back to haiti

Dear Family and Friends, I have been a part of University Presbyterian Church, and more specifically their Young Adult group Convergence, for a year and a half. One of the things I love about this group of people is their ongoing passion for the world. One of the partnerships UPC has is with a missionary couple in Haiti. Bruce and Deb Robinson are committed to living with, encouraging and empowering the Haitian people through their ministry and through Bruce's skills as an engineer. They have helped build sustainable irrigation systems, provided clean drinking water to large communities and provided jobs for people, along with so much more. <BR><BR> In January, I was part of a team from Convergence and we got to go down and participate in Bruce and Deb's ministry. Our experience was unique because we were there when the earthquake hit on January 12. It was devastating to the people of Haiti and we saw a lot of the effects, but that was just a part of our experience. We also got to help Bruce get a lot of organization done as well as help with electrical wiring and starting a school foundation in a community called Foison. April 7-17, 2010 UPC is sending another team to come alongside Bruce and Deb and the Haitian people. I have been given the opportunity to return with this team and continue the work we started in January. Some of you may know that I'm a bit of an adventurer, and haven't really focused on anything specific in my life recently. After my trip to Haiti in January, I have set some goals for my immediate future that will hopefully lead me down more long term paths. I will be leaving my full time job at the bank I work at to return to school. I have approximately 2 years left of my undergrad, which I hope to complete at the University of Washington in the International Studies program. There are several other exciting things on my horizon, but we can talk about those later! On this trip to Haiti, I hope to gain more experience in engaging and empowering the people around me (both the Haitian people as well as our team), and to develop my passions for people in other countries and cultures. There are a couple ways I would like to invite you to participate in this with me: • Prayer Support: Prayer is crucial. Pray for the people of Haiti that are still dealing with the ramifications of the earthquake. Pray for Bruce and Deb as they continue to minister to the people there. Pray for our team as we grow together and engage in our environment. Pray for me that I will be able to give my all for the time we are there. • Financial Support: I have to raise $1500 by the time we leave in April. I have enclosed a response card with more specific instructions. The cost covers all travel expenses, as well as in-country costs. Thank you all for your continued love and support. I look forward to sharing more with you about this process and what I'm learning as I go. With Love, Carly