While our team was in Haiti in January, we had a very special dinner celebration in Les Cayes with the children of Restavec Freedom Alliance. Special thanks to Pastor Jean Beaucejour for emailing us photo of this very special gathering! Read more »
When I look at the BEM and RFA websites, God shows me how He can use each person who has a desire to help His children. We are all different ages and have different gifts & talents, yet each person makes a valuable contribution. There are SO many who have volunteered in Les Cayes, Chantal and Ducis. Any one of us might think “how could I make a difference?” But I think the better realization is that the people and children of Haiti make a difference in me. In spite [...] Read more »
By Vin Celino There were several important highlights for me here at Bethesda Evangelical Mission (BEM) here in Les Cayes, Haiti. Our first day in the field was when I first met Adam Henry. He is only four months old, and was nearing death around Christmas when he first arrived at Ducis (see the article “Christmas Miracle” above). He is now an alert, healthy child, flourishing at this RFA facility in Ducis. Throughout this week the willingness of these children to interact with the BEM team members continues to be [...] Read more »
By: Kathy Novak (RFA Board Member) Our day began with the radiant Haitian sunshine against a background of the clear,deep blue sky and palm trees: simply beautiful! But even this didn’t compare to the smiles and enthusiasm of the 36 children of the two combined RFA houses during our trip to Gelee Beach. The children arrived separately in tap tap vehicles that are abundant in Haiti, with the children seated on wooden benches in open vehicles, with hands waiving as they greeted us, anticipating the day of fun in the water. The [...] Read more »
By: Alexander Kris So, I have never been on a trip to Haiti before. Let alone a third world country whatsoever. Needless to say, coming on this trip was very nerve-racking for me, except I was incredibly excited at the same time. I have always wanted to do a mission trip of this sort, and the fact that I have been able to finally participate in one has been an absolutely incredible experience. To give you a taste of the emotional roller coaster that this trip is, I will share [...] Read more »
Our past two days here in Chantal and Ducis, Haiti have been incredible. An update and many photos from Wednesday are below our photos from today. Thursday, December 20, 2012 Today, we have experienced moments of joy that we never expected. We had a party today at Chantal under our trees. The kids were playing for a while with a parachute that one of the BEM team members brought, and they absolutely loved it. They will be excited to know that we recently received two donated parachutes which they will [...] Read more »
Ellen Graber Donohue and Nina Brandi had a great day today in Ducis, Haiti getting to know the new RFA kids a little better. They spent the day playing with legos, making bracelets and having a blast with handmade hackey sacks. They also loved our version of duck, duck, goose (which they call “chat” “chat” “chen”). The new group of kids also learned and memorized the RFA”Tootie Ta” song and dance! In Chantal, the children played with balloons and had some nice conversations and are doing very well. Close by in La Croix, [...] Read more »
Today Ellen Graber Donohue and Nina Brandi, RFA Executive Director and Co-Director of Social Outreach, met the new RFA children in Ducis, Haiti. Ellen and Nina gave all the children comfort dolls, played with bubbles, meeting with the parents, walked to the church and school and surveyed our new rented land and property. Tomorrow they will be at Ducis again while the rest of the BEM team will be hosting a holiday party in Les Cayes. Read more »
By: Anna Harkins (photos below) Human beings often face themselves with a series of questions that revolve around their existence. I found myself in a moment of doubt; reflecting upon my choice to join this trip, I was overcome with a sense of hesitation and nervousness. What did I get myself into? How could I have agreed to this? Had I lost my mind traveling to Haiti with a group of absolute strangers? Emotions were running wild. I had landed in Haiti: The Pearl of the Antilles. There was no [...] Read more »
By: Molly Haynes My trip to Haiti was filled with a number of unforgettable memories, but one moment stood out to me more than any other. About halfway through our trip, we went to Port Salut, a beach. Bringing the children, and seeing the excitement of leaving Chantal for the day cover their faces was unforgettable. The children were eager to go for a swim, and, this seemed like it could be a bit chaotic. This was when I really noticed how much each of the children cared for all [...] Read more »