Life Lessons: What I Learned While in Haiti!

They say "experience" is the best teacher, and that statement held true to the cause while on the mission trip with "Team Blanc" in Haiti just a couple of weeks ago.  Sure, I could read about these things in a book, but to actually see, touch, feel, and live among the people in Haiti and get to experience these life lessons -- WOW!!!  Thanks for allowing me share a few of these simple truths -- my "life lessons" -- with you!

Life lesson 1:  You don't need a clothes dryer to dry clothes.  The sun does a wonderful job, and it even gives you "sun bleached, fresh smelling clothes"!  Note to self: Quit the griping and complaining when the dryer doesn't work for a day.  God gave us the sun and it works way better than a clothes dryer! Besides that, the sun never breaks down.

Life lesson 2:  Beauty can be found everywhere -- even among the most difficult times of poverty, depression, sickness, or anguish.  God has not forgotten us and gives us beauty to enjoy at all times.  We simply have to look around us.  Note to self:  Stop thinking God has forgotten me.  He hasn't!  All I have to do is look outside to view His glorious creation and be reminded that if He cares for the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, He tenderly cares for me, too!

Life lesson 3:  Fancy cookware and a top-notch state-of-the-art kitchens are not requirements for preparing delicious, nutritious food.  Cooking over an open fire in a big iron kettle will get the job done marvelously! (I wish you could have seen how this pasta was cooked!  It was amazing!!!   Note to self:  Stop feeling sorry for yourself that your kitchen and cooking utensils are old.  Instead, use what you have and be thankful!!!

Life lesson 4:  Kids will be kids under any circumstances.  They know how to enjoy the simple things in life. (This little boy sliding down the railing at Tabitha's orphanage reminded me of my kids sliding down the banister at home hundreds of times squealing with laughter as they had "races.")  Note to self:  Kids don't need hundred dollar toys and a room called a "play room" to make them happy.  They just need an opportunity to be a kid!  Every child is born with a super creative mind!  A little bit of encouragement to use their minds goes a long way!

Life lesson 5:  Not all kids own a $200 pair of hiking boots, but they still manage to climb mountains and enjoy God's beautiful creation.  Note to self:  Quit stalling when it comes to getting outside and enjoying nature!  Tennis shoes or flip flops from Walmart will take me where I need to go in order to exercise and take in the beauty of nature that surrounds me each day.  I don't need to wait until I save up for that expensive pair of walking shoes!  Feet work just fine!

Life lesson 6:  Fancy conference rooms, a PhD in Psychology, and the most current forms of advanced technology are not needed for heart-to-heart conversations about life, faith and God.  A simple sit-down in nature with a friend and time spent in prayer and God's word are calming to the soul.  Note to self:  Focus on reading more of the Bible, spending time with Christian friends, and spending quiet time in nature because these are the things that will give me life-sustaining nourishment right at the moment when I need it!

Life lesson 7:  There are flowers that are survivors and can thrive, bloom, and give beauty under any condition because God made them that way.  Note to self:  Stop thinking that circumstances have to be better in order for my life to be filled with joy.  Remember that I can bloom and thrive anywhere and at any time because God made me that way!

Life lesson 8:  Laughter is a universal language and can be understood and appreciated by everyone! (This lady lives in one of the aziles we visited, and she was overcome with joy as she enjoyed the food, the sanitation pack and the hugs that we gave her! I don't think I've ever seen a bigger smile!)   Note to self:  Laugh more!  Smile more!  Relax more! There are tremendous blessings of joy given to us in each and every day -- no matter what our circumstances.  Remember to share a smile with someone every day!

Life lesson 9:  No matter what your financial situation in life you can keep yourself neat, clean, and find a way to share something with others.  (This man is part of Tabitha's orphanage and used a machete to cut and prepare coconuts for us, the visitors.  Look how neatly he's dressed!  He sure puts many of us to shame!)  Note to self:  Take care of what you have, and stop wishing for more.  Always, always find something to share with others!!!  And, share with a joyful, giving heart!  "A cup of cold water given in His name to the least of these will not be forgotten." Matt. 10:42

Life lesson 10:  This is one beautiful world in which we live!!  This beauty was made for us to enjoy, to take care of, and to be used as a blessing!  (This was a daily scene in Haiti, and one that gave great peace and a sense of belonging to God.)  Note to self:  Never, ever become too busy to enjoy the gifts found in nature.  God created this world for us to enjoy, and when walking among nature we can really connect with God through our meditation and prayer. 

