More photos

 

The girls room

Group 1

GLA cuties

Tap Tap

 

Ground adventures

This morning Melissa and I ran a few errands for the guesthouse. We went to fill the car with gas, get a few things of diesel and stop by the market for food. Who knew simple everyday tasks could be such an adventure!! Melissa, effortlessly beautiful and petite is unexpectedly brave as well. She can drive through the crazy roads, can be firm in 2 languages - and they all listen, and her bargaining skills at the tin market were very intimidating! :)  The gas attendant was very friendly. I actually understood him (Creole) as he told Melissa and I about his 2 year old daughter and wife named Anne Marie. He brought out his wallet to show us photos of them as the tank filled. The inside of the gas station and around it was heavily guarded by Haitian police (??). I counted 6 assault rifles within about 100 ft of the car. Next stop was the Deli Mart. You would think things would be less expensive in Haiti, but I was shocked at how costly it was. It was similar to other islands in the Caribbean. That too was heavily guarded. Everyone we encountered was very friendly and everyone everyone seemed to know Melissa. It was so interesting to think of how Americans sometimes take for granted the safety and convenience of everyday tasks.

Next stop was the tin market! We had a list of things to buy to restock the guesthouse gift shop with. We got our driver, TJ, to go with us/drive us. TJ by the way ran track at Baylor so obviously PJ and I bonded with him over RG3. The tin market was such a fun experience!! I stood back as Melissa bargained them down and bought a few things for myself. One of the guys who's shop we stopped in was proud as he told us he had a picture with Bill Clinton when he came to shop at the tin market. He had some huge pieces of furniture made from tin. I took a lot of pictures today!!!  Later on all of the pieces we bought will be priced and barcoded for purchase by the guests, and the money from the mark up will go toward other Heartline projects.

Tonight is my last night in Haiti. Time has flown by! We are still without water, so I am looking forward to a long airport hotel shower in Miami tomorrow afternoon. I am already planning my next trip back. It was a completely different experience than last trip, and I value them both equally. I met some great people I plan to keep in touch with as I did last trip. I am also looking forward to keeping up with the progress of Heartline's ongoing projects and finding more ways to support them from home. This will most likely be my last post in Haiti.  I can not wait to come back to this country ... who's with me!!?? :) :) :)

It's Haiti!

PJ left and not too long afterwards we did not have water ... hmmmmmmm. So the way things work around here is when nothing works, everything just works anyways somehow. The guesthouse switches fromEDH (city power) that is available a few hours a day and is not quite on a schedule, a generator, and a battery. It is quite a system they have flipping circuit
s, unplugging the fridge, filling up the generator. Somehow when EDH is "bad" it messes with the pump for the water. Today it was bad and the pump no longer works. That means no showers (hot or cold), no toilet flushes. We can walk to the staffs house to get a bucket to shower if we want. It will "maybe" be back on tomorrow.

I gotta say though, I have been totally spoiled here. A comfy bed, a hot shower every day (minus today), plumbing, fans at every bed and power. Of course the stay has had its challenges but I feel very fortunate to be staying here.

I did have a little flight trouble and will be leaving early Haiti a day early, but arriving the same time to home. My flight on friday was delayed causing me to miss my flight home, so I am leaving on the one flight out a day before on Thursday, spending the night in Miami and then heading home. I have a feeling its going to take some serious effort and time to be presentable  acceptable landing in Miami. I'll go ahead and call this little 'look' Ive got going on here the cute 3rd world country volunteer look of the maladjusted American. Given my new flight, tomorrow will be my last full day in Haiti. I will certainly post a ton a pictures to each blog entry this coming week.

Ill make it home somehow -  like I said, everything just seems to work. One by one everyone is fetching a bucket and life will go on in the Heartline guesthouse, its just Haiti! Haiti is a place where cool and collected Ryan can greet someone with "Hey! How's malaria?!!" with a smile. Its a place where the car always starts, it just takes a little extra effort, and the power eventually will come back on, you just have to figure out how! In fact, we had one of those 2 nights ago! Ryan wrote about it in his blog - http://ryanandmelissaalberts.com/.
"It's Haiti!" :)

Pride and Prejudice

I drove with Ryan to take PJ to the airport this morning after breakfast. On our way back, in the normal Port Au Price traffic I got a front row seat to something pretttty cool. (PJ is going to be so jealous he missed this!!!) - There was a flag raising ceremony. EVERYDAY at 8am, everyone in a city that full of noise and hustle and bustle comes to a stop to pay respect to their country's flag. All of the car radio stations play the national anthem. Cars stop where they are and the people pause in place. The guards salute as the flag rises up the flag pole and the country's anthem rings through the streets. It didnt last long, but it was a great show of just how much pride and respect the Haitians have in their country. For better or for worse, the Haitians take pride in a country, their country, where many have prejudice.

