpreters who live in Haiti.
Personally, I think the clinic we ran went very smoothly, the team dynamics work great together, and we got a lot done. So far probably one of the best clinics ran so far.
I will give you a brief run down on the past few days:
We ran 3 clinics at 2 churches in 3days. Friday, Saturday, and Monday.
In total we saw approximately around 700 people. WOW. It was awesome! There was a lot of different things that came through. A lot of the usual, headaches, stomach aches, dizziness. Then there was other things that some of our great surgeons got to take care of. Like cysts, and spider bites.
On Sunday half of our group went to the first church we were at and the second half went to the other church. The people at the churches we awesome, so thankful that we were there. It meant a lot to them. It meant a lot to me to.
Yesterday we drove from Les Cayes to here in Jacmel. The drive was long in the back of the truck.(And by back of the truck I don't mean the backseat, I mean the box of the truck with the luggage) but I found that the time passed fast. Unfortunately, however, I decided that I did not need sunscreen. Since I never burn. I did burn the tops of my knees, bad. Just my knees though. There was a picture taken of how funny it looks so I am sure it will circulate. Moral of the story... Just because I don't typically burn in Canada does NOT mean I will not burn here. Oh, and that Mum was right, I should have bought sunscreen. We did relax for the rest of the afternoon and got to swim before supper.
Today as I said before we are headed to the orphanage here in Jacmel. I have not been there since last May so I am looking very forward to it and seeing everyone there again. I will definitely update on it.
I discovered that I cannot upload photos from my computer to my iPad, but as people from the states get home and send me some I will definitely post a few. Or find a computer that I can hook my camera up to.
Thanks to all for your prayers, love, and support. Thanks for the emails that let's me know your thinking of me.
Love, Liz
Sorry for not updating you so far on my amazing trip. We just got Internet late last night.
A this point in my trip I am in Jacmel. We got here yesterday and were in Les Cayes until then. You all know I am here with a team of 14. Including doctors, nurses and people with awesome qualities that have done a great job on this trip and previous Haiti experience. We also had our 4 interpreters who live in Haiti.
Personally, I think the clinic we ran went very smoothly, the team dynamics work great together, and we got a lot done. So far probably one of the best clinics ran so far.
I will give you a brief run down on the past few days:
We ran 3 clinics at 2 churches in 3days. Friday, Saturday, and Monday.
In total we saw approximately around 700 people. WOW. It was awesome! There was a lot of different things that came through. A lot of the usual, headaches, stomach aches, dizziness. Then there was other things that some of our great surgeons got to take care of. Like cysts, and spider bites.
On Sunday half of our group went to the first church we were at and the second half went to the other church. The people at the churches we awesome, so thankful that we were there. It meant a lot to them. It meant a lot to me to.
Yesterday we drove from Les Cayes to here in Jacmel. The drive was long in the back of the truck.(And by back of the truck I don't mean the backseat, I mean the box of the truck with the luggage) but I found that the time passed fast. Unfortunately, however, I decided that I did not need sunscreen. Since I never burn. I did burn the tops of my knees, bad. Just my knees though. There was a picture taken of how funny it looks so I am sure it will circulate. Moral of the story... Just because I don't typically burn in Canada does NOT mean I will not burn here. Oh, and that Mum was right, I should have bought sunscreen. We did relax for the rest of the afternoon and got to swim before supper.
Today as I said before we are headed to the orphanage here in Jacmel. I have not been there since last May so I am looking very forward to it and seeing everyone there again. I will definitely update on it.
I discovered that I cannot upload photos from my computer to my iPad, but as people from the states get home and send me some I will definitely post a few. Or find a computer that I can hook my camera up to.
Thanks to all for your prayers, love, and support. Thanks for the emails that let's me know your thinking of me.
Love, Liz
5/11/11
...is Leaving on a Jet Plane...Don't know when I'll be back again...
Hey everyone!
I am waiting to board my first plane.... Delayed, and already got stopped and patted down by security. The airport also already lost a group of 25 people.... So I'm wondering if that has anything to do with it.
So because so many of you were asking, I have put my itinerary so far below:
May 12-19: I will be in Jacmel & now also in Les Cayes. Our plans have changed slightly due to the rainfall. It will be fab either way since I will be meeting up with a group from the States whom I LOVE!
May 19-28: I will spend 2 days at Mercy Hospital and then join a team in Carrefour called Forward Edge.
May 28-June 6: Heartline Ministries, Luke was was here for 3 months.
June 6-20: I will be in Seguin!!! (with Janea) for 3 weeks
June 20-30: I will be spending ten days at Real Hope For Haiti... Super excited
Well I am off to board my plane soon! Love you all lots! I will update soon.
Liz
I am waiting to board my first plane.... Delayed, and already got stopped and patted down by security. The airport also already lost a group of 25 people.... So I'm wondering if that has anything to do with it.
