Prepare for Takeoff

Good evening Ladies and Gentleman, and welcome aboard flight 316 non-stop to the warm island of Haiti! This is your pilot Sarah Rice speaking, and Jesus is my co-pilot. Please fasten the Belt of Truth securely around your waste, and sit back as we prepare for takeoff…

Let the adventure begin.

Alright, alright, I couldn’t help myself. J You’ll have to forgive me if I begin to throw out cheesy lines like that one bumper sticker you just can’t quite peel off. It’s just too fun. Allow me to introduce myself:

My name is Sarah Rice, and I have the honor of being the Haiti author (one of them, anyway, for I’m sure this page will soon be graced with other team member’s thoughts as well). I go to Water’s Edge at 12 Stone, and love every minute of it. I can’t wait to go on this trip with my awesome team and see what amazing things God is going to do in our lives and the lives of the Haitian people we will reach out to. For the sake of keeping this blog focused on the Haiti team as a whole, if you want to know more about me you’re welcome to click my bio and do so.

On August 9^th the teams had their first official meeting! It was very encouraging, because all the teams seemed to mesh very well and God was tangible in the room that night. The four tables for each team were decorated with the countries flag, a few objects that represent that country, and individualized nametags with fun facts about the country on the back. Did you know that Haiti’s currency is the Gourd apparently? I’m not gonna lie folks, the Haiti team had the most chemistry… not that I’m biased or anything. As a matter of fact, we had SO much chemistry that once all the teams were deployed on an ‘ultimate icebreaker’ game to find clues and beat the other teams back to the room, we won. Of course. Now you may find a slightly different variation of the story on the Liberia team’s blog, who came in second and claims we cheated in the process of the game. I beg to differ, and I hope that you spare the Liberia team the same sympathy that the Haiti team has, as it is hard to accept defeat gracefully I’m sure.

So… who is this award winning team? Feast your eyes on these champions:
Starting from the top left we have Deidrick Overby, Sarah Rice (me), Katie Klempner, Daniel Oehrke, Emily Tuten, Holly Colgan, Eric Echols, and Corbin Klett. Bottom row left to right is Emily Fischer, Melissa Johnson, Sam Laubscher, Joshua Bohn, and finally our trip leader Yanni Illiadis. Wow we are good looking.




And now with a little personality thrown in:







There you have it. The amazing blazing Haiti Team! We are all so excited to go on this trip and each one of us are above all else excited to see God move in ways like never before. I am personally so amazed at the individual gifts of each one of these people, and we can’t wait to see how God uses each other in unique ways as a tool for his Kingdom. We believe that God allowed each of us to be carefully selected for the Haiti team for a reason, and we can’t wait to find out what that is.

So, dear Haiti blog reader, will you please pray for us as we start this adventure? The journey doesn’t start when we set foot in Haiti, on the contrary, the process starts now, here, and in each one of our hearts and minds as we begin the spiritual transformation process that it will take to be tools for God’s kingdom while we share Jesus’s love in Haiti.

That would be the first thing to pray about: That we will continue to grow and mature exponentially before we set foot in the country. That we will each take the next step in our walk with Jesus, and that we will be prepared mentally, physically, and most importantly spiritually for the things we will witness in the barren and torn country of Haiti, which so desperately cries out for a savior. The brokenness of Haiti and the acute desperation of the people call for strong spiritual warriors, and please make it your prayer that we will be just that. In a place where there is little clean water and lots of depravity this verse stood out to me the most:

“He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.” Rev 21:6

Please pray that we have the ability to not only nourish their bodies, but feed their souls as well. And thank you for your prayers. I can’t wait to continue to update you on the status of the Haiti Team, and I’m glad you’ll be reading along for our adventure.

So Ladies and Gentleman, please keep your head back and your seat in the upright position. Keep all hands and belongings firmly secured beneath the seat in front of you, and please remain seated while our God is in motion.

Introducing (drumroll...) Haiti!

General Information:
Haiti is located in the Caribbean Sea. It shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. It has a tropical climate and a mountainous terrain. The people speak Creole and French. Haiti has a really rough history. In 1467 when the Spanish came to Haiti they massacred the entire indigenous population. Later in the early 1700s, the French established a presence on Haiti. It grew to be the wealthiest country in the Caribbean, but only because of the heavy influx of African Slaves. In the late 18th century, Haiti’s half million slaves revolted against French rule and established the first black republic to declare its independence in 1804. And although Haitians get sick of hearing it, Haiti is now the poorest country in the western hemisphere. It has been plagued by violence for most of its history. In 2004, an armed rebellion led to the forced resignation and exile of the President Aristide. In February 2004, an interim government was put in place by a UN Stabilization Mission. Finally in 2006, Haiti inaugurated an elected president and parliament. During the 2008 Hurricane season, four tropical storms hit Haiti and caused extensive flooding and mudslides, which added more chaos and poverty to their world. The people are in desperate need of freedom from poverty and oppression.

Possible Ministry Opportunities
We will be going to Haiti with the organization World Hope International. They are currently ministering to thousands of people by child sponsorships, micro-finance projects, and HIV/AIDS prevention and education programs. They take care of orphaned and vulnerable children by providing them with educational assistance, nutritional resources, and community support. We will be joining World Hope in their on-going work in there.

For more information on World Hope International,
visit their website: http://www.worldhope.org/

Questions?
Contact Yanni Iliadis at Yanster9@hotmail.com or 678-770-6064