Today we met the water truck for a couple of deliveries into Cite Soleil. Once again we were greeted by smiling , dirty faces. I Don't Understand Such Trust, which they have, in God taking care of their needs! We could all learn from their simple faith.
My word for the day is DUST because we drove through it most of the day. Everyone's shirts looked like they slid into home. We all had dusty boogers in our nose & eyes. Trucks honked their horns & flashed their lights to warn of their coming as you could hardly see through the DUST!
It occurred to me that it could be the acronym for Don't Understand Such Trust and made me wonder what things in my Life cloud my vision & blind me from seeing with such simple faith & trust as the people I've met in Haiti?!?

written by : Michelle Schroeder
July 1, 2011

PICTURES

If you would like to see pictures from our group, please click the following photo albums:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1826885393272.2091535.1274400099&l=e9670a50b7

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1826281298170.2091503.1274400099&l=3acf44e22c

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1822998536103.2091363.1274400099&l=731c1c4cd9

Numbness

Last time I came to Haiti I felt this numbness on my emotions, as though I couldn't feel anything. I felt almost as if I was going through the motions, even though I really wasn't. I felt sadness, joy, happiness, and frustrations.. so don't get me wrong. The numbness I felt was one that captivated my ability to cry and to really let my emotions loose. This numbness made me frustrated in Haiti and made me frustrated upon my return home from Haiti. I struggled to find the answer as to why I felt this way.

Well, it's day FOUR for me in Haiti and my feelings of numbness and frustration have returned. When I want to break down and cry for all the hardships I see here and all the experiences I am having, I just can't. I feel like a rock that can't be broken to reveal it's inner most self. It's almost like I haven't been able to fully connect the experiences and my senses to the reality of the world around me. It is like I am dreaming that I am in this sort of horrific, yet beautiful mess and not fully able to grasp the deeper meaning to all of this. I am left feeling weaker, more frustrated, and confused than ever before.

-Kristina

A long journey but so worth the trip.

Let me start by apologizing for my previous post it was not properly edited before posting the excitement of Haiti and need to share got the better of me.

Yesterday we had the chance to see a different Haiti where the homes are large and the trees are plentiful. However apron closer look many home are unfinished or sitting empty. I hoped or dreamed that possible that these unfinished dream home were a family struggling to build it themselves step by step and that someday it might be filled with love and laughter. However we still saw plenty of home huts of canvas, tin, tarps slid into any nook. My friend Shelley referred to this a “green poverty”. these people though living in someplace with trees and flowers still had very little (little by our standards I guess). As we climbed the air became cooler and the temp dropped and the roads in some areas were nonexistent looking over the side of the truck was look straight down. When we reached the top we were greeted by many families whose children attend a school funded by a local church in Minnesota. It was nice to see first hand that the donation we make to our church and their missionaries abroad really do reach there destination. Though it was summer we still had a large group waiting for arrival. We entered and it was so silent as our team gathered in the front of the room. Many inquiring stares as to who we were and why were there. However quickly as the festivities began decorating cookies the first time for many as they didn’t know what to do with the sprinkles, fishing game with many prizes ( the kind we get at the dollar store and soon are discarded by our own children) that were received with huge grins and a quick turn to show their friends what they had received. Many of the young girls had the nails painted for the first time. We passed our new shoes to all those we could fit. Then the festivities moved outside for soccer and jump ropes. Shelley through donations was able to buy several donkeys and goats for the local families a very valuable asset.

As we boarded the bus there were many hugs and thank you for making such a long journey to see them.

A long journey but so worth the trip.

