Connecting Resources.

All support is welcome and would be so beneficial. There are many different ways to get involved. Below is a list of how you can support the mending of Haiti. Please do not hesitate to email or ask questions at info@truelovelive.org

Uniform Polo Shirts

This summer True Love Live wants to ship polo shirts to Haiti. These 200 royal-blue youth shirts will go directly to the students out in Camp Canaan. It is Haitian culture for students to wear a uniform to school, but for parents who struggle to get food for their children, a school uniform is the last things on their list. As Gospel Fire continues in their second year of education, in the tent city, they desire  to continue making a lasting impact on the community… education is this lasting impact.[200 Polo Shirt Cost: $520]

Shipping School Supplies

Ask any educator…in order to teach supplies are crucial BUT very expensive. A creative teacher in California, Tina Gerstenberg, asked all her fellow teachers if at the end of the year they had slightly used or new school supplies they could donate to Camp Canaan. So many people donated and now True Love Live needs your help to ship these supplies to Florida in order to get to Haiti. Consider yourself to be apart of this process to help bring education out to this tent city. [Shipping Cost: $200]

Support Teacher Salaries

True Love Live desires to continue to support the salaries of the teachers out in Camp Canaan. This first year there was 167 students attending Gospel Fire School with 9 full-time teachers, 2 kitchen aids, and 1 maintenance/guard. Teaching is one of the most important jobs in the world because it is preparing the next generation. You can help raise the generation of children out of poverty by supplying local jobs and local education. [1 Teacher Salary Cost per month: $60]

Sarah Support

Last and Least…Sarah Carlson, logistics coordinator, has been living in Haiti for a year and will be returning for another. As she returns for her 2nd school year teaching 7th grade in Haiti, she would be VERY thankful for any help with her monthly needs (phone bill, groceries, etc.).

Also, buying a vehicle in Haiti would be able to help Sarah and True Love Live CONNECT PEOPLE AND CONNECT RESOURCES. Haiti’s poor form of public transportation and the difficult roads makes getting around very difficult without a vehicle.

The Team: Angela, Moses, Joella, Tad, Sarah, Rose, & Carmelo

Below: The Doctors hard at work.

I hope to share with you two of these moments in Haiti:

Below is a beautiful time where children are having fun in the light of the sunset, outside of a youth rally, and on top of their houses. They are playing with their kites that they have made out of plastic bags and sticks.

Here below shows how after much effort and progress these children get a consistent meal for lunch every day at school.

Out in Camp Canaan I get the privilege to attend a VERY UNIQUE church service. While I do not understand most of the service, because it is in Creole, I get to sit next to precious children and make peanut butter sandwiches to give out to the kids at the end.  Working with my other Haitian friends has been such a blessing and learning experience. Gospel Fire Ministry is still working hard to help the people out in Camp Canaan. They hope to build a small kitchen and continue school during the week and church every Sunday.

This weekend is the presidential election so many people will not be on the streets. During the elections it is very dangerous. This election is very crucial please keep Haiti in your prayers.

All of us could be considered pencils. God is using us to make a beautiful masterpiece. We are a mere reflection of the inexpressible, indescribable, undeserving love that envelops all of humankind.

“I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world.”- Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa put it so perfectly that we get to be a tool that is being used to write a love letter. This love letter that we get to be apart of is a beautiful song, a sweet whisper, and a caring smile. 

Love can be an inexpressible language. Sometimes love cannot be contained in simple writing or any combination of words.  From the very beginning love began because of the omniscience, omnipotent, omnipresent love that God sent to drive into the depths of each of your hearts. Many times man gets distracted or clouded visions of the hope that is within. 

Today is JANUARY 12, 2011 and it has officially been 1 year since the earthquake.

Today I had the privilege to worship with over 10,000 Haitian people in a church service from 6am to 6pm.

Today I was able to connect with so many different people that I have missed over the Holiday break. 

Today is a new day. 

Currently Haiti needs our prayers for healing and continual restoration.

If you would like to look at some amazing photos of the before and after shots check out:

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/01/haiti_one_year_later.html

Returning back to Haiti has been a tough and honest reminder of how small my view was of God and the world. Today I was able to checkup with Gospel Fire Ministries and they told me all about Christmas party they had over the break with Camp Canaan.  They told me about the children and how much fun they are having. It made me realize what I am here for and what a beautiful love letter we all get to be apart of.

