THANK YOU goes out to Heidi Perry.

Recently Heidi Perry, of Steady Brook, Newfoundland, ran in the Steady Brook/Humber area to raise funds for the HATS-Haiti children. This is the third year that Heidi has 'run for HATS'.  Heidi is an amazing girl, with a big heart to help children in need.   Heidi is 13-years-old and in grade 7.  She recently ran 42.2 km to raise the funds and did so on a cold, wet day.  How many people would do something like this to be able to help needy children elsewhere?

There is a photo of Heidi running on a day that is anything but sunny.  There is another of her standing in Steady Brook at the end of her very long run.

Heidi Perry running a marathon to raise funds for HATS-Haiti

HATS-Haiti children, both in the Children's Home and at the school, and employees of HATS, are amazed and very thankful that a young girl would do so much to help the children here.  Her photo was also passed around in church and people were amazed that one so young is willing to do so much to help the children here.

Heidi at end of her long race

HATS children who live onsite with Mama Karen want to say a very big thank you to Heidi.  They made a sign to say thank you in Creole and English.

Standing in the rain to say Thank You to Heidi who ran in the rain for us

The children have been enjoying getting out as much as possible.  We walk along the canal, they climb trees and run through unplanted fields - racing to see who is the fastest.

Fun outside the compound. Jofky came first

Dieunel not far behind Djemima

Go Moise. Go

Ti Luc, not in a competition, stuck to the path & did it by himself

All  the children are growing, changing, and maturing. (Monkey doodle Anne is still Anne and not showing any signs of growing out of any of her 'dezod'.)   It is in Jonathan and Sandra, however, that I see the biggest difference.  They are growing up too quickly.  Every day they come to show me their new accomplishments.  Lately it has been what they can do on the swings.

Jonathan

Two little people - one swing

Jofky showing Mama what he can do

Our children are all well and hopefully they stay that way.  Mama Karen does not wish to have to reopen her clinic for any of her children again.  Chikungunya, however, has been reported as being in Haiti for some weeks now, with many cases reported, according to radio news reports.  It is an illness caused by a virus that spreads through mosquito bites.  The most common symptoms of chikungunya are high fevers with joint swelling and pain.  Other symptoms can be headache, muscle pain, and rash.  People are advised to use mosquito repellent and cover exposed skin with long sleeved shirts, long pants and hats.  Our team members have been advised to bring repellent with them and to use it early mornings and after the sun goes down late afternoons.

Only one more month of school for this year.  The students received their report cards a few weeks ago for the second semester.  Mama Karen was not happy with the results of some of the children.  A family meeting was held in the yard and they were given their marching orders so there would be better results next month when the final exams are written for this year.  Mama Karen, however, has not seen many marching to her orders or to her  daily encouragement to spend a lot more time with their textbooks.  The end results may leave a lot to be desired.

A family meeting after receiving report cards

 If the school exam results are good, or not so good, all the children are precious and I am thankful for each one.

I T    I S     A L L     A B O U T    T H E    C H I L D R E N

Blessings, Karen

Another 'photo blog'

Our unfinished church building is already a blessing.  It will be even more so when it is done and we have proper seating, etc.

Thank you to one and all who helped with this project.  Yesterday we used it for the first time - for a school event.  Can't use it for church yet as the desks that were carried there for yesterday's event have to be taken back for school classes.

You will see from these photos that HATS-Haiti truly is  -

ALL ABOUT  THE  CHILDREN.

HATS kids only on Day 1

Gwo Chef JJ having the girls do most of the work

Day 2 of preparing our church building for Flag Day

Day 2 -Another gwo chef telling young student how to do the work

Desks being brought over from the school. Oh happy day when the building is finished and we have proper benches

Students ready for the march. The band members in blue on the left will lead them a fair distance in our area

Sandra & Jonathan wanting to know how Papa Luckner makes the music come out of the speakers

Luckner talking about the importance of the Haitian flag

This unfinished church building is a blessing already

Mariah did a good job of teaching the girls two dances in a short time

HATS kids danced at Flag Day too

Sandra, who learned the dance moves from Mariah had stage fright. Jonathan could do it too but he would not even go forward.

Preschool kids had fun dancing too

Thank you...

...to the awesome team of ladies, from New Brunswick and Newfoundland, who were recently helping at HATS.   You were not only a big help in many ways but you were a joy to have here with us.

