A day like no other

Vladimir was walking into the front door of his house at 4:53pm on Jan. 12th, when the walls began to shake. The ceiling was bending and soon the dust of the rubble blotted out the sun. When Vladimir opened his eyes, he found himself trapped under the living room roof. He wiggled and squirmed his way out of the collapsed home and looked for his family. He screamed for any signs of life, but the screams fell on deft ears and there was no response.

Vladimir sat down and began to weep. A dusty hand grabbed him from behind and hugged him close. Vladimir looked up to see the familiar face of his father. His father wasn't smiling like he used to. His smile was replaced with a long stare.

The streets were congested and neighbors were running into the streets looking for loved ones.

After days of searching for his mother and siblings, Vladimir along with his father knew the worse had happened. They grabbed as many belongings as they could carry and went to the nearest church. That church took them in and helped them get back on their feet. They ate food supplied by AID organizations and slept among 1000's of other displaced families.

Vlad's dad had to find work, so he would travel into Port-au-Prince to find a job. A couple days after searching, his dad returned excited with a shovel in hand. Vlad's dad was part of the cleanup crew. His job was to clear the streets of debris.
One night as his dad returned from work, he leaned over Vlad and said this,
"Son, we must move on. I know you're sad, but mommy, brother and sister are in a better place."
"Okay, daddy, but I sure miss them."
"I know buddy, I miss them too." he said as he tucked Vlad into his cloth and cardboard bed.

The next morning, Vlad woke up and went about his chores like he did everyday since the earthquake. From sweeping the dirt ground to maning his fruit stand, Vlad was put to work. 90% of schools were destroyed and won't open for another couple months. Vlad loved the 6th grade, but he was going to have to wait for the schools to start back up.

One hot afternoon as Vlad was fanning himself, he heard his name spoken. He looked up at a figure blackened out by the bright sun. Vlad reached his hand above his head to shield his eyes. He couldn't make out the face even when he squinted hard. The figure bent down and said, "Hi, Vladimir." It was his mommy. She was alive and behind her was his brother and sister. As he looked closer, he noticed they were bandaged. In one giant leap, Vlad was in his mommy arms hugging her tight. She winced with every tug.

They packed up the basket with the fruit they had laid out on the sheet on the sidewalk. Vlad hoisted the basket on top of his head and held his mothers hand with his free hand. He led his lost family back to their new home in the church courtyard.

"This night is going to be a special night!" Vlad declared "Dad is going to be so so happy!"
"I know it will, Vlad, we missed you two very much." Mommy said.

As those words were spoken, the front of the cloth dwelling opened and Vlad's dad had returned from work. His eyes began to water and his shovel fell. He was stinky and sweaty, but that didn't stop the long embrace his parents shared.

Fly by the seat of your pants

I've been reflecting on my journey into Haiti.

"It appears that it was a 'fly by the seat of your pants' decision." One criticizer pointed out.

To some, it was something they wish they could have done. To others, it was a mistake and not recommended. I understand you can not please everybody, but is there anybody you should be concerned with?

When I was in Bible School, I remember the director pointing out, "If you please God, does it matter who you displease?"

I agree with that statement. My whole basis on traveling into Haiti was the collection of what I knew to be right and what my wife thought. My family supported me 100%. From the mixed responses I received from friends to the criticism from strangers, my resolve to travel to Haiti was galvenized. I became more focused and excited, as if the opposition was a deterrant from all the good that could happen. In hindsight, all that opposition was smoke and mirrors and far from the truth I experienced.

This trip has not been absence of trouble or concern, but it has also been filled with hope and love for others who used to be just faces. Today, those faces have names and those names have families and dreams like any human. A lot of Haitians want to change their lives and this earthquake has given them a freedom to start over.

So yeah, my criticizer was right. It was a quick decision and one worth taking.

You can fly by the seat of your pants, when God's got ahold of your britches.

From this destruction comes life

I walked outside our apartment this morning and noticed a seedling growing up through the rubble on our balcony. The balcony is covered with debris from the earthquake. Unfamiliar materials and environment choke out this plant. Despite it's obvious difficulties, this plant has pushed forward and beaten the odds. It's reaching high and looking for the light of day. One day it will be a full grown tree. From this destruction comes life.

Here's two thoughts I had about circumstances;

Your circumstances don't define you and your circumstances don't define your future.

Where ever you find yourself today is not where you'll be tomorrow. Life happens and we change over time. Look back when you were younger, maybe you had more strength, more stamina, more dreams. In those three simple examples, I know change has crept in and affected them. How much different are you today than when you were a youth? Mabybe wiser, maybe more patient, maybe tired and not as passionate as you once were.

