Our Final Days in Haiti

Saturday

For many of us, it was hard to believe that we were already at our last day of ministry.  We also said good-bye to Greg in the morning, as he left as planned to return to the States.  The whole team ministered together at Calebasse again.

Teaching
Saturday was the biggest day of the convention.  Pastor Don taught his sessions to the largest crowd of the week.  During the Q & A times they asked great questions.  Darby also spent time with the pastors and leaders encouraging them.  Robin V. made the back of the church where the teaching was going on, the home base for the team.  If any of the team members ever needed prayer or help, they knew they could find Robin here.  When she wasn't doing some needed administrative task, she was encouraging team members or praying for the many things that were going on. In the evening, Don stayed at the convention to give the evangelistic message while the rest of the team went to the hotel.  He enjoyed their worship.

Medical
Again, the team ministered as a fine-tuned instrument.  It's been a blessing to watch everyone play their roles with joy and a sense of purpose.  The team ministered to around 100 patients.

VBS
The VBS team had the most children on Saturday.  The children were eager to have the team back to play games, sing more songs, and hear more stories.  Even some of the parents seemed to enjoy watching as the team ministered to their children.

I'd like to share a special note about our translators.  On most days, the team had about 10 translators.  We are so appreciative of the role they played for us.  They taught us many wonderful things about the Haitian people and helped each of us to do our part better.  They also told us how the message we brought of the grace-motivated gospel was very impacting to their lives.  Many wonderful friendships were born.  We will miss them and pray that everyday they will live in the good of the gospel that Jesus died to give them.


Sunday

We had the joy on Sunday morning of attending the Sunday Celebration Service in Calebasse where we had ministered all week.  For many of us, there is nothing quite like worshipping with the Haitian people. Their passion for singing and praising God is exciting to be around.   Music and singing were a large part of the service.  Choirs performed from several of the churches who belong to this family of churches.  One group in particular walked 12 hours to attend the service and perform.  What a commitment to being a part of a body of believers!  Pastor Don preached the message.  He preached about Christ sweating blood in the Garden of Gethsemane because he knew that he would be drinking the cup of God's wrath.  And Don reminded us that if we are in Christ, then the cup of God's wrath was drunk for us by Christ, but if we are not, then we will be left to drink it for ourselves. It was a very powerful and sobering message.

To conclude our day we did some shopping for souvenirs and then had dinner with Reverend Liberius at his home.  The hospitality was wonderful and it was a great way to end our trip.


Again, we want to thank everyone for their prayers and support.  Without them this trip wouldn't have been possible.  Please continue to pray for the Haitian people and that the truth that was sown will bear much fruit for God's Kingdom.

We look forward to sharing pictures and stories with you!   Thank you for joining us on our journey!
- Robin

An Inside Look 2

Today we wanted to get a closer look into another of the team's members. We talked to Ann and Tracy Chang a little bit about their experience so far here in Haiti.

Anne was a missionary in Taiwan for 4 years prior to this trip while her sister Tracy had never done anything like this before. They both have really enjoyed being able to share this experience with each other being in a new country.

They both would say that they highlight of this trip for them has been getting to know all of the other team members. They both have only been a part of Grace Community for about one year and still don't know too many people in the church. This trip has really offered an opportunity for them to get to know members of the church that they might not have had the chance to interact with otherwise.

Ann says that she has been to many churches before she came to Grace and one of the things she loves about Grace is the way that the people seek to live out the gospel. She has really enjoyed watching everyone on the team act and serve in a way that really lives out and displays the gospel. The way that they have gotten to see everyone live out the gospel over the past few days has really amazed both of them. The love that the team has been able to display through their interactions has really shown God's love through their care for one another. Many of the team members have served in ways that are very minimal or disgusting, and it has moved them both greatly that so many people would be willing to serve in any way, even something as humbling as hauling water to flush toilets for the other team members.

They also have really enjoyed the unity of the team that this kind of serving has produced. They both have pointed out that the team has been so joyful in serving in even minor tasks over the past few days. They see this experience as an opportunity to see every one's strengths on display. They described it as a well oiled machine, and both of them expressed such a thankfulness to be able to be a part of a Church that lives the gospel out daily.

One of the things that has most stood out to Tracy about Haiti is the amount of poverty. She was shocked to find that so many people come to the clinic to be cared for.  Many of them walk for long distances and  bring no food or water for them or their children. She found it hard to believe that so many people can live in these kinds of conditions. They also found it surprising how many people are sick with some kind of illness. It is very rare here to find someone who is in good health, which is something that they hadn't exactly expected.

Ann also mentioned that one of the more adventurous parts of the trip is experiencing the different bathroom situations they were forced to use each day as they travel to different locations with the medical clinic. There were times when they were taken to bathrooms and when they looked at them they honestly thought people were playing a joke on them by telling them that what they were seeing was the bathroom they were to use.

They also commented on the cultural differences of the facial expressions of the Haitian people. Ann said that a lot of the people have a facial expression of such hardship in life that they look almost "numb" lacking any kind of emotional expression. She described it as having "no light" in their faces, and she thinks that it's just another expression of the fact that the Haitian people in many ways are not only living in physical, but also spiritual poverty.

One thing that they think that they will take home with them after this trip is their altered perspective on life. Before the trip they said they just saw people, but now after having the privilege of serving along side the medical clinic by praying for everyone who came before they could be seen by the doctors, they feel that they have been given God's eyes and now see the saved and unsaved. They describe the difference this has made in their lives already as an altered perspective on life that brings out the compassion that Christ has for His people.

I hope you have enjoyed this look into another two members of our team, and I hope it has bless and encouraged you all. Feel free to leave comments!

Signed, Lisa Sharpe for the Haiti Team

Friday in Haiti

Medical
The medical team rejoined the VBS and teaching teams at Calebasse on Friday.  It was great having everyone on the same campus. They saw 107 patients on Friday. This is especially remarkable because they only had one doctor. As someone on the team put it, they are a symphony making beautiful music, each one doing their part.

