Team G3

We had a wonderful time with Team G3.  They held medical clinics at the St Etienne and Thozin campuses, distributed gifts to orphans, taught hygiene and health classes, participated in our Christian Leadership Academy, sang, played music, did data entry, visited Be Like Brit and traveled to Jacmel for seafood on the beach.  Many people were helped by the team and our staff and family enjoyed the fellowship with friends from home.

Mission USA/The Chapel (Akron, OH)

We’re excited to have Fred, Sandy, Happy, Bill and Tim here with us in Haiti from The Chapel, in Akron, OH.  They’re here for the weekend to prepare for their full team coming in next month.  Their most exciting task while they are here?  Opening and unloading the bus that The Chapel sent to us!

It was fun to watch them go in through the roof hatch, because the air compressor they’d put in at the last minute had shifted and the door could not open.  The back door opened and the boxes began coming out.  We looked a bit like an ant farm as we unloaded wheelchairs, walkers, peanut butter, pots and pans, water bubblers, medical supplies.  Then we moved the bus to the kitchen and unloaded a four hundred pound, commercial stove/oven – one of my “wish list” items!

The bus was returned to the back gate and preparations were made to remove the 850 pound, 20KW, diesel generator.  Now, if this Mission USA team was actually in the USA, we would have just rented a forklift, however, they were not in America:

 

Welcome to Marcy Magness

Marcy will be with us in Grand-Goave for the next two months.  She comes to us from near Philadelphia, PA where she works the land and spends Winter helping those in need.  We appreciate Marcy’s experience in agriculture, who sense of adventure and flexibility – the latter two being prerequisites for mission work!  Although Marcy has only been with us a few days, it is apparent that she will be a blessing to the mission team.  As you pray for the Edmé and Parayson families, please be sure to pray for Marcy and Janina, as well.

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Water

As I brushed my teeth this morning, I was watching the water pour out of the faucet and realized that I should turn it off until I’m ready to rinse.  We have plenty of water, but it costs us money to maintain and put fuel in the generator so that we have electricity to pump the water up onto the roof, where it is gravity fed to the shower, sink and toilet.  I’ve noticed that Lex often seems irritated about water being wasted.  Excess water from crop irrigation running into the road or even the little stream that runs into the ocean without being consumed by people will often get a rise out of Lex.  Even after all these years in Haiti, I still don’t really “get it.”  I’ve never had to carry a bucket of water on my head for a few feet, never mind for miles in the hot sun.

When we first started Mission of Hope, we were living in Port-au-Prince with our good friend, Walter Henry.  It was so hot and the kids were very uncomfortable, so I would block the shower drain and fill the bottom of the shower with water for them to “swim” in.  Every afternoon Walter would check all his plumbing, because he knew he must have a leak somewhere.  He said there was no way that they could be out of water so quickly.  Well, it wasn’t until we lived in Grand-Goave for a little while and would run out of water (we didn’t have a well at that time) that I realized that I had been the cause of Walter’s leaky plumbing.  Oops!

Just plain water, whether potable or not, is of great value.  We have spent a lot of money  in order to provide good drinking water for the many visitors we’ve housed over the years.  We are so grateful for the Aquavast filtration system provided to us by Branches of the Vine Ministries after the earthquake.  John Armour installed it for us at the former cyber cafe right in downtown Grand-Goave.  The Chapel has now purchased a second system for us to have at the mission compound, so that we will no longer have to haul water.  All our missionaries and guests will have purified water to drink and bathe in.  Praise God!  John will be traveling to Haiti later this month to install the new system.

Wilson is Home!

It has been a very long year for Wilson, but he has finally completed his cancer treatments and returned home to the Hands and Feet Project, here in Grand-Goave, this week.  What a joy for the church this morning, as Pastor Lex called him up front for all to see.  He expressed his gratitude to the Lord and to Michelle Meece for her dedication to Wilson’s care.  Michelle spent many nights sleeping on the floor under Wilson’s hospital bed – a circumstance that is difficult for any missionary to endure.  She did it all without complaining and with an obvious love for Wilson.

Wilson will be back in school tomorrow!!!!

