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