Author: vernonhammett

 

On March 6th I left Haiti to come home for a “couple of weeks”. However Covid-19 changed my plans as it gripped the entire world. On September 21st I was finally able to restart my mission commitment, praise God. I have had some serious challenges with internet access this time so I have not been able to blog. This is not an uncommon occurrence in 3rd world countries. Anyway, here is a brief summary of what I have been up to:

I met a young man who invited me to go kayaking. We have been on several excursions together and I am learning to love this. However, it is a lot of work.

 

Hands down my most favorite thing to do is spend time with the kids at the orphanage and, as you can see from the pictures below, they love posing for pictures. Periodically I will spend the night at the orphanage. The kids think my overnight visits are a special treat for them however their devotional time just prior to the younger ones going to bed is truly inspirational to me.

 

I conducted leadership meetings with the staff at the clinic, the school teachers and the elderly home in an effort to help these individuals understand their importance to the mission and ministry here. We also formed the Young Men’s Council. The council is comprised of boys 11 through 15 who are committed to modeling acceptable behavior and decorum for their younger brothers at the orphanage.

There are several young ladies I have become very fond of during my time at the Mission of Grace. Pictured below are: three year old boss-lady Nyrah; Ms. Gloria, who periodically visits with me at the guest house; Marie France who celebrated her 18th birthday in October, and; Fabiola who is an anointed worship leader at the church.

The kids in Haiti had a trying 2019-2020 school year. September through December of 2019 schools were closed because of wide spread civil unrest in Haiti. And then Covid-19 shut things down again from March until June this year. The children were able to restart their school year in July, spending their summer making up for lost time. Some of the older students were even required to attend school on Saturdays and Sundays! The school year ended mid-October, and the 2020-2021 school year begins November 9th.

Judith (pictured below in the white outfit) and Fabiola (in yellow) successfully completed their studies and graduated from high school. These two young ladies are an affirmation of all that the Mission of Grace does as they encourage their wards to strive for higher and better. I am very proud of both of them.

 

Finally, I am truly enjoying the beautiful tapestry God continues to unfold. Pictured below are a few of the moments I get to experience on a regular basis.

You are all caught up! – Love you, Vernon

This past Sunday, March 1st, was the first one of the month. Once again JJS Missions along with the Mission of Grace provided a Communion Feast featuring a delicious meal of chicken and gravy, rice and beans, salad and a drink. More than 300 people in Carries were blessed by this endeavor. We were thankful to have the assistance of several young ladies from the orphanage, along with visiting missionaries, and the Mission of Grace staff to help feed them. Knowing that many of the children in the village received a substantial meal was heartwarming. What a joyous time!

I try to get to the school each day in time to help serve lunch, and I generally stay until the children return to their classes. A couple of weeks ago I saw Mary France, one of the older kids from the orphanage go into a classroom during lunch. I wondered what was going on so I went into the class also. I was surprised to see her feeding one of the students in the special needs class. His name is Angleson and he has been diagnosed with Downs Syndrome. Occasionally I would see him standing around while other children were running and playing. One day I invited him to sit with me and we quietly observed the mayhem that is recess at school. We have become regular lunch buddies. Angleson routinely seeks me out during recess…if I am upstairs that’s where he will end up. If I am standing downstairs he will come by and grab my hand. And if I sit on the step, his favorite place is on the step right in front of me. The other day as we were chilling I pulled out my phone to take a couple of pictures and did a selfie of the two of us. When he saw a picture of himself on my phone he could not stop laughing…he thought it was the funniest thing he had ever come across. Ms. Lynn said she has never seen him smile before! I know this was one of the God Ordained Moments…one of the reasons HE has me here.

Another God Ordained Moment happened at the soup kitchen today (March 5th). It really started the day before when I was at the clinic. There was a mother with what I thought was her very young child seeking medical help. I later saw her at the soup kitchen. She said she needed to talk with someone about her “situation”. No one was available to talk with her at the moment so she decided to come back to tomorrow. The next day when I arrived at the soup kitchen she was there and decided she wanted to talk with me. My Kreyol is nowhere near the conversational level so I asked Ms. Lynn to stop by on her way back to our guest house. The young lady’s story floored me.
The mom explained that her husband and brother recently died in an automobile accident and she was struggling to take care of twin three-month olds still at home in addition to the child she had with her. She had no income, no home of her own, and no way to provide for her family. In fact she was currently staying with friends and, even though it was a big burden she didn’t have any other options.

It turns out the “very young” child she was holding was in fact her four year old son who had not yet developed the ability to sit up on his own. Right away Ms. Lynn deduced the child has some medical problems which need to be addressed. However, without money no hospital would even give her an appointment, except of course the one operated by Mission of Grace.

