An Island of Contrast

For the past week I have spent time on the island of Hispaniola, home to Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The contrast could not be greater.

It was one year ago that an earthquake devastated Haiti, and the country is a long way from recovery. I wasn't sure what to expect. It has been almost 10 years since my last visit to Haiti. I was in Haiti twice over a period of less than a year. At that time I spent most of my time in the Port au Prince, the region that was most greatly devastated. This time, I was going to be up north near Cap Haitien and near the DR border.

Crossing into Haiti from the DR is an experience. Crowds jam the Haiti border, and you have to make sure you secure everything you are carrying. We traveled in a beat up van with a shattered window - but still had to pay 50% more per day for transportation then we did in DR.

Driving into Cap Haitien brought back memories of my earlier trips to Port au Prince. People everywhere. Garbage piled on the streets. Filthy standing water, and sewage running in open drains right next to food vendors. Buildings in shambles - and this area was not impacted by the earthquake. It's almost too much to process.





Thankfully, there are beacons of hope in Haiti. We accompanied the Medical Mercy team to two different projects. It was wonderful to see the smiling faces of the children. According to Dr. Beyda, director of Medical Mercy, had a very positive report. Other Medical Mercy teams had been here, and the projects had been given supplies and training to combat cholera. Dr. Beyda was very pleased that they saw far fewer children facing malnutrition than was expected, and the cholera training has made a difference. Over the past year, Mission of Mercy has sent tens of thousands of dollars worth of aid - food, medicine, clothing, water purification, etc. The churches we work with have been very successful in directing that aid to people who need it - and their lives have improved.





We stayed a couple nights in Cap Haitien overlooking the ocean. At first glance, it looks beautiful. When you look closer, the beaches are filled with plastic bottles and trash. While other Latin American countries have benefitted from tourism, it's not likely to happen here for many years.


There is so much left to do in Haiti. It can be discouraging, but we must look at the impact we are making in communities where we work, and be willing to invest in the long term. We have been here for years - and we will be working in Haiti for years to come.

The Dominican Republic is not a prosperous country, but crossing back into the DR was like stepping into paradise compared to to Haiti. A sports agent and a former pro baseball player were with me, and our focus in DR was a project that has been built in a poor community. It includes a baseball field, volleyball/basketball court and a wonderful building with classrooms and a kitchen. Completed just over a year ago, you can already see signs of how this project is beginning to transform this once forgotten community. Members of the community participate in maintenance, and it is becoming a center of activity for the community.

We spent a day there, playing baseball, soccer and basketball with the kids. We started the morning with a worship service, enjoyed the activities, then concluded with a lunch of chicken, rice and beans that was prepared by women from the church. What an awesome day it was.


Every time I travel I am both encouraged and challenged. I an encouraged to see the change that is happening in the lives of children. I am challenged to do more. At one point on Saturday, I had a young boy that I sat with and held. For the next 45 minutes or so, as I walked around, he was attached to me at the hip. It was hard to say goodbye to him, but he is a reminder to me that One Child Matters.

A Legacy of Ministry

Today there was a service at Healing Place Church in Baton Rouge to celebrate the life of Dave Ohlerking.  Dave was the founder of Children's Cup.  Mission of Mercy partners with Children's Cup in Swaziland and Mozambique to change the lives of children.

The first time I met Dave, I was struck by his grace, kindness and wisdom.  Dave had traveled to over 100 countries on 6 continents and had been in many "Hard Places" in his life.  He has impacted thousands of lives during his years of ministry.  Yet he listened and showed respect to everyone he spoke to.  I had only been in my position for a few months, but he treated me like a seasoned veteran of international ministry.  He won my love and respect from our very first meeting.  Today, I know he is dancing with joy in the presence of the Lord.

There are often questions after the head of a ministry passes.  In this case, with his wife Jean, and his daughter and son-in-law, Susan and Ben, to carry the torch, I know Children's Cup will grow in size and impact.  In fact, I jotted down some words that came to me while watching a video of his life:
     "The legacy of a life well-lived and a work well-started,
       Is the growth that God gives when the man has departed."

