It's About the Relationship: Haiti Day 6 By Cortney Donelson

Philippians 2:5 (NIV)

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.”

Source: Photo taken in Haiti village

Haiti Day 6 brought a wonderful surprise. We were permitted to cut out of our work after just a half day. The head of Heartline Ministries wanted to take us to a mountain village where he and some of his team had built a few one-room houses for people left homeless after the earthquake in 2010.

After lunch, we drove up the long, rocky gravel path. The potholes in North Carolina pale in comparison to what we experienced on this mountain road. However, let me set the scene further here. This wasn’t like any North Carolina mountain either. In my home state, the mountains are bright with colors – healthy greens and browns. The trees are thick enough to provide thousands of miles of canopy shade.

This mountain in Haiti had small, thin trees scattered many yards apart, and they were not very tall. Grass was nonexistent. There were dirt roads, dirt fields, and dirt yards … no protection from the Caribbean sun. Along the roadside were one-room houses made from concrete, tin, tent material, stucco, or recycled materials. Some houses had a layer of Tyvek material over the outer wall with the name of the organization that built the house – World Vision, UNICEF, and Red Cross, to name a few.

A few members of our group expressed hesitancy about going to visit the people in this village. “We aren’t bringing anything. Are they going to think we are just coming to stare at how they live for an hour?” At that moment, I did not share the same concerns. I just wanted to spend time with the people I came to serve. However, I was not prepared for the reaction we received when we arrived…

There were two dozen children of varying ages standing around a well, taking turns pumping water into large plastic buckets. They were completing their daily chore. When our two trucks pulled up, a few of the kids scampered away and found a beat-up soccer ball. Five short minutes later, a group of missionaries and Haitian children had formed a circle and were passing the ball back and forth. In a community that spoke only Creole, soccer had just become the universal language for us all. No more than five minutes after that, a full-fledged soccer game had ensued. The Haitian boys seemed not to notice their shoes (if they wore any at all) were half missing or breaking apart as they ran.

At the same time, a Haitian girl waved me over to a narrow line of shade provided by one of the small houses. “What is your name?” she asked in English.

“Cortney … You know English?” I asked. “Yes, I am in level 6 English school. I am the only one,” she answered with a shy smile.

“That’s great! You speak English very well. What is your name?”

“Maneeya … You’re very pretty.” My heart melted. “You’re very pretty too,” I said. We talked for a few minutes. She translated for the others around her. Her friend standing next to her asked me if he could have the sneakers I had tied to my backpack. I desperately wanted to give them to him, but we were advised not to give out anything unless we had enough for everyone. My heart that had been melting from this girl’s sweet compliment just broke into a million pieces. I wished more than anything I could have given these kids everything I had – my shoes, clothes, water bottle, hat, snacks. I was supplied; they were not. I started to feel the anxiety the other members had been expressing before we arrived. “How can we come with nothing to give?” Then, I looked around…

Source: Photo of water well

This is what I saw – a 16-year-old girl from our group teaching the kids how to play volleyball with an old soccer ball, a Haitian family wanting to give a tour of their humble home, and some of the other members from our group pumping water for the Haitian kids, relieving them of their afternoon chore.

This is what I heard – voices in Creole and English speaking to each other, feet sliding on dirt as boys raced for a soccer ball, and giggles from a Haitian toddler and the childless couple in our group as they held that tiny child in their arms. Shouts of joy and laughter filled the air.

This is just a taste of what God can do if we take the time to get out of our comfort zones and spend time with and care for people right where they are…

Philippians 2:5 teaches us, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” Jesus didn’t have shoes, clothes, or money to give away as He traveled from town to town. He was poor and homeless. What He did bring was love, truth, hope, and mercy. What He offered was His time and a relationship with our Heavenly Father that no one can attain on his own.

For this hot and dusty village in Haiti, all we had introduced was some fun and a break in their routine. What we offered was ourselves – as Jesus did for us all – and on that day, it was more than enough.

