Sponsors Needed
After many delays due to COVID 19 and the upheaval in Haiti, our wonderful Assistant Director Luckner Estimable was able...
Beate Rufft, was introduced to Hands Across the Sea and our founder, Karen Huxter in 2010, after seeing the devastation of the earthquake and wanting to volunteer in the country. An elementary school teacher in Ontario, Beate has previously worked with homeless children in Columbia and orphans in El Salvador. Beate is currently serving as Board Secretary and travels to Haiti each year. She is a proud to support the vital work that HATS does for the children and families in the community of Deschapelles.
After many delays due to COVID 19 and the upheaval in Haiti, our wonderful Assistant Director Luckner Estimable was able...
Hi everyone, it’s me again, Beate… Sadly, I won’t be making the 2085 km trek to Deschapelles again this year,...
Karen asked me to write a blog for the website, and the first thing I did was to look at...
One of the reasons that I fell in love with the Hands Across the Sea Mission, is that Karen Huxter,...
Ah Haiti….Ah HATS…How can I ever express to you all how happy and blessed I am to be back? There’s...
Blog from another family member of HATS-Haiti – Beate Rufft Hello everyone Thank goodness for photos! I take so many...
Hey all, it’s Beate. As you already know, I got to have the one and only Karen and Luc stay...
Hi Everyone, it’s Beate. So, I’m going to HATS at the end of July, but I figured that it’s never...
Beate’s writing this from “sunny” Toronto! I’m writing this blog to officially thank everyone for their amazing generosity during our fundraising...
I’ve lost track of the days, so I apologize ? for not writing a blog sooner. The days certainly have...
Oh yes, it’s Friday Night….Ladies Night! You know, when you get to be my age, with a grown up daughter,...
Hello my friends, Heather is gone….Karen is gone…who’s left at HATS you may wonder? Why it’s Beate!!!! Yes, Karen trusted...
Two accidents and a wedding, but we weren’t involved in either! But I have to ‘back up’ to our arrival...
It’s Sunday and what a great way to start the day…we went to church of course. Yolene led the service,...
Well, we’ve been without internet for the last few days, so this blog is coming out late. Mind you, I’ve...
If you’ve ever considered sponsorship, now is the time to do it. Your donation truly does make a difference!
I have absolutely loved the Haitian people and Haiti the three times I have been there. I go to bless them, only to be blessed myself!
This is my first time traveling outside of Canada and I am proud to say it was for a mission trip. I have always wanted to go on one and see what it like in other parts of the world and do what I can to help out. Haiti is a terminus life change for me and how I look at things. Seeing these kids and how they have such a passion for each other and for us is truly inspiring. I look back to what I was like at that age and I don’t think I was half as kind or generous as they are. This morning we did devotions and as I was speaking about what an impact they had on me only in one day I started to tear up…it was very emotional to talk about.
After years of thinking about it and months of planning for it, it seems strange that our time in Haiti is over. We have been asked by a few if it was like we expected. Well, no. I’m not sure what we expected, but our minds could not have fathomed what we have experienced, and we can hardly believe that our 3 month stay has come to an end. HATS really became home away from home for us. We knew we would enjoy getting to know and spending time with the kids but we had no idea how difficult it would be to leave them. They sneak in and steal your heart without you even knowing it. We have left a piece of our hearts in Haiti and can’t wait for the day when we can return.
I am so thankful to God for allowing me the opportunity to be here and experience his splendor. This day will forever be in my heart and mind. The scripture that resonates with me today is “…whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Matt 25:40. I am so happy I decided to come to HATS, this experience will stay with me for my life time.
I spent a week in Haiti at HATS in November 2017 and it was a wonderful experience. Karen is an amazing woman and is doing amazing work. She is dedicated to the children in her care and is changing lives. I would love the opportunity to visit again and help out where I can.
One thing that has impacted me on this trip is seeing the children and all the dedication in this orphanage. There is so much going on behind the scenes to keep the HATS orphanage and school running.
It’s going to be impossible to put my thoughts into words about this experience, so I’d say this – if you can get here – do. I think most people probably think they’re coming to help others. To some extent, that’s true (at least this temporary blogger thought so). To a larger extent, you’ll leave Haiti a better person than when you arrived. Nelson Mandela once said something like “Everywhere I go, I wear you”. It means that none of us is our own person entirely. Rather, we’re the culmination of the people and experiences we have had. I leave Haiti wearing 16 HATS children, 10(ish) Haitian staff members, a Calgarian, 2 Winnipegian’s, and a Newfie. And I couldn’t be happier about it. Until we meet again my friends.
Thank you Karen for everything you do, all the hard work and dedication that you put into this place, all of the work behind the scenes. Thank you for putting up with all the craziness that we bring when we come to your house for the week, just thank you times a million and one for everything Karen. I can write about my week until I am blue in the face (maybe not write that long but if you know me I can definitely talk for that long), and can sing about kit kat bars until my voice gives out, but I cannot even begin to try and articulate in song, dance, or other random art forms how thankful and blessed I am to have been given this experience not only once but twice! Thank you – thank you – thank you – thank you!!!!!!!
Such important work done with LOVE and commitment!
The time has passed so quickly. We know what we’ve done this week is important and makes a difference here at Hands Across the Sea. But it’s easy in Haiti to feel that anything we do here is simply a drop in the ocean. So much need on so many different levels: political, organizational, educational, social, spiritual…But we remind ourselves that each individual life is of infinite value so changing the life of one child and one family is worth the effort.
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