Thank you Nicki and Mike for joining us at the mission HATS-Haiti for three months.  You came, you gave of yourselves in many ways, you accepted all of us, you accepted the Haitian people, accepted the culture of Haiti and the fact that this country is not North America and one should not try to make it so.  You gave of yourself, you worked diligently and you learned as you worked. You kept an open mind and always showed an heart that was filled with the love of the Lord.  You loved on the children but held them to the standards we have for them so they can hopefully grow up in integrity and honesty.

Bye little princess Magdala

We worked, we laughed, we prayed, we taught at the main compound, at the school  and at church, and very importantly we supported each other.

You are missed.  Four times on Tuesday, after you had left, I found myself saying the following “mention it to Mike”,  “Nicki will help with that”,  “Mike can fix that for us”, and even “Have you seen Nicki?”   Yikes, I sure had come to depend on you guys.

Bye sweet Dickieson

A big thank you for accepting me, just as I am, faults, quirks and all, and allowing me to see I could depend on you both.

It was very difficult to see you on the bus and heading back to your other country and other family.  I am happy for them but sad for us.  I am already awaiting your return.  The children are awaiting your return.  Luckner is awaiting your return.  You are missed by us all.

Magdala holding onto Mike as long as possible

THANK YOU.

Another big thank you to the Springdale, Newfoundland team – Emma, Todd, Don, Jenny, Alycia and Lacee.

Springdale group ready to board the bus to head to their other home

It is always a huge pleasure to have you guys come and always difficult to see you leave.  You are all ‘my family’ – family from Newfoundland that we depend on coming regularly.

Bye gang

All are leaving – even N and M

Each time you come to serve you do different types of jobs, whatever is needed upon arrival  – this time was no exception. The Health Awareness help and teaching to our school students was invaluable and so very necessary.  So many small health problems become big ones without knowledge and information.  Kudos to all of you for jumping in and helping with this and also to our school director, Luckner, for seeing the need and asking if it could be done.

Devotions at school the morning group left giving huge thank yous for all their help

You come to help and that you certainly do – help our children, our students, but very importantly help me too.  We laugh, we cry, we pray, and we look to the future of HATS together as a team.

THANK YOU.

You are indeed on the calendar for May 2017 and we are already looking forward to having you back.

Losing my ‘right hand man, Mike’ and my ‘left hand woman, Nicki’ at the same time that you left was very difficult but I was thankful they were traveling with such a great bunch of fun Newfoundlanders.

Two special men

This beautiful lady has an interesting idea of travel attire. Is this what Haiti has done for her

I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who supported Nicki and Mike for their three months with us and who supported the Springdale team to return and who gave  help once more.  Thank you so very much to all who donated clothes, shoes, various needed items, laptops, toys – frisbies and skipping ropes-  for the students and children here, money to pay to bring extra suitcases, and, and, and…

Working with the blessed gifts of laptops

May God bless all of you who came and gave of yourself and all of you behind the scenes who supported and gave to make it all possible.  You have blessed us and we are asking God to bless all of you.

Papa Luckner, saying goodbye to N & M and team and loving on our little Dickieson

It takes all of us working together to make this mission the place of help it is in this area of the Artibonite Valley.  All of you behind the scenes are extremely important to the work being done here and we thank you.  Without you the children would not receive the help they do.  THANK YOU!!

I T    I S     A L L     A B O U T     T H E     C H I L D R E N