WAM Camp 2013 Recap

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost!

In early June, twenty 1^st-5^th graders participated in a week of praising God and making music. Campers learned new songs, reflected on prayer needs in the world and made daily prayer reminders. Campers were encouraged to function as a team and to use their whole body to praise God.  One way this was accomplished was by first learning a simple vocal line. Then, each child was given a drum and played until a strong, steady beat was felt throughout the whole group. Some campers improvised rhythmic patterns while others held the steady pulse. It was a beautiful experience where everyone could participate fully and be comfortable making a joyful noise!

Campers also experienced art, games, sign language and music stations of boomwhackers, drums and colored bells. Children were encouraged to listen to each other and evaluate the whole group sound. Everyone did an amazing job of recognizing that in order for the whole group to sound complete, individuals may have to make a personal sacrifice for the team. Campers said, “I’d be happy to sing instead of sign;” “I could try the bells instead of the boomwhackers.”

At the end of the week, WAM campers were eager to share a Worship Celebration with family and friends and to participate in Sunday worship. To see pictures from a week of praising God, click here: https://picasaweb.google.com/sheridanlutheranchurch/WAMCamp2013

Praise the Lord! How good it is to sing praises to our God; for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting. Psalm 147

Martha House Relationship Continues to Grow

On June 9, members of Sheridan were invited to a BBQ at the Martha House. Over the past year, Sheridan’s Wednesdays @ the Well community has been building a relationship with the elders at the Martha House. Confirmation groups, elementary choirs, families and individuals have been visiting regularly. On the day of the BBQ, families, friends and elders enjoyed perfect weather and inspiring music on the porch.  A wonderful dinner was served with fun conversations and many laughs. The evening ended with a 20-minute sing-along. Click here to see pictures from this fun event and watch for upcoming events at the Martha House.

https://picasaweb.google.com/sheridanlutheranchurch/MarthaHouseBBQJune2013

Preparations in Haiti

I have been pretty busy lately.  There is just a little over a week left until the HTF camp.  Sheridan’s group along with others from HTF will be coming down here to Haiti.  I’ve been helping a lot with preparing for this camp.  In late May I was able to go around with a few kids from Tetkole to schools in the Jacmel area to deliver registration forms for the camp and this past week we have gone back around to some of the schools to pick up the registration forms.  The school picks 5 students that ended the school year with a 7.5 out of 10 on their report card to attend the camp.  This is an incentive that Verbo, the HTF partnership development director in Haiti and who organizes the camp, believes is an important part of the camp.  He’s told me many times that he doesn’t want the camp to just be a gift to these kids, but a reward for doing well in school.  Many kids know about the camp and push to get good grades so that they can participate in the camp.

This week I will be helping put together the different groups of kids for the camps and preparing the list of kids.  We will also be having different types of meetings with the Haitian monitors, similar to camp counselors, for the camp so that they know what to do and are prepared for the camp.  We also will be helping set things up for the camp, like getting name tags ready for the kids.  These next two weeks will be pretty busy preparing for the camp and having the camp.

While I’ve been down here I was able to get a SIM Card for my phone with the help from one of the kids at Tetkole whose name is Sergot.  At first I only had a couple of Haitian numbers, them being Verbo and Sergot, so I haven’t really had the opportunity to use my minutes that much other than to talk to Verbo and make a few calls back home.  But recently I’ve added more contacts to my phone.  So some of the kids from Tetkole will shoot me a text every once in a while.  Texting in Kreyol is definitely a whole new language with abbreviations and the shortening of words.  So to them I’m probably like my dad when it comes to texting.  But I have learned from Dr. Jacque that they have taken some of the “texting” words from the English language.  The biggest one being “lol”.

The City of Jacmel, Haiti.

 Thank you for all the continued prayers and support.  I apologize for not being able to post more on the blog and will try to keep it updated through these busy weeks

The American Way?

I’ve been in Haiti for almost 2 weeks now, which is longer than either of my previous two experiences.  Sometimes I feel like I should be going home right about now, but soon realize I still have six weeks left.  Since I am going to be here longer than before, I have been experiencing a lot more things in the same amount of time of my previous trips. This time I feel like I’m actually eating more of a variety of Haitian food.  I’ve also been told way more now that “that isn’t the way we do it in Haiti.”  While spending a lot of time with Dr. Jacque, he has given me some real lessons on “the Haitian way.”  He has shown me different techniques to eating some of the food they eat.  He has also shown me the best way to eating meat off of the bone. When I eat fish or other meats in the United States, usually I don't worry about the bones most of the time, unless it’s something like chicken.  When I eat the fish here I get a whole fish and have to look out for every little piece of bone. 

