As I sit down to write this blog post, I am not sure where to begin or how to convey the amazing things that have taken place in the past couple of weeks.
Two weeks ago Kyrk started teaching a Bible study to the ladies group. They were super thankful that he would do this for them. After this meeting they decided that they would come to our house this week for ladies meeting.
On Tuesday around 3 I didn't see anyone coming, so I thought maybe I didn't fully understand them so I started walking down to the church. As I was walking some ladies stopped me and told me I could go back to my house since they were all coming to my house. I ended up walking up with a group of over 20 ladies, which was a great time to casually talk with them.
What an honor, that they would come and visit our house and to have 24 ladies singing praise God and praying in our home.
As the leader shared, she explained to all of the ladies that our family doesn't have brothers, sisters, or parents here in this community, so they, our church community are to take that roll. They are also going to start visiting different areas of Atrel each third week of the month. They want to share this community fully with me as we visit people's homes in many different areas in and around Atrel.
This is a huge answer to prayer and encouragement to us. Knowing that the people of Atrel are willing to come along side of us in this way, as we continue to make disciples.
Friday, November 21, 2014
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Opening of New Sewing Program
Today was a great afternoon, as the sewing program that as been a dream for so long, finally started. Five ladies are a part of this program, but only 3 were able to come today.
After a sweet time of sharing our testimonies with each other and hearing how God has been working in their lives, we started to learn how to sew. For the three ladies who came, they had some sewing knowledge already, but working on an electrical machine was very new to them. They have only used treadle machines, but they quickly began to understand how an electrical machine works.
One of the goals of this program is to teach these ladies to make various crafts such as head bands, hand bags, small coin purses, along with other things that will be sold through Mountain Maid, which the craft outlet associated with Baptist Haiti Mission. As items are sold these ladies will earn an income to provide for their families, send their children to school, help their church etc.
I think the highlight of each Saturday is now going to be meeting with these ladies.
Here are a few pictures from today. Rebekah was the photographer :)
After a sweet time of sharing our testimonies with each other and hearing how God has been working in their lives, we started to learn how to sew. For the three ladies who came, they had some sewing knowledge already, but working on an electrical machine was very new to them. They have only used treadle machines, but they quickly began to understand how an electrical machine works.
One of the goals of this program is to teach these ladies to make various crafts such as head bands, hand bags, small coin purses, along with other things that will be sold through Mountain Maid, which the craft outlet associated with Baptist Haiti Mission. As items are sold these ladies will earn an income to provide for their families, send their children to school, help their church etc.
I think the highlight of each Saturday is now going to be meeting with these ladies.
Here are a few pictures from today. Rebekah was the photographer :)
Saturday, October 04, 2014
Highlights from September
Well Drillers:
We were blessed to have a group of well drillers that came to the Northwest to drill several wells. One of the wells they drilled was for a BHM affiliated school and church in Grande Caille. They drilled 300 ft and didn't hit water. It was a little disappointing, but when they went back the next day, they discovered that there was some water at 110 ft. We hope to put a hand pump on this so the community can use this water. It is the goal of the well drillers to come back and drill at the Atrel school, our property and possibly another BHM affiliated school. Pray that in God's timing these wells would be drilled.
Cistern Progress:
We are so happy to share that work has begun again on the cistern project that was started last March. Thanks to some amazing Canadian donors, we now have the funding to finish the project. There are several men from the community who are working on this and we are hoping that by the end of the year all four cisterns will be completed and the foundation will be ready for the quonset hut to be put up.
Blessed with Rain:
We have been blessed with an abundance of rain in the past few weeks. Everything is very green and it is looking like the farmers are going to have a good harvest this year. One down side of lots of rain is the damage that it can do to thatch buildings. Kyrk had the opportunity to visit a school in the community of Vincent and their church/school building has been completely destroyed from the rains. Join us in praying that this community will find a way to work together and build a new building. Right now they are going to use tarps to make a shelter to hold church services and school classes.
Market fun:
Yesterday we went to a local market to purchase some fruit and vegetables and some other needed supplies. One of the things we purchased was a chair for each of the kids. These are locally made and the kids wanted chairs that they could use in their forts outside.
We were blessed to have a group of well drillers that came to the Northwest to drill several wells. One of the wells they drilled was for a BHM affiliated school and church in Grande Caille. They drilled 300 ft and didn't hit water. It was a little disappointing, but when they went back the next day, they discovered that there was some water at 110 ft. We hope to put a hand pump on this so the community can use this water. It is the goal of the well drillers to come back and drill at the Atrel school, our property and possibly another BHM affiliated school. Pray that in God's timing these wells would be drilled.
