Month: June 2012

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. I took the team to the village of Malential up in the central plateau of Haiti. We have some very good friends in this remote village where we have helped support a school and church start up.

When we arrived in the town of Peligre we got in a small boat and headed across the lake to the village. There are only two ways into this village, walk down a very long trail or go by water.

Once there it was such a joy to see the children and some of the parents in the school / church singing praises to God for our arrival. It has been a few months since I have been here due to circumstances beyond our control. We stay in constant contact with the folks in the village through Pastor Harry. We visited for a few hours and had to head back toward Croix des Bouquets.

As always the public transportation is entertaining and challeging. We met Harry’s wife Nadege and his daughter Djina for supper and enjoyed a wonderful evening of food and fellowship. This was our last night so we had to get back to the guest house and start preparing for our exodus out of Haiti.

We got up early and since the flight did not leave until 3:15 p.m. we went back to the school for a last minute briefing with John Smy the school director for Evangelical Baptist School of Trinity. From there we headed to the PAP airport.

It was a good trip and a great time for our Nancy and Brent. They will be a good witness to the rest of our board members. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Kenny
GMSM

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Although the night was not as restful as it could have been, we were blessed to have a roof over our head. We were up early and took off to the orphanage to visit the kids. Once there we loved on the kids and waited for Russ’s group to show up. When they did arrive we talked some more and took notes on the specifics that need to take place for this place to survive.

We had one more pow-wow and then prayed and we were on our way back across the mountain via the beach. As always it is a long tough ride across the mountains but it is always rewarding to go and see the kids. God provided some extra funds for us to leave with the orphanage to buy some food for the kids and staff. What a blessing it was. We were all tired upon arrival to the guest house and all just went to their rooms and it was good day. Tomorrow we head to Malential to visit our dear friends Deacon and Val.

Kenny
GMSM

What better way to start a day than with a good breakfast of fresh fruit and boiled eggs. This would jump start us for the trip to the coastal town of Jacmel. The first task was to negotiate a mini bus to take us over the mountain which we were successful in doing. The saying ” just one more” has a whole new meaning when it comes to public transpiration in Haiti. If there is room for one more person on the mini bus they put three more on. The drive through this part of Port is crazy yet very interesting and entertaining. The drive over the mountains in a very overloaded mini bus is even more insane. I happen to like the reckless abandonment but it can get a little nerve racking. But hey this is Haiti at it’s finest and until God allows someone to help us with a vehicle down here then this is what we do. We are actually getting really good at it and with Pastor Harry at the helm it always works out good.

We made it to the coastal town of Jacmel and got checked into Guys Guest House, grabbed lunch and headed for the orphanage. When we arrived the kids were at school but we met Pastor Russ and Abel there. We showed Nancy and Brent around and gave them a quick history of the orphanage. From there we had an impromptu meeting with several other folks about the plans for this orphanage and the kids. Russ and Abel were doing a outdoor revival at night for the week and invited Pastor Harry to speak so we got back to the guest house and ate got cleaned up a bit and headed out. We all rode motorcycles through the small urban trails of Jacmel till we came to a place called Demomtel where the ho- down was. As always the service was awesome with worship and preaching. The back drop of palm trees and stars made it that much more special. Beat up from the day we headed back to our crib for what I hope will be a good night sleep. Praise God from whom all blessings flow, what an awesome day.

Kenny
GMSM

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. We all got a good night sleep, had a killer breakfast and hit the ground running. So far this guest house has exceeded all expectations. The name of the guest house is Mon Chez Moui. I think that means ” the cheese is mine”… Just kidding, I don’t know what the heck it means but will find out.

We headed for the school so our guys could check out the work. Well it’s really Gods work not our work – He has just allowed us to join in and be a part it. This is a day that I have anticipated for a long time. Nancy, who has been in education for about 40 years agreed to to come down to help evaluate the teachers and encourage them. We have many people that want to help with the school but our foundation must be firm before we can start building. The school’s foundation is the teachers and their dedication to the Lord and the students. We know our teachers need more training but we will take small steps with them to make sure they understand we are not here to Americanize the school but to help them reach the students in a better way.

We have much work to do and know that God will continue to give us the discernment needed to see that the children get the best education possible. Students today, leaders for the future. Nancy had a good interview with the teachers so now we have something to work with. Brent and I just kinda did a lot of observing and I answered the many questions about the school, community, church, country etc.

We left the school and headed north just a bit to visit a school that has been around since 1979. The school master took some time out and shared her story and answered the many questions that we hammered her with. This meeting was helpful and informative but I am not sure their model applies to us. It was another long hard day in Haiti and I think everyone was beat, including me. It was also another successful day in Haiti. Tomorrow we get up early and head to Jacmel to the small orphanage that we are helping. This is also an area that we feel God will allow us to start a school. Should be another very cool adventure.

Kenny
GMSM

It seems like forever since I have been down here. We had a couple of reschedules that set us back a bit. It really kind of messed me up mentally. I was starting to feel a little disconnected. We have been so blessed to stay very involved in Haiti and we were able to keep things fresh.

As we flew in I felt as if I were coming home. I am here with Nancy Hale and Brent Allen who both sit on our board of directors and neither have ever been to Haiti before. I have served with both in the past on other mission fields. I am stoked to have a couple of board members come down. I have been waiting for this for some time now. Nancy will be observing our teachers at the school to evaluate them for further training and Brent will be getting to know the lay of the land better. I know this will be be a blessed time for all. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Kenny
GMSM