Our team will construct two recycled playgrounds at the Love-A-Child orphanage a short drive from Port au Prince. Love-A-Child has one main compound with an orphanage, along with a few smaller orphanages and feeding centers in other outlying villages. They feed nearly 5,000 children each day!
These playgrounds will be at the main orphanage near the village's elementary school and will be used by both the orphans and the village's school children. There are nearly 600 kids! We are blessed to have a large volunteer group that will be joining us to minister to the children of Haiti.
Please note that we are no longer accepting applications for this trip. Please visit our playground page to see other opportunities to serve around the world.
For the kids...around the world,
Jim Rosene
President
Dedication Day
Dedication day is always a highlight and today was no exception. I don't think anyone on the team will forget what they saw and experienced today. Many of us wore sunglasses for the occasion (we said it was because of the bright sun but in all honesty that was only part of the reason).
It's difficult to describe the sobering joy we felt as we watched a young girl named Marla. Marla lost her leg in the earthquake and has since undergone 7 surgeries and is struggling with depression. The doctors and the staff at LAC are very concerned about her. After the dedication celebration the new playground was opened to the kids who were victims of the earthquake first. Don caught the video that many of us witnessed - Marla trying to hop around and get to the steps so she could get up the slide. (click on the link below to view the video) After a turn or two, she stumbled at the bottom of the slide as child after child stepped over or around her to get back up to the top of the slide again. Karlee noticed Marla and scooped her up and carried her back up the steps to the top of the slide. The smile on Marla's face lit up brighter than the sun.
The handicap ramp for the large playground proved to be so beneficial because of all of the kids on crutches. Every square foot of the playground was covered with kids, enjoying their new gift. What a colorful and fun escape this playground is for these hurting kids. We even were able to install 2 basketball poles with backboards and rims and Jeff, Tess, and John Jr. tried teaching them how to play. What fun it was to see teenagers trying to dribble and shoot a basketball. It reminded us of a small child trying those same skills for the first time!
Oh, and what about the grownup "kids"! I have never seen anything like this before. There was one man on the high deck of the playground standing for several minutes. He was turning the steering wheel that was attached to a panel, smiling and shouting "Toot! Toot!" as he must have imagined himself steering some type of ship. And the swings...there were many adults and older children taking turns on the swings. They would scream loudly each time the swing reached its high point.
On the last night many from the team headed to the orphanage to spend one more evening with them and say goodbye. This is always the toughest part of any trip. Those dear children, who have been forever etched in our memories and hearts are so hard to leave. Perhaps Steve's comment sums it up well - "Reaching out is sometimes the healthiest thing you can do." And this team did indeed reach out. Thank you to each and every one of you on this team and those who prayed and supported us. We leave Haiti having left our mark on those we reached out to and we have been marked by those who touched us too.
For the team...
Mike Young
Kids Around The World
Day 5
"Carry on to Completion"... That was the theme of our devotions Wednesday morning and the theme for the team's work today. Today we finished the work we came for on the playground which included spreading 40 cubic yards of pea gravel in order to get ready for the dedication on Thursday morning. Once again the Haiti Love A Child 2010 team rose to the occasion.
The first task at the playground was to finish mixing and dumping concrete into the last of the holes. While that was being done, the warehouse crew continued their seemingly endless task of re-organizing the warehouse. We are pretty sure Lauren has folded more laundry in the last 24 hours than she ever has in her life. I wonder if she thought about which child would be wearing each of the items as she neatly organized the articles of children's clothing. And Jerilyn must have a pharmacist's degree by now! She has organized a container's worth of medicines and vitamins as efficiently as anyone could. Patience was the key for this crew and what a difference they have made in this new warehouse for Love A Child.
After finishing the concrete at the playground, it was time to wait. Wait for the pea gravel deliveries that we've been anticipating for 2 days. The first delivery arrived about 10 AM and it was all hands on deck very quickly. We got the first delivery spread before the 2nd truck arrived at noon. With each new load the team was able to spread out the surface in time for the next delivery with time to spare. That gave the volunteers more time to play and bond with the children in the tent village near the playground.
Dinner time brought a wonderful surprise from Denny and Brian Dahl. As the team was getting ready to eat, Brian opened 2 coolers of Coca Cola they purchased to surprise the team. THANKS Denny & Brian!
