Haiti Day 3

Day 3 of Haiti went like this. We woke up early and went to the church to do a medical clinic. How we set it up was there was a Haitian guy who helped the people fill out their paperwork we needed from them. All we asked for was their name, date of birth and any previous conditions they new about. The sad part was that most people had never been to the doctor before. In fact a lot of the older people didn’t really even know how old they were or when they were born. It was very sad. I was in charge of doing height and weight of everyone. I worked with a guy named Reynold and we worked pretty hard on it. The babies did not want to be measured at all. They cried a ton. Because we took a medical team with a wide range of specialties they were able to check for all kinds of illnesses. We brought some basic medical supplies to help out what we could. The biggest issues were mainly due to dehydration and malnutrition. A guy came who had taken a big chunk out of his foot with a machete three days prior was able to come get his foot stitched. There was a definite difference though in the kids who we feed. They were in much better physical condition. That is an encouragement.

A team of us went to go check out the Hands and Feet project that is only a 20 minute drive away. The rest of the people stayed to continue the clinic. Mark Stuart was actually there visiting the orphanage he started . My Pastor Jamie George and a group of men from my church were also there working hard. It was amazing to see all of the work they have done and see their amazing facility. The people at Hands and Feet are truly amazing. They have over 30 orphans that they are raising currently within their program. We did see where the hurricane had caused mud slides that had ruined a wall. They are rebuilding the wall much stronger.

Later that night we had a service at the church where we welcomed the community and shared with them some tips on hygiene. Rufus Howe lead the way with his medical tips and Robin shared a lot with the females a bunch of things. The translated words were actually pretty funny. I had a hard time holding it together during this part. I know, sometimes I am still just a boy. You could tell a lot of the people had never learned any of what we shared with them. They were listening very intently. I know they appreciated it a lot. We passed out tooth brushes and tooth paste after Linsey Watkins who is an audiologist demonstrated how to protect your ears and properly brush your teeth and gums. This day was a great day and I really have a lot of respect for people in the medical field. They have skills that are a very practical way of helping people.

I almost forgot. Pastor Lafleur thought it would be fun to take motorcycles instead of the tap tap to the church service. Really most of them were pretty much scooters but to sound cooler than we really were we’ll just call them motorcycles. In Jacmel you can take a motorcycle just like you can a taxi. you just jump right on the back of one and they take you where you want to go. They all insisted it was safe and away we went. Of course their were no helmets and safe is a relative term.
I uploaded pictures below so you can see more about our day.

CLICK HERE TO SEE PICTURES FROM DAY 3 OF MY TRIP TO HAITI TAKEN WITH MY IPHONE!!

Post Haiti Day 1 and Day 2

I returned from Haiti late Monday night. I had to leave a day to process before the blogging begins. I will be doing multiple blogs to tell the story of our trip. If I fit it all in one blog it would be too long for people to actually read it. Plus I need more time to process. The question I keep getting asked is how was Haiti? Well, Haiti is a mess. I have traveled to many places in the world, but I have never scene a place so destroyed. A man on the trip described Haiti as a place that looks like 6 months ago a nuclear bomb went off and the people are still trying to recover. Day 1 we flew into Port Au Prince which is a major city. We drove for an hour through what can only be described as extreme poverty. People trying to sell anything they can to make some money. They were living in aluminum little shacks that were smaller than most of our bathrooms. The amount of garbage just everywhere was unbelievable. The government has no organized trash pickup so there were literally rivers of trash everywhere. The people just were trying to survive. There were pigs and goats everywhere along with very mangy dogs. After a scary drive up a giant mountain we finally got to Jacmel where we would be for the rest of the trip.

The second day we got up early and led about 250 kids through games, songs, and crafts. They loved it. We had a lot of fun too although we were all very very hot. The sun is killer down there and the humidity is worse. After spending many many hours with the kids we observed the feeding program that we support. The local pastor there feeds the kids out of his home. The homes there are a lot different than homes here. The homes there are basically small rooms with sometimes separate rooms and every once in a while someone will have a toilet. Through the money that Conduit has given them we have bought them an industrial size stove that has really helped them to be able to make more food for the kids. We also bought them a really big chest refrigerator to help keep the food and water cool. They feed between 75-100 kids 3 times a week that otherwise wouldn’t eat. The food they give them is a big plate of rice with a stew like substance on top. The kids walk in the room, take a squirt of hand sanitizer, then take their seats and sit patiently and wait for Pastor Rodrigue to bless the food. Pastor Lafleur who lives in Antigua, but who is the main contact for us said that he normally can’t stay at the house for the feeding program. The reason is that there are a lot of people who are outside the gate to the house who cannot be fed yet. This makes him too upset to watch. There are a few ways that kids get to eat. 1. They are sponsored monthly by someone. (I will give more info on how you can sponsor a kid later) Along with feeding the kids the monthly sponsors also send them to school. There is no government assisted or funded schools. If the kids can’t pay for school, they don’t go. 2. When Conduit or other organizations support them monthly they take the money and they feed extra kids but do not send them to school.

