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A blog about the mission work going on around the world by members of the Gassaway Baptist Church located in Gassaway, WV.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Day 13 (Tuesday) | Video
Driving back to WV now. Expected to be home sometime between 7 and 9 am. Here's the video highlights from Tuesday:
Back in the US
Group 2 has just landed in Florida.
Flight update
We are expected to be in Florida around 6-6:30 this evening.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Flight plans
Early expectations are to be in Florida tomorrow around 4:30-6:00 pm. We get our next update on plans at 7 am. We will post updated information as soon as we have it.
Flight Cancelled
Our flight leaving Haiti has been cancelled. We will try again tomorrow.
The next update will come around 2pm but we were just told it's not looking good for going home today. Will keep you posted.
We are currently at the airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. We are facing a 1-2 hour delay right now. We were expecting our flight due in around 1pm, that has now been pushed back to at least 2-3pm. We will keep you posted here and on our twitter feed.
At the airport
Group 2 has made it to the airport at Port-au-Prince. Just waiting to get through security.
Day 14 | Darlene
It's been a wonderful week! We had the dedication for the park and many Haitians joined us in prayer. As we held hands, we encircled the "Noah's Ark Park". It was exciting to see so many children come and play. I am very proud of our youth. They've been such a wonderful example as they worked together, worked hard, welcomed kids to the park, and guided them how to swing, see-saw, slide down the slide…….. I look forward to what God has in store after we return. VBS is upon us and I pray we will reach out at home as much as we have here. To God be the Glory!
Day 14 | Darren
God is amazing, God is true to his word always. I appreciate all that has happened over the last week, but today is truly a blessing. We got to meet Smiley. He is a 3 year old that we the Hunter family have the privilege to sponsor here in Haiti. He was a bit timid at first, but quickly began to warm up. Tiara and Holden got to play for about an hour with him on the ark. The light in his face was priceless. It is so apparent after a week here the needs are great. There is so much we don't and cannot understand from a distance. You don't always know what is and is not truth here when you are talking to someone, but, truth or not, I guarantee there is a need. I'm thankful he saw fit for me to be here this week with my family alongside me. I pray for our safety as we return and the changes God has done in us. Praise Him!
Day 14 | Allie
This has been an amazing week! It definitely made me appreciative of everything I have at home! Today was a very touching day and probably the best day for two reasons! One of them was the Ark was completely finished today and ready to be used as a mission tool for Baptist Haiti Missions to attract kids to their campus! It's so cool to see all of the kids playing and smiling as they play on something they've never seen before! They are just so happy! The second reason is one that I will never forget as long as I live! I decided to sponsor a little girl to help her get an education and encourage her to stay in school! Her name is Datchka Joseph! She is three years old and in pre-school at a school not too far away from BHM. Today the children and their families that all of us sponsored came to the park so that we could meet them. After everybody else had met theirs, Trey, a staff member here, had told me that Datchka's mother was eight months pregnant so it might take them a while to get here. A few minutes later he said that if I wanted we could go to their house so I could meet her. So Trey, Eric, my dad and I went to go find her. Eventually we passed her along side the road so we stopped and picked her up and brought her back to the Ark so I could interact her. She was so extremely cute, and she loved the swings! We gave them a box of food and she got a little bag of goodies to take home with her! I can't wait to see what all this sponsorship brings to her life! It's a great feeling to know that I am going to be making a difference in her life! I can't wait for the years to come when I come back to Haiti and get to see her grow! The Lord has honestly blessed me so much! I am so lucky to be able to work along side my dad and have such a great role model to look up to! He is such a great inspiration! I am also blessed to have an amazing youth pastor to push me along the way in my walk with the Lord. I couldn't be more lucky! This has been such a life changing event, and I wouldn't trade it for the world! I don't want to leave, but I am excited to come home! Love you all and say a prayer for us as we head out tomorrow! See you soon!
Day 14 | Shane
What a trip this has been, I am certain of one thing I have a much better appreciation for what I have, where I live. This has truly been a great trip for the family, all the hard work the group before did, and all that we were able to do has been completed. The smiles on the faces is priceless. I truly believe we have left a tool for BHM to use that will change many lives. The only bad thing about today was Madison didn't get to meet her child that she sponsored. Hopefully if we can come back we can get to meet her and her family. All in all I have been blessed to be a part of this trip, when it all boils down its all about people. We will be headed home tomorrow, can't wait to see our WV family. Thank you Lord for an awesome week.
Day 14 | Emerson
Today is our last full day in Haiti. I'm going to miss this it all because I had such a blast this week. Today we went bartering and it was so much fun! I cannot wait to take all the presents home to mom, dad, and friends. I got myself a machete that says Haiti on the handle. It's very dull so I'm going to have to sharpen it when I get home but that's no problem. I've had so much fun this week in Haiti and I cannot believe it's already over. Also, I got the privilege to meet the child that I chose to sponsor today. It was such a great time playing on the playground we made with him. Rood and Orchy (Rachel/Ashley's child and mines) played together the whole time on the kiddy side of the playground. I loved meeting both children and I really hope that today makes them both want to be great works their whole lives. I also hope that I can meet him again one day. I think that today was by far the best day that I have had in Haiti. I'm not sure what time we're leaving tomorrow morning, but I do know its 5:30 am, 7am, or 9am. It has been such an amazing adventure here in Haiti and will be hard to leave, but I cannot wait to see my parents Friday. Love and miss you mom and dad!! Miss everyone back home!
Day 14 | Brent
Today we went to mountain made again. It was good. We went bartering today. It was fun. I miss everybody back home.
Day 14 | Trey
Today was a good day. After morning devotions, the Haitian and us all were in a circle holding hands and prayed. Later everyone got to meet there kid they sponsored. We went to market and had a great time! Got a lot of good deals again and got everyone that was on my list stuff they would like☺ I don't want to leave tomorrow but I'm somewhat ready to head home. I miss everyone and had lots of memories to tell. This trip had definitely changed me! I almost forgot, I gave Mary Lou one of my scarfs that I made and she was thrilled!!!
Day 14 | Tiara
Today was full of anticipation. Mountain Maid, Bartering, and Meeting our sponsored kids were all on the agenda. The morning started out with a devotional lead by Mark. After "amen," both our mission group and the Haitians joined hands and bowed our heads. Mark devoted the ark to God and said a little prayer. Pictures were taken. "Thank you's" were shared. Smiles will be remembered. After all the excitement from that, our crew headed to Mountain Maid. The food was Amazing!!!!! I wish the food that was served there was cooked like that in America! So after our tummies were full, and our taste-buds worn out, we headed back to the ark to meet our sponsored kids. Smiley was the name of my little boy ☺ and let me tell you!, after warming up to us after a little bit, he couldn't stop jumping, and playing, and smiling!! His name said it all! Holden chased him around like a dinosaur. My, my, my, did he hoot and holler about that! When our goodbyes were shared, we went for the bartering shops. I never made it 3 feet without someone grabbing me and saying "come to my shop, come to my shop," or "I give you good price, come to my shop!" if a Haitian sees a white person, the automatically see $$$ signs. I was once again the Master Barterer! I got 2 paintings, a wooden elephant, vanilla, earrings, and something for my boyfriend that I will not post online incase he's reading this:P On the way out of the Bartering shops, I made Travis and Trey walk with me, run actually. People were still coming up to you saying "come to my shop, come to my shop!" Well when Travis and I looked back, a man with two machetes was running after us! I don't think I've ever ran that fast in my life! I rushed into Mountain Maid and thankfully avoided him! The rest of the day consisted of cleaning up really. My suitcase is probably not even half full (I couldn't fit another single thing on the way up here). I decided that the Haitians need it more than me. It's just clothes anyways. I can get more anytime that I want to. These people cannot. I really am truly blessed. I have everything a 15 year old could ever want in her life. God has allowed me the privilege of having what I do. I couldn't be more blessed. Thank you Haiti for this experience that you have given me ☺
Day 14 | Mickey
What a wonderful day it was. Everyone worked hard today and got everything cleaned up and got to spend the rest of the day playing with the kids. For everyone that sponsored a child for school we got to meet them today. I sponsored a 9 year old boy that is going in the fourth grade. He has 4 other brothers and 5 sisters. I choose him because he and Riley are the same age. It was good to meet him and when we did he handed me a picture that he had drawn for me. A part of the sponsor program is that each child gets a gift bag. In his gift bag was a bag of marbles, 2 stickers, 2 bible story books, a match box car, and a bag of gummies. He was very excited to get these few toys, because here kids to the Ark and showed him each of the rides that he could play on. After showing him each of them we played on the swing set for a few minutes and he was off running and playing with all of the kids. I then talked with his mother for a few minutes and then they were gone. This has been a great mission trip and I am looking forward to see where God leads me next. But in the meantime I am ready to get home to my wife and girls. I miss them very much. I only wish the first group was here to share in this experience with us and see all of the smiling faces on the kids and the mothers as they show their kids how to use the rock wall, cargo net and the slides. There are also several adults going up and down on the Ark. On our way to lunch today, Mark, Lloyd, Chase and I watched the security guard go up the Ark and then slide down the spiral slide. If you can picture this – he stands about 6'2" and goes about 260 lbs. In the 3 trips I have been here I have never seen him without his jacket on. No matter what the temperature is, and he carries a pistol grip shotgun. When he went down the slide he had one of the biggest smiles on his face I had ever seen. Earlier in the day he had his children there playing and showing then how everything works. God is so good. It is amazing how he has allowed us to get this accomplished this week and then have time to play with the kids. Hard to believe this is almost over. By this time tomorrow I should be back in the US and on my way home. Thank you Lord for all that you have done for me and allowed me to be a part of.
Day 14 | Chase
Today was the day we finished it every little thing is done and looks great!! Im very proud that I got to be apart of this. I had a lot of fun and made a lot of memories with a lot of good people. I met new people and are good friends now. It has just been a great trip. There is a lot that is going to happen from this not only here but back home and also in me. You will change in some way by coming here just seeing what they go through everyday what they work for its crazy. I thank God for how blessed I am and that I have a home and family to go to, or I know im going to eat everyday those are just some things to think about that we take for granite. I hope that I can get people to come here and seen it everyone needs too it really is a lot of fun too. Well I have a great week and it was amazing to watch the Lord work this week and all of it really. Please pray for our safety on the back home and thank you for reading and following us these two weeks!
