Chris' Blog

We started our day once again honoring our Lord at the prayer rock. Tim shared some moving stories of how he has heard from God in his life.  We then proceeded to clean out and organize the food warehouse. Amazing how much food is in there but how fast they will go through it. More is always needed.  We gave the ladies in the sewing room some fabric and also handed out some shoes to them.  After lunch the men poured concrete in the block room and supervised the man running the backhoe. 

The backhoe is moving dirt in order to make a nice soccer field for the kids.  The women had a little down time and fellowship.  In the afternoon the team went to Barbancourt to observe the tent cities where people have been displaced from Port Au Prince after the earthquake.  We met an amazing lady named "Ruth". Her faith and spirit gave us all much inspiration and she touched all of our hearts.  She said the Americans bring encouragement to the Haitian people but she was the one truly encouraging and inspiring us today.  We spent quit a bit of time there just talking to the people and playing with the kids.  It was a blessing.

Caitlin's Blog Story

We started out our day at the Prayer Rock at 7am.  We had a devotional and got right to the days work.  There's no wasting daylight here! Today we painted the school rooms because hopefully school will be starting in a week and a half.  The Dr. was in the clinic today and was able to see patients.  Another project today was handing out shoes.  We would bring in a few Haitians at a time and size up their feet and try to give them a newer pair of shoes.  We were also able to venture out to the Barbancourt Tent Orphanage today to hand out Love Bundles.  We gave them their packages and then they sang for us.  The smiles on their faces and excitment and joy in their eyes was enough satisfaction for us all. 

This was a big dose of reality for all of us.  These kids have nothing.  Not a mother or father, they sleep in tents and some don't even have shoes.  Yet something as simple as a package that contains a bath towel, shampoo and conditioner, soap, toothpaste and a toothbrush, a jar of peanut butter, a few odd and end things and a few toys can brighten their day.  We all have different talents that God gave us that we can use here in Haiti, but the main goal at the end of the days is these kids and serving our Lord.

"Speak to the Mountain"

Everyone is working diligently before the terrantial rains begin.  The Lord says, "Speak to the Mountain and it shall move!" Yes, we have faith literally that this can happen but sometimes you must put your hands to the plow.  Today this is what we are doing at Lifeline to be able to build a canal around the soccer field that has been such a blessing already because when we had nothing, three helicopters were able to bring in supplies by landing in this blessed area. So, in order that this basin is not washed away and destroyed we must build a canal to turn the water away from the field. 

The kids have already been enjoying playing soccer in this field.

We are building the walls so we will have seating around it as well. This field is not only for soccer games, but is also used for our great convention that we have each year.  All this is being done by hand and shovel. As you can imagine this is not an easy job especially since it is about 98 degrees each day.  I just want to say to all that read this, you can well see that the Haitian people are NOT lazy. When they have a job they are more than willing to do the work.

Please pray for all that are taking part in this great plan designed for the Glory of God!! Thank you in advance for the many prayers that have already gone up for the Lifeline Mission and the people of Haiti.

Surviving!

This is Jn. Herson Polynisse, he is 15 years old and has learned to survive like so many other Haitians.

We found this little house on the side of the hill just up the road from Lifeline.

We asked John was he living here alone and he said "Yes, my Mother is dead and my father has another family and does not want me." We asked John how he was eating and he said he eats at Lifeline but sometimes he does work for people and he is able to buy something to eat. He is a small framed boy for 15 years old but already providing for himself the best way he can.

Thank God for small blessings!

Can you imagine going to work with these shoes on?! 

This man has five children and he needs work very badly, as many of the Haitians do. Today this man came to work with these shoes on, one ladies sandal, and a worn out croc.  The sad part is that even when I gave him this pair of shoes he didn't want to get them messed up because they were too good.  So he hangs them on the tree by where he is working for the day hauling rock and whatever the job may call for to watch them until the end of the day to take them home with him. And you think you have it rough? 

Praise God for what He has given you this day!!!

A place to die!

Here is an 89 year old woman that her last wish is to have a place to be buried. 

How can you turn this request down.  We are preparing this place for her. 

She doesn't feel that she has long to live.  Sometimes you do what the Spirit tells you even if that is not what your plan is for the day. AMEN   

90 years old and living in this.

Sometimes things get so busy that we miss important things that are right in front of us. "We don't see the forest for the trees" you might say.

The other day I was going to see Madame Lizette, one of Lifeline's cooks, to see how damaged her house was. On the way, I met an elderly man whose house was almost falling over. The elderly man has never said a word about his house's condition. It touched me so much that I am moved to try to build a home for him.

Sometimes the ones who yell the loudest are the ones that get the help but in this case the Lord knew his own and led us to him. I thank the Lord that he provides and protects his children. He knows what are needs are and is able to provide.

If you would like to help with this house please contact us. There are many others in the same condition.

Cariline's Foot

Cariline is a 30 year old Haitian woman who had a concrete wall fall on her left foot during the earthquake. The wall hit her so hard that it caused a deep wound. She tried to care for the wound by herself for 15 days. The lack of knowledge and proper wound care caused the foot to become very infected with oozing puss and a terrible odor. The wound continued to get worse and it was obvious to her that without some help she would lose her leg.

Cariline came to the Lifeline clinic to get the help she needed. By the time she made it to the clinic however all the muscles and tendons of the ankle were affected.  The infection was so bad that the clinic staff feared that she would have infection in her blood.  Dr. Yves began cleaning and caring for the wound and administering massive doses of antibiotics. After only five days of proper care and intensive IV therapy, the wound is beginning to heal. Once again Carilene is smiling. 

Lifeline's continued vision is to live out the Bible by being available in Word and deed. Thank the Lord that we were able to be there to help this young lady that was in such desperate need and make a life changing difference. This wouldn't have been possible without you helping us!!!  May the Lord Bless you all!!!

Another Voodoo man gets saved!!

Another Voodoo man comes to Christ!! What a Valentine gift! After this man turned his life over to Christ and repented of his sins, we went to his home and he gathered up all of his things used in his rituals and we put them in the fire and burned them. To God Be the Glory!!! We also had another voodoo man saved at Barbancourt on Sunday. He gave his life to the Lord, then the whole church marched down the road for more than a mile to his home while he gathered up his ritual belongings and they burned them as well. During this time we had fifteen people saved at Lifeline's Mission Church and fifteen more saved up in the mountain. This once heathen nation is turning to God like never before!! PRAISE THE LORD!!! PRAISE THE LORD!! Or as they say in Haiti, "Bennie swallowed the nail!!"

Building Houses --- Changing Lives!!

Over two months have passed since the worst earthquake of 200 years hit Haiti. We realize that it won't be long before the rainy season begins and there are still many, many Haitians still sleeping in the streets because their homes have been destroyed completely or very badly damaged. That's why we have been working as fast as possible to rebuild homes. There are now have 17 homes that have been rebuilt!

We praise God for the relief money that has been given for the rebuilding of homes! Without the generous donations none of this would have been made possible. As we continue to labor, the cost is growing because the sand and cement is not cheap and we are using 20 bags of cement a day. The people of Haiti are NOT lazy, if they have the materials to work with they will get the work done! We pray that the funding will continue to come in to rebuild the homes and give the people hope for a better life. I want to thank everyone that has shared in this endeavor and I know God will richly return the blessing.

From tents to Dorm Rooms

Today we had a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new girls and boys dormitory at the Barbancourt Orphanage.

The children of the orphanage were living in small tents.

We have been working diligently to get these dorm rooms completed before the rainy season. Thank the Lord we made it in time!

These special children now have a safe and secure home to live in. The Pastor and children graciously accepted the keys to their new house. We certainly want to thank those that have donated to make this dream become a reality.

Before we left the orphanage dorm everyone laid their hands on the building to bless the children, building, and orphanage to glorify the Lord! What a way to begin anything!

School Repairs are almost complete!

