As the month of April is winding down, I can’t help but get a little sad.  You see, for the last three months we have had seven amazing individuals come down to MOH and serve and serve and serve.  In the past you would have known them as Mission of Hope Interns, but this recent class broke that mold and a new name had to be given.  The name “Hope Rep” was quickly chosen.  The Lord has definitely done amazing things through these individuals.  It’s been an honor to serve alongside them and to learn and grow with them.

The seven Hope Reps of spring 2012 will always be known as an amazing group.  Week in and week out they served with groups, painted countless homes in Leveque, took teams on tours, served the staff on campus, and spent hours in the back of canters.  If you’ve spent any time at MOH, you know they ate more Pringles than you ever thought possible.  But beyond all of that, we were able to witness them live out the Gospel.

As they serve this last month of their internship, there is no doubt in my mind that this group will finish well.  They set out from the very beginning to come alongside MOH and see life transformation for every man, woman and child in Haiti.  Because of their willing hearts and teachable nature, they were able to help advance to Kingdom and move us one step closer.

Kelci.  Daniel.  Avalon.  Will.  Kelly.  Blaine.  Jimmy.  Thank you!

“Hope is not a situation, location, idea, or thing.  Hope is a person, and his name is Jesus."

I have been at Mission of Hope for the past nine weeks working with teams.  Each week I get to work with different Church Representatives (young men and women from the Church of Hope) as they help translate for the teams and show us around the different communities.  On Saturday afternoons, you will find many Church Reps under a tin roof in the village of Minotre cleaning hundreds of pairs of church shoes... for free!  They have the shoe dye, wax, brushes and rags.  They stay there as long as it takes to polish all the shoes.  They do this as a ministry, blessing people with clean and shiny shoes to wear to church on Sunday.

These young people have been one of the greatest gifts to me while living here in Haiti.  They are fabulous men and women of the Lord who are serving their communities in very real and tangible ways.  It's this generation, I believe, that will bring change to Haiti.  I have had the opportunity to be a part of this Shoe Ministry three different times, and each time has been an extraordinary experience.  It was an unbelievable and humbling experience polishing shoes.  I had no idea how to even do it, and it was just really neat to get to love people in such a unique way.  Getting to be a part of Shoe Ministry has been such a rewarding experience, and has really encouraged me to see how Haitian people following the Lord are able to serve in very real and simple ways.

-Kelci Haydocy

My time as an intern is now approaching the eight week mark.  There are so many instances here where I have thought, "This must be what heaven is like."  From praise and worship with a bunch of fellow Christ followers with completely different backgrounds from all over, to having four or five Haitian children climbing all over you - without a doubt, the best part for me is the kids.  I love going to Leveque and seeing the same kids every week.  I am really building relationships with these kids and it is great to hear them call your name from a long way off and come run up to you.  I also kiss them and make sure to tell them I love them and Jesus loves them.

I know there are so many here who are hurting or maybe don't have enough to eat.  It has been a real faith builder to trust that even if I can't provide for their needs, God alone can.  God is calling me and all of us to show the world His love in us.  Today I assisted in taking pictures of kids for child sponsorship, and it was great to see all of the kids go from being stand-offish to singing the few Creole songs I know and having a small mob of children all holding on to me.  Going out into the villages, preaching the gospel, and loving on the children is exactly what Christ did, and I'm so proud to be part of that.

-Avalon Marut

As a Hope Representative with MOH this spring, I've been in Haiti for seven weeks and already I feel as though I've experienced & learned more than I could have anticipated.  A good portion of what I do involves giving North American teams an optimal missions experience here in Haiti with village outreach and work projects.  Thus far I've hosted teams from Ontario, Buffalo, Houston Chinese Church and the Univ of Central Florida, so lots of different dynamics and personalities that have been a joy to work alongside.

The ongoing project that I've become most heavily involved & invested in is a community we are developing in Leveque.  It consists of displaced earthquake victims from Cite Soleil near Port Au Prince, which considered the worst slum in the Western hemisphere.  We're getting families set up with a basic home and plot of land, and hope to begin teaching them how to best use their property agriculturally with the upcoming rainy season, so I've been getting to learn a ton about economic/community development in the third world. 

