Christmas Generator Watt Drive

Hands for Haiti Health Clinic

Christmas Generator Watt Drive

The Mont Carmel Centre Medical is so close to opening their doors but they desperately need a generator.  Once they receive this much needed power source, the doors can open!!  Can we give them this for Christmas?  Let’s try!!  We have 12 days until Christmas and $7,000 to go.  This has been our biggest drive so far. 

 

We are setting our donations at $25/Watt. 

We need 280 Watts to get the generator. 

 

A great idea!! If you don’t know what to get that someone

who has everything for Christmas, make a donation in their name!

I will immediately mail out a

Christmas Card

with a picture of the Health Clinic and

their name honored as the reason for the gift.

Wouldn’t you just love to see the next pictures of this clinic

with PEOPLE in it, being cared for??

**Email us or message us on FACEBOOK

with amount and addresses to send Christmas cards to!!

 handsforhaititeam@gmail.com

Mail donations to: 7421 W. Blue Rd.

Lake City, MI  49651

College Spring Break Haiti Mission Trip!!

Sign up is starting for our:

2013 College Spring Break Haiti Mission Trip!!

March 2-9, 2013

Join us as we help build, deliver, serve, learn, laugh, cry, LOVE the people in Haiti!!

Date:               Saturday, March 2 – Saturday, March 9, 2013                      

Cost:               $950    ($500 deposit by Jan. 1, 2013)

Includes:        Airfare, lodging, food and transportation in Haiti for 7 nights.

                          We will also be spending one day at the beach along the beautiful Haitian

                        mountains. (It's spring break - we have to go to the beach!)

Goal:               Possibilities:  To help finish construction and/or paint a home, help distribute
                        fruit trees throughout the mountain villages, help distribute water filters.

 

Need ASAP!!
 

ü  Your commitment and enthusiastic desire to serve the people of Haiti!!

ü  $500/per person to secure flights. 

ü  Passport name and birthdate.

More details will follow including a project itinerary.

Email us at handsforhaititeam@gmail.com for a complete information packet!!

Monday

Another busy day here.This morning I took a ride with our friend Jean Rony to St. Marc for some computer poblems he was having.  He drove 20 miles, then 3 times around the block looking for a spot to park, then in line for 45 minutes while a UN officer with a sawed off 12 gauge watched your every move!  All that for a 5 minute question and answer session that us Americans would have just made a quick call on the phone for!

I'm sitting here at 9pm sweating my butt off while I'm writing this which wouldn't be so bad if I hadn't just got out of the shower!  Debbi had a rough night with a tummy ache but after getting going we headed back to Verrettes to visit some of the gardens Faith In Action International has been working on this summer.  They have used all of the trees that Team October 2011 planted in the nursery and the private gardens are starting to produce fruit already (only 1 year!). We also had the opportunity to visit with some young teachers/professors at a school designed for individuals who have finished high school and would like to continue at a university but can not afford it.  Instead they go to this school and receive teaching certificates which will allow them to find good paying jobs with less expense. 

We finished our day in Verrettes saying goodbye to Sister Judy and tying up loose ends with Fresnel and Joanes who are helping us with our future building projects.  We had a nice dinner with Fr. Alexis and laughed a lot as usual!  Such a great friend!

 We leave in the morning to trek back to the States.  We look forward to seeing our family who we miss terribly but will also miss the many friends we have here in Haiti!  Au revoir!!  Jeff

Sunday

Sunday began with Haiti's traditional amazing Freedom Soup that Fr. Alexis' cook makes so well!!  After that we attended Mass at Fr. Alexis parish, then on to a festival Mass in another village.  It's just amazing seeing so many people worship our Lord in such beautiful ways!!

After a full morning we visiting Vania and the health clinic we are working on.  Vania had lots of family visiting her home because of her mother's funeral, but she welcomed the distraction and was very eager to show us what our last donation had accomplished.  From the last "Brick Drive" that we had, we were able to pay for the septic tank and the water reservoir for the clinic.  This is a huge step!!  Now the next thing she needs is the generator.  Once the generator is in, and the toilets, the clinic can be open to see patients!!!!  The rest of the work can be done while patients are in the clinic.  This is very exciting!!  Watch for the next Health Clinic drive to pay for this much needed next step in the health care of the village of Liancourt, Haiti!!You guys are making a difference and it is an honor to watch it happen first hand!!  Thank you to all who have helped and who have been praying for this project. 

We closed our night with another dinner with a guest from Canada that is working in Liancourt, training skilled workers. 

We are very blessed to be here!!

Saturday-Culture Day!

