The Potter's House

My mother asked me a few days ago what the name of the orphanage was and at the time I didn't even know if it had a name.  It turns out that it does: The Potter's House. 

I apologize in advance for the quality of some of these pictures - a few are stills captured from videotape.

Melissa and I first became aware of this orphanage through Facebook.  We had chatted back and forth with our friend Jane over the last few months about the needs of this special place - ever since Jane and Bud had discovered its existence in their neighborhood.  They had not known of it until the day after a great flood early last November when 12 inches of rain fell in one night.  Mud slides, the eroding of dirt roads and the rushing water left the mountainside in a mess.  In the course of helping neighbors dig out, Bud and Jane discovered a cinder block wall that had fallen in the flood, revealing the Potter's House.

 It's actually a bit of a hike to get from Jane's house to the orphanage.  The path winds through a banana tree grove, then a garden and even through a hedge row...

... and you're still not there.  Then it's a short walk down a street.

The wall which fell used to run just to the side of the stairwell in the picture below.  It was there for security and to protect the property from the rushing water that sometimes fills the gully to the right of it.  With the wall down, rains now continue to erode away the property - if not fixed soon, the very foundation of the house will be undermined.  Fortunately, the landlord is a kind and caring man who is willing to use the rent money to get the repairs done - if the rent gets paid.  Jane found the man who runs the orphanage in dire straits, barely able to keep the children fed, much less pay the rent.  So she and Bud have been working to raise funds to help out the director and the 18 children who live here.  (And that is what inspired Dats to action as well.)

As we approached the front door, the kids heard us coming and broke into song!  Part of it was in Creole and then part was in English: "Welcome! Welcome! To you, to you!  We are ... happy ... to see you ... this evening."

All the kids and a couple of adults were gathered in the front room of the house. In fact, there are really only four rooms: the front room at the entrance which then extends into a dining room with a long table and benches and then one bedroom for the boys and one for the girls.  All eighteen kids introduced themselves one by one around the room.  Jane asked if any were 11 years old like Dats and several stood up - and it struck me that all of them, though the same age, were quite a bit shorter than Dats.

I couldn't get a good picture of the boys' room since it was so dark (there's no electricity).  But below is a picture of the girls' room.  The beds are brand new since Christmas time when a church connected to Bud and Jane donated the money for them.  Before that, the kids were sleeping on the floor.  One of the things Dats' classmates collected was sheets for the beds - another church had already shipped down some blankets.

After the kids had shown us their bedrooms, Jane took us out back to show the backyard where the food is prepared and the dishes are washed.  About in the center of the picture is a hole in their back wall where a hose runs in from a neighbor's house.  This is their only source of water.  The small table and the pans and totes are used for washing up dishes.

The kitchen is an outdoor room about 4 feet deep and 5 feet wide. Jane has been helping with their groceries - purchasing two weeks' worth of rice and beans and sardines at a time.  She also makes sure they have chicken about once a week.

Everyone gathered on the front porch for a picture before we had to head back to Jane's house.

Our visit last Friday was way too short.  So we were excited to get a phone call from Jane tonight saying she didn't have to teach the English class tomorrow which she usually has each Tuesday, so she was wondering if Dats might want to return to the orphanage in the afternoon and maybe play some soccer with the kids!  That was a no brainer!  What an awesome way to end our week in Haiti.  We are joyfully looking forward to it.

One more thing I have to pass along because it is such an incredible praise:  Last Friday night when we Skyped with Melissa and the kids in Indiana, Grandma Trudy happened to be home.  She said to Dats, "Did you get the envelope I sent with your Dad?" 

"No. What envelope?"  Oops!  I dug the forgotten envelope out of my computer bag and handed it to Dats.  Inside Grandma had written a note about how proud she was of Dats' efforts on behalf of the orphans and she included some money to add to the $65 the kids in our small group had given: $300 more!

Dats was so excited to be able to pass along these generous offerings to Jane the next morning.

Well, tonight Jane told me on the phone that she had received a gift from some foundation in the States (and she wasn't even sure how they knew about her or the orphans).  The amount they sent was just short of one year's rent - and so the money which Dats brought was going to make up the difference and enable them to pay a full year's rent all at once which in turn will put enough cash in the pocket of the landlord to get the wall fixed! 

God is so very good!  Isn't He?

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.  - James 1:27

A Sunday in Vaudreuil

A great day of worship and rest - and we didn't travel further than a mile from the mission.  I'm glad to share some pics from today, but first, one more of Sammy from yesterday.  Dats took this picture and wanted to make sure everyone got to see how very cute Sammy is.  Dats gave him an empty Coke bottle after lunch yesterday and Sammy had a blast playing with it ... and licking it, apparently.

