What an awesome trip we just had in Haiti. There were 10 people from King's Way and 3 from Texas that made up our group. The words I use to describe this trip will not even be sufficient, but I'll do the best I can.
We left on Sunday, Jan. 20th and flew to Fort Lauderdale and spent the night. We were at the airport in Fort Laud. at 5:00am to catch our 6:50am flight to Port-au-Prince on Monday morning the 21st.
We arrived in PAP at 9:00am, got some lunch, and started our 3 hour drive to the orphanage in Aquin, Haiti. By the time we got to the orphanage, several of us were already sunburned from riding in the back of the truck. We went and said hello to the kids, gave everyone a quick tour of the orphanage, and headed to the hotel to check in. Monday night we headed back to the orphanage for a time of singing and praising the Lord in both English and Creole. It was a great way to kick off the week. One of the girls in our group wasn't feeling well and stayed behind at the hotel. While setting out on the balcony, she could hear our voices carrying out across the whole town. We were several miles away from her! God was preparing us for a great week.
On Tuesday, we awoke early and headed to the orphanage for a long day of work. We started painting the orphanage, and building a shower house behind the the orphanage. That night, we headed to church with the kids.
On Wednesday, we awoke early again, and headed back to the orphanage for more painting and building. We were able to paint nearly the entire inside of the house (minus the kitchen and hallway) and the entire front including the porch. I will try and post some before and after pictures soon, so everyone can see the dramatic transformation. We also had rock, sand, blocks, and cement delivered and started building the shower house. Many thanks to Rusty and Jessica Baker's church in Forsan, Texas for donating the money for all of the materials and paint. Wednesday night we planned to kick off a new youth service at the orphanage. The boys even built a new "Youth Shack" to hold the service in. We invited many people to come out to the service that night. We were not prepared for the blessing God had in store for all of our group. Over 150 people attended, with another 50 or so watching from outside the fence. The service was led completely by our kids. Mika, Fabienne, Jean Claude, and Fito led the music, and Belony preached. He preached with maturity way beyond his 13 years, and with a passion that I have rarely seen in my entire life. At the end of the service, 7 people personally came up to us and received Jesus as their Savior, with many more praying the prayer during the invitation.
On Thursday, we had a baptism service at the beach. Our main guy there in Haiti, Jules, was baptized in the ocean. We had a special time of testimonies, as Jules told of how much his life has changed since he started working with us. His wife was able to come down from Port-au-Prince to be a part of this special time. We also baptized a young man named TiSan (he's 20 years old)who has been helping us for the last two months. He started out working for us and carrying water to the house. As Belony began witnessing to him, he trusted in Jesus as his Savior. That night was our last night with the kids. We had a special service at the orphanage with the kids and our group. We sang songs in Creole and English and gave testimonies of how the week had changed us. Belony gave a passionate testimony of praise to God, and Lili did as well. What a change God has made in their lives! We all wept with pride in our kids as they one by one spoke with the wisdom and confidence of a seasoned Christian.
Friday morning we headed back to Port-au-Prince. Another 3 hour ride that was made a little longer because of a flat tire. That night at the hotel, we got together again and reflected on the trip. We all went to Haiti with the idea of helping the kids and influencing them, but we all agreed we were the ones who had been influenced and changed.
On Saturday, we flew back home with our hearts full of the lessons that God had taught us during the week. A new fire and passion burns in all of us who went, to continue to make a difference in the lives of our kids in Haiti, and in the lives of our friends and neighbors at home.
It is an honor for me to have a part in the work that God is doing in Haiti. We could do nothing without Him. All praise is due to Him for the change in the lives of our kids. It is my prayer that as long as I live, God will allow me to help "build eternity, one child at a time."
Steve Horne
Project 127-Haiti
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
January Update
This new year finds us with a lot of excitement about Haiti. The kids have now moved into their new home and are doing great. They love the area and are having a blast playing soccer with the neighborhood kids. They have also had the opportunity to share Jesus with some of the kids in the area. They want to start a prayer group at their orphanage in the near future. We are still waiting on the company to come and drill the well. I spoke with them just the other day and there have been several setbacks. There has been a lot of rain in the area in the past few months and they have to let the road dry out, then bring in a backhoe and fix the road. Also, a driller from the States was coming down to help them catch up and he had to back out at the last minute. Unfortunately, nothing happens fast in Haiti! Let's keep praying for this.
We will be taking our first missions team to the new orphanage at the end of January. We will be doing several work projects and some outreach in the community. If anyone is interested in going in the future, or taking a team in, email me and let me know.
The kids will also be starting school very soon. They will be getting a great quality education at a Christian school. It will cost around $100 per child for their school. This includes registration, tuition (Jan.-May), uniforms, books, and sports. If anyone would like to help a child go to school, please email me and let me know. We are praying for help in this area. We will also be launching a new sponsorship program in the next month, so stay tuned!
Building Eternity,
Steve Horne
Project 127-Haiti
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