Bondje, Ou Fidel - God You are Faithful

Our day began as usual in a circle of prayer and singing with the translators.

Deb, Shari, and Jean stayed at the Mission Center today and met with the Community Agents. They were all present along with Anite. We worked on documentation and reviewed blood pressure. They were gracious as they always are. We are amazed at how far they have come since the program started.

The medical team (Sabine, Rachel, Emily, Ellie, Pam, & Madison) went to LaHatte today to finish up the OB classes. 23 women graduated and received a beautiful OB kit. We had one mama who left yesterday because she did not want to participate in CPR. She returned today and was an awesome participant, giving 100% effort. She was able to graduate with the other women. Sabine had such a unique experience. She was teaching an OB class and all of a sudden a chicken appeared and flew up into the rafters of the room and proceeded to lay an egg. At that point a mule walked by outside the window. Needless to say, Sabine was distracted, but the students saw nothing unusual about the situation. I guess the chicken wanted to demonstrate childbirth for the class.

Adam, BJ, Travis, & Sam and Mardochee (a young man who Jeff and Heather have sponsored for many years) also went to LaHatte to replace PVC pipe used for the water cistern. Water is very limited in LaHatte. Several men in the community went home to get pick axes to help with the project. We are hoping this will improve their situation of a lack of water in LaHatte.

The ride to LaHatte was improved today because of Jeff’s ingenious idea of putting wooden jigs at the base of the picnic table to prevent it from sliding during travel. The passengers today really appreciated this modification.

Liane and Wendy went to Lanzac and measured for a new fence around the perimeter of the property. This will be a future project for another trip. Wendy met 5 children there and had fun learning their names and playing with them. Lynn, Liane, Wendy, and Mark worked on inventory. Dan and Kent worked along side each other at the Mission Center welding on table feet and grinding the rough edges.

The mother of Dan’s sponsored child works at the Mission Center. She brought all of her children to spend time with Dan. What a nice time they had together.

Jeff and Heather worked together today, which they were excited about – a post Valentine’s date. They stained round tables which will be used at the preschools.  

This great day ended in a beautiful time of praise and worship with Ballack and his friends, Ruth and Maxi. Ballack is one of our translators. He has a wonderful gift of leading people in worship. He taught us Bondje, Ou Fidel – God, You are Faithful. There was a sweet spirit as we shared testimonies and prayed for each other.

PS – Fizz Bo picture below from last night! A great time!

"LaHatte" Love is in the Air!

The medical team (Rachel, Deb, Shari, Emily, Heather, & Sabine) went to LaHatte to hold OB seminars for the pregnant mamas in that village. It started out with only about 10 ladies attending, but as the day went on, we ended up with 21. If you see the picture below, you will notice that someone is missing. That’s right – Mother-Hen (Pam) cut the cord and let us go to LaHatte without her today. Mother-Hen and chicks survived and are doing well – reunited at the Mission Center this evening.  Anite was “the boss”. The mothers looked healthy and are anxious to return tomorrow for their last 4 seminars. It was a great adventure bouncing back and forth in the back of the cattle truck on the way to and from LaHatte.  Thanks to Sergo,(Jeff was busy sewing) we had a safe ride.

Another amazing day teaching the ladies of Chardon a new craft!  Today they cut up T shirts into strips to make a purse or tote.  It is certainly a little complicated but after 4 hours of explanation and trial and error everyone caught on, Yippee!! The ladies are so appreciative and proud of their accomplishments. They are to finish cutting up their shirts and making the 5 balls of T shirt yarn over the weekend and we will share the crocheting technique on Monday.  We even got Jeff in on the ball winding! The ladies sing praises to the Lord as they work and laugh with us as we try to communicate. Liane, Madison and Wendy were on this team.

Today the construction team worked with both metal and wood.  It was a hot day all around at Mission Central with welding shelves, sanding shelves and painting shelves to include making several steel tables with adjustable screw in feet - to assist with stabilizing the load on uneven ground. This was to include making (6) steel tables that were finished off with five-foot round wood tops. The rest of the construction crew traveled up the road to Mission Possible Christian Academy (MPCA) and filled in a section of no roof – 26x28 ft open span in the school house – more so – conjoined, notched out, placed and leveled roughly (18) 12ft 2x6 boards – twelve feet up in the air. It was a good day all around for learning new skills.   

  

We are now getting ready to enjoy an evening playing Fizbo and  eating popcorn.

Happy Valentine’s Day.  We are looking forward to our chocolate and flowers when we arrive home. (No you are not getting out of it)  

Another Great Day!

Sewing was an adventure today! Wendy, Deb and Liane went to St. Marc. There was some confusion about a key, and we were not able to get through the front gate. We entered through the back gate which involved a short steep hike up a rocky road.  We put tarps down on the ground to work on the quilts. The breeze felt wonderful, but was a bit of a problem as it blew up the tarps and quilts. 

