CASEY & LAURA LYNN ARE BACK HOME IN GEORGIA!!! Laura Lynn (aka LaLa) has been in Haiti teaching lots of beautiful children for the last 6 months and Casey was there helping and visiting for the past month. We are so glad to have them home for a bit…we know Haiti is home too…but their presence is something we are always honored to have…even if its just for a little bit!!!

they have stories to tell…full of beauty and grace… sadness, but lots of HOPE because our God is BIG!!!!

Come out and see us…they will be coming and going… but in the state of Georgia…WHOOOHOOO!!!

In fact, Casey will be around a lot…because I (Natasha) will be off for the next two weeks as Junior and I prepare for our wedding and go on our honeymoon! therefore Casey will be replacing my role in the World Changers program… bringing beautiful Casey-ness to the programs end…no doubt that it will end strong with her presence being involved, full of beauty & growth!

Laura Lynn will be around making preparations for her return back to Haiti on July 25th. Check back for more on LALA as we hope to have her here to share a bit about what is happening in Jubilee Blanc, Gonaives!!!

Casey Nichols left for Haiti June 9th and will be staying with Laura Lynn (aka- LALA) her sister in Jubilee Blanc, Gonaives. She will return after 3 weeks. In what we like to, or the Nichols sisters like to call a castle. 4 walls..one concrete floor, and a toilet where you literally do it the OLD fashioned way… but they are both in heaven… giving pieces of heaven to all those around… its beauty at its best! what a joy to have these two sisters be apart of the MUCH ministries family whether in Georgia, Haiti or anywhere…we are extremely proud of them and the Character of God that they constantly show to all those around…with MUCH truth and grace.

doing life in the simplest of ways with the poorest of poor in Jubilee Blanc..it truly is a castle…the KINGDOM shines through…getting the opportunity to do life with Haitians. Their strength and beauty teach us just as MUCH about Gods love as  Much Ministries could ever share with them…its a beautiful balance of give and take…L-O-V-E. here is a little blurp casey wrote from facebook….

“en aiyti. baths in the moonlight at night. house full of children all day. view of the mountains and the ocean. sharing meals and bandaging scrapes. swapping tips as we discuss the fine art of “popping a squat”. learning and teaching. raising buildings and lowering fevers. explaining why a crab shouldn’t be on a leash. earning a place in the family of jubilee blanc. so much life around all the time. m’ap boule.”

ITS WHAT ITS ALL ABOUT GETTING OUR HANDS AND FEET DIRTY…WALKING OUT LIFE WITH ONE ANOTHER…NO MATTER OUR STORY, BACKGROUND, STATUS, OR LOCATION…. ITS TAKING ACTION!!! PRAISE THE LORD FOR ALL THAT IS HAPPENING HERE IN WAYNESVILLE & THERE IN HAITI!!!!

“the word compassion is derived from the Latin words pati and cum, which together mean “to suffer with.” Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish. Compassion challenges us to cry out with those in misery, to mourn with those who are lonely, to weep with those in tears. Compassion requires us to be weak with the weak, vulnerable with the vulnerable, and powerless with the powerless. Compassion means full immersion in the condition of being human.”

-Henri Nouwen

I couldn’t resist sharing this video… especially for all those who love Poutchino…the little miracle boy from Haiti

Natasha Taylor, one of Much Mnistries Missionaries went home to Kansas City to see her family for the first time since being in an earthquake and while visiting there she spoke at a couple places. She was blessed to also get the chance to be interviewed by the local NPR station KCUR, 89.3 where her sister, Amanda Taylor, her fiance, Junior Jovin, and her discussed Haiti. Afterwards, realizing that its hard to talk about everything… the earthquake, adoption, the aftermath, aid, etc. each of these topics can be a whole interview in itself… but overall it was a wonderful interview… feel free to check it out!!!

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kcur/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1632498

   I really feel that the Lord has been protecting my heart since I have been here. I haven’t felt all there is to feel because if I did it would probably completely overwhelm me. I have been able to stay focused on teaching and working on the school and somehow not break down every time I see the feeding program. But then two days ago it hit me somewhat. I hear “I’m hungry” from enough well-fed looking adults that is starts to harden me about if people are really hungry- I can assume that they really are eating. The collision of this culture and American culture has created this thought that when they see a white person, they are supposed to ask them for something. So in my efforts to fight that thought- I have not given out anything- I tell them I came to teach, not to give things. It has been hard because my desire is to give everything I have- but I am learning that giving someone something is not always helpful to them. So in this journey to seek balance between not creating beggars, and also providing for those in need, I am really struggling to know how to go about it. So up until the other day, I would not give anything, my response when asked was that everything was for the school.

