The Countdown Begins.

  I celebrated my 5th month in Haiti last Saturay, June 16th. Therefore that leaves me with less than a month left here; 24 full days to be exact. My oldest brother, Jason will be here from July 2nd-9th. Catalyst, my college ministry consisting of all my best friends back home, (the team I came down here with June 2011) will be here from July 6th-17th. I will be returning to the United States on July 17th, with all of my best friends. I have been anticipating their arrival for quite some time now. I'm so excited for my brother and for my best friends to experience what I have had the blessing to experience for this long. I'm definitely having a mix of bitter-sweet emotions. Haiti has became my "home away from home". I've developed many great friendships with the Haitians as well as the American NVM staff. The Haitians no longer consider me a "blanc", meaning a foreigner. "Ou pa blanc. Ou se Ayisyen!". They now consider me one of them, a light-skinned Haitian so-to-speak. I am beyond thankful for being blessed with the opportunity to plug into this amazing community of people for 6 months. However, I greatly miss my family and friends back home. I am continuously praying for a smooth transition back into my America way of life, as well as into Liberty University in August. I pray that God will give me the wisdom, strength, and courage for this transition to be as smooth as possible. I plan to return here to Nehemiah Vision Ministries sometime in 2013. I'm not sure exactly when, or for how long, but I will be back!

  All the Nehemiah Vision Ministries interns decided that we needed to take a group photo. Maggie Younker, whom I have worked with since January, departed on Monday. She has spent 5 months here, and will be interning with the International Justice Mission in Europe, starting in September. We also have 3 Summer interns who arrived several weeks ago. It has been great working alongside my fellow interns and new friends!

So this pyramid picture didn't turn out as great as I would have liked. I was using a 35mm lense and had about 5 minutes to try to get several shots (Maggie had to leave for the airport and we have 100+ people on campus). BUT...it's an awesome picture, regardless.

Brandon Hutchens (NVM Missions Team Coordinator); Interns: myself, Jonathan Dimanche, Maggie Younker, Chris Bosma, and Clinton Small. There is never a dull moment on this compound!

  Thank you for taking to the time to check out and share my blog! I ask that you keep me in your prayers, as I continue to serve the remaining 24 days here! God has been doing amazing things over the past 5+ months of my life. This has been a life-changing experience, to say the least.

Thursday Morning Thoughts

I would like to share with you some of my thoughts I had this morning, while riding to Onaville to finish painting a container at our "satellite" location.

"   As Christians, we musn't blend in with the secular world. Let me clear up the fact that I am not stating that it is wrong to befriend non-believers or to associate with them. However, we are called to be bold; to be radical in this day and age filled with unholiness and impurity. We must not merely label ourselves as Christians and abuse the grace of God. Jesus lived a perfect and blameless life so that we sinners may be redeemed. That is enough reason for me to try my absolute hardest to live my life as a genuine, devoted follower of Christ. Christ paid for the sin of all mankind with His own blood.
    Tell me, what good is it to dress up in our "Sundays Best" on Sunday mornings, singing along with the worship band and raising your hand up to Heaven to praise our Lord, when Monday-Saturday you live no differently than your secular neighbor?
    We must NOT abide by the norms that our society has grown accustomed to. What is more courageous; giving in to temptation and impurity or living a pure life of righteousness? Will it be easy to ignore the peer pressures of the world? Absolutely not. As a devoted follower of Christ, you WILL face trials, temptations, and downfalls. How you respond to those downfalls, is the testing of your perseverance and faith in God. I see people constantly stating things such as, "Why is there so much evil in the world?; What happened to moral standards?; Why is he doing this and she doing that?", etc. Rather than asking questions such as this, would it not be easier to live your life, the way you want others to live theirs? Lead by actions rather than solely relying on words. You could be the brightest, most knowledgeable speaker of this age, but if your words do not coincide with your actions, then they will fall upon deaf ears."