Nevertheless, everyone seemed to enjoy working on their projects. They are coming along very well. The Chardene ladies will start crocheting tomorrow. St. Marc ladies will begin on Friday.

Part of the construction team remained at the Mission Center.  Sam and Kent continued to build and weld the table frames for the wee little tables for the preschool classrooms. They were students themselves as they were learning how to use a mig welder. As they worked they enjoyed having conversation in Spanish.     Jean and Dan painted the frames for the shelves that will go into the tool storage building and began cutting the boards for the shelves.  Mark and Lynn installed new LED lighting for the bible school.

Three members of the construction team Jeff, Travis, B.J. and a stellar team of nurses set out for the small village of Dupin – an established school house – located up a bumpy dirty road 30 minutes from Mission Center Haiti.  There amidst the school house and children, the builders hung four swings, completed the perimeter of the fence, and installed a gate at its entrance. In addition, they tightened down the metal screws and sealed the roof of the cook house (sealing the leaks that previously existed).

Above mentioned stellar team of nurses were Pam, Sabine, Ellie, Shari, Heather, Emily, Rachel, and Madison. They finished up the two-day OB clinic with 25 Haitian women in attendance. They taught classes on topics such as infant CPR, labor and delivery, and breastfeeding. The team got the pleasure of meeting one of the Haitian midwives, Sylvadina, whose been helping mothers deliver their babies since 1973!! As the clinic wrapped up, each mother got to leave with a delivery baby care kit stocked with diapers, blankets, medicines, and cycle tracking beads. We are so thankful for the time put in by those back at home putting those kits together for them; everyone left smarter, healthier, and happier.

The team is enjoying the special candy bar treats that Jeff and Heather are sharing in the evening. We had a yummy dinner together and ended the day with our evening devotional under the stars.

Thank you to everyone who are praying for us. God is in Haiti!

Amazing Day in the Lord

The rest of the week 2 team arrived around 11 AM today - Jean, Travis, Wendy, Lynn, Kent, Dan and Rachel. After unpacking and eating lunch, they joined the construction, sewing, and OB medical teams.

Sewing – the ladies at Chardene came with their quilts and continued working on them. Liane gave a lesson on grace to the sewing ladies. Even though there wasn’t any school, the place was buzzing with kids. A highlight of the sewing was that Madison and Wendy pitched in to help a pregnant lady nearly finish her quilt, as she wanted it done before her baby comes.

Today there was Boot Camp, a youth-oriented program alternative to the Carnival. 200 + kids from Mission Possible churches met at MPCA and are participating in a 3-day event that involve scripture reading, worship, prayer, and recreation. Their day began at 4 AM and is concluding late tonight with Christian movies. A highlight today was swimming in the ocean at the Mission Center. Travis really enjoyed watching all of the kids having fun.

The Construction team worked on welding shelves on which to store tools and supplies at the Mission Center. This afternoon they went to Dupin and worked on the perimeter of the playground fence. This project is nearly done, with just a few more tweaks on the gate and swings.

The medical team started OB training with 25 pregnant mamas. They learned about a normal delivery, newborn care, cycle beads, and diseases. Deb, Sabine, Shari, Pam, Emily, and Ellie taught the classes. Rachel joined us in the afternoon.

It was a great day. We will tell you more tomorrow night. God is good!

Weekend Warriers

What a wonderful weekend we have had! Saturday, the core team remaining here celebrated Deb’s birthday with singing, Haitian hot chocolate, and cherry crisp for dessert after supper! It made her feel very special! We had a wonderful time playing Fizz Bo and singing in the evening.

Sunday we stayed at the Mission Center and had our own church service. It was a great time of worship in song and sharing of testimonies.  At noon, 5 of us went to Pierre Payen where 4 of our Mission Possible students met us to be seen by an ophthalmologist. We were able to tour the hospital. We are so blessed to have a relationship with Pierre Payen to treat our students when needed.

BJ and Maddie, Emily and Dr. Sam arrived about 6:30 PM tonight. The rest of Week 2 Team will arrive tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow the medical team will go to Dupin to start the OB seminars. The construction team will be doing some LED lighting for the Bible School, welding of shelves and painting here at the Mission Center. We will have much more to talk about tomorrow.

Friends are Friends Forever

The medical team went to St. Marc and did physicals on pre-school and 3^rd grade children. Because there was no school today due to the “Kid’s Carnival”, there were fewer children than anticipated.  Many of the children had complaints of sickness, so it wasn’t as much of a well-child physical setting today. There was one little boy who had an infection in his umbilicus following a “botched” hernia surgery. His wound had split open partially in a couple of spots and was badly infected. We were glad we got to see him today and treat him with antibiotics. Part of the medical team got to tour a hospital in St. Marc, which they found very interesting.

One construction team stayed at the Mission Center and built shelves for storing tools in the new shed that is being built. Some worked on tables that are being built to hold the Lifestraws at each school.  If the amount of dirt is any indication of how they worked, they worked pretty hard!

