Journals for the 13s

Today we finally made it to the stationary store, or rather we finally made it into the stationary store. Wilkens and I have been trying to get into this store for about three days. It has been closed for various reasons. Our purpose was to purchase journals for the older children, where older is defined as 13 years old or older. 

The idea is to have something special happen when a child turns 13 and this is just a small gift. They can use the journal for whatever they want, but we emphasized that it is theirs and that they don't have to share it or show others what they write in the journal. It is for their private thoughts. 

We handed them out this afternoon along with a pen. Also we gave the letters to and took pictures of those youth that were at camp when we previously distributed letters. I hope the youth understood the purpose.  I do know that right after we gave the children the journals a couple other children claimed they were 13 too. We showed them the records we have which includes their birth date. 

I don't think the children at the center are used to a situation where some children get something and some don't, but the reality is that in a family there are times when children get special gifts and attention, so I think this is a fair concept and one that the children can learn. It also gives the younger children something to look forward to when they turn 13, as the plan is to give the journals to them on their birthday. 

Around 3 o'clock today a group from the General Baptist Association of Virginia (GBAV) landed in PaP and I went with the Pastor and Wilkens to pick them up at the airport. This group is one of, if not the, biggest sponsor of the Centre Source de Lumiere. Among other things the group is visiting for board and planning meetings. I intend to participate as much as I am invited and am changing guest houses tomorrow so that it will be easier to have evening conversations after the day's work. I am not completely sure what they intend to do besides board meetings, but I am pretty sure I heard the words "ice cream party".

I am over halfway through my trip and so tonight I pray for my family. That all continues to go well in my absence and I pray a prayer of thanks giving for without their support my trip would not be possible. I also pray for the group from Virginia. I pray their work here is productive and that they accomplish all they wish and more.  Amen.

Shopping, Shampoo, Cellebration, and Club

The day started with a quick trip to the shops. We needed to get some medicated shampoo for the children as it looks like there is an outbreak of ringworm at the center. We didn't really find what we needed, but it was something with which to start. The quest continues for stronger medicated shampoo as well as oral meds to help eradicate this little problem.

We also stopped by the market to pick up some cake for the children. The older children returned today and it was time to celebrate the birthday of Jhon Jonas and Fedson.  More on that later. 

After we arrived back at the center and put the cakes in cold storage, I sat down with Wilkens, Stephanie, and Angela who are all working as mentors for the children. I wanted to get their thoughts on what worked and what needed to change as well as set expectations for the coming year. I thought it was a good and open conversation. I appreciated their suggestions and honesty. I think we have a good platform on which to launch the next year. 

More crayon and kid time as we waited until the afternoon to have cake with the kids. The older kids having just returned from camp were very tired and needed a bit of rest.  I made the mistake of accidentally leaving the books I brought as well as the book of coloring pages at the center last night. The reading books seemed to survive alright, the book of coloring pages less so. There were a few left that quickly were used, but now they are all gone.

I think my Creole is getting better. I am able to have longer and more detailed conversations with the children. Don't get me wrong, my Creole is still terrible and my pronunciation is atrocious, but we can communicate; although it is frequently interrupted as I look words up in my English to Creole dictionary. The children are very patient and speak slowly and will repeat things until I understand. Being able to interact this way with the children is such a blessing. And a special thanks to my sister in law who purchased the dictionary for me 3 years ago, most valuable thing I bring with me on my trips. 

Soon it was cake time. The children sang happy birthday to Jhon Jonas and Fedson and then had a piece of cake. Jhon Jonas was at the camp with the older kids and while there he participated in a football (soccer) tournament, his team won 2nd place and he scored a goal in the game. The team received medallions and I have to be sure to get a picture of Jhon Jonas with the medallion. Way to go Jhon. On a non-sport note, Jhon Jonas has grown into a nice young man.  He is polite, kind, and gracias. I am sure that God will work though him to do good things. 

