Heart 4 Haiti

A sneak peak of the Christmas celebrations...

2012-01-18T15:17:00.000-08:00

Thank you H2H supporters for making this another special Christmas for the kids living at H2H and those students attending the H2H School!!

The January H2H newsletter will have all the details & pictures... this is just a sneak peak. If you don't get the bi-annual newsletter from H2H you should sign up to be a sponsor! Email me and I'll send you the details (rebeccalarkin6@hotmail.com).

Maily eating at the banquet:

One of the elementary students with her Christmas present:

Tomorrow's the big day!

2011-12-17T07:35:00.001-08:00

We hope to see lots of you tomorrow at the Crescent Beach Toy Store (2-5pm)... don't forget to bring your wish list for Santa... I have mine written :)

Pictures with Santa - Mark your calendar!

2011-12-08T15:18:00.000-08:00

The Crescent Beach Toy Store is once again holding a fundraiser for H2H - stop by on Sunday, December 18th, 2-5pm for pictures with Santa... and get the rest of your Christmas shopping done!!

Pictures are by donation (all money to H2H) and there will be a draw for $250 worth of toys!!! Even if you can't come for the pictures with Santa come shop during the day as 10% of the days sales will also be donated to H2H!

Crescent Beach Toy Store
12219 Beecher Street
Crescent Beach, BC V4A 3A2
604-541-8832

Here's a picture from last year... Renel & I with my niece Courtney & nephew Hayden.

We hope to see you there this year!

H2H Christmas Banquet 2011

2011-12-07T12:24:00.000-08:00

For the past few years H2H sponsors have celebrated Christmas in a special way...

Christmas dinner for the kids & staff at H2H:

A Christmas gift for each of the students at the H2H School:

This year our goal is to raise $6000 & as of yesterday we have raised $5,455 - we just need
another $545!

The deadline for this fundraiser is Thursday Dec 15th - if you'd like to donate, here are the ways you can give:

1. If you are on automatic debit already, you can simply email our treasurer, Colleen Sanberg at wcsandberg@shaw.ca saying you give H2H permission to do a one-time withdrawal of ______. We will then withdraw the amount you say from your account and send the money to Haiti.

2. You can mail a cheque to Colleen with a note attached saying it is for the 2011 Christmas fundraiser. Colleen's address is 35138 Page Rd., Abbotsford, B.C. V3G 1N8.

3. You can go to our website (www.hearttohearthaiti.com) and click on "Ways to Give" at the top, and then "Donate". You can then use your credit card via Paypal to donate to H2H.

On Canadian Soil!

2011-11-25T06:54:00.000-08:00

The medical team and Renel & I have all safely arrived home! I'll post some pictures of the rest of the medical team trip soon.

Last night!

2011-11-21T11:14:00.001-08:00

The medical team has returned from Bouva, will spend the night at H2H and head to the airport in the morning. They had a great time in Bouva... but those pictures will have to wait for another day because I'm leaving with the team in the morning and haven't packed yet!!

Tonight is our last night in Haiti for several months and Renel & I enjoyed it by helping the kids prepare a special evening snack of hot chocolate and sweet bread! We normally have this treat on Valentine's Day but we're going to miss it this year.

A trip to Canada

2011-11-20T16:11:00.000-08:00

While the medical team has been cruising around Haiti, Pastor Luc and his wife Elna, have been cruising around Canada with their daughter Jendsay Trace. This is Elna & Trace's first time out of Haiti & they are having a great time!

They are almost at the end of their 2 months trip... they've spent most of their time in Ottawa visiting with Luc's other kids but they've also visited friends & H2H supporters in Alberta & BC.

Here are a couple of pictures from their trip so far... if anyone else has pictures send them to me!

Dinner at the Medley's:

Visiting with my parents:

Medical Team update

2011-11-19T14:46:00.000-08:00

We've had stormy weather the past few nights so I haven't been able to post an update on the medical team!

After their 2 clinic days for the community around H2H Valley, they spent Saturday with the H2H kids... medical clinic in the morning & beach in the afternoon!!

Clinic with the kids:

Just as they were cleaning up after the clinic a boy from the community came in... he had just chopped off the tip of his thumb with a machete!!

Afternoon at the beach:

Monday & Tuesday were spent doing clinics in Lavanj & Foche...

Lavanj Clinic:

Foche Clinic:

Wednesday was suppose to be a 'day off', in preparation for Thursday's trip to Bouva, but the team kept busy sorting through our first aid room, visiting the local hospital, buying additional meds, laundry and making home-made peanut butter!

Laundry:

Spicy Haitian peanut butter:

The team left Thursday morning for Bouva where they will be doing 2-3 clinics in the mountains. I was supposed to go with them but my almost 8 month belly was exhausted after the first week of clinics and we decided it would be better for me to skip the 10 hour bumpy ride each way! Renel & I meet up with the team on Tuesday morning and we'll fly back to Canada together.

On their way to Bouva:

Clinics in Grande Goave

2011-11-11T16:29:00.000-08:00

The team has just finished 2 full days of clinics in Grande Goave - we saw over 250 patients & had a great time!

Here are some pictures from the clinics:

Organizing the pharmacy:

The team worked with 2 Haitian nursing students from H2H:

The team has also seen some wildlife around the compound:

Some more pleasant than others....

Medical Team has arrived

2011-11-09T17:16:00.000-08:00

The medical team from Chilliwack arrived safe & sound. They got in late yesterday afternoon and spent today organizing medicine & getting oriented. Tomorrow is the first of 7+ mobile medical clinics that they'll be doing - they have a very busy schedule!

Sugar cane... Haitian style!

Malaria season in full swing!

2011-11-08T05:33:00.000-08:00

I spent Sunday afternoon in the local hospital with 3 of our boys... Roodly, Eliazar & Ricardo. Their fevers were far less severe than Junior had but high enough to give us a scare. They got shots (which created some drama as Roodly passed out at the sight of the needle!) and they just had their final dose of meds this mornings & are doing much better!!

The hospital is not open on Sunday so when I walked into the emergency room the Cuban doctors started talking excited in Spanish and someone ran for a maternity doctor... they figured I was there to have my baby!! I don't speak Spanish so when I finally realized what they were excited about I brought in the boys... the doctors were very disappointed :)

The start of malaria season is always unsettling but it has good timing this year... a medical team from Chilliwack arrives this afternoon & will be spending the next 2 weeks with us!

The copy cat

2011-10-31T08:44:00.000-07:00

The older girls often cover their hair when they are working and Maily is determined to follow their example... even if her idea of working is distracting the rest of us :)

Cleaning the water tanks!

2011-10-28T17:19:00.000-07:00

New School supplies

2011-10-11T11:01:00.001-07:00

Thanks to the generosity of school across the Abbotsford School District, Principal Garry was able to give each student a bag of new school supplies!

It was a very exciting morning :)

First day of school

2011-10-05T11:45:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of school but in typical Haitian fashion the first week is poorly attended as many students are still waiting for their uniforms to be finished and school supplies ready. School normally starts in early September but the government delayed opening this year as there were problems with marking last years provincial exams. The kids enjoyed the extra few weeks of summer holidays but were ready to go back today.

Here are some of the H2H kids, showing off their new uniforms and proud that they're among the first at school!

It has been a busy week in the compound getting ready for school... the most anticipated task of course was cutting the boys hair...

Exciting Reunion!

2011-10-04T09:33:00.000-07:00

Renel & I have been back in Haiti for a couple of weeks now and, as usual, it's great to see the kids again, & our friends and family! It was an especially exciting reunion as we had a surprise for them...

When we left Haiti I was almost 3 months pregnant but we hadn't told many people so we were able to give them quite a shock with an almost 6 month belly!!! The kids (& entire community!) are very excited for us, and everyone has been very helpful.

Our plan is to head back to Canada in late November, as I'm due in January, and then return to Haiti when the baby is a couple of months old... hopefully with the grandparents in tow!! It will obviously have to be a flexible plan, and will depend on how things go. I had a rough first trimester with nausea and am feeling much better now but have struggled since returning to Haiti... busy schedule, heat, mosquitos, food, etc. We'd appreciate your prayers.

Renel & I had a great summer in Canada and really enjoyed having some down time with my family. Our schedule was busy with weddings, family functions & sight seeing!

Lets get you caught up!

2011-07-18T16:04:00.000-07:00

...the TWU team had a great time in Bouva (see their blog for pictures & details)!

...the kids at H2H are now finished their final exams & are on summer holidays!

...Renel & I are visiting my family in Canada & will be returning to Haiti in early September!

Maily, & the rest of the kids at H2H, hope you all have a great summer holidays!!!

Tetabef

2011-06-20T07:45:00.000-07:00

The TWU team is updating their blog regularly so if you haven't checked it out already, here it is again: http://www.twu-haiti.blogspot.com/

Yesterday they did a seminar in Tetabef (a nearby mountain community where Pastor Luc has planted a church). It's a long hike & it's super hot here at the moment so the team rented motocycles... it was definitely an adventure!!

They had a day off this week so they set up a volleyball net & taught the kids to play:

The boys on the team have been playing soccer with the kids almost everyday... until a few days ago when "Matthew tackled Justin and split his chin open"... at least that's the rumor the kids at H2H have been spreading around... sorry Matthew! We had to take Justin to the hospital for a few stitches:

H2H has also been hosting an under 16 soccer tournament these past few weeks... thanks to one of our boys, Rood. They formed several teams within H2H and the kids in the community and played a round robin style tournament. Saturday was the final and one of the H2H teams won! It was fun to watch the kids play and I was proud of Rood for organizing such a great community event.

Here's some pictures from the final match... H2H is in green.

TWU update

2011-06-16T18:10:00.000-07:00

The team has already got 2 seminars under their belt and several more booked for the next few days.

Here they are with the grade 5 & 6 classes at the H2H school:

The tooth brushing skit:

The "don't pass the germs" skit:

The team has also spent lots of time with the kids at H2H... some of them have even been brave enough to try "haitian hair".

2011-06-12T19:15:00.000-07:00

The team's luggage arrived (just 1 day after they arrived themselves) and they have spent the week getting ready to do their health seminars (which start Tuesday) and learning the Haiti 'ways'.... kreyol, washing by hand, sitting in the back of the truck while going up the river bank...

They are keeping a separate blog to record their adventure, you can check it out at: http://www.twu-haiti.blogspot.com/

Today we went for a tour of some of the communities they will be speaking at this week - here's the team checking out 'the water source' in one of the mountain communities:

Trinity Western University

2011-06-07T18:50:00.000-07:00

A team from TWU arrived this afternoon... unfortunately their luggage didn't arrived with them! We have our fingers crossed that the luggage will arrive tomorrow morning.

The team will be here for a month & will be giving health seminars for churches, schools and community groups.

Our week in Bouva

2011-05-22T16:18:00.000-07:00

Spending time in Bouva has been a dream of mine since my first visit there... over 5 years ago now!

It became more of a priority after our wedding, as Renel's parents live there and I haven't spent much time with them. So as the team was preparing to leave Bouva, we prepared to stay an extra week. We asked Renel's cousin to go to the nearest town (2 hours away) and buy enough drinking water for the week and then we moved into Renel's parent's house.