But then there is Daphne. She is twelve years old. She can’t go to school because her mom doesn’t have the money, and she is too old for our classes this year. I ended up starting a whole english class because I wanted her to be getting some sort of education. Then I also started to ask her to come and help out at the school- thinking even exposure to the few things we were doing would be good, plus having extra hands in the school would be extremely helpful. Since she was helping I justified giving her and two other ladies who were helping shirts that a group had donated. The shirt was too big for Daphne but she said she would give it to her mom. A few days later it started to turn cold. There were two babies whose hands and feet were so cold so I found two more of those shirts and wrapped them in them. After that I noticed Daphne looking kind of sad. I asked her what was wrong and she said she was mad. Eventually I pulled it out of her that she was mad at me. I think she sees that Marvins gets special treatment because he lives with Emory and Mary, as well as Kervins. In the middle of trying to figure out why she was mad at me, Predson sticks his head under the tin and starts talking to Daphne. Predson is around five years old and is in the school. He is crying and I am trying to figure out why. I had not known that Predson and Daphne are brother and sister. He is complety naked- which is not uncommon- but it is really cold today. So I tell him to come in the school and that’s when I get it out of them that their mom is not home, and hasn’t been able to give them food for two days. FOR TWO DAYS. and here I am, not giving them any food because I don’t want to start a “problem” of begging. What a jerk. What a huge jerk. I found some crackers and the left overs from an MRE and packed them up for them to take home. I put a shirt on Predson with the instructions that when he got other clothes to put on to give that shirt to Daphne. After they left I just broke down, in my compartmentalizing to protect my heart, I did not see a true need right in front of me. I know they are everywhere- and that I can’t fix everything- that so many people around me are hungry- I still don’t know what to do or how to mourn that and how to help and still be able to function here. I know I can immerse myself in my work and let it distract me completely- but I don’t want that. People need to hurt for these people, I need to share their burdens, not just enjoy all the blessings of this ministry. Twelve year olds shouldn’t have to wipe the tears from a naked five year old because he is hungry. But when it happens, some one else should hurt for them too.

But I also have to go on to say that thankfully it doesn’t end there. Our God is so big and so beautiful. As I sat here writing this, hurting all over again for them, Kervins sat down beside me and started talking about Daphne. He said that she had asked him for some of the cracker he was eating yesterday. He told me that he had said no- but then remembered that I had told him about them not eating- and then he gave her twenty Haitian dollars. Man. Thank you God. Thank you so much God!

So of course I start crying again – and Kevin, in true eleven year old fashion- decides to fart on me to make me stop crying! I guess this is how we do it Lord, we cry, we laugh, boys do disgusting things, we try our best to do what we can, we mess it up, we hurt, and we keep going, because our Hope is bigger than all of it.

As a result of the earthquake it has become evident that there is a need for a coordinated effort at cooperation between smaller non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) and the larger UN affiliated NGO’s. JT Kowalchuk and myself have been creating a consortium to facilitate this cooperation. Over the past 2 months God has orchestrated connections with Governmental representative, World Food Program leaders and key people in larger NGO’s.  Please pray for us as we seek to be a unifying catalyst.

Our vision for cooperation between smaller NGO’s and the United Nations and its affiliates can be illustrated though the metaphor of the circulatory system.

• The UN and its institutions (World Food Program, Unicef, World Health Organization, ect) are the vigorously beating heart.
• The partner larger NGO’s (World Vision, Care, Islamic relief, ect) are the arteries and veins in the system.

At present these groups work well together, but there is a disconnect of relationship with those who should be the beneficiaries of their resources.  In the human body there are hundreds if not thousands of smaller vessels known as capillaries.  These capillaries deliver the life giving resource of oxygen to the different parts of the body as they have need.

We purpose that the smaller NGO’s are those capillaries.  They have the ‘hands on’, ‘face to face relationships with those in need.  They have been there before the crisis and will be there afterwards.  They understand the intricacies of the regions and people groups/communities that the UN wants to help.  We hope to establish not only lines of communication but the flow of resources to those desperately in need.  As smaller NGO’s connect and communicate in unison these larger organizations will feel more comfortable relating to and working with them.  Much Ministries is taking the initiative to  bring this relationship to reality.

Regards,

Beaver Brooks

Director Much Ministries Inc.

912-778-5574

Much Ministries Haitian Leadership- Trade Institute.

Concept: To provide an avenue for Haitian men and women, age 18-30, to be equipped with a marketable skill and character qualities to become gainfully employed.

