Hoerners in Haiti

I can't believe how long it has been since I have posted! To say our lives have been busy is an understatement. July was our last trip to Haiti and so much has happened since then. We moved into a new house, Ty started a new job, his mom got married, his sister moved nearby, we celebrated four holidays, our nephew was born....oh yeah, and we got married in October! Our lives our bursting at the seams with joy! There are so many things I could write about but what I really want to talk about is our upcoming trip to Haiti and the undeniable burden God has placed on our hearts to care for the fatherless.

Tyler and I are overjoyed to have the opportunity to go back to Haiti this March. We will be traveling to a small community called Desiré just outside the city of Gonaive. This trip is special to us for many reasons. Not only will this be our first trip as Mr. and Mrs., it will also be our first trip to Desiré, the village our church has been partnered with for exactly a year!

We are so excited to meet the 63 children, Pastor Jannot and his family, and the house mamas who live there. We are excited to laugh, play, love, hold and cherish the children. We are excited to see old friends and make new friends. We are excited to practice our broken creole and to teach english. We are excited to pour out and be poured into. But ultimately, in the midst of all this, we are most excited about what God is doing and what he has already done. This trip is part of a bigger picture...it's more than hanging out in Haiti for a few days and playing lots of soccer (which I am sure I will do). This trip is about a partnership. A partnership between two churches in two different countries who share one goal, to care for the fatherless. Here in the Northern Colorado town of Fort Collins at a church called Faith Evangelical Free that looks like hundreds of people banding together to advocate, pray, send and support. In the mountain community of Desiré it looks like a small plot of land with a church, a school and a home for 63 children who have no where else to go. Together, these two churches are committed to caring for the everyday needs of these orphans; from food to clothing to education, these churches are there to stand in the gap. The best part is, this care goes far beyond the physical needs and provides things money can't buy; safety, love, acceptance, protection, family and the hope that only comes in knowing Jesus. And this is why Tyler and I are excited beyond words. Not just because we get to play with some awesome kids, but because God is using us as a small part of a much bigger picture. He is using these two churches, our team of 17 individuals, the house mamas, Pastor Jannot, the teams before us and the teams that will come after us to minister directly to the hearts of these children.

We are humbled and amazed.

We cannot wait to see what God has in store.

We ask that you join us in prayer for these children and for this trip. Please pray for God to be glorified, for the Holy Spirit to be at work in us and through us and that every single child at Desiré will come to know the hope and love of Jesus Christ.

The Hoerners


If you are interested in financially supporting Tyler and Emily, please visit www.faithefc.org/donate and click "Haiti Team--March 2012". All contributions are tax deductible.

Here are some of our favorite moments from past trips!

Soccer + Haiti = AWESOME!

The Hoerners--July 2011

March 2011

Gonaive, Haiti August 2010

July 2011

He has such a wonderful smile!

March 2010

Watching a soccer game--March 2010

Rogelin, Ty and Kene

Gonaive, Haiti August 2010

Engagement Story

I had good intentions. I inteded to write my engagement story from my perspective but I haven't had time. Plus Trace is a great writter and he already told my story on The Global Orphan Project blog...so you can read my story here. And soon I will tell my story...hopefully.

Team Video--Haiti July 2011

Here is a short video from our last trip to Haiti in July! As you can see in these pictures, God really touched a lot of lives through this trip. The question always remains...who was touched more--the children or us? I think I know the answer...and if you ask any of the trip-goers I believe they would answer the same.

http://animoto.com/play/vPsU3rx0hyd8vjfq2HDwsA?utm_content=main_link

In awe

It's amazing to think that we will be in Haiti at this time tomorrow! I am in awe of how God works and moves. He has put together another amazing team of people who are saying YES to His tug on their hearts to care for orphan and abandoned children. Saying YES is not always easy...but it is always life changing.

Caring for orphans is not just a great experience to add to a scrapbook...it is so much greater than that.

It is an experience of God's heart.

And that is an irreplaceable and irreversible experience.

I am in awe of God's heart and His love for ALL His children.

Arica and her bestie Jameson

Zanmi mwen (my friend) Pierre

Rachel with all of her friends at Pastor Joseph Kessnell's

Pastor Joseph Kessnell's House--a little one sleeping on Lynn's shoulder

Hanging out in the shade

Kara and two buddies from SDLG East

I am in awe

Prayer!

GO Vision Trip

Port au Prince, Haiti

June 30th-July 4th, 2011

Prayer is such a wonderful and beautiful gift! I am so overwhelmed with thankfulness for you’re willingness to pray for me and my team mates while we are in Haiti. This ministry is not ours, but is the Lords so we want Him to be glorified in everything we do!

