Haiti February 2015

Saturday February 7, 2015
We made it! The airport travel went very smoothly and as planned, no complaints and no lost luggage! The two hour trip from the airport to the mission center also went smoothly, and it was enlightening to see the Haitian culture. Most of us are enjoying the lack of snow, although the humidity may be ruining some of our hairs dos. We are all very thankful for the safe travel and will enjoy our night of rest!


Sunday February 8, 2015
 We all got an early start to the day and expierenced a Hatian Church service in St. Marc. One of our own, Lynn preached the message on Galations chapter one and two. After the service we enjoyed fellowship with the local people. The congregation graciously provided us with cold Coke and Pepsi after church, which was very much appreciated. Today is a day of preperation for the week ahead. We have prepared sewing kits and organized preparations for tomorrow's physicals and construction that will be going on. Everyone is feeling great and we are all looking forward to the week ahead.

Please pray for us that we are able to serve with all of God's intention and fill all the needs for this week, and that our hearts can be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading.

Teacher Team/Haitian School Board - A day of Teaching

Waking up today, it felt somewhat bittersweet knowing it was our last full day here on this island that, for the past week, has truly felt like home. However, the last day of teaching surely didn’t disappoint. We visited the school Dupin today. This school has an amazing hike through small villages, across a stream, and up a mountain. Once we arrived we got straight to teaching. I personally taught an English lesson today to fifth and sixth graders (about 42 students). Since their English knowledge is little to none, I started with a lesson on teaching them their numbers and played a counting game, and ended with a lesson on family and created family trees. The students seemed to especially enjoy hearing me try to pronounce some of their family members’ names. It was an amazing experience to interact with the children and be a part of their education. After that we finished up our day at MPCA teaching language and math classes. Reflecting back on this week I have seen God’s hand at work in so many ways. It won’t ever matter how many times He brings me back to the same island, I continue to stand in awe of His majesty.

Last night as I was preparing for my lesson, my devotional reading said this:

“Our Lord Jesus differs from all other teachers. They reach the ear, but He instructs the heart. They deal with the outward letter, but He imparts an inward taste for the truth, by which we perceive its savor and spirit. The most unlearned of individuals become ripe scholars in the school of grace.”

Shelby

Teacher Team/Haitian School Board - Welcome to Haiti!!

Today was a busy, but wonderful day.  We got up early and brought all our bags and teaching supplies to be packed into the van for the drive to Haiti.  We took over 150 children’s pictures at Ebenezer School in record time, with everyone doing their part. Since we didn’t have the opportunity to see Ebenezer classes last week, we were thrilled to have the opportunity to observe the opening ceremony then be able to quickly visit the preschool and elementary classes.  Ruth and the kitchen staff served us a filling Dominican breakfast for the long journey and we left around 9:30AM.

Crossing the border into Haiti was an unforgettable experience! To compound the activity, Monday is market day and so many retailers were there with bulk goods to sell.  There didn’t seem to be any order to this process and so many vehicles were trying to squeeze into such a small area at the same time. Herve and the Haitian School Board calmly led us through the chaotic experience and we continued into Haiti.

We arrived about 2 pm at the Mission Center and quickly dropped off our luggage, gathered teaching materials and headed to the Teachers’ Academy to begin the first day of lessons.  Ellionaire introduced us and the teachers sang a song to welcome us. The room was beautifully decorated with ribbons, balloons and flowers.  Instead of keeping the group together this year, we divided into two smaller groups of about 30 each. Bev taught a lesson on how to incorporate music and movement into their classrooms while Sharon taught a lesson on mathematics using the place value manipulatives and rulers that will be left at the schools.   Nicole and Sherry reviewed Piaget’s concepts on learning and demonstrated parachute activities.  The students at the teacher school loved trying out all these activities.  The parachutes and balls will also be left at the schools and Judy gave a lesson about the basics of public speaking.

Afterward, we came back for a delicious spaghetti dinner and organized tomorrow’s (Tuesday’s) plans. Tracy led devotions from Matthew 14 when Jesus walked on water. Tonight we will fall asleep with the background of the waves of the Caribbean Sea against the shore.  Ah, a slice of heaven here on earth. 

Teacher Team/Haitian School Board in the DR - A day of Worship

What a wonderful Lord’s Day we have had!  Praise God for the Sabbath! We shared a delicious breakfast of oatmeal and eggs, although one of our Haitian pastors teased that oatmeal is baby food and eggs without toast is for girls.  ;)   After breakfast, we joined the Ebenezer congregation in their morning service, where we experienced worship in many different forms and languages.  The praise songs were sung in Spanish, French, Creole, and yes, even some in English.   We were moved by the graceful and prayerful dancing of ten Dominican young ladies.  Pastor Rosemond, one of the Haitian school board members, shared the message from Galatians 3:21-29. He encouraged and reminded the congregation that nothing is too difficult for our God.  The service was spirit-filled and the joy of the Lord could be felt throughout.  We praise God for such spirit filled leaders!

In God’s providence, a young couple that is also missionaries in a nearby project attended the morning service with their three young sons.   What a surprise to find that they all spoke English!  We enjoyed conversing with them and we will be praying for their family and mission.