Prayer – Lord, I am so very humbled to be Your servant. I pray You bless those who seek You first and foremost, especially those who suffer so much in this world. Thank You for the relationship You offer us all through Christ Jesus. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

© 2013 As A Clay Jar. All rights reserved.

Formed from ... What?: Haiti Day 5 By Cortney Donelson

Genesis 2:7 (NIV)

“Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”

God is the King of the creation business. Jesus Himself was a carpenter by trade. Have you ever had the opportunity to create something beautiful out of nothing? Perhaps you are an artist, a welder, an architect, or just enjoy a good sandcastle competition every once in a while. When you finish your creation, how do you feel? Multiply that a billion times over and that must have been how God felt when He created the heavens and the earth – the animals and mankind. No wonder He said, “And, it was good.”

I had the amazing opportunity to experience a minute portion of that feeling – the joy of creating something out of nothing and it being good. Welcome to Haiti Day 5!

After digging my way out of the hole, a new project had surfaced. “We need something that will hold 40 feet of hanging clothes, especially long dresses.” Count me in.

Some of the Haitian women who were students in the Heartline Ministries’ women’s program were graduating. The mission of the program is to create a place where women can learn valuable life skills and eventually support their families out of the cycle of poverty. The fashion show put on by the graduating class was in just two days, and they needed a large clothesline apparatus to hang everything they had made and would wear during the show.

My friend and I teamed up with Frank, an independent missionary who was assisting our group that week. Frank is a jack-of-all-trades. We would need his expertise … and our tetanus shots. We put our heads together and came up with our draft “clothes tree.” Our inspiration was “IKEA meets Sanford and Sons … in Haiti.”

Once the diagram was approved, we started to look around. There were no materials – none. The big hunt began. The three of us scoped the property for any scrap metal, iron, PVC piping, rebar, and other pieces of sturdy material to create our masterpiece. This was getting exciting!

Source: Photo taken on work site in Haiti

After an hour of picking through rusty piles of metal, looking under rooftop storage areas, and finding trashed items that may just do the trick, God had provided exactly what we needed to create our “something out of nothing.” We laughed at how unlikely it was to find just what was required to complete this project. God was near…

For the next 24 hours, I learned new skills that can only add comic relief to my previously medically weighted resume. The generator was wheeled in, and we cut, ground, sanded, welded, primed, and painted … metal. God makes beautiful things out of the dust. And, we made a king-size mobile clothesline out of scrap iron and steel. It felt good.

There is a song by Gungor that illustrates how God’s creations are beautiful. How we, made from nothing but the dust of the ground, are beautiful and good.

“Beautiful Things”

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You

Haiti has experienced some financial, social, political, and natural disaster-type chaos over the years. But, God helped us create some beautiful things for them – this clothes tree, a bakery with electrical capabilities, and a brightly painted and hand-tiled café, to name a few. Hope was springing up all around us while we worked in Haiti.

Source: Photo of Clothes "Tree"

Do you know what felt even better than completing this monster project on time and learning how to use tools for which I can no longer recall the names? The look on the Haitian's faces when they saw the finished product; they were ecstatic and so very grateful. They dismantled it in record time to put it in the pickup truck and whisk it away for the fashion show. But before they left, I received a big hug from one of the women…

And, it was good.

Prayer – Father God, thank You for providing what we need, exactly when we need it. My prayer is that You continue to bring hope and love to the people in Haiti. Remind them they are beautiful in Your eyes. Thank You for the experience of serving on all these different projects. It was all good! In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

© 2013 As A Clay Jar. All rights reserved.

Expanding Our Territory for God: Haiti Day 4 By Cortney Donelson

Source: Photo of Haiti Mission Team June 14, 2013
Taken on Heartline Ministries' Purchased Land

1 Chronicles 4:10 (ESV)
“Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, ‘Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!’ And God granted what he asked.”

Sometimes, I don’t think I am the sharpest tool in the … well, you know.

