R.U.4 Children

The following blog is from an R.U.4 Children team member, Jessica Morton. She gives a detailed account of her second trip in Haiti and the many activities we encountered on our latest trip.

August 9, 2010

Tonight we had a very interesting night.  We were scheduled to leave DFW at 6:50, but our flight was delayed 3 hours.  We ended up not arriving in Fort Lauderdale until extremely late and barely had enough time to even take a breath before we had to head back to the airport to catch our 6AM flight.  Needless to say, we did not get any rest and have been exhausted as a result!

August 10, 2010

Our flight left EARLY, and we barely got there in time to leave.  While flying, there were some technical difficulties with the plane, so we had to circle around Port-au-prince for about an hour.  That was definitely a blessing from God (as was the free first class upgrade we all received) because we had the opportunity to get a little bit more rest before we arrived in Haiti and hit the ground running.

After we landed and made our way through customs, our small group—consisting of the 2^nd time returning Philip Creamer, the newbie Ryan Edgar, the veteran Michael Laymon (RU4C Projects Director) and myself—met up with Paul Waggoner, the leader of MMRC and previously mentioned rock-star-status rebel from Nantucket.  It was so good to see him again!  He recently took a job in Europe for a few weeks to support himself, and though he told of his travels to Paris, he could not WAIT to be back in Haiti, serving his fellow man.  Incredible guy.  So glad to know him! The five of us headed over to Kola, one of the orphanages that RU4C supports.  It was unbelievable getting to see those kids again!  When we arrived, they ran out to the car, giving the most passionately whole-hearted hugs I have ever received in all my life!  I even heard a few of them exclaim with excitement “Mama!” It was so good to wrap my arms and my heart around them once again!

We spent the afternoon there, playing with the kids, making puff paint tee-shirts, watching them dance and pretend to walk the run-way (haha), and just loving on them.  I couldn’t help but think that they have lost everything and everyone (most of them because of the earthquake).  How devastating it must be to feel as though you were abandoned—left all alone in the world.  It was my prayer that they felt loved as I held them, that they felt special, and that they felt the love of God beaconing them to Himself through those moments we shared.  Never have I wanted to adopt so many children in all my life…. And oh how I wish I spoke Creole so that I could audibly tell them what they mean to me and to their heavenly Father….

After we left Kola, we had the opportunity to go over to Paul’s compound and help their team unload a new HUGE delivery of supplies.  The boys did the work, assembly line style, sweating through all their clothes to make sure that the orphaned Haitians in need could benefit from this enormous donation of Pedialyte (an anti-dehydration, electrolyte rich fluid compound).  They worked so hard to get those supplies out.   This makes me realize that it doesn’t matter what we do, as long as we are willing to do it.  No matter what the task: easy, difficult, sweaty, or not, if our heart is in it, God is going to do great things through us and in it.  I was proud of those boys today J

We eventually made our way over to the airport to pick up Trey McAlister, the founder of RU4Children.  I am so honored to be able to serve alongside this passionately driven, Godly man.  His vision for RU4C came many years ago while he was serving in Ukraine, and since then, his ministry has reached hundreds of orphans all over the globe.  God truly has his hand on this man, and I am so excited to get to spend what little time I get to with him as we serve the Lord!

The evening came to a bit of a close as we had some car trouble, made our way back to Paul’s, ate some amazing spaghetti (prepared by two recent Nursing graduates from the states and a Marine that have been here for several weeks volunteering), and talked about Haiti and how effective we are as servants to this country.  We headed over to Pastor Gerald Bataille’s house, where he welcomed us with a warm hug and an even warmer smile.  I am now preparing for bed in my nicely air-conditioned room, awaiting a team meeting and devotional, and I keep coming back to this prayer that God use me this week.  Please will join me as I pray for that!?  He provided my way here through your giving spirits, and I want to use this opportunity to the fullest, making the most of this time.  I am very excited about meeting the physical needs of the people here, but more importantly, I want to make a KINGDOM impact.  I want the effects of our efforts to go beyond “aid” that lasts only a few weeks, a few months, or a few years at most.  I want to make an eternal impact.  That is what the people here need most… what we all need most.  Please help me as I pray that God would do as the lyrics of Hosanna express:

“heal my heart and make it clean,

open up my eyes to the things unseen,

show me how to love like You have loved me….

break my heart for what breaks yours

everything I am for Your Kingdom’s cause

as I walk from earth into eternity…..”

I love you all.  Thank you for sharing in this journey with me!