Haitian culture. That is what we experienced today. 

We attended the funeral of our good friend, Vania's (the nurse who is building the health clinic) mother. It was both moving and emotional to experience the ways people grieve in different cultures. What is normal here would not be at home. 

Because Vania's brother is a priest and her mom was pretty well known, 30 priests came from all over Haiti to pay their respects,  including Canada and Europe.   The church was packed full as was the outside around the church  Fr. Alexis received all the priests and religious sisters (about 60 people)  in his home afterwards for a meal while the funeral procession continued down the street to the cemetery - complete with a band leading the way. Such a celebration of life after the time of grieving. 

After this, we took a tap/tap to Verrettes.  There we found our good friend, Limene, and spent some time at her home visiting with our friends. Our friend, Aniel, was busy sewing school uniforms for his children  It's so nice to see people in town that you recognize and that run to see you. 

We continued on to Sr. Judy's and had a very productive meeting about our upcoming project.  Their are so many details to work out, but we have wonderful people we are working with!  On our way back, we visited another home of a couple boys where the roof is falling down. This was probably one of the poorest homes we have visited. I am still overwhelmed at the joy these people can have even under the worst of circumstances. Amazing!!

When we arrived at Fr. Alexis' we found Lillian busy mashing potatoes by hand for our dinner. She had been up since 3:30 this morning getting ready for the reception of the priests after the funeral, yet she still had the biggest smile on her face!  Such a servant!  She loves what she does and does it with joy!  

We learned a lot today about the Haitian culture. The more we learn, the more we can start to understand and therefore serve better.  For that is our sole purpose - to serve others using our "Hands for Haiti."

Bon nuit!!!

Day 2 - Friday!!

It doesn't take long to fall back into the "Haitian way." We woke to the chickens and roosters and dogs and early morning traffic and...well you get the picture. After some terrific coffee and a hearty breakfast we took a Tap-tap to meet up with Sister Judy in Verretttes.

Most of today was spent discussing and planning for our future projects. We were introduced to two young men, Fresnel and Joanes, who will be helping us with the coordinating of the building projects. We are very lucky to have them here doing the groundwork that we cannot do from the States. Sister Judy drove us around to different sites to get a feel for the lay of the land but more importantly to meet and hear the stories attached to these families. Needless to say, our resolve to help them was renewed and the look of hope in their eyes reminded us of just how important what we do here is.

It is very difficult to feel like we are doing very much for others here because each time we come we feel so much more like we are the ones receiving the help. God has Blessed us with many friends here and its really neat to be recognized and greeted as we travel through the villages. The thunder and rain has begun and the temp is falling so it looks to be a good night for sleep!

We look forward to tomorrow here but have gotten word that Nurse Vania's mother passed away. Vania is the nurse building the health clinic we have been fundraising for. We will attend the funeral in the morning. Father Alexis and his staff will receive more guests tonight for the funeral and are busy getting ready. Servants for sure!


God Bless,

Jeff

Thursday - Arrival in Haiti

Today wasn't any different. The wave emotions that hit me when I walk off the plane are always the same. It's like the bond that was formed between me and Haiti eleven years ago gets stronger and stronger each time I return. And today celebrating Jeff's birthday here was so special! The only thing that could have made it perfect were if our kids were with us, but we know they we...re here in spirit.
It's amazing the plan God has for us and the paths He leads us down and the people He so carefully places in our lives. I wonder at His patience in us (even when we are impatient), His skillful way of teaching us (even when we don't want to learn), His faith in us (even when our faith in Him is lacking), and His unconditional love for us (even when we forget to love others).
Pray for us as we begin tomorrow to set in motion the "plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."    ~ Jeremiah 29:11

Pray for the people of this beautiful culture that we are called to serve and give hope to. Help us to be the hands and feet of Christ while we are here. Help us to live out the true meaning of JOY: Jesus first, Others second, Yourself last.

God bless and good night!!

2 months since we returned!!

Today marks 2 months since Team March 2012 has returned from Haiti. 

Where has the time gone? 

We've gotten back to the routine of our daily lives, but has something changed in us?

Stay tuned... for more reflections!!!

On the plane in Haiti headed to Miami!!

On our way back to Port au Prince

Monday. Part 2

Ohh dear, where to even begin! Tomorrow is our last day in Haiti. It will be sad but fun. This trip so far for me has been very awakening to like and my faith. Seeing everyone here and how they have so much appreciation and respect for pretty much anything or anyone is renewing for me as a person. All the people are so anxious and happy about every little thing they try and do. It is actually really inspiring to me! Now  it will be very challenging for me to bring what I have learned here back to my home in Cadillac.  I know I can't bring it all but I can bring some :) I haven't quite comprehended on how I will fulfill my real life and faith there yet.. But I will! With the help of God. I can not wait till our last day tomorrow. I know it will be very exciting and emotional but undoubtedly fun. I will probably post after our last day also so... Tah tah for now :)

 -Rachel-

Monday. Our last day in Verrettes.

