Community Minded Youth- Lori Gallagher

Community-Minded Youth
FreddyLink travelled to Haiti in March so local youth could interact with their Haitian counterparts
By Lori Gallagher
The Daily Gleaner, March 21, 2015

Earlier this month, young leaders from Fredericton had the life-changing opportun-ity to spend time with their counterparts in Haiti.

They made the trip from March 3 to10 as part of a team of 20 from Freddy-Link, a local group that links individuals in Fredericton with children and families in need in villages in the Cobocol and UDICC area development programs in the central plateau region of Haiti through World Vision.
This is the fourth time FreddyLink has taken a group to Haiti and organizers say this one was a couple years in the making. The spark for this trip was ignited during the group's last visit in 2013, when Heidi Billington stood in the newly built Centre of Hope.

"This trip is basically the unfolding of that moment," says Bernie Zebarth, the Freddy Link project co-ordinator.

"I just came home with this urgency that we needed to have our own young people be as articulate and take as much ownership in the leadership of their community," says Billington, the family ministries director and the team leader of the most recent trip. "It birthed something called Camp Lead, which is a week in the summer."

Beginning in the summer of 2013, the Camp Lead group at Smythe Street Cathedral did a variety of things, from helping out at the food bank to visiting TreeGO to using public transit, all to help youth develop different skills.

When the week was over, two of the kids asked Billington to not make them wait until the next summer before she gave them the chance to lead again. That motivated her to begin a monthly boot camp.

"Once a month on Sundays in the afternoon, we have boot camp and do a variety of things," she says.
For example, the kids created the church Christmas play that year, have had motivational speakers come in, visited the pediatrics ward at the hospital and are planning to visit a seniors' home in May.
On top of the need to do something with Fredericton youth, while standing in the Centre of Hope in Haiti, Billington says she knew that centre was something she could work with.

"In my own history, I've worked on a native reserve and in Newfoundland doing kids' programming throughout my youth," She says. "Though I've never done it in a foreign country, I was motivated by, 'What If?' Our whole motivation (at Smythe Street Cathedral) is to partner with parents to raise their children up as young leaders in the church and in the community."

After returning from Haiti in the spring of 2013, they pitched the idea of doing a vacation Bible study type of visit to Haiti connecting young leaders to World Vision. Organizers kept moving in that direction, finally getting an official go-ahead in September 2014. They assembled their team, including young leaders ranging in age from seven to 22, and began fundraising.

Maxwell Goodine, who is about to turn 13, and his father Ron Goodine were part of the team.
"My dad came to me and said, 'I think this trip is going to change how we think about the world;" says Max. "At first I didn't really agree."

But as the trip got closer, he says, he realized more and more that his dad was right.

"I just really wanted to have the experience to see what a third world country is really like, to see the difference from Fredericton," he says. "I wanted to see life in the trenches.”

Though he had a general idea of what to expect, Max says the reality was quite different.
"For me, it was the contrasts, rich and poor. That was shocking,” he says.

The group arrived in Port-au-Prince then travelled to Hinche where the team from Fredericton met the children they sponsored through FreddyLink and the young leaders from Canada and Haiti teamed up to do a Vacation Bible School.

"It was fun. They were so welcoming, with open arms, which just blew me off my feet," says Max. "We learned about God, we kind of did our Sunday school every day. We kind of took Smythe Street and we brought it to Haiti."

The concept was that the young leaders from Fredericton would be matched with young leaders from Haiti, and they would do the programming together, says Billington. Originally, there were 40 Haitians registered to take part, but it turned out to be a lot more than that.

"Although the exchange didn't happen exactly the way we had planned,” she says, there was still a wonderful exchange of leadership over the three days.

The adults in the group also had some great experiences, including a visit with the mothers' group and getting to see the goats that Frederictonians fundraised to buy for the area.

Billington and the others admit they are still processing the trip, which took them back to Port-au-Prince for a couple days before they came home.

"I always find a trip to Haiti looks different than was intended on paper, and I knew that going in,” says Billington. "Let's follow this through and see what it means for the kids and for the parents."
She knows the value is there and expects it will continue to reveal itself over time.

"It was an astounding success," says Zebarth. "The whole point is to develop relationship."
And that's what they did, with the young leaders from Canada and the young leaders from Haiti interacting and running programs, he says.

"It was all we had hoped," he says. "The exposure for people like Max was outstanding."

It opened the eyes of the members of the Fredericton team to a completely different environment.
"They hear about it, but it's something else to see it," says Zebarth. "They see it, they live it, they breath it. It's just different.''

