Christmas at Life is Wealth...on New Year's Eve! :)

So today was our annual Christmas party at Life is Wealth.  This is the third year that I have been part of the team putting it on and it is the event I look forward to most on these December trips. However, today the party went a little different, in the best way possible.

 Each year we decorate the dining hall for Christmas and serve them a big meal, which still was the case today.  The meal consisted of rice and sauce, chicken, salad, pasta salad and milk.  The children were extremely excited to see a big Christmas dinner sitting in front of them, I always love to see even the smallest of children eat their whole plate up.  Following dinner we usually take the girls to another room where we give them a Christmas gift that was bought for them by donors to our team from the states.  However, not only did we have the gifts today but we also had boxes, and I mean BOXES of clothes and shoes that we set up in a boutique style so each child could come through and “shop” and choose exactly what new items they wanted.  We had an entire room full of clothes ranging from tops, pants, shorts, skirts, dresses and jackets, where each child started their choosing process.  Once each child received as many items of clothing as we had for that age and size, (sometimes they were given five whole new outfits!) then they moved onto the second room.  This room was full of shoes just lined up that they were able to look through, try on, walk around in, and then choose one to keep.  Following the shoe selection was the distribution of an actual Christmas gift that consisted of various items depending on the person who bought that gift in the states.  Some of the items could have been dolls, new hair supplies, crayons, pens, notebooks, jump ropes, cars, footballs…and so on, just so they could experience what it is like to open an unknown gift for Christmas.  It is seriously the best to see the children’s faces light up when they open their gifts.

However, I said today’s party was different than in the past two I have been a part of.  I said this because today we allowed the children to have choices.  This ministry is not an organization that is known for giving a handout to a person and then leaving without ever seeing them again.  This is a relational based ministry that builds actual, lasting relationships with the people we encounter so that true love and friendship can be shown to those around us.  We want the people we have relationships with to realize their worth and importance in the eyes of all of us but more importantly, in the eyes of God.  One of the best ways to show someone that they are worthy and that their thoughts and opinions matter is giving them choices; letting them show you what they truly want and need.  Allowing someone to have a say in what they are being given is acknowledging that they are an individual with individual likes, wants, needs and opinions.  It is not common, especially in a place like Haiti, that people are given choices when it comes to others serving them by providing a ‘need’.  It is too often this ‘I have this shirt that I do not want and I know you need it so here it is’ mentality to giving that often leaves the person receiving feeling unheard and unworthy of actually being heard.  This is not to say that most people are not grateful because trust me they are but as the ‘givers’ we should at least acknowledge the actual thoughts and feelings of those who will be ‘receiving’.  This is the hard balance that is often ignored in ministry like the ones happening in Haiti, and all over the world.  People want to help and have GREAT hearts for helping but we sometimes miss that the people we want to help are actual individuals that deserve to still be given choices even in their perceived desperation.  This is something I truly realized today.  I have been a part of both kinds of ‘giving’ and I now know which one truly is more effective in all aspects; physical, emotional and mental.  These children today were able to feel that their individual personalities and likes were acknowledged while the providing of a basic need was still met.  It was SO exciting to watch each child walk out with a bag full of items that truly fits them in more ways than one.  I watched children I have gotten to know really well pick out shoes and clothes and thought to myself things like, ‘Oh, that is so her, I knew she would pick that dress’, which was even more fun to experience than anything else.  These thoughts were able to happen because of the relationships I have built with these children over the past three years and was incredibly awesome to experience.  God showed me an aspect of His ministry today that has truly changed the way I will look at giving and I am incredibly thankful for that.

What a BEAUTIFUL way to bring in the New Year with an amazing group of children, a hard working team, and a forever teaching God.

Here are just some of the pictures taken from today’s party….

Christmas Dinner

Just SOME of the clothes set up for shopping!

Shoes, Shoes, Shoes!

Robinson and myself after he finished his Christmas shopping! (Mike, he LOVED your gift, he opened it immediately and started playing with it! He said, 'Mesi anpil, Mike!')

Now, we are relaxing at the base for a bit before we head to Pastor Robby's church for a New Year's Eve service!

God Bless from all of us in Haiti and HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

Love,

Kelsey Buglewicz

Photos Tuesday

ONot as many photos to share about today. We went to the maternity hospital in the morning and then sorted HUNDREDS of clothes in the afternoon (some stayed back and started in the morning). Then we organized all the Christmas gifts, made a medical kit for the orphanage with basic supplies and unpacked the entire medical cabibet we keep at the base! It was a LOT of "behind the scenes" work that really needed to be done but was far from glamorous. How cool that God gave us a lesson this morning in our devotional all about serving and what a true servant looks like. Here are a few photos.....

The hospital has opened a section to teach family planning, nutrition, etc. 

Another photo of the new section....

They even have a new conference room where they hold seminars and meetings. I thinkvwe will use this in the future for our health professional teaching/training.

Sorted clothes. Today at tge party the little ones will EACH get five new shirts, bottoms, dresses and some new shoes. The older ones will get at least 2-3 of each (less of those sizes were donated) 

More clothes being sorted.....

Ben sorting the boys clothes... 

