Thank you so much for all the prayers for Dw and the team while they were in Haiti. Over the years, Dw has lead or been part of many missions trips around the world. He said that nothing he had ever seen prepared him for what he saw in Haiti this last week.
As Dw talks about it, he cries easily. The images of destruction and hopelessness and loss are etched in his mind. I asked him if he would like to write about Haiti, in an effort to help you, our sweet bloggy friends, better understand it all and also to help him process it. {Besides I know you guys would love to hear from him again.} In the meantime here are some pictures that he took….
Meet the associate pastor, from our denomination, who is standing with his wife where their home used to be….they lived here with their three children. When the Earth started to rumble they ran for the “kitchen” which is that metal roofed part behind them. As you can see, God spared their lives, as the rest of their home fell to the ground.
There are “tent cities” everywhere. The military that Dw spoke to {the guys who are in the same line of work as our son} said that 1,000,000 tents were handed out and that 11,000,000 meals were served.
Dw was proud to see the tents that displayed: “US Aid From the American People”
Here is another man, standing in front of where his home once stood. If Dw understood him right, he lost his family inside the home.
Sign where life used to be…..
A shoe, a Tupperware measuring cup, once,
used by people buried in the rubble.
Dw zoomed in, so that we could see this old woman…who was slowly bending over and picking up a piece of the concrete rubble and tossing it aside….piece by piece she bent and lifted and tossed aside, obviously searching for something….maybe a body of a loved one….maybe a treasure she had once owned……Dw cries as he speaks of her…..
And one of the main questions I had….Dw, how was it that you were chosen to speak to the government officials? So as the story goes…
A man who works with the government called the pastor who Dw and the team had gone to Haiti to assist. The government man asked for someone to come to speak a devotional to the government officials. The pastor asked who he had in mind? He said, “The man who was hugging the children yesterday.” {That would be my hubby!} How funny to be singled out because he was hugging the children. I know he is my husband, but I can’t help but guess that they saw a glimpse of Jesus as he dove in and hugged and blessed the children. So that was how…someone who had the power to invite to speak to the government had seen. Dw had no idea.
Here he is speaking from the Word of God to the government officials, with an interpreter….
And here he is doing his favorite thing….being with the orphans….
Continue to pray for the people of Haiti. One day, before long, Dw will be leading a team there….praying that out of that team, God will raise other leaders that will lead teams…the need is so great….there is more than enough work to do for the years to come as the world helps Haiti slowly rebuild….Maybe even God is calling you to be part of such a team?
Thanks for sharing this!! Our church is collecting money for tents along with a bunch of other areas in our church, and this strengthens my resolve to sponsor a tent as a family!! I would LOVE to go to Haiti and love on some orphans and spread some hope, so we have been praying for God to show us a way to go if we are supposed to!!
Oh…my heart aches…
Oh Linny thank you for sharing this. I have am a physical therapist and have actually been praying for an opportunity to go over with a team but I have no idea how to do that. If you hear of a team that could use a PT, please let me know. My email is ginnyhenderson@hotmail.com
As I was reading your post, I had a picture of my husband standing next to your husband. I actually stopped reading for a moment to argue with God, that I want to be the one to go hug orphans, LOL. Is there something that an Electrical Engineer could do with the team your husband will lead? I would like more information.
The kids and I would go in a heartbeat if all the finances needed would come in. I so want to adopt from Haiit..babies, toddlers and large sibling groups. Thank you DW for going and being willing to continue to go. I share your family's passion for the orphans!!! Waiting to hear the "rest of the story"….
i was listening to DW's sermon on this yesterday. i heard him talk about the pictures you are showing here. The mass devastation is hard to get a handle on. I think the pictures that pain my heart the most are the ones like the measuring cup. I think about the hands that held it, used it to make a meal or a special dessert. Where are they now?
Oh Linny. I am glad my heart is breaking for them, it truly is, I think I cry about Haiti daily. But it all seems so far removed and like I really can't do anything of real use.
I am praying, mainly that Haiti's adoption policy would change a bit. Haiti was the first place I looked when we started to research adoption, but I don't think we will every qualify… 1. we have 3 children already, 2. you have to be 35, we are only 30. Can we all pray that as the government revises adoption they might take at least change their heart on how many children a family can have?
