Mans Searching for Meaning...

For over thirty years my lay ministry in church consisted of assisting parents in guiding their teenagers through the rocky years of adolescence. Some responded to the adventure of scouting, some to the discipline and focus of sports and some to extreme high adventure. We once found a service opportunity for a week at a state hospital for mentally retarded (the term used at the time).

For every child that found real purpose in life, confidence and respect for themselves in serving others, uniting in a worthy goal of being the best they can be at something or touching someone's life with the love of God through our willing hands, we rejoiced and thanked God with joyful hearts that we could be instruments in His hands with those sweet, choice souls that He had entrusted to us.

Some were harder to reach. We never gave up but unfortunately some of them gave up on us and went on into adulthood learning only by the school of hard knocks that God designed as his "reform school" of life.

I still follow these children into adulthood, especially our "problem children". We hope they have found meaning in their life and a self respect that God wants for all His children.

Turn about...

One of the great experiences that we have enjoyed on this Healing Haiti trip is that our team leaders have included parents on the trip. My daughter Karen, invited me and her mother-in-law Jan , and Jenn invited her parents Lynne and Bill.

I heard about Haiti from Karen and she was so excited to share her transformative experience with me. As much as I tried I could not get into it like she did. I also found another friend Jan, who had returned from Haiti who too could not wait to share her experience with me. Everyone who went was somehow transformed. They were revitalized.Life suddenly meant more than before. Some things were not as important as they once had been. An energy and purpose infused the lives of those who returned.

My sons would talk about the dramatic change in their sister's life jokingly saying, "I hope they don't sell their house and live in a shack and dedicate all their money to charity." They too knew something had permanently changed. And it was good.

Today we went to Cite Soleil. The poorest area in a country of nine million. 80% in the country are in poverty and 50% in abject poverty. I learned what the term abject poverty meant today. I will not dwell on that. What is not expected in that squalor was the bright eyes of the children. The little ones tugging on my shorts wanting to be held and loved. Their bright eyes flashing a deep soulful gratitude that can only come from a child.

An eight year old child Cece that Karen bonded with on previous trips, the last of 9 children, came to the water truck and they were reunited. She had prayed for this little one for eight months, and to her delight, she was doing well, going to school and had the real hope for a better life. Child after child would say in English, their native language is Creol, God is good, in all their little ways in gratitude for the water and the love we brought.

A (semi)crusty old man was touched today, in a way no telling of the experience can.

The torch has been passed. My daughter is now dreaming up ways to guide her parents (and others) through the rocky years of middle age. Hoping somehow she can be an instrument in Gods hand to reinvigorate the purpose and meaning in the lives of those she loves. Hopefully I will get it and not be her "problem child", relegated to the school of hard knocks.

The miracle has happened again. Where the giver and the receiver are both blessed.

Greetings from Healing Haiti (aka "Adult Spiritual Rehab")

Paul (Dad)

Touched by a "Haitian" Angel

Touched by a "Haitian" Angel

We have our own little welcoming committee here in Hait

i in the form of an elderly Haitian woman who I affectionately

refer to as "Auntie." I first met her in July at a charasmatic,

outdoor church service that I went to with our interpreter Fanfan.

She immediately captured our hearts as she joyfully shuffled

over to our location with a twinkle in her eye and a spring in

her step to individually greet each one of us. In fact, the woman

deeply touched one of our team members in particular ...

our team leader Tom Gacek.
This week, when we arrived at church, I knew that Tom would

be looking for his little angel. We took our seats and waited

patiently for our welcome to begin. The music had started

and suddenly, I noticed that Tom was gone. I glanced around

and spotted him in the row that we had sat in during our July trip ...

I knew that he was hoping she would see him.

Finally, disappointed, Tom returned to his seat with the rest

of our team members.

I quietly said a quick prayer asking that little Auntie

reveal herself.

When I opened my eyes, there she was ... doing a quick little jig

down the aisle of the church heading straight for Tom.

