Saturday, March 16, 2013
A DAY IN THE ORPHANGE
We arrived to the wonderful yellow shirts from LOVE Takes Root worn by the children singing songs of welcome. We quickly went to greet each special spirit. They were thrilled to do the sponsor activity of Wreaths that tell the Easter Story. Jamie Billings good job it was a hit. Also to all sponsors they sang a wonderful thank you song to you. The wreaths will hang in the orphanage until Easter. They also loved the bracelets from Girl Scouts Troop 5640 Daisy and Troop 8226 Brownies in Davenport Iowa. Everyone has a bracelet on their wrists! We gave out art supplies from Art For The Nations.We colored, made cut dolls and hugged a lot. We were able to stay until time for the children to get ready for bed. Walking back to the hotel with our hearts full and our souls content and the hand made hearts from the children in our pockets. Frank is shocked out of his senses. Sleep well.
First two days in Haiti
Hey everyone! It's the DSN students. We arrived at the hotel yesterday at about 1:00 pm after a long four hour bus ride through Port au Prince. It was very surreal and hard to put into words the poverty that we saw. Franz took us on a tour to the Adventist Hospital here in Port au Prince. It's been re-built and expanded since the earthquake, however it still doesn't have near the technology and capacity that American hospitals have. Today, we walked to the orphanage and we are exhausted! The kids LOVED having us there and we LOVED them (pictures coming soon)! We all felt heartbroken for them, but we were amazed by their spirits. The kids are so loved my Mama (the lady that takes care of them). It's dinner time, but we will blog tomorrow after we arrive in Jacmel!
Love from Haiti,
Amy, Michael, Dianna, Erin, Kim, Stephanie
Love from Haiti,
Amy, Michael, Dianna, Erin, Kim, Stephanie
Friday, March 15, 2013
Almost to Haiti
About to board the plane in Ft. Lauderdale to port-au-prince. Everyone is very tired from the red eye here but excitef to get to Haiti. We will be spending the rest of the day visiting a hospital in port-au-prince and will blog more about that tomorrow.
Mike, Dianna, Kim, Erin, Amy and Stephanie
Monday, February 4, 2013
February with LOVE Takes Root
"Where there is great love, there are always miracles." Willa Cather
This is an exciting month for LTR. The permit is in process and the work is ready to begin. Planning for March Trips is in full swing. These trips will include a eleven day trip with Denver School of Nursing, a week trip with Buena Vista University students, and our first Building Mission Group from First Congregational Church, Spencer Iowa.
Fundraising 2013 plan is in formation. Anyone who would like to host a small Fundraising House Party please contact us. The goal is to have 25 throughout this year throughout the country.
At the orphanage they have a new beautiful child. She is two years old with a shy quiet smile. All of the children are well! ROOTs for a Child have sponsors getting letters and pictures to them to be carried down by the groups in March. Also going is tee-shirts dresses and school supplies. The groups will also bring letters back to the sponsors.
May the month fill your hearts with the power of LOVE, CARING, and Growth.
This is an exciting month for LTR. The permit is in process and the work is ready to begin. Planning for March Trips is in full swing. These trips will include a eleven day trip with Denver School of Nursing, a week trip with Buena Vista University students, and our first Building Mission Group from First Congregational Church, Spencer Iowa.
Fundraising 2013 plan is in formation. Anyone who would like to host a small Fundraising House Party please contact us. The goal is to have 25 throughout this year throughout the country.
At the orphanage they have a new beautiful child. She is two years old with a shy quiet smile. All of the children are well! ROOTs for a Child have sponsors getting letters and pictures to them to be carried down by the groups in March. Also going is tee-shirts dresses and school supplies. The groups will also bring letters back to the sponsors.
May the month fill your hearts with the power of LOVE, CARING, and Growth.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
It is a Happy New Year for Love Takes Root
First I must apologize for not posting this much sooner-due to my lack of experience at blogging, my multiple attempts to blog while I was n Haiti in November with our Treasurer, Doug Hart and the originators of Holistic Humanitarians (the group who has partnered with us under the umbrella of LTR with the purpose of raising the money to build the Medical/dental clinic), Angie Hedges and Joan Hunt, were met with dismal failure. The good news is that our only failure during this trip was the inability to post a blog. Tsis was undoubtedly the most rewarding trip I have had of the now 10 trips I have made to Haiti. AS the saying goes, God works in myterious ways!
On arriving in Port au Prince, I was pleased to see that things continue to improve at the airport and on the drive to Carrefour. Road improvement, dismantling of tent cities and the general nature of things see tobe slowly but surely getting better-traffic on the other hand has not improved at all! The following day we were able to get to LaConcorde to see the kids before Angi,Joan and I bid farewell to Doug who was to stay in Carrefour to work on mentoring Benjamine, Frantzcesse and Frantz as well as work with the kids while the rest of us proceeded to Jacmel. The usul bit of disorganization followed as we checked into the Hotel de la Place, which I may add, I find rather charming in a rather odd way, but others find a bit disappointing. I was then able to show Angie and Joan around Jacmel to include St Michelle hospital, the new land site, the new nursing school, etc. During this time we were fortunate enough to meet with our neighbor and friend, Charle Eglin, wo was knd enough to introduce me to Dave Bird. Dave as it turns out is an architect and commercial contractor from California who has vast experience in building earthquake proof stuctures. Shortly after the earthquake of Jan 2010, Dave and his wife moved to the Jacmel area and have been workin with agroup called Calvary Interational Devotional Missions who contracts with other NGO's to do costruction. Upon meeting Dave it was very obvious that he was the person to do our work. I was able to view several of his projects, all of which were very good. His knowledge and experience are invaluable and as luck would have it, he has agreed to put up our fence, arrange for the well to be put in by Water for Life as well as organize with Global Compassons the placement of a metal 18 foot diameter building which we will be able to use for storage of food and supplies which will be rodent proof! Evrything seemed to be moving vey fastwith plans to start constructing the orphanage in February!!! Now, we just had to get the money. (Miracle of Christmas #2!!)
