Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Today was yet another great day. The construction crew literally worked from daylight to dark, however we will pour cement tomorrow which will connect the first two buildings of the orphanage. It will be all hands on deck! 







The clinic team saw between 150-200 patients today, many of whom were from out of town. 



Tonight during our devotion time Pastor Andre's daughter (Alberta) gave us a history of the town of Ft. Liberte. She reminded us that sometimes we have a hard time seeing progress she can remember first coming to Ft. Liberte and only having one bed for their family. She also said that when she went to school there were only 4 teachers, now the school has more than 30 teachers. 


We all better get some sleep, over 7 tons of cement awaits us tomorrow!


-Curt- 

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Bonswa! Today was another great day! We are actually a little ahead of schedule on the orphanage. All we have left to do is put the rest of the jacks under the floor and then pour concrete Thursday.

The clinic and sponsorship teams went to a couple towns outside of Ft. Liberte today to give away clothes and other supplies. It was quite the experience. They came back with a true taste of what most of Haiti is really like. Some of our veteran team members shared that what they saw today outside of town was what Ft. Liberte used to look like before teams started coming here. In response to the need outside of town tomorrow the clinic team is only seeing patients from the places they went today.

In our devotion time Amy shared how even though it is hard to communicate with the Haitians now, there will be one day we will be able to communicate and worship together as one.

Thanks for your prayers and support!

-Curt-
Apologies! The internet has been down the past two days! Even now it is extremely slow...not sure how long it will last. Yesterday we got to experience a wonderful church service followed by a day of visiting homes and playing with kids. It was an eye opening experience to see the community and homes that these people live in.

Reports from today all came back positive from child sponsorship, the clinic, the orphanage, and the other "side-projects" that are getting finished. There was also a group that went to the Welcome Center which is an elderly home. It is very rare to see a home such as this in Haiti, the group took them much needed supplies and food. On the construction front we have almost all the forms ready to go and should pour concrete on Thursday.

Tomorrow there are two groups going to an outpost church to pass out the "Little Dresses for Haiti", shoes, sandals, crafts, clothes, etc.

"Oh, I'm running to Your arms, I'm running to Your arms, the riches of Your love will always be enough, nothing compares to Your embrace, Light of the world, Forever Reign"

-Curt-

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Bonjour! We have had a full and productive day! An estimated 100-150 were serviced at the clinic, child sponsorship was productive as usual, and the orphanage construction was continued. Along with those projects there were additional fix-er-upers getting completed around the church compound. As you can see from the pictures it was a hot one but everyone pulled together and much was accomplished. 
On a personal note I ran into a young man wearing the shoes I gave him 2 years ago. I was, to be honest, shocked that he still had them and even more surprised that they looked better now then the day I gave them to him. It is always a struggle to decide who to give "things" to as everyone is in need. For me, seeing him with the shoes reaffirmed what we are doing here, these people are truly in need. 

Another amazing thing about these people is that while they are in need, they are so happy. In John's (Stinespring) devotion he quoted his mother saying "It is better to want what you have then have what you want." The happiness these people posses is much more than happiness as our culture defines it (wealth, fame, and fortune). They seem to be happy to simply be alive and around people they love. 
Please continue to pray that we can be a vessel to these people and that God continues to give us discernment in all situations.

It's all for Him, 

-Curt-
 

Friday, March 16, 2012

We're here!!

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit".

We have arrived in Ft. Liberte safe and sound. Once we got everything unloaded and unpacked we had the opportunity to go see old friends and make new ones at the orphanage! 

At dinner we learned that there would be three main projects this week will be building the orphanage, working at the clinic, and working on child sponsorship. In addition to this there will also be work done around the church compound as well. 
We ended the night with a short devotion out of Galatians 5:13-17. We are so excited to see what God has in store for us and the citizens of Ft. Liberte this week. Until tomorrow... Good night and God Bless!

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Heading to bed at the end of spring break. What a phenomenal and life changing experience we have had the priviledge of being a part of. Thanks to the group that went and all those that supported us in any way! Until next time! -Curt-

-- Post From My iPhone

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

      The basketball backboards are "fini" (finished)! Games of basketball were on today since the group completed the project. We couldn't agree on one color, but as you can see we agreed on two: blue for WVU and green for MU. The orphan party was fun this evening. They each received a gift bag and letter from Wayne Elementary School. The kids enjoyed their gifts, brownies, and games. Today we took a trip to Milot and toured the ruins of the Sans Souci Castle. In the afternoon, we went back to work to finish the projects. and we all met our goals. Tomorrow morning is clean up day such as putting tools away and cleaning the work areas. Also, we are planning to spend time in a primary classroom to share the letters and pictures from the children at New Baptist. Pray we will have the opportunity to do it!
      There is a feeling in the air of homesickness as we talk about missing our family, bed, and food. On the other hand, we can relate to a quote from Mountains Beyond Mountains which says "[Haiti is] too heavy to carry but impossible to leave". It is hard not to see the work of God here in Ft. Liberte, and that is what draws you in. From the smiles and hugs of orphans to the cures of sickness in the clinic, God is here. The sponsorship program and the church brings hope and faith to the people, and God is here. The physical labor of painting and building lays a pathway for God's work, and God is here. It truly is impossible to leave the work of God in this little corner of the Earth. Not only did God allow us to be part of his story here in Ft. Liberte, he is allowing us to bring it home to share with you. What a blessing to be in the will of God and see his glory! See you soon. Thanks for reading our time spent in Haiti.