Today was my last day. I woke up and the sun was out, weather warm and the villagers scurrying around making preparations to start planting. Tobacco is the cash crop all else is for survival. We visited several families to complete our 25 family assessments. The next team shows up on Thursday to start assembling the shelters. I know beyond doubt that the team will find that all is ready to go. Looking forward for the return trip for phase two. Thank you to all who has helped support this effort.
Kenny
A meal at every turn. My host family was stunning. This was breakfast every morning.The snow is beginning to melt on the mountains. Water will soon come to the fields.
One of the main reasons I am here is to help train and be trained on the building of a shelter designed by a German engineer. These shelters have at least a seven year lifespan and can carry a three foot snow load on top.
Unfortunately the gentleman’s mother in law passed away and he will show up after I leave. The first phase is 25 shelters and the second phase (I’m sure I will be back) another 25 at a later date.
The project will continue as funds are available from the generous hearts around the world.
We started a list with the most vulnerable villagers. Elderly, handicapped and families with small children. We had a large truck deliver all the material and the local men helped unload and put all the components in a depot. The shelter needs a fairly flat surface that the owners of the land are responsible to prepare. People are helping each which to me is a beautiful thing. The shelters cost about $1000.00 each. Once news came that the engineer was delayed we started encouraging the people to prepare the land and I started gathering materials for each site and delivering it to the family. By staging the material it will help the engineer have a faster start and people can start gaining some dignity back in their lives. We have made three teams of workers with a foreman for each team.
All I know is God is good. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Kenny
What can you sayI found this lady up the mountain. When you don’t have anything and you lose what little you have this is how it worksLoading material to deliver to each site
Thank you for your prayers and support for this mission. The Lord is moving and we’ve been burning our candles at both ends. Pray for continued strength in this difficult mission trip.
The small village we are in, which I cannot name at this time for security reasons, was hit very hard. They are not getting the help they need. It’s so important that we are here.
The first two days we worked in the cold and rain (and some snow) to start our assessment of the most needy for shelters. This is a very old village with ancient homes, most of which were destroyed by the quake. Some homes were 145 years old.
Earthquakes are a daily thing but I feel no danger. I am so grateful to be here and I am very welcomed here. I am staying with a local family and they are treating me so kindly.
This is not a place to where you drop in. It won’t work. The culture is very sensitive. There are a lot of moving parts to get us where we are. We’ve had a few hiccups but that’s fine. God is good and he sees us through.
Please pray for our interpreter. Without her it would not be possible to build shelters for these families.
I will report again soon now that we are gaining ground on the project. Thank you all again for your prayers and generous support.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Kenny
There have been nice small breaks… here we are having tea with the locals.
Kenny is on a mission in Turkey this month, continuing to help with the aftereffects of the recent earthquakes. He is on a team in a remote area, working with the underground church, to build multiple shelters in areas where half the homes were destroyed.
Please keep Kenny and all the Christian missionaries in your prayers as they continue to serve the Lord and glorify him in dangerous areas where Christianity is hated. May many come to know the truth during this mission.
Mexico
Pastor Felipe has moved from the dangerous border into the small villages in Vera Cruz, where he can build the church with locals and less interference from the cartels. These are remote villages with no electricity. It would be greatly beneficial to the church to have a generator for church services. Having a power source will help Felipe share videos, music, and photographs for slide shows. We would greatly appreciate a donor to purchase a generator. The one available in his area is $900, a DeWalt model shown here. Please contact us if you would like to donate the funds to purchase this generator!
Haiti
The school is going strong and the new latrine provided by Give Me Shelter Ministries supporters is a great blessing to the students. But after 11 years (Wow!) of operation, Pastor Harry does need to make repairs. A new metal roof, paint, and other small repairs are needed, and we are currently at a budget of $3600 for this project. Please prayerfully consider donating to the repairs of the Evangelical Baptist School of the Trinity!
The Bahamas
Praise God we have BIG news coming from our efforts in the Bahamas. We recently broke ground on the first Category 5 Hurricane Shelter ever to be built in the Bahamas. Much more coming on this mission soon, but we want to thank our many supporters who have given us the opportunity to serve the Lord in places that are much less fortunate than us!
