Tolentreasures

This link will take you to a blog post written by another member of the team who was in Haiti with me in November. After returning home so sick, I kept thinking I would not go back. However, all I have to do is read this and look at the pictures and the tug is there. That tug on your heart that never leaves you once you have been there. http://orchardhillchurchhaiti.wordpress.com/2013/12/22/over-the-river-and-through-the-woods/

When you arrive in Haiti, your senses are assaulted. All of them, but perhaps none more than your sight. Sensory overload does not begin to describe your eyes trying to take in everything you see. While you are thinking, 'I want to remember that' Twenty-six more memorable sights pass through your field of vision and your mind can't process what you see fast enough and your sense of everything else pales. The sounds and the smells and the feel all become secondary to the sight.   So many of you were so generous in your donations to the trip. I will try to show you where your donations were used.   The initial draw for me to the trip was to teach the students at the orphanage calligraphy and sign painting skills. Part of the donations went to buying supplies.   These are skills that the students can use to supplement their education and hopefully their income. Several of them astounded me with ...

In the past two weeks I have been in Fort Lauderdale, Cap Haitien, Pittsburgh, Atlanta and New Orleans.    To say "I am ready to be home is an understatement!  This written while sitting in New Orleans airport, two more cities and lots of hours until home!

  There is much of Haiti that is not beautiful, but as with anything, you have to look for the beauty.   It's there, God provides it. You just have to see it.       In the flowers,   in the rusted tin gate, that someone took the time to paint red.       And in the children, always in the children.     In nature,   In the architecture, and in the scenery.   I arrived home last night. Unfortunately, I was hit with some bug that I am struggling to get over.   I will have more pictures and stories later.

Thanks to some awesome benefactors, there will be some of God's tiniest clothed!   While in Haiti, next week, we will be helping out at an orphanage for preschool children. Twenty one children in desperate need of food, clothing.. basics!   So, I packed.  And Kendall helped. At four, she had a lot of questions about where their Mommies and Daddies were, why they needed clothes. "don't they even have a car?"   and "Can I go with you and play with them?" Clothing was found at end of year prices. Bible story books, lots of sewing, and flip flops for $1 each. How can you pass that up? Some more sewing, and underwear. I found a huge duffel bag at the church, and I packed and weighed and packed and weighed.   Add a can of formula, some more clothing, weigh again.   Getting the picture? Finally at 43 pounds, I decided that was clos...

  My pastor just returned from Haiti. He goes there a lot and every now and then he brings baskets back for me. These showed up the other day when he visited.  So pretty and durable.   Several years ago he brought this one home. And six years ago this month, Shawnee and I traveled there and I brought this one home. It is really durable and holds the dinosaurs for the grandchildren. They love to play with them.   This one was actually too big to fit in anywhere and became my carry on for the entire trip home.   I took a lot of teasing for that.   We are having a beautiful day here, nothing like nice weather to energize a body!   Hope that all of you are having a great Saturday!

http://www.heartsforthehungry.com/ I am glued to the TV and have no words for what I am seeing in Haiti right now. Having been there and having seen the conditions that the people live in, I cannot imagine how they will survive this catastrophe. They are going to desperately need help. I can personnally vouch for this organization, our pastor is on the board and all the money donated goes to feed Haitians. There are no paid board members, offices to maintain, etc. All of the money goes to food and the delivery of food. Please consider a donation. The need is so great!