Updates From Christmas and Our Visitors

August 3, 2009 Posted by Karen Huxter

NOTE: This post is from January 2008 and was added to bridge the gap between the previous blogs.

Warm greetings from all of us at the HATS mission in Deschapelles, Haiti.

We trust you all enjoyed Christmas and New Years with family and friends and that this first month of 2008 has been good for you.

This update will be shorter than most because Karen is once again having great difficulty doing any reading or computer work. For awhile now she has been losing vision in her left eye. This means another trip back to Canada for eye surgery soon. She is not looking forward to being there this time of year, but it is absolutely essential that it be taken care of. For any errors you may find on this update, please forgive.

Karen’s brother Don, from Newfoundland, is here with us now and he is helping Karen get this done, including some photos even. Luckner and Don are Karen’s eyes now, so to speak.

Thank you for the special support in December for Christmas. Due to your loving kindness the children thoroughly enjoyed the ‘fets’, the Christmas gifts, the special meals, their new outfits, and all the fun and laughter. Leaving the mission compound for the Christmas Eve fet and the New Year’s Eve fet was the highlight of the season’s festivities for our children.

Karen, Luckner and kids opening gifts

9 of the children in their new clothes

Having Caleb, Karen’s nephew, with us for three weeks, made it a very special holiday time for everyone. Christmas was very different for him this year, but he really enjoyed experiencing Christmas and New Year celebrations Haitian style. He fit in everywhere with everyone. He was one very well liked and respected young man, who many people want to see return as soon as possible. Here’s Caleb helping to serve the Christmas eve meal.

We believe there was one glitch only in Caleb’s time with us and that was him getting Dengue Fever on January 1st. Karen, too, ended up with it and neither of them could help the other. Luckner, and then Cecile, took care of Caleb and Karen for a couple of days and then Caleb headed back to Canada while still quite ill. The good news is that both are now back to doing too much again.

While Caleb was here we were blessed by two visits from a couple of Canadians who are stationed in Haiti with the UN. Carl, from Quebec, presented the mission with school supplies and soccer balls from Ecole aux Quatre-Vents in Gatineau. We were blessed by both visits to our mission and by the donated items for our school.

Mid December saw our school students and staff enjoying a special Christmas meal (rice & beans, chicken, vegetables, salad, and cold drinks) thanks to friends of HATS-Haiti in Nova Scotia.

Hungry Grade 6 children enjoying their meal

School Director, Luckner, helping to serve the meal

During December and early January the generator was broken down for some time. “No generator, no electricity.” “No electricity, no e-mail communication.”

We had no vehicle running. “No vehicle, no go.” Then we ended up with no internet service for two weeks. Life is never dull and always challenging, which Caleb certainly can attest to.

A few of you have not yet received the photo of your sponsored students as they were not in school on photo day, and a couple of you are awaiting name and grade. Please be patient while Karen gets the necessary medical help and can return to work.

Having Don with us is a tremendous blessing. He is involved here, there, and everywhere – helping the laundry lady wash clothes by hand, helping the ladies who prepare the meals for the school students wash all the dishes, temporarily fixing the clothesline poles so laundry can dry, teaching English in the grade seven class in place of Luckner, scrapping and painting the huge entrance gate, and helping Karen with the office work. Too, he is a great help with Alexandre, who we don’t think was actually lacking in attention and love, but Uncle Don is great fun to be with.

Don and the ladies washing dishes

Thank you to those who sent funds to help purchase an inverter and batteries so we can have electricity when there is no Haitian electricity and the generator is not running. The installation of this system was done by Luckner, with the help of a couple of others. To have this system up and running is a tremendous blessing. Dickie, come on down as now you will be able to have fans running whenever you need them.

Recently Karen was informed she is being blessed with the gift of an air conditioner through a cousin. It is perhaps in Haiti already, most likely in customs in PaP. A decision will be made later as to where it will be installed. If it is in the bedroom, Karen will not want to leave that room, and that would not be too condusive to the work of HATS getting done. If we put it in the office, Karen will put a mattress on the floor there and sleep there instead. But will that see Karen working more hours again, than she really should??

We are believing that good things will happen this year. But no matter what might be ahead, the children will always be our highest priority.

REMEMBER FOR HATS IT IS ALL ABOUT THE CHILDREN !!

~Karen

About Karen Huxter

Karen Huxter, the founder and Director of Hands Across the Sea, was born in Springdale, Newfoundland and is proud of her Newfie roots and heritage. She lived in various places across Canada such as Quebec, the Yukon, Ontario, Alberta and BC before moving to Haiti in 1995. In her professional career, Karen worked in teaching, banking and administration and did extensive volunteer work with community groups and charities. A mother of two grown daughters, one young adopted son and seven grandchildren, Karen is energetic and passionate about the work in Haiti. She loves each of the children and has a heart of compassion for children, women and families in the country of Haiti.

