Haiti, Jan 28 - Feb 4, 2016

January 30, 2016

Maylon and Winn are putting counters in the kitchen. Construction crew is playing and
working hard at the playground. There are some local kids helping too. Tyler was using a Haitian boy to measure the depth of the holes. The boy loved it.

The medical team had a wonderful time with the kids. They went to two schools so far. The kids sang

a known worship song and then they asked the medical team to sing it back to them in English. Thankfully they knew the song.  Was a special time!

Liane has been cooking up a storm and the team are helping here and there.  The sewing group assisted the 21 ladies at Degeance  in making quilts.

Little girls met us at the bottom of the mountain to help carry medical supplies.

Long trip up the mountain for Liane.

January 31, 2016

We started off at church, then had a Haitian lunch that included the most delicious lalo - which is a jute, spinach and fish dish.

Jody played two songs on her flute, which was our Special Music at church. 

After church, we spent the afternoon at community clinic (which was in the church sanctuary). What did we see and do? A little of everything!

Jean and her new friend:

Joy doing assessments with our Haitian friends:

Tammy listening to a tummy!

Elaine offering support:

Gayle and Dr Jack fixing an owie:

Jody and Pam cleaning wax (and assorted goodies!) out of an ear:

Laurie setting up a "poke" (blood test!):

Pam doing a little foot washing: 

Christian prescribing an ear medication:

February 1, 2016

Today, the team separated into three groups: the first group did construction at Lanzac and MPCA, the second group built and painted tables at the Mission Center, and the third group did student physicals at MPCA (Mission Possible Christian Academy).

The team in the back of the the Mission Possible truck, on the way to one of the schools:

But Christian prefers to ride a Haitian Harley and feel the wind blowing through his hair...

After mixing cement for several days in a row, Ty figured out a new use for his shovel...

Steve is looking for something to haul in his wheelbarrow. 

Party at the end of the day!

February 3, 2016

Another good day in Haiti. Medical started out at Lanzac and proceeded to LaHatte for the remainder of the day. Construction was at MPCA and at the Mission Center doing many different chores. Sewing went to Degeance for the morning.

Tell me when it hurts..

Jon roughing it.

St Marc-they prayed over us at church Sunday.

Liane's proud group of quilters at Degeance.

Haiti, Jan 20-27, 2016

January 22, 2016

Greetings from Haiti. We worship an amazing God. Although there is still much poverty here, there has been incredible progress in so many ways. For those of you who are not aware, Mission Possible has been more intentional than ever in regards to developing godly leaders with integrity, discipline, and proactive decision-making.

This week has been rewarding and productive as many different skill sets have merged to become a special week of medical, organizing, and construction.

Thursday was spent with the medical team in Chardene, construction group at the Mission Center-plus shopping, and overall getting acquainted with the surroundings.

There have been many great moments to share-meeting our sponsor children for one....meet Rose...

Playing doctor.... he loves wearing those gloves...

Making new friends.... she would keep 1,000 of these precious treasures...

January 24, 2016

Degeance and Dupin were the places to be these last two days for anything medical. Physicals were performed, ears were cleaned, eyes were checked, glasses were dispersed, friends were made.

Many tried to take children home with them...

Some tough guys showed their soft side....

Some were sporting head-wear fitting of the occasion...

Some got to meet all kinds of irresistible children of God...

At the mission center - new and old friends....

At the mission center, sewing classes...

Roof framing at MPCA....

Welding and Desks at the center....

We were all blessed with church today. Part of the group went to St Marc church and the others went to MPCA to hear Lynn preach. Devotions tonight.

January 25, 2016

We are inching our way toward the end of week 1-a bit sad-yet wonderful to be seeing what God has been doing through His servants. Monday was a full day for medical and optometry at St Marc, sewing at the mission center, and construction at MPCA.

Liane's sewing bonanza...

Karen teaching how to count....

Dr John doing what he does best....

