tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51048169532112931812024-02-21T05:03:37.899-08:00LOLServestheWorldThis blog is a place for Lord of Life members, friends, and family to check out what's happening as we reach beyond our walls to serve the world around us, whether that be right here in our own backyard or halfway around the world.
We'll post real stories of life change along the way so we hope you'll stay tuned in and get inspired to go out and serve the world around you as well.Lisa Hellyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15648223456088005720noreply@blogger.comBlogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104816953211293181.post-7603590070419182962018-01-07T06:00:00.000-08:002018-01-07T06:01:06.875-08:00Leaving On a Jet PlaneThe plans are finalized! The bags are packed! We are on the plane and headed first to Atlanta and then on to warm, sunny, beautiful Haiti. We will arrive at 2:30 in Port au Prince. By 3:30 we will be on our buses and making our way to Christ the King where we will have just enough time to greet our hosts, unload all of the supplies, and leave with promises of seeing our friends tomorrow.<br />
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Then, off to Wahoo Bay for showers, dinner, and small group time!<br />
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Our team of 39 have been planning, raising funds and praying for this time in Haiti. It is finally here!<br />
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We want to thank all of our senders at Lord of Life and others. Please be in prayer for us this week that we will see, hear, and experience the presence of the Holy Spirit as He works in the lives of our team and those He puts in our path this week.<br />
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These words from Isaiah 40:28-31 keep ringing in my heart, <i>"<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Do you not know? </span></span></i><i style="font-size: small;"><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="text Isa-40-28" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">Have you not heard? </span></span></i><i style="font-size: small;"><span class="text Isa-40-28" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; position: relative;">The <span class="small-caps" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Lord</span> is the everlasting<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-18449B" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-18449B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> God, </span></i><i style="font-size: small;"><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="text Isa-40-28" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">the Creator<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-18449C" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-18449C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> of the ends of the earth. </span></span></i><i style="font-size: small;"><span class="text Isa-40-28" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; position: relative;">He will not grow tired or weary, </span></i><i style="font-size: small;"><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="text Isa-40-28" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."</span></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Blessings to each of you! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Lisa</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">On Behalf of Team Haiti 2018</span></span></div>
Lisa Hellyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15648223456088005720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104816953211293181.post-63347010140534297572016-07-24T19:57:00.003-07:002016-07-25T04:58:35.281-07:00This is Amazing Grace<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">
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.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKJzCDA-QpL4i73e-IkedY3Zw_2eeoRGGj-_KcpUcb4C2DOtAfu_6OI4PRs3ZK2XYbEEysDhkoZKUgGisIOXUtWDSphREXz-opdBqgpA2ERxsV9oLP_S58hy69R5DZfTCPlLGpnpehyphenhyphens/s1600/IMG_4183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKJzCDA-QpL4i73e-IkedY3Zw_2eeoRGGj-_KcpUcb4C2DOtAfu_6OI4PRs3ZK2XYbEEysDhkoZKUgGisIOXUtWDSphREXz-opdBqgpA2ERxsV9oLP_S58hy69R5DZfTCPlLGpnpehyphenhyphens/s400/IMG_4183.JPG" width="400" /></a>“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.”</div>
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Lisa Hellyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15648223456088005720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104816953211293181.post-87633179443909091122016-07-23T21:08:00.000-07:002016-07-23T21:08:26.874-07:00Flexibility and Adventures of a Lifetime<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">
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.</div>
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“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.”<br />
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-Kate Boerger</div>
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“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.”<br />
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<br />Lisa Hellyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15648223456088005720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104816953211293181.post-70582596759138109302016-07-22T20:31:00.000-07:002016-07-22T20:31:11.374-07:00This is Unfailing Love<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">
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!</div>
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“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!”<br />
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-Jake Boerger</div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">“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.”</span></div>
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-Renee Rosinksi</div>
Lisa Hellyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15648223456088005720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104816953211293181.post-74346877244548947612016-07-21T21:18:00.000-07:002016-07-21T21:19:31.269-07:00Lots of Love and Lots of Laughs<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">
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.</div>
