It was good to be back in Pignon with 15 people making up
our work team, 7 are experiencing Haiti for the first time. The strength of our team comes from
diversity of skills, talents, training….which include, teaching, preaching,
carpentry, electrical, agriculture, nursing, music, technology, vidoegraphy,
and more!
Our main efforts for the week centered around constructing
school desks to be delivered to Guimby, a couple electrical projects around the
Iowa House, putting a roof on the new kitchen at Sunshine school, painting at
Guimby, painting the hospital kitchen, painting the Mission House next to the
MN Dorm, and holding a Leadership Conference for local pastors and church
leaders. Not an idle moment was
spent. Much to be thankful
for!
(The following is a journal entry from our week…)
Each day has seemed like a week ...but the week that has
come to a close has seemed like a day!
Bonjour from this place of 'contrast',
The time in Haiti has come to a close for 10 of our team
members who boarded the Missionary Flights International plane to make the
journey back home...leave Pignon, land in Cap Haitien, Haiti, land in Ft.
Pierce, FL to go through customs, shuttle to Orlando, FL to spend the night and
return to Omaha, Friday, on Delta Airlines, then the final drive to Spencer or
Ames, Iowa. Wednesday evening allowed for time for the whole team to reflect
on, process, ponder, and wonder about all that has taken place this week.
God was working here with us and on us each moment of each
day. The days were characterized by original plans being flipped to something
different on a moments notice. God was at work. I felt over and over God
saying, "your plan would be good but MY plan is perfect, FOLLOW ME."
And the team DID just that and God's plans are perfect. The course of each day
felt so complete that any one day seemed as like a week....but then at the end
of the week it felt like only a day had passed since we arrived in Haiti last
Thursday.
In this place of such extreme poverty and disease the
contrasted BEAUTY of the people and the land cannot be described in words. The
story a man and a woman trying to survive after a recent house fire that burned
everything they owned was unbearable. But amazing things can come of such a
situation. A cement block house was built in the same place where the house had
burned. Our team had the privilege of putting the roof on that house, securing
the house with 2 wooden doors contructed by some on our team, and moving the
furnishings into the house on Thursday. The furniture turned out to be a bunk
bed frame that was taken from an unused dorm here on the grounds where we are
staying. In the interim, before the house was ready, the bunk bed has served as
a temporary shelter. After the doors were hung and the bed brought in, the man
and his smile transformed the story from unbearable to seeing the Glory of God
shine! As a new home owner with a secure place to live the man must have felt
like a king himself! See attached photos.
Five team members remain in Pignon for one more week to
continue serving God in this place of contrast. We hope God continues to change
our plans and show us the way to FOLLOW Him.
Please receive this benediction….”Franciscan Benediction”
May God bless you with a restless discomfort
about easy answers, half-truths, and superficial
relationships,
so that you may seek truth boldly and love deep within your
heart.
May God bless you with holy anger at injustice, oppression,
and exploitation of people, so that you may tirelessly work
for
justice, freedom, and peace among all people.
May God bless you with the gift of tears to shed with those
who suffer
from pain, rejection, starvation, or the loss of all that
they cherish, so that you
may reach out your hand to comfort them and transform their
pain into joy.
May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that
you really can make a difference in this world, so that you
are able,
with God's grace, to do what others claim cannot be done.
And the blessing of God the Supreme Majesty and our Creator,
Jesus Christ the Incarnate Word Who is our Brother and
Savior,
and the Holy Spirit, our Advocate and Guide, be with you
and remain with you, this day and forevermore. Amen
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