A Little Help from my friends.

So thankful to Justin Lukasavige for believing in the "story" of Jacmel Bay. Today on his call in talk show Coach Radio, he reviewed my new website jacmelbay.com . I have come a long way and he has encouraged me all along the way. I still have a lot of learning to do. Justin made some good suggestions on the program and I have made some changes and will continue to make the changes that are possible to make. (Some things can be changed  because of the limitations of the web host.)
I am so amazed and thankful for the encouragers that God has put along my path as I run this race! Having people believe in your vision makes all the difference.

Mother's Heartbeat

Mother's Day. Flowers and candy and breakfast in bed. I have marketed my necklaces as wonderful gifts for your wife and mom. And they are. Each piece of glass carries a story of hope and redemption. Each is a mystery and a repurposed beauty. Some pieces more rare than others. Some considered precious to sea glass collectors. One especially is highly sought after. Red glass.
Often when people inquire about my necklaces they will say "Do you have any red?" And this is the story I will tell them.
Red is precious. I have had a total of three pieces in the last two years. Some people search a lifetime for even one of these pieces. I found one on my very first day of collecting sea glass in Jacmel, Haiti. One of my deaf artists found one and I was given one.
I tried to make necklaces with these but somehow it did not seem right. I knew I could not sell them. They were too precious.
 Then this past winter we heard of the death of a baby. The mother of the child asked that people who attended the funeral should wear red. At that moment I knew. I knew that these pieces were far to precious to sell. The Mother's Heartbeat necklace was first created for this dear woman as a memorial to her most precious child. Just a token really for this child is so far more precious than anything that could ever be made.
Since then I have made one of these for my closest friend whose son died eleven years ago. I will never forget him and still after all this time I know the pain remains. With each birthday and anniversary...it still hurts. I want to remember with her. His life mattered. Her pain still matters. This necklace a visible token to wear close to her heart that says "My child is precious."
Today with tears I fashioned my last piece of glass. Loosing a child is always the worst heart break a woman can know. To loose a baby just a few days before Mother's Day....really I don't even have words. But I want to acknowledge that is child matters.  Even thought we will never see the baby's face this side of paradise this child is precious. Precious to the mom and dad. To me. And so precious to God.
So I send this necklace off. With love and with prayers. Knowing that a Mother's heart is broken but also knowing that God holds her baby and he holds her heart.
Remember this Mother's Day those around you who will not get flowers and candy or breakfast in bed. Those who are aching for their children and those who are longing to have children. Mother's Day is a painful time for them. Acknowledge them. Honor them. And love them.

Home from Jacmel. Remembering Day One.

When I packed to go to Haiti I tucked in my small journal having decided to at least write down points of interest that I might want to blog about later. But as the days passed that did not happen. I was convienced that I could not foget any of the details.
The truth is that there are so many 'new' things to see, heard, taste, touch and smell in Haiti that sometimes it blurs..times and days run into each other. And Haiti is like Narnia with it's own measurement of time so different from our own world. I will try to capture some of  what is left and write it out out the next week. For me mostly..to remember...
I started my travels on March 19th. Overpacked with dontated kites and bandaids, gun parts, a doll, hairbands, teeshirts , 700 count sheets and various other gifts. My first bag weighed 48 lbs. and the second was 51 lbs. The woman at the AA counter waved me on. My carryon was another 30? lbs and my backback close to 20. I was on my way..
With an overnight in Miami my biggest concern was claiming my bags and finding a shuttle to the hotel a friend had graciously provided with his 'points'. I remembered a friend saying to me "Denise, you travel to Haiti alone...and you are afraid go to a hotel by yourself?" Point taken. I put on my big girl pants, collected my HEAVY bags and found the shuttle. I checked into the nicest hotel I have ever stayed at and called it a day.,,,

A Second Short video of the Jacmel Bay Artists at work in Haiti

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Meet the Jacmel Bay artists

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Reflection

Tomorrow will make two years since the quake that rocked Haiti. It seems like several lifetimes ago.
I was about to start my first sign language class at the community center in my small town. I was desiring to work with the deaf in Haiti and offered this class for a donation to the work in Haiti. As the students entered in a took a seat my cell phone rang. It was Pastor Frank from the Source church. He was not my pastor  at that time but we had worked together in youth ministry a few years earlier. His voice was serious when I answered. "I just heard the news about  Haiti. I am calling to see if your daughter is alright." My heart raced as I told him I had not heard anything. I could not image the images that would fill my TV screen in the days to follow.
I powered up my laptop and within five minutes had a message from my daughter. "We're fine." That was all. At the moment it had to be enough. The director of Joy in Hope followed up with a phone call. We were so blessed to have not lost communication with Gwenn and Nick. The amazing fact was that most had lost communication but by God's grace they still had Internet. Not always dependable but as least we were not completely cut off.
Because they were still able to communicate somewhat the countless inquires began to pour in. Families looking for families. Friends looking for loved ones. Joy in Hope on the ground in Jacmel became the eyes and ears and hands and feet. They worked at fever pitch for months on end. No matter how much was done there was still more that needed doing. In the midst of all that was going on there was still a family to care for.
For my part Haiti began to pulse through my veins. I loved Jacmel before the quake I mourned for her after.
Their orphanage was standing but for many weeks the staff and family feared going back inside. The after shocks continued for many months. The after effects are still very evident. The emotional aftershocks continue. For Gwenn and Nick..and for all of Haiti. Two years and 200 thousand lives ago.
Pa Bliye Ayiti. Don't forget Haiti.
http://youtu.be/b6C0hQT5uD8

A proud mom

Very excited this morning to listen to this podcast where Stacey Gagne did an interview on WJTL talking about Jacmel Bay. The really exciting part was when she spoke of one of the Jacmel Bay artists showing up at the hotel to sell his necklaces!!! I could not be more proud of him and I have to tell the world!!!! (podcast Stacey, Oct 27, 8 AM)