JUNGLE NEWS

Haiti calls

2012-02-09T15:40:00.003-05:00

When Steve first went to Haiti he saw a people without hope. He thought he knew poor people having grown up with the Yanomamö people in Venezuela who seem to have nothing. But after he saw the people of Haiti he knew the Yanomamö had much much more. They are a people that have the whole rain forest to live in. Cool trees and clean water to cool off in. A place to fish and grow food. Meat to hunt and eat. They can move and live in a new place anytime they want. In Haiti this is not the story. They are stuck in the small world they are in with no hope of improving their state. They cannot even go to school because even with a public school system they have to pay to go school. Each day they have to carry money to give the teacher. No hope for the Haitian children. EXCEPT with Jesus! He brings them hope. And oh! How they love Him! Steve speaks of hearing singing coming down the street as the Pastor is on his way to church. As he comes walking down the street others come out to greet him and begin to sing. Voices lifting up praises to their Savior, the author and finisher of their Eternal Hope! They are a joyful people despite their lack.

Sherrie Fausey came to Haiti to be the hands and feet of Jesus. She began with a school to bring in those children that have no hope of going to school otherwise. She has school for them at no charge. Her desire is to raise up educated Christian young people to become leaders in the country and bring about change. Her school was growing and flourishing. She needed more room so groups began to go and help her add to her buildings. This was when Steve first ventured to Haiti. He helped work on a building that would be her school. Then a few years ago the hurricane season seem to target Haiti. One even came and sat on Haiti for several days. An orphanage in a nearby village was destroyed. The children were brought to Sherrie’s school. That began the school/orphanage partnership that meant this building had to get done.

2 years ago last month the world literally shook apart when the earthquake rattled their world taking with it buildings, possessions and lives. The only building left whole and standing was the new unfinished building. Part of Sherrie’s house fell on a precious young boy and he was lost to them. Some of her workers never came back to work and eventually it was found they too had been lost. Compared to some, though, they did very well with just a few lives lost. Most possessions were lost and Sherrie has had to start over. At first funds flooded in to help but as time has gone by that slowed. Rebuilding has been slow. As she gets funds to continue she sends for Steve who has become her foreman. He works well with the Haitian workers and keeps them going in the right direction. Since this is the work he has been called to do He goes alone and travels back and forth. We are being a part of the rebuilding of the school and orphanage that will raise up Godly leaders in Haiti. We feel this is what God would have us doing. We NEED your help. Without God’s people supporting our part in this work we can’t be free to go when needed. There were 4 trips last year. Sherrie has sent for him again. She had a flood of funds come in to start the next phase of the building. The plan now is for him to go February 24 and spend the month of March there. No building will go on in April as she holds Bible camps that month to keep the children out of Carnival (Mardi Gras). Then he will return May or June for another month or so.

Will you join us in this work? Will you help these children have classrooms and bedrooms? Will you help Sherrie have a home as she continues her work there? We NEED YOU!!! We must raise enough for expenses while Steve is gone. And please consider regular monthly gifts as it hard to find work that he can come and go from. When he comes back and begins to find work it is time to go again. We need to have monthly support so we can be ready to go when called. We are open to going to other fields in support of other full time workers. You can be a part in any work we take part in.

We need you. Is God speaking to your heart about the children in Sherrie Fausey’s school and orphanage? Help us help them.

We need to raise $3000-$3500 for him to be gone 5-6 weeks. Everything has gone up so much that a few years ago we needed $2000 per month support but not anymore. We are believing God is going to supply this for him to leave in 2-2 ½ weeks. Join us in believing and perhaps being a part of it.

Steve and Theda Dawson

111 Polk Ave.

Front Royal, VA 22620

540-514-2940

stdawson@metaconi.com

giving online

www.christianlightonline.com designated to Steven Dawson

Send checks to: designated to Steven Dawson

Christian Light Ministries

PO Box 23882

Jacksonville, FL 32241-3881

Headed back again!

2012-01-25T09:33:00.002-05:00

The orphanage in Haiti has received more funding to get started on the building again. God opened up heaven and poured out His blessings on Sherry and her kids. Now she is ready for Steve to return and help supervise the workers and help move the work forward. We thought it was going to be late Feb. into March but things are progressing much faster. She needs him to come ASAP. Once again we are asking for your help to fund his trip and expenses. We need heaven to open up on us to fill the void when he is not here working. You can give online but today is the deadline for us to get it in February. www.christianlightonline.com

YEAR END GIVING

2011-12-20T20:25:00.002-05:00

MISSION YEAR END GIVING: If you are looking for a place to make a year end donation, would you consider our mission work? We can give you info to our mission to help us as we help rebuild the school/orphanage in Haiti that was destroyed by the earthquake. You will receive a tax deduction for this year as long as it is postmarked by December 31. contact me for into.

Mission Calendar

2011-12-20T19:48:00.000-05:00

MISSION CALENDAR SALE: We have created a calendar highlighting our mission work in Venezuela and Haiti to supplement our support. If you would be interested in purchasing one leave a comment for details.

BUILDING NEEDED IN HAITI, NOW!!!!

2011-09-29T17:51:00.000-04:00

URGENT REQUEST FROM SHERRIE FAUSEY. Please read below. Sherrie needs this work done ASAP and she wishes for Steve to come to supervise the work and groups getting it done. We need the provision for him to do this.

"We will need our rooms on the roof sooner than expected. One of the rooms was to be for Wisnal & Yvoinette who were getting married in December. Both have lived on campus for a few years. Their parents are demanding that the marriage be moved up to Oct. 30. We don't have a room ready for them!!! Please keep this young couple in prayer. God will make a way.

My worker's problem is my problem. We are like a family with me being the mama. Please keep the wooden rooms to be built on the roof in prayer. We need them ASAP!!!!! It will cost about $5,000 per room and we need teams of Americans who can swing a hammer ASAP!!!!! We also need the funding ASAP!!!!

I will have Pastor Leny start the Haitian masons on the concrete posts for the roof as soon as I can. Then the Haitians can put up the tin roof. It will look much like the church roof in the picture. The outer wall will be of either concrete or wood. All the inner walls can be of wood. This way we can design the rooms to whatever size and shape fits our needs. We need 1 room finished by October 30th!!! God will make a way."

Recognizing God in the small everyday things

2011-08-10T21:29:00.002-04:00

How often do we get help from our Heavenly Dad and not notice it and give Him thanks and credit? This jumped out at me yesterday. I woke up with such and awful pain in my neck. You know, that kink that gets in there down the side of your neck into your shoulder. I knew I did not need this as I had a lot to do. It was around 3 a.m. and I could not get comfortable or pain free to go back to sleep. I started talking to Dad about it and asking Him to help the pain and help me go back to sleep. I tossed and turned. Prayed and complained. I tried different pillow positions and combinations. In frustration I took a deep breath and asked once more for help with the pain and flopped over on my back. I remember thinking how it wasn't feeling too bad in that position. Next thing I knew it was time to get up. I had fallen off to sleep and even woke up with the pain gone. I went about the morning and somewhere along the line heard that 'still small voice' asking me if my neck felt better now. 'Why yes, Lord, it does.' Then stopped in my tracks. 'YOU put that in my mind to lay in that position. And YOU took away my pain and I have not even said a single thank you!!!' His subtle reminder brought me to my senses to be more aware when our pleas are answered and not just give the credit to our amazing intelligence. After all Who gave us that intelligence? ALL things come from Him even the idea for a more comfortable position at night to ease a pain in the neck!

Tropical Storm Emily barrels towards fragile Haiti

2011-08-02T15:57:00.000-04:00

Tropical Storm Emily barrels towards fragile Haiti

FW: Flood in our ravine

2011-06-07T11:39:00.000-04:00

From: Sherrill Fausey [mailto:fausianno@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, June 07, 2011 11:11 AM
To: Sherrie Fausey
Subject: Flood in our ravine

Hello from flooded Haiti,

We had a terrible rainstorm last evening. It was not a tropical storm but many people died in floods and mudslides. EDH went out so we have no electricity everywhere except for the solar panels and generators. Praise the Lord for our solar panels!!!!!

I walked though our ravine area this morning where most of our children live. Some of them lost their possessions and some lost their homes. Children came to school is old clothes and barefoot because they lost everything. We can at least feed them.