Day 14 | Becka
The ark is finished! So exciting! Praise God for all the blessings he poured down on us these last two weeks. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to serve him here in Haiti. I'm excited to share our adventures when we get back home and continue God's mission for Eric and I in Braxton County. We are both looking forward to coming home, not only for the hot showers but also to get ready for VBS. I'm the mission chair for the VBS planning committee this year and am excited to share some ministry opportunities that I have found here in Haiti. Today was a bitter sweet day. We were able to see the playground full of children and youth again. I'm quite sad to leave here. I've made a few friends with the missionary families here. Monica and Scott have two children Kylie and Josiah; they were our test children for most of the week. Chelsea and Trey are another missionary couple here. They are a young married couple like Eric and I. I have enjoyed chatting with them these last two weeks. We will continue to be in contact with them when we go home and keep them in our prayers. Thanks again to everyone who has prayed for us. Keep us in your prayers tomorrow (Thursday) as we travel home. Love you all!!
Day 14 | Holden
We have finally finished the ark completely!!! Like in Jerry's blog its raining really hard right now so hopefully we will have thunder in the clouds! I just had to run outside to go take a shower but when I got there all I needed was a little bit of soap and shampoo. ☺ We went bartering today and I got a small machete and 3 bottles of pop. I gave Brent Dittman bubble gum flavored pop and I had two limeonades which is the best soda ever and anywhere! Me and Tiara also got to meet our child that we are sponsoring and his name is Smiley. At first he was shy but after we went down the silver slide his name had the best meaning ever. Mom has pictures and Eric has video on our website. I have already realized this but I wanted to share it with you. Haiti is a God thirsty country and I would LOVE it if everywhere was just like here. Like Bill said today 40 people can change the world for the better but I can all only start on one person. That person is us. God bless you all!
Day 14 | Jerri
It is raining so hard right now on this big tin roof that we cannot hear each other. It is awesome! We had to take a break in our bible study last night and tonight because we couldn't hear. Today was fun. We watched the ladies make jewelry out of cereal boxes, ate at the restaurant, met the kids we sponsored (except ours) and went shopping/bartering with the local merchants. That was an experience. My kids were better than I was. We had drinks for lunch with ice in them. We had homemade vanilla ice cream with fresh mangos for dessert this evening. The food has been great. We played with the kids on the playground today –some of them actually had to be taught how to play but it didn't take long. The dedication service was great and the final banner was put on the top. I pray we are all changed. I pray we will always think twice before we complain or whine or think we have to have 3 of everything or the newest or the best or shoes to match every outfit. We are blessed and we are spoiled and I hope and pray forever changed. These people here are proud and they are clean and they are happy – despite all their challenges. We need to take lessons and be humbled. It has been a wonderful experience – one we will never forget.
Day 14 | Kelsie
Today was yet another awesome day. I'm really sad it was our last; these past two weeks have flown by. We cleaned things up this morning and played with a little boy named Philipson. I loved his name because his dad was Philip so he was Philip's son. He never once smiled but he loved the swings and the kiddy slides. Went to the mountain maid for lunch. I was a afraid I was going to be really upset that I didn't have my sponsored child to play with today like most of everyone else did, but I got to play with a little guy who was by himself. If I had had a sponsored child than Shawn would have been playing alone. He was kind of following everyone around who was playing with their kid so I took him and started playing with him until his mom took him home. I couldn't understand a word he said, but that didn't stop him from talking up a storm. The first time he tried climbing the cargo net, he kind of got stuck half way so I climbed up to help him. After that he would stop and look to make sure I was following him up every time. Bartering was just as fun as last time and I bought way too much stuff that I don't need. Oh! And I had my first bananas here in the banana split at mountain maid and it was delicious. I have still yet to see a Haitian squirrel which kind of upsets me haha. I am truly sad to leave in the morning, but I know it's time to go home. I'm going to miss Jonny and Mary Lou so much!! Love all you guys at home and will see you all soon!! Love you bigger than the sky mom and dad!!
Day 14 | Rachel
This morning we had the dedication service for the ark. We all gathered around the entire playground and said a prayer. It was amazing to see us all come together and pray. We prayed for the children's safety as they play and that it would glorify God. Later in the day we got to meet our child that we chose to sponsor. Mine and Ashley's boy, Orchy, was SO adorable. He is three years old. He was so enticed with the little car he got in his gift bag. He also loved playing on the "little kid" playground. He LOVED the slide and swings! His smile was so big as he would sit at the top of the slide and the rush down to me. I love him so much. After meeting Orchy, we went bartering. It was a ton of fun! I got a lot of beautiful things. Hopefully my bag isn't overweight! I'm so happy that I got to experience bartering. I have had a fantastic time here in Haiti, but I am ready to be home. The fact that we will be headed home tomorrow makes me so happy. I can at least talk to Jordan and my family! I'm excited to be home, but I really hope that I can sleep through the entire car ride! It's going to be so long! Hopefully it goes by fast. I love you guys, see you all soon! (:
Day 14 | Shawn
Today was the dedication service for the ark. It was an overwhelming feeling that came over me as the kids started coming in. I especially got choked up when we got to meet Smiley Castel. He is the child Tiara and Holden picked out to sponsor. He was a lil' shy at first but it didn't take long for him to run, play and SMILE! I took several pics as Tiara and Holden taught him to swing, climb, slide, and play football. It's such a good feeling to see, hug, play and pray with the family that we are helping. Our sponsorship will help with his schooling and provide some food. After that we went bartering. We got pulled in every direction. "come look in my store." Come see my necklaces." "Come." "Come." It was interesting. I talked a guy down from $15 to $5 for a very primitive broom. There were many neat things to look at. This evening was kind of laid back as we just got to sit back, fellowship and watch the kids play. Even though this has been one of the best opportunities of my life, I'm getting kind of homesick. I'm looking forward to the next trip not only to serve others but keep myself humble as well. This has been eye opening on so many levels! I have also enjoyed becoming closer to my church family. We have bonded in a way that probably would not have happened at home. This is an unforgettable experience!!!! I thank the Lord for allowing me to be a part of something so great!!!
Day 14 | Travis
Today is the last full day we are in Haiti and we put the finishing touches on the ark. It looks exactly like I would've dreamed. I can't believe we were able to build that in 2 weeks with the 2 mission groups! It truly is amazing how many kids came out to play on the playground and I hope they continue to do so. Plus, we took a bunch of pictures. The group got to meet the children they sponsored today too and I played with Emerson's child that he sponsored "Rood" and he has the same birthday as me too so that's pretty cool! Seeing the eyes of these kids man, it is something special and it is such a touching experience. We also went to the gift shops and bartering today. It is definitely a different experience compared to the USA. You are just surrounded by people asking you to buy their stuff, it is literally wild! Mountain Maid was a good place to eat when we had lunch. The past week has without a doubt changed me in different kinds of ways after seeing Haiti through my own eyes. Even though they don't have much here, they haven't lost faith in themselves and God and that alone is all the motivation that you really need to not lose your faith no matter what happens to you. I can't wait to talk to my family tonight over Skype either. We are packing up tonight and flying out in the morning then we make the drive from Florida back up to those lovely mountains of West Virginia! We should be back home Friday morning and I cannot wait until I can see my family, girlfriend, and friends again! Because I have missed them so much! God bless to all!
Day 14 | Ashley
Today was my favorite day!! We had such a busy day! We started with 'working' on the playground (playing) & then we left to go and see how a group of ladies make jewelry out of cereal boxes. Then we had lunch at Mountain Maid! It was pretty good. Then we went and met our child that we sponsored! That was definitely my favorite! His name is Orchy & he's three! We played on the playground & he loved it! He is the cutest Haitian kid I have EVER seen! He was shy at first but when we started playing, he was much better. He loved the little toy car that we gave him! I can't wait to see him grow over the years!! After meeting our child, we got to go bartering. I'll be honest, I was not excited about it at ALL. I almost didn't go that's how much I didn't want to go. But then I loved it!! It was so much fun! It was right on the side of the road so it was a bit scary having to check for big dump trucks zooming past, but I really did love it! I got some awesome stuff! I'm all packed up and ready to leave in the morning! We'll probably fly out around 11 or 12 & we should land around 5!! Then we'll drive through the night and be home around 10 on Friday morning! I love it here but I CANNOT wait to be home!!! I miss my boyfriend & family soooo much. One more day & I'll see all of you! Keep praying for this playground so that it will bring so many kids to Jesus. & pray for our travel home! I love you all so much!
Day 14 | Madison
Today was absolutely amazing! Playing with the kids this morning was so much fun; they're such beautiful children. I really enjoyed when we all made a circle and prayed after devotions. That was touching. Taking pictures with Johnny was fun. I'm really going to miss him a lot. He was a joy to have around. I'll definitely have to come back down and see him. Phillip, one of the stone workers, brought his son with him today, and I kid you not, he was the prettiest kid I had seen all week. I never got to see him smile though which was sad. His name was Phillipson. That was so clever to me. Monica said that was really common for men to add "son" to the end of their names for their son. He had the biggest eyes I have ever seen. He was a beautiful little boy. Our lunch was delicious! I wish we could have eaten at Mountain Maid more often! I wish I could have gotten to meet my child that I sponsored, but it was fun to watch everyone bond with theirs. Trey said that he was going to go look for mine and Mark's kids around dinner time, so hopefully they find them. I loved the bartering! I thought it was so much fun! I got pretty good at it. I didn't buy anything half price or more. I was a little disappointed that all the stuff was the same in every store; I expected more of a variety. I could have bought a lot more stuff, but I was kind of on a budget. I'm really excited to come back next year and see everyone again! I can't wait to tell everyone at home about how incredible God truly is! I'm a little embarrassed that it took me this long to figure it out. I am blessed beyond belief, and I just want to take everyone home with me so that they can get away from this place. Seeing some of these kids breaks my heart when I wonder what kind of life they have at home. I see adoption of a Haitian baby in my future. Please pray for us as we travel back home tomorrow. I am so excited to see everyone. I've really missed them. It will feel good to be home. Love and miss you all! Just one more day!