I could go on and on with the life lessons learned while in Haiti.  I took well over a thousand photos and there is a lesson and story to go with each one!  (Don't worry!  I'm only sharing ten for now -- not a thousand!) 

One of the most important life lessons of all I learned was this:  You don't have to travel to a foreign land to learn life lessons or to enjoy close communion with God and others.  We have opportunities for this right where we are every single day of our lives.  That being said, sometimes people need reminders and encouragement and they need our help in pointing out the beauty in the not-so-beautiful parts of life.  And, that's why seven very ordinary people prayed so fervently to make this mission trip possible -- to be messengers of hope to those who sometimes feel forgotten and lost in a world of poverty and darkness. 

Let's be a light that shines for others! And, quit worrying if you're a bright light!  Any light is a bright light to the one living in darkness!  When we share God's love, we've shared the most meaningful light of all --  an eternal light of hope! 

Love to all,
Clara

Packing for the Unknown -- What's It Like?

Well, it's down to the nitty-gritty.  Only four more days until departure time!  The suitcase is laying out on my bedroom floor waiting to be packed.  And, as I looked at it this morning before leaving for work, my heart skipped a few beats -- some beats were for happiness and joy, other beats were a bit of "I'm going to miss my kids and my daily phone call from my little granddaughter, Sophie", and other skipped beats were a bit of true-blue, honest-to-goodness anxiety over facing the unknown.

Some of you might say, "Well, I thought you went there last year?  You're no longer a novice to Haiti or to the routine of living a week of your life in a foreign mission field."  True and true, but not-so-true.  This ole granny is a bit afraid, if I'm being totally honest.  I'm afraid of how the flight will be.  Will we all enter and leave the country safely?  I'm a bit fearful of the mosquitoes and stomach bugs that attacked so many on our trip last year.  I'm afraid of not knowing what each day will bring.  There's no such thing as a set agenda when in Haiti.  Time is not important to the Haitians. Okay, I'm afraid of the mice, lizards, and rats, too. 

"So, if you're that afraid, then why are you going?" some might ask.  The children.  I'm going because of the children.  I'm going because it will be such a joy to provide a ray of hope to someone in despair.  I'm going because my heart is happy when I can give of myself.  I'm going because I want to share God, hope, and love with all people, including those who are our neighbors in Haiti.  I'm going because it will be so good to give families in dire need of food some beans and rice to help sustain them.  I'm going because I don't want to miss the opportunity of seeing some of my own children serving others. I don't think a parent can experience any greater joy!  I'm going because it is my responsibility to joyfully help care for those who are in need of physical, spiritual, and emotional nourishment. 

And, I thank YOU who gave so generously to see to it that I can go! 

Please stroll through memory lane in Haiti with me.  And, pray that all of my anxious fears will subside so that I can be all that I should be, and all that I want to be while living among these beautiful children of God!

The mountains declare the handiwork of God!  You can feel His presence, and see His beautiful creation! Even in what we would call a desperate situation, the power of God lives and dwells among the people!

This will be "my home" for the next week.  I will have the awesome privilege of living with the children of the Cap-Haitian Children's Home!  What a joy and blessing! 

And, I will get lots and lots of smiles and hugs.  There will be countless, humbling "God moments" where I will be reminded of those things that are truly important and meaningful in this earthly life. 

Sun-bleached clothes -- and they smell so fresh and clean!  This reminds me so much of my days as a kid growing up on the farm! 

Bible story sharing time is always a highlight with the kids!  They are so eager to listen and learn!!!

Sunday worship is hours and hours long -- in the sweltering heat, swatting at flies.  And most people, old and young, have walked miles to get to their house of worship.  They don't have clocks, nor do their stomachs tell them it's time for lunch as most will not have any lunch or any dinner.  Worship is far more important to them than food.  Oh, that my heart can grow to know God so deeply and intimately!