The coolest part of the settlement has been that 168 of the 500 homes we're creating are designated to a deaf community.  Speaking to these folks in Creole via sign language is always interesting, but the fact of the matter is that they simply emit a love that is all the communication you need to understand their hearts, and it's pretty cool to see.  The homes all surround a big hill, and I'm thrilled that the construction of the church that will top this off is beginning next week.  It's very neat to be on the ground floor for all of these things.

-Daniel Crawford

You are the light of this world.  A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your father in heaven. - Matthew 5:14-16

From the view point of a fairly new-found Christian, I've never seen, heard of, or been a part of an organization in which God's work can be so easily seen.  Both staff and weekly visitors are the hands and feet of Christ here at Mission of Hope.  A wave of Christianity is slowly but surely making its way into the villages of Haiti and MOH is a big part of the continuous tide.  God brings people with different denominations from all around the world here to do his work.  I've been a Mission of Hope Representative for a little over a month here, and the difference in the communities is night and day.  Blank, unfriendly and unsure stares from locals have turned into lively, anxious and eager greetings.  They love Mission of Hope, and they love what we stand for.  An organization fully committed to winning Haiti for Christ is doing just that.

I've personally experienced countless men, women and children give their lives to Christ.  God isn't just using us to save lives, but he's using us to save eternities.  Not only the people of Haiti, but people coming on weekly trips are being forever changed.  My personal favorite project is in Leveque.  The original MOH 500 project should be called the Leveque Community project.  It will easily be the first stepping stone for us to build homes, a church, and a school, and step back and let the people of Haiti do the rest.

In Leveque there is a deaf community that was chosen to receive housing.  This is a big step for deaf to be living amongst the hearing.  Haitian culture has unfortunately outcast them as well as other people with disabilities.  However, here in Leveque it is the polar opposite.  People have came together to build companionship with one another and grow together.  Bringing life transformation is what we seek and is what we are doing.  Shining brightly, we are spreading His word and bringing the people of Haiti to the Light.
 

All for Him,
Blaine Wright

My first two weeks at Mission of Hope will be a time of my life that I never forget.  I didn't know that much about Mission of Hope, so seeing the different ministries such as the Prosthetic Lab, 3 Cords, the School and the Orphanage have been really neat.  As soon as I stepped into the villages I fell in love with the people there - especially the kids.  There is a sense of community here that has been forgotten in the United States and other parts of the world.  The kids flock to you here.  It is wonderful!  Without a doubt the best times have been playing games, laughing, and hugging the kids.

One of the most memorable moments was praying for a woman who used to be heavily involved in voodoo.  We introduced ourselves and asked if she was a Christian, and she emphatically said yes and wanted to bring out her Bible to show us.  She has the sweetest spirit.  And when we asked how we could pray for her, she explained through the interpreter that she wanted us to pray for the salvation of her husband... who is a voodoo priest.  These weeks have been a time of growth and adjustment in learning what life at Mission of Hope is like.  I know that God has called me here and I continue to prepare myself for what He has in store.

-Avalon Marut

I have been interning at Mission of Hope for 3 weeks.  There already have been countless memories made, but one of my favorite roles I get to do here is taking team members to meet their sponsor child.  Every time I have brought a person or family down to meet their student, it has been a unique experience that almost always brings me to tears of joy.  I think my absolute favorite aspect of child sponsorship is that the child is literally chosen.  So many of these children are not 'wanted', they were not 'planned', and in a lot of ways are seen as just another Haitian child.  However, when a child is sponsored, someone is caring for them personally, desiring to financially and prayerfully support them in receiving a Christ-centered education and to have food daily.