Let me tell you who is playing the different parts: Brandie D. and Beth C. have been doing triage all week.  They also give hugs, educate and try to see beyond the physical needs.  Lorri B. and Rachel M. have been working in pharmacy with Dave N. helping out. Darby L.has spent most of the week with the medical team.  He is a great liason between the Haitians and the team and serves with so many behind-the-scenes tasks that only the Lord knows them all.  Anna V., Ann C., Tracy C. and on many days, Deborah S. have prayed for and comforted the patients before they are seen by the nurses and doctors.  According to Brandie, the clinic wouldn't run without Jordan H. and Jesse B.  Jesse does anything, but especially has a medical focus.  He listens during triage so that he can become an extension of the nurses by getting educational materials and other things that the nurses might need. Jordan has been a true servant in that he does everything from the most menial task(fetching a bucket of water in order to flush a toilet) to the most important (guarding and protecting and praying).  Because times in the clinic can become intense, the men have also served by being much needed comic relief. 


Teaching
Pastor Greg taught on Friday. He continued with the topic of living in the good of the gospel with a focus
on sanctification. He was able to give some very practical examples and helps that seemed to really effect
those listening.  He also did the evangelistic preaching in the evening.  Approximately 200 people
attended with about 20 responding for ministry.

We aren't exactly sure yet how these teachings are impacting those who are attending.  Philip G. mentioned
that he has seen many men and women discussing the handouts with eachother during the day.  We're also
sensing and experiencing spiritual warfare.  Please be praying for these dear people, that the Lord would
minister to them with power and truth.


VBS
The VBS team has become a 'well-oiled machine' and is really enjoying ministering with one another.  The
team appreciates each member and the gifts they bring. It's been great to watch Katie R. and Lisa S. holding and playing with the children.  Philip G. has been invaluable with his ability to assess a situation and help with adjustments as necessary.  Brian K. and Kristina W. have blessed the children with their ability to minister through music.  Mike V. has been creative in preaching the gospel to the children in a way that is making them think about it alittle differently. 

They have seen evidence of God's grace in many ways.  On Friday, Mike V. said that several middle-school
girls volunteered to tell him that they asked Jesus to forgive them for their sins. Also, at the end of  the day, when the program was over, about 85 children ran to a classroom so that they could have more classroom time with the team.  The team spent that time sharing the gospel again and enjoying the children.  The team has also spent many hours learning favorite songs of the children in Creole.  This has really helped to build relationships with the children.  It also makes them giggle because their pronunciation is funny.  Please pray that the Lord would use all of these things to produce fruit for His Kingdom.


Again, thank you for all of your prayers and please keep them coming.  The team is beginning to get weary,
but we want to finish strong.

Blessings to you all,
Robin

Thursday's Recap

It is day four here in Haiti and God's grace continues to amaze us as we continue our ministry here. Similar to yesterday, the medical and VBS team were again split to go to two different locations. The medical team went back to Marlique to a location about ten minutes from where they were yesterday and the VBS team stayed in Calabasse. God continues to build a strong unity not only with the team as a whole but with each smaller team and translators as well.

The medical team was able to serve more than 85 people today and was set up similarly to how it was yesterday. It was such a pleasure to see some of the people we had met the day before waiting for us with smiles and waves as our bus pulled in. Some had been there the day before to see the doctor and because of time restraints had been told to return the next day. Others were simply men, women, and children we had befriended the day before that wanted to come again to be with us. There was even one little boy who was intent on helping us share the gospel with those waiting in line through the gospel bracelets we had brought. The day ran very smoothly with each member of the team working together to successfully care for the physical and spiritual needs of the Haitian people.
 
The VBS team had about 175 - 250 children at various times, come to participate today and each day that number seems to be increasing. They played games in the earlier part of the morning and did some teaching and songs towards the afternoon. Today they talked about the parable to the Sower and how we need to hear the truth of God and respond to it. Philip B. and Katie R. are both feeling well and were able to once again help with the kids. There were several difficult and unexpected situations that presented themselves throughout the day but God graced the team with the ability to deal with each situation well. It's amazing how, by the grace of God, a small group of seven people can lead this many children that do not understand English very well.

Don taught today at the convention. He recapped his messages from yesterday in the morning and continued on with his series during the day. The number of people attending the conference seems to be increasing daily (today there were 120 - 130). Greg stayed at the convention center to teach later in the night after the rest of the team headed back to the Bethel House. He met up with us later that night for another wonderful time of fellowship and sharing.

God continues to meet each of us in amazing ways while we are here and we appreciate all of your prayers for us during this time. So many of them have been answered and we are grateful that you are able to
labor with us in this mission.

-  Deborah  

An Inside Look 1

Greetings from Haiti! As a part of the blog, we wanted to try and give you guys a snapshot into the lives of some of the team. We wanted another way to share part of our experience here with you, so we're going to highlight and share some of the experiences that specific members had throughout the trip.

So the first person we talked with was Anna V. This is not only her first time to Haiti, but also her firsts time ever leaving the country. She has always been open to doing a  missions trip like this one, and told God that she would be willing to go, if he allowed her to go on this trip. Now that at least 2 days have passed, we  had a  chance to sit down with her and really see what she thinks about the experience thus far.

When she was asked what she thought about the trip in general, she said that she loved the trip and the experience so far, but that it was definitely an eye opener for her. She mentioned that she has loved getting to know everyone on the team better since she is fairly new to the church, and how kind it has been of God to hand-pick all of the members of our team to bring them over to Haiti so she could really bond with everyone over this really exciting experience. She said it feels like Grace Community is very present here in Haiti for her, and that she feels more connected with our Church home back in Kingsville being here with everyone.

As much as she admits bonding over trying conditions has been a highlight of hers, she also said that the hardest part of the trip is seeing all of the Haitian people living in huts and tarps in conditions that seems so severe. As she looks out of the windows of our school bus that we use for transportation, she compassionately mentions how much it moves her to see all of the poverty around us. It is so much worse then you think when you see it in person compared to what you hear or see on TV back home. You can only imagine the feeling. She says it's hard to look into their eyes and not be emotionally moved in what you see. You can just look in their eyes and see the weight of the world weighing on them, especially in many of the little children she has had the privilege of working with at the medical clinic.

She says that after this trip she sees herself being a changed woman even after only 2 days. She describes herself as someone who use to care a lot about "the little things" back home and would get "fussy" when they didn't always work out. She realizes now seeing what the Haitian people go through every day and how little they have, that those things that used to upset her are of very little importance. She feels that this trip has already given her a  new perspective on her life and what really matters for not only here but her life when she returns home. She has been praying for this before this trip that God would meet her in this way and has been so encouraged in what He has already revealed to her in her short time being here.She is excited for all that is to come and for what God will show her next, and prays that God would allow her new vision for her life to last long beyond this trip.

