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.