Jody soaking it in...

Mark enjoying the heat...

January 26, 2016

Most of the team was at the MPCA school - involved in medical, optometry, physicals, ear cleansing, and construction.

A few more pictures from Monday, January 25:

A hard life......

Why we come.......

Precious....

Jeff and Heather-look who we found....

Our typical morning start in Haiti....

These have been amazing days.

Haiti/DR - Education Leadership - Jan 12-20, 2016

January 13, 2016

Today we took a lovely 20 minute truck ride and were dropped off at a safe site for a lovely 50 minute uphill hike to a Mission Possible school.  We hiked over a rough terrain of rock and small creeks, as we dodged pack mules, people, and motorcycles.  All people, young and old, were carrying their wares to sell.  I saw banana leaves that could be used for the bottom of a broom with a handle that was carved roughly from a small tree.   Other items were fruits like papayas, banana, and mangoes.  Other items sold were bark, candy, popcorn, noodles.  The students at the MP school went through three stations being taught by adults that had gone through a leadership program.  We assisted with any station we wished.  Stations were fitness, hygiene, and nutrition.  I assisted with the fitness and the kids 1^st – 6^th  enjoyed all of the fun from their instructors.

In the afternoon, we taught fitness to teachers that taught in grades Preschool-6.  What fun it was to share our time with these new and experienced teachers, our favorite class of the day! PE!  PE is not a spectator sport and the teachers were totally engaged.  A great time!

-Judy Pelphrey.

January 15, 2016

For starters, I cannot believe today is our last day in Haiti! It can’t be possible that time has flown by this quickly! I guess this means I’m meant to come back on another trip: prepare yourself mom! ;)

A moment that has really stuck with me the most was when our group went to the school Degeance, a school that’s a forty minute hike and a very rocky twenty minute truck ride from a main road in Haiti. As the rest of my team was busy teaching the children certain topics, Rene and I had gone into the preschool classroom and began having fun of our own. All I’ve learned how to say is “good morning”, “what is your name”, and “my name is Abbey”, so clearly there was a communication barrier between the children and I. Yet, they didn’t care, and we quickly started playing little games with them. At one point, I looked down and saw that the kids were laughing at a little boy (though they tried to explain why they were laughing, I had no idea what was going on). I quickly scooped him up into my arms and held him. For the next twenty minutes, Rene and I sang songs with the children, laughed, took pictures, and enjoyed being with them, and all the while this little boy clung to me so that I didn’t put him down. He let me love on him, laugh with him, and dance with him despite the fact that I was a stranger.

Looking at it from the perspective of the child, his teacher had just simply left the classroom to talk to our leaders and strange white people were now standing before him with no way of communication. His friends were laughing at him, and as a child of that age, he probably wanted to just go home and cry. But, thankfully enough, he took to the stranger and clung on for comfort. He had no idea who I was, what I’ve done in my life, or what my personal intentions were for that afternoon, yet he liked me. I had not done anything exceptionally outstanding to make them want to be my friend, and yet despite all of that, he still took to me.  

In comparison to what I’ve known in the United States, everything about this experience was amazing to me. No parent would let their child tromp through the forest, by themselves, for forty minutes, even if it was to go to school. Not many children at the preschool age let strangers pick them up, and find so much comfort in their presence that they just cling to them and find such joy in just being held.

This taught me a lot about having what the Bible says I need to have: child-like faith. I don’t need to know the plans the Lord has for my life, I don’t need to be afraid of the unknown, but like that child, I need to cling to Him for comfort. I need to trust in who I know He is, and have undying faith in His sweet love for me. And what’s even more amazing was that it took the Lord putting me in the forest, in a foreign country, holding a strange, sweet and loving child, to realize just how precious I am to the Lord. It reminded me that no matter what happens in my life, He is my rock; He will never leave me nor forsake me, and will love me until my final breath (and forever after that too!!).  I am so silly not to cling to him for all of my life.

