Our work has just begun - Brian

Can you believe it's been 3 weeks since we returned? We are back to emails, traveling, work etc, but I know that none of us have gone a day, or probably an hour without thinking of Haiti. But let me catch up first.

Last we blogged en route, we were on a plane bound for JFK, then Logan. You can imagine we were all a bit excited to see our families and friends. We made it through the complete chaos of customs, and after an hour and half, found out our flight had been canceled. The next flight was the next day, from LaGuardia! Twelve of God's disciples (hmmm) stuck in NYC. OSLC, however, has a connection in NYC with the Salvation Army, so Rob gave them a call to see if we could crash there, only to find out that they were all full - no room at the inn, as it were. The group that was there booked rooms at a mission house in the west side, not knowing the Salvation Army would accommodate them, so we gave them a call. Again, God watched over us, and they had just enough room for us, in rooms that had been paid for!

We got there at midnight after a lot of trains subways and walking. Phew. A bunch of us went to a deli and had some dinner, many of us had not eaten since breakfast, and hit the hay at 1:00am. We had 4 hours to sleep, get up and get a few taxis to LaGuardia.

We made it to the airport and got back home the next day, safe and sound. Well, with the exception of 8 of us ending up with some bad bathroom problems for several days, weeks in most cases. (Note: If the travel Doctor prescribes medicine for this, DO NOT DONATE ALL OF IT UPON LEAVING) I, for one, needed to get a new prescription upon my return.

Back in Haiti: Right now Momma is probably washing some laundry, there is a smell of garlic in the air, and in the distance, what sounds like an ice cream truck (it isn't though) is playing Christmas carols. That's right! Christmas Carols! All this is happening on the work site, which is now...a real house! As of last week, the only remaining task was to finish the roof. Can you believe it! They had a few ditches just a month ago, and nothing but manual labor built it. No tractors, Bobcats, or excavators, just shovels, picks, and sweat. Momma, Papa, and those cute kids are living a little better now thanks to the LORD leading us, and His provision of good health, injury-free work, and the gift of endurance we received in a dangerous and very hot environment.

The Clinic is as busy as ever right now. Gale Hull (co-founder) said they were seeing 5,000 people per year before the Earthquake, this year they are tracking for 60,000!! I know she misses the help our team gave her in caring for babies, working in the pharmacy, and helping with the travel clinic that goes to help people in tent cities in the Port-au-Prince area.

Gale was thrilled with the work done around the compound, too. Canvas shed-style roofs were made, shelves put up, doors fixed, etc. A long list of little things that needed attention.

But the real blessing is the family our team adopted. This family lives in a tent city with about 2500 people crammed in right next to each other. There are 7 of them now, Momma, Papa, and 5 Grandchildren. The Alexci family had a house that was destroyed by the earthquake, their daughter and 1 grandchild were killed. They have a baby, a young boy that has ringworm on his face, another in a wheelchair, and one with terminal CP, whom the Clinic treats to prevent constant seizing. The boy with CP requires constant care, and there are 3 other kids as well, so the Papa doesn't have time to work, or beg, so they rely on donations and...well, I am not sure what else. On our last day, we delivered food to this family, and adopted them through PID (Partners in Development)

I need to plug PID for a moment: Literally for pennies a day, you can support someone who needs food and essentials. Through PID (www.pidonline.org), I can guarantee that 100% of your donations will make it to a VERY needy person or family. Please email me, bdahn@comcast.net for more information. Speaking for the team, I encourage you to sponsor a child or family, you can even keep track of them, write them, and maybe someday, visit them.

Lastly, I have told the team, famil,y and friends that one of the gifts of a Mission trip is all of the time surrounding the trip itself. What an opportunity to "talk God" with someone that you may never have had the opportunity! Before the trip, I spoke to a travel Doctor, Pharmacist, a Kohl's cashier...you get the point. We can share this trip, it's purpose, and our faith forever! Even as we were there, our blog was being shared by my friend Patty Mellon. We have all prayed for her while in the throes of Breast Cancer and a couple weeks ago she and her team called "The Tough Warrior Princesses" walked 60 miles in the Susan G. Komen 3 day walk for cancer. She had New Balance as a sponsor, and a crew there to interview and follow them. The point being, think of all the people that we may have touched that we never would have had it not been for our faithful answer to God's calling.