She spends most of her time at the medical clinic interacting with the children there and praying with the people attending the clinic for that day. She has already been pushed beyond her comfort zone in many of the ways she has been able to serve, and has later been very joyfully able to share with our team how blessed she has felt as a result. She is continuing to step out further and further in faith each day here, eager to see how God would use her next, even if it is not what she would consider the most comfortable.

One of the things that has really stood out to her culturally, is the fact that even though the Haitian people are living in a completely different world than us, we are so much alike. She has spent a lot of time talking and praying with people with a translator and has been really amazed and blessed to witness the hunger and thirst they have for the gospel. She would describe the trip so far as physically exhausting, but spiritually fulfilling, and when asked if she would ever come back, she answered without a doubt, yes.

I hope this brief view into one of our team members has blessed and encouraged you all back home and that you will continue to pray for Anna and the rest of the team as we move forward with what God has planned for us here. Please feel free to leave comments that we can pass along to the team, or questions you may want us to answer.

Signed, Lisa Sharpe for the Haiti team

Tuesday and Wednesday

This morning we woke up to a beautiful morning in Haiti.  The sun was bright and reflecting off the mountains that are all around us and the sky was bright blue.  We are all very grateful for the accomodations that we have here at the Bethel Guest House.  And the weather has been delightful so far.  Although the days are hot, it's cool at night.  Pastor Don made the owner, Dr. Bernard, chuckle when he asked for a blanket. "Imagine that! He wants a blanket andk it's summer in Haiti!"  Yes, this is a very different trip than last year.

Tuesday, June 28

Today the whole team went to Calabasse - which is the main hub for the convention.  Pastors Don and Greg and the VBS team adjusted their plans so that they were ready to begin their parts. But when we arrived, we were told that the convention wasn't beginning until Wednesday.  The VBS team continued with their plan but Don and Greg needed to adjust again.  Instead of beginning their teachings, they had an opportunity to meet with several of the pastors and leaders to tell them what they would be teaching about and then they were able to talk with them and pray for them.

It was a joy to watch the medical clinic in action.  Our medical team cared for 77 patients.  They saw the very young to the very old.  As people waited in line for their turn for care, we had 2 teams (each with interpreters) speaking with each person and caring for them with prayer.  They also handed out toys to the children or explained the gospel with a gospel bracelet.  Brandie D. mentioned later that she was so touched that before the people were seen by a nurse and doctor, they were cared for spiritually by prayer and the gospel.

The VBS had a small crowd of children on Tuesday.  They played sports in the morning.  In the afternoon the team used the parable about building your house on the rock to teach the children about the gospel.

Wednesday, June 29

Today the medical team was off-site from the convention.  They went to a town about 45 minutes away. Deborah S. joined Tracy C. as a prayer partner.  This enabled Jesse B. to help out with medical things.  With small changes like this the medical team is becoming more efficient each day.  We were especially thankful for their skills and gifts because 2 of the members on the VBS team (Phil B. and Kati R.) became sick and needed to be transported from the convention to where the medical team was ministering. Although they are feeling much better now, please keep them in your prayers.

The VBS had about 120 children today. The children love to laugh and love to play games. It's fun to watch them being silly with the team.  Kristina W. noticed that, before he got sick, Phil B., was like the Pied Piper with a string of children following behind him.  They love him!  They were sad when he needed to leave them so that he could rest and get care.  When Phil and Kati were sent to the medical clinic, we also sent Lisa S. so that she could watch over them.  Mike V. was blessed by the way the rest of the team (Brian K., Kristina W. and Philip G.) stepped up. Leading a VBS of 120 children with only 3 leaders, who don't speak the language, is challenging to say the very least.  The grace of God was abounding!  Thank you for your prayers.

Pastor Don began to teach the pastors and leaders.  There were about 30 of them. We pray that they are being blessed by the material. Because the convention was just getting started, the pastor of the church decided that it would be best for Greg not to stay for the evening session.


The team is really being blessed by our evening debriefing/devotion times.  It's so wonderful to come together as a team to worship, be in the Word and hear stories about the day.  We really appreciate that Brian K. is playing guitar for us. Dave N. has been leading our times very well. Many verses have ministered to us, but on Tuesday, he reminded us of Revelation 7:9 - 12: "After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation , from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, 'Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!' And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, 'Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen."  Our small trip to Haiti, in a very small way is our way of participating with God's purpose of bringing in that 'great multitude...from every nation.'  What an awesome privilege we have! 

Thank you for reading our blog and for praying!  We appreciate  you and can sense your prayers.  Many people on the team are having small ailments and are not sleeping well.  Please continue to cover us with your prayers.

Robin

Hello from Haiti

Everyone made it!  It's been a long day, but we wanted to give you a recap of how the trip has gone so far.
We landed safely in Haiti at 1:30 this afternoon with all of our luggage in tow. The layover during the trip even provided some of the team members the opportunity to catch up on some much needed sleep. After we arrived we hopped on a bus and headed to the hotel we will be staying at for the week. Once again, it was difficult to see the poverty and devastation that still plagues the country even a year after the earthquake.

As with any missions trip, you have to be prepared for things to not go quite as expected and today was no exception.  We found out that the conference, which would include the pastors teaching and VBS, will be starting tomorrow instead of Wednesday like we had originally thought. We are in the middle of making some adjustments to our plans to fit with this new schedule and would appreciate your prayers for the process.

Also, unfortunately it looks like we won't be able to upload any pictures to the blog through out the week due to a slow Internet connection. Hopefully, however, when we get back to the states we will be able to share with you all the photos of our trip.

Excited to share with you all what God is doing and plans to do!
Deborah

A Note from Pastor Greg

Pastor Steve praying over the team, June 26, 2011

Thanks for your interest in our team and trip to Haiti! 

As you read these updates, concerning our preaching, teaching, VBS, and medical teams, pray with an attitude of thanksgiving for the grace and power available to us through the gospel.  May God give us joy in the victories and perseverance in the trials before us.  Thank you for your labor on our behalf.   

Ephesians 6:18 "...praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.,,"

We are keenly aware of the prayer cover that you, our church, family and friends provide for us on these trips.  Without this spiritual support our labor is in vain!  Pray also that we will abide in Christ by faith and that we will glorify him in much fruit!

John 15:4 "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing....7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples."

We look forward to sharing with you on our return.   May God bless you and use you in your 'mission field' during our time away.

Grace and peace to us all!