Hard Work and Sisterhood

Today we joined the new LifeTree group to the worksite. The worksite is a place known as the 'OK Corral' It is a western themed restaurant that did not survive the earthquake - John and Beth ought it, are restoring it and bought a bunch of the property around it as well. The bakery opens this July, and then men that are taught there will work as cooks. As you continue on the property they will be building a brand new maternity center. There are many great smaller things on the property scattered throughout. A volunteer who went to Duke came back and set up a honeybee farm, and there are also tanks of fish they will use at the restaurant and feed the workers with. They harvest their own maggots even to feed them. There is also a school on the property! PJ and I want to come back for our 10 year anniversary, and after we renew our vows on the beach we are doing to have the reception at the OK. All are welcome!

My main task of the day was to prime and paint some of the buildings. I was painting alongside 2 other the girls from LifeTree (about 5 of them are in college at Western Michigan). Halfway through the first wall we realized we were both Sigma Kappas!!! The obvious thing to do after that was paint our letters on the wall and take pictures in front of them. It was great getting to know them and sharing sorority stories. Keep a look out in our magazine ladies!

It was a very long and tiring day - everyone worked very hard! PJ especially was put to work for a hot day of manual labor. His job involved mixing cement, carrying the bucket of cement and helping build a wall. After that him and I both went to the back of the property near the school and started to stain their playground set. We ended up joining the kids on the trampoline for some fun :) Tonight is also PJs last night! I will remain behind until Friday while PJ attends to Boozer. Another couple arrives on Thursday to continue on helping with the guesthouse.

I am continually amazed by Heartline's expanding involvement in Haiti. Its as if they thought of everything the country needed to thrive and came up with something to check each box.

Cite Soleil

I dont really know how to follow up w PJs thank you, other than a thank you to him in return, kind of a big one actually - He came to Haiti with me- how great of a husband do I have!!  Its' great to share this experience with someone you love and I am so happy to have him by my side supporting me. Enough mushy gushy.

Yesterday the large group left and a smaller one arrived. Following the departure of the group we helped strip the beds and make them for the next group. This group consists of people from Michigan and from Virginia (richmond area). Everyone seems great. We also dropped off the wedding dresses we organized at the maternity center in an extra closet. We heard last time we were over there that there was a mother expecting a baby any day now. Well, that day was yesterday. We walked up to the house, and there she was, in labor, on the front porch in the Haitian heat. PJs look of shock when he walked past her was pretty amusing. They have a poster up on the labor positions they learned about and she was following the poster perfectly. When we asked Beth later on how it went,
we were sad to learn it didnt at the maternity center, and that she had to be transferred to Doctors Without Border for a C section. Beth explained how its tough to do that, and they always prefer not to if they can avoid it. Its very crowded and they only take in the most critical cases, so they have to wait until someone is "critical enough" to get the care they need.

This morning we woke up earlier than usual (which is fine because I'm awake most of the night anyways...) and headed 30 minutes somewhere to a Haitian American church. It was an interesting service with great music - the Haitian girl who sang was amazing, and her voice brought tears to some of the volunteers eyes.  Church was followed by a "tour" on our way to lunch at Beth and Johns house.. We all piled in the Canter not knowing where we would go or what we would see. We stopped by the Presidential Palace, at least where it used to be before the earthquake and then drove by the outskirts of Cite Soleil, an area I had not been too - and no one I knew had been to. We also stopped by the beach for a much a needed breath of fresh ocean air.

