Aaron back in Haiti

Hello Everyone,

Many of you know that Aaron Price, from our team (our Son) has gone back to Haiti to spend the month of June with the people of Bayonnais and the students of OFCB. Today is June 4 - it's around 8:00 at night and I just recieved a text from Aaron - that he has arrived safely in Gonnaive, the largest city closest to Bayonnais. He is with Actionnel and is safe and well. Thanks for your prayers. Aaron has created a BLOG of his own which he will be updating throughout his stay (once he gets to the village). You can read that BLOG at http://www.aaronprice-haiti.blogspot.com/.

Blessings,

Ron

Just to let those know who followed this blog during December that I will be returning to Haiti June 4th and will remain there until the 28th. This is the name of my blog and i hope you will communicate with me and encourage me while i am there. Thanks for all your support.

www.aaronprice-haiti.blogspot.com

Aaron Price

Presenting Haiti to FBC-Huntersville

So, for those of you still checking this blog, I wanted to invite you to join us on Sunday, January 6th (9am, 10:30am, 12pm) at FBC Huntersville. Our team will be presenting (in story, pictures, video and maybe song) what we witnessed on our trip to Haiti. We hope to see you there.

Children Need a Place to Play

While in Bayonnais, one of the remarkable things that we wtinessed was watching children of all ages get up everyday at sunrise to work on their "soccer field" in between the two school buildings. They busted up rocks and the concrete that was left over from building the new classrooms . . . they begin whittling away at a large mound of dirt and spreading it around . . . it was hard work. . . all for a place to play soccer.


A song came to my mind as I watched this each day. A friend of mine, Allen Levi, wrote a song about his brother helping to build a playground in Sarajevo. With all of the needs present there, it was still important for the children to have a place to play.


Read Allen's words below. It's not an exact fit to the situation in Bayonnais, (a war had just ended in Sarajevo) but it helped me understand why it was so important for these children to work on their play area. We can learn a lot from them. . .


It's an angry town, full of dangerous streets
And there's fear in the eyes and revenge in the hearts
Of the people you meet

It's a cruel war, sharp as a tight strung wire
And the children learn to hate caught in the crossfire

But someone's bringing them a truck of sand
Someone's bringing them a jungle gym
Somebody's coming from a foreign land to play with them
Cause they know children need a place to play
Don't the children need a way to get away
A stranger comes with a sandbox and a see-saw
Cause he knows children need a place to play

Across the great Atlantic, from the outside looking in
Madness seems to rule the hearts of ordinary men
But in the angry widow and the one-armed boy and soilders can't we see
Somewhere in that line-up are you and me

But Someone's bringing us a truck of sand
Somebody's bringing us a jungle gym
Somebody's coming from another Land to play
Cause He knows children need a place to play
Don't the children need a way to get away
A Stranger comes with a sandbox and a see-saw
Cause He knows children need a place to play

BRIDGE
There among the small ones is the secret of true laughter
The wisdom and the worship of the playful
Cause we need a place to play
In this hard world we need a way to get away
Christ Jesus comes with peace and joy and laughter
And He calls children, children come and play
Come and play

Other musings

Ron's post just made me laugh. We used that phrase quite often over the past few days. Other interesting phrases that Actionnel shared with us...you might call them Actionnelisms. Others on the team may have to help me with some of these. I can't remember them all.


"An empty stomach has no ears." - I think this one is probably easily understood, but it also serves as the reason OFCB provides a lunch of beans and rice to every child and others who show up on the campus during lunch time. This lunch is the only meal that some of these kids have each day.


"A kitten in the oven does not make a muffin." - I know, this one sounds a little funny, so I had to ask what he means by it. Basically, it means that simply going to church does not make you a Christian. According to Romans 10:9, "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Being a Christian requires a changing of the heart. We are born in a sinful selfish state. We must turn from our sin and turn our hearts toward Christ.

"I'll have to google that"

Traveling together can really give you the opportunity to get to know a lot about each other, especially when you have cancelled flights, long bus rides, and a flat tire. On our trip to Haiti - we learned a lot about each other. We also learned a lot about other things, as well . . . it was kind of like traveling with a live version of "wikipedia."

Several in our group had answers for just about every question that came up. We were full of interesting facts. We discovered however, that like "wikipedia," some of the interesting facts shared, though they were interesting, may not have been all that factual. Sometimes it was hard to tell. So, I think it was Mark that coined the phrase that we ended up using several times during our trip - "I'll have to google that."

It's a polite way of saying that you do not believe someone's story. Try it out . . . it is the friendliest way I know of to question someone's integrity . . . trust me.

So, the next time someone gives you a very interesting and creative explanation as to why "fancy ketchup" is "fancy" just look at them and say, "I'll have to google that."

We are not Missionaries . . .

Thank you for thinking about and praying for us while we were in Haiti. What an incredible journey. Our trip home was much less eventful than getting to Haiti - no cancelled flights, no lost luggage, no flat tires - just a quick run through the Miami airport. We are now all home, safe and sound.

We apologize in advance - for all of the stories you will tire of, the laughter at "you had to be there" phrases, and tears we may shed about leaving our new friends in Bayonnais.

It is interesting . . . I doubt any of us ever thought of ourselves as missionaries. That sentiment was echoed by Actionnel himself, who told us that we "are not missionaries . . . we are their brothers and sisters." That about sums up how we all feel, as we leave and settle back into our "normal" lives.

Stay tuned on the BLOG as we continue to reflect . . . upload additional pictures . . . and who knows . . . maybe, begin making plans for our next visit.

Thank you, again. We are grateful for your support.