Now back to today.  Dats was up, dressed for church and out the door by 7:00 AM - planning to play with the puppies in the Bundys' backyard, I belief.  By the time I had showered and dressed, I found him inside the Bundy house happily sharing in their breakfast - blue berry muffins and eggs.  Since the Bundys all seemed healthy finally, I thought it might be a good time to bring over the small gifts we had transported for them in our luggage - a mixture of Valentines candy and some Christmas stuff that never got to the post office.  Melissa and I felt quite clever when we located some "Insta-Snow" to send to Haiti.  (It was another hot one today - highs in the mid-80s.)

 

 

Then it was off to church.  We went along with some of the other missionaries to a relatively new church plant operating out of the upstairs meeting room at the Radio 4VEH building. 

By the way, we have been staying in the house behind us on the left hand side of the picture, sharing one room with two twin beds.

I enjoyed the service but it didn't seem quite "authentically Haitian" since we enjoyed both air conditioning and comfortable seats!  This room is above all the sound booths and recording studio and offices of the first floor and was built to be used as a community gathering space.  Many wedding receptions are held here - it is one of the biggest and nicest spaces in this section of town.  This morning Pastor Guensen Charlot was preaching about Moses and the burning bush and it was one of those sermons (thankfully translated by our good friend Storly) that seemed to be directed right at ME.  Good stuff!

Our time after church could not have been more enjoyable. This is the pool at Villa Cana. ("Duck House"??) We first partook of a fantastic lunch - I had Creole chicken and a cold Coke.  Then, the whole Bundy family joined us for swimming in the pool.  It was a great deal: only $5/person for three hours of swimming.  The surroundings are gorgeous and it's so close to the mission that Brett says he could access their internet connection from home if he knew the password.  Apparently, it is a fairly new Catholic retreat center.  The water was cool and the sun beat down on us until the close of the afternoon when some rain clouds started rolling down the mountain.

I left the kids and the swimming a bit early in order to attend service at the English Bible Fellowship - which also meets upstairs at 4VEH.  Storly was preaching on Matthew 14 - the story of Peter walking on water.  I love it when a preacher can take a very familiar passage and shine light on it in such a way as to bring out its depth anew.  That's what Storly did.  "Keep BOTH eyes on Jesus."  Not just one eye!

I was glad to have the chance to see my friend Orinel at EBF and to catch up a bit with him - although there doesn't seem to be much new in his life ... unfortunately.  He still has no job and no prospects for a wife.  He desperately wants to have a family.  We gave him a ride towards Cap Haitien where he might catch a tap-tap more easily.  We left him waiting in the rain.

A statue at the Villa Cana depicts a slave with broken chains.  The physical chains were broken over 200 years ago.  I pray the Lord hastens the day when the spiritual chains will all be broken ...

To Market We Go

Dats and I outside the Catholic Church at the heart of Cap Haitien.  Bud and Jane and little Sammy picked us up at 8:00 to head downtown.  Sammy had to see two different doctors and then we were going to market to help buy food for the orphanage.  During the first Dr. visit, Bud walked us around Cap a bit.

Dats was eager to hold Sammy while we waited outside the cramped, dark waiting room.  Although this looks like Dats just doesn't know how to hold a baby, this is actually something that Sammy enjoys quite a bit!  He likes observing the world upside down.  He also paid attention to every motorcycle to pass by.

Dats loved the game as much as Sammy did.

The view across the street during our second doctor visit. This was the scene of an unfortunate - and bizarre - lowlight of the day for Dats.  Bud, Dats and I were sitting on the stoop outside the Dr. office, minding our own business when a rather portly Haitian woman approached us and wanted to shake our hands.  She was barefoot and oddly dressed.  She asked Bud for water and he replied that he had none.  Then she turned to Dats and asked him (apparently) if he were married.  He didn't know what to make of it and when she held out her hand to him, he just stared at it blankly for a moment.  After a pause, Dats went to shake her hand and she pulled him up off the stoop and started dragging him down the street, saying in Creole, "We are going to the church then." We were all kind of laughing about it until she suddenly bear-hugged Dats, lifted him about four feet off the ground and then suddenly and forcefully slammed him butt-first onto the street.  He was in shock and so was I and the woman just turned and glared at me without saying another word.  Weird!  Dats wasn't physically injured, but the incident spooked him - understandably!  He decided he preferred to wait inside Bud's vehicle.  A few minutes later the same woman came walking down the street again, this time smoking a cigarette -
through her nostril! 

