Sowers and Reapers

Jesus tells the parable of the sowers and the reapers. He tells of some workers preparing the ground, others planting the seed, and still others reaping the harvest. It seems that our experiences here have some of those qualities. We’ve been separated into two teams this week, and it seems that one team has consistently worked on the beginning of tasks of each build. While the other team has experienced the reaping of the harvest. On Tuesday, while Team Tim carried concrete blocks over a bridge 200 yards to the house, Team Jeff was blessed to witness the ribbon cutting ceremony officially turning the house over to the owner. Today, Team Tim started work on a new house hauling dirt for the new foundation. Team Jeff poured a layer of concrete to cap the walls that Team Tim built yesterday.

While our teams have had different experiences, we all recognize that we are here for the same goal: to spread the love of Jesus. In the evenings, we come together and celebrate each others victories during the day. We get to tell stories and laugh at everyone’s crazy days in Haiti. It isn’t a competition between us. Just as in the parable, we recognize that we are all sowers. Our work in Haiti will be complete this week, but the work of God goes on.

I once heard a pastor speaking about the story where Jesus speaks about planting good seed. For sake of brevity, the concept comes alive when you understand that the way farmers planted back in the days of the first disciples was backwards from how we do it today. Rather than plowing the field and then planting the seed, the farmers would scatter the seed and then the plow would come afterwards. This is God’s design for missions; some scatter seed, some reap the harvest, and some do both. I would say we fall into the last category, coming into Haiti and being met by open arms and warm hearts due to the impact the missionaries before us have had, we got to reap much of their harvest. However, the seeds that we planted in the lives of individuals on the worksites (although some fruit has been born) will not bear fruit until perhaps years after we have gone. It’s important to look at the Kingdom of God in this way because it gives you the right perspective, the fruit was never ours to witness, it was His all along and any bit we get to partake in is, simply, a blessing.

It is with a heavy heart that we have to inform our readers of the death of one of our team member’s mother. Zack Brewer’s mother, Terri Moore, was killed Thursday morning in an automobile accident. Zack and our team leader, Nathan Waggoner, are leaving Haiti Friday morning to return to Kentucky. Please pray for safety in travel, comfort in grieving, and peaceful hearts. This one’s for you, Zack.

 

Message from Zack:

It’s hard to imagine anything more surreal than being overseas, in a county so far removed from one’s own culture that I had forgotten bathrooms exist, and hearing news of a loved one—someone who has been with me my entire life—having passed away. The news from my father echoed in my head for, well, I don’t know how long, before I collapsed in a heap by the side of a truck in tears. I was immediately surrounded by my dozen or so teammates with whom I had traveled halfway across the hemisphere and was prayed over. Half-an-hour earlier, I was shoveling gravel into a bucket and serenading the nationals with “Hey Jude,” and now this.

I don’t tell the story like that to garner sympathy or to paint a morbid picture, but to say this: once I was encircled by my fellow workers and being prayed for, Haitians began to come out of their homes and take notice. They stared, probably not knowing exactly what it was they were looking at, but understanding the pain I was in. I’m sure there wasn’t a single person in the camp who hadn’t been devastated by the earthquake or poverty or anything else that happens in this crazy world. They saw my pain juxtaposed with the love of Jesus and the healing power of prayer—pain and love are universal, and I hope that everyone involved saw that they are not mutually exclusive. Today all twenty-something of us shared in the pain of losing Terri Moore. Little children laid hands on me and nationals stood silently in knowing grief and empathy. Following Christ means making sacrifices. Following Christ means loving and being loved. Following Christ means to be in pain. Had I not been in Haiti, where I know God has called me, things most assuredly would have turned out differently for my family. But, for one reason or another, that’s not what God had planned.

I can take solace in knowing that she is an infinitely better place than this world. I can take solace in knowing that from my Mom’s death, God will be given glory. I can take solace in knowing that the love of Christ is with me always, “even unto the end of the world.”

Building Memories while Building Homes

Day… 3

Tomorrow, our two groups switch worksites. This is great for a number of reasons, but also kind of hard for others. Great because we will be able to experience the stories we were told by the other group during debriefing… We will get a taste of another part of Port Au Prince… We will be able to meet other interesting people as well. It will be hard because we may not have a chance to see those people that we met during our first two days again. We’ll have pictures and memories but we may never get to see them in person.. They have left a very positive imprint on our memories and we hope we left the same for them.

