Mwen rele Jessie

March 10, 2011 Posted by HATS Visitors

Well, where do I even begin? Mwen rele Jessie. 🙂 (My name is Jessie) This is my first complete Creole sentence!

Wow, what a wonderful, wonderful place to dive in. Let me update you first for those of you who don’t know a lot about Seth and I. My husband, Seth, and I are the ones from Illinois, not Texas, that have come to help Karen for a year. We had originally planned to teach overseas and leave next August for the job. However, when we started to search for such a job, we ran across HATS ad on our college’s website and praise God that we did!! We contacted Karen in the middle of December and after several e-mails and phone calls we decided to come visit. We were suppose to come for a week in January to check it out. My passport didn’t come, so plans fell through. Karen contacted us later that week to ask if we would come for a whole year instead. We had been praying about a week and had a peace about that, but a WHOLE year! We finally decided in the middle of January to come and here we are a month and a half later. Thank God we are! We have had such a peace through the whole process and now we fit right in at home.

You’ve heard about what we’ve done the past few days, most of it being truth. 🙂 So, I will pick up on Monday night. The group said good bye to the children and came in for our last devotion time together. This was such an encouraging and sad time for Seth and I. We had really become family with the Texas group. They made our transition so easy and we bonded really well. Thank you Texas group for your hospitality and friendship. To end Monday night, the group discussed their week and what they had learned. We also laughed at the difference of the two experiences, (the one group at HATS and the other group at a different mission) but ultimately just praising God for the things and people we experienced this week. The group prayed over Seth, Karen, and I for next years work, our unity, Seth and I’s marriage, and the children’s growth. What an encouragement you all were to us! Thank you again.

Waiting for bus early a.m.

Tuesday morning the group was up by 3:30 am. They were suppose to be off by 4:30, but as we all know in Haiti things don’t always go as planned. The bus was right on “Haitian” time and Brooks (the young man who did the illusionist show the previous afternoon) proceeded to try an illusion before getting on the bus. Both set back the group just a bit. The first resulted in the bus showing up around 5:00 and the second resulted in Brooks landing in a muddy creek (don’t tell him that it was actually a filthy, nasty, dirty, polluted, disgusting, sewage infested canal). He had to go up and get a quick shower before they took off to Port au Prince. Brooks, I hope you got the first class you wanted on the way back just so no one in the group had to sit next to you!

Seth and I got to get up that morning with Ti Luckner. Man, I know you guys have heard a ton about him, but he is everything they say he is! He is gorgeous, wonderful, handsome, and so, so intelligent. Seth and I have come to learn he loves to be tickled, to see his Papa and Mama, and most of all he loves his mamba= peanut butter. (not his mambo, which I accidentally said and got laughed at by Ti Luckner and his Mama because that means a Voodoo Priestess in Creole and they both did not want one of those with their bread) We got to dress him, feed him, and most importantly laugh at cartoons with him.

Seth and Jesie with Ti Luc

The rest of the day involved planting grass seed, watering the yard, and playing with the beautiful children. Man, what a good day of rest for Seth and I after the “leader” of the Texas team worked us to death. 🙂 But, truly, God has blessed this place and our lives by putting us here! These children, Karen, and this mission bring such joy to us.

In the evening, Seth, Karen, Ti Luc, and I went to visit Luckner’s home, business, trade school, and everything else he has there. That man has quite the brain! We sat and visited and just relaxed as the sun went down. Did I mention it is 85 degrees here almost everyday, so you have to really embrace the cool breeze in the evening.

Wednesday started off with devotion time with the children and the staff. I like this time a lot now, but I am really going to love having this time in the morning, as soon as I learn the words and meanings to the worship songs! 🙂 Karen went over to the school in the morning to help three girls from the school prepare a meal for the soccer boys. The boys had practice in the morning and the girls always make lunch for them to eat before they go home. Karen helped the girls round up the supplies needed.

Meal cooked by 3 grade 7 girls for HATS hungry soccer team

As Karen did this, Seth added some more purple to the boys home and I packed up the mattresses, sheets, pillows, and tents from the Texas team.