This trip has truly been an inspirational one. This week has opened not only my eyes but so many others as well. We are all truly blessed to have experienced this in our own unique and special way. For me it's been getting away from the everyday life. No worries, no complications, and no hassle. A care-free week for me to learn from and help others.  The friends and bonds we have made between the Haitians  and our fellow team members will never be broken or forgotten. Today we helped Tom some more with his house, well others did, I mostly like to play with his little boy Ryan while observe too! We took a break for lunch and took some time in the hot sun to play with some of the local kids and teens in the streets. We had fun jump roping, coloring, learning creole, playing frisbee, soccer, and volleyball. All those laughs and smiling faces just really make you feel good inside. After that we headed up the mountains to play and do some crafts with the people of Terre Rouge.  As we shared a good time with them, many laughs, and a lot of singing we ended our day pretty tired out. I look forward to tomorrow visiting mother Teresa's Home for Malnourished Babies and spending our last day in wonderful Haiti.  It has been a spring break that I not only needed but truly enjoyed and found God in so many ways. These people have a joy I can't explain and it has touched me and put a smile on my face and our group's faces that won't be erased.

Love, Bekah

Cards games at the guest house. Intense!!

Hanging downtown

Sharing bracelets with friends

Heading out in our trusty truck

It's Monday!!!

Good morning!! This morning we are off to spend the day with our Haitian friends in the mountains!!!!

Sent from my iPhone

At the Health Clinic

Sunday!!

It has been another amazing day here in Haiti!  We woke very early (4am) to a loud horn honking in the road outside the complex. Come to find out it was a normal daily occurance as an alarm for the workers to head into the fields to work. Anyway, the reason we heard it so clearly was because our generator was out!  No lights, water, etc. not a big deal....it's Haiti right!? Made getting ready for church a bit more challenging. We went to Father Alexis' home and were treated to a wonderful breakfast of Freedom soup prepared by Maude, Lillian and Madame Denae. It was Palm Sunday and we processed through the streets of Liancourt with the congregation of Our Lady Of Mt. Carmel parish waving palms and singing!  Then Mass with wonderful singing and many friendly faces. We then visited Vania at the " to be" Our Lady Of Mt Carmel health clinic. We were treated to a surprise lunch she had prepared for us and were able to eat it inside the clinic!  She recently was able to install the well and has a very nice fence around the clinic property. With the help of many we were able to present Vania with a check that should cover the installation of a septic system and water reservoir and bring her dream of  opening and serving the people of her community one more step closer to fruition.  We found some time to relax  in the heat of the late afternoon and finished the last bit of daylight with a visit to the local bakery. The building is not what one would expect with dirt floors and wood fired oven. Unbelievable bread! It's a wonder how it dosent get full of dirt!   In the evening we met, as we always do, to pray and discuss the day. Everyone agreed that the experience we are having is changing us in many ways. Some commented that it would be difficult to go back to "normal" when returning home as we are finding that our happiness depends little on what we have and more on what our relationships are like with those God has put in our lives.  The simplicity of Haitian life has grounded these people in the faith that God provides for our needs if we trust in him. I pray that we can develop this trust and learn to live a more simple life as to more clearly see and hear the plans he has for each of us. 

God bless,

Jeff

Saturday the 31st

So this is Stephen, I'm trying to write this post Debbi style so we'll see if I can pull this off.  Last night we stayed up till 1:30 playing games and talking with some other group from Pennsylvania, so some of us were super tired this morning. The plan for today was to cement the rebar into the  corner of the building for Tom. You know how they say that God laughs when we say we have a plan?  Yeah well he definitely does. So anyways that did not happen as planned. Daniel got his knee destroyed by a haitian soccer player so he didn't come to the work site with us today.   

        We show up at Tom's at like 9:00 am and he sent everyone to the work site but Jake, Brian, Joseph, and myself. We went with Tom to go get water. Well long story short then we rode in the horse slayer (the car was crashed into a horse recently) and it over heated like 100 times on the ride to get water. Anyway by the time we got to the work site it was 12:00. But we got all the work done by supper and everybody is super sunburnt but me.

