He Who Has Begun A Good Work

Wednesday, July 12 
I wake up to the sound of sweeping and check the time; it’s not even 5:00a.m.. The locals get up very early to work as to avoid the intense heat when the burning sun reaches its zenith. Getting up, I see a large cricket clinging motionless to the bedroom wall. I contemplate the likelihood of eating it in my sleep tonight, and decide the probability of that is pretty slim, so I leave it. 

The sunrise is beautiful.

After breakfast the team gets to work on their various projects: watering trees, 

sifting sand for bricks, 

computer classes, 

a weaving craft class, 

husking corn, 

and hauling water from a river with donkeys.

That evening in our nightly devotions we read about how sin separates us from God. 

"It comes to this, my friend, as it did with John Bunyan; a voice now speaks to you, and says— WILT THOU KEEP THY SIN AND GO TO HELL? OR LEAVE THY SIN AND GO TO HEAVEN?

The point should be decided before you quit the spot. In the name of God, I ask you, Which shall it be—Christ and salvation, or the favourite sin and damnation? There is no middle course. Waiting or refusing to decide will practically be a sure decision for the evil one. He that stands questioning whether he will be honest or not, is already out of the straight line: he that does not know whether he wishes to be cleansed from sin gives evidence of a foul heart.

If you are anxious to give up every evil way, our Lord Jesus will enable you to do so at once. His grace has already changed the direction of your desires: in fact, your heart is renewed. Therefore, rest on Him to strengthen you to battle with temptations as they arise, and to fulfil the Lord’s commands from day to day. The Lord Jesus is great at making the lame man to leap like a hart, and in enabling those who are sick of the palsy to take up their bed and walk. He will make you able to conquer the evil habit. He will even cast the devil out of you. Yes, if you had seven devils, He could drive them out at once; there is no limit to His power to cleanse and sanctify. 

Now that you are willing to be made whole, the great difficulty is removed. He that has set the will right can arrange all your other powers, and make them move to His praise. You would not have earnestly desired to quit all sin if He had not secretly inclined you in that direction. If you now trust Him, it will be clear that He has begun a good work in you, and we feel assured that He will carry it on." (Spurgeon, Around the Wicket Gate)

A Visit to a Remote Mountain Village

Tuesday, July 11
I wake up to the swish, swish of a straw broom. Groaning I roll over, by body still trapped in the throes of deep sleep. Outside, the sun is slowly rising over the distant mountains bathing the plateau with a serene, golden glow. 

Not normally a coffee drinker, I opt for a cup today. The rich Haitian coffee is just what I need to give my body the kickstart it needs.

Today we plan to head out to distribute food baskets to a very poor remote community in the mountains. As the only English/Creole speaker, I have been given the role of translating for the entire day trip. I pray for the gift of languages and am reminded that the same God who sent students for the various classes we were hosting and the same God who turned one donkey into thirteen would also provide for me now.

The road to Nanyilla is narrow and bumpy, winding around high mountains and steep valleys.

The views are beautiful and the sky is blue as we travel to our remote destination.

When we arrived in Nanyilla we are greeted by many elderly and blind people. 

After greeting them we sing for them, so at least those who can not see us can hear us. We leave the handing out of the food to the local pastor. 

One of the Haitian Lemuel staff, who is also a pastor shares the gospel with the people and several of them come forward asking for prayer and wanting to put their faith and hope in Christ. It is a very touching experience to witness.

When the food has been distributed, family members help to carry it home for their elderly or disable loved ones. 

Our next stop is a remote market where pale skinned people have rarely, if ever been seen. Many curious glances are cast our way.

We then stop for lunch at a local’s home. The soup that we are served is prepared over a stick fire.

As we eat, the sky becomes increasingly dark and threatening to the point that the Lemuel staff decide it is prudent to leave quickly.

Heavy rain could quickly turn the steep mountain road into an impassable muddy mess so in order to make it safely back to the mission compound we have no time to waste.