Shortly after returning home from Haiti, we had our board meeting with agreeent to provde the money for the well, the fence andthe new storage building. Barb and I then flew to Denver 2 days later to attend the graduation of daughter Cara from the Denver School of Nursing. Cara and 14 other students had gone to Haiti with Barbara ad 2other professors to complete their Community Health requirement. They all had a very rewarding time and were happy to see Barb again. (This is where the #2miracle occurred.) After the graduation ceremony, we were informed by a family attendng the ceremony, that they had approved us for a grant of 150,000!!! (This was after Barb had opened the envelope and after peering at the gift without ner much neede reading glasses, said to m, "Ohlook, $1500. It was then that I informed her that the gift was for $150,000 after which time the tears started flowing.) This unbelievably kind gift has enabled us to start building the orphanage in February which we hope will be completed by May!! I hope in the near uure to be able to share with you the details of the gift from this amazing family.
Since then, we have had a number of other very kind gifts and pledges which makes us very optimistic that we will be able to get this, our first project, done ahead of schedule. We will keep all of you posted about the happenings as they occur and will post new photos as construction proceeds.
It seems only appropriate that during this holy season of new birth and beginnings, that the beginning of this gift from God of a new home for the children of LaConcorde will also be born. AS in the Christmas prayer we read in our church on Christmas Eve, "it is now the time for the true meaning of Christmas to begin!!" Halleluiah! God is Great!
Happy New Year to all-
Rick
On arriving in Port au Prince, I was pleased to see that things continue to improve at the airport and on the drive to Carrefour. Road improvement, dismantling of tent cities and the general nature of things see tobe slowly but surely getting better-traffic on the other hand has not improved at all! The following day we were able to get to LaConcorde to see the kids before Angi,Joan and I bid farewell to Doug who was to stay in Carrefour to work on mentoring Benjamine, Frantzcesse and Frantz as well as work with the kids while the rest of us proceeded to Jacmel. The usul bit of disorganization followed as we checked into the Hotel de la Place, which I may add, I find rather charming in a rather odd way, but others find a bit disappointing. I was then able to show Angie and Joan around Jacmel to include St Michelle hospital, the new land site, the new nursing school, etc. During this time we were fortunate enough to meet with our neighbor and friend, Charle Eglin, wo was knd enough to introduce me to Dave Bird. Dave as it turns out is an architect and commercial contractor from California who has vast experience in building earthquake proof stuctures. Shortly after the earthquake of Jan 2010, Dave and his wife moved to the Jacmel area and have been workin with agroup called Calvary Interational Devotional Missions who contracts with other NGO's to do costruction. Upon meeting Dave it was very obvious that he was the person to do our work. I was able to view several of his projects, all of which were very good. His knowledge and experience are invaluable and as luck would have it, he has agreed to put up our fence, arrange for the well to be put in by Water for Life as well as organize with Global Compassons the placement of a metal 18 foot diameter building which we will be able to use for storage of food and supplies which will be rodent proof! Evrything seemed to be moving vey fastwith plans to start constructing the orphanage in February!!! Now, we just had to get the money. (Miracle of Christmas #2!!)
Shortly after returning home from Haiti, we had our board meeting with agreeent to provde the money for the well, the fence andthe new storage building. Barb and I then flew to Denver 2 days later to attend the graduation of daughter Cara from the Denver School of Nursing. Cara and 14 other students had gone to Haiti with Barbara ad 2other professors to complete their Community Health requirement. They all had a very rewarding time and were happy to see Barb again. (This is where the #2miracle occurred.) After the graduation ceremony, we were informed by a family attendng the ceremony, that they had approved us for a grant of 150,000!!! (This was after Barb had opened the envelope and after peering at the gift without ner much neede reading glasses, said to m, "Ohlook, $1500. It was then that I informed her that the gift was for $150,000 after which time the tears started flowing.) This unbelievably kind gift has enabled us to start building the orphanage in February which we hope will be completed by May!! I hope in the near uure to be able to share with you the details of the gift from this amazing family.
Since then, we have had a number of other very kind gifts and pledges which makes us very optimistic that we will be able to get this, our first project, done ahead of schedule. We will keep all of you posted about the happenings as they occur and will post new photos as construction proceeds.
It seems only appropriate that during this holy season of new birth and beginnings, that the beginning of this gift from God of a new home for the children of LaConcorde will also be born. AS in the Christmas prayer we read in our church on Christmas Eve, "it is now the time for the true meaning of Christmas to begin!!" Halleluiah! God is Great!
Happy New Year to all-
Rick
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
WATER WILL BE FLOWING
LOVE Takes Root Board approved Water for Life to dig a well on the new land site! It was approved to spend $5000.00 for this project. The well will be the first of the building process as we will need water on site for the building project. This will be a water source for the Orphanage, School and Medical/Dental Clinic also. The buildings will have cisterns for catching rain water on site also. Water is such an important piece of our well being. In the United States so many of us take clean, easy access drinking water for granted. I am thankful for those who identify how important this is for the rest of our world and donated to make this happen. As Always, Grateful, Barb
Monday, November 19, 2012
THANKSGIVING
LOVE Takes Root wants to wish everyone involved with this organization or anyone sending good wishes our way a very blessed Thanksgiving Day. Continue to share with others it makes your light shine brighter! I am blessed to be able to spend my time facilitating all the amazing activity of LOVE Takes Root. I am touched daily watching the love, gifts and resources of so many work toward the betterment in a life of a child. Grateful, Barb Wilkerson
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