Haiti Camp Thoughts

This was a newspaper write-up from Dean Stephenson (the team leader during my past trip to Haiti this month). I have set a goal of raising $1000 towards the housing project for these orphans, please contact me if you'd like to contribute or if you have more questions!

Every once in a while we get to participate in something highly significant - something that transcends self. Running a six day camp in Haiti for 75 orphans was that significant event for 21 teens and young adults from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Representing Caton’s Island Camp (www.catonsisland.com) these young people followed through on a dream to give these kids a chance to be kids.

Life is hard in Haiti. It is not pre-packaged, sanitized and sterilized like our North American culture. People in Haiti live closer to the ground. Dogs, chickens, pigs, goats and donkeys roam freely, pedestrians do not have the right of way, you buy your water, food comes from the ground not a shelf and the government isn’t going to pander to your wants; or many of your needs for that matter. If you’re a child with no parents you are at the mercy of the human predators. Some orphans are enslaved to do household chores, be involved in the sex trade or do manual labor. Some are treated little better than animals. Many live on the streets in quasi-organized communities (that’s translated gangs) begging or stealing for daily sustenance, becoming beggars and thieves in the process. The “lucky” ones get to live in an orphanage where at least their basic needs are taken care of, if the resources are available. Over 60 percent of the 9 million people are under the age of 18 with some 500,000 orphans or economically abandoned children. Life in Haiti is hard. Life in Haiti is harder if you are a child without parents or caring adults.

So the opportunity to run a camp program for 75 orphans at “The Jesus Home for Children of La Gonave”  became a dream for many of the staff at Caton’s Island.  The orphanage in Anse-Au-Galet on La Gonave Island is a three story concrete building located on a busy street with no yard. The kids rarely get outside. The older ones look after the younger ones. Like most orphanages the children eat a lot of rice and beans. They sleep in cramped quarters and go to school in the same building they live in. Better than life on the street but the ability to burn off spare energy and have the opportunity to just be kids is limited.

December of this year saw the dream came to life. A six acre Baptist camp at Croix Lily near Montrois in Haiti was rented. The 75 orphanage kids arrived on a boat chartered to bring them from La Gonave Island. This camp allowed the Caton’s Staff to give the kids the freedom to run around, swim in the ocean (this was the favorite), play soccer, do crafts and play games. In short, they experienced a gentler side of life that allowed them to have fun and be kids.

The Caton’s staff slept in the same dorm with the kids, ate with them, played with them, loved them and ministered to them in the name of Christ.  We fed them luxury items don’t usually have like chicken, goat meat, eggs, hotdogs, fried plantain chips, granola bars, and cookies. We served a rare treat of pumpkin soup on New Year’s Day, as is the traditional custom here. We sang with them, laughed with them and, at one point, danced with them. We fell in love with them. And they fell in love with us. Many tears were shed when we parted with them as they climbed in the boat for their return. Speaking of returning, we are already planning for next year…

TEAM MEMBERS

Christina Mullin  

Peter Wheeler    

Holly Daggett 

Amber Salmon Staff Leader

Joel Guptill Staff Leader

Nic Guptill

Lucas Guptill

Dean Stephenson Team Leader

Dinah Stephenson 

Heather Morgan Staff Leader

Cheyenne Corey Program Director

Ellen Woodworth

Amy Vail

Natalie Mullin   

Richard Mullin Logistics Coordinator  

Zachary d'Entremont Staff Leader and Translator

Ian McMath  

Nathalie Robert   

Shannon Scott      

Tami Gionet   

Erin LeGassie

Quotes from Caton’s Staff

Caton’s Island is a summer camp owned and operated by the Atlantic District Wesleyan Church. Dean Stephenson of Lansdowne has been the Executive Director there for 16 years. Dean first visited Haiti in 1989 and has made 14 trips since then.

Dean says “ I had the opportunity to visit the Baptist Haiti Mission camp in 2007 and was inspired to run a camp there for Haitian children using Caton’s Staff. 5 years later the dream, with a lot of planning by several people, came true. I am thrilled with the Caton’s Staff and the job they did making the camp happen. The staff are camping professionals. They did a phenomenal job of loving these kids. Even when a wind storm forced boat cancellation and unexpectedly gave us another day of camp the staff rose to the challenge and showed their stellar character. They have my highest praise for a job very well done.”

Ian : Poverty became personal. Suddenly, it had a face and it had a name.

Amber: We just took the first steps in a marathon of change.

Joel : The biggest reality that hit me is that Jesus Christ was abandoned by everyone so he is the one person who can relate to those kids to bring hope and life.

Shannon: All these kids really wanted was love and affection.

Zach: The kids liked the things we brought them, but they loved the time we spent with them.

