Why are we going to Haiti? - an inspiration...

Gosh, what an inspiration last night that extended into this morning!!! Well, I definitely have to share this you!!

I had a wonderful visit with a wonderful friend last night about our upcoming mission trip to Haiti in May. She was asking many good questions, but one of them is the reason I stayed up last night – deep in thought. “What will we be doing there and why do they need us?” The question came as a result of her conversations with fellow collegues of their experiences on mission. She works in the medical field and when told about the many medical mission trips that people have gone on where they are performing surgeries from sun up to sundown and the lines of people waiting for much needed medical care, she wondered about what she would be doing – distributing fruit trees??? She brought up a very good question that many others may have, so this is basis for my big inspiration.

You know, there are many people who don’t think they are needed on a mission trip. They aren’t doctors or nurses; they don’t have construction or engineering skills. Some people don’t feel like they have any skills to offer. But that’s OK. They are all wrong!! While all those roles mentioned are very important and needed, so is the basic role of simply loving your neighbor and caring for the poor. We do just this with our “Hands for Haiti” mission. As my favorite quote from St. Francis of Assisi says, “Preach the Gospel at all times, use words if necessary.” We are doing just that! The Gospels emphasize LOVING others and SERVING others and taking care of the POOR. And actually, when you go to Haiti, you will see that they will LOVE us and they will SERVE us and you will wonder who’s really POOR? And what is “poor” anyway? Are we poor in our own hearts? You will be touched in a way that you have never been touched before. You experience a kind of Love that you may not have ever experienced before. Be always open!!!

Yes, we will be delivering fruit trees to the poorest in the mountains and we will be visiting people in remote places and we will be immersed in Haitian culture. We will be served and loved as much as we will be serving and loving and the exchange will be beautiful and life changing and humbling.

Let’s go to Haiti together. Holding hands with each other, extending hands to others, receiving hands from new friends and bringing hands back that are changed and renewed with the love of Christ, ready to greet anything God is calling for our lives with JOY!!!

If you can’t come with us on our journeys, please join with us by following our blog site while we are there. You, too, can experience the beauty of Christ’s love in your heart, spilling out over everyone you meet. Follow us and pray for us!!

God bless,  Debbi

Support us through your Lenten Contributions!!

LENT... A time for preparing ourselves for the glorious resurrection of our Lord and Savior!! As you know, there are three main parts of Lent: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. I pray that you use this season to draw closer to the Lord!! It’s so awesome to see each other’s relationship with Jesus soar to new heights!!! Glory to be to HIM!!!

This is also a time when you are approached by many organizations for almsgiving. Well, I would like to throw another one out there.

HANDS FOR HAITI

 

I know there a lot of organizations asking for people to donate for their Lenten sacrifices. While I don’t intend to sway you from these obligations, they are all good, I am just offering another option. Consider donating to a local mission where you know exactly where your money is going. We take groups to Haiti to help with whatever is needed in the Artibonite Valley region (60 miles north of the capital of Port au Prince). We also offer scholarships to young people you would really love to have the mission experience but just don’t have the resources. These are some of the things that we have done and will continue to do:

 

Accomplishments so far:

• Built shelters in Port au Prince.
• Distributed school supplies to earthquake refugee school kids.
• Built a home for an earthquake refugee family that had lost everything.
• Distributed trees to poor Haitian villages in the mountains.
• Help with the children’s tree nursery.
• Volunteer @ Mother Theresa’s Home for Malnourished Babies

Future/Ongoing projects:

• Building another tree nursery.
• Distributing fruit trees to more villages in the mountains..
• Building latrines in outlying villages.
• Working in the children’s nursery.
• Volunteer @ Mother Theresa’s Home for Malnourished Babies.
• To build a mission house as our home base and be able to employ local Haitians there!!
• … and many others as the needs come up!!

As you know, we are just starting out, but growing steadily!!

 

Please help us bring this experience of spreading the love of Christ to more people like those you see here!!

You can now donate ONLINE through paypal!!!  Just "click" the DONATE button on the side bar!!
Or ~ you can always send donations to Hands for Haiti, 7421 W. Blue Rd., Lake City, MI  49651

God bless and thank you!!!!

Team MAY Mission Trip Details!!

Date:      Wednesday, May 18 – Wednesday, May 25, 2010

                       Leave Tuesday night to stay overnight in Detroit
                       Depart approx. 7 a.m. from Detroit airport, arrive in Haiti approx. 1 p.m.
                       Depart approx. 2 p.m. from Haiti, arrive in Detroit approx. 10 p.m.

 

Cost:      $950 ($500 deposit by March 25, 2011)

Includes:      Airfare, lodging, food and transportation in Haiti for 7 nights.
                     (Does not include any food purchased at airport.)

 

Goal:      To help build a second tree nursery, help distribute fruit trees throughout the
                mountain villages, and assist Fr. Alexis.

 

Need ASAP!!

• Your commitment and enthusiastic desire to serve the people of Haiti!!
• $500/per person to secure flights.
• Passport name and number and date of birth

Please let me know if you are interested!!

 

More details will follow including a group meeting. We are still working on the project itinerary.