My life was richer for having Dave in it, even for a few short years.

Dave Ohlerking

1940-2010

Back Home Again

After 36 hours in transit, Dee and I got home yesterday.  There is always a time of processing after a trip like this.  I find myself missing the team already.  I look at everything we have and wonder if it is too much?  I think about Sophie and Zehtu, wondering how they are doing.

I have to be careful.  I cautioned our team about overreacting to our culture of "stuff."  We talked about the differences between "wants" and "needs."  For most of us in the US, we have what we need, and much of what we want.  In Swaziland, many are struggling with just meeting basic needs.  Food, clothing, shelter, medical attention and education are available for most of us here, but not there.

We need to do more.  I think most of our Swazi team would agree with that.  In fact, if the Mission Trip doesn't motivate us to do more to help those in need, then the trip will have been pointless.

I guess you can tell how my processing is going!  I know I'm not alone in arriving back home tired and thoughtful.  I find myself wishing that the team could all be together again to discuss our thoughts and feelings together.  It's amazing how much you can bond with people in 10 days, especially when those days are full of activities.  What a great group of people!  They made the trip even more special.

I'll keep processing.  It's not a 24 hour thing.  In the meantime, I thought I'd finish up this Swaziland blog with a few random photos.  Everything from popping jiffy pop to painting a wall inside the Mercy Center.  Of course, no Africa trip would be complete without seeing a lion!

PS.  Swazi team members - you have an open invitation to dinner at our place anytime!! Drop by soon!

Saying Goodbye

It's almost midnight on our last night in Swaziland. We had our last time of sharing as a group. It was a long meeting, especially considering that we have all been up since 5 a.m. I've met a lot of new friends. This was an awesome team. However, we've not said our final goodbyes yet. We have a 4-5 hour bus trip to Johannesburg, and then 18 hours together on an airplane.

The more difficult goodbyes today took place at the Mercy Centers. After being with the kids all week, there were a lot of connections that were made. Sponsors got to know their sponsor children, but they all would have liked more time. Most will never see these children again in their lifetimes. Many wonder who is going to be there to hold and hug the children next week. Dee and I are fortunate. Leading trips like this, we are able to visit our sponsored children from time to time. So our goodbyes to Sophie and Zehtu were less emotional because we know we will see them again down the road.

I know that both the sponsor and the child will value the letters that are written more highly. They have that personal connection. One team member asked me if our coming - and leaving - did more harm than good? I tried to convince her that we all have had times in our lives that people crossed our paths and by word or deed, did something that made a lasting impact.

The value of a mission trip is not what we built; it's not the activities or crafts that we did with the children. The value to the child is showing them that they do have value - that we cared enough to come hold them, laugh with them, dance with them and look into their eyes with love and respect. But, perhaps the greatest value to the children is the change that happens on the team. These team members will be more engaged. They will write and encourage the child, and they will help friends, family and church members to step up and lend a hand. It doesn't stop the tears from flowing when we say goodbye. But it does give the trip greater meaning and purpose.

Even after traveling as much as I do, I never come back quite the same. I return more passionate to tell the story and get others involved. I think that will happen with other team members as well. The need is overwhelming, but it all boils down to helping make a difference for one child. That's something we can all do. One Child Matters!

What to do?

One of the frustrating things about serving with a Mission Team is that there is always so much more that you could do - if you just had the resources. I spent time today with Ben Rodgers, Director of Children's Cup, Swaziland, our partner ministry. He gave me a tour of their dream center, which will be used to house and train Swazi young people, along with US young people, for the work of ministry. From there we went to a location where they have been feeding over 100 children a day, and a location for a new Mercy Center when the resources allow.

Yesterday I posted about the need for a generational, long-term view of ministry here. When you see it, you're amazed by the work that is being done, and you feel compelled to give to help meet the need. But, how do you convince others that have not seen, heard, smelled and touched what you have experienced? Well, I suppose you could write a blog, or post on Facebook, but nothing can match the experience and what it does in your heart.

