Haiti
Everyone has heard about the devastating earthquake in the Southwest of Haiti. It is heartbreaking, gut wrenching, and extremely painful...
Karen Huxter, the founder and Director of Hands Across the Sea, was born in Springdale, Newfoundland and is proud of her Newfie roots and heritage. She lived in various places across Canada such as Quebec, the Yukon, Ontario, Alberta and BC before moving to Haiti in 1995. In her professional career, Karen worked in teaching, banking and administration and did extensive volunteer work with community groups and charities. A mother of two grown daughters, one young adopted son and seven grandchildren, Karen is energetic and passionate about the work in Haiti. She loves each of the children and has a heart of compassion for children, women and families in the country of Haiti.
Everyone has heard about the devastating earthquake in the Southwest of Haiti. It is heartbreaking, gut wrenching, and extremely painful...
This memories blog will consist mostly of photos of Haiti. My eyes are wet as I post these photos, the...
A friend from Springdale NL, Cavell Simms, wrote a poem for me 24 years ago, after I had been living...
Haitian-Canadian teenager goes sightseeing in North America’s oldest city. In early February 2021, Luc and his mom drove from Springdale...
Congratulations Jean Jacques (JJ) JJ age 19, my eldest at the HATS mission, graduated grade 13 at our school, IMKH,...
This week’s blog is a ‘Flashback’ of almost six years ago. Blog was written by brother, Don, after 9-year-old Luc...
Our children are all well. These very recent photos will attest to that. Jonathan Dickieson Sandra helping prepare spices for...
Many of you have been waiting and watching for some word from Hands Across the Sea-Haiti. I must ignore my...
HATS-Haiti’s school IMKH is very active. Our school started again in August, but not for the new school year 2020-2021....
Greetings everyone, I decided to again post a blog I wrote 5 1/2 years ago, when I had been in...
Check out this wonderful article posted on the Cape Breton Post on September 16th, 2020: Cape Breton teen’s delicious cupcakes...
Missing my life in Haiti and my children I started going through some photos. Not having blogged for awhile I...
Hello again. This is the fourth and last blog about the precious children at HATS-Haiti that I love and miss. ...
Introduction to/update on, four more children greatly loved and deeply missed by Mama Karen. Karena Mariah Pierre Karena 11 1/2,...
Now to tell you a little about four more awesome children Mama Karen loves and misses a great deal. Dieunel...
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I am so thankful to Jesus for the opportunity to serve at HATS and to finally experience the great work that God is doing there. I look forward to seeing them all again when I visit next time.
Amazing organization! Had the pleasure of visiting twice, and can’t wait to go back again someday. God is doing some wonderful things at HATS!
It’s my hope that I manage to touch their hearts in some small way, the way that they have touched mine – in a major way.
It is our last day and there is always a certain amount of sadness and joy when we come to the end of a trip . We look forward to our homes and loved ones but there is a part of us that wants to stay and be near these dear dear children. They open their hearts and arms to you when you enter the front gate. They give you laughter and tears all week long and then they cry and hug you when they know you are going away. Being near that kind of unconditional love effects us all very deeply. So we leave part of our hearts here and promise to return.
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.
This week has been amazing – one of the best weeks of my life thus far, hands down. I can’t really think of any other experience in my life that can even come close to comparing to this. Though my visit here was short (too short), it has been incredibly eye-opening, and life changing. I will never forget the people I have met here, or the things I’ve gotten to experience! Most of all, I would like to say how remarkable it is to see first-hand the amazing work God is doing here. I am behind this ministry 100%, and will continue to support it. I am so, so blessed to have been given the opportunity to come here, and I am REALLY not looking forward to saying goodbye to the children tonight. My heart sinks just thinking about it. There’s no doubt that they’ve had a bigger impact on my life than I’ve had on theirs. I will be leaving a big piece of my heart with these people and this country. God bless.
Culture shock for this Canadian team at first, but a ride through busy, vibrant streets proved terrifically interesting; busy markets, vendors selling exotic fruits, clothing and shoes, used tires and rusty metal… and then the gorgeous countryside: banana plants, mangoes, cows and goats and pigs and dogs, the Golfe de La Gonave by our side. Rice patties indicated we were close to our home for the next week. We were greeted by Magalie, a house mother, with hugs for all and, of course, the children themselves, so gorgeous and endearing. A beautiful meal was followed by a sharing of impressions: there is a lot of poverty but so much potential and hope. We are already in love with Haiti.
I had anticipated that I would enjoy spending time getting to know the children and being a part of Karen’s daily life in Haiti but I had not anticipated that it would capture my heart like it did. I will miss spending time with the children and Karen but I am hopeful that I’ll be able to see them all again in the not too distant future.
We have so enjoyed our time here. The work we have done has been fulfilling, the fellowship has been memorable and our hearts are forever impacted by the sweet, sweet children. A piece of HATS will always stay with each of us and who knows, maybe a few will return!
I have learned much about Haiti in my short stay here, much about generational, entrenched poverty, and much about hope. We can only be part of the bringing of hope if we become one small actor on the huge stage that is poverty. Thank you, Lynn Clark, for inviting me to share this life changing experience with you, and thank-you, Karen Huxter, for investing so much of your life in a work designed to bring hope to those who need it more than any Canadian could ever imagine.
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