God is exalted!

In the midst of our confusion and feelings of inadequacy and lack of progress, God is exalting himself among the nations (Psalm 46:10)! The day started with great fun playing with the children from school during their break.  Some kids figured out that they could jump on my back by standing on the railing; we hit the ground once, but having six kids hanging on you at once is totally worth it! After break Ashley scraped paint off the floor in the children's home.  Rick and Micah (with some help from the women) attempted to install the pedestal sinks but discovered that the plumbing was inconsistent, which resulted in a road block.  They would not admit it, but they have made great progress amidst several road blocks.  The men also installed the utility sink after Rick re-plumbed it.  It is not yet functional but it is in place and will be functional tomorrow! Tami and I screwed light bulbs in the children's home.  Peterson and Orlondo were in the bedroom when I screwed in the first bulb and tried to convince me to get down from the bed but then I flipped the switch and the light came on.  An unforgettable grin came across both of their faces and they ran to give me a huge hug.  We do not work the praise of men, but praise from orphans for light bulbs is powerful.  The kids seemed a bit more tired today so the play time was less intense but that resulted in lots of time simply loving on children.  A little boy whose name I cannot pronounce was hanging out in the children's home this morning.  He didn't engage with anyone so I went over to him and he kind of sat on my lap.  Then he looked at me, looked down, looked at me, then peed his pants.  Orlondo, who is 10, jumped into my arms at noon when school got out.  He placed his head on my shoulder and was asleep shortly after. I rotated between holding other children in my other arm.  I always feel so unworthy to have the privilege of holding orphans like that because they are so near to God's heart.  Orlondo held tight until it was time for us to leave the children's home around 3:30.  Erica had a couple children nap on her lap as well. Micah spent a good portion of the day at a hardware store again but progress is coming.  Today was Janese and Erica's last day of teacher training.  It has been a great learning experience.  The teachers were excited about adding teaching tools to their classrooms.  Janese felt like the teachers' appreciation and excitement level increased throughout the training and resulted in a deep feeling of partnership with the school.  The women tried to decorate the teacher's rooms but struggled getting anything to stick on the walls.  The frustration was slightly overwhelming but the verse of the day was a great encouragement.  The team had a great time of reflection on the day and attempts to better anything possible tonight.  God willing, the men will finish some projects in the children's home while the women move rubble tomorrow morning.

Psalm 71:14

Today's verse:
But as for me,  I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.

The team is having an amazing trip!  Praise God!

Blessings,
Amy

Bonjour from Haiti!

Today we had the privilege of serving the "Mamas" (the caretakers of the orphans) by learning how to do laundry.  Mama Jina taught Kelsey, Tami, Ashley and Erica how to properly remove stains by scrubbing with a ball of soap. We washed and rubbed the clothes several times before they were laid out to dry. We were humbled by the Mamas patience because we had no idea what we were doing! They spoke a little English, so we got the opportunity to talk to them and figure out more of their background. It was a very enjoyable experience! The process was very rigorous and we now have a new found appreciation for our washing machines and our mothers! In the afternoon, we held a VBS, where we had a bible story, snacks and a craft. The children loved the necklaces we made, but their favorite thing is Play Doh. This occupied them for hours!

While we were doing this, Rick and Micah were out buying supplies for construction. This is not an easy process, so it took them all day. They were disappointed in the things that they accomplished, but it is no easy task to negotiate and buy products in Haiti. They started to hang wires in the classroom for the students to put their artwork on. The Haitians love to have their rooms decorated, so we are sure they will love this! Their project was interrupted though because we had church tonight. A friend that is staying at Moise's, Pastor Don, talked during the sermon and did a lovely job presenting the gospel. About thirty minutes into the service, all the children from the orphanage came running into the church. They all came and sat down next to us and they were fast asleep by the end of the service. How wonderful to be able to share those precious moments with the children.

The verse that we meditated on today was Acts 2 25-28. The verse talks about possessing a joyful heart and rejoicing through all circumstances. After church tonight, it was evident that nobody does this better than the Haitians. They love being at church and worshiping Jesus. It was incredible to come alongside our fellow brothers and sisters and worship one God. Even though the service was in another language, it was extremely powerful.