Day 14 | Bill
It's coming to a close. Today about all we did was finishing the rings and clean up all the tools. Even though we didn't do much today, I am very tired. It is the kind of relief feeling when you've been on vacation and you cross the WV state line and you just exhale. That is the feeling that I have right now. This trip has been excellent but I am ready to come home. Even though we didn't do much today, there were some great highlights. Those who sponsored children got to meet them today and play with them on the playground. Trey found 5 of the 7 children that were sponsored. It was just as emotional as last week, lucky Vicki wasn't here. Then came time for some bartering. Some of the people liked it and others didn't but everyone still thought that they got a bargain. The playground is in full operation and it has been packed all day. It is amazing to see the expressions on their faces and to hear the laughter on the equipment. What we take for granted, they are seeing for the first and there is so much excitement in their voice is indescribable. This trip like all have been a giant blessing and you learn so much about the people you work with. God has truly blessed us on this adventure and we have so much to praise him about. We still need your prayers as we head home tomorrow. all there is left to say is PRAISE GOD and I love ya bron and tell the boys hi
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
No posts tonight
We are currently in the middle of a thunderstorm and without power. Most everyone has turned in for the night. To post everyone's blogs, I have to go outside to get wi-fi. We will try again in the morning to post everyone's writings. Goodnight.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Day 13 | Becka
Went back to the market today. I have to be honest, I was not looking forward to going. It is rather gross there, people everywhere, dirty animals in the streets. I wish we could take better pictures to show everyone. The smell is awful. I'm so thankful that I have grocery stores back home that I can shop at. I think it was a real eye opening experience for everyone though. We went on the truck ride out in the hills of Haiti. Roger showed us where some of the people who sell fruit at the market have to walk from. It is a completely different way of life here in Haiti. We got back to the worksite and continued work on the Ark. We are happy to say that it is open for business. There are a few things we are going to work on tomorrow morning but for all intensive purposes it is finished. It was so exciting to watch 30+ children and teenagers run through the ark, learn to swing, learn to teeter-totter and climb a cargo net. I'm so excited for the ministry opportunity we have been able to provide. Many people we talk to do not know the story of Noah and we are able to share Jesus with them. I am so thankful for this experience and the missionaries here who will be able to continue this ministry long after we leave. Looking forward to tomorrow's dedication service and some shopping. I'm excited to buy some of the necklaces that the ladies here make from cereal boxes. Love you mom, dad, Courtney, Joe, Sammi, James, Jacob, Tiffany, Cody, Rick and Susie. Can't wait to catch up with you when we get back. Miss you tons!
Day 13 | Trey
Today were got to experience the market, but this was my second time. I was in a group with Allie, Tiara, Bill, Lloyd, and Johnny (our interpreter and friend). Tiara and Allie had the money and we did a good job. 4 avocados, 2 bread fruits, 4 papayas, 4 potatoes, and a fruit that they use for ice cream that tastes like mangos, papayas, and pineapple. I had to shovel sand in the ark everywhere when we got back. I got to play with a lot of little and big kids after. There was this boy some of us were talking to and he was trying to guess our ages and he thought I was 17 ha. I got to teach bible study tonight and I talked about doubt, well while and before I spoke the rain started to pore and all I could do was laugh. But I made it though and did a good job. One more full day tomorrow☹.
Day 13 | Chase
Well today started pretty good there wasn't a ton of chaos because we were spilt up in two groups. I was in the second group so I worked the morning. We just finished up the roof on the ark. Also got some of the braces and supports up. Then the sand arrived as we were leaving to go to the market which made me happy because there was a bunch of sand. Well we were spilt up again at the market. We had two interpretors jonny and zeppy my group had zeppy he was pretty cool. The market is crazy people were everywhere and meat and fish with flies all over it was a new experience for sure. I would hate to have to buy my food like that every day. There was some cool stuff to though I didn't take pictures because they said that it could cause a riot so its hard to explain it all. I did buy some mangos so that was kinda cool, but then we done a little exploring they showed us where the people started at with all there stuff at 1:00 in the morning to get to the market to sell and we also went to the bread bakery which was pretty cool how they made it and was really good too. Then we headed back to the homestead and wouldn't ya know it the sand was still there so we got to shoveling it where it needed to be but it got done so that's all that mattered. There was kids everywhere I mean everything had a kid on it was awesome to see there faces and to show them to use a slide and swings it was worth the hole trip to see that. It has been cool to watch how God work through this week with everything it was really cool and happy to see and hear later on what this will do for Haiti and God!
Day 13 | Shawn
My group went on the first trip to the market today. That was interesting. I'm not a fan of crowds so you can only imagine how tight my chest felt as I walked (or squeezed) through each vendor. I accidentally got shoved and landed on a lady's table. She was nice about it. Whew! Smoked dried out fish, raw meat and fresh veggies were everywhere. Mmmm! I can only imagine what "Behind the Kitchen Door" in the Citizens News would have to say. There were also herds of animals tied up just about everywhere if you preferred "very fresh" meat. After, we took a tour up the mountainside in the back of our dump truck while hanging from bars. Did I mention that we STOOD in the back of the truck? We did… the whole time. The scenic views were absolutely breathtaking so I actually forgot about not having a seat. When we got back, we worked hard to finish the ark. Lots of kids came to play before we got done so we ended up losing some of our youth while they joined in the fun showing them how to use the playground. ShonShon came back and played w/ Holden. James came back and I got to talk to him again. Tiara had an interesting time w/ a group of girls. See her blog. Looking forward to the playing all day tomorrow.
Day 13 | Madison
I have quite a few different emotions towards today. We went to the market, which I did not like. When we went down these set of steps, this man was telling me that he loved me, and he was blowing kisses at me and motioning for me to come over to him. I was really scared. I was so scared to the point that I was fighting back tears. Once we started back toward the truck that took us up there, my group wanted to go back to the same place and get some mangos, but I wasn't about to go back down there. Thankfully, on our way back down the road, the second group was coming back up, so I stayed with them. When I told Bill about him, he and Johnny knew exactly who I was talking about. Turns out, this guy followed a group of girls that were in the group last week. Since Johnny had knew him, he shielding the girls in his group from him, but I don't guess our interpreter knew he was there. Johnny told me that this man had a emblem of some sort of demon on his shirt, and he cut his arms and was not a safe man, so I'm not the only one he did that stuff to. I enjoyed the ride up the mountain, but not the trip to the market. Getting back to the ark was the best part of the day. Kids swarmed the whole entire area! It was so humbling! We had to teach some of the children how to use the slides and the cargo nets because they had never seen something like that before! I teeter-tottered with Shon-Shon for about 20 minutes. He is so sweet. Chase, Johnny, Travis, Emerson, and I were all talking to this young Haitian boy who was nineteen. Chase actually made really good friends with the boy, but the funny part of the story was that he thought Emerson was 25, Travis was 24, Chase was 22, and I was 20! He was so shocked at our ages! That just goes to show the size difference between the two areas! He only weighed 105 pounds! That really made me feel fat! But just seeing the eyes of all the kids playing on the playground melted my heart. I was thinking about how excited I was to meet my little girl that I decided to sponsor, and as soon as that thought crossed my mind, Trey came up to me and told me that my child was one of the two kids that they couldn't find. I was heartbroken, and I wanted to cry, but I wasn't surprised because she had no brothers or sisters, and her father abounded them, so it was just her and her mother. He told me he still wanted me to come and experience meeting them, but I'm not sure I can do it. It is going to be kind of a sad day tomorrow as we all back up to get ready to go back home, but the anticipation of getting to see everyone will override the sadness, I think. Please continue to pray for us as we put the finishing touches on the ark and educate the kids how to play! It's going to be a blast! I love and miss everyone, and I'll see you soon!
Day 13 | Allie
Today has been quite an interesting day! We got to go to the market where they buy all their produce. It's nothing at all like our Krogers! There was farm animals, raw meat, fruits, vegetables and many other things. It was really crowded and you were constantly on top of someone. I got to be the barterer for our group, and it's crazy how bad they want your business! They will do almost anything. After the market, we went on a ride in a tap tap which is like a truck with rails attached in the bed to hold on to. I got to see the Dominican Republic today too! The Ark is just about finished! All that is left is a few things! It's an amazing feeling to see all the kids, younger and older, playing on something that I got the opportunity to work on! It makes me so happy to watch kids go down the slide that I once went down! God is absolutely amazing and indescribable! He has really opened my eyes being here! I am beyond blessed! Love and miss you all! See you soon!
Day 13 | Emerson
Today has been a pretty awesome day! We went to the market and bought some fruit and it was really fun. Thankfully I didn't get groped as much as everyone said I would lol. We also went on a drive and got to see some of the big mountains in Haiti. They are MUCH larger than the ones at home. The scenery here is CRAZY beautiful and I love it! But I miss home so much. Tomorrow we get to see the children we sponsored. I'm very anxious to meet Rood Thalor Pierre. That is the name of the child I sponsored. He is a 4 year old from Farmathe Haiti. It is going to be such a precious time tomorrow meeting him. I can't wait for it. I am having such a great time here but I cannot wait to be home to see everyone. LOVE and MISS you mom and dad!!!
Day 13 | Shane
Today was a great day! The ark is so awesome, kids were running everywhere today. It was so wonderful to see the smiles on all the faces! We went to the market today… All I can say is we have no idea; I watch the travel channel and thought I would have a clue of what I was gonna see. T.V. gives you a rough idea, but the true sights, sounds smells, looks, and boy do I mean looks are something to see. Raw chicken, beef and everything under the sun, laying out in the open all day. There were things I honestly could figure out what they were. It was a true look into Haitian life. Keep praying for us as the play ground officially opens tomorrow, it's going to be wild!