Driving in Haiti reminds me a lot of driving around the University of Nebraska on a home football game day.  I’ve told Verbo that I’m not sure I could drive in Haiti.  He just laughed and said that I could if I stayed long enough.  A lot of the side roads are really rocky and go up or down pretty steep hills.  There aren’t really any sidewalks in Haiti like there are in the States.  Drivers seem to get dangerously close to the people walking around and can come within inches of other vehicles at any given moment.  Motorcycles also seem to go wherever they please. I’ve been able to ride on a few and might try to get one when I come home, but I don’t know how my mom will feel about that one.  And parking is a mystery to me.  They don’t have the parking lots we do and usually will park on the side of the road.

So many times we as an American society we try to force our way of life and culture on other people, it’s been part of our history.  We sometimes have the mindset of it’s my way or the highway, which is probably why Americans are seen as arrogant around the world.  I try to take it as a challenge every time I’m told “this is how we do it in Haiti”, to break that American stereotype.  The way they do it in Haiti isn’t necessarily better or worse than we do it America; it’s just different.  Most of the time their way actually works better than the way I might do something.

Learning the Haitian Way,
Alex

"Blanc" by Alex Henning

Walking back from Tetkole, the school program I’m serving at, I had an interesting conversation with Dr. Jacque who has been with me all week.  A girl had called me a “blanc” or "white person" in Creole.  And his response to her was “Are you talking to me?"  So I asked him what he said and talked to him about whether or not it had a negative connotation towards me.  Simply said, he told me that it’s just something they call white people, it's not bad or anything.  

But being a “blanc” does attract a lot of attention.  Many people come up to me knowing that I’m likely American who has lots of many.  It’s hard to tell them that I don’t have money when I really don’t and I have no goudes, or Hatian money.  Pastor Rhonda and I have talked a lot about this.  What we do at Tetkole and with the other Haitian Timoun Foundation is work with the people of Haiti.  We focus on building relationships through grassroots organizations, “To create a future of hope, sustainability, and dignity for the children of Haiti." That's the HTF mission statement. We work with the people of Haiti to empower them to develop their natural and human resources.  By doing this, we try to avoid first world paternalism by just giving them money and having them depend solely on that. We want to get to know them personally and work with them. 

One of the many relationships I made was with this little girl.  I saw her on the first day and I’m not sure whether she is a part of Tetkole or a neighbor who passed by.  But when I first saw her she was really shy and gave me a look of sort of distrust.  But she hung around, and when I started to play a little soccer with some of the kids, she was on my team.  She seemed to warm up to me, when we scored we gave each other high fives. After the game was finished, I went to stand on the front porch. A couple of older boys going home from school yelled at me “Blanc!” and I didn’t really think much of it.  Then, when I started walking back inside this little girl went running out and told them in Creole, “Silence!"  The fact that in a way she stood up for me meant a lot.  And I hope to see her again so that I can learn her name.

~Alex

Heading on a Haiti Mission

Written Sunday, May 12.

As I write this, I’m in the Dallas airport looking forward to getting into Haiti early Monday morning.  I'm truly grateful for all the support that I was given today throughout the church services this weekend.  I have a lot of down time in the airports and it is giving me time to think and mentally ready myself for this journey.  
Before entering Haiti I’m excited and nervous at the same time for the challenges that I will have to face and the stories I will learn. This is the first time I’ve had the opportunity to travel alone, let alone leaving the country on a solo expedition.  I’m most nervous about the moment I step out of the airport in Haiti and have to look for Verbo, our HTF Haitian partner, because of the activity and busyness of the airport. I’m also really excited to have the opportunity to fully immerse myself into the Haitian culture and language.  I’m not sure how I’ll learn a completely new language, but right now my Spanish classes seem a lot easier. At this point I feel ready for the unknown.  Whatever happens will happen and I know that God will be with me and I’ll have the support of my family and of the people of Sheridan.  Thanks for your prayers and support. 

Alex

Sheridan Missionary heads for Haiti

Jacky Asse (left) and Alex Henning (right) following a performance
 of the Resurrection Dance Theatre from Haiti in March 2010.

Sheridan’s missionary, Alex Henning, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln sophomore, is returning to Haiti following two previous trips for a two-month summer internship with Sheridan partner Haitian Timoun Foundation. Alex will be working specifically with Tetkole in Jacmel creating and auditing biographies of the street children involved with its programs. Alex will be closing his time in Haiti preparing for and helping with the VBS camp, called Fet Bondye, that a group from Sheridan will join him to help lead. He is truly grateful for this opportunity and asks for prayers throughout his journey.

Alex will be in worship the weekend of May 11 & 12, for a blessing and sending as he starts his journey to Haiti Sun., May 12.