HAITI'S CHILDREN

TEAM REPORT

 

Trinity - Pell Lake, WI - team Haiti starts out their week in Basin Caiman (southwest Haiti): building; constructing; planting.

 

As part of the team updated the pictures of the students for the sponsors, others planted fruit trees (avocado, citron, grapefruit, banana, coconut, and mango (purchased from ESPWA), helping to re-forestate and provide food for the community and children in the school; the rest of the team worked on building school benches.  Finding out very quickly, the demands and frustration of working with Haitian wood.  As they would cut the boards for the top of the benches for the children to set their books and write - the wood would split.  A couple of the guys installed the 'Bat houses' built and designed by Graham Hoffman of Plymouth, Wisconsin  retired Kohler senior pattern designer.  

 

The team provided a meal that fed over 400 people in the community.  And showed a Creole movie (LESPWA).  They continue to sponsor the MEBSH school - providing education and food for 200 students.  

 

The week continued at another project site in Simon.  Here they helped to stucco classrooms for a Presbyterian school and make preparations to make the classrooms brighter.   A couple of the guys helped install electrical outlets and lights in Pr. Etienne's home as well as re-wire and attempt to get the Inverter set up for their in-country missionary.  

 

We visited 'The Big House' orphanage.  The team handed out new shoes they carried in with them to each of the children, as they tenderly passed out hugs and spent time with the kids.  Showing them God's love.  

 

They taught the children a new song, or let's say, some strange animals on the farm.  As they sang and acted out 'Old McDonald had a Farm' - the children found their animals very different than what is on their farms.  Laughter and love was shared by all.  

 

A couple of the team members preached on Sunday morning - bringing more laughter when the one described the noises around them.  He demonstrated the donkey - hee haw hee haw - "Je sus"  "Je sus"  and the ever loving rooster that many team members always seem to talk about - cock a doodle do  cock a doodle doo  - "Jesus loves you"  "Jesus loves you".  It gave all a new perspective on the animals.

 

That evening another team member spoke in Simon, and had her translator act out part of her Sermon, as they talked about 'Sin'  " 
"Interesting thing about throwing rocks, especially when you throw them hard, makes you feel good, a little safer inside like you’re glad that’s over. The rock takes on the evil and you cast it away saying, “No, you can’t do that. You were wrong! That was bad!” Like you’ve done your part to stop it."  
Our rocks will never change the world only pock (scars) mark it with hate and fear. And just maybe He wrote in the dirt that day, “My rock is bigger than yours, I’ll handle this one so you can drop yours”.   referencing the story from John 8:4-8 

 

The team had a wonderful time giving and receiving of their time and talents and making preparations for their return next year.