After prayer and careful consideration, Ms. Lynn told me to take the child to the orphanage where they would clean him up and do an assessment. They would make sure the child was examined by the local doctor and, if necessary would take him to larger medical facility for a more thorough exam. In short, Ms. Lynn accepted another child into the Mission of Grace and would make sure he was cared for in every possible way. As we circled to pray for the mom and child I felt the warmth of the Holy Spirit and realized this was another one of those moments I was to brought here to witness.

This will be my last post for a couple of weeks as I will be traveling outside of Haiti. I will be back in country around March 21st.

Blessings, Vernon

 

Each day when I come into the orphanage young Jobez gets so excited to see me that he is literally bouncing up and down. He is eight years old, has cerebral palsy and can not walk on his own. However, he knows that he and I will go for a leisurely walk throughout the orphanage because one of the first things I do is scoop him up into my arms and carry him around. He gets so much joy out of our walks but not nearly as much as I do.

I took him on a swing set recently and noticed a tear falling from his eye when we were done…”Jobez tears”.  I want to believe that it was his first time on a swing and he enjoyed himself so much. Jobez has also gotten into the habit of making it difficult for me to put him in the highchair they use to make sure he doesn’t fall and hurt himself. It tickles me that he is that clever enough to do that. A few days ago, after I returned Jobez to his chair one of the children came up to me and asked if I was sad. He said I looked like I was going to cry. I WAS on the verge of tears but it was not because I was sad. I was relishing the joy of spending time with Jobez…those were “Jobez tears”.

Check out the laundry mat at the orphanage below. The “machines” are constantly in use as each child of age is responsible for washing their clothes.

 

On a recent visit to the Grandma House two of the mothers there had a boisterous conversation in Kreyol after I arrived. It seems that Ms. Fleurizia, pictured on my left and Ms. Servil both want to take me as their husband. I have learned if I kiss one on both cheeks, I had better treat the other one the same way. The good thing is I don’t have to offer a dowry of goats, sheep, cows, or chickens…they will accept me as I am with nothing. It doesn’t get much better than this. I feel abundantly blessed to be loved and accepted by these two women for who I am. Please don’t tell Judy…it’s our secret!

On Sunday February 16th I was asked to give the morning message at church service AND sing a song. With just one day’s notice I managed to bring a word entitled “It’s All Good” based on Romans 8:28. That really was hard work and I needed a 2-hour nap just to recuperate. I keep reminding God to NOT dial my number to don the pulpit. I pray He is listening. By the way, folks said it was a good message.

And finally, check out these photos. I just can’t get enough of these babies. Yes, there are several sets of twins.

People often ask what I do and what my days are like. In a word I “PRAY” often.

I usually begin my day at the clinic operated by the mission. The clinic offers free health care and medicines to all who come. There can be close 70 people who come in on Mondays. Wednesdays are also busy particularly for prenatal care. When I arrive I greet everyone, patients and staff alike. First I find out whether there is anything pressing I need to address then I walk the grounds of the clinic and pray God’s covering. And I pray for everyone who comes in because most are in dire need by the time they decide to seek medical treatment. I also make it a point to touch each child within my reach and as I do I pray God’s covering on them.

I usually leave the clinic around 11am and head over to the school. Again as I walk the grounds of the school yard I pray God’s protection and provision. If they are still serving lunch I will assist the volunteers to pass out the prepared plates. As I hand out the food I take a brief moment to pray for each student I serve.

After lunch the children have recess and I do everything from chasing kids around to hugging everyone I can. Occasionally I will buy them snacks. Sometimes that’s an issue because I purposefully only keep $500 htg (Haitian dollars) on me. When they say, “Mr Vernon I didn’t get anything” I give them my sad face just as the bell rings signaling the end of recess.

Just before noon I arrive at the soup kitchen. Usually I try to get there in time to have prayer with all assembled before the food is served. Again I pray for God’s provision as this is the only meal many will receive. I also pray over each plate of food I serve…that it will be enough nourishment to sustain the recipient until their next meal. And finally I pray that the Lord will fill their hearts just as their bellies are filled. Last week a young man said he was glad to see me in the village and at the kitchen…that he appreciated me being here and what it means. My son Paul reminds me often that my presence alone means a lot to the people here. Pastor Wesley’s words about the “ministry of presence” rings true once again.

I hang around the soup kitchen until everyone is served and we begin the clean up process. I really enjoy serving the school children who stop by later to get a meal. These are not children from the Missoon of Grace school but another school in the village. I recognize a couple of the students from past years. And I see this guy pictured to the left everyday. He is a slow eater but seems to savor every morsel of food.