Everywhere we visited, we were offered gifts of love.  In fact, they "insisted" that we take a gift and they would not take any money in return.  These gifts were made to say, "We love you, and thank you for coming to see us.  Thank you for the prayers.  Thank you for the love you have shared."  I brought a necklace home with me and I wear it almost every day to remind me of this lesson of love -- "It is more blessed to give than receive."  Thank you my dear Haitian friends for teaching me so much!

 I cannot wait to make home visits!  Precious is the love of the Haitians as they invite us into their "room", and ask for only one thing:  prayers.  To hold hands and pray together -- let's just say that you must experience it in order to understand it.  God lives within us and His love flows from heart-to-heart.

The sky, the water, the mountains -- such beauty!  God never leaves us with only despair.  He provides hope in the midst of our brokenness.  Always.  God is love.  God is hope.  God is present! 

To the world, I may be only one, but to a child, I may be his world.  And, this is why I go.  And, this is why I thank you from the very depths of my heart for sending me.

Please pray for our team.  Pray that God will lead us to those who need to see, hear, and feel His love.  Pray that we will remain strong and healthy so that we can serve all the days we are in Haiti.  Pray that above all else, we will not just leave physical food and some daily relief from the burdens of life, but that we will plant seeds of hope eternal!

Love,
Clara 

Haiti: Thank You for Sharing the Love!

Because of "you" -- everyone who donated to the "Haiti 2013 Mission Trip" -- our team is now officially able to go and share the love!  I want to express my special thanks to every person who donated so generously!  You have no idea the impact your gifts will make on the lives of those who are waiting, watching, praying, and hoping for some relief!

So many people have asked me why I have chosen to go on this trip again?  Last year's trip was difficult in so many ways.  Most of our team got sick -- some got very sick requiring a stay in the hospital when they returned home.  One person lost his job because he took time off to go on this trip, and he still hasn't found work.  Still others were emotionally overcome with grief.  And, so the question remains, "Why are you going?" 

I'm going because my heart has been moved in a way I can't quite put into words.  I'm going because it is my God-given privilege to go.  I'm going because there is a need.  I'm going because I love children, and I am so honored to be used by God in this way.  I'm going for selfish reasons, too.  Three of my children will be going (Roni, you've just been adopted as "my child"!), and I love being together with them as we serve others.  I'm going because my heart still needs some healing from the pain of brokenness, and one of the best ways I know to heal is to serve others.  I'm going because Jesus has asked us to.  I'm going because of a million different reasons, but most of all I'm going because while I still have life and breath in me I want to serve a purpose and this is one more way for me to do just that.

Again, thank you to each and every person who has been moved in your heart enough to give towards this trip.  Just $5 gives so much help!  Food is scarce.  Jobs are almost nonexistent.  Crops don't grow well due to the extreme heat and drought.  Pure drinking water is hard to find, and so these precious people drink what water they can.  There are disease-carrying mosquitoes, and illnesses, lack of medical help, and lack of transportation.  How can you work for pay when there are no jobs?  How can you grow food when the soil is like a concrete pavement?  How can you stay healthy when you're drinking contaminated water?  How can you stay free from disease when there are no vaccines available? 

You know what?  It all sounds dismal except for one thing:  HOPE!  And, that's where you and I come in.  Every time there is a visit from a group such as our "Haiti Mission Team 2013", there are deposits of hope.  And, when hope is ignited, amazing things happen.  Hope in our Lord, hope in the kindness and love of each other.  Hope in knowing that there are caring people who will give up a small portion of their time and money to cheerfully give to others. 

Thank you so much on behalf of those we will visit in just two short weeks!  They are your children.  Your brothers.  Your sisters.  Your mothers.  Your fathers.  We are a family, and together we will share the love!

If you care to donate more for food and formula, please visit here .  I promise you that every cent will be used towards rice, beans, formula, and any emergency needs that we see while there.  Thank you for giving up a little so that we can share much!

Please pray over the children in these photos.  Ask God to help us teach the children more about God and His amazing love.  Pray that we might stay safe and healthy.  Pray that the children will find parents who want to adopt them into a loving home.  Pray that as we visit those who are sick and dying that we will have hearts of compassion.  Please pray for this Mission Team effort to bless many!  Thank you so much!

