this is going to read as bizarre. bizarre and true.
about two months ago, i had been pondering fundraising in general -- haiti orphanage? rwanda orphanage? ethiopia wells? i was sitting at a stoplight at a road that "T"s into another road in mooresville. i was staring at this really ugly, block wall covered in graffiti that was on the backside of a long row of businesses. and i had a thought. what if each block was 'bought' by a person/family/business/sponsor for $100 each and each block became part of a massive mural? the mural (of haitian kids? of something bright and abstract? of smiley faces and rainbows -- i'm kidding on this last one :) would 'speak' to people as they went by. i didn't know if the mural would be a stand alone wall that would be built in a public area or if it would be painted on something that already exists. it would serve as an ongoing visible reminder of the needs of people around the world. the idea kept coming back to me.
fast forward to home from haiti. i had somewhat volunteered myself to lead the effort to find a way to get the 21 orphanage workers and teachers at the orphanage school a small salary. cathy said they would be thrilled with $100 a month! right now, they come to work, day after day after day, in hope that someday there might be a paycheck. the school is open to anyone in the area. while there are 41 orphans, over 150 kids come to school each day. for whatever reason, i didn't think the approach of asking people to 'sponsor' a teacher (like we do with the kids) was the right approach. we would need $2,100 a month. sounds like a lot until you realize it is paying 21 people.
and then i remembered the mural block wall idea. in my head, i kept thinking the wall would be here. local. i put an email out to a small group to garner support :)
that night, i was talking with mike smith. he was on the trip and is son-in-law to rodney and cathy. we were just chatting and he says "yeah, i've been thinking about maybe painting a mural on the wall at the orphanage." i said, 'oh, did you see my email?" he said "no, didn't know you sent one." what??? he just randomly throws out a comment about painting a mural on a cinder block wall? and i knew.
God wants us to use the front wall at the orphanage property to make a statement for Him to those who walk by and as a means to raise money to pay the teachers and workers.
so, we are now on a mission to design a mural (the wall is 1,200 blocks big -- about 4 years worth of salaries!!!) and seek donations block by block for $100 each. thank you Lord for bizarre ideas.
p.s. and see the entry right before this for a slide show of pictures :)
Saturday, February 26, 2011
a few pictures. finally :)
go here to see amazingly cute, adorable, precious, in need of love, special orphans:
Monday, February 14, 2011
not good-bye, just so long....
we knew it would come and it did. the time to say our farewells. this morning we took lori bassett :) clothes to the pediatric area of the "hospital". let's just say, they were a hit and we survived the mob :) and let's just say, "hospital" is a very loose term.
then we went to the orphanage and finished the carpentry projects and loved on the kids. we gave the teachers and workers their wallets/billfolds with money and sunglasses. it was sooo cute when one of them opened their billfold and saw there was some money inside. she quickly starting telling the others to open theirs and the smiles that broke out were priceless :)
and then we loaded all 41 kids and the workers onto the JESUS bus to bring them back to the guest house compound. we had a party!!! balloons, streamers, cupcakes, pop, face painting -- they loved it!!! and then the time had come to take them back. it is amazing how quickly hearts can fall in love. each person had one or two kids that became theirs. emisson, the boy we sponsor, is my boy! and claudine, who we don't sponsor, is my girl! pastor eristead and cathy kept reassuring them we would come back. and because a team had come in october, and then returned, we pray it gives them hope that we will come again. the team in october was mainly men who were putting on roofs; they didn't get nearly the love they did this time and they literally could not get enough.
the tears were flowing. we were all waving out the bus windows to them. and then they were gone. and the bus was silent. except for the crying. it hurts. and about ten minutes after we left, cathy's cell rang. it was pastor eristead saying he didn't know what to do ... he said as soon as the bus was out of their sight they started screaming and wailing with their arms up. this is what they do when someone dies. pastor eristead did not know what to do. he had never seen them like this. cathy told him to just keep reassuring them that we would be back. he called a few minutes ago and said they are settling down but many are in their beds crying.
