To Be Continued...

Well here we are; our final day in Haiti. It's bitter sweet really; a little more bitter than sweet for me and I'm sure that some of my fellow missionaries are feeling the same way. It has been an absolutely amazing week and we finished it with a fantastic day.

This morning we all loaded up into the tap-tap and made our way to Port-Au-Prince Fellowship for church. As we exited the Guest House gate reality seemed to hit that the next time we would be leaving the house we would be heading for the airport to return to America.

The Port-Au-Prince Fellowship was much smaller than the Church on the Rock which we visited earlier this week, but it was filled to the brim with Christians ready to worship the Lord. Worship lasted about an hour and God's presence could be felt the entire time. After worship, there was an interesting service about tithes. I only say interesting because it was not like any sermon I have yet to hear, but I'm glad to have had the opportunity to hear it.

After church we filed back into the tap-tap and headed up the mountain for shopping and lunch. Personally, I found the windy, narrow road a wee bit sketchy; especially after Brian told me we would soon be driving over a section of road that had partially crumbled and fallen off during the earthquake... that totally eased my fears of the tap-tap tumbling over the edge of the mountain. But, by some miracle, we made it to the top of the mountain without rolling over any of the cliffs and let me tell you: the view was unbelievable! The saying "I'm on top of the world" must have been created there because it seemed like all of Haiti could be seen below us.

For lunch at the mountaintop restaurant which overlooked Port-Au-Prince all but two of us ordered a burger with fries... I guess you could say that we are having American food withdrawals (but I will say that their french fries are arguably better than any I have had in the U.S.).

Following lunch, a few of us did some bargain shopping from the vendors atop the mountain and then we began our journey back down the mountain, stopping along the way to view and purchase from some metal art vendors who were lined up on the side of the road. It is unbelievable what the people can make out of old oil drums, there were some of the coolest decor items I have ever seen!

A view on the way down the mountain.

Before returning to the Guest House, we made one final stop at the Giant Supermarket so Brian could show us that Haiti, too, has regular grocery stores. Such a quick stop should have been uneventful and unworthy of this blog, but it turned out to be exactly the opposite. For starters, there was free samples of coffee which was more than taken advantage of by the members of the team (by 'more than taken advantage of' I do mean that; a couple members had about three cups and experienced some major caffeine highs). Also, Boe ran into former Vikings player Matt Blair who was just starting some mission work in Haiti (personally, I think I'm more impressed that Boe was able to recognize him considering majority of the time he would have been wearing a helmet, but I guess guys really pay attention to the athletes and what they look like).

Lastly, I learned that the automatic doors in Haiti do not have the best of sensors. While getting my free sample of coffee, Brian walked in and told us that it was time to go, so I grabbed my cup and mindlessly followed him, not paying any attention to the "in" door which we were exiting through. I didn't think anything as the doors began to close because at Wal-Mart, they always open back up as soon as you step through, so I just kept walking... and it definitely did not sense me. Instead the doors continued to close on me, sending me into a panic and causing my untouched coffee to spill all over my hands while everyone entering and exiting the store watched. I can only imagine the thoughts that filled the Haitian's minds, but it no doubt was something along the lines of "stupid blancs."

With enough fun for one outing, we returned to the Guest House for a quick dinner and a game of soccer out in the street with the neighborhood boys. The playing field for the game was less than ideal. It was uneven and had jagged rocks sticking out of the ground with a stream of sewage on one side (which the ball often rolled into) and a short fence on the other (which the ball often flew over), but despite the unfortunate conditions, we all had an amazing time filled with smiles and laughter.  We also had probably the first "official" (Brian on his camera) instant reply review where a goal was reversed (terrible call on Brian's part. He clearly has not completed reffing school because it was totally a goal).

We finished the night with a swim up at Elite Hotel's pool, which ideally would have been refreshing but actually left me wanting a warm shower. That water was real cold.

And that brings us to now: almost bedtime on our last night in Haiti. Just thinking about leaving makes me sad; there is so much work left to do here, but I know in my heart that I'll be back. How can I be sure? Because a piece of me will be staying here while I return home to Minnesota. With that, I won't be saying "the end" or "goodbye" at the closing of this blog, rather a "see you later".