Today, I got to meet my sponsor child Hedson.  Hedson is 15 years old and in 8th grade.  I have been looking at his picture for about a week now, and today decided to officially sponsor and meet him.  When Hedson walked into the room initially, he was very timid.  Without a translator I could only ask basic questions, but you could tell that he enjoyed just being there.  Eventually we got a translator and I asked him about his life more and what he needed.  He responded that he wanted a Game Boy.  I love that response, because he is just a regular kid who has the same wants as kids in America, Canada, and all over the world.  He wants a toy, and still without knowing much about his life, it is encouraging to me that he can ask for a toy.  I know very little about his home life other than that his father is a driver, his mother is a vendor, and he has two sisters and a brother.  But I do know that every day he comes to school he gets a meal, he gets an education, he gets to learn English, he gets to learn about Jesus.

-Kelci Haydocy

This past week, a girl named Sarah from a short-term mission trip group shared her experience at a Haitian church service here at the Mission of Hope Campus.

As she entered church that night, Sarah sat next to an elderly Haitian woman.  As the pastor began to preach, the Haitian woman leaned over and motioned to see if she could borrow a pen.  With great enthusiasm and willingness, Sarah lent the woman an extra writing utensil from her purse.  The Haitian woman beamed with gratitude, and began to write the scriptures that the pastor recited.

At the end of the church service, the Haitian woman returned the pen, and it was clear that she wanted to pay Sarah for her apparent sacrifice.  In awe of her humility, Sarah politely turned down any payment, but the woman insisted.  Before Sarah could protest further, the Haitian woman took off several bracelets from her wrist, slid them on to Sarah’s, and lovingly said goodbye.

Haiti has a way of surprising North Americans when they come down here (including myself).

I think everyone who comes down here expects to make a huge impact on the Haitian people.  Yet, as North Americans come and go from MOH, they generally find the opposite to be true.  That is, North Americans are the ones who leave changed.

Haitians talk about their friends and family that died in the earthquake, and in the same breath acknowledge God's goodness and provision in their lives.  The Haitian peoples' faith and trust in Jesus is profound and thought provoking.  How could a people who have endured such difficulty have such joy and generosity?

Their peace comes not from financial security or a steady set of circumstances, but from an unshakable promise from God:

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11.

Though suffering is a guarantee in this life, we can trust in God’s plan to fix the brokenness of this world.  He is bringing light and restoration to the dark places of the earth as well as the dark places of our hearts.  His plan can be fully trusted, knowing that if we place our faith in Him, all things work together for our good and His glory.  The Haitian woman knew God's plan for her included things far better than a few bracelets, and was therefore free to give what she had away.

I am spending the next 13 weeks hoping to be a part of God's transformation of Haiti.  I am beginning to suspect, however, that much of the transformation is going to happen to me.

-Jimmy Driver

I love the worship in Haiti. I have been at MOH for a little over 2 months now, and the joy and power of the Tuesday night worship service still gets me. The chorus of my favorite song we sing is, "To Worship You I Live". It sounds better in Creole, but the meaning of the words is what matters.

Every time we sing it, the words strike me. Do I live to worship God?

My internship is near the end - only 2 more weeks. Time has flown. I'm now an expert painter. I have lots of new friends. One of my favorite families in Leveque just had their baby. I've learned to sew at 3 Cords, and love the ladies more than ever. And after months of practice, I've finally got most of the Mission of Hope kids' names down. I will take great friends and memories away from my internship at Mission of Hope, but the question will also follow me home: Who do I live to Worship? No matter where I am living -  Haiti or America - I want every day to be in constant worship of the Lord.

-Becca Troxler

If there is one thing I’ve learned from being an intern in Haiti for the last 3 months, it is this – God loves to write a great story.

When I arrived at MOH in September, I knew that He had put me at the mission at just the right time. There were 5 other interns, multiple North American staff, countless Haitian staff and tons and tons of short-term team members. I knew that they would have an impact on my life and I knew that I would impact theirs. I have to be honest though, I never estimated that the impact would be so significant. Week in and week out, I was absolutely blown away! I wish there was some way for me to articulate all the beautiful stories that were written. Lives were literally being transformed right before my eyes. Hope was being restored. Friendships were being formed. The Gospel was reaching people near and far. It was truly a beautiful sight to behold.

I am thankful that I was chosen to be an intern. It has truly changed my life. And I am so thankful for the other interns that I worked with. They are definitely friends for life!! 

-Elizabeth Billingslea