Photos

Sorry it took so long but here are some photos.

Album 1

Album 2

Fini

Well, we are getting ready to head to the Jacmel airport (like a little garage with a long driveway....it's adorable...) to head out to Port au Prince, and then Miami, and then home. We didn't get a chance to post last night because we didn't have access to the internet, but what an amazing day. An amazing week. 

Our team did a fantastic job, and it's hard to describe the feeling of knowing we came to do and be what we had been planning for months. 

There are so many stories to tell, so many indelible images in our hearts and minds....I can't wait to see what Crosspointe's further involvement will do long term. Whatever that looks like, it will be nothing less than changing and saving lives.

A few more...

Ouch

Ouch...So riding on top of the car was cool for the first two days and now it kind of hurts.  

We accomplished a lot today.  We had our second day of construction where the guys served as mules for the professionals.  We hauled the cement and lifted up the cinder blocks to build the final walls for the first floor of the school.  We learned that this building will serve more than just a school.  It will also serve as a community building and a church.  It is great that we could help build such an important part in this community. 

The women in the group completed another successful day of teaching to the local children.  They taught about Love yesterday and Kindness today.  We were not there but from all of the laughing and singing I would say it was a success.  

Overall it was a great day.  Can't wait until tomorrow. 

Kevin

Thursday

Sorry everybody... didn't post last night because we passed out in our beds before I got to it.

We're getting ready to head out in 15 minutes, but I can tell you briefly that yesterday was pretty amazing. Basin Bleu is remarkably beautiful, and the people are so wonderful. VBS went off very well, and we were reminded that laughter and fun are universal. Even with the language barrier, we all knew at the end of the day that God is good ("Bondye se bon!") and laughing heals. We got a lot of work done on the school building as well. it's amazing what these people can do with very little resources...wow.

We'll post some pics later today, and recap our experience in the mountains as well as church tonight.

Steve

Contact!

We're here, safe and sound.

The trip from Raleigh, thru Miami to Port au Prince couldn't have been smoother- and it's an amazing thing to start the morning in the richest area in our hemisphere, and be in the absolute poorest by lunch.

Upon arriving and being blasted in the face with hot, tropical air and the totally different culture, we did what anyone would do just moments into a third world country; we went to Dominoes. And it can be said without hesitation that the Dominoes is better here than in the States. Go figure.

The 10 of us and Danny took a bus from Port au Prince through the rural areas, over the mountains to Jacmel. It took about 2.5 hours and was a truly eye-opening trip. To see poverty stacked on top of poverty and utter desperation lived out under dirty tarps makes you want to get out and just start helping. Doing what, I have no idea...but driving by, staring out the window at their everyday reality, is humbling.

Once at the home, the hugs, jumprope, futbol, dancing, singing and games began. Man I love this place. But, after singing a few worship songs and praying together, we decided to check into our rooms and call it a night. We're just wiped.

We'll get up in the morning and head to Basin Bleu to work on the school building being erected in a very detached, rural area, as well as offer a vacation Bible School for the area kids. We can't wait to see what's in store.

Steve

It's Time - We're off to Haiti!!

Well the time has finally arrived!! In just over 30 hrs we will be on our way to Haiti! I can't believe the months have flown by so quickly. Our group as been busily preparing for the trip over the last couple of weeks, including gathering for an authentic Haitian meal, shopping for supplies to bring to the Haitian Children's Home, packing/weighing the 20 military duffle bags with the supplies (all our personal items we will be carrying on), and sitting together as a group, visualizing step by step our trip. We've even learned some Creole (language that is spoken in Haiti).

You may have heard about the unrest that occurred in April. Much of that has died down. While there is always risk in going to a 3rd world country with that kind of government, we are very comfortable that we will be perfectly safe. The people that we will be working with will meet us as soon as we land in Port au Prince, the capital. After going through customs, we will be taking a bus to Jacmel, in the southern part of the country. Although the trip is approx only 25 miles or so, it should be about a 2.5-3 hour trip. Although I have heard this is a rough trip (i.e.take your Dramamine), I am very much looking forward to the trip through the country to really "see" Haiti - the good and the bad.

Wednesday evening will be spent getting to know the kids at the home (approx. 22 of them), Thurs & Fri will be divided up for the guys and girls. Guys will be working on building a school down there and the girls will be going to a remote area to do a vacation bible school for kids who have never experience anything like that. There will be singing, playing, crafts and of course GOD. That will be so exciting and challenging as I'm sure none of these kids will know any English so all will have to be communicated through interpreters and of course just simple LOVE.

