A few weeks ago, I was blessed with the presence of having my Aunt Cindy, Uncle Dale, and Grandma come to visit me in Haiti. I was so excited to show them a world I have grown to love and call home.

For the last three family Christmas gatherings, Haiti is usually brought up at the dinner table, which typically ends with me frustrated inside because I cannot fully explain the complexity of where I live, what I do, and why I do it. It is impossible to explain what life is really like here, until you come see the patients lined up outside the clinic at 5am, smell the burning charcoal fires in the air, and feel the hard rocks under your feet as you walk back and forth to Chambrun.

A year ago I had asked my grandma to come visit me in Haiti, and she felt she just could not do it, which I understood. I do not know what it is like to be 80 years old—sorry grandma for spilling your age. However, she told me she would pray about it. A while later she decided that coming to Haiti was something the Lord was putting on her heart and told me that she was coming to visit! My aunt and uncle joined the team and we started making plans for when they could all come.

I had happened to be in Michigan for a close friend’s wedding and was able to travel back to Haiti with my family. After a rough start due to lovely Michigan’s weather we ended up missing our connection flight and staying in the Miami Airport a little longer. We finally arrived in Haiti around 4 o’clock and we were welcomed by Brooke and Claire!

The adventure began as we road back to campus in the big tap tap filled with about 30 people and all the luggage on the bumpy Haitian roads. We made it to campus, had dinner, and I was able to introduce my family to my friends. In Haitian culture it is important to introduce your family to everyone or else someone will get offended. Everyone was excited to see my aunt and uncle, but were so impressed my GRANDMOTHER came to visit as well.

The next few days we all worked in the clinic. Uncle Dale hung our curtains, while grandma and Aunt Cindy helped count pills. They were all a huge blessing for all of us in the clinic, they were willing to do anything! Later that day we visited Chambrun and they were able to meet some of my favorite kiddos! Rose wasn’t too sure about grandma at first but grandma was determined to hold her! Everyone was excited to meet my family and we could not walk more that a step without another person coming up to meet them. All my friends were ecstatic that my grandma had made the trip all the way to Haiti just to meet them! I was very proud to show them all off.

Aunt Cindy being a fabulous assistant, she did not even pass out!

It would not be a full experience without the beach, and so on Saturday we drove up the coast to enjoy a restful day at one of the resorts. We had a lot of fun floating in the water, bartering for souvenirs, and eating an amazing lunch buffet. I could not have asked for a more perfect day.

The week flew by and before I knew it, they were packing their bags to travel back home. They said good-bye to 90 degree weather and hello to 30 degree weather with snow. (Now, who is the crazy onejQuery15208640133941639466_1363896609160? )

As I walked out of the airport I felt a rush of sadness and choked back tears. It was so much fun having them here and teaching them about Haitian culture, what I do everyday, and why I have not been able to move back to the states. Their presence here was such a huge blessing to me. It was a breath of fresh air that is much needed from time to time.

Church on Sunday

Haitian Food!!!

A few weeks ago, I was blessed with the presence of having my Aunt Cindy, Uncle Dale, and Grandma come to visit me in Haiti. I was so excited to show them a world I have grown to love and call home.

For the last three family Christmas gatherings, Haiti is usually brought up at the dinner table, which typically ends with me frustrated inside because I cannot fully explain the complexity of where I live, what I do, and why I do it. It is impossible to explain what life is really like here, until you come see the patients lined up outside the clinic at 5am, smell the burning charcoal fires in the air, and feel the hard rocks under your feet as you walk back and forth to Chambrun.

A year ago I had asked my grandma to come visit me in Haiti, and she felt she just could not do it, which I understood. I do not know what it is like to be 80 years old—sorry grandma for spilling your age. However, she told me she would pray about it. A while later she decided that coming to Haiti was something the Lord was putting on her heart and told me that she was coming to visit! My aunt and uncle joined the team and we started making plans for when they could all come.

I had happened to be in Michigan for a close friend’s wedding and was able to travel back to Haiti with my family. After a rough start due to lovely Michigan’s weather we ended up missing our connection flight and staying in the Miami Airport a little longer. We finally arrived in Haiti around 4 o’clock and we were welcomed by Brooke and Claire!

The adventure began as we road back to campus in the big tap tap filled with about 30 people and all the luggage on the bumpy Haitian roads. We made it to campus, had dinner, and I was able to introduce my family to my friends. In Haitian culture it is important to introduce your family to everyone or else someone will get offended. Everyone was excited to see my aunt and uncle, but were so impressed my GRANDMOTHER came to visit as well.