Renel's parents have a typical Bouva home - main structure for sleeping, a cooking hut behind the house and separate structure for "storage". Renel's mom uses this second structure as a business... she goes to town a few times a month and buys extra supplies (rice, beans, cooking oil, etc) and sells it in smaller quantities.

Here's a closer look at the cooking hut - they position 3 large rocks (to hold the pot) in the middle of the hut and build a fire underneath it. Learning to cook like this was a great experience - especially making coffee with a 'coffee sock'.

A lot of their food is grown locally and everyone has a garden down by the river. Renel's dad has 2 gardens - 1 down by the river (30 minute walk) and one high up in the mountains (2 hour walk & only used during the rainy season). The community was very excited that we had stayed and everyday we had visitors that brought us food from their gardens... mangos, corn, squash, coconuts, even goats, chickens & fish!

Renel tried to help his dad but he accomplished little except eating more than his share of mangos:

Their main food is corn & pitimi and here is how they grind it. Renel's dad has the grinder on his property but it's for the entire community and it's used constantly!

The river is also their only water source... for drinking, cooking & bathing. We walked down to the river (30 minutes each way) twice each day to bath and carry water back to the house. Here's Renel at our favorite bathing spot.

Here's the bathroom... no explanation required:

There is no phone service in Bouva but you can hike up the mountains (~ an hour each way) and you can find very unreliable service. I only did this twice during the week... the walk didn't bother me but the cactus scratches itched for days!

Mom & Dad, this is where I was standing when I called you:

Renel's mom was very excited that I was so eager to "do things Bouva style" that she wanted to show me how she makes fresh peanut butter (she also makes flat bread and sells the bread & peanut butter to the school kids). Every 2 weeks she walks over 2 hours (each way!) to the nearest 'peanut mill' to make the peanut butter. We decided to buy one for her as a way of thanking them for their amazing hospitality.

On a side note... "deciding to buy one" isn't as easy as it sounds! We had to hike up the mountain to find phone service, call a relative in the nearest cit, arrange for them to borrow money to buy the mill for us and then rent a motorcycle to drive it to Bouva... shipping & handling was a lot more than the mill itself!

Here is Renel & his parents making the first batch:

This is Sedlin - she is Renel's cousin & has lived with Renel's parents for the past year, since her mom passed away.

She was very quiet at first but after a few days she sat down beside me with a comb and asked if I could braid. Luckily we were in Bouva (where there is no sense of time) because it took me all morning but when I was finished I had made a friend for life.

Sedlin goes to the community school in Bouva (which is held in Pastor Luc's church). Every school day she gets ready for school and waits in the front yard for the school kids to pass... I don't know where the gang starts but it gets bigger every house it passes.

Here's another student in the school, I don't know his name but I see him every time I go to Bouva and I've always wondered about his hair. I had the chance to sit with him after school and he told me that his father is a voodoo priest and a spirit told him that his son couldn't cut his hair or he would die. His mom tried to keep his hair braided but the braids never stayed in so she gave up. This little boy hates his hair, especially when the kids tease him about it... he showed me bald spot at the back where he has ripped it out himself. I've always known about the voodoo presence in Bouva but not having the distraction of hosting a mission team I was able to see how it affects their everyday life.

The week passed way too quickly for me and I was sad when it came time to leave. I loved getting to know Renel's parents better and I appreciate all that I learned.

Sedlin, I miss you already!

The team in Bouva

2011-05-21T17:51:00.000-07:00

Sorry to leave you hanging - I spent more time in Bouva than I expected! The team was there for 5 days and then Renel & I decided to stay an extra week to spend time with his parents... I'll tell you about our "vacation" in a separate blog entry.

The team left for Bouva/Grand Savande on Saturday morning - we crammed into the Toyota and Daihatsu... I was in the back of the Daihatsu so here's a picture of the Toyota... yes Ashley, that's you sleeping :)

We arrived on Saturday afternoon and had a Church Service in Grande Savande on Saturday night and Sunday morning.

The dynamic duo, Pastor Jim preaching and Pastor Luc translating... gotta love the facial expressions :)

On Monday and Tuesday the team held medical clinics in the Church in Bouva:

The team worked very hard and kept in good spirits despite several team members battling heat stroke. As always it was a great privilege to serve the community of Bouva and Grande Savande!

Heading to Bouva

2011-05-06T20:01:00.000-07:00

The team had another great clinic today and tonight Pastor Jim preached and the team blessed the congregation by washing their feet.

Tomorrow morning we are heading to Boave to do more medical clinics and a crusade - I'll be "off line" until Thursday!

Plan B failed

2011-05-05T20:59:00.000-07:00

They blocked the "path through the garden" too so we opted for Plan C - a Guest House in PauP picked up the team and we picked them up at the Guest House later in the afternoon... after the UN cleared the road block.

Here's a picture of the truck that blocked the road in the other direction... a UN truck moved it enough for traffic to pass.

So... the team arrived at H2H last night and today they held a medical clinic (they treated almost 100 patients!) and preached at a local church. Tomorrow we will have another clinic and then we're going to Bouva Saturday thru Wednesday.

It's been a long time since I've been to Bouva so I am very excited to go!!

More election fun

2011-05-04T08:24:00.000-07:00

This morning one of the political parties (UNITE) blocked the highway in both directions. The election results are still being disputed and yesterday the government announced that they will be forming a new committee to review the fraud allegations:

http://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-2868-haiti-politic-creation-of-two-important-parliamentary-committees.html

There is only one road in/out of Grand Goave so at the moment the town is at a stand still. We have a team scheduled to arrive in Port-au-Prince this afternoon so we will try to execute "Plan B".... drive down the river bank and then cut through a garden by the ocean. If that doesn't work Plan C is to have the team stay at a Guest House in PauP until the highway is cleared.

Here's a picture of the blockage on the bridge - they hijacked a passing truck and punctured the tires so it can't be moved... not as easy to clear as burning tires. "Moto tap-taps" were dropping people off near the truck and they walked around it... shortly after I took this picture they started throwing rocks at the passing people so the roads are quiet now. Another truck blocks the road in the other direction.

Myli

2011-05-03T13:02:00.000-07:00

H2H has a new addition... here is Maily with her uncle Peter:

Peter was born in Haiti (Cite Soleil) and was adopted by a family in Alberta when he was 12 years old. He recently returned to Haiti for a visit and spent a month with us at H2H. He was able to meet some of his extended family for the first time - among them was Maily, Peter's niece. She was living with her dad (Peter's brother) in a tent city near the airport and they were struggling to care for her. We don't normally take in babies at H2H (because we are not staffed for the 1 on 1 attention they need) but we instantly fell in love with her and she is now one of the family.

Here she is eating a mango with Emmanuel:

She's such a happy baby that some of the kids wanted to see what she looked like without a smile:

I am looking for a sponsor for Maily... anyone interested?

Haitian Capture the Flag

2011-04-28T15:31:00.000-07:00

As school is still closed due to the elections we are playing a Haitian version of "Capture the Flag" with some other orphanages. Today was practice and tomorrow is Round 1 with SOA (Servants of All in Grand Goave). The winner will play against an orphanage in Leogane.

This is a girls only tournament but our boys are just as excited and made a great cheering section today.

Happy Birthday Jendsay Trace

2011-04-27T15:03:00.000-07:00

Jendsay Trace is Pastor Luc & Elna's little girl... her birthday was a few weeks ago and they had a birthday party for her with all the little kids at H2H:

Election Update - we are still waiting for the results to be confirmed for the "Mayor" of Grand Goave... we hope to hear within the next 48 hours.

Election Fraud

2011-04-24T18:11:00.001-07:00

This election is a mess! The rumors that the "final results" were tampered with have been confirmed - the radio, tv & internet are littered with reports of fraud & they will likely revert to the original (preliminary) results... but you never know in Haiti! This will put Grand Goave back into political chaos. If they switch the winner again the current winning party (UNITE) will likely return to the streets. We have just had 2 peaceful days and we were hoping school would be reopened on Tuesday... school has been closed for over a month now in Grand Goave because of the election riots.

Here are some pictures of the the winning party celebrating their victory:

Just after I took these pictures the mob became violent and smashed a passing car that contained a Senate member... one that didn't approve of the "final results"... I'm making Renel nervous with my picture taking... I hope you guys appreciate it :)

Our miracle boy

2011-04-21T12:09:00.000-07:00

As soon as Junior started feeling better he asked to see some of his friends so Tuesday night we took some visitors with us to see him... Fritson, Louison, Eliyou & Boben.

When I told Junior the boys came with me he literally "popped" up (luckily they had just removed the IV & cathidor!) and turned to the door - I barely got my camera out in time... I'm so glad I did because I never want to forget this moment.

The doctors let Junior take a walk outside and sit with his friends - they were so impressed with his progress that they told him he could go home Wednesday if his sudden progress was permanent. Junior took the challenge seriously and came home yesterday afternoon - the doctors were stunned... his healing is truly a miracle. Thank you for your prayers!

On the election front...

The final elections results were announced last night just before midnight. For the most part they were the same as the preliminary results except for the Mayor of Grand Goave (& some other local villages) - where the candidates from INITE replaced the original winning candidates... which seems to confirm the bribe rumors that have been floating around. Since the final results have been announced the supporters of the new Mayor have been roaming the city picking fights with the opposing party. It doesn't make much sense... these supporters fought when they lost the preliminary round and now they're fighting when they won the final round. I'm tired of the gun shots, burning tires & machetes... hopefully things will calm down quickly now that it's final. My house is still full of people "hiding" and I'm running out of banked sleep... not to mention groceries :)

Here's an article if you're interested in reading more:

http://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-2783-haiti-social-post-result-violence-one-death-and-significant-damage.html

An update on Junior

2011-04-15T15:11:00.000-07:00

I spent the night at the hospital with Junior and we had a rough night (convulsions, vomitting, etc) but he is starting to respond to the medicine and there were a few bright moments when he came to and looked into my eyes. Elna took my place this morning and I am at home resting and will return shortly.

The doctors said he is still very sick but they are expecting him to continue to respond to the medicine and they believe he will gradually improve. Please continue to pray.

We are also still having protests over the election results - there was a fight outside the hospital just minutes after we made "the switch". The final election results will be announced on Monday... which will probably means some more riots before the new Mayor gains control.

Junior

2011-04-14T13:37:00.000-07:00

Please help me pray for Junior (aka Alcat, Mango)...

Junior's fever started last night and by the morning he was having seizures - he is now in a coma in the local hospital, here in Grand Goave. He has been diagnosed with a type of malaria that is quick acting and went to his brain almost immediately. We believe he is in God's hands and we ask that you help us pray for him.

Please also pray for some extra energy for those of us caring for Junior - hospitals in Haiti don't provide the same services as those in Canada... most of the 'nursing' is done by family or friends.

Election Results

2011-04-05T18:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the preliminary election results were announced and "Tet Kale" (Michel Martelly) is Haiti's new President.