Saturday will be spending more time with the kids and going to the beach, more specifically, the land that the Children's home will be purchasing in the near future to build new homes with new "parents" so children won't be turned away when they come for help.

It is hard to describe the feelings that have been building in me the last week. I have been ready to go for days now - honestly not being able to or wanting to do anything else. Prime example: today I spent the day, picking the kids up from school early to spend the afternoon with them. We went shopping, came home, they helped me prep for dinner, we watched a movie, made Kelsey and her friend up with TONS of make up as tonight was picture night for their dance class. Just 10 minutes ago I went to take my contacts out and came to discover I only put ONE in today. No wonder I was having a hard time reading the computer screen, seeing the TV and felt dizzy in TJ Maxx - What a DORK!!

Our bags are packed and we anxiously awaiting our 3:45 am pick up on Wed to leave (thank you Anne).

Watch our progress and days happenings on our blog: http://haiti2008.blogspot.com/. It's wonderful to know that the people who have supported us and love us can be with us daily by going to the blog. Please keep up the prayers. Pay that we make a difference and that we are safe.

With much love,

Karen and Anthony

Packing

We had fun packing up for the trip...

Last Meeting

Last night was our final meeting and we are ready to go! We visualized our trip and talked about being a family unit while we are in Haiti. We have the benefit of knowing each other prior to departure. I think this will help us be more successful as a team and help make more of an impact on the community.

Sunday is our packing party where we will be stuffing 20 military size bags to bring down to the HCH. We are going to shove our stuff into our carry- on baggage and bring supplies in our checked baggage. Since there is virtually no postal service we are serving as UPS. It is going to be quite a scene to see us travel into Port au Prince.

Lastly, we are trying to learn Kreyol before we get there. Have some fun learning with us here.

Haiti Big Ask

Steve, our group leader, let us know that we will be going to see the land that the HCH is hoping to acquire to build more homes in Haiti. When we are down there, "We will be walking this land while we are down there, seeing it, dreaming about it, praying over it and documenting it on film to upload that night (perhaps YouTube, but not sure) so Crosspointe can watch it together the following Sunday morning as we are heading back."

Below is a link to a post from Jonathan Bow's blog about the land that the HCH is getting closer and closer to obtaining.

http://www.jonathanbow.com/carry_the_light/2008/04/haiti-big-ask.html

There's A Lion In The Street

On Sunday Jonathan Bow delivered a great message that spoke to Emily and I and our decision to go on this trip. It is called, "There's a Lion In the Street." Check it out...

Getting Close

It is May and reality is setting in that we are leaving soon. The other night we had a great group meeting discussing our biggest fears and what we are looking forward to. Now that the time for us to leave is getting closer we are all starting to focus more on the trip. I will try to summarize our conversation.

We are looking forward to working together as a team to make some difference in the lives of the children at the HCH. We are looking to grow together around serving others. We want to learn more about Haiti, its people, and the children at HCH. We hope that our short time time there will open our eyes and hearts more to the needs of this world.

And The Winner Is...

Congratulations goes to Miss Reid from Apex Elementary! She is the winner of our Hurricanes hat raffle.

Thanks to everyone who participated. We were able to raise $250 for the children at HCH.

The Voice of an 11-Year Old

My name is Riley. I have never gone on a mission trip before so this is exciting for me. Before my mom and dad told me about this, I had no idea what the orphans in Haiti were going through. I feel horrible that those kids have to walk that long just to get to school. I wanted to help them out.

I went to the shot doctor to get my shots for the trip a few weeks later. I was all ready to go. I could tell that this trip was going to be neat. Mom had told me the orphans love soccer, like me. I don’t know what to expect but I hope I can help.

Riley ~

A New Adventure

What can I say? I love an adventure. For me signing on to this trip was an adventure in the making. It was a chance for me not only to serve, but to teach and observe my oldest son in an environment that will be life changing. My overall thought: a desire to see God work.

Yesterday I went to see a doctor for biofeedback to help me relax and release tension that has been a behavioral pattern for years. I tend to hang on to tension, and now body is saying it is time to let go. What does this have to do with Haiti? Bear with me.

