I know everyone has been craving information about what is going on here in Haiti. It has been an intense couple of weeks. We are currently working with a surgical team right now, they started surgeries yesterday. We are seeing some of the earthquake victims in our clinic and surgeries. Their are many refugees moving north to find a place to live so there are hundreds of new faces in our city. We are currently working on some long term plans to care for all of these people. All of the problems Haiti had before the earthquake are now accentuated. The health care system is poor and overwhelmed, more people are hungry and starving, there are even less jobs, and there is even less help.  All of Haiti is an earthquake victim right now. Families are taking in relatives when they could barely take care of themselves and people are not receiving money from the capital that they depended on. Prices are rising around us and times were already tough for the Haitian people. There is hope though. I know it may not seem like it now , but there is always hope. The Haitian people know that and so do I. People are still praising God. Janeil preached a phenomenal sermon. He talked about all the things he has learned from the Haitian and how they have changed his life. So of the things he spoke on were so poignant. He spoke about prayer, work, worship, and hospitality.He said we doesn’t know how to pray for our daily bread when we haven’t gone days without food. We don’t know how to work like the Haitians do. We don’t know how to sing and dance like the Haitian do before the throne of God. We have alot to learn from Haiti and so does the rest of the world.

Hey Everyone,

I’m sorry I have not been able to write but life has been crazy here. I just rode 10 hours to drop off a group in Cap Haitian. It was an amazing and gorgeous ride. All I could think was ” Be still and know that I am God, I will be exalted” After I helped with dropping the group off I traveled back to the mission. This is where the adventure began. Rj, Joseph, Ivenor and I hopped on the back of a tap tap and headed toward Gonaive.  We finally made it to Gonaive and it was a mad house. Where there were normally 30 people, there were thousands. People were flooding out of Port au Prince. I couldn’t even get off the tap tap before people rushed on. It was out of control. Randomly we found one of the interpreters that went to search for his family in Port au Prince. We couldn’t find a truck to take us to the mission. Prices were astronomical. People were having to pay 20 dollars US for gas almost 10 times what we pay in the states. I saw tons of coffins coming and going. We finally managed to talk some scooters into taking us to the next city. We were going to try to find a truck there. There were abandoned vehicles  everywhere because there was just no gas. We made it to the next town. My driver left me to try to find some gas. We couldn’t find a ride so were going to have to use all our money to get close to town. Then God came through again a truck passed by with supplies for the mission. There were also about 40 refugees on the truck. One of them was sitting in the front because her legs were mangled. I gave here all the antibiotic ointment I had. It was an awful situation. We began to travel to the mission and dropped off people as we went. It was a humbling sight many families were crying because it was the first time they found out that they were not dead. It was a blessing to be apart of the reunions. We finally made back to the mission after 12 hours of travels when i found out that one of my friends died of an infection. His name was Sonel. He was 17 years old. They had his funeral before i made it home. It was a hard end to a long day. I am happy though that he was a christian and he will be walking with Christ today. Please pray for the mission! Hospitals are filling up in the town next to us. We  are preparing as refugees and wounded are brought north.

It has been a shocking 48 hours As news continues to pour in about families and friends who were lost in the Earthquake.  There are many heavy hearts here at the mission as we try and find the best way to help. We sent our first team down with medical supplies. We have alot of work ahead of us! Please pray for the missionaries down in Port Au Prince.

If I could tell you that 33 cents a day can change the lives of hundreds of teenagers in the poorest country in the Western hemisphere would you give it? If I could guarantee that 100% of your 33 cents would go directly to an ongoing ministries in an impoverished nation would that help? If I could promise you that your pocket books wouldn’t even notice the difference would that make it easier? I do believe with all my heart that God is moving in Haiti. I have seen the changes in hundreds of Haitians lives and I have seen the changes in my own life. For less than the price of two fast food meals a month you can change the lives of hundreds of Haitians. I am asking 100 people to prayerfully commit to $10 a month or a one time gift of $120.00 to support our ministry work. Thats all! This money will be used solely for ministry in Haiti.