Day 13 | Rachel
The ark is finished and it's beautiful!! All this hard work paid off today. We got to play with a lot of young Haitians today, they were so happy! It's amazing to see the smiles on their faces to go down the slide for the first time. Not only did we finish the playground, but we went to the market today too. It was an awesome experience. I got to barter on a price of a fruit/vegetable (I don't even know what it is, but I bought it!!). It was amazing to see what their "Kroger" and "walmart" looks like. It was a wonderful day. Tomorrow is the last day here, I am SO ready to be home. I love everyone and I'll see you all soon! (:
Day 13 | Ashley
I can't believe it's finished! Today was a great day! This morning we worked/played on the playground. While we were planting flowers, a mom & her two sons (one was a toddler & one was barely walking), were watching us. I went over & asked if they wanted to play on the kiddie playground & the mom said yes. I was so excited to show these kids how to play on the playground!! So the toddler went up and went down the slide twice & loved it! I caught both of them at the end of the little slides. The mom put the baby on the slide & I caught him. I could tell he was a little scared because he was so tiny! Then his mom slid him down another time. The last time he started crying! It was so sad! He held onto my hand really tight cause he didn't want to go again! They were sooooo adorable! I loved it so much!! There were a TON of people playing on the playground today!! The big hit is the swings! Everybody loves them. We also went to the market today. The drive was SCARY! We were in the back of a kind of dump truck that we had tiny bars to hang on to. The roads are ROUGH so it was super scary! My hands are still sore from holding on so tight! The market was crazy. People & stuff everywhere. I can't really describe it on here or it would be three pages! It was crazy. Tomorrow we meet the little boy Rachel & I decided to sponsor through school! He's only three so I'm excited & nervous! One more day & then I'll be able to text/talk to my family & boyfriend! I CAN'T WAIT! I miss & love you guys!!!
Day 13 | Brent
Today was great. We went to the market which was amazing again. Then we moved sand and smoothed it out. Then a lot of kids came to play. We put the bible verses up today. I miss everybody at home.
Day 13 | Bill
It is DONE! What a day. It started with the group devotions and ended with countless children playing on the playground. We also went to the market and on the tour of some of the back country. The group was amazed at the market and how they sold the food, needless to say I don't think they will ever talk bad about shopping at home again. The ride in the country side opened a lot of eyes to how the people here live and work. The distances they go just to get water is amazing and they usually do it more than once a day, 5 gallons at a time. Down the mountain and then back up again. It would be like walking Powell's Mt. back home with 35 pounds of water on your head. Last night several of the team decided to sponsor a child, 7 more were selected and they will get to meet them tomorrow. It will be another great day. The afternoon was spent showing children how to use the playground, it was amazing. At one time all 8 tetertodders were being used, all 6 swings, kids were climbing up the cargo net and rock wall and others were going down the slides. Words cannot describe what it looked like but hopefully the pictures will give you an idea. Tomorrow we will have the dedication in the morning as well as our devotions. Then it will be time to start cleaning up, that's the non-fun part. This has been a hard 2 weeks and I am ready to come home. I can't wait to see every one and to get to story telling. Like uncle Si says, " a story only has to be 95% true". Love ya bron and can't wait to see you.
Day 13 | Rich
Awesome day .A few small details to complete. Playground dedication tomorrow. The children are already showing up to play. They are beautifull . The mission have big plans to use the playground to share "CHRIST". What a privilege to be a part of what "GOD" is planning to do here.
Day 13 | Jerri
"And if our God is for us then who could ever stop us…" That song truly fits what He just accomplished through this group. We finished it today! It was so awesome watching those last signs go up, the sand raked out and the kids come running! We couldn't hold them off any longer. Oh how I wish the first group could be here to experience it with us! What a feeling – and I can't imagine how good it felt for Lloyd and Bill to see the whole thing come together like it did. They have worked so hard. We also got to experience the market today in the back of a dumptruck. I felt like Andrew Zimmerman on the travel channel – except I didn't eat the stuff!!! There was raw fish and raw chicken and that is just what I recognized. We bought fruit and it was wonderful. We got to barter with them and use Haitian money. Later found out they start walking from their houses at 2:00am and carry their produce on their heads. It takes them 4-5 hours to get there and then they walk back home. Cindy – I tried to carry a pot of flowers on my head. You would have loved it. I got a picture for you. And mom – I forgot something for you to tell Jesse. On our hike Sunday there were 2 dead taranchilas on the trail!!! Big ones!!! I got a picture of it too. Tomorrow is our last day already. It went so fast. We've met a lot of wonderful people here. I've been very proud of Chase and Madison – they have worked SO hard! We/Madison adopted a child and hope to get to meet her tomorrow.
Day 13 | Kelsie
I can't believe we pretty much finished the playground today! It looks amazing and it was so much fun playing with the kids and seeing them learning how to use the equipment. I almost cried when one of the little boys about 4 years old or so that I had been playing with a lot of the morning gave me a hug and kissed me on the cheek before he left. The market was way better this week than last. We had Jonny as a translator and I got to go the second group so it wasn't as crowded and it was cooler. I'm excited to go bartering tomorrow and eat at mountain maid. I cannot wait to see my family, but I am so sad to leave Thursday. ☹ Seeing God work these two weeks has been amazing. He has changed my life by being here. I hope people can see how God has worked in me when I go home. I love and miss everyone at home more and more each day!! LYBTTS mom and dad!!
Day 13 | Tiara
Market day, Market day, market, market, market day!! Going to the market was a once-in-a-lifetime-experience if you are ever in Haiti. Crowds of people were trying to sell or buy products for their families. Even though it was packed I didn't mind. I was enjoying every second of it! We bartered with the locals on foods such as papayas, grapefruit, habanero peppers, breadfruit, mangos, limes, avocados, and some more local fruit that I just can't remember the names of. I was the Master Barterer!!! I got exactly what I wanted for the price I wanted! I even topped Trey's bartering market day! I was so proud of myself. I had help from Allie as well so she was my money girl☺. After the market, we went to the bakery. The bread was Amazing! I ate like 5 rolls. When we arrived back at camp, the 2nd team was ready to leave for the market. We finished up the Ark as well. All that was left was to shovel the sand around it. I'll admit it. I didn't do much work at all! Kids were pouring in from everywhere to come and play!! I taught soooooo many children how to slide, swing, climb, and even teeter-totter! Shon-Shon helped me out a lot by translating things that I said to the kids. For being only 8, he is so smart! Not to mention adorable! My favorite part of the entire day, had to be when I was surrounded by a VERY large group of Haitian girls. They were Extremely interested in my Blonde hair since they had never seen hair that color before. All of a sudden I felt a tug on my bun. One of the Haitian girls took out my ponytail and started playing with my hair. In one single motion, all the girls pitched in and started playing, twisting, tying, untying, and pinning my hair. Do you remember what it was like as a kid when you were given a lice check? That is what many described to me of what it looked like:P They actually didn't do a bad job! I wore it like that for a while, up until my shower! I was touched, kissed, hugged, squeezed, and cuddled up to more times today than I ever have been in my life! When it was time for those girls to leave, they all grabbed my arms and waist and crowded around me. They each gave me a hug and said their goodbyes. There was nothing that could have topped today! Thank you God for how truly you have blessed me with everything that I have!! ☺
Day 13 | Darren
Today was another awesome devotional to start the morning. Many locals are coming out every day to start the day worshiping with us. I know I will be called a liar, but Mark's sermon today was done in under 10 minutes! He had a really good interpreter, Johnny a local who will be a HS senior. After devotion, we headed for the market. It was crowded and like nothing you can imagine on all the sights and the way food is handled. You have no idea how spoiled we are just to have a supermarket to go get things. Seeing motorcycles carrying entire families or 6-8 goats to the market is not what we picture. From the market, we took a ride in the dumptruck. Haiti has a beautiful landscape, but the ride today shows how truly harsh that conditions are. I still can't grasp how the basic necessities are a huge effort every day for these people. Water, food, and shelter are sometimes beyond their reach. We saw houses without roofs. It is usually several miles to the nearest water (there are no wells). And the market, well…words don't do justice. Our final stop was at a mountain top bakery. Wood fired oven, hand crank started generator other primitive equipment, but the bread was good. Back at the camp, we were putting the final touches on the ark. We were swarmed by so many kids playing as things were opened up. Tomorrow morning will be the dedication service for the ark. I pray that God uses this tool for so much of an opportunity to expose the local people to another part of his greatness with the story of Noah. Praise Him for everything he is doing both here and inside us!
Day 13 | Travis
We are finished with the arc! So that means most of the day tomorrow will be used for playing with all of the kids that have been anxiously waiting to play on it, although they pretty much already started playing. Then we are going to barter and I had the chance to try that a little bit at the market today. It was definitely new to me, but it was pretty cool. Johnny is one cool guy! As I looked at the finished arc from a distance, I just thought to myself, "Wow, I love my life." All of the people I have met here have been awesome and I am just thankful I was able to go on this trip. I wasn't sure if I was even going to go the day before the trip with my mom being in the Charleston hospital just days before the trip, but I'm lucky God had it in his plan for me to go because it'll be an adventure that I will never forget. If you've read any of my previous blogs, you can tell that I miss my family and other loved ones back at home so much. I've enjoyed every single person on this trip and the fun times that we've had over the past week, but there is still no place like home.
Day 13 | Mickey
Praise God "It is finished", as we were putting the finishing touches on the Ark we were overrun with 40-50 kids that just came out of nowhere. There was one group of 15 girls that came in at once. They all went up the cargo net at the same time and then went down the slide. They then went straight to the rock wall and went one after another and then down the other slide. At one point there were children and adults on all 6 sets of swings, 8 teeter totters, and countless children climbing the climbing the cargo net and the rock wall all at the same time. It was breath taking, you just had to step back and take it all in. I have never seen so many children have so much fun and with the largest smiles you could ever imagine. For me the only drawback is that the first group is not her to experience it with us. Today was our day to go to the market. I was dreading this due to the experience I had last week. To make things worse Bill thought it would be fun to put all of the big guys in one group and send them together. So in my group today was Emerson and Travis. I pointed out the ones that I knew from the previous trip and tried to avoid them, but that did not work. She spotted our group and came towards us, I showed Johnny who was our interpreter and he took care of her and didn't let her get near Emerson. We had several good laughs and bought a lot of fresh fruit which was served at dinner. It is hard to believe this trip is almost over. This has been the longest I have ever been away from my wife and girls at one time. I enjoy doing the mission work and helping others because that is where my heart is, but it is time for me to go home. I miss them very much and am ready to be home with them. Looking forward to sitting in my chair with Riley my cuddle buddy, I love and miss you. I will be home in a few days.
