Single “Blanc” Female Seeking Partnership

Got your attention? Haha, good ☺

It has been great spending time with family & friends over the last few weeks but the “vacation” is drawing to an end and it’s time for me to get organized for the next year. I’ll be returning to H2H Grande Goave next month (July 2007) and staying until July 2008.

What will I be doing there?

My main focus will be playing a big sister / aunt role in H2H’s Children’s Home. I’m intentionally avoiding calling it a “mother” role because that’s still a bit scary ☺. I will also be starting a Sunday School program in Pastor Luc’s Church & teaching ESL full time. In the mornings I will be working with the children in the H2H school and in the evenings teaching classes for the adults of the community. I’m sure some of you are chuckling after reading this… yes, I once taught a Sunday School class about “Moses’ Ark” and yes, I vowed not to follow my parent’s footsteps in becoming a teacher… I’m learning that being out of your comfort zone is a great way to ensure you are putting your trust in God!

Why am I going?

My response to this question is a little harder to put into words. Describing the need is easy… there are 90 kids (I say kids but they range from 4 to 24 years old) living in H2H’s Children’s Home in an environment where “orphans are raising orphans”. There is a Pastor living there who oversees the day-to-day operations & a lady who cooks for the kids but they are lacking someone to fill the nurturing role. They need someone to look after them when they’re sick, tuck them in at night, teach them to care for each other, help them transition into adulthood & just love them! Do I feel qualified to be this person? My honest answer is no. But… I feel like God has put this task in front of me & I believe that He will give me the tools & resources I need to see it through. The 4 weeks I spent at H2H on this trip were challenging but as each obstacle was overcome I was overwhelmed with the sense that God was not just guiding me but He was walking along with me; making sure all my needs were met. Two stories come to mind when I try to explain why I feel the need to go back to H2H.

First story. Within the first few days of living at H2H one of the boys, Lookens, became sick with malaria. I was out in the yard & a gang of kids burst out of the boy’s dormitory giggling & holding their noses. I went to investigate & found Lookens with a high fever and covered in vomit. As I cleaned up Lookens & the mess… struggling to not add to it myself… the kids started to trickle back in to watch. Each curious child was given a job… fetching cool water, rags, new sheets, new clothes, etc. and not one of them questioned my instructions. Over the next four weeks other children were sick with one thing or another. Each time I encouraged the others to take care of those who needed help. There were times I felt physically exhausted and, also frustrated, because I was never sure that my message of ‘helping one another’ was getting through. Then, in the last few days of my stay, I got sick. I had bronchitis, which was accompanied by a fever. As I laid in bed missing my mom, Lookens arrived with his troops & started giving orders… “Get the rags! Get a bucket of water! When was the last time you ate? I don’t care if you’re not thirsty, you need to drink!” My fever come down and so did the communication and cultural barriers I had been feeling.

Second story. On my last night in Haiti I was sitting on the roof of the Church with my team from Pacific Community Church. We all held hands and took turns praying for each other. As they finished praying for me and we were about to wrap up, I realized Woody, one of the boys from the orphanage, was still holding my hand so I asked him if he would like to pray as well. He didn’t respond, he just started praying. At that point two things struck me. I realized how much Woody had matured over the past 4 years (since PCC teams have been going to H2H) and I also realized that I understood his entire prayer in Creole! Both of these things were huge encouragements for me.

Now let’s get back to the Single “Blanc” Female Seeking Partnership…

One of the things I’ve learned over the past few months is the importance of having a strong support network while I am away. Living in a place like Haiti can be lonely and those phone calls, emails & blog comments brought me so much comfort and encouragement. I am looking for people who share my passion for the kids at H2H & want to be involved in a partnership relationship by providing financial, spiritual & emotional support. If you are interested please email me (rebeccalarkin6@hotmail.com) or call me (604-288-2292).

The financial support I need is $1,100 per month. This includes my flights, in-country expenses & supplies for the year. I am breaking it down to a monthly figure because some have indicated that it would be easier for them to deal with support on a monthly basis. Certainly one time contributions are welcome as well. I know that some will find themselves in a position to help financially and others will contribute their encouragement and their prayers. Every contribution is so much appreciated, not only by myself but also by all the children in Grande Goave! I wish all of you could visit Haiti and see what a tremendous impact you all have made in the lives of Lookens, Woody and all the other children that you have touched. Thank you again for your generosity!

Rebecca

All funds should be sent to H2H and tax receipts will be issued. Checks should NOT have my name on the check but should be accompanied by a note indicating your intention to sponsor me.

Checks should be mailed to:

H2H – Fraser Valley Branch
c/o Shawna Medley
3325 Firhill Dr.
Abbotsford, BC
V2T 5L4
604-852-6431

Rebecca has returned to Sunnybrook Farm...

Ok, not quite, but I'm back on Canadian soil & staying at my parents house in Crescent Beach.

I want to start this by saying THANK YOU to all those who have supported me financially, through prayer and through emails and blog comments. I may have been the one physically in Haiti but each of you played a major part and on behalf of the kids at GLA and H2H I want to say THANK YOU again!!

My last 4 weeks at H2H have been amazing... challenging, stretching & heart wrenching but truly amazing!

The first 2 weeks I spent reconnecting with the 90 kids that live in the H2H Children's Home, the teachers, pastors & leaders of H2H and jumping into the Haitian culture with both feet! I have been to H2H on 3 previous mission trips but once I crossed over from "visitor" to "family" it became a whole new world.... washing laundry by hand, waking up at 4:45 am EVERY morning, wearing skirts 24/7, eating only 2 meals per day and having no other "blancs" around - which meant no more English! There were certainly difficult moments but looking back I realize that they had my heart with the first hug.

For my last 2 weeks I was joined by a team from my home church, Pacific Community Church. As always, it was an eventful time - focused on the kids & team bonding. Unfortunately, staying up late with the team (especially the late night girl talks) and getting up early with the kids caught up with me and I ended up with bronchitis... nothing a good dose of antibiotics can't resolve :)

It is difficult for me to describe how I feel about the next stage of my involvement in Haiti. The decisions that led to my initial involvement in Haiti, and now getting prepared to return to Haiti for a year have been made but I feel like they were not made by me. I feel like I have very little control over what's next in my life but I've never been more confident about the direction in which I am heading.

It is great to be home with my family & friends but I am already anxious to get back to Haiti. I will keep you posted with my plans to return to H2H Grande Goave in July.