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| Setting up the drilling rig in front of the Grande Caille church |
We are so happy to share that work has begun again on the cistern project that was started last March. Thanks to some amazing Canadian donors, we now have the funding to finish the project. There are several men from the community who are working on this and we are hoping that by the end of the year all four cisterns will be completed and the foundation will be ready for the quonset hut to be put up.
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| Pouring the floor of one of the cisterns |
We have been blessed with an abundance of rain in the past few weeks. Everything is very green and it is looking like the farmers are going to have a good harvest this year. One down side of lots of rain is the damage that it can do to thatch buildings. Kyrk had the opportunity to visit a school in the community of Vincent and their church/school building has been completely destroyed from the rains. Join us in praying that this community will find a way to work together and build a new building. Right now they are going to use tarps to make a shelter to hold church services and school classes.
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| The site where the church/school building used to stand. |
Yesterday we went to a local market to purchase some fruit and vegetables and some other needed supplies. One of the things we purchased was a chair for each of the kids. These are locally made and the kids wanted chairs that they could use in their forts outside.
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| Robert enjoying his chair |
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| Enjoying the coconut milk from coconuts we purchased. |
Saturday, September 06, 2014
Wow it's Septmeber already??
This summer seems to have passed very quickly. We are thankful for the ways that we saw God working and the great blessings He brought our way.
Trip to Fermathe:
We were able to go as a family to Fermathe for the third week of August. Kyrk finished his class and we were able to attend the graduation for the 4th year Summer Bible Institute students.
It was also a very productive week of renewing passports and filing paperwork for our children to be Canadian citizens :)
The day before we returned to Atrel there was a large storm which caused some flooding and make the road difficult to pass in some areas. Since there was so much rain there were several sections that were badly washed out. We were able to get through most of them, but this section pictured in the picture below, was not possible. The water had washed all but a small section of the road out and the truck in the picture is stuck in that section. So we turned around and with the help of a tap-tap driver we found a different road and still made it home.
VBS Training:
The last week of August, Darlene Winn along with 2 of her staff in Fermathe came to Atrel to train people from several local churches, how to run a VBS. It was a 3 day training and during those 3 days she went through each of the days of VBS and demonstrated how to teach a verse, song, and tell a Bible Story. The people all went back to their churches with all the supplies they need to have a VBS in their community. Several of them were going to start this coming week. Pray that as these local leaders hold VBS in their communities, that the gospel will be clearly presented and that God would draw children to Himself.
Chikungunya Fever: I am praising God that some of the pain that I have been experiencing from this fever is going away. This really is an answer to prayer. I was able to walk to the market today pain free! My wrist is still bothering me, but I hope in time that will go away also.
Trip to Fermathe:
We were able to go as a family to Fermathe for the third week of August. Kyrk finished his class and we were able to attend the graduation for the 4th year Summer Bible Institute students.
It was also a very productive week of renewing passports and filing paperwork for our children to be Canadian citizens :)
The day before we returned to Atrel there was a large storm which caused some flooding and make the road difficult to pass in some areas. Since there was so much rain there were several sections that were badly washed out. We were able to get through most of them, but this section pictured in the picture below, was not possible. The water had washed all but a small section of the road out and the truck in the picture is stuck in that section. So we turned around and with the help of a tap-tap driver we found a different road and still made it home.
The last week of August, Darlene Winn along with 2 of her staff in Fermathe came to Atrel to train people from several local churches, how to run a VBS. It was a 3 day training and during those 3 days she went through each of the days of VBS and demonstrated how to teach a verse, song, and tell a Bible Story. The people all went back to their churches with all the supplies they need to have a VBS in their community. Several of them were going to start this coming week. Pray that as these local leaders hold VBS in their communities, that the gospel will be clearly presented and that God would draw children to Himself.
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| Everyone who attended the VBS training |
Friday, August 01, 2014
Month of July
What a month it has been around here. Here are a few of the things that we have been doing.
Visitors:
For the first 2 weeks of July we were blessed with having the Dearing family with us. They are a new missionary family serving with BHM and came to Atrel in order to begin learning the language. Each morning we would all go down to a well in the village and sit and talk with people. It was a great opportunity for us to also get to know the people of Atrel better. The well is in the yard of several church families and it was a great chance to meet more of their families and learn more about their lives.