My heart immediately fluttered and was filled with excitement

and warmth since I knew Tom would be just thrilled to see

her once again. Then, after greeting Tom, to my amazement

she individually greeted each one of us just like she had done in July.

She wanted to make sure that the visitors to her church felt at home.

Tom gave her a piece of gum as she continued dancing

down the aisles, waving her hands in the air in worship.

Shortly thereafter, she reappeared with a gift for each one of us ...

pieces of candy.

She sweetly placed a piece in our hands as she looked us in

the eyes.

Then, she found a seat in front of Tom where she sat quietly alone.

Well ... Tom would have none of that ... he did not want her sitting

alone so he politely escorted her over to an empty seat

right next to me.

As the music continued, she placed her hand on my shoulder

and began to pray silently over me. I couldn't believe the tender,

loving care she showed by doing this act for a total stranger!

When she was finished with me, she repeated this practice

with several of my other team members. We were all so

touched by her grace and eloquence. She was so precious

and made us all smile. We were the outsiders at this church,

but felt completely at ease.

So ... if you ever come to Haiti, don't be surprised

by the warm welcome you will receive, especially

from a little elderly woman at the Morning Star Christian

Academy in Port-au-Prince. Just like us,

you will be touched by this angel.

It's Not About Me...Or is it?

What is God trying to teach me? What am I open to humbly learn…

It’s not about me. Or is it…

Traveling over roads that are nothing but piles of rubble, bouncing, lurching, assaulted by honking, chaos of people and cars and vendors, and no apparent rules of the road, yet arriving at a new destination with each trip.

What is God trying to teach me? What am I open to humbly learn…

Visiting sick, dying and abandoned infants and children, spending an all too short period of time sharing in their care. Feeling my heart about to burst as I held, caressed, fed, sang to, danced with, prayed over, while feeling and aching with an inexplicable peace and of being home.

It’s not about me. Or is it…

Gazing upon a landscape of rolling mountains, so lush and green, and an ocean of brilliant blue and calm serenity, while my feet are solidly planted on millions of pebbles under which lie the remains of thousands of men, women, children, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, friends, neighbors, and strangers.

What is God trying to teach me? What am I open to humbly learn…

Sharing in the intimicies of lives lived in complete squalor, amidst garbage, human waste, wandering animals, aghast at the sight of children running through the streets of rubble who bear witness to the lack of food, of water, of basic medical assistance, and feeling so overwhelmingly blessed to be able to hug, to hold, to caress, and to deliver items which may ease some of the burden of unimaginable circumstances.

It’s not about me. Or is it…

Awed by the resilience, the dignity, the strength, of a community that has suffered so very very much, yet displays humbleness, grace, and indeed hope and joy, while surrounded by utter devestation.

What is God trying to teach me? What am I open to humbly learn…

Overwhelmed by the knowledge that so many people have opened up to God’s grace and shared their hearts in a variety of ways in and through Healing Haiti, and so humbled by and grateful for the gift of being a part of something that is so amazing and through which God is working.

It’s not about me. Or is it…

Bursting with hope and pride with the visual observations of a place which brings the promise of a new beginning for children who have known so much struggle, heartache, loneliness, and yet have been taken in and cared for by selfless individuals who also have known struggle and heartache.

What is God trying to teach me? What am I open to humbly learn…

Tossing about on truck rides home from excursions, reflecting on our multi-faceted visits, overwhelmed with our experience, physically present in Haiti, but already feeling seeds being planted that will bloom when we return to our homes. Brainstorming on how to respond. Feeling my mind begin to leave where I physically am, and travel to where I physically am not. I can’t help but to feel my hands begin to clench again and stomach begin to cramp as I wonder if I’m not already starting to run ahead of God, rather than follow.

What is God trying to teach me? What am I open to humbly learn…

Being a part of a group comprised of unique individuals with a variety of backgrounds, experiences, gifts, and walls, each with their own story, yet all having stepped out in faith, despite any fears or insecurities or questions, to serve. To be a part of something bigger than themselves and their “normal” lives, knowing not what was to come or evolve, but willing to take a leap. A group who has shared, served, laughed, cried, eaten, slept and prayed together, while being broken open and apart and humbled in very individual, unique, personal ways.