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“I loved painting the girls nails today because they find joy in the simplest things!” -Kati Curran<br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">“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</span></div>
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<br />Lisa Hellyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15648223456088005720noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104816953211293181.post-47371545716257134532016-07-20T19:54:00.001-07:002016-07-20T19:54:52.797-07:00God's Love is Surely Here<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">
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. </div>
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“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</div>
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“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</div>
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“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</div>
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(The pictures won't upload, so I'll try to post extra tomorrow!)</div>
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Lisa Hellyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15648223456088005720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104816953211293181.post-88771251233476932562016-07-19T20:01:00.000-07:002016-07-19T20:01:03.638-07:00Hot Day Full of Smiles<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIH0yyucSTmRuYNPnbmV0tEWpot5j9hT4WlefvnzFnKvj2Aofz89DUqh1xaKQHcVxAVmFOfIXM6pzHbWolFj57she6IayUuIQbI5PCIq8NJRblUfddUHfMsrLmjVrSA3EDLYE5_Ux6HxA/s1600/IMG_2983.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIH0yyucSTmRuYNPnbmV0tEWpot5j9hT4WlefvnzFnKvj2Aofz89DUqh1xaKQHcVxAVmFOfIXM6pzHbWolFj57she6IayUuIQbI5PCIq8NJRblUfddUHfMsrLmjVrSA3EDLYE5_Ux6HxA/s320/IMG_2983.JPG" width="320" /></a>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.</div>
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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.</div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">“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.” </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Here is a picture of Kervinson holding the fruit that he gave Claiborn!</span></div>
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“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:)” </div>
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-Kristen Shepard</div>
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Lisa Hellyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15648223456088005720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104816953211293181.post-54971730668319204902016-07-18T16:19:00.000-07:002016-07-18T16:19:38.141-07:00Day One and Happy Hearts<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">
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.</div>
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“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.” </div>
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-Emily Wetzel</div>
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“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.” </div>
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-Whitney Hinmon</div>
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Lisa Hellyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15648223456088005720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104816953211293181.post-74562495407457094882016-07-17T16:53:00.000-07:002016-07-17T16:53:02.560-07:00Haiti, Here We Come!<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal;">
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. </div>
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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. </div>
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Haiti Mission Team Summer 2016:</div>
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Jake Boerger</div>
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Kate Boerger</div>
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Kati Curran</div>
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Jim Curran </div>
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Lisa Hellyer</div>
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Whitney Hinmon</div>
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Caroline Lynch</div>
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Annie Overman</div>
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Tom Overman</div>
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Stacy Overman</div>
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Renee Rosinski</div>
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Claiborn Schmidt</div>
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Logan Schoessel</div>
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Kristen Shepard</div>
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Landon Shultz</div>
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Rose Stahl</div>
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Tyler Tollefson</div>
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Kara Torgler</div>
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Dani Torgler</div>
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Emily Wetzel</div>
Lisa Hellyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15648223456088005720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104816953211293181.post-62578055121366434302016-01-18T03:48:00.002-08:002016-01-18T03:48:31.560-08:00We're Full and Ready for HomeI'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!<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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. <br />
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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!<br />
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Lisa<br />
On behalf of Team Haiti 2016Lisa Hellyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15648223456088005720noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104816953211293181.post-34665797635572050312016-01-17T04:01:00.000-08:002016-01-17T04:01:10.774-08:00Off to Market We GoOn 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!<br />
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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.<br />
