Embrace Haiti Alternative Giving Christmas Cards

Do you know somebody who has everything?  Or perhaps you are tired of shopping for trinkets at Christmas and are looking for a way to give with meaning.  No need to shop any further... Embrace Haiti has beautiful Christmas cards available as an alternative gift.  In return for a donation of your choosing, you will recieve a lovely card that you can give as a gift.  Don't stop at one -- just think of all your favorite people who would be touched to know that you made a donation on their behalf -- friends, family, neighbors, teachers, the list goes on and on!

100% of your tax deductible donation will go to help support economic development in Bayaha, Haiti.  Minimum recommend donation is $5 per card. 

Cards are available at Grace Point Book Store (TWUMC Main Campus) or by contacting Rob Draper at robsusand@gmail.com or 281.292.5028. 

Trip Summary - October 2010

The October Mission team traveled to Haiti the first week of the month. The team visited Bayaha every day. Working with Haitians masons and construction workers, we completed the school’s walls and preparations for the roof.

The team visited an orphanage for young girls and another for children with special needs. We also visited a hospital where people hurt in the Port-au-Prince earthquake were recovering from injuries and receiving physical rehabilitation and occupational therapy. We also visited a school in nearby village, Savann Gra.

The team distributed donated clothing and flip-flops to village children.   A special package of school supplies and a book were given to each of the seventeen students who recently advanced to the second grade. Then we cheered on the school and village children in an exciting soccer game. Goal! Goal!

 We brought seeds and information for the new agronome, Alix, who is working with the second graders to plant and tend a new children’s garden. The cooks will use vegetables from the garden when preparing the children’s lunches at school. We also brought a companion Bible Garden study materials and curriculum guide (in Creole) that the teachers will use to teach all the school children about God’s love for people through growing fruits and vegetables.  Many thanks to Hope Seeds (http://www.hopeseeds.org/) for their generous contribution of seeds and cirriculum!



Thank you for your continued prayers and support to help renew Bayaha.



Rob Draper, The Loft/TWUMC

Announcing Our October 2010 Trip

The dates have been set for our next mission trip to Haiti.  They will be October 1-9, 2010.  If you desire to be a part of this team, please contact Dea at deascogin@gmail.com or 281.788.0999.  Limited space is available.

May Trip 2010

The May Mission team just returned from a week long stay in Haiti. During the week, the team visited Bayaha every day and continued work on the new school building and strengthening relationships with the children and other villagers. The team worked with Haitian masons and laborers to begin construction on the walls of the building. Haitians will complete the walls. Work will begin on the roof, interior walls, and the concrete slab floor in the coming months. We are optimistic that the building will be sufficiently complete in time for the beginning of school this fall. The team also brought flip flops for Bayaha children and girls in an orphanage that the team visited during the week. Team members taught VBS, dental hygiene, and held a hot dog roast for the children. As planned, there were enough hot dogs for the school children and other village children, with seconds and thirds for those who wanted more. The team installed a tether ball pole in the school yard and played tether ball, frizzby, catch and parachute games with the children. A good time was had by all!

 Villagers watered and tended the new garden planted this spring. They picked parsley, carrots, and other vegetables for meals they were preparing. The team also helped lay out the foundation for a 15' by 15' hut that will be home for a grandmother and her daughter. They currently are living in a shanty shack in a seaside dump in Cap Haitian. Haitian villagers completed the foundation by week's end and will finish building the hut soon.



All in all, the team had a rewarding experience, many days of hard work, and lots of fun kidding around with one another and villagers. We were pleased to serve and work along side Haitians in improving their life situation. As always, there is so much for those who will return or join us for the first time in the future. Please join the effort to help make Bayaha sustainable in whatever way you are so moved.

Rob Draper, The Loft/TWUMC

Village Update for March

Len Morris from San Jacinto recently returned from Bayaha last week and reports the foundation for the school has been dug and the co-op garden has been plowed and planted. The village is anxiously awaiting the arrival of the next team in May. If you are interested in traveling on this mission trip to Haiti, May 14th-May 22nd, please email rjtrushen@aol.com or jhull@twumc.org.