Having the Dearing family with us was a huge treat for the children also. They have 3 children, so it was a 2 week sleep over, which was greatly enjoyed by everyone.
Summer Bible Institute:
Kyrk has had the opportunity to once again teach a class at the Summer Bible Institute held at Fermathe. This has meant that he has left Atrel each Sunday after church and returned Tuesday afternoon for the months of July and August. His class is held Monday and Tuesday morning and he has really enjoyed this opportunity to teach the doctrine of Man, Sin and Salvation to his class of about 20 students.
Join us in praying that God would use this class in the lives of these students and also that God would protect Kyrk as he spends many hours each week driving to Fermathe and back.
Chikungunya Fever:
For the past several months the chikungunya fever has been affecting many people in Haiti. Around the middle of June it started to affect people in Atrel. For those who don't know what it is, it is mosquito transmitted and it causes a fever, rash, and very achy joints. On July 7, I came down with "the might chicken" (as we have come to call it) and for the first couple of days it was extremely difficult to move. Thankfully it has improved, but there are still many days when it is painful to move around. It has given me a HUGE amount of empathy for the joint pain that elderly people suffer with. When I told my mom how I was feeling, her comment was "Now you know how your Grandma feels." Apparently this "achiness" can last for several months. Pray with us for the healing and comfort for those who are affected with this fever.
English Class:
At the beginning of June, Kyrk began teaching an English class here in Atrel on Saturday afternoons. Several of the youth and the main pastor had been asking for an English class and it seemed like God's timing to start this class. We are thankful that we were able to find a curriculum that uses the Bible as the base for teaching English and trust that as the class progresses it will be an opportunity to study God's Word together.
Visitors:
For the first 2 weeks of July we were blessed with having the Dearing family with us. They are a new missionary family serving with BHM and came to Atrel in order to begin learning the language. Each morning we would all go down to a well in the village and sit and talk with people. It was a great opportunity for us to also get to know the people of Atrel better. The well is in the yard of several church families and it was a great chance to meet more of their families and learn more about their lives.
Having the Dearing family with us was a huge treat for the children also. They have 3 children, so it was a 2 week sleep over, which was greatly enjoyed by everyone.
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| Enjoying corn grilled on a open fire |
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| Walking through town |
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| The girls wanted to "do" Anna's hair. Even though she didn't like that idea she let them have fun. |
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| Playing together during a rain. |
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| Coloring with some of the younger children |
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| Making new friends |
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| Mdm Christen, along with her husband, were great hosts for us during our time in their yard. |
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| Anna's dream of riding a donkey came true. She is now asking for a donkey for her birthday. |
Summer Bible Institute:
Kyrk has had the opportunity to once again teach a class at the Summer Bible Institute held at Fermathe. This has meant that he has left Atrel each Sunday after church and returned Tuesday afternoon for the months of July and August. His class is held Monday and Tuesday morning and he has really enjoyed this opportunity to teach the doctrine of Man, Sin and Salvation to his class of about 20 students.
Join us in praying that God would use this class in the lives of these students and also that God would protect Kyrk as he spends many hours each week driving to Fermathe and back.
Chikungunya Fever:
For the past several months the chikungunya fever has been affecting many people in Haiti. Around the middle of June it started to affect people in Atrel. For those who don't know what it is, it is mosquito transmitted and it causes a fever, rash, and very achy joints. On July 7, I came down with "the might chicken" (as we have come to call it) and for the first couple of days it was extremely difficult to move. Thankfully it has improved, but there are still many days when it is painful to move around. It has given me a HUGE amount of empathy for the joint pain that elderly people suffer with. When I told my mom how I was feeling, her comment was "Now you know how your Grandma feels." Apparently this "achiness" can last for several months. Pray with us for the healing and comfort for those who are affected with this fever.
English Class:
At the beginning of June, Kyrk began teaching an English class here in Atrel on Saturday afternoons. Several of the youth and the main pastor had been asking for an English class and it seemed like God's timing to start this class. We are thankful that we were able to find a curriculum that uses the Bible as the base for teaching English and trust that as the class progresses it will be an opportunity to study God's Word together.
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Ladies Camp
Last Thursday, Saturday and Sunday were definitely days to remember. It really was a blessing to spend time with my sisters in Christ and to hear some great teaching. The theme of the camp was Ps 141:3 which talks about controlling our tongue and what we say. There were a morning session, afternoon session and an evening service. I usually only attending the morning and afternoon sessions. I was also privileged to be chosen as part of the 4 person team who "inspected" the rooms each morning. This was definitely a cultural learning experience for me to see what they do to make their rooms beautiful.