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This morning we are headed to worship. The team has been learning, <i>10,000 Reasons</i> in Creole so we can sing it in worship today. That will be a blessing to us and to our Haitian brothers and sisters.<br />
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Blessings to all of you on this Lord's Day!<br />
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Lisa<br />
On behalf of Team Haiti 2016Lisa Hellyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15648223456088005720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104816953211293181.post-85136402206407936482016-01-16T03:54:00.001-08:002016-01-16T03:54:16.511-08:00Really Great StuffOur 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.<br />
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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!<br />
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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!<br />
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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!<br />
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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!<br />
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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!<br />
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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!<br />
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Lisa<br />
On behalf of Team Haiti 2016Lisa Hellyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15648223456088005720noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104816953211293181.post-67967448576733072042016-01-14T03:36:00.001-08:002016-01-14T03:36:21.486-08:00Do 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!<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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The discussions for finding a Pastor will continue today. Please continue to surround this need in prayer!<br />
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Can't wait, once again, to see how the Lord will unfold this day before us!<br />
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Thank you for your prayer support!<br />
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Lisa<br />
On Behalf of Team Haiti 2016Lisa Hellyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15648223456088005720noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104816953211293181.post-29045673233227752412016-01-13T03:35:00.001-08:002016-01-13T03:35:18.513-08:00The Wrong AnswerOur 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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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!<br />
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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.<br />
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We are excited for today and ready to see what God has planned for us.<br />
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Lisa<br />
On Behalf of Team Haiti 2016Lisa Hellyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15648223456088005720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104816953211293181.post-75936857127116192122016-01-12T03:49:00.001-08:002016-01-12T03:49:28.625-08:00Rice, Beans, Oil, Meds and Not a Worm to be FoundIt's a beautiful morning in Haiti! Nothing new about that. <div>
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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:</div>
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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. </div>
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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. </div>
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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. </div>
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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. </div>
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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! </div>
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Lisa</div>
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On Behalf of 2016 Team Haiti</div>
Lisa Hellyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15648223456088005720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104816953211293181.post-48586307397600871342016-01-11T03:46:00.001-08:002016-01-11T03:47:45.031-08:00And We're OffOur 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.<br />
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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!<br />
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Lisa Hellyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15648223456088005720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104816953211293181.post-82445702854597897512015-01-18T15:36:00.000-08:002015-01-18T15:36:55.503-08:00Until The Next TimeSunday, Jan. 18, 2015<br />
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I have some favorite places I like to worship: at Lord of Life with my church family, at LVR with our high school students, and at Christ the King in Merotte, Haiti with my other church family. The members of Christ the King are an amazing people--they love the Lord and have a strong desire to serve Him. Worshipping with them this morning was everything I thought it might be. They had 3 different groups of people singing praise, with one of those songs being sung in English. Absolutely beautiful. Our group also sang a song we had been working on all week. We sang "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name"...in Creole...all 3 verses with a special chorus at the end. The people were so surprised! It was so fun to learn and super awesome to sing in worship with our friends. To God be the glory.<br />
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Don Arnott, Lord of Life's President, gave the message this morning. It was batter up with a grand slam! He absolutely knocked it out of the park! He talked about his family and how he now had a new family with the people of Haiti. He talked about how the love of Jesus connects us and propels us to love.<br />
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The goodbyes, as always, were tear-filled. Oh my, it is difficult to leave.<br />