For lunch, we introduced the Haitian leaders to an American treat of chicken salad with sliced avocado on rolled tortilla shells.  Thanks to our Dominican host and her helpers, we have enjoyed a variety of tropical fruits and juices.

We spent the afternoon on preparations for our departure to Haiti tomorrow morning and the lessons we will teach tomorrow afternoon at the teachers’ school in Lanzac.  We then rested in the sunshine, visiting and looking at our view of the mountains and the blue, blue waters of the Caribbean (from the top of the mission center).

Our original plan to travel to Haiti this afternoon was changed.  Once again, God provided a better option.  This allowed us to rejoin the Ebenezer congregation for their evening worship.  What a lively celebration!  We witnessed such joy and love for God in their singing, dancing, beautiful smiles and warm hugs!  There didn’t seem to be a language barrier, even though there were four different languages being spoken and sung.   That is the work of the Holy Spirit!   Amen!  And to all a good night!

Bev, Judy, and Sharon

Teacher Team/Haitian School Board in the DR - Big City Time

Hola!!  Each day we plan what we will do (at home & here too) & some days it goes as we have planned, while other days we know that God has a different plan.  We knew when we got picked up at the airport on Wednesday that the plans we made were being modified to blend together with what God had in place.  Such an exciting adventure to walk with Jesus!

We spent the last two days in the capitol city of Santo Domingo.  On the way there (it was a four hour drive to get thereJ) we stopped at two public schools to tour & let the Haitian school board men get a look at what the schools were like.   At the second school, we were able to be a part of a teacher inservice and collaborate together (Americans, Dominicans, and Haitians).  It was definitely a divine appointment.  We stayed the night in a hotel & then had an exciting day shopping in the market, seeing the historical sights, & riding the subway.  This was a special treat for the Haitian men as most of them have never been to a big city or ridden on a subway. 

We returned back to Barahona to the MP school & had a delicious meal of salad, rice, beans, & fish.  After our meal, Nicole shared a devotion and read from Matthew 14, when the little boy brought his 2 fish & 5 loaves of bread to Jesus & Jesus multiplied his gift to feed the thousands.  That is all He asks of us---to bring what little we have to give & He will increase it for His glory & purpose.

We miss our families & pray all is well at home with everyone.  I want to wish my son Nathan, a very happy 18^th birthday today.   Hope you have had a great day celebrating—I think you are wonderful!! 

Thank you everyone for your prayers!

Teacher Team/Haitian School Board in the DR - What a Day!!!

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24 hours in Barahona and it feels like we are home.  Our day (all 17 of us~ the Haitian school board and our ladies) was full of exactly what God planned.  His ways truly are higher than ours.  We were able to meet with the leadership of our Ebenezer School, followed by a meeting with the teachers of the school and wrapped up with a meeting of the parents’ association.  We were all able to share thoughts, ideas and visions for the schools both here and in Haiti.  What a gift to have 3 countries’ school systems represented and to learn from each.   After lunch, the American crew was able to spend a few hours with a small group of students from the school playing games and even slid in a small English lesson.  We had so much fun!  There are not enough words to describe the joy of a child.  It is universal and makes us want to press on and do all we can to enrich their lives through education. 

Mission Possible is in the process of building a Creole church here and it was overwhelming to pull up tonight and see a physical sanctuary where I personally had walked on a small patch of dirt several years ago.  The small tears were ones of overwhelming joy at the persistence of the followers of Christ here in the Dominican.  

Pulling into our “home” after our walk through of the Creole church, we were greeted with praise and worship from our sanctuary.  We had the honor of participating in an evening prayer service, which was held in both Creole and Spanish.     

Closing out our day with a fabulous meal of beans, rice and chicken was perfection.  The next few days will be an adventure for us all as we stop at several schools for tours on our way to Santa Domingo where we will be touring with the school board and spending the night.  Saturday we will explore a bit more and then head back “home.”  We will update you on our journey Saturday night~ until then!

                 Dominican, Haitian, and American Educators all together

                 The Creole church - almost ready to be used.

Teacher Team/Haitian School Board in the DR

Everyone arrived last night - American Teachers and Haitian School Board.  We had a wonderful meal prepared by people from Ebenezer Church and we are currently in our first meetings of the trip.  (See photos below).  We started the morning off with a tour of the school and we are now meeting with school administrators so that our Haitian leaders can learn from them and the excellent structure of our school here in Barahona. 

God is in control of this trip and we have already had to adjust our plan and be open to his.  As we traveled on the bus from the capitol to Barahona, we learned that school was cancelled for today and tomorrow.  Our plan had been to observe the school here today and visit other area schools tomorrow.  Immediately we discovered that our plans would need adjusted.  Earlier in our travels as we circled the Miami airport waiting for the ok to land, I had prayed "God please let us land here.  It would be so much easier"  He answered that prayer and then I wrote the following in my journal.  "God I give you this trip.  You are in control.  The details are yours - detour or no detour, You lead the way."  He is definitely leading the way and we have adjusted our schedule and continue on.  We are in meetings this morning, will have time to spend with children this afternoon, visiting other schools outside the area tomorrow and maybe take school pictures on Monday.  But even with this adjustment God is in control and he may have something different than plan B ahead.  We yield to him and hold on to the fact that He is the great I AM.

Pray for all that he has prepared for us to learn.  Our God is God yesterday, today and forever.