Greg for the team

The Team, Our Mission & Other Details

Last summer in Haiti we began a wonderful relationship with Reverend Liberius.  Not only is Reverend Liberius Darby's dad, but he also oversees about 50 churches, clinics and schools in Haiti.  This summer the Haiti Team is blessed to be serving, in various ways, Reverend Liberius, his leaders and staff, and their families.

Who is the 2011 Haiti Team?

Pastor Greg is our leader. 

Similar to last year, our team has 3 components:

Teaching
Each year Reverend Liberius holds a convention for his leaders and staff, and their families.  This year Pastor Don and Pastor Greg will be doing 20 teachings for approximately 150 leaders and staff.  Their topic is the power and implications of the gospel.  During the evenings Pastor Greg will also be teaching at revival meetings.

Medical
Our medical group will be working with Haitian doctors and interpreters and has the potential to care for hundreds of people daily!  Not only are there nurses who can care for the physical needs of those who come to the clinics, but there are team members who will be ready to share the hope and mercy of the gospel too. The medical component is lead by Brandie D. The other men and women serving with her are: Jesse B., Lorri B., Ann C., Tracy C., Beth C., Jordan H., Darby L., Rachel M., Dave N., and Anna V. 

Vacation Bible School

Our VBS group will serve the children of the leaders and staff at the convention, and the children in the surrounding community.  The parables of Jesus are the launching pad for telling the children about the gospel.  They have lots of skits, crafts and stories prepared! They plan on serving several hundred children in their 4-day VBS.  The VBS group is: Phil B., Phil G., Brian K., Katie R., Lisa S., Kristina W., and is lead by Mike V.

More Team Members
Deborah S. will be documenting our trip through video and still photos.
Robin V. is administrative  and other support for the team.  Some affectionately call her the team mom.


Other Details
The team will leave from Grace Community at 2:00 AM on Monday, June 27.  Our flight departs Reagan National at 6:00 AM and we should be in Port-Au-Prince around 1:00 PM.

We are blessed to be staying at the Bethel Guest House while in Haiti (take a look at the link at the upper right).  It is located in the beautiful mountainous region to the south of Port-Au-Prince and about 1 hour's drive from where we'll be ministering on most days.

We can't say often enough that we covet your prayers.  There are several people on the team who have never been on a mission trip before.  Please pray for them.  And please pray for all of us to acclimate quickly and to be full of faith for all that the Lord has for us.

Thanks for coming along on the journey.
Robin

Welcome!

      We're less than a week out from beginning our adventure in Haiti.  Our supplies are packed and now its just a matter of packing our personal items and doing those final preparations that anyone needs to do before they leave the country for a week.  Passport - check.  Anti-malaria meds - check.  You get the idea.



     Our preparations for this trip began in March.  Pastor Greg pulled together a team of 22 people that would have 3 different components: vacation Bible school for children, medical, and teaching.  Each group has been working hard to get their part ready.  Now we're excited for the role we'll play in bringing the gospel of Jesus Christ to the hundreds of people we'll meet while in Haiti.  As each group was making their preparations, Pastor Greg was helping us to prepare our souls.  He read to us some of Esther Ayn Kim's story which helped us to understand that no matter how weak and 'unqualified' we think we are, God can do mighty things through us.  He also reviewed with us a wonderful tool for evangelism called 'Two Ways to Live.'  And most importantly he reminded us that this trip isn't mostly about us, but it's about Jesus Christ and what he wants to do through the power of his gospel.



Along the city streets in Haiti, 2010.

       So we're glad you're checking out our blog!  During the week that we'll be in Haiti, we hope to keep you updated with stories and pictures.  Feel free to post comments too!  The team will love hearing from you.  And when you think of it, please pray for us and for the people of Haiti.



Glad to share this adventure with you!

Robin











day 7

today (thursday) was a busy day at the village! the screens were finished and installed, we painted the front gate and entrance to the orphanage, and we did our concrete pour. it was our last day of working and we are tired, but we really believe we are leaving the village with some noticeable improvements, and we hope they are pleased with our service.

when we went back to the village for dinner, many of us went up to where the concrete was poured. there is a nice view from that point, and we were also able to see a sunset. i think that might have been a first, since we havehad many rainy evenings.

the medical team had a great day! their clinic was at a different location today, they were actually working in a clinic rather than a church building. so, they had an exam table, a desk for triage, and an actual pharmacy with shelves. they treated about 60 patients, who were generally healthier than those they had seen in previous days, but had some different sorts of problems. they also came back with a very encouraging story, which i will share with you here.
earlier in the week, there was a day when the medical team was driving and a boy approached the car with a letter. the letter was given to darby, and explained that this boy was 14 years old, had lost both parents in the earthquake, and he was requesting to be adopted. he even included a graduation photo to prove that he had been to school. the letter was passed to darby's dad, and darby got the boy's phone number as well, hoping that there might be some way to follow up with him. this boy really stayed on kristen's heart especially, and she continued to pray for him. today, the team just happened to make an unexpected stop at one of darby's dad's offices, and that boy just happened to be hanging around outside. this was a different area from where they saw him before, and it was not a planned meeting. so, darby and kristen took about half an hour to talk with this boy. they shared the gospel with him and he ended up praying to receive Christ into his heart. so, in our understanding, he ended up getting adopted today, into God's family!

tomorrow we are headed to the beach and then to darby's parents' house for dinner, as i shared earlier. we plan to go to the village in the evening to try to print out our boarding passes, and that is when i hope to get this entry posted to the website. please pray that there are no complications at the airport. some of us don't have our plane tickets anymore, so we are hoping that pre-printed our boarding passes helps us to avoid problems on saturday afternoon.
thank you again for the way you have participated with us through this blog, and through your prayers. we are excited to be coming home to you soon!