This trip has allowed me to realize that I am closest to my Father, when I am furthest from my comfort zone. I have loved every second of my experience!

-- Abbey :)

January 16, 2016

We have all arrived safely in the Dominican Republic. It’s been really awesome to watch people on this trip experience the sights and sounds of the Dominican for the first time as we arrived and went to church. So much dancing, hugging, and smiles were given as the best gifts we could ever receive. We were welcomed warmly. We are all very excited to see what today and Tuesday bring as we teach our classes to teachers and students alike. I will be teaching English classes all day on Tuesday for grades 1-8.

Haiti was wonderful, and so different than what I have experienced here in the DR. Since I didn't have a specific job or subject to teach. Everyone that talked to me in Creole, my automatic response was Spanish, which is an issue since most don’t speak Spanish there. My favorite part of the whole trip was riding in the cattle truck- I stood the whole time, absorbing as much of the beautiful terrain as I could. The kids were adorable, and my favorite school that I visited was Chardene. Driving up a dried river bed with trees hitting me was adventurous, all worth it, for sure.

 Mackenzie Lyon

January 17, 2016

Sunday in Barahona… a day to regroup and gain momentum for the days ahead with our teachers and students.  After a Saturday night revival service in the Creole church, our morning and afternoon were spent prepping for an in-service and processing all we had experienced.  Our day closed with a final revival service and so many hugs that our hearts are overflowing.

Over the years, a highlight has been seeing the building process of the Creole church.  Walking on the ground, dreaming of a church with Pastor Moise, visiting the building as it was in process of being built and then worshiping with our Creole speaking family overwhelms my heart.  It is an honor to have been a part of their story and makes me excited for the days to come in Haiti and the Dominican.   One thought that has been shared over and over is that while we cannot change the whole world, we can change the world for someone and that is what matters. 

-- Nicole

January 18, 2016

Today our team presented five different sessions to the teachers at Ebenezer School.  It was a scheduled in-service day for the teachers.  The sessions included a presentation by Mary Jo Williams on effective schools and teaching techniques to improve achievement.  Steve Amstutz presented a session on the scientific method and did a number of experiments that the teachers really enjoyed.  The last session prior to lunch was on thematic units, presented by Becky Cronkleton.

Following lunch prepared by the staff at the school, Judy Shick talked with the teachers about using fables and music as techniques to engage students and help them retain what they have learned.  Our physical education crew taught teachers about the five fitness components, and demonstrated games using equipment they brought made of nylon hosiery.  These were made into balls, Frisbees, jump ropes, and stretch bands.

We have one more scheduled day at the school tomorrow, and will be working with the school children in their classrooms.  We are committed to making our last day as meaningful as possible, and finishing strong! 

Bendiciones,

Mary Jo Williams, Steve and Jana Amstutz

January 19, 2016

Greetings from the Dominican Republic!  It was another full day for our team of teachers. I had the pleasure of playing Science Teacher Assistant to Steve’s Science Professor Performance. I actually learned a great deal and the students were absolutely astonished.  It was amazing to see how mesmerized they were by simple science concepts. Steve put on quite the performance and had them eating out of his hand. 

As we begin to pack up to prepare for our morning departure, I can honestly say that I have lived a lifetime in one week.  As a first time missionary to Haiti/DR, I have been overwhelmed by sights, sounds, smells and emotions. (Did I mention smells?)

 I am certain that my first few days back in the states will find me continuing to process this experience. Words and pictures can never convey the reality of being with the people of these countries.

