Haiti - April 2011

The road wound through a combination of earth quake destroyed buildings, and tent cities. Large UN, USAID, Samaritans purse, Red Cross tarps, and plastic sheeting stretched over sticks, rough metal or wood, frames.  The heat was dry, the air dusty, and stifling, despite the constant flow of water down off the side of the mountains that trickled through the streets, Thousands of people roamed the streets and trash was everywhere.  This was  “Cite Soleie”, Haiti.  Reported internationally to be one of the most dangerous places on earth, It was also the home of hundreds of orphaned, abandoned and neglected children, and one of the reasons we were in Haiti.

The compound we stayed at just outside of this area had at one time been impressive.  A school, a church, an orphanage, the earth quake had left much of it in ruins.  Un, Us aide, and Samaritan’s purse tarps strung over temporary wood frames, served as church building, school house, and temporary classrooms, while rebuilding was under way.

Micro business to support the ministry, A mattress making area, a bed frame making operation, a hardware building material store, all designed to contribute to the support of the church and orphan care program.  “We want to be self supporting”  the pastor shared as we toured his facility “This church exist as the hands, the feet, the mouth and the ears of Christ on Earth.  We are His Body.  So we must be busy doing what Christ does”  he said in his thick Creole accent.  “How else will they know His love and accept Him as their savior.”  “They need to see the difference in us and Voodoo” “This Mango tree is where the Voodoo priest used to offer sacrifices,  Now we build beds here for orphan children! “

Many of the children lost parents in the earth quake, others whose parents were literally starving and had lost everything, brought children who were so weak they could not walk, to the orphanage so they would not die.  All have been welcomed cared for, and most importantly told about Jesus.  The entire church is involved.  The teens, wash and braid hair the adult women, cook food, the men help the rebuilding effort

I leave Haiti today, feeling better for the experience.  I am doing what I do best. And what God has called me to do.  Partner with hard working nationals, to help them bring the Good news of Jesus to the worlds most neglected and neediest children.  We will partner, teach, help, give, bleed, and cry with these people.  We will pray with their sick and rejoice with them as one by one, We build the Kingdom one child at a time.

Scott Couch

Liberia - March 2011

Children are every where, left to fend for them selves and work.
A war is a terrible thing, a war torn nation is even worse. Liberia a country with over 450,000 killed in civil war, where anyone with education, was killed and the country was striped of all infrastructure is a country full of people with little hope.  85%  unemployment means that people wander from place to place hoping for their next meal.  They crush rocks, make charcoal, sell home made thatch, and grow what they can.

There are elaborate, expensive UN vehicles. NGO's hang their banners proudly, yet the people continue in poverty, now conditioned to put their hand out, what they once grew is now more expensive to grow than they can buy from the NGO's.

The sad thing is that enormous houses dot that country side where corrupt officials have built their palatial estates, get rich on foreign Aid money sent to help the poor.  There is no electricity, water, or regular phone service.  The police are few, and corrupt.

Yet the children wander the streets, with nothing to do. The children that are fortunate enough to have living parents, often times are neglected.  The most lucky ones going to public school find teachers who have not been paid for months, so they show up only one day per week.  80% of the population is illiterate. Of the few lucky ones going to school only, a small percentage finish 7th grade, and few can read when they do finish.

Giving them things is not the answer, The NGO's have tried that since 2003.  So what is the answer?

The answer is starting with the children.  Teaching them to understand and know who God is, and then helping them to experience who God is through, mentoring and education.  When you take a kindergartner, and you show him how to plant a seed, carefully water it, protect it from weeds, and nourish it with fertilizer, God does a miracle.  The dry dead seed brings life.

A child watches with wonder and enthusiasm God do what God does every day billions of time around the world.  A seed is planted and life comes out of it.

So we plant "seeds the truth" Gods word, and we, encourage, and protect, and feed, and water, and watch as God does what He does best, changing a child's heart, and then a community, and then a tribe, a region, and even a country.  One child, one seed at a time.

Children, begin to read, they learn there is more for them then to exist waiting to die, they learn that God made them with a purpose, that He had a plan for them, that He wants them to know Him, that through relationship with His son they can have purpose and a future filled with hope,
Then they learn exiting new ways, some will be teachers, some farmers, so will be Doctors, or Pastors, and Missionaries, and some will make clothes, but each understands that the God of the universe created a divine opportunity for them to know Him, and walk in His ways.

I feel so lucky to be a part of what God is doing.

God isn't looking for ability, just availability

Scott Couch
Director of Project Services
Vision Trust International

Building the Kingdom one Child at a time

The lucky and most privileged, go to school half day, but in the public school the teacher only comes one day a week.

Every one works, or helps prepare food.

Gravel is made by setting fire to an old tire and laying it against a granite rock out cropping.  When the tire is done burning a sledge namer is used to break off large boulders.  The boulders are then broken by hand into small rocks by a hammer and sold for gravel.  Many kids earn a living doing this.  Most were not yet in third grade.