Nice Shirts!

Here they are...out again, running and getting in six miles. They are doing some short runs before the BIG day! It was a beautiful day to be out running and they look so great in the nice shirts made for the run. You can get one to support the relief effort in Pakistan and to support Waheed and Ken on Sunday at the marathon in Lincoln. I am excited and encouraged to see this effort and unity. They have worked hard...though it doesn't look like it to see them out running like it's easy.
Amanda Miller

Results?

We have been back in the states for almost two weeks. Life continues as it was, (outwardly speaking). This return feels different/foreign to me. We got back late on tuesday the 14th. I was back to work wednesday morning. No complaints. Although it has felt more strange than usual. Normalcy doesn't feel normal anymore. The first day we were in Haiti we went to visit the young mother whom we had built a house for. When we arrived the makeshift gate to her "yard" was closed as was the door to her new house. Three of her four children were sitting in the shade of the gate. I didn't think anything of it and asked the neighbors if they knew where she was. They told me she was out working or looking for work. I told them I would return later and asked them to let her know we had stopped by. After leaving the reality of her situation hit me again. The children are twins age 3 and baby age 2. The two year old was wearing a tattered dress and the twins were naked. They were sitting in the dirt waiting for thier mom to return.  I missed the gravity of the situation because i was focused on the tasks that were filling my mind. Passing over the opportunity  to sit with these children who were all smiles when I walked up. As i reflect, my preoccupation with accomplishment disgusts me. How is it that I say my passion is to love these and I walk past so I can "get something done". It is never supposed to be how much "ministry" I can quantify in american theological terms, but rather how I can love the hopeless. Please pray with/for us as we seek to honor Jesus amongst those we serve.

Brian  

What's in a name?

This quote from Juliet has been running through my mind today as I remember a special evening on Sunday. Mary, Cody and I went to church Sunday night to their showing of the Passion. In was invited to sit in the deaf area, as they found out that I knew a small amount of sign. They were SO gracious to me as I explained that I didn't sign very well and didn't remember some signs. As we were waiting for the movie to start, I was visiting with a precious woman. I was struggling to remember my signs as we talked about our kids. Someone asked my name and I finger spelled it. Then this woman gave me a sign name. This was significant and a precious gift to me. Now this may not seem like a huge thing but let me explain. In American deaf culture (I'm assuming it's similar in other countries), if you are hearing, only a deaf person can give you a sign name.
Indulge me if you will, but about 8 years ago I had taken an ASL class from a precious deaf woman. On the day of our final she was planning to give the class members sign names. However, I had a miscarriage at the end of the semester and didn't finish my class. She was understanding and passed me anyway. I was grateful, regrettably I never connected with her after that so I never received my sign name. So receiving a sign name was important to me and I had been waiting since then.

Now my current life path has taken me other directions so I'm not currently using my limited sign language skills regularly. (I'm planning to change that.) So imagine my trepidation when I'm in Haiti using my limited skills to visit with deaf Haitians. They were understanding and encouraging as we visited before the movie started. The next thing I know I'm being asked to interpret for the movie! At first I was hesitant but I wanted to bless them by trying. I told the Pastor that I was going to make an attempt and he brought me a chair. But I couldn't use it while signing because the second row would not have been able to see me. We had some technical difficulties during the movie which ended up being a blessing in disguise--I could sit for a little bit. A gentleman near me had to remind me the first two times that I could sit down while we were waiting.

During the movie, the Lord brought to mind signs I forgot and helped me summarize the words spoken. Because the
spoken words were in Aramaic, I had to read the subtitles and then sign. So I was standing in a weird position to see the movie and show my signs to the audience. He gave me stamina to stand and sign all the way to the Resurrection!

They were so appreciative and so gracious at my efforts. I had a small mob of thank-you's and hugs. I can't describe what I felt at that moment. This was definitely a wonderful time as in my weakness and limited skills, God was glorified! To this moment, I'm in wonder of God's faithfulness and hold my name sign (and it's story) close to my heart.

The photo is one of the deaf gentlemen that we happened to run into when we were in the market area on Monday morning.

Thank you for supporting our work in Haiti through your prayers and gifts.

Joan Hall

PS- For those who know sign, my name sign is similar to the sign for "juice."

We have returned back to Port au Price from Gonaives. It took more then four hours to reach and the ride was not surprising for me because in Pakistan we have same type of the ride and some times even worse because of the road in steep mountains.
Our  trip to Haiti is short but quite busy we have no idea how the days has passed like hours. I have seen the commitment and passion of our medical team Cody Smith and Joan Hall when they were holding medical clinic in the back of open truck under hot sun and their white faces are red hot but with smile of love and hope for poor of Haiti.
I am impressed by Brian Smith's effective use of time and his relationship with the people of the area.
I also want to share you the moment when Sir Ken and Aaron Hall were playing with the hungry kids before the food distribution, and the love that they were giving to them had taken away the pain of hunger for a while.
My trip to Haiti is quite a unique experience in my life and I am in wonder that only one and half hour of plane flight has changed the world. It seems like two different worlds and I was thinking what is the logic of Allah (God) behind this and I came to the conclusion that Allah (God), through this poor nation is taking the assessment of those to whom He has blessed a lot from His endless treasures of blessing.
We all believe that this world is a temporary place and our eternal life is waiting for us but are we ready to face the people like those in Haiti on the Day of Judgment?
I am thankful to all those who support me for this trip and I am looking forward to see how I can be able to serve these people. I have made some connection with the Pakistan Army who is serving in Haiti as UN peace keeping force. I will try to get all information about the scope of Pakistani Army to involve with Omaha Rapid Response relief activities.

Waheed Alam

I believe the work ORR is doing is great. God blessed me to be in the neighborhood of jubille because the children had no clothes or food and we were able to help with that. When I saw the children it hurt my heart to see their condition. Some children did not have any parents because they had died in the flood. They had no place to sleep at night. When we helped them, I think God was glad in His heart. Because there are so many people with many many needs in Jubilee. God was willing to provide through us housing and food for some of the residents of this community. Please pray that God would continue to provide for these people. So many people came to us with requests for help and we were unable to help because the need is so great.

We were able to pay a years rent for a widow with three children one of whom is handicapped. We also purchased for a single mother whom we had built a house for a bed, chairs, table and cooking supplies. Please do not neglect to pray for this community because the need continues to grow. Thank you friends for your participation in this work with us.

God bless you,

Jal Anglais

 We are leaving this morning for Port au Prince. Our last errand this morning will be going to buy a bed, some chairs and a large bag of rice for the young mother we built a house for, so she can resell it for a profit. When we interviewed her yesterday it broke my heart to hear of the diffuculties she has faced in her life and those she still faces today. Hopefully we will soon be posting this video on the website so everyone can hear first hand the struggles of a single mother in Haiti. For me this is what life is about. I feel more connected with the Lord and his heart when i am with my poor friends than any time i am "home" with familiar surroundings. I am encouraged as we partner together for the suffering and yet continue to feel the heavy weight of the hopelessness that is so prevalent here. Remember the poor today. Let's continue learning from them as we serve Jesus in thier midst. Thank you for the support it is evident that you are praying for us.

gratefully,

Brian

ORR Team had another busy day in Haiti

To day was a buys day for Omaha Rapid Response in Haiti! This morning Brian and I went fishing with Barnabus, a local fishermen we are working with. Fishing Haitian style is a little different then it is back in the states. No fishing poles or lures here. ORR has purchased 15 traps for Barnabus to help him with his fishing business. Barnabus is single handedly supporting and raising his four children.

We rowed out in a small wooden boat to a small island a few miles from Gonaives. There we went snorkeling after Barnabus checked his traps. He caught some fish, some crabs and an octopus. We also were able to get several star fish. I found a couple of conk shells and had my first raw sea snail… as in we all ate some. MMmmmmm.

One of the things we do at ORR is not just to “help people”, but forge relationships with them, showing them the love of God through relationships and helping with physical needs.

Once we got back from fishing we went to check on several projects we have been working on here in Haiti on an on going basis. We interview a women whose house we repaired. We also helped an elderly women with her rent so she and her children have a place to live.

We have also participated in the feeding program for the past to days, helping Emory and Mary Wilson feed the children in the Jubilee neighborhood. Jubilee is one of the poorest neighborhoods in Haiti. For most of the children, this is the only meal the receive all day.

This is ultimately is a short summary of the day, so much more has happened, it’s hard to put it into words. Please consider giving to our work here in Haiti. There is so much need, but ultimately these are human beings who need God’s love and God’s grace,… just like me.

- Aaron

This morning I woke feeling refreshed after all the hours of traveling it took to get here. Not the actual travel took hours but all the waiting took hours! We started this morning by going to Jubilee which is the neighborhood where we just recently built a house and where the feeding program is held. Brian and the guys went looking at the house and building relationships and such. Actually I feel I still don’t have a good sense of everything they did. Joan and I went with Emory and Mary on “house calls”. Emory told me last night there were several people who needed medical attention that he wanted me to see. So with about 4 different bags of medical supplies we started out. As time went by, what started as house calls turned into a tiny medical “clinic” held on the tailgate of Emory’s truck. I don’t know how long I worked there seeing person after person. I even try to remember back and count but can’t. All I know is that in the midst of sweat poring off of me and feeling like I was going to die of thirst Brian arrived saying we were going to leave after I was done with this person. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. In one way I was grateful because I had about reached my limits in the sun and heat. On the other hand, there were still people tugging on me to help them. How could I leave them? On one side of me there was a person so grateful and smiling that I had just helped them and standing on the other side of me was a person tugging on me and begging me to look at this, help with that. I am still struggling with the fact that I had to walk away from there knowing that I didn’t even make a dent in the amount of help these people need. It was heartbreaking, frustrating, and yet sweet with the love of Jesus all at once. I find myself truly smiling in the midst of trying to hold back tears and that it an emotion that is hard to reconcile within myself.

