Free Time! (day 1 - Ft. Jacques)

What do we absolutely LOVE doing in our spare time??

One of our favorite activities is helping out our friend Pastor Jay, from Calvary Chapel, Sawgrass, who is the president of Haiti's Hope.

Why? because it involves kids, of course!!!

I am pretty sure that we had as much (if not more) fun than the kids at Diakonos orphanage last week, when we helped to take them on a little summer "retreat". There was just nothing like seeing them get out and experience new things, freedom, culture, history, and the BEACH! 

 Exploring Fort Jacques:

A new addition @ the guest house!

Earlier this summer the interns started a fledgling project.

With an initial $50 loan from our personal expense funds, Tynan, Ana, Emma & David started up a little "gift shop". At first they bought some metal work pieces from the craftsman village at a direct source price, but before long they were taking orders for more!

They decided that the profits would go into a fund to help one of nearly 20 families in our programs, that are still living in tents or inadequate housing, move into a safer home.

Three months later, the shop has expanded it's inventory to hold a variety of other products by local craftsmen & women through the Apparent Project. This super-cool organization helps to keep families together by providing individuals from unstable situations with training and a venue to use their skills to earn an income and feed their children. It has helped to prevent children with families from entering orphanages due to lack of basic resources...something that we are very passionate about at World Orphans as well!

a DOUBLE benefit - We are really excited to be helping support these local artisans, at the same time as we are working on providing homes for the OVC families. 

The products are beautiful, guests are enjoying the simple shopping convenience, and it seems to be blossoming into a very productive and hope-filled little endeavor. Can't wait to see it for yourself?

Here is a peek at what it's grown into so far:

One of our "hottest" teams of the year...

Literally...and in more ways than one!

The end of July was truly brutal when it came to heat this season, but our WO's partner group from Durham Evangelical Church, hit the ground running. They ran an awesome VBS at pastor Yvon's church that just kept growing and growing every day. I think they must have had nearly 300 kids by the time that they finished for the week! They finished their trip up with visits to the homes of each of the children participating in the OVC program and an afternoon delivering water to Kanez village, an area outside of the city full of beautiful, sweet people with great need that we have been assisting in our spare time. 

Here are a few highlights:

Hoping that they will be back again soon!!

(Disclaimer: Kanez Village photos borrowed from Hope Van Epps FB album! Beautiful!!)

Heaps of summer pics...

 It has been an extremely eventful summer so far & it's not even close to over...August is still on the horizon!

We finally had a chance to get photos loaded up today so that you can take a look at some of what we've been up to since our first interns arrived in mid-May. 

Check back later, as we continue to add pics through the end of next month!

Here are some random favorite photos as a teaser...

Click here for the rest of our Picasa Haiti-Summer 2012 album! 

hellos & goodbyes

One of the hardest things about moving overseas was saying goodbye to everyone in the U.S. that we know & love. Settling in here hasn't really eased that difficulty at all.

Emma & I were just talking this afternoon about the many things that we learned about this subject at MTI. How you have to embrace the goodbyes in order to be ready to enjoy hellos! With the nature of our ministry there are teams coming and going all year round, and wonderful people that we welcome, we have treasured fellowship with, and then have to say good bye to again.

It doesn't get any easier - you don't ever get used to it. So we are elated with arrivals, we share & laugh & love during time spent together and we often cry as cherished ones depart. 

Another thing that we learned is that we must always give a proper "goodbye". It honors the time that we spent with an individual, gives value to the meaning that they have in our lives and let's them know how treasured they are in our hearts.

Today we said our goodbyes to Anna Brown, our first short-term teammate! With her summer internship completed already, Anna headed back to the U.S. this morning. We were sad to see her go. Her gentle nature & zany humor brought joy to the many children of Haiti who's lives that she touched during her time here. Her huge smile & golden locks will be forever linked with the love that she showered them with. Their gorgeous faces were captured in her photographic work for our annual updates, as well.

We pray many blessings on Anna as she re-aclimates to life in the U.S. & prepares for school to start back up in a few weeks. Join us in lifting her up as she processes the multitude of experiences that she had this summer and allows God to use them to direct her future.

We MISS you, ANNA, already...!!

(picture Tynan & David waving you off into the distance

& us all being here hoping for your return visit again, one day soon.)

Ovwa~~