Thinking through what Haitians have gone through in the last couple months has really encouraged me to push forward dispite my circumstances.

Youvens Phanor, a 28 year old law student told me this, "My school is gone, but I get to start over. This earthquake has given me another chance. I want to make Haiti a better place."

We have heard hundreds of stories like this. Here's another one.

"I lost my 22 month old son and three nieces in the earthquake. God is still in control. I know he still loves me. He will take care of me" Bernadel Fanfan explained with hope in his eyes. We met him in an internet cafe sending out his resume for potential teaching jobs.

I have seen tremendous progress and faith in Haiti in the 6 weeks I have been here. The streets are being cleared, the rubble is being removed and the buildings are being rebuilt. Despite its obvious difficulties Haiti is pushing forward and will beat the odds. It's reaching high and looking for the light of day. From this destruction comes life.

Are you the roof guys?

We were approached today by a young lady looking for a teaching job. She has come from America with her teaching degree in hand. She plans on staying in Haiti to help teach in the school system. We know Pastor Claude is looking for teachers so we were able to make a connection for them. We'll see in the coming days, how this relationship progresses.

On Diquini(dee-keen-knee) street, where this New Generation School is located; The vendors and kids have watched the progress of this collapsed school with us. As Carlos and I walk the street towards the school, the chattering of these vendors and kids ask if we are the roof guys. From the hi-fives to the morning greetings, we've tried to bring everyone in on the excitement. If a shirt was to be made, it would say "local celebrity".

This morning, we met with Walley from ADRA. He is a the Carribean Director for this non-profit organization. We spent an hour discussing our story of how we ended up in Haiti and what doors have opened for this project to be completed. He was astonished with story after story of how two guys from Texas and a small army from all over the U.S. were able to help promote progress in Haiti. He encouraged us with prayer and this, "What you guys we able to do here in this short time, would have taken these guys over a year's time to complete." Yea God!

At this time, there is no other project we're looking at. We have seven more days in Haiti and hundreds of stories to sift through. There are a couple ideas I want to blog about in the coming days. Thanks for your follow and posts. I enjoy your comments and questions.

It is finished

The "Raise this Roof" project is now complete. The roof is up, the walls are built and the pillars reinforced. 15 days ago, Pastor Claude, Carlos and I sat around dreaming of a new school building. That dream has come true today. Claude explained that this new building will be multi-purpose. At night, it will work as a shelter, for people to sleep in. During the day, a school for students and a church on the weekends.

"This building is answered prayer for me and my congregation" Pastor Claude Alce explained, "We prayed that God would send us help and he has! Thanks God."

The construction of the new building has promoted progress in Haiti. Carlos and I have an appointment tomorrow morning with a high official in ADRA. It's a non-profit organization, located up the street from the school. They supply aid to needy areas. This new school will show ADRA how serious they are in rebuilding the community. Prayerfully, ADRA will supply much needed food to ASCASH as they still struggle to feed the families and kids under their care.

Again, thanks to all who made this elusive dream become reality.

There will be a opening ceremony and dedication on Sunday, March 7th.

Phase two, day five

The tin was carried down to the school today from the hardware store. A total of 141 pieces will canvas the 1750 sq ft. building. The exterior walls are receiving a layer of stucco and the braces for the roof are being constructed. We're all anticipating the end of this project. Two weeks ago the "Raise this Roof" project was discussed and planned. We're seeing the last days of this project.

We just found out that New Generation School will not be able to open until April. There is no funding for books, supplies, or teachers. These funds will be coming from the government. The families who usually pay tuition will not be able to, due of the lack of jobs available. The Haitian Department of Education will not be able to visit the school until April, thus accounting for the delay. One positive aspect is that the new school building will help expedite the process.

Thanks to all that have contributed.

"Bon Saba"

"Bon Saba"

In Creole it means, Good Sabbath. The sabbath in religious circles denotes a day of rest or a coming together of like believers. On day seven of creation, God rested. In music, the rest is interval silence. In the Psalms, Selah is used to pause and stresses the importance of the preceding passage. In the performing arts, the actor will pause to heighten the anticipation of the next line. This dramatic pause is a beat or two of silence with no dialogue and little or no music/background sound.

Yesterday was my pause, my "Bon Saba".

I sat, I listened. My world has been loud. It's been busy. It's been demanding. I didn't have time to stop. My to-do list doubled.

Thank God for rest. Today, I feel refreshed and healthier.

Carlos and I have been blessed with projects to do and people to employ. Our current project, "Raise this Roof" is progressing and is now completely paid for! We estimate that the whole project will be completed Tuesday, March 2nd.

We will see the completion of the walls of the school tomorrow and the assembly of the tin roof will begin.