The children had made and posted a banner welcoming the team.  The children knew Kathleen (Cafline as they say and spell it) and Jess.  For weeks prior to their arrival they talked about Jess and Cafline coming soon.  They were thrilled to have those two back but very happy to meet and make more new friends.  Now the hope is that the new ones will want to return some day as well.

Welcome banner made by children for Kathleen, Jess and the newbies.

Thank you to Mariah, too, although not a member of the team arrived at the same time.  Mariah was a big help while they were here, and still is.  Mariah surprised the children and employees of the mission as we kept it a secret that she was coming.

Mariah from Calgary. Crystal from Corner Brook. New friendships.

The team members were:  Kathleen, from NB, returning for the third time

Kathleen (with her sidekick)

Jess, from NL, returning for the second time

Jess

(Sept 27th Jess will be a full fledged member of the 'awesome but nutty' Huxter and MacDonald families)  This is a good thing for both families.  Caleb you have chosen well.

Emily, from NB, for the first time

Emily

Erika, NB, first timer

Erika

Patricia, NL, for the first visit

Patricia

Jenny, NL, - first visit

Jenny

Crystal, NL (formerly Bahamas) - first visit

Crystal

Their day of leaving needed an earlier start than had been the original plan.  There was an important reason for this.  Early morning Ti Luc was up to see the team off.

Kathleen and Ti Luc saying Bye.  Tears were seen on both faces.

As the team filled the bus to leave it was obvious there were mixed emotions.  They were returning home to their families but they were having difficulty leaving the mission and the children.

Ready to head home but not really ready to leave HATS

You saw from their blogs the many ways the team members were involved and the many and various ways they helped while here.  They all fell in love with the children and the children with them.

The team members here at HATS and the other members of the Canadian group who were in Grand Goave with a rubble housing project all kindly agreed to leave both areas of Haiti very early a.m. so I could also get to the airport in PAP and head to Canada.

Some of the NB & NL team members inside PAP airport

I want to personally thank the other members of the group from NB and NL, who had spent the week in another area of Haiti, for their willingness to arrive at the airport almost three hours ahead of what we had originally scheduled.  This was done for my benefit as I was making a very unexpected short trip to NS for a very sad reason.
I was going to attend the funeral of a friend, Heather Rhyno.  Heather, one of the nicest people one could ever meet, was the wife of Gerry Rhyno - Chairman of the Canadian Board of Directors of the mission HATS-Haiti, and mother of another friend, Heidi Newell. Gerry and Heather were on a well deserved holiday cruise when Heather, age 55, had a massive heart attack.

I want to say a big thank you to my friend, Beate Rufft, another member of the Canadian Board of Directors for HATS, for the airline ticket to attend the funeral.  Thanks also to Katheleen McDonald, who helped Beate work out the flight arrangements, and who covered the cost of my hotel room in Miami on my return home Wednesday.  I so appreciated being able to support my friends and their family members.

My leaving, unexpectedly along with the team members, would have been a lot more difficult for the children if Mariah had not been here.  This is another reason I am thankful.  I say thanks to God and thanks to those who helped in every way.  I think the new team members who were here with us caught the vision of what HATS is about  -

I T      I S      A L L      A B O U T      T H E      C H I L D R E N

Blessings everyone.
Karen

Things are coming to a close

 (this is my least favorite part of the Haiti Adventure).

Last night I got to hang out with JJ, Moise, Vladimy, Djemima and Leica on the picnic table while the little ones were getting ready for bed.  We had fun teasing each other and talking about our full names rather than the names that we use to talk to each other.  They thought it was funny that I had two middle names and when they tried to figure out what my nickname would be they were shortening Kathleen to Kath.  That’s a new one but hey, I am pretty much game for anything.  We took the kids up on the roof a little later on.  JJ had flannel pajamas on!!!!!!!!!!!  I was sweating just looking at him!

After the older kids headed in for the evening we had story time with Karen (one of my favorite times).  Mariah and I are trying to convince her to write the book (Mariah wants the first half to be about her, we figured that is probably a good idea :P ).

We all were able to get a fairly good sleep last night because it had been raining which drove everyone in the surrounding areas inside for the evening.  (There was one cow that was mooing at me but I put him in his place).  I swear I get a better sleep in Haiti than I do at home.  I might have to record the chickens, goats and cows tonight so I can ensure a good sleeps until the next time I am here hahahahaha.

Today we prayed with all of the kids before they went to school.  You should hear the children pray.  This morning Jofky age 4 and Jonathan age 2 did the praying.  Then off to Devotions with the staff.  All of us visitors got a chance to thank the staff and share about our week in Haiti.  There were definitely some tears.  I told them how after being here twice I finally got a chance to bring my Dad to the Country I have completely fallen in love with (yeah you guessed it, that is when I had the water works just a flowing).