What is God trying to teach me? What am I open to humbly learn…

It is with a heavy heart, yet a soaring heart, that I must acknowledge that this visit to Haiti is drawing to a close, and I am preparing to go forth, to travel onward, to leave, while bringing a part of Haiti with me that will remain with me forever. Inside a heart that has been torn apart, in ways I could never have imagined, as my eyes witnessed sights beyond comprehension, my hands reached out to touch and to work and to pray and to praise in an place beyond comprehension, my feet trod upon a ground that was unsteady at best yet delivered safely at every destination that was beyond my comprehension. It’s not about me, yet it’s ALL about me. As God teaches me, what am I willing to learn? It’s not about me, yet it’s ALL about me. How will I apply the lessons? It’s not about me, yet it’s ALL about me. How can I be used as a vessel for His grace to pour out in abundance over all the world? It’s not about me, yet it’s ALL about me. How will my capacity to love be transformed by this amazing journey? It’s not about me, yet it’s ALL about me. How can I humbly continue on the transformational journey that God has designed for me? I don’t have the answers to any of these, and so many other questions, and I’m not sure I ever will.But with a heart that is cracked wide open, it is my fervent prayer that I humbly obey, follow, and serve with a love that knows no end, no boundaries. May that love and humble gratitude be reflected in all of my choices and actions.

“I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world.” Mother Teresa

Jennifer Shultz

Healing Haiti Team Member

The Beginning...

Our day started with a 2:00 am wake-up and here I am blogging at 9:30 pm. It should feel like a very long day, instead all I feel is excited and inspired. In less than one day I've already been transformed in a way I could never have imagined. Everyone I encountered before arriving in Haiti told me this trip would change me, that I would never be the same. Those words are not powerful enough to express what this journey has already brought to me.

When Tom and Julie pulled in my driveway at 3 am I was greeted with an amazing amount of energy. Tom had volunteered to drive us to the airport, just drive us, he wasn't going on the trip with us. This man doesn't even know me but was willing to get up at 2 am to take ME to the airport. He was truly excited for me and my team. Our team assembled by 4am at the gate and checked our bags full of supplies for the people of Haiti. By 5 am we were through security and waiting to board the plane. After a layover in Miami and our first meal together as a team we boarded the plane for Haiti.

As I settled in for the very short flight the gentleman next to me asked what we would be doing in Haiti. We talked briefly about this being my first trip to Haiti. He had the same enthusiasm and excitement for me to experience the people of Haiti as Tom did in the car ride to the airport. I couldn't help but be overwhelmed by the passion the people that have come to this beautiful place before me possess.

As we approached Haiti I was in awe of the beautiful ocean and mountains. I didn't expect to see such beauty given the extreme poverty I had been preparing for. Quickly upon landing I saw the first tent city. Everything I had read, or picture I'd seen didn't come close to capturing the scene. To think that just two hours prior I had been in an airport with every imaginable thing I could need or want was eyeopening. I still can't find the words to describe the feeling when you first see the streets that really don't resemble anything that we would imagine driving on at home, or the haphazardly constructed tents that are homes. What got me the most was the outdoor shower that was being used by a woman amongst the tents. Such an intimate part of life that I was witnessing as we drove by.

This is only day 1, we haven't even done any work yet! We sat down to a dinner prepared by the very gracious Healing Haiti house staff, then followed up with some singing together as FanFan played his guitar. FanFan possess an amazing spirit, so incredibly God filled in his singing, I feel so fortunate to have been a part of it.

Tomorrow we will start the "work" part of our journey, delivering water to the people of Haiti. So far I have so many questions racing through my mind. Why? Why do these people have to live in such poverty? How? How can we truly help these people?

I already know that one week of my life is not enough.

