Donations are being requested for prenatal and chewable multiple vitamins. (Generic is just fine - NO GUMMIES, please)

There is a collection box in Coffee Area/ Parish Hall for donated items.

The last collection Sunday is  April 22.

Easter With Haiti is our campaign to help Pere Val accomplish what I would argue is his opus.  Over the past several years St. Paul's church and a number of churches from the diocese of Alabama, South Carolina, and Missouri have been working to build the Lespwa Timoun nutrition clinic in Criox de Bouquet, Haiti.  It promises to be a place where people from all over Haiti can come for clean water, medicine, and nutritious food.  Currently, the clinic is being operated out of a leased property, however, they will be leaving that site in October.  Time is of the essence not only because of the expiring lease but because unfinished structures in Haiti have a tendency to crumble.  

Haiti Serve has promised a matching grant of $60,000.  This Easter we are working to match that grant!  If you would like to be apart of completing the Lespwa Timoun clinic, please send your contributions to the St. Paul's Episcopal Church offices with 'Easter With Haiti' in the memo line (the address is below).  100% of the proceeds will be sent directly to Haiti and all donations are 100% tax deductible.  Please pray for this wonderful ministry and consider contributing to the cause.

Shalom

Make Check payable to:

St Paul's Episcopal Church
116 N. Academy Street
Murfreesboro, TN  37130
memo: Easter With Haiti

The DNJ published an interview with Mary Balfour Van Zandt on St. Paul's mission trip to Haiti and the work that Carmel and Pere Val are doing with the nutrition center.

Read the article here:

http://www.dnj.com/article/20100823/NEWS01/8230306/Haiti-has-long-road-to-rebuild

The hardest part about going on a mission trip to Haiti is trying to tell people about it when you return. How do you describe the desperation? How can you put into words the joy and happiness that still persists in one of the most desolate places in the world? Bear with me as I attempt to describe the indescribable.

I’m not sure what I was expecting when we left--perhaps that’s a good thing. I went with an open heart and mind, ready for what God had to show me that I could bring back and share with others. What He showed me was a people who have not lost hope, despite being crammed in tents three inches apart or in mud huts baked dry by the sun. Despite their desperate situation they still praise God.

The experience that hit me the most was going out on a mobile clinic visit to a village outside of Croix-de-Bouquets. We took with us supplies to give the mothers of malnourished children and vitamins and anti-worm medication (and some candy and stickers too!). When we got out of the truck I saw some of the most beautiful landscape I’ve ever seen: mountains and trees and wide swaths of land. The earthquake did not crumble the church that the people were gathered in to receive what we had brought.

My French and Creole aren’t much to speak of but I know enough to at least try to get my point across in conversation. The principal of the school there (set up in tents while the school is rebuilt) was so proud of his village and his people. He introduced us and the women and children smiled up at us, four strangers from far away. Then the women began to sing and it was the most beautiful song I’ve ever heard, one of welcome and joy and thankfulness.

We separated into stations and I was put with the vitamin-a capsules and anti-worm medication. If the child was under three then they had to have liquid medication, distributed in little cups. One by one the women came over, shyly glancing over at me and handing a piece of paper to Ramon-the-nurse. He would mark on the chart and then either gesture for them to get medication from me or that they were finished. Getting the little ones to drink their medication was difficult and I tried to be as helpful as I could.

The small-cup-distribution-system was not working though---the anti-worm medication went everywhere (including all over me!). But I held those children while their mommas tried to pour it in their mouths and the universality of children-not-wanting-to-takemedication hit me in an amusing sort of way. These women want their children to be well and grow to be happy and healthy, just like mothers all over the world.

After we finished up I wandered outside where a gaggle of children promptly mobbed me and my camera. They were all dressed in school uniforms so I said in as much French as I could muster “School? Is that your school?” gesturing at the tents. They eagerly bustled me over to the tents and I tried to take pictures but next thing I knew I was backed into a corner! I snapped a few pictures of the makeshift school before getting them to go back outside.

Since they had sung so beautifully for me I wanted to sing a song for them, but the only song I know in French is “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes”... Much to my delight, they joined in! And then they sang some other songs for me. I tried to ask them to show me around the area but instead we ended up in a big circle holding hands. (“show me around... show me a round..”?) They started singing some silly song and playing a game which they wanted me to join in. I imitated their movements, dancing around in the circle and laughing. I have no idea what they were saying but it didn’t really matter. We had so much fun together despite the language barrier and I was so thankful for the bridges that Christ builds between us all. We may not be able to share in much, but we shared God’s love that day.

Singing and dancing with those children, being a part of their joy and silliness as well as trying to help the sick ones get better, brought to mind Christ’s words from Matthew: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Truly, the kingdom of Heaven belongs to the children of Haiti. Thank you so much for your prayers and support—it was truly a blessing to be a part of this journey! I hope that we continue to support the vital work of Lespwa Timoun so that more children can be helped and experience Christ’s love through us.

Since the earthquake, we were so busy focusing on helping the victims that we haven’t had the time to communicate with you. After everything that has happened, I can finally say that I have wonderful news for you. Because of so many camps with tents, many people moved to Croix des Bouquets and we have now 1,030 children in the nutrition program. They are all taking plumpy-nut and AK1000. We have received several medical teams from US; it is very helpful for the people because as they are going through this difficult route they are able to see doctors and get medicines for free.

