An open door in Haiti
November 30, 2009
We are ever so thankful to the Lord that He has brought us into a position where we will be serving as Interim Directors of Tytoo Gardens Children’s Mission. This consists of an orphanage that currently holds 21 children, a feeding program in the surrounding village, and other school sponsorship programs. We are so excited to see how God has led us to this place. It is located about 25 minutes from where we are currently staying. It is located right on the water, so the views from our balcony are often breath taking, although the cleanliness of the water is certainly in question.
This is a great location for us to serve for several reasons. One is that we are not far from our other Global Outreach missionaries that are living at the compound in addition to being just down the road from another mission that has several missionaries serving there full-time. So, we are in a great community for support and networking. The other reason is that we are only about an hour outside of Port au Prince, which makes getting groceries and other supplies much easier as well as transporting mission teams.
So, why is it an interim position? Well, we are certainly sure that this is the place where we want to be, but the orphanage is currently being funded and operated by a church group in Canada. I have spoken at length with the pastor and, after sharing our heart, vision, and passion, and seeing that it is in line with the vision of the board, he asked us to come on board as Interim Directors, but he wants to meet us in person when he is down here in January, along with some other members of the board, to see if it is a good fit for us as well as for them. So, this next month or so will be kind of like a trial run for the both of us and then in January we will make a final determination if we will become permanent Directors for this mission.
We are so excited. We had visited there a few times and felt that it was a place where we could really live out the vision and call that God has given us, and so we have been in prayer since then. We were just there today bringing over some of our stuff and we will make our complete move tomorrow. We told the kids there and they all seemed very excited, especially the little ones. They are such beautiful children and we are so privileged to be able to care for them and show them the love of Jesus. I was already sharing the truths of God’s love with them today with the little Creole that I know. I was telling them that God made the beautiful sunset that we were looking at, and He made the sea, and He made each of us. And then I told them all that God loves them very very much. It was just a small glimpse of how we will be able to love and disciple these kids in the ways of God.
There will certainly be many challenges ahead of us as we step into a new role, cast new vision, make needed changes, etc. But the joy of being able to love and care for those that have been abandoned, orphaned, or neglected far outweighs the challenges that we will face. We are thankful that the Lord has led us to this place and we will do our very best in sharing Christ with these children with our words and our lives.
Thank you to all of you who have been faithfully praying and supporting us through this time of waiting on God. He really is faithful and we gladly serve Him with our lives.
I will have Maria put some pictures up on our blog as soon as possible.
A hard week in Haiti
November 27, 2009
It has been a hard week here in Haiti. I won’t lie. Not all my email updates are going to be about how wonderful, exciting, and fun it is to be a missionary serving the poor here in Haiti. Because the truth is that it will not always be happy happy joy joy. There will be many difficulties, trials, and suffering that we will go through…and this week was a week of just that. As I write this, my stomach still feels like it is the excavation site for the lost city of Pompeii. I have been very sick for the last week. I am now on antibiotics, but it is slow going to recovery. Because of being so stomach sick, I lost everything in my system…everything. As a result, I became very dehydrated which has caused some additional ailments. So, now I am forcing myself to drink about a gallon of water per day. Sadly, Maria now is experiencing the same stomach problems. She just started taking antibiotics this morning. Prayers are needed. Thankfully, the girls have been great. Usually, when I am as sick as I have been, I have the comforts of a nice warm bed, a TV to just veg out in front of, and the ability to get any food (hot chicken soup) or drink that my body desires. But that has not been the case here. I have had to continue to travel to St Marc every day, with the exception of one day where I just couldn’t move, to work on getting my container out of customs.