Linny! Thank you for the update…how beyond beautiful is it that the Lord used DW's act of caring for the little children to bring attention and share His word! I am praying and will continue to! Please keep us informed and we are praying about how to help!!!
Hugs & prayers,
Shannon
What a heart he has. I can see why you are so smitten with him! ; ) Praise the Lord that He has been giving him opportunities to share Christ over there. My heart breaks for those precious people.
You have an incredible husband! I do hope he will write about his experience. How amazing about the government man seeing Dw hugging the children and asking him to do the devotional. I love the way God works! 🙂 Praying for Haiti!
Oh my heart just breaks hearing these stories! Those poor precious people. The woman moving rock by rock made me just cry too. Can you even imagine what is going through her heart! Oh Lord Jesus, please help these people!!
Would love to learn more about his next mission trip when he goes. Would love to go. Such cute faces and such heartache.
Wow. Such sad, shocking pictures & stories. I pray for these people that they can stand strong on the Rock.
That's wonderful news about DW leading a team there! I wish him all the best!
you are killing us, did we ever get an update about what he was asked? Also whatever came about with the rental flooding? Love your blog, I pray for you daily!
Please, please keep us posted on teams that may be traveling there, I would definatly be interested!
What a blessed post! So happy and so proud for you. 🙂 We're anxious for our trip in August. Looking forward to reading and hearing more of your hubbies trip.
I love your family.
Thank you for sharing these moving pictures. I will definitely continue praying for DW and his efforts with all these beautiful orphans!
Justin has not read this yet but I am sure he would love to go and then lead his own team – it seems to be working like that :)! 39 days until Justin is off w/ a team of 9 to Uganda! He is looking forward to seeing Dwight and his team!
It gives me goosebumps to think about how God used DW's natural love of orphan's like that. The smallest thing are seen by other people and leave an impact! I have a girl friend who was involved with Haiti even before the quakes and is over there now. I haven't heard how things are going for her, but it's nice to see these pictures to give me some idea of what she's facing. I know her heart is there and I'm praying for her as well as the people of Haiti. I can't even begin to imagine what those people have gone through. It makes me very, very thankful!
What an awesome husband you have! You are so blessed!
I have been a lurker for some time now- mainly because I didn't have a Google account to sign in with to leave comments. (I have other kind of accounts that other bloggers use.) I just wanted to let you know that your stories give me hope and reassurance. You remind me daily to slow down, rely on God, and enjoy the simple life! I am still waiting on what DW was asked, what happened with the rental flooding, and an update on Autumn.
Linny- thanks for sharing this.
I love your hearts!!! My heart just aches for the people of Haiti and for all the orphans.
Just devasting.
Please keep me informed if and when DW gets a team together. I would love to be apart of this
People need to keep Haiti up front and centered. The news media has all but abandoned Haiti and moved on to report on other things. There hasn't been an update on our local news in…. a long time, at least a month.
Great post!
I can only imagine the emotions that DW experiences as he looks such mass tragedy in the face, day after day. Yet, I think of the "Hope" that he is showing them simply by being there and loving on them and giving of his time, and sharing Jesus! Oh, I will certainly continue lifting him up in prayer. God bless you all for your faithful serving hearts! <><
love you,
~Tanya
thank you for bringing me to haiti through those photos. my son just got back from the D.R. where alot of the kids there were haitian refugees. he was very touched by how much love they have.
what a lot of work to do there, indeed!
Only tears right now…only tears. The part where Dw was chosen to give the devotional simply for sharing the love of Jesus through the act of hugging and spending time with the orphans warmed my heart. Oh, how this world needs see the light and feel the love of Jesus! Oh, my, my.
praying, praying, praying.
Thanks for letting us know what's really going on.
Have you seen this video? We found it encouraging:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30rWm84z-zg
Know that I continue to pray!!!
The pictures are incredible…one can hardly grasp the devastation. I can see why DW is struggling with all of it. Just seeing the pictures tears my heart. Hugs and love