Max says he returned home with a much better sense of how blessed we are.

"We walk five steps and I can get fresh water from a faucet," he says. "There it was one kilometre."
And that was after a well was dug in the community. Prior to that, people had to go much further for something we have easy access to.

"We debriefed at my house this week and one of the kids, he's 11, said, “I went to school on Monday a little happier to go because I realized that education is so important to my Haitian friends," says Billington.

Ron Goodine says that in his walk with God, he often sees himself in a support role, always there to help others and happy to do what he can. That was the role he planned to play on this trip as well.
"On a personal note, I got a secondary benefit. It really charged me up internally. My faith for me as a Christian, I got filled up way more than I thought I ever would,” he says.

He sits on the board at Smythe Street Cathedral, has gotten updates about Haiti and the Freddy Link project over the years, but having the chance to experience it first hand was eye-opening.

"It's changed me,” says Goodine. "I'm still working through a lot of it."

Billington notes that Haiti has been a part of the story at Smythe Street Cathedral since FreddyLink began.

"For these kids who went, they walked through it in their way over the last five years, too. It's neat for them to actually make those connections," she says. "And neat for me to share Haiti with all these people that I love."

One of the people she got to share it with was her seven-year-old daughter Zoë Billington, who was the youngest member of the team.

A highlight of the FreddyLink trip is the chance for participants to meet their sponsor children. This time around, more than just meeting them, says Billington, the children were around all three days that the young leaders were working together.

The Goodines met eight-year-old Ysemna, who spoke pure Creole, not French or English, which made communicating a challenge. They were still able to connect and have special moments with her, like when the little girl sat with Ron Goodine to watch the other children play a game of soccer.
"I had crackers and I gave her a bottle of water and we sat there and had a picnic. And then she starts singing, and she starts kicking her feet," he says.

They visited again and again over the next few days.

"It really hit home, the connection - and really with no words being spoken," says Goodine.

"She had this really great smile, and she was always so happy,” says Max.

Billington says it was neat to be able to see her sponsor child again, this time with her daughter.
"She shot up so much in the last two years. I couldn't believe how healthy she was,” says Billington of Michaela, nine.

"And she took to Zoë... Michaela lead her around. It was so neat to see them forge that interaction."
She adds, "Zoë had a bookbag of little toys and dolls and crafts that she had brought, and they would hide under the table and play together. It was so neat to see them just naturally doing those things outside of the programming we had."

To learn more about Freddy Link and future plans, including the March 2016 Business and FreddyLink Volunteer Exposure Trip, visit freddylink.com.

Matt Hanson and his 14-year-old daughter Emma Hanson travelled to Haiti with FreddyLink, where the highlight of their trip was the opportunity to meet with their sponsored child Jovanika. PHOTO: Submitted by FreddyLink Team

"It was just so reassuring"- Lori

"Every decision is made with the utmost respect" - Sandra

It sure has been a wonderful experience to see first hand how this organization operates!   I’ve always thought ‘it is wonderful what they do’,  and that’s it!

Now I realize the amount of work that goes into the program.  The children’s safety and welfare are pivotal in every little decision.  One example would be (and we wouldn’t think of this), some sponsors wanted to give the children ipads, and World Vision would not allow this as they have GPS’s in them, in one area they had APPLE design the ipads without the GPS system so they couldn’t be tracked by child predators.  Again, we wouldn’t necessarily understand why they wouldn’t allow this.

Every decision is made with the utmost respect for the family and sponsored children.  They are very careful to form boundaries and not intimidate in any way.

Imagine  for a minute, what it would be like for us, if someone came into our city and wanted a complete stranger to start corresponding with our children, and often receiving gifts as well?   Regardless of how little we had, it still may be intimidating as a parent!

I have learned a lot about this organization and am so proud to be associated with it if only in a a small way!

God Bless them for all they do. J

Be Still- Devo's Day 2 with Taylor

"Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth. The lord almighty is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress." Psalms 46:10 Life will be busy, things are bound to be hectic. Life can be stressful and subject to endless change and pressure. What will happen next? How are will we make ends meet? Something I've learned in the last year and that I find applicable to every area of life, is that we don't need to know all the answers. If we are busy being busy and in constant worry, God’s voice can be nearly impossible to hear. So what can you do? Jesus says to simply... Be still. Before we get caught up in the craziness of our lives, we need to take a step back and be still. Take that extra moment to put a stop to our day and be with God. If we are busy being busy and in constant worry, God’s voice can be nearly impossible to hear. But, it is during our purposeful inactivity that we will see God's perfect productivity. Our problems will seem smaller once we realize that our God is so much greater. He has a plan for our lives. We need to take that moment, surrender and be open to what He has set aside for each of us. So, What does this look like for our everyday lives? Let go, be quiet, and be physically & mentally still.