Thank you all for your prayers throughout the week and thank you for following our journey in Haiti. It truly has been an unforgettable experience.


-Ashley Becker

To Be Continued...

Day 5: Beach Day

Saturday, January 24th, 2015

Today is day five of our teams trip in Haiti. Each day has brought so many different experiences whether it was delivering water in City Soleil or rubbing lotion on the elderly. Today was a completely different day than all the others so far. Four members of our team left early this morning for the opportunity to help at the Port-au-Prince wound clinic, however it was not meant to be as the the spots needed had already been filled. Although it was a bummer that they did not get to participate in what would have been an experience of a life time I was glad to have our whole team together for taking the Grace Village kids to the beach.

Marie praising God for the coffee.

With our entire team together we set off for Titanyen. We made a return trip to visit Marie with a hot cup of coffee. We all agree that seeing her reaction to a cup of coffee has been one of the highlights of the trip. Even though we couldn't understand what she was saying, we knew that at that moment she was in a state of elation. After her cup of coffee and a quick little visit, the team put up a tarp in front of Marie's home to provide her some shade. It took a little ingenuity and a couple changes in materials before we declared it a success. After visiting Marie the team went to the twins Antoinette and Ancholla and constructed them a covering for their outdoor kitchens. After visiting them on Thursday and then again today, I am still amazed at how grateful they were of not only what we provided for them but also just our presence.

With those quick stops completed, thirty of the Grace Village kids crammed into a tap-tap and headed north up the coast to Montrouis to the public beach for a day of fun in the sun. We all got a glimpse of a different side of Haiti today. One without the smell, the garbage and the despair that we have witnessed the past four days. One with palm trees, beautiful scenery and turquoise water. Today was different, we got to make the lives of thirty kids better by just letting them be kids. We all had great stories to tell afterwards about our experiences with the kids at the beach. Whether it was the Eddie saying Jellyfish over and over to Allie or Boe and AJ finding the next star of their youth baseball team, it was great time.

Establishing a perimeter around the children.

We concluded our day with a dinner at a restaurant nearby the guesthouse where we had a delicious meal of pizza, fries and Coca-Cola. The ride to and from the restaurant was quite amusing as we would all cheer from the back of the tap-tap when Valery  would drive more than 3 MPH. It was a great way to conclude an amazing day in Haiti with an amazing group of people.

-David Bumgarner

Tap Tap the children rode in to the beach.

How Great is Our God?

We are officially more than half way done with our week in Haiti and I think that at this point some of the shock has started to ware off and the reality of the situation down here has began to sink in. I know for me, my experiences from the few days we have been here have humbled me so much already. One reoccurring theme from the week was about emptying ourselves in order to allow the Lord to fill you, and I can feel that happening.

This morning a few of us woke up in the wee hours of the morning for church (well... that is IF you consider 5:30 wee, but I'm 19 so I do). Anyway, around 6:00 we left the Guest House and made our way on foot to the church. As we approached the building, Brian explained to me that the nice looking building that stood before us was once just a large tent that the people gathered in to worship. Can you imagine over one hundred people crammed into a tent to praise God as the sun is coming up? Because I have a very hard time picturing that scene.

The church scene was unlike any church experience I have ever had. The room was filled with rows of chairs and benches, but majority of them remained empty. The congregation stood on their feet and paced up and down the isles as they worshiped with songs of praise, some of which we were able to sing along with. At one point, the entire congregation was singing at the top of their lungs as they repeated the lyrics to "How Great is Our God" before they all turned to one another and began to pray for the person next to them. In that moment, I felt God's presence more than I think I have ever felt it before. Alli's word of the day was movement and moving is the only way that I think I could describe that moment.

After church, our first official item on the itinerary led us to Carrefour where we visited a home for sick and dying adults. Our male members stayed on the first floor of the building, massaging and praying for the men who resided there, while Megan, Alli and I made our way to the second floor where the women could be found. In the first room we went into the women were very ill. Many of them didn't even move as we approached them; they simply nodded as we offered lotion for their hands and feet. More so than others this week, this experience was difficult for me. It was uncomfortable, it was scary, it was just... different. But at some point between walking in the door and arriving at the first woman's bed, the Lord comforted me and it wasn't so hard anymore; it was their needs that mattered, not my hesitations.