Cite soleil: Just when I thought I had seen the worst of Haiti, I saw the worst of the worst. What we saw was absolutely unimaginable, unfathomable to comprehend, shocking to the core - and we only saw the outskirts. Small children with swollen bellies played barefoot in trash filled open sewage hunting for food. Gangs guarded the streets. Hundreds of the thousands of people crowded on top of each other where electricity, running water, and food were scarce. No one goes into Cite Soleil... no matter how tough or big the charity or ministry, they just dont go. Food trucks do not go. Volunteers do not go. Doctors do not go. It is too dangerous, it is too much, and there are too many. Only those from the Jordan UN go, and they go heavily armed and are not afraid to use them. We sped through the outskirts in awe. On one side of the road, the beautiful blue Caribbean waters, and the other, Cite Soleil. These people did not have jobs, they did not have joy, they were not friendly, it was dangerous, they were not laughing, and they were not nicely dressed. It was not like Port Au Price, where despite the vast and extreme poverty, people had joy and they had pride. The hope had been drained from every angle in Cite Soliel.  Its not a place reporters would report in. Its not a place you would see visiting Haiti. Its not a place you would ever want to see.... because once you see it, you can never erase it.

According to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cit%C3%A9_Soleil
Cité Soleil (Kreyol: Site Solèy, English: Sun City) is an extremely impoverished and densely populated commune located in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area in Haiti. Cité Soleil originally developed as a shanty town and grew to an estimated 200,000 to 400,000 residents, the majority of whom live in extreme poverty.^[1] The area is generally regarded as one of the poorest and most dangerous areas of the Western Hemisphere and it is one of the biggest slums in the Northern Hemisphere. The area has virtually no sewers and has a poorly maintained open canal system that serves as its sewage system
The area has been called a "microcosm of all the ills in Haitian society: endemic unemployment, illiteracy, non-existent public services, unsanitary conditions, rampant crime and armed violence".^[5]

There is so much to be done here in Haiti. I am so thankful I can help Heartline and dip my toes into this giant pool of need.

Allow me to jump in here for a moment

This is PJ typing now. Kristen had asked me to do an entry on the blog while we were here, she seemed convinced that people may want my perspective as well. Having never blogged before I am not too sure how to go about this so read at your own risk: it may get choppy and convoluted up ahead. My goal is to put my thoughts and feelings down in a clear and concise manner, but we'll see how it goes...let's proceed:

1. It is hot. Everyone here knows it is hot and all of you know it is hot.because we have made sure to tell you exactly how hot it is. That being said we are still the fortunate ones. We are in a home with plenty of windows for the breeze to pass through and fans for every bed as well during the night. I am truly thankful for that luxury.

2. Poverty. It is sprawling and intense and upsetting to see. I knew going into this trip that I would not do well with it. I couldn't put a finger on it but something inside my head told me "you aren't ready, you will never be ready." I expressed that feeling to Kristen and she confirmed that I was right. There is no way to prepare for it: it exists and it is very real. And it is sad. I hate sounding "preachy" but I truly thank God for how lucky I am. 

3. I feel ashamed. I knew the county of Haiti was poor and I fully expected to see worn down people trudging up and down the street, wearing dirty clothes, an overall sense of sadness hovering above the land and the people. I was wrong. The people are not worn down. They are not in dirty clothes.And they are not sad. From the maternity center to the sewing school to the orphanage to the street every single person I saw was put together nicely, had clean clothes and walked with a pride and self respect that honestly shocked me. The people laughed and chatted, the children played and ran and jumped. I don't know why I assumed so little about the Haitian people. I was wrong, and for that I feel ashamed.

4. I marvel at the passion of the people we have met. Whether their actions are driven by a faith in God or as a practical response to a problem the world is facing, they (including my wife) have passion in what they are doing. It is beautiful to see.

5. As I sit here typing a Haitian man who works at the guesthouse is outside sweeping the driveway and lawn area. He, along with all other Haitians across the country who are lucky enough to find a job, work 9 hours a day for 6 days a week. That is the norm., and it is impressive.
 

6. A new group of volunteers is scheduled to arrive shortly. We don't know who they are or where they are coming from, but are excited to meet them. The past few days have been great getting to sit around in the evening and talk with people I would have otherwise never met. I hope the next few nights before I leave will bring much of the same joy.

7. Kindness is all around. Kristen and I have noticed and reported to each other many acts of kindness that people have performed for one another without fanfare or attention. Say a "thank you" prayer for these people, they deserve it.

I don't want to write "will explain more later" or "until next time" because chances are I won't blog again while here. If I am being honest I'd have to say I feel silly having written this much. If you've made it all the way to the end of the post I'm sorry to tell you there is no prize. Except for maybe the fact that the next time you check back in to "keep up" you will be doing so with Kristen. 

On that note let me wish  very public thank you to my wife. While I can't say I would've never made to Haiti without her in my life, I'm pretty sure she is the reason I am here. And while this is certainly her passion and not mine, I am forever grateful she has shared it with me

Out and about Haiti!