So because so many of you were asking, I have put my itinerary so far below:
May 12-19: I will be in Jacmel & now also in Les Cayes. Our plans have changed slightly due to the rainfall. It will be fab either way since I will be meeting up with a group from the States whom I LOVE!
May 19-28: I will spend 2 days at Mercy Hospital and then join a team in Carrefour called Forward Edge.
May 28-June 6: Heartline Ministries, Luke was was here for 3 months.
June 6-20: I will be in Seguin!!! (with Janea) for 3 weeks
June 20-30: I will be spending ten days at Real Hope For Haiti... Super excited
Well I am off to board my plane soon! Love you all lots! I will update soon.
Liz
5/10/11
Update on Silent Auction & Donations
The silent auction went great! Thanks to everyone who participated! I believe the total amount raised from the pictures and donations was just over $600.00 This is awesome! My trip did have some extra unexpected costs so this is a huge help. thanks for coming and bidding, donating, or just stopping in and supporting me with your presence.
*Thank you CECILIA WESSELS for organizing and setting up everything** this worked because of you taking it and running with it.
Also a shout out and big thanks to everyone at the Wetaskiwin Mission Church! Your support through donations, prayers, and finances have been great and are also hugely appreciated.
Thank You to the pool staff who have helped get me donations and been awesome about giving me shifts or taking the ones I cannot work.
29 Hours till I am on a Plane to HAITI!
*Thank you CECILIA WESSELS for organizing and setting up everything** this worked because of you taking it and running with it.
Also a shout out and big thanks to everyone at the Wetaskiwin Mission Church! Your support through donations, prayers, and finances have been great and are also hugely appreciated.
Thank You to the pool staff who have helped get me donations and been awesome about giving me shifts or taking the ones I cannot work.
29 Hours till I am on a Plane to HAITI!
5/5/11
Silent Auction
Thanks to everyone who came out tonight and bid or simply donated your time. It meant the world. Auction winner will be called tomorrow. The total money raised will be posted shortly after.
xx Lizbeth
Back to Haiti
Hi all!
I have resurrected my blog.
I am on my way back to Haiti. I leave on Wednesday so I have less than a week to book my flights and confirm my trips. While I am in Haiti I am going to try and uspdate my blog a couple times a week.
I am going back to Haiti for two months(ish. I will be working with s few different organizations while I am down there and I will post their websites (if they have them) below.
For the first week I will be working with a team from the States at Faith & Love in Action, in Jacmel. As well as a village in the mountains called Marbial. We will be running medical clinics.
The two weeks after that trip are still open, I am just waiting to hear back from a few people to find out were I will be working in that time frame. I am also hoping to go and meet my sponsor child. Starting June 6 I will be working in Seguin at a medical clinic helping Kyle with some programs. I will also post his blogspot below.
June 20-30 I will be going and working with Real Hope For Hait for ten days. I am excited since one of my friends, Anna, who I met in Haiti the first time I was there has spent time them and loved it.
In July I do not have anything set in stone yet, I have a few places I would like to go and help at, but I am just confirming these dates. My friend, Michelle from Wetaskiwin is also coming down to meet up with me a the end of June so hopefully we can do some work together.
That is all for now, I should probably go and organize, possibly even start to pack.
I will update this at least one more time before I leave.
Love Liz
http://www.realhopeforhaiti.org/
http://www.faithandloveinaction.org/about.htm
http://fattyinhaiti.blogspot.com/
I have resurrected my blog.
I am on my way back to Haiti. I leave on Wednesday so I have less than a week to book my flights and confirm my trips. While I am in Haiti I am going to try and uspdate my blog a couple times a week.
I am going back to Haiti for two months(ish. I will be working with s few different organizations while I am down there and I will post their websites (if they have them) below.
For the first week I will be working with a team from the States at Faith & Love in Action, in Jacmel. As well as a village in the mountains called Marbial. We will be running medical clinics.
The two weeks after that trip are still open, I am just waiting to hear back from a few people to find out were I will be working in that time frame. I am also hoping to go and meet my sponsor child. Starting June 6 I will be working in Seguin at a medical clinic helping Kyle with some programs. I will also post his blogspot below.
June 20-30 I will be going and working with Real Hope For Hait for ten days. I am excited since one of my friends, Anna, who I met in Haiti the first time I was there has spent time them and loved it.
In July I do not have anything set in stone yet, I have a few places I would like to go and help at, but I am just confirming these dates. My friend, Michelle from Wetaskiwin is also coming down to meet up with me a the end of June so hopefully we can do some work together.
That is all for now, I should probably go and organize, possibly even start to pack.
I will update this at least one more time before I leave.
Love Liz
http://www.realhopeforhaiti.org/
http://www.faithandloveinaction.org/about.htm
http://fattyinhaiti.blogspot.com/
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