Memories
It has been a long time since I wrote a blog from HATS but am thinking of HATS-Haiti and the...
It has been a long time since I wrote a blog from HATS but am thinking of HATS-Haiti and the...
One of the greatest gifts you can give someone is what HATS calls a ‘Love Gift’. You can give the person...
Irene wrote about our trip here, and Jim about his and Dickie’s jobs. Irene and I have been busy too.Irene...
This has been our last full day here at HATS. It is a bittersweet day. We are sad to leave...
We have all been busy and hot! Well, the three newbies have been hot while Karen wears a down filled...
It was a week ago we left home…a week already! We went from snow to sunshine! It has been an...
Blog by Sandra Wednesday, 4th Well our time at HATS this trip is coming to an end. We leave 5:30...
Blog by Sandra MacDonald I think Dickie wrote about our adventures up to Christmas Eve at noon. I will update...
Sandra here and where do I start and what do I say? Two weeks have passed already and Christmas is...
We had a great early morning walk on Saturday with Keith taking us across the street and up the canal...
Both Jim and Dickie are back to good health……well good health for 2 seniors anyway! Jim still has a cough...
3 days of updates in one post. Saturday Saturday was a quiet day around here, only security and house mommies...
2 days of updates in one post! Thursday We had a delightful afternoon giving out food to some sponsored children...
3 days of updates in one post today! Tuesday Today was a quieter than usual day at school and the...
Sandra Everyone is busy and no one here to write a blog right now and time is running out so...
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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.
A huge thank you to aunt Karen, who always seems to be doing something with her children and the HATS mission. The only time she takes for herself is long enough to spread some almond butter on a banana that she eats on the run. Thank you so much for all your hard work and unwavering dedication. Thank you for being an inspiration to me and so many others. We love you and our Haitian family very much. The longer I spend at HATS, the bigger piece of my heart remains. Take care of yourself and our kiddies until we see each other again.
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.
I am so thankful to Jesus for the opportunity to serve at HATS and to finally experience the great work that God is doing there. I look forward to seeing them all again when I visit next time.
I have absolutely loved the Haitian people and Haiti the three times I have been there. I go to bless them, only to be blessed myself!
This week has been amazing – one of the best weeks of my life thus far, hands down. I can’t really think of any other experience in my life that can even come close to comparing to this. Though my visit here was short (too short), it has been incredibly eye-opening, and life changing. I will never forget the people I have met here, or the things I’ve gotten to experience! Most of all, I would like to say how remarkable it is to see first-hand the amazing work God is doing here. I am behind this ministry 100%, and will continue to support it. I am so, so blessed to have been given the opportunity to come here, and I am REALLY not looking forward to saying goodbye to the children tonight. My heart sinks just thinking about it. There’s no doubt that they’ve had a bigger impact on my life than I’ve had on theirs. I will be leaving a big piece of my heart with these people and this country. God bless.
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.
After years of thinking about it and months of planning for it, it seems strange that our time in Haiti is over. We have been asked by a few if it was like we expected. Well, no. I’m not sure what we expected, but our minds could not have fathomed what we have experienced, and we can hardly believe that our 3 month stay has come to an end. HATS really became home away from home for us. We knew we would enjoy getting to know and spending time with the kids but we had no idea how difficult it would be to leave them. They sneak in and steal your heart without you even knowing it. We have left a piece of our hearts in Haiti and can’t wait for the day when we can return.
I had anticipated that I would enjoy spending time getting to know the children and being a part of Karen’s daily life in Haiti but I had not anticipated that it would capture my heart like it did. I will miss spending time with the children and Karen but I am hopeful that I’ll be able to see them all again in the not too distant future.
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.
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