Jessica

August 11, 2010

Well, today has been a most interesting day…. Full of surprises, twists and turns.  This morning around 7:30, after an amazing breakfast prepared by Pastor Bataille, we went out to pick up our new rental car (because yesterday’s car broke down).  The Hertz guy gave us the run around and finally said they couldn’t get us a car: time wasted.  Then we went—6 in one small vehicle—to the airport to pick up the Pastor’s daughter, Rose Bataille and her friend Marie on their return from San Diego. We got another rental car at the airport, only while we waited for her arrival, the new car died: more time wasted.  Then we tried to get another car, and some swindlers tried to get our money while attempting to charge $600 for 3 remaining days of rental.  And as Michael was driving the car away, the guy’s wife called and wanted the car returned: much more time wasted. Needless to say, we had a LONG morning, all the while never being able to rent a car successfully.  Haha.  So I have had the privilege to ride in the back of a pickup on the bumpiest roads that may have ever existed

We finally gave up on the car and headed over to the land that was donated to the Bataille family: 400 acres on the beach.  It was beautiful!  We brought some city officials so that they could begin the “building approval” process for the orphanage and village that they plan on building.  I cannot wait until they get the construction underway.  The Bataille family is going to impact their country so much, and it is through their partnership with RU4Children and the commitment that their church body has to their community that this dream of theirs will come to fruition.  I can’t say it enough: I am so blessed that I have gotten to know and have ministered alongside this family.  They are truly incredible. I pray for their ministry and hope that any help that I have offered this family will be multiplied exponentially through the work God is certain to do….

We then made our way to the Bataille boys’ orphanage.  They are the sweetest kids!  And it was so good to see their faces once again.  As many of you know, RU4C asked me to return so that I could help them interview some of the orphans that they help support in order to set up information pages on each child and begin a sponsorship program (much like World Vision or Compassion International). We decided to begin the interview process tomorrow, giving them a day to get a little more comfortable with me so that they can tell me their stories with a little less fear and awkwardness So we spent our time handing out shirts to all the boys and playing with them in the rain.  Since we were last here, they paved a basketball court and put up a goal, as well as hung a swing, a rope to climb and a hanging ladder.  We played basketball, “football” (soccer), pushed them in the swing, and jump roped until it started getting dark.  Having now spent two days with him (the first being a day in June), I have absolutely fallen in love with one of the boys there!  He has the cutest smile (he’s missing both of his electric white canines) and he worked so hard to remember my name and pronounce it correctly.  He is precious, and I will most definitely be sponsoring him….

We have since come back to the Bataille home and are sitting in a circle, singing the blues, eating junk food (not all of us J), telling stories, and enjoying one another’s company. As I sit here, I am already praying for tomorrow. What an impact it will be to get to hear all of the boys’ stories!  I am also thrilled that I will have Rose all to myself, there to translate so that I can have some meaningful conversations with them.  Please be in prayer for all that we are going to do tomorrow. I am grateful for each of you making this trip a possibility.  May He be glorified and His kingdom come! I love you all….

Jessica

August 12, 2010

Greetings one and all J I hope all is well in America.  I miss you all so much. However, I can’t deny that today has been an exceptionally wonderful day!  I woke up in the best mood, ready to attack the day with full force! And I needed that vigor for what today held….

We left this morning around 8:30 and went straight over to the Bataille Boys Orphanage.  We spent the first few hours playing games with them.  I played mostly on the basketball court.  At first, I was just getting rebounds, but eventually I was showing them how to post up, dribble between their legs, and was passing off a lot of dramatic assists (Yes, I played basketball in high school.  I was no good.  At all.  Haha. Yet somehow I was captain–?  I’m pretty sure it was by default though.  I was the only senior and there were only 6 girls on my team LOL). I got the sweatiest I have been in all my life in the torturously hot Hatian sun.  Actually, if you combined my past two sweatiest moments in life (both of which would probably exist within my last trip to Haiti), I still think I’d top that.  We had so much fun though and I feel as though I bonded with the boys and moved past their view of me as some white girl who likes to take their picture.

The kids took a break for a little bit and during that time, I took the opportunity to sit down with Rose and individually spend time with each of the orphans.  We got to hear a little bit of each of their stories—how old they were, where they were from, if they have siblings, what they like to do, what happened to their parents.  I was so moved to hear their sweet, quiet voices tell a little bit about themselves. Some of these kids have been at the orphanage for 14 years.  Some of these kids are newly orphaned, feeling scared and all alone. Some of the kids still have one or both parents alive, but they are at the orphanage for the opportunity for a better life.  Think about that…. They are at an ORPHANAGE to have a better life.  That is so heartbreaking to me.  Yet at the same time, I am so happy that they found their way to the Bataille orphanage. This family truly is helping these kids reach their full potential by educating them, feeding them, clothing them, loving them, and teaching them the importance of a relationship with Christ.  Because of the impact that this family has had on them for the kingdom, when asked “what do you want to be when you grow up,” about 80% said “a pastor.” They are the most amazing boys.  I love them all so much!  God is going to great things through each one of them J

As each boy finished his interview with Rose and me, they were sent to be fitted for some more shirts and shorts.  Philip, Ryan, and Michael took turns fitting each boy with their new clothes.  What a blessing it is to provide something that seems so obviously essential to us as Americans to these sweet boys.  They were so excited about their new clothes and the hugs they received from the guys. Just by Philip, Ryan, and Michael being there, they were—even if unknowingly—impacting these boys to the core: being examples of what it means to serve the Lord, put others first, and give with a cheerful heart.

