What a day the team had! First in the morning Mike met with the 3 directors of our schools in Marose, Gonaives and Peru. It looks like we are growing from about 300 students last year to about 600 students this year. Wow! That means books, supplies, school uniforms, and one meal 5 days a week for 600 children.The Marose school meets in our church. Gonaives meets in a tarp covered pole building. And Peru meets in a reed and grass building. This looks impossible, but God has always, always provided. I am so excited to see how He meets the needs this time. He knew years ago that we would be schooling 600 children this fall. 600 hundred children that will get the chance to rise above poverty, 600 children that will grow up able to read and write. 600 children that will have hope. 600 children that can change Haiti. A while ago a friend of ours told us about 2 young boys who built a raft to try to get to the US from Haiti. 99.99% of the time Haitians trying to get to America are turned back. Haiti is a country with no natural resources left, nothing of interest to the rest of the world. These 2 boys convinced the coast guard who picked them up out at sea after their raft had come apart, that they should get political asylum because Haiti was in the midst of a coup. The coast guard consented and brought them to Florida and they were allowed to immigrate. They both worked hard and years later were accepted into the University of Washington. One of the boys is now getting his doctorate in mathematical statistics. Sometimes I wonder how many Beethoven's and Eisenstein's live in places like Haiti and just never got a chance. Anyways these 600 will by God's grace. It reminds me of a quote of George Muller's that I just had a friend put in some cards she is making for me. He said "Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins where man's power ends." Can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The team also had a baptism today. These are a lot of fun. They parade as a big group down the road a little bit and then down to the river. Nathan plays his accordion and they sing worship music the whole way. All the kids come and go in the river also. It is very much a celebration.
Later the team headed up to Peru (pay-roo). They visited through out the village. Then they went to the church and Mike felt like they were supposed to pray for the pastor. Jeremy felt like he had a vision to share with him. Then they started to worship and pray and there was thunder and lightning with no rain, while they prayed. When Haitians pray you really feel God's presence. The pastor was very moved. The team really enjoyed their time in Peru.
Tomorrow the team goes to feed the poorest of the poor in Gonavies. In the past I have tried to explain this, it is sometimes a very difficult thing for the team members. They let the first 250 children and a few pregnant women in. The rest do not get in. For most of these it is the only meal they will receive that day. It is a chance to literally be the hands and feet of Jesus. It is hard to see the desperation, but at the same time such a privilege to literally be feeding the poor and needy. Please pray for the team tomorrow as they do this.
Tomorrow the team will be able to experience going to market.This should be fun for them.
They will also try to finish up the pipework, they have most of it done.
Also please pray for Nathan tomorrow, he will be meeting with the director of IBSER in Gonavies, the equivalent of our child protection services. Mike and Nathan have a pretty good relationship with him and Nathan will be asking him to write a recommendation letter to the director of IBSER in Port-au-Prince. This would be a great help in getting approval for our crèche licence which is different than
an orphanage licence in that it will allow us to adopt some children out to the US and Canada. Getting approval from Port-au-Prince is
necessary, it would be like getting approval from Washington.D.C.
Thanks so much for your prayers,
Blessings,
Chris
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