Although the ride is incredibly bumpy, fatigue quickly sets in and I soon doze off, even as we are tossed too and fro over the rough roads. I awake to a local woman slapping my leg in an attempt to wake me up. Slowly opening my eyes I am met by a pair of smiling eyes and a wide grin.

We spend the rest of the afternoon working on a local’s property, a stone's throw from the mission. 

The lack of edible greenery really hits me when I try to find a blade of grass for the neighbours goat and kid. They both look scrawny and dirty and hungry, but although I spend a little time searching the area, the only greenery is thorny and inedible and I find nothing to offer them.

For dinner that night we are served a delicious meal of Haitian pate', popcorn and pikliz. 

After the sun sets we sing together and have a devotional time. Charles Spurgeon has a good illustration of what faith is which I share with the team: 
""But must we not believe on Him?" "Aye, certainly. If I say of a certain ointment that it heals, I do not deny that you need a bandage with which to apply it to the wound. Faith is the linen which binds the plaster of Christ's reconciliation to the sore of our sin. The linen does not heal; that is the work of the ointment. So faith does not heal; that is the work of the atonement of Christ." 

What a beautiful description of faith!

Our evening visitors include geckos feasting on insects by one of the few light sources, a large cockroach in the sinkhouse and a toad the size of a baseball jumping out at me on the dark path.

That night, before falling into an exhausted slumber I thank God for His provisions for us. How great is our God!

One Day

Monday, July 10 
My alarm buzzes at 5:35 a.m. . Outside it is still dark. Today we hope to head out to the local market before breakfast and our transportation is donkeys. Unfortunately when I get to the airstrip. Only 1 of the 13 donkeys is waiting for us. Praying for more, I watch as they slowly begin to materialize. Sure enough one by one all thirteen of them eventually appear. 

Riding donkeys is more challenging then you think as they can be very stubborn. Mine wants to race and lead the pack so it takes careful, firm handling to keep him in line. Telling him I’ve had my share of experience with willful, stubborn toddlers and I won’t let him get the best of me makes no difference whatsoever! 

As we travel along a young man comes up alongside me, leading his donkey. Staring at me he begins to make kissing sounds. Holding up my hand I quickly tell him in Creole that I am married. I watch as a confused look comes over his face only to be replaced by a wide toothy grin. “We just make that sound to tell our donkeys to hurry up,” he then proceeds to explain in Creole, much to my chagrin. Laughing, we carrying on. 

The market is a most interesting place, bursting with life and colour and sounds and smells; many too disgusting to even want to try to identify.

We make a few purchases and then try not to watch as animals get butchered and skinned. 

Once we're back at Lemuel we eat a quick breakfast before getting set up for our computer classes.

That afternoon we head with the local youth to a nearby beach for a cleanup event. 

The ocean washes in a lot of garbage and working together we rake it on piles so it can be burned and disposed of. 

Once it’s cleaned up it looks much better and we take some time cooling off in the salty waves of the Caribbean Sea. 

When it's time for dinner we pile into two vehicles and head back to the mission.

The sun set that night is beautiful.

That night before I fall asleep, I listen to a song about heaven and how we will one day see Jesus face to face. The song reminds me of the verse where Jesus tells the disciples of John that the children of the bridechamber don’t weep or mourn when the bridegroom is present. 

And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? Matthew 9:15a

Thinking about seeing Jesus fills me with excitement and joy. How amazing it will be to one day see Him face to face and live with Him forever. Forever in a place where there is no more sadness, or crying or tears. 

Sunday at Lemuel

Sunday, July 9
I wake up to the sound of rain. I reach over to check the time and seeing it’s only 6:15 a.m., I lay back down. Outside, tropical birds chirp excitedly in the trees. Rain in the desert is special indeed, and definitely something to sing about. The fresh scent of rain wafts through the screened door and I breathe it in.

Church starts at 9:30 a.m. and I listen as the congregation recites Psalm 23 in unison.
Hearing it in Creole I automatically translate the words in my head.

