The Finale

As much as I do not want to write this, I have no choice. Today is the day that we say our final goodbyes to the community that we love so much. It’s one of the hardest days that I’ve ever had to face and that I continue to face the more and more I return home to Bohoc. It has truly been a trip for the books. No matter how many times I come to Bohoc, it is always hard to say goodbye.

I am not the only one filled with tears of sadness and tears of joy. It’s such a bittersweet moment. During our morning devotion, which was led by Lisa, all we did was shed tears and pray. It was more of a prayer circle than a devotion, but it was very much needed. We started out with the Lord’s Prayer and then we went around in a circle and just cried and prayed. It was one of the most beautiful moments of the entire trip. God never ceases to amaze me!

When we concluded with our devotion, we all went to our rooms to pack up our bags and get ready to hit the road. We had about an hour before we had to leave and so Joey and I went across the street to say our farewells to our friends who we played with every day. I went to the house of my sponsored child, which happened to be right next door to our guest house, so that I could say goodbye to her aunt and uncle, who are raising her. It was such a sad moment.

At around 8:30 am, we loaded up the bus and headed to Port-au-Prince. With just two stops for bathroom breaks, we made it to the airport in Port-au-Prince with hours to spare. I have to say, this has been the smoothest of trips that I’ve been on when it comes to our mode of transportation. No breakdowns, no flat tires, nothing with the exception of getting stuck on our way to the Pignon market. One incident is pretty good. Those of you who have been to Bohoc before know that one incident with the bus is a miracle! Thank you, Jesus!

We prayed over Ronald and Benny, our bus driver, before unloading the bus. Ronald said his farewells to each of us and we headed on into the airport. After we checked in, many of us checked out the gift shop before going through security towards our gate. We had about two hours to wait at the airport. By this time, we were all pretty hungry, so we all dashed up the stairs for french fries. Leave it to us to be dying for American food :-)!

We killed time in the food court before making our way down to the waiting area. Leave it to newhope church to find a way to keep themselves entertained. We started a game of Charades and played until it was time to board our flight. I can’t forget to mention that Joey left his suitcase on the security belt the entire time that we were eating. Good thing they didn’t call the bomb squad about an unattended, suspicious package. Luckily, when he went back to get it, the security team had it and they were waiting for him to pick it up. But, they did search it.

Our plane took off right on time and we landed in Miami early, which was nice because it took us quite a bit of time to get through immigration and customs. We also had to recheck our bags and go back through security before we could get into the terminal. It was good to be back on US soil, but it is amazing the difference in attitudes and personalities when you land back in the US. Many of us were noticing the difference and it made us so disgusted and disappointed.

Once we got into the terminal, we all decided that it was time for dinner. Usually, our mission trip tradition is that once we arrive in Miami, we sit down and have a nice dinner. We had about two hours to kill before our flight and so most of the team went to The Islander Bar and Grill and ate dinner, while a few of the others went and had pizza. It was nice to have vegetables and not all carbs for a change. We concluded dinner and made our way to the gate to get ready to head home. As we boarded our flight, we all begin to get extremely exhausted. It has been a long day of travel between a four-hour bus ride and a two-hour plane ride with another two-hour plane ride on the horizon. We boarded our plane and settled in for our trip home.

It was another smooth flight, just like the first one and we arrived early. Man, it feels good to be home, well, in some aspects. We made our way to baggage claim, grabbed our luggage and it was a bittersweet farewell for us all. Throughout this trip, we have become family. Some of us were old friends, but we all made new friends. Having to say goodbye to your family is emotional, and when you’ve spent the entire week together, there is a bond that exists between you. You don’t want to break that bond, but we know we will always be connected and that we will always have Bohoc!

Bohoc, you have a special place in our hearts and you will never be forgotten. We love you, Bohoc! We love you, Haiti! God Bless You!

Until Next Time …

Reah P. Nicholson

Blessed Beyond Measure

What can I say!?!?! I have so many emotions taking over me right now. It is so hard to put this week into words and having your heart on a roller coaster doesn’t make it any easier. It has definitely been a wild ride, but one thing is for sure – Coming to Bohoc Never Gets Old!

It’s our last day in this beautiful community and this week has been nothing but a blessing. We were blessed with another great breakfast from the wonderful ladies that have served as our hosts this entire week. I am really going to miss their cooking! Our aspiring pastor, Becky, led us in a truly inspirational and motivational devotion. God truly spoke through her this morning!

Ronald went over the agenda for the day and we all threw on our backpacks and headed for the bus. First on the agenda was a trip to the local bread bakery, which is run by my future husband, Carl, and my amazing future in-laws. You would only understand that if you were here, sorry :-). It was amazing to see the bread making process in action and I can’t forget to mention how amazing it tasted! Oh my goodness!!! It was delicious! Yes, Ramsay bought the group bread.

We took off from the local bread bakery and used the rest of the morning to check our the water project that is under construction in the community. It was great to see the progress that has been made and learn about the next phase. When the water project reaches completion, it is going to be able to provide the entire Bohoc community with access to clean, fresh drinking water. A true blessing to a community that is in dire need of clean water. And, it was a great to see first-hand how our church, newhope church, is making a difference in Bohoc.

I believe that this was the hottest morning since we’ve been here. It was HOT! After we toured several different areas that housed parts of the water project, we headed back to the guest house for our final Bohoc lunch. It was quite sad to be honest. We finished up our lunch and had some down time before it was time to head back out into the community. Some of the team went across the street for relationship building, some rested, while others walked to the university.

It was nice to get a little time to cool down even though I spent the majority of my week in the sun. Anyway, it was time to get back on the bus and head back into the community. The rest of the afternoon was absolutely enjoyable. We spent the first half of the afternoon visiting homes and praying with people who were sick or had various prayer requests. The second half of the afternoon was spent at The Wisdom Club, where we each paired up with a member of the Wisdom Club and let them practice English. This is always one of my favorite activities. It is such a joy and a honor to have the opportunity to teach English to so many people who are hungry to learn the language. It is such a blessing! I just love The Wisdom Club!

Unfortunately, this day has gone by extremely fast. They always say that time flies when you are having fun. Well, we were definitely having fun. We got back to the guest house with a pretty full night ahead of us. It was going to be a long night. First, the Leadership Council arrived around 5:00 pm, shortly after we had gotten back, to meet with us about our visit. They thanked us for what we do for the community and asked that we pray for Bohoc. We then offered feedback on our visit and then the Leadership Council gave us their farewells and prayed over us.

After we said farewell to the Leadership Council, we were then forced to rush through our final dinner in Bohoc because we were on a very tight schedule. The Men’s Choir from Maranatha Church was scheduled to arrive at 7:00 pm to grace us with a farewell concert. And boy was that concert worth it. I love hearing the Men’s Choir of Maranatha. On most trips, if we stay at the Haiti Unlocked Guest House, they usually always give a farewell concert. They are AMAZING! We had 35 of the choir members bless us with a concert. One of the greatest things about it was how strong God’s presence was around us that night. You could feel the Holy Spirit and we were all so full of God’s love and grace. Oh, what a night!

At the conclusion of the concert, we all gathered together in prayer before the choir took off for the night. By this time, it was fairly late considering we had been in the sun all day. But, our night wasn’t over yet. Keith led us in our trip debrief and all I can say is a lot of tears were shed. We all had so many emotions and it was hard to express all of them. Just thinking of the idea that we were leaving our family and our friends was hard enough, but after seeing what God did in our hearts, through our team and in the community, we could do nothing but cry.

It’s amazing how God works! He is truly faithful! You just have to be obedient to Him and I thank God for each one of my team members for answering the call that he put on their lives. Thank you for being obedient to Him and thank you for what you brought to this team. I thank God for this experience and I know that each of us is so blessed to have had this opportunity. We are all blessed beyond measure because of this journey, and our lives will forever be changed!

Bondye Bene Ou!

Until Next Time …

Reah P. Nicholson

It’s A Dance Party

What another beautiful day in Haiti! Every day that I am in Haiti, it gets more and more beautiful. Not only has the weather just been perfect, but the people make the country so beautiful. When you are surrounded by people who make you feel like family and are so in love with the Lord, you can’t help but have a beautiful day. Haiti, Haiti, O Sweet Haiti!

The morning started off with a delicious breakfast from our wonderful guest house hosts. I tell you, those ladies are in the kitchen all day fixing our meals for us. Those are some hard working women! After breakfast, Christi led our morning devotion before we headed on our way.

Today was truly a blessing. We spent the entire morning helping the community widen one of the roads. It was hard work and a lot of manual labor. This is an experience that you just can’t explain. Community members come together with their shovels, hoes and machetes and they get to work. We were pulling cacti from their roots, moving rocks and trees, digging trenches and replanting the cacti to form the new road barrier, while also getting rid of the cacti that were no longer good. While we worked, many of the Haitians would sing and use the tools and empty water jugs as musical instruments. It is truly an amazing site to see! It can’t be described!

Because of our hard work, Ronald took us to a local restaurant, a new spot in the Bohoc community, and we were rewarded with sodas. Leave it to us Americans to go crazy when we have the opportunity to have a Coca-Cola. The restaurant pumped up the music and we had a brief dance party. It seemed we spent the whole morning dancing. The Haitian people have so much joy that you can’t help but be full of the Holy Spirit. What a fun morning!