It was hard saying “good-bye” to family and friends because I hard such an amazing time back in California. Thank you again to all of those I was able to see or talk to over the break.

HURRICANE TOMAS is beginning to pass over Haiti. It has been raining since yesterday and the winds are estimated to reach 80 mph if it continues to be a category 1. From the National Hurricane Center it states, “…AIR FORCE RECONNAISSANCE PLANE FINDS THAT TOMAS HAS BECOME A HURRICANE…”

For me, Sarah Carlson, I am safe at the place that I am staying.  This morning I woke up at 5am to the thought of  the families out in Camp Canaan and all over Haiti who are living in the tent cities. They will have no protection in this storm. All we can do is pray that many of them were able to find people to stay with. The Haitian Government told the people to find another place to go… without providing a place for them to go. The Hurricane has not even hit Port-au-Prince yet and the consistent rain is going to devastate so many people.

I am not sure what God is doing but I know that He is in control. The song by David Crowder Band “How He Loves” has a whole new meaning to me. When it states that “He is Jealous for me…loves like a Hurricane…I am a tree…bending  beneath the wind and weight of his mercy…” I am able to get a better picture of God’s love for us.  The strength of God’s love is incomparable and so powerful. One’s own heart begins to ache as you realize just how much He loves us.

If you would like to follow along with the status of the Hurricane you can check out this website. http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/#TOMAS   It is very helpful and it is updated about every 6 hours so you can see the progress.

Please continue to PRAY!

]]> http://truelovelive.org/blog/hurricane-tomas/feed/ 0 http://truelovelive.org/blog/problems/ http://truelovelive.org/blog/problems/#comments Wed, 03 Nov 2010 03:46:56 +0000 sarah http://truelovelive.org/?p=947 TRUE LOVE LIVE UPDATE
November 2, 2010

WORD OF THE DAY: PROBLEMS

If is it not one problem then it is the next. As my Haitian friend told me two nights ago, “I feel like I am running, running, running and running and end up back in the same place.” He was trying to tell me why he wanted to move because it was so frustrating here. Just when you think you have a place to stand you slip and fall.

Haiti is survival of the fittest…this I know.

Haiti is a beautiful, enchanting, and fascinating place but at the same time there are many problems. I do not mean to bash Haiti in any way because each day that I am here I feel so blessed to be here. I love it here and I could not imagine myself anywhere else.

A few days ago I was talking to one of my fellow teachers about how we should document the corruption/injustice toward the Haitian people since the earthquake.  I mentioned this idea to another colleague who has lived here most of his life and he told me that people get killed for doing those types of things. The problems in Haiti are horrendous and the people allowing the problems are very very dangerous. The problems in Haiti are not getting fixed.

When I first heard about the earthquake a classmate of mine, that is Haitian, told be that this is probably the best thing for Haiti.   I could not understand how she could say that.
I asked her, “all these people had died…how can you say that?”
She replied, “before the earthquake many people did not even know of Haiti. Now Haiti will FINALLY get some help.”
Yes, I would have to agree with her that many people did not know about Haiti and that Haiti did receive help BUT at the same time NOW where is Haiti?? It is off the news, off the map, and worse off. There are problems. Problems that are not being fixed.

True Love Live is still alive and working. God is still moving and God is still opening doors. Life can get a hold of everyone and time can seem to pass by so fast.

Now the problems are not just healing from the traumatic  experience on January 12th. Now they are dealing with the Cholera epidemic and Hurricane Tomas that is heading straight toward Haiti.

Check out an article to understand the severity of the storm heading this way:

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Tropical-Storm-Strengthens-Threatens-Haiti-106535279.html

or follow the status of the hurricane on:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

The problems in Haiti are frustrating and can become overwhelming.

PRAYER:
Please pray. Please pray for the problems. The big problems and the small. God is in control and He is guiding and leading us. Please pray for Haiti.
Pray for open hearts and protection against the storm and sickness.
Pray for the gospel to penetrate the thoughts, heart, and minds of the people.