Once every woman in the room had been pampered, we made our way to the second room which surprised me due to how much life it held compared to the first. We didn't even make it to the doorway before the women and girls who lived inside came rushing out into the entryway to meet us. There was actually a line for me to paint girls' finger and toe nails... And I am probably one of the worst nail-painters in the world, no joke.

Our time giving mani-pedis flew by and before we knew it we were loading up into the tap-tap again and heading back to the Guest House to change clothes before heading to Cite Soleil to deliver water for the second time this week. With traffic making our short window to get to the Guest House and then to the water truck smaller and smaller, Brian gave us all five minutes to get changed and get back into the tap-tap where we could have snacks before leaving. So five minutes later, we are all dressed and ready to go and what happens?... Rumors begin to spread that the water truck has broken down. Without being able to confirm or deny the rumors, we climb up into the tap-tap and head for the water station, hoping for the best. But alas, as we approach the water station, there sits a broken down water truck, our broken down water truck. I'm not exactly sure what was wrong with the truck, some thingy between the transmission and something else fell out and there was absolutely no fuel of some sort... I don't know, but it was bad. HOWEVER, the Good Lord pulled through and somehow we were able to rent another water truck!

Cite Soleil wasn't quite as shocking this time around. I actually found myself looking forward the hearing the children chanting "'Ey You!" and "Potem". Today I felt helpful in Cite Soleil. I wasn't looking around, shocked at my surroundings. It was almost natural to just pick up as many babies as I could and entertain them while their families got water from the truck. There was one little boy in particular who touched my heart. As I held him and played with him he was giggling and seemed like the happiest boy alive while all I was doing was holding him and making funny noises in his ear. When it was time to go I sadly put him down and made my way to the tap-tap, only to be stopped by his hand before I could climb inside. Kneeling down, I gave him one last hug goodbye and got inside. As we drove away, I waved goodbye and rather than staying with the other group of children, he chased after us... This little three year old, barefoot boy ran after the truck with hopes of being able to catch us. My heart breaks a little thinking about him and selfishly, I hope that I will be able to see him again someday when I return to Haiti, but realistically, I hope that I don't. I hope that he is able to find a better life; a life outside of Cite Soleil.  I hope that for all of them.

All in all, today was a very emotional, moving day and it was one that I will not soon forget. Today, I believe I emptied myself, maybe even just a tiny bit, but still enough to allow God in and with that on top of being in Haiti, being healthy and being surround by these amazing people, I am currently feeling extremely blessed.

With that being said, it is way past my bedtime, so without further ado, goodnight and goodbye from Port-Au-Prince, Haiti.;

-Ashley Becker

Day 3: Titanyen "Less Then Nothing"

"Less Then Nothing", is the translation of a city we visited today called Titanyen.   We drove 45 minutes into the mountains passing beautiful Caribbean water along the way.  The town was comprised of twisting streets no wider then 6 feet at times, just enough for our Tap Tap to fit through. We stopped at the market to buy 8 "box lunches" of rice, beans and pork.    Our first visit was to a woman named Maria, who was 105 years old.    Simply a miracle, She has lived in the mountain-side village in a 8x8 foot house her whole life. There she was sitting on the floor with a huge smile on her face.  Rock began cleaning and applying lotion to her feet and legs.    AJ told her that he had a crush on her and she giggled uncontrollably, almost blushing.    We prayed and sang songs with her, and when asked what we could bring back to her, she immediately started chanting "COFFEE, COFFEE, COFFEE".  It was hilarious and we are set to bring her coffee on Saturday.

We then visited the houses of 5 other elders, Marilyn 82, whom David washed her feet, gave her a meal and prayed with her as we sang songs, We visited Edmund who is 80ish.  Boe placed his arm around him in his 6x6 foot home, and he melted into Boe's arms, simply because he cherished being touched and it had been so long since anyone touched him.   He and Boe are BFF's now.  

AJ and Boe washed the feet of sisters Antoinette and Ancholla.  They live in huts on the mountain right next door to each other, they were in their 60's and asked that we return on Saturday to construct their kitchen.    Which is a pot outside of her hut, with 3 tree branches configured in a V, with a pot and a fire pit and a stool.   We will go back and put tarps and construct her a true kitchen on Saturday.