Beautiful children.  Beautiful hearts.  So in need of hope!

This is the Cap-Haitian Children's Home (orphanage) where our team will be staying.  The weather will be in the high 90's while we are there, and trust me when I say there will not be any Dairy Queen at the end of the day!  There are not even ice cubes -- luke warm water is the drink of the day.

I can't look at this little child without my entire heart smiling! 

The daily life in Haiti is so difficult.  People walk as much as five miles a day just to get some drinking water.  Can you imagine?  Not a day goes by without me thanking God for the abundance of sparking clean drinking water we have right at our finger tips! 

One of the things that is so difficult for us is to accept "gifts of food" from the very people who have gone for two or three days without a single meal.  This is how much our visits mean.  Hope is that important!  This man cracked open a coconut for us -- more than a day's wage for him -- and joyfully watched as we ate his special gift to us!

These feet walked many miles in the hot, blazing sun to find water and food.  How can we ever complain again after seeing something like this?  This little lady was precious and all she wanted from us was to pray with her.  That was it -- she wanted some HOPE!

And, this is why I return!  Stephanie, thank you for encouraging your mom to make the first trip last year.  And, thank you for encouraging your sister to make her first trip this year.  And, thank you to all who have given so graciously to share the love! 

Love,
Clara

Helping Hands -- Giving Hearts!

It is a thrill for me to introduce my very first guest blogger to you -- Alex Hinton.  Alex holds a special place in my heart, and always will!  She is the youngest of my brood of eleven, and there's just something that will always be special to a mom about her youngest child. 

Alex graduated from Waynesburg University in December 2012, has been blessed with a job, and has been convicted with a desire to begin giving back to those in need.  Please read on in the words of Alex..............

I believe it is our duty as humans to help others:  family, friends, coworkers, and even strangers.  When we see someone struggling with something, no matter how big or small, we need to do what we can to lend a helping hand.  I have been given the opportunity to do this by taking a week long trip to Haiti next month.  Along with six others, including family and church friends, I will provide food and love to many in need.

This is a view overlooking an orphanage where we will be helping to feed children. 

As the date of the trip is quickly approaching, I'm becoming a little bit nervous; this will be my first time traveling outside of the U.S. and my first time in a place that is so unlike what I'm used to.  I will experience firsthand a culture that is vastly different from that of the U.S., from climate to language, cuisine and sanitation. 

This is the main dining hall where our mission team will be fed two meals a day.  I've never eaten most of the food items you see here, and I'm not sure how my stomach will adapt, but I'm willing to give it a try!

Aside from a little bit of fear of the unknown, I'm really excited about this trip.  I will be able to make an impact on many lives during my week's stay in Haiti, and I think that's pretty amazing.  I know a lot of people who have gone on mission trips, both international and domestic, and they always return with a greater appreciation for life.  It's difficult for me to even try to imagine what goiing on this trip will feel like, but I'm sure once I'm there, it will change the way I see the world.

This is "home" to many, many orphaned children -- far, far different from the homes I'm used to seeing! 

What a thrill it will be for me to help package and deliver beans and rice to those who are in need of a meal!

It's hard to imagine that only two miles out of the village there is such beauty!  How can this be while there continues to be starvation, sickness, and dying?  I'm so happy to provide hands that will be helping to bring not just beans and rice, but spiritual food to the people, too!

While in Haiti, our group will be staying at the Cap-Haitien Children's Home, an orphanage run under the direction of Hunter and Jillian Kittrell, a young couple from the U.S.  We will hand out food to families in need, visiting in the homes of families, visiting a prison and a homeless shelter provding some food relief, sanitation packs, and giving some much-needed love!

Word of help travels fast throughout the villages.  People wait in the hot, blazing sun for hours to receive such things as Tylenol, peroxide, and bandages for their grave illnesses!

Here is where your help is needed.  To accomplish our goals, our group must raise a total of $1,300 per person to get to Haiti and to make our time there worthwhile -- providing for the needs of the children and families who have been days without food.  They need someone to care!  Without the help of friends and family, I will not be able to take this trip to serve the people of Haiti.