Another construction team headed to Dupin to continue work on the school playground. They were able to hang the swings and finish work on the teeter-totter. Then they spent the majority of the day enclosing the playground in a fence which is almost finished! There is just a little more work that needs completed on the gate. During the day, they enjoyed getting to see the children have fun on the playground while they were placing the fence. It happened to rain in Haiti today and there was a rainbow on the way home.

The sewing team went to St. Marc where 32 ladies laid out their quilts with batting. They will finish their blankets next week. It’s wonderful to see so many ladies participate.

Several stayed at the Mission Center to get prepared for the OB week starting next Monday. We also got organized for another Community Agent seminar next week.

It’s sad to see Week 1 team go! It has been a great time of fellowship and team-work. Everyone worked very hard and accomplished a lot. God bless all of you. Those of us who are staying will think of you shoveling snow from our seats on the beach. Orevwa!

Big Shout Outs Tonight!

No snow day here in Haiti so the work continues with the rising of the bright sun. The construction crew continued with the roof work at MPCA, playground building at Dupin, and various jobs at the Mission Center. The medical team continued with physicals at MPCA and community agent observation continued at Lanzac. We are amazed at the outpouring of support for Mission Possible’s newest fundraiser—Fill Up February. Some of us helped unload several 55-pound bags of rice at MPCA today due to this support. See Mission Possible website for more information.

Shout Outs – Feb 8

Remember to brush your teeth, grandkids! Love Mim & Papa (Bob and Jackie)

Hey Carmen Clan, Miss you and can’t wait to see you. Love you, Angela, Rosemary, and Isabelle.

Christina, Grace, and Micah – Praying for you all, and that you are healthy this year! Having a great time here! Miss and love you much!

Tyler, Andy, Audrey, & Charlie – I’m missing you all, but having an amazing time here. I’ll be home soon to tell you all about it. BEHAVE!! Love, Mom

Mom, Nana – I love you. Pray I get home safe! Love, Chad

To all my family, still having an awesome time. Have only had to eat one tuna pack so far! So eating pretty well. Miss you all. Love, Sabine

Eric, Noah, & Anna – I hope you are eating the food in the freezer. I’m having a great week. Love and miss you guys. Thanks for the hug, Belinda!

We’re doing great! Thanks for the thoughts and prayers – Love you! --Bev

Come quickly, Lynn. Can’t wait for you to arrive. Hi Cora, Kai, Colt and & Elle…babies too!

Jeff, Madeline, Allison, & Jonathan – Praying that you are having a great week! I miss and love you! See you soon!

Sorry Mom & Dad. I’m never coming home. Love you! Love, Marissa.

Ashley, Elijah, and Callie—Can’t wait to see you. Love you!

Leah, Ben, Marco, and Jack—Love you all. Thanks for praying. Miss you a lot. See you soon.

Heidi, Wilson, Abram, Annie—Love you and miss you. I can’t wait to see you Sunday morning.

To my family and friends—I love and miss you all and thank you for your prayers. I think Jess and Steve need to come with me next year! Love, Jonica

Hi, Jon. We are doing well. Working hard but enjoying it. The food is good and the weather is warm but usually with a nice breeze. We love you and will see you soon. Love, Teresa and Miranda.

To my family & friends – Miss you all. I’m getting spoiled on this trip with lots of good food & treats. The weather has been great and the kids are amazing. See you on the 19^th…maybe (wink – wink!). Love, Shari. PS – Miss you Belinda!

Deb – Hope everything is well at home. I love and miss you all! Belinda, wish you were here to complete our Community Agent team.

Hi, Whelan Family. I’m having a great time on this adventure. I miss you and love you. Can’t wait to see you soon. Love, Chris/Dad

Howdy Randy, Jordyn, Cody! Hope you are having a great week! I’m working hard but enjoying the sun. Love you all! Hey Sis…Happy 40^th Birthday! Love, Christy/Mom

Hey Conley Family. Hope you’re enjoying the snow. It’s all sunshine here. Can’t wait to see you all! Hope you enjoyed the room to yourself, Grace.  Love, Leah.

Janice—I’m having a great week working in Haiti. I miss you and look forward to see you soon. Love you, Jon

Alexys Hermiller, Tammy, Josh, Jaycie—I love you all. Having a great time in Haiti. Miss you! Love, Jenn

Mom, Dad, and Jadyn—I am missing you. Having a great time here working with the Haitians. Love, Jared.

Gabe, how are you doing?  How is Fuddles doing?  How is school going?  Are you enjoying all the snow? Love you Kelli – They carry Jeni’s at Meijers . 

. .

Doneta, Brittany, Amanda—miss you guys. Working hard here. It is hot. Tell Mitzi hi. Love, Steve

Hochstettler family and friends, we are having a great month so far.  We miss you all wish you all would come with us sometime.  Love ya!

Pam & Mark – Love you, kids!

Adam – It’s hot!

Ellie – All my love to my family. Public Service Announcement – Please Send Bug Spray!