Rick washed the feet of a elder named Maricia.  She has a larger house, with a front gate constructed of a sheet metal door pinned to a tree branch.    Brian asked her if he could rub her shoulders and lets just say, she was enthused to let him!

We then went up the mountain to Grace Village, a new school constructed 3 yrs ago, that houses 400+ students.    It was a fantastic property and structure.   We toured the school, library, aquaponic garden, and the dormitory's where 40 of the orphaned kids live year round.    We ended the day there with a mean game of pick up basketball on the blacktop.    Lets just say, the Haitians beat the Americans 11-4.  The highlight of the game was the fact that no matter how hard we tried, none of us could dunk the 9 foot goal.   It was fun watching the Haitian kid try and try over and over.

On the way home we stopped at the mass grave of Titanyen where 100,000 bodies were buried from the earthquake that struck 5 years ago.  They are currently constructing a memorial on the site, but it was extremely chilling to be standing on the ground with 100,000 bodies beneath.   Kind of puts it in perspective real fast.

After dinner, we played pick up Soccer with the neighbor kids.    We constructed 2 goals out in the hilly street with large boulders.   The ground was rubble and rocky.   Needless to say the Haitian youth were the stars of the game.  Boe and Rock took tumbles in the rubble, leading to bruised ribs for Rock, and the need for us to break into our first aid bag for Boe to patch him up with Neosporin and band aids.   It was an amazing day capped off with a great show of sportsmanship and camaraderie.

Posted by AJ Austerman - Calvary Team Member

Day 2: Cite Soleil

"City of the Sun" is what Cite Soleil means.  What it is, is the poorest slum in the world.  The home to approximately 300,000 people, mostly children, divided into approximately 28 districts.  Our goal for the day is to deliver water to the families living in three of the districts.

The ride in the "tap-tap" is an adventure in and of itself.  We pile into the back, excited, anxious, full of trepidation as we travel the oftentimes pot-holed filled, bumpy roads, CRAZY intersections, with surreal sites, and extraordinary smells unique and all their own.

While we waited for the water truck to fill up at the watering station,we observed what appeared to be chaos - but a system must exist as the line of trucks driving forward, backing in, horns bellowing...trucks were filling four at a time...all day, six days per week.  

First stop is "district 17", doors open, "hey you", hands raised in the air, each of us leaving the back of the bus picking up the children; one, two at a time, buckets everywhere, water flowing, energy - children everywhere.  Before we know it, the water truck is empty and we are gathered in prayer and worship on the grounds of what will soon be a church (Fall, 2015).

Back to the water station - barely time to drink some water, a bagel w/peanut butter, beef jerky, and a mango slice (thank you Brian!), process what you just experienced, scan the faces of your team, and take a deep breath; we're off to stop #2:  District 21.

On the edge of, my guess, what could be a beach or shoreline on the Caribbean, but far from it.  Sea shells, pigs, garbage...everywhere...and the smell is extreme and extraordinary.  Same drill: "hey you", buckets, children everywhere, one in each arm, and each of us filled with compassion for all of them.  It was amazing to witness the extreme conditions, yet realize these are families, with children, a community, with us, participating in a regular routine for them.  Every day!

Back to the water station.  We started the day with white shirts.  It's hot.  Everyone was sweaty, covered with dirt from head to toe, with no worries, and smiles all around...reflecting on the families and the experience; there are no words.

District 26 - much of the same, a child on your shoulders, in your arm, and a bucket in the other - everyone looking for a helping hand...energy, smiles, voices everywhere; "hey you", "merci"...the buckets seemed heavier...we felt good.  Impressed by what we say and experienced.

An unexpected stop and a soccer game with the kids (Haitian Initiative) who were having practices - and a team getting ready to make the trip to the "Schwann's USA Cup" this summer - we are all fans!

Some time afterwards; reflection, prayer, back at the house...a quick picture for contrast of the beginning of the day.  We are grateful to be here and sharing the experiences together.  A biographical event, never to be forgotten, forever changed.

  Posted by Rock Kostick and Calvary team.