We also got to see the house we are building. The house we are building is to increase the feeding program. Pastor Rodrigue and his wife will live in the new home. The house will also have some extra rooms that will serve as a safe place for missionaries visiting or others who may need a safe place to sleep. The foundation of the building is completed and the walls are up and the ceiling. Part one is to get the downstairs done. The plan is to build 2 more floors in the future. With the money we brought down with us to give them we only need $16,000 US to finish the home. I am very excited about finishing the house. So many more kids will be able to be fed once the house is completed. After this we walked for miles around the mountain and visited the families homes that we support. How we got around was by riding in what they call a tap tap. A tap tap is a truck where there are 2 benches in the bed of the truck. We all road in the back and hung on for dear life. When you are ready to go… well you.. tap tap.. ha.. This was the first night of the cold shower. We slept at a hotel in downtown Jacmel. This place was a safe haven for us. We had wi-fi at the hotel, but the electricity turns off for a few hours every day. The hotel rooms had air conditioning when then the power was on and we were greeted every morning at 5am by a very loud rooster who felt the need to remind us every 2 minutes that it was time to wake up.

This is all the info that I am going to share right now. Click the link below to see some pictures I took with my iphone from day 2. Check back for additional blogs about the trip. Thanks for all that have been reading my blogs.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE PICTURES FROM DAY 1 HERE!!!

Haiti or Bust!

I am about to go to sleep because I have to be at the airport at 4:30am. I just wanted to remind everyone to please be praying for the team of us that are going to Haiti. I am very excited to go there. I really pray that we will be able to really make an impact on that country. I know that we will also be impacted too. We return Monday night very late. I will try my best to keep everyone updated while I am gone. I was told that we have wi-fi in the hotel we are staying in. I am not taking my computer but my iphone should do everything I need to. Thank you guys very much for your support financially. Without your help this trip would not have been possible. I look forward to talking to you all soon.

last 2 days

Today (25th) and tomorrow (26th) are the last days 2 days to donate to my mission trip to Haiti through The Conduit.
I am very excited to go next Thursday. I can’t say I am completely ready because I am not. I am still getting used to being home and to be honest with everyone I have really needed time to recharge. I do know that I will be ready by the time that next Thursday comes around. Thank you to the people that have donated already. I still have $500 left to raise, but I know that God is faithful. I will update my blog as often as I can during the trip.
Have a great day!

Mission Trip to Haiti

I will be going on a mission trip to Haiti from  April 30-May 4. I am very excited to go. We will be working with the people who we support from The Conduit. I am very excited to see the people we are already feeding by our monthly support. I also want to get a better vision for the future of what more we can do to help the starving people. I am in need of some money to help with the $800 the trip costs. Thank you very much!