There is so much to talk about in a day!!!


Rhyan and I

This morning after we helped with breakfast we went to Gods Littlest Angels!! Traveling in Haiti takes some serious skill and planning. We have neither in the area, thankfully Rhyan (Espwa Berlancia) does!!! She told me she was able to arrange a driver to pick us up and drop us off. As we coordinated last night I was like a kid on Christmas Eve. I was returning to the source of my love for Haiti :) AND got to see an amazing friend (Rhyan!) and sit in on some discussions on the future of Espawa Berlancia. I realize I'm throwing a lot of names out here so let me recap - We am right now volunteering with Heartline Ministries. They have several programs including the Guesthouse where volunteers stay which we are helping run -the guesthouse is hosting a group from Faith Community in Colorado who came here through LifeTree ... Today we went to Gods Littlest Angels (GLA) (where I was last time and met Rhyan), Rhyan has since started Espwa Berlancia ... got it??? So many good people and organizations its hard to keep track of. Heartline Ministries is our main focus, primarily the guesthouse helping Ryan and Melissa who currently run it. Ok... now that we are all caught up..... It is such a great network here, everyone knows everyone and knows where to send someone in need.

I was SO excited to take PJ to GLA!! It was so cute to see him with all the kids. (Ill add pictures when i get home).  We got the warning about picking up a kid we werent taking to balcony to play with/how hard it is to put them down and to just be firm  about walking about and not holding 100 at a time. We walked in the nursery and the kids immediately pegged PJ as the weak one in the bunch and attacked him. One little girl climbed her way up into his arms within a few seconds. Kids 1, PJ 0. We spent a few hours on the balcony enjoying the scenery and playing with the babies. We went to lunch at Rhyans where the future of Espwa Berlancia was discussed - Rhyan is so dedicated to this country and its people! We had our big "outing" for the day and will remain the rest of the time 100% focused on Heartline. I look forward to what lies in store for us !!! Tomorrow the groups leaves and another one comes in, so we should have our hospitality hands full :)


I feel like I could go on and on about Heartline and Beth and John, Here is a quick, about us link, http://www.heartlineministries.org/aboutus/theheartlinestory.php
PJ and I have been brainstorming how to help, and I mean really help Heartline in a big way. we havent decided yet, and as we get to know John and Beth on a more intimate level we hope to find out the best way we can help. So, stay tuned!!!

We decided not to take photos from the car on the way to GLA today. For a few reasons - we did not want to offend our driver, this is his home after all. We did not want to gawk and be poverty tourists, and honestly.. a picture could never capture it. Words even just cannot describe it. Its was over an hour drive and was as eyeopening as ever. No human should ever have to live like that. I can see how people come and never leave. I am just so compelled to help .. and then come back and help some more.

Once we got back to the guesthouse  - John and Beth took the group (and us) our for pizza at a hotel near the airport. There were not many guests, but hopefully one day in the future that will change.

Off to bed - and Im trying not to complain (outloud at least, only via blog...) :) but its almost 100 degrees here and humid in a way only the carribean can be, and no AC. The mosquito nets block the fans from getting through and the door has to be shut to keep out the rats. PJ has been a trooper and seems to be enjoying himself despite the conditions, which, when you look around, you really cannot complain, about ANYTHING, EVER.. He has really enjoying getting to know a group of guys over some cola  and he has a trip to the visit CO / them and tour all the breweries.

Goodnight USA!

Cold Beer, Hot Night

The Bar

Did I mention HOT night?? We will get back to that .... on to cold beer. Yesterday was a looooong day. I had just showered and was ready for bed when I hear  a LifeTree volunteer yell out.... "Hey we are going to bar in 5 minutes if anyone wants to come!!!!" Did I hear that right?? He announced it again and PJ popped out of the bedroom like a kid after an ice cream truck!! I had to laugh as we joked on the way over about stopping by a margarittaville and how our "hotel" should be within walking distance of a bar. Curiosity set in as I was assured what I was wearing was ok (he said it laughing at me, which I understood later why) and we VOLUNTEERED to accompany the group the bar. It was a few blocks up in the village , (the village is all enclosed and it is safe to walk within the village walls). I learned that "bar" meant someones house with a large from room with a big cooler in it, and several fold out chairs placed on the street. Best"bar" ever. We got to know more of the LifeTree volunteers as well as a few locals as we amusingly tried to bridge the language gap. The Haitian beer is "Prestige". Nothing exciting, but an enticing name! We came back to the guesthouse and went to sleep, and by that I mean spent all night laying down, being hot and trying to adjust fans until it was time to wake up and help with breakfast!