The next few days we all worked in the clinic. Uncle Dale hung our curtains, while grandma and Aunt Cindy helped count pills. They were all a huge blessing for all of us in the clinic, they were willing to do anything! Later that day we visited Chambrun and they were able to meet some of my favorite kiddos! Rose wasn’t too sure about grandma at first but grandma was determined to hold her! Everyone was excited to meet my family and we could not walk more that a step without another person coming up to meet them. All my friends were ecstatic that my grandma had made the trip all the way to Haiti just to meet them! I was very proud to show them all off.

Aunt Cindy being a fabulous assistant, she did not even pass out!

It would not be a full experience without the beach, and so on Saturday we drove up the coast to enjoy a restful day at one of the resorts. We had a lot of fun floating in the water, bartering for souvenirs, and eating an amazing lunch buffet. I could not have asked for a more perfect day.

The week flew by and before I knew it, they were packing their bags to travel back home. They said good-bye to 90 degree weather and hello to 30 degree weather with snow. (Now, who is the crazy onejQuery152010385055551674038_1363896352419? )

As I walked out of the airport I felt a rush of sadness and choked back tears. It was so much fun having them here and teaching them about Haitian culture, what I do everyday, and why I have not been able to move back to the states. Their presence here was such a huge blessing to me. It was a breath of fresh air that is much needed from time to time.

Church on Sunday

Haitian Food!!!

A few weeks ago, I was blessed with the presence of having my Aunt Cindy, Uncle Dale, and Grandma come to visit me in Haiti. I was so excited to show them a world I have grown to love and call home.

For the last three family Christmas gatherings, Haiti is usually brought up at the dinner table, which typically ends with me frustrated inside because I cannot fully explain the complexity of where I live, what I do, and why I do it. It is impossible to explain what life is really like here, until you come see the patients lined up outside the clinic at 5am, smell the burning charcoal fires in the air, and feel the hard rocks under your feet as you walk back and forth to Chambrun.

A year ago I had asked my grandma to come visit me in Haiti, and she felt she just could not do it, which I understood. I do not know what it is like to be 80 years old—sorry grandma for spilling your age. However, she told me she would pray about it. A while later she decided that coming to Haiti was something the Lord was putting on her heart and told me that she was coming to visit! My aunt and uncle joined the team and we started making plans for when they could all come.

I had happened to be in Michigan for a close friend’s wedding and was able to travel back to Haiti with my family. After a rough start due to lovely Michigan’s weather we ended up missing our connection flight and staying in the Miami Airport a little longer. We finally arrived in Haiti around 4 o’clock and we were welcomed by Brooke and Claire!

The adventure began as we road back to campus in the big tap tap filled with about 30 people and all the luggage on the bumpy Haitian roads. We made it to campus, had dinner, and I was able to introduce my family to my friends. In Haitian culture it is important to introduce your family to everyone or else someone will get offended. Everyone was excited to see my aunt and uncle, but were so impressed my GRANDMOTHER came to visit as well.

The next few days we all worked in the clinic. Uncle Dale hung our curtains, while grandma and Aunt Cindy helped count pills. They were all a huge blessing for all of us in the clinic, they were willing to do anything! Later that day we visited Chambrun and they were able to meet some of my favorite kiddos! Rose wasn’t too sure about grandma at first but grandma was determined to hold her! Everyone was excited to meet my family and we could not walk more that a step without another person coming up to meet them. All my friends were ecstatic that my grandma had made the trip all the way to Haiti just to meet them! I was very proud to show them all off.

Aunt Cindy being a fabulous assistant, she did not even pass out!

It would not be a full experience without the beach, and so on Saturday we drove up the coast to enjoy a restful day at one of the resorts. We had a lot of fun floating in the water, bartering for souvenirs, and eating an amazing lunch buffet. I could not have asked for a more perfect day.

The week flew by and before I knew it, they were packing their bags to travel back home. They said good-bye to 90 degree weather and hello to 30 degree weather with snow. (Now, who is the crazy onejQuery152010385055551674038_1363896352422? )

As I walked out of the airport I felt a rush of sadness and choked back tears. It was so much fun having them here and teaching them about Haitian culture, what I do everyday, and why I have not been able to move back to the states. Their presence here was such a huge blessing to me. It was a breath of fresh air that is much needed from time to time.

Church on Sunday

Haitian Food!!!

A few weeks ago, I was blessed with the presence of having my Aunt Cindy, Uncle Dale, and Grandma come to visit me in Haiti. I was so excited to show them a world I have grown to love and call home.