                After supper  we played a game of Jenga and we found out that there is a rat in the kitchen that Watson can't fine, Wow. Any ways I think what I learned today is that plans should Always be second to the needs of the people around you. I guess I should get to bed, Debbi is suppose  to spell check this. So I'm going to tell her to try not to destroy this post.

               God bless you all,

              Stephen Mead  

       

                                                                                         

Sent from my iPhone

No. These are not tan lines. They are DIRT lines!!

Unfortunate soccer injury :(

Hard at work!!

Water line!!

Rock line!!

All the workers

Friends

Brick line!!

Taking a break and playing a little drums.  Our Internet service has been lacking. Tomorrow look for more updates :)

Thursday - our first full day!

Today was our first full day in Haiti and it was definately full! We awoke to turkeys gobbling outside our bedroom windows and then had a very yummy breakfast of Haitian baked oatmeal. Very tasty! It took quite a while to find a tap-tap to take all of us to Faith in Action's home base where we worked today, but we were finally successful! We spent the day bending and cutting rebar, building steel corner supports for Faith in Actions mission home.  We also had the opportunity for some fun jump roping with the local kids. We ended our afternoon with a little bit of singing with our makeshift band and then headed back to our guest house to clean up for dinner.  Dinner - most of the group's first time eating goat!  And it was good!!! After a game of soccer, we gathered to talk about our day and what we experienced.

During our scripture reading tonight, "For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God^* that you have through the imposition of my hands." 2 Timothy 1:6, we talked about how important the work we were doing is.  We realized in our interacting with eachother, that we are all equal and that the Haitian people are very open about themselves and willing to give us their trust and respect.  We talked about the fact that it is a gift to have been born in our country and we should appreciate that.  We also noticed how little the Haitians wasted and how resourceful they are.  They are very creative in using what they have. 

We also noticed how easy it was to make them happy when we were playing games.  It seems like nowadays, we need so much more for entertainment all the time, but these simple Haitian kids enjoyed our simple games and laughter so much it was contagious!  They just enjoyed being around us and watching us work.  We realized how important it is to have a smile on your face and a willingness to open our hearts to this culture that we do not know much about.  Today, we were not seperate.  There were not two cultures apart, but two cultures melded together.  Working, playing, singing, laughing.  Friendships forming.

We had a good day today!!  We are looking forward to our day tomorrow!!  God bless and good night.

Team March 2012

Walking to Faith in Action's home base to start our project. 

Whew!  We finally made it to the truck with all our luggage: 8 checked bags, 11 carry on and 11 back packs. 30 in all!!!  And we ONLY ended up about about a dozen helpers!!  Now a 3 hour ride north and dinner!!

Michigan meets Minnesota!!  About to board plane to Port au Prince!!!  We should be in Haiti in an hour an a half!!

100 "Bricks" going to Haiti Health Clinic!!

Because of your generosity, we have just reached

100 "Bricks"

for the Health Clinic in Liancourt!!!

Thank you so very much!!!

Haiti Health Clinic "BRICK DRIVE" Update!!

We have 40 bricks so far!!! 

Lets get the word out and move more bricks!!

~ We have one more week ~

Help us build a much needed

health clinic in Liancourt, Haiti!

We will keep you posted on their progress!!

Meet TEAM MARCH 2012!!

In just 16 short days, 11 of us will be travelling to central Haiti where we will spend a week immersed in the Haitian culture with amazing people that have become our friends.

 Meet our "Team March" ~

• Jeff - Chiropractor, father of 5, first introduced to Haiti in 2001 and fell in love with the people.  He has put Haiti in his heart and life for the past 11 years!
• Debbi - mother of 5, dream of going to Haiti became a reality in 2001.  Debbi has been on every "Hands for Haiti" trip so far!
• Jake - currently a student at Mid-Michigan College, a former hockey player and a songwriter, Jake was a member of the innaugural "Hands for Haiti" trip in Feb/March of 2010.  He developed this blog site about our trip.
• Bekah - a student at Northern Michigan University, Bekah loves sports and horses and music!  Her first mission opportunity was in the Dominican Republic in 2010.  The trip that inspired the formation of "Hands for Haiti!""
• Daniel - a junior at Cadillac High School and varsity soccer and hockey player, Daniel can't wait until he can get back to one of his favorite places.  He has been on Team June, Team May and now his 3rd trip to Haiti in just 2 weeks!!
• Brian - also a junior at Cadillac High School, this will be Brian's first mission trip.  He has been waiting for God to answer this call for him to serve and is looking forward to the amazing experience he will have!!
• Rachel - a freshman at Cadillac High School and an avid and committed dancer, Rachel has been looking foward to accompanying us on this trip for some time.  She is most excited about meeting the people that she has heard about over the years.
• Gabriel - currently at the Cadillac Junior High and a hockey, baseball and football player, Gabe is excited to share in this first-time experience in Haiti.  He also has been looking forward to seeing first hand the work of "Hands for Haiti."
• Joe  - homeschooled all his life in Minnesota, Joe loves all kinds of projects especially working on cars.  Joe has been on one other mission trip in southern Texas where he roofed and re-sheet rocked two houses in just 1 week.  This will be his first trip to Haiti, but not out of the country!
• Adam - also from central MN, Adam was homeschooled and raised on a dairy goat farm.  He currently works for his dad's trucking company and his hobbies include playing sports, volunteering for conservative organizations, and is very involved in politics.  This will also be his first trip to Haiti!
• Stephen - currently homeschooled in MN, Stephen will be journeying to Haiti with his brother, Joe.  This will be his first Haitian experience, but hopefully not his last!!