As we have worked in Haiti for 7 years, our eyes have been drawn to the hard working, industrious nature of the Haitian people.  Given the right opportunity these men and women will make a way.  Our hearts have always been to help the economic situation.  At present there is 85% unemployment; while the earthquake is tragic in every way it is creating a need for a work force, as businesses function to begin the rebuilding process.  We desire to create jobs and develop a work force to help supply that need.

Our curriculum will be built around “Kingdom Character” and marketable skills.  Our students will not only graduate with knowledge and ability but also the character to handle the weight of success and increased financial status.

Educational materials, for the construction industry, will be developed in conjunction with National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER).

Materials for a translator school will be taught as English as a Second Language program.

Child care instruction will include ESL, nutrition, safety, first aide, child development phases and nurturing skills; preparing individuals for the increased need in orphanages and nanny Jobs.

At present we are seeking to establish a base of operation in Port-au-Prince to operate the school, provide a home for the Brooks, and a Haiti base for Much Ministries.

Regards,

Beaver Brooks

Director Much Minisntries

912-571-2377

After-Thoughts

By Jennifer Kovac, on March 22nd, 2010

Vidlan 

On the flight home from Haiti I borrowed a pen from Christine and jotted the following down on the back of our itinerary…just to get it all out of my head:

1.  Having much doesn’t mean what most of us think.

2. When all you have is your life – and you are so thankful for it that it makes you sing out – is there anything at all that I can actually share with you?  More likely, you have something to share with me.

3. It’s about getting the next small thing right. (Kathy Brooks)

4. An hour away is so close.  And so far.

5. 100 chickens in Emory’s house makes me smile.  OK, they were probably in the yard.  But it’s more fun to think of them in the house.

6. Dogs and chickens in Haiti are night owls.

7. When feeling unsure of your path, a 10 minute conversation with Kathy is a good start.

8. Casey can be counted on to provide you with what you didn’t know you needed.

9. It’s amazing how much people can give when they don’t even know they’re doing it.

10. Mr. Montfort has the kind of face you want to see when you’re having a bad day.

11. Children in Haiti sing when they’re happy.  Sing when they’re sad.  Both will make you cry.

12. In Haiti, the 6 year olds speak more languages than I do.  Children who know 3 languages are living under sheets tied up with sticks.

13.  I took a shower in the rain.  Twice.  Cool.

14. A sweet, persistent young girl who I met in Sept 2009 came asking for me by name.  has she been asking every blanc since September??  I’m certain I’m supposed to connect with her…just haven’t figured out how.

15.  Laura Lynn is all love.  All.  Love.  It’s beautiful to witness and a privelege to share space with.

16. People all over Haiti are doing the impossible every day.

17. While it may sound really cool, you may not want to have lunch with the Bolivian Army.

18. I made kites out of trash and watched Patrick and Vidlan laugh while the wind took them.

19. I flew first class (we got bumped up) with dirty feet in flip flops and ordered a Budwiser in a can.  It seemed like what I should be drinking with dirty feet in flip flops.

20. When tin rooves are installed without a pitch to them, your bed and all of your clothes will get wet when it rains. 

21. Teachers at Sherrie’s school must first learn the curriculum they are teaching themselves.  And they are still passing on so much knowledge that the children are smarter than me.

22. I do not want to be a kindergarten teacher when I grow up.

23. Children you’ve played with all week may not talk to you once they realize you are leaving today.

24. Vidlan just wants to be held.  Don’t we all, really?

25. JT and Mr Montfort might be the most awesome team I’ve ever seen.  I aspire to be half the man they each are.

26. Just because the one year old didn’t get hurt today roaming around alone doesn’t mean it’s not heart breaking.

27. Because JT and Mr Montfort have courage and strength of character, people ate today.

28. I got to rock Gierdeline to sleep.  Peace in my heart.

29. There’s a little boy in Jubilee who will never know what he started.

30. Yup, you’ve gotta go back to Haiti.  You’ll know why when you get there.

Today JT met with the leaders of the tent cities and communities where we have been distributing food since the earthquake.  He expressed our gratitude for the rice and beans we had been able to give away and for the help of these men and women and their willingness to serve their communities.  He explained to them that the seasonof food distribution is now at an end and that the government is stressing the need for work for food and work for cash programs.

The people he met with were disapointed that we would not continue to distribute food, but understood .  They each expresssed thanks giving to JT and to Much ministries for the help we had brought and spoke a blessing over us. It was a glorious report!

Much Ministries is preparing to return to Haiti with Job training and leadership quality opportunities.  THis is so greatly needed. We are excited about the plans ahead!