Here is a translation of his acceptance speech:
http://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-2685-haiti-elections-speech-of-michel-martelly.html

The results were well received in most of the country... but not in our little town of Grand Goave....

Yesterday they also announced the new Mayor of Grand Goave and the losing political party is not taking the loss well. The past 24 hours have been filled with gun fire and burning tires. Our gates are locked and we're thankful for our high walls and independent resources.

Against my better judgment I made a dash outside to take a few pictures this afternoon... I returned safely but Renel has tightened my leash to say the least.

To put things into perspective, I took these pictures just a stones throw from the front gate of our compound...

In typical H2H fashion our kids are taking the events in stride and the boys even had a lively soccer game this afternoon... the fires burning just outside the walls.

To be honest, it feels a bit like after the earthquake... my house is so full of neighbors that there is barely enough room to walk around.

The final results will be announced April 16th... hopefully things will calm down before that.

MEI Team

2011-03-26T19:18:00.000-07:00

A team from MEI School arrived at H2H yesterday after spending a few days up north. Last night they did some drama and singing in church and today they started their painting project... painting the kids bedrooms!!

Drama:

Singing:

Painting:

Some of the older boys helped out... thankfully, because we didn't have enough ladders:

Elections

2011-03-21T09:16:00.000-07:00

The past 2 weeks have been consumed with talk of the elections, especially with Aristide's return. To be honest, I'm now avoiding the obsessed adults & spending as much time as possible with the little ones... who are just as tired of the speculation as I am :)

It has resulted in some great pictures....

Jendsay Trace (Luc & Elna's daughter) learning to wash clothes:

Fritzon cruising around the compound... unfortunately this picture was taken just before he ran into a wall - he had a bloody nose but was still proud of himself:

Jean Eli proving he just ate 2 helpings of rice & beans:

Junior showing off with his "girl" shampoo:

Eliyou pretending to have a reason to climb the forbidden ironwork:

As frustrated as I am at trying to sift through the Election rumors and guess what is motivating the return of the past Presidents, I really do care and am anticipating the results as much as everyone else. The second round of the Election was held on Sunday and the results should be announced next week. Things are fairly calm but there is enough fighting between the parties that most people are staying close to home.

If you're interested, here is an article about Aristide's return... there are other articles on this website about the Election:

http://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-2555-haiti-politic-first-speech-of-aristide.html

Here's our little Sandina

2011-03-15T05:49:00.000-07:00

This picture says it all... Sandina has recovered and is doing great :)

Daihatsu

2011-03-14T05:38:00.000-07:00

H2H bought this truck just weeks after the earthquake and Roger & Albert drove it over the border from the DR with a load of much needed supplies. Because of the pressure to get aid supplies to Haiti, the DR border rushed them through and we didn't get the proper paperwork... which has resulted in us having to use a police escort every time we drove it.

The paperwork has now been sorted out and we are free to drive our beloved Diahatsu!!

Renel and some of his welding buddies have worked from sunrise to sunset for almost 2 weeks to build a canopy for it and it is now finished - just waiting for the wooden benches and a final paint job.

Everyone is very excited... Pastor Luc wants his congregation to visit other churches together, the band wants to travel, I want to pick up teams from the airport with ease and most importantly... the kids want to go to the beach!

Pouring cement

2011-03-12T11:02:00.000-08:00

Last week we poured the cement roof on the new kitchen/dining hall/food depot complex. It took 2 LONG days.

The calm before the storm...

The storm...

Despite being tired, everyone is excited to see the progress... although we're not looking forward to laundry day :)

Professional Development for the Teachers

2011-03-10T05:25:00.000-08:00

Bruce & Stan, in partnership with H2H, have created and implemented a 4 year program to reinforce sound teaching practices... focusing on "It's all about the kids!"

They were to arrive in Haiti on January 13th, 2010 to conduct evaluations following the first year of the program but their trip was delayed due to the earthquake. They returned in July to hold "Year 2" with the teachers and this month they were able to come and do the evaluation for both years.

Morning prayer & singing of the nation anthem:

Raising the flag:

Rushing in to get the good seats:

Bruce & Stan visited each of the classrooms and were pleased to see how the teachers were applying the new techniques... they were even more pleased to see how the kids were responding - they are becoming more involved in the lessons and being held responsible for their learning.

The highlight of their trip was getting the news that their program will be endorsed by the Haitian Ministry of Education... meaning after completing the 4 year program the teachers will have earned a Certificate that will be signed & recognized by their Government!

Bruce and Stan will return again this summer for "Year 3" with the H2H teachers and start "Year 1" with a new set of teachers selected by the Haitian Ministry of Education. Expanding the program was always the plan but it's exciting to see it actually happen... as things don't often go as planned in Haiti!

The container and the Mule

2011-02-26T06:52:00.000-08:00

The container that arrived last week made me think about a team that visited H2H over Christmas break (while I was in Canada picking up Renel). The team was led by Lia Neufeld - who worked with H2H after the earthquake and handled the logistics of transporting many of the containers. While her family was vacationing in the DR they made a detour and visiting H2H for the first time.

Here are some of their favorite pictures from their trip:

It was a special trip for Lia and her family as they were able to see the impact the containers were having on the local community. Pastor Luc is a member of the Pastor's Association of Grand Goave and he does his aid distributions in partnership with the other local Pastors. "Piles" of items are made around the yard and labeled with each Pastor's name. The Pastors come together, meet & pray, and then take the aid items back to their church. When the items are distributed in the churches each member is encouraged to take a portion and give the rest to someone who needs it more than them. It is a practical way that they can spread the love of God.

Lia's mother, Jane, was on the team and wrote this....

The Container and the Mule

This fall we were having lunch with my brother and his wife planning a Christmas family trip to Dominican Republic and our daughter called and said, “Hey, I’ve got this crazy idea, why don’t we go to Haiti and work in an orphanage as well?” So the plans were made…the first thing we did was ship a few personal items in a container to meet us in Haiti…and then started to pray. The container was filled with 50,000lbs. of donated items for Heart to Heart Childrens Home, along with our few rubbermaid bins to make our stay there more enjoyable, we prayed for an earlier than usual delivery date to Haiti and were thrilled to hear that it reached the home just days before our arrival. We quickly opened it up and made our beds with new sheets and pillows, marveled at our craft items, goodies, clothes for the children and eagerly anticipated our lunch of yummy KD!! It seemed like a small miracle that God gave us to reassure us and say “wherever you go I go before you and make the crooked paths straight” but several days later we saw God’s real miracle of the container.

Over breakfast one morning of white bread(my husbands favorite)oatmeal, PB, fruit and coffee that makes Starbucks seem like dishwater, Pastor Luc told us that today all the Pastors would be arriving from the surrounding area of Grande Goave to share in the goods in the container, slowly, they began arriving, mostly on foot, some on small motos and 1mule. Hundreds of white buckets, hundreds of boxes, vitamins, rice, formula, cans of fruit and vegetables were all spread out in the dusty ground and as I looked over the amazing array of goods I thought about the families and friends that many months ago picked up a bucket, drove to the store and filled them so selflessly for the people in a faraway land called Haiti who were suffering and starving and needed a miracle. Then I watched with a lump in my throat as 50lb. buckets were tied onto the motos, one on each side, a box in front and another bucket tucked behind the driver, a few more tugs on the twine and off they drove out the heavy iron gates to share their precious cargo with their neighbours. Later in the day as we returned home after viewing a local need for a water project we saw an old mule with a wizened old man with a sparkle in his eye loading up straw bags on either side of his mule, he filled the saddlebags each with a bucket and then topped them off with granola bars, rice, and powdered milk until they were overflowing each gift purchased with love long ago for such a time as this. This smiling precious little man of God had walked with his mule 5 long hot hours through the mountains to receive his goods and take them home to his church family. As he prepared to leave he pulled his tattered shoes out of his pouch and I asked Pastor Luc, “what is he doing?” he answered “well, he wore his good shoes to come to town and will change for the walk home to his village shoes.” I was so moved by this dark-skinned, small man and I realized we are the same in our pride and humanness, we are so different, oh so different, yet so similar…I wonder who is more blessed …him or me. We gave him some money and I though how fortunate we were to be able to bless him but as I watched him and his heavy laden mule slowly walk down the rubble road to begin the long, hot and dusty trip home I realized that it was him who had blessed us, I had long forgotten the new sheets and KD and saw through God’s eyes the real miracle of the container. And we thank God for allowing us to be a part of this miracle if His.

Jane Mcbratney, prov.3:6

Yesterday

2011-02-24T08:03:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning started with a trip to the doctor with Sandina... she's doing much better but I wanted to have her eye checked again now that most of the swelling has gone down. The doctor gave her 2 thumbs up!!!

One the way back from the doctor I got a call saying a container is on it's way!! We rushed home and arrived with just enough time to clean out the storage room so we could unload the container.

The container had food, school supplies, medical supplies, clothes and other goodies.

It even had some baseball equipment that I taught Elna (Pastor Luc's wife) to use :)

All in a day's work

2011-02-23T13:19:00.000-08:00

This past Monday was a busy one at H2H.

We had a team visiting from Indiana, lead by Jason Braun, who were just here for one full day and were given the task of building book shelves in our new offices and a large shelving unit in our new first aid room.

They finished with just enough time for some sight seeing & R&R with the kids.

The same day we had a dental team, lead by Dr Steve, come from Port-au-Prince to do a preventative dental clinic in our school. The kids learned to brush their teeth properly and each student had their teeth inspected.

It was a great day and we really appreciated the work both teams did - thank you!

New Sandals!

2011-02-20T08:49:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the generosity of some H2H supporters (via the H2H Gift Catalogue), I have spent the past few weeks scouring the local markets with the older girls to buy sandals for all... yes, ALL... of the kids. It was a lot of work but also a lot of fun! We made a list of all of the kids & their shoe size and personally bought for each kid.

The girls were especially excited because they got to buy "fancy church sandals"... a real treat :)

The H2H Gift Catalogue is a great way to practically provide for the kids needs and connect in a more personally way. For each item you purchase you will receive an email thanking you for your purchase and a picture showing the kids receiving the item. For more information regarding the Gift Catalogue, check out H2H's website: www.hearttohearthaiti.com.

Sandina

2011-02-19T13:18:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning I took 4 of the kids to a mobile medical clinic at a neighboring mission... nothing too serious, but I thought I'd take advantage of the clinic. Shortly after we returned home, little Sandina decided to jump off the swings like the older kids were doing... it didn't go well, to say the least.

She face planted in the sand and this was the result...

We jumped on a motorcycle and went to the hospital. The doctors confirmed her eye is fine but the swelling will take several days to go down. It broke my heart to see her like this but I couldn't help but smile when she told the doctor, "I just wanted to fly".

Sandina hasn't been with us very long... she came while I was in Canada in December... but she's already stolen the hearts of the older girls and is getting taken care of very well! She isn't fond of the ice pack but she likes the candy flavored tylenol. PS... I'm still looking for a sponsor for Sandina... let me know if you're interested.

On another note, EDH (Electricity of Haiti) is finally running power lines down our lane so my house will have real power!! Here is a picture of them putting up the power lines.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-16T07:59:00.001-08:00

Thanks to an "evening snack" purchased through the H2H Gift Catalogue (www.hearttohearthaiti.com) we celebrated Valentine's Day with hot chocolate and sweet bread. The kids looked forward to it all day and they weren't disappointed... neither was I :)

Darcy completed his "to do list" and he left us on Monday. As always it was a pleasure having them here and they were a great blessing. Here are some pictures of the addition to the 2nd floor of the Children's Home...

Day 1:

Day 7:

There is still a lot of work to do but the rooms are have taken shape & the girls are excited at the thought of "spreading out"!

Darcy's Progress

2011-02-15T11:38:00.000-08:00

Brent wiring the new kitchen/dining hall:

Passing the cement up to the 2nd floor of the Children's Home:

Renel doing some welding repairs on the playground:

Hans & Darcy laying new wires with Manno:

Renel... welcome back to Haiti!

Darcy buying wood in Port-au-Prince:

Hans repairing the water pump:

It's been a long week for their helpers:

Of course, there's always time to play with the kids:

Darcy's Team

2011-02-08T12:01:00.000-08:00

Darcy is here this week with a team from Alberta - their main focus is finishing the second floor of the Children's Home (so the girls can spread out) but they are also doing some electrical work, surveying, maintenance on the playground and general "handyman stuff". As always it's great to have Darcy here and he's brought another great team! Here's some picture of them getting started around the compound...

Brad, training the next generation of surveyors:

Darcy getting started on the playground:

Darcy, Brad & JV (the one on top) fixing the swing set:

Brent, showing the kids how real cowboys play:

Hans, redoing the wiring at my house... hopefully I won't get shocked in the shower any more!!

New School Supplies

2011-02-03T07:01:00.000-08:00

The H2H school had just under 500 students enrolled this past September!

Our private school differs from the public schools as it provides the kids with a hot meal each day (often the only meal the child will get) and for the past 2 years we have also provided them with all of the necessary school supplies. Not only do the kids not have money to buy their own supplies, they can often not find even the basics in the local market. Each student pays less than $3 US to enroll for the entire year as we cover the cost of the school in our sponsorship program. We are very proud of our teachers as we have one of the best academic records in our zone!

Here are some pictures of the kids getting their school supplies when school reopened after the Christmas break.

Almost all of these school supplies were donated from schools, teachers & students in the Abbotsford School District - THANK YOU, your donations are appreciated & well used!!

If you are interested in sponsoring a child or teacher please let me know.

Teams

2011-01-26T06:30:00.000-08:00

The past 2 weeks have been busy with 2 overlapping teams...

Pastor Philip, leading a group of 10, came for his first visit. He is from Indiana and has been supporting Pastor Luc and H2H for years but this is the time they've been able to come to Haiti.

The men led a Pastor's conference and the women led a Women's conference while a doctor & his helpers held a medical clinic - there was a lot going on!!!

PS... it was a long week for Pastor Luc as he hurt his foot a few days before the team arrived and had to keep it elevated... not an easy task when you're translating!!

Everyone really enjoyed the church services and the conferences... even Ti-Ne appreciated the down time so he could take a nap :)

Here is Doctor Patrick and his "nurses" in their medical clinic:

They even kept the kids occupied in the evenings with movies! It was a great week with Pastor Philip and his team and we hope they'll become regulars.

Two H2H Boardmembers, Albert & Roger, were here as well. Among many other tasks, they jumpstarted the building on the new Kitchen/Dining Hall/Depot complex.

Here's what the complex looks like now... the walls are going up and it's exciting to be able to visualize the final product! The gears are in motion and won't be stopped until the first meal is cooked in the new kitchen and served to the kids in the new dinning hall!!

We have a quiet week this week and then another building team arrives on Feb 6th to work on the second floor of our Children's Home.

One Year

2011-01-12T16:28:00.000-08:00

Today is the anniversary of the earthquake. For the past week H2H has held daily prayer & crusade meetings with tonight being the final one. Tonight’s service was sober with much time spent reflecting on God’s power and mercy.

I have spent the last week remembering those first few days after the earthquake... I remember feeling incredibly inadequate. I remember not being able to pull Guetine out from under the rubble when the guesthouse fell on her. I remember returning from Port-au-Prince empty handed and seeing the disappointed faces of the hungry kids. I remember hearing that Kaka was killed. I remember thinking no one knows what’s happening to us.

But thinking of all those dark times made me realize once again how faithful God has been and how He walked beside us the entire way. He huddled with us on the soccer field that first night. He cried with us as we heard the fate of family and friends. He drove with us to Port-au-Prince in search of food. He touched the hearts of thousands of people allowing them to help us… starting with the US Marines.

This afternoon I was asked to share my thoughts in an interview with a Canadian newspaper, here were my thoughts...

“I had been living in Haiti full time for almost 5 years leading up to the earthquake and had become engulfed in the culture so I was not surprised by the perseverance the Haitian people showed in the brutal months following the earthquake. They are truly courageous people who have learned to survive in conditions that would make most North Americans want to give up. My respect for the people has deepened as I see the way they care for their neighbors when they are barely able to care for themselves. I was also not surprised by the inability to pull together as a nation and use this horrific experience to jumpstart a new start for the country. With so much aid promised from the world it would have been a perfect opportunity to rebuild for a new future. But leadership here is so incapable that it seems like the only progress being made is made by individuals or groups that can stand on their own feet & have resource streams that they can personally control. H2H is a good example of this. We were able to control our donated funds directly and, as a result, we have made huge progress this past year. Here’s some of what we've accomplished: we've rebuilt our exteriors walls, built temporary structures while simultaneously rebuilding permanent structures, sent/received 10 containers of aid supplies, hosted 10+ teams (construction, medical, educational, etc) from North America, and expanded our capacity to take in 10+ orphans from Port-au-Prince.

Our efforts have been slowed down in the past few months due to the cholera outbreak - this is a disease the Haitians had never seen before. It was devastating. People got sick in the morning and died that same day. The initial reaction was horrific. Families were forced to turn out and abandon those that got sick for fear of the cholera passing through their whole family. Hospitals refused to take in patients showing symptoms of cholera for the same reason. Many people died alone in the streets or in the portable toilets around the tent cities. People are learning to cope but our rebuilding efforts have been slowed down. So far, our kids have not gotten sick and we have worked very hard to keep them safe. We have limited the flow of people into our compound, have established hand washing stations through out and have raised our cleanliness standards to include a lot more bleach and a lot more education. In some ways the fear of cholera is harder for our kids than the fear of the earthquake – the earthquake was uncontrollable and unpredictable and there was very little they could do to improve their fate but the cholera is the opposite – people have the ability to protect themselves and knowing that puts stress on them because it requires action. Many of those actions (i.e. buying bleach) are an expense that many Haitians cannot afford and raises the sense of frustration they feel in not being able to protect their family. There is also a brighter side with regard to the cholera epidemic... it forces a new understanding of the need for better hygiene, clean water and proper food preparation, which are major steps in giving hope for a better life for the next generation of Haitians.

Even though we have made progress this year, there is still a lot to do around our compound to get it back to where it used to be. We are raising money to rebuild a permanent school, kitchen, church and guesthouse. We also have new children that still need sponsorship. Information about our program & our current needs are on our website: www.hearttohearthaiti.com. I am also still blogging about our day-to-day life here at H2H: www.rebeccalarkin.blogspot.com.

Today, being the anniversary of the earthquake, has been a sober day – schools and businesses are closed – and many people have spent the day, even the week, in prayer and fasting. In the midst of the grief and desperation there is much to be thankful for and we are holding on to that. I’m attaching a picture I just took at our “memorial service” - tonight we will be sleeping outside… as we did for months following the earthquake… we will pray for those who lost loved ones and for the future of Haiti.”

Meet our new additions!

2011-01-08T11:14:00.000-08:00

Here is the latest "batch"... their smiles and stories tell it all...

Emania & Fredo Oriental:

Emania and Fredo were living in Port-au-Prince with their parents before the earthquake - their house collapsed, killing their mother and amputating their father's leg. Fredo was heard singing "Jesus Save Me" from under the rubble and was miraculously rescued! Emania was in the yard at the time of the earthquake and was not hurt. They were taken in by their Grandma following the earthquake but she was not able to care for them. They are both well behaved kids and very excited to be at H2H where they are able to play with the other kids!

Veloude (aka Viginie) Pierre:

Viginie was brought to H2H by Social Workers - she was living in a very abusive situation in Port-au-Prince after the earthquake. In the short time she has been with us she has learned so much - she loves school and enjoys helping in the kitchen.

Roobi Bruno:

Roobi was brought to H2H by his father as they are unable to find his mother and he wasn't able to care for him by himself. He is behind in school - being 10 years old and starting grade 1 this year but he is very determined and will likely catch up quickly. Roobi is a true little boy and is never found without a toy car in his hand.

Wilbert Valme & Louisne Saint-Vil

These half-brothers are live wires! They came to H2H as their mother was injured in the earthquake and her leg was amputated... they were only with us a few days before they took over the place! They are hardly ever apart and neither of them see the use for wearing clothes - I had to give them candy to get them clothed for these pictures :)

Please think about becoming a sponsor for one of these kids - they were all very excited to learn about "sponsors" from the other kids.

The Life of a Sponsor

2010-12-16T06:33:00.000-08:00

Vi Isaac became a sponsor with Heart to Heart over 15 years ago and she came to visit her kids (& grand kids!!) in Haiti for the first time last month.

Her first child was Enorck Honorat - Vi sponsored him until he finished mechanics school in Port-au-Prince and he is now our Driver/Mechanic and lives very close to the H2H compound. He is married to Chantel and has 3 boys; Theo, Theo-Dad and Theo-Joe. You may remember hearing about Theo-Joe being born on the US Marine Ship just after the earthquake. Enorck was very proud to be the one to pick Vi up at the airport and then to sit with her on his patio as he introduced her to his family.

Vi's next child was Sylfanai Noel - he was her sponsor child until he received his teaching diploma and he is now the grade 4 teacher of our School. He is also a very talented musician... he plays the trumpet, base guitar and can make a tune on almost any instrument his picks up! He feels very blessed to have gone through the H2H program and believes in giving back. He runs the music program at H2H (the Children's Home and the Church) and teaches at all 4 levels; theory classes, apprentice program, Jr Band & Senior Band. The Senior Band, which Noel conducts, plays at Church and also at functions in town. It is a huge time commitment for Noel and he does it cheerfully and as a volunteer! Many of the instruments were damaged or destroyed in the earthquake so they are slowly building up their resources again (you can donate money towards the music program through the H2H gift catalogue: www.hearttohearthaiti.com).

At the time of the earthquake, January 12th, Noel was engaged to be married and just finished pouring the cement roof on his house - his house was flattened. He was determined to stick with his plans & not be discouraged by his loss (as he felt it was minimal compared to what some lost) and he was married to Darline in July. They are living in a rented house close to the H2H compound.