 

Haiti Health Care Clinic - Brick Drive!!!

HAITI HEALTH CARE CLINIC – Brick Drive!!

Keeping others healthy, one brick at a time!!

Good morning all of our faithful Hands for Haiti followers! As I have been praying for this upcoming trip the end of March and discerning our direction for fundraising, I keep coming up with the same thing.

The health care clinic.

I know we usually collect for water filters, but feel God is calling us to focus on this project right now. You may not know what this is, so let me explain.

In Haiti, especially the rural areas, there is not a lot of available health care for the amount of people there are and the health care that they do have is sometimes too far for people to get to because of lack of transportation.

We were introduced to a nurse that has a dream to provide health services to her local village. She already does this from her home, sometimes throughout the night. She has put her life savings into a clinic she has started building but has run out of funds so it is not finished. I had been asked by our very good friend, Fr. Alexis, if I could help her with this project. At first, I didn't want to take on such a large project. We are just a small mission group I told him. But during my prayer for direction for our organization, God was ever consistent with His desire for us to take this on. Yes, it is overwhelming at times. I am not so experienced with this large of a project, but with Gods guidance I believe we can accomplish it. Who thought He would ask such a small humble group to take on a health clinic!?

So far, we have raised enough money to put on the needed doors and windows. But it is far from finished. We are traveling to Haiti in less than 3 weeks and I would love to bring them another donation to continue their progress. Without us, they cannot. Please find it in your heart to help us to help Vania fulfill her dream to serve her people. Once the clinic is able to see patients we will be able to volunteer our services there and more fully immerse ourselves in the life and culture of our Haitian brothers and sisters.

So we are doing a 2 week push for Health Clinic donations. How much can we raise for this beautiful expression of serving Christ? I am asking that you forward and send this to your family, friends and coworkers. If it is not something you are able to contribute to right now, that's ok, there may be someone you know that might be able to. Any assistance will help. Any prayers will also be welcome!

God bless you and together we can do great and wonderful things for great and wonderful people!!!

The Plan:

We need 200 bricks in 2 weeks!! $25 per brick!! Can we do it?

How many bricks do you want? __________# times $25 =_________________.

Please send your donations to:
Hands for Haiti Health Clinic Bricks!!

7421 W. Blue Rd.

Lake City, MI 49651



28 Days until Hands for Haiti is at it again!!!

In 28 days, Hands for Haiti's team of 11 will be back at it - trekking around the mountains of central Haiti!! 

Join us on our journey as we immerse ourselves in their culture, rekindle friendships and make new ones, and become members of the family of God's beautiful Haitian people! 

Watch our blog closely these next few weeks as we prepare for our trip.  Then continue to watch our blog as we share with you our day to day experiences!!

God bless and please keep us in your prayers!!

Team March 2012

John 15:1-8

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.


5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Haiti Health Clinic update

Hello Hands for Haiti and Health Clinic supporters!!

Because progress in Haiti is sometimes slow, this is the first Health Clinic update that I have received. 

On January 5th, they started installing the steel windows and doors and in about 4 or 5 days, they should be completed.  This is very exciting!!  This progress is solely from the contributions made from our Haiti Health Clinic Dinner back in August 2011. 

A huge thank you to all who donated for this project.  There is still lots to be done but this is a good start.  I will be in contact with Vania and Fr. Alexis regularly for updates from Haiti and also giving them updates on financial support from Hands for Haiti. 

We will soon be doing another drive for funds for this much needed clinic.  Watch for more information.  Please contact us at any time if you have any questions or would like to contribute financially.  handsforhaititeam@gmail.com


God bless!!