Courtney McCormick

Healing Haiti Team Member

God is so good…

Five jobs. That’s what our leader, Jeff, told us we would be doing today. “When we go out with the water truck, there are five different jobs you will be doing.” Filling buckets with the water hose, moving the buckets under the water hose and out of the way, keeping the line of people and buckets moving, carrying water to people’s homes, and making ourselves accessible to the kids. Five jobs – each one important, each one meaningful, each one refreshing in it’s own unique way. With God’s strength and a lot of teamwork, we were able to perform those jobs at the end of three different roads in Cite Soleil today.

Although I knew Cite Soleil is the poorest slum in the Western hemisphere and I had seen pictures of the water truck stops before, I was not prepared for what I experienced. It was unlike anything I’d ever done, seen, smelled, heard, or felt before. Our senses were overwhelmed and overstimulated. Today we have been left nearly speechless and unable to fully process all we have experienced in this culture that is so different from ours.

Having those five jobs to do gave us a purpose in this unfamiliar environment. Filling the endless line of buckets with water was fulfilling. Watching the crowds of people desperate for free water was chaotic. Taking the heavy buckets of water through the narrow path of tin shacks was eye-opening. Being the love and playmates the children yearned for was heartwarming.

After the water truck was empty at each stop, Jeff took us for a walk to and along the beach. All I can say is “wow”! The beaches in Cite Soleil are unlike any beaches I know. As Jeff explained to us, the water truck drives as far as it can on the paved road before stopping to deliver water. Beyond the water stop is where the poorest people in Haiti live. The further from the end of the road you go, the closer to the beach you get, the poorer the people are. They are farther away from access to water, food, and services. Unlike most countries where beachfront property is considered quite valuable and where wealthy people own homes, beachfront property in Haiti is the least desirable and where the poorest of the poor live.

On our walk to the waterfront each time, we were accompanied by a small cluster of children surrounding each one of us. Amidst the endless piles of garbage, the overwhelming smells, the scene of small one room homes made with tin walls and roofs, and some children’s bare feet walking on seashells and glass was the sound of children singing “God is so good, is so good, is so good, is so good” over and over. Hearing that song from the two little girls in my arms and on my back seemed like such a contrast to what one would think they would feel considering the destitute conditions surrounding us.

During our debrief at the end of the day, Jeff asked if we sensed God’s presence today. I immediately thought of the girls I carried to the beach today. They were filled with God’s love, His hope, His Spirit. Maybe this is what Jeff was talking about when he said we need to empty ourselves completely so we can let God fill us – just like the water buckets today when we dumped any small amount of old, dirty water remaining in the bucket so we could fill it with the fresh, clean water. If we dump the remainder of our old sinful selves out and let His clean Holy Spirit fill us, maybe then we too could sing with the children without questioning: “God is so good, is so good, is so good, is so good…”

Vicki
Healing Haiti Team Member

These are the moments...

There are many moments that move my heart and confirm what God is doing through our mission in Haiti... this is one of them. All glory to God... for it is only through Him that we get to do what we do. I hope you enjoy. 

Glwa pou Bondye

Jeffrey Gacek

Executive Director

Healing Haiti.

Dear Mr. Jeffrey Gacek,

    To begin, this thank you message is long past overdue. In all my seventeen years of living, I have never become more excited about life than I did after going on the Healing Haiti mission trip. That may even be an understatement. I remember last spring, asking my mother about finding a mission trip that I could go on this past summer. She said she would look into it, and maybe she would find something that could fit around my busy schedule. I went on my way, and a few weeks later, she got a call from a family friend of ours in Minnesota that explained about two open positions on a mission trip going to Haiti that she heard was a "great experience". When I learned that we could possibly be going on a trip, I was thrilled - it was the perfect time - exactly a week before I had marching band practice, and had exactly two open spots for both me and my mother to fill. I knew we had to take it. So, we did.

    It was amazing to me that everything was falling perfectly into play. I would have a week to experience serving the Lord through compassion toward others, and I would be doing it with my mom. What more could I ask for? Clearly, I had no idea that God had crafted a marvelous plan with more beautiful surprises I had bargained for.