Keep sharing, the Haiti Mission isn't over yet...

Thanks Patty, we are praying for you and for a cure!
...right back at ya! http://www.pattys3day.blogspot.com/

Reflection: Scott Seiler

Now I am one who thrives and focuses best in the mist of chaos, disasters, and emergencies. However, the very first work day challenged me and pushed me to my limit. We walked from our location at PID to the worksite. Houses, or should I say piles of cement rubble lined the path (not really able to call it a road).

When we arrived at the worksite, we found barely dressed and barefooted children playing in destruction and rubble. A family of 8 living in a small tent in the midst of what once used to be a cement house (or should I say two cement 8 x8 rooms put together). When you see some commercials on tv that have a little child barely dressed and barefoot playing in dirt and rubble and the caption saying “for pennies a day you can feed these children,” this is what they are talking about. This is our unseen, un-talked about, “turn the other way so we do not have to deal or acknowledge it” reality. We were there to make a difference in these people’s lives like we are called to do - Use our bodies as vessels for Gods glory.

As a team we started to clear out a dirt and rock foundation in order to build a more secure and stable house. We chipped and picked away at the rubble while pieces flew everywhere. They flew into and on the family’s tent which was less than 5 feet away from our work. There, lying alone in the doorway was a 6 month old baby - dirty, soiled pants and no diaper, a fly haven. That’s when I felt I reached my limit. I have a baby girl Samantha Grace, who is only a couple of months older then this baby girl (Essoilinne). I was emotionally frozen, speechless. The emotion connecting a little life in such an atmosphere, to my baby girl who is away from her father for the first time was overwhelming. How was I to go on? I was disappointed with my situation.

One of my favorite preachers, Charles Stanley once said, because disappointments can come and they're unavoidable, you could get covered with discouragement in a moment. We don’t have to accept it, discouragement is a choice. On what basis, one might ask - God loves us, he is a good God, he is all powerful, he’s with us, he’s going to see us through it, and he promises to never leave us. Then it was mentioned several times on our trip that God never gives you more than you can handle. Sometimes that is easier said lived, especially when you are in the midst of adversity.

I grabbed my worked boots (in this case – Reebok gym shoes) and tightened the strings getting ready for battle. I had to put on the armor of God. All the negative thoughts of why I can’t do this were flowing freely. Then I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit calming me – through connection of all of your prayers. I reached the turning point. I could go on! If it wasn’t us to help build, it would just be someone else – or would there be? I realized that the faster we helped build this house, the faster this family and baby can have a somewhat real shelter over their heads. Needless to say, I was able to acknowledge my surroundings the rest of the way even though I felt numb to the reality of its dire devastation and hopeless situation.

With all this devastation, why should we attempt to help? What can we really accomplish? It reminds me of the little boy on the beach story: One day a
little boy was walking down the beach. There were thousands upon thousands starfish that washed ashore after a storm (or in this case – a dismantled government or affects of an earthquake). The little boy bent down and threw one starfish back into the ocean. He kept on doing this as he walked along. Passing him walking the other way was an old man. He stopped and asked the boy, “What are you doing”? The little boy said kindly to the man, “I am throwing the starfish back in the ocean.” The older man grunted and walked on. Then the little boy heard in the distance the older man yelling back to him “you can’t make a difference for there are too many.” The little boy bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it back into the ocean. The boy looked back at the man and said, “I made a difference to that one.” This little story holds a big truth for all of us.

Matt 25:40
I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. But in reality, the Haitians gave to us, they gave to me. We are so afraid of what we are going to have to give up following God. We think we are going to help others, which in part we did. However, they in part helped me by showing their joy and peace in the mist of having the least – which in reality is the greatest.

Before I left, I was so focused on what I was going to do, what profound and great change I can make for them. However, it was the Haitian people, who had the impact on me. The gift they gave me was simplicity and joy. Hope. No mental clutter or emotional havoc. It has been years since I had had so much peace in my life. Now to hold on to it with the Grace of God.

Scott Seiler