Saturday afternoon there was a short time of games. One game that we played was a "friend" game. Everyone's name was written on a piece of paper and placed in a basket. Then we each picked a name from the basket. This person then becomes your friend. Kyrk jokingly called this pre-facebook. Yes, I now have a friend. Still not sure what this means but it was a neat experience to be a part of this and to have "friends."
Sunday was interesting. We all filed into the church in a parade type way. It was a very slow dance type walk which lead us eventually to the front of the church. There were not quite enough benches for all of us, so we were squished nicely.
We sang 2 songs. One was the theme song for our camp and that is the first video. The second was a song that only the ladies from Atrel sang (that is the second video)
Praising God for a great weekend and praying that God will continue to strengthen the relationships with these ladies.
Saturday afternoon there was a short time of games. One game that we played was a "friend" game. Everyone's name was written on a piece of paper and placed in a basket. Then we each picked a name from the basket. This person then becomes your friend. Kyrk jokingly called this pre-facebook. Yes, I now have a friend. Still not sure what this means but it was a neat experience to be a part of this and to have "friends."
Sunday was interesting. We all filed into the church in a parade type way. It was a very slow dance type walk which lead us eventually to the front of the church. There were not quite enough benches for all of us, so we were squished nicely.
We sang 2 songs. One was the theme song for our camp and that is the first video. The second was a song that only the ladies from Atrel sang (that is the second video)
Praising God for a great weekend and praying that God will continue to strengthen the relationships with these ladies.
Thursday, June 19, 2014
What is a Need?
One Thing
Over the past couple of weeks we have been running low on supplies. At the end of this month we have a family coming to visit and supplies are coming with them, but in the mean time it has been interesting to try and make do with the things that we have.
We went to our local “market” last week and tried to find some supplies. This market is an open market and it is quite large. You can tell the size of the market based on the size of the donkey parking lot. This market has about 5 parking lots and they all have between 50 and 100 donkeys, so it is a large market. Thankfully we were able to find a sac of flour, rice, onions, a few potatoes, and some vegetables. There was one item that was extremely hard to find..... Toilet paper. We saw only 4 rolls in the entire market and they were double the price that we usually pay for toilet paper.
So this got me thinking about what we consider needs. For us coming from American and Canadian cultures we usually put toilet paper as something that we “need.” But we have discovered that in this area at least, toilet paper is not even available to them and if you can find it, it is a luxury. Wow, that really makes you think about other things in our lives and if they really are needs.
Yes, we need food, but God is teaching us to be thankful for nourishment, even if it is lacking in variety or food that we don't like.
There really is only one thing that we “NEED” That is Jesus. I’m so thankful that God has placed us here in this community of Atrel to learn more about Him. These past few months we have had some additional time to study and learn more about God. We are so thankful for this time and praise God for the ways that He is teaching us and equipping us to be Godly examples to those around us.
Ladies Camp:
Yesterday afternoon was the beginning of a ladies camp being held at our church. There are around 60 ladies from this area and they are expecting around 50 more ladies coming from several surrounding areas. I am planning on joining them all day Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. It is really going to be a stretching time for me. I praise God for the relationships that I have started to build with these ladies. There are times when I am pushed way out of my comfort zone, but I truly am thankful for this opportunity to get to know my sisters in Christ. This coming Sunday will be an adventure. As many of you know it is very hot here right now. On Sunday the Atrel church ladies are going to wear our special uniform for the church service. This uniform is: Long sleeve purple shirt, black vest, black skirt, brown nylons and black shoes. Oh boy!! I think I’m going to be hot. I’m praying for a little extra cool breeze to blow Sunday morning, but at the same time honored to join with the ladies for this special service.
I will try and get some pictures from camp and Sunday, so check back next week for an update on how it goes.
Men’s group:
This past Sunday all the married men were invited to stay after church for a meeting with Pastor Fritz. Pastor shared how there are groups for the youth and ladies, but they as men were not gathering together to study God’s word together and encourage one another. They have decided to meet together each Friday morning. Kyrk will be joining them weekly and has also been asked to be part of the committee. It is so encouraging to see God opening this door and we pray that it will be a great time for the men of the church to grow together spiritually.
Over the past couple of weeks we have been running low on supplies. At the end of this month we have a family coming to visit and supplies are coming with them, but in the mean time it has been interesting to try and make do with the things that we have.