Its awesome whenever we meet someone who knows Jesus here. We made a friend named Renoud. He read us scripture in Creole and translated into English as he went along. Without fail, If one of us asked him to do something or come hang out he would say in a very ‘chill’ voice, “I got no problem…” What if we all had that attitude. We read a scripture that tells us to do something we aren’t comfortable with…. “I got no problem.” We have strenuous week of tests and assignments… “I got no problem.” We lose our home in a natural disaster… “I got no problem.”

 

-Bryce Ury

P.S.   You learn things on mission trips… For instance… One does not simply push a wheelbarrow full of cement blocks across a makeshift bridge over a “stream” (you’ll understand the quotation marks when you see the picture below) without almost spilling your heavy cargo  all over a giant hog while it eats garbage. These things take practice…          

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We finished construction on the house this morning and were blessed to take part in the ribbon cutting ceremony.  Madam Hortense, the new homeowner, wanted to express her gratitude to us so she invited the build team into her new home for worship and a meal.  We were served ice cold drinks and egg sandwiches (all 25 of us), which was a huge undertaking for her and a great blessing to us.  Smiles were shared and prayers were prayed over the house.  We laughed, we cried, we ate some egg, what more could you ask for in a ribbon cutting ceremony?

After the ceremony we drove five miles to visit three houses built by the OMS Homes for Haiti project and visited with the families that live there now.  We spent time playing with the children and talking to the parents.  The kids really loved the toys and snacks we gave them, and everyone (adults included) had a blast playing soccer with a tennis ball.  It was such a blessing to see how much impact one home can have on so many people.

 

We got back to the compound early so we had time for a rewarding dip in the pool before supper (which was a great meal, as always).  After supper we walked across the street to a kids club so that we could visit with more kids and pass out some t-shirts. 

Cheers

-Bryce Toole, Beka Mech, & James Nix

Blessed Beyond Belief

Editors note:  We split today into two groups and worked on two different projects, so this is an extra long post with lots of pictures from two worksites…. Enjoy!

It’s amazing to see how so many people, who know little to nothing about one another, can work together for a common goal. Yesterday, I was in the United States getting ready for take off in my fifth or sixth flight in my entire life. Today, myself and thirteen other people were in Haiti, working together to build homes for two Haitian families and it was an experience that I will never forget. Aside from the wonderful time that I had working with my teammates, and it was a wonderful experience, the most rewarding part of the day was interacting with so many Haitians. Children carried cinder blocks, that probably weighed more than they did, helped shovel gravel and begged for Polaroid pictures. Older Haitians, who received no pay for their work, simply picked up wheelbarrows and tore cinder blocks from our hands and carried them back for us! They were so helpful, caring and appreciative and it humbled me and shook me to my core.

Today opened my eyes to just how blessed I am to be born in a country like the United States.Simple things like clean water, safe shelter and even traffic laws are taken for granted so easily. Haitians drink and bathe in the water that they throw their trash in and so many complain because they have to drink tap water. Yet even with living conditions as bad as these, Haitians are so exuberant and cheerful. Just one day and already I have realized just how much God has blessed me and continues to each day of my life. This day has been one of the most wonderful of my life.  I have never been happier to leave my comfort zone.

Sarah for the team

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Jumping into a flatbed truck at 7 a.m. and slipping into the chaotic Haitian traffic is a fantastic way to start a morning!  :)  We had the opportunity to work along side a team from the University of Kentucky.  Then we arrived at the job site and immediately went to work.  We are working on a home that is almost completed, and it should be ready for the family by the end of the week.  It’s exciting to know that this family will have a home in just a few days.  Our tasks included removing the rubble that was alongside the house, finishing the roof, putting up the ceilings, and building trusses. 

   

 

One of the best parts about today was getting to know and share stories with some of the Haitian people.  Our new friends were more than happy to volunteer to work with us after watching us from the nearby wall that surrounded the home.  Wilbur, who knew some English, was excited to teach us some Creole and in return we taught him some English.  In talking he asked if we prayed to Jesus and asked for prayer for himself and his country.  We were extremely grateful for the hard work of these men who joined us, and who rarely stopped except for a drink of water. 

Although the day was long and strenuous, it was a rewarding feeling felt by all. We got to put our hammering skills to work, and those who were not so skilled were able to gain some practice.  :)  Working alongside the nationals was a great experience.  It was wonderful to see that people from two completely different areas can come together and teach one another.  We aren’t just here to help the people of Haiti without gaining something in return.  Instead, they are returning the favor and sharing their lives and stories with us. 

Jill and Abby for the team!

Internet Issues...

We are doing well and have a nice long post with lots of pictures ready, but the internet keeps cutting out. I have been trying for over an hour tonight, so I will try to post it in the morning. Stay tuned!