We need to help the families of our students who lost homes and possessions in the flood. We will distribute whatever clothes & shoes we have. We are still assessing exactly what to do but we know they need help. A lot of help. Some are homeless. And another rain storm is headed this way.

Please pray for our people in the ravine as we try to help them.

God bless you,

Sherrie

Sherrie Fausey

Christian Light Foundation

PO Box 23881

Jacksonville, FL 32241-3881

Please be sure to include my name on any donations.

2011-04-23T22:09:00.001-04:00

The Day Jesus Died

2011-04-23T19:39:00.000-04:00

He thought he’d won

the devil smiled

And rubbed his hands with glee

The maker of the world was dead

Hanging on a tree.

“The world is mine

I own it ...now,

I finally won,” he cried.

He didn’t know he’d lost it all

The day that Jesus died---

Two days he smiled

His heart was light

Now man was his alone—

Then words that echoed

through the years,

turned his heart to stone

“For God so loved the world,

He gave His only Son to die—

But on the third day He would rise,

give man eternal life.”

That Sunday morn

He waited there

As darkness changed to light

Then terror seared his burning heart

And anguish filled his eyes…

The empty tomb—

He’s risen! It can’t be true,” he cried

He finally learned, he’d lost it all

The day that Jesus died…

By Velma Dawson Griffis

Flight travel woes

2011-04-11T10:13:00.000-04:00

Well, yesterday was to go off without a hitch but someone forgot to tell US Air that. We were to pick Sherrie Fausey up at Dulles airport at 5 p.m. and then bring her back to meet all our family and a few friends. She calls in the afternoon to tell us they switched her flight so she is coming in at 5:25. Half way down Interstate 66 we get a call from her that her flight is delayed for mechanical reasons. So we stop at a Sheetz to kill time people watching while we wait rather than turn around and come back home. By 6 p.m. her flight is completely cancelled and now she is on a flight arriving at midnight. so home we go. Then pick her up and this time that flight was early. She got in around 11:30. Her day started at 5 a.m. She was exhausted. Now today we are off to help her shop at EQUIPPING THE SAINTS. A great place for missionaries to find good 'experienced' items at bargain prices.

Support will be needed

2011-04-08T18:10:00.000-04:00

We will be looking for more full time supporters for prayer and financial needs. If you want to have a part in works all over the world use this address.

Steve and Theda Dawson

Christian Light Foundation

PO Box 23881

Jacksonville, FL 32241-3881

Please be sure to include our name on any donations.

http://www.christianlightfoundation.com/

Adventures with God

2011-04-08T15:45:00.000-04:00

You just never know what God is going to take you through. And sometimes it doesn't feel like you will make it through it but He always shows Himself real and takes you through. He shows His love in so many ways.
He is changing things around for us and we are excited and scared at the same time. We KNOW He will provide but often wish He would let us see a little farther down the road. We are stepping out to be a mission to missionaries. We will be doing whatever we can, wherever we can to help further the Gospel. Right now we are helping Sherrie Fausey, missionary to Haiti, gather items for her container. She is coming here to VA and we are taking her to a great place called EQUIPPING THE SAINTS to buy many items to go in the container.
Also going to the Green Valley Book Fair to find some books for her to replenish her library after the earthquake and its aftermath destroyed. Pray for us as we step out to do this. We plan this to be full time so we will depend on God and His people for support.

Shoefoot on Halloween

2011-01-10T14:54:00.000-05:00

Check out this link if you are on face book. Later I'll try to get the article posted on here.
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=124631917602341&id=157864507575029

Prayer and Praises June 10, 2010

2010-06-11T07:19:00.002-04:00

Hello from Haiti:

We have solar panels!!!!! Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!!! No more electricity problems!!!! First Southern Baptist Church in Liberal, Kansas bought everything for solar panels and shipped it to Haiti. They came Sunday to install everything.
We were concerned about it arriving on tine but it came out of customs on Tuesday. Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!!!

The electricians are also wiring the first wing and putting up ceiling fans in the classrooms and apartments. Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!!! This will make everyone much more comfortable as no one has air conditioning here.

Steve and his crew poured the concrete beams on the back wing. Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!!! The carpenter is putting up wood to pour the deck.

Summer school

has begun. The 7th grade boys have class each day to finish math and science. The orphanage children will be doing extra math books in English. They asked for summer school and cheered when I found the math books. Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!!!

