Soon, we will have a new building for housing our visiting teams when they come to serve on La Gonave. The public gathering areas will better serve our volunteers with more ample dining and meeting areas; the dorm rooms are larger with better ventilation; and, the larger kitchen where those yummy Haitian dishes will be prepared will serve our Haitian cooks well. Thank the Lord for His provisions!

With progress comes challenge … naturally!

With the increased size of the guesthouse comes the need for more linens: sheets, pillowcases, mattress covers, bed coverlets, towels and washcloths. We are looking at a fun blue and aqua theme in the spirit of the Caribbean.

Would you like to help make this happen? How about throwing an e-shower to help us acquire these items? If you or your group would like to participate, just open this web page and click here: WISH LIST. Our selected items can be found under first name, La Gonave, and last name, Guest House. Before ordering, please contact Heidi Edmonds at heidiedmonds@yahoo.com for the correct shipping address. Visiting teams have volunteered to bring items in with them to save shipping costs and customs fees.

Your purchase will be mightily appreciated!

And, how about coming on down to experience this new guest house firsthand? We will be delighted to welcome you!

It may be a small word but it’s filled with meaning and emotion.  Our Haitian brothers and sisters experienced unspeakable tragedy on January 12, 2010.  Like much of Haitian Creole, this work is close to its French cousin, “merci”. It was Francis Assisi who said, “Mercy has many arms.”  Thank you-mesi-for being the arms of God’s mercy in the midst of this catastrophe.  Dozens of teams, hundreds of volunteers and hundreds of thousands of dollars have been invested in raising up the name of Jesus by providing places of worship as beacons of light for these affected communities.  Our hats are off and our hearts are uplifted by the sacrificial efforts offered by our global Wesleyan tribe in response to this need.  On behalf of L’Eglise Wesleyuenne d’Haiti, Dan Irvine (Global Partners Caribe Atlantic area director) and all those impacted by your praying, giving and going for the Rebuilding Haiti project, we simply say…mèsi!

Two Job opportunites have recently opened up on the Wesleyan Mission Station on LaGonave.

1) The Wesleyan Mission on LaGonave is currently looking for a full-time elementary education teacher. This teacher’s primary responsibility would be providing schooling for the children of missionary families on the station.

2) The Wesleyan Mission on LaGonave is also seeking a full-time ESL teacher and an ESL director. The director would be over four levels of adult ESL students, and would be expected to teach. Another full-time ESL teacher is needed to teach at least 2 levels of the adult ESL classes.

For more information on either of these positions, contact Dan and Joy Irvine (GP Carbe-Atlantic Area Directors) at dnjirvine@gmail.com and Tim Hibschman (GP Mobilizer) at hibschmant@wesleyan.org.

Site of Future Guesthouse

Ground clearing work has begun on the site of the future Wesleyan Guesthouse in Anses-a-Galets. Foundations for this project, a prerequisite to the hospital rebuild, will be laid in March. By the end of the summer of 2011, we hope to begin housing guests in this facility.

The new 44 bed guesthouse will be able to accommodate the influx of construction teams during the hospital rebuild project. Further down the road, this additional capacity will also allow the mission to pursue several of their long-term dreams. For example, additional housing could be used for visiting surgical teams and medical specialists. These specialists and surgeons will not only be able to provide treatment for people here, but they could provide Continuing Medical Education to the current hospital staff.

With its unique features, this guesthouse also has potential as a micro-enterprise project. It will incorporate an innovative ventilation system and rain water recovery. It will also offer improved kitchen facilities and will include a few two-person rooms. The new design also contains several break-out areas, where guests will be able to socialize and relax outside. These special features will not only provide a more comfortable atmosphere fore established friends of the Wesleyan mission, but it will set this guesthouse above the rest and draw business from anyone seeking accommodations in the area.

Because of the way this guesthouse will enable us to fulfill our vision and expand our capacity, we are excited to be a part of its inception and eagerly awaiting its completion. Thank you to all of you in North America and around the world who have generously given of your time and resources to help with this project. We send a special thanks to Justin Dowds and those working with Lemon Aid in the UK who have invested hours pouring over plans and working out the practical details that have made this project possible.

Over the next few months, we will need several construction teams to carry out these plans. If you are interested in bringing a construction team to LaGonave to help with the new guesthouse, please contact Greg Edmonds at gpedmonds@juno.com.

Click on the links below to view plans for the guesthouse.

Guesthouse
Guesthouse 2

Church Service in Partially Constructed Building

Since its launch in July of 2010, the Wesleyan Rebuild project has opened 12 constructions sites in various parts of Haiti. Of these 12 sites, all of them have completed the first building stage, the erection of poles and a roof. Additionally, all of the schools at these locations are functioning. In many of the areas, the newly constructed Wesleyan church was the first building to go up after the quake. And in this way the Wesleyan Church has very tangibly served as a beacon of hope for this country in a time of crisis.

To find more information on Rebuild Updates, check out the reconstruction page. Progress Updates have been added to a number of the churches and pages will be updated periodically as teams continue to work at these sites. Follow this link for this week’s featured update: Mais Gate. (http://gpcaribeatlantic.com/reconstruction/mais-gate/)

January 2011 worshippers, photo from Joel and Yvonne Trimble

Across the water, in Port-Au-Prince, the scene was similar. GP missionaries Carl and Maya Gilles reported, “On the streets, people are singing, dancing and praising God. Others are crying, whaling remembering what they’ve lost.” It was a day of mixed emotions, as people thanked God for sparing their lives and cried again for those who are gone.

In the center of Port-Au-Prince, just outside the palace Haiti for Christ Ministries in partnership with several other evangelical churches hosted a Transformation Crusade. Buses transported thousands from tent cities to the crusade, and, according to Joel Trimble from Haiti for Christ, with the broken down palace as a backdrop, a reported 100,000 Haitians came together to worship our God.

This crusade on the 12th was preceded by a festival hosted by the Billy Graham Association on Sunday, where thousands more worshipped. In their latest newsletter, Carl and Maya Gilles exclaim, “We have heard that over 5000 churches and organizations have been working in unity to put together” this Transformation Crusade.

And their work was not in vain. As Dan and Joy Irvine, directors of Global Partners in Haiti explained, “For the past year the population of Port-au-Prince has focused on survival,” but the 12th was an opportunity for everyone to focus on something greater. Joel Trimble reports that as a result of the crusade, “Thousands committed their lives to Christ and received book of John follow-up materials.” Continue to pray with us that lives in Haiti are transformed as our God continues to make all things new in this grieving nation.

by: Justine Iskat

We want to thank you all so very much for your financial and prayer support for us as we took Jesus to the impoverished village of Anse-a-Galets, Haiti. In addition to the personal support many of you gave to us team members, Berkley Hills funded the costs of the various projects we performed while there. Below are some of the ways that the generosity of our church family translated into “being Jesus” to the precious people we came in contact with:

WATER. We conducted formal testing on the water supply at many sites around the mission compound and village. Several sites tested contaminated and repairs to the UV filter systems have since been made. We purchased and installed 19 point-of-use biosand water filtration systems in various homes in the village. In addition, we installed a high-volume UV filtration system at Wesleyen College, the large primary-secondary school.

SCHOOL. We provided the concrete, sand, and gravel for a new floor of an outdoor classroom. We provided the lumber and tin for the construction of a roof over this same area and we hired 8 Haitian workers to help us with these tasks. Pictures were taken of every single student (from pre-K to 13th grade), submitted (in the middle of the night!) for developing in Michigan. These pictures were then brought down by our second team and then distributed to the kids. Each kid received a framed 4-6 picture of themselves, AND a sheet of 4 wallet-sized pictures. We sung and played with the kids.

ORPHANAGE. We delivered several large boxes of toys, games, balls, and clothing for a small orphanage in the village, one comprised of earthquake orphans.

POOR HOUSE. We did a scrub down of the inside and outside walls. Then we painted those same walls, along with the doors. We bought concrete and sand and hired several Haitian concrete workers to pour smooth concrete floors for the dirt floor bedrooms and for the porch. We built 11 beds and hauled them into their bedrooms (there were no beds in the whole house previously. We purchased 11 mattresses and sheet sets for the beds. We also had their cracked-cement rain water cistern repaired. The house had no electricity/lights so we purchased and installed a set of LED lights in the house, powered by a solar panel which we installed on the roof. We brought enough clothes and shoes to provide for all the poor house residents. We laid them all out on a couple of the beds outside their house and they went through, one by one, and picked out what they wanted. We purchased enough food to feed them for several weeks, along with enough charcoal to cook with. We provided manicures and pedicures for several of the older men and women. We hung out with them, hugging on them, laughing with them, etc.

HOSPITAL. We installed a new xray system, replacing the broken unit. We repaired lead aprons and installed leaded glass windows. We performed a thorough clean of the xray building and held several days of training for the xray tech staff. Many surgeries were performed and clinic patients seen. We provided two lectures for the hospital staff: one on asthma, the other on the use of xray.

In our spare time we went for walks in the village, interacting with the Haitian people. In all we did, we had close interaction with those we went to serve. We ate Haitian food. We enjoyed Haitian church. We played soccer, sang songs and played games with the children. In the evenings we discussed our day, sang and had devotions. We worked hard. We slept hard. We loved on people… hard.

Each one of us has stories and experiences that the others didn’t see. Stories and experiences not shared here. But they are stories and experiences that have made a great impact on us and that we’ll treasure for a lifetime.

Team one’s last night was spent on the mainland at a comfortable resort, where we relaxed and debriefed. Team two’s trip was cut short by Hurricane Tomas, forcing our early return across high seas.

We came home with new friends: missionary friends, Haitian friends. Friends we know by name and can pray for by name. And who will know us when we return.

God was surely with us during our journey with Him. He surely met with us and we trust He was evidenced through us as we tried our best to be Jesus.

Thank you Berkley! This was certainly a Team effort: you and us together. You resourced us through project money and team member support. And you prayed for us. In no uncertain terms we did this together… for the glory of God.

Sincerely,

Jim Burkholder
David Chamberlain
Tim Chamberlain
Rick Courter
Brian Dykstra
Jennifer Dykstra
Katie Edmondson
Steve Edmondson
Hannah Oldenberg
Stacey Oldenberg
Dawn Pifer
Connie Root
Ed Rutowski
John Schmid
Tim Ulstad
Mark Wildie
Freddy Williams
Bill Wright

To be honest, in some ways it sounds a lot like a Sunday morning church service here where the worship leaders yell out phrases which the congregation echoes. But this isn’t church; it’s a political rally. Apparently one of the candidates is holding an event in the center of town. There’s a crowd of people gathered in the sqaure, and political posters all over the walls in this city.

With elections only 9 days away, it’s safe to assume, the whole country is covered with political preparations. It’s definitely interesting to see campaigning in a country with limitted electricity (and therefore limitted televison/campaign ads). Last week we heard a band playing and a large crowd of people cheering and singing. We peeked out the gate and saw the crowd moving down the street, singing all the way. Apparently this, too, was a political candidate. This kind of campaigning feels a lot more lively than the endless advertisements we see on American TV.

Unfortunately election times in Haiti have also historically been a scene for unrest. With so much corruption in the government, times leading up to elections can become a little more unpredictable with high emotions and political protests. The country dodged potential unrest earlier this fall when Wycliff Jean was denied presidential candidacy, but since then there have been several protests happening in Port Au Prince over other issues.

During the next few weeks leading up to the elections (which take place November 28th), please pray for this country. Pray God would raise up the right leader to rebuild the governement and this nation. Pray that God’s hand would be on all political events, and that his peace would reign. And pray that God would miraculously begin breaking the strongholds of corruption in Haiti.

- Justine (for the Haiti Team)

Ezai has the best smile. I know that I’ve mentioned him before in my blog, but with every visit to the Poor House, I eagerly anticipate his huge grin, giant hug, and sweet enthusiasm. He always leaves me a little something to remember him by– usually a smudge of his breakfast on my shirt or some dirt on my cheek– but those serve as tangible reminders of his friendship and hugs. He is 14, orphaned, and while he cannot use his left hand, flex his left foot, or tell you anything about himself, he can sing songs clearly word for word. 

The last time that I flew back to America, I sat next to a lady who was returning from a short-term missions trip to the northern part of Haiti. She had been working at a mission station that has several ministries, including an orphanage and a group home for kids with cerebral palsy.  Kids just like Ezai!!!!! As I shared with her about some of things I’ve been involved with here, she got really excited about Ezai’s story. She urged me to contact the orphanage and see if there might be a place for him there. 

Ezai has been living at the Poor House, a place for the destitute in town. The majority of the residents are elderly, and it’s a fairly depressing place to be. How wonderful it would be for Ezai to have brothers and sisters and clean sheets and healthy food and good medical care!! All of those things are available at this orphanage for kids with CP.

Eagerly, I contacted the orphanage, and after several emails, I just received word today that it looks like they have a place for him!!!! Yay!!!! Praise the Lord!!!! I am overcome with joy. How precious for this sweet little one to be so well taken care of! We are hoping to get him settled in up at his new home in early October. Please keep him in your prayers as preparations are made. How incredible! Ezai is on the right:

            The missionaries on the Wesleyan Mission Station have stopped receiving calls about relief drop-offs at the airport, and they are no longer hosting last-minute relief teams.  The pace has slowed to the same steady pulse this place had when I first arrived here in April of 2009, and if I didn’t know better, I might not realize that there had ever been an earthquake at all.

            But the remaining tent cities in Port Au Prince, some of which have expanded since I left in April of this year, and the lingering piles of rubble and collapsed buildings betray my attempts to see normalcy.  A conversation earlier this morning revealed to me that the pain of loss, though less acute than the agony of January, persists as a dull ache in the hearts of many here.  And though equilibrium seems to have been restored, recovery from the earthquake is far from over.        

by: Justine Iskat