Life Changes

My family and friends,
I am currently typing on my iPhone while sitting in our big blue van driving on the autobahn. Our destination is Bern, Switzerland. There have been many life changes that have happened in the last few months and many of you don’t know about some of them. I appologize if anyone has felt out of the loop or confused as to my situation, so here it is.
When I found out that Amber’s band was going to be going on tour throughout Europe for a couple of months we started figuring out how we were going to see each other and not be apart long. During that struggle to figure it out I became unsettled in my current job situation. I have loved working for Prosys and I have learned so many things that I am greatful for. I have also learned new skills that I will use for the rest of my life. The unsettling part was that I was not a part of anything creative. Many of you know that I helped start a non profit organization a year and a half ago. I am so passionate about what we do at The Conduit. I love feeding kids who wouldn’t eat if it wasn’t for what we are doing in Haiti. I also love supporting drug and alcohol rehabilitation places like Place of Hope in Columbia, TN. The struggle in my mind was how do I utilize some of the passions of my heart, be creative, make money to pay bills, and not spend a lot of time away from the love of my life?
Some pieces started falling into place about 2.5 months ago when I found out that I was going to be laid off from my job. I was given a few months to find a job and still get paid. I was confused and sad at first but I quickly realized that this might be what I was praying for. I broke the news to my cat Dude first and then I told Amber and the other cat Lucy. They were all very supportive As many of you know the next step for me was that I went on tour with my wife’s band Everlife to Europe for the last month and a half. I have been the lead guitar player and it has been great. I know I have talked about some of the struggles during the tour, but I wouldn’t trade these experiences for the world. I have been creative musically for the first time in a while and I am spending every day with my wife, my sisters, and some of my closest friends. Plus we are seeing the world We have three shows left and I am pumped to play in Switzerland and Austria.
You may be wondering what is next for me. To be honest I have no idea. Yesterday was my official last day at work although I was half way across the world. I go in to say goodbye on April 8th. This will be very sad for me because I have really grown very close to my co workers. They have become great friends, some the kind you keep for a life time. I play my last show with Everlife in mid April. We are playing in Jacksonville, Florida and then going to Disney World for two days!! (thank you Mr. Mouse for free passes)
The last thing is that I am going to Haiti at the end of April for 5 days. I am very excited for this trip. I will finally get to see what we have already done there and get a vision for the future. I want to see the kids we are feeding with my own eyes. I want to actually picture them in my mind when I pray for them or when we send money to them. I want to see first hand what the needs are and plan how to help. I don’t know where I will end up from a job perspective, but I do know that my mission to help those in need is high priority in my mind. If you would like to donate to my mission trip to Haiti you can go to conduitmission.org and click the donate button. Please make sure that you put Jeremy Hezlep’s Haiti trip in the description. This donation will be tax deductible. I am going to try and put a donate button on this blog page too. The total cost of the trip will be between $800-$1000. I wouldn’t ask for donations, but well I don’t have a job right now.  There isn’t any pressure at all to give. I really just wanted to keep everyone informed as to what is happening in my life. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers during this time. I cherish the love you all shower me with all the time. I will keep you all informed as I know more. I love you all and don’t forget to smile today. (or tomorrow depending on when you read this)

P.S. I just added a picture below from my balcony now that we arrived in Switzerland.

11 days left

I am sitting at the 3FM radio station in The Netherlands and it is 5am. The iphone just added the ability to post a blog from your phone, so decided to check it out It also occurred to me that we only have 11 days until we come home. I am very excited to see all my friends and also my family too. I will miss my new friends in Europe though. Things are going well here. The show is getting better and better. I have been very inspired to play more guitar from this tour. I cant wait to dit in my misic room and write new music I am also very excited to go to Switzerland and Austria next week. The shows in Italy and Germany cancelled on us at the last minute so we won’t be going there this time around . Oh well we will be back for sure. We will be leaving the radio station in a couple of minutes so I will talk to you soon. I hope that everyone reading this is having a good day.

The struggle/joy of it all.

It has been over a week since my last post. The lack of internet has played a huge role in not updating my blog, but there are other factors too. The first is time. After the show in London we headed to Wigan, UK. This was our best crowd yet. The people that came danced their heart out and just had a blast!!! Next was Cambridge, UK. We played in an old Baptist church and packed the place out with a bunch of kids who loved the show. We got to meet a youth pastor named Dan who was very cool. We all got along so well with him and he was nice to let the 3 other guys crash at his flat above the church. The next 2 shows were in Scotland. Scotland is my favorite place we have been so far. The mountains were absolutely beautiful and there were sheep everywhere. I had daydreams of teaming up with William Wallace and taking back our freedom. After seeing a sweet castle I am still having visions of me with a sweet king beard and carrying around a sword. It would be great. Actually Travis and I were talking about how we would be shepherds too. Our new friend Aimee was the one who put together the 2 Scotland shows. The shows went very well. It is amazing that a 20 year old who is in college and has a job could put on 2 great shows. We all think she has a bright future ahead of her. Plus she was very cool to hang out. She didn’t feel like a fan, but a new friend. After Scotland we left at midnight and basically traveled for 24 hours before we got back to The Netherlands. 5 countries, a ferry, no sleep and lots of van time all in one day. it was pretty crazy..

