Baptism

   Greetings to you all again, from the beautiful lush valley of Allegre, Haiti, where the rain is abundant and the  Lord is nigh unto them that Fear Him.
   Yesterday morning we got up to a beautiful sunny morning, everything was still, even the frogs, birds, roosters, seemed a bit quieter. It was 5:30 AM and Pastor Levy woke me and told me to rise and shine, and pray for the baptism, it was going to be a joyous occasion for everyone.
   I got ready and took the four wheeler, picked up the "head boy" and drove down  to the river, the sun rays were beaming through the trees right onto the water, the water was crystal clear, just a perfect time, it was 7 when we arrived and by 8 most of the people had showed up, and it all began, there were some older people and many young people that got baptized, 28 altogether.
   Many of these believers have made a huge choice to take this next step of faith and to proclaim their allegiance to the ONE TRUE GOD, knowing that when they come home, some of them would face difficulties especially those whose families are steeped in voodoo and devil worship.
   Singing and praising God was continuous and joyful as one after the other went into the water, Pastor Levy and Pastor Jeera did the baptizing and Claudny and Dolfe helped them out of the water and prayed over them.
   About half way through a lady walked into the water and after asking her questions they proceeded to baptize her, as she went into the water, the devil attacked her fiercely, she started shouting, screaming, hollering, thrashing around, jumping in and out of the water, both Pastors gave what they had, and pushed her down, baptizing her, two others jumped in to help carry her to shore, but it was a tough struggle, finally with 5 guys they were able to do it, and hold her there, it was clear that the devil was trying to throw her into the water to drown, but with lots of praying she suddenly calmed down and was suddenly normal, and she started praising God.
   I asked Pastor Levy what exactly happened. He said that she is from a torn up voodoo infested family, and by becoming a Christian she already had stepped outside the "norm", but when now sealing that vow to God through obedience in baptism the devil tried his best to stop it, Pastor felt something will happen, so it came as no surprise, and with some prayer the attack stopped, and thankfully she didn't open her heart to the devil or let him in.
   I praise God for the richness of His Grace and Love for us humans, grains of sand, I'm humbled to be His child, and want to strive more and more to perfection, laying aside all sin that so easily besets me.

Beautiful crystal clear water.

Waiting for everyone to gather.

Just look at the sun rays, no one planned to have them walk in or out with
the rays hitting them, it was God's special design.

The lady that satan attacked.

Down under!!!

Pastors are praising God after all was done!!!!!!

Marcile's Life in Haiti

   I woke up to a beautiful morning, the sun shining brightly, birds chirping and a sound that's not so beautiful.... the gate clanging, I wondered if the gate guard was maybe a bit lazy because the clanging went on for a while or maybe the one at the gate was a bit impatient.

   As I looked at the day ahead of me I expected it to be a busy one. With Steve's gone I have more responsibility, Like taking care of the milk program, making and preparing meals and basically just keep things going in the house.

   Yesterday was milk program, so I grabbed the mop and broom to clean the other house while I waited for people to come.

   While scrubbing and sweeping I hear some one calling my name, my first lady was here for milk. Taking her card I find out how much milk powder the baby gets. After giving the Madam the milk, she rambles off some words to me that I can't quite understand. Finally I realize that she thinks she needs more milk, oh no!!!, what will I do now. I was sure I gave her what she needed. I let her sit while I took care of the other people then came back to the first lady, I paced the porch trying to figure out what could be wrong. Finally realizing that they are trying to get me to give them more milk than what they need.

   Laundry is one of my other jobs, the sun is a welcome sight when laundry needs to be done. Making food for the workers and every one here takes up some of my forenoon, although I'm thankful that when a day looks too busy we can just give the workers money.

   I feel blessed to serve in all the little details, and to see God work in the hearts and lives of the people around us!

Hanging laundry.

Language learning, in spare time. Never far from the kitchen work!!!!!!!!

Starting on the milk program...........

Thanks in advance for praying!!!!!

   Greetings this Monday morning in Jesus Name, there is none greater, and O such a joy to serve Him, isn't it? I challenge anyone to try an even deeper walk with Him this morning, there is much more then we know and have right now, the gold is plentiful in that mine, believe me!!!!!!
   I would like to explain a bit why the updates have been few and far between, I personally have been down with a virus and not hundred percent recovered but am bouncing back again, and raring to go for another week, shining forth the Light and showing this dark nation the brightness and peace of God. Also quite a few of the other staff has been sick as well, and so we have been basically doing what we need to keep everything, especially the clinic up and running.
   We are also a bit short staffed this week. Anita went to the Dominican last week to get some dental work done, she will be gone all of this week yet. Steve and his family left yesterday evening, they are also heading to the Dominican by bus tomorrow, Alex has some bad abscesses and infection that no amount of meds have been able to clear up the last 3 to 4 weeks, and it could be bad if the infection would get into his blood stream. Delwyn our mechanic, (used to be mechanic) is flying out this morning. So right now there are only the 5 of us left over. So we really covet your prayers this week.
   The mechanic position is sitting with wide open arms now waiting for someone to come fill it!!!!!!!!! It is a rewarding work, and very diversified:) Who will come?