Like Enorck, he was very excited to finally meet Vi and was especially proud when she came to Band Practice.

Her current sponsor child, Wilkenson, was shy to meet Vi but broke out of his shell when he took her to the open air market and skillfully lead her through the crowds of people. Vi was so impacted to meet the people she has affected over the years that she has added a second child, Jason, to her family... they will be the next Enorck & Noel!! She also hand picked 2 grand kids... for her daughter to sponsor :)

Vi has not only been a sponsor herself, she has signed up friends and family, and she has encouraged her Church's Sunday School Program to sponsor 4 kids. The effort she is making is not only impacting the kids at H2H, the ripple effect has reached back home and continues to spread!

If you have considered sponsoring a child through H2H and haven't done it yet, please email me and I'll get you signed up! Or... if you're already a sponsor, like Vi... considered talking to your friends and family about our sponsorship program and encouraging them to jump on board. It's only $35 per month - check out H2H's website for the details: www.hearttohearthaiti.com.

A new regime

2010-12-12T06:57:00.000-08:00

The cholera outbreak is continuing to spread and the increased cases in Grand Goave are keeping us diligent with our new regime of washing hands and keeping things clean. The kids are grumbling with having to clean the kitchen & bathrooms more frequently but the seriousness of the illness is being hammered home... even with the election scandals the radios are almost entirely focused on the cholera outbreak and Social Services are sending field workers to check up on our procedures almost daily.

Thankfully, kids are kids and they can find the bright side in anything! Here are some of the younger boys cleaning the water tanks... we had to clean them again when they were done :)

Many of you are asking how the election riots are affecting us here in Grand Goave...

Other than a few protests and burning tires on the streets we haven't had too many problems but we're affected because the road between us and Port-au-Prince has been blocked for several days so people aren't able to travel... this especially affects the cost & availability of food as our markets depend on goods coming from Port-au-Prince. Saturday is our big market day and the pickings were slim and almost 3 times the price!

We are also being affected because the airport in Port-au-Prince has been closed since the middle of last week and we have teams here that were booked to leave. At the moment we have changed their flights and are hoping the airport will be reopened on Tuesday as announced by American Airlines.

I won't pretend to know the true source of the problem but here is what I hear...

None of the presidential candidates received more than 50% of the votes so there will be a re-election between the top 2 candidates - Jude Celestin & Mirlande Manigat. The people are upset because they believe the current President (Preval) has tampered with the votes to allow Celestin to advance to the 2nd round in the place of another candidate, Michel Martelly (aka Sweet Mickey... backed by Wyclef). Martelly is a musician & is very popular. The rumor is that Celestin is dating Preval's daughter and is willing to cover some of Preval's deeds... a few nasty ones as the rumor goes.

Again, I really don't know anything... this is just what I hear on the radio and from the people on the streets. If you're interested in knowing more, here is a local newspaper that is written mostly in English: http://www.haitilibre.com/en/

Shawna & Colleen

2010-12-02T18:33:00.000-08:00

Shawna & Colleen are H2H board members and they visited this week to do some business... it was Colleen's first time in Haiti but you'd never know it by the way the kids hugged her :)

Lavanj

2010-11-30T07:12:00.000-08:00

Claire (a board member with H2H) arrived on Saturday with her niece Emily and friends; Steve & Vi. They have already showered the kids with TLC and presents. Yesterday we took them up to Lavanj to do a food distribution.

The "road" (aka river bed) up to Lavanj was badly damaged in the hurricane but we were able to make it up.

The river was full of people washing so we also gave food on the way up.

We left a box of food at the bottom of the tree for this lucky guy.

As soon as we arrived in Lavanj the trails came alive with people coming from every direction.

It was a fun day, especially since it's Vi and Steve's first time in Haiti... so going up to Lavanj was an adventure for them.

Another container has arrived!

2010-11-29T15:47:00.000-08:00

The latest container had school supplies, food, mattresses, presents for the kids and much more - here are a few shots of it being unloaded:

Convention

2010-11-22T17:40:00.000-08:00

It's been 3 days since the Convention finished and we're still getting caught up on sleep - and few more days of R&R, then we'll start the clean up!

Several churches backed out at the last minute due to cholera concerns and riots in Cap Haitien but the attendance was in the thousands for sure. The 5 day conference was a real blessing for those who came and for those who hosted - I was stuck in the kitchen for most of it but I did manage to take a few pictures.

Pastor Luc:

The Church:

One of 3 temporary kitchens:

It was a busy week, not only because of the conference, but because one of our girls, Carol, was very sick with typhoid fever. We took her to several hospitals but no one was willing to admit her due to the cholera outbreak - either hospitals are full or scared to take in anyone that has cholera like symptoms... typhoid doesn't have many but enough to make people nervous. We finally got accepted into a hospital in Ti-Goave run by the Red Cross... luckily there were some Canadian staff that literally let me in the back door. We've had some very close calls in the past week with Carol but she is now responding well to the medicine and drinking juice and soup - getting stronger every day.

Between seeing Carol fight for her life and the constant threat of cholera I am realizing once again how out of control we really are. I'll be honest - I go in a circle between fear, peace and then sadness. Fear because I know my choices put me at risk physically. Peace because I know this world is only temporary and I have something much better waiting for me. Sadness because I know so many of my friends & family back home don't share that same peace and are missing out on so much.

10 months

2010-11-13T07:13:00.000-08:00

Since returning to Haiti there have been several aftershocks... the first one was at 3am the first week I was here & was strong enough to move my bed several inches. It was a nasty welcome home... especially since my house already felt empty without Renel. Yesterday we were hit with a 4.4 aftershock - I was standing beside the new kitchen/dining room/depot and watched the pillars shake. There was no substantial damage but some students at a local high school were hurt in a mini stampeed. It's exactly 10 months since the earthquake started.

This morning I woke to news of bodies being discovered in "port-a-potties" in Port-au-Prince... last nights victims of the spreading cholera.

On a much more positive note, our H2H school was able to send each of our students home with a sack of rice, beans & oil this week. Students lined up to get their sack & were excited to pass it over to their expecting parents.

Normal...

2010-11-11T08:18:00.000-08:00

The river has gone back to normal...

The kids are playing as normal...

The kids are sneaking charcoal for their personal BBQs as normal....

The work continues as normal...

The focus has returned to getting the yard ready for the big Convention. The new (still in-process) kitchen/dining room/depot is being covered to create a temporary dining hall for the pastors & musicians.

The rubble of the old kitchen/dining room/depot is being cleared to create a temporary something... I can't keep up with the changing plans!!!!

The rubble is being put on the soccer field where it is being crushed and then used to smooth out the gravel road leading up to the highway.

It's good to see everyone working so hard & looking forward to something so much.

Cholera

2010-11-07T16:50:00.000-08:00

Cholera has spread to Grand Goave - one of the men in our church is sick with it. We are all being careful but could definitely use your prayers.

Hurricane Tomas

2010-11-05T16:15:00.000-07:00

I'm using a generator that is almost out of gas so I'm going to be quick... just wanted to let you know that the storm has passed us now and we (in Grand Goave) weren't hit too badly.

The river that runs by our compound was raging...

And the compound flooded...

But all is well and the rains & winds have calmed down. I haven't heard news about the tent cities or other areas of Haiti yet.

It's on it's way

2010-11-04T05:41:00.000-07:00

The rains started yesterday and this morning the winds picked up. Every time I check the status on the internet it changes between a hurricane & a tropical storm... either way... it's looks like Hurricane Tomas really is on it's way. The Ministry of Education sent out a request this morning to close all schools until further notice.

Here's a helpful website to track it:
http://stormadvisory.org/map/atlantic/

Pastor Luc and his church are hosting a convention later this month (Nov 17-21) and they are expecting 3000+ people to come to Heart to Heart Valley from across Haiti and the US. They have been anticipating this event for years and have started the preparation in the yard.

The yard is being cleaned, water tanks included, by the kids:

A temporary structure is being built which will cover the entire school yard:

A stage and sound booth are in the works:

The structures are being covered by sheets made of coconut palms:

As you already know, our compound was hit hard by the earthquake on January 12 and we are still in the process of cleaning up and rebuilding. This event alone would cause most Pastors to cancel a convention of this size but Pastor Luc and his congregation are determined not to let anything slow them down. Help us pray that the effects of the cholera outbreak (which hasn't hit us here yet) and hurricane Tomas will be minimal - for the sake of Pastor's Luc's convention and more importantly, for those who are so vulnerable in the tent cities and shacks.

Food distribution

2010-10-30T17:32:00.000-07:00

We had a big food distribution today... the kids had so much fun putting the food in piles and getting everything ready!!

Pictures

2010-10-26T17:07:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of what's happening around the compound:

New food depot & offices:

New showers & toilets:

Our temporary church has received a face lift:

Here's what the school looks like at the moment... the top story has been removed completely and the bottom story has been repaired.

This may not look like much progress but it impressed me!! Most of the rumble has been removed and we're almost at ground level... all done by hand!!!!!

And here are some pictures of the kids...

Eliyou washing clothes:

Samuel just hanging out

This is our newest (& youngest!) boy... Ti-Ne (Little Nose)... I love him but would like him a whole lot more if we could get him to use the toilet!!!

Mackenson... he followed me around the yard begging for his picture to be taken:

Welcome Back!

2010-10-23T12:24:00.000-07:00

The kids at H2H have spent the week welcoming me back to Haiti so I think it’s time I welcome you back to my blog!

While I had a busy summer, the change of scenery & responsibility was nice and I was able to return to Haiti in good shape. I was so excited to arrive and see my welcome party waiting for me… then reality hit as we pulled away from the airport. I snapped 2 pictures, my excitement quickly faded and my eyes welled up… I had been away for ~3 months and instead of getting better things seem to have deteriorated further. The tent cities are still everywhere and the storm season has taken a toll on them.

I took a deep breath, put my camera away and turned to face the comrades who had come to pick me up. Their excitement to see me quickly charged me up again and I soaked in the updates they gave me. In contrast to the staleness of Port-au-Prince, everyone at H2H has been working hard and so much has happened; the kids have finally moved back inside, 5 new kids have arrived, 3 containers of food & supplies have arrived, our school has expanded to include grade 7, multiple food distributions have happened, the new food depot & offices are almost complete and a new school for the deaf has opened in PauP and our Samantha is finally back in school!!

Most of these things deserve an entry to themselves but for now you’ll have to be satisfied with seeing some pictures of the containers arriving & the food distributions (photos courtesy of Paulka).

While most developments at H2H have been positive our internet satellite isn’t working at the moment so my access to internet is limited… as I have to go to an internet café across town. I hope to have it fixed quickly but have patience with me in the mean time.

The containers:

The giveaways:

Also, as many of you already know, I have returned to Haiti without Renel – he is staying in Canada until December to practice his English and get to know my family better. We are both grateful for this opportunity for him but we will miss each other. I recently sent out a personal newsletter which gave some background info about Renel & I and our summer experience in Canada – if you didn’t receive it I don’t have your email address! If you’d like to see the newsletter please send me your email and I’ll forward it to you.