Nathan for the team

Of Mangos and Men: Day One in Haiti

I had forgotten how fun flying was. I haven’t been since I was nine (to Disney World, as is every child’s dream), and today was one of those days that just made me feel like a kid again. I mean, here we are—seven miles in the air, in a several ton tin can, praying to God that the laws of physics know what they’re doing and that we don’t come crashing down to the ground. Thankfully, they held up.

 

Something of which I had never been cognizant was the fact that clouds have shadows. Sounds weird and specific and obvious, I know, but you can see a lot from way up there. The curvature of the Earth, the way land is somehow divided into perfect squares, and, as mentioned before, you can even look down on the clouds. You see how far stretching the storm is; you can observe what land is covered in shadow; you see just how small a raincloud is compared to the rest of the sky. That’s the kind of perspective that we need to have this week as we serve in Haiti. We can see how far the nationals have come, and we  also have a good idea of how far they have yet to go. But one thing we as Christians have that no other people have is knowing that the storm will eventually end. We may not end poverty in Haiti; we may not make all water clean for the children to drink; and we certainly won’t convert the entire nation to Christianity. But we can know that what we’re doing matters, and that the end of the storm for this beautiful country will come one day.

 

But enough with the metaphors—let’s get down to the details of the day. After arriving in the Port-au-Prince airport, we were bum-rushed by “workers” who wanted to “help” us with our baggage—just so, after the fact, they could say, “Tip? Thank you.” We had to shoo away the desperate masses, which, as a Christian, was incredibly hard. But it was something that had to be done. It’s just sad that so many people in Haiti have come to this—they see an American and think, “This is my one chance for money today.”

 

We were escorted by a local chauffer (who actually earned his pay) through the bustling and dilapidated streets of Haiti’s capital city. It was a sight to behold, and an eye-opening look at the poverty.

 

One sees photos like this all the time of Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere. What I had failed to realize, though, was that photo opportunities like this awaited me on literally every corner. It is nigh impossible to find a place in Port-au-Prince that does not look like this. Believe me when I say that one doesn’t have to try to make the city look like the disaster area it is. That being said, Haiti is absolutely beautiful. The living conditions that so many must go on with are what is so pitiful.

 

Haiti is also full of hope, however. The above, if you’re not familiar with Creole, means simply, “Thank you, Jesus.” Many other vehicles—some functioning, others not so much—proudly displayed quotes from Psalms and Exodus and various other books. This one, however, stuck out the most. It’s not a cry out for help; it’s a simple thankfulness, even in a time of what could be so much despair. If nothing else, it was uplifting to me—if these people haven’t given up hope, after everything they’ve been through, than what excuse do I have?

 

Especially when, comparatively speaking at least, we are living as royalty. Already, the teams have been treated to an amazing and authentic Haitian dinner (grapefruit juice and spicy coleslaw and cake, oh my!) and taken a dip in the pool (which may or may not serve as our collective bathwater for this week). Also, a mango almost fell on my head! I love mangos!  But tomorrow we begin what we really came here for: building and repairing two homes, and, afterwards, we will come back to this amazing oasis and do it all over again. This week is going to rock.

 

-Zack Brewer for the team

13 Passports, 16 bags, 3 flights…

Thanks to the Wilmore Free Methodist Church, we are in the LEX airport!  Check in went smoothly and now the travel begins.

Not a bad team picture from a camera on timer resting on a trashcan.

 

 

Insert your ow n caption here…

Just for fun we are blogging a picture of me blogging.  Yes we have been up since 3AM.

 

We have several legs with somewhat tight connections, so you can pray for on-time flights and that our luggage also makes it on each of the planes too!

The next blog will be from Haiti!

Nathan for the team

Start Spreadin’ the News

In nine short hours, our team will be on the first of three airplanes which will eventually fly us into Haiti by Monday afternoon. To prepare, the team has gathered together in such activities as putting shampoo into 3 oz. bottles; playing “Heart and Soul” on piano; and eating chimichangas. All in the name of fellowship, of course. It’s been a somewhat strenuous process, but we are extremely excited nonetheless!

However, packing is not as fun as Abby and Jill make it seem.

The packing process itself includes accounting for several variables: what contingencies should one make in the case of lost luggage? Should I put half of my clothes in someone else’s bag? Will customs stop me if I have a bottle full of Gatorade powder? What books should I bring to read? Where is my sunscreen!?

Tonight, we’ll be sleeping in the WGM student center—the men will be fireside in the basement (being stoked here by Bryce). But tomorrow? We’ll be in Port-au-Prince, Haiti! Please continue to pray for us, and we’ll try our best to keep you updated!

Zack for the team