June in Haiti

After living in Haiti all these years, I finally agree with the Haitians: June is the hottest month of the year!  It’s not August.  It’s not July.  It’s June!  Summer slammed into us like a Mack truck last week!

There are lots of things happening at the Mission this month.  With the last month of school comes lots of studying for local and national exams and lots of rehearsals for our graduation ceremonies.  This year we will have 84 students graduating from Kindergarten to First Grade, 6th Grade to High School and High School seniors.  Each class is preparing a special “dance” to enter into the chapel in lines.  The top student in each class will give a speech, there will be special songs, dances and poems.  Everyone will be dressed like they’re going to a wedding.  The whole place will be a mix of colognes and perspiration.  It will be a day for the students and the parents to feel good about themselves and appreciate how far the Lord has brought them.  When you consider the majority of the parents are not educated, this is truly a big day for all these families.

We have several really special visitors coming this month to help on several fronts.  Becca and McKenzie (both from the University of Akron) will be spending a month with us.  They’re both very hard workers and will definitely be a blessing to all of us.  We look forward to meeting their friend Justina, who will come for a short stay, as well.

Alan Roseberry, his wife, Patty and two daughters will be joining us this week, as well.  Alan is a professional plumber.  He did all the ground work at the BLB orphanage and will be laying out the underground work for us on the school construction.  He has a LOT of other work to do this week, too.  He will be installing the solar water heater, which was donated for the missionary compound down at the beach (all those who dreaded the cold showers every day, take heed!)  Re-plumbing and adding lines to the kitchen are on his agenda at that property, as well.  While Alan is totally engaged in all these plumbing projects, Patty and their daughters will be doing projects with children.

Chris and Joy Youell will be returning to MOHI this month.  They’ve done a lot of work with our child sponsorship program and will be assisting with many of the children’s activities while they are here.  They are two of the most flexible and edifying people I know and will be a huge help to us.

Toward the end of June, Pastor Kalinsky, from the Full Gospel Interdenominational Church (FGIC) in Manchester, CT will be joining us with a small team.  We have been waiting twelve years to see Pastor Kalinsky visit us and we are so excited that she will be coming. The church has been a great support for our students and they desire  to be a part of the graduations.  The team will attend the graduations in both Thozin and St. Etienne.  They will also stay for our annual conference, which will be taking place on July 5-8.  Pastor Kalinsky has an amazing administrative gift, a remarkable love and compassion for people and has always been a great encouragement to our family.  I can hardly wait to see how the Lord will use her to teach, bless and encourage the people during the conference!

Construction

We will also have our “regular” company this month, as well – Len Gengel (Be Like Brit) and Paul Fallon (our amazing architect).    Paul is here right now, overseeing both the Be Like Brit orphanage construction and the MOHI school project.  We’re getting to the end of the ground floor walls and the majority of the back fill is done.  We’re ready to start forming the first floor (ground floor ceiling) this week.  The crew at BLB are forming the roof.  I’m so excited about both projects!  Yesterday I looked out my office window and said “This building is going to be MASSIVE!”  Paul chimed in, “It certainly will be.”  I look forward to occupying it!

This video is a MUST SEE!  It’s so awesome to actually walk through the building, rather than just looking down at it.  Do let me know what you think of it!

Around the Site

I really enjoy watching many of the things that happen around the school construction site.  The mission feeds the construction workers each work day.  It keeps them healthier (we know that they’re eating) and it puts more food on their families’ tables (buying lunch is quite costly).  We know that Jesus was often moved with compassion for the people and fed them.  I think He’s a great example to follow.

Cement has been really difficult to come by recently, so when we got two truckloads on Sunday, we found people to unload them so we can work tomorrow.

 

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A New Baby!

As most of you are aware, MOHI works closely with several other organizations in Haiti (Be Like Brit, the Hands and Feet Project, Sirona Cares…).  Over the years we’ve grown very close to the people in these organizations.  This week, I can’t even tell you how excited I am for the directors of the Hands and Feet Project here in Grand-Goâve, Andrew and Angie Sutton.  Angie gave birth yesterday morning to their second daughter, Glory Anna, here in Haiti.  I’m so grateful to God that everything went well and they are both doing well.  As you can see in the pictures, Faith and Glory are both cute as buttons!!!  Lex enjoyed making the birth announcement this morning in church, because Faith and Glory go together so well in Kreyol:  Lafwa and Laglwa.  The church erupted in joy when he told them their names.  It was definitely a happy family moment for the entire church.

Kristie Jean

Just wanted to update you on Kristie Jean, the baby who, after four months weighed less than when she was born.  After holding her this morning during most of the church service, I decided there’s no need for me to tell you how much she weighs.  She’s so heavy I had to sit after a while.  The operation was a huge success, she is now healthy in every way.  She’s very engaging and bright, as most infants are!  She was copying my expressions, trying to fan herself with the paper I was using to fan her and shaking her head “no” throughout the service.  I’ve learned that it’s best for me to sit in the front of the church to listen to my husband’s message, because when I sit in the back, the babies totally take my attention.  Sorry, Honey!