- Cody

An all-nighter with American Airlines - an ORR team adventure

ORR’s latest team to Haiti is experiencing the very UN-glamorous side of air travel. After spending over two hours stuck in Omaha due to bad weather in Dallas Texas, our first layover, we were finally able to get under way.

On our way from Omaha to Texas, we saw from the airplane the massive wild fires in Oklahoma and Texas which are now on the news. It was amazing how much area was burned and how much smoke there was, event from 5 miles high! Keep those folks in your prayers, as people are loosing their homes, livelihoods and lives.

Once we got to Dallas we discovered that we missed all our opportunities to get from Dallas to Miami, which is where we were supposed to spend the night. One upside to all this, is that we were able to meet Shunlee Fong, who just happened to be waiting outside our arrival gate when we got into DFW from Omaha. After a quick meeting and prayer, it was off to find out if we could find another connection.

Praise God, we were able to get a flight from Dallas to Atlanta Georgia, and then to Miami Florida in time to make our flight to Haiti. As we taxied toward the runway to leave for Atlanta they suddently took us back to the gate due to mechanical problems. Luckily, they were able to resolve the problem and we finally took off for Atlanta. Just another bump in the road I guess! The down side is that it is 2:44am Omaha time and were are all crashed here in the Atlanta airport, trying to get some sleep in amongst the noisy cleaning people, a new channel which is up too loud and full lights.

Regardless of all this, we don’t go on these trips because it’s luxurious or even fun. We do in service of God to show love and help to people who experience much more inconvenience every day than a few missed flights. Keep us in your prayers and we will keep you updated.

-- Aaron

Greeting’s from ORR’s latest team to Haiti! Currently we are delayed at Omaha due to high winds in Dallas, but hopefully we will be able to get moving soon. ORR’s latest team is populated mostly by ORR’s leadership team as we go to network and investigate future projects and check on one’s currently being worked. Keep checking back for more updates.

-- Aaron

"We did it" 20 miles!

Waheed and I ran and walked 20 miles yesterday. We are both doing quite well, but the 20 miles was a breeze for Waheed.
So as promised here is why we are running so much, if you didn’t already know.

We will be running the Lincoln Marathon Sunday May 3rd to raise money for a home building project in Pakistan. “And yes” we will be running in a Sharwar Kamiz (Pakistani National Dress)

(As pictured below)
There will be several elements to our fund rising. First people will be able to donate 1, 2,3 or more Dollars per mile that we run.

We will also be taking orders for T-shirts like the one we will be wearing during the race. It will say “Omaha Rapid Response Pakistan “ in Urdu ( Pakistan National Language) on the front and it will be in English on the back.

You can get these Shirts by sending us a check of $20 to Omaha Rapid Response PO Box 642323 OM.NE.68164, with a note giving us the size and numbers of shirts you would like to purchase.
You can also help by spreading the word. We will be posting on our website all the ways you can be involved.

If you would like to run with us, let us know (there is also a Half Marathon).

Ken Smith

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Sixteen Miles and Growing.

Back in Omaha Waheed and I have worked our way up to running 16 Miles now. Our goal is to get up to at least 20 Miles before the 1st Sunday in May. I hope some of you have been following our progress. There is a specific reason we have been doing this and we will announce what it is a week from today.
Ken Smith.

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Running Continued In Tampa

Waheed and I have continued running on our trip to Florida. The weather has been great over 80 Degree each day. This running thing is beginning to be easy for Waheed. Last Tuesday the 10th we ran 12 Miles.
The next day I asked Waheed “ How are you feeling”. He said I feel just fine.
While I was quite sore and tired. I think the difference in age and weight is beginning to show up.

Why on earth would we be running as far as 12 Miles?

I hope you are thinking about this.
More pictures and videos of our running adventure are coming, Please keep checking the blog
Ken Smith.

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What are Ken and Waheed Doing ?

The temperature is 10 F , the wind chill is below 0 F .
Waheed and I ran four miles, Waheed was sore the next day I felt just fine.
According to Waheed the only reason you run in Pakistan if you are being chased, or if you are chasing some one If you are being chased you have done something bad or if you are chasing someone then he has done something bad to you.
Henceforth, hopefully there is not much running in your life.
Most time is spend planting crops, feeding cattle, collecting fire wood, No Time for Running
So Whats Up ? Give us some feedback.
Ken smith

(Watch Video )