After cake it was time to head to the Easy English Club, that I have spoken about before. Each meeting has three parts: spiritual, grammar or speaking, and cultural. We entered while they were in the spiritual part, having a discussion about if a Christian should listen to any type of music or not. The discussions that they have in the club are quite insightful. These young people have both sharp minds and wits. I truly enjoy the discussions in the club. I fulfilled the other parts in tonight's meeting as it was essentially ask David anything you want about the US. The questions were pointed and the discussion was good. The EEC is a good club and I encourage anyone who visits here to attend. 

The Pastor drove us to the EEC, which is at the site of the church, but we needed to leave before he was ready as I was already late for dinner at the guest house, so to the tap-tap we went. It takes two tap-taps to get from the church to the guest house. The first was uneventful, but the second made Wilkiens a little more nervous. The tap-tap was a fairly normal tap-tap physically, think 15 year old minivan with a side door that doesn't close. But because it was so crowded, I was in the way back and Wilkens was in the front. Wilkens is a good friend and guardian. He seems very nervous and asked me a couple times if I was ok. I responded with of course I am, but I think he still may have been a little nervous. I, on the other hand, struck up a conversation with the lady sitting next to me. It was a chance for me to practice my Creole and it turns out that she is learning English, so it was a chance for her to practice as well. All in all a very good, albeit hot, tap-tap ride. 

This post is already quite long, so I apologize, but I need to say a few more things. First, and I have said this before, it is hard to explain,  but I don't feel nervous when I am in Haiti about security. It is not that I don't know there are risks or that I even take risks, but I feel a since of peace here.  It started when I first came to Haiti, I just felt and continue to feel God's grace here and somehow don't worry about what could happen. Doesn't mean something bad won't happen, I am just not concerned about it. I know God will see me through it, good or bad. 

The second thing I want to write about was a question I was asked at the EEC tonight. Essentially the question was what can we, the US, do to help Haiti. The short answer is we can't do anything. The Haitians have to make Haiti what they want it to be. Clearly, we, in the other countries, can be better partners with Haiti in achieving these goals; such as hiring Haitian workers as opposed to brining in foreign labor and not dumping crops on the Haitian market and destroying local production. But, in the long run Haitians must change Haiti. This got me thinking, "if I believe it takes Haitians to change Haiti then why do I come here?"  The answer that came to me is that I come here to witness God's miracle transformation of Haiti. I can't cause this transformation, but it will be spectacular and who wouldn't want front row seats for that?

Tonight I prayer for Jhon Jonas and Fedson on their birthdays. I thank God for the young man Jhon Jonas continues to become.  I thank God for the men and women of th EEC and the goals for which they strive. I thank God and ask his continued grace on Wilkens, Stephainie, and Angela as they continue to help guide these children to independent adults.  Amen. 

Pictures and Letters

It is just a little after 5pm as I write this and already I can start to hear signs of carnaval. The main carnaval is not in Port-au-Prince this year, but it still sounds like it will be quite a party tonight.

One problem I have discovered with only coming to PaP once a year is that the children change quite a bit in that year. Last year there was a ball of energy. She was full of giggles and wanting her picture taken. As I was preparing for the day and going over the list of children I couldn't recall seeing her this year. I asked Wilkens and he said she was their and showed a picture. I finally ran into her directly today and couldn't believe how much she has changed. Not only in height, but facial structure, and maturity. 

I brought a letter for each child with me on this trip. The letters were from various people that volunteered to write to one or more of the children. I want to thank those who volunteered as it was very much appreciated.

We gathered the children in one of the classrooms to let them know that we wanted to take a picture of each child and that each child would receive a letter from someone that lives in the United States or France after we took the picture. Also, that we had stickers for each child. The older kids are still at camp, so they will get their letters later when they come back. 