We had a simple celebration for our Adult Literacy graduates this year. I don't know if we still have graduation gowns or not, but we have some wonderful graduates. Each graduate receives a Creole Bible - and now they can all read!!! Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!!!

Please continue to keep Haiti in prayer. Driving around we see many buildings being demolished by men with sledge hammers. These were schools & businesses & homes.

We also see crews of people working on roads & bridges, etc. so progress is being made. Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!!!

I will be flying to the USA on Wednesday. Please keep my travels in prayer. I will be on the road from place to place a lot.

God bless you,

Sherrie

FW: Prayer and Praises June 3, 2010

2010-06-03T20:22:00.002-04:00

Hello from Haiti:

Monday was the last day of school for this term. It was a fun day. We will have a small summer school. Of course, school lunches will continue all summer. Praise the LORD!!!!!!!!!

We had a simple little graduation for our Adult Literacy class. These are adults who never had a chance to go to school. They have learned to read in Creole. Each graduate will receive a Creole Bible. Praise the LORD!!!!!!!!!

We have our own transformer up on a pole. Praise the LORD!!!!!!!!! It will be connected soon to EDH - goverment electricity. We had been sharing a neighbor's transformer. This was difficult because we moved when we lost our building and the lines were too long. The school needs it's own transformer.

We lost most of the furniture for the orphanage in the earthquake. The group from World Mission built cabinets for the children to keep their clothes in. The group this week from CLF finished painting them and the children are using them. They sure keep the rooms much neater!!! Praise the LORD!!!!!!!!!

First Baptist Church in Jacksonville

sent funding and a couple men to build a housefor Mr. Renal, the old man who sweeps my yard. Some Virginia folks joined them to build a nice 2 room house. Praise the LORD!!!!!!!!!

Please keep the construction projects in prayer. We want everyone to stay safe while we build the back wing. The men are finishing my little apartment. Praise the LORD!!!!!!!!!

Please pray for a home for the orphanage. A school is not a home. I am still praying for the empty lot behind the school. May God's will be done.

Please continue to pray for Jared & Amanda, and Amy as they prepare to come full time. Please pray for Emily and Ross who will keep my children while I am away.

We still need teachers to come work alongside the Haitian teachers. For these children to succeed, they need both American and Haitian teachers. Is God calling you to a school year in Haiti?

God bless you,

Sherrie

FW: Prayer and Praises May 20, 2010

2010-05-20T21:57:00.000-04:00

From: Sherrill Fausey [mailto:fausianno@yahoo.com]
Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2010 8:27 PM
To: Sherrie Fausey
Subject: Prayer and Praises May 20, 2010

Hello from Haiti:

This has been an exciting week for us. We took 16 children ages 12 to 16 to Quisqueya Chapel for baptism. Ricardo accepted Jesus but was not able to go for baptism. Some were in the orphanage and some are students in the school. All are now Children of God. Praise the LORD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Work on the first wing has halted until we have more funding. Please pray for the construction. I really want to be able to get all the children back to school and in a classroom by the time school starts August 23rd.

Steve will be returning tomorrow (Friday) to work on the back wing. We are being presented with funding specifically for this project from Mission of Tears in Canada. This will help greatly. Praise the LORD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We went to Arcahaie on Monday with 9 people to see Dr. Kerry, an American eye doctor. Some, like Lorgens a child with very dry eyes, have eye problems needing medical attention. Others like Djeanise are nearsighted and need glasses. It was a great blessing to be able to get them help. Praise the LORD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My summer schedule is quite vigorous.

About June 17th go to jacksonville, Florida

June 20th - Rome, Georgia

June 27th PM - Windsor Baptist Church, Gainesville, Florida

July 4th - Good Family Reunion - Garden City, Kansas.

My uncle is having a middle school named after him - Horace G. Good Middle School. Yea!! Uncle Hoppy!

July 7th Hutchinson, Kansas

July 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, daily activities - Williamsport, PA

July 13th - Medway Community Church, Medway, Mass.

July 22 - Must be back in Port-au-Prince before the 23rd

A young man named Ross will be here for 2 months in June & July. I will be gone part of this time if possible. Please keep Ross in prayer. Jared plans to be here some of this time with a team from his church which will be a huge help to Ross. I would like to also have a Christian teacher here to help keep the children and supervise 2 or 3 small classes of summer school. Please keep all this in prayer.

Please pray for my stamina and health. My lungs never seemed to totally recover from breathing in all the concrete dust in the earthquake. I become fatigued very easily and there is so very much to do.

Also continue to pray for full time help here. The ministry is growing and producing fruit. We need the Lord of the Harvest to send full time workers into this field. The Lord is calling people who need to respond. It will be the hardest decision of their lives and result in the greatest joy and contentment.

Please keep Jared & Amanda in prayer as they make plans to come back full time.

Please keep Amy in prayer as she makes plans.

God bless you,

Sherrie

Sherrie Fausey

Christian Light Foundation

PO Box 23881

Jacksonville, FL 32241-3881

Please be sure to include my name on any donations.

http://www.christianlightfoundation.com/

Prayer & Praises May 3, 2010

2010-05-04T07:51:00.002-04:00

Hello from Shaky City:

We had another tremor today that chased everyone out of the building. It was only a 4.4 and only lasted 1 second but it keeps everyone on edge. Please pray for the tremors to stop. Everyone is so afraid to be inside buildings. Actually, I think the little tremors probably prevent big ones.

May God's will be done. After feeling about 50 aftershocks, I would still rather be in an earthquake with Jesus than anywhere out of the will of God.

I forgot to attach the picture of the truck with the taptap on back.

We took 21 teenagers to Quisqueya Chapel for church Sunday. Praise the Lord!!!!!!! Then Jared & Larry & Emily took them to the beach in the afternoon. They had a wonderful time. Praise the Lord!!!!!! The truck has also hauled a lot of concrete and steel and wood. Praise the Lord!!!!!!! Everyone is so happy about the blue truck!!!!

People have said, "How can we help? What do you need?" Well - I need people. I need someone who can supervise construction. Too many mistakes were made when I did not have a full time construction supervisor. Jared will be leaving so I need Steve Dawson to return to Haiti. You can help me by sending funding to Christian Light Foundation designated for Steve Dawson so he can come back. Please keep Steve in prayer.

I also need other people. I still need a full time school director, teachers for classrooms (in English), an office manager, a dietician/medical person, a librarian, etc. There is never enough help. Please pray for those the Lord is calling to this ministry.

We got a new child in the orphanage today. Rosemarline, our student, came to school in PreK as normal but no one picked her up. After school, she showed us her little backpack of clothes that Mama packed for her. The family is in desperate need. and Rosemarline is very skinny. We sent the family food last Friday but did not want to take away their child. Please pray for the people who lost jobs because of the earthquake. They need new jobs. Please continue to pray for Amanda and Jared Kostreva to come full time.

Yahoo decided I wanted a different version of their email. The new Yahoo is cumbersome - it takes more clicks to do the same thing. It is driving me crazy hunting for buttons they moved or disguised and that now don't always work. I did not choose it and don't know how to get back to the old kind. Please pray for my patience.

God bless you,

Sherrie

Upate from Sherrie Fausey on the work in Haiti

2010-04-09T14:13:00.001-04:00

Hello from Haiti:

Our yard is a very busy place. Everywhere you look in our yard there is someone building or doing some kind of work. Praise the LORD!!!!!!!!!!! Many thanks to all the wonderful people who have donated to help us recover from the earthquake. Many thanks to those of you who prayed for us. Every day the situation here improves in some way. Praise the LORD!!!!!!!!!!!

Jared and the orphanage boys built another stairway and are working on a shower for the cooks. Praise the LORD!!!!!!!!!!!
Steve has a crew getting ready to pour concrete over 2 rooms on the second floor. He has another crewputting stucco on the downstairs. Praise the LORD!!!!!!!!!!! Steve will be leaving for a few weeks, then we hope he will come back again.

Jared will be in charge of construction with Steve out of the country. Jared and Amanda are raising support to come as full time missionaries. We really need them here. People can donate to them at Christian Light Foundation. Write " for Jared Kostreva" in the memo on the check.

We had 3 teachers here to teach English and Bible studies to the orphanage children this week. They all had a wonderful time. Praise the LORD!!!!!!!!!!!