Natalie M: My eyes have finally been opened and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to close them again.

Nic: I came with a mindset of pride and left with an attitude of humility and thankfulness.

Amy: If I were to sum up this trip I would say that it was an unforgettable, life changing, and mind blowing experience.

To learn more about the orphanage visit www.okipe.org and discover the plans for a new 4 acre Children’s Village and see what you can do to help.

ABOUT OKIPE

Vision

...hope for their future through loving care, food, clean water, shelter, clothing, and physical / spiritual / vocational training.

  

Our Story…

Over the years, many people have come through La Gonave to offer assistance to the locals in many forms of aid and community development.  Often times, they would have the opportunity to hear of the orphanage and meet Mme Soliette & the children.  Few left that place unmoved to want to help.  We call these people, “Friends of the Orphanage”. 

Some have helped with periodic cash donations for food or rent.  Others have sent clothing and educational supplies.  All have experienced the limitations of their gifts and the helplessness that inevitably comes from living so far away from the needs.

BUT… this is a new season!  The “Friends of the Orphanage” are organizing into a powerful new co-operative effort to develop and implement a long term strategic plan for the security and advancement of the “The Jesus Home for Children of La Gonave”.  The co-op is called Okipe (Oh-kEE-pAy), which is a Haitian Creole word meaning,“to look after”.  We have recruited and sent Matt Smith to live on the island of La Gonave to serve as our “boots on the ground” coordinator for our development efforts. He arrived on April 4th, 2011.

Find a way to join this effort today… you’ll never regret having given your best to those with the least!

Hollow

It's windy here. The tree outside my window is dancing around quite a bit. Makes me wonder if it'll stand up against the pressure.

Trees that are rotten and hollow in the middle are much more likely to fall down in a storm. They may look tall and strong on the outside, but what's on the inside is what really matters.

How about you? What do your insides look like? Some people talk about having a god-shaped hole in their heart. You may try to fill it with wealth, relationships, fun, food, drugs, fame, or anything else. But the hole can only be filled by God's Spirit living in you. That happens when you surrender your life to Jesus.

^"Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit" - Ephesians 5:18 (NLT)

Pray to End Abortion

Father, we come to you this evening recognizing that we are so small compared with you. We know that we can’t end abortion in our own power, that’s why we are asking you to intervene. In our weakness, you are made strong. Yes Lord, may you be exalted!

We ask that as we encounter opposition, please remind us that the battle is not against the people we see, but against spiritual forces. When we are mistreated, please may your Holy Spirit show your love through us. When we are yelled at, may our silence be as a loud cry out to you our Father. When people protest against us, may our hearts break with the compassion of our Saviour.

Oh God, we pray for the mothers & fathers and the doctors & nurses involved in abortion. We ask that you would rescue them out of the clutch of the deceiver; the one who is the enemy. Please, will you show them the ugliness of sin, but also the beauty of your unfailing love. Oh, may we all see the ugliness of our sin, thank you for your forgiveness, thank you for the salvation that we find through Jesus.

And as we go to battle against the enemy over these next 40 days, we ask that you would fight for us. Would you please display your power, that nobody will be able help but see that it’s you at work; we don’t want this 40 Days for Life Vigil to be explainable in human terms, but we so desperately want for you to do the impossible.

We ask all of this knowing that Jesus is our advocate, and so it is in him name we pray, amen.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/40-Days-for-Life-Halifax-2011/238781549476709

http://40daysforlifehalifax.blogspot.com/

http://www.40daysforlife.com/halifax/

Open Your Eyes

This is going to sound really simple, but how could I not give God credit for something he did.

I lost my wallet. I looked hard for it. In the normal places - desk, pants pockets, backpack, car. I looked in the not-so-normal places - kitchen drawers, front closet shelf, fridge, freezer. But it was nowhere to be found. Well, seeing how I've been learning more about living a life of faith, I decided it would be a good idea to ask God to help me find it. After all, he does care about every part of our lives. Well, I closed my eyes and simply asked him to help me find it. As I was in transition from prayer to opening my eyes I was wondering if God would just give me a sudden idea of somewhere obscure where it would be; somewhere that I hadn't checked. Instead, as I opened my eyes, the very first thing that was in my line of sight was another pair of pants on the floor. I went over, sure enough, there was my wallet.

I told you it would be really simple, but there it is. Thanks God.

This got me thinking further. At times when we pray for God to use us to make a difference in people's lives, maybe all we need to do is to open our eyes and God will simply show us a need. Too many times maybe we pray and then go on as if we're waiting for lightning to strike thinking that something has to be something of epic proportions in order for it to be of God. Try it, pray, then open your eyes and see what God sees.