We headed back to the guest house for lunch and a little down time. Some of the group napped, some wrote in their journals, others walked to the university and the rest of the team went across the street and played with the children. It was a great couple of hours to rejuvenate, exercise and build relationships. After a few hours of down time, it was time to go back out.

Our afternoon was fairly interesting. We were supposed to do a brief meeting with pastors and church leaders and hear about their spiritual vision for the community and then participate in a Jericho Walk. The Jericho Walk is when you talk a walk around to community and stop at different areas and landmarks and pray They had sent a list previously with prayer requests that were submitted from the community leaders. Unfortunately, our brief meeting turned into a 3.5 hour discussion between the church leaders and the pastors. The meeting ended with an argument over how the prayer walk was going to work, how the prayer requests were going to go and whether or not we were going to pray out loud or in silence.

It was interesting considering we didn’t understand a word that was being spoken but an argument is an argument in any language. So, by the time our meeting was over it was getting dark. Due to the time, we had just enough daylight to walk down to the center of town and circle the original community park and pray. We circled around the center of the park, held hands together and each of us, including some of the church leaders and pastors, prayed for the requests that had been given. It was a very powerful moment and we know God is going to help bring the churches in the community together and they will work as one to save lost souls.

We concluded the prayer and loaded the bus to head back to the guest house. It was getting dark and we had to hurry and get back in time for dinner. We arrived at the guest house with just enough time to wash our hands, put our bags down and relax at the table. Shortly after, the bell rang for dinner. We, once again, had another delicious meal by our amazing hosts. The night concluded with a debrief from Lynn. By the end of the night, we were exhausted. It has been a long and hot day. Time for us to get ready to call it a night. Unfortunately, tomorrow is our last day in Bohoc and I am no where near ready to leave, but I know that I will be back soon.

Until Next Time …

Reah P. Nicholson

It Was Music To Our Ears

It’s Monday already! I can’t believe that this trip is almost over! It is going by way too fast and I think I speak for most of the team when I say that we are nowhere near ready to go. Today was a fabulous day and one that I think we all really enjoyed. It gets better every day of the week!

The day started off with a wonderful breakfast from our guest house hosts. Those ladies definitely know how to cook a good meal. After breakfast, we moved on to our morning devotion which was led by Ramsay. At the end of his devotion, we were all assigned the task of meeting someone we didn’t already know and learning a few things about them. We also had to pick a name out of a hat of one our teammates and find out some interesting facts about them without letting them know that you had received their name out of the hat. It was a great task!

We closed out our devotion with a prayer and then got ready to start our day. The morning was fabulous. We went back to CREMS, the music school, and spent the morning with them. Each of the students introduced themselves to us and we learned a little bit about each of them. The music teacher let us listen to a song that he wrote and another one that he recorded. It was absolutely beautiful. Our team was taught a lot about the history of the school, why it was started and how it is making a difference in the community and in the lives of so many young people in the community. Seeing the teacher’s passion for music and his passion to help his community was so refreshing and inspiring. Just an amazing opportunity for the youth.

The teacher and owner of CREMS is in the process of trying to collect money and donations to help build a building for the school. Right now, they are meeting under a tree in front of the teacher’s house. We walked over to the area of land where the music school is to be built and we prayed over the land. It was a moment filled with the Holy Spirit. Such a beautiful moment!

We departed from the music school and went on our way to spend some time with many of the elderly individuals within the community. There is a very sweet woman in the community that takes a lot of the elderly into her home and helps support them. She holds various programs for them. Most of the elderly individuals are no longer being cared for because their children don’t have the resources to take care of them. We spent time singing with them, getting to know them, praying for them and Cathy read them a children’s book on friendships. What a humbling experience! We even had the privilege of meeting Ronald’s godmother. She is the sweetest lady and so full of joy and passion for Jesus Christ. She was preaching and singing to us.

Unfortunately, our time with them came to an end. We were so disappointed to have to leave but we prayed with them and said our farewells before loading the bus up so we could head back to the guest house for lunch. What an incredible morning and we were only half way through the day, but God’s presence was felt everywhere that we went and with each of us!

Lunch Time! What a delicious lunch the ladies fixed for us. It definitely hit the spot. After lunch, we had a couple of hours of free time. Some of the team members took naps, some wrote in their journals and others went across the street to play with the children. I am one of those who always chooses to mingle with the community members and play with the children. My philosophy is that you can nap when you get back to the US. We are only here for such a short period of time, so you might as well enjoy it and take in the entire experience. This is family!

