On a more serious note...

today is an international movement day to

I know that what we are doing here to prevent and support orphans is making a difference, since many are the most vulnerable and likeliest victims to slavery and trafficking, Here in Haiti children are often sold in to lives as household slaves called "restaveks". Others are forced across the border into the DR to work as child prostitutes, many are enslaved by their poverty to making difficult choices that destroy families and futures.

I happen to be in the midst of a course from LeTourneau University right now on this very subject and it has been enlightening and grim. It has fanned the flame of my convictions on finding ways to help.

The more that I have studied it the more that I have realized - just like the orphan population, this isn't something that we can IGNORE!

"You humble yourselves
 by going through the motions of penance,
bowing your heads
 like reeds bending in the wind.
You dress in burlap
 and cover yourselves with ashes.
Is this what you call fasting?
 Do you really think this will please the Lord?

 “No, this is the kind of fasting I want:

Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;
 lighten the burden of those who work for you.
Let the oppressed go free,
 and remove the chains that bind people.
Share your food with the hungry,
 and give shelter to the homeless.
Give clothes to those who need them,
 and do not hide from relatives who need your help."

"Feed the hungry,
 and help those in trouble.
Then your light will shine out from the darkness,
 and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.
^{The Lord will guide you continually,}
 giving you water when you are dry
 and restoring your strength.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
 like an ever-flowing spring.
^{Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities.}
 Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls
 and a restorer of homes."

-Isaiah 58:5-7, 10-12

27 MILLION -

"That's how many slaves there are worldwide. Take a moment to wrap your head around it. That's the population of Georgia and Florida, combined. That's the population of New York City metropolitan area. There are more slaves around the world right now than at any time in recorded history. A problem that most people think ended more than a century ago is, in fact, thriving as never before." (End It, 2013)

Buy a person for $90

"That's it. People's lives are bought and sold and traded and shipped off, never to return, for $90 or less a piece. It costs the same amount of money to buy a nose-bleed section ticket to a major league baseball game as it does to purchase a human life. And, as the market value of the human trade is $32 billion a year, that should give you some idea of the scale of the problem from a purely human standpoint." (End It)

There is a movie coming out in theaters across the US this weekend, that shines light on this very issue.Watch the trailer here. >>

You don't have to live in Haiti or visit India to open your eyes to the TRUTH. Right needs to be done. It falls to us as an opportunity to obey our Lord, by educating ourselves on these issues, embracing the painful realities of others, and being willing to sacrifice time and resources to put a stop to such things!

You would want the world to move heaven and earth to do this for YOUR child or brother or sister or mother....So why wouldn't you do it for THEIRS???

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

“And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.'" (Matthew 25: 40, 45 nlt)

If you study this, you will find a MULTITUDE of ways to make a difference to rise up as ONE in His name and go head to head with the ruler of this fallen world for the lives of women and children and families!

Art class for orphans - self portraits

World Orphans puts a high value on holistic care for the orphans in their programs - so going beyond the essentials and making sure that the kids' needs are being met spiritually, emotionally and physically.

It's been fabulous to have Callie Himsl here as our current long term intern. Callie came on a Journey 117 trip last year and had it laid on her heart to do more. At the end of August, she packed up life in So. California, left her job and moved here. She lives & works with us here as we reach out to children, churches, and communities to help stop the cycle of the orphan.

Here is a glimpse of her work in one of our churches yesterday:

 Art class - part 1

Art class - part 2

Art class worship

Art work slide show

Orphan Prevention

As our programs have succeeded in stabilizing over 240 children in the past 2 years post-quake, we've finally been able to turn our eyes toward the future here. World Orphans bases their orphan care on a holistic model, looking at every aspect of the situation at hand. It is a priority to seek to address the three C's - Church, Child, and Community in all of our projects and partnerships.

Here in Haiti with the home-based programs providing very effective care, Ted & Ron have begun to assist church partners in looking at some ideas for sustainability. One of the Haitian churches worked with their American partner to build a chicken house this summer. It will enable them to raise & sell chickens at market value, making a profit that will further the OVC (orphaned & vulnerable children) program that they are serving the community with. The first set of chicks will arrive shortly & be ready for market by the holidays!

Sustainability projects address one facet of orphan prevention. Poverty is a big one here, so we are continually working to research and develop appropriate ways to help the churches & caregiver families to find jobs and gain the skills needed to further stabilize and meet their spiritual, emotional & physical needs.

Last month, Jessica & I began the journey toward further orphan prevention from a medical standpoint. The first phase of our research & development is seeking practical ways to meet the great need for maternity & HIV care in these communities. Maternal & infant death rates are extremely high here and HIV is a silent killer that leaves orphaned and sometimes HIV+ children without families.

Putting our nursing insight to work, we held forums in 9 of our church communities. We sat down face-to-face with the women at each location to open up conversations, gather information, and answer questions regarding these two major topics. Our goal was to gain a better understanding of the needs and experiences of the women in regards to pregnancy, childbirth and HIV. 

We were blessed by their openness to share personal stories with us and to speak about the struggles and the needs of women in their communities. The response that echoed on as we moved from church to church was "Maternity care is absolutely our GREATEST need for women right now."  We listened intently and prayed with them over the situation, asking God to provide these resources, and as sisters in Christ, committed ourselves to seeking His guidance and being His servants.

Though I don't know exactly where our work in this area will lead quite yet, we were able to offer a very basic first step to each of these communities. At the end of this month, a midwife from Arizona is traveling down to provide Safe Birth training to 5 women in each church. While it will be more theory than hands on & entail no practical experience, it is a very important first step in providing related resources. Our hope it that it will allow and encourage the women with a vision for developing their own church-based maternity care programs.  Please pray with us over the next two weeks leading up to it - that God will raise up godly women who are willing meet these needs in their community as His servants and that they will become tangible examples of Christ's love. 

Free Time!! (day 2 - Wahoo Bay)

What is the single best way to wear out a pack of kids? In my opinion it's SWIMMING!

Not really knowing how to swim much sure didn't slow down this crowd! They splashed around like little fish all day long and then crashed into bed on the way home.

It was a gorgeous day at Wahoo Bay - we were all blessed to be treated to such an adventure by Pastor J and Seth Keyser via Haiti's Hope!!

Wahoo Bay Beach Resort

on the Cote de Arcadins

Mammi Martine posted this video recently of our time together as well:

Click here

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: