My Summer Orientation and Haiti Trip

This week involved a lot of "orientation" type learning for me. I have been busy working hard with helping to facilitate teams, but this week was a cool opportunity to get out and spend 2 days each at our sites in Hato del Yaque and Phaeton, Haiti.

Hato del Yaque is about 45 minutes from Hoya del Caimito and there is a great pastor who we partner with named Elido. I loved getting to know the kids in the area and what was especially interesting to me is that we recently purchased a field just down the road and we were starting to build a baseball field there! We started digging the trench to put in the backstop and I'm so excited to watch those plans unfold. I got to meet a few of the kids who play at the current "field" and they are so excited to have an actual baseball field.

I have been to Haiti 5-6 times now, but it is incredible how intensely it affects me every time I go there. The poverty is incredible, and there is such a difference in the kids. The kids there usually aren't really wearing clothes and are noticeably malnourished and have hernias or other very visible health issues. It is intense. GO is already active in partnering with a church/pastor in Phaeton, and has some amazing plans that are already in motion BUT it is so clear that no matter what we "do" in Haiti, they need Christ first and foremost. I'm sure I'll touch on this a lot more in future posts about Haiti, but it is so clear that good and evil are on a collision course in Phaeton ... but we have God on our side and I know that no matter what struggles/hardships we encounter in ministry there that we much trust and glorify God in every manner. Not an easy mindset to have, especially when considering the severity of issues that could arise, but I know God will be holding our hands every step of the way.

Here are some pictures from Haiti - I'll put more up on Facebook including some from Hato del Yaque

A few pictures from my first 2 weeks

Wheaton College hot on the recruiting trail all the way in the DR! I love it.

Lounging with my little dominican nieces in Jarabacoa

Fun day of Children's ministry with the team. These girls were leading some songs before a great skit/craft by the group.

Some new little friends

More kids

Worship with Beechland.

Celebrating birthdays and Mother's day in Jarabacoa.

Chucho's birthday

At the Ark in Jarabacoa

The little girls trying to pour a heavy container of water on chucho for his Birthday

Partnerships

"G.O. Ministries seeks to empower passionate, local leaders serving inside their own cultures to Redeem people, Renew communities and Restore Creation by developing dynamic International, mutually transformational Partnerships."

This morning, we dropped off Beechland Baptist Church at the airport, finishing up my first ever GO team! I forgot how deep and real relationships can be formed in such a short amount of time. This week was an incredible introduction to the crux of our ministry: Partnerships.


During this week I got to see an amazing example of how a church has rallied around a specific family that has worked with GO for many years, the husband as a construction worker and the wife as a cook. This family has become an extended part of the church family, and there are many people from the Louisville church that ask about and pray for this family even though they have never met them! This encouragement does wonders for our nationals, as they feel equipped and supported in order to really serve and minister here in Santiago.


Honestly, I didn't understand this crucial aspect of the ministry here. I was so excited about discipleship and my role in the baseball/basketball academies that I never really took the time to investigate the partnerships and relationships that play such a huge role in the ministries. God completely knew what I needed to see/experience in my first week and as always he proved faithful to helping equip me to effectively serve here. Which is perfect because I have no clue!


I hope each group this summer will be as big of a blessing as this past group has been!