 I enjoy writing, even though I am far from the best at it. Writing is simply an avenue for me to share with the world, what God puts on my heart. I will attempt to post things such as this on my blog, on a more regular basis. I am sure that there will be many people whom disagree with my thoughts and actions. That is completely acceptable. However, if I have one person that is somehow "moved" by my words, no amount of opposition can overcome that single victory.

Exactly One Year Ago Today...

June 11, 2011 was a day that led to a life-changing week for me. Why was the week of June 11-18 so important? June 11, 2011 was the first day that I stepped foot in the wonderful nation of Haiti. It was the first day that I had ever left the Red, White, and Blue. It was a day that I have engraved into my memory and hope to never forget. I remember my thoughts when our plane circled around the airport, preparing for landing. I remember the screeching tires of the plane on the tarmac....everything became so real. I was actually doing this. I was following God's call to partake in a short term mission trip with Catalyst, the College & Young Adult Ministry at my church, Crossroads Fellowship. Preparing for the trip, I knew I was going to see things I'd never seen before. Severe poverty. Starving people and malnourished children. People that desperately need not only physical aid, but also spiritual, mental, and emotional. Little did I know then, the impact that week would have on me.

It's currently 4:05pm here in Chambrun, Haiti. At this time last year, I had safely arrived here at the compound of Nehemiah Vision Ministries. In the hour or so drive from the Port-au-Prince Airport....my life had already been rocked. I saw many of the things I had been anticipating in the weeks leading up to this trip. Your heart my wrench when you think about these things and see pictures online...but when you're actually here and are witnessing things you'd never imagined you'd see...it hits you a lot harder than any picture you might find on Google.

I am still using the same journal that I brought with me on the trip last year. Here is an excerpt of my first journal entry in this country:

 Day 1
Saturday
6/11/2011
    "I am sitting on a cinder block on the top of a medical center in Haiti. How many times in my life will I have the opportunity to do this? God has already done amazing things for me on this trip...and I haven't even been here for 24 hours.
   As soon as I took the first step out of our Delta airplane...and stepped foot into Port-au-Prince, I knew God sent me here for a reason."

Today is June 11, 2012. I have been in Haiti since January 16; 4 months and 26 days. I have about 35 days left of my 6-month internship here at Nehemiah Vision Ministries. It is absolutely amazing to reflect on what God has done in my life in the time span of one year. Although it is amazing, it should not be surprising. Why? Because when you die to self, take up your cross daily, and establish a genuine relationship and become a dedicated follower of Christ....ANYTHING is possible. If you would have told me on June 10th, 2011, that the week lying in front of me would lead to me spending 6 months in Haiti...I honestly probably would have called you crazy. I knew on that hot, sunny Saturday exactly one year ago, that God sent me there for a reason. At the time, I didn't know what that reason was.

The Last Day
Saturday
6/18/2011
    "I hate that this will probably be the last time on this roof for quite some time (referring to the medical clinic roof). Hopefully I will be able to return in January. If not, then I will definitely be back next summer. This mission trip has drastically drawn me closer to God and helped me "find" myself in numerous ways. I found out that children have a huge place in my heart. I feel like God might be calling me to do something with children/youth...because I enjoyed playing with these kids so much.
   I have opened my eyes and my heart, for the love of others. I would rather work for and help somebody else, rather than for my own best interest. I hope to take what I have experienced here in Haiti, and share it with friends and peers, touching their hearts like mine has been touched. However, no matter how compassionate I tell my story nor how many pictures I show them.....they will not feel the love, pain, and happiness that I've experienced this week. God is doing amazing things here and I hope to see even more improvements when I return. 
   God, I ask you to bless Jay and touch him with a quick and full recovery from his surgery. Lord, I ask you bless all my fellow team members and myself with safe travels back to America. Lord, let us arrive in America with new perspectives, outlooks, and changed hearts. I ask you this in the Lord's name...Amen."