Here’s a sneak peak…

New Beginnings

2010-08-11T10:35:00.000-07:00

The H2H board & Canadian staff met this past week for a day of "Vision Casting". It was a day of celebrating our successes and brainstorming with the goal of moving from Good to Great! The emphasis of everything we talked about was 'our kids' and each one of us recommitted ourselves to impacting the lives of the kids of Haiti. It was a powerful day and sparked a new passion in each one of us... not to mention huge 'to do lists' :)

Speaking of 'to do lists', here's something from mine...

We have received some kids 'post earthquake' that need sponsors. If you have been following my blog since the earthquake and want to partner with H2H long term please consider taking one of these kids on - it costs $35/month to sponsor a child with H2H and you will receive 2 letters/updates per year and have the ability to build a real relationship with them through emails (via me) or coming to H2H to visit them on one of the missions trips. Not only will it change their lives but it's a relationship that will change your life too.

Just as the H2H board had a new beginning this past week, it is truly a new beginning for the kids that move into the H2H Home. Each have their own story but they all have a similar theme... they find love and a future that stretches into eternity.

Please read through these stories with purpose... if you already sponsor a child through H2H, encourage a family member or friend to help rewrite the endings...

Siltene (aka Meme) Jean Baptiste:

Meme came to H2H very shortly after the earthquake started. He was separated from his family and spent several long days searching for food & shelter. He was directed to H2H by some locals and has found much more than food & shelter... he has found a family and opportunity to be educated. He hasn't attended school for years, so despite being 16 years old, he joined our grade 2 class. He is really enjoying school and has made friends within the H2H Home and at school. He has found a spot in the heart of Sister Edmond (our cook at H2H) and is usually found in the kitchen when school is dismissed. Meme has been told about the sponsorship program from the other kids and he is very excited to have a sponsor that will write to him!

Davidson Pierre:

Davidson's younger brother, Mackenson, came to H2H in October 2009 and Davidson joined him in February 2010. They are from a small mountain community called Tetabef. Their family is very poor and they didn't have the opportunity to send them to school. Usually in Haiti the younger siblings follow the older ones so watching Davidson take Mackenson's lead has been interesting. I wish I knew what Mackenson told Davidson about my husband Renel because he instantly became his side kick!

Juvens & Juvensly Perat:

Those of you who have been to H2H before will know our twin boys Wood & Woody (who are now 17 years old)... they have a good heart but are incredibly mischievous and have a sense of humor without limits. Juvens & Juvensly have that same spirit and are taking lessons from Wood & Woody... think of the possibilities! They refer to each other as 'brother' and because they are identical we just call them 'brother' or 'the other brother'... depending on their response to your question :)

Jeorgline Jean Louis:

We call her 'Ti-Jeorgline' which means 'Little Jeorgline' because we had another Jeorgline already. She fits her nickname in so many ways. First of all, she's very tiny in size. She's also small in a way that makes her seem younger than she is. She has a past littered with abuse and neglect and she seeks attention & affection the way a young child does. On the very bright side, she is well on her way to making up for lost years and I'm convinced she will find success in anything if she puts her determined little mind to it.

Lovely Gravier:

Lovely has a similar story to Jeorgline, she has missed much of her childhood and has been raised by abusive adults. She was living on the streets of Port-au-Prince after the earthquake and was brought to H2H by Social Workers. My first memory of Lovely was seeing her argue with the girl who was told to put her backpack on her new bed... but within minutes (literally) they were braiding hair together! She's a spark plug for sure and is a very hard worker and takes great pride in doing a good job at her chores.

If you would like to become a sponsor for one of these kids please email me (rebeccalarkin6@hotmail.com) and I will connect you with the sponsorship coordinator at H2H.

I have also had people asking about other ways to get involved with H2H - there really are so many ways! You can sponsor a child, donate towards a building project or come to Haiti with a team. Your best way to get connected is to go to the H2H website (www.hearttohearthaiti.com) and look around.

A busy week!

2010-07-31T12:11:00.000-07:00

Many of you have already seen these articles / shows but some people missed them and are asking for links. There may be more out there... they keep surfacing!!

The Tri-City News - July 22 - Still much work to be done in Haiti.

Link to read: http://www.bclocalnews.com/tri_city_maple_ridge/tricitynews/news/99056439.html

The Province - July 26th - Haiti recovering to a "new normal", Surrey native is home for her first break since devastating quake.

Link to read: http://www.theprovince.com/news/Haiti+recovering+normal/3322960/story.html

CKNW - July 26 - Bill Good Show:

Link to listen: http://emedia.cknw.com/Podcasts/1116/Bill_Good_Show_-_Monday_July_26_-_Hour_3.mp3

City TV - July 27 - Breakfast Television:

Link to watch: http://video.citytv.com/video/detail/275335599001.000000/heart-to-heart-haiti/

CBC - July 27 - On the Coast:

One time Vancouver resident Rebecca Larkin now lives in Haiti where she helps run a school and children's home. She's back in the Lower Mainland for a vist and she related what life's been like in Haiti since the big earthquake in January. (runs 8:04)

Link to listen: http://www.cbc.ca/video/news/audioplayer.html?clipid=1553219547

Peace Arch News - July 29 - Haiti remains a work in progress:

Link to read: http://www.bclocalnews.com/surrey_area/peacearchnews/community/99507094.html

In Canada!

2010-07-25T09:26:00.000-07:00

I'm very behind on my blogging (stay tuned for more updates on H2H!) but I wanted to let you know that Renel & I arrived in Canada on July 16th - we're staying at my parents house in Crescent Beach, BC and are planning to be here until mid September. So far we've been staying close to home... trying to get caught up on sleep and introducing Renel to my family.

Renel & I have been going to 'boot camp' every morning with my sister & sister-in-law and I started working at the Wired Monk coffee shop already. It's really great to be home, especially with Renel. This is his first time out of Haiti so it's fun seeing Canada through his eyes. He likes everything so far except 'rare' steak and the hot tub. Why are we doing this? I feel like I'm being cooked! Those were just a few of his comments while we stood in the steaming pool :)

My extended family has been introducing him to their favorite 'Canadian food'... so far he's added slurpees and ketchup chips to his diet! We'd love to see as many of you as possible while we're here so please email me & come down to Crescent Beach for a walk & ice cream!

I've also been busy doing followup interviews - here's an article that just came out in the TriCity Newspaper:

http://www.bclocalnews.com/tri_city_maple_ridge/tricitynews/news/99056439.html

Bringing you up to speed

2010-07-05T11:33:00.000-07:00

The men have been working hard on the new guesthouse/kitchen/dining room building and the columns are now finished.

Bruce, Stan & Joanne are working with the H2H teachers & tomorrow is their last seminar day. They have a 5 year professional development program and this week will complete "year 2". The teachers are learning lots and having a lot of fun at the same time. We met with a representative from the Ministry of Education this morning in Ti-Goave and they were very impressed with "The Twins" (that's the nickname the kids have given Bruce & Stan) and they are willing to work along side of us in an attempt to get the program accredited by the Haitian government... no promises but we're definitely on the right path.

Kenzie has been at H2H the past 2 months and left this week - she was sad to leave and the kids are missing her hugs :)

Medical Team in Bouva

2010-07-04T09:45:00.000-07:00

We left for Bouva on Friday and had 2 mobile medical clinic there. We returned on Monday - dropped the medical team off in PauP and picked up the "Bruce & Stan Show". Bruce & Stan are retired Teachers/Principals that are doing professional development with the H2H teachers. I'll updated you on their trip shortly... here's an update on the trip to Bouva...

The drive through PauP:

Bouva (my favorite place on earth!!):

Church building / aka Hospital:

Kitchen (this was a busy place as we fed all of Bouva for 2 days!):

Examining Rooms:

The Pharmacy:

The clinics were all day events:

Another house call:

Going home:

Those of you who have been following my blog since "the beginning" already know that Bouva has a special place in my heart... Pastor Luc was born & raised there, the church was built on the foundation of the old voodoo temple, many of our kids came from Bouva... and it seems that every trip there strengthens my connection.

This was the first medical team I have accompanied to Bouva (there was one last year but I couldn't go with them) and it was such a blessing to the people - these people would not have gotten medical care if this team hadn't gone. This is a town where it's common not to name the babies until they're 3 years old, as so many of them die before they reach their 3rd birthday.

Renel is from Bouva & his parents & younger brother still live there and this was the first time we've visited since our wedding. I have always felt welcomed in Bouva but it was different this time - now I was surrounded by family... parents, brothers, cousins, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles... it just kept going! It was truly an honor to go to Bouva with this team - they served the people as if they were serving their own family & friends.

The only downside of this trip was that I was sick with a viral infection that gave me an incredibly sore throat. I kept taking pain killers but continued to talk so it got worse everyday. The final clinic day was the worse and I didn't think I was going to be able to get out of bed... let alone translate... but I realized a great perk of traveling with doctors & ER nurses... they bring drugs and they're not afraid to use them! They "woke me up" with a fist full of T3's and a shot in the bum. I was good to go... I saw more patients within a few hours than I had the previous day :)

Team updates

2010-06-23T19:06:00.000-07:00

Albert's construction team has gone now and the building has been left to our local contractors... I'll give them a couple of days to build before I take pictures of their progress.

The medical team has now had a mobile clinic in Forche, 2 clinic in H2H Compound and 2 mobile clinics in Dano.

Foche:

Examining rooms:

Pharmacy:

Dano:

Examining rooms:

(this lady was retaining so much water that she looked 9 months pregnant)

Pharmacy:

House call:

Today is the medical teams last day in Grande Goave - tomorrow we head to Bouva to have 2 clinic days there. Shelter, one of the returning doctors, brought a DVD projector for the kids to watch movies - great idea!! Here's a picture of the kids watching "Happy Feet" on the teams final night.

A full house!

2010-06-17T18:37:00.000-07:00

Our guesthouse is packed!

A medical team from UBC/Chilliwack arrived Tuesday and they had their first mobile medical clinic today in Lavanj.

A full load in the truck:

The church:

The "waiting room":

Reception:

Here's some of what the Vineyard Church has been up to...

The Pastors finished their seminar yesterday:

Pastor Gary is working on a video of the effects of the earthquake.

Albert & the Vineyard team has arrived!

2010-06-14T19:25:00.000-07:00

Albert (a H2H boardmember) and a team from the Vineyard Church arrived on Saturday. They planned to arrived the same time a container of building supplies & food (to do a large food distribution) arrived but unfortunately their container was delayed. They have made the best of it and have been able to stick with most of their original plans...

The girls working on updated sponsor pictures:

Albert & his boys have already started the foundation for the new (permanent) kitchen, dining room, depot & guesthouse complex.

The Pastors are doing a 3 day seminar for Pastor Luc and 75 other local Pastors.

Pastor Garry "jamming" with the kids:

Another container has arrived!

2010-06-11T19:30:00.000-07:00

Darcy's second container of building supplies & aid has arrived! It arrived just as church was starting so it will be unloaded tomorrow morning... luckily I'll be heading to Port-au-Prince to pickup a team from the airport so I'll miss out on the manual labour of unloading it:)

Knitting Lessons

2010-06-08T17:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I started giving Kenny & Woodly knitting lessons - they're unusual students (from a North American perspective) but they're doing great!