We went to our local “market” last week and tried to find some supplies. This market is an open market and it is quite large. You can tell the size of the market based on the size of the donkey parking lot. This market has about 5 parking lots and they all have between 50 and 100 donkeys, so it is a large market. Thankfully we were able to find a sac of flour, rice, onions, a few potatoes, and some vegetables. There was one item that was extremely hard to find..... Toilet paper. We saw only 4 rolls in the entire market and they were double the price that we usually pay for toilet paper.
So this got me thinking about what we consider needs. For us coming from American and Canadian cultures we usually put toilet paper as something that we “need.” But we have discovered that in this area at least, toilet paper is not even available to them and if you can find it, it is a luxury. Wow, that really makes you think about other things in our lives and if they really are needs.
Yes, we need food, but God is teaching us to be thankful for nourishment, even if it is lacking in variety or food that we don't like.
There really is only one thing that we “NEED” That is Jesus. I’m so thankful that God has placed us here in this community of Atrel to learn more about Him. These past few months we have had some additional time to study and learn more about God. We are so thankful for this time and praise God for the ways that He is teaching us and equipping us to be Godly examples to those around us.
Ladies Camp:
Yesterday afternoon was the beginning of a ladies camp being held at our church. There are around 60 ladies from this area and they are expecting around 50 more ladies coming from several surrounding areas. I am planning on joining them all day Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. It is really going to be a stretching time for me. I praise God for the relationships that I have started to build with these ladies. There are times when I am pushed way out of my comfort zone, but I truly am thankful for this opportunity to get to know my sisters in Christ. This coming Sunday will be an adventure. As many of you know it is very hot here right now. On Sunday the Atrel church ladies are going to wear our special uniform for the church service. This uniform is: Long sleeve purple shirt, black vest, black skirt, brown nylons and black shoes. Oh boy!! I think I’m going to be hot. I’m praying for a little extra cool breeze to blow Sunday morning, but at the same time honored to join with the ladies for this special service.
I will try and get some pictures from camp and Sunday, so check back next week for an update on how it goes.
Men’s group:
This past Sunday all the married men were invited to stay after church for a meeting with Pastor Fritz. Pastor shared how there are groups for the youth and ladies, but they as men were not gathering together to study God’s word together and encourage one another. They have decided to meet together each Friday morning. Kyrk will be joining them weekly and has also been asked to be part of the committee. It is so encouraging to see God opening this door and we pray that it will be a great time for the men of the church to grow together spiritually.
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Visiting and Ladies Group update
Visiting Churches:
A couple weeks ago Kyrk was invited to attend meetings for pastors and preachers held at a couple different churches. It was a great time to learn what is happening in these churches and to encourage them. As Kyrk is able to go to these types of meetings it allows us to share more about the vision for a training center in this area and encourage the church leaders to be involved in the planning of this center.
Last week Kyrk spent 4 days traveling to many churches along with 3 men from camp LePhare. (the mission camp) They shared about the camp ministry and invited people from the Northwest to be a part of camp this summer.
Ladies Group:
God continues to do great things through the ladies group that He has allowed me to be apart of. Last week I was invited by the ladies to share a little bible study each week. WOW, this was a super scary thought. I truly felt like Moses when God told him to go before Pharoah. My first reaction was "but I can't speak that well." All week as I spent time in the Word I asked God what verse He wanted me to share. I finally decided on Ps. 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God." It was easier then I thought to write out some thoughts on this verse in Creole. Then on Tuesday afternoon I shared what I had written with Oseelea, the young lady who works for me. Amazingly she could understand what I had written. So with my notes in hand, I went down to the ladies group. I should probably add that I was looking for any excuse possible to not go. There was a short rain shower right before I had to leave and I thought "yes, I don't have to go, it is raining." But then the rain stopped.
When I arrived I discovered that it was going to be more of a ladies camp preparation time and I didn't have to share.
Reflecting back I can see that God brought me through that to clearly show me that I don't need to worry, but Be still and know that He is God and He will accomplish His purposes. I only need to obey and do what He asks.
I'm sure that the next time I go to ladies group I will still be a little nervous, but I know that I have a God who has everything under control and will speak for me.
Visiting Canada:
Yes next week at this time Kyrk and I will be enjoying the cool weather of Ontario. We will be spending one week in Ontario for my brother's wedding. Our children will be staying in Haiti with thier cousins and they are really looking forward to that.
For those of you in the Forest area, we look forward to seeing you.
A couple weeks ago Kyrk was invited to attend meetings for pastors and preachers held at a couple different churches. It was a great time to learn what is happening in these churches and to encourage them. As Kyrk is able to go to these types of meetings it allows us to share more about the vision for a training center in this area and encourage the church leaders to be involved in the planning of this center.
