This is Amazing Grace

Let me start by saying that it was such an honor and privilege to be along side these incredible high schoolers this week. It was so amazing to not only see God work in the people of Haiti, but to see God work in our team’s hearts as well. Today we went to church at Christ the King. It was so awesome to worship with people we had gotten to know throughout the week. After church there were clothes set up in the back for them to grab on their way out. We had lunch and afterwards, some of us sat in on a meeting about future plans with Christ the King, while others played with some kids outside. Eventually we had to say our “See you laters”. For many of us, this was very difficult. So many wonderful friendships have been made this week, and some of us do not know when we will see our friends next. After we left the church we came back to Wahoo Bay. It was a wonderful afternoon of relaxation. There was beach time, hangout time, and I personally took a nap (This week wore me out). We had a delicious last meal and then headed to worship and devotion. Tonight Tyler gave us three questions and had us split up into small groups to answer them. Some of our answers will be shared on Sunday in church. Our bags are packed and we all ready to load the buses at 4 in the morning. We cannot wait to share about our incredible week. So many new lessons have been learned and so many hearts have been changed. Coming on this trip has changed my life, and I think it has changed quite a few others as well.

“One of my favorite part of the week was when a child, whom I had never spoken to, ran into my arms from across the field. He threw his arms around me and rested his head on my shoulder. This showed me the power of God’s love. Even though I had never seen this boy before, he knew that I would love him. Every interaction in this week has been so important, and without God, I would never have gotten to experience this love.”

-Rose Stahl

Flexibility and Adventures of a Lifetime

Wow, today was such an adventure! The day started at 8 this morning with a delicious breakfast and then we headed up the mountain at 9! Our original plan to go up the mountain fell through, so we found an alternative! Some of our team rode in a pickup truck, but the leaders and a few of the older students got to ride motorcycles. It was such a great experience and the views were out of this world. It was about an hour up the mountain and when we arrived we were greeted with the sweetest mountain. We did a skit of our Peter walking on the water story and led them in making the Christ necklaces. They were so grateful for us and it was so incredible to see their love for one another and patience. We had the opportunity to play with the kids and explore the site. We began to head down the mountain to go back to Wahoo Bay. In the afternoon many of us went to the beach and some of us sat around and talked. We had dinner and a wonderful devotion led by the seniors and graduates. Tonight has been filled with fellowship, laughter, and so much love. This has been such an amazing trip and there is so much undeniable love in this trip.

“Today we went up the mountain to spread God’s love. It was an interesting adventure up the mountain, but I'm thankful that God watched over all of us and got us there and back safely.”

-Kate Boerger

“This whole week has been amazing and we are all so grateful we are able to be here to spread God’s joy. Today was especially great because our team traveled up a mountain (via motorcycle!) so we could reach a group of people who have never had team visit them to share the word of God.”
 -Tomanonymous

This is Unfailing Love

Today was such a beautiful day filled with God’s unfailing love. The VBS story today was about Peter walking on the water. The kids absolutely loved the story today and had a blast with it. They got to participate in the story by being characters in the “boat”. They all got squirted with water when the storm came in the story and they all burst out into laughter. Hanging out with the Haitians was amazing today because throughout the week we have really begun to develop relationships with many of them. We know more than just each others names and can truly call each other friends now. Before our bible study we worshipped with the young adult Haitians. Tyler lead us all in a song, and then one of our translators, Durony, lead us all in a song. It is so amazing to see the language barrier broken through worship to the same God. In bible study today we talked about why God lets Christians do bad things. The women in our group prayed for the Haitian women that had not yet accepted Jesus into their life, or simply just wanted to be prayed over. We all laid a hand on them and prayed for them individually. It was such a beautiful way to see God work in both the Haitians, and in our lives. Today was our last workday at Christ the King and tomorrow we will be headed up the mountain! Back at Wahoo Bay we had a great evening in the ocean and then worship and devotion of our own. We discussed God’s faithfulness and what/who God is calling us to be faithful to back at home. It was such a great day and we cannot wait for tomorrow!