Will you be my mission partner by donating towards this trip?  I will serve to the very best of my ability.  I will represent Jesus in all that I do.  And, when I come back to the U.S., I will have a changed heart -- an even more willing heart to serve those in need!

A donation of just $10 can be used to purchase a significant amount of rice in Haiti.  Please help me to help the children by donating here .  You can use the drop down and find my name, Alex Hinton. If you don't like to donate online, you can use snail mail by sending your checks made out to Somerset Church of Christ with Alex Hinton -- Haiti" in the memo line to:  Somerset Church of Christ, 310 S. Kimberly Ave., Somerset, PA  15501  c/o Haiti Mission Trip.  All donations are tax deductible. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my post!  I appreciate the help of everyone offering their support!

Wanting to serve,

Alex Hinton

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Thank you, Alex, for being my honored guest blogger today!  May God bless your heart and always keep it full of love and the desire to serve!

Love,

Clara Hinton (mom)

Valentine's Day - Let's Share the Love!

On March 16, 2013 a team of seven will depart for Haiti once again.  Some of us know each other; others of us will be meeting for the first time.  Our common ground is a strong desire to "share the love" in Haiti!

Follow along with me and watch the story unfold from last year's trip to help you get a better idea of what it was like for us to "share the love" in Haiti!  The smiles of these thankful children will melt your heart -- guaranteed! 



"Jesus loves the little children -- all the children of the world!"  These are "our children" in Haiti!

She was such a sweetheart -- so sick from malnourishment.  She is our neighbor, a child precious in the sight of God.  A soul who longs to be fed -- both physically and spiritually.  Oh, what a privilege it is to help!

We even got to help with hair cutting day at the orphanage!

Words can't express the joy it was to be part of the hands and feet that handed out rice to those who hadn't eaten anything for days!  God bless those who gave so generously back home so that the team could be the deliverers of this labor of love!  I'll never eat a grain of rice again without saying a prayer of thanks -- and without the desire to share! 

Wash day is every day at the orphanage!  And, great care is taken to grow fresh garden vegetables -- not easy to do in the blazing heat and drought of the summer!



These children wait -- and wait -- and hope -- and pray that someone will come!  Someone who will hold them, teach them, talk with them, and care!!!  They long for the hands and feet of Jesus to walk and talk among them! 

Never will I forget what the interpreter told me:  "The girls are very shy -- they don't know how to act.  Nobody has ever told them that they are beautiful before."  I cried.  I still pray and cry for these lovely girls!

I could post so many more pictures -- tons of them.  I took over a thousand while in Haiti last year.  Why?  Because I wanted to capture as much as I could so that my heart would never again grow cold or luke warm to the needs of others. 

I'll be leaving again for Haiti in just a few weeks -- March 16, 2013.  If your heart is moved to "share the love", will you help by giving towards this trip for the children?   They need food.  They need love.  They need medical help.  They need Jesus.  They need people to roll up their sleeves and go.  They need people to give of their finances.  Just $5 -- the cost of a specialty drink in the United States -- can help feed so many children!  You have no idea how far a bag of rice can stretch!   

If you'd like to help "share the love", please do it right now while your heart is moved.  Click on the link and give.  I promise you that every cent will be used for this cause.  There are no hidden agendas.  No hidden administrative costs. 

Yes, I will give to the Haiti mission 2013 trip :  On behalf of the children, thank you so very, very much!

Haiti -- a land of so much natural beauty, but filled with so much pain!  Thank you!  Thank you for helping!

For the children,

Clara Hinton

PS  I apologize for not having all of my photos lined up properly and for not having all of my script "just so", but I'm still in the learning stages of blogging.  Thanks for understanding!  I'm still very much a work in progress! 







Clucking Today, On the Dinner Plate Tomorrow!



The beet salad was delicious!!!



Do you remember one of my biggest fears before visiting Haiti?  The food was a huge concern on mine --  most especially the thought of eating chicken feet which is considered a delicacy in Haiti!!! 