Seth putting the finishing touches of purple on the house

Jessie dismantling the workteam village

After lunch, we went over to the school and had the best, I mean absolute best Creole teacher, Luckner. We spent a little under an hour in the classroom at the school, just the 4 of us, practicing and learning Creole. I also learned a little Canadian English. They do not have a Z (eee) . I don’t know if they know this or not, but it is a pretty important letter (I guess they all say “EH!” too and we don’t get on them about that).

First Creole lesson for Seth and Jessie

The afternoon finished up with chasing down plumbing parts, fixing water lines, and playing with the children.

Very wet Vladimy & Seth fixing a plumbing problem

I have a couple of things for the Texas group.

1. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for the bag of M and M’s. Seth and I believe we have enough for one everyday and after Sunday lunch! 🙂 Totaling 832. We will let you know if our prediction is correct as soon as we count them.

2. David was a bit untruthful about the bluebell ice cream and Sonic, however, I just want to state officially who Karen must like better. The day the Texas group left, the exact same day!, she brought cookies and cream ice cream from St. Marc on their return from Port au Prince. She claims it is a rarity to find so she had to buy it, but we all know the real truth! I will say proudly that tonight we will be having ice cream! And if you don`t believe me I say to you come down and see for yourself!

Proof for the Texas team

Well, time to wrap it up. Seth is currently outside playing with the children and practicing soccer with Vladimy and my heart longs to be there! Goodbye for now!

Seth, Vladimy & Moise playing soccer

~Jessie

About HATS Visitors

HATS – Haiti encourages individuals and work teams to travel to Haiti to be a part of the work we are doing. Those who come to Haiti are given the opportunity to join in construction projects, visit in the local community, spend time with the children, and minister in church. You can help us in our work for the most needy and most vulnerable members of Haiti’s population. Come be transformed by seeing the need and being a part of meeting that need. Be part of the story

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Testimonials

It’s going to be impossible to put my thoughts into words about this experience, so I’d say this – if you can get here – do. I think most people probably think they’re coming to help others. To some extent, that’s true (at least this temporary blogger thought so). To a larger extent, you’ll leave Haiti a better person than when you arrived. Nelson Mandela once said something like “Everywhere I go, I wear you”. It means that none of us is our own person entirely. Rather, we’re the culmination of the people and experiences we have had. I leave Haiti wearing 16 HATS children, 10(ish) Haitian staff members, a Calgarian, 2 Winnipegian’s, and a Newfie. And I couldn’t be happier about it. Until we meet again my friends.

Rick
HATS Visitor
One thing that has impacted me on this trip is seeing the children and all the dedication in this orphanage. There is so much going on behind the scenes to keep the HATS orphanage and school running.

Donna Wheeler
HATS Visitor
Such important work done with LOVE and commitment!

Dana Wight Kayal
HATS Supporter
The time has passed so quickly. We know what we’ve done this week is important and makes a difference here at Hands Across the Sea. But it’s easy in Haiti to feel that anything we do here is simply a drop in the ocean. So much need on so many different levels: political, organizational, educational, social, spiritual…But we remind ourselves that each individual life is of infinite value so changing the life of one child and one family is worth the effort.

Liette Wilson
HATS Visitor, Supporter & Board Member
Amazing organization! Had the pleasure of visiting twice, and can’t wait to go back again someday. God is doing some wonderful things at HATS!

Jess MacDonald
HATS Visitor
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
I’m not sure what we’re doing here, just showing up for a week – it’s not like it’s sustainable. And I don’t want to become depressed by some of the harsh realities that Karen has to deal with every day. You know it’s ONE thing to start an orphanage and school (Yes, Karen has done things that are beeeeyond me), but it’s ANOTHER thing to raise the 20 babies that become YOUR kids!!! Not only are they a big family, but they are a big family containing individual stories that got them all to where they are in the orphanage. I don’t even know how to describe it…I have never seen a woman her age with this much energy…fun loving energy that is. She so inspired me today and really is a wonderful mother to all these children.

Barbara
HATS Visitor
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
This morning, we woke up as the sun came up and as we all began to trickle downstairs; we were met with warm welcomes from the precious children. As the children arrived, we were deeply touched and came to the realization of how important the HATS organization is to this country. Many children who would not have had any opportunities are now well nourished, educated and have a loving home and a mother who loves them more than we could ever comprehend, Karen Huxter.

Nicole Boudreau & Marcia Muise
HATS Visitors
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