God did not create third world people. We are all created in His image and, while the world may assign us a perceived value, we are all created with an inherent value.  It is exciting to see the impact Mission Possible has had in a relatively short period of time.  I am exceedingly grateful for the opportunity I have had to serve, and I praise God for His daily provision, mercy and grace as he walked beside this first world girl in these third world countries. (Anne’s part)

Today we were privileged to teach students at the Ebenezer school after teaching their teachers yesterday.  We all noticed and were thrilled that the teachers were already utilizing concepts they learned yesterday with today’s activities.  It was another full day with rising at 5:30 a.m. to prepare breakfast, teaching until 3:00 p.m., actually taking a walk through Barahona and putting our feet in the Caribbean, eating Dominican meals, shopping for larimar jewelry from a local vendor, packing to leave and final devotions with these dear friends we have made.  We have been so blessed with the sharing of devotions and worshiping together!

We are ready to return home for a warm shower and be with our families and friends, but we are leaving part of our hearts here. (Judy’s half)

“The time is now, come church arise

Love with His hands, see with His eyes

Bind it around you, let it never leave you

And they will know us by our love.”

Anne Ricketts & Judy Shick

Haiti - Student Pictures - December 5-12, 2015

December 7, 2015

Our first day of student photos at our Chardene school (Pre-K through 13th grade) was a huge success!!

We have already been greatly touched by our time with the kids here.  We photographed just over 500 students and their teachers.  And we had so much fun at the same time!  Along with just taking pictures, we played and interacted with the kids, sharing Jesus' love with them through our time and attention, hugs and hand shakes, broken French and a fluffy blue teddy bear.  We were so proud to see the students working hard on their school work, and especially on their "faith work" and discipline.

Tomorrow we head to two other schools, and I'm looking forward (ha!) to the long hike up the mountain early in the morning.

December 9, 2015

We are right on schedule and taking lots of pictures that we are excited to share with you when we return.  Yesterday we hiked up a mountain and over some water to Dupin, then headed into the “city” to reach our St Marc school.  Played a lot with the kids at both places.

Today we walked to our Lanzac school, where we saw just 25 little ones.  And although I didn’t believe him, Darren was right when he said some children would cry.  There was one pre-school student who actually ran away screaming(more than once) because the scary white people were invading his territory! 

After Lanzac, we went to our largest school, MPCA, where we photographed most of the students there.  Because there is some extra testing going on this week, we will need to finish three grades tomorrow.

This evening began with a dinner with our leadership academy graduates, then a time for them to hear from Darren and Pastor Herve about the difference good leaders can make in someone’s life. 

Tomorrow we hike up another mountain to Degeance, and will hopefully be able to do a little sight-seeing on the way down before heading back to MPCA.

We appreciate your faithful prayers for us while we’re here!  We know the Spirit is moving in Haiti, and believe God will do great things through the work we are doing this week.
 

December 11, 2015

Last post for this trip... We're all missing our friends and families and looking forward to leaving tomorrow - but also sad about leaving this beautiful and desperate place!  This morning we traveled to Lahatte to visit the adorable kids at our farthest school.  I haven't been there before, and didn't know that there was an actual dessert (with real cactus!) in Haiti!  Thankfully, the kids were very excited to see us, and no one cried or screamed and ran away!

We took a short tour of a close village, and loved on the kids while taking their pictures and helping our nurse (Anite) determine which students needed vitamins the most.  We watched them play some soccer during recess before lunch, and learned a lot about their culture.  It's hard to believe that the people in that area often have to walk between 2 and 3 hours to find water, then carry it home!!

Darren and I will be having a couple of short meetings this afternoon with Pastor Herve and Hachemy, then the Leadership graduates will be here for dinner and training again this evening.

Please pray that this time together will spur us all to share with others about the amazing Haitian people and culture, and to work toward building a better place to raise up the next generation of Christ-centered leaders!!

Haiti - Student Physicals and OB Sessions - Nov 7-14, 2015

Nov 9, 2015

We woke up bright and early on Sunday morning, Nov 8, and headed to church about 30 minutes from here. It was a time of lively praise and worship, a wonderful sermon about the importance of having Christ-centered families, a testimony from a woman about her son who was near death but now is healed, and even had the entire congregation pray over our team. Tonya expressed how powerful it is to have so many people simultaneously praying over you in a language that you can’t understand. It’s always so moving to see how deeply the Haitians care about us!