Some prayer requests:

That God would show each of us his heart for the helpless, orphan child

That we would be broken by what breaks God

That we would be used by God in the work He is already doing in Haiti

That we come back changed...more like Christ!

That we glorify God in all we do and say

That God will give us the energy and health we need everyday

That our hearts are open to learning and loving in ways we never have before

That this trip is not just an “experience” but rather a turning point in our lives, hearts and thinking

That we have a wonderful time and God grants us health in order to carry out His work

That we take down our barriers and learn about ourselves

For each and every person we encounter; that we could show them love, respect, care and concern.

For the children in care with the Global Orphan Project; that their physical, emotional, educational and spiritual needs are met

That each child will know the love of Jesus Christ!

For the pastors, house mamas, cooks, teachers and care givers who work daily to care for these precious children

For our eyes to be opened to needs and our spirits willing to help meet those needs in whatever way God calls us to

For our team to be unified and cohesive

That we enjoy the people and culture of Haiti!

If you would like to pray for us daily, here is a brief look at our (tentative) schedule:

Thursday:

· Fly into Port au Prince

· Get settled at the Jumecourt Inn

· play with the kids at Source de la Grace (also called OTV)

· Have our first night get to know you and bible study

· bed

Friday:

· Optional morning devotional

· play with kids/hang out/do activities with the kids

· tour the facilities to see what orphan care looks like/ what goes into caring for 100 children

· sort bags

· Afternoon we'll visit another orphan home in the area

· Back to SDLG to play with the kids/ soccer game/ crafts

· movie night

Saturday:

· Optional devotional

· craft/ activity at SDLG

· visit another orphan home nearby (Pastor Calix)

· go to another orphan home and see their bed making business (Pastor Joseph Kessnel's)

· Back to SDLG

· group meeting/ bead ceremony

Sunday:

· Out by 6:30 am to head to church in Port au Prince at Pastor Moise's church

· Hang out with kids after church

· take tour of new building/ school

· Go to an orphan home outside of PaP (Leogane); play games, do crafts

· Head back to SDLG

· Dinner

· play with the kids

· group meeting/ bead ceremony

Monday:

· optional devotional

· say good bye to kids

· head to the airport

People to Pray for:

Erin

Emily

Anne

Christy

Tyler

Drew

Sarah

Rachel

Jesse

Jared

Caleb

Heather

Kirsten

Rebecca

Jennifer

Rachel

Amy

Kara

Christa

Terri

Amelia

Susan

Indifference or making a difference

As I sit here tonight, just one day away from leaving on another trip to Haiti, I am overwhelmed with a whole spectrum of emotions. I feel gratitude that God has opened the door for this trip to happen; I feel excitement that I will get to hold and play with the children again and I feel awe struck that God has led 16 people to leave their comfortable lives and step into caring for his children. These 16 people (myself included) do not know what awaits them on the the other side of the Atlantic. We don't know how we are going to feel when we see the poverty, the injustice and the pain. Even if you have been there before, there is always something new to see, to smell to feel. Each time we go God gives us a precious gift; He gives us a piece of His heart for the helpless. What a beautiful and scary gift. It is so deeply moving to feel wrecked for the very thing that wrecks God. It is also completely frightening to get a glimpse of God's heart because when we do we can't look away, we can't turn a deaf ear to the cries of these people, we can't go home and do nothing.

Lives are about to be changed. In the next few days people's hearts and lives will be challenged. All 16 of us will see some things that we will never forget. My prayer is that each of us will grab hold of what God has for us; that we will not walk away and return to our "normal" lives. It's a dangerous prayer but it is the true prayer of my heart; that we will see injustice and respond like Christ! This is a dangerous prayer because it is one that God will answer and when He answers it we will never be the same.

"The definition of evil in the world is when good men and women see injustice and do nothing. Here's another way to look at it: when it comes to caring for the people on God's heart, indifference is a sin" (Fields of the Fatherless, Tom Davis)

My desire is to make a difference. Not just for a week but for a lifetime.

Open Our Eyes - Orphan / Foster Care / Adoption Event

Resurrection Fellowship in conjunction with the Northern Colorado Christian Alliance for Orphans is hosting Open Our Eyes. The purpose of this event is to connect people with organizations and ministries that are working to serve the fatherless around the world. The ultimate goal is for each of us to gain a better understanding of God's heart for his children. I am so excited to see how God uses this event to inspire me and challenge me in new ways!

PLEASE COME!

March 20th at 6:00 at Resurrection Fellowship

FREE!

Praise God for these precious children and His infinite love for them!