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. 

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. 

He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. 

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. 

It’s both surprising and heartwarming when I hear them sing my trip theme song “Nearer Still Nearer” in Creole. Knowing God is with us and He loves and cares for us is such a great comfort. 

After teaching us a Creole hymn, we sing several Psalters for them. Then our team heads to the gazebo for a time of Bible Study with missionary Brad, since they can’t understand the Creole Bible teaching. 

Together we read the story of Jonah and then discuss different aspects of it. We talk about how the story isn’t really about Jonah at all, but really about the grace and loving kindness of God. We also talk about how the Ninevites needed saving, but so do we. Have you looked to Jesus, our only hope, and the only name given under heaven whereby we must be saved?

Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. Isaiah 45:22

Traveling from Port au Prince and First Day at Lemuel

Friday, July 7 
Sometime in the middle of the night I wake up due to an unusual silence. The fan blowing humid air at me has shut off and everything is still and dark. With no city power, the battery bank powering the guesthouse must have given out. A few moments later I hear the rumble, rumble of a generator being started up. Within seconds the fan kicks back to life once again. I doze off again only to be awakened shortly thereafter by growling dogs and crowing roosters. 

6:15 a.m. 
Wide awake long before my alarm goes off, I take the time to read through the devotional guide Hungry For Life has provided. Today’s topic is the importance of solitude and how quiet time is not about being all along, but being alone with God. Some of the reference verses include: 

Mark 1:35 
And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He (Jesus) went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. 

And Lamentations 3:25-28 The Lord is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because He hath borne it upon him. 

By 6:50 a.m. the rest of the group begins to wake up and get ready so I get to work unlocking a myriad of security gates and doors so we can get into the courtyard. The final hurdle is an iron gate leading onto the street, but no matter which one of the forty keys I try the lock refuses to budge. 

By now it’s already 7:30 a.m., the time our driver, Pierre, is supposed to pick us up and drive us to the airport, but I have no way of seeing if he is waiting outside the gate or not. I decide to just call him and he reassures me he is coming. This really means nothing to me as in Haiti “I’m coming” could mean in 5 minutes or 5 hours. 

I get back to work on the gate with the help of a Haitian youth who has at some point replaced our guard from the previous night. When we finally manage to get it open he high fives me with a big grin. 

A few minutes later I hear the friendly beep beep of our taxi van and after piling all our suitcases on top we squish in.

It takes thirty minutes to drive over extremely rough backroads to the airport.

As soon as we arrive at the domestic terminal we are swarmed by baggage handlers and money changers. Many of them recognize me and ask where Jason is. When I tell them he is taking care of our boys they have a big laugh. 

Once inside, we head straight through security and then wait by the MAF office. I greet the staff there and it’s special to catch up with them. Heading over to the office window I’m handed two flight manifests so I quickly get to work dividing up the group and writing down names.

The flight from Haiti’s capital to her north western tip is both familiar and beautiful. Tin shacks crowded together haphazardly, thin and then disappear, replaced by brown and green mountain ranges.

On the left a turquoise ocean sparkles invitingly. 

Thirty minutes later as we near Anse Rouge colourful palettes of salt flats dot the shoreline.

The vegetation becomes more and more desert-like the closer we get to Anse Rouge.

When Lemuel mission materializes beneath us, the airplane banks sharply and then descends down, a few minutes later connecting solidly with the hard packed earth below.

On the ground we are greeted by the Brunsch family who joined the Lemuel Mission six months ago, and who I had met on my last trip to Haiti in March.

Photo missing their two daughters.\

After a delicious breakfast of tropical fruit, cereal and freshly baked bread we receive a tour of the ever growing compound.

It now includes a church, school, several homes and guest rooms, outhouses and shower houses, a giant cafeteria and kitchen, an outdoor gazebo and a new kindergarten building under construction that the team raised money for.

We spend the day gettting to know the local youth and making home visits.

One thing that quickly becomes very evident is how valuable water is to the community. To think that people actually drink the water from this waterhole is inconceivable.