Tears of happiness cloud my eyes as I finish typing this blog post. God knew that I would read these journal entries, on this day, remembering what I felt like He was telling me in 2011. I knew that I would return to Haiti. I knew I was being called here. I knew that children/youth was going to play a roll in my life. When I return from Haiti on July 16...I will have a month and a half of "down" time to transition back into American life. Then I'll embark on the next chapter of my life, studying Youth Ministry at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. I pray that this blog post, my testimony, will reach people to follow Christ with all their heart, strength, and might. I pray that my life will bring glory to the Kingdom of Heaven, in everything I do. I apologize for the long post...but reading these journal entries and reflecting on the past year really touched my heart today. I hope you've enjoyed this post, and stick with me for the remaining 35 days of my time here in Haiti. The college ministry (Catalyst) that I came with last summer, will be here from July 6-17th. I will finish out the last 11 days serving alongside my best friends. God is so good great.
 

21st Birthday in Haiti!

Last Sunday, May 20th, I celebrated my 21st birthday here in Haiti! It was pretty tough Sunday morning, realizing that this was the first birthday that I'd ever spent away from my family (and yeah, 21 is kind of a "milestone" I guess you can say). Being away from them for a little over 4 months has been hard. However, this birthday has been one that I will NEVER forget...and not just because it's my 21st. I am so fortunate, thankful, and blessed to spend this birthday (and 6 months) with the amazing people in this country. I get to interact with some of the most loving people I've ever met, all of the Haitians and the American NVM staff. I will sleep tonight knowing that this birthday, this day, is one that I will never forget for many reasons. 

Birthday cinnamon roll with 21 candles!

Pastor Pierre's (founder of NVM) son Nathan and myself. We have became great friends over the past 4 and a half months!

These were my birthday gifts from the NVM staff. You know you are in the mission field, when you are excited about non-powdered milk and typical grocery store items being presents for your 21st birthday. I may be 21 and "of age" to legally consume alcohol...but the only type of beer I request is A&W Root Beer!

My friends in the NVM Childrens Home singing Happy Birthday to me! (Low-resolution video...recorded with my iPhone)

Changes to Our Core NVM "Family"

Our core NVM "family" started to undergo changes at the beginning of May. Brodie Herb (bottom row, white t-shirt) headed back to the States after being at NVM for 8 months. She will be getting married in august; Head nurse Aubree Dell (bottom row, Army t-shirt) headed home for a month to refresh and to raise support for her new commitment of an additional 2 years (she has already been here for 2 years); GAiN USA Staff Jim Warner (top left), Cheryl Warner (bottom row 2nd from left) & their kids Jamie (blue shirt, bottom row, left) and Janessa (orange shirt, middle row, left) headed home a couple of days ago to take some time off to refresh and raise support; Intern Maggie Younker (bottom row, orange) will be heading home in mid-June after being here for 5 months and will be heading to England in September, where she will be interning with the International Justice Mission for a year; nurse E'tienne York (top row, middle, on my right) will be heading home at the beginning of July after being here for one year; nurse Brooke Smalley (to my left) has signed up for another year; our leaders Brandon & Katie Hutchens (top row, right) have also committed to stay for at least one more year!        

As you all know, I will be heading back to the States on July 17th. It has been an absolute blessing to work alongside this amazing group of people. We all like to use the word "family" to describe us, rather than the word "team". I am so thankful to have the opportunity to get to know each and every one of these people....my time here would not be the same if it weren't for this family! I could go on and on about each person individually, and the million stories we've all had together, but I will spare you the time. I will say thank you to my "second family" for all the wonderful memories we've had together, but those words are merely understatements.This may be the last photo together as our core "family"...but I pray that God continues to use each one of us in the next chapters of our lives. I have no doubt that we will all continue to serve the Kingdom of Heaven....whether God leads us here in Haiti or back in the United States.

The Next Step in My Life...

In 2011 I was certain of one thing in particular, regarding my future: I was going to spend 6 months serving at Nehemiah Vision Ministries in Haiti. Although I knew that's where God was leading me from January 16, 2012 to July 17,2012...I didn't know where I would end up after I returned to the United States. Many people prior to me arriving here, and people who were on short-term trips here at NVM, would ask me, "So, what are you doing when you get home?". That question began to resonate more and more on my heart. I had made it one of my top priorities in my prayers, asking for God's direction and guidance in what the next step was in my life. Even though I was concerned with this, I didn't want to become TOO consumed with it, that I would miss out on where I am NOW. So, as people continued to ask me, I simply responded, "We'll see where God leads me!". I would go on to describe that I had a passion for children and youth ministry...so that could possibly be an option somewhere down the road.

