Isaac’s Influence

Everything that happened this week has turned into one big blur, overshadowed by tropical storm Isaac.  First of all, I want you to know that my family and our visitors are all well, as well as all of our employees and church folks.  The mission did suffer some damage, several goats were killed by flood waters, the church and office were flooded and we are without grid electricity.  But these are minor inconveniences compared to what some others have to deal with, as you’ll see in the video below.

I am grateful that the Lord has us in the right place at the right time to be a blessing to people in their moment of need.  We were able to provide food, water and clothing today to families who’d lost everything.  How?  In part because churches like the Evangelical Church in Fall River, MA pack and ship barrels of goods to us.  When real difficulties arise, we have what’s necessary to meet the need.  What we don’t have on hand, we need money in order to purchase.  Thank you for helping!

Pastor Kevin and Tammy Groder have been a part of MOHI since 2001.  We were so excited that they were going to be arriving on Saturday – but then there was Isaac.  They were able to come a day early, however, and arrived just before the Port-au-Prince airport closed.  Yippeeeeee!!!  So, we had our friends here with us through the storm and to help with the needs.

Eliminating the source of the leaky outlet

Every time it rains hard, I end up with a tiny river of water coming out an electrical outlet in my office.  Someone finally figured out how to solve the problem and it was the same day that Isaac was arriving.  I was so excited that I wasn’t going to get wet during the storm.  It started raining and raining and no water came out of the outlet.  However, in the morning, my office was again flooded.  It seems this water came right through the tiny cracks in the floor – perhaps.  So, I spent two days, bailing water out of my office.  Saturday morning, I was in my office and looked out the front door.  The entrance to the yard was totally flooded.  As I watched, the water kept getting closer and closer.  Within a matter of minutes it was right up to the stoop of my office.  I was scurrying about getting everything up off the floor and wondering what I should do with the freezer, since it’s motor is close to the floor.  I had TiPaul filling empty sacks with sand and putting them in front of my office when Lex returned.  I was really grateful when the water started to recede after coming within 1/2 an inch of really flooding my office!

Our friends at the Hands and Feet Project in Jacmel are on the south coast of the southern peninsula, where hurricanes go before they get to us.  There were houses being blown over and roofs flying Friday night.  They warned the missionaries at their Grand-Goave site, knowing that they were all in plywood and metal-roofed buildings.  At 2AM I got a phone call, asking if they could bring the kids down to the guest house.  I called Gama to give him a heads up.  He, Kevin and Tammy received the kids, staff and missionaries at the guest house.  We were very glad to have a place available for them – especially since that was their home when they first came to Grand-Goave.

Be Like Brit also opened their building to their neighbors so that everyone would have a dry place to stay.

Water filtration system donated by Samaritan's Purse

Water

Everyone knows that water is basic to life.  Potable water in Haiti usually comes in a plastic bag, bottle or jug.  We are blessed at MOHI to have a water filtration system in Thozin, as well as in downtown Grand-Goâve.  M

Construction

We’re grateful for Paul Fallon’s return to Haiti this past week.  Under his direction we were able to get the second story stairs formed and poured, along with the railing walls – just as Isaac’s rains began.  Re-bar work went very well this week with no setbacks.  Yes!!!  Our high school students continued with their summer jobs, which consisted mostly of moving sand and gravel.  Being young, energetic, intelligent and very creative, they had a whole band ensemble going on.  They would empty their buckets in the back and march back to the front beating intricate rhythms on the buckets and singing and chanting…often with messages for Pastor Lex about wanting to eat another meal or leave work early.  He loves these kids so much and wasn’t the least bit offended, of course.  He even gave them an extra treat the next day.  We had some protein drinks shipped to us that we put on ice and gave them during their morning break.  God blesses us all in so many ways.

Les Cayes Youth

Youth from les Cayes visiting MOHI

This week we’ve had a group of about eighty young people visiting from Pastor Ignais’ church in les Cayes.  They are sleeping in the temporary classrooms, enjoying visiting the beach and soccer fields in Grand-Goave, as well as fellowship with the young people in our church.  Right now Pastor Kevin is preaching to them and remembering when he preached in their church about four years ago.

Stairs and railings are poured

Re-bar is ready for the concrete

Goodbye For Now

Next week Lex, Alexis, A. Jay, Gama, Angela, Nathan and I will be enjoying an evening in Miami – the beginning of a much needed vacation week for all of us.  I must admit to being a little panicked, knowing that I will be gone from Haiti for about 7 weeks!  I am rolling those cares onto the Lord and getting excited about seeing so many friends and family in the Northeast.  Don’t forget: Sep 15th in Westminster, MA and Sept 30th in Gibsonia, PA.  Save those dates and join us for a great time!

Pray

Please do keep the people of Haiti lifted up in prayer.  God has good things in store for them!  Please pray for us, as well.  We have a lot of responsibilities to make sure are being taken care of while we are gone.  Pray for wisdom so that we manage it all the way the Lord would want us to.  See you soon!!!