There are times that I believe God has to get my attention with repetition – a lot of repetition. Sometimes, I ask for confirmation, especially with big decisions or important life changes. And, God provides those confirmations. Sometimes, I continue to miss a crucial lesson or piece of advice, so I believe God allows that message to come up over and over … and over again. Other times, I need an inspiring life application in order to truly live out the advice I have received from His Word. This fourth day in Haiti brought one of those repeatable messages back into my narrow world. I believe I should share it with you. It’s a good one!

One week before I left for Haiti, the Senior Pastor at my church (Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte) gave a sermon on the “Prayer of Jabez.” “Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, ‘Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!’ And God granted what he asked.” It was just plain awesome. It was a message I needed to hear, especially as I prepared my heart for travel to Haiti. That week before I departed, my husband and I prayed for God to bless us and expand our “area of influence” as the prayer teaches.

On day four in Haiti, our group took a break from the work to walk to the back of the property owned by Heartline Ministries. There, the Director showed us where the property line ended and the land just behind it was for sale. He explained that in order to start construction on the maternity center they would need to purchase that extra land. He and the seller had been in negotiations for awhile. He asked if we could pray that God would provide the finances to expand the land so that He may be glorified through the service that the new maternity center would provide. The head of the ministry talked about his vision for the center – the one God had placed on his heart. He asked us to look at the barren dirt but instead see the women coming in and out of the new center – full of hope, joy, and peace – knowing they and their children would be well-cared for. He asked us to listen and hear the babies’ healthy cries. We did. Looking at the dirt and the scarce tree or two, I became tearful. This country and its people have been through so much.

Source: Livesay Family Blog
(Haitian Missionaries)

While I prayed for the expansion of Heartline Ministries’ territory, the Prayer of Jabez dropped into my heart. At once, I appreciated the deeper meaning of the prayer. This wasn't just about praying for more physical land. I also prayed for the women who would enter the doors of the maternity center – for their hearts and their relationships with their Savior – their spiritual territory. I prayed for their emotional territory. I prayed for their families and the territory made up of their future generations. I asked God to keep His hand on this ministry and bless it as He saw fit. “God expand Your territory here. Bless this ministry and the land they seek. Bless the women who will come here for care. Bless the babies – Your babies – who will be born and cared for here. I pray for their hearts … that they come to know You through the work done by these passionate followers of Christ. Bless this nation – one of the poorest in the world, God. Keep them from further harm.”

The Prayer of Jabez seeped into my heart for my own life too. Every day for three weeks now, I have prayed for God to expand my borders. My hope is that more people find something special in this blog. I have asked God to expand my influence through the book I am writing, through the talks I have yet to give, and through living life with His will at the forefront of my desires. However, I understand that in order to make this prayer authentic and pure, I must release my expectations of where God will bless me. I must fully trust Him to expand my influence for His Kingdom in any way He sees fit – not just in the areas I want to be blessed. My vision is tunneled; His is perfect.

My prayer is that God keeps His hand on me. For, I know with every ounce of my being that none of this is possible without Him. I pray for His protection from evil and harm. And, I pray that I continue to be a fragile cracked jar that allows His light to shine through – never shattering and always giving Him the glory.

Prayer – Lord, this blog is nothing without You. You are the Master writer, the Master planner, and the Master “Blesser.” I will trust in You in all areas of my life. I will boldly ask for Your blessings and, in return, give You all of me and all the glory. I pray for the Haitian people and for Heartline Ministries – that they see the fruit of their faith. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen!

© 2013 As A Clay Jar. All rights reserved.

In the Hole: Haiti Day 3 By Cortney Donelson

Source: http://franthony.com

Psalm 40:2 (NIV)

“He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.”

Day three in Haiti was the start of our work week. We had heard bits and pieces about the projects we would be doing for Heartline Ministries – cleaning and painting several buildings on the land they owned to make way for a bakery and maternity center, digging a gigantic hole for a septic tank, mixing cement, roofing, laying tile in the bakery’s cafe, fixing and refinishing signage, and completing electrical work for the bakery.