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With one final group devotion and worship time tonight, we are turning our hearts toward home. The team will leave Haiti at 1pm to start the journey to Kansas City. Once they are safely dropped at the airport, I will head off with Dorlus to his home. I am excited about this phase of the journey and covet your prayers while I remain in Haiti for 9 more days. I hope to learn more about the culture, the country, and what God is doing in this place. I also hope to grow in my Creole skills. I am learning but have a long way to go.<br />
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Blessings!<br />
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Lisa :)<br />
On behalf of 2015 team HaitiLisa Hellyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15648223456088005720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104816953211293181.post-69725865222395718942015-01-18T03:41:00.002-08:002015-01-18T03:41:23.762-08:00Goat Heads, Live Chickens, Fresh Fruit and Shoes, Shoes, Shoes!Saturday, Jan. 17, 2015<br />
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It is a gorgeous morning in Haiti! I'm once again enjoying the quiet and the calm of this time. God is so good, and such a great artist! I wish you could be here to enjoy it with us.<br />
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Most of our group went to the market near Merotte yesterday morning. We gave each shopping group a little bit of Haitian money (Gourdes) and said there would be prizes for the group that found the most unusual item and the best tasting item. From that challenge, we had a whole smoked fish, 2 goat heads, and a live chicken! After taking pictures with those items, we gave the goat heads and fish to our cooks (for them to have for themselves, not to prepare for us) and gave the live chicken to the church. They tied it up until it got used to the place. I'm not sure I totally belived them because they tied it up next to the kitchen. The group that bought him named him Tom, but I'm sure his name is actually Sunday Lunch. We shall see!<br />
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The group that didn't go to the market went to the church to get started on setting up for the Shoe Clinic. We were able to give many shoes away yesterday, and will also have the opportunity to do that again after church.<br />
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We cleaned up and packed up from the medical clinic. We were able to deliver a suitcase full of supplies for the hospital in Archaie, the city closest to Merotte. We have taken patients to this hospital before so we are somewhat familiar with it. When we pulled up to the hospital, we were surprised to see 2 Red Cross tents in the street where they were caring for patients. We learned that the hospital is under construction. They gave us a quick tour of the facility. When it is done, they will be set up to deliver babies, perform surgeries, and care for inpatients. We talked with them briefly about bringing patients to them in the future as well as donating our leftover supplies.<br />
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Today is our last full day in Haiti, but a great day to be sure. This is the day the Lord has made! We will rejoice and be glad in it!<br />
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Lisa :)<br />
On behalf of 2015 team HaitiLisa Hellyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15648223456088005720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104816953211293181.post-61776222473720955512015-01-17T03:51:00.001-08:002015-01-17T03:51:48.647-08:00The Lord Heard Your PrayersFriday, Jan. 16, 2015<br />
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Thank you for praying for us! The clinic was not any crazier yesterday than any other day. In fact, everyone who wanted to be seen by a Doctor was seen! Can you believe that? EVERYONE got in to the clinic! God is good!<br />
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I'm also so thankful for the 20 men and 21 women who were in the Bible studies this week. The women meet in a room next door to the men, and hearing the men sing is absolutely beautiful. They even called me over to their room to sing one song with them--very cool! Being in the room with those women was a blessing. Their attentiveness to the Word and the discussion around that Word was very encouraging. Mike and Jana Thomas hit it out of the park! I can't wait to see how the Holy Spirit continues to use the material they prepared, and I am excited to see this ministry continues to grow in the future.<br />
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I want to give you an update on Wilson. Through our partnership with Christ the King, Wilson has some start up money to begin his own business. He came to us with a business plan. He has a cooler and wants to sell drinks (sodas and bottled water). His plan is to set up next to his sister's food business. $50 is the money we gave him in order to do this. Jacques has him set up with some accountability for how the money is being used. Pray! Pray! Pray! Pray that people who are thirsty will find his stand and buy from him. Pray that this will be a way for them to eat and to help others as well.<br />
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Construction on the wall is almost complete. They should finish today. The Preschool/Kindergarten is complete! It is so exciting to see a finished building.<br />
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VBS knocked it out of the park! Such a great team! I am amazed at how they connected with the kids. The joy in the faces of the kids is hard to explain, but trust me when I say it is powerful. Last night one of our team members was saying that being on the VBS team was the best job. If needed elsewhere he would of course do that, but he thought the best job was getting to work with the kids. I love that God uses each of our strengths to do His work.<br />
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Today, we are off to the market, followed by an afternoon of helping Christ the King give away several hundred pairs of shoes! This is going to be fun!<br />
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Blessings on your day!<br />
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Lisa :)<br />