A quick note from Steve

Hi Everyone!
On behalf of the Haiti2010 team, thanks so much for following us on this blog as we have the incredible honor of serving in Haiti with both Pastor Liberius and ROTH. More than that, thanks for your prayers and kind words as we seek to do the works the Lord has prepared for us here. It really has been a great time of learning to serve in the Lord's strength, especially since ours dries up so fast in the heat and long days!
I can tell you that for the mission that we've been given, there couldn't be a greater team! These men and women are fantastic witnesses for Christ, hard workers beyond imagination in these circumstance, and just a lot of fun to hang out with...I am blessed to lead such a team.
I wish I had the time to tell you the details of the love that they have expressed to sick and dying patients, the great physical strength and 'construction' wisdom with which they have blessed the orphanage and the deep commitment to personal holiness I have observed. We've cried together, we've prayed together and we've had fun together...and I fully believe many on this team will be affected for a lifetime. Mercy ministry has been done with an excellence that I am so very proud of...and you would be too!
I can't wait to brief the church on all that has been done and all that God has done. However, before we even leave Haiti in the coming days, I want you to know how very encouraged and proud I am to call each and everyone of these saints my brothers and sisters. They have done well!!!!
Please continue to pray (as we can tell you are), it makes a huge difference for us...and by God's good grace we will see you back in the Baltimore area on Saturday night.
Love in Christ to all, who is the reigning King of ALL the nations,
Steve
Col. 1:9-18; Acts 20:24

day 6

today was again very similar to the past couple of days. our team was split in three: the village team, the medical clinic (at the same location) and the vbs, at a new location. carie and anna swapped roles for the day, but the teams were otherwise the same. here are some of the highlights:

construction

the guys at the village continued to make progress on their block work. i think they also took down some forms inside one of the houses. dave and allyson continued to work on building the screens for the guesthouse, but ran out of some materials before they were able to complete the job. rachel spent her day straightening out nails that had been used, so that they could be used again. a new team arrived at the village from new mexico, and they will be staying and working there through tuesday. one thing worth mentioning is that the guys really feel like they
have made some good relationships with the haitian concrete crew. they can't communicate much with words, but are able to find ways to joke around with the guys and are seeing signs that the men are trusting them with certain portions of the work. to the left is a picture of lisa, dave and matt doing some work in the village.

medical

the medical team met at the same location, but kristen also did a small clinic where the vbs was located, working with a haitian doctor. yesterday, the medical team treated a young boy who was nearing diabetic coma, and blind, and had to tell him it was very likely that he did not have long to live. he was back again today with his mother, and was able to receive another treatment. when they left, the mother was expressing to steve how sorry she was to see them go, and how thankful she was for whatever amount of time they were able to prolong this boy's life. the people here really do not receive much medical care at all. they will come to clinics like ours and wait for hours just to be able to leave with some tylenol. it is a stark contrast to how much we have easy access to at home. to the left is sarah treating a baby whose mother passed away very recently. her aunt is caring for her the best that she can with the limited means that she has.

vbs

the vbs team met at a school today, not too far from the church where they had been meeting. the group at the school was very welcoming - they even greeted the team by singing a song for them! the teachers at the school stayed engaged with what they were doing, and treated the vbs almost like a school assembly. it was really helpful to have their participation and everything ran very smoothly. to the left is a picture of some of the school children showing off the crafts that they made (their necklaces).

there is a rumor that tomorrow (thursday) there is supposed to be some sort of a protest in port au prince. we have spoken with the us embassy and with darby's father, and it seems like there really is no concern. apparently these types of things often amount to nothing. we have been advised that it is safe to leave the village tomorrow, as long as we are back by dark. so, we are going to send out our medical team (sarah, kristen, rachel and lorri, with darby)
to the same place one last time. however, the vbs team is going to stay back at the village. that is not because of a safety concern, but because tomorrow is going to be another heavy labor day. we will be pouring concrete again like we did on saturday, only it will be even higher up. because of the amount of work, and with people being more fatigued at this point of the week, it will really help to have the extra hands around.

on friday, we are not working. we have been encouraged to take a rest day instead. so, we are renting a "tap-tap," which is sort of like a large taxi/bus with benches, and we will be riding out to a beach resort for a few hours. our ride will take us through the heart of port au prince, which we haven't seen yet. after the beach, we will head up the mountain one last time, because darby's parents are hosting us for a wonderful haitian dinner at their home. along the way, we hope to stop and do some shopping.

since we won't be at the village on friday, this may be our last post. we hope to be able to get something brief out on saturday morning before we leave, but i'm not sure if we'll be able to. in light of that, i thought i'd share a couple more things while i have the chance.

first, our return flight (on saturday): we will be on delta 692, departing port au prince at 12:50, and landing at jfk at 6:05pm. this will put us back at church some time between 10 and 12 midnight, depending on customs and our bus ride back.

second, i would like to highlight the men on the team for the ways they have served us. they are all leading and working tremendously well in their appointed roles. but aside from that, they are really caring for the women on the team. we can't walk anywhere, not even from the village to our guesthouse, unless we have a guy with us, so they have been escorting us back and forth and also watching over the teams that have been traveling in the mountains. our power here runs on a generator during certain hours, and sometimes it stops working, even in the middle of the
night. the guys will get up at any hour to fix it when it isn't working, or turn it on when we need lights early in the morning, etc. for the first few days we were here, the guys were helping the girls get set up in their rooms. dave p in particular was very kind to help several of us hang our mosquito nets, inflate air mattresses, etc. when we first arrived, darby took a morning to scrub the bathroom floor for us. the toilets here do flush normally, but you can't put toilet paper in them, so there are little trash cans full of used toilet paper in the bathrooms. they are really nasty, and matt b has been faithfully emptying those cans for us all week. and most importantly, all of the guys are regularly asking us how we are doing, and looking for ways to encourage us with the gospel. most of them are husbands and fathers and we know their families miss them, but we have been so thankful to have them here with us. it would have been a much harder trip without them. thank you for your sacrifices in allowing them to come.

lastly, i realize that we have not said much about what darby is doing, but he has been a great help on this trip. he often spends the evenings making phone calls, trying to get information and figure out logistics for the following day. it seems like he is pulled in many directions, because of his translating abilities, his knowledge of the area, and of course the connection with his father. he has been driving us through difficult roads and traffic for hours every day, and helping to keep control and watch over the girls at the medical clinic. even though he is always busy, he always seems joyful and happy to be serving the team. to the left is darby enjoying a pancake breakfast before heading out this morning.






i'll leave you with a couple pictures of the sights that we have been seeing every day. first is the street that we walk down to get to the village. we often encounter dogs, goats and pigs along our way, and we enjoy the view of the hills in the distance. second is a group of homes in the ghetto along the way to the medical clinic.














thank you again for reading and praying and commenting. hopefully we will write one more time. if not, we look forward to seeing you all when we are back home again!

day 5

before i even begin, let me express a special thanks for all of your comments yesterday. your thoughts, and the verses and quotes that you are sharing, are more helpful than you can know! we were in tears as we read them and are really looking forward to encouraging the rest of the group with your words.