Writing the sponsorship letters

2010-06-07T17:21:00.000-07:00

The kids are writing sponsorship letters to their supporters. This is something they do at least once a year and they really like to do it. This time we’re asking them to write about the earthquake. It gives the letters a focus and the kids have a chance to share something personal with their sponsors.

Those of you who are supporters, you’ll have to wait until July to receive your letter, but I want to give the kids a voice & share a few of them with you now. Those of you who are not supporters… email me and I’ll assign you one of the kids that still needs a sponsor, we have several!!

Boaz Moline (with his little sisters):

Boaz is the son of a H2H teacher, Amos. He is also my neighbor and he and his 2 sisters hang out in my yard whenever possible.

“…when the earthquake hit I was sitting in my house. I was watching t.v. with my friends when I walked into the dining room and heard a loud noise. I ran outside. Everyone was yelling “Jesus”. I yelled too. My mom wasn’t there. I kept calling for her. It wasn’t until evening that I found out she was killed. I cried so much. She was everything to me. Since then my dad has been doing his best to care for us, and help us grow up. Thank you because you have chosen to be my supporter.”

Boaz’s mom (Amos’ wife) was killed in Leogane. She was pregnant and in Leogane seeing a doctor. Our driver, Enorck, searched for her body for 2 days before finding it… it was in a dump truck, with dozens others, on its way to a mass grave. They brought her body back to Grand Goave and buried it. Hers was one of the few bodies we were able to recover. Boaz’s house did not fall but it was damaged enough that they cannot sleep in it. They are sleeping under a tarp in their yard.

Ketteline Honorat:

Ketteline lives at H2H and is my sister-in-law now. She is very shy but always willing to help out when asked. She washes clothes for the younger kids and sweeps the yard every morning.

“…when the earthquake started I was in the dining room eating. I felt the shaking and ran out. As soon as I ran out the dining room collapsed. A brick fell on my foot but I was not injured. I have a brother, Keke, that was killed. It was God’s will. I will continue to pray for you. Thank you for your help and support.”

Ketteline doesn’t like talking about the earthquake or losing her older brother and when she wrote this letter she took the paper to her tent to write it in private. Despite being short, this letter was very difficult to write and contains a piece of her heart that isn’t shared with many people.

Donami Sanon (with his little brother Eliyou):

Donami is the energizer bunny of the compound. He doesn’t sit still for more than a few seconds at a time and he usually has his little brother, Eliyou, trailing behind him.

“…when the earthquake started I was in the kitchen washing the dinner pots. I ran and dropped the pots on the ground. The propane tanks fell and blocked my path. A girl, Samantha, came and helped me. I was very scared. I cried. Yesterday (May 12^th) we had an aftershock. I don’t want to go inside buildings.”

This letter really affected me. I knew there were several kids in the kitchen and dining room but hearing Donami recount his experience made me realize again how close we came to losing so many of our kids. It also took me back in time and I remember what it was like the first few weeks after the earthquake… people survived because people helped each other. Donami got out of the kitchen before it fell because Samantha (a deaf girl who lives with us as well) cared enough about him to help him… I can’t even imagine how scary it was for Samantha.

Writing and translating these letters have been a long process, and I’ll be honest, it’s been draining on me emotionally. I knew most of the kid’s “stories” already, as I experienced the earthquake with them, but some of them still brought me to tears. We have had several weeks since there’s been an aftershock and you’d think that would have a calming effect on me… I was calm through the initial earthquake and the months that followed but now every truck that drives by makes my heart skip a beat. Last week I was showering and a dump truck drove down my little street. I was positive it was the next “big one” and I ran out of the shower… luckily I didn’t make it out of the house before my good sense kicked in.

2010-05-24T18:55:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday we had a baptism for 22 people. This is the first time I've seen a baptism at Luc's church and it was a great experience.

The first truckload to leave the compound...there were a few trips made:

Worship on the beach before the baptisms started:

The sign by the beach... "We ask you not to "poop" by the ocean please":

One of the baptisms (Pastor Luc is the one making the splash):

Pastor Luc & his associate pastor, Herold:

Kenzie (aka "K") came to H2H a few weeks ago and is planning on staying until July 1st. This is her second trip to H2H... she came 2 years ago with a mission team from Vineyard Church. It has been great having her here. She loves the kids and spends all her free time with them. She's started teaching English lessons last week in the H2H School and to the interested older kids & adults in the evenings... she is also giving Renel daily lessons :)

Kenzie's first lesson... teaching the kids to sing "Jesus Loves You":

Playing with the kids during recess:

Kenzie is writing a blog as well - check it out: www.inlovewithhaiti.blog.com

Pastor Luc has a church in Forche (a neighbouring town to Grand Goave) and Kenzie and I visited it this past Sunday. The church building was destroyed completely in the earthquake... their wasn't much to begin with... and they have built this temporary structure:

It was packed:

Despite knowing they will make me "preach" every time I visit, I love going to church in Forche - the accordian player reminds me of my uncle Ewart...

...and who wouldn't love this drummer boy:

more "stuff"

2010-05-20T17:31:00.000-07:00

The aftershocks have slowed down... in frequency & in strength... but last night (1am) we had a 4.5 aftershock that shock the bed enough to get our attention. They're so infrequent now that I'm not used to them anymore and last nights spooked me & I couldn't get back to sleep. I laid awake thinking about the sponsorship letters the kids are writing (that will get mailed to the sponsors with the July newsletter). Even though Renel & I have been sleeping in our house for a few months, Pastor Luc & the kids are still sleeping outside in tents. The Children's Home is the only building on our compound that wasn't seriously damaged and the kids could move back into it as soon as they get the "word" from Pastor Luc. The kids are writing about the earthquake in their sponsor letters and almost every single one of them says they're not ready to move back inside... they are afraid of another big earthquake. I've been trying to encourage them to feel safe inside but last nights aftershock will make it a lot harder.

On another note, Renel hung the signs my brother painted yesterday...

Westbound (driving from Port-au-Prince):

Eastbound (driving from Ti-Goave):

The front gate:

Today, we finished taking pictures of the donated dresses...

Some of the boys were jealous...

MEI School (in Abbotsford) has been partnering with H2H for several years and does a lot of fundraising for us. They are having a "celebration" tomorrow to finish off this years fundraising and they asked me to do a video to show at their assembly. Eliyou is starring in the video and he's so cute that I wanted to share it with you too... especially since so many of you deserve a huge thank you too for all that you've done to support us since the earthquake... THANK YOU... from Eliyou and all of the other kids here!!!

More pictures from my dad & brother's trip

2010-05-15T17:04:00.000-07:00

My dad and his sponsor child, Louson:

Here is one of the signs my brother did... the rest of the pictures will have to wait until we hang the signs:

Sean only learned a few creole phrases but he loved saying them... especially when the H2H school kids walked by the house every morning:

The Wired Monk in Crescent Beach sent the kids an Oreo cookie snack... who wouldn't love that!

The cook was distracted by the kids eating the snack and the rice water boiled over...

My brother doing some electrical work with Renel (my husband) on the roof of the new bathrooms:

This really has nothing to do with their trip but the pictures are great... we had to cut down a big tree when Darcy's team put up the guest house tent and here are some pictures of them cutting the trunk into planks:

My dad and brother have arrived!

2010-05-11T18:09:00.000-07:00

Sorry this is rushed... we just had an aftershock and a storm is brewing so I want to get this downloaded before we lose the internet for the night.

Here is the final result of Darcy's tents...

The guest house:

The kids dinning room:

The workshop that is being held under tight watch:

My dad, Larry, and my brother, Sean, arrived on Friday. My dad has been here several times but this is Sean's first trip. I can't express how great it has been to have them here... I have been running on empty since January and they're definitely helping to refill my tanks! They've been busy doing some "handyman work" at my house and Sean's main focus is building & painting some signs... it may sound like a small thing but it's so frustrating to explain where we are located without a sign on the main road and in front of our compound... it's especially important now with all the aid coming in and the drivers not being familiar with us or the area.

The sign boards being welded:

The painting begins:

Having some extra hands, that just happen to be pretty skillful, is always a plus and we've taken full advantage of it. Here's some of what Sean has been up to...

Putting up the iron sheets on the new "temporary" kitchen:

Sponsorship letters:

They've also spent lots of time playing with the kids - the kids especially like the plastic soldiers they brought... thanks to their recent encounter with the US Marines :)

They also brought some special treats with them...

Cards from Hope Luthern Christian School:

Clothes made by the Home-Economics class at Glen Eagle Secondary School in Coquitlam:

This was just too cute not to post... my mom sent a bunch of new underwear and here's Eliyou showing his off!

And finally... Kenzie Watson (from Vineyard Church in Abbotsford) came on the same plane as my dad & brother and will be staying at H2H until July. She'll be teaching ESL and helping out wherever she can... she's staying in the new guesthouse tent and definitely approves of it... good job Darcy!! Kenzie has been working hard on her Creole and already written enough sponsorship letters that she deserves a vacation :)

Work hard - Party hard!

2010-05-03T17:31:00.000-07:00

Darcy's team flew out of Haiti on Friday and they worked so hard during their last few days that we were able to squeeze in a "day of celebration"... which was very much deserved! We drove to Ti-Goave and took a water taxi to a remote beach... this was a first, even for Pastor Luc.

Water Taxi:

Pastor Luc praying the boat would stay afloat... especially for our Haitian friends that can't swim... my husband included :)

The beach from a distance:

The Beach from less of a distance:

The beach from even less of a distance!:

The water was beautiful... an shallow enough to walk out as far as you'd like:

When we returned from the beach the team was surprised with a party... in the new dining room of course!

The party was enjoyed by all... it may have even upped our Christmas banquet! After all these kids have been through these past few months it was a real blessing for them to sit together and enjoy a meal... there was even enough food for all of the "extras" that are still sleeping in our yard.

I will post some final pictures of the work that the team did in the next day or so. I have been going to PauP during the days so I haven't been able to get good pictures during the day light. Thank you Darcy and the rest of your team - you have been an incredibly blessing to the kids at H2H :)

A very productive day!

2010-04-27T17:33:00.000-07:00

The container is now completely unloaded... even the 6 drums of cement that were transported into storage containers.... bucket, by bucket, by bucket, by bucket, by bucket... yes, I had some hands-on experiences with it and my husband will likely have nightmares... I wasn't pretty... cement dust + sweat = cement... everywhere it touches!!!

The team has finished constructing the 2 new tents:

The inside of the kids new dinning hall:

The "boys side" of the guest house:

The picnic tables (for the dining hall) and the bunk beds (for the guesthouse) are well on their way:

Here's the future location of the tool shed:

The team is working very hard but are in good spirits as the fruits of their labor are already ripening.

The crew hard at work

2010-04-26T07:22:00.000-07:00

Here's the crew:

They've gotten so much done since the container arrived! Everything has been unloaded & found a home, new electrical lines have been laid, the floor for the guest house & kitchen/dining room have been laid and the tents are well on their way.