i am thankful their hearts are still tender. i am thankful our hearts are still tender. i am thankful that God can connect hearts so quickly. if you could pray, not only for our safety tomorrow as we head for home, but pray for God to keep our hearts broken. i beg you, if you are reading this and have considered adoption, please don't wait any longer. the orphans in this world need a mommy and daddy. desperately.
then we went to the orphanage and finished the carpentry projects and loved on the kids. we gave the teachers and workers their wallets/billfolds with money and sunglasses. it was sooo cute when one of them opened their billfold and saw there was some money inside. she quickly starting telling the others to open theirs and the smiles that broke out were priceless :)
and then we loaded all 41 kids and the workers onto the JESUS bus to bring them back to the guest house compound. we had a party!!! balloons, streamers, cupcakes, pop, face painting -- they loved it!!! and then the time had come to take them back. it is amazing how quickly hearts can fall in love. each person had one or two kids that became theirs. emisson, the boy we sponsor, is my boy! and claudine, who we don't sponsor, is my girl! pastor eristead and cathy kept reassuring them we would come back. and because a team had come in october, and then returned, we pray it gives them hope that we will come again. the team in october was mainly men who were putting on roofs; they didn't get nearly the love they did this time and they literally could not get enough.
the tears were flowing. we were all waving out the bus windows to them. and then they were gone. and the bus was silent. except for the crying. it hurts. and about ten minutes after we left, cathy's cell rang. it was pastor eristead saying he didn't know what to do ... he said as soon as the bus was out of their sight they started screaming and wailing with their arms up. this is what they do when someone dies. pastor eristead did not know what to do. he had never seen them like this. cathy told him to just keep reassuring them that we would be back. he called a few minutes ago and said they are settling down but many are in their beds crying.
i am thankful their hearts are still tender. i am thankful our hearts are still tender. i am thankful that God can connect hearts so quickly. if you could pray, not only for our safety tomorrow as we head for home, but pray for God to keep our hearts broken. i beg you, if you are reading this and have considered adoption, please don't wait any longer. the orphans in this world need a mommy and daddy. desperately.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
oh my!
i have experienced crazy driving, insane traffic, put your life in your hands when you leave where you are staying, but tonight took it to a new level. holy cow. loading 18 white people in a JESUS bus is a spectacle in itself. tonite after church, the lights wouldn't work and so we drove these roads without being able to see. our headlights consisted of people hanging their heads out the windows to holler how many millimeters we were from bus wheels going off the edge into the canal. and turning that beast of a bus from the alley into the compound where we stay....there are no words. the guys literally have to pull their heads in the window (they have to tell preacher/bus driver if he will clear the wall or not) lest getting them knocked off. it is an experience not soon forgotten. it makes china and vietnam look easy :) and if you have ever been to either of those countries, you know that is saying alot. it gives to meaning to "thank you Jesus!!!"
this is only my second mission trip and i can tell you for a fact, they mess you up :) my heart is already feeling the struggle, the conflict, the inner battle of wondering what God wants you to do with an experience like this. one outcome i know for sure is the need to raise an additional $20,000 for the orphanage. for God, that is nothing. for God's people, it too should be nothing. this morning's service was a dedication of the church at the orphanage. it was one year ago that pastor eristead's wife met cathy at the hospital where cathy was translating for doctors after the earthquake. 40,000 made their way from port to gonaives. and many were severly injured or in a fog not knowing where family members were alive or dead. madam eristead asked a haitian who spoke english to ask cathy if she could get her beans, rice, and oil for 'her' kids (the orphanage kids whom they had brought from port to live with the pastor's sister here). they had not eaten for three days. when cathy retold us the story last night, she cried as she said so many people were asking for money and she wrongly assumed this woman wanted money too. she sensed something in this women and called rodney to ask him to check out her story. and one year later, we reflected on God's goodness as we sat on the grounds that now include a church/school building and a dorm for the kids.
please don't get a pretty picture in your mind of what it looks like, because it is not pretty. at home, we would consider the living conditions to be unfit, unsafe, uneverything. but when you start from nothing, you see what an accomplishment it has been! but there is more to be done. pastor eristead, his wife, and two kids live in one room in the kids' dorm that holds one bed that they all sleep in. and one dresser. that is all. they need a separate building to call home. and a generator to pump the new well being dug. and a few other essentials before we can consider them self-sustaining. we also have set the goal of increasing the current sponsorship from $25 per child to $50. right now, they get two meals a day and nothing to drink all day long except at mealtime. and to say it is hot here....uh, yeah!!! without question, the sponsorship has to increase.
if you are a sponsor to one of the kids, i cannot express enough how much they see us as their mamas and papas. we are all they have. cathy had little tomas ask this morning where his mom and dad were. he has their picture and wants to see them in person. i had no idea how important we are to them.
i love claudine and emission and want to bring them home. every child is so stinking precious and they do not know how to take all the love being showered on them. i don't know who will struggle more when we leave ... us or them. my heart hurts thinking about it.
so, another wonderful day here in haiti. we have had an amazing time of fellowship. we assembled a pretty special group. each night, it is peanuts, skip-bo, and euchre. what an incredible week and i am so grateful.
thank you smurf for letting us come. you are a good man :) and i love it that you support me on these adventures. xoxo
this is only my second mission trip and i can tell you for a fact, they mess you up :) my heart is already feeling the struggle, the conflict, the inner battle of wondering what God wants you to do with an experience like this. one outcome i know for sure is the need to raise an additional $20,000 for the orphanage. for God, that is nothing. for God's people, it too should be nothing. this morning's service was a dedication of the church at the orphanage. it was one year ago that pastor eristead's wife met cathy at the hospital where cathy was translating for doctors after the earthquake. 40,000 made their way from port to gonaives. and many were severly injured or in a fog not knowing where family members were alive or dead. madam eristead asked a haitian who spoke english to ask cathy if she could get her beans, rice, and oil for 'her' kids (the orphanage kids whom they had brought from port to live with the pastor's sister here). they had not eaten for three days. when cathy retold us the story last night, she cried as she said so many people were asking for money and she wrongly assumed this woman wanted money too. she sensed something in this women and called rodney to ask him to check out her story. and one year later, we reflected on God's goodness as we sat on the grounds that now include a church/school building and a dorm for the kids.
please don't get a pretty picture in your mind of what it looks like, because it is not pretty. at home, we would consider the living conditions to be unfit, unsafe, uneverything. but when you start from nothing, you see what an accomplishment it has been! but there is more to be done. pastor eristead, his wife, and two kids live in one room in the kids' dorm that holds one bed that they all sleep in. and one dresser. that is all. they need a separate building to call home. and a generator to pump the new well being dug. and a few other essentials before we can consider them self-sustaining. we also have set the goal of increasing the current sponsorship from $25 per child to $50. right now, they get two meals a day and nothing to drink all day long except at mealtime. and to say it is hot here....uh, yeah!!! without question, the sponsorship has to increase.
if you are a sponsor to one of the kids, i cannot express enough how much they see us as their mamas and papas. we are all they have. cathy had little tomas ask this morning where his mom and dad were. he has their picture and wants to see them in person. i had no idea how important we are to them.
i love claudine and emission and want to bring them home. every child is so stinking precious and they do not know how to take all the love being showered on them. i don't know who will struggle more when we leave ... us or them. my heart hurts thinking about it.
so, another wonderful day here in haiti. we have had an amazing time of fellowship. we assembled a pretty special group. each night, it is peanuts, skip-bo, and euchre. what an incredible week and i am so grateful.
thank you smurf for letting us come. you are a good man :) and i love it that you support me on these adventures. xoxo
Saturday, February 12, 2011
loving
a random post awaits you :)
twelve of the orphans had previously asked Jesus to save their soul and today they participated in believer's baptism. they came dressed in their sunday best. we felt so honored to be asked to attend. all of us here are sponsors to these kiddos and you feel like you have a little hand in their life. seeing this outward profession of faith was awesome! and the singing! oh the singing! they sing with passion and don't hold back! it was the best rendition of 'this is my story, this is my song...' that i probably will ever hear :)
these kids have to be some of the cutest on the planet. today we played hopscotch, just sat and held them, some went to the market and bought them sunglasses (and lots of orphanage supplies), and we set up a payless shoe store of sorts :) and had each child come one by one to pick out a pair. the men got all the cubicles finished, closets started, and rooms rearranged. and a project for next time is we have decided that we have to get them a concrete pad with basketball goal to take up part ofthe rock yard :(
last night as i laid in bed, i was so content. and it is a different content than home. here the lighting is very dim. but there is electricity and i thank the Lord for it. here there is no hot water. but there is water to bathe in and i thank the Lord for that and for plenty of bottled water. here there is no air conditioning. but i thank the Lord for the floor fan that blows on my face. here there are no smooth roads anywhere. but i thank the Lord for the Jesus bus that bounces us from place to place.
several of theteam have asked how haiti compares to rwanda. that is kinda tough because both places are so so so impoverished, it is just mind-blowing. from a landscape standpoint, there is just no comparison - rwanda hands-down. haiti is barren. dry. the mountains are just giant dirt hills with ginormous ruts from the rain carving rivers into them. the people are friendly. the kids are indescribable. those things are the same.
it is so right to be here. i have always been comfortable being among those less fortunate. i love to serve and being here provides ample opportunity. i hope the Lord allows us to come back here over and over and over. it doesn't even feel far from home :)
and this trip completely confirmed in my heart the need and desire to adopt from ethiopia. all these kids want, need,and crave is love and attention. to withhold that when we are fully capable of providing it to two more would, for us, be sin. plain and simple.
dinner is about ready so i will wrap it up for today. if you have prayed for our physical protection and spiritual growth, your prayers are being answered. thank you so much. i am so proud of ben and sam. they are hard workers and are pros at loving on orphans. today i took from sam a necklace we had bought him (right after falling off the dock into the ocean :), his crocs, and his flashlight. others needed them more. we can replace his and we can't replace the opportunity to be a blessing.
one final thing that struck me on the plane into miami. have you ever looked out a plane window and just been amazed at the amount of people and homes below? and to think that God knows what is going on in every city around the world, in the room of every house, in the heart of every person is just something that makes me realize just how immense HE is! i just can't get my mind or heart around that - not only did HE set the stars in the heavens, HE oversees every little speck on the earth. HE doesn't miss a thing. not one orphan goes unseen. not one kind thing you do goes unseen. HE is that big. i love that about HIM.
xoxoxo to smurf, thomas, abigail, sarah, and phoebe (and chrissy :)
twelve of the orphans had previously asked Jesus to save their soul and today they participated in believer's baptism. they came dressed in their sunday best. we felt so honored to be asked to attend. all of us here are sponsors to these kiddos and you feel like you have a little hand in their life. seeing this outward profession of faith was awesome! and the singing! oh the singing! they sing with passion and don't hold back! it was the best rendition of 'this is my story, this is my song...' that i probably will ever hear :)
these kids have to be some of the cutest on the planet. today we played hopscotch, just sat and held them, some went to the market and bought them sunglasses (and lots of orphanage supplies), and we set up a payless shoe store of sorts :) and had each child come one by one to pick out a pair. the men got all the cubicles finished, closets started, and rooms rearranged. and a project for next time is we have decided that we have to get them a concrete pad with basketball goal to take up part of
last night as i laid in bed, i was so content. and it is a different content than home. here the lighting is very dim. but there is electricity and i thank the Lord for it. here there is no hot water. but there is water to bathe in and i thank the Lord for that and for plenty of bottled water. here there is no air conditioning. but i thank the Lord for the floor fan that blows on my face. here there are no smooth roads anywhere. but i thank the Lord for the Jesus bus that bounces us from place to place.
several of the
it is so right to be here. i have always been comfortable being among those less fortunate. i love to serve and being here provides ample opportunity. i hope the Lord allows us to come back here over and over and over. it doesn't even feel far from home :)
and this trip completely confirmed in my heart the need and desire to adopt from ethiopia. all these kids want, need,and crave is love and attention. to withhold that when we are fully capable of providing it to two more would, for us, be sin. plain and simple.
dinner is about ready so i will wrap it up for today. if you have prayed for our physical protection and spiritual growth, your prayers are being answered. thank you so much. i am so proud of ben and sam. they are hard workers and are pros at loving on orphans. today i took from sam a necklace we had bought him (right after falling off the dock into the ocean :), his crocs, and his flashlight. others needed them more. we can replace his and we can't replace the opportunity to be a blessing.
one final thing that struck me on the plane into miami. have you ever looked out a plane window and just been amazed at the amount of people and homes below? and to think that God knows what is going on in every city around the world, in the room of every house, in the heart of every person is just something that makes me realize just how immense HE is! i just can't get my mind or heart around that - not only did HE set the stars in the heavens, HE oversees every little speck on the earth. HE doesn't miss a thing. not one orphan goes unseen. not one kind thing you do goes unseen. HE is that big. i love that about HIM.
xoxoxo to smurf, thomas, abigail, sarah, and phoebe (and chrissy :)
Friday, February 11, 2011
claudine and emisson
in rwanda, it was esther and isaac. in haiti, it is claudine and emisson.
we are filthy, exhausted, and filled to the brim with happy :) just hanging out at an orphanage is truly like no other experience ever. these kids need attention soooo badly. i think after being in africa, i am not shocked at what i see. but you never get used to seeing kids just wandering around with nothing to do. what is sweet is that they don't argue or fight with each other :) certain ones attach to you and are little leeches that just want to know they are the one. the special one.
it is days like today that make you feel satisfied. it is days like today that i pray God allows me to keep on loving the orphan. these kids can't be adopted and so the way to help is to give. give of your time and your money. to all the people who gave donations, thank you! you are blessing people!!! while the need is endless, it is so wonderful to know how to help. right now, a well is being dug and a wall is being built around the perimeter of the property. cubicles for each child were built today and more church pews were assembled.
pictures are taking forever to upload so i will do that when time permits.
cathy, our missionary here who is hosting us, just came and squeezed me and thanked me for making the effort to come to her world. i come for a week; she has been here almost 30 years. she is a rare servant of God. i am honored to work alongside her.
much love....
we are filthy, exhausted, and filled to the brim with happy :) just hanging out at an orphanage is truly like no other experience ever. these kids need attention soooo badly. i think after being in africa, i am not shocked at what i see. but you never get used to seeing kids just wandering around with nothing to do. what is sweet is that they don't argue or fight with each other :) certain ones attach to you and are little leeches that just want to know they are the one. the special one.
it is days like today that make you feel satisfied. it is days like today that i pray God allows me to keep on loving the orphan. these kids can't be adopted and so the way to help is to give. give of your time and your money. to all the people who gave donations, thank you! you are blessing people!!! while the need is endless, it is so wonderful to know how to help. right now, a well is being dug and a wall is being built around the perimeter of the property. cubicles for each child were built today and more church pews were assembled.
pictures are taking forever to upload so i will do that when time permits.
cathy, our missionary here who is hosting us, just came and squeezed me and thanked me for making the effort to come to her world. i come for a week; she has been here almost 30 years. she is a rare servant of God. i am honored to work alongside her.
much love....
Thursday, February 10, 2011
we have arrived :)
hi from haiti! my brain is reealllly tired and not capable of saying anything profound :) Lord willing, i will post tomorrow and describe my thoughts so far; i can say that it is pretty much what i had imagined.
we slept little and got up ridiculously early, flew to haiti, bounced our way north for about three hours, ate lobster as our first meal while sam fell off the dock into the water. mike jumped in and grabbed him. of course, i didn't sit there laughing because that would mean i have no heart or compassion. i would never do that :)
tomorrow we go to the orphanage and we cannot wait!!! thomas, abigail, sarah, phoebe and smurf i LOVE YOU!!!
more tomorrow after (i pray) a really good night's sleep... xoxoxo
we slept little and got up ridiculously early, flew to haiti, bounced our way north for about three hours, ate lobster as our first meal while sam fell off the dock into the water. mike jumped in and grabbed him. of course, i didn't sit there laughing because that would mean i have no heart or compassion. i would never do that :)
tomorrow we go to the orphanage and we cannot wait!!! thomas, abigail, sarah, phoebe and smurf i LOVE YOU!!!
more tomorrow after (i pray) a really good night's sleep... xoxoxo
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