a new year & a note...

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”  Isaiah 43:18-19 (niv)

To start, a side note on the verses above...I just want to be clear that in my mind it is not meant to infer that HAITI is a wilderness or a wasteland as some might say. Haiti is a land of infinite possibilities and amazing resources, not the least being it’s beautiful, resilient, hard working and often faith-filled people. The wilderness and wasteland I would refer to is my life, our lives…, and how God is using His work to redeem them. He is changing us at the very core and slowly creating beauty, love, patience and kindness out of selfishness, pride, greed and cultural blindness. It is a lifelong process to be sure, but He has been running us through a new training course and the lessons are fresh and sometimes painful. We do our best to keep up with the learning curve that He has us on!

I have no doubt that 2014 holds even more in that realm, but wanted to share on everyone’s behalf how our year is shaping up so far...

Right now we are feeling VERY blessed to have had time together here in California with family & friends. MAINLY with each other!! Ana & Oliver were here for a week and we got to lavish love & share fun memories with them that are rare and treasured. ALL of us but Olivia, spent Christmas together and the days surrounding it. Keep Olivia in your prayers as she continues to work through her healing process in a sequestered program in Texas. It has allowed no contact with her since August, but we pray is making an indelible change for the good in her life.

What is coming up for the rest of us?

Ana & Ollie head back to Germany on January 5th. They will find out within the coming year where they move to next and are hoping to be based back in the US one day soon.

Ted leaves for Haiti on January 6th for 2+ weeks, his return depends on his increasing responsibilities there and the move to our new living quarters near Apparent Project.

Tania Grace has decided to return to Texas where she she feels more “at home” right now and will be looking into pursuing a CNA position there instead.

Tynan & Emma are both starting new jobs here in California in the next week. We are working hard to form a “base” here for them to explore their futures from, within a network of support. Pray for all of us during this transition as Haiti remains more like HOME for them, separation still seems a little daunting, and they aren’t sure yet how much they will be able to come & go.

I (Rebecca) have 3.5 weeks left of my nursing contract here and am torn between taking a REAL break for a week or so, visiting others before returning, or just heading straight HOME after being gone for the better part of 6 months! I am BEYOND grateful for the additional support that has been coming in to stabilize our focus on ministry. As this refresher comes to an end, it looks like my work will be FULL TIME for Apparent Project, back in Haiti for 2014. (BIG smile!)

Apparent Project remains dedicated to sharing Christ’s love in tangible ways and fulfilling God’s commands in the area of orphan care by keeping families together. Our focus remains on strengthening at-risk and impoverished children and their parents through job creation, small business development, training & mentoring. We hope to expand the reach and impact of our work to the areas of prevention and restoration as we move forward. Providing services such as good maternity care, safe deliveries, and family stabilization are all on our planning and development list for the coming year.

Prayer and support are not only vital to our work in Haiti but also to us as average, everyday people. We all need relationships that connect us to our daily journey through life and we don’t know where we’d be without the love, support and anchoring that you provide...even when it’s from a distance. The ministry that we do in Haiti truly isn’t possible for us without the foundation of our faith, family and friends!

May God bless YOUR coming year in as many ways as you have blessed us -

Rebecca {for us all}

10 reasons to engage with Apparent Project in Haiti.

1.

Apparent project has helped create jobs for 250 artisans...

                                                       this is no SMALL thing in a place like Haiti!

Children remain with their parents, are being nourished & sent to school by them, and are no longer "at risk" for abandonment.

The others speak for themselves...

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

These are only 9 out of 250 stories...

When you consider the outcomes just among these few...there are 28 children who are NOT having to grow up with out their parents in one of the many overflowing and under-supported Haitian orphanages.

Multiply that times the life stories of the other 241 current employees of Papillion Enterprises and you can see why we are SO excited about the work that Apparent Project is committed to.

We are blessed to be able to use the talents that God has given us to help CREATE additional businesses & jobs for the parents of at-risk children and to HELP keep these SAME moms (and dads) as well as others in the community ALIVE through safe childbirth and good medical care! 