This team is packed with "construction professionals" but I love the way they've included the locals (even the kids!!) in their work... they're teaching skills and building relationships that will last a lifetime.

Now for the more important part of this blog.... messages for home!

~ Happy 22nd Anniversary Sylvia!
~ Happy Birthday Jacob!

Darcy's container has arrived!

2010-04-23T07:21:00.000-07:00

The container arrived late last night and we are unpacking it this morning! The team has lots of help and they're ready to get building!!!

A day of destruction

2010-04-21T16:48:00.000-07:00

We expected Darcy's container to arrive today but the trucking company has been delayed... we are hoping/expecting it to arrive tomorrow.

The team spent the day helping the local work crew bring down the rest of the damaged school. The local crew brought down the remainder of the top floor last week but it crushed one of the classrooms underneath. Darcy's team cut the iron in the roof so that they can save the 2nd classroom and bring down the 1st classroom completely. It was a long and hot day in the sun!

A true "Heart to Heart" attitude

2010-04-20T17:33:00.000-07:00

Jason and Brigit have moved on to the second leg of their trip now... hope you're having fun at Double Harvest!!

They brought a special present for the kids at H2H that I wanted to share with you...

Seyi Esan, a grade 1 boy from Acacia Academy did a school project for the 100th day of school - he made an acacia tree out of 100 pennies. He then asked that his 100 pennies be donated to Haiti after hearing about the earthquake - some of the teachers at the school added to his donation and we used the money to buy Tampico drinks for the kids. It was a real treat for them... especially when they heard that a boy younger than most of them had bought the drinks for them.

Here's Brigit giving Luc the money and showing him the newspaper article of Seyi's act of kindness.

And here's Louson enjoying his drink... thanks Seyi!!

Darcy and his team are expecting their container of supplies to arrive this evening or tomorrow morning... they have big building plans so I should have some exciting updates for you over the next 2 weeks!

Darcy's team has arrived

2010-04-19T17:24:00.000-07:00

Darcy and his team arrived Sunday and they jumped right into things.

They cleared the ground in preparation for their building projects... they even "relocated" the tarantulas that had made the rubble their home:

Their container of building supplies is scheduled to arrive tomorrow afternoon.

After a long working day we took a quick dip in the ocean at Tyno Beach. It was my first time visiting the beach since the earthquake and I was shocked to see the damage done to the area... this is what is left of the hotel where Renel & I were married in October.

Jason & Brigit have arrived

2010-04-17T17:53:00.000-07:00

Jason and Brigit (from Oak Brook Church) arrived this morning. After a tour of PauP and a quick visit with the kids we whisked them off to Lavanj.

The church was damaged by the earthquake but the frame is still standing:

Pastor Luc took advantage of the trip to distribute some more of the flour:

This is their first trip to H2H but they're already very much at home... Jason has even learned to play marbles Haitian style!

A long week in PauP

2010-04-16T16:46:00.000-07:00

We have had 3 long days in Port-au-Prince this week trying to get the paperwork to receive 2 containers that are waiting at the DR border... we made good progress today and have an appointment next week to pick up the final approval documents.

It still shocks me to see the state of PauP... there are multi-storey buildings hanging at 45 degree angles... people selling market items on top of rubble... bodies still trapped under collapsed buildings... people trying to repair buildings that should be condemned... tent cities that make Merritt Mountain Music Festival look like a 5 star hotel (some of you will know exactly what I mean!!).

Here are some very poor quality pictures that I took from the truck:

It's going to be a very long process to clean up PauP... it's hard for me to even comprehend how they're going to do it. I really hope there is a plan to decentralize it when they reconstruct it. Nothing happens in Haiti that isn't filtered through PauP and that creates a bottleneck that is almost impassable.

On a more positive note... tomorrow is the start of a new season for H2H... no, not rainy season - that started last month... the season of TEAMS!!! Our calendar is full for the next 3 months; medical, construction, distribution, ESL, teaching seminars, the list goes on & on. As our guest house complex was destroyed completely we have built a temporary guesthouse and it's quite impressive... considering our current situation that is.

I know many of you are already praying for me on a daily basis (thank you!!) - please keep it up as I'll need some extra energy going into these next few months... especially as I'm still recovering from malaria.

Some things to celebrate!

2010-04-12T16:32:00.000-07:00

Pastor Luc dedicated Baby Theo Joe on Sunday.

The H2H school officially opened today! The classes are meeting under the "church tent"... a bit crowded & noisy but it's great to see a bit of normal returning.

And what is more normal than kids playing on the playground at recess!

And on a personal note... Renel and I moved back into our house several weeks ago (although we have had to run out a few times for aftershocks... which isn't fun at 2am) and today we hooked up the gas stove... rice & beans, without the smell of charcoal, has never tasted better!

The first of many give aways

2010-04-09T17:53:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry I've been out of touch... I've been struggling with malaria the past few weeks and am just starting to regain some energy.

Yesterday we did a big give away with the flour we received in the container. Each Pastor in "The Association of Pastors, Grand Goave" received a stack of flour to share with their church. Each church member will be instructed to share their portion with a neighbor... kinda like the "pay if forward" concept.

This is the third give away (with the same concept) we've done in the past few years and it great to see how the concept is embraced by the Pastors.

Here are some pictures of the Pastors praying together and then picking up their flour.

We love you Kaka

2010-03-28T17:31:00.000-07:00

I am so far behind on my paperwork that I locked myself in my house this weekend to get caught up... and to alleviate my fears of being fired :)

My goal was to finish sending "thank you emails" to those who made purchases through the H2H gift catalogue. I was making headway until I wrote this email & then took several hours to compose myself again...

If you have been following my blog (www.rebeccalarkin.blogspot.com) you'll know that we lost one of our kids in the earthquake... Kaka was living in Port-au-Prince while he attended school. His home collapsed in the initial earthquake and we were not able to recover his body.

Kaka's parents live in a small town in northern Haiti, called Bouva. They are a poor family who live in a remote mountain community. Most of their children are living at H2H as they did not have a chance to go to school in Bouva. When his parents found out about Kaka they were devastated to say the least and his father became sick. He is recovering but hasn't been able to do much to support his family. I have sent the money you sent to H2H for "emergency food" to Kaka's parents and pray that God's presence and peace will accompany the monetary gift and their hearts will be nourished as well as their bodies.

Thank you for your purchase through the H2H gift catalogue and please continue to pray for Kaka's parents and the rest of his family. I am attaching a picture of Kaka - taken a few weeks before the earthquake. He was taking a computer class at school and was excited to show me what he was learning on my computer.

Kaka, you are our brother, son, nephew, cousin and friend to all... we love you and miss you!

Wavin' Flag

2010-03-27T16:51:00.000-07:00

Most of you have probably already seen this video... as you get more news than I do! If you haven't heard the song "Wavin' Flag" it's worth checking out this video!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nB7L1BIDELc&feature=PlayList&p=A04B234CD95E78B9&index=24

The 1st container has arrived!

2010-03-23T17:15:00.000-07:00

A container of Rogers Flour arrived today! We already have sent several bags to the local bakery to make bread... hopefully it will be ready for breakfast tomorrow!!... and the kids are looking forward to porridge and stew with dumplings.

Despite the heat, the men quickly challenged each other to see who could carry the most flour:

And the winner was..... "Ti-Pappa" with 7 bags!!

Please continue to pray for the kids - typhoid and malaria are circulating. We're doing our best to keep things in check by taking kids to the hospital quickly but it's still taking it's toll.

Let the blocks fall and the babies cry!

2010-03-16T18:35:00.000-07:00

The boys, & some hired help, are taking down the damaged buildings. It's been a lot of work as they are doing it by hand (with hammers) so they can save some of the building materials.

Half of the top floor of the school has been removed:

And this is what is left of the guesthouse/kitchen building:

I also wanted to show you some updated pictures of Theo Joe:

Here he is with his mom:

Just today I received a link to a video posted on Facebook of Theo Joe's birth:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=516804379#!/video/video.php?v=1272158457973&ref=mf

More good news...

One of our teachers, Jay Michel, and his wife had a baby girl, Ashlin, on March 3rd. They are living in the H2H compound with us & both mom & baby are doing great!

Ashlin:

Ashlin with her cousin, Loona:

Their tarp shelter (right beside the school):

It has been a difficult few months but there are also lots good memories being stored away too :)

Cards from students at TWU

2010-03-13T16:55:00.000-08:00

Students from TWU sent cards to the kids at H2H with words of encouragement and promises to help - the kids (even the big ones!) really appreciated them!

Samantha & Ticam:

Meme & friend:

Sheldon, Rosie, Wilner, Donami, Dodo & Sencia:

Eliyou:

Article with US Marines

2010-03-11T08:38:00.000-08:00

I just realized this article has been posted:

http://onthegroundinhaiti.freedomblogging.com/2010/02/02/blogs-twitter-helps-22nd-marine-expeditionary-unit-in-crisis-response/

Our new truck!

2010-03-07T16:06:00.001-08:00

H2H is the proud owner of this new truck!

It's not just pretty, it's a hard worker too! We received it a few weeks ago and it has been serving us faithfully in food distributions, carrying tents & other supplies. It is the identical truck to the one we rent when we take the kids to the beach so the kids are talking nonstop about going to Tyno Beach... but they'll have to wait a bit longer for that :)

ps... the security guard in the picture above is Jason.

The story of Meme

2010-03-06T16:17:00.000-08:00

Meme is a 16 year old boy who lived with his aunt in a nearby town called Tampion (on the road to Petit Goave). When the earthquake started he was working in a garden in the mountains. After the initial few shakes ceased he ran down the mountains to his aunt’s house… only to find it abandoned. The aftershocks continued and he was scared to stay by himself so he made his way to the market in Grande Goave on his bike. He spent 4 long nights there, without food or shelter, until someone in town directly him to Heart to Heart Valley. He has been staying with us ever since.

My first encounter with Meme was the day after he arrived. Our compound was full of school kids and community members and it was difficult to sort through the masses. I came across a boy sitting alone crying. He eventually explained that his front tooth had been broken and was hurting. I sent him to a dentist in town that afternoon… in the chaos I didn’t give much thought to who he was or why he was there. It was later that night that Pastor Luc filled me in on his story.

Meme’s mom abandoned him 3 years ago, fleeing to the Dominican, leaving him with his dad and his aunt’s family. A year ago his dad died suddenly after drinking some homemade alcohol… it was presumably poisoned but nothing was confirmed. This left him alone with his aunt’s family. He has a few brothers and sisters but most were living in Port-au-Prince with various family members – none of them have been in touch for years.

We are trying to locate Meme’s aunt and a brother that was rumored to be living nearby but we haven’t had any luck yet. For now Meme is safe, and happy, living at H2H but we’d like to reunite him with his family. Please pray for Meme and the others that have similar stories - before the earthquake they had very little family life... now they have even less.

Here's Meme helping the boys take down the rest of the questhouse/kitchen complex - he's a very hard worker!!