Our afternoon was absolutely AMAZING! Six of us on the team have children in Bohoc that we sponsor through The 410 Bridge. Today was the day that we were going to get to meet with our sponsored children and spend some time with them. The sponsored children were brought to the guest house, where Leah, Ramsay, Cathy, Joey, Lynn and myself spent the afternoon in the gazebo playing games, teaching English, coloring and playing soccer. This has to be, by far, one of my favorite days of the trip. I enjoy spending time with my sponsored child. It was great to actually get to spend about an hour or more with the sponsored children, learning about them and being able to build that relationship. It is just super important to us and the children.

While the six of us spent time with our sponsored children, the rest of the group headed over to Kris Sel Espwa, where they taught VBS to the children. The group had the children learn in Creole the song that we had taught them on Saturday. It was the children’s job to teach our team how to sing the song in Creole. They also participated in a couple of arts and crafts activities, where they colored and created spinning tops to go along with our Self-Control theme. It was a fun event for everyone but I think the children had more fun throwing the tops around :).

That pretty much sums up our afternoon. It was an afternoon of fun with the children. But, we all know that Jesus loved the little children. Being able to spend time with the precious children and minister to them is always exciting. They are so joyful and so excited to see us. It is one of the highlights of coming to Bohoc for everyone. Everyone loves the children.

Our day concluded with dinner and a debrief which was led by Leah. Part of our debrief time consisted of us going around the table and talking about the Haitian that we met today, as well as a few things we learned about them. We also had to disclose who are secret team member was that we were to learn some interesting facts about. That was a very interesting task and to hear the ways in which people got information was pretty funny. Leah closed out the debrief with an inspiring word and she encouraged each of us to spend the rest of the week letting your teammates know how much you appreciate them and what they’ve brought to this team and to this experience. It is definitely something that should be done as the team is a HUGE part of the overall mission trip experience. This has been a great team!

Tomorrow is going to be GREAT because each day gets better and better. Well, it’s time to get ready to call it a night. We have an extremely busy day tomorrow. Bondye Bene Ou!!!!

Until Next Time …

Reah P. Nicholson

An Emotional Roller Coaster

Sunday is my favorite day of the week. Not just in Haiti but in the United States. I love going to church and worshipping our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. There is something about being in a place that is filled with the presence of God that just gives you life and so much hope. Today is guaranteed to be a good day because we will be in the presence of the Lord!

The morning came quickly with our day starting off at 6:30 am if you wanted coffee. I’m not a coffee drinker but I wanted to get my morning devotion in before we headed off to church. Due to church starting at 7:00 am, we had to forgo breakfast so that we could get to church on time.

What a beautiful service! The service forced so many different emotions among the team members. We were filled with tears, joy and a sense of humbleness. The way the Haitians worship and their deep desire for God is so beautiful and sincere. Ramsay took to the podium and introduced our team. Unable to match the sounds of the Haitian people, we sang a song in Haitian Creole, which Ronald had taught us the previous night, before Keith stepped into the shoes of a pastor and gave the message on Self-Control. Pastor Keith was excellent!

At the conclusion of church, we took advantage of the opportunity standing in front of us. We went around the community to several homes and prayed with the people. All of the people who had requested prayer were elderly individuals who are dedicated Christians but are unable to attend church because of an illness, situation or injury. It was a true honor for us to go into these homes and pray with these people while laying hands on them. It gave them a sense of hope. We were also able to bring encouragement to those suffering. What a humbling experience.

We arrived back to the guest house to prepare for lunch. While waiting for lunch, several members of the team took the time to relax a bit while the rest of us went across the street to mingle and play with the local children and young adults. Once again, it was the perfect opportunity for relationship building and Gospel teaching. So, we seized the moment.

After lunch, we had some down time, which means nap time for most of the team. For others, it meant back across the street for soccer and frisbee. It’s amazing the number of children that come running when they see a soccer ball appear. Usually, we end of getting schooled on how to play soccer but it’s always fun to just kick the ball around and make some new friends.

Our afternoon started with a visit from the Leadership Council. We hadn’t had an opportunity to visit with them since we had arrived in Bohoc. We drove down to Maranatha Church and met with the Leadership Council for a brief moment. It was nice to see six of the Council members. Knowing the American way of life, they surprised the team with sodas. Many of the team members had been craving a Coke and so seeing the sodas was like a dream come true. We were each able to cool down with a refreshing soda. Thank you Leadership Council!

It was now time to bond with the teenagers. We headed for another church not far from Maranatha, where we were going to meet with some young adults and discuss the importance of your self-image, living a Christian life, and having confidence in who God created you to be. The teens were divided into males and females. Our female team members spoke with the young girls while our male team members spoke with the young men. Let’s just say, “What An Impact!” I believe that discussion impacted not only the young adults but us as well. Becky took the reigns on the women’s side and led that discussion with so much passion and such a love for Christ. She did an AMAZING job! Getting teenagers to open up is a hard task. Once again, we had to break out our musical talents. The young women asked us to sing them a song. So, we stood up and sang “Amazing Grace,” which wasn’t in the best tone or key, but it wasn’t bad. At least we informed them beforehand that we were not singers.

The time with the young adults was so empowering and a great experience. To hear their struggles and to learn about what being a Haitian teenager is like was so intriguing. I think we all learned from those young women. It was a great way for us to get to know each other as well. The discussion closed with a prayer and then we headed on our way back to the guest house.

By this time, our day had been so emotionally draining. I think everyone was feeling a certain way as their emotions were going all over the place. It was an emotional roller coaster for all of us. No matter how many times you return to Bohoc, it is a new experience with different emotions and different feelings. But, we were all so filled with love for the Haitian people.

As we arrived back to the guest house, we had some time to wait before dinner. Most of us went across the street for some more relationship building. Others went inside to get ready for the night. Another game of soccer, a frisbee competition, and seeing old friends from Pignon were some of the highlights of our evening play session. To me, seeing old friends and making new ones are the most important things you can do on this trip. It’s all about relationships!

The bell rang to call us to dinner and we all headed for the gazebo for yet another delicious meal. Debbie closed out the night with a fantastic debrief. It was perfect and went right along with the emotional roller coaster that we were all going through. To say God was changing our our lives is an understatement. God has shown up and is doing some things in the hearts of our team and in the hearts of the people of Bohoc. Just watch and see!

Until Next Time …

Reah P. Nicholson

Hungry?? You need the Fruit of the Spirit!

What a day it has been! God is so GOOD! Every time I come to Bohoc, it feels like I am coming home to my family. That’s just it, we are family! We are all children of God and brothers and sisters in the family of Jesus Christ. It’s such a humbling experience!

Our morning started off on a spiritual high. We enjoyed a delicious oatmeal breakfast before our morning devotion.Tracy led an amazing devotion, which started off with “Overwhelmed” by Jesus Culture. She then had us dive into Galatians where we focused on the Fruit of the Spirit, which was fitting as we were preparing to teach VBS to the children. Our VBS curriculum was centered around the Fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Now that we were full of fruit, it was time start the day!

We departed the guest house and took a community tour. While touring the beautiful community of Bohoc, we had the privilege of visiting with the students at CREMS, the local music school. That was truly a blessing because it was the first time we have ever visited the music school. After visiting with the students at the music school, we toured around an area of the community that use to be run by an international missions organization. It was so sad to see such an amazing piece of property with so many promising buildings. To see all of the empty buildings was heart breaking because that land has so much potential to make a huge impact. The Leadership Council is hoping to use one of the buildings as the souvenir market.

We departed from that area and stopped along the side of the main road to experience the creation of charcoal. It was an interesting sight to see how they make and store charcoal. It can take up to several weeks to get charcoal depending on the size of the wood. That was a pretty hot and smokey experience, but it was great to see. Another new experience for the team.

After the community tour, we made our way to the Pignon market, where we were able to take in all the smells and chaos. The market was packed with so many people and you could find just about anything. We winded our way through the busy streets and eventually made it through the crowds to the live animal market, where the locals come to sell their livestock. You can buy a bull, goat, pig, horse or whatever you may want. So, saddle up and take your pick!

We left the live animal market and checked out a local rum distillery before heading back to catch the bus. The team was graced by a group of young girls that were so fascinated with us that they followed us from the time we stepped into the market until we loaded our bus. It was one of the most precious sites you could ever witness. What sweet little children!

It was a full morning but well worth it! We headed back to the guest house to relax and have lunch. Our wonderful guest house attendants fixed a delicious lunch for us. At the conclusion of lunch, it was relaxation time. Well, for the majority of the team. Joey and I went across the street to the field in front of Kris Sel Espwa and played soccer with the local children. We were out there for a good couple of hours before the rest of the team came to get us so that we could head over to Madame Jacques’ house and teach our VBS lesson.

Tracy had prepared an amazing VBS lesson where we focused on the Fruit of the Spirit. We started our lesson out by singing the Fruit of the Spirit song to the children. It was pretty entertaining for the children at least. They probably thought we were pretty funny because we were singing and doing hand motions. After we sang, we gave the kids a Fruit of the Spirit tree to decorate. They used finger paint to put hand prints on the tree and then every tree had nine apples that were glued to them to represent the nine fruits of the spirit. Each apple had one of the fruits of the spirit written on it in English and Haitian Creole. The activity was a blast for everyone. It gave the kids a keepsake and a way to remember the fruits of the spirit.