We then gathered the boys together and made a craft with them.  It was very simple (we made framed artwork using crayons, construction paper, popsicle sticks, glue, and foam animals) but we had such a good time.  They really got creative and were all smiles.  I spent some time with Benoit Schneider (my favorite little electric-white-smiled boy I mentioned yesterday).  He taught me the French alphabet and I helped him with his picture.  Our time together today was priceless to me.  I LOVE HIM!

After a few more pushes in the swing and a couple more soccer goals, we left the orphanage.  We were there for seven hours, though it did not feel as though we were there for that long. J We drove out to the capital to show Ryan some of the devastation in downtown Port-au-prince.  While we were out there, we got the chance to talk to a local artist trying to sell some of his work.  When asking me to purchase a picture, I tried to show him that I didn’t have any cash on me.  I pulled out some trash from my pocket, so he told me to “be a Hatian and throw it on the ground! LOL” Rose took that opportunity to teach him that he should love his country and want to improve it.  What he had to say was so sad.  He explained that Haiti doesn’t care about him, so it is difficult for him to care about Haiti.  “If something were to happen to you as white Americans here in Haiti, the government would search until they found who was responsible, then lock them up forever.  If the same thing were to happen to me, nothing would be done and no one would care.”  He said that he was supportive of Wyclef Jean becoming president because “all of the government officials are in office for the money, but Wyclef already has all the money he could ever want.” It is so sad that the people of this country feel as though their government is against them and doesn’t care (which I believe has a lot of truth to it).  I hope that you will join me in prayer, however, that the BEST president will be elected in 2011 here in Haiti so that social reform will come and their country can move forward and prosper.  They need to get away from the voodoo, Satanic dedications of past and current law givers (fact: many of their presidents, including the one in office before their current president, have sacrificed children as a dedication of the country of Haiti to Satan) and move toward a Christ-centered governmental system.  Because, just as is the case in our own spiritual lives, only then can true reform come.  Only then will they see true, lasting change.

Praying for Haiti,

Jessica

August 13, 2010

Happy Friday that 13^th! I hope everyone is doing well.  Today turned out to be a really great day!  After another wonderful home cooked breakfast and some fresh black Haitian coffee, our team went back over to Kola, the orphanage from the day of our arrival.  It was so good to see their bright, smiling faces again.  Especially my two Kola favorites, Gavenson and Yolanda.

We spend the day hanging out with these kids, playing games, doing crafts and pushing them on their new swing that some of the volunteers from MMRC just put up.  The volunteers also constructed two picnic tables for the kids to eat at and do crafts on, so the children got some paint and went at it.  It was so cute…. They were all walking around with white palms and splotches of paint in their hair.  They had a great time.

We took them into one of their classrooms (a few pieces of wood covered with tarp) and made bookmarks.  We talked about Christ with them as they painted crosses and wrote “Jesus” on their bookmarks.  I was given the opportunity to say something to the entire group, a privilege I had not yet been given.  I was so glad to have Rose there to translate for me as I told them what they mean to me, how special they are, and how much God loves them.  I pray that those few minutes of sharing my heart planted seeds in theirs….

Many of these kids have experienced loss from the earthquake and are in such great need physically, emotionally and spiritually.  One of the little boys in particular shows great signs of malnourishment.  He is all skin and bones.  The lady that runs the orphanage is young, about 21 years old, and often doesn’t make all the right choices (we’ve given out these “manna packs” which have rice and a separate pouch containing a protein compound, and she has admitted to taking out the protein because the children didn’t like the taste).  This is also not necessarily a faith-based orphanage.  The only Christian influence they receive is through RU4Children’s efforts and their contact with the Bataille family.  Today, however, we may have made a great leap forward in improving this orphanage and therefore the lives of these kids.  This was Rose Bataille’s first time to visit Kola, and she got to talk with the owner.  This orphanage’s “lease” is up in 3 months and they have no where to go.  RU4Children is working to get these kids over to the Bataille’s Orphanage as soon as possible.   The owner of Kola is a little reluctant because she likes the control and is the recipient of the money the orphanage receives, giving her the choice to do as she wishes.  Today it became more of a possibility than ever, so please pray that Kola can be absorbed by the Bataille Orphanage so that these kids can become healthy: spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically!

August 14, 2010

I am so blessed that I was able to come here again and do this work for the Lord in Haiti.  We are about to leave for the airport and it is bittersweet.  Having come here twice in such a short amount of time has made me fall in love with these kids, the people at MMRC, and the Bataille family.  The more time I spend here, the more I see there is so much to be done.  Please continue to pray for Haiti as they continue to recover from the physical and emotional damage done by the earthquake.  Please pray for all the orphans that RU4C has reached out to.  Please pray for the Bataille family as they continue to do GREAT work in their community.  And pray for the American group, the MMRC, as they continue to meet the medical needs of Haiti.

Thank you for the support!  I am so glad to call you my family and friends.  Pictures will be up soon on my facebook.  Be sure and check out my old pictures as I took much more during my first trip J Off to the airport.  I love you all!

In Him,

Jessica

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