This I had to do because every day that it is there I am being charged storage fees. So yesterday when everyone was back here on the compound having a big American style Thanksgiving celebration, I was sitting in my car outside the custom office in St Marc ( a long 2 hour bumpy ride that doesn’t feel good on a good stomach, let alone a sick one) sipping on Gatorade and nibbling saltines all day long while my broker was inside trying to get our final paperwork processed. Unfortunately, the computers went down and he was unable to get the paperwork. So, basically it was a complete wasted trip and we have to turn around and go up again this morning. Also, it will cost more money because I hired a truck driver to come up since we were supposed to be loading the container on his truck to bring it back here. So, now he needs additional money since his day was wasted yesterday as well and since he needs to come back an extra day. When all is said and done, the cost of us sending our vehicle and our belongings (most of which is stuff that was donated by people to give away to the poor) and getting it through customs and into our possession will have been over $10,000. It is crazy!! The truth is that these officials in customs are making themselves rich because it is a known fact that so much of this money is going right into their pockets. And there is nothing that I can do about it. Very sad. So, needless to say, prayers are needed.
After going to Gonaives to visit my missionary friend who is doing some awesome work up there among some of the poorest, it was very clear to both Maria and I that we are not called to go there. I love my friend Emory and I am amazed by the things that he is doing there, but it is not the place where I want to bring my family. It is intense…much too intense (yes, I know Haiti itself is intense, but Gonaives is like the intense of the intense) It is a big city that has been utterly destroyed by the hurricanes last year, which the city was still rebuilding from the hurricane floods of 2004. The city is covered in dust three inches thick everywhere you go, both inside and out. So, it was just not a good fit for us and what we envision doing.
We envision a place where children can run around outside for fun and not have to be dusted off before they come back in. We are praying about another possibility that was given to us to temporarily take over an orphanage that is about 15 minutes up the road from where we are currently staying. We have visited there two times and have gotten the opportunity to get to know some of the children. They are precious children and we really enjoyed sharing with them. There are however some concerns with some of the logistics. Prayers are needed.
I will end on an encouraging word that God brought me through the Living Word several days ago. It was on a day that I was overwhelmed and feeling so defeated. I felt like I was being taken advantage of throughout this crazy customs “process”. I felt so weak and helpless. I went downstairs one night to get alone with God and just cry out to Him for help. As I was praying, I was reminded of Psalm 62. I read the psalm over and over and it seemed like every word just meant so much to me. I was so encouraged by the last verse, “One thing that I have heard, two things God has spoken to me, that you O Lord are strong, and that you O Lord are loving. Surely, you will reward each person according to what he has done.”
My God does not feel weak by the corruption in customs like I do. My God is strong!! It is not my money that people are taking deceitfully, it’s His. My God is strong AND He is loving. His name will be vindicated. All I have to do is continue to do what He has called me to do here – LOVE. He will provide everything else that is needed. He is the one who will reward each person for what he has done, whether good or bad. I don’t have to worry about it. For that reason, my soul can find rest in God alone. Thank you to all who have been faithfully praying and giving towards this ministry. May He be glorified in all that we do. Please continue in your efforts as we continue in ours. May He give all of us the strength to persevere through the trials, the grace to love Him more than our lives, and the hope that secures our hearts in Him.
A diet of Gatorade, Saltines, and Cipro…Yummy!
November 25, 2009
That’s the diet that I had yesterday as I was extremely sick. My stomach has not been well all week long, but yesterday it took a turn for the worse. I couldn’t hold anything down. I woke up feeling miserable and it got progressively worse within an hour. So, I had to begin a series of antibiotics (Cipro), which I really don’t like to take because that itself causes stomach pains. Anyway, I was laid up in bed all day long sipping on Gatorade, nibbling on saltines, and popping the Cipro…not a fun day at all. And I also had a fever of 101. So, today was spent in St Marc again with my broker trying to negotiate a fair price to get our container out of customs. I guess we got a “good deal” even though my bank account doesn’t seem to think so. Moving and living here is so much more expensive than we anticipated. When all is said and done, the total cost for sending our vehicle and container here and getting it through customs will be close to $10,000. Ouch!!! You would think that it is cheap to live in Haiti since it is one of the poorest countries in the world…that is definitely not the case.
The beautiful children of Jubilee
November 22, 2009
Here are some pictures of some of the many children in the Jubilee de Blanc village in Gonaives.
These little ones are waiting for their food.