“Put us in the hole,” my friend and I requested of the group leader. Gary looked at us like we were crazy. “Come on. We came to do the hard work. You won’t be disappointed,” I pleaded. He agreed … and then picked four other strong guys and himself to help us. Now, there was an act of confidence!

When we arrived on site, we grabbed our shovels and pickaxes and headed to the front of the property. The hole had already been started by previous volunteer laborers. It measured 10 feet x 10 feet and was already seven feet deep. “How far do we need to go down?” someone asked hesitantly. (That may have been me.) The answer was four more feet down throughout the entire hole and square off the corners.

The ladder was set into the hole, and we climbed down. The first obstacle I encountered was the baby tarantula. I wish I was joking. The second challenge was the rock-laced hard dirt. Oh, and there was also the humidity and heat. Yet, we pushed on. About two hours into the dig, we had a pretty good system established – two diggers, two people breaking up the dirt and rocks with pickaxes, one brave soul throwing the plastic buckets that we filled up out of the hole like a shot put toss, and a couple people using wheelbarrows to haul it away. (Yes, we tried a pulley system, but that just didn't work.) I kept on digging.

Before long, I was caked in sweat, dirt, sunscreen, bug spray, and one more thing – joy. Let me tell you what hard labor in service to others and in Christ’s name can do…

In the hole, I found the kind of selfless teamwork I had not experienced anywhere else in my life.

In the hole, I found motivating comrades in people I had met just the previous day.

In the hole, I found unexpected satisfaction in the hard, back-crunching work that makes you think you really can tell a mountain to jump … and it does.

In the hole, I found a love for others that can only come from being the hands and feet of Jesus.

In the hole, I found abandoned hearts for a common goal – one aligned with the vision of our Mighty Creator.

In the hole, I found out how God can lift us all up out of any of our dirt-filled holes and set our feet on solid ground. “He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.”

In the hole, I found:

Grace … and perseverance,

Mercy … and humility,

Gentleness … and strength,

Kindness … and leadership,

Self-control … and self-sacrifice,

And yes – joy.

Source: Photo of "The Hole"

That joy was magnified as we finished digging the hole at lunchtime on the third day and moved on to our next project. But, that is for a later time…

I don’t think I was alone in my appreciation for the hard work that being “in the hole” demanded. Every one of us who was on this project had no intention of relinquishing it to anyone else. It became “our work.” I am sure the other members in the group felt the same way about their own projects. There was a sense of ownership in wanting to see a big project through to the end. We affectionately, and not so creatively, named it “The Hole.”

In what hole have you found yourself recently? On the surface, your hole may seem slimy, uncomfortable, dirty, or painful. However, what are you learning in the hole? How is God showing Himself to you? Are you growing spiritually while in your hole? Might it even be worth it?

Being “in the hole” meant something to us. Serving the people of Haiti by digging a massive crater for a septic tank does not sound very romantic or inspiring. I can tell you it was every bit of those two things because I knew there was a vision for this place that went beyond dirt, shovels, spiders, and hundreds of water bottle refills. I knew that one day soon some of the people who call Haiti their home would find jobs, bake and break bread together, and have their precious babies in a safe environment for many years to come.

That, my friends, is a vision worth digging for.

“Lose sight to gain vision.” – John McHoul, Heartline Ministries

Prayer – Lord, thank You for allowing me the opportunity to serve in Haiti in Your name. Thank You for a group of amazing people to work with and learn from. I hope others will benefit from our hard work and come to find peace and love in knowing You through our service. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

© 2013 As A Clay Jar. All rights reserved.

We Are the Church: Haiti Day 2 By Cortney Donelson

Source:Regenerate Youth Church

1 Samuel 2:8 (NIV)

“He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor…”

“Norm!”

Maybe you remember the sitcom “Cheers?” It was about a quirky group of adults at a bar “where everybody knows your name.”