Forever Changed- Cheri meets the mother of her sponsor child Kenema

“How was your trip?”  Such a simple question but one that has such a complex answer.  There are no words to do it justice. 

How do you put into words the emotions that run through you when the mother of your sponsor child gives you a hug and thanks you for sponsoring her child to help ensure he gets an education and health care?  Or when she tells you that she thanks God for you and prays for you every day? 

How do you put into words watching those beautiful children light up when you give them something as simple as a piece of candy?  Or a bottle of water?

How do you put into words driving along dirt roads with huge potholes and seeing shacks all around you that these people are living in and know that the only difference between you and them is where you were born?

The only words I have are “forever changed”.  A piece of my heart will always remain in Haiti with its beautiful people.

Something I'll never forget- Matt shares a common love for music

Going on a mission trip was something I had wanted to do for several years but the right opportunity hadn’t come along. Several months ago, after attending a concert here at SSC, my wife and I made the decision to sponsor a child through World Vision and we requested to have a child from the Cobocol ADP that we, as a church, had chosen to sponsor. This was the beginning. When we first heard mention of this trip, I didn’t really give it a lot of thought. Our lives are so hectic and money always seems to be so limited. But later, it came up again and there was a lot of support from our family so we decided we’d ask about it. The rest is history really.

We decided Emma and I would go. As we expected, it was life changing. There are so many stories I could tell, meeting our sponsor child was incredible, but something that was especially meaningful to me, was being able to share musically with a particular young man there who I had an almost immediate connection with. On or first day at the Centre of Hope, as we were arriving and starting to set up, Heidi suggested I get out my guitar and play some music to “break the ice” so to speak. I did, and Brad and Ron joined in and sang with me. With started with a fairly modern tune. That attracted the interest of some of the older boys in the group. We then opted for something a little more traditional and I began playing “How Great Thou Art”. Before we knew it, we went from a trio to an octet as five young men joined us, singing in Creole. It was very moving and got us off to a great start.


One of those young men, whose name is Joseph, was clearly very interested in the guitar.

We carried on with our activities which included teaching a song called “Show Me Your Light” , our theme for the week. After we had done that, on our second day at the Centre, Joseph approached and asked me if I could show him how to play it. He had been plucking away at the guitar a couple of times but really seemed to want to learn more. There was a large crowd around which made it difficult to communicate, despite the fact he had a basic knowledge of english. Although there was a lot going on, we decided to go sit outside where it was quieter and I proceeded to teach him the 4 chords needed to play the song. As simple as that may sound, it really gave us a chance to bond and over our common love of music. For that brief period of time, I almost forgot that we came from completely different worlds, that he was only 15 and I’m…..older. For the remainder of that day, and the next, whenever I wasn’t playing that guitar, he was, and he practiced those 4 chords, over and over and over. I only wish that I had a guitar to leave behind. I was so thankful to know that Mark Miller had captured this in a photograph. It’s something I’ll never forget.

Holy Interruptions- Devos Day 1 with Kathryn

If you are anything like me, than sometimes the Bible stories that you have been taught/heard a thousand times can begin to lose their “wow” factor. This often happens until God reveals a new reading or understanding of these well known stories. This is what happened with me and the parable of the Good Samaritan. 

Jesus tells the story, found in Luke 10: 30-37, of a man who is beaten and left for dead on the side of the road. A priest is the first to pass by, but when he sees the man he crosses to the other side of the road and continues on his journey. The next man, a Levite, does the same. Finally, a Samaritan man comes along and helps the wounded man, even taking him to an inn and paying the innkeeper to take care of the man. 

What I noticed and found interesting is that there is a common experience had by all three of the men who passed by the wounded man. In each case there was a interruption to their daily lives, and only one allowed himself to be interrupted. This is what I am going to call “Holy Interruptions.” Sometimes God is going to place things, people, and situations in our lived that will interrupt the schedule of our lives, all for the glory of God. Something i’ve found is that it’s not only important to look at the words that Jesus says but to also notice his actions. Not only did Jesus talk about being interrupted, but he himself was constantly interrupted in his ministry. 