A pair of mechanics looked at our old truck and put it back together. Praise the LORD!!!!!!!!!!! One big problem was missing bolts to hold it together.
Please pray for our new truck. We have picked one out but the government is making paperwork very difficult. We cannot get the truck until it has a license plate. Please pray for the paperwork to be done.

Dr. Karen brought a medical team and worked with a medical team from Rainbow Baptist Church. They saw about 250 to 300 people each day. About 22 people accepted Jesus. Praise the LORD!!!!!!!!!!!

The team did a clinic at the Church on the Roof. The ravine walls are so steep that many houses fell on the house below or are a danger to the house below. Pastor Cenor asked for prayer for another place for the church - on flat land.

The team brought our very official looking Christian Light vests and caps. Wearing a vest or badge can open many doors to get help such as free rice for the school. They are very impressive!! Praise the LORD!!!!!!!!!!!
Dr. Karen did a minor surgery on my foot removing a plantar wart so I will be sitting down a lot for a while. I am so thankful to be able to get it done here. She is always so willing to help no matter how tired she is. Praise the LORD!!!!!!!!!!!

God bless you,
Sherrie

Posts from Pastor Jonathan Grooms who was in Haiti with Steve

2010-04-06T20:02:00.001-04:00

Day 3
What a joy it was to celebrate Resurrection Sunday in the country of Haiti. Because Jesus rose from the grave we can offer hope to the precious people of Haiti today. After breakfast this morning, Dr. Karen gave all of the orphan girls beautiful Easter bonnets to where to church. Soon after, we walked from the Christian Light School to Pastor Lenny's church. It was precious to watch all of our team members, plus Dr. Karen's team, walk down the narrow streets holding the hands of the little orphan boys and girls. They looked so beautiful all dressed up in their nicest clothes.
Pastor Lenny's church suffered damage from the earthquake so we met under two large tarps on their basketball court. The church was packed full of people. I would guess there more than 300 people in attendance. We were all very impressed with the deaf ministry they have at the church. We were told they minister to more than 200 deaf. The service began with a long time of singing praises to God. One of our team members said that they were so excited to participate in the worship service because they felt like even though they couldn't understand the words the Haitians were singing that she was still worshipping God along with them with all her heart. I will never forget the rest of my life when the invitation was given watching a deaf woman come to the altar and just pour her heart out to God. I wish I knew sign language so that I could understand what she was saying to God. She was so passionate about expressing her thoughts and feelings to God. It reminded me of how God wants us to come to Him all the time.
After the service we walked back to the school, but made a brief stop at Sherrie's home that was destroyed by the earthquake. As we were walking away from the compound Sherrie said, "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord". What a testimony of God's love and grace in her life. Sherrie has taught our team so much as she has shared many things that are on her heart with us. She many times breaks down in tears as she thinks about the pain that many of these orphans have been through. She is one of the most compassionate, loving people I have ever met. Please pray for Sherrie as she continues to direct and lead this school and orphanage. It is a huge responsibility.
When we got back to the school we had a delicious lunch and then had an Easter egg hunt for the children. They absolutely loved it. The look of excitement in their eyes was precious. They ran all over the yard looking for Easter eggs filled with candy. All of the children had a wonderful time. They also shared the Resurrection story with the children by using the Resurrection eggs. It is always a great sight to see the last egg opened up and nothing is in the egg, because it shows that the women arrived at an empty tomb early that early Sunday morning nearly 2,000 years ago.
After the Easter egg hunt we went out to the city to see some of the devastation to the presidential palace and other places as well. It is unbelievable to see the destruction that the earthquake caused to this city. Tonight we enjoyed some "milky" ice cream, spending time with the children and fellowshipping with each other.
As I am writing this, I can hear a local church singing "Blessed be your name… you give and take away… you give and take away.. my heart will choose to say… Blessed be your name"! It is only through the power of God's Spirit that the Haitian people can truly sing those words after realizing that nearly 1 in 10 people in this city died, and 2 in 10 people were severely injured.
We are really looking forward to what God has in store for us the next 4 days here in Haiti. Thanks for your continued prayers!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Amazing Day 4
It is 11:30pm at night and I continue to hear a group of people singing praises to the Lord. What a beautiful sound to hear as we lay in bed tonight.
Today was an absolutely amazing day as we ministered in many different ways and in many different places. Dr. Vance, Betsey, LB and Pam worked at the clinic along with the medical team from Florida. They saw around 300 patients today! Amazing!! The team even performed a minor surgery today. They worked hard all day long, giving of themselves so that the precious Haitians could be helped. The greatest report we heard from the medical team was that 7 Haitians gave their hearts to Christ.
Britney and Patience worked with the orphan children all day long. Some may think that they have the "easy" job this week, think again! They start around 7am and go all the way up to dinner, around 6pm, with only a very few breaks. I spent time tonight talking to both of them about their day and all I can say is that I am so proud of the two of them. With the little I got to watch their interaction with the children today, I was greatly impressed. Please pray for endurance for them the remainder of the week, and also that the children will be attentive and orderly.
Shannon worked with the construction team today. They were able to accomplish a lot. I saw Shannon painting chalkboards while others were preparing the forms on a new set of stairs that will be poured tomorrow. There is so much work that has been done, but still there is so much more to do.
Verne and I had an adventurous day with Pastor Cenor. We traveled on 4 different tap-taps to reach our destination near the Dominican Republic. A tap-tap is the normal mode of transportation for the Haitian people. You would almost have to see it, before you could believe how many people they can cram in a vehicle! We went to the "Love a Child" compound to check on Erica to make sure she and her brother are ok. She was the young girl whose arm was severely damaged that we helped in January. As many of you heard, Erica's mom, Karen, passed away last week. When we arrived Erica greeted us with a huge smile, a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Her smile was so beautiful. We loved on her and told her how sorry we were that her mom passed away. Her arm that was really damaged badly by the earthquake looked great. She can move it all around, as well as her fingers and thumb! We praise God for the doctors who helped her and our God who healed her!
God sent a woman (who is missing her leg) to take care of Erica and Kenny while they are at "Love a Child", until they are both placed in an children's home. Please pray that God would provide them a home where they will be loved and cherished.
So, as you can see, God is answering your prayers and the team is doing a fantastic job of loving on the Haitian people.
Tonight I received bad news that my grandfather, J.O. Grooms, passed away around 610pm. My heart is sad to know his time on earth is over, but I rejoice in the fact that He is in heaven with his Savior with no more pain or suffering.
God provided me a flight home so I will be heading home in the morning to attend his funeral service. Please pray for my family during this time.
The team is being left in great hands! I am excited to hear all that God will do through them the remaining 4 days of this mission work. Please continue to pray for them as often as God brings them to mind!!
I will continue to try my best to keep you updated on what takes place with the team each day. Thanks for reading our blog!
Posted by RFBC Missions Ministry at 1:01 AM 0 comments
Sunday, April 4, 2010