On behalf of 2015 team HaitiLisa Hellyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15648223456088005720noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104816953211293181.post-33258369267514660872015-01-16T04:17:00.000-08:002015-01-16T04:24:43.951-08:00God Works MiraclesWednesday and Thursday, Jan. 14-15, 2015<br />
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One of the things that is more than obvious in Haiti is that life is hard! People work hard in order to live. There is also no doubt that they believe and cling to our Heavenly Father who is good. On Wednesday I had the opportunity to talk to Wilson, a young man I've known for 13 years. He and his sister are now all alone. Their father died a few years ago, and this past May his mother died. When they have a little money, his sister makes food to sell on the street. When that business is successful, they eat. When it isn't going well, they don't eat. When I asked him when he had last eaten, it had been 2 or 3 days. He wasn't exactly sure of how long it had been. In that situation I would have the tendency to doubt the Lord so I talked with Wilson about that--if he was struggling with believing that God would provide a way. He explained that he understood what I was talking about and that it was very difficult, but that his trust in the Lord is strong. We are working with Jacques to develop a strategy for how Christ the King can be a light in their community to reach out to people like Wilson. Don Arnott and Mike Thomas are going to help Jacques, the leader at Christ the King, develop that strategy.<br />
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VBS is going extremely well! On Wednesday the lesson was on temptation. They used the Bible narrative of Jesus being tempted in the desert. Yesterday the team talked about miracles and the power of God to do all things, even the seemingly impossible. They used liquid Kool Aid drops to turn a bottle of water into wine. The kids were impressed! They also told about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead and Peter walking on the water.<br />
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The medical team continues to amaze me. The health and hygiene classes have been a much-needed addition to the work we do here. We've seen a couple of really interesting things. Yesterday a woman came into the clinic that had been dealing with worms that were infested in her leg. No worries, we took lots of pictures. It will be a long road of getting this taken care of that will include surgery. We gave her some medicine that will hopefully kill all the worms so that the healing process can begin. Yesterday, a Mom came in with 2 kids because her 5-yr. old was lethargic and didn't have much of an appetite. They left their home at 4am, walked to our clinic and arrived sometime mid-morning. They finally got in around noon. As it turns out, her son wasn't sick, but he was malnourished. Sad doesn't even begin to describe it. Please be praying for that family and the many others we see.<br />
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The block was delivered yesterday and work on the wall continued! The gate is also in place, which was really great to see.<br />
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The kids are a joy! The team is well and working together like champs.<br />
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Today is the last day of the clinic so the desperation will be at a high today. At the end of each day we are able to say, to the people who don't get in, "Come back tomorrow." It is always difficult on our team when we can't say that. Please pray that God shows us who really needs to be seen by one of our providers. God will make a way!<br />
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Blessings on your day!<br />
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Lisa :)<br />
On behalf of 2015 team HaitiLisa Hellyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15648223456088005720noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104816953211293181.post-41475241179133009912015-01-14T04:07:00.001-08:002015-01-14T04:07:48.422-08:00Great StartTuesday, January 13, 2015<br />
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It was a great day! Not everything went according to plan, but it was still a pretty great day!<br />
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I had an opportunity to watch the VBS team in action. They told the story of Jesus' birth. It was funny. It was engaging. It was right on target. They sang with the children. They laughed with the children. Most importantly, they prayed over the children who wanted to trust Jesus as their Savior. I was one of the classrooms and had the privilege of praying over one of the young men who trusted Jesus for his salvation. As I began to pray, I was so overwhelmed with emotion that I couldn't speak. As I tried to regain my composure though I could hear 9-year-old Jacob T. praying over the boy next to me. Talk about a cool moment! It was a blessing for sure.<br />
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The construction team is making progress on the wall, and the painting of the Kindergarten building has begun. We are praying for the delivery of more block today. The company that makes the block had a machine break so they are behind schedule. They were able to deliver half, but now we are ready for more. It would be so great to have those available today. If not, our crew will help paint. </div>
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The medical clinic went really well. The crowd got a little intense at times, but for the most part that all went very smoothly. Adding a health/hygiene class has been a great addition. The people seem to be really blessed by that. Some of the files got filed before we could count how many patients we saw, but it doesn't really matter because we've been praying that God would bring to us the people who need to be seen. </div>
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I took pictures yesterday but can't seem to get them loaded on here today. I'll try again tomorrow. Right now it is time for french toast...Haitian style! YUMMY! </div>
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Blessings on your day! Thanks for your prayer support! </div>
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Lisa :)</div>
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On behalf of 2015 Team Haiti</div>
Lisa Hellyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15648223456088005720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104816953211293181.post-38751085857312102772015-01-13T04:43:00.000-08:002015-01-13T04:43:12.573-08:00The Americans are Here!So so so great to arrive in Haiti yesterday! We sailed through customs with just a few of our suitcases being checked, so we were grateful for that. We arrived at Christ the King, and once again the power of relationships is more than I can even put into words. As the buses turned down the road to the church, the smiles on the people's faces were incredible to see. Those of us who have been here before recognized them. The look in their eyes and the excitement on their faces indicated they were happy to see us. Reunions are sweet, and they once again had me anticipating the great reunions in Heaven when all of God's people will be reunited around the Lamb who sits on the throne. <div>
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When we arrived at Christ the King we got to work unpacking 600 shoes, school supplies (paper, pencils, erasers, notebooks, chalk, etc), all of the medicines, medical equipment, paint supplies, Bibles, clothes, etc. We had 34 suitcases all filled to 50 pounds--almost a ton of supplies. We set up the clinic, the pharmacy, VBS, health and dental so that when we arrive today we will be ready to go. </div>
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And we remember. It was 5 years ago yesterday--the day of our arrival--that thousands and thousands of people lost their lives in the earthquake. So many people affected by such a terrible event, and yet the trust in the Lord to heal, provide, and walk alongside them is evident. </div>
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Thanks so much for your prayer support. I'll write more each day. We have had trouble connecting to wifi so this blog may not be daily. No worries. We will do the best we can to keep you updated on our journey. </div>
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God is good!</div>
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Lisa :)</div>
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On behalf of 2015 Team Haiti</div>
Lisa Hellyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15648223456088005720noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104816953211293181.post-38160551026763830352015-01-09T12:04:00.001-08:002015-01-09T12:04:24.317-08:00Packed and Ready...Almost!Our team of 34 strong is packed and ready to go to Haiti. We leave Sunday, Jan. 11 at 6:30am. We have to be at the airport by 4:30am, which means I have to wake up at 2:30am so I can enjoy a long, hot shower before my 4 co-travelers to the airport meet at my house to load up and head out. I don't mind the early hour, though because that means we will be that much closer to being with our sister church, Christ the King in Merotte, Haiti.<br />
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It is such a joy, such a privilege, and such an honor to lead our team. Of the 34 on the trip, 27 Lord of Life members and 7 friends of Lord of Life. Of the 34 on the trip, exactly half have been with me to Haiti before. For those 17 the reunions with our brothers and sisters in Haiti will be sweet. For the other 17, oh my goodness, I can't wait to see them take it all in, meet new people--people who mean so much to me, and join the Haiti family.<br />
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I have no idea what God has in store for us on this trip, but I can't wait to see how it all unfolds.<br />
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Please be in prayer for us. I pray for things like safe travel and for things to go smoothly, but my greatest prayer is for God to do whatever it takes to draw each of us closer to Him--to looking more and more like a follower of Christ and less and less like the rest of the world.<br />
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I'll be posting daily updates starting Monday or Tuesday morning. Be on the lookout!<br />
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The team will be sharing about our time in Haiti at 8am and 10:45am on Sunday, Jan. 25 at Lord of Life. Hope many of you can be there to hear all about it!<br />
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On Behalf of 2015 Team Haiti,<br />
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Lisa :)Lisa Hellyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15648223456088005720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104816953211293181.post-68915997713127768042014-07-21T05:00:00.002-07:002014-07-21T05:00:44.860-07:00Full!As promised, here are the pics from Saturday's market experience.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs5nOfSB8OeXnIwoTUFQnaorGA_FiSf6WLe9hznmeBOOCL3M9rUuGckehlAGF0gW0UpY29zTEabqmMwMaGTZ73TTGskfAcBGy_igeVZ93P6zR8pNhNx861LyALvjpzxVOK50a6RuCn5jc/s1600/Goat+head.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs5nOfSB8OeXnIwoTUFQnaorGA_FiSf6WLe9hznmeBOOCL3M9rUuGckehlAGF0gW0UpY29zTEabqmMwMaGTZ73TTGskfAcBGy_igeVZ93P6zR8pNhNx861LyALvjpzxVOK50a6RuCn5jc/s1600/Goat+head.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIFNDDtWX2OGeBEG8ilZQ09TmiS9gwOD2r_MHfVzykVDxXYfEkamdqtVpZvcM2O85C6-X518h6NEmPShxPGj9SfhZbpa0b6Lh7-65ISP_UafIhP3S-9JpCqvn3NYCzxA7zubJK4Yx33cA/s1600/Market+group.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIFNDDtWX2OGeBEG8ilZQ09TmiS9gwOD2r_MHfVzykVDxXYfEkamdqtVpZvcM2O85C6-X518h6NEmPShxPGj9SfhZbpa0b6Lh7-65ISP_UafIhP3S-9JpCqvn3NYCzxA7zubJK4Yx33cA/s1600/Market+group.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">This picture of Alex's market group is taken on the shore where all the boats come in with their goods. Most of the boats are row boats and they came a long way in order to be at the market. These people work very hard. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBPZJXvqETIgoVNoYLoflRVj34C0kzbbqV4MfeJ68ke7IDooZDO0MNXr-FXE99Ut6K81DZLTkI03Hev-OGholLSjkt5PfdzDRvc5aVGs1tSiW6T6kJafgMM5Tcyx6VpR_t8nOsIPOSbTw/s1600/Group+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBPZJXvqETIgoVNoYLoflRVj34C0kzbbqV4MfeJ68ke7IDooZDO0MNXr-FXE99Ut6K81DZLTkI03Hev-OGholLSjkt5PfdzDRvc5aVGs1tSiW6T6kJafgMM5Tcyx6VpR_t8nOsIPOSbTw/s1600/Group+2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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As always, worship at Christ the King was a total joy. I wasn't sure how our teens would handle sitting in church for 2 hours with most of what is happening is something we can't understand. But last night I had the opportunity to talk with some of them about it and they really thought it was great and couldn't believe how quickly the 2 hours went. </div>