Melissa and PJ organizing

After breakfast this morning, the TreeLife volunteers left for the day to do their volunteer work, while we stayed behind to do ours. We have been tasked with several hospitality tasks - organization of kitchen cabinets was very PJ really shined :)
We then went on to their other houses to get supplies for more tasks and tour their facilities. We went to the maternity center, saw the birthing room and stayed a bit for their program, They had about 30 pregnant women in there, getting weighed, blood pressure checked and sonograms. One woman who had a baby was there and was eating her meal, clearly with her hands full - Obviously, I jumped in to take the baby off her hands, what a cutie!!! We met Beth while we were there, of Beth and John who founded Heartline - amazing people!!!!  More about them later. After the maternity center we went to Haitian Creations, saw the women at work and shopped a little more. Saw the womans school and headed back to the guesthouse. Our next task is to hang up and organize wedding dresses.... yes, wedding dresses!! They have donated wedding dresses woman can borrow for the wedding, and we will hang and organize them so its either to browse for a dress. Then we will assist with dinner prep and cleanup.


Wedding Dresses!

 Hatian Creations Store Photos - 
 And the women hard at work!!!

The house is nice and PJ and I have our own room and semi own bathroom too. We are very lucky. The village is very upscale for Port Au Prince. The ride from here to the airport was short but eyeopening. We had kids attach themselves to the car and beg for money. PJ described it as shocking and not quite prepared for what he saw. How do you prepare yourself to see a small child, naked, sleeping on the side of the road? We are SO close to the US .... how would that be okay in the US?? How is that little girl any different than any other little girl in the US? Is she any less human? Its heartbreaking. It makes your arrival after the drive all the more meaningful and thankful that there are people here doing what they are doing - and I am privileged to be helping out 'take care of them' and serve those who serve.

Here safe!!

We have arrived!!! The airport was renovated since the last time I was here so it wasnt AS crazy, but still overwhelming. We were picked up by Ryan, of Ryan and Melissa who run the guesthouse - we will be helping them during our stay. Ryan was cool calm and collected as he navigated us in reverse out of the parking lot. .... maybe a little too calm! On our way we to the guesthouse we saw a UN Swat team truck storm by us, which, no was not normal, but Ryans reaction with a smile was "i wish I had gotten a picture of that!" :) we got a tour of the house and a short one of the village where it is located. It was  advised not to complain about the heat, because everyone knows its hot, so Ill say this here - ITS HOT!! :)

We have some busy days ahead of us.... tonight, the group staying LifeTree will be back and we will assist with dinner. In the morning we will visit the Womens Program and Maternity Center. Friday will be our Gods Littlest Angels Days and Saturday a new group will be arriving. We have a lot of work ahead - Cant wait!!! I am not sure how picture uploading will be but you might have to do with boring old words from me for a bit.

PJ is going with the flow like I knew he would. I asked if he wanted to take pictures on the drive and he said he just wanted to take it all in. It is a lot to take in.

 
The smells of garbage mixed with fresh fruits, the sounds of chickens, car horns and laughing  and the sights of mountains beyond mountains...   I am happy to be back :)

Heartline Guesthouse

Scattered Thoughts Before Departing

Status: In a few short hours we will be tricking our dog on a walk while we hide suitcases in the car and head to the airport. Our flight leaves early, just after 6am, making for a lovely 3:30am departure from home - excellent after working a 10 1/2 hour beginning at 6am!. We fly to JFK first, because everyone knows its fun to fly north before flying south. We had such a jammed packed weekend and so much going the past week, I dont think anything has really registered with either of us. It's been go go go and I look forward to just sitting on the plane, taking a deep breath and being able to focus on our task ahead.

We are not arriving empty handed! After some trips to Goodwill and Target, we have huge bag of stuff we are happy to donate - Supplies are heading to Rhyan/Espwa Berlancia, Gods Littlest Angels and to Heartline Ministries!