I have a break between 2pm and 4pm then head over to the orphanage. By 4pm most of the children have finished their homework and are eager to play. I try to spend time with Jobez who, though confined to a wheelchair, is the happiest kid on the planet. As I approach him he smiles, starts rocking back and forth and will sometimes get up even though his legs will not sustain him. I pick him up and we literally walk the entire perimeter of the orphanage. He is delighted to be in my arms because it affords him the opportunity to get out. Sometimes I catch him looking at me and that causes him to laugh and giggle even more. Immediately after I carry him back to his wheelchair there is a chorus of “Mr. Vernon. Mr. Vernon” from the little kids who want my attention. Of course I oblige them and teasingly try to bite their fingers. Next it’s the older kids turn to play. And yes we chase each other around or go over their homework. But every time I hold a little one or touch a child I issue a quiet prayer over their life.

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays I end my time at the orphanage receiving Kreyòl lessons from Marie France. She is 17, speaks English well, and is one of the people many of the children look up to. I was drawn to her outspokenness the last time I was here and I am looking forward to getting to know her better as I learn to speak her language. Girlfriend has some attitude from time to time but I realize she is at THAT age so I cut her some slack…most of the time but not all.

Yes, I have a full day which is a challenge for someone who has been enjoying a leisurely life since retirement more than 9 years ago. What used to be rather fluid days have a lot more structure to them in Haiti. Notably I have had to forego my lazy mornings and afternoon naps. However, I will take the rewards of my sacrifice over anything else. I thank God He has me in this place during this season of my life.

 

In a previous post I neglected to give a shout out to my other church family at Grace United Methodist in Fort Washington, Maryland. I linked up with Grace UMC through my friend Iris Rogers after she suggested I bring my mother to their weekly senior’s program called The Busy Bees. Well the Busy Bees embraced mom and I as if we had known each other for a lifetime. When they found out I was going to Haiti they got the entire church involved and loaded up my truck with donations. And they have been doing this since consistently since 2016. Members of the church have even given me monetary donations and sponsored some of the children at the school. This year Mrs. Rhoda Slade, the pastor’s wife, gave me with a rather large donation for the mission. It seems their family decided to forego exchanging Christmas gifts in 2019 and instead pooled the money they would have spent to made the donation to the mission. I was blown away at this and Mrs. Lynn was overjoyed to receive this donation. She spoke of how timely it is as the mission is still struggling to get back on its feet. Thank you Grace UMC for all you do for the kingdom through this humble servant and missionary.

During the summer of 2019 Mrs. Lynn Joseph, Mission of Grace (MoG) founder and Ms. Kim O’Dwyer, the Director of Missions came to visit my church and share with the congregation the work and impact MoG has had in Carries, Haiti. Several people shared with me how deeply they were touched by the message. And the blessing of that visit has been profound. My choir director, Theron Johnson who told me she was so moved by Mrs. Lynn that she wanted the Voices of Triumph (VOT) Choir at Alfred Street to do something very special for the mission. I was also contacted by the Links of Arlington, Virginia who were interested in forging a partnership between themselves, MoG, and Alfred Street.

After my choir director spoke with me I had a vision of touching the young people at the orphanage in a special way. I ran my idea by a few people and the result was amazing. Members of VOT put together personalized gift bags for all 42 young people in the orphanage between the ages of 13 and 22. Not only did they fill each gift bags with a customized tee-shirt, personal care items like scented lotion, lip gloss, nail polish, toothpaste and toothbrushes, hair care products, and neck ties for the young men, they also poured tons of love into every bag. You see each bag had the recipient’s name on it and there was a personalized message of encouragement penned by a choir member…I still get emotional just writing about it. Mrs. Lynn said these young people have never received a blessing of this magnitude and it is something they will remember their entire life. All I can say is to God be the glory that the kids were blessed, and a huge thank you to MY CHOIR for loving on MY kids!

Another unexpected blessing which came from MoG’s visit to Alfred Street is the partnership with the Links of Arlington. About a month after Mrs. Lynn spoke I received an email from Elaine Bush and Deborah Walls Foster indicating the Links were looking for an international mission project to become involved with and MoG seemed like a perfect fit. After they talked with Mrs. Lynn and Ms. Kim the Links decided to partner with Alfred Street as we gathered supplies to send to Haiti in the fall of 2019. Packing blue barrels (55-gallon drums) with donations and sending them to Haiti is something the Missions Ministry at Alfred Street has been doing for 4 years now. However, I was blown away when members from the Links showed up at church on a Friday morning in November with more than $4,000 worth of over-the-counter medical supplies. We packed more than 5 drums with the donations they furnished.

 

Some of my friends came by on Saturday November 9th with additional donations of medicines, personal care items, clothing and school supplies, and packed 16 more barrels. The impact of donated medical supplies alone has been huge and timely as the clinic operated by MoG is just getting re-established. Since I have been here in Haiti I have been able to go “shopping” in the donated drums of medical supplies to restock the pharmacy shelves. Many Haitians suffer from illnesses which can be easily remedied with the over-the-counter medications. And the MoG Clinic is one of very few medical facilities in Haiti which provides free medical care and dispenses medicines at no cost.

The Links hosted their annual fundraiser entitled “A Party with A Purpose” in December 2019. I was invited to speak briefly on behalf of MoG at this event where they raised in excess of $7,000 to provide meals for the children at the Mission of Grace School. I look forward to a long-lasting relationship between MoG, the Links, and Alfred Street. I had the honor of taking a photograph with the President of the chapter.

Finally, pictured below is me at MoG “shopping” in the blue drums for medical supplies and then delivering them to the pharmacy. The little girl shown below came into the pharmacy while I was working and decided she wanted to sit in my lap…I was happy to oblige her.

I have been “working” most of the time I have been here so far so I had not visited the Grandma’s House. This part of the mission is home to about 12 seniors and 7 people with special needs. Many of them were abandoned by their family because they could not take care of them. If it wasn’t for the Mission of Grace most of them would not have a place to live.

When I walked into the Grandma’s House this morning several of the residents (lovingly) gave me hard time saying they couldn’t believe I had been here almost 2 weekends and had not come to see them. I tried to tell them I had been busy but they were not feeling me. To mitigate their scorn I took a moment to kiss and fuss over each of them. Can you say, “spoiled rotten”?

I make it a habit of taking pictures of the people we interact with while we are here. And I usually bring printed copies of those pictures when I return. They absolutely love to see themselves in print! So not long after I took my seat, one of the seniors comes out of her room with a couple of pictures. One is of her and a missionary from 2017 named Justine. She talks about Justine’s beauty and gentleness, and how she made her feel special when she was here. I can tell she cherishes the photo and the memories it represents.

One of the things I enjoy doing when at the Grandma’s House is sitting on the front porch and rocking in one of the chairs. Truth be told, in the past I have fallen asleep on that very porch on multiole ocassions. Paul and I take seats on either side of a lady who reminds me so much of my mom. I sit there quietly holding her hand while rocking back and forth. After a while one of the other ladies approach us and tell her she has had enough time with the men and to let her sit in the seat. Of course she refuses. We all get a chuckle but for real she does not get up.

Noon is approaching and I need to get to the soup kitchen so I tell them I have to leave. The lady sitting next to me says she wants a picture before I head out. I say okay and grab my camera but she tells me to wait until she changes her clothes. When she comes back out she is dressed in her Sunday best, including a hat and all I can do is laugh as I snap her photo. Of course two other ladies now have to get dressed and have their picture taken. And four other people want photographs. I lovingly oblige each of them before I leave.

I had received word that money was tight at Mission of Grace (MoG), Haiti. Food for the soup kitchen was hard to come by because the supply lines had been interrupted during nearly 14 months of civil unrest. Although the unrests have abated and things have returned to (a new) normal, the people and entities which provided food and funding to MoG to operate the soup kitchen are just now gearing up again.

Currently MoG can only piece together enough resources to keep the soup kitchen operating 4 days a week. That means many of the people in the village have to go without food on the days they do not operate. Ms. Lynn Joseph shared with me that she is expecting a large shipment of food destined for the mission to arrive in Haiti in a few days and that she is prayerful it will clear Customs without delay. Until then they have to rely on local donations or the generosity of donors.

After hearing how MoG was struggling to feed the villagers, I purposed in my heart this year to be THAT blessing to the soup kitchen…to be a donor. Enlisting the support and sponsorship of JJSMissions.org, a DMV-based nonprofit missions oriented organization, we have launch the “Communion Feast”. In essence, on the Sunday that the Grace Community Church in Carries celebrates the Lord’s Supper, the soup kitchen will provide a robust lunch to people who come. This past Sunday that meal included chicken, rice and beans, salad, and a drink; and we were able to feed and fellowship with more than 300 people.

It is gratifying to know that the young people pictured below and many others in the community did not have to go to bed hungry. I am thankful that JJSMissions.org is committed to provide funding for the Communion Feast for at least six months.