Last week Kyrk spent 4 days traveling to many churches along with 3 men from camp LePhare. (the mission camp) They shared about the camp ministry and invited people from the Northwest to be a part of camp this summer.
Ladies Group:
God continues to do great things through the ladies group that He has allowed me to be apart of. Last week I was invited by the ladies to share a little bible study each week. WOW, this was a super scary thought. I truly felt like Moses when God told him to go before Pharoah. My first reaction was "but I can't speak that well." All week as I spent time in the Word I asked God what verse He wanted me to share. I finally decided on Ps. 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God." It was easier then I thought to write out some thoughts on this verse in Creole. Then on Tuesday afternoon I shared what I had written with Oseelea, the young lady who works for me. Amazingly she could understand what I had written. So with my notes in hand, I went down to the ladies group. I should probably add that I was looking for any excuse possible to not go. There was a short rain shower right before I had to leave and I thought "yes, I don't have to go, it is raining." But then the rain stopped.
When I arrived I discovered that it was going to be more of a ladies camp preparation time and I didn't have to share.
Reflecting back I can see that God brought me through that to clearly show me that I don't need to worry, but Be still and know that He is God and He will accomplish His purposes. I only need to obey and do what He asks.
I'm sure that the next time I go to ladies group I will still be a little nervous, but I know that I have a God who has everything under control and will speak for me.
Visiting Canada:
Yes next week at this time Kyrk and I will be enjoying the cool weather of Ontario. We will be spending one week in Ontario for my brother's wedding. Our children will be staying in Haiti with thier cousins and they are really looking forward to that.
For those of you in the Forest area, we look forward to seeing you.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Cistern progress, Garden, and Praise and Prayer Requests
Great week with People's Church group
We were blessed to have a great group of men come from People's church in Toronto to work along side some local men to build cisterns. They did a great job and got the walls all completed for 2 of the 4 cisterns.
The local men from church have been diligently working since the group left and if all goes well they will be pouring the top of the first cistern tomorrow.
An added blessing from the People's church group, was that one of the men knew how to tile very well. He willingly spent the week tiling our downstairs bathroom. It looks so much better then the blue plastic that used to be on our walls. Thank you Ken!
A couple weeks ago we were blessed with a nice hard rain. The group left this kiddy pool and the kids enjoy filling it up when it rains. They place it under the leak in the eaves trough and hope for the best. It sure provides lots of entertainment.
Praise and Prayer:
* Praise for the rains that we have started to receive
* Praise for the relationships that we are starting to build with the people who are working with us right now.
* Pray for those who are lost around us. During this Easter time several who are not Christ followers are celebrating Jesus' death. For the past two days we have been hearing the drums and chanting. It is a constant reminder to us to pray for those who don't know Christ.
* A group of young men have asked Kyrk to start an English class on Saturday afternoons. He has found a curriculum that uses the Bible to teach English. Pray for God's clear direction as this class begins next Saturday and that there would be opportunities to share Christ with these men.
* Pray that God would continue to send rain. Most fields in this area have been planted with the hope of rain.
We were blessed to have a great group of men come from People's church in Toronto to work along side some local men to build cisterns. They did a great job and got the walls all completed for 2 of the 4 cisterns.
The local men from church have been diligently working since the group left and if all goes well they will be pouring the top of the first cistern tomorrow.
An added blessing from the People's church group, was that one of the men knew how to tile very well. He willingly spent the week tiling our downstairs bathroom. It looks so much better then the blue plastic that used to be on our walls. Thank you Ken!
A couple weeks ago we were blessed with a nice hard rain. The group left this kiddy pool and the kids enjoy filling it up when it rains. They place it under the leak in the eaves trough and hope for the best. It sure provides lots of entertainment.
Garden:
It is such a blessing to have a nice vegetable garden. We have been enjoying swiss chard and red beets for a couple weeks now. Several pastors have seen our garden and at least one is hoping to have his local school start a garden for the school kitchen and also to teach children about plants.
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| Robert loves the red beets! |
* Praise for the rains that we have started to receive
* Praise for the relationships that we are starting to build with the people who are working with us right now.
* Pray for those who are lost around us. During this Easter time several who are not Christ followers are celebrating Jesus' death. For the past two days we have been hearing the drums and chanting. It is a constant reminder to us to pray for those who don't know Christ.