Join us in watching God's work continue to FRACTURE the cycle of poverty in Haiti!

Consider partnering in ministry with us and Apparent Project in 2014!

GIVE

Volunteer

Jewelry Parties

Cereal Box Donations

Maternity Care Supplies

Business Development Support

PRAY

Back down the Rabbit Hole….

 ...to the realities of our “other world” life.

Tomorrow we leave on another a short trip home to Haiti to address some of our responsibilities there and to introduce Tania Grace to our home abroad.

Why are we still in the US??

Several reasons have led us to remain here...

1) Our support has been coming in steadily at about 40-50% of our budgeted needs.

2) Transition for Tynan & Emma into “normal” life back in the states for a while.

3) Rebecca is preparing for her midwifery program by working in L&D this contract.

4) In order to gain funds to upgrade our electricity situation.

5) Spending the holidays with our older girls, Tania & Ana and our grandson, Oliver.

The complexities of a life of ministry...in Haiti...bring unique challenges.

To explain these 5 points a little further…

We are able to bare-bones “exist” in Haiti on 40-50%, but it doesn’t allow for regular vehicle or household maintenance costs, utilities, travel, evacuation & health insurance or next year’s rent. Without those needs addressed, we had to send Rebecca to the US to work and cover/provide them. We are also looking at moving to a new housing situation for 2014, low cost US based insurance, providing short term housing and other creative ways to address the support gap.

Coupled with Rebecca’s need to have her US maternity and birthing skills refreshed, it seemed like a good option for her to take a job for 2-4 months, before starting her training. This has turned into one 2 month contract in postpartum & one 3 month contract in Labor & delivery. She should be ready go after such a substantial refresher AND hopefully there will be a little extra to stabilize us until our support reaches 100% again.

The electricity issues remain a big factor in Haiti.  So, we are having to make some longer term investments that allow us to sleep better, reduce stress, spend less time addressing power problems, and ultimately be more effective in our ministry there. Our fridge is no longer working AT ALL during the day unless the generator is running.  We can’t conceivably run the generator all day at $5/gallon of gas, to refrigerate our “island” priced food supplies. So we are hoping to put in a basic solar powered system and switch over to using a chest freezer with a thermostat that converts to fridge temps. It should take 90% less power & run fine on solar throughout the day! It will also mean that our batteries won’t be drained for nights without power, so we can sleep through the night with our fans.

Lastly, extended time in CA addresses our family's needs. While Tynan & Emma have been fabulous helpers in Haiti, we have all realized that after 2 years there, they need some time doing the things that other kids their age are doing...getting jobs, driving, having a “social life”. They have also expressed not wanting to have to do that at the expense of separation & lack of support. This was a main reason for extending their furlough & remaining nearby while they navigate this period in life. It allows time for them to decide their future plans either here or abroad. At the same time, our oldest, Tania Grace, has just moved back to No. California, so we are providing some “family” stability, encouragement & support for her as well, while she settles in and starts a new career. In late December, Ana & Oliver will be in the area for a visit, so nearly all of us will be together for Christmas!!

With our big projects still in development, a lot of our work can be done from here at the moment. Rebecca is planning & grant writing for the birthing center. Ted is continuing to develop other areas of Apparent Project’s ministry reach in both the US & Haiti. There is some organizational transition and planning for 2014 that we will participate in with the Seattle-based Apparent Project team & board members in December & January as well.

Please keep us all in your prayers this holiday season as we seek to follow and glorify God… in this ministry... with our family… in the US & in Haiti… in English, Russian, German, French & Haitian Kreyol… and above all as the unique individuals that He has made each one of us to be!!

To refreshing skills and BEYOND!!

SWEET blessings to share, regarding my current travel nurse contract...!

