Pray for Cascade Pichon

Please pray for our friends in Cascade Pichon, Haiti. Our partners at Heart to Heart International will be working closely with Haiti's government for the Southeast portion of Haiti (where Cascade Pichon is), and we will be working with them. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, the worst hit areas are not in the Southeast, but in the SouthWEST, which means most of H2H's initial resources are going there. Meanwhile, while we haven't got a direct report yet, because the roads are impassable in places like Cascade Pichon, as far as we know, there hasn't been a lot of loss of life. However, damage to crops and homes have been catastrophic. Shay Foster is currently in Haiti assessing needs along with others and It's likely that we (LQVE with the help of Mission Church and MidAmerica Nazarene University) will be organizing a shipment of seeds, tools and more portable chargers to Cascade and the Southeast very soon. This, of course, could change because disasters are unpredictable, but this looks to be what will happen within a month. Please stay tuned and please pray. 

We are not the people who shrink from serving. And, just as important, we are not the people who shrink from praying for and with these beautiful people. We have questions. We struggle. We cannot fathom a world that allows for this kind of tragedy to happen, but it is the reality. It is appropriate to wrestle with the questions and grieve over the circumstances. We are freed and yes, even encouraged to wrestle and grieve because there is a greater reality at work. It's the reality that God, in our love, is wrestling with this too. It is the reality that God grieves right along side of us and with us over these kinds of tragedies. And it's the reality that placed within the middle of this storm is an anti-storm virus... it's a virus of love, compassion, intelligence, patience, grace and commitment. The storm doesn't blow our commitment away. It only drives it's root further into our soil. We are the people who are committed to follow the way of Jesus. This commitment will bear fruit in Cascade Pichon. The storm is winning right now, but the final chapter has yet to be written.  

Somewhere in Southern Haiti after Hurricane Matthew 

Somewhere in Southern Haiti after Hurricane Matthew 

Four Sentences

Some of my favorite little people in the world.

Not long ago my friend, Amanda, shot me a story about Conner, who has been developing portable solar power chargers called 'Sunshine Boxes' at a facility, it turns out, run by my best friend from High School, Joe, who then introduced me to Conner, who then impressed me enough for me to have LQVE commit to purchasing a couple of her 'Sunshine Boxes' at $500 each, in order to take to Haiti next year. 

But, then the storm hit and I knew we needed to do something sooner rather than later so I asked Conner if she could have a couple ready for us to send with my boy, Shay, who I'm super proud of and who's heading down early Monday morning to Haiti with friends and doctors from Heart to Heart International to which she responded, "Yes, of course, in fact I can get you a third one to take as well". 

So, that's one of the things we're doing and if you'd like to be involved you are welcome to donate money by sending a check made out to LQVE, because yes, we are an official 501c3 now, to 13923 S Brougham Cir Olathe KS 66062 or if you want to give by credit card, simply click on the donate page here at LQVE which will redirect you to the LQVE HAITI donate page at MidAmerica Nazarene University as LQVE isn't quite ready yet to take credit card donations through our site although we will be in about a week.

Thank you, thank you and my fourth sentence is something like this... people all over the world should be generous in giving toward Haiti and all the people who will be affected by this storm, but it's completely OK, understandable and needed for you to take a minute and do some research on how funds have been misappropriated in the past by watching things like Poverty Inc, and reading books like When Helping Hurts which will probably steer you away from huge government organizations and toward smaller, grassroots organizations that you have a connection with and have trust in which leads me to say that my personal experience with Heart to Heart International has been outstanding and furthermore that every dollar given to LQVE for Haiti will wind up serving the neediest and/or will wind up literally in the hands of the neediest in Haiti. 

Hurricane Matthew

Hurricane Matthew is currently making its way through Haiti. The areas that LQVE has been involved in will definitely experience damage. We're waiting to see how much. My boy, Shay, is already scheduled to go down this coming week. If he's still able to go, his trip will turn into a disaster relief trip with friends from Heart to Heart International. It's possible that much of what we'll be doing over the next few months in Haiti will be disaster relief. Please pray with us that the effects of the storm will be mitigated, that homes and crops wouldn't be destroyed and most importantly that people would be safe. 

Who Could Have Guessed Any of This?

When you’re poor, you’re unencumbered. This gives God plenty of room to move in your life.

Those who mourn are lucky. Grief is a prerequisite for joy.

If you are driven by scarcity, then you’ll constantly want to cut in line, but if you live in abundance, then you’ll be willing to wait.

You cannot be filled unless you are hungry and thirsty.

Giving mercy away expands your soul.

Setting your heart on God gives clarity of vision. It’s not so much that you see God, but that by God you can now see. 

Peacemaking is different than peacekeeping. Those who figure it out are blessed with child-like wonder. 

It turns out the persecuted are happy. They are driven deep into God’s kingdom. Who could have guessed this?

Who could have guessed any of this?

What are LQVE Trips to Haiti like?