Happy Thoughts: Thank you everyone so much for your thoughts and prayers! We have even been added to Christ Church's (our old church in Alexandria) prayer list! To know we have such a strong backing and great group of friends and family following our trip is such a blessing. I feel SO fortunate to be able to take a trip a like this. I am so thankful I have the means and time to do this. I know its only a short period of time, and I cant save the world, but I hope I can help a small part of it for a short period of time. I am also so happy that I have a wonderful and supportive husband who will be going with me (but lets face it, he totally knew this was coming before he married me!) It is also my hope that this blog will serve the purpose of: 1. Showing readers an up close and personal take on a country so close, yet so different. 2. Introduce readers to some amazing people and organizations and show everyone how they can help them in the US 3. Show everyone NOT what PJ and I are doing, but the amazing things Heartline (and other organizations) are doing for Haiti.

Recent Haiti news : In googling there were two recent articles back to back. One, on how 2/3 people face hunger in Haiti. (http://news.yahoo.com/2-3-people-face-hunger-123722848.html) The other, on a new Best Western opening up in Haiti. http://www.bestwesternpremierhaiti.com/ They seemed pretty strange next to each other. Two depictions and perceptions of the same place. Haiti used to be one of the richest countries in its area, and now its the poorest. On one side of the same island lies a popular tourist destination, and on the other, extreme poverty. Its a country in flux, developing, collapsing, struggling, and growing all at the same time. How could this be? Why? Of course you can go back to history, look at the political side, the social side ... I can understand some explanations, but when its a human life, you cant help but wonder how...

More introductions: Organizations/People I will be discussing on my trip - some videos for those people who dont like reading. :)

Video about Hearltine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph-s7jsA7aE  (Heartline, specifically the Guesthouse, will be our main focus) (see previous post for more details)

Video from GLA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbDZQdFaEKA
Rhyan/Espwa Berlancia http://www.espwaberlancia.org/

OK that is all for now - next stop: Haiti!

Returning to Haiti!!!!!

Its been a few years since my last post :) but, I am ecstatic to announce I am returning to Haiti next week!!! For those of you receiving this link for the first time - you can scroll through old posts to read about my trip to God's Littlest Angels in 2009.

Who: PJ and I! Yes my friends, thats true love - agreeing to use precious time off work to travel to a 3rd world country in the heat of a Haitian summer with his wife.

What/Where/Why: A Volunteer trip to Haiti. - to stay/assist in running their guesthouse. *Serving those who serve* - a unique opportunity!!!

As you probably know, Haiti found a special place in my heart shortly after PJ and "re-met", when I volunteered at Gods Littlest Angels orphanage in Haiti in 2009. My love for the country grew and grew and I shared that love with PJ. We were actively looking and planning a trip to return to GLA a few months ago, but time off work and the timing given their limited capacity for volunteers never seemed to come together. When a different need and new opportunity presented itself, we knew it was the right thing to do, and booked our flights two days later. God works in mysterious ways!

I recently hosted a "Haitian Creations" party where friends and family came to our home and shopped with a purpose, leaving with beautiful handmade purses and jewelry. The ministry"in charge" is Heartline Ministries. They specialize in maternity care for women, and focus on providing them lifelong skills to live their new lives as mothers in the poorest country in the western hemisphere through their Women's Program. In addition to the Women's Program and Maternity Center, they also oversee a Men's Bakery, Student Sponsorship program, The Heartline Guest House, Port au Prince Fellowship, and are partners with Maranatha Children's Home The guest house is located near the airport in Port-au-Prince that provides a safe and inexpensive place for those volunteering in Haiti to stay. That is where we will be staying/working most of the time, helping another couple manage their expected 40 guests, and assisting with their other programs during our "free time". We also hope to take a day trip to God's Littlest Angels!

To learn more about Heartline Ministries, please go to: http://www.heartlineministries.org/

Specifically the guesthouse: http://heartlineguesthouse.com/

 

When: June 12-21

 

Many of you have asked how you can contribute and help us on our journey - We plan on funding the trip expenses ourselves, and we only ask for your prayers. We simply wanted to make sure our friends, family and neighbors who supported Kristen in her last trip, and participated in her Haitian Creations party, have a way of 'following' our trip through our blog, and most importantly - share with everyone the wonderful things Heartline is doing for Haiti! When we return, we hope you will continue to join us in our ongoing efforts to support Heartline, and the amazing people of Haiti.

 

More information to follow in future blog posts !!!

Here are a few photos from my Haitian Creations party"

 

I saw what I saw

One of the volunteers I met put together this video of some of the kids around GLA and posted it a few days before I got there. She did a great job, and I thought I'd share it. The song is a great description of how life changing the experience was for me, and for her. Enjoy.

A few more pictures