Needless to say, everything is going very well here in Haiti! Micah has a cough, but other than that everyone is healthy and happy to be here. We appreciate your prayers and we urge you to continue praying for the Vaval family, the students, and the orphans!

 Bonne Nuit!
 Erica and Tami 

Acts 2:25-28

What a blessed report from Haiti.  I think their Twitter is a struggle to use, but they will blog.  I will keep everyone posted on texts as well.

Today's verse:  Acts 2:25-28
David said about him: "I saw the Lord always before me.  Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.  Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.  You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in our presence.

Prayer group is tonight at 7pm and on Saturday at 7pm.

Blessings,
Amy

The Choosing of the Seven

Good evening from PAP!   Janese shared a verse with us this morning that was powerful and a nice way to start our day....Acts 6: 1-6 - The Choosing of the Seven.  As we all looked around the breakfast table chatting, we were reminded that we are all here to serve and within each of us is our own gift we bring to Haiti that God has graciously given.  We want others who have never been on a mission or to Haiti to be encouraged and reminded that we don't have to specialize in something like medicine, teaching, etc., but that we each harvest our own special and unique qualities that are needed here.  As we looked around the table at the 7 of us, it was evident that we were there for a very purposeful reason that God has planned.

We made it to the church/children's home this morning with an incredibly flexible and unbinding plan of action for our day. Janese and Erika worked on finalizing their teacher training and performed day one of three of the curriculum training.  Rick & Micah evaluated a variety of needed construction projects to assess cost feasibility and which could be accomplished on our trip.  The rest of us gathered up shovels and buckets and hauled away rubble and rock from the church's grounds where they will eventually pour concrete.  It was amazing to see the help that assembled after we gathered up our tools and started working.  Moise said it had been a struggle to get volunteers to help him move the rock, but when they all saw us dive in, 7 people turned into at least 12!  God is good!

After lunch, the guys went on their trek to get supplies that we'd put on the list.  Janese and Erika worked with the teachers for about and hour while Kelsey, Tami and myself went to go meet the children and play with them!  OVERWHELMING JOY!  These children were SO excited to see us!  They flocked to us and were so excited to hug on us and hold our hands! We got the bubbles out and kicked the balls around for awhile.  We had a few of the children sit on our laps for about an hour just wanting me to hold them, rock them, and love on them. The love these children have in their hearts is indescribable. It's amazing what quality time and attention can do for our hearts and theirs. It was an amazing first day of discovery, increased awareness, and the challenges and blessing we will have the privilege of experiencing this week!

Psalm 119:35 "Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight."

Good night and God Bless!
Ashley

Bondye si bon!

All seven of us and all of our luggage arrived safely in Haiti as scheduled.  We were all surprised at how smooth customs and the whole airport experience went.  The airport looks great! For those of you who have been before, the chaos was at an all time minimum! Kristi, Moise's oldest daughter, met us at the airport.  We picked Francoise up at SDLG then headed to the Vavals for a delicious dinner followed by dessert! Micah, Ashley, Erika, and I played soccer with Junior then I had the privilege of being beaten by Moise is a short game. Your prayers are much appreciated.  I am confident that the Lord has something good in store for us this week and we don't want to miss any part of it.  The plan thus far for tomorrow is to asses the construction type projects and do some teacher training, and I'm sure God has some surprises in store for us!

With love & for the kingdom

Kelsey

Mark 8:1-10: Multiply

The team has safely arrived to Haiti.  They do tweet during their trip, so be sure and follow them on twitter this week.

Today's verse: Mark 8:1-10 
This passage focuses on Jesus feeding 4,000 with just 7 loaves and a few small fish.  Jesus gave thanks for the small meal and then the basket of food overflowed to feed 4,000 people. 

God impressed upon my heart the word "multiply".  When you are praying this week for the team, please pray that God shows them that even though they think they are small or ill-equipped or that the supplies are limited or if they feel like they are not making a difference, that in fact their efforts will be multiplied by God.

Blessings,
Amy

** Prayer times will continue to be at my house.  They are Wednesday 7pm and Saturday 7pm.  Call 415-8508 for directions.