LQVE HAITI trips are crazy, bouncing up against your neighbor, sometimes carsick-inducing S.U.V. rides up and across tropical mountains. Sometimes the riverbeds serve as roads and sometimes the roads serve as rivers. You’ll smell poverty and see inequality. People who have nothing will offer you food. It’s food you wouldn’t choose to eat here, but you’ll eat it there because people who have nothing have offered it to you. You’ll eat thankfully. You’ll hold naked children willingly. You’ll enter into conversations with people who speak a different language intentionally. You’ll be disoriented, overwhelmed, and exhausted. The roosters will crow long before the sun rises. The goats will be neighing long after the sun sets. The bugs will be huge. There will be more than one flat tire in the middle of the jungle. Someone will get sick. Children will play with your hair. The humidity will increase as quick as your personal space decreases. You'll work hard. You’ll be hot and sweaty. The people you are with will have an unpleasant aroma. If you’re lucky enough to have a shower, it will be very cold. Electricity will be intermittent and wi-fi even intermittent-er. You’ll wait for planes, people, vehicles, translations, food and a bathroom. Sometimes you won't even know what you are waiting for, and at other times it won't even matter because what you wait for will never take place. You, in essence, will not get to do anything you would normally choose to do for an entire week. What’s crazy is that this whole thing is going to set you back a couple of thousand dollars.

Even crazier?

This will likely be the best week of your life. 

LQVE 2017 TRIPS!

It’s time again to make plans for next year’s LQVE trips. Three teams will be heading to Haiti March 13-20, 2017. Each group will be working on projects, yet to be determined, while serving the people in the Southeast part of the country. The first two teams, one comprised of high school, college age, and adults and another from MidAmerica Nazarene University will be doing similar activities. A third group made up of age 18 and above will be hiking! That’s correct, if you’re looking for an extreme, 40-mile, immersion hike to the Caribbean then this is for you. The $500 non-refundable deposits are due for these trips this week, so contact Amanda Stolba ASAP at arstolba@gmail.com.    

And, breaking news, two LQVE teams are headed back to Haiti the week of July 17-24, 2017. If you’re a female soccer player, this is the week you need to circle on your calendar. We’re proud to announce that former MidAmerica Nazarene University women’s coach, Rocky Orton, will be leading youth skills camps in three different Haitian communities. (Check out Heart of America Athletic all-Conference player, Kalyn Pfaff, with Haitian girls below.) If you’re looking for a week to teach kids, play soccer, meet new people, and have the time of your life you better get in on this trip. Deposits will be due Feb 1, 2017. Again, contact Amanda Stolba ASAP at arstolba@gmail.com for more info. 

LQVE's Most Recent Trip

Teachers we are privileged to be supporting in Cascade Pichon, Haiti. Some of these young educators walk a couple of miles, one way, daily through the mountains to teach. They are, without a doubt, heroes. 

After a soccer game in Bleck we gave away jerseys (from MidAmerica Nazarene women's soccer team) and soccer balls (from Challenger Sports in Lenexa, KS). 

The LQVE 2016 Summer team: Todd, Logan, Trent, Kalyn, Cliff, Evan, Bre, Landon, Morgan, Blakely and Tamron. (Bill's not pictured!) They're standing in front of the Cascade Pichon Elementary school. Prior to the school being built in 2013 only one student had ever passed the state's exam. In the last 3 years over 40 kids have passed. We have a responsibility to help the community to keep moving forward. 

Here's Bill. I'm still not sure how he found his way into a Haitian parade, but here's the proof!

The cascades of Cascade Pichon.

Asmeen and her sister, Amaleen. Two of my favorite girls in Cascade Pichon.

There's something special about watching kids play with matching jerseys! 

A Fraction

Your Mom
And I
Plus You
Made three
We knew
With you
Our life
Was sweet

Then love
Brought more
And more
Brought life
Three became
Four
And four
Became five

We laughed
Surprised
What luck
What joy
Our life
Was whole
Part you
Part boys

But, then
The cloud
The ice
The wreck
A piece
Is gone
Our hearts
Bereft 

            And our sweet addition
            Is lost in subtraction
            With your great promotion
            Life’s left us a fraction

Reminding Myself God is Good Every Morning

There are days I don't feel like doing as much, but most mornings I run through a litany of prayers and creeds. In my grief, these prayers and creeds remind me what I believe; that God is good and cares for me. Some might say, "Sounds like you're trying to talk yourself into believing in your God."

Yep.

As if you don't utilize creeds to talk yourself into believing in your god?

Everyone uses creeds; some are just unofficial. If you serve the god of money, you tell yourself you’re nothing without money. If you have an abundance of money, you tell yourself things like, "I can do whatever I want with my money. It's mine." Either way, these are just creeds. They become the way you talk yourself into believing in your puny little god of money. If you serve the god of immediate gratification, you'll tell yourself when you access that porn site that it doesn’t hurt anyone. Oh, brother, It’s just a type of creed you use to talk yourself into believing your impotent god. If you serve the god of feeling sorry for yourself, you'll tell everyone how bad life is. Your grumbling and complaining is just a creed to talk yourself into believing your small, diminutive god.

So, yes, my creeds and prayers, among other things, remind me of who I believe in and whom I am trusting. I would die for these prayers and creeds. And in fact, in many ways I am dying for these prayers and creeds, but I look forward to the day when all things will be made new. I believe, I believe, I believe that the Lord is my Shepherd, that He walks with me in and through the valley of the shadow of death and that He is with me. I prayed it this morning. I'll pray it again tomorrow. 

 

New LQVE FUTBOL Shirt!

Our new shirts have arrived just in time for the summer soccer (futbol) season. You don't care about the summer soccer season, you say? Fine, wear this in any season! It's the same 60/40 cotton, polyester blend as our regular LQVE shirts which means it's super comfortable.

Given the design and that the GPS coordinates are of Quincy's soccer field, here's what people have been saying about this shirt: "It's cool."

Yes, we agree.  

ALL proceeds from the sale of this shirt go directly to the communities in S/E Haiti that LQVE HAITI is working with. Dare. You. To. Buy. It. HERE.