This tour has not been easy for us at all. There is a confusing struggle happening. Part of the reason that i have not written a blog in a while is because I am having a really hard time figuring out how to communicate the battle in all of our minds. I feel so blessed to get to travel all over the world and see places that many of us have dreamed of visiting our whole lives. Paris, London, Scotland, etc.. amazing!!! For an onlooker it seems like a dream come true. On one hand it is. We are all creating memories that will last forever. Dreams of seeing Big Ben, the Eiffle Tower or Notre Dame are now images forever ingrained in my brain. The struggle is that this tour has required more energy than I knew possible to exhibit. I have been wearing too many hats. I am tour manager, guitar player, driver, sound guy, manager, accountant, merch counter, van packer, husband and I rotate between all of them without a clear balance. I have never been a part of a tour that has had so many stressful moments or moments where someone has to step up and solve something. I am learning so much as to what it takes to put on a good tour and also what needs done ahead of time to make problems not happen. The tough thing for me is when I am playing catch up on things that I could have prevented if just given the correct info. I am excited to see the places that we will be in the next few weeks, but there is a huge part of me that just wants to come home. I miss my family and friends. I want to be in Pennsylvania with my family today as they celebrate my precious niece’s 1st birthday and hold my newborn cousin Tenley.. I want to hang with my village from church. I want to eat Mexican food and play with my cats.

What is great and hard for all of us is that this tour is not like the Miley Cyrus tour or the Cheetah Girl tour at all. We have fans but we are not rockstars. We are putting in our “dews” just like many other bands have done. We are playing smelly clubs and then churches the next day. We are playing bars and then teen events. We have amazing sound systems one day and a starter sound system the next day i have to configure and make work. We sign autographs and then load our equipment into a tiny little trailer. We have to sit in a van for an entire day and then play a show at night. It is so hard to explain the emotions going through all of us, but I know that this is making us stronger.. I am loving this time and I can’t wait to tell my children and grandchildren some day how we trudged through Europe and beat the odds, but for now all I want is a good nap. We accomplished great things and we also failed at other. We have lived life these last few months!!

couple random pics

Here are a couple random pics from a show that Allan Reid a photographer in Scotland took from a show.
I thought I would share them. I will post more later of everyone else too and write a new blog too..

Paris, London, and hospitality

The show in Paris was very interesting.. We played at a place that really is known for having very experimental type of music and it was really odd.. There were bands that played and we thought it was horrible.. but then the bands were ending one of the weirdest songs and the crowd went crazy. they were cheering and clapping and wanting more from that band. That’s when we knew we were in trouble.. We went on at 11:30pm on a Monday night, so most of the people had left. The few people that were still there seemed to enjoy the show and a few of those people may not have been in the best state of mind to be honest.. We drove to London the next day. The drive was long, but broken up by a ferry to get from France to the UK. We got to our hotel in London and they did not have our reservation. I put the rooms on my credit card and just prayed that the venue would pay for it instead. We woke up Wednesday and took a train into London. We did a quick walk around to see the palace, Big Ben, and also Westminster Abbey. I really love London.. it is such a cool place.. There are so many things that I would love to see, but we didn’t have time to see it most things. We drove to the show and after having a hard time finding the place we eventually did a sound check and got ready to play. The show went well and we even had some fans that had traveled a long way to see us.. We played a place called The Borderline. The band The Fray played there last year and we were excited about that. The next thing that happened that night made my whole trip so far.

The venue payed the hotel room for Tuesday night so I didn’t get charged which was good.. The down part is that we were planning on them paying for Wednesday night also. Menno called some people he knew and 3 host families that are a part of Youth For Christ. They volunteered to open their homes to us if we drove to Cambridge which was about 1.5 hours away. We drove and found ourselves with 3 amazing families. The family me and the girls stayed at told us right away that they had to leave for work the next morning and to stay as long as we want and just shut the door on the way out.. They said this before they even knew our names. This home was full of love and joy and we really got to rest. I felt so blessed to have such an amazing family open their doors to us.. They fed us, gave us stuff to take with us, and offered anything that you can imagine to us. The reason that this struck me as so amazing is that this Christian family was truly being the church. They weren’t just talking about what they believed, or just showing up to church, they were living it. I am so far away from home right now and things have been very stressful at times. We all have been burnt out, fighting colds, or just plain exhausted these last few weeks. There was such a peace at these homes and just such love that surrounded these families. I felt the love of Christ in those homes and it blessed me. It also helped that the shower was amazing!!! We are hoping to stay there again this weekend.

We are now in Wigan, UK and getting ready for sound check. This show is going to be great!! I can feel it. The show is at a church and they have been so good to us.. There are already a bunch of tickets sold, so this place should be packed.. I will talk to you soon..

Jeremy