Some children came naked… some almost naked… ALL filthy dirty… but they were all beautiful.
They all sang a song thanking Jesus for the food before they ate.
I just wonder if they even know what diapers are.
Perhaps their only meal of the day.
The older children have to wait until all the little ones are fed?
But it is worth the wait…
These are the dusty feet that came to eat on that one day. Do you think Jesus could use you to wash them?
And this is the village where they live.
The kids wait hanging on their “fence” for the food truck, Emory’s truck, to bring the food.
Our first day in Gonaives, Haiti
November 21, 2009
Well, we made it up to Gonaives this morning after a long and insane bumpy 3 hour ride. Our 4Runner was certainly initiated on this trip, and it did really good.
We are staying with our friends Emory and Mary Wilson, the people we are praying about working together with. They are an awesome couple who have moved to Gonaives a few years ago and are working among some of the poorest of the poor in Haiti in an area called Jubilee de Blanc. They have a feeding program that feeds about 200 children per day. They just started a school a few months ago. And they just moved into a large facility that will serve as their new home, but also a medical clinic. They really are a fabulous couple…and very very humble.
So, shortly after arriving, we went next door to see his old home that is now available for rent. We have been praying (if it’s the Lord’s will for us to move here) about utilizing the home for us to live in, but also to take in orphaned and abandoned children. The home has 5 bedrooms and is somewhat spacious for Haiti standards. It needs a fair amount of work, but we could definitely see potential.
After hanging out some with some of the children that Emory and Mary have living with them, we then went to Jubilee de Blanc to do the feeding program. I can’t believe how poor these people are in this area. I have never seen anything like it. When they saw us coming down the road towards them, all the children started running towards the shelter where the food is distributed. So many of them were naked, filthy dirty, no shoes, etc. But they were all precious in my sight, and in the sight of the Lord. I had such a great time sharing with them, getting to know some of them, and just trying to share the love of Jesus with them. It was awesome!! To know that in a neighborhood where so many are starving and struggling, that these children are getting at least one meal a day. One can look at it and say “How heartbreaking”, but I choose to look at it and say, “How beautiful”. These kids are walking away with full bellies, and in Haiti that is a beautiful thing.
After the feeding program, we were just supposed to hang out some with a team that has been here for a week, but something came up where Emory had to go to the hospital and help somebody that had gotten hurt yesterday. So, I went along with him. I have never been in a hospital such as this. It looked like an old abandoned warehouse. There were sick babies all around. One of the babies belonged to a woman that Emory had met earlier. Her baby had a serious infection in her skin and needed surgery. I laid hands on her tiny little body and asked God to heal her and comfort her in her distress.
Later in the evening, we all went up to the roof to sing some worship songs to the Lord and give Him thanks for all that He has done. It has been a great day. We are still seeking the Lord and asking Him to reveal His plan to us so that we might follow in obedience and joy. I will put up a link for the pictures soon. N a we pita (see you later)
Appealing to Ceasar in St Marc, Haiti
November 18, 2009
So, once again I spent the day yesterday traveling to St. Marc to continue to try to get my vehicle out of customs. One thing I am quickly learning about this country is that nothing ever happens quickly. Everything just has such a long drawn out process…it is unbelievable. So, even though I had already twice been told by the guy that we hired to help us, “Today we should be able to get your vehicle”, this time I really believed him and really thought that I’d finally be driving my own car back from St. Marc. Not the case.
It was a rough day from the start. I woke up feeling very sick. I had a “stomach thing” brewing and I had a pounding headache…not the best combination for taking a 2 hour insane bumpy ride and then having to wait around all day out side the customs office while the broker haggles out a price. But it is what it is, and I had to be there, so there was no option of staying home and lying in bed.
So, while I was outside feeling like I was about to pass out, my broker was inside fighting for a decent price on my vehicle. He came to me the first time and said that the first price that the customs agent gave was $4,000. I told him that I wanted him to negotiate for a lower price. Then he came back and said that he got it down to $3,500. I asked him to continue trying to negotiate. He came back a third time and said that the final price this guy was willing to offer was $3,250. This actually was considered a pretty good price since we had been told that our custom taxes for our vehicle very well may be near $5,000. So, to have it down to $3,250 was pretty good. But I had so many people praying for us about this issue specifically, and as Maria and I had been in constant prayer about it, I wanted to see if we could get it even lower. The whole time while I was praying outside, I was praying that the rate would be under $3,000. $3,250 was a good price, but my God is not just good…He’s great
Therefore, I asked to make my own appeal to “Ceasar”. I believed that if this was all being lifted up in prayer, that I should take the opportunity to go before this custom director myself and tell him that I worship the Lord, that we are missionaries in Haiti trying to give orphaned and poor children better opportunities, and that I would like for him to bring his price even lower. I was nervous, but also excited. I was reminded of the scriptures that say that God will bring us before kings and government leaders and that the Sprit will give us the words to speak. So, that is what I did, which is definitely not the norm. I wish I could tell you that he responded favorably and brought the price way down and that the power of God shook the place, but that was not the case. He did not want to budge at all on the price. He said that he could not go any lower because his director would not allow it. I asked him if I could speak to his director (the absolute big chief). He laughed and said that I could, but that he would not advise it because what will probably happen if I go in the director’s office is that rather than bringing the price down, he will most likely increase the price. I did not want that to happen so I left it at that. I asked this guy one last time if he could even lower the price just a little. At the last minute, he finally agreed to take it down by about $300. I was very happy because by taking it down, the final price came out to be less than $3,000, which is exactly what I had been praying for. We are thankful that God has given us favor and that we ended up getting a very very good deal. Unfortunately, by the time I went to the bank to get the money (an hour long process because you know…it’s Haiti), the guy said it was too late for him to get the vehicle to me and that I would have to come back…again. So, tomorrow, I will make the trip to St. Marc yet again. I really want to believe that I will definitely drive home with my vehicle…but nothing is ever definite in Haiti.
By the time I had gotten home that evening, I was really sick. I had a fever and a really bad stomach. I had this all day today as well, but now the fever finally broke and I am feeling better, thank the Lord.
We spent the day today visiting an orphanage nearby that is asking us to pray about taking it over as Directors. We had a really good time with the children, but I was still not feeling the greatest, therefore I felt that I wasn’t able to engage with them as much as I really wanted to. But, we still had a great time. I asked Maria to post the pics that we took since I am clueless when it comes to the technical aspect of this blog.
Have language…will share
November 14, 2009
I was in St. Marc yesterday with the guy that I hired to help me navigate the crazy world of customs. Anyway, as he was in the office there getting all the paperwork ready, I was waiting outside at a nearby park area. The driver who was with us told me to wait there because he had to go to the store to buy a part for the vehicle that we were driving. There was this young Haitian guy who was trying to explain to my driver about where to go for the part and how much it would cost. He was offering to get it, but my driver said no and walked away. So, this Haitian guy comes up to me and starts telling me that my driver is *%$&*@* Stupid!! He seemed very upset. So, I was a little nervous when the driver told me to wait by myself while he went into town to find the part. I was thinking to myself, “Ok Cody, this might be your first experience in Haiti where you get beat up, robbed, and left for dead.” So, I just prayed God’s protection over me and trusted in the outcome.