Day One

Today was our first full day in Haiti.  We got going right away and headed of to an orphanage for sick and dying children.  We all had our hands full holding, playing with, and feeding some beautiful kids.  We actually ran into another mission group from Minnesota who was there at the same time.  They had already been in Haiti for a week so it was very interesting hearing their stories.  We came back to the guest house for a quick snack and then headed out for our afternoon activities.  

We headed over to shop called the Apparent Project to see how some local artisans are creating art and jobs in the community.  It was really cool to see both the store and the production side of all the artwork.  Some of the folks from the group that had seen this operation a couple years ago also commented how much it has grown since they saw it just a couple years.  It is really impressive to see these localized efforts to create work and great artwork.  After that we headed to another orphanage to spend some time with some really special kids.  We spent some time driving around today with our various stops.  It was really interesting to begin to get some sense of our surroundings.  Just a very quick drive through the marketplace this afternoon gave us a chance to see an incredible amount of activity.  Tomorrow we will be delivering water in Cite Soleil. 

Posted by Boe Carlson - Calvary Team Member  

Robert Slaughter

Physics student at the Air Force institute of technology in Dayton ohio. Originally from phx AZ, and loves to read, run, and spend time with his wife, daughter and friends. 

Tony Lambertz

This will be my second time in Haiti. The first time was almost exactly two years ago and I really didn't know what to expect. There were many incredible moments during that first trip and it has been hard to forget about all of those experiences and I wanted to go back to help as many as possible and to see the wonderful smiling faces of all the children! I am very excited to go back now that I know some of what to expect. I know God will show up as well so it will be a very good trip!

Alli Puppe

Here I am again, counting down the hours to trip #3 to Haiti!  Only this time, will be my first time as a co-leader for the team.  Being a part of this organization has blessed me beyond measure.  Voids of loneliness have been filled with new friends, and empty time filled with a multitude of new tasks and things to think about.  Ask and you shall receive.  I’m looking forward to the new perspective and being able to observe God working in the lives of new goers as they experience Haiti for the first time.  I’m also really looking forward to some of that warm (OK HOT!!) Haitian sunshine in the middle of a cold Minnesota winter!!! 

Boe Carlson

My name is Boe Carlson.  My wife Julie and I have four beautiful children, Charlie (8), Clara (7), Henry (5) and Hazel (almost 3).  We live in Minnetonka and are very active in sports and the outdoors.  Professionally I am the Superintendent of Three Rivers Park District.  I have been truly blessed in all walks of my life.  This mission trip is just a small attempt to return those blessings and be of service to others.  This is my first mission trip and I am very excited for the experience.

David Bumgarner

My name is David Bumgarner and I am a junior at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN where I am pursuing a degree in Operations and Supply Chain Management. Traveling to Haiti with the Calvary team will be my first mission trip. I am both excited and nervous for what is in store but I look forward to the opportunities to grow in faith and service.

A.J. Austerman

My name is A.J. Austerman and I am a Commercial Bank Manager for Wells Fargo.   I am blessed to be married to my wife (Erica) for 12 years.  We have 3 amazing children, (James 8), (Tommy 6), and (William 3).   I devote my life to them, and nothing in life is more important to me then family.   I am excited and anxious to go to my first Mission Trip to Haiti.  I feel that I am the luckiest person in the world for what I have been given, and I am excited to be given the opportunity to give back equally, if not more.

Ashley Becker

My name is Ashley Becker and I am a First Year student at the University of St. Tomas in St. Paul, Minnesota where I am studying Business Leadership and Management. I spent my childhood in the small town of Maple Lake where I became a member of Holy Cross Lutheran Church. Traveling to Haiti will be my first mission trip, but hopefully not my last. I feel extremely blessed that God has presented me with this amazing opportunity and look forward to seeing where he will lead me next.

Rocky Kostick

My name is Rocky Kostick:  I am a Director at Ameriprise Financial where I've been the past 8 years.  My best friend and life partner (Laurie) and I just celebrated our 31st wedding anniversary.  We have three awesome children:  Courtney (29), married to a wonderful man (Erick), Kyle (26), and Caleb (24) who just recently announced his engagement a young lady named Katey.
 
God has blessed me with a wonderful family and a life journey that has been more than an adventure.  I am going on this mission trip to because I believe it's part of God's plan for me.  I am excited for what God has in store for me and this team!