We have been ever so busy with so many projects after this devastating earthquake but God has blessed us beyond measure!!! He is our FAITHFUL FATHER!!!! AMEN and AMEN!! I want to share with you one of the many blessings that we have had. Jason Stamper, from Maryland has come and joined efforts with Lifeline to help engineer the reconstruction of our La Digue School that was badly damaged during the earthquake. The language barrier, limited tools, and not always having the materials needed made the job more difficult than usual, however, throughout the days Jason was able to relate and communicate with the workers and the job is miraculously being completed.

Sometimes simple chores are difficult for the Haitians because they are used to doing things one way and it is difficult for them to change. We are trying to show them a better way to construct buildings so that it is more stable. They are now applying the last layer of stucco and it will be ready for school to begin on March 15 as the government of Haiti has announced. We are looking forward to a team to come and help get the painting done and the chalk boards hung back on the walls. God is so good to us!!! Just HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD?!!!!! RIGHT ON TIME, EVERYTIME!!!!

Many of the people are still very timid to go back into buildings because of the earthquake. Very soon we plan to have a parent/teacher meeting to discuss the safety of the building so they can know that the children will be safe.

First team trip of the year is a great Success!

God has once again blessed the people of Haiti with help from a wonderful group of people. This week, the mission was visited by different teams consisting of AMEN-a group of medical and dental professionals, 3ABN-the second largest Christian television network in the world, and a select group of other caring individuals that want to help in this time of crisis. Due to the hard work and sacrifice of all of these groups, over 1,000 of the Hatian people in Barbancourt and La Digue received much needed medical attention, including many refugees from Port Au Prince living in these areas displaced by the earthquake. The groups not only offered free medical and dental treatment, but also focused on educating the people in these areas by holding healthcare seminars based on topics such as parasite prevention, water cleanliness, and dental hygiene. The seminars were especially blessed by the reading of scripture and by the performances of two talented musicians Robert Rice and Joe Arview. The week was highlighted by wonderful fellowship and an outpouring of the Holy Spirit amongst everyone involved. Once again, our Heavenly Father not only blessed the Haitian people with the things that we could do for them, but gave us an even greater blessing to take back home with us. Lifeline is very grateful for all of the efforts of each individual who participated in making this week such a success.

Patrick and his wife's amazing story

We went to have our internet fixed and there is only one man in Haiti that has the information and computer parts to do this type of work. His name is Patrick. First we had to find out if he was still alive after the earthquake and then we needed to know was his computer store demolished because his business is right in the heart of Port Au Prince. Everything is so different now. Of course it has always been difficult to get specialized work done in Haiti but almost all businesses are established in Port Au Prince and this horrendous earthquake has taken so many people as well as the businesses.

Well, PRAISE GOD!!! We did find him and his computer store, while we were there to get our parts and find out about our computer Patrick began to tell me his story of the earthquake. He also owns a restaurant that has been a family business from his Grandparents, his parents, and now as of 50 years belonging to him. His wife runs the three story restaurant and she was there at the time of the earthquake. Only minutes before, she had called to remind Patrick that he needed to pick her up because he had the car. But only minutes later everything changed. With tear filled eyes and with heart wrenching words he began to tell his story. "I haven't just lost what I have worked for but some people might not understand, it is what my grandparents worked their life for, and then what my parents worked their life for, and now for fifty years, what me and my wife has worked for, we've lost everything." He said it was like the earth just opened up and swallowed the first two floors of the building, and now the top floor was on ground level!! He continued to say, "I don't see how this happened because, this building has been there for a hundred years and our gates were made from the solid steel that was more than four inches thick, and now I don't even see them!!" My wife was up on the top floor in the building and the fifteen workers were all gone except for one that was changing clothes, and another that had went to the street, as Haitians do, because he was waiting on someone that owed him some money, however the only one left in danger was his wife. Patrick had always told his wife to run to the nearest door if they ever had an earthquake so she had left her desk and started for the door near a bathroom but she never made it.