our team was split up again today, in pretty much the same way as yesterday. one switch was that tracy stayed back at the village, and mike went to vbs. also, pastor steve went to the medical clinic to handle the pharmacy and kristen went with the vbs team. both the vbs and medical teams returned very excited and encouraged about their days. God really answered all of the prayers that we had after the previous day's experience.

medical

the medical team returned to the same location that they were in yesterday. it sounds like they maybe did not treat quite as many patients, but for those that they did see, they were able to care for them more completely. they even had time to pray with many of the patients. they saw some very serious cases again, but also had some wonderful encouragement: there were two girls who were brought to them yesterday and were almost as limp as dish rags in the arms of their caretakers. they were treated and given medicine, and returned today dressed in their sunday best and were skipping all around! the team was really blessed to see how God worked to restore their health so quickly. that was definitely one of the highlights for them. pastor steve also enjoyed some time to teach some of the children american football. to the left is a picture of sarah, our nurse practitioner, treating one of the patients. sarah has also done a great job attending to the medical needs of our team. nobody is terribly sick, but there are some small complications that she has been treating for us, or at least advising us on.

vbs

the vbs team also returned to the same location, darby's father's church. they did not have the same issues with controlling the children today. they had a slightly smaller group, maybe about 90 children. this is probably at least partly due to the fact that it was raining most of the day. they also had more effective translators, and the kids were better behaved. the skit that they did went great, and so did the craft. ryan and mike got a chance to play soccer with some of the kids outside. at one point after the gospel was shared, they asked for a show of hands if any children would like to pray to be saved. there was one child who seemed to at least show an interest, and there could possibly have been others just not brave enough to raise their hands. so, the team did lead them in a prayer to accept Christ. there won't really be an opportunity to follow up on that, but we are asking that God would have granted salvation to at least some in the group. to the left is a picture of mike playing soccer with some boys.

construction

the work at the village was a very similar pace to yesterday. the guys doing the block work on that second story room made a lot of progress. at the end of the day, they also were able to take down the wood framing around the concrete that we poured earlier in the week. to the left is a picture of the concrete team, and the haitian contractors that they have been working with all week.

matt b spent most of his day doing a variety of odd jobs. he fixed one of the vehicles that the village owns, and alsospent a lot of time working on some plumbing repairs at the guesthouse where we are staying (the creche). to the left is a picture of matt working on the truck.

dave p and allyson started working to create screens for the windows at the creche. several of the windows don't have any, so we were asked to build some to help with mosquito control... and to add a layer of rat screen as well. we took measurements and cut all the material fort he frames, and tomorrow we will probably finish up constructing and installing the screens.

because things were a little slow, especially in the morning, a few of the women on our team asked the haitian women to show us how to do the laundry. these women work all day scrubbing clothes, linens and towels, for about $10. it seemed like a good opportunity to get to interact with them.. but for those of us who tried it, i think we are all feeling very thankful for our washing machines back home! to the left is a picture of anna and allyson working with the laundry women.

last but not least, here is a picture of robin cleaning out some dishes in the village. robin serves us tirelessly with food prep, and we are so thankful for her. please be praying in particular for those serving at the village as they continue to try to serve with joy amidst some unexpected difficulties. for some people especially, it seems to be getting increasingly challenging as the week goes on, and so we are asking that God would change things just as He did for the vbs and medical teams, who both felt extremely challenged yesterday and really experienced God's grace today. please also pray for the health of the construction team. several of the guys have felt a little light-headed at various points. it is very hot and we are doing our best to stay hydrated and eat healthy snacks. we hear that the heat index issupposed to be near 140 tomorrow (wednesday) so we would really appreciate your prayers all the more.

as an interesting sidenote, a reporter arrived today who will be staying at the village for a few days. she was in haiti the day after the earthquake and is now following up on some stories. she works with an nbc affililate out of florida. who knows, perhaps we will be able to find some of her stories online after we return.

lastly, we loved getting our little care packages from the pastoral team last night. it was a great surprise and we all appreciate the thoughtfulness in finding out what each of our favorite snacks are. thank you so much!

to answer the question about child care at the village... some of the kids are the children of the women who live in the village, but most of them are orphans who live here. there are kids ages from probably about 4 months up to 6 years old. the women here will bathe the children and change diapers, but our team helps out in many other ways during the day: administering daily vitamins and some prescription antibiotics, watching out for the ones old enough to be running through the village, making sure babies get fed and just providing general stimulation.

tomorrow (wednesday) we will again have a team at the village, a medical clinic, and vbs. the vbs will be in a different locationwith a different group of kids. a few people are being swapped between teams, because there are some who would like to experience the areas they have not been involved in yet. we don't know yet what all of the changes will be, but we are as always praying for God's help in adjusting our attitudes and expecations, and having the humility to serve in whatever way is asked of us.

thanks again for all of your prayers and comments. we are happy to be here serving, but also missing our loved ones at home, so we really appreciate hearing from you all.

day 4

Well today was our first day doing the VBS that we had planned, and it was an interesting day to say the least. The day got off to a late start, due to traffic, so even though we had planned to leave at 7:45am we didn't actually leave until around 9am. The team split off into 3 sections today, all in different locations: construction at the village with Barb and a few of the ladies to help with cooking and childcare, a medical clinic that was located at Malik, and the rest of the crew at VBS up in the mountians. We'll do our best to give you a summary of every location...

VBS

After we finally left the creche at around 9am, we settled into 2 of the trucks along with the medical team. We drove for a while and after dropping them off at their new location, the rest of the VBS team crowded into one truck and began the long 2 and a half hour trip up the mountain. The ride in itself is not very comfortable, especially for such a long distance with limited space avaliable. The truck we used today was even smaller than the truck we used before, so we had to pack in even tighter. We usually pack around 6-7 people in the back of the truck and around 5 more inside of the truck along with the driver if we're in for more of a tight fit that day. Today, the VBS team was tracy s., lisa s., jaclyn, ryan, carrie, kristina w., and mary. We took a break about half way up the mountain to stop at a store that we have been using to purchase cold drinks for the rest of our day, since there is no water for us to drink at our VBS locations outside of what we bring ourselves. During this rest stop, our car overheated, and when we went to restart the car the radiator blew and hot water started pouring out of the car, and we could not seem to start the car up. We began rolling backwards down the mountain with random men and children pushing us, until the car got enough momentum to start itself up. During this time, ryan in his attempt to serve, decided that since we all were sitting in the truck (adding weight to the truck being pushed) that he would jump out and push too. This did serve the team, only Darby's father who was driving the truck did not know ryan jumped out to help. This meant that when the truck finally started, ryan had to chase down the truck and dive over the edge, landing the back of the truck on top of everyone else. Thankfully no one was hurt from this, but it definitely made us all laugh and was the begining of our adventures for the day. The truck delay put our team even futher behind by about an hour, so we did not arrive at our location until around 12:40pm. We did not get to start our VBs until around 1:30pm. above is a picture of ryan as he landed in the back of the truck.