It's also incredible to walk through the hand dug canals that the locals have dug so that they can channel water from the mountains to their gardens.

How quickly do we take for granted that clean drinking water just flows into our sinks at the turn of a tap, when others struggle so much to receive even this most basic necessity of life?

Travel Day 2 & First Day in Port au Prince

Wednesday, July 5 
It’s 7:30 a.m. and I am wandering through the Toronto Pearson International Airport. My overnight flight has just landed and I now need to find out where to go next. Since there is no gate number on my ticket for my next flight, I find an information booth and get the information I need. It’s a long walk from where I am but since my next flight doesn’t’ leave till 2:30 p.m. I have lots of time. 

Finding the gate I alternate between dozing off and reading my book. Just after noon the team arrives from Calgary and we take a little time to get acquainted.

That afternoon we fly to Fort Lauderdale where we overnight before taking the first flight out to Port au Prince the following morning. 

Thursday, July 6 
My alarm buzzes at 5:25 the following morning. We catch the free shuttle to the airport and then find out gate, only to come to the conclusion a little later that it probably has changed. Sure enough when we google our flight number we find a new gate has been assigned to our Port au Prince flight. Surprisingly enough all the announcements done by Jet Blue are in Creole so I’m thankful I know the language and can understand the directions of the desk staff. 

Inefficiency and misunderstandings soon lead to our flight being delayed by thirty minutes, but thankfully we eventually take off. Once in the air, I get to work switching my Canadian Sim Card with a Haitian one. My brows furrow as I concentrate on completing this task correctly. Jason is a master of technology which has lead to me depending on him entirely for these types of tasks and now I wish I had paid attention more. Thankfully I get it to work and it doesn’t take long before Haiti’s coastline appears beneath us. I marvel at the mix of poverty and beauty as we slowly descend.

Emotions stir but I force them down; Haiti will always have a special place in my heart. 

As we deplane straight onto the tarmac, we are hit by a thick, familiar wave of heat and humidity. As the team exclaims in amazement over a climate so different then theirs, I soak it in. It feels good. 

My next task is to make sure everyone makes it through Haitian Customs and to contact the driver that will be taking us to the guesthouse we will be staying at that night. Since our usual driver is busy, he has recommended someone else “Pierre” but I’ve never seen him before and he doesn’t speak any English. 

Hoping my Creole isn’t too rusty for lack of use, I get out my phone. Just as we are about to exit the airport I see a Haitian man with a large white paper that says “WILL KULL”, through the glass. That must be our driver, I decide, quickly slipping my phone back into my backpack. Sure enough, after verifying that he is in fact Pierre, we follow him through a maze of people and vehicles. 

Haiti shows no mercy to her visitors as we are once again bombarded by heat and humidity and now on top of that, dust, fumes, funky smells, masses of people, and crazy traffic. 

After paying a baggage handler, who keeps demanding more money for helping us load our bags onto the top of our minibus, we begin the bumpy journey to the Apparent Project Guesthouse. 

Looking back I catch a glimpse of the wide-eyed expressions of the team as they absorb their surroundings.

Pulling out my notebook full of Jason’s instructions, I get to work transferring money on my phone to an internet plan so I can contact Jason and let him know we arrived safely. Once that task is successfully completed, I direct the driver to make a stop at a familiar grocery store. 

Armed with shotguns guards mill around the parking lot as we pull up. Disembarking we head in and I quickly get to work shopping for staple food items for Anoud and Denise. Once I’ve paid for those I head over to the main counter to purchase a phone card only to find out later, much to my chagrin, that the code has already been scratched and I’ve just been scammed out of a 1000 Gds (apr 17USD). 

I then direct Pierre to Anoud and Denise’s house where we have a chance to quickly get reacquainted and give them the food staples. It is great to see them again and this time I am thankful to see they are doing a little better financially then they were when I seen them last, 4 months ago. 

