Saturday, October 20, 2012

ONE YEAR...

"I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.." Genesis 9:13-15 NIV

October 21, 2012 marks one year since Son of God orphanage in Carrefour was closed.  One year since the girls (and boys) were loaded onto a UNICEF bus and taken away from the only "home" many of them had known for a long time.  When relocated the children were malnourished, infested with scabies/parasites, sick, dirty, etc..  I am sure they were scared - not knowing what the future held for them.  Were they headed to an even worse fate?  Were they going home to family?  Were they finally going to be somewhere safe?  Were they ever to see the Americans who had come to love them (and they had come to love in return)?

You can look back at these posts from 2011 to read the stories and some of my old blogs. You can see how many never gave up on the children. MANY were praying for them.  We held a prayer vigil and personally were fasting until we heard of their safe relocation.

http://heartsunitedwithhaiti.blogspot.com/2011/10/ok-to-finally-share.html

http://heartsunitedwithhaiti.blogspot.com/2011/11/home-again.html

Though things did not turn out as WE planned, God did not forget these children and He will not forget them ever.  That is what gets me through when I find myself missing the girls at Life is Wealth Orphanage where the girls are now located and where we have our sponsorship program for them.  It is difficult being away from them and sometimes when I get frustrated because things at Life is Wealth are not being done the way we would prefer, I have to remember that God is the one in control.  He has brought these beautiful girls through much.  He has protected them and healed them physically. They are now fed regularly, most attend school (we are still working on that), they are clothed, and we visit them regularly. Emotionally I know there are still scars but with time and love I pray those heal as well.

These past few days I have been remembering the days leading up to the close of Son of God, the months prior to that when the investigation was going on and the children's health and physical status was failing, and the days after they were moved- when Emily and I were in Haiti with those assisting them and were caring for the girls ourselves.

Like God told Noah when He placed the rainbow in the sky, He will remain faithful to what He has promised.  And He has promised to care for the widows and orphans.  He commands us to be His hands/feet to do that work.  Will YOU consider being part of His work here with these orphans?  We still have 41 in need of sponsorship.  Contact us at huwh.orphansponsorship@gmail.com and we will be happy to match you up with an orphan.  Please pray for these precious children- HIS children!

Thursday, October 18, 2012

been BUSY

The past two weeks have been crazy busy but amazing just as well.  I have included some photos of my latest adventure- taking the Montero to Florida and leaving it at the shipping company to send off to Haiti.  I will call tomorrow to see how things are going- it is being reviewed by US Customs right now to determine if everything is OK to ship.  Then, it goes onto the boat from West Palm Beach, Florida and once the boat leaves it takes about 2 to 3 days to get to Haiti.  From there, it has to get into the country (this is the tricky part from what I hear).  We have no idea what the assessed value will be of the Montero and the contents but anticipate it being around $2000 US.  We also have a guy we can pay to stay with it and keep it safe as it sits in port once unloaded.  It is VERY common for them to get broken into and to have things stolen.  What is inside does not have great monetary value but it is full of items we will use for our house (base) in Haiti as well as donations for the orphanage and school.  Please pray with us that the SUV will just slide through this process with no trouble.  Thank you!  (and a very very special thank you to those who donated items to ship inside the Montero- if all arrives in Haiti safely it will save us a LOT of money to not have to buy all those things for the house)

View from the back- almost packed!  It got a lot more "cozy" inside there-

took a photo at every state I could on the drive to Florida

South Carolina!  

Georgia


Finally in Florida!

At the holding yard at port!  :)  :)  

The company that is shipping the Montero.  Their boat is the Monarch Queen and it is HUGE!!

Monday, October 1, 2012

God's blessings!

I had dinner last night with a good friend I have known a long time and we were talking about ALL God has blessed Hearts United with these past months and in the past year. Since I have been working on my "end of year list" of all God's blessings to us I was acutely aware of some of these things. I shared with her how humbled I am to be part of God's plan to reach the people of Haiti, those who come to minister and those who (like many of you) join us in prayer and support this ministry. Sometimes I just have to stop, look back and realize that.....

- in January of 2012 we were approved for 501c3 status

-we had a truck donated but then decided it was cost prohibitive to ship it so it was sold and the money used to purchase another vehicle which we are planning to ship to Haiti the week of Oct. 8th

- over 300 hygiene kits have been handed out to orphans, school children, people in the community, etc... and people were educated on proper hygiene and the spread of disease (as well as wound care, puberty/growing up, women's health issues, etc...)

-many donated supplies were handed out such as pillowcase dresses, shoes, soccer balls (and hopefully uniforms if they get there by our Dec. trip), etc..

-fruit/milk and food given out monthly to the orphans

-Jean Bernard's surgery for two hernias (this was life-threatening) was very successful and there's now a little orphan boy in Haiti who is alive thanks to the combined generosity and efforts of many

-school supplies/uniforms/tuition/books/etc. have been purchased for all sponsored orphans at Life is Wealth in Port au Prince

-clean water is coming SOON to Chaveneau (well is dug, building is being constructed to house the system)

-a roof was put on the outhouse in Chaveneau, water pipes were repaired there, the roof on the host home was painted, etc...

-we were able to rent an apartment we will use as a base for teams who come to Haiti!

** This list could go on and on.  These are just highlights but they are also things that would NEVER have happened this past year without those willing to GO and those willing to SEND/SUPPORT.  I know I get to be on the front lines and get to be the one who seems to get the recognition but this is a group effort. And without God NONE of it would be possible.  He has blessed us with working in spite of some of our mistakes/failures.  He has blessed us with opportunities to become involved and made connections between people that have no other explanation except that God ordained those meetings. (like a nurse examining Jean Bernard at the perfect time when his surgery was urgent- and then her advocating for him like she did)  Yes, working in Haiti has it's share of frustrations and disappointments but it's FULL of blessings and excitement if we stay focused on Him and His love for us and for the Haitian people.

If you are feeling led to come to Haiti with one of our groups, please contact us.  We promise you will be forever changed and if you are willing to step out, God will bless that far beyond what you can imagine!

The same is true for those of you considering supporting our ministry- God will use your support to bless so many.  Without the financial and prayer support from people we could not do most of the things listed above.  A base or applying for a piece of paper from the IRS may not seem glamorous or exciting to donate toward, but the fact remains that they are needed and are important foundational items for the ministry.  With a means of transportation, a place to live while in Haiti and other things such as that, those who come to serve can minister much more effectively.

So, God is good and we need to take time occasionally to reflect upon what He has done to bless us ALL.  This was my time of reflection on the way He has blessed Hearts United and therefore, blessed others and blessed me!  To be able to do this ministry and share it with others is beyond exciting for us!  THANK YOU once again for allowing us to be part of change in Haiti and in those we serve.  - Crystal Funk