So, this guy who was cursing out my driver starts coming towards me and talking in Creole. I was happy that I could not respond with much, since I don’t yet know how to really converse back and forth, so I decided to say the most safe response , “M pa Kompran (I don’t understand)”. But then he asked me if I spoke Spanish, which though not fluent, I can certainly hold a conversation. So, I said yes I understood Spanish, and so we struck up a conversation. He said his name was Tires (pronounced Ti-Rez) who was 23 years old. For 2 hours I was able to hang with this guy speaking in Spanish. It was pretty cool to be able to speak for that long in another language. He was sharing a lot about his life and some of his struggles and such. I just kept trying to point him in the direction of looking to God and seeking Him for all things. He wasn’t simply interested in getting money from me (as I first thought), but more so just wanted to talk. He shared about his many struggles that he has with regards to lack of job opportunities, lack of opportunities for school or vocational training, etc. I still couldn’t quite figure out what he was asking of me. I told him that I didn’t have any money to give him. He said that he was aware of that, but that he just enjoyed talking to me. He said that it would be a conversation that he would remember for the rest of his life. I was like…”ok bro, I appreciate the compliment, but that’s a little over the top now.” During the course of the conversation, I kept telling him about the need to trust in the Lord and that the best thing to do in any situation is to seek God, pray, and read the bible. He said that he has a Creole bible at his house, so I encouraged him to read it so that He is able to understand the ways of God more. He was speaking about how poor he is, and how poor Haiti is, and that so many other people around the world do not have the same struggles. I reminded him that there are many places in the world that have struggle and that God knows the struggles of us all, and I encouraged him to look to the Lord for strength through the struggle. He thanked me for being so sincere and real with him and for not putting myself on a level that is above him as many people do. Since we seemed to be developing a connection, I figured that I had the opportunity to speak into his heart, so I challenged him on the way that he spoke to my driver. I told him that he should not have cursed and that God does not want us to treat people that way. He agreed, but still seemed to justify why he treated him like that. He told me that it bothered him that my driver did not seem to trust him when he was only trying to help. He said, “He did not have trust and confidence in me, like you do, and that is why I got mad.” Anyway, it was just good to talk to him, to listen to his story, and to try to allow Jesus to somehow work through me in a way that He would be touched by the Master’s hand.
When it was time for my driver and I to get lunch, he lead us to a little place where we could eat. I told him in my best Creole that I would like to buy him lunch. He was very thankful, but asked if he could instead use the money so that he could get food for his whole family. I told him that would be fine. Although he did not seem to be dressed in such a shabby manner, I noticed that he was using a shoe string to hold up his pants. The scripture verse came to me from James that asks, “What good is our faith if we see someone in need and simply say God bless you and walk away without trying to meet the need, especially if we are able to do so?” That is a dead faith. So, even though I had practically no money, I was wearing a belt, and I did have 2 other belts at home while this guy had a shoe string. So, just as I was saying goodbye, I subtly took off my belt and said to him in my best Spanish, “I don’t have many things. I don’t have a lot of money. But I want to give you this if you need it. God bless you.” I think he was very surprised. Maybe he was expecting money, I don’t know. But he did say that he definitely needed the belt and he thanked me. It was really cool just being able to be the hands of Christ to this guy who I may never see again, and know that every minute that I spent with him, I was trying to communicate and live out the message of the gospel. Bondye se bon (God is good)
From whacking to discipleship…all in a day’s work
November 12, 2009
Yesterday afternoon, I helped one of the other missionaries who is building a basketball court on the compound here as part of his vision for discipling youth in the community. His name is Chris Brumley. He has been in Haiti for 7 years. He shared with me his vision for using the compound to bring in tons of youth from the various villages for discipleship, bible study, leadership development, etc. I think he has a fantastic vision and I am so excited to see what this compound looks like in the next few years. I hope it is a lot messier and dirtier than it is now…that will be an indicator of how many kids will have been through here. There is another missionary couple that just arrived 5 months ago, and they share in the same vision as Chris. Please pray that this compound will bring in many people to hear and respond to the truth of Jesus Christ.
So, Chris is in the developing stages of building this basketball court. They are just clearing and leveling the ground, then they will pour the concrete. In order to level the ground, we were using a whacker (that’s really the name). It’s this big machine that you hold and walk around with that pounds the ground over and over so that it levels out. I saw some of the guys using it for a while and I wanted to help them by giving them a rest, so I asked them if I could take over. They agreed. That’s when I’m sure the laughter began. This whacker took me out to lunch! It was so heavy! I couldn’t believe how easy these Haitian guys were making it look like. So, I whacked for about 10 minutes…just long enough to have every one of my ribs come loose…and then I begged to have the experts take over. I helped clear rocks and water down the dirt so that it settles better. It was so good just to walk the length and width of that court, while praying that the ground would be holy ground where salvation would reach many and that lives would be changed for the glory of God.