We were relieved to finally move on from the Dr. office once Sammy had gotten a couple of shots and get to the business of buying food for the orphanage.  Jane buys two weeks' supply at a time.  The kids get chicken about once a week, but otherwise it's sardines and rice and beans.  The man with the wheelbarrow is waiting for the store to fill Jane's order, then the bags are piled into the wheelbarrow and he delivers them to the car - for a price.

We had lunch at a restaurant called Lakay (The House) with Bud and Jane and some other missionaries who sometimes gather there on Saturdays.  It was a time of good food and fellowship.  And Sammy kept us entertained throughout the meal.

In the afternoon, Dats was happy to hang around the mission.  After an ugly stomach bug throughout last week, the Bundy children were finally all healthy enough for some serious outside play time.  Here Brianna shows Dats her dad's fish pond.

Even Jake was back to normal.  By the end of the day, Dats was recounting to me all the things he did with the Bundys today and it sounded like a week's worth of activities.

Our day ended as most of our days have ended here - with Skyping the family back home.  The internet connection has been slow (it seems to take FOREVER to upload these pictures) - but reliable.  And for that we have been very thankful.

The Days are Packed

Dats took this picture of me teaching my class at Cowman this morning.  Had a lot of good face-time with my students today.  I am going to have them write a research paper this semester and there was no way I could imagine leading these guys through the research paper labyrinth via emails and Skype!

Friday mornings are chapel times at Cowman.  A visiting pastor spoke to the older kids about Luke 6:45 - "The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart."

At one point this morning I looked out my classroom door to see Dats and his classmates on the walkway outside.  Dats was working with the self-proclaimed "worst speller in the class" to study for an upcoming 25 point spelling quiz.  At lunch, the conversation turned to the quiz.  Dats says one student remarked, "I think I only missed three on the quiz!" The bad-speller piped up, "I think I only missed twelve!"  Now, don't think that means Dats was not an effective tutor: Mr. Bad Speller claims he once missed 23 out of 25!

Some goofy kindergarten students...

... who were getting ready to go for a march with their musical instruments.

After school we finally got to deliver the items to the orphanage.  I don't have the strength to write about this experience tonight - my heart has been squeezed a bit too hard and I'm so sleepy (dang roosters start crowing way too early in the morning).  So I will post more pictures of the orphanage later.  Besides, we are going back tomorrow to help Jane shop for food for the kids, so we will see them again.

Beyond visiting the orphanage, meeting Sammy was a true highlight of the day.  All I can tell you right now is that he is a miracle baby - brought back from the brink of death three months ago.  Dats' classmates were touched by a picture he shared with them of how Sammy looked when he was rescued - and that's what prompted those 6th graders to go out and buy piles of baby food and finger food to send with Dats to Sammy.  Here Dats was feeding Sammy some of the finger food provided by his peers and Sammy was gobbling it up.  This sort of thing isn't available in Haiti.

Sammy kept wanting more!

No more ribs showing on Sammy.  He's 13 months old - when we came to live with Bud and Jane three months ago, he looked so fragile they feared picking him up.  In three months he has gained 8 pounds, doubling his weight!  And he's just full of personality...

Back in Haiti

We have spent just over 24 hours in Haiti now, so I thought I better get on the ball and post some pics.   A lot can happen in a few short days.

This is Dats at school this past Monday with the food and formula and other supplies his classmates donated for the orphanage.  We had to take two extra suitcases with us to accommodate it all.  AND the students donated money to help pay the extra costs of added luggage!

The two of us at the Indianapolis Airport Tuesday evening.

Our ride to Miami.

 

Wednesday morning our flight to Haiti was delayed by two hours, giving us enough time to go for a swim at the hotel.  Dats' swim trunks were packed away, so I told him to swim in his pajamas.  Turns out that outdoor swimming pools in Mid-February are COLD even in the Sunshine State.

The approach over Haiti.  Wish I could have captured the look of sheer excitement in Caleb's eyes as we landed...

Most of the missionaries were in a prayer meeting when we actually arrived at the mission, so Dats took some time to play with some puppies who were getting a good, thorough loving from Lily and Sofie.

By the way, we were shocked by the fact that the ride from the airport to the mission took less than twenty minutes!  The roads have all been paved recently because Cap Haitien was hosting the national Carnival (Mardi Gras) celebration this year.  Nobody is too hopeful that the improvements are permanent - new pot holes are already developing!

Wednesday night we got to Skype with some very enthusiastic kids from Grundy Center, Iowa UM Church.  They asked a variety of great questions:
"How cold is it there?"
"How hot is it there?"
"What's it like to ride in a tap-tap?" (2 times)
And my favorite:  "How big are the curtains there?"

