We're Home!

What an amazing ride!  Can't believe the week is over.  There are so many blessings, so many gifts.  The hot and sweaty work, side-by-side with the Haitian workers;

the time in the classrooms with the children;

 

after hours with the community;

 

 

 

a ride in a tap-tap and a visit to the Village of Hope, a community for the deaf;

 

 

 

 

a return visit to La Tremblay, where we worked last year;

 

 

 the "mass grave," a very powerful and somber experience.

Each year is the same.........  each year is different............  As the sign says at the memorial for the thousands who died from the earthquake on January 12, 2010, and were buried in a mass grave, let us not forget Haiti.

Mid-week Update

Wow, what a week it has been already in Leveque. The church has been so welcoming. The Principal shook my hand and hugged me. We are visiting classrooms and encouraging them to be a follower of Jesus thru the Matthew story and "fish" bracelets. We are also reminding them of good hygiene. We invited women of the community to join us for the making of handbags out of hand towels. They came!!!

The work has been slow but we worked very hard on Tuesday. Once again, the food has been wonderful! See our dining room. Rose is our cook and she is great! So are interpreters, Ricardo and Leonard.  It is no surprise that God is blessing the team in amazing and wonderful ways, bringing us closer together and closer to Him. Bondye bon!  God is good!

We made it!!!!

We safely made it to Haiti.  The traveling was rather uneventful; we did have an hour delay in Miami, but arrived to a newly renovated airport in Port-au-Prince.  It is awesome.  The trek thru Customs and the baggage area was nothing like the old "black cave," as Sarah of the Guest House described it.  It was a piece of cake.  We got all of our luggage and met Jackson and his men who escorted us to our transportation.  Ricardo met us at the airport and will rejoin us in the morning; he's one of our interpreters.  We got an orientation for the week, including our work in Leveque.  According to Sarah, they are getting close to completion of the new church.  We will be hauling concrete as the contractors work on the walls.  Before that, we will get up early tomorrow morning and leave at 6:30 am to worship with the community of Leveque.  This was a blessed, blessed day, and we reminded ourselves that it's a new experience for each of us.  So, let us be prepared for God's plans.....  See our beautiful team at the Methodist Guest House below.

Easter

What a glorious day!!  Although there were only Pastor Jim, Diana, and myself, the OHUMC congregation at the 11:15 service prayed for us and the team and commissioned us to go forth as the hands and feet of Christ.  Last days of preparation, all the while knowing that God is in control.  So, our most important item on the list is to be ready for His plans.  Thanks be to God!!

March Update

Our assignment is Leveque, a small community approximately two hours north of Port-au-Prince on Route National 1 along the bay.  The community of Leveque houses a small Methodist Church that was damaged beyond repair in the earthquake.  The old church has been demolished and we will continue the contruction of the new church building.  Our accommodations will be in the newly-built school in classrooms upstairs.  There are two latrines and a flushing toilet onsite that are designated for the team, and a tiled area for bucket showering as well as one shower on the facility.  There is no electricity but we will have a generator.

 

We had our final team meeting on Palm Sunday before we leave on April 6.  Our team picture doesn't include Shannon, but she will be a welcome addition to the team.  The team will be commissioned at the 11:15 service on Easter Sunday.  Pretty exciting!!

 

 

Our plans and preparations are coming together but we reminded ourselves that God may have other plans... So, we need to be prepared.  There have been many donations of health care kits.  But, we're in need of nutritious snacks, heavy-duty tarps, small hand tools, and games.  I am certain the Lord will provide.

February Update

We had our first team mtg on Feb. 10, 2013.   The team consists of Diana and myself, Mike Manning & Doug Ragsdale from Buda UMC, Pastor Jim Roberts and his daughter, Shannon, and David Matustik and his daughter, Rachel.  AWESOME!!!  Flight reservations have been made for all team members.  And there's room for two more if God calls.

We sent our project fund of $3,500 on Feb. 22 to GBGM to be matched by UMCOR.  Thanks be to God for His provision.  Prayers for Buda UMC which will be having a special offering during its Communion service on March 3.

We have requested to have Ricardo as one of our translators again this year, and I had a brief telephone conversation with him on Feb. 20.  He had heard the news and was excited to be joining our team again.  Only 6 weeks away!!

January Update

Well, we have 6-7 confirmed team members - Diana and myself, Pastor Jim Roberts and his wife, Jan, Mike Manning & Doug Ragsdale from Buda UMC.  David Matustik is pretty sure.  Diana and I just made our flight reservations, so I'm starting to get excited.  OHUMC will be dedicating a special Communion offering this Sunday, Feb. 3, to the mission trip.  I am trusting in the Lord to provide for our needs and for the needs of Haiti.