The 7.0 earthquake began and within seconds the building started down and the drop ceiling was covering her! She first began trying to remove the ceiling pieces from her when she realized the sharp metal was also covering her. She tore some of her skirt and wrapped it around her hands so she could remove the metal from over her head! She realized that part of the floor is on her face, when the ground began moving once again!! When she removed enough of the rubble to move she noticed her legs were trapped. Concrete blocks were covering her legs. She ripped her skirt loose and began taking the blocks off of her legs. After looking to find a way out, she saw a light at the other end of the building and she began to crawl to the light. When reaching the opening she realized she was no longer on the third floor but now the third floor was on ground level. She finally reached the street and she heard a man calling for help across the street at the bank. He was trapped so she went to remove the blocks off of him and help rescue him. After much work of pulling him to safety, she looked down and realized that her leg was badly cut. She was bleeding quite alot so she took her bra off and made a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. She had no shoes on, and the broken concrete blocks and rubble was very sharp on her feet so she found two backpacks and tied them around her feet to use as shoes. She began to walk but, by this time it was very dark and she lay down on the street with many dead bodies and demolished buildings all around her and many people screaming.

Patrick had not been able to find his wife yet because the road was covered with fallen buildings. One building had fallen on his car and he wasnt able to drive it. After sleeping on the street all night she was waiting anxiously for daylight. His wife began to walk again trying to find her way to a friend's house to find out about her husband and twenty year old son. She was there until about twelve o'clock the following day when Patrick finally found his wife. You see they couldn't call because all power was gone completely in Port Au Prince!

PRAISE GOD!!! PRAISE GOD!!! They are alive!!! Much of their life has been taken away but, they are ALIVE!!! This is why I am able to write this story to you because he is the famous Patrick that helped us get our internet up and running !! Please remember him and his family because they are still facing many situations and heartaches to recover from this most terrible devastation.

God bless each and everyone one of you that are continuing to pray and send your support for our endeavors to help the already neediest people and now have once again lost everything and need to start over.

Internet is down but work continues

I just spoke with mom today on the phone. The internet is down in Haiti right now, that's why there hasn't been any updates on the blog for the last few days. She reports to me though that a lot has been done since we spoke. Lifeline has been able to rebuild six of the homes that were destroyed in the earthquake. There are many more that needs to be fixed and also rebuilt however at least we are making some headway.

Dr. Yves and the medical staff are still at work. One lady was caught in an avalanche. She was very badly injured. There is a possibility that her neck could be broke. They treated her to the best of their ability and then we took her to a hospital in St. Mark.

We are working as fast as possible to help these people not only in their immediate needs of food and water but also on the long range needs as well. Please continue to pray and help as we make a difference together for the people of Haiti!

The following pictures are some pictures she sent to me before the internet went down. They were getting the food and water delivering the supplies to the refugees.

She smiles no more!

Today a 12 year old girl was brought to our Lifeline clinic
who was a victim of this horendous, devastating earthquake in Haiti!!! The earthquake struck Haiti around 5:00p.m. and this young girl was dug out from under the rubble of her home at 3:00a.m. the next day. Her house had collasped on her. Her mother was killed! Her brother was killed! Many cousins that lived in her house when the house came tumbling down were killed! She lay 10 hours with the earth shaking and her dead family laying right next to her.

Her Aunt brings her into the clinic today and Dr. Yves examines her to find a palpitation in her heart, lower left extremity damage, much muscular damage to her right leg and much swelling. She is unable to walk! Dr. Yves put on his report: CHRISSANDIA SMILES NO MORE!!!!

This one time happy young girl, full of life, has met with one of the greatest nightmares of anyone. Her childhood has been scarred for ever! Of course this is just of one of thousands!!!

This little one is in a state of shock. Even when they had her families funeral her Aunt tells us that, "she shows no emotions."

We also had a little boy brought in an emergency case with a very deep cut! He had been helping in the garden and there was a piece of glass and it sliced the side of his foot wide open!! I was so glad that Dr. Yves, our Lifeline doctor was still here to care for this child. He had to have quite a few stitches with such a large, deep cut!!

Revival Continues in the midst of Turmoil

We are still having revival and many of the people are turning their lives over to God!!! I only say PRAISES TO OUR ALMIGHTY GOD!!! We want to thank everyone that continues to pray for us each day! I pray that God helps me to have the wisdom and direction that can only come from Him!!! We need the ability to carry out the work that He sent us to do!! NOT MY WILL BUT THINE OH GOD!!!! AMEN!!!