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The goodbyes on Sunday are always difficult. We know all week long that they are coming, but it doesn't make them any easier. I love when a group first arrives at Christ the King. They don't yet know the children and are a little shy with them. They see the poverty and differences in our cultures and are understandably timid. By the end of our first full day with the children it's like they've known each other all their lives. The children know all of our names and we remember some of theirs. By Sunday, the relationships are sealed and the poverty and language barriers are no longer an issue. Relationship. Relationship. Relationship. Can you see it in these pictures? </div>
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Sunday afternoon, Julie Clobes and I were privileged to attend the Kindergarten (culmination of 3 years of school) students. 27 students were in the class. It really was very exciting to see and be a part of the ceremony. The graduation was a little bit more elaborate than our Kindergarten graduation ceremonies. This was much more like a high school graduation, with guest speakers, performances by the graduates. It lasted 3 hours, complete with sandwiches being served near the end. Each student received a backpack from the ones we brought with us. That was cool to see. The other thing I really appreciated about the ceremony was that as each graduate received their diploma and backpacks, the families of each student came up with gifts for their special graduate. Their picture was taken and the next graduate was called forward. When we are in Haiti we see very little parent involvement with the children so it really was great to see the families smiling at their children, waving to them, taking their pictures...just like we do. </div>
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And then the fun began. After graduation Julie and I had the opportunity to ride in the tap tap as we drove 2 rounds of people home from the ceremony. It was awesome. There were so many people in the back and on top. Another cultural experience for sure! Jacques wanted us to ride in the cab, but we explained to him that we were having the time of our lives riding in back. We rode there all the way to the hotel where Jacques and his wife, Ruth joined us for dinner. </div>
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And thus ends our week! God is so good! We're full of His Holy Spirit! He has given us phenomenal times in worship together, He has opened our hearts to see what He sees and He has given us new thoughts as to what it means to walk with Him. We are ready to come home and see our families and friends, but a part of our hearts remain here. </div>
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See you soon!</div>
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Lisa :)</div>
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On Behalf to Collide Team Haiti</div>
<br />Lisa Hellyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15648223456088005720noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104816953211293181.post-19057414604288670892014-07-20T03:37:00.003-07:002014-07-20T03:37:54.051-07:00This is the Day the Lord Has Made!I'm so excited. I already know it's going to be a great day! I'm sitting outside in Haiti, waiting for the sun to appear over the ocean. And, today we get to be in worship with all the people at Christ the King. I'll be sharing the message of the Gospel, Tyler will be reading from God's Word, and our students will be singing two songs accompanied by Tyler and I on guitar. That's just our part. I know the members of the church will lead various parts of worship too, and I KNOW we will be blessed and strengthened in our faith journey as a result. It just doesn't get much better than that! My anticipation for corporate worship today is off the charts! I can hardly wait!<br />
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We had a chance to experience the market in Archaie yesterday. The kids loved it! It was for sure a rich cultural experience and one that had us thinking about and talking about the vast differences in our lifestyles and the bigness of God who sees it all. The pictures below are a couple I took at the market with the group I experienced it with. We saw many goat heads. I stopped and asked if they eat that or if it was just a display to show the kind of meat they were selling at that table. They eat it! Whoa! I am not ready for that cultural experience--at all!<br />
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From the market we went to the church for a little while to have lunch, clean up, and hang out with the kids. I also had the opportunity to have a great meeting with Jacques (Administrator of the church and school ministries) to talk about January and our future partnerships. Unfortunately I was not able to finish the conversation so Jacques and Ruth are having dinner with us tonight at the hotel so we can talk more. I'm excited to have them join us.<br />
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This afternoon Julie Clobes and I will attend the graduation ceremony of students from the school at Christ the King. I can hardly wait to tell you about that. I will try to get as many pictures and videos as possible.<br />
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The sun is peeking through the clouds. Time to finish getting ready for church. Sorry about not posting the pictures I mentioned earlier in the post. I can't get them to load quite yet. Maybe later I can just post pics here for you.<br />
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Blessings as you worship the Lord! We will be praying for and thinking about our Lord of Life family as you gather. We know you will be praying for us and our partners in ministry at Christ the King.<br />
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Lisa :)<br />
On Behalf of Collide Team Haiti<br />
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<br />Lisa Hellyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15648223456088005720noreply@blogger.com1