Our next stop is the guest house. At this point I pay the driver and he heads on his way. After depositing our bags, we take our valuables with us and are escorted by the guesthouse staff to the Apparent Project, a few block over.

Here I have a chance to greet old friends and show the team the difference employment is making in the lives of the people in the surrounding area. 

Since our MAF Flight to Anse Rouge doesn’t leave till early tomorrow morning we take the afternoon to acclimatize, get to know each other better, and get started on the daily Hungry for Life Blog.

That evening the streets are dark, as city power has not been turned on and it’s difficult to not stumble over the rocks and ruts as we are lead back to the guesthouse. 

 At the guesthouse we gather for our first official team meeting and share our most impactful moments. I do my best to answer all the team member’s questions, before leading a devotional time with them.  At the end of the devotional time I share a poem about how God doesn’t use the most bright or smart or beautiful person but the one who is humble and willing; the one who spends time in God’s presence and in and in so doing reflects Him to others. We close in song and I am struck by how beautifully the Psalter resonates in the dark night. 

Travel Day 1

Tuesday, July 4 (two weeks ago) 
9:30 p.m. Vancouver, B.C. 
After checking in for my flight and clearing security I am waiting by my gate. Since it is still two hours before my flights planned departure the gate area is for the most part empty and quiet. 

Outside the sun is setting bathing the airport in a beautiful rose coloured glow. 

Used to having one or sometimes all three boys clamouring for my attention it seems strangely quiet just sitting there on my own. The last three days have been busy as Jason did his best to prepare me and coach me on everything I needed to do and I did the same for him. 

Unsure of what to do with myself now that everything is said and done, I reach for my phone and my earbuds; with a click of a few buttons the hymn “Nearer Still Nearer”, begins to play softly in my ears. Knowing that God is always near, and that I am never truly alone, brings comfort and peace. 

Homebound

July 18, 2017  

I glance down at my cellphone to check the time; 5:04 a.m.. It’s been almost 23 hours since we left our hotel in Port au Prince and we’re still not home yet. With unexpected delays in Fort Lauderdale we missed our connections to Calgary and Vancouver and were forced to overnight in Montreal. Since our new flights were scheduled to leave first thing in the morning, there was not a lot of time to sleep, but with the thought of seeing Jason and the boys again soon, sleep, or the lack thereof seems trivial. 

When my cellphone alarm buzzed at 3:45 a.m. I groggily forced myself out of bed to find the bathroom. Pushing contact lenses into bleary eyes I marvelled once again about being back in a country with drinkable tap water and clean cool air. At 4:00 a.m. we caught a shuttle to the nearby Montreal Tradeau Airport which proved to be the epitome of efficiency and class, a world apart from our Port au Prince airport experience the previous day. Trying hard not to compare I simply relished the beauty and competency of it all. 

It being Tuesday again means it’s been exactly 14 days since I stood on the sidewalk of the Vancouver International Airport waving goodbye to Jason and our boys; the boy’s sniffles and tears still ringing in my ears. Allowing myself to relive that memory, I can’t help but smile in anticipation of soon being reunited with them once again. 

These last two weeks has been a great experience of learning and growing for me as I led my first team to Haiti on my own. I definitely have gained a whole new appreciation and understanding of the work Jason does on a regular basis and with him taking on the role of both Mom and Dad while I was away I am pretty sure he has gained a new appreciation of my role as well! 

God has been so faithful during the entire trip and to Him be all the glory! 

If I had to choose a theme song for this trip it would be the hymn: Nearer, Still Nearer. 

Nearer, still nearer, close to Thy heart, 

Draw me, my Saviour – so precious Thou art! 

Fold me, oh fold me, close to Thy breast. 

Shelter me safe in that “haven of rest”. 

Lelia N. Morris

Although I didn’t have time to update our personal blog during out trip, like I had hoped, I did write notes in my journal and now that I have some time left before my flight to Vancouver, I plan to get to work piecing it all together. It won’t be complete or exhaustive but it is my form of processing so bear with me!