I know that many on our team are going to try to describe their feelings about this trip to people who really don't want to listen. Because if they listen closely and hear the heart of the person telling them their story, they'll have to respond. There will certainly be frustration and disappointment.

I have no clue what the answer is to get more people involved. Sponsoring a child helps a lot, and it's just $34 a month. I guess what we have to do is to keep telling our story. Some will listen. Some will respond. And that's a good thing.

Here are pictures of activities at the project where Dee's crew was working. They built an outdoor cookstove, gave blankets to the children, horsed around a little bit, and loved on children.














Tomorrow we head off for a little taste of African wildlife at a game park. We'll stay overnight, enjoy a morning game drive, then come back for a final VBS on Friday afternoon. So many of our team sponsor children at the projects they have been working at. Saying goodbye to the kids will be a long, tearful process. That's the hardest part of going back home. I know, though, that some will come back again!

Generations

Last night was a "Sleepless in Swaziland" night. I gave a lot of thought about what I shared in our first night devotional based on three Old Testament verses where God promises to bless those who honor Him to a thousand generations. That night, I had asked how many people there were first generation believers - those that had made a decision to follow Christ even though their parents were not believers. Of the 43 people in the room, only 4 had stood up. It proves what a powerful influence Christian parents have on their children.

In a country like Swaziland, there is very little generational Christian influence. That tells me that we need to focus efforts on the youth of this country to help turn the tide, especially in the area of morality. It is estimated that up to 42% of the population is HIV positive. In order to change a nation, you have to raise up a generation of believers. They will then have a tremendous influence on future generations. There is no magic overnight solution. All the AIDs education in the world will not heal this country. They all know that, with men taking multiple partners, there is the risk of AIDs. For the most part, the current adult generation just has no moral framework with which to work in. We have to be in this for the long haul, and as "instant" Americans, we're not used to the solution being a generation away.

This morning, Sue, one of our team members, handed me a Scripture that she felt the Lord had giver her. Psalms 71:17-18: "O God, You have taught me from my youth, And I still declare Your wondrous deeds. And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to all who are to come." Don't you love it when you get a confirming word?

It was a warm, dusty day at the Mercy Centers today. We split into three teams to do a little work, and a lot of interaction with the kids. Lots of laughter, and lots of tears. Painting a swing set to bowling with sand-filled plastic bottles as the pins. And of course, cherishing our time with the kids. Here are a few pictures of the day at our location.















OK, now off to a good night's rest - I hope. Of course, I have to remind myself that we didn't come here for rest and relaxation.

Meeting our Sponsored children

What an incredible day! After a community walk, we went to a local park for a picnic with our sponsored children. Dee and I got to spend time with Sophie and Zehtu. About two dozen sponsored children got to spend the afternoon with their sponsor. We had KFC for lunch, played some organized games, then got some time to just bond with the kids. Some kicked balls, some played a card game, others just enjoyed communicating. It is always amazing to me how much you can communicate even without a translator.













We have an amazing team. Before the end of the week,some will strike up relationships that will last a lifetime.


We've already seen people helping each other and praying together. Before dinner tonight the team brought the crafts, school supplies, toothpaste and toothbrushes, soccer balls and beach balls to a room to organize activities for the rest of the week. As they piled the items they brought onto the tables, I was totally blow away - how did we get that much stuff here?


After dinner together, Dee led our devotion time. She had a couple from a local church lead worship, and interspersed worship with sharing. Almost everyone shared their high point and low point so far on the trip. Tears flowed amidst laughter and joy. We're still early in the trip with most of the work days and VBS activities yet to come. But you can already see how God is at work in our lives.

While we are here, WGTS in Washington, DC, is conducting a sponsorship drive. When they arrived at the station, they found that there whole phone system was down. Please pray for this event. 400 children in Swaziland need a sponsor.

We have been on the move since we arrived. It's been three years since we have led a mission team and I forgot what it was like to get 40 people, plus staff, on to two buses and try to keep a schedule. We'll all getting the "count off" system down! Thank goodness the team has a sense of humor.

So much has happened already. I can't wait to see how the rest of the week unfolds.