there had been a miscommunication regarding the vbs and medical clinic, and the people at the vbs were expecting medical treatment, even though our medical team was not there. since steve has pharmaceutical experience, and because the people had been waiting for hours, he decided not to turn them away, but to treat them with the help of a translator who was also a doctor. he saw 80 patients in 2 hours, and gave away a lot of non-prescription medications. we are going to try to do a "real" medical clinic up at that location later in the week. to the left is steve working with a translator, jeanette (in the red shirt), handing out medicine.

while steve was running his clinic, the rest of the team set up their vbs. they started out with about 20 youngkids, but by the time they were done, between 150 and 200 kids had trickled in. they all really enjoyed the craftthat they did and seemed very attentive to the skit that was performed (about esther) also. they had 3 men helpingthem translate, but the kids tended to be very rowdy, and everyone, especially our people, seemed to have a hard time keeping control of the kids. when they started acting up, ryan took most of the boys outside to play soccer,which they were excited about. to the left is tracy being swarmed by children who want the stickers she is handing out.

meanwhile, the girls started a game of duck duck goose, which got changed to duck duck chicken, because the children had no idea what a goose was. they had never heard of the game and really enjoyed playing it with the girls from our team. all of our girls fell while they were demonstrating or playing, because the tile floor of the church was so slippery. the kids were especially entertained by all of the falling, even though the team was really embarrassed, since even the adult translators were laughing at them. they thought the game was going well, until a point when there was some confusion about who tagged who and two of the girls got into a very aggressive fist fight. it actually got really vicious and the girls had to be pulled apart, and one of them was removed because she would not calm down. this shocked our team, because they weren't prepared for that type of thing to happen. they didn't realize that the game would be that important to them, and it was obvious that the kids just don't live by the same kinds of rules that we are used to in our country. above are lisa s and jaclyn playing duck duck goose.

they closed up the vbs with a song, which one of the haitian women demonstrated with the kids. because the kids interact so differently than what we are used to, the team is going to try to make some adjustments to their plans to try to accomodate the kids better, and insert the gospel more boldly. please be praying for their efforts in that. it will take some time,which we don't have much of, and the team is returning to that location tomorrow (tuesday) afternoon.

the team then drove the 2 and a half hours back down the mountain in the back of the pickup truck. however, the ridetook longer, because they had to wait to pick up the medical team. when they finally returned around 7, they headed straight to the village to join the rest of the team for a late dinner.

medical

the medical team (sarah, kristen, rachel m and lorri), along with darby, split off from the vbs team and continued driving in another direction towards the church where they were to have their clinic. after driving, they had to actually walk another 15 minutes, carrying the suitcases full of medical supplies. their walk took them through alleys, a ravine, a dump and a tent city. there were no roads leading to the place where they went. when they arrived, there was someone with a megaphone who had been going through the area like a town crier announcing the clinic. they saw about 50 patients and had to turn away about 25 more because they ran out of time. however, the people they saw had a lot of serious conditions. they were in extreme poverty; one woman had not eaten since the previous day, and even that was only a little bit of rice, because she could afford nothing more. that was probably typical of most of the patients. it was a chaotic experience, because the people were so desperate, and also because the pastor and other church leaders who were supposed to help with control were not all present. the team is planning to return there tomorrow, provided that there is a guarantee of those other leaders being able to be there, both for safety and for organization. the patients who were turned away were told to come back, and i'm sure there will be many others who will also show up. please be praying for their safety, and that those men would be there. we are learning how much plans change around here, but we hope that at least that much will go according to plan. above is lorri treating one of the patients in the clinic.

construction

while the vbs and medical teams were off having their adventures, the construction team spent the day at the village. lisa g. and anna were with us to do childcare, and robin was also with us to work with the cook. the pace in the village was much slower than what we were hoping for. we did get work done, but there were also various projects that couldn't be completed, or took much longer than they should have, for logistical reasons. the team did a great job of taking those frustrations to God in prayer, trying to seek his will and find ways to demonstrate the gospel. we also used our down time to pray for the other teams, which it seems like they really needed! we were able to do some block work on the second floor of one of the buildings. dave p. and dan installed some new shelves in the food depot, and the girls organized baby formula and food and stocked the newly completed shelves. dave n., matt b. and matt s. also spent some time working back at the creche, fixing the second shower, which did not work. it wasn't quite ready to use tonight, because some caulk was still drying and there are concerns about water pressure, but i'm sure we will get to try it out before the week is over. that will really serve us well, as we currently have a long sign up sheet for showers every morning and evening. there are 25 of us sharing one bathroom. to the left are dave p and dan working to install the new shelves.

we were able to share all of your comments with the team, and they were greatly encouraged to hear from a lot of you. it really is very meaningful to get these messages from home - we can see it on the faces of people as we tell them, or let them read for themselves, what you have said.

kristina asked us to tell her parents that she has not forgotten you, but she has forgotten your phone number, which is why you haven't heard from her!

for those of you asking about robin, she is doing well. she has learned that she can't tolerate the heat very well, but has been able to adjust and work within her means. she is really doing a great job serving our team - she is responsible for our meals, often rising very early to prepare breakfast for the teams that need to leave first. she is also staying very flexible, as our plans for meals often change. like, for instance, when she opens the pancake mix and finds it swarming with critters. she always comes up with a backup plan to see that we are taken care of!

please continue to share your comments, or even to ask questions if you like. and please keep praying for us as we continue to adjust our schedules and plans. things never seem to function the way we expect, time-wise. at least according to our plans, tomorrow should look very much like today, but of course we don't know what will really happen.