After finishing for the day, I joined Chris for his discipleship group. He has been discipling a group of young Haitian guys (older teens) for several years. They all speak English now, so the meeting was in English, which was good because it enabled me to really contribute to the group. I am really amazed at how much these guys knew about the bible and the kinds of questions that they were asking. These guys really wanted to know Jesus more. We had a great time studying Proverbs chapter 6. I hope to join them each time that they meet.
Immediately after the group, we had a dinner invite from another missionary who lives on this property. She is not with Global Outreach, but her and her husband live here. They are Steve and Judy Revis. They have been in Haiti for many many years. They have done some amazing work with the deaf as well as well drilling and irrigation. They have a book written about their lives called “Just Go”. We had such a great time hanging out with Judy, being encouraged, and hearing some incredible stories of faith and struggle.
We passed out at 9PM!!! We were so tired. But what a great day it was!!
Our thermos is clean…Our creole needs work
November 10, 2009
Here’s a funny story that illustrates our need to better learn the language: Well, we are staying at the Global Outreach Mission Base in an apartment above the volunteer headquarters. There are Haitian staff who work on the compound. As a matter of fact, every missionary here has a maid that they have hired for their home. (Quick disclaimer here – For us, the thought of having a maid working for us and serving us when, in fact, we have come to Haiti to be a servant to the people, was very difficult for us to understand. And we said that we would not have a maid working for us once we get our own place. But we have since learned that having a maid as an American in Haiti is absolutely customary and it is a complete offense to the Haitians if you do not have one. By having a maid, you are providing employment to a person and their family, and providing a very good employment at that. If you do not have a maid, you are looked at as being selfish and stingy with your money that you would not even give a Haitian a chance to earn some money from you. Also, having a maid is very essential because Haiti is so dirty and dusty, a home has to be swept, mopped, and dusted every day just to keep it clean. We, along with all the other missionaries we know in Haiti, believe that we are being better stewards of the resources given to us if we are spending the majority of our time ministering to the people rather than spending all of our time keeping our house clean. It really is a full-time job just to keep a house clean in Haiti. So, we will follow suit, not offend the culture, and get a maid once we get our place. Many missionary women also use it as a way to form a good discipleship relationship. Because when you hire an individual woman to be your maid, you get their entire family that soon becomes part of your life for better or for worse)
Back to the funny story: Yesterday, we originally told the maid (Cecil) here that she did not need to clean our apartment because of the fact that we were unaware of all that I just described above. After learning the importance of what I described above, I decided that I would ask the maid if she would in fact clean our apartment the following day.
She speaks very little English, and I am always trying to speak Creole so that I can learn, so I went up to her in the kitchen where she was washing dishes, and I leaned my hand against the big thermos that was sitting there, and I asked her in Creole if she would clean our apartment tomorrow. She agreed and so I thought that everything was all set and that she understood my spectacular Creole.
Well, apparently my Creole is not quite as spectacular as I thought because our apartment was not cleaned today when we got back. But what was cleaned spotlessly and placed on the table for us to see was the big thermos that was in the kitchen that I had leaned my hand on when I was asking her to clean the apartment.
Needless to say, I still need to work on my Creole. Map apwan…Map apwan (I’m learning…I’m learning) – Cody
The longest three hours
November 8, 2009
Church this morning:
• 3 hours long
• Hard wooden benches with people so close together that you can smell each other’s deodorant, or more so their lack of deodorant
• Children’s church simply meant that Susana and Isabela got to lay across our lap and cause us to sweat all the more. Their toy to occupy themselves for the three hours consisted of Daddy’s sunglasses and his keychain. It was amazing to see what creativity they had. Isabela did surprisingly well. Susana had to bail halfway through as she had no problem letting the whole church know that she was not happy.
• Singing in French, preaching in Creole. Percentage of words understood – 0%
• Had to wear pants and a button down shirt. The only button down that I have is black – not a good color to wear in Haiti’s heat.