After the VBS activity concluded, we spent the rest of the evening hanging out with the children before dinner. Several of us were playing soccer and frisbee while others were learning Creole and building relationships. It was a great day for all of us. For the ones on our team that are returners to Bohoc, it was a great way for them to spend some time with our family and friends.

Around 6:00 we were called in for dinner and so we headed to the gazebo. After a day of burning in the sun, we were hungry and exhausted. We concluded dinner and then had our debrief, which was led by Jeff. With it being our first full day in the community, everyone was pretty overwhelmed and wrecked by what they saw. The debrief was pretty short as everyone needed time to take everything in and really process the experience so far. The debrief was closed out with a prayer and then everyone headed to their rooms to get ready for the night.

Tomorrow is going to be one of my favorite days because it’s Sunday, which means we get to visit one of the local Haitian churches. Going to church in Bohoc is always one of my favorite experiences when I visit Haiti. I am beyond thrilled for tomorrow but it is going to be an early morning. We have to be up so early that we aren’t even getting breakfast. Since we have an early morning wake up call and have to be at church by 7:00 am, I am going to call it a night.

Until Next Time …

Reah P. Nicholson

We Have Returned – Haiti Sweet Haiti

It feels so good to be home! That’s how I feel every time we pull into the community of Bohoc and we see our family. Well, our second family! I can’t even start this post without saying “God is so GOOD!” Today has truly been a blessed one. We have seen God move in so many ways and we are just a day into our trip. But, one thing I can say is that it is going to be a GREAT one!

We were so blessed to have a day without any hiccups. For once, I can say it was a pretty smooth ride. The day started extremely early with the team meeting at the RDU Airport at 4:45 am. With each of us still sleeping, we managed to make our way through check-in and then we waited in the extremely long security line before dashing for Starbucks. We all need a little Starbucks when it’s 5:30 in the morning! Keith led us in prayer before we boarded our flight to Miami. Unfortunately, we were forced to sit at the gate 35 minutes because there was ice on the wings of the plane. At 7:05 am, our plane took off and headed for Miami.

Our pilot must have known that we had a tight connection because he made up a fair bit of time in the air. We landed about 15 minutes later than our original arrival time. Afraid that we were either going to miss our connection or that our luggage wouldn’t have enough time to transfer planes, we quickly made our way to our departure gate. Most of the team was running a marathon as they sprinted off in an effort to grab something to eat before getting on the plane.

As the team parted ways and looked for food, our plane to Port-au-Prince was boarding. With everyone in a desperate attempt to get lunch, the gate agent called “Last Call for Flight 979 to Port-au-Prince.” Those words caused a panic among most of us. We’ve never sprinted so fast in our lives. Several members ordered $8.00 sandwiches and had to leave them behind in order to catch the plane before the doors close. Thanks to the goodness and kindness of Tracy and Becky, they managed to go back and get the sandwiches. They came came on the plane with towers of sandwiches in their hands, while Cathy had a bag full of sandwiches from the a bagel shop for the rest of us. So, in the end, we were able to satisfy our food cravings.

Our ride was pretty smooth until we started our descent into Port-au-Prince. I am not sure what was going on but it seemed like the pilot was in a NASCAR race. He was flying and it felt like the pilot lost control. The plane was dipping and rocking and to many, it seemed like we were on a roller coaster, but God was looking out for us. We ended up landing safely into Port-au-Prince. And this time around, no bags were lost of left behind.

We grabbed our bags, took a bathroom break and headed out to meet our amazing 410 Bridge Trip Leader, Ronald, who was there waiting. We loaded up the bus and headed for Bohoc. After about 4 hours on the bus, through the Port-au-Prince, through so many small towns, past the dam where they get hydroelectricity and through the mountains, we arrived in Bohoc.

Today was a pretty draining day with all the travel and Ronald didn’t work us too hard. Once we arrived in Bohoc, we settled into our beautiful guest house, Haiti Unlocked, and unpacked. We had about 30 minutes or so before dinner, which gave everyone a chance to just sit back and relax. Several of us went across the street to Kris Sel Espwa to mingle with the kids and the young adults within the community. Before long, it was time for dinner and so we made our way back to the guest house, where we gathered around in the gazebo for dinner. After dinner, the evening concluded with a debrief led by Cathy and then everyone headed for bed.
The Internet here is very sketchy and most of the time it is out. I apologize for the late post, but I will try my best to get a post up when I can. I super excited to see what tomorrow brings and I look forward to seeing what God is going to do within the community and amongst our team.

Thank you for all the thoughts and prayers for our team. They are very much appreciated. May God Bless you!