* A group of young men have asked Kyrk to start an English class on Saturday afternoons. He has found a curriculum that uses the Bible to teach English. Pray for God's clear direction as this class begins next Saturday and that there would be opportunities to share Christ with these men.
* Pray that God would continue to send rain. Most fields in this area have been planted with the hope of rain.
Friday, March 21, 2014
Cisterns are progressing
Work on the cisterns is progressing very well. The men from the Atrel church have done a fantastic job of preparing the floors and the first row of blocks are ready. This afternoon the 6 men from Peoples Church in Toronto, Ontario arrived in Port-au-Prince and tomorrow they will make the trip up here to Atrel.
This coming week they will be working along side the Atrel church men to finish 2 of the 4 cisterns. This is truly a blessing to have these cistern being built.
This area is currently going through a very severe drought. Springs are dry and animals are dying from hunger. Just last week in church they announced that in one area several dead cows, sheep, goats and donkeys had been found, in case people couldn't find their animals. Note: Right now when there are no crops in the ground people just let their animals wander where ever they can find food and water. Join us in praying that God would send rain.
Jonathan has recently started having a few driving lessons. He really enjoys driving the gator up the hill when ever he has an opportunity.
We currently have a small crew of men who are doing some work on our front yard driveway. The kids are loving "working" along side the men when they finish school.
This coming week they will be working along side the Atrel church men to finish 2 of the 4 cisterns. This is truly a blessing to have these cistern being built.
This area is currently going through a very severe drought. Springs are dry and animals are dying from hunger. Just last week in church they announced that in one area several dead cows, sheep, goats and donkeys had been found, in case people couldn't find their animals. Note: Right now when there are no crops in the ground people just let their animals wander where ever they can find food and water. Join us in praying that God would send rain.
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| Mixing the cement to pour the floor of the cistern. |
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| Pouring the floor |
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| Jonathan and Rebekah were helping to mix the mortar |
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| Robert loves to help mix the cement. He even helps to put it into the buckets and carry them to the men. He is one dirty boy when he is done for the day. |
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Cistern Preparations and Rain!
Cistern preparations:
We have a team coming mid March to help build some cisterns that are going under the quonset hut that we will be building. So this week we started to make preparations for them to come. On Monday a couple men from church came and helped Kyrk to clear the area very well. Then today there were about 10 men from church who came up to start digging the holes. This is going to be hard work, but the men are very thankful for the work.
Rain:
About a week ago I mentioned that we were in great need of rain. There have been many people praying that God would send rain. On Monday afternoon this is what the sky looked like.
Then the rain came down hard. It rained for about an hour and we ended up receiving 1 1/2" of rain.
Today Kyrk was talking with several pastors from the area churches and apparently this rain was very localized and just 3 miles from our place they didn't receive any rain. So we are extremely thankful for this amazing gift from God.
Busy days:
One of the things that we like to do when we hire local men, is to provide a meal for them. We were blessed with a gift of a sac of rice to use for these meals. The only problem is that the rice has small stones and pieces of bad rice, so we have to go through it to clean it. We are so thankful for help with this and Helen and Bob are a huge help. The next couple of days we will be making large pots of rice and beans each day, serving these men who are working so hard.
We have a team coming mid March to help build some cisterns that are going under the quonset hut that we will be building. So this week we started to make preparations for them to come. On Monday a couple men from church came and helped Kyrk to clear the area very well. Then today there were about 10 men from church who came up to start digging the holes. This is going to be hard work, but the men are very thankful for the work.
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| Clearing the stomps and bushes |
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| Starting to dig the cistern holes. |
About a week ago I mentioned that we were in great need of rain. There have been many people praying that God would send rain. On Monday afternoon this is what the sky looked like.
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| The kids loved playing in the rain. |
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| Water is so valuable, we scooped water out of the puddles so that is can be used to water the gardens. |
Busy days:
One of the things that we like to do when we hire local men, is to provide a meal for them. We were blessed with a gift of a sac of rice to use for these meals. The only problem is that the rice has small stones and pieces of bad rice, so we have to go through it to clean it. We are so thankful for help with this and Helen and Bob are a huge help. The next couple of days we will be making large pots of rice and beans each day, serving these men who are working so hard.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Ladies Group
At the end of December while we were visiting the Christen family from church I started talking with Mdm Christen about the ladies in the church and the woman's group. She invited me to come each Tuesday afternoon when the ladies met for prayer and Bible study.
