Politcal Update

It was announced in Haiti that of the 19 candidates, the two front-runners in the recent election are Mirlande Manigot and Jude Celestin. A run-off election is to be held January 7th with the winner taking office February 7th.   Of course there are those who are not happy with these results and there have been some demonstrations with road blocks and burning tires (mostly in the Port au Prince area).  Art reports that things are quiet in the Gonaives area where they are working. They are "safe and sound" and working away.

THINGS CHANGE DAY TO DAY...
A note from Art today (12/10):  Haiti is in the process of doing a recount of the presidential election to make sure the top two candidates are confirmed again. The runoff election is scheduled sometime around January 16. Things are fairly quiet in country and the airport has been closed the past two days.

Gonaives-House Two

A team of four arrived Dec. 6th to start the second block home in Gonaives.

Larry-TX, Brandon-ID, Gary-TX, Rick-CO



Laying out the house and getting the foundation underway...         

                 Foundation nearing Completion

Completion of First Block Home - Gonaives

Some of the grateful family members standing in front of their new home--the first block structure built in Goniave with Disaster/Relief  funds from the COG--begun by the Lima, OH work group.

Prayer Needs

* Please pray for peaceful elections (19 candidates)--November 28th.
   The country desperately needs someone with wisdom, leadership and a vision
   and heart for the people.

* Cholera continues to spread in the country.

* Our grief process.
   Suetta's step-father (Wayne Darr) went to be with Jesus November 13th.

Gonaives-Nov. 9-16

A team from Lima, Ohio is arriving today (Nov 9) and will be going to Gonaives and working on constructing block homes with Sister Boudreaux.

November 11: 

Digging the footer.





Looking from the road up to work site.

 

Looking from the top down toward the road.

 

November 13:

Pouring the footer. (left & right)

 

"Chain Gang" passing cement to level the foundation to begin laying block.

"Tomas"--The Day After...

Tomas has passed and today will be spent assessing damage and beginning the clean up process.  Skies are a little overcast but the sun is shining and there is no rain in our area.  People are out  and about, traffic is picking up and the airport is open.  Our Haitian brothers and sisters are resilient and resolute people.  Lord, bless them, I pray.

Hurricane Tomas Has Passed

Just want to update everyone on how Art has fared... I talked with him on Skype this evening and he emailed me the following: 
     "It's about 5:30pm in Haiti and we thank the Lord for His protection.  The southern tip and the northern tip were hit hard with trees down and flooding.  Here near Port au Prince our intermittent moderate to heavy winds began last night and now we have mild winds.  The intermittent light to moderate rains began last night and currently we have sprinkles.  The river near Port is very high and rising which is an indication that the mountains received some heavy rains. Tomas is supposed to move off the north coast later tonight and there are trailing bands that will have varying degrees of wind and rain through tomorrow. Overall, we faired well given the outlook at the beginning of the week.  Thank you, Lord Jesus."
     Yes, "Thank you, Jesus"!! And, THANK YOU-- EVERYONE-- for praying and for your words of encouragement. We've been blessed by your outpouring of care and concern AND we've definitely felt the impact of your prayers!

Hurricane "Tomas"

The skies are gray and the wind is increasing hourly now.  Rain has not yet begun but a projected 5-15 inches is supposed to fall within the next 48 hours!  The rain alone will be devastating to many, let alone the winds. Pray that the storm will die down or be diverted from the course it's on. Pray too for the protection of so many still in tents and no place to go.

October 12-27

Missouri – New Jersey – Ohio

Ruben Schwieger just finished a two-week stay in Haiti, leading a different work-team each week. Both Ruben and Art were there to welcome the first team with persons from Cape Girardeau, Missouri and New Jersey. This team worked in the village of Dumay, completing 6 more homes, bringing the total to twelve families that are now off the ground and in a good home there.  Art then left Ruben and came to the states for a week.  The second week Ruben hosted a team from Wooster and Alliance, Ohio.  This team worked in St. Ard, helping to lay block on a school building.  Their work was cut short by a cholera outbreak just to the north of them.  Ruben returned to Croix des Bouquets with the group and they visited the village of Prospere and helped build a house at the “Rainbow Training Center” for Christian Veterinary Mission (where Art lives).  While things went a bit differently than originally planned, flexibility is the key--especially in an earthquake disaster zone. Things can change on a daily basis and sometimes even moment to moment!  THANK YOU Ruben and everyone for being “flexible”.

Here are two sites that Art uses to follow the cholera outbreak:

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs107/en/index.html

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/content/outbreak-notice/haiti-cholera.aspx

Continue to pray for health, safety and progress.

Cholera Outbreak

From the news you've been hearing you may be wondering how we are doing...We are okay.  A work team was actually on the ground at the time of the outbreak but all did just fine. While there will undoubtedly be continued reports of deaths, precautions are being taken and hopefully the worst is over. We do covet your continued prayers for this "ravaged" country as yet, again, so many lives are being touched by another tragedy.

Catching Up

I (Suetta) was able to go to Haiti for a week, Sept 25th-Oct 2nd--carrying in some needed supplies and then "hang out" with Art. :)  It was good to be together again, to see some friends from the past and to get a better feel for what is happening there.

