Tomorrow begins another year of school here in Haïti.  It’s been an exciting week for the 31 children we’ve cared for over the past 3+ years.  They have all officially moved into the new Hands and Feet Project compound.  It’s about 15 minutes west of the MOHI Thozin campus – aka their previous home.  Everyone has survived the first week.  Thank God!!!  Those of you who are parents, can you imagine taking care of 31 children PLUS your 8 month old baby?  Hats off to Andrew and Angie Sutton, who probably won’t see this post, being “new” parents and all.  They’re doing an awesome job!

Tomorrow these children begin “going” to school, rather than “waking up at” school.  Under most circumstances the first day of school is exciting and it will be for these kids, as well.  They’ll have new uniforms, shoes/sneakers, books, belts, hair gadgets, etc.  I can hardly wait to see their smiling faces tomorrow!!!

I should be moving into my new office tomorrow or Tuesday.  It’s located at the Thozin Campus and I can view the school construction project right from my desk.  One of my biggest challenges over the years has been finding quiet, undisturbed time in which to work.  Many of you who have been here with us understand what I’m talking about.  Every person who walks through my door knows that they are the priority for me at that very moment, which of course they are.  Therein lies the problem.  I sometimes need to hide away at the mission house or in the next town, just to get some important paperwork done.  One of the things I like best about my new office is that the only way to get into it is through Pastor Edon’s office.  This means that I automatically have a built in guard, whom I know will not be quick to knock on my door. Very exciting!!!

Digicel, the company that revolutionized the cell phone business in Haïti, puts on a singing contest every year called Digicel Stars.  It’s all the rave here, especially in the under 30 crowd.  Well, Grand-Goâve has our own “Haitian Idol,” Kelly.  Kelly has been a part of many of our activities and musical groups in the past, including the Mission’s singing contest and our rendition of “We Are the World” after the earthquake in 2010.  He’s also been an active member of our youth ministry for the past four years. He told us how he stood in line in the hot sun from 7AM until 1PM before being able to audition.  Over 2500 people were in that line and he made the cut of 10 people that were chosen to continue.  We are so excited for him and pray that he has many, many opportunities to shine his light before men!

We said goodbye to mother and son, Beth and TJ Wallace today after they spent a week with us here in Grand-Goâve.  Hopefully next month we’ll be sharing the resulting multi-media project from TJ with you.  TJ was here last year when we hosted our first World Race team for a month.  He and his team put up a whole lot of transitional shelters, hiking up and down those mammoth-sized hills in St. Etienne, so that the people of that area could have homes once again.  It was great to meet Beth and to have TJ here in a much different capacity this time.