Almost finished
Dedication service in the morning. We are currently trying to finish up working around about 30 kids playing. Awesome sight. God is great.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Day 12 | Rachel
I had a wonderful day! It was the last full day of working on the ark. I did a lot of different work today. I dug holes, painted fences, and built the roof on top of the ark with Kelsie. I'm sure my mom and dad are very surprised at the last thing I did. Yes guys, I got on the VERY top of the ark and put the roof boards on! I was high up in the air, and surprisingly… I wasn't afraid at all! (: It was a great experience. After working we had a normal evening filled with bible study and dinner. After dinner the team was offered a special chance to sponsor a child that goes to one of the Baptist Haiti Mission's schools. Most of the team picked a child they wanted to sponsor. Ash and I decided to sponsor a child together. His name is Orchy Rebeca, and in September he will be 4 years old. I am so happy we got the chance to sponsor him. He is adorable! This Wednesday we will hopefully get to meet this little guy. It would be a blessing to meet a child that we are helping. This trip has been a wonderful experience, but I am ready to be home! I miss everyone so much. I love you, Jordan and I will see you soon! (: I love you, Mom Dad Jenny and Erica! P.S. Mom and Dad, Wednesday night at church at 7 p.m. Ashley and I will be on the skype thing. I don't know if you went Sunday or not but only a few people are allowed to go. We won't be able to see you guys, but you will be able to see us. We will also be able to answer questions and talk some. You don't have to go if you don't want to but we will be there! Love you guys, see you soon! (:
Day 12 | Trey
Today was a great day! Shawn and I started to painting the white fence rainbow colors but on the way Shawn talked to a Haitian guy and they talked about Jesus. The guy already accepted Christ. Madison, Tiara, and I paint the most part of the rainbow on the ark. We were told the story about how our lumber got here. Emerson is my new walking buddy too! ☺
Day 12 | Travis
Today was the last full day of working on the arc and it was a very productive day! I worked on building braces under the arc pretty much for most of the day and we have to build four. One of them just took 3 hours but I'm pretty confident we'll get it done in the next day or 2. We are almost complete with it and I couldn't be more excited to see the crowds of children and adults pour in to play on the playground. They have never really had anything like this and I think it will be just amazing to see. I had the privilege to witness a little girl maybe 4 or 5 years old who had no clue how to climb a cargo net or go down a slide, but we helped her and the look on her face was just priceless coming down the slide, watching her eyes bulge out was just an awesome experience for me to see. Tomorrow we go to the market and I will be very interested in seeing what they have here. I have loved the time I have spent here in Haiti, but as days go on I keep on thinking I get to see my mom, dad, Wyatt and Shay in only a few days and I can't wait because I have missed them more than they may ever know. Glorifying God? It's a humbling experience that we go through in our lives and that's nothing but the truth!
Day 12 | Tiara
So today was the last day of hard labor! You wouldn't think sifting sand and making concrete would be that hard, nor would digging a hole. Let me assure you it is!! Madison and I would not have completed those holes without the help of some of our Haitian friends. The man who helped us the most was named Phillip. He taught me a few more words in Creole, which helped out a lot!! Lunch came and then it was back to work. This time around I took an easier job and painted. Trey, Madison, and I started the rainbow on the side of the ark. It is almost complete. You would think painting a simple rainbow would be easy. But when you have to hang on to the side of the ark and paint a straight line, it's rather difficult! Later in the day I met a very special friend. His name was Angelo and he is 16 just like me! I taught him how to swing and to slide down the slide. He was so precious. He could speak English, somewhat, so that was a plus! We talked about ours lives and my home back in America. I told him about my family, my pets, and even God. I learned that he went to the same church that I went to Sunday!! We talked for a good 30 minutes. He was very interested in all what I had to say. I have definitely met a friend worth meeting☺
Day 12 | Emerson
Today was a very productive day! I enjoyed my time today just like I have every day. We're almost finished with the arch and I cannot wait to see it complete! Tomorrow we go to the market. I'm kind of excited for that but I'm more excited for bartering. Sorry for the short blog I'm just having a lot of fun hanging out with everyone. Love and miss everyone back home!
Day 12 | Chase
Today was a very busy day a lot of stuff was accomplished. I mixed a lot of cement today the whole morning and sifted all of the stone for it as well. I will be fine if I don't mix cement for awhile. The second half of the day me and mark were reunited they finally realized what we get done I mean its crazy. Well me and him got stuck cleaning up logs and moving them out of the area for where there planting flowers. Then we got put back on the ark because we got that finished fast. Well altogether really there was a lot done and its coming together it really looks good. There is so many people showing up and watching kids are so excited its nice seeing people just dying to come play. I would say tomorrow it will be finished were getting broke up tomorrow because of where going to the market. Im very excited for tomorrow I think it will be a cool experience.
Day 12 | Shane
Today was a very busy and productive day. The ark is really getting close, but its amazing every time we turnthere is something else that needs done. We are taking on more and more each day, from adding sand boxes, flowers to paint. Hopefully with a few more good days we will leave a tool here at BHM that will be used for many years to Glorify God, and many lives will be changed. Well its close to dinner thirty, keep praying for us, that we would be everything God would have us to be!
Day 12 | Madison
I am so glad that today was so cool! The weather was perfect! It was an all around great day. At first, I was digging holes, like usual, then I moved over to mixing, making, and carrying concrete, and I finished the day easy with painting the rainbow onto the ark. The ark looks beautiful! It's really coming together. The rainbow on the front of it really puts the icing on the cake! The only sad part of the day was Johnny telling me that he didn't like me. When I asked him why, he told me that he didn't know. I told him that I didn't like him either, so he said that he didn't care, but I know he's just kidding, or at least I hope he is. A Haitian girl went down a few of the slides today which was very exciting. I can't wait until it's all done, and we can teach all the kids how to play on it! We're going to the market tomorrow, which will be interesting. I'm really excited to go bartering on Wednesday. That's going to be really fun! Last night was hysterical! Emerson, Chase, and Mark were all going crazy for some reason. I think Mary Lou put something in that baked spaghetti because they were being ridiculous, but any who, they had just finished bathroom duty, and I won't even tell you how that went; I'll let you figure it out yourself. They came back into our room thing and were talking into the fan so it would sound like a robot voice. They were hee-hawing. They thought that was the funniest thing they had ever heard. While they were focused on Emerson making a Chewbacca noise into the fan, Bill had snuck outside and poured a cup of water into the fan soaking the boys. I was crying I was laughing so hard, and my dad got it all on video! It was a good night, and I'll leave it at that. Hope everyone back home is doing alright. I miss everyone, and I can't wait to come home!
Day 12 | Bill
What a day! We were blessed once again with great weather and we got a lot accomplished. The playground should be open by Tuesday nite. We are getting a truck load of sand tonite to put in the play area under the boat and around the equipment. The rock wall and cargo net are cemented in place. All the slides are finished as well as the swing sets. We finished the monkey bars today and they are cemented in. Someone tell Russell that I was the spud bar man today and we dug 24 holes for the equipment and filled them with cement. My upper body is very sore today and will be sorer tomorrow. Some of the team spent the day weeding around the playground and started planting flowers around the playground. We had several people watching us today. One little girl went down one of the small slides today and she had no idea what it was. The first time down it she hung on for dear life and was barely moving. Her eyes were huge and you could tell that she had no clue what to expect but that was not the case as she went down several more times. We are hoping to get everything done tomorrow so that we can play with the kids and show them how to use the stuff. There is so much expectation for the opening of the playground. We only have a few more braces to put on, the teeter-totters and the rings to swing on. We will have to spread all the sand that will be delivered as well. I am sure I will be sore tomorrow, but that will mean market day and the truck ride with the 2 groups. Enough today. Love ya bron and tell the boys hello
Day 12 | Shawn
We had service this a.m. and saw many new faces. I'm feeling more and more comfortable coming to worship together . Even though we don't speak the same language we serve the same God! We had a busy work day to try and finish the ark from bracing, to painting and even yard work. I got a chance to "speak" to another local today named Luckson. He didn't speak English. I didn't speak Creole, but we still managed to have a conversation. I grabbed my bible and a French Creole bible then flipped them open to the same verses. I did figure out that he has asked Jesus into his heart and he goes to church. Isn't that awesome that we couldn't understand each other but could understand that! He also helped me paint while we talked about Jezi (Jesus). After quitting time Darren and I were still at the ark when several locals came to see what we had done. A teenage boy showed up and I asked him if he wanted to swing. Luckily he spoke English. He told me no at first, but when I said that it was fun he wanted me to teach him. Oh what we take for granted. Imagine not knowing how to swing. Tiara came over and helped him learn while I took pictures. Even a cook named Nadine came over and learned how to swing, climb the rope ladder and even slide. I wish you could see the smiles!! The pics I took are priceless!
Day 12 | Rich
Today we accomplished our goals and more. "GOD" is so awesome. Very possible, complete tomorrow. I am looking forward to the next project. The team has been a joy to work with, and the missionary team is made up of very special people. "GOD" is at work in Haiti.
Day 12 | Kelsie
We are getting so close to be being done!! I can't believe it!! Today I helped paint, helped wth cement, put the monkey bars and me and Rachel put the roof boards on today. Today flew by just as the rest of the days and just like I know our next two days will. Tomorrow is market day and im pretty excited because I know what to expect. Excited to by some mangos so we can eat them our last days here. I feel like I've only been here a few days and if I didn't miss my family so much I wouldn't be ready to leave. I'm so excited to get to play with all the kids on the arc and teach them how to use all the equipment. I miss and love all you guys back home so much!! Can't wait to see everyone and share my experience and pictures in person!! Love you bigger than the sky mom and dad!!!
