1st week

We have finished the first week of English Camp! Things actually went quite smoothly and we are very happy for that. The only bump in the road was that more than 50 campers showed up throughout the week and there was some confusion about who had or had not turned in paperwork. We have had a ton of fun and the kids are starting to learn a lot. Some are able to recite a couple of Bible verses in Jeremiah. Most of the kids can sing the chorus to the theme song for the summer. The little ones made motions for "down by the river, roots go down by the river. down by the river , up come fruit and leaves are green". They are absolutely adorable!!! Our kids are younger this year. We have a number of 5 year olds and only go up to 16 or 17 this year. The majority of our campers are 6-11 yrs i would say. SOOO cute. We went swimming yesterday for friday fun day and none of the campers could swim. They had a blast just splashing around all crammed in the shallow part of the pool together. SO FUN!!! Keri and I have been giving Bible lessons about Jesus being our "Perfect Tree" and how we need to stay connected to Him to be able to be strong branches and to produce fruit (fruit of the Spirit) --love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. This next week we will focus on love and in the following weeks after we leave they will finish up with the other 8 fruit. I may not get a chance to blog again until I get home, so stay tuned for pictures and to hear about our second week. Love to friends and family!! I can't wait to tell you how the kids enjoyed all the crafts, games, song books, and t-shirts you helped provide. Love, SARA

1 week until Haiti

Thanks to a few of my closest friends in Winona Lake I was able to raise close to $1000 for crafts, games, school supplies, and camp t-shirts. Thanks to Jon, Nicole, and Jessica for all your hard work and most of all for your love and support!! I miss you guys a ton! The painting you see here is an original watercolor by Nicole Moore and is this summer's camp t-shirt design. AWESOME Nic!!!! The verses you see on the design, Jeremiah 17 and John 15 are our theme Bible verses for the summer. We will focus on being rooted in Christ and producing the fruit of the Spirit. I wrote a theme song for the summer called "Down by the River". Here are the lyrics:

Don't be a weed tossed in the wind. Send your roots down deep, go down down in. Trust that Jesus cleans your sin. Go down to His river and JUST RIGHT IN!

CHORUS: Down by the river. Roots go down by the river. Down by the river, up come fruit and leaves are green.

The sun comes up. Its HOT HOT HOT. I'm not scared. No I'm not. I'll stand strong and I won't go. I'll stand with Jesus and GROW GROW GROW!

CHORUS: Down by the river. Roots go down by the river. Down by the river, up come fruit and leaves are green.

I can't wait to see those kids singing and dancing again!!

Keri, Joe, Emmanuel and I leave on Saturday June 28th and return July 13th. Emmanuel is a 7 year old Haitian boy. He is living with Keri and Joe currently and recieving medical treatment for club feet. He will be coming to Haiti with us to visit his family and then will return to the US for more treatment. Please pray that his paperwork goes smoothly so he can return to the US with us. He has never been able to walk and with about 1 more year of treatment he should be able to walk for the first time. I have been living with Keri, Joe and Emmanuel for almost three weeks now until my apartment opens up in here is Vermont in July. I am blessed to see such sacrificial love in action as Keri and Joe love this little boy as if he was their own. Emmanuel is a precious soul !! And a TON of work :) Potty training a 7 yr. old paraplegic....phew!!!

Okay, stay tuned for news from Haiti !! Bonswa zanmi. (goodbye friends)

One year in review

What?...I have a blog....oh yah. This year has blown by. Last year at this time I was finishing up grad school and those of you who remember the computer fiasco/crash know that was a crazy time!! Seems like I just got back from Haiti and now I am preparing to go again. Yes folks, again. This time only for two weeks; the first two weeks in July. Keri, Joe, and I will be going and getting camp kicked off. I can't wait to see those kids again.

This year has been a good one. I loved seeing my best friend get married in September. It has also been great having time with my family, resting, and rejuvenating the financial situation didn't hurt either :). I have loved to spend time with my awesome neices and nephews, brothers and sisters, and dads. And mom...what can I say...I love my mom, so this year has been great. However, I feel a change in the wind and I will soon be off. I spent a week in New England and had two interviews. I accepted a job in southern Vermont. I will be a houseparent for 7th and 8th grade girls at a large residential school/home. Check the place out at www.kurnhattin.org. It is a great place.

So, once again, on June 7th ish I say goodbye and move on. God's ways are above our ways and beyond our searching out. "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps" proverbs 16:9. I'm am so thankful for a God who is in control of all things and will be with me no matter where I go. He is my constant.