The doctor began to show me this software that helps you measure your consciousness with relaxation. She told me it is a discipline for you brain to become single minded, to focus your attention. As you begin to relax, slowing your heart rate and taking deeper breaths, your brain is able to focus and raise your consciousness to the areas in your body that are tense, and helps you to release that tension. There is a picture on the computer screen of a serene environment in black and white. As you relax and raise your consciousness, the screen begins to change from black and white to color. Details are more noticeable, the picture becomes alive and you are affecting it by staying present in that moment.

I believe God is instilling this principle in me. This is how I should pray. Be still, breath, become single minded, and focus my attention on Him. Watch and see how my consciousness is raised to what is important to Him. See how colorful and intricate His picture is vs. my black and white picture.

This is where I am with our trip. I want to be a part of this picture, not only to watch it come to life and see lives transformed, but to be a part of the transformation. My desire now is to move away from my thoughts and expectations of what a “mission trip” should be, and be open and present to what God says it can be.

Signed Carolina Hurricanes Hat Raffle

We will be raffling off the signed hurricanes hat on April 22nd. All of our group members have tickets to purchase for $5 per entry. If you would like to purchase raffle tickets feel free to contact Kevin Hoch.

Carolina Hurricanes Signed Hat

Attention all you Caniacs!!

We will be having a raffle to win a hat signed by many of the Carolina Hurricanes. Some of the stars who signed that hat include: Cam Ward , Eric Staal (my wife's favorite) , and Ray Whitney. More details will be posted soon so be sure to subscribe to the blog or check back often.

All of the money raised for this raffle will go directly to the Haitian Children's Home.

Who are we?

Our life group (originally gel group) wanted to be the hands and feet of Crosspointe and go to help out in Haiti. We are a diverse group of people from all walks of life. We have people who are going to Haiti (Goers) and people who are sending us (Senders). We also have our financial and prayer partners. We would love to talk to anyone who is interested about our experiences now and after we get back. Find us at church or comment on the blog.

We are: Karen Campbell, Anthony Bruno, Steve and Kristi Daugherty, Alicia, Mike, & Riley Schwerin, Kelly Ketchel, Kevin Hoch, and Emily Obriot-Hoch

NY Times and Haiti

The NY Times online has an area dedicated to Haiti. There are a ton of articles and some basic information. Take a look...

Have a little faith

So, with a little faith and some hard work we have been progressing in raising money for our trip to Haiti. We have had a wonderful response from our friends and family who are partnering with us. We also had a very successful garage sale. We were able to raise $1675 by selling stuff that was gathering dust in closets, garages, and sheds. God has truly blessed us.

Garage Sale Reminder March 29

We will be participating in the Abbington subdivision's spring garage sale to help raise funds for our trip. The garage sale runs from 7AM - 12PM this Saturday, March 29. Please stop by to get great deals and help a good cause. Items include: girls and boys baby clothes, designer women's clothes, sporting equipment, housewares, electronics, and much more. We will also have delicious lemonade, hot chocolate, and snacks. The address is 300 Kellyridge Dr, Apex NC. Spread the word and we look forward to seeing you there.

Am I ready?

That’s a great question. It depends on if you are asking physically or mentally. Physically NO, I can’t believe how quickly time seems to be flying and crazy things just seem to be popping up including 2 unexpected trips: to snow covered Philadelphia and NJ and now snow blanketed Minneapolis all within the span of 3 weeks. That’s OK, I can be impulsive, but it feels like there is still so much to be done here. So much more money and awareness to raise.

Now onto mentally, I think I have been ready all my life for something like this. I haven’t grown up involved in church or missions or charity, but my head and heart have always been there. Maybe you hit 40 and say, “It’s Time”. It seems that has happened to me. Within the past year my brain has clicked from, “This is what you should do” to “This is what I’M going to do”.

Ask me what I do best in the world and my answer is being a mother and loving on my girls. Now I have the chance to spread that love and love on children who just may not have that unconditional love in their world, and I just can’t wait. Put me to work, give me a hammer, I don’t care just give me a child to love on. I am planning on coming back changed and I AM READY!

Karen

George Foreman

Looking for a George Foreman grill? How about baby clothes or a certified pre-owned bike? Come to our garage sale on March 29th and see what treasures you may find.

Location 300 Kellyridge Dr. Apex, NC 27502-9610

Thank You Abbington

Our group would like to thank all of the neighbors in Abbington that allowed us to spruce up their mailboxes. Thank you so much for your support.

