MAJOR Concrete Pour Coming Up

We have had a great week of construction.  All the wooden forms have been installed and we’re finishing up installing about twenty tons of reinforcement.  I was very involved in construction in my twenties – siding, gutters, decks, additions, roofs, even a few concrete floors – but nothing like this.  It’s like framing a house, but then you take all the wood off of it.  I also never realized the detail involved in constructing a commercial grade concrete building.  It’s really quite fascinating – and sometimes a bit frustrating.  Masons, carpenters and steel-workers in Haiti are not accustomed to building what we are building at MOHI.  This building is designed – pro-bono by engineers at Simpson, Gumpertz & Heger in Boston – to withstand a major earthquake, as well as the tropical storms and hurricanes that have been known to pass by here.  Here are some pictures from this week:

Boss Léon tying re-bar

The first two layers of re-bar on the first floor. Two more layers to go.

Wilson

Wilson and his new buddy playing in their hospital room

Many of you have been praying for Wilson.  He is one of the children who lived at MOHI for 3 years, prior to moving to the Hands and Feet Project here in Grand-Goâve.  He was diagnosed with 4th stage Hodgkins Lymphoma and has been hospitalized for a couple of weeks now.  His first round of chemo-therapy will be completed tomorrow.  Michelle Meece, who has been his primary care giver during all of this, reports that he has handled this first round very well.  He retained a lot of fluid, which had to be dealt with, he tires easily, but he also has a hearty appetite and has been adjusting to his new surroundings.  Please continue to pray for Wilson’s health and for Michelle who has been there for him through it all.  I appreciate her so much.  She has been totally selfless, sleeping on the floor and bathing in a bucket daily to make sure he is being well cared for.  Thank you, Michelle!

School Days

It’s the last month of school and there are lots of things going on.  The 6th, 9th, 12th and 13th grades (yes, the senior year of high school has two parts, rheto and philo) are preparing to go to National Exams next month.  At the MOHI schools, students have to pass national exams in order to move to the next grade level or graduate.  The kids always work really hard to pass and many times we have had 100% success.

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Graduations will be happening on Thursday and Friday this week, so there are rehearsals going on regularly.  Just like the ushers and bridesmaids in Haitian weddings, the graduates do a fancy line dance as they enter the building.  Each class has their own music and entrance dance.  It’s always fun to watch – especially the little ones!

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Students not going to national exams have been taking school exams all week.  Everyone will finish up on Wednesday.

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Sharing melons with the preschoolers

It’s melon season and our gardens are very blessed! What a joy to be able to share some melon (this one is called “melon frans” aka French melon … it’s like a honeydew on the inside) with our preschoolers. In an agrarian based country, you’d expect these kids to have eaten melon before, but many had not. What a great education!

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We’ve been blessed this month too, with missionaries who are happy to be working with our 3 year old preschool class.  Here they are below working on a coloring project.

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McKenzie is one of the missionaries working with the 3 year olds

Conference Preparations

It’s such a joy to see the different church groups preparing for the conference.  There are budgets being created and distributed to church members ($3200), discussions about whether to buy a cow or to purchase imported frozen chicken leg quarters, benches are being repaired and new benches are being constructed, music groups rehearsing and lots of prayer meetings going on.

I know that the Full Gospel Interdenominational Church in Manchester, CT is praying for this year’s conference, too.  Pastor Kalinsky and a delegation from her church will be joining us later this week for graduations and staying through the end of conference.  Lex and I are anticipating a great time in these services and a special time of ministry to those who come seeking more of Jesus.  Indeed, the church is expecting and I truly believe that the Lord has something good in store for all of us.

MOHI Youth rehearsing for this year's annual conference July5-8

Haiti Awaits You

Some people just know they are called to the mission field, but most of us really don’t know.  I first visited Haiti because I wanted to meet the child that I was sponsoring to go to school.  That visit changed my life.  Of course, not everyone will have the same experience that I had, but you’d be hard pressed to find someone whose life wasn’t greatly impacted by a one or two week visit to Haiti.

MOHI has hosted many different types of groups in Haiti – campus ministry, youth group, family, construction team, company team, church group, and folks who don’t have a team of their own that come together with others like themselves.  It may be a little uncomfortable, but it’s only for a week.  There is so much to be gained and so much that you have to give of yourself.  God created you, not for your own pleasure, but for HIS pleasure.  He intends for you to share who you are with others.  Why not share with the people of Haiti this summer?  Drop me an email.  Ask “silly” questions.  I will answer them and I will encourage you to take a step of faith and see what the Lord will do with and through you!

A few of the faces who have impacted lives in Haiti