Getting to Haiti

Jacmel Bay has been evolving over the last year. It is exciting to see how things are developing!

From the beginning I knew that this business had to do more than just be a little business to give me part time employment. I desired to see  lives touched and jobs created.

When I sell my work a percentage of the proceeds goes back to Haiti. I love creating sea glass jewelry and find it a really satisfying way to spend my time. That is just one element of Jacmel Bay.

Working to create work for eight members of the deaf community in Jacmel, Haiti is another part. Here is how that works.

Jacmel Bay supplies artist with materials that are not readily available to them in Haiti. I work with them training and overseeing the project. Some necklaces are sold directly to customers by the artists to visitors in Jacmel. Other necklaces are purchased directly from the artists and I check them and package them. (This step will later be taken care of by others in Haiti.) These necklaces are used in two different ways. Joy in Hope missionaries have these necklaces available for personal fund raising when they are in the states on furlough. They only pay the cost of the necklaces and are not charged a handling fee. The processing and handling is a donation by the company. (As was the initial start up costs for this project.)

Another way these necklaces are being used is for fundraising for individuals or groups who desire to travel to Haiti on short term mission trips. I am really excited about this program because it is such a win/win/win/win situation. My artists win because of the quantity of necklaces we will be buying will in a short time will be able to give them a very decent wage. This is great for any workers in Haiti but especially great in the deaf community. Jacmel Bay wins because even though there is not a big profit per necklace selling larger quantities make it possible to offer huge discounts. The short term missionary wins because the necklaces sell easily and in a short time can raise the necessary funds for their trip. Then Haiti wins because those short term missionaries go to Haiti and help rebuild the country. It's a big circle. I love it~

Here is how it works:

You decide you want to go.
Jacmel Bay sends out 20 necklaces packaged to each team member. (At no cost at the front side of the sale.)
Necklaces can sell for up to $25/per necklace. At the end of an eight week period  $8/per sold necklace is due to Jacmel Bay. Unsold necklaces are returned. More necklaces can be ordered at any time during the sale but each order of 20 must be paid for first.
OR  you can get an even bigger discount if you purchase the necklaces outright. All necklaces paid for at the beginning of the sale will cost only $6.00 per/necklace!
Shipping fees will also be chagred as well as NC sales tax for NC orders. (on the amount paid to Jacmel Bay).
Contact me at dgoodale@ymail.com if I can answer any questions or if you are ready to get started! If you will be traveling with a team I will need some advance notice to be able to well supplies with sea glass necklaces from Haiti.

"What's in Your Hand?"

In April of 2009 I traveled with a team to Jacmel, Haiti to prepare a home for a young family who were soon to be full time missionaries there. That family was my daughter Gwenn, her husband Nick and my grandchildren Nia, Nico and Josiah. They would be establishing a home for orphaned and abandoned children.

I was at once captured by Jacmel and her people and I knew that God would purpose for me to do more than support and encourage my daughter and her family. That in itself was not hard for me once I had been to their new home. For many parents of missionaries this is a hard task and I so appreciate the pain that they experience when their children and especially grandchildren are on the field.

After the 7.0 earthquake that hit Haiti on January 12 th of last year I was left saying to God "I must do something! What can I do??" He replied in my spirit "What's in your hand?" and while I knew He was referring to the words he had spoken to Moses in the book of Exodus I also knew I did not have much to offer.

As I read and reread that story I realized that what God wanted was my commitment to obey and to use what He would/could provide. The staff in the hand of Moses was a staff. The staff in the hand of God was a miracle. A miracle that would deliver His people. Had Moses not released what was in his hand I do not believe that the miracles would have followed.

God asks us each the same question. For me the answer came when my daughter told me about walking on the dirty shores of Jacmel Bay and finding sea glass treasures with her children. I said I would like her to bring me some back to the US. She did. In fact it was about 30 pounds worth! I knew this was what was in my hand. I just did not know how it would become of worth for God's purpose. Two weeks later a two inch article appeared in my local newspaper. "Local Arts Council to offer workshop in wrapping sea glass." In the heart of God my ministry and my business ,Jacmel Bay, were born.

I took the three hour workshop and began selling two weeks later. Two months later I went to Haiti and began working with students in the deaf community teaching them what I had learned. Now, ten months later, Jacmel Bay is moving ahead with big plans and big dreams. Not because I am a wonderful sea glass artist but because I serve a wonderful creative God. Like Moses I feel shy about the honor of this position. I do not feel adequate to run a business or teach or lead. That is the truly wonderful and frightening thing for me. I am not adequate..but He is more than adequate. So I choose to release that which is in my hand and wait and see what will happen knowing that if I obey Him miracles will follow!