Here is a list of some of the project the money will be used for:
- Organizing Youth Basketball Tournaments
- Purchasing Bibles for Teenagers
- Purchasing Bibles for St. Louis du Nord Soccer Team players
- Economic stimulus by creating business opportunities
- Establishment of Youth Soccer Leagues in outlying villages
- Expanded Church Soccer leagues (26 Churches were established as of Nov. 09 with total of 120 Church plants planned)
- Disaster Aid (if needed)

If you are interested please send me an email stating ” I commit” to grant.roszkowiak@nwhcm.org. I will follow-up with information on how to support our mission via the internet or through the U.S. Mail. I will also put you in a special email list where I will email you once a week with updates of what is going on in Northwest Haiti. I will also send pictures of projects and success stories when they occur. I am only asking you to commit for this one year. If you would like to continue your support for more than a single year, please feel free to do so, any and all support is greatly appreciated.

John Wesley once said:
“Give me one hundred men (women) who fear nothing but sin, and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on Earth.”

God Bless and Thank You

I have been so blessed to see God’s hands at work through the surgery team. People are going to live longer and better lives. God is moving here and I just wanted to let all of you know.

Last night we had our youth movie night which went really well. Today was our first big service project. We decide on painting the town square. I told all of the youth to show up at 8:00 in the morning at the church, but when I showed up no one was there. I was disappointed, but at least I hadn’t bought the paint and everything yet. I check a little late just to make sure and there they all were waiting and ready to work. I was so excited. We all went down town and bought our supplies and started our work. We worked for about 2 and half hours. The youth loved it and people all around town were very happy that the youth was helping the city. 

P.S I just saw a Wheaton Soccer shirt. What are the odds?

I know that the last couple days have been hard on a lot of people me included, but I would love to share some of the blessings that have happened over the last couple weeks. I did receive the donations that Admiral sent. There are some picture below, but I’m getting a picture with the team and their equipment tomorrow.  I also have before and after pictures of my room which I love below. I also got my hair cut today by Bene. Which was fun. The only problem I am having is that I bald now.  He told me that I had to get my hair cut before I get my pictures take down town. Life has regained some normality and Christ is still King. I cant wait to share about the movie night tomorrow and the service project Saturday.

Life here has been exciting and joyful the last couple of days. School has started and everyone is in brand new uniforms. It is fun to walk on the streets and ask the kids what they are learning. The best part is to see hope for their future. On the other hand I have see kids who cannot afford school and it breaks my heart. I met a little girl a couple of months ago on the street and she look very malnourished. She was with another little girl who looked similar. I knew this was a situation that  I need to attend to and made them both a plate of food.  They both said thank you and were on their way. I thought that was the last time I would see both of them. Yesterday I saw the older girl and she asked for me. I went down stairs and met her.  She asked me if i could send her to school. I struggled a little with what decision to make. I prayed about it and asked some of the missionaries what to do. I felt peace in saying yes. I think I was more excited than she was. I went downtown and bought some brand new school supplies. It was so fun it was almost like I was on my way to school.  It was such a blessing to see someone who was hungry a month ago now getting an education. I also admire and respect all the sponsors of the nutrition program because all of the kids in our program would have been dead with out the food that God has provided us to give them. Now they eat twice a day and get an amazing education. Praise the LORD!