Thursday promises to be a day to be remembered. A day of great emotions, both high and low, for those who have bonded with the kids. Everyone will be excited about the playground dedication and watching the hundreds and hundreds of kids enjoy this new gift. But then they will have to find a way to say goodbye to these same kids who have stolen their hearts. Please pray for the team during this difficult time. And again, on behalf of the team in Haiti, thank you for your prayers and support!
For the team in Haiti...
Mike Young
Kids Around The World
Day 4
Everyone has a story and they all tug at your heart in a very real and personal way...
Moses is now about 4 years old. He was brought to Love A Child when he was a small boy, extremely malnourished and left to die in the bottom of an outhouse. A passerby heard some noise and looked into the outhouse and saw Moses lying down in the mess. Bobby & Sherry from LAC took him in and they believe he is destined to lead his country - like another small boy, many years ago who was rescued from the water and chosen to be a leader. Moses is now a healthy, energetic boy full of life and already showing signs of leadership at such a young age. When he plays his bongos or sings his worship songs, he dances and sings his heart out. When he plays, he plays with all of his heart and others follow. He is already smart beyond his years.
And then there is Lee. Lee is one of our volunteers who has been on several KIDS trips. This time he brought 3 of his grandchildren with him. Through tears he shared how proud he is of his family and how much it has meant to him to see them get involved in this trip. Last night during our evening devotions with the children at LAC, Lee and his grandkids had their arms full holding the kids and showing them how special they are to us and to our Father. I think Lee's heart almost burst several times as he looked at Leslie, Jeff and Karlee sharing some of the love that they have received from Lee so many times before. What a legacy!
There are many volunteers who, for the first time, are experiencing and processing all that God is doing in and through them. And we have our veteran volunteers coming alongside the others, encouraging each other. Each one of these people sacrificed in some way to be here, and each one has their own story. I hope you get hear some of them someday.
There are also many people here who we don't know their names - victims of the earthquake that came to help us build the playgrounds. Amputees, some in casts, others in external fixators that help hold shattered bones in place while their bodies heal. What have they endured? And yet they come trying to help...clean out holes, pick up rocks, anything they can because they are so excited about this gift we've brought here to bless them.
We won't forget the many children who have entered our lives for this short time. Each of them has their own personal story. How many of them, only a short time ago, had brothers or sisters, or a mother or father? How much pain have these dear little ones already suffered?...and yet we see them smiling. Oh, if only you were here to see their smiles! They have so little and yet they have so much. They have Bobby & Sherry and the staff here who look after them and love them as their own. Many of the staff grew up in this very orphanage and understand what they are going through. They have each other and they have a loving, Heavenly Father who they learn about daily by those who care for them.
And now they will have a big, beautiful playground to run, play and laugh on. Thank you for helping us make this possible!
For the great team in Haiti...
Mike Young
Kids Around The World
Day 3
Our devotions this morning were about obeying and carrying out the tasks God has called us to do and the team rose to the challenge - BIG TIME! Under the hot Haitian sun both the playground and the warehouse team went above and beyond. Some of the challenges we encountered might have caused someone less committed to stop. But that was not an option for these faithful servants.
The difference in the look and space in the warehouse is amazing. This is not something that most people (outside our team and some of the LAC staff) will ever realize even occurred. But the work was necessary and very valuable to the orphans, the clinics and the hospitals that will receive the products that these faithful volunteers organized. THANK YOU to the volunteers and their commitment to the task!
The playground team continued to work together and was able to complete so much work today. During the evening meeting several of them commented about an older Haitian refugee woman who had walked over from the tent village at LAC early in the morning to help clean the dirt out of the holes that were being dug. When I arrived at the playground late in the morning, this dear lady was still there. And when we had completed a great day's work at 4 PM and began cleaning up the site, she was still there working with us! These people are hard-working people, looking to do whatever they can to better their current situation.
I wish all of you could experience just 1 day with this incredible team. This team came from 6 different States and Belgium, and they have come together like a long-lost family. We are so blessed to be partnered with them and the great staff at Love A Child.
Tuesday should bring the playground installation to a conclusion with the exception of spreading the surface material and cleaning it up in preparation for Thursday's dedication. Tuesday evening the team will be walking over to the orphanage to join the kids there for evening devotions. This promises to be another wonderful experience. Thank you all for the privilege to serve.
On behalf of the team in Haiti...