Day 12 | Holden
We are almost finished!!!!! The ark looks great. Go to our web site to see videos and pictures!!
Day 12 | Brent
Today we almost finished the ark. It looks great. I worked with chase, madison, and tiara mixing concrete. I had the best time today. I miss everybody back home.
Day 12 | Allie
Today Bill and I dug 24 holes combined, at which I dug 13 and 3 other people did the other 11 holes. I do believe that is all of the holes to be dug. Eric and I put the swings together. I helped cut boards with my dad and Bill. Even though my hands and neck are pretty sore, I think I've found something else I'm good at! The Ark is finally almost complete, and I'm so excited! It looks awesome, and I can't believe my dad is the one who came up with the design! He is so creative! It's awesome to see the little kids starting to play on it! Today the temperature was perfect, it was very breezy! All together today has been great as always! I am beyond blessed and it's all because of the guy upstairs! Love and miss you all!
Day 12 | Darren
Another work filled day coming to a close. The ark is almost complete! The crowd at devotional this morning was great. Probably about 50-60 total. Shane and I finally worked our way out of the front corner of the ark. We thought we were in trouble having to spend so much time there. The drop down deck with your choice of curly slide or straight slide is great. A lot of head scratching went into that! I was blessed again today as I looked up to see Shawn sitting with a young Haitian teen witnessing and reading the Bible together on the sidewalk. After the workday was over, Shawn and I were the last to leave the playground area. Several locals were there playing and having a ball. It is so cool to see their faces as they have something new here. To many of them, they have never seen anything like it.
Day 12 | Jerri
Boy is this little fantasy land taking shape now! The manicuring has begun. Today I raked and raked – rocks and wood and leaves. Darlene and I planted plants around the playground in the flower beds. We're trying to figure out how we can throw a few in our suitcase to bring home – they are overflowing here! The swings are up and there is a great big rainbow painted on the front of the ark. The crowds are getting larger everyday. The weather was beautiful again and God kept us safe. Looking forward to going to the market tomorrow – will see some local cuisine. Mom – tell Jesse they have a big python here in the zoo and Shane is the only one willing to handle it so they can clean the cage. He is hiding under the astroturf in his cage and just molted. So we might do that tomorrow. That would definitely be Jesse's job if he was here! Maybe someday. ☺
Day 12 | Ashley
Another working day! Today was great! I dug holes, helped with cement, & helped finish the roof with Kelsie & Rachel! It was awesome to see the two of them on the very top!! The groups of people watching today were much bigger! I love seeing their curiosity & excitement! We are ALMOST done! I can't wait to see the entire thing finished!! I love seeing a few kids learn how to climb & play on the equipment. At first they are very shy and don't won't to go down the slides, but then once they know how it is, they absolutely love it! It makes me so happy! I will say something I didn't like about today. We saw a group of guys who I guess found a young-ish dog in the woods & they caught it and put it in the zoo. But the thing that bothered me was that they were carrying it by its hind leg. It was pitiful. & they were being mean to it. It brought tears to my eyes. I hated it. At first, Kelsie & I thought they were going to kill/hurt it. If they would've tried to hurt it they shoulda been ready for me to say & do something! But thankfully, they just put it in the zoo. & we saw them feed it. So I guess it's okay. But other than that we got so much done today & it was awesome! We're waiting for dinner now & we're just sitting around talking and laughing. Its fun! Rach & I will be going to the Skype session on Wednesday so we'll be answering questions. I don't expect you guys to go since I'll be able to text/call you the very next day. So don't miss church!! We'll talk to you Thursday!!! I can't wait to be home! I love you mom, dad, jenny & Erica & I miss you! To Nathaniel: I miss you like crazy! I CANNOT wait to see you!!! I love you SO much! <3
Day 12 | Mickey
Praise God for such a wonderful day. God again gave us a beautiful day to work. Temperature was just right with a little breeze. Had a few sprinkles of rain which even made it better. The Ark is almost complete; just have to do some tweaking and some finishing touches. We probably had several Haitians join us working today. They were in charge of helping with the landscaping, the missionary that runs the American restaurant has joined in and arraigned to get flowers to spruce up the park. The rock climbing wall is now installed and complete along with the cargo climbing net and the 2 slides. Mark has been dubbed the "Artist " of the group by Tashaun, Mark drew and then tapped off a rainbow in the center of the Ark and several of the adults and kids started painting it. They will finish it tomorrow. The monkey bars were erected today and finished. We still need to install the teeter totters and chain swings. Kelsie, Rachel and Ashley finished the roof today and it is now ready for the banner to be placed on it once we get the spelling corrected on it. It was supposed to read GBC but instead it says GDC. We are having more and more kids and adults come and just watch what is going on and starting to ask more questions.
Day 12 | Becka
Another great work day. I'm sore from digging in the dirt. Darlene, Jerri and I spent a lot of time digging some 'flower beds' that were mostly clay and rock. We are transplanting some flowers so that there will be more colors around the ark. Its looking better by the hour. We cleaned up some of the leaves and sticks that had been laying around. This morning there was a father and daughter standing nearby the ark watching us. I went over and introduced myself. I was excited to find out that the father spoke some english. His name is Johnny and his daughter Ginny. I talked with them a little bit and then invited them Ginny to come try our little slide out. We constructed it on Saturday but haven't had any children around to test the little cargo net. Ginny jumped right on the cargo net but didn't know how to use it. She just put her feet in it not her hands and almost fell backwards. So I jumped on it and showed her how to climb and go do the little double slide. She was quite scared, I think because she had never been on anything like it before. She gripped the sides of the slide pretty hard. Once she let go, her eyes became very big and she was excited. It was awesome to see a little girl who had never been on a slide before enjoy our hard work. I then showed her how to climb up the bigger yellow slide. Oh my goodness, her eyes were so big! She loved it. I let her go a few times and then took her to the biggest red curly slide. There's video of that on the Day 12 video (not posted yet). She was adorable. Her dad had to go the hospital to get checked out. It was hard to tell what was wrong but I'm going to pray for him. He said he will bring her back tomorrow to play when it is all done, I can't wait! Thanks Jake and Courtney for comments. Jake I'm working hard to make Haiti more Lovie :) Cheryl - I hope you and Courtney are doing well. I really enjoyed spending the week getting to know you. You both are such a blessing.
Video | Day 10 (Saturday)
Last of the 3 videos for today. Day 10 (Saturday)
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Day 11 | Allie
I don't know what to start out with other than God is unbelievable! This morning we started out by going to church with the other Hasians, it was amazing! Although I didn't understand much of what they said, it was still amazing to see how excited they were to worship God! The hike we went on this afternoon was absolutely breath taking, literally! Haiti is such a beautiful place, and I don't think people realize that! The mountains look like just like a postcard! Today we got to explore in a sense. We hiked down a mountain, not just a little hill like is in WV, across waterfalls that were absolutely huge, then back up the mountain! Tiara, Madison, Chase, Shane, Brent, Holden, a few others that aren't in our group and I went the farthest than anybody to the 4th waterfall! It was absolutely breath taking! We climbed up 10 foot waterfalls, across a path that was about a foot wide over a 30 foot drop off on the side of the mountain and through many feet of water! God just leaves me speechless at his wonderful creations! Continue to keep us in your prayers as we finish the ark and open it up to the kids that are anxiously awaiting! Love you all!
Day 11 | Mark
We had another great day today as we were blessed to be able to worship with our Haitian brothers and sisters in Christ. In the afternoon we went to the waterfalls and I quickly learned that is no fun being old, fat and slow! Tomorrow will be another good day I'm sure so please continue to keep us in your prayers. It is really neat seeing the excitement building among the kids (and adults), as they anticipate being able to take a ride on Noahs Ark. Keep praying that God will be glorified.
Day 11 | Shawn
This morning's church service was very different than what we are used to. First, I could understand very little of what was said but the atmosphere was nothing short of amazing. Everyone wore their best! Some prayed as they sat down to worship. Everyone participated w/ praises, shouts of amen and clapping. Service started at 6. We made it at 6:30 and many others filtered in after. It wasn't over until 8:45 and no one left their seat during the service. I wished I hadn't had 2 cups of coffee before, but none the less, I didn't leave my seat either. A young girls choir sang "Heart of Worship" and even sang a few lines in English for us. I got a little emotional but fought back the tears as I didn't have a tissue and Darren prefers I not use his sleeve. He will let me if I'm in a bind because he's just that sweet. We went on a beautiful hike for 4 hours and 15 minutes. We made it up several extreme waterfalls, but stopped to soak up some sun and watch 3 little boys play in the water while some of the kids went on w/ our guide Johnny to the next waterfall. The walk back up the mountain to the camp was intense, but I really felt wimpy when I saw some ladies carrying laundry back up on their heads. They walk this daily. Ugh! We met a lot of people and shook several hands. It's a blessing to be here.
Day 11 | Madison
Well, today was very, very, very tiring. Church was… different. I wasn't quite sure how to handle it. It was really hard to stay focused because we obviously didn't have a clue what anyone was saying. The preacher spoke one line in English, and one group of girls that were singing sang, "Heart of Worship" which was beautiful! There was a prayer that I kid you not, lasted fifteen minutes at least. I was sure when we were praying or when we weren't because no one had said amen yet, so it was a little difficult to stay awake during that. Then came the hike… oh dear the waterfall hike. That was something else. I have never been so exhausted in my life. I was one of the ones that went all the way to the one Johnny showed us a picture of at the very beginning of the hike. Me, Allie, Tiara, my dad, Chase, Holden, Brent, Johnny, Don, and Nate were the only ones who went that far, and believe me, it was something. I fell completely in the water before we even made it anywhere. Now we know that Madison should not try and jump across the creek bed. I had just finished putting mine and Allie's phones inside my bag, which of course, got submerged under the water. I very quickly got out of the freezing cold, disgusting water and got our phones. They were fine, thank God. If Nate, Don, and Johnny hadn't been there to basically carry me across most of the rocks. They helped all of us get back down the waterfalls which most of us probably would have died trying to get back down by ourselves. I'm surprised I'm still breathing right now. I have never been so exhausted in my life, even in all the sports I've played; nothing has worn me out like that hike did. Johnny kept telling me, "Ahhh, you can do it, I know you can." I kept saying, "Well, at this point, it's whether I want to or not." He just laughed. When we got all the way to the way to the top, Nate, Don, and Johnny all jumped in and got underneath the waterfall. We took tons of pictures. It was really an adventure. I saw more dead spiders than I really wanted to see, and they just happened to be tarantulas. I screamed a couple times which worried some of the others because they probably thought someone was hurt. I was hurt, just really scared. I could definitely live without seeing another one of those. I won't ever go on another hike like that again, that's for sure. I was fun, but way too tiring. I cannot wait to go to sleep tonight. I wish I could have a day of rest before we got back to work, but there is A LOT to be done still, and I can't wait until it's all finished!