day 3

we had to get up early for church, because darby's dad was going to pick us up around 7:30. when he arrived, he informed us that all of the women needed to be in dresses. well, many of us were not, and had not even packed any skirts. fortunately, some of the women had brought extra, and we were able to use what they had. that left only one person without a dress... , so tracy s decided to use her bed sheet to make a skirt. we wrapped it around her and pinned it to make a lovely striped skirt. to the left is a picture of all the women dressed for church.

we all piled in to two trucks to make the 90 minute ride up into the mountains. one truck had guys on the back and on the roof, and the other truck had girls in the back. to the left you can see dan h, mike v, dave n and ryan r sitting on top of the truck, against a backdrop of one of the towns we drove through.

it was very easy to tell when we started ascending into the mountains, because the climate changed noticeably. it was much cooler, and very pleasant. the views of the mountains were beautiful. at some points we were literally inside of the clouds. we stopped once to pick up some cold drinks and were able to take some pictures, like the one here.

when we got to the church a little after 10, the service was already in progress. there was a place in front (facing the congregation) for all of us to sit. they were singing songs and reading scripture. we couldn't understand what they were saying, but we could tell it was a joyful and heartfelt expression of worship, and we were able to join them in some ways. there was a group of men who did an acapella musical performance, complete with hand motions and harmony. they really were very good. shortly after they were up, we had a chance to be introduced and to sing 3 songs. we were not nearly as good. in fact, we were very bad. our guitar was out of tune, and so were we. but we had no rhythm without it. the congregation was kind to us and applauded our efforts, and pastor steve then explained that while we love to sing, we are really here to work and not to sing.

steve preached an hour long message with darby translating. he was preaching from john piper's booklet, For Your Joy. he shared the gospel very clearly, and somebody later expressed to him how good it was to hear biblical truth. thank you for praying for his message.

when the service ended, we had an opportunity to pray for anybody who wanted to come forward. we didn't all have translators, so we didn't know what requests they had, nor did they know what we were praying, but they seemed genuinely appreciative of our ministry to them. to the left is a picture of lisa s and jaclyn k praying for a haitian woman.

we left promptly as soon as we realized that a storm was approaching. this was a concern because of all of the people sitting on the outsides of the trucks. we started out, but the storm became so heavy that we had to pull over and take shelter in the front of a small building. we stood there, soaked and cold, for nearly an hour. the haitian men with us graciously ran through the rain to get us some large tarps for the truck beds and roofs. here is a picture of ryan attaching the tarp to one of the trucks.

the storm never did pass, so we set out again when the rain was much lighter. to the left is a picture of kristina w, carie b and lisa g huddled under a tarp. it turned out that the tarp was collecting exhaust and making it hard to breathe, so we couldn't use it. so we rode down the mountain in the rain, making the best of the situation. at one point we had to pull over because there was a problem with the brakes of one of the trucks. they were overheated, so we let them cool off, and splashed some water on them, while we ate our packaged lunches. after 10 minutes or so, we set out again and finally made it safely back "home" around 5 or so. thanks again for your prayers for safety! we have been uncomfortable at times, but have been spared so far from any really serious situations.

today, monday, we are split up. the construction team is working at the village, with robin v cooking and lisa g and anna b doing child care. the medical team is about halfway up the mountain, doing a clinic. the rest of the group is going all the way back up by the church. they are doing demolition and cleaning in the morning, and will be doing a vacation bible school in the afternoon. yesterday we learned that many people who attend the church were saved during vbs camps hosted by missionaries when they were children. this really excited our team about the potential impact they could have.

please keep praying, and sharing your comments. we love to hear from you!

day 2

we apologize for the delay on this post. apparently the internet connection doesn't really work in bad weather, and it rained all day yesterday (sunday). so, i'm just posting saturday's update now (monday morning), and i will post the update for sunday's activities as well.

this was the view from the second floor of one of the buildings in the village as we were working yesterday. you can see the area where the construction team was preparing to pour a concrete second-story floor. the main "road" runs the length of the village and is lined with houses for various women. we had a productive day, completing the concrete floor and also running a medical clinic inside the village. and of course, there was time to play with the children, as they love to join in with whatever we are doing.

construction

the concrete job required many hands! the men spent some time working with haitian contractors preparing the surface. there was a large cement mixer, which needed to periodically be filled with concrete, water, and/or stones depending on what step of the process we were in. so, we had people filling buckets with concrete, people filling buckets from a stone pile, and people pumping water from a well at the other end of the village and moving it (with a cart) back to the mixer. once the conrete was mixed, the guys were putting it in buckets and created an assembly line to move it up a ladder to the floor. (on the left you can see mike, dan h, and matt s, along with some of the haitian workers) it was a lot of hard physical work, but by the end of the day, the floor was done. some of the other teams staying at the village, as well as the haitian workers themselves, kept commenting on what a great day it was, both because of how joyfully we served but also how excellent of a job we did laying the concrete. here you can see lou troweling it out at the end.

clinic

the nurses (lorri b, sarah, rachel m, kristen w) spent the morning preparing their supplies and getting organized for the clinic. they treated a few people from the village, and then opened the gates for the community to come in at 1pm. they served everyone who came through - 43 patients - in about 3 hours. from the road, you could see the crowd of people being treated, watching, or waiting. (to the left is rachel m treating a child) the patients were mostly young boys and girls, but there were some women and even a few men. a few others got pulled in to help as well: darby (for his translating abilities, rachel b, mary n, and tracy s). here you can see darby, kristen and mary working by the pharmacy.

the children at the village are very playful, but they also like to help. many of them were pumping water and helping us cart it back and forth. we had brought some bubbles with us, which provided lots of entertainment. (carie blowing bubbles for a small audience outside the clinic) when people weren't busy working, they could often be found holding babies or young children. a lot of the women who live in the village have multiple children and because they are single mothers, they just don't have the time to play with them or hold them. they are often working as well, doing laundry or other jobs around the village. they are more than happy to have people walk around with their children, or even take them outside of the houses while they are working. here is jaclyn with betta, one of the girls who lives in the village.

tomorrow we are attending darby's father's church. pastor steve will be preaching with a translator, and we will be singing songs for the church. ryan r will be leading worship for us. we hope to be able to get to the computer in the afternoon, so by the time you read this, that will already be done. sorry for the time delay, we just aren't able to gather pictures and our thoughts to get them online to you as fast as they happen.

please start praying for the vbs teams, as they plan to start on monday with their ministry. they may possibly be paired with a clinic in the same location, up in the mountains. thank you so much for your comments - it is very meaningful for us to be able to hear from you, and a blessing to report your comments back to the team.