Prayer and Praises April 1, 2010

2010-04-01T16:47:00.001-04:00

Handing out clothing we and others sent.

Giving out shoes

lots and lots of rice

buiding the safety railing and stairs

tarps given out so Mr. Frenal can have school

dehydrated potatoes

lots of steel to make it safe

Hello from Haiti:

He is risen!

He is risen indeed!!!

I serve a risen Savior!, not a dead prophet!! Praise the Lord!!!!!

First - a huge THANK YOU to all the people who have worked so hard and given of yourselves to help us. We are overwhelmed at your goodness. You have blessed us over and over. Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!

I have been able to give about half my staff some money toward housing. Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!! Thank you for helping with this.

We received boxes of clothing and shoes, and school supplies and toiletry items and medicines and toys this week. I asked different staff members to sort and distribute on different days. The staff sent a lot of clothing home with the school children. It will fit someone in the family. Every staff member and school child received gifts at our Easter party. Thank you very much!!! Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!

We received a LOT of rice and peanut butter and dehydrated potato slices from Rays of Hope. This will feed a lot of people!!!! Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!

Steve and Jared are doing a wonderful job supervising construction. Jared is great with the children, especially the boys. Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!

We have begun working on the roof of the first wing. Work on the back wing is stopped waiting for the roof to be done on Wing #1. Having this roof will make things much dryer for the people sleeping in the Starlight hotel. It will provide classroom space in the future. Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!

Prayer requests:

Please continue to keep Jared & Amanda in prayer as they try to come full time. They still have difficult hurdles in front of them. I need the help now.