Fear of flying

Okay, it’s time the truth came out…I am not exactly feeling “called” to Haiti. One, I am terrified of spiders, and the pictures of Steve holding a tarantula that he pummeled to death are…well, terrifying. Two, the trip requires shots. Painful shots. I do not like shots. Nor am I a fan of paying my doctor’s office hard-earned money to inject me with said shots. At least I won’t get whooping cough though, right? Three, this fundraising deal is not going as planned. Here is my daily routine: drive home from work. Stop at the mailbox. Flip through junk mail hoping to discover an envelope from someone I know. Discover no envelope. Sigh. Or, the group fundraising has gone like this: plan, discuss, set date for event…rain. Set new date for event…rain. Granted, we are in a drought and quite frankly I am tired of feeling guilty for taking a hot shower and would like our newly planted grass to grow, but come on God, we are trying to raise some money here! So, I have been feeling not so thrilled with the whole Haiti trip. I also forgot to mention number four, which is that I am scared of both tiny planes going over mountains and also riding in a van over bumpy terrain in dangerous places for three hours. Neither option is too thrilling. But I digress. I have this husband who I am committed to, and he loves mission trips, so of course he was like, “sign me up!” We talked about him going and me staying home, but that conversation lasted about two seconds. Not an option. So, I’m going…with reservations. Then, this past Sunday I heard something in the message at church that just clicked with me. Steve said something along the lines of “Jesus comes in and demands re-orientation and that’s not easy...We hate to be told to change our course…We hate to surrender and give up control.” Well, I have been pondering the whole control issue for awhile now. And giving up control and following a course (to Haiti!) is one that has me feeling uncomfortable, a bit grouchy about being put on a path that is bumpy right now, and nervous. But, I also know that God is in this whole plan, and that’s kind-of exciting. I suppose.

Emily

Am I ready?

I have the inability to pause in life. Either my body is always doing something or it's my mind. Because of this, I have yet to pause and reflect on what Emily and I have signed up for. Up to this point we have been focusing on fundraising and getting all the appropriate shots. So now that I am finally starting to pause and reflect on the trip I am not sure if I am ready.

I have had the privilege of doing service/mission trips before and I am always taken aback by how different people's lives are based on where they are located on a map. It always seems so random to me and I question why I was so fortunate to be born here and live such a privileged life. This dissonance has always lead me to seek opportunities to help right the imbalance I see. It has been a long time since I have been on a international service trip but I know I am ready. I am ready to be knocked over by how different people's lives are. I am ready to learn of a different way of looking at the world. I am ready to do my best to make a small impact on the children of Haiti. I am ready to focus my restless energy on a place in the world that needs a little help.

Kevin

Mailboxes, Etc...

This coming Saturday we will be painting mailboxes in an Apex neighborhood to generate some more funds for our Haiti trip. I am thrilled not only at the opportunity to raise some cash, but to do it with good friends that seem to work together very well. It's been awesome watching the team come together- people playing to their strengths and leading and deferring according to the various abilities of the group. I'm grateful to be part of it.

Kristi and I don't have as much money in as we thought/hoped we would 

at this point. Still some time, but really feel like what we have now is about it in terms of known prospects. So this upcoming project, as well as the garage sale at the end of the month will be important for us and other team members in the same boat. However, I can't think of a time that a mission trip has had all the needed funds in with still months to go; for some reason, this is just part of it. Keeps us on our toes ( or knees) I guess.

Kristi and I are excited about the trip and what God has in store for all of us in the group. And our three kids are excited to hang out with the Green's again for that week. Too excited, really. I actually think that they would prefer to live with them. But the paperwork for the state to pull that whole process off is just too daunting.

Welcome and Greetings

Welcome to this inaugural posting to the Haiti 2008. Our family is making our preparations - shots, passports, and mental/spiritual preparation in terms of what we could expect from this experience. In addition to my wife Alicia, our 10 (soon to be 11) year old son Riley will be making the trip with us. He's fairly typical as far as 10 year old boys go. It will be interesting to see how this experience shapes him and how it influences us as a result of watching the change in him.

I've included a picture of me and Riley. As an aside, the mustache is an homage to the manly display of facial hair that was a trademark of my youth. After seeing myself in pictures like this, I now know why I remained single until 28 and didn't have too many dates.

I hope we convey our experiences in a way that people can connect with. Accept my apologies in advance for poor grammar and fragmented thoughts.

More to come from me and others from our group making this trip.

Mike ~