Until Next Time …

Reah P. Nicholson

Haiti On My Mind

Greetings Family and Friends! It’s that time of year again! newhope church is sending another team into the mission field. On Friday, January 16th, a team of 14 will be taking off on a journey of a lifetime. This mission team is headed to Haiti, where they will put Matthew 28 into action. The team will be ministering to our family in Bohoc, a village that was adopted by newhope church about four years ago.

My name is Reah and I will be your trusted blogger during this journey. I would like to take a few minutes to ask for your prayers over our mission team as we get ready to set forth on this amazing adventure. We would love to be coveted in your daily prayers throughout our time in Haiti.

Please feel free to journey along with us on this blog site while we are in-country.

Want to get to know our team a little bit better? I have listed each team member and his or her prayer requests for this trip. Let’s meet our January Haiti Mission Team!

Let’s start with our fierce and mighty Team Leader:

KEITH FOX

Age: 53

newhope Campus:  Sanford

First I want to thank God for my health, my resources and my family that enable me to go on mission trips. I pray that the team has safe travels to and from Haiti and safe travels while in Haiti. I pray that our family and friends will be blessed during our time on the mission. I pray that (as it has been in the past) we are accepted with open arms and love and that we as the body of Christ reflect these back on everyone we encounter on the trip. I pray that our time is well spent in Haiti and that we grow in our individual faith as we help the people of Bohoc grow in their faith. I pray that the people of Bohoc are stronger in Christ when we leave and that they will be waiting with anticipation for the next group of missionaries that will surely be on their way. I pray all of these things in Jesus’s name. Amen

Here is our amazing project manager and VBS leader:

TRACY CROSBY

Age: 45

newhope Campus:  Central

This is my fifth trip to Haiti and I pray that I will see Haiti and the people of Bohoc through God’s eyes. I pray that I will have the mind of Christ and He will continue to conform me into His image so that I will truly shine His light! I pray that the language barrier will not deter the HOPE of the world, Jesus Christ, from being known in tangible ways. I pray that God will continue to stretch me and use me in ways I can’t even fathom or imagine. I pray for my team members and their families, that God will protect their hearts and minds and keep them healthy during our time in Haiti. I pray for unity amongst the team and that we will be forever connected long after the trip is over.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.” Matthew 5:14-15

Give it up for the First Lady of Bohoc:

LEAH MACMILLAN 

newhope Campus:  Central

Safety for my team members and my family while I am away. That I will see God’s purpose for me and missions work, whether internationally or domestically. That my children will understand they are not being replaced and that I will return to them.

You can’t have a First Lady without a President. Meet the future President of Bohoc:

RAMSAY MACMILLAN 

newhope Campus: Central

Meet our seasoned world traveler and a Burkina Faso Missionary:

JEFFREY MINARD

Age: 52

newhope Campus:  Central

That God will use me to reach the people of Bohoc. Remove my fear of going to a remote place in a third world country. Help me to keep the heat from preventing me from serving to my fullest abilities. For safe and smooth preparation for the trip and travel for everyone on the team. Please pray for the family members of the team members going on this trip to give them comfort and that things go smooth at home while their loved ones are serving in Haiti.

Here’s our resident nurse or should I say, our traveling first aid kit:

LYNN NICHOLSON

newhope Campus:  Central

• I pray for safe travels for our mission team.
• I pray for God to watch over my family who remains at home and keep them safe and healthy.
• I pray that as this mission team embarks on this mission trip to Bohoc, Haiti,  that we will bond and become one family of GODs children on a mission together to be the hands and feet of Christ.
• I pray that God will give me the spiritual confidence and knowledge I need to be able to “communicate” his love for all of us and his will for us as brothers and sisters in Christ.
• I pray that my spiritual growth will be enhanced as a result of this mission trip, that I can enrich the lives of the Haitian people in some way with GODs help and guidance.
• I pray that God will be with all of us as a team and that together we will develop lasting relationships with our brothers and sisters in Bohoc and as a result develop or maintain lasting relationships with GOD as well.
• I pray that I can be the hands and feet of GOD and do his will and bring spiritual bonding unlike anything else.