For the last three family Christmas gatherings, Haiti is usually brought up at the dinner table, which typically ends with me frustrated inside because I cannot fully explain the complexity of where I live, what I do, and why I do it. It is impossible to explain what life is really like here, until you come see the patients lined up outside the clinic at 5am, smell the burning charcoal fires in the air, and feel the hard rocks under your feet as you walk back and forth to Chambrun.

A year ago I had asked my grandma to come visit me in Haiti, and she felt she just could not do it, which I understood. I do not know what it is like to be 80 years old—sorry grandma for spilling your age. However, she told me she would pray about it. A while later she decided that coming to Haiti was something the Lord was putting on her heart and told me that she was coming to visit! My aunt and uncle joined the team and we started making plans for when they could all come.

I had happened to be in Michigan for a close friend’s wedding and was able to travel back to Haiti with my family. After a rough start due to lovely Michigan’s weather we ended up missing our connection flight and staying in the Miami Airport a little longer. We finally arrived in Haiti around 4 o’clock and we were welcomed by Brooke and Claire!

The adventure began as we road back to campus in the big tap tap filled with about 30 people and all the luggage on the bumpy Haitian roads. We made it to campus, had dinner, and I was able to introduce my family to my friends. In Haitian culture it is important to introduce your family to everyone or else someone will get offended. Everyone was excited to see my aunt and uncle, but were so impressed my GRANDMOTHER came to visit as well.

The next few days we all worked in the clinic. Uncle Dale hung our curtains, while grandma and Aunt Cindy helped count pills. They were all a huge blessing for all of us in the clinic, they were willing to do anything! Later that day we visited Chambrun and they were able to meet some of my favorite kiddos! Rose wasn’t too sure about grandma at first but grandma was determined to hold her! Everyone was excited to meet my family and we could not walk more that a step without another person coming up to meet them. All my friends were ecstatic that my grandma had made the trip all the way to Haiti just to meet them! I was very proud to show them all off.

Aunt Cindy being a fabulous assistant, she did not even pass out!

It would not be a full experience without the beach, and so on Saturday we drove up the coast to enjoy a restful day at one of the resorts. We had a lot of fun floating in the water, bartering for souvenirs, and eating an amazing lunch buffet. I could not have asked for a more perfect day.

The week flew by and before I knew it, they were packing their bags to travel back home. They said good-bye to 90 degree weather and hello to 30 degree weather with snow. (Now, who is the crazy onejQuery152010385055551674038_1363896352423? )

As I walked out of the airport I felt a rush of sadness and choked back tears. It was so much fun having them here and teaching them about Haitian culture, what I do everyday, and why I have not been able to move back to the states. Their presence here was such a huge blessing to me. It was a breath of fresh air that is much needed from time to time.

Church on Sunday

Haitian Food!!!

by Jim & Cheryl Warner, GAiN Missionaries

A good feet soaking

Back rubs all around

Barb giving a neck massage

Soaking the cuticles

Two things going on at once

Tolu washing feet

Lynda giving a facial

Working on the fingers

Working on the feet

Applying polish

More polish

Applying makeup

Jennifer and Tolu giving devotions through an interpreter

Cheryl receives hugs of thanks

A hug of joy

Tolu is always smiling

Sally has made a new friend

Charlie driving some nails

The men taking a well-deserved break

Andrew built a toy truck for one of his new friends

The frames

Squaring up the legs

The product of their labors today

So there you have it. The GAiN mission team's Wednesday in Haiti. We are so grateful for each person the Lord has brought to us this week. They are doing a great job with a great spirit. Please be praying for our Thursday. The ladies travel to Onaville to minister to the women there. Onaville is the largest displacement camp in Haiti. And the men continue building benches. We will report in tomorrow evening.

by Jim Warner, GAiN USA Missionary

This morning at 6:30 the GAiN mission team left Haiti for their homes in the USA. We had a great week and they were a wonderful team. It was a joy to serve with them this past week.  They were also a great encouragement to us both.

On Monday, the team conducted their second water filter distribution. We took the team to a small village in the mountains called Fond Cheval. After a 40-minute drive up a winding mountain road we drove onto the church property. We discovered a church building far too small for our distribution. So we gathered the people into a big circle outside and proceeded with our presentation and distribution. It went so very well. Our guests were attentive, polite and very appreciative. We once again had the privilege of distributing water filters to 50 families. We shared some valuable information about sanitation and hygiene and demonstrated how to use the filters. Each person then had the chance to practice with the filters. And as always we ended with a presentation of the gospel and gave each person the opportunity to ask Christ into their lives. It was a great day and here are the sights.

We made some new friends this week and it is always hard to say goodbye so soon. But we know God has done a tremendous work in and through each one of them. We again want to thank them all for coming. And we give God all the glory for what happened. It is an honor to serve him in this way.

Cindy for the ABC team  

by Jim Warner, GAiN USA Missionary

Cheryl has been running NVM's Hope Gift Shop for the entire time we have been in Haiti - almost 2 years now.  Most of the hand made items are created by Haitian ladies in her craft classes. The gift shop has grown to the size where NVM has been able to hire a full time employee. We want to introduce Fifi Judelaine.

Part of my devotions this morning were in Psalms 30:8b-9  "Give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say 'Who is the Lord?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. This verse sums up the way most of us feel after visiting Haiti this week and for some of us in past trips. We have so much while others have so little.

A final thought for tonight. We learn a lot from our translators. They are hard working people who are proud of their country, and are excited when you show an interest in learning even a little bit of their language. (Haitian Creole) I myself have learned several new words this week, and hope to be able to hold on to them for next time. Another picture that includes our translators is below. We've had a great week. I think we just might stay.

 Cindy for team ABC                                                                  

Avoca Baptist Church Team in Haiti

Good Evening (morning or afternoon, whatever time it is you find yourself reading this)!  Let me just start off by saying this is my first time writing a blog so bare with me and I hope you find it interesting!  This is mine (Casey) and my mom's (Patti) first trip to Haiti and the weeks leading up to our departure we were racked with concerns from safety/sickness to how exactly function in the clinics.  Now three days into our adventure all we can say is "what were we worried about?"  Our group of tweleve were almost instantly like family.  Everyone is here to help each other in anyway needed.  Even our translators have become part of our ABC family.  The NVM staff, the locals everyone greets you with a smile, a wave, and a bonjour!

Patty, doing a dressing on a large abcess we drained.

Today (Wednesday), we were blessed with being able to go to a brand new clinic site that NVM had not yet been to.  The site was a village high up in the mountains called Fon Cheval.   As we drove our tap tap to the village all I could think about was a portion from the passage of scripture that Tim had us read earlier in the week from Psalms 8 "Lord our Lord how majestic is Your name in all the earth..."  No other word(s) could describe what we were seeing...majestic!  It is a lesson for us to know that the Lord is with us everywhere, from the comfort of our homes in the States to the dusty villages in Haiti.  We appreciate your prayers and support and we cannot wait to see you all and tell our stories and show our pictures!

Casey in the village

 Casey for the ABC team

Part 2 for Wednesday, another guest blogger.

Another guest blogger and another first timer. I'm Glenn Hann, a husband, father of 5 beautiful children and a Nurse Practitioner. I know Tim through our employer and was invited to come along for the ride. I had a hard time leaving my family, but now three days in, I have no doubt that it was God's will. My heart had been blessed on multiple levels. I wasn't able to attend church on Sunday, but my interpretor, Rock (a 19 year old Haitian), gave me a great sermon yesterday. He told me that I was sharing hope with the people of Haiti with my work. As sort of an evangelistic person by nature, I didn't understand what he meant. I was doing medical work. I wasn't sharing the gospel directly, though I have learned Bon je ben a ou which means "God bless you". Rock told me the Haitians see it differently. He told me, "They see you, a man who has come many miles to help me, they see your smile and hear your kind words. You make them feel special, you give them hope." He went on and said, "It's not the people who give money, it's the people who come." He closed with, "Jesus never gave anyone any money. He loved them. And because he loved them, they listened to his gospel."

Triplets, A miracle in Haiti.

It's so easy for me in the United States. I have a good job. I could not shop for food for 3 weeks and I'd still have something to eat in my house. My bed is soft, my shower is warm, and my kids kick a soccer ball on grass, not dusty dirt. The ease with which I live presents a challenge. My challenge is to remember to have compassion. It says in the gospel accounts, "Jesus saw them and he had compassion". What will you have when you see them? You might not have the opportunity to see Haitians in Haiti...though if you do, then you should really do it....but you have the opportunity to have compassion on that single mom or dad, or the grandparents raising their grandchild, or the teen whose lost their way. We all fall short....we all need compassion.

I'll close with this little story. Our first day out just before we left a member of the construction crew that is here this week said to me, "Go do a miracle today." I smiled and said something off the cuff that really wasn't that profound in an effort to be funny. Thinking back I wished I said, "The miracle has already been done, I'm just going to go and tell people about it." God uses the foolish things of the world to shame the wise....I praise Him for also using me.