great team meeting

Wow
We are getting ready, this past Sunday our team had their first meeting. The highlight was to hear the hearts of this great team and “why” they are willing to give of their time, talents and money to make a difference in East Africa.
We had a few who could not make this meeting, so it looks as though we will need to resend the information. At this point in the process, over-communication is not a problem. In fact it is better.
We are in the process of gathering passport and visa applications as this makes entry into Tanzania much easier.
Our next team meeting is January 22nd at 9:00, look forward to seeing everyone there!!

Getting ready for Tanzania

Well we are back on the blog sphere… Our team is getting ready from construction to medical to a music team. This team has it all. It looks to be a group of about 32 to 35 and we depart on 27 February.
So, check back from time to time as we get ready to go back to Africia

Follow up

We want to put up some additional photos, enjoy….. We did

Last day in Haiti

Last day in Haiti

Today was a day of tying up loose ends, passing out gifts and taking a well deserved break.
Judi, Jim, Bethany, Michael, Kreig and Jeff went with missionaries Bill and Dorothy Smith to a school near the airport. This area is one that has had a history of violence and high drug use. Last year Judi Needham saw the need for the children to carry their books. So, she went to work making 71 small backpacks with the help of some of her friends. The classroom was hot, yet the children were delighted to receive these gifts made with love.
In the meantime, others went to the beach and enjoyed the wonderful Caribbean, too nice.
Later in the afternoon, the team gave out gift bags that were put together with the help of the Impact girls at CLA. These bags were given out to the local community. We really enjoyed greeting and sharing with those who live in the neighborhood.

All in all a great day.

Tomorrow we depart from the guest house at 11:00 for a 1:30 flight to JFK. We hope to be at CLA somewhere before midnight.

Be blessed, see you on Sunday

Finial pour

Today we learned the value of owning a watch in Haiti, none. Why so? Well, we were sitting for over 3 1/2 hours beyond our scheduled cement delivery time when we finally started to pour. But wait there’s more. The load of cement was inconsistent, some dry, some wet. And we did not get the full amount that we ordered. End results, another 11feet of slab that was just a little short, but very usable.

Earlier in the day we dropped by the other site. The team from Lancing, Michigan Mount Hope along with the guys from Tulane were working on the steel for the church building. You will notice next to the church, a two story structure. This is the school that the church has for children up to the fifth grade.

So tonight Matt from Tulane will lead our devotion and then another wonderful supper by Jacline and the ladies.

So for now,

Blessings from Haiti

Getting ready for a pour

Last night we enjoyed a good rain. It cooled off and the sky was cleared of the smoke and pollution. This morning we went to the site and prepared for a Thursday cement pour. Midmorning we were joined by Pastor Samuel, the pastor of the church we are building. Pastor Samuel shared that on January 12, 2010, the earthquake destroyed the church building, not the church. The following Sunday, the church met and over 200 additional people came. Of the 200, 130 came forward to accept Jesus Christ! We were honored to be able to lay hands on Pastor Samuel to pray for the church, the community and for the nation of Haiti.

Each evening we get together as a group for devos. This has gelled our teams into a unit.

The foundation is always key

Today was hot and profitable. We were able to extend the cement floor for the new church by 11 feet. Additionally we set the rebar for the foundation building. So between both we poured over 9 yards of vey hot cement. So how hot is hot? The ground temperature was 135 degrees! Also the ground water level is vey high. When the cement truck arrived on site, we needed to redirect the driver around a low spot as the tires were starting to sink into the groundwater. Once we had secured the truck we would transfer the cement to the bucket of the backhoe and then move it to the forms. This took around 40 minutes,now the hard work starts. For the next two hours we screeted, floated and troweled the cement.
Tomorrow we will prep for a Thursday pour of another 9 yards…
This evening we did a combo divo… Both CLA and Lancing churched enjoyed a time of praying and seeking God’s dominion in Haiti

All are safe and well

Something new

After a much needed nights rest we woke up for breakfast around 530am then off to load the vans and to work we went. It was different at first not really knowing how to do anything and feeling a bit useless, but soon I started picking up tools and jumping in to help…anything from digging holes to helping measure things. The team members were great encouragers and teachers.
I was also dubbed “water natzi” as my God-given talent was made aware by the team. It was hot and we were working hard and needed drink constantly…if the members got too hot or dizzy I put then on time out! Soon after lunch we called it quits to come home refresh and rest for the long week ahead. dinner was amazing as the teams members bragged about prior to coming. Tomorrow we are up even earlier (which is good because of the heat) and we are splitting the teams into 2 a steel team and a concrete team.
Lesson learned today, God can use the littlest things for His glory!
Thanks for your prayers as we can definitely feel and see them!

First day on the job

Our first day is complete. We were assigned to help prepare the pour of the slab at a new church. This is a first, Jeff Crossley was the operator of a new backhoe. The foundations and the forms are in place for a Tuesday morning delivery. The team is working along side two other groups, Lancing, Michigan and a team from Chi Alpha at Tulane University. We are connecting and getting to know each other.
So tomorrow we will be at the job site by 7:00 and will be waiting for the cement truck.

Day one in the drawer

Day one is done, travel complete and we all are safe. Tomorrow, we have breakfast at 5:30 anid we pack up our tool and head out. We will be working on a large foundation for a new church. The building is 60 X 80′ the problems that the land is water logged. The foundations are being built ala New Orleans, on top of the ground! A first for us. Mike Haugh, Marty Williams will be on a .Bobcat and a Backhoe, this too is a first.