Morning devotions with employees

Morning devotions

Germaine made Haitian styled eggs for breakfast (I swear her cooking will make me gain 6000 pounds!!!! It is SO GOOD!!!).

Mariah has been teaching some of the girls from the school a dance for flag day which I believe has been blogged about already.  Today however Tifi, Sandra and Jonathan were watching with me.  The little ones were trying to do the dance as well.  Too precious!!

For lunch we had Tuna Melts!!!! Germaine is the only person who can successfully get me eating Tuna hahaha.  After we went and hung out with the kids.  It is really nice to be able to spend so much time with them before we head out.  Today was report card day, which was not so good for some but Mr. Ti Luckner has achieved a 6!!!!!!!  We could not be more proud of that young man.

We are proud of Ti Luc

Tonight we tentatively scheduled to go to Radio Creole, so we need to prepare some songs (the Haitians should prepare their ears because if I am singing this is not going to go well hahahahahaha).

Radio Creole Hour

Fun time at Radio Creole

Mariah did a great job as announcer tonight. She is a natural.

It has been amazing though.  I have loved being able to meet the Newfoundland team members!  They are hilarious and cannot wait to see how they apply their experiences to their world back home.  Shout out to Mariah!!  (Who I finally got to meet)  Thank you to Karen and Luckner for letting us come in and be a part of your family here in Haiti, you are such a blessing!!  Thank you to all of the parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings and children and friends who have supported all of us.  We have had a blast and would not have been able to have this experience without your support.  I could go on saying thanks for days!!  Most of all though the praise, and glory goes to God. He has ensured our safety through and through on this entire journey to Haiti.  He has made such a beautiful country with such beautiful children, and I am so grateful that he put the right people in my life so that I could end up experiencing all that Haiti and HATS has to offer.

As we wrap up our week I honestly cannot think too much about leaving without bawling.  This is not ‘goodbye’ but rather this is a ‘I will see you very soon’

Crystal's View

This morning I woke up with such a heavy heart. Ms. Karen was on my mind, I watch her keenly as she tends to all the children ensuring that she divides her time evenly and makes them all feel as though they are the only one. I am a mother of three and I find this task difficult at times but she makes it seem so easy.

I listen to her speak about the need for others to partake in missions, as there is so much work to be done, then I think about Moses, when he was leading the children of Israel and the task was wearing him down in Numbers 11:16-17 “ And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people….. And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.” When Ms. Karen starts to explain the next steps for the HAT’S organization, I just think about Moses, and say a prayer. Truly there is so much to be done…here in Haiti the word of God is ever so real. Matthew 9:37 “Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; therefore pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out labours in the harvest” this is my fervent prayer for Ms. Karen.

Today  we are celebrating Labor Day Holiday in Haiti.  I look around at the efforts of the individuals at HAT'S. Though today is a holiday Karen is busy getting things organized for the day and Luckner is conducting a tutoring class, getting the 9th graders ready their big government assessment exams. There's no room for holidays at HATS or so I thought.

This morning we got a treat as Karen took the team  sightseeing at the Ti Riviere.

Heading off to Ti Riviere

Ti Riviere has a palace of 365 doors and a Fort. It was amazing; we were able to see the natives as they go about their daily routines… so carefree. As the sun bearded down on us, we found shade in the Palace as we roam from room to room enjoying the view...imagining  what it must have looked like over 200 years ago.

Palace in Ti Riviere. Restoration work being done on it.

The size of this place is amazing

Original wooden doors (265 of them) over 200 years old

Wonder what the view outside the palace was like 200 yrs ago

The group took pleasure in the court yard view.

checking out courtyard of the palace

Then on to the wonderful views from the Fort….it is amazing, you can see down in the valley, it is a priceless view. As I looked out at the vegetation and livestock, I tried to wonder how and why there are people hungry in a place so lush in agriculture. Then I remembered a verse in the bible, Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee….. seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.” Whenever we forget God he will remind us that he is the creator of all.

At Fort.  Artibonite Valley and the HATS Mission behind

Karen with precious granddaughter, Mariah, overlooking the valley where HATS is located

The trip is now coming to a climax, but for me the journey is just getting started. Many may assume that Haiti is far away and the issues here don’t affect them or is not their problem…but this is very false, we all are just a major disaster away from being displaced like Haiti. We should all seek to do our part like Karen…