This morning Dats prepared himself to go to Cowman School.  In order to blend in as best he could, he wore a school uniform.  Until one of the Bundy girls told him that in honor of Valentines Day, all the students would be wearing red or pink or purple.  So Dats went back inside and put on his new red soccer shirt.

Which worked out well since then at recess time Dats was prepared to impress the locals with his soccer prowess.

After school, we stopped by the radio station to see Storly.  The stations is at the heart of why the mission exists - to broadcast the love of Christ across Haiti.

Unfortunately, after dinner and an unsuccessful tarantula hunt and a much needed shower, Dats' day ended like this:

But we're thinking it might have just been a reaction to the anti-malaria pill I gave him.  He maybe should have taken the medicine with dinner instead of a few hours later.  My bad!

P.S.  I am pleased to report that after careful observation, it is our conclusion that the curtains in Haiti are normal sized.  Pass the word to the kids in Grundy Center!

New Year's Resolutions and Self Discipline

[Dats and I are in a hotel room in Miami with our friend Storly preparing for our flight to Haiti tomorrow.  I had started this post a few days ago and wanted to finish it up before Ash Wednesday to clear the way for upcoming posts about our time in Cap Haitien.]

I know - it's February.  So why speak now of New Year's Resolutions?  Because I made three this year and I've kept them for 40 some days now - and that's maybe a record for me.

And I have to admit: it feels pretty good.  Especially when everyone seems to diss the whole concept of New Year's Resolutions.

Even our local Christian radio station has been running a self-promotion ad this past month about the start of a new year and making the most of it.  This ad trumpets the claim that New Year's resolutions have an 88% failure rate.  (The source, I have discovered, is a 2007 study of 3,000 adults.)  The implied message of the spot is to not bother with resolutions - listening to Christian music throughout the year will be just as beneficial ... and less painful.

And just after the beginning of the year, I came across a video clip online of a well-known Christian pastor (whom I like and respect) warning his congregation about the pitfalls of making resolutions.  His caution was this: when we make resolutions, it feeds into our pride - because it encourages us to think that we have power in and of ourselves to make changes.  God alone is sovereign and we can accomplish nothing aside from Him!

OK. But it seems to me that God is all for us working on self-discipline!  His Word speaks positively quite often of discipline, both physical and spiritual.  It seems to me that self-discipline is the sort of thing we should be encouraging in each other, rather than simply dismissing:

"But I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified." - (1 Corinthians 9:27)

"For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ." - (Colossians 2:5)

"But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness."  - (1 Timothy 4:7)

"For bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." - (1 Timothy 4:8)

"All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness."  - (Hebrews 12:11)

"For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline." - (2 Timothy 1:7)
 
So here are my three resolutions for 2013 - and I tell you in order to encourage you towards self-discipline and so you can hold me accountable on days 44 and beyond:

1) Exercise six days a week - push ups and sit ups.  I have been doing this off and on for a couple of years now but this is the first time I am pushing myself to be consistent and not to just let it slide when I don't feel like it.  I need to be strong enough to continue carrying around a six year old who is growing up fast.

2) Read the Bible and pray daily.  And I am trying to make sure I am really meditating on what I am reading and not just skimming.  This is one of those things that when I do it consistently, I get so much out of it that I end up wondering why I would ever allow myself to get "too busy" to do it.

3) Journal every night before bed.  I have journaled off and on (mostly off) since I was in high school.  This is the first time I have set the goal to do it daily.  And even though most nights I am just recording the basic events of the day, it is still really useful for a bit of reflection before falling asleep.

So those are my "big" resolutions for the year: things I should be doing anyway, and have done to a certain extent in the past, but now I am striving for consistency.  I am disciplining myself to do things even when I don't particularly FEEL like doing them.  And that is a very useful muscle to develop.

P.S.  The other reason I bring up New Year's Resolutions at this late date is because tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent.  I have grown to appreciate the practice of fasting - from something - anything - during the season of Lent.  So if you didn't take the resolution challenge this January, it's another great excuse to exercise a bit of self-discipline.

I've got to settle in my mind what I am going to fast from for Lent by tomorrow morning.  In past years I've given up meat, ice cream, and even chocolate.  I'm thinking of giving up something really radical this year, but I've got to sleep on it before I commit.  It's something that will take a whole lot of self-discipline for me and I want to make sure I am up for it. 

How about you?  Are you fasting this Lent?  How does that discipline strengthen your spirit?  I'd love to hear some stories ...

