HATS and Haiti update Feb 2024
Greetings to all our friends, family, and our supporters who pray for, and encourage, us. Luckner in our school office...
Greetings to all our friends, family, and our supporters who pray for, and encourage, us. Luckner in our school office...
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2024 from all at Hands Across the Sea-Haiti. 2016 Christmas at the mission Thank...
Greetings folks. I am endeavoring to fill you in a little on the very difficult and dangerous situation in Haiti...
As some of you know, I cannot be in Haiti at this time because of the gang situation. I am...
Luckner, teachers, and everyone working with the mission, are doing everything they can in a continuing very difficult situation in...
Hello everyone, On my last blog, March 18th, things were quite bad in our area of the Artibonite Valley. This...
Hi folks. Thank you to those of you who have reached out to me in various ways as you are...
Hello again folks. My heart is heavy and my eyes are wet as I try to write this. Many of...
I come to you today asking for prayer for our HATS mission – Children’s Home, school, and our HATS church....
Greetings, I apologize for not having written a blog for far too long. I attempted to do so several times...
The Girls Leica is 17 years old. She was in grade 9 this past year and is now waiting for...
We have some photos of our children at our Children’s Home, and in their uniforms at our school, IMKH. Anne,...
Thank you so very much to all who donated funds towards a Christmas meal for approx 450 students and staff...
After many delays due to COVID 19 and the upheaval in Haiti, our wonderful Assistant Director Luckner Estimable was able...
Christmas is coming. Children in Canada are starting to look forward to the special, fun, family time of Christmas, when...
If you’ve ever considered sponsorship, now is the time to do it. Your donation truly does make a difference!
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.
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.
Such important work done with LOVE and commitment!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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!
© 1995 - 2019 · All rights reserved.