Mike Young
Kids Around The World
Day 2
"This was the most incredible way to celebrate Easter! I will never forget this!" That was Julie's comment during the evening team meeting through tears of heart felt emotions.
The morning began with the team joining the orphans, the earthquake refugees and the hospital patients for their outdoor church service - Haitian style. Bonnie, one of our team members who grew up in Haiti as a missionary kid, translated the message for us. Many were impacted by the Word. After the service some of the team went to visit a few patients and pray over them. Needless to say this was another opportunity for God to work in and through our volunteers.
After lunch part of our team went out to the playground site to continue working. They were joined by some of the local Haitian refugees and patient's families to accomplish quite a bit of work in a short time. Most of the remainder of the team had the chance to tour the orphanage and play with the kids. Several of the ladies put candy into Easter eggs and hid them for an Easter egg hunt. To say it was fun to watch the children run to find the eggs would be an understatement! The excitement and the anticipation of finding the eggs became contagious. Many of the team members were running and laughing with the kids.
When we left the orphanage some of the team members went into the refugee camps to spend time with the children there. A few members were given the chance to speak with some of the earthquake survivors. One man shared that he was at work when the earthquake hit and raced home as quickly as he could. When he finally got home his house was completely leveled and he could not find anyone, not his wife, or his 5 kids. After searching frantically one of his son's came around the corner and the dad asked him where everyone else was. "They are gone!" he cried. Eventually they found one daughter who survived in the rubble of the collapsed home. Her mother had sheltered her in her arms and covered her to protect her from the collapsing building. She had given her life to save her little girl. Through the pain of such great loss this man shared through tears how much he thanked God for giving him 2 of his children back. This is reality in Haiti today.
Just before dinner, Love A Child handed out some of the new soccer uniforms and equipment to the LAC soccer team and they played a game against another group of soccer players. The excitement and cheers of the crowd when the team came running out in their new, bright uniforms reminded me of similar experiences in the States at school athletic events. And when the LAC team won 1-0...well, let's just say I think people from miles around heard the celebration!
On Tuesday we hope to finish most of the playground components and mix concrete so we can do the surfacing on Wednesday afternoon just in time for Thursday's big celebration! Thank you all for your prayers and support.
On behalf of the team in Haiti...
Mike Young
Kids Around The World
Day 1
Happy Easter from Haiti! After the safe arrival into Port au Prince (PAP), the team loaded more than 100 pieces of luggage and everyone climbed into 1 of the 3 trucks for the hour long ride to Love A Child (LAC), our home for the next 7 days. As we journeyed through a section of PAP, we were reminded again of the resiliency of the people who have endured devastating circumstances. These Haitians, along with others who have traveled here before us, have been very active clearing the roads and byways of debris left from the earthquakes that destroyed or damaged much of this city. The survivors are trying to put their lives back together the best they can.
Upon entering the LAC campus we were struck by the stark contrast between LAC and most of what we saw before. The staff at LAC works extremely hard to offer the nicest and safest facility they can for the people here. The orphanage, once housing about 60 children, is now home to over 1000 surviving, displaced Haitians, many of whom have suffered life-altering injuries. But as I type this update, early Sunday morning, we can hear the children running, laughing and playing as they take turns showering and getting dressed in preparation for Easter Sunday service.
Saturday was our 1st full day here and the team didn't waste any time starting on the playground or getting the warehouse organized. We moved a lot of the playground equipment over to the site of the installation and the volunteers began organizing the different playground parts. Tim Clauson and some of the team began to figure out which pieces go where while others began digging the holes that had been marked out already. The LAC staff made sure that fresh water was delivered often to the volunteers.
Those who worked in the warehouse worked diligently alongside the LAC staff moving, re-stacking and re-packing boxes to make room for the anticipated shipment Monday morning. Some of the volunteers had the opportunity to travel with our hosts, Bobby and Sherry Burnette, to one of their food distribution centers to hand out some of the food packets that were packed in Rockford! We learned too that the center they were helping at would've run out of food yesterday if the container we shipped hadn't arrived when it did! God's timing is perfect.
We concluded the evening celebrating Lee Erickson's birthday and John Bakken's wedding anniversary during dinner and then enjoyed a wonderful evening breeze that brought refreshment to our souls. We are looking forward to celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord this morning with the orphans and refugees in Haiti. Until our next report, thank you for your support and prayers for the team in Haiti. Keep them coming!
For the team...
Mike Young
Kids Around the World
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