Schooling at Hands Across the See – HATSHAITI
HATS-Haiti’s school IMKH is very active. Our school started again in August, but not for the new school year 2020-2021....
HATS-Haiti’s school IMKH is very active. Our school started again in August, but not for the new school year 2020-2021....
Greetings everyone, I decided to again post a blog I wrote 5 1/2 years ago, when I had been in...
Check out this wonderful article posted on the Cape Breton Post on September 16th, 2020: Cape Breton teen’s delicious cupcakes...
Missing my life in Haiti and my children I started going through some photos. Not having blogged for awhile I...
Hello again. This is the fourth and last blog about the precious children at HATS-Haiti that I love and miss. ...
Introduction to/update on, four more children greatly loved and deeply missed by Mama Karen. Karena Mariah Pierre Karena 11 1/2,...
Now to tell you a little about four more awesome children Mama Karen loves and misses a great deal. Dieunel...
I have been spending time going through photos and remembering happy times with the children. I am going to share...
Many are feeling stressed and worried these days due to COVID-19. Enjoy your loved ones at home. Reach out to...
Today was a good day. We had a great sleep, then had our healthy breakfast. The most important difference is...
Thank you to all of our supporters who have reached out to find out how the HATS-Haiti family is doing,...
Luc and I are safely back in Canada. Presently home on Self Isolation. We both feel well. When our fourteen...
I am getting a lot of needy work done, things taken care of, and lots of time with the children....
Thank you, Farewell for now, and Happy Children. Thank you Liette and Jim for coming to Haiti for two weeks...
I learned how to make a full Haitian meal by watching Germaine, writing down everything she did and taking photos. ...
If you’ve ever considered sponsorship, now is the time to do it. Your donation truly does make a difference!
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.
Such important work done with LOVE and commitment!
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!
It is our last day and there is always a certain amount of sadness and joy when we come to the end of a trip . We look forward to our homes and loved ones but there is a part of us that wants to stay and be near these dear dear children. They open their hearts and arms to you when you enter the front gate. They give you laughter and tears all week long and then they cry and hug you when they know you are going away. Being near that kind of unconditional love effects us all very deeply. So we leave part of our hearts here and promise to return.
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.
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.
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!!
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.
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.
I am going to try to explain why a trip to Haiti is life-changing. No-one can be thrown into a group of people who have the common purpose of doing something for someone less fortunate and not be changed in many ways. As with those I joined in each of the first four trips I made to HATS, my respect and affection for each of the team members grows daily. To those who wonder if your donations and prayers are actually making a difference, I will answer you in this way…there are about 300 children in front of me right now and some or many of them God will use in a great way to change the future face of Haiti and its people. YOU have helped make that possible — AND THAT, FOLKS — is a fact!
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