 

I returned to Haiti last Wednesday and I hit the ground running. It was so exciting to be back.  Right when I got back went and saw ASSL and congratulated them on their win. Then they asked me if I was going to their game in St. Marc. I said that i would think about it because it was along trip.  By the time that I had returned to the mission Sermon said you’re going to St. Marc thats awesome, so I guess I was. I gave Sermon money to buy tickets for the bus and the adventure began. I have ridden the bus before so I wasn’t to worried about it except that we were leaving at 12:00 on Saturday night.  Boy was I in for a surprise. I got on the bus and we(Sermon, Joseph, Ivenor, Edril, Me ) were in the last two seats. I soon realized this was not a normal bus ride as people piled in my space got smaller and smaller. I had no room anywhere even between my legs they were touching. This was going to be a long six hours. We finally got to St. Marc at 8:00 in the morning after one police blockade and six hours of Celien Dion blaring on the bus. (No lie) Then we got some breakfast at this little street store it was goat and stuff. (Picture below) Then we went to the hotel where the players were and hung out until match. I tried to sleep a little bit but it was a hundred degrees and that was just not  working. We went to the match which was amazing. There were maybe ten people there from our city besides us and hundreds of people from St. Marc. So it made the game so much more fun being the minority. (Especially me I was the only white person there) I was worried at first because the other team had alot of shots on goa, but Gurry our goalie played  an amazing game. We scored our first goal and all fifteen of us erupted then another we could hardly contain ourselves.  The final whistle blew 2-0 ASSL WINS. We all hop on the tap tap after the game and drive up and down the streets like our own parade chanting 2-0. (Not my choice but i did think it was funny) Then we headed home. On the way home as we got closer and closer to the Northwest sector the player became bigger and bigger heros. everyone was cheering for them on the streets. It was a cool thing to see. The home trip was worse that the trip down. I sat  at the end of the board which was our seat and it wasn’t nailed in. It had a couple inches between it and the bar it was supposed to attach to so it mad every bump exaggerated. It was the worst trip I have ever taken. My back and butt were sore for two days.  All that being said it was amazing trip.

I have realized in the short time that I have been serving with Northwest Haiti Christian Mission (NWHCM) that I cannot do anything apart from God. However, I also see the importance of putting concrete plans into place in order for those goals to be accomplished.

 

For creating recreational opportunities, I am starting by organizing a soccer league with the local churches.  Our Mission, NWHCM, oversees more than twenty churches and a Bible College, so first I’ll talk with those pastors.  I already have team uniforms and other incentives to encourage the churches to join and play.  In the long term, I want to develop additional sport facilities and leagues.  First, I am searching for supporters to finance construction of basketball courts. Once built, I will organize basketball tournaments and leagues for both churches and the community. Another exciting project is a community gym. I am in the process of looking for land and acquiring donated equipment for the gym. Once completed, I am also talking with the professional soccer team about using the gym as a vocational school for the athletes when they retire.

           

My second goal is to evangelize and disciple athletes in Haiti.  I have begun by working with the professional soccer team in my city, St. Louis du Nord.  I serve as team chaplain and vice president, give devotions, attend games and practices, and host movie nights at the mission. I am getting to know the players, such as Woody, a Christian member of the team, who shares my heart for the lost.  We want to partner together to reach his teammates and the rest of Haiti with the Gospel.  Over the next few years, I will continue searching for corporate team sponsors, such as Admiral Soccer, which has committed to give uniforms and socks.  I also see the importance of developing partnerships with colleges and sports teams, for short-term mission trips to do sport camp outreaches throughout the Northwest.  Our Mission (NWHCM) already brings in almost a thousand people on short-term mission trips each year, so we are well equipped to host these teams and partner with them for outreach.           

 

Lastly, in order evangelize and disciple the youth of Haiti, I have started by organizing regular meetings for our church youth group, which previously had been without leadership.   Already we have had about 60 youth attending our weekly Bible study, and three hundred youth at our Friday outreach. I will continue to organize spiritual retreats for the youth, and we have almost completed a youth camp for Haitian teenagers from all over the country.  In the long term, I want to train leaders in this environment to lead their own groups throughout Haiti. I am currently researching youth ministry models in Haiti and seeing what works and does not work in different areas. I will identify leaders and offer seminars in Biblical studies and youth ministry.