A day of rest!

Today was a day of rest; just what we needed. After attending church at MPCA together, Belinda, Claudia, Steve and Bekah all headed to the airport to begin their travel home! We will certainly miss them but are looking forward to our next team coming tomorrow. Our day today was full of getting organized for next week, catching up on a few things from last week, meal prepping, handwashing our laundry, swimming, and even a couple of naps. It was wonderful to be able to breathe, re-charge and get ready for what God has for us in this coming week. Week 2 folks- we're ready for you!!!

Final day for the week 1 team!

What a great trip we had going to Degeance today to do physicals on the children there!  We got to the new property for the future MP Degeance School, and were so excited to see so many school children (on a Saturday) there to meet us and help us carry all of our gear up the mountain.  Upon arriving, the children were singing, just as if it was a normal school day. Many parents were there with the children, which was so helpful in getting histories, especially for the younger children. We saw more children today than we have at any other school this week. It was exciting to see Kenson who had been burned last Feb. He looked so healthy and has had an amazing recovery. Likewise, it was a joy to see Angelina, who had the abscessed tooth last Feb.  She, too, looks great and healthy. 

This being our 5^th day together, we were like a well-oiled machine. Our translators pretty much stayed with the same team members they had been with all week. We could not function without them, and it has been fun to share and get to know them even better throughout the week.  Upon arriving back to the Mission Center we took a “team picture”, as next week there will be some new members added to our team.

We had a sweet time of worship and devotions tonight after supper. Pastor Herve shared with us and Belinda gave us each a special verse. Each of us shared who we had been praying for this week and new MP t-shirts were presented to each team member.  It is sad to say “good-bye” tomorrow to Belinda, Rebekah, Steve, and Claudia. We will cherish the memories we have experienced together this week. We pray for safe travels home for them as well as for the new team members that will be arriving Monday.

Thank you for all of your prayers. We are feeling them here and appreciate them so much.

-- Deb

Shout Outs!

Ryan & Laura and kids, Scott, Daniel & Crystal, I miss you and love you! To my church family and friends, thank you for all of your prayers. I will be thinking about you tomorrow as we worship here, knowing that you are praying for us. The first week has gone very well. I’ve enjoyed so much being part of the physicals at each school this week.  Love, Deb (AKA Mom/Grandma)

Hi Wyatt + Ella, I miss you! Josh, I can’t wait for you to get here!

Love, Crystal Ps. Joey, you will be here soon!

Shout out to my family, friends, and coworkers! Your thoughts and prayers are felt here in Haiti! – Jameson

Mesi (thank you) Gordon, Omega family, and friends for all the prayers that are sustaining our team here in Haiti! – Jean

Hi family, Hachemy, & Grady! Hope you’re not all freezing to death. Hachemy, I’m mostly talking to you! ;) – Rene

BIG shout out to Alli, Sam + Charlie. I miss you & can’t wait to see you! Andrea, it’s never the same without you! I miss you too! – Belinda

Shout out to the Wapak and Lima Sertoma Clubs, thanks for all of your support! –Vanessa

Mark – the guards all ask about you and wondered if you were coming, and I miss you too! – Pam

Mom and Dad (Mac and Joan) – It has been a wonderful experience full of blessings. Looking forward to see what God has for us during this next week. Soaking up the sunshine as much as I can and will pack it with me to bring it back for you. Love you all!  - Emily

To our Jesus family, thank you so much for praying for us! We are so thankful for our amazing team, and to be able to help all of the beautiful children! God is good!

Ps. Mom, don’t forget to pick us up;) – Steve and Claud

Friday!

Today we had a busy & fun day at LaHatte. Even though our team is fairly small, we managed to give physicals to all of the students that were at school today. There are some absent students that we will have to follow up with later, but we feel very good about what got accomplished today! We also had some sweet reunions between team members and students, which is always a blessing to witness. The trip to & from is always an adventure, but the truck didn't get stuck in the mud so that alone makes it a successful day. :)  Jameson got to ride in the front of the truck with a live chicken on the way home, which made for an extra interesting trip! When we arrived back at the Mission Center this evening, our blood pressure clinic patients were waiting for us so Deb and Crystal tended to them. Tonight we just spent time together as a team; our team members that are leaving soon are already dreading going back home! Mostly because of the cold weather, I'm sure. :)

Thanks for praying for us!

Thursday!