In the afternoon uestrday we also took a walk around the community just to get out and to see construction at the soccer field. It is AMAZING and will be perfect to play on in the future. 

Photos-Monday 12/29

The Nannies are great! Here is one wiping Elena's tears from when she fell. 

Doing interviews with new orphans.....

Teaching health/hygiene to the orphans and Nannies. 

We got a new little boy two days ago. He was sooo sad and scared. 

Interviews with more new orphans

Osei and Ben playing with the children

Kijan ou rele? By Osei

Before I start this Blog I want to say Hello to my mother and little brother.  I love You Guys. When you are able to connect with someone and put a contagious smile on their face which spreads around like wild fire, you gain a sense of accomplishment in your life or even just for that day.  Now think of that smile being on the face of a child who has never met you. The feeling you are getting and the smile that has erupted on your face is the same way we felt today at the orphanage. It felt as if we had come back home to reunite with our brothers and sisters except these kids have never met the majority of us.  Before meeting the kids at the orphanage, we didn’t know how they would warm up to us. And is they did how long would it take for them to warm up to us, but surprisingly we were accepted as if we’ve been coming to the Orphanage for years. The girls learned our names, played with us, for the girls getting your hair braided was the goal in the orphanage and for us guys dancing and beat-boxing was the thing to do to bring smiles, warmth and laughter to the children.  There wasn’t a dull moment in our visit; every moment was filled with smiles, laughter and just all around happiness between us and the kids.  We quickly realized that every laughter and smile came were blessings from above and we all soaked in it.  Today was a prelude to the great times that will be shared with us and the many friends at the orphanage.

Group is here

The group from York college is here safe and sound. All luggage made it too--praise God!! 

We already walked up the mountain to the overlook and played a little soccer too. They had orientation and ate a great Haitian dinner of rice/beans, chicken, sauce, salad, pikliz (spicy cabbage slaw), fried plantains, etc.... How I missed Madame Carols cooking! 

Hannah has arrived

Redgi just messaged me and he has Hannah with him. She arrived safely and they are on their way to the base. We will unload her suitcases and then go to dinner at a safe restaurant. The rest of the team comes tomorrow a little before noon. We are so excited to have this group God has sent. Prayers appreciated for a good trip, for safety and most importantly for us to keep focused on God in all we do. We will update as often as possible. God bless!!

Working, working...

We have been working on the house or doing something else pretty much since we arrived in Haiti a little over a week ago. Though it may not look like it is very organized around here, it really is very much so. Shelves should be mostly done today and then we can begin putting things on them. We hope to be able to take tomorrow and Christmas day to relax and do some fun ministry cause we are all BEAT!! Thanks for the prayers... We appreciate you all. 

2015 Ministry Needs

Someone asked me recently if we could post our anticipated ministry needs for 2015 and beyond.  So, if you are thinking of donating to the ministry, here are SOME areas where you may wish to designate your funds.  Please know that there are other needs, but these are some of the most pressing as we begin another year of ministry in Haiti.  Would you pray about helping with some of these needs?  We truly appreciate any/all donations and assistance we receive and understand that without YOU we could not continue this ministry.  Your prayers and support are what keeps us going and able to minister to those God has called us to in Haiti.  God bless and THANK YOU!

Donations can be made from the website (we have a "donate" page with instructions) www.heartsunitedwithhaiti.org  OR you can mail a check:  Hearts United with Haiti  PO Box 55  Morgantown, PA 19543.  Please include a note indication how you would like us to designate your donation if you have a specific need in mind.  If not, we will assign it to "greatest need" and assure you that it will be used wisely.  Donation receipts upon request (or automatically given for amounts over $250)  Thanks again.

Moving Day!

We have finally found, paid for, and now moved into a new apartment we will use as our mission base in Haiti.  It met all the criteria I gave the staff prior to leaving in November-  larger community areas, same neighborhood (actually only a block down the street), more private/secluded/quieter, parking area for the Montero and/or bus, etc...  It is an older house and we are still trying to talk the owner into allowing us roof access but the staff has informed me that it is going to be a wonderful location.  I am sure going to miss our beautiful view of the city of Port au Prince and the mountains, sleeping on the roof (if the owner will not allow that), but I am looking forward to some privacy/quiet and a bit of yard/trees that we will gain!  God is good and it will be nice to have a bit of a "sanctuary" to return to after our busy days of ministry.  We are anxious to host our very first team starting Dec. 27th.

These photos are from Saturday, Dec. 6th-  MOVING DAY!  (the old base- photos of the new place are yet to be received from Haiti)

Serving Him in Haiti-  Crystal

PS-- Do you (or your group) want to join us in Haiti this coming year?  We have plenty of opportunities for you to serve in this community and God with one of our teams.  Contact us for details!

James used Redgi's bike to move items down the street a block.  

Moving "Haitian Style"

Peterson and a friend used the tap tap to move some items

The items were moved to the old living room before loaded onto the tap tap, Montero or Jeep for transportation.  

Our old kitchen .... looking kinda cluttered but "naked"  :'(

Storage room shelves are bare!

Here are some of the items loaded onto the tap tap..... I said I am kind of excited that I was NOT there to supervise stuff like this.  I will just return and it will all be unloaded and placed in the appropriate room.  Whew!