While I took it for two main reasons: updating my L&D skills and helping our finances God has been SO GOOD to use it for more…

First, I am enjoying the fact that the hospital is nestled in the neighborhood that I grew up in in Northern California. In fact my mom lives just a few blocks away & I actually was a “candy striper” (for those of you who don’t remember what that means - a student volunteer) at this hospital as a very young teen. I remember wishing that my duties included holding the newborn babies back then, but usually it was running errands for the nurses & clerks. Now here I am delivering & holding babies at the same hospital MANY years later!

Secondly, it has been super rejuvenating to be able to drop in on family after work and on days off to share life together a bit and have the time to catch up from the heart. Driving three of my five kids to drop off work applications, attend interviews, and giving words of encouragement or hugs as needed, especially to my oldest, who has been on her own the past couple of years ALL feeds my soul as much as theirs.

Lastly, the most unexpected blessing has been the professionals that I am working with. The RN’s have been kind, helpful & patient as I’ve had to get up to speed on their computer documentation system. Thankfully, my patient care skills have flowed as if I never stepped away. It has been reaffirming to realize that assisting birth is still a very deep part of who I am!

The DOCTORS that I am working with here have taken this to another whole level though. Somehow, I have been ending up with quite a few “natural” deliveries...I would choose them anyhow, typically, but these have been assigned. The feedback that they have given about my patient care has been a true BOOST! Since this hospital has no midwives on staff I wasn’t sure what to expect as far as learning beyond my current skills. There ARE however a substantial team of female doctors that are very collaborative and “real”. Earlier today, one of them, when I explained that I was paying closer attention to “repairs” since I am preparing for midwifery school in a few months...jumped in & spent her time teaching me EVERYTHING that she was doing and explaining complexities that I won’t go into detail on. I feel like my education has already commenced and that I am SUPER fortunate to have 8 more weeks of this opportunity! Since it is likely that I will be helping deliver babies in Haiti long before my degree is completed, those skills are absolutely priceless...& once again I feel BLESSED!!

Giving Thanks...AP's first success!!!

Recent posting/announcement from Apparent Project...

AP - Successful Business Incubator!

A business incubator is an organization that specializes in taking ideas or start-up companies and encouraging them until they become full-fledged businesses that are able to produce profits and stand on their own. Typically, incubators are programs sponsored by donations from large corporations or colleges. They take on several start-up companies at once and provide them with the necessary resources to run their business.

Papillon Enterprise: A social enterprise and production facility in Haiti born out of the efforts of the Apparent Project in order to create jobs and help keep kids out of orphanages. Papillon is run and owed by Shelley Clay and has sold to other buyers such as Donna Karan, Disney, Choose Haiti, The Gap, and more. 

Apparent Project is the business incubator for start up businesses that help aid in the economic situation of families in Haiti. Apparent Project also does community development, education, job skills training, medical relief, prenatal care, and also continues to market and promote Papillon goods as well as other Haitian artisan goods through it's party sales and fundraisers. 

This fall with now 230 employees, Shelley Clay decided to step down as the face of Apparent Project and focus solely on running Papillon Enterprise. Everything will continue as usual in terms of the function of the two organizations and for now, our stateside operations director, Marilyn, will be the director of Apparent Project. This will allow Shelley to oversea the growth of the business without having to co manage a nonprofit in the United States. In short, one person can't do it al!! 

Well done Apparent Project. The first business incubator attempt was a smashing success! 
What now?
We have hopes that along with the normal support that Apparent Project contributes to the community here in Haiti, that another business would soon be born out of APs efforts to further employ and empower the Haitian poor! Everything will pretty much stay the same. We will still be selling great artisan products made by the same great artisans, and celebrating what their creativity is accomplishing. We are hoping that AP will now be able to grow and move to the next level. Some of our brainstorms for more business incubation includes: graphic design, computer training, micro business assistance, and more. We thank you for your support of providing jobs and restoring dignity to the Haitian poor! 

Excerpted from

http://apparentproject.blogspot.com/2013/11/ap-successful-business-incubator.html