Thankful-Busy-Sick

   We are requesting that you pray for us here at the mission, seems like there are only a few that aren't sick right now, and with being so incredibly tired because of the overload in the clinic hospital room the last couple weeks, the bug is holding on tighter (smiles) because our bodies are tired. Pray especially for the clinic staff that they would get better quickly.
   Today the hospital room filled up and we had to load some patience unto Bobcat and transfer them to Basis, a small hospital a few miles from here.
   Thank you all for the prayer and support we receive here on a continual bases, for the furtherance of the Kingdom.
   Also would like to thank you for prayer for rain, we seem to be getting "poundings" from heaven pretty regularly now, and cisterns are being replenished. God bless you all. HE IS ALWAYS THE ANSWER.....
PS.  Our internet is slow, so with all things combined it spells not so regular updates.

House Project Update.

   The house building project for the widow is going well. They've got most of the walls up now. It was to rainy to hike the slippery trail to get a picture yesterday when I was there.
   Also yesterday Don brought a load of bricks up for Michael, I met him at Grafu then went with him to the river to pick up sand for the house building project.
   Lots of people dig sand from the almost dry river bed and sift it through and then sit day after day waiting for people to come and buy it.
   It took 5 guys 17 minutes to load about 4 yards of sand and about 20 minutes for Don and myself to unload it.

Haitian accident...

I was heading out to Port-au-Prince last Wednesday,
transferring a young man with a head infection
to a different hospital for surgery. Ended up sitting
for 45 minutes in a traffic jam
on Mont Tapion- a local mountain
pass on the main road along the Northern Coast.
After making inquiries I learned that a tractor-
trailer load of cement bags had lost control on
the mountain, and crashed!

The trailer flew off and the truck came to rest on the edge of the
mountain. Thankfully no other vehicles got in the way and as
far as I can tell the driver escaped without much harm.

See the moto's, and people with buckets and bags? The truck was carrying
upwards of fifty tons of cement bags, basically all of which exploded when
the trailer rolled. You might wonder what the attraction is in a pile of dirty
cement scattered over the road. Not the Haitians- that's money on the road;
dusty, dirty, grey money. Folks flocked in on a steady stream of motos, as
well as on foot. Some will sell it, others may use it on their own houses.
Fighting and squabbling erupts as cement-seekers collide in their quest
for treasure; or when the police and U.N. soldiers show up with their
automatic weapons. For the most part, they just look the other way
as the people do the otherwise undesirable job of cleaning up the
effects of the accident for them. But woe to the offender who gets
too close to the zoned off area!!! He may be made an example,
while hundreds all around continue in the melee unscathed.
So goes "Justice" in the third world....

U.N. soldiers, helping direct traffic.

A wrecker from the U.N. attempting to open the road again...

GTH's own secretary, Jon Hofer- caught in the act of swiping
free cement??????!!!!!!!
No, fortunately this was a different day and he's
ACTUALLY just loading the truck preparatory
to heading out to a job site.
(GOTCHA Jon!!!!) :)))))

"Pure religion and undefiled is to help the widows and the fatherless"

   We started a house rebuild project a couple of weeks ago, about 40 minute drive out the trail towards Ti-Goave, the house is for a widow that was living in a small 10 by 12 house and the tin and tarps weren't keeping the rain out at all anymore.

   She also has relatives living with her and I don't know how they do it, but they somehow all cram in there for the night. This house will be a bit over the regular size of the houses we have been building up to this point to accommodate all of them, they are all poor and so they pool what they have and live in one house.

   We are thankful for the donations we got towards this project, it thrills me to see and know that another widow is being blessed and helped. She is a sister in the church here as well. Walks a couple hours or more to church.

Hauling a load of  "plange" to the job sight.

Do you notice the bluff of trees center of picture to the left, that is where
the job sight is, hard to walk down there, and it "hurts to roll down too"!!!

They're working on the first wall.

This is where the widow lives now with her family, etc etc.

Foundation is all done.

One of the Bosses, mixing cement.

Steve talking with the main Boss, Boss Moise.

Steve having some "daddy, daughter"!!! time on the
the job, she really likes going along with daddy.