We still don't have our truck. We need it yesterday. We have selected one. The government has added new paperwork and regulations that make it harder to buy trucks now. Please pray for our blue truck.

Our Internet connection has been terrible. I have been trying to attach pictures for 5 hours. Sometimes we lose it and have to start over. Please pray for our Internet service.

God bless you,

Sherrie

Prayer and Praises March 20, 2010

2010-03-20T17:43:00.001-04:00

Hello from Haiti:

Steve and Jared are doing a great job with the construction and repairs. Many repairs have been done. The walls are going up on the back wing. We are working on wiring the first wing. Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!

Finishing these 2 wings is very important because we totally lost our 18 room main building. We only have 4 actually finished rooms and 6 partly-built rooms for 14 classes, school kitchen and storeroom, library, a pharmacy, an office, living space for 60 people, and visitor's dorms and kitchen. It is crowded and difficult.

Construction is coming to a slow down or a halt. We are ready to put the concrete roof on both the back wing and the second floor of the first wing. I do not have the funding to do this. Please pray for the funding to put roof on these 2 wings.

Please remember to put my name on any donations because only the funding designated to my personal account under my name is put in my account for me to use. This includes child sponsors, staff homes, construction, everything.

Many individuals and churches have donated to the re-construction efforts already. Praise the Lord!!!!!!!! Thank you very much. It has brought us very far.

Here is some of what we have done so far:

Cleaned broken walls, razor wire, and other hazards from yard

Built security wall around perimeter of property

Given assistance to neighbors

Begun assistance to staff to replace personal belongings and homes, this is not finished

Construction - foundation, walls and repairs

Pay construction team of Haitian workers

Finishing inside first classroom wing

Working on getting electricity to first classroom wing

Built stairways to second floor, starting second stairway

Restored Internet connection

Replaced lost and damaged supplies

Purchased food supplies for 200 eating here

Medical care, especially hospital care

Truck repairs and more repairs

Safety rail for second floor walkway

Immediate needs

Purchase truck

Purchase cement mixer

Roof on 10 rooms

The safety rail has been put up. Praise the Lord!!!!!!!! It is not quite finished.

The team of substitute teachers from Georgia and New Jersey say teaching is hard work! They did very well with the children,. Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!

God bless you,

Sherrie Fausey

REVIVAL IN HAITI

2010-03-12T22:12:00.002-05:00

People are still turning to God in Haiti!

Prayer and Praises March 4, 2010

2010-03-10T15:24:00.002-05:00

Steve checking the work.

foundation being dug

mission needs a new truck. praying for one like this or the one below

Hello from Haiti,

Thank you very much to the many people who have generously supported this ministry in this time of need. You are wonderful. And several people have said they would help my staff with homes. This is so wonderful. Thank you thank you thank you!!!!!

Dr. Karen McCarthy had a medical team in this week. They say about 1,200 patients, some were very sick. This was a big blessing to the people. Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!!

The construction is moving along. The foundation has been hard because of huge rocks. They finally decided the rocks could be part of the building. The rebar iron is being bent.

Mr.Dieusel is making the safety rail for the upstairs walkway.Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!!

A mason is finishing the walls in a classroom. When he moves out, the painters come in, then the tile man. Then we have a nice room and the class can come back. Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!! In the meantime, we have 2 classes in the big tent where the older boys sleep.

We had boxes of clothes from Windsor Baptist, Providence School, and Theda's women's group. Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!! I wanted them put out after school for the teachers to sort to give to students the next day, but there was a misunderstanding and all the teachers and students were at the boxes sorting. Jolly pandemonium.

We received some tarps to give out. Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!!

Prayer Requests:

We need a bigger stronger truck. I took some pictures today while waiting for Edmond to change a flat tire.

Edmond's wife is due to have her baby in March - it is March.

We need strength and stamina. There is just so much to do.

Full time help in the ministry. Jared will be coming soon. A teacher is considering coming for a year. I need full time help.

God bless you,

Sherrie

Steve's birthday

2010-03-04T21:16:00.002-05:00

Today Steve turned 60. He is a long way from home but they made him feel at home. The children made him cards and brought them to him off and on all day. They had fun and a cake for him. Family from here called or sent him messages. Hopefully he felt loved on his special day.

Celebrity visits MAF hangar in Haