Finally Here!by Bethany R. | March 30, 2013 10:50 PM
We have finally, thanks to the grace and protection of our Lord, made it to Torbeck, Les Cayes Haiti. It was a long ride to get here, approaching 7 hours! But we are here and with our stomachs full of Beef and Goat Bullion we are going to go to bed. Thank you all for your prayers! We will post more updates tomorrow!
Wonderful Easter Sundayby Eric R. | April 1, 2013 6:34 AM
After a restful night's sleep, we woke up refreshed and ready to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ with the people at the MEBSH church in Torbeck.
We attended the Easter church service this morning and were blessed to join with our brothers and sisters in Christ, lifting up praises in both English and Creole. Pastor Alex preached a sermon that was appropriately themed, reminding us of the power of the resurrection.
Solid Day of Ministry!by Bethany R. | April 1, 2013 10:19 PM
Today we began the morning at Children of Isreal orphanage and school. We toured the propery and got to learn all about the history of the orphanage and their vision for the future. We taught the Bible story of Noah and the Ark and acted it out in a play. The children loved watching us act like animals! We loved getting to play with the kids and hear them sing for us.
Work Projects Underwayby Eric R. | April 1, 2013 10:22 PM
After visiting at the orphanage, we went back to the MEBSH Church and began our work projects there. We split into a few groups and began working on different projects, including sanding and refinishing the church benches, doing prep work to begin painting the metal doors of the church, sports ministry with some children from nearby, and an incredibly powerful morning of tree ministry where we saw nine souls accept Christ. Praise God!
Afternoon Soccerby Eric R. | April 1, 2013 10:28 PM
After lunch, we worked for a bit longer at the church and then drove across town to a nearby soccer field for more sports ministry.
Several of the guys formed a team and had an American vs. Haitians soccer match. With a little help from Rudy, one of our Haitian translators, we were incredibly surprised that the game ended in a 4-4 tie!
Games with the Childrenby Eric R. | April 2, 2013 9:38 PM
Those not involved in the soccer match took time to color and play games with some of the younger children from the community. We ended the afternoon by singing some songs with the kids and repeating our Noah's Ark skit from the orphanage, which the children loved!
Now, with a belly full of Haitian spaghetti, we are heading to bed and looking forward to God working in powerful ways again tomorrow!
Day Two of Ministryby Eric R. | April 2, 2013 9:44 PM
We began today by visiting the school that is operated by Pastor Alex's church. We had a great time singing and dancing with the children there and, since they hadn't yet seen our Noah's Ark skit, we took time to share that with them. It was a blessing to share with them about the solidarity of God's promises for those who follow him!
Tree Ministry, Church Projectsby Eric R. | April 2, 2013 9:47 PM
After spending time with the children at the school, we returned to the church for a second day of work. We split into groups again, with part of the team going out to minister to families through tree ministry and the rest staying back at the church to finish up the door painting and bench refinishing.
God ministered in both areas, with the Gospel being shared in tree ministry and the team praying over a man at the church. It was an incredible morning!
Coconut Momentsby Eric R. | April 2, 2013 9:48 PM
During lunch, Pastor Alex's wife treated us to fresh coconuts. It was a blast watching the men chop up the coconuts with a machete.. and they were delicious also!
School Work Projectby Eric R. | April 2, 2013 9:51 PM
After lunch, we went back to the school and began our work project there. The upper classrooms are only separated by short walls, so we are working to finish the walls. We made quick work of moving enough of the blocks, sand, cement, and water into place so that the Haitian workmen could begin laying the blocks!
Afternoon Orphanage Visitby Eric R. | April 2, 2013 9:54 PM
Along with the church and school, Pastor Alex also supports a small orphanage with twelve girls. A few of us had the opportunity to go and visit the girls and had a ton of fun singing songs and playing games with them. We are looking forward to seeing the girls again tomorrow afternoon!
Ending the Day with Baseballby Eric R. | April 2, 2013 9:58 PM
At the end of the day, we returned to the soccer field to try something different.. baseball! Haitians aren't typically familiar with the sport, so it we had a great time teaching them how to wear a baseball glove, throw a ball, and swing the bat.
We may have been a little lenient on calling the kids "out," but it was worth it to see how much fun they had running the bases!
Final Day of Ministryby Eric R. | April 3, 2013 11:22 PM
Today, we entered into our last day of ministry for the week. Our schedule today was mostly the same as the last couple of days, beginning with a visit to the school in Torbeck.
We spent time laughing, singing, and acting out two Bible stories with the kids: Daniel and the lion's den and David and Goliath. The kids had a blast testing their aim by throwing stones (paper wads) at Goliath!
Sharing Life Storiesby Eric R. | April 3, 2013 11:25 PM
After our school ministry, we made our way to the church for the rest of the morning. Since we had finished the majority of our projects at the school, we took time to share our life stories in small groups and speak affirmation into each other's lives.
It was an amazing time of testimony and we loved learning more about the people we have been ministering alongside all week.
Wrapping Up the Afternoonby Eric R. | April 3, 2013 11:28 PM
For our final afternoon, the group again went in several different directions.
One team went out for one last round of tree ministry, which has been a powerful ministry all week long with many prayers lifted and souls saved. Another group stayed at Pastor Alex's nearby orphanage, taking time to play with the children there, while another group helped mix concrete and carry materials for the school wall project.
Playing at the Orphanageby Eric R. | April 3, 2013 11:32 PM
Here is a picture of several of the girls playing at the orphanage. Some were more fast-paced, opting to play chase with the girls. Others from the group were more low-key, spending time sitting together and braiding hair.
Final Sports Ministryby Eric R. | April 3, 2013 11:35 PM
We ended the day with another soccer match at the nearby soccer field. We are happy to say that, again, with the help of a couple of our Haitian staff we were able to win the game.. we must be improving!
Recreation Dayby Eric R. | April 19, 2013 12:12 PM
To close out the week, we spent the day enjoying some of the beauty that Haiti has to offer. Our first stop in the morning was the Saut-Mathurine waterfall near Camp Perrin. At 90 feet, the waterfall here is the tallest in Haiti.
It was a blast getting to swim in the cool water and enjoy the exhilaration of jumping off the rocks into the waterfall!
Caribbean Beachesby Eric R. | April 19, 2013 12:17 PM
After a quick lunch on the bus, we made the drive to the coastal town of Port Salut, home to some of the most beautiful beaches in Haiti. While there, we spent a few hours relaxing, swimming, enjoying the warm sun, and celebrating a baptism.
At the end of the day, we returned home for an incredible buffet dinner including several different meats, side dishes, and even pizza! We closed out the trip with a time of worship and reflection on the week, sharing our best highlights and thanking our hosts for welcoming us into their community with open arms.