Day 11 | Ashley
Today was seriously awesome! We went to church at 6:30 this morning. It was absolutely amazing! We didn't understand any of it but it was such a blessing. They showed such a strong passion for serving the Lord! That passion needs to be in every church in the world!! We also went on the hike today! That was a mixture of awesome, scary, beautiful, & tiring! We went to the very first waterfall and then we climbed and shimmied across some rock walls to get to two other ones. We could've gone further but the climb to the others was extremely scary & the last waterfall we saw was gorgeous so Rachel & I were happy with our experience!! I'm so happy we got the chance! The climb back of the mountain was awful. Bill said that walking down and back up the mountain is the same as walking down and back up Powell's mountain! It was crazy!! We have church at about 6 this evening at our compound and then our day will be finished. I can't wait to work on the ark again tomorrow! To family & Nathaniel: Skype isn't what we thought it was going to be. We can't see you guys, you can only see us. & Only a few people get the chance to. I won't be going so I'm sorry if you went to see me & I wasn't there! At least you got to hear a few people from the team talk! & if you didn't go or forgot, that's okay too!!! I love you guys soooo much & I miss you even more! I'm so happy to be here & doing God's work, but I can't wait to be home!
Day 11 | Shane
We went to a Haitian church this morning, it was a great experience. It doesn't matter where you are we all serve the same God, and every church has people coming in late, cell phones ringing during service lol but once they were in worshiping no one left, everyone was focused on worshiping God! After church we went on a hike, and let me tell you it was a hike. We went to the fourth water fall, Which was farther than the "A" team was able to make it. It was something to see, the beauty was breath taking, and something everyone should try to experience. I strongly recommend if you get the chance, take the hike, its not for the faint at heart but well worth the walk! Im looking forward to getting back to work on the ark tomorrow and seeing the smiles of the kids. God is at work!
Day 11 | Darren
Woke up early this morning to get ready for church. We got there at 6:30 (started at 6:00 am) during prayer. There were people who just kept coming throughout most of the service, but no one left until the end. Everyone was so friendly and the whole service was very open to praising the Lord. GBC needs to learn from others in this area. Our day continued with a brunch before our hike down the and back began. Haiti has a beautiful landscape. It is so hard to believe people are walking to the streams daily. We are staying at about 4300' in elevation (Snowshoe WV is 4800). The highest elevations here are around 6800', and it rises very fast from the valley floor. We met so many Haitians along the way. Some can speak some English. We met a pastor on his way to the other side of the valley after his church service. What a blessing the people are. Kids will walk with you holding your hand and smiling from ear to ear. Kids playing in the stream just below the waterfall we stopped at. Definitely worth a little sweat and blood to go on this hike. Some great people around me meeting great people along the way. The sights and beauty along the way were a once in a lifetime experience. Praise be to God for creating everything we see and take in!
Day 11 | Travis
Today was a very good and fun day, even if our group was pretty much rock climbing up waterfalls during a hike. The day started off with the church service and the language they were speaking was one none of us were used to and half of us were falling asleep. I kept on bobbing my head around trying to stay awake, but for the time I was awake it was pretty interesting. The prayer, my goodness, I never heard such a long prayer in my life! It must've lasted 10 or 15 minutes! Also, there was a prayer inside of a prayer. Once the pastor said amen, they kept on going so I was one of the few that brought their heads up. Everyone is so happy here! It really is amazing looking at the smiles on the children's faces as I seen a little boy walking down the hill with a string tied to a bottle, swinging it around. That probably would've kept him more entertained than any sort of television or games. The hike that soon turned into rock climbing was pretty awesome! I never really done that before in my life and I can't wait to see it on video. The scenery during it was absolutely beautiful though. I also have no clue you can plant garden on the side of a very steep hill, but they find a way to do it, which is very impressive. I had a blast today with our group and I hope God continues to bless with days as great as this one! Miss and love you guys so much and I can't wait to see you at the end of the week!
Day 11 | Mickey
Hard to believe I have been here for 11 days already and with only 4 days left and yet so much to do. It is Sunday now and we got up and went to the early service. It began at 6:00 a.m. and did not let out until 8:45, so I guess I can't complain if Mark goes a little long any more. The service was great, this Sunday the youth lead the worship and the singing and praises were awesome. Even though I could not understand what was being said or sung I knew that they were praising our God on high. Out of all the trips that I have been here this had to be the best one yet. There are a few good stories out of this Sundays service and I have to share one of them. You can ask Emerson about the others. About two thirds of the way though the service an elderly women came in and walked up the aisle where we were sitting. She stopped beside Bill and wanted to sit down and he didn't look up. Mark and I looked at Bill and the lady bent down to look at Bill and she then moved on. After the service Mark and I ask Bill about the lady and he said "what lady". He had fallen asleep and never saw her. Sundays are usually a long day here since we can't work and all of the stores and vendors are closed. This is a day that we can either just sit around or go on a hike. Today 19 of the 24 went on the hike, and yes I was one of the 5 that did not go. I would like to go, but I need to be in better shape before I try this. The hike is over a 2,000 feet descent to a river at the bottom of the mountain we are on with several waterfalls to see. I don't mind the going down but the coming up I don't want to try yet. They compare it to walking up and down Powell's Mountain but at a much steeper grade. There are parts of it that you either slide down or use a repelling rope. Sounds like a bunch of fun but not at this time for this fat boy. Monday can't get here soon enough so we can begin work again. Each day we are getting closer and the kids are getting more excited about getting to start playing on it. Also there are changes each day as someone sees something else that we could build and that the kids could play on. Please continue to pray for us and we strive to get this project finished before we have to leave. With a good hard day's work left we could possibly finish tomorrow. Looking forward to getting home and spending time with my girls, it was also hard to watch Faith begin to crawl over face time and me not being there to see it firsthand. Russell – This is for you. You have nothing to worry about Emerson and Travis are all talk when it comes to food. They can't even eat half as much as you can put away. Tonight was the baked spaghetti and we had 2 complete rows of if left. Neither one of them could handle it. Travis is trying his best but Emerson doesn't eat enough to sustain a field mouse.
Day 11 | Becka
What a beautiful Lord 's Day. We enjoyed an early morning service at the Haitian church here at Baptist Haiti Missions. The service was much longer than normal for us. Although we could not understand much of the sermon or songs, I really enjoyed participating in worship with them. To see the Haitian people get dressed up in their Sunday best was wonderful and convicting. So many times I wake up and throw on an outfit for church. Other days I spend so much time putting together outfits and fixing my hair. I need to spend time on Sunday mornings putting my best on for God like they do here. After church, Tiara shared with us a short devotional. She is a very smart young lady; I'm excited to see where God takes her. I've enjoyed getting to know the youth this week. I knew most of the youth who were here the first week but the ones this week I didn't know as well. They are all great kids and are working/playing so well together (and without technology distracting them – that's awesome!). I did end up going on the hike today and I'm glad I did. It was an adventure and not what I was expecting. We hiked down the hillside (the easy way I'm told) and then walked through the ravine to see some waterfalls. They were gorgeous. The water was very dirty due to the locals bathing and using the restroom in it. We rock climbed up waterfalls to see more waterfalls. I ended up busting my shoe open so now my cute pink tennis shoes are completely ruined. Only two more days of work so I think they will be able to manage that. Well I would love to continue writing but I'm really tired and it's only 8:20. I'm heading to bed here soon as soon as Eric and I go post these blogs. Thanks Dad and Jacob for the comments on my blog – I love and miss you bunches!!
Day 11 | Darlene
Stephanie: We were so excited to hear the news at the airport and we all cheered! Can I blog this wonderful news of our grandbaby? Today: Worship started at 6:00 a.m, but for some reason we went at 6:30 a.m. It concluded at 8:45. Although we didn't understand the creole language, there was a sweet spirit in our setting. My observation: The people here come dressed in their very best and are so respectful as they listen to the preached Word! They are also very charismatic in their worship and love for the Lord. This afternoon we took a so-called walk. It was much more than that as we carefully stepped down a steep, steep, rocky path looking down into the valley below. Our goal was the waterfalls. We seen amazing things: A lady carrying a full bucket of something on her head up this steep skinny path and still able to say bonjour to us and wave with her hand, people washing clothes and laying them out on the rocks to dry, and some cute kids swimming and running and jumping over the river and rocks like monkeys. You can tell they live here (not like us!) The Haitians make two trips a day down this path to get water. You'd just have to see it. Anyway, we were so thankful for our guides! They hoisted us up beside a steep waterfall and told us exactly where to step and not to step. I can't believe I climbed up some of these straight-up walls of rock, but I did along with most of the group. Mark preached tonight and did a good job. We had the Haiti Baptist Leadership here and they seem excited with the playground we've been working on, and they have a big vision for outreach with this park. We are all ready for bed as our "adventure" today was 4 hours and 15 minutes long. Good night.