It’s me, your trusted blogger and Ms. Bohoc 2014:

REAH P. NICHOLSON

Age: 31

newhope Campus:  Central

• I pray for safe travels and good health for all of our team members.
• I pray that our team will be open to what God has planned for them on this journey and that they will be obedient to Him.
• I pray that my relationship with Jesus Christ will only grow stronger and that my life will be impacted even more this time around.
• I pray that our Bohoc family will be open to what God has put in our hearts to share with them and that they see God through each of us as we work on our mission of making disciples.
• I pray that our team will be open to learning from our Bohoc family and will see the love and passion that they have for Christ.
• I pray that God will use our team as a vessel to spread His love, grace and mercy to our brothers and sisters in Bohoc, and that through our mission, more and more people will find salvation.
• I pray that the relationship between newhope church and the village of Bohoc will continue to strengthen as more and more people experience the love of Jesus Christ and gain hope through the mission that we have taken on as a church family.
• I pray for the health and safety of my family while I am gone.
• I pray that our team will become one family and that so many meaningful relationships and friendships will be developed through this experience.

A little bit of New England spice makes it twice as nice. It’s our Connecticut Connection:

TERE NICHOLSON

Age: 32

newhope Campus:  N/A – I attend Crossroads Community Cathedral in East Hartford, Connecticut and I am an avid online listener and supporter of McClean Bible Church in Arlington VA.

• I pray that I will fully experience the Holy Spirit during this trip and will continue to have a richer personal experience with the Holy Spirit. I understand that the Holy Spirit was given to us when Jesus returned to heaven, so I hope to understand the full purpose of the Holy Spirits role in my life.

• I pray that the Lords will in my life will be revealed to me while on the trip.

• I pray that the Lord will use me, and his will be done.

• I pray that I can be a light for Christ and make an impact on at least one soul.

• I pray for peace and the Lords protection while away on the trip.

When being in the Triangle, it never fails to run into a UNC fan. Of course, it’s no different on our team. Unfortunately, we have a Tar Heel in our midst:

CATHY OAKLEY

Age: 61

newhope Campus:  Central

Heavenly Father,

Thank you again for providing me a way to serve with this awesome mission team from newhope. I am asking Lord:

• For guidance and protection for our group ;
• For you, God, to speak through us as we meet with the young Haitian men and women, that they want to live as You would have them;
• That You give us the understanding that we can’t change their world, only support as best we can;
• That our relationships with our brothers and sisters of Haiti be strengthened.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

Want to learn Haitian Creole? Well, just ask our newhope resident Haitian:

JOEY REAVES

Age: 38

newhope Campus:  Central

• Pray for traveling mercy for the entire team, to and from Haiti.

• Pray for emotional and physical strength while on the trip.

• Pray that God uses each of us in whatever way He sees fit.

• Pray for the Haitians we will meet and interact with. Pray that relationships are strengthened between the community members of Bohoc and the newhope missionaries.

Need a contract negotiated? We have you covered. Let’s meet our team attorney:

DEBBIE SATTERFIELD

newhope Campus: Central

1. That God will open doors financially so that I may travel with the newhope delegation in January (currently unemployed)
2. That God will prepare my heart and mind to best serve the people we encounter as we administer His grace in various ways
3. The relationships with the Haitians will be fruitful and long lasting
4. Prayer for good health, safety and traveling mercy for the entire newhope delegation
5. New and lasting friendships will be formed amongst the delegation
6. Protection of our families, pets and homes during our Haiti visit

Through this experience, I will grow closer to God.

Keeping a team together is a tough task but someone has to do it. She’s making sure no one becomes a Haiti resident:

LISA SEATON

Age: 55

newhope Campus: Central

1. Pray for me to be Present during my trip and to leave the worries, cares, and tasks of my job, home and family so that I may truly be in the moment during this trip.
2. Pray for safety and health for our team as we travel to Haiti.
3. Pray that God surrounds us and provides the words that help build relationships with the people of Haiti.

With the recent birth of her first grandchild, a boy, she’s a new grandmother:

CHRISTI WALLACE

Age: 52

newhope Campus: Sanford

• Each of the team member’s hearts will be open to God’s leading and the opportunities He places before us, that we will be used as His hands and feet, that this opportunity and experience will be life-changing, drawing us closer to God, and giving us more of a heart for His people wherever we are, during this trip and in our daily lives when we return.
• The God-given gifts and abilities of each team member will be used together to humbly serve with love, compassion and kindness, and seeds of His truth will be planted.
• The Haitian people will feel God’s presence and be receptive to living their lives according to His perfect plan, and that they will be encouraged through faith and hope in Jesus Christ.
• Protection, safety and good health for the team so He can accomplish His plans through us, as well as for our family and friends while we are away.
• Family and friends will keep us constantly in their prayers.

Last, but not least, is the aspiring pastor:

BECKY YOUNGS

Age: 41

newhope Campus: Central

• Pray that God will stretch me beyond my comfort zone.
• God will use me as a vessel to pour out His incredible love onto everyone I come in contact with during this trip.
• God will shine His light SO brightly through me, “Not I but Christ.” Galatians 2:20

Thank you for your prayers and we hope that you will join us on our journey!