Stephanie

After a very bumpy, adventurous roadtrip (Junior was our driver,who I nicknamed Mario), we arrived safely at Reiser Heights in the village of Les Pinneasse. It was fun to see the school, which in the summer becomes a community center, where our church has sent donations for many years. We enjoyed a crazyFun day of nail painting, games, cookie decorating,coloring & jumproping with the kids and many happy kids walked awy with new shoes. At the end of the day when families came to pick up their children, we were able to give some families their new goat or donkey which was purchased with donations from the Reiser Foundation of Epiphany Church. The smiles were priceless as the children walked their new animal home or in one case where the goat ran the little boy down the road in a chase!
My word for the day was CONTRAST.
Chaos,Overcrowded,Noise,Transition,Rough roads,AIR,Steep,Tranquility..... I never imagined using the words Haiti & Beautiful in the same sentence, but the scenery of rolling hills, lush green, terraced farms & flowering hibiscus along the road was nothing less than stunning!

written by: Michelle Schroeder
June 30,2011

Value

Yesterday we were at the Children's Home for the sick and terminal. How do you choose? How do you choose out of 40 cribs which child needs to be loved the most? It's funny, we all come with preconceived ideas of what an experience is going to be like. When I heard we would be visiting here I thought it would be the "throw away" children of Haiti. The babies no one cared for. My experience today proved my assumptions wrong.

In American culture we place value based on where you come from, what kind of job you have, what you look like, what kind of clothes you wear, how talented you are, etc. In Jesus world things are much different. I watched the mother of a 2 month old who was one of the newest babies. Silent tears were streaming down her face as she gazed at her baby boy.Her heart was breaking that she had to leave him here. This baby had unsurpassable value to her. Than there was the 10 year old girl who was visiting her 15 month old brother. He could not have weighed more than 10 lbs. His skin hung from his bones, his face skeletal, his hands wrapped, and IV in his head. His face looked like he was 80 years old. I wasn't sure how he was still alive. The sister lovingly changed him. She tenderly held him and fed him through a feeding tube. He looked so small & fragile in her strong little arms. You could see she loved him intensely. She valued him like a priceless treasure. There is something in these moments we need to grasp. Our culture places value on things. Jesus world turns everything upside down. These children are so valuable to Him. Jesus loved children. He held them and healed them. He told His disciples not to hinder them because the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. AMEN!

By Laura Fixsen

Heartaches.

Today is only day THREE for me. I am left feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and completely emotional. I met another small boy, he was the smiliest kid at the whole place. When you look into those big brown eyes and shoot him a smile, the corners of his lips moved towards his ears and the little white, straight teeth inside his mouth began to show through. You wouldn't even think that this little guy was sick by disposition and lively personality. Looking at his little body you could tell he had been struggling with undernutrition. The bones on his arms shown through and his legs were stick thin. His little feet were swollen with fluid and his belly was plump. His name was Alexander. He looked no older than four, but his wrist band indicated that he was seven.

Laura and I were sitting down on a patio of cement with our arms full of sick babies. Alexander came over and sat by us. We smiled at him and naturally he smiled back. Laura moved her head towards his, and he moved his towards hers until they were touching. A little smile creeped up on his face, and you know that he was enjoying the new little game of head-touch. It was a sweet little moment shared by the two of them. Once their game was finished, I put my hand up like a high-five and his little hand met mine. Our fingers locked together and we held hands for several minutes. He shown me a big smile. You could tell he liked the attention and felt our love for him.

While sitting on the patio, my arms were still full with the small child but I wanted to reach out to Alexander. I did the only thing I could think of, rub his little back. I rubbed his back for several minutes. You could tell he liked it cause he slowly leaned in closer and closer. After a while he lay his little head down on the cement. My heart ached as I thought about how uncomfortable he must be. When he looked at me, I pat a spot on my leg and he smiled. He stood up and sat down on my leg. Now I was sharing my lap with two small boys. I could tell Alexander liked the love. I held his little hand and rubbed it. He smiled again.

When it was time to leave, we walked back towards the room with all the sick children. I kissed Alexander goodbye and told him God Bless you. I waved and walked into the room knowing this was going to be one of my hardest goodbyes. I walked into the room, put the other baby back down in his crib, and turned my head to see Alexander still standing there by the door. His face no longer shown a smile, as tears began to fill in his big eyes. I grew weak inside and my heart ached with sorrow. I walked towards him, knelt by his side and saw tear drops streaming from his eyes. He knew this was the end of our visiting time and possibly the last time we would see each other. I felt so helpless inside. I kissed him again, but knew I just had to walk away. I grew weaker.

I will never forget little Alexander. I pray that he grows into a strong boy and that God will provide for him both in physical and spiritual health.

I love you little Alexander.