I remember one week in March, very specifically. It was the busiest week we've had here at NVM, since my arrival; there were 5 or 6 teams and around 120+ people on campus. There was one team in particular that I was excited to meet and work alongside; a team of twelve middle schools kids with their two counselors/leaders from Kanakuk (Christian youth camps). I had been volunteering a lot with the PreTeen/Youth Ministry at my home church in Raleigh, and absolutely loved it. I missed all those kids from home...so I was excited to meet these middle schoolers! I must say that these kids were absolutely amazing here. They got along so well with the Haitian children...it was awesome to see their interactions with each other. Both of their leaders called me aside at different times, to tell me that they absolutely loved how much I poured into their middle school team, and that they think I would do very well in youth ministry. This was very encouraging for me to hear..and very unexpected! To make a long story short(er), I felt like God brought this Kanakuk middle school team  here for a reason: to solidify the fact that I absolutely love youth ministry and need to pursue this as my next "step" in life.

I will be studying Youth Ministry at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, starting in the Fall of 2012. I will only have about a month-and-a-half turnaround between my arrival back in the United States and the first day of class. It's hard to believe that I only have 2 months and 10 days left here in Haiti. I am excited to see what God has in store for me for these next 2 months, as well as my first semester at Liberty University in the Fall! If you feel led to support me with my ministry here in Haiti, or would just like to help out with the expenses that go along with college, then I would greatly appreciate it! IF you don't feel led to support financially, that is completely fine. I would be more than happy with you simply praying for me as I spend the remaining 2 months here in Haiti and as I transition back into life back in the States and at Liberty University! You can never have too many people praying for you :)

These are some of the guys from the Kanakuk Middle School team. They were hilarious and awesome to work with!

These are a few pictures from the VBS Day Camp I helped out with in Onaville, alongside the Kanakuk Middle School team!

Onaville Men's Bible Study

Two men from Saddleback Church (Pastor Rick Warren's church) from California, Brandon Hutchens, Clerice (NVM staff/translator) and myself started a men's Bible Study in Onaville. The study is called, "Being God's Man...In Leading a Family", by Stephen Arterburn, Kenny Luck, and Fred Stoeker. Onaville is an area that consists of roughly 500,000+ people; the majority of which were displaced into this area after the earthquake in 2010. We have a "satellite" church in Onaville (I have posted pictures on my blog of the new tent we put up earlier this year)...where about 500 or so people are attending, since the first service that was held in December 2011. I was very excited to start this Bible study...to build up the men of this community to be the leaders and righteous men we are called to be. 65 men come out to the first session; it was amazing seeing how involved these men were in the study. At the end of the session as we were packing things up, one man wanted to come up and share a little bit before we left. He told us all how thankful he was for us to start this study; they had never heard of accountability partners or been in small groups with other Christian men. He continued on to say that he had somewhat lost his faith or connection with Christ, but this study had gotten him fired up to be the man of God he knew that he should be; so that he could be a leader and positive influence for his family, friends, and community. This study is not only helping these Haitian men, but also Brandon and myself as we sit down each week doing the study ourselves, in preparation for our bi-weekly study sessions. If everyone could keep Brandon, Clerice, Pastor Jim Warner, and myself in your prayers, we would really appreciate it! Pray that God will use us as a tool for His Kingdom, to speak the words that these men need to hear in order to be leaders and positive role models amongst their families, friends, and community. I will continue to post updates about this study for the remainder of my time here in Haiti! Here are a few photos from one of our sessions:

The men split into small groups

My Bible, notes, and "Being God's Man...In Leading A Family" Bible study.

Clerice translating for me as I co-lead the Bible study with Brandon Hutchens