The first 24 hours there I was determined not to eat anything that was Haitian cooked.  I brought lots and lots of tuna packs and crackers with me, and I even "practiced" eating my own version of my Haitian diet for three weeks prior to boarding the plane for Haiti.  I got to the point of really liking the tuna, especially when a little bit of hot sauce from Taco Bell was added to it.

However, something strange happened to me on the second day of the trip.  When entering the dining hall (which was a small, hot,  humid concrete block room swarming with flies), I saw food laid out on the table for the blanc (white) visitors which happened to include me.  I also saw the women who had been standing up all day preparing the special meal for us.  They, too, were hot, humid, and being swarmed by flies.  They were exhausted from being up since the rooster let out his first cock-a-doodle-doo, and, in spite of the heat, exhaustion, and scarcity of food,  they had worked for hours preparing a feast just for us. 

Something in my heart changed.  I felt so humbled by the grace and love of these women that the food somehow looked different.  It looked delicious.  "Why not?  Why not at least try eating the food?" And, so I did! 

On my plate, I spooned a rice dish with creole sauce (yum!), another scoop of something that looked like fried bananas, and a portion of chicken breast.  Truly, a meal fit for a queen!  And, let's not forget my all-time favorite -- the beet salad!  It absolutely, positively was to die for, and I'm still waiting for someone to send me the recipe so that I can prepare it for my family here in the states.

As the saying goes, "You've come a long way, baby!"  In the morning, I heard the squawking of the chickens followed by feathers flying.  And, in the evening of that same day, I bowed my head in humble thanks for the meal that was so lovingly prepared for Team Squirt!

Talk about some God changes!!!  Just one more opportunity for me to say that God does indeed change our hearts (and our taste buds) when we allow Him!

Love and happy eating,
Clara
PS  In case you're wondering, God didn't perform a miracle on me--not just yet, anyway.  No chicken feet entered this mouth of mine!  He isn't finished with me yet!    

Haiti: Weighing In, Small Planes, and No Sleep!

"Weigh the luggage...make every single item count.  Don't even take an extra tuna packet or peanut butter cracker."  I never knew we'd have to concern ourselves with such things when flying to Haiti!  The cost of going on a mission trip isn't just the emotional cost or the cost of staying in the country.  The cost becomes a big concern just trying to get there!  It took three of our team members hours of phone calls, changing flight plans, and packing and repacking just to get the luggage to meet the regulations of the plane!  As you can see, we were busy little beavers weighing every piece of luggage at the airport.  Who knew flying was this complicated?!? 

  Next came the real biggie of the trip --the actual  flying!  Two of our team members had never even been on a plane before, and now they were going to have the "experience" of flying in a mini plane.....the kind that goes bump with every air pocket!  Lots of anit-nausea meds were eaten like candy prior to boarding, and there was an overall, "You've got to be kidding me -- this is the plane that is going to carry us AND the luggage to Haiti" kind of look going on.  In other words "FEAR"!  Okay, Lori...we heard you wimper at one point, "Why am I doing this?  I never wanted to fly.  And, I'm never going to fly again.   Never, ever, ever, ever, ever."

Want to hear one of many embarrassing moments?  Yes, we each had to step up on the luggage scale in full view of everyone and get weighed.  Ugh!  Roni, thanks so much for letting everyone know that Granny has a little work to do on my calorie counting! 

Team Squirt did okay, though!  We were given the green light to board the plane (with no promises of our luggage going with us). 



After spending a sleepless night before leaving for Florida, then another sleepless night on the floor of the airport, who really cared if the luggage arrived?  We, the official Team Squirt of Pennsylvania, were boarding our little plane for Haiti!  We were taking with us a spirit of adventure, a spirit of faith, and most of all a spirit of love.  Our mission was to do all we could to encourage those who were in despair, feed those who were hungry, and bring the message of God to those who longed for hope in seemingly hopeless situations!
And, we didn't need luggage for any of that!

Off and at 'em, Team!  Look out Haiti, here we come.................

Love,
Clara
PS  Obviously we survived the plane trip because I'm here to write about it.  Our biggest concern while in the air was ....of course you have to know the answer.  "Where's the bathroom?"  You gotta love Team Squirt!  :)
PPS  Lori did just fine.  The meds knocked her out and she never even knew she was on a plane!