I'm Beginning to Think He's One of Those...

... one of those kids you read about in news magazines or see on TV.  The kind who gain notoriety for all the right reasons - they have collected big money for a sick friend's hospital bills.  Or they have started a new ministry like distributing blankets to the homeless during winter months.  Or they raise awareness regarding some often ignored problem or injustice. 

The circumstances differ but the stories always have some things in common: 1)  They arrest the attention of even the most cynical adults - who, even in spite of themselves, feel a glimmer of hope for the future.  2) The kid is the humble-type who never sought attention in the first place.  And 3) The actions spring from a motivation which is others-centered and pure. 

I'm beginning to think my oldest is one of those. 

This is not to detract from any of the other three - who are each wonderful and faithful and self-giving in their own rights, but I have to share what "Dats" - at 11 years old - is teaching me these days.

(By the way - I call him "Dats" here because that was his first nickname.  It's what his one year old sister called him when he was two.  I've been trying to make it stick ever since.)

My new understanding of Dats hit home this week.  For months he has talked about doing a talk about Haiti at school.  He worked on a PowerPoint for it several weeks ago.  To my shame, I never really asked him much about it.  This past week the time finally came for him to present.  (It seemed to be good timing since just a couple of weeks ago, Melissa and I had decided he should go with me to Haiti - but more about that later.)

I guess I thought his presentation was some long-term project or something - just another school assignment.  It didn't even hit home Wednesday night at dinner when he announced that he had given his presentation at school. 

"That's nice.  How did it go?" 

"OK."

Later that evening Dats asked if he could take some prayer cards to school on Thursday to pass out after his presentation.  "I thought you spoke today."

"I only spoke to the first half of the 6th grade class today.  Tomorrow I speak to the other half." 

It STILL didn't hit me.  I didn't give a thought to the fact that he goes to one of the biggest grade schools in the state - I think there are something like 120 or more students per grade level.  He had voluntarily given a speech in front of 60 to 70 of his classmates that day and was preparing to do it again the next day with a new crowd!

The next morning Melissa called just after the start of school to say Dats had forgotten the prayer cards.  Truthfully, I was a little irritated to have to make an extra run to school.  It wasn't until I actually stepped into the school building that I felt a nudge - I believe from the Holy Spirit.

He seemed to be saying, "Hey, Knucklehead - wake up!  Pay attention!" 

My dimwitted first response was "Wow ... I almost missed a photo-op.  I need to find out what time he is giving the speech so I can take some pictures for the blog or Facebook."

His teacher assured me that Dats wasn't speaking until 2:10.  When I returned in the afternoon with my camera, I was still clueless about the significance of the moment. 

When I walked into the room to witness Dats being introduced as their guest speaker for Social Studies, it started to sink in.  He turned the projector on, brought up his slides and confidently jumped right in.  He showed maps so the kids would know where Haiti was located.  He talked about the poverty entrenched in Haiti and he showed a picture of a malnourished baby - Sammy, who is now being nursed to health by some missionary friends of ours.  The picture came from their recent newsletter and it is shocking.  At one year old, Sammy was only about 8 pounds.  Dats explained how these missionaries, Bud and Jane, were helping with a local orphange and that we would be taking some supplies to them next week when he accompanied me to Haiti. 

Well, his classmates asked some great questions after Dats finished his presentation.  They were genuinely interested and very curious.  One little guy's question: "Aren't you going to miss us when you move down there?"  (I wanted to hug that kid.)  A young lady asked: "Do you need any help with raising funds for your family?"  (I restrained myself from yelling, "YES!  Give me your name and phone number!")

When all was said and done, Dats had had about 40 minutes of class time and as school dismissed, one classmate gave him a five dollar bill "for Sammy" and another was talking to Dats' teacher about planning a big fundraiser for our family.  His teacher told the class that she hopes we can Skype from Haiti during one of the school days we are there.  The next day Dats and another student were given time to type up a "newsletter" to send home with all the 6th graders about voluntarily collecting some baby food and formula and soap and sheets for Sammy and the kids at the orphanage.  They are even going to try to raise some cash donations to help pay for the extra luggage!

And to think I almost missed witnessing the whole thing because I wasn't paying attention to what God was orchestrating right under my nose!

Dats shows the class where Haiti is located in relation to Florida. 

All in a day's work - Dats had to rush off after his presentation in order to man his post for safety patrol. "Keep to the right, please."

P.S. One of our small group leaders invited Dats to give his presentation at small group to his peers last night.  Through their generosity, he raised $61 for the orphanage!

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."  - I Timothy 4:12