On Sunday afternoon we held a blood pressure clinic. It was encouraging to see a good number of people show up and was a nice way for our team to ease into the trip in a more relaxed atmosphere. Sunday evening was spent preparing for our first day at the school, along with playing a little bit of Fizz-bo!

This morning we made the trip to Chardene, where we were welcomed with the kids singing “Father Abraham” for us! We first saw the students that needed the most attention and were thankful for how smoothly we all transitioned into our roles as we worked to assess them. We saw a lot of stuff that we were expecting to see, along with some things that were a little more severe, and it’s always such a blessing to be able to help these sweet people.

Amber, who is experiencing Haiti for her first time, said that the highlight of her day was spending time with the kids. She loved their smiles and their orneriness as they played with her stethoscope, looked at her watch, and of course wanted her to take their pictures!

Nov 10, 2015

Today our team hiked up a mountain, crossed over some water, and visited Dupin! We were very blessed to have several Haitian men who were willing to carry the heavy stuff for us, and I'm happy to report that no one fell and rolled down the hill! :) It's always humbling to have the men help us; you really see their servant hearts through the way that they carry things for us, hold our hands as we walk up and down steep hills, and show us which rocks to use as stepping stones while we're crossing over water. We saw a lot of students in the morning, all with varying sicknesses.

This afternoon we held an OB clinic for some of the pregnant women in Dupin. The women were really appreciative of the teachings and it was a good eye-opener to all of us as we learned just how different our cultures can be when it comes to caring for unborn and newborn babies. Tonya got the neat opportunity to let the women hear the heartbeats of their babies! It's always such a sweet moment to see the ladies' faces light up and to see the other women in the room celebrate the moment with them!

Nov 11, 2015

The past 24 hours have been full of conquering things. First, we conquered a huge spider (It was roughly the size of our heads! Okay maybe not quite that big, but it was big enough!) with the help of a sweet Haitian man. I'm sure he got a good laugh out of us being so scared! This morning we conquered climbing up another mountain to visit the Degeance school. Several students from the school came down the mountain to help us carry our stuff; it was so sweet of them, and once again we were blown away by their thoughtfulness. We saw a lot of students this morning, and even though it was crowded and hot, we felt so privileged to have had the opportunity to lay hands on these kids and give them some attention.

In the afternoon, we had another OB clinic for some pregnant women in Degeance. They were a really fun group of ladies; they had some wonderful questions and offered a lot of information about how they deliver babies in their villages. They did a wonderful job learning how to do CPR on their babies if it was ever needed, and were excited to receive their OB kits!

Nov 13, 2015

We didn't get a chance to post yesterday, but it was a great day! We visited Lanzac school right away in the morning where we saw a very sick little girl. Luckily we were able to treat her and explain to her mom and principal exactly what the problem was. It was such a blessing that we got to be there that morning to help her.

After Lanzac, we made the long and dusty trip up to LaHatte school. And boy, was it hot! We were encouraged by how organized it was and how well the kids did during their physicals. They're always excited to receive any type of attention and love, so while some of us did an OB seminar with the pregnant and/or new mommas, Amber, Rene, and Hannah took the kids outside and played with them! Despite the incredible heat, it was a great time playing and singing with those kids! The other half of the group had a great time with the ladies, and we even got to take turns holding a beautiful pair of one-month-old twins! It's so hard to believe that today was our last full day!

The week has gone so fast, and we've seen God move in so many cool ways! After we were done at MPCA this afternoon, we gathered in the back of the truck, along with our translators, nurse and pastor, to join hands and pray together. It was so neat for them to pray for us, and us to pray for them. One of the coolest things about these trips is seeing how we get to build relationships with people, and re-connect with people we've met on previous trips!