So in January I started going down to church for the ladies meeting. The first week I went it was a very stretching time for me. First they asked me to stand up and share a little with the group. I wasn't prepared for this, so what I had to say was very short. Then they said that I would be joining them when they sang on the last Sunday of the month. I thought to myself "Okay, I guess I'm going to be singing."
When the last Sunday came there was a group of about 15 of us that just walked to the front of the church and sang a song that we had practiced the week before.
This past month we have been working each week on learning a new song, preparing to share it this morning. Last week when we were practicing, they said that we would all be wearing the ladies group uniform and then sitting together. When I heard this I thought that would probably mean that I would not be singing with them, which I didn't mind :)
Well I was wrong. On Friday evening Mr. Christen came up to our house with a gift from his wife. It was a shirt that matched all the other ladies that she had had someone make for me. WOW, I guess they really want me to sing with them.
So this morning I was officially part of the ladies choir and it was a very neat experience to sit along side my sisters in Christ and sing with them.
I have been very humbled with the way that these ladies have included me into their group and the ways that God is using this weekly time with them to learn more about them and their lives. I really enjoy studying God's word with these ladies and praying together with them.
I am praying that as I continue to fellowship with these ladies that I would be able to continue to build relationships with them and that God would use me in what ever ways He desires.
Below is a short video that Kyrk took in church this morning of the group singing. You can't really see the group too well but you can hear the first part of the song that we were singing.
So in January I started going down to church for the ladies meeting. The first week I went it was a very stretching time for me. First they asked me to stand up and share a little with the group. I wasn't prepared for this, so what I had to say was very short. Then they said that I would be joining them when they sang on the last Sunday of the month. I thought to myself "Okay, I guess I'm going to be singing."
When the last Sunday came there was a group of about 15 of us that just walked to the front of the church and sang a song that we had practiced the week before.
This past month we have been working each week on learning a new song, preparing to share it this morning. Last week when we were practicing, they said that we would all be wearing the ladies group uniform and then sitting together. When I heard this I thought that would probably mean that I would not be singing with them, which I didn't mind :)
Well I was wrong. On Friday evening Mr. Christen came up to our house with a gift from his wife. It was a shirt that matched all the other ladies that she had had someone make for me. WOW, I guess they really want me to sing with them.
So this morning I was officially part of the ladies choir and it was a very neat experience to sit along side my sisters in Christ and sing with them.
I have been very humbled with the way that these ladies have included me into their group and the ways that God is using this weekly time with them to learn more about them and their lives. I really enjoy studying God's word with these ladies and praying together with them.
I am praying that as I continue to fellowship with these ladies that I would be able to continue to build relationships with them and that God would use me in what ever ways He desires.
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| Already to head to church with my pink shirt. |
Below is a short video that Kyrk took in church this morning of the group singing. You can't really see the group too well but you can hear the first part of the song that we were singing.
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Moving a Garden
It truly has been wonderful having Aunt Helen and Uncle Bob here. They have been helping in so many ways. One major task that we undertook was setting up a new garden. This involved clearing and preparing the new site, moving dirt from another garden that was built on the south side of the house and was too hot to grow things in. We figure we moved about a dump truck load of dirt mostly with wheel barrows.
We are so thankful to have this new garden ready to be planted. We are experimenting with various plants and seeing what we can grow up here. We are hoping that people in the community will be interested in copying this idea and grow vegetables for this families with gardens in their yards.
Pray for rain
It has been extremely dry here. This capped spring (pictured below) usually has many people around it gathering water. For the past few weeks it has been dry and the people are having to walk much greater distances to get water. This is the first time since the spring was capped, many years ago, that it has went dry. Please join us in praying that God would send rain.
We are so thankful to have this new garden ready to be planted. We are experimenting with various plants and seeing what we can grow up here. We are hoping that people in the community will be interested in copying this idea and grow vegetables for this families with gardens in their yards.
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| This is the new garden site before we started clearing. |
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| Jonathan loved using his hatchet to help clear the brush. |
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| Everything had to go, so we all worked together to get it ready. |
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| The new garden site had to be leveled, so we needed to bring up fill from the back yard. |
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| We were so thankful for the Gator to help with this task. |
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| Everyone worked together to move all this dirt up to the new garden site. |
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| Robert was the driver of the wheelbarrows back down the hill. |
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| The almost finished product. Now to plant it :) |
It has been extremely dry here. This capped spring (pictured below) usually has many people around it gathering water. For the past few weeks it has been dry and the people are having to walk much greater distances to get water. This is the first time since the spring was capped, many years ago, that it has went dry. Please join us in praying that God would send rain.
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