Day 11 | Tiara
When I woke up this morning I was someone who though she knew it all. High school is hard enough without all the distractions involved. Do you know what's sad? It took me being in an entirely different country to make me realize that the way that I have been living a selfish, selfish life. I don't deserve what I have. I really don't. During church this morning, the only sentence spoken in English was "don't turn your back on God, for God will Never turn his back on you." This hit me HARD. I cried admitively. What have I been doing for this past year!? I have had a huge hole in my heart ever since. The hike cheered me up however. The waterfalls were gorgeous! Only Madison, Allie, myself, Holden, Brent, Dawn, Nate, and Johnny made it to the final waterfall. Everyone else tuckered out:D Yes, the trail was VERY difficult, and some parts I thought I wasn't going to make it home, but it was worth it in the end. It was funny when Madison, Allie, and I were the first to arrive back at the "camp". What was even more hilarious was that I had time to take a shower before the others arrived home!!! Haha, it was Great. I took a power nap before dinner and Sunday night service. I found out after I woke up that I was apparently in some awkward positions during my little nap. Embarrassing for sure!! But hey, I've had a good day for sure. I had a major heart-check and I am ready to be the obedient daughter God has planned for me. ☺
Day 11 | Jerri
Shane and I have decided the only thing left working on our body is our fingers. After church this morning we had a grilled cheese brunch and went on the Sunday afternoon hike of our lives! Oh My Goodness!!! Jon you were right – glad I went! (easy to say now). So many times I said "nope – I'm not doing that"…..and then I did. We literally went down one side of the mountain and up the other side and back – repelling and climbing slippery rocks up the side of the water falls. Got a lot of good pictures (or no one would have believed us.) My kids were troopers even though Madison will whine now for a month. They actually went up a 4th waterfall. I took too long to decide so decided to hang back with a few others. Not into the EXTREME stuff. Cindy – you would have LOVED it!! I was SO proud of Emmerson; he was awesome! The Haitians just walked circles around us with stuff on top of their heads at that!! It's definitely been a day to remember forever. So glad I got to experience it with my family. God is good!!
Day 11 | Kelsie
Church was just as hard to understand this morning, although they did sing a part of a song in English and one of the preachers said about one sentence in English. It was very different then last Sunday, which surprised me. Bill, Emerson and probably a few others fell asleep at least once during the service. I stayed here while everyone else experienced the hike. Last week was good enough for me. I napped and prepared my bible study to teach for tomorrow. Glad I get to Skype tonight so family can see me. Missing everyone at home and love you all. Love you bigger than the sky mom and dad!!
Day 11 | Rachel
Since today is Sunday, we went to church. It was amazing to see how at the beginning of the service (6:30 a.m.) there were only a few people but by the middle of the service the church was completely full. These people are so happy to be able to worship God. And I don't say worship lightly; they literally worship and praise the Lord. They lift their hands and sing along with every song, and they say Amen when something amazing has been said. When I thought of church in Haiti, I always imagined an old little lady at the front of the church who would be extremely enthusiastic, I imagined right. This woman raised her hands, sang along, and danced with every single song. She was praising her Lord to the fullest. I've realized that even though we don't have to be dancing at the front of the church with every song, we could all be more enthusiastic about praising our AMAZING God. God deserves so much more praise than we could ever give him. Around 11-12 a.m. most of the team went on a hike. It was a difficult hike, but I am SO glad I went. It was a great experience. It was so beautiful. Although I didn't make it to see all the waterfalls (it was a VERY steep hill to climb), I saw 3 of them. They were so amazing! It's awesome to think that our God created such a beautiful place. Haiti so far has been a wonderful place to be. It is a beautiful place that doesn't get the credit that it deserves. It is definitely a much more beautiful place than I imagined. Can't wait to be home and see everyone! Give loves to the puppies, mom, dad and Jenny! Tell Erica to give loves to Roxy too! I love you guys. Jordan, I love you too and I will see you soon! (:
Day 11 | Trey
Today for me was a lazy day. We went to the 6:30 church serves. This Sunday ended up being youth Sunday. They all sang a lot! There were these four girls that sang a song that I didn't know, then sat down, then later got back up and sang I'm Coming Back to the Heart of Worship in French Kriol then the last part in English. We came back and we ate grilled cheese. Tiara did devotions and later all but 5 (Bill, Mickey, Rich, Kelsey, and I) went on the hike. I fell asleep on the green couch for a few hours. Bill kept singing You Are My Sunshine to me and Kelsey. Everyone came back tired.
Day 11 | Holden
Today was another great day. We went to church this mourning then took a hike down into the vally and back up. I really don't have much to say other than I had a great time.
Day 11 | Chase
Well today started a little earlier then normal. Most of us got up around 5:30 to get ready for church. It was defiantly a new experience for me. There was a whole lot more people then what I figured and they were all dressed very nicely. Singing is a very big thing they sing a lot and pray for a very long time also. There was a group of girls that sang and they were awesome there was only a couple of words that i knew they said but it was beautiful. After church we came and had brunch. Then we were off on what they called a hike!! Wrong answer it was rock climbing over waterfalls but it was amazing. The guy that took us is jonny he is awesome and he just ran threw everything it was crazy what we went threw. At first I would of told you your crazy if you think im going up that but I did with rest of everyone. Some of us made it to the 4th one that was as far as jonny would let us go. Even if we wanted to go there was no way any of us could have made it without gear or something but jonny can go right up it. The stuff that we were on we were crawling up on all fours and the Haiti were walking up with water on there heads. I have a knew thing for people around here its call A LOT OF RESPECT. I had a great day that was probably coolest thing I have done. I would come back here just to that again. Another the places we were climbing this is also where people had there gardens I have no idea how they even stay standing to do anything with it. I had great day again hopefully we will finish the ARK tomorrow!!
Day 11 | Brent
Today we went to church at 6:30 again. We came back and had grilled cheese for brunch. Then we went on the hike. It was better than the first one. I went to 4 of the waterfalls. Nobody went to the 5th. So I made it to all the waterfalls. They were all beautiful.
Day 11 | Emerson
Sunday! This morning we went to the church service at 6:30. It lasted about 2 hours or so and was a really fun service. Even though I had no clue what they were saying I knew that they were praising our Lord God and that is truly the most important thing. During the service there was a praying that had to last 20 to 25 minutes. Of course I leaned on the pew ahead of me and couldn't help but to fall asleep. Thankfully, Kelsie was there beside me to wake me up lol. Earlier during the service there was an older Haitian lady that tried to sit beside Bill. He was out cold because he had no clue what they were saying as well just like the rest of us. It was the funniest thing that happened all day to see Bill soundly asleep and the women trying to sit beside him. She occasionally went up a few more pews and sat down. I ended up going on the hike today and it was really fun! I did fine on the hike! Now I am showered and ready for my parents to see me on skype this evening! It truly touches my heart that they are going to a church service to see me here; even though I won't be able to see them. Today has been such a fantastic day and I am glad to be a part of God's team! Missing everyone back home! Love and miss you mom and dad!
Day 11 | Bill
This morning's church service was a lot different from last week. First, it was youth Sunday and a youth is anyone under 30. The service was more upbeat and lasted for 2 ½ hours. Secondly, I guess I fell asleep during part of the service and a little old woman came to sit down and I didn't let her in because I was asleep. What a service. Worship here is a lot different than worship at GBC. The team went on the HIKE today only this time they took the easy trail. No cliffs to climb down this time. As far as the playground goes, we still have a lot of work to do. We still have about 2 days worth of hard work to finish before it will be open for the kids. We have people watching us all of the time and many of them are taking pictures of the boat. The security guards are having a time trying to keep everyone off of it until we are done. You can see it in the kids eyes that they are just waiting for it to be open. We are hoping to have it done by Wens. so that we can play on it with the kids and show them how to use it. We shall see if that happens. I have had a lot of time now to reflect on week one and the group. Here are my week one thoughts. First, I just want everyone to know how hard they worked and how they came together as a team. Their attitude was great and so was their desire to serve our Lord. Each person played an important role and there is no job to small as long as your heart is in the right place. I learned that Emily B can tackle anything that she puts her mind to and kicked the mountain's butt. Tyler can tell his stories no matter what country he is in and they are still funny but more important, he has a heart to serve. Russell can work very hard and eat even harder but he has an overwhelming desire to finish what he starts. Logan is an artist in Haiti and is still a perfectionist who can make a little boy smile with his art work and is not afraid to let God use his talents. Vicki has the determination to conquer the hike and is still our water lady and proved that you can accomplish anything in the Lord that you set your mind to. Lane can make a friend anywhere and his music is just as sweet in Haiti and he will do what ever it takes to give God the glory. Gina has a great sense of humor and I would never want to be with her in a dark alley and have something bad happen because she is a lot faster than me and I would be the one attacked but she truly has a heart for Christ. Cheryl can cook and has a killer smile that brightens any room and wasn't afraid to try anything new. Lori can make any skirt look good and still has her cheerleader moves and has the attitude that makes any group better. Hannah looks like a ninja and is fearless when it comes to facing her fears. Emily C is my new favorite and has an attitude that motivates those around her. Allie C likes Mickey the best and has the desire to make the best out of any situation. Courtney can't beat Russell but has the determination to never give up and this is a quality that we all can learn from. Quinn is still one of my girls and is not afraid to try anything new with the desire to conquer it. Mary will get hurt by Logan no matter where she stands, but the love she has for others is Christ like. John likes to read everything in site but prove he can work along side the Haitians and keep up. Eric is still the master of technology and kept everyone posted on what was going on here and yes he does have an app for that. Becka is a super trooper who went through a lot of pain but never gave up to be here with us and you can see her servants heart. Mic is still the muscle of the group even though he is constantly being challenged by the younger generation and he is the glue that holds me together on these trips. Lloyd is the brains of the operation and he still makes me nervous when he tells me he has another idea. Trey can do back flips in Haiti too and has a true desire to serve the Lord in any way he can. Brent likes to avoid all cameras but works very hard at whatever task you give him. Kelsie now likes skirts but I have found out this week that she is a natural leader and great things are in store for her. Besides Jesus, the most important person on my team, my wife. She gives me the encouragement to keep trying and to push my limits on every trip and who supports me no matter how crazy it sounds. I can't imagine doing any of this without her on my side. I hope everyone has realized that just because you left Haiti doesn't mean that you have left the mission field. Wherever you are today, you are on the mission field and God desires to use you there like He used you here. Love ya bron
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