For the first time I traveled to Port au Prince Haiti alone! I went with three extra suitcases (five in all), a huge purse, a carry on, a briefcase and my Bible. God sent special people along the way to make this travel the easiest trip I have ever had. From the Red Cap at the Atlanta airport that was impressed that the five bags weighed only ounces below the 50 pound mark to the Scottish gentlemen in Miami who graciously took my carry on, etc and placed them in the overhead bin, I was blessed with help. Passage through the airport in Port au Prince could not have gone more smoothly and once again the customs agent waved me through without opening even one of my many items. God was listening to your prayers and He answered them! One of the biggest surprises was when I saw the van from Trinity Fellowship we had shipped several years ago, repaired and waiting to take me and the friends who had come with Pastor Jerome to welcome me to Carre four Feuilles.

A week alone with the family of Good Shepherd was wonderful. I got to sing Jingle Bells with Pastor Jerome’s youngest son Joseph (over and over again), hear the ladies ensemble practice their music for Sunday on the roof, a cappella, and shop for cement and rock and blocks and sand with Pastor Jerome. We were blessed with a wonderful driver named Tillis. He, Jerome and myself were all over Port au Prince picking up the shipment of supplies from Lynx Aire, medical supplies from the Canadian Caribbean Chemical Company, purchasing the building supplies for the coming team and visiting the money exchange company turning American dollars into Haitian Goudes. I had an adventure and all was peaceful and orderly and good.

After our week of preparation we were anxious for the team to arrive and on Monday they came ready to give, give, give! We had three major projects planned. A medical clinic, work on the school construction site and the big surprise the presentation of the Pastor Jerome and Madam Geralda puppet show. The team came well prepared with all the details covered, and prayed up ready to minister to the children and adults of Good Shepherd. Their first night was spent counting and sorting medications. Even a tedious chore was fun working together getting ready for their trip to the compound the next day. On Tuesday we traveled in the old blue tap tap of the guesthouse to Carre four Feuilles and the compound of Good Shepherd. Now, I have said this over and over again, but no matter how much I tell you, and how many pictures I show you, nothing can ever prepare you for your first site of Good Shepherd Church and the mountain you must climb to reach it. Also nothing can ever prepare you for the outpouring of love you are about to experience from these wonderful loving people.

Day one got off to a grand start with chapel and the presentation of the puppet show. Praise Music in Haitian Creole was used and a special addition of a song sung by Geralda with a recording done at Trinity Fellowship. The children thought this was very funny and they could not figure out how the puppet could be singing with Geralda’s voice. Their gift for us was the children singing in English the beautiful song "God Will Make A Way" and other songs in their native Creole. The sanctuary was packed with children with over 55 in the preschool class alone. A sea of beautiful faces, singing with love just for us. Following chapel the team received a tour of the old, primitive facility and we began to prepare for the medical clinic the next day. God certainly blessed this clinic with the large amount of donations of critical and important supplies. Each person who came through the clinic received a brown lunch bag. Into each bag was placed a bar of soap, a toothbrush, (some received toothpaste but we ran out) vitamins, enough pills to treat their entire family for intestinal parasites and last but not least two tracts, ‘The Way to God’ and ‘Satan versus Christ’ printed and provided by World Missionary Press. As they were seen by Dr. Jeff, they added their Tylenol, Advil, Tums, Cough Medicine, Body Lotions, Antibiotics, blood pressure medicine, eye drops, liquid vitamin B 12 for the severely anemic and on and on to their bag. There were over 250 people seen on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday with some Mothers bringing so many children that an accurate count got lost in the fray. For most of these poor and needy people we had hope and help, for some we did not. We had a lady with obvious thyroid problems, a child with malaria and one with typhoid fever. One of the dearest people I have loved for years came with cancer. We heard serous Heart arrhythmias in many of the young people with extreme high blood pressure being common in the elderly. We saw aged and crippled, we saw young and hurting, but in each and every one we saw gratitude and thanks for caring enough to come help them. Many thanks to each of the team because everyone helped! They came to love and to give and they did, but for this team one of the greatest gifts they gave was the gift of prayer. Led by Floy and Mike McGarity the team prayed for everyone that Dr. Jeff had seen and for others that were there with the sick. The glorious sound of prayers being lifted up for these people surely resounded in heaven during this entire week.

And last but certainly not least our team worked alongside of the Haitian workmen to make a lasting difference at the construction site. They even gave the Haitian men lessons in organization as they formed a relay line and passed the 500 cement blocks from the bottom to the top of the mountain. Hot and sweaty they laughed and encouraged one another and thoughtfully they left their work gloves, the trowels we had purchased and the level with the men to help them finish the difficult job.

I truly believe each team member had a life changing experience, I know I did. I believe that they were called to Haiti to help the Haitian people, but came away with far more then they gave! They came home with faces on their hearts, haunting voices in their ears and a burning desire to go back to a place that is now real to them. They want to return to make a difference in the lives of these dear people who came so openly and gave them so much love! And as the children sang, God will make a way, where there seems to be no way, He works in ways we cannot see, He will make a way for me. He will be my guide, hold me closely to His side. With love and strength for each new day, He will make a way, He will make a way.

Called to HIS Service,

Elizabeth Seese and her team, Chris Bolt, Nancy and Richard Hemphill, Jeff LeMay, Mike and Floy McGarity, Marti Queen, Dewaine Seese and Brian Rhue and John Warren Williams