We have had a great week with a small team. 4 people joined us and Cindy and Vanessa on Monday after being delayed because of Tomas. We have seen God at work in and through this team.
They painted the outside of the building and put up some much needed shelves at the Good Samaritan boys orphanage. The boys are doing great. They take great care of their home, they have a really special mentor and father figure. He spends a lot of time with the boys doing school work, studying the Bible, and in prayer. His name is Ellie, but I prefer to call him Eddie:)
We distributed 170 bags of beans and rice in the tent city (Canaan), began building relationships with some of the church members, and played with a bunch of joy-filled kids! Afterward, in a broken conversation of my very little Kreyol and a lady's limited knowledge of English, she pointed to the sky and said nou we (we see) God. I realized that she saw God through us as we simply did what is biblical in providing food for the needy. Sometimes we leave a mission like this wondering if we even made any difference when the food will only last a short time. But in reality it isn't so much about the physical gift as it is about what the people take from it as we serve and minister to them and for that day, she saw God.
We went back to Canaan on Thursday to paint 4 of the wooden shelters that had been donated and constructed previously be another organization. Again, we had a mission; to paint the houses, but more importantly, to build relationships with people and to encourage them. The first house we painted belonged to a woman named Celia. She is a single mother who lives in a one room wooden shelter with 7 children and 2 other adults. They don't have much of anything. As I painted her window, I looked inside to see Celia laying praying and praising God. Would I be able to praise God this way if I were in her circumstances? Again, I am truly amazed and humbled by the faith the Christians here have.
People often say God's timing is perfect. We have lived it in our process of preparing to move here and we saw it again today as we painted a new wood shelter for Gesner and Youdeline. This afternoon, the guys went to move them out of their tent city and into their new home and we just got a phone call this evening that Youdeline is at the hospital, baby is on the way! Perfect timing is always God's timing.
Jeff and I have been encouraged this week as our children served along side us. All three of them jumped right in to whatever we were doing. They helped with each project joyfully and we are very proud of each one. God continues to confirm our commitment to serve in Haiti and we are so thankful our children see that too.
Thank you to Eric, Michelle, Keith, and Lauren for giving of yourselves, for working so well together and for following God's plan for our ministry this week! We were blessed to have you here working with us!
Bondye beni ou,
Deb
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