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3 Years Ago

For whatever reason, our family has never been big on holidays.  We make a bit of a big deal for our kids’ birthdays, but that about it.  Yesterday was the 3rd year anniversary of the Haiti earthquake.  I thought about it, I prayed for the families of the victims and I thanked God that no one had been killed on any of our campuses, even though we suffered such extensive structural damage.

Last night, Sandy and I were walking in the yard at the mission compound around 7pm and I started to tell her where I was three years ago.  At that moment Alexis, A. Jay and the team we had with us were all sitting in the middle of the street in front of what was then my office.  We had no communication from Lex.  I only knew that he had gone to Leogane.  I didn’t even know if anywhere beyond Grand-Goave had experienced the same horror that we had.

Thankfully Lex did make it home that night.  I remember the look on his face as he came around the corner and laid eyes on us.  The relief and intensity of emotion was visibly washing over him.

When we first came to Haiti there were no cell phones.  If Lex got held up and didn’t arrive home when I expected him, my imagination would go wild.  I would be so angry when he’d get home, like I was the only thing in this world that mattered.  I remember so well the last time I experienced the rage.  I was expecting him home that evening, but knew that he might have to spend the night in Port-au-Prince.  He didn’t come home that night, so I knew that I would see him home first thing in the morning.  Morning came and went.  By noon I was really worried.  He probably strolled in about 4 o’clock in the afternoon.  I was just steaming, but I’d had enough experience to know that I should let him talk before I bit his head off – which I was CERTAIN I would be doing.

Lex was obviously tired, as he began to describe his day to me.  He was driving home, early in the morning (just as I had expected), when he came across an accident.  A missionary vehicle had been involved in a very bad accident.  He described in great detail (of which I will spare you) all the details of how he found them and how he took charge of the scene.  The local missionary was just beside himself and didn’t know what to do.  Lex encouraged him and they worked together to get people to the hospital, as well as helping him with all the legalities.  It was a horrific scene, but it wasn’t until Lex got home that his emotions kicked in.

Well, I didn’t bite his head off or even give him a piece of my mind.  I loved on him and told him how proud I was of him (knowing that I could never have taken control of that kind of a situation).  Afterwards, I went to God in prayer.  I told Him that I just couldn’t live like this.  Unexpected events are expected in Haiti.  How could anyone live with the worry and crazy images I was seeing each time he was later than anticipated?  Apparently, God really did want me in Haiti, because He answered my prayer that day.  My family’s well being is beyond my control and no amount of worry is going to help any of them.  That day I thanked God for taking care of us and I decided that I would just always trust that He would continue to do so.

As I sat in the middle of the road with my children and the team I was responsible for, I trusted that where ever my husband was, he was with Jesus and that there was nothing I could do for him.  I focused on those around me, making sure we were all together and alert.  Lex has eyes and ears all over Grand-Goave.  If he is concerned about any one of us, he knows within the same minute where we are and what we’re doing.  But on January 12th, as he made his way past thousands of injured and deceased people, he thought about his family.  He knew we would be in the office, but he didn’t know if the office was still standing.  Our reunion that night meant the world to him.

Many people in Haiti are superstitious and every time January 12th comes around they are terrified for their lives.  People all over the world today live in fear.  Maybe you’re afraid you could lose your job.  Maybe you’re afraid to send your kids to school or let them go to the movies.  Maybe you’re afraid your kids will make poor choices and end up in trouble.  Maybe you’re afraid of terrorists, world war or the end of the world.  I could write for the next year about all the fears we could be facing, but what’s important is to know that we don’t have to be slaves to fear.  We can choose to trust in the promises of God found in the Bible and not let fear take root in our minds and hearts.

How do we do this?  Well, here’s the best advice I could ever give you, because it’s right from the Bible in Philippians 4:6-9(NIV):

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

My own personal experience testifies of the freedom found in not only reading, but acting on this advice from the Holy Scriptures.  Living in fear is tormenting, damaging and deadly.  It may take effort to think about good things and act on those good thoughts, but it brings life and peace.  Let’s trust God to care for us, just as He promised us in 1 Peter 5:7.

Lex and I care about you, too.  We’d love to hear from you and pray for you.  Please drop us a note sometime at lex@mohintl.org or just click here to contact us.