To date, these are the "statistics" on houses:

• 7 in Calebasse - finished
• 57 in Prospere - finished
• 12 in LaTremblay - fnished
• 33 in LaJeunese erected - concrete, sealing and painting not yet complete
• 10 in ChaCha - parts delivered but work not yet started (this village is a 2 hr walk up the mountain beyond Prospere).
• 12 in Dumay - 1 finished, 2 more erected, sealed and painted, 9 more to go this week and next

TOTAL = 131

And there you have it!  Keep praying as the needs are great!

Dumay - Oct 4-11

   A group of 12 from Hamilton, OH worked along with the Haitian team to put up 5 houses between rainshowers in the village of Dumay this week. On Sunday they were able to dedicate 3 of the houses that were completely finished and it was moving to see the joy on the faces of the families that would be moving into these homes.  (Dedication of the home is very important to the Haitian family and they will not move in until that has been done.) The group was also able to worship with the villagers in church and this particular Sunday they were having communion. One of the work-campers (a nurse) recounts that she was a very moved at this point in the service when “the wine” was served in pill dispenser cups. She said she would always think of Haiti when dispensing medicine in pill dispenser cups.  Wow! What symbolism in this “pill dispenser cup”! It’s an “ordinary” reminder of Jesus’ “extraordinary” sacrifice and healing. While used in serving others in the work place, it can also be a reminder to pray for our Haitian brothers and sisters.

LaTremblay Build-Sept. 14-21, 2010

This week a team comprised of folks from the Sherman Street COG in Anderson, IN and First COG in St. Joe, MI have been working in the village of LaTremblay. Together with the Haitian team they have put up and painted 11 homes and poured cement floors in 3 of these.  Today (Sept. 19) they will attend church there in the village and then in the afternoon dedicate the homes that have been built.  Tomorrow they will put up one more house (the pastor's) before leaving the village.  The Haitian crew will finish pouring the cement floors in the rest of the homes throughout this next week. Please keep everyone in your prayers as the conditions are "rustic" and it's very hot.

Return to Haiti

Art atop what was one of the oldest churches in PAP

This is our first attempt at a "Blog"...

In case you hadn't heard, Art has taken a one year assignment with the DRC (Disaster and Relief Committee) of the Church of God.  He started the beginning of August. Initially I went with him as we took two godsons with us for a week--then I returned to the US with them and Art stayed on in Haiti.  Due to the lack of places to stay and if you do find a place, the exorbitant prices, it was decided it would be best for me to stay state-side and Art would try to find a room somewhere and “commute” to the sites all over Haiti where they are building houses.

Below is what Art wrote regarding his time thus far in Haiti...

 

My first three weeks in Haiti have been an emotional roller coaster. Having served here before as a missionary and having been down on three work teams since the earthquake I thought I was prepared and knew what to expect. Haiti has always been known as a third world country and the poorest country in our hemisphere so things couldn’t get worse. Right? Actually, things are much worse then they ever have been. The people are desperate. They want to move forward and are doing their best to try and get things back to normal. Who would have ever thought that being a third world country could be viewed as "getting back to normal"?

(L)-Fritzner, Construction Boss

(C)-Steve, Translator/Manager  (R)- Art

I am blessed to be here. It is hot, the mosquitoes won’t leave me alone and I am living in a 10' by 10' room with a private bath at the Rainbow Training Center (Christian Veterinary Medicine Training Center). But I am working with some of the best of God’s people. People who not only look to me for help, but people who look out for me during these difficult times. Quite honestly, this is the toughest thing I have ever done. The desperation of my Haitian Brothers and Sisters is overwhelming. I go from the joy of dedicating houses with families to the tragedy of telling someone else who is pleading with me for a house that we cannot provide. Tears of joy followed by tears of anguish. As I walk among my Brothers and Sisters I realize that we may not be able to help everyone but we can love and respect them.

Two teams from churches just left. One from Sullivan, Illinois and one from Germantown, Ohio. The love of God radiated through these teams as they worked, sweat, played and embraced the villagers of Prospere. The first night in the village I asked people to share where or how they saw God at work today. Pastor Steve Carney said he noticed that a lot of people were calling out by saying “hey you” in English. As he heard this it dawned on him that God was calling out through the “hey you’s” to get his attention. As you pray for Haiti, listen for God to say “hey you” as he speaks to you about how to get involved in Haiti.

Workteams from Sullivan, IL, Germantown, OH and Callebasse, Haiti

Pre-fab house being built for this family

The Church of God is doing a good work in Haiti. We are blessed that Phil and Lonnie Murphy had established the House of Blessing Orphanage  (20 + years ago) that served as the base for Phil and the teams during the first 7 months. Phil, the orphanage staff and children, and the Haitian team Phil has put together have laid a strong foundation that will continue to serve the people of Haiti even after the Disaster Relief funds have been fully used.

Pray specifically for the needs of our Brothers and Sisters in Haiti. They are desperate and we can provide hope. In Mark 14:1-10, Jesus says that the poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. He also told those scolding the woman who anointed Him to leave her alone because she did all that she could. The poor will always be here and we are to do all that we can to help. “Hey you”, come join the work God is doing.