Archive by Month

Testimonials

It’s my hope that I manage to touch their hearts in some small way, the way that they have touched mine – in a major way.

Cherie MacDonald
HATS Visitor
Personally, this is my first time here. I’ve never done a mission trip of any sort before and I’ve certainly never been anywhere this hot before. I keep seeing things that are different from what I’m used to, and hearing about things even more unfamiliar to me. One of the most surprising things to meis how quickly I’ve grown to love all the people here. Everyone here is great, and the team is wonderful too. Watching everyone support each other warms my heart almost as much as the sun warms my skin. I’ve learned a lot from this experience, and I know that this trip has already had a profound impact on my life.

Matthew Sketchley
HATS Visitor
This is my first trip to Haiti and I’m hoping that it will not be my last! I could start by telling you all about my experiences however I’ll start by saying that Haiti DOES hit you in your heart! Not a day goes by when I’m not fighting back tears. Hands Across the Sea is an amazing place! Our team has been assembled of different men that all who all felt God calling them to do his bidding. Since I have been here I was quick to realize that we are just helpers here. Karen and her team of workers are, what I believe to be, the real workers of God! Each child presents their own challenges and Karen and her staff make sure that all of the children, not one child, are seen to!

Bernie Melanson
HATS Visitor
Thank you Karen for everything you do, all the hard work and dedication that you put into this place, all of the work behind the scenes. Thank you for putting up with all the craziness that we bring when we come to your house for the week, just thank you times a million and one for everything Karen. I can write about my week until I am blue in the face (maybe not write that long but if you know me I can definitely talk for that long), and can sing about kit kat bars until my voice gives out, but I cannot even begin to try and articulate in song, dance, or other random art forms how thankful and blessed I am to have been given this experience not only once but twice! Thank you – thank you – thank you – thank you!!!!!!!

Kathleen
HATS Visitor
They call Karen “the helicopter ” and after spending three days by her side I know why. She propels through life!!! If you want to get on the ride you better start running. It is an amazing work that the Lord is doing here through so many many dedicated workers…literally hundreds of children impacted every day with the love of Christ…but the task to do so is enormous. The dedication of staff is invaluable…they NEED US ALL!!

Barbara & Louis
HATS Visitors
I have learned much about Haiti in my short stay here, much about generational, entrenched poverty, and much about hope. We can only be part of the bringing of hope if we become one small actor on the huge stage that is poverty. Thank you, Lynn Clark, for inviting me to share this life changing experience with you, and thank-you, Karen Huxter, for investing so much of your life in a work designed to bring hope to those who need it more than any Canadian could ever imagine.

Linda
HATS Visitor
I am so thankful to God for allowing me the opportunity to be here and experience his splendor. This day will forever be in my heart and mind. The scripture that resonates with me today is “…whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Matt 25:40. I am so happy I decided to come to HATS, this experience will stay with me for my life time.

Crystal Young
HATS Visitor
I spent a week in Haiti at HATS in November 2017 and it was a wonderful experience. Karen is an amazing woman and is doing amazing work. She is dedicated to the children in her care and is changing lives. I would love the opportunity to visit again and help out where I can.

Sandy Eastly
HATS Visitor
Culture shock for this Canadian team at first, but a ride through busy, vibrant streets proved terrifically interesting; busy markets, vendors selling exotic fruits, clothing and shoes, used tires and rusty metal… and then the gorgeous countryside: banana plants, mangoes, cows and goats and pigs and dogs, the Golfe de La Gonave by our side. Rice patties indicated we were close to our home for the next week. We were greeted by Magalie, a house mother, with hugs for all and, of course, the children themselves, so gorgeous and endearing. A beautiful meal was followed by a sharing of impressions: there is a lot of poverty but so much potential and hope. We are already in love with Haiti.

Team Canada
HATS Visitors
We’ve made a difference, I believe. Big stuff, little stuff; it all contributed to the greater good and that big picture: keeping HATS a surviving and thriving, safe haven for the children of Deschapelles, Haiti. And oh my, what children they are. As expected, it was tough to leave. There were tears, whispers, hugs and I’ll miss you’s. I learned that it gets easier (only a bit) for those who’ve done this a few times. As Bob says “I’m part of the furniture now. I don’t say ‘goodbye’, I say ‘see you later’.” Maybe that’s how you cope with leaving…you return. Once, five times, 10 times. However many. Guaranteed you’ll leave a different person than when you came in.

Aimee Feaver
HATS Visitor