A couple chapters prior to the parable mentioned, found in Luke 7: 1-17, is one of the many examples of how Jesus was interrupted. As Jesus was on his way to another village he came across a funeral procession. When Jesus saw the dead man and his mother “his heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” he said. 14 Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up.” 15 Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother” (NLT).  Jesus was most likely on his way to do more ministry when he was stopped to preform a miracle. In Luke 18:15, we see how Jesus allowed himself to be interrupted again, even when his disciples thought he was too busy and Jesus allowed the little children to come to him. 

We need to be open to be interrupted in our daily lives. If we are too caught up in the schedule, planning, and trying to make everything run perfectly, we might miss an opportunity that God has planned for us. 

I spent 5 summers as a counsellor at a bible camp. My first summer on staff, one of my campers passed me a note one evening which said something like “can I talk to you sometime,” to which I quickly responded “of course! We can talk tomorrow.” The next morning came and I was quick to continue on with the daily schedule and programming for that day. I didn't think much about the note as I thought it would simply be a funny or silly story that she wanted to tell me, as was often the case. The morning passed and I still hadn't taken the time to talk to the camper. Finally after lunch, during rest time, I went over to the camper and quietly asked “what is it that you wanted to talk about?”  To which she quickly answered  “I was just wondering if you could help me ask Jesus into my heart.”  I was floored. This was the first camper that I had the privilege to help lead to Christ and I almost missed it. In camping ministry, a major part of the ministry is the games and activities, but I was so caught up in doing that aspect of the ministry that I almost missed the bigger picture. I almost missed helping someone make the most important decision because I wouldn't allow myself to be interrupted. 

My prayer for the team during our time in Haiti is the same prayer I have for myself in every day circumstances. I pray that we would let God be our eyes to see the needs of those around us rather than focusing on getting from point A to point B. I pray that we would let God interrupt our lives for His glory. 

“Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand”   - Philippians 2:4 (MSG) 

Taylor meets her Sponsor child Kenema

It was March 4^th, the day the team would travel to Hinche, the community where we would finally come face to face with our sponsor children. After a long, winding drive up a mountain side and a day to settle at our hotel, we arrived at the Center of Hope on March 5^th. The team set off to explore this beautifully God-filled and life changing building with anticipation in their hearts. Shortly after, a busload of Haitian children arrived at the door. My eyes scanned furiously through the crowd searching for the face of a boy I had never met, but somehow felt so familiar to me. As I watched the team connect eyes with their sponsor children, my heart swelled and eyes watered. How surreal is it, to write a family so many miles away for several years, and to finally put a voice to those letters, a smile to that photo and a hug to that long distance connection. However, my sponsor child was yet to be seen. A large chunk of the afternoon went by before I found out that Kenema, my sponsor child could not make it. Disappointment and confusion rushed through my mind as I wondered how I could travel so far, be in the same community, and yet be so far away from Kenema.

Day two approached and there was still no sign of my sponsor child. It wasn’t until the end of the day that my heart would be forever changed. As the team readied to board the bus to travel Hinche visiting the local programs implemented by world vision, I was informed that we were to make a pit stop at the ADP (Area Development Program). As we drove into the driveway, a large band spread across the porch of the ADP building. The team got off the bus and was serenaded with a beautiful Haitian band full of familiar faces of the children and youth we spent the previous days with at the Center of Hope. As the music filled the area it was then that I laid eyes on Kenema and his mother. Five years of writing letters, receiving annual updates on his health and education led to this very moment. The world seemed to stop, as I thanked God for this beautiful, healthy boy before me.

After the music ended, Kenema and his mother came down to my mother and I, along with a translator. Words will never be able to express this moment. As we knelt down to introduce ourselves, tears choked at the back of my eyes. “It is so nice to finally meet you…” This sentence still blows my mind. World Vision went above and beyond to give me the opportunity to meet Kenema. I later found out that Kenema was not able to make it to the Center of Hope the last couple days because his grandfather was very sick. This family who I have never met before this day, paused their life in the midst of a very real struggle to meet me. Never underestimate the impact you have on the life of not only your sponsor child, but also their entire family. “Kenema talks about you all the time.” His mother says. “He says how much he loves you and looks forward to meeting you and your family. We pray for you daily! Will you please continue to pray for us too?”

            Before leaving the ADP, World Vision informed me that they would do everything they could to ensure that Kenema would be at the Center of Hope the following day. Sure enough, the very next day I found myself playing soccer in the hot Haitian heat with my sponsor child. I watched as a smile spread across his face as we kicked a ball across the grass.

I return home with an overflowing heart. One that is still trying to process what this entire trip holds and means for my life. But, one thing is for sure. My life will never be the same all because of one hug. One hug from a boy I began sponsoring 5 years ago.