“One thing that I really enjoyed is playing basketball with all the Haitians. Every time I play I get to know all the people and I make a lot of new friends each day. I’ve had a great time!”

-Jake Boerger

“I have experienced a whole new level of joy this week. It is so refreshing to be a part of a community that is full of kids that are filled with such happiness and love. These kids are so in love with life and with the little that they have, it is so inspiring. They are such an amazing example of true happiness and love. At one point in the week,I was sitting under a tree with a boy named Stevinson (one of the first kids I met and began building a relationship with), and we were drawing pictures in the dirt. I drew a heart and he pointed to it and said “love” ,then pointed to himself and then me. It made my heart incredibly happy.”

-Renee Rosinksi

Lots of Love and Lots of Laughs

Today was a day that was filled with so much laughter. Theres is so much love in this group and its amazing how all of us have connected already. Today in VBS we did the story of Elijah and Baal. It was so fun and the people playing the prophets got to dance around an altar and the kids thought it was hilarious (we did too)! For the craft we decorated a prayer journal and encouraged them to write a prayer in it already. When we hung out with the kids lots of the girls painted peoples fingernails. There were multiple games of basketball and lots of piggy back rides. In bible study today we talked about violence in the bible. We discussed why God allows bad things to happen in our lives and how we can overcome these challenges. Back at the hotel it was a wonderful night of bonding. We went to the beach and played a really fun mind game. After dinner we had a great night of worship and a devotion about continuing to live our lives as a servant. As an activity, we all were servants to each other and washed each others feet. It was such an awesome experience to see everyone serving each other and all of us accepting that. Afterwards we continued to all play games as a group and really get to know and love one another. We are having such an amazing time and cannot wait to share our experiences with you.

“I loved painting the girls nails today because they find joy in the simplest things!” -Kati Curran

“A little girl who i had never seen or talked to before ran up to me, hugged me and said, “I love you”. The amazing thing was that i didn't even know her name and she automatically loved me. It really warmed my heart and it showed me the great amounts of love all the children of Haiti have for everyone., no matter who they are.” -Dani Torgler

God's Love is Surely Here

We woke up today with plenty of rest and smiling faces. As soon as we got to Christ the King we started preparing for our morning of VBS. Today’s story was about Jesus calming the storm. To act out the storm we had squirt guns and squirted the kids with them during it and they got the biggest kick out of it. For our craft we made a Jesus necklace with a finger light on it, representing that Jesus is our light. During our hangout time with the kids, a big group of us played “Little Sally Walker Walking Down the Street”. It’s where you stand in a circle and sing this song and stop in front of someone to dance when it is your turn. Everyone loved it so much, and some of the Haitians even started learning some of the words in English and they kept singing it for the rest of the day! In our small group bible study the women talked about their opinions on feeling inferior to men. We discussed cultural differences in Haiti and America and how the women can know that they are equal to men in God’s eyes and that He loves all of his children the same. In the men’s bible study we talked about mental integrity. We discussed the difference between facing temptation and facing sin and how to not let our thought life lead to causing us sin. We reviewed how important it is to guard both our hearts and our minds. Tonight in our own devotion we are continued to look at the phrase “I exist everyday to demonstrate God’s love to a broken world” and we focused specifically on “broken world”. We discussed our own brokenness and how God takes that and makes it new. 

“I saw Landon just covered head to toe in sweat because one, it was so hot, but two he was outside playing non-stop with the kids. He didn’t let the heat, or being uncomfortable get in the way of giving everything he had to serve and love the kids.” -Tyler Tollefson

“Today was a really cool experience because for the first time this trip I witnessed the Haitian children trying to repeat english back to us. Instead of just speaking in Creole, they tried to mimic our words and communicate with us in english. It was amazing to see that not only we were making an effort to connect but they were reaching out as well.” -Kara Torgler

“Today I was touched by two of the little boys, Tchuko and Keadon, even though they know I am not nearly as skilled as them at soccer they always want me to be on their team and encourage me and give me hugs when I fail.” -Annie Overman

(The pictures won't upload, so I'll try to post extra tomorrow!)

Hot Day Full of Smiles

Wow, what a wonderful first full day in Haiti! This morning when we arrived at Christ the King we were greeted with a thousand hugs from our Haitian friends. After we were done saying good morning we headed into the church to prepare for our morning of VBS! Today's bible story was about Moses parting the Red Sea and about God’s light over us. The kids made paper lantern crafts that they got to take home with them. The next few hours were just spent hanging out with the kids. We had a blast just talking, playing basketball, playing soccer, learning new handshakes, and playing hundreds of rounds of thumb wars. We were served a delicious lunch on site and then went back out to lead a bible study with the young adults. As a large group we sang a few worship songs, and then we divided into boys and girls to do small groups. The women talked about how we can trust the bible. We talked about any doubts we had and why we know the bible can help us overcome those doubts. The men talked about spiritual integrity. Tonight we had dinner, bible study, and some really great fellowship time within our group.

This week we are unpacking the phrase “I exist everyday to demonstrate God’s love to a broken world.” Last night in our own devotion we discovered what exactly it means to “exist” and tonight we discussed what it means and why it is important to “demonstrate God’s love.” We are all having such a blast here and making so many memories. Please continue to play that God uses us to shine a light while we are here.

“One of my favorite things that happened today was when I was given a cashuma fruit from a kid named Kervinson he was very sweet and I tried to give it back to him, but he wouldn't take it.  Another thing that happened today, would be that another boy, named Micheal, gave me all of his rubber bands that he would wear on his wrist, which all the kids want. I just think it is amazing how much these kids give when they have so little to give.” 

-Claiborn Schmidt

Here is a picture of Kervinson holding the fruit that he gave Claiborn!

“Starting off the week with a bang and getting the feel for VBS and young adult ministry! Kids both from Collide and Haiti loving every second of it as relationships are developing. Dabbing with Haitians is also fun:)” 

-Kristen Shepard

Day One and Happy Hearts

We have made it and we could not be more excited. After arriving in Haiti we packed all of our suitcases into the bus and headed over to Christ the King, where we will be spending our time this week. We unpacked all of our supplies and connected with some of the kids. For some it was a long time coming reunion, and for some it was a brand new overwhelming experience of love. We were served a delicious meal and then we headed to Wahoo Bay Resort! Tonight will be filled with some dinner, fellowship, worship, a bible study, and some highly needed sleep before we start with the first day of VBS in the morning.

“Stepping off the bus and being greeted with big smiles from the kids I had bonded with the previous trip was incredibly heartwarming and was followed with big sweaty hugs. I am so excited to continue to build our friendships with each other and relationships with Jesus this week.” 

-Emily Wetzel

“I’ve been waiting a long time to return to Haiti and there is nothing better than experiencing the kids joy and excitement to see us. It warms my heart and I cannot wait to spend more time with them this week and see Jesus shine through them.” 

-Whitney Hinmon

Haiti, Here We Come!

Tomorrow morning we will be meeting at 4:30 am at the airport with two suitcases each, ready to serve minds and hearts, with a cup of caffeine in each hand (at least for me there will be). We have been prepping Bible studies, crafts, a VBS, and we are ready to share the Word of God with the people of Haiti. Make sure to follow us this week for updates on how and what we are doing while we are there. 

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We would love to have your prayers that God is with us as we spread His Love throughout Haiti and throughout our own group this week. 

Haiti Mission Team Summer 2016:

Jake Boerger

Kate Boerger

Kati Curran

Jim Curran 

Lisa Hellyer

Whitney Hinmon

Caroline Lynch

Annie Overman

Tom Overman

Stacy Overman

Renee Rosinski

Claiborn Schmidt

Logan Schoessel

Kristen Shepard

Landon Shultz

Rose Stahl

Tyler Tollefson

Kara Torgler

Dani Torgler

Emily Wetzel

We're Full and Ready for Home

I'm sitting on the porch of my room looking out over the ocean. The pinks and oranges of the sunrise on the water is more beautiful than I can describe. God is so big and we are so blessed to be a part of His perfect plan! Oh, how I wish you all could see this!

Worship yesterday was great! Various groups sang, including us. I was completely struck yesterday by a particular part of the service. It resonated with me and others on the team too. During the offering, the praising of God was completely joy-filled--we could feel it, we could see it on the faces of the people--the Joy was real, and it was contagious. When we finally sat down, I said to Dorlus, our interpreter, "Now that is joy in the Lord." It would be so cool if we could bottle that up.

The church presented us with a beautiful wood carving that I am so excited to bring home and hang on the walls at Lord of Life. Can. Not. Wait.

After lunch some of our team had the privilege of hearing a report on the Micro Loan Project. The church has currently given loans to 11 people who went through a 3-day small business owner training and then given the funds they needed to start their businesses. They have been running their new businesses since Dec. 7th. All 11 have made their first monthly payment and are finding success in what they are doing. Praise the Lord! We are super excited to see how the Lord will bless this ministry effort.

Last night ended with all of us enjoying a brief time of worship and conversation together. We had the privilege of praying over our brothers, Dorlus, Ismel and Durony. We also received a prayer of blessing from them. Ismel and his wife, Guerline have been trying to conceive for several years. Ismel shared that his wife is discouraged and feels hopeless. He asked that we pray for them. Please join us in praying for the Lord to provide this blessing for them.

This morning begins the long journey home. We will land in KC around 11:45, and are ready for some sweet reunions. We are looking forward to sharing our time with you. If you live in the KC area, come to Lord of Life on Sunday, Jan. 24 at either 8 or 10:45. Can't wait to see many of you then or before!

Lisa
On behalf of Team Haiti 2016

Off to Market We Go

On Saturday morning most of the team went to the market in order to have a little fun and to experience a little of what life is like in this country. We divided into four teams with each team armed with 800 Gourdes and having objectives. Each team had to find Lisette, a member of Christ the King who was given a business loan from Merotte. Once they found her, the teams had to purchase a bottle of oil from her. The teams also had to buy the most unique item, spend the most money without spending all of it, and take the most interesting selfie.  It was a lot of fun! One team came back with a live chicken, another with a baby pig, now know as Midnight because she is all black, and another team with a cow stomach and testicles. Oh my! None of those teams won the most unique item. The winning team came back with various ingredients to make a complete Haitian meal--not really unique at all (not that I'm bitter or anything). What made them the winning team was an experience they had while walking around. Toward the end of their time, one of the men who had attended our men's Bible study came up to Jacob and said, "Thanks for that Book (the Bible) you gave me. I stayed up reading it last night and gave my life to Christ!" So amazing! God is so good and we give Him the glory. I'll lose to that story every day of the week!

We also packed up the remaining medicines and delivered them to the local hospital. The staff there was once again very gracious to our team of providers. They were given a tour and talked a little about how we can work together in the future.

This morning we are headed to worship. The team has been learning, 10,000 Reasons in Creole so we can sing it in worship today. That will be a blessing to us and to our Haitian brothers and sisters.

Blessings to all of you on this Lord's Day!

Lisa
On behalf of Team Haiti 2016

Really Great Stuff

Our last full days at Christ the King were fantastic! God was up to some good stuff, and it was and is such a privilege and honor to be a part of it.

Julie Clobes, one of our medical providers had done some reading prior to coming on the trip. One of the conditions she read about was elephantitis. She didn't think it was very likely we would see that in our clinic but nonetheless, printed out an information sheet about it to put in each provider's notebook. One of the symptoms is milky urine. She had a patient come in on Tuesday who was listing a bunch of problems, leaving Julie to wonder what course of treatment should be pursued. And then the gentleman said, "And oh when I go to the bathroom, my urine is milky." Problem solved! Medicine given. Life saved! Julie was so excited that she shared it with other providers. The next day one of our other providers, Jordan Hinmon gets her first patient of the day. Guess what? Milky urine. Problem solved. Medicine given. Life saved!

Every person who comes through the clinic is prayed over by members of Christ the King. If they don't know Jesus the members share the Gospel with them. Several have talked of demon possession. Many have come to trust Jesus as their Savior. Those not connected yet to a church will be followed up on by the church members who are trained in evangelism. Lives saved for eternity!

VBS has gone very well under the leadership of Amanda Krause. It is so exciting to see her team in action, teaching Bible stories, singing, and making craft projects with 400 students. That's a lot! They are having a great time and children are coming to know the Lord. There are students who don't know Jesus as their Savior, and Amanda and her team are praying with these students and many have indicated a desire to follow Jesus. Lives saved for eternity!

The men's and women's Bible studies also went extremely well! Yesterday in the men's study, one of the men, after hearing the Gospel, trusted Jesus as His Savior. The same happened with the women. People are asking our team members to pray with them. It is so exciting to be a part of it!

On the search for a Pastor we hit a roadblock, but that has opened the door to great conversations and a firm plan for moving forward. The Pastor candidate we interviewed turned out to be someone who would not work well for Christ the King. They are just so desperate for a Pastor that they were willing to take whoever was available, but not necessarily the right person for the job. I'm so grateful that Pastor Burt and I were here to help guide the process and to help in determining a good plan for how to move forward with finding the right man. The Holy Spirit is moving!

Thanks for reading about our time in Haiti. Thanks even more for remembering to lift our team and the ministry of Christ the King in prayer before the Lord, the only One who is able to save! To Him alone be the glory!

Lisa
On behalf of Team Haiti 2016

Do You Know Jesus as Your Savior?

The questions of the day yesterday seemed to be, "Do you know Jesus as your Savior?" and "Can I pray for you?" Members of the VBS team had these 2 questions written on their hands or arms so they didn't have to be dependent on an interpreter to facilitate this question. Many students wanted to know Jesus better and to trust Him as their Savior! That's exciting!

The theme in VBS yesterday was around the truth that God is our protector. They used the story of Daniel in the Lion's Den to teach this truth. Ben Eden played the role of the lion and is expected to take home the Emmy. He came out roaring and scared team member, Xin Clobes so badly she actually fell over! The kids thought that was the funniest thing ever. The craft yesterday wasn't very crafty but the Haitian kids loved it because it meant they each got their own tennis ball. So great and so fun watching them all.

The men's and women's Bible studies continue to go well.  For the women's studies (2 groups) please pray for cultural barriers to be broken. We are still working at getting the women to discuss God's Word. They know the "right" answers--what we should and shouldn't do, but don't seem to be able to admit or wrestle with the truth that life just isn't that neat or easy. It is a challenge for sure, but one that we are continuing to meet head on.

We have 8 providers on our medical team so are able to see nearly 150 patients a day. Now that everyone has their groove, we may be able to increase that number a little. As always, please join us in praying that the people who NEED to see a Doctor will make it to the front of the line and get in to the clinic.

The discussions for finding a Pastor will continue today. Please continue to surround this need in prayer!

Can't wait, once again, to see how the Lord will unfold this day before us!

Thank you for your prayer support!

Lisa
On Behalf of Team Haiti 2016

The Wrong Answer

Our first day of VBS, Bible studies, health education classes, and the medical clinic went really well! We had a few challenges but after some team strategy sessions last night, we are ready once again for a great day.

Soon after the medical clinic opened yesterday, I was called in on a situation. A woman was crying and shaking. She was filled with fear that demons were taking over her body. We told her to not be afraid, that Jesus loved her, and then we commanded the demons to come out of her in Jesus' name. We asked her if she knew Jesus. She did not so we told her the Gospel. We told her that she could be free of the bondage of demons in Jesus' name. When we asked her if she wanted to know Jesus and be free, her answer was not at all what I was expecting. Here she was, wracked and shaking with fear. Crying in fear. But she said, "No!" While she was afraid, Voodoo is all she knows. The roots go deep, but I also know that Jesus isn't finished writing her story. I'm praying that she would see Jesus everywhere she goes and know the freedom that is hers in Jesus. I'm praying that the Holy Spirit would bring her back today so that we can once again pray over her and tell her the good news of Jesus.

The VBS team was having a great time singing with the students, making crafts, and sharing the story of Jesus with them. They asked students if they knew Jesus, and prayed over anyone who wanted to trust Him as their Savior. Powerful!

The men's Bible study was full, with about 30 men and our team packed in a small classroom. The men are hungry and have lots of questions about the Bible. They have a strong desire to be men of God and had great discussion around that. The women's study was also full. We had some fairly young girls in there, mixed with women who were in a different stage of life. We are going to try to split them up today so we can have more meaningful discussion around God's Word.

We are excited for today and ready to see what God has planned for us.

Lisa
On Behalf of Team Haiti 2016

Rice, Beans, Oil, Meds and Not a Worm to be Found

It's a beautiful morning in Haiti! Nothing new about that. 

We had a full day on Monday to prepare for the ministry that will take place over the next few days, and it was awesome. Look at the things we were able to accomplish:

1. Dr. Kelly and Nurse Julie were able to meet with the Doctor at the Ministry of Health to talk about how our medical team can partner with them to better serve the people of Haiti particularly in the area of giving immunizations and Vitamin A. Great meeting. 

2. Dr. Ayo, and nurses Helen, Linda, & Mary gave de-worming medicine to all 400 students in the school at Christ the King. This medicine will not only kill any worms a child currently has, but also will prevent worms for 6 months. We were able to leave medicines with the school administrator with instructions on giving the chewable pill to students again. 

3. By motorcycle we sent Nurse Jordan and Nurse Pam up the mountainside to a Lutheran Church and school in a small village. They talked with the students about worms and the importance of the medicine and then distributed it to nearly 100 kids. They also had the opportunity to see the needs of the people there. They want so desperately to build a permanent structure for the school. With just a few thousand dollars they could get started with laying the foundation. We need to be in prayer with them for God's provision. 

The rest of the team unpacked all the suitcases and organized the contents. We also set up a great assembly line to fill gallon-sized Ziploc bags full with rice. We fill quart-size bags with beans. We took those 2 bags and a bottle of oil and put them into grocery bags for ease in distribution and people carrying it home. We thought a lot about the Food Give Away ministry before diving in. Our biggest concern is that it is just a drop in the bucket when looking at the hunger issues in Haiti. But year after year of seeing malnourished children come into our clinic, and parents desperate to do anything to get food for their families, we just couldn't ignore Jesus' words, "When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat." We also have a specialized peanut butter (made right here in Haiti), enriched with vitamins and other nutrients, to give to children who are malnourished. 

We are looking forward to starting VBS this morning and adult Bible studies this afternoon. I can't wait to tell you all about it! 

Lisa

On Behalf of 2016 Team Haiti

And We're Off

Our team arrived in Haiti around 1:15 yesterday afternoon. Right on schedule. Port au Prince traffic was a little heavy so it took awhile to get to Merotte, but still in great time, around 3:30. We quickly unloaded all of our suitcases filled to capacity with supplies for the week. In those 30 suitcases we are carrying Creole Bibles and Catechisms, medicines, health education supplies, backpacks, pencils, erasers, pencil sharpeners, dress clothes for men and women, shoes, teacher supplies, Bible studies, craft supplies for 4 days of VBS for over 300 children, craft projects to do with local women, and so many things I'm not even thinking of.

As I woke up this morning, I opened my Bible to see what God would speak to me this morning. I paged through a few of the Psalms until my eyes settled on the title to Psalm 108, "With God We Shall Do Valiantly." I thought, "Yep!" It is so true. Our efforts, our planning, our interactions, mean nothing without the Lord leading the way. The Psalm wraps up with these words, "With God we shall do valiantly, it is he who will tread down our foes." When I think about the foes we face this week--foes of discouragement, desperation, and poverty come immediately to mind. Satan does not want us here. He is the ultimate foe and will use anything to try to stop the encouragement of the church and our desire to serve Him in spreading the Gospel. But "with God we shall do valiantly". The enemy has no power here! Come, Holy Spirit! Lead the way!