Mission Trip Q&A

Ever thought about going on a mission trip to Haiti?  Still have questions you need answered?  Come on up after the Loft Worship services this weekend (March 6/7) and we'll try to address your questions or concerns.  It will be informal and you can get as little or as much info as you need.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Messages of Love

This year as Valentines fell on a Sunday, the children of Loft Kids Church (1st - 4th graders) took that opportunity to send messages of love to the children of Bayaha.  Over 150 personalized cards were made for the Haitian children, so that they would know they are loved.  It was a fun and meaningful way to celebrate the holiday.  Each family also took home a photo card of one of the Haitian school children, so they could pray for them each day. 

Mwen renmen ou - 'I love you' in Kreyol

Embrace Haiti: Donations

If you have been touched by the mission of Embrace Haiti and would like to contribute, donations are being accepted by The Woodlands United Methodist Church marked for "Embrace Haiti".

TWUMC
2200 Lake Woodlands Dr.
The Woodlands, TX 77380

Any questions or requests for additional information may be forwarded to Dea Taylor, 281-788-0999, deascogin@gmail.com

"Give Hope To Haiti" Benefit Concert

In response to the recent earthquake in Port au Prince, Haiti, Market Street – The Woodlands will host a benefit concert, “Give Hope to Haiti,” on Friday, January 22 from 5 pm – 9 pm.


The event will benefit The Hydrate Hope Project, a clean water project of two relief organizations based in The Woodlands, I Am Change and Real Hope for Haiti, an orphan care and rescue center.

Funds raised from the “Give Hope to Haiti” benefit concert will be used to rebuild damaged facilities at several orphanages in Haiti, provide food supplies for children, repair broken water wells throughout the region and implement a bio-sand filter production project.

The benefit concert will feature live entertainment from Aaron Ivey, Matt McCloskey and Gatlin Elms, as well as bands from Austin and Nashville. The event is free and open to the public, however organizers request attendees make a monetary donation towards the relief effort.
 
Please come out and show your support!

January Mission Trip On Hold

Due to current travel needs to Haiti, the mission trip scheduled to leave on January 24, has been postphoned to enable relief workers and medical personnel to get into the region more quickly.

Reports From Our Missionary Partners in Haiti

We've recently learned that Rick and Debbie Hutchinson, our missionary friends who reside in Haiti, are thankfully okay! They report that the north has not been physically affected by the earthquake, however they have been without communication until today. Many in the north have lost loved ones in the south and they expect to see people migrating into their area from the south. At this time they only expect a shortage of fuel. We are so grateful to hear this news and call for your continued prayers for the Haitian people.

Earthquake Aftermath

We are deeply saddened by the immense tragedy that struck Haiti on Tuesday, Jan 12.  The 7.0 earthquake that hit near Port-au-Prince was felt throughout the country, including the Cap-Haitien area where our partners and friends work and reside.  We have had no communication with them since the quake and are praying for their safety.  As many people have said, the hardest part is not knowing.
The extent of the devastation in and around Port-au-Prince is hard to comprehend.  Words truly can not describe the magnitude of the sufferring these people have endured.  Our hearts break for them.

We are calling for prayers for the safety, both of the Haitians struggling to survive and the relief workers.  We also hope as many people as possible will donate to the relief efforts.  There is no doubt the recovery will be long and difficult, but we must remain hopeful and committed to the Haitian people.  They are not just statistics -- they are our friends and neighbors -- who we love.

If you have specific plans to provide aid or collect donations in your communities, please post those here, so more people will be aware.  Embrace Haiti monetary donations are being received by TWUMC marked for "Haiti Relief" or people can give to other established relief organizations working in Haiti, such as:
The International Red Cross (www.redcross.org)
World Food Progamme (www.wfp.org)
Samaritan's Purse (www.samaritanspurse.org)
Living Water International  (www.water.cc)
*our partners at LWI are coordinating amongst several organizations to multiply their efforts in water restoration in Haiti.

Announcing Our May 2010 Trip

If you have been waiting for just the right time to step out in faith and have been seeking a unique mission experience, then perhaps now is the right time.  Embrace Haiti is returning to Bayaha this May to continue forging relationships with the villagers and fulfilling the vision for their community.  The travel dates are May 14 - 22.  Please contact Dea (deascogin@gmail.com) if you would like to register to be a part of the team this May!  Space is lmited.