The children were very excited to receive their letters as well as get their picture taken. The one flaw in my plan was that I was so busy taking pictures that I didn't have the opportunity to take pictures of the children reading their letters. And afterward I was busy translating letters, so again I was not able to take pictures.  Although one child asked me to take a picture with her letter after I translated it and show that to the author of the letter, so I do have that. I want to say a big thank you to Wilkens and Madmwazèl Paulin for their help today. I couldn't have done it with out them. 

Tonight I pray for peace in Port-au-Prince, that no violence or accedents occurs during the carnaval celebrations. I pray for the children tonight as they quickly grow to youth and young adults. That God blesses them, that he watches over them, and gives them his peace and grace. May they grow to be adults that respect and care for their neighbors and each other. Amen. 

Books, Coloring, and Parks

I enjoy walking to and from the guest house to the center. I enjoy the opportunity to say hello, and the few other words of Creole I know, to the people that live in the community around the center. There are people who run the shops along the way, people just starting their day, people walking to work, and the gentleman that has a wood workshop right across from the center who we have hired on past trips to do some work. Part of the mission of the center is to reach out to the surrounding community, and I think this is a great part of the mission. 

The children are on holiday from school this week, so when I arrived at the center this morning they were busy cleaning both the center and themselves (bath day for the boys). I quickly met some of the children and delivered promised hugs on behalf of people who have come before, but did not make it this year. In case you are wondering, they ask about you. 

There is some limited WIFI at the center now, so it is nice to broadcast live via Facebook with the children. I do this In Hope that people that have never visited are able to understand a little more about the center and those that have are sparked with a happy memory. 

I brought some books with me that were donated by some kind people in New England. These are in French which works great for the children as they learn and speak French in school. They were very enthusiastic about the books and they were quickly loaned out youn chak (one each) and shared and read in groups. It was just what they needed. 

As children peeled off the books and were looking for something else to do, I started handing out coloring pages and crayons. When we started doing coloring on trips to the center it was a mad rush and all the crayons were gone within minutes never to be seen again. The children have gotten so much better at taking one crayon at a time and sharing. So much so that after 30 minutes to an hour of coloring I was down only two crayons. Don't get me wrong, some of the boys tried to pull the wool over my eyes, but when caught they are quick to comply with the rules. 

The children continue to love looking at pictures on my phone, of themselves as well as people back in the US. Something did hit me while looking at pictures with them today. I had seen the behavior before, but for some reason it really broke my heart today. There are lots of pictures of people with food on my phone, from dinners out, celebrations, etc. When the children see the pictures of food they always pause, zoom in and sometimes make fake eating noises (yum, yum, munch, munch). These kids really don't get a lot of food. One or two meals a day mostly of corn meal mush, rice and beans. At the park they would eat the small unripe mangos that fell from tree as well as some nuts that fell from a nut tree. Essentially they were scavenging. We, as a country, are so blessed with a bounty and it hurts when you see some with little. Even at camp last night dinner for the kids was bread, butter, and a drink. 

I do want to raise one person up tonight, Maudline Paulin. She is one of the "mommas" at the center, helping to take care of 37 children ages 4 to 16 everyday, 24 hours everyday, all year. Making sure the boys are bathed, braiding the girls hair, taking them to the restroom, correcting when needed, and I imagine it never stops. She does this with kindness and real love to the children. Truly an amazing dedication and ministry of its own. 

So tonight in addition for prayers for the people of Haiti, the children of the center, I pray for Mamma Pauline. I pray that they have the food they need, and that they continue to experience love and grace in the Center Source de Lumiere and its community. Amen. 

Long, but Good Day

After about 17 hours of travel I arrived in Port-au-Prince. The travel started Saturday evening and ended Sunday afternoon. So, I was already pretty tired when I was dropped off at the guest house. I wasn't expecting to do more than shower, eat and sleep. Then as I was getting out of the car the Pastor said that he was going to see the kids tonight at 5 pm and would pick me up. I thought, sounds good, but rather than have him pick me I said I would walk to the center and went inside the guest house. 