Today was an interesting day. We started at St Marc this morning, assessing first the sick students and then some other elementary kids. It was a smooth morning, and we were thrilled to have Crystal and Jameson thrown into the mix with us today! It really made a difference and we are thankful that they arranged their plans to come serve with us.
After lunch at St Marc, we traveled to Chardene again to do physicals for some Secondary students. When we arrived, there were a few interesting things going on- things that some of our team members had not experienced before. It was an opportunity for us to pray together as a team and to declare the name of Jesus over that school ground. The rest of the afternoon went well; it rained (of course!) but was dry and lovely by 5:00 when we headed back to the Mission Center.
We were tired when we got back, but really enjoyed having guests here for dinner. The Community Agents joined us for dinner tonight, and also received a new polo shirt & a cross pin in celebration of them being one year into the program. We have certainly noticed a difference in the health of the students since having Community Agents there each day to keep an eye on them. What a blessing!
Thank you for praying for us. Please keep them coming, especially as we wind down toward the end of week 1!

Sharon with one of our translators, Camie!

Rene and Pam with Anite's son, Kurt Leaderson!

Community Agents receiving their polos & pins tonight!

What a wonderful group of Community Agents!

Wednesday at Dupin!

It is truly an understatement to say this trip has been amazing. What a blessing it is for the team and I to have the opportunity to come help these babies. Today the team went to Dupin to do more physicals, and we saw so many brave faces! The kiddos were so incredibly tough through everything. Even this sweet girl, who was getting a thorn pulled out of her foot today, didn’t even shed one tear. It was extraordinary. Belinda got to see the boy that she sponsors (Kenbelove), and it was a beautiful reunion. If you have followed our medical teams over the past year, you know the story of Kenbelove and Belinda. :) Throughout today and yesterday, God's great love was visible. I have been so grateful to the team for being so willing to let me help and for teaching me so much.  I have also been grateful to our Almighty God for humbling me through this experience. God is good, and I cannot wait to see what the rest of the week holds. Also to Crystal’s and Jameson’s families: they made it safe and sound, and we are so glad they are here!

-- Claudia

Claudia has been learning to flush ears!

Belinda and her sweet little Kenbelove!

This student stepped on a thorn and had to get it pulled out of her foot. What a trooper!

Vanessa and Bekah had quite the audience today as they were doing hearing checks!

Carter turned 20 years old today, so he thought it was time to get a check-up. ;)

Our first full day!

Today was the first day of our grand adventure. After we all prepared ourselves for the day and ate our breakfast, we took off down the road to Lanzac.  We set up all our things in the largest room they had and set to work. The children came with their parents due to their preschool age. Most cried at first, some cried the entire time, while others were docile and sweet, not shedding a single tear. Sharon, in charge of checking feet, never seemed to fail in garnering a laugh or at least a smile from the children she saw. She would blow on their little toes, and they would spread them far apart and laugh while she looked them over to see if all the little piggies were okay. In the meantime, Claudia would just play with the littles while they were waiting their turn to be poked and prodded, and make them forget all about the terrors they had imagined to come from these strange,“blanc” people.  While all the laughter was falling on the echoing walls of the large room, the hearing tests were happening upstairs in the principal’s office. This was the first stop for the kids, and they came in the room unhappy. Most of them calmed down after a couple soothing words from Vanessa and the translator. One little boy, Claendel Nicholas, came in the big scary principal’s office stoic and skittish; he glanced up at me (Rebekah), who promptly smiled at him. His face lit up with a huge grin, eyes sparkling, he turned towards his mama and uttered something in Creole. She giggled and turned to the translator and told him what Claendel had said. Next, it was the interpreter’s turn to chuckle as he looked up and told me that Claendel had said that he loves me. Claendel continued on to the others, and the hearing people went back to testing other kids. All the while, Pam was marveling over how much better all the kids were doing since they had started coming to take care of them. Our work was interrupted by our midday meal, and after lunch, it was time to clean up and move on.

            Chardene was our next stop. We hopped on the truck, crowded with translators. After a short bumpy trip, we got to Chardene and checked up on the fourth graders. We saw each girl and boy, yet we did not get to spend near as much time there as we did at Lanzac. Only a couple hours after we arrived, it was approaching darkness and the sky was looking stormy.  We packed up, and just as we were getting ready to set out, the sky let loose in a torrent of rain. Rain and mountains and bad roads are not the best things to be driving in, but we made it down the mountain alive, yay! We were tired, wet, and being jostled from side to side and front to back, but we were singing the whole way down. It may not have sounded the best, but we were joyful. Happy to be were we are in the moment. Finally, we made our way back to the mission center where we found a warm meal waiting. We ate, we had devotions, and we talked about our day.

-- Bekah

We made it!

We made it to the Mission Center safe & sound... and wet! It started storming right when our plane landed in Port au Prince, and hasn't stopped yet! The thunder & lightning is helping us relax and take a deep breath before the busy week begins, though, so we are enjoying it.

We look forward to sharing more with you throughout the week! Please be praying for our team and for the ones we will come in contact with!