More to come about the move and Haiti.

PICTURES...FINALLY!

Sorry it took me so long to get back to the blog. Hopefully some people check it.

Last Week

I don't really know what to say about this last week. My heart is heavy, but the joy I have is deep and strong. These children have been such a blessing in my life. They have taught me so many things. There were many tears at our closing ceremonies yesterday. The little ones put on all their peices of armor and sang "Joshua fought the battle of Jericho". PRECIOUS! A group of the girls sang a song to Keri, Lisa, and I thanking us for all that we did. Yes, phew phew, tears. My class performed their skit, there was a dance, and a rap, and some stories kids wrote. And one last time, we all recited Ephesians 6:10-20 together.

I said I have learned a lot, a lot about a passion to learn. Who in the states would ride in a tap-tap (taxi) for two hours here and back every day to come to camp?? Yes 2 hours, a 14 year old and her brother who is 11. AND NEVER a complaint! I have learned about joy and peace and strength from little Emmanuel and his smiles. His face radiate and this after so many losses in his short life; his mother to AIDS, caring for his baby brother, living in an abandoned warehouse with his grandmother, and not able to go to school. I can't even begin to tell you all that I have learned. Each beautiful face represents a story, a life, many of which we will never know all of the details. But what we do know is that we were here...here to open up the gate and welcome them in with a hug, a touch, a smile, and love every day for 6 weeks. God only knows what that means to them. And now we leave them to "stand firm" together. And wish a reminder that God continues to wait for them "at the gate" every morning to hear their prayers and to meet with them. I know that for me each hug was a touch from God to my soul. Jesus loves the little children, this I know! I have no more words.

I will probably continue to blog here a few more times but I'm not sure I will keep it up too long. Thanks for all the support and love. I'll be on my way back to the states tomorrow afternoon. I will post more pictures when I get home.

"rapping" up

This Sunday our camp kids are performing a few things they have learned. We hope to get most of the kids to church. We will be reciting our camp verses, Ephesians 6:10-20 in English. The older kids will be performing the RAP they created. The little ones will be yelling out our theme phrase "my God is so BIG, so strong and so mighty, there is not one thing my God can not do for you and you and you". They are so cute. And then we will all sing "Come and Go with me to my Father's House" in English and Creole. Next week is our last week of camp. We will be giving out backpacks full of school supplies on Friday to each kid. Their parents will come for a closing ceremony and each class will hopefully have something prepared to perform. Mine is working on a skit about Paul. Not sure I have any star actors so it might be a struggle. Anyway, hopefully this weekend will be a restful one because we are all dragging badly and so exhausted.

BIG NEWS and more

First of all, I want to tell everyone about Wandy. He is a 13 year old boy who my friend Keri brought to the states last year for surgery on his head. He was severely burned when he fell at the market into some boiling oil. If all goes smoothly with paperwork Wandy will be flying out of Haiti with Keri and I when we leave on the 12th. So, here is where you all come in. Keri has personally taken on the cost of helping Wandy. I would love to give her a gift of money from anyone who feels like supporting this cause. Wandy's medical visa costs around $200 we think and his plane ticket was $500. If anyone would like to give money it would be best to write a check to me and send it to Sara Frantz 3148W 1050N Milford, IN 46542. Mom, I guess this would be one more thing for you to put in my pile of mail for when I get home :) Anyway, I just wanted to put that out there.

SO, now to the other BIG NEWS. I have mixed emotions on many levels about what I am telling you all. I recieved a personal email about two weeks ago asking if I was interested in a job. The job is a temporary one year position in the Wawasee School Corporation, where I grew up. They are looking to hire a full time school psychologist and need someone to take care of business until they can hire someone. Being the person that I am, I let life come to me, and I feel God opens doors for a reason. So...I said yes. It will be a great opportunity financially as I will be able to stay with my parents. But I am deeply sad not to return to Indianapolis. Living with my parents at 26...hmmm, that does something to the pride as well, but luckily, my parents are great! I just have to trust that God knows what he is doing and jump on for the ride. I will miss GG19 to death and I love you all. I will be coming down to indy soon to see you all, don't worry :). I do however start my job two days after I return home so it might have to be over a weekend. So anyway, camp is coming to a close and I am starting to feel that sad closure lump in my throat. I just love these kids! Can't wait to share more later.