Gateway (Saturday)

It is hard to believe that we will be traveling back later today. Yesterday morning we split into three teams and working on school registrations, hanging cabinets, and finishing up the desks/benches. Then in the afternoon we traveled to Lahatte, one of the poorest schools up in the mountains. To get there we had to travel up a riverbed with cliffs upwards of 50 feet on each side. The truck couldn’t make it all the way to Lahatte so we hiked the last 1.5 mile to the small village. The school at Lahatte is the only buildings other than the huts that serve as homes. The people of Lahatte do not have much of anything except for a few pigs, goats, and cattle. The rain water collected from the roofs of the school run into a cistern and provides water for the community. This is important since water is scarce in this arid territory. It is also about 15 to 20 degrees warmer in Lahatte (makes sense based on its name being close to hot). In the evening we were able to hear Pastor Herve’s testimony and his vision to see Haitians rise up as leaders and go out to other countries as missionaries. Then we packed up and started weighing our bags for the trip home. Most of us are very tired and will sleep most of the way home. Thank you for your continued prayers and pray that we all make it back safely.

Gateway (Thursday)

It was very hot and humid today. SWEAT was in full force today and few individuals are showing signs of heat rash. One team member was sweating so bad that their shorts were completely soaked (and they weren't swimming in the ocean). Thankfully there is a nice breeze tonight and we should be able to sleep better. Today the team finished the 2nd coat on the benches and fixed approximately 75 benches. Three of us stayed back at the Center to work on the school registrations including the youngest member who needed a day to rest up. Tomorrow we are splitting up into three teams: school registrations, placing 2X4s on the bottom on the new desks/benches, and hanging a few cabinets at another school. Hopefully we will be able to visit one last school tomorrow afternoon and then pack to return on Saturday. Thanks for your continued prayers. Please pray for strength on our last day, that our bodies will handle the heat, and that we will continue to work well as a team.

Gateway (Wednesday)

Wow, it’s already mid-week and we are ahead of schedule for the work planned for the week. Yesterday we were unable to send an update because of a major thunderstorm that rolled in during the evening. A few of us even showered in the rain and had a good time. We were able to assemble the desks and benches yesterday. Today we put varnish on all of the desks/benches and we will put a 2nd coat on the tops tomorrow. Everyone is doing well and no one has gotten sick so far. The best meal of the day by far is dinner when we get to eat traditional Haitian food. Today we had mashed plantains, awesome rice with beef stew, carrots and tomatoes, fried plantains, and cookies that tasted like elephant ears. A typical evening after dinner consists of devotions/debrief as a team, swimming in the ocean, showering for the next day, and then playing cards together. Thanks for your continued prayers. The team is doing really well and working extremely well together.

Gateway (Monday)

Today was our first work day and it was a warm one. We all jumped right in and completed all of our cuts for the benches. Then we started assembling them. Everyone worked great together and no one had a single injury. We were all happy with the amount of work that got completed, but we are all pretty tired. Everyone is in good spirits though and excited for day 2. We will try to post some pictures when the internet allows us. Also we had a big rain storm come in this evening. Please be praying for the people of Haiti because too much rain can make their lives very difficult. Thanks for praying for our team. Please keep them coming!

Gateway (Sunday)

Today was a very busy day for the team. We started the day worshipping with the Haitian church in Saint Marc. Everyone was encouraged by the intensity of the worship and the multiple forms including drama, dance, and a female chorus group. Pastor Herve challenged the congregation to "put God first" in everything and shared how he had started the Saint Marc church when he decided to put his money towards the church even over the birth of his first child. We were all challenged by his message. Then we had the opportunity to visit two of the schools, both off the main road and quite adventurous. At the first school, the youngest member of the team had the opportunity to play football (soccer) with the locals while the rest of learned about the school. Then after lunch we visited a second school even further into the hillside. The ride to this school was even more exciting because of the tight corridors in the market area (we may have even knocked over some rice with the truck). Then we parked at the end of the road and had to hike up the mountain and through a river. We may get another chance to visit this school later this week to install some cabinets. Abe and Dan have volunteered to carry all of the cabinets up the 30 minute trek (without cabinets). Actually, all of us will participate in this cabinet transport, but the writer of this blog thinks Abe and Dan should carry all of the cabinets except for one. Most of the group finished out the day by taking a swim in the ocean. The snorkeling was a little murky, but at least we were able to cool off. Tomorrow we will be building benches. Thanks for your prayers.

Gateway (Travel Day)

Hello friends and family! We made it safely to the mission center. Please be praying for our team this week. We will keep you updated on how the week goes and what gets accomplished. Hope you all have a great week back home!