We already had much rain since the beginning of April, but as you know the condition that people are living, under the tents, rain is not a good thing for Haiti now. Children will start coughing, get diarrhea, and have fever such as malaria from mosquitoes. We hope to have more teams that will come to help in this matter. At the Lespwa Timoun, we work every day Monday to Friday, but because we have only one doctor we received only 30-40 patients per day. We always sent some home without seeing the doctor and we ask them to come back the next day.

With all the support you gave to Lespwa Timoun, we were able to reach many goals and achieve many great things. We were able to get more children into the nutrition program, hire an administrator, another nurse, and pay the doctor. With that, we do not and will not worry anymore. Now the nutrition program has a big impact in the lives of children and is more well-known in Haiti.

I have another good news for you. Four weeks ago the director of the nutrition programs in Haiti had a training with many nurses from all the departments at Croix des Bouquets; they chose Lespwa Timoun from many other programs in the country as a reference to come to train the nurses and explain the way we function. They were very impressed to see how fast the program has grown; all of them left satisfied and inspired by our work. That made me very proud of our Lespwa Timoun workers in Haiti and our partners in the States. They complimented us for a wonderful job we do and how we put our hearts into it. The week after that, we received a gift from the UNICEF; it was a refrigerator. They came to installed it for us at the clinic. It is a wonderful gift for the children and women. Now we will be able to do vaccines 3 or 4 days a week.

This is an occasion for me to tell all of our partners that helped in a way or another during this difficult time for us, by sending money, medicines, medical groups, other materials (tents), and comforting emails/letters ---THANK YOU!---- You will not regret all the hard work, time, and devotion you have spent with us because the children we are helping will grow old and will never forget how once Lespwa Timoun saved their lives. Some pictures will attach.

We are going to the United States on Tuesday April 20th and we can not wait to finally take a break to rest and to see all of our friends there.Thank you so much

• The cost will be $1,250.00 (all inclusive)
• Accommodations include sleeping in a tent on a cot, three meals a day (the food is excellent!), and good bathroom facilities, and plenty of good, fresh water 
• We will be working alongside the Haitians 
• Current passport required 
• Minimum age of 18 
• It is hot in Haiti in July!
• There will be a goodly amount of pre-trip planning required 
• Knowledge of Creole or French is not required

While the work will not be extremely difficult, it will require folks in good health who can tolerate the heat of the Haitian summer. The temperature averages in the upper eighties during the day and the mid seventies at night. I can guarantee that it will be an experience you will never forget!

This is NOT the only opportunity you will have to go to Haiti on a mission trip. There will be a number of trips over the next year or so. If you are interested in participating, please contact the church office.

After seeing the devastation and misery that the people of Haiti are experiencing, I know all of us are anxious to find ways to help. In addition to the financial donations that are being collected every Sunday in the narthex through the end of Lent, we are also collecting clothes and household goods.

Our storage pod has arrived (thanks to Jeff Davis) and we have begun collecting clothing for adults and children as well as specific household goods. Remember, Haiti is a tropical country where the highs are 95 and the lows are 68 so only send summer clothing. All clothing must be clean and in good condition. Nothing torn, damaged or in poor condition. Skirts and light weight dresses of all styles are particularly desirable for ladies. If you send shoes and sandals, please tie each pair together and put them in a plastic bag with the size on the outside.

The household items we would like to collect include plastic dishes, pots and pans, towels, sheets, and large pieces of fabric that are suitable for summer clothing. We would also like to send bars of soap, hair brushes and combs, toothbrushes, other personal items, safety pins, needles and thread and basic over the counter reading glasses of all magnifications.

Please bring your items to the Parish Hall. The Daughters of the King has kindly volunteered to do the sorting of the items and will be handling this aspect of the project. As we get further into this there will be updates on the St. Paul’s website and in the church bulletin.

If you have questions please feel free to email me at gailhenry.com.

Jessica Beckwith feels called to gather peanut butter for Haitian relief. For more information on this wonderful undertaking, go to her website: www.jessicaspeanutbutterbrigade.org

GOD WAS NOT IN THE TORNADO, BUT GOD IS IN OUR RESPONSE

Well

GOD WAS NOT IN THE EARTHQUAKE IN HAITI, BUT GOD IS IN OUR RESPONSE

So how will we respond? As followers of Jesus were are compelled to respond. We have come up with a threefold plan.

1. I am challenging the people of St. Paul’s Murfreesboro to raise $25,000.00 for Haitian relief. This is an obtainable goal. The money will be made available to Pere Fritz Valdama (known by everyone as Pere Val) and his wife Carmel (who is a nurse and dietician). Pere Val is the rector of five parishes in Port-au-Prince. I have known Pere Val and Carmel for several years and trust them to use the funds wisely and for the good of God’s people. People will be in the narthex of St. Paul's to help collect money after each service through Easter. If you want to help with that ministry by serving at the table, please sign up in the Parish Hall!

2. We will be collecting items to be shipped to Haiti. I am asking that we concentrate on clothing (clean please), kitchen utensils, shoes.Go through your closets – but remember that Haiti is in the tropics – no mink coats please! They need EVERYTHING! Bring these items to the parish office during office hours (8am to 4:40 pm). The Daughters of the King – with the help of anyone who wants to lend a hand (sign up in the Parish Hall) – will organize the sorting, folding and packing of the items. We are working on ways to have them shipped. Boxes for packing and a storage container pod have been donated to help in this effort.

3. When the time comes to rebuild, we will go to Haiti and help with that process.Gail Henry has graciously agreed to oversee our Haitian relief response. Jesus calls us to be his hands and his feet in the world. Let’s be them for our brothers and sisters in Haiti.