We all want to be there, don’t we? We all long to find ourselves where our troubles are all the same – a place where we feel like we belong. It’s one of our most innate needs – to be in community with others. As a “Bible-carrying member” of the Body of Christ, I realized not too long ago that I automatically have membership in a place like that. It’s called the Church, and this became most evident to me on that second day in Haiti…

We piled into a van to drive 40 minutes to the church where some of the missionaries who live in Haiti are active members. To say I was excited would have been an understatement. I had no idea what to expect. I assumed the service would be in Creole and would be difficult to follow. I was so wrong…

Source: Photo taken at church service in Haiti

As we entered the open building with fans blowing in every corner, I found a stage not unlike what you would see in my own home church. There were drums, guitars, a keyboard, microphones, PowerPoint slides, and large screens – and the whole service was in English. There was a diverse worship band, and when they started singing, I sank into a “Cheers” kind of place and felt content. As the Australian-born pastor began to give his sermon, again I felt right at home. In fact, I was overcome with the feeling that I belonged there. I didn’t feel as if I was just visiting, but I felt I had become a crucial piece of the mighty whole. Missionaries from all over the world joined native Haitians in worship. Black, white, tall, short, old, young, native, foreign – we were His Church – and while we all spoke with different accents, for that hour, we found ourselves united as one.

Here were dozens of missionaries from every corner of the world, living in or visiting the nation of Haiti for the sole purpose of following Christ and serving “the least.” Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. Eighty percent of its people fall below the poverty level. Most earn only a few dollars per day, and three out of four children are illiterate. In David Platt’s book, “Radical,” he writes: "According to Jesus, you can tell someone is a follower of Christ by the fruit of his or her life, and the writers of the New Testament show us that the fruit of faith in Christ involves material concern for the poor ... If there is no sign of caring for the poor in our lives, then there is reason to at least question whether Christ is in our hearts ... If our lives do not reflect radical compassion for the poor, there is reason to wonder if Christ is really in us at all." 

I was overcome with emotion. I found myself at home in a country where I had just arrived 24 hours before, and I knew in my heart of hearts that I was living within God’s purpose for my life at that moment. 1 Samuel 2:8 says, “He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor…” God was using me to help raise up the poorest of the poor. There are no words to describe what that meant to me. 

"Let your heart be gripped, maybe for the first time, by the biblical prospect that God has designed a radically global purpose for your life ... God has created us to accomplish a radically global, supremely God-exalting purpose with our lives ... and God has designed our lives for a collision course with the world." (From the book “Radical”)

The purpose of the church is to mobilize its people to accomplish a mission – Christ’s mission to reach unbelievers and serve “the least.” This mission is to be achieved throughout the entire world. There is a song by Rend Collective Experiment called “Build Your Kingdom Here.” It sheds light on the awesome power God provides when the Church is living out its mission. It also became one of my prayers for Haiti while I was there serving as Christ’s hands and feet.

Unleash Your kingdom's power
Reaching the near and far
No force of hell can stop
Your beauty changing hearts
You made us for much more than this
Awake the kingdom seed in us
Fill us with the strength and love of Christ
We are Your church
We are the hope
On earth

(Chorus) 

Build Your kingdom here
Let the darkness fear
Show Your mighty hand
Heal our streets and land
Set Your church on fire
Win this nation back
Change the atmosphere
Build Your kingdom here
We pray

As I sat in that church service, I belonged. I belonged to Christ. I belonged to His Church. I belonged to the people of Haiti whom I would start serving the next day. I could almost hear everyone yelling, “Cort!” as I entered and sat down in that church service. 

So, I want to say this loud and clear, and I hope its meaning seeps into your heart… 

WE ARE THE CHURCH! 

Prayer – Lord, I desire to be Your servant. You said, “Haiti,” and I am so very thankful I said, “Yes.” I pray for my brothers and sisters in Haiti and all over the world. Unleash Your power to give them strength and wisdom in the days and years to come. Thank You for Your Church. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen!

© 2013 As A Clay Jar. All rights reserved.