    Somewhere in the back of my mind, I want to believe it was coincidence that I lived the best week of my entire life with the most welcoming, incredible, faithful and accepting group of people I would ever meet in July. And then I think again, because as always, God creates my life plan. He just happened to slip in the most delightful experience for me and I got to reap the benefits of it all. Truly, the mission was God-sent. My mom and I live in Colorado, so we met Thomas and Shelley, Sue and Gary, Melissa, Laurene, Kristin, and Kristina over skype. It was an interesting way to become aquainted with them, but it worked. It worked well. I instantly felt like I was a part of something greater than a group of people ready to head into Haiti. We were all family instantly. This being my first mission trip, having that made everything easy from the start.

    Then came the wonderful staff living at the Healing Haiti guest house. Fanfan, Jean, Junior, and Fanisse (spelling?) all welcomed us with open arms and open hearts. It was unbelievable to think that they do that every week with different people, but are still able to love every person so much. I felt at home in Haiti. I was comfortable and safe with my family, and that's what got me thinking - "Why do I get this great opportunity?" Little did I know, the Haitian people were about to rock the boat I was so comfortably seated on. Granted, they rocked my world in the only way they know how - through love.

    It's so easy to get caught up in the fact that the living conditions in Haiti are terrible, and how children are sick and dying, and that there's trash on the ground that is affecting their clean resources and environment. But in the thick of it all, once I saw past these things, I saw grace. These people have difficult lives, and they struggle every day. How can they keep going? In some ways, I asked myself this all the time with a feeling of hopelessness. Yet I don't see them depressed with their heads hanging low. Once I thought about it, I couldn't recall one time where I wasn't smiled at or greeted with little effort on their part. Happiness and optimism comes so naturally to everyone there. My new extended family extended even further. I was cared for by people who had only one reason to smile - God.

    Caring for people, spending time with others who just wanted to be held or played with was so impactful. We didn't even speak the same language, but they understood me. I connected in more ways that I could have imagined to people there. A memory I hold close to my heart was the second water truck day: I had met a young girl about my age the first time we went, and I taught her "head, shoulders, knees, and toes". She loved it so much that the second time we came, we sang it again. Then, she brought me a music book containing songs. We began to sing and then she flipped to a page with instruments. She pointed to the oboe and implied that she wanted to learn how to play it. I pointed to the clarinet and said that I did play it, and we laughed. It was such a simple moment, but it meant more than just pointing to a book to me. It showed that she was willing to show me her treasures and dreams, but that she was interested in mine as well. I adored her willingness to share all she had with me, when she virtually had nothing but herself to offer. The best part is...that was just enough.

    So thank you.

    Thank you for allowing my mother and I to go on this trip. Not just for my benefit but for hers, as well. She has rekindled her love of Christ and her compassion towards others. It's always been in her blood, but Haiti reaffirmed her giving heart and got her excited about being apart of things greater than her own life. I love to see how excited she gets when she talks about her times in Haiti, with the Haitian people.

    Thank you for beginning this organization in the first place, because it changes lives every day, week by week. You've become an inspiration to Fanfan and Jean, your siblings, and anybody who has traveled with Healing Haiti or wishes to travel with them someday.

    Thank you for helping me change my perspective on the world and for giving me the plan for my future that I was looking for. I've always had a feeling that helping others would suit me well, and now I know. I'd love so much to pursue volunteer work after (or even during) college.

    Lastly, thank you for keeping a strong faith. I haven't met you personally, but I know through stories of your marvelous work that you're a man of God. I know that you work very hard to keep this program running. So thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

 

You're always in my prayers and on my mind, as are the people of Haiti and those all over the world in need. If ever you have a prayer request, I'm more than happy to pray for you. Send me an e-mail or facebook message/wall post and it's a done deal. :]

 

I hope so much to return to Haiti in the future, and maybe I can get the privilege of meeting you someday. For now, may God bless you in every way. Ke Bondye Beni 'ou.

 

Love and blessings,

Laura Elizabeth Failinger

Healing Haiti Team Member