As I was settling in I started smelling dinner and wasn't 100% sure they were planning on serving on Sunday evening. I asked about dinner and was told that t would be served at 5pm. I messaged the Pastor, through Wilkens, that I would be late because of dinner and went back to settling in. Which turned into a quick nap. 

At about 4:30 I got up to prepare for the evening when a friend stopped by to chat as he heard I was in town.  Caught me off guard, but good to catch up. As I was lounging around thinking I had some time, in walks Wilkens and says that the Pastor is here to pick me; apparently he missed my text and the ladies in the kitchen had prepared and were just about to start serving dinner. Quick decision: ask my friend if he wanted the meal (yes), headed to the room for a quick change and out to the car. 

The fact that the car was loaded with people, including the Pastor's wife, should have been my first clue, but even this was not too out of the ordinary. But then we headed in the wrong direction and kept going for about 45 minutes. 

Backtrack. The day before I left I learned that some of the older kids from the center were attending a camp (more on that later). So when the Pastor said he was going to visit the kids, he meant those kids, while I thought he meant the kids at the center. So while I was a bit confused and tired this turned out to be a good thing in the end. When in Haiti you have to adjust quickly to circumstances. 

Once a year, 15 or so churches get together and send some of their youth to a camp that is about 45 minutes outside of PaP. Kids come from all over Haiti, including as far away as Cap Haitian. They spend a week worshiping, playing sports, studying the Bible, holding contests, and simply learning and living in the grace of God. It was wonderful to see. Haiti always surprises me. 

Ps you can see more pictures of the camp on the Source of Light Center's Facebook page https://m.facebook.com/centresourcedelumiere/

Haiti Trip 2017

My travel to Port-au-Prince has been set and I am heading to Haiti a bit early this year; I normally go in early April, this year I will be there in early March. My trip is also a little shorter this year as I think I can accomplish what I would like in a shorter time and any money I can save by shortening my trip I can use toward the work by Haitians in Haiti for the children that live at the Source of Light Center.

Life Skills Training/Mentors

Last year my wife and I hired two life skills trainers / mentors to work with the older children at the center to help prepare them for independent living after they reach the age of majority and must, by law, leave the center. Over the past year Stephanie and Wilkins have been meeting with the children and teaching them lessons on health, food preparation, cleaning, transportation, and shopping. 

While I am in Haiti this year, I will be discussing this program with Stephanie and Wilkins to understand how things went from their perspective as well as do some planning for the next year. I still feel this is a critical component in preparing of the children of the center as I am still very much concerned about the readiness of the children for life after the center.

I would like to extend a thank you to those individuals and groups that have helped to prayerfully and financially support this effort and I would like to welcome others who would like to support this effort in the next year to contact me at sourcedelumierehaiti@gmail.com. This program costs $300 USD per month to continue and additionally funds to expand the number of training hours.

Joining Forces

I feel that there is a lot to learn from many sources when looking to support the children of the center. This year I plan to be in more contact with the Baptist General Association of Virginia  (BGAV) who are a primary sponsor of the center. One of the reasons for the timing of my trip this year is so that I overlap with representatives from BGAV who will be in PaP for board meetings and planning sessions with the Pastor.

Additionally, I would like to coordinate with other group homes in Haiti that have or plan to have life skill lessons for their children so that we can leverage lessons learned, material, and planning where appropriate. 

Keeping Up with the Children

While supporting the children with programs for their future is important, spending time with the children is just as important. It always amazes me when I visit the children that they remember my name as I am just one of many people they see throughout the year. And it is not that I am unique as they remember the names of everyone that has spent time with them. They ask about people they haven't seen for a couple of years and I have seen them have these same interactions with people from other visiting groups.

Two years ago we started capturing a photo of each child on every visit to Haiti. This was so that we could have a record of each child as they get older and allow people to familiarize themselves with the children before they visited. My intent is to continue this effort and capture a portrait of each child this year. It feels a little like picture day at school when we do this.