-Zach

The Good Muslim - Luke 10:25-37 (Zach’s 21st Century Paraphrase)

One day, a church leader came to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what do I need to do to have eternal life?”

What is written in the Bible?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with your whole heart, your whole soul, your whole strength, and your whole mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbour like you love yourself.’”

“That’s the right answer,” Jesus replied. “If you do this you will live.”

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And just who is my neighbour?”

Jesus replied: “A woman came home one night to her drunken husband. He beat her to the point where she could hardly stand. When he finally left her alone and dozed off in front of the TV, she gathered some courage and painfully staggered out of the house to go find help. She stumbled onto the grassy area next to a busy intersection and held out a cardboard sign: ‘BEEN ABUSED – NEED HELP’. A pastor pulled up to the red light beside where she was sitting. He was in a hurry for a meeting, so he ignored her. Next switch of lights, a Sunday school teacher came to a stop next to the woman. He reasoned to himself that she was making it up and just playing the system, so he ignored her. At yet another switch of lights a Muslim man stopped at the place where this woman was sitting and he had compassion on her. He helped her into the passenger seat and took her to the local emergency room. He paid for the woman’s expenses since she had neither citizenship nor medical insurance.  After waiting several hours for her to be seen by a doctor, he brought her to the local woman’s shelter and told her, ‘I will return soon to see how else I can help you.’

“What do you think? Out of these three men, who was a true neighbour to the battered woman?”

The church leader replied, “The one who showed her mercy.”

Jesus told him, “Go and follow his example.”

Drying by Fire

Thursday is typically my day off, and often that means a hiking trip! Today was no different, well, maybe just a little different.

It started out well, I headed out the front door for my trek across the highway and into the woods to Ragged Lake. Over rocks, under limbs, through marsh. I made it, what a beautiful place, the shoreline was even sandy! My main task for this trip was to attempt to start a fire the old fashioned way - rubbing sticks. Well, I prepared everything just as I thought I should. Warmth, but no fire. After much effort I whipped out a strike anywhere match and that did the trick.

As I was burning some dead branches and such on the beach, I took a short stroll to the east and happened upon a Geocach (http://www.geocaching.com/). Put my name on the paper and back to the fire I went. Well, I don't do well sitting down and waiting, so I walked in the westward direction. On the way, I jumped over a tree that had grown out sideways. A second similar tree approached - a little higher. As I ducted under this second one I decided to try to jump over it on the way back. When time came, I leaped into the air, hooked my foot on the tree, and descended into the lake below.

After deciding that running home would be the wimpy thing to do, I proceeded to set my wet clothes by the fire to dry. It was near the freezing mark today, I didn't leave the side of the fire for too long at a time. Eventually I dried, and my pants and sweater were coming along just fine. I went into the woods for a few more dead branches and came back to find that my sweater decided to do a belly flop onto the fire. A few burn holes in the left sleeve, the one that was dry. Hmm... O well, at least it was only my sweater and I have a dry t-shirt on. I can go home with no sweatshirt and not get too embarrassed, couldn't say the same for going home without pants. Yeah, I ended up burning my pants too. Just the top right edge and pocket though, my t-shirt mostly covered that.

What a great day!

How Many Gods?

I had the privilege of preaching at Metro Wesleyan Church this past Sunday, and it certainly wasn't a fluff topic! The title of the sermon was "How Many Gods?" Is there one God? Are there 3 Gods?

Deuteronomy 6:4 (NIV, ©2011)

 ⁴ Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.

Genesis 1:26 (NIV, ©2011)

 ²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness

The "us" indicates that though there is one God, he consists of 3 persons:

Father

Ephesians 5:20 (NIV, ©2011)

²⁰ always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Son

John 5:17-18 (NIV, ©2011)

¹⁷ In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” ¹⁸ For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

Holy Spirit

Psalm 51:11 (NIV, ©2011)
¹¹ Do not cast me from your presence
   or take your Holy Spirit from me.

All Three Together

Luke 3:21-22 (NIV, ©2011)

²¹ When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened ²² the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

Summary

“This...[is] unity in trinity,... Father, Son and Spirit – three... but one nature and of one reality and of one power, because there is one God.” – Tertullian (emphasis mine)

What's the purpose?

James 2:19 (NIV, ©2011)

¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

Simply knowing the truth about who God is is not enough. Just believing that God exists gets you nowhere.

But when we repent of our sin and put our faith in Jesus the Holy Spirit will cleanse our hearts and the Father will forgive our sins and count us as his own children! And then we must follow Jesus by living in the power of the Holy Spirit so we can honour the Father through our lives. It’s all about bringing God glory and living in the fullness of his presence!