Dear Friends,
It's been a few days without an update from me...
Our wonderful team from Washington DC left Monday. I was sad to see them go. They, as many do, became friends of mine. I hope that I will see them again in Haiti. I have been invited to come to see them in DC in the future... My daughter Naomi has been in a DC kick for awhile now, so I think we will take them up on it the first chance we get.
I was feeling a bit under the weather the day they left, but chalked it up to fatigue. I wanted to render them the best service I could, so we worked day and night to make sure we procured fuel for the vehicles. Sometimes this entailed stopping at the side of the road to purchase wildly overpriced gas, and in two cases, sleeping in the truck at the gas station at night to be first in line for the mornings ration. Jeff, my friend since he was a skinny kids 10 years ago has always been willing to do these things ... no matter what they are. I have been pouring all my pastor-ly advice into him as he rights the ship in his life. He is getting married next month and having a baby in October.
The Orphanage
As many of you know, the orphanage has been an unexpected mission to me and our last team. It is the most downtrodden orphanage I have ever seen. Every time I go I am amazed at the woman who is operating it. She needs help!!! So much help. I want Mercy League to do something about these kids... Especially the little ones without clothes and so sick. I am taking a doctor out to the orphanage tomorrow and picking up more food to transport there as well. The pilots at MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) have been a great help by finding me food and supplies for the orphanage. My little special friend, Widmia, has no clue that I am coming to see her tomorrow.
The Tap Tap
The Tap Tap is a hole that I have been pouring money into. It has a bad wheel, so we sent Jeff to fix it. He ran out of gas (fuel shortage), purchased some fuel off the street that was mixed with kerosene and blocked up something (I am not a car person) that in turn wrecked some big square computer unit and ended up costing $50-$60 more. It is being repaired again tonight for a tire and an electrical problem so that we can leave for the orphanage tomorrow at noon.
Low on Funds
Ya, I had to make that a topic... sad huh? I can't believe how much money it takes to just make the program work here. During the seven days that our DC team was here we spend about $100 per day just to keep the work moving forward. Then there are so many miscellaneous items like cell phone minutes, unexpected costs (like the orphanage: delivering food and paying extra salaries). I try to be a good steward of all the donations that I get... so when someone sends us money, it may go to gas that transports the ton of food we delivered to the orphanage. Should I have purchased food with the $30 or used it to transport the truckload of food.... These are the daily decisions that I make about money. It is not fun to make these decisions, but in the end... None of it goes into my pocket... none/zero. I just received a call from Brener (one of the masons) who is working at the orphanage to make a new outdoor kitchen (the house is a wreck) and Depot. They want to be paid tomorrow. This was not something that I had budgeted, but the children need to eat... so I said go ahead.
I know that many of you have sent money already, and you may be tapped out... so talk to someone about what we are doing and find someone to help. OK... enough about that.
Discipleship Training
It's astounding how much the youth of this culture have to face growing up. You cannot imagine what kind of things they see from birth to 15 years old. Young girls sell themselves to boys for 95 cents. Youth of all ages are left to run the streets with little thought on the part of their parents. There are precious few "fathers" in the lives of the young people. The youth who are in my life here: Jeff, David, Samuel, Roman, Valerie, Beatrice, Ruth, Jessica, and Vanessa all look at me with expectant eyes. I get called Daddy every day. The young men want advice and direction.... they sit and attentively listen to me. The teenage girls are starved for father figures... today I was even asked by a 15 year old girl if she thought Kristie (my wife) would be willing to take her as a daughter, because her mother died and she needs a mother. Their pleas are earnest and heartbreaking. They think that they are hiding their pain, but I can see it in their eyes. I scoff at the hard hearted who say that it is all about them wanting money etc... I give them very little monetary assistance... It is more about love and encouragement. Like being a pastor I suppose. Much of what I saw in my mind's eye when I felt the call to return to Haiti, has come to reality for me.
What can you do?
Kristie and I are living on about one income... I should go and get some work... and forget about the call if you are looking at the literal grid of life. This is what I am prepared to do, because my family must come first, especially after all of this time away. It has to be for something that we are apart so much. May and most of June will be used for raising personal support. This means that we are searching for partners to share in burden of starting off in Haiti... financially. We are looking for monthly pledges and one time gifts so that we will be able to live and work in Haiti and build a business that will enable us to be self sustaining within a two to three year window. This May I will be looking for people to "book me" to speak in their churches, potluck dinners, living rooms, clubs, schools, and even with personal friends. We have given myself to the task for the next couple of months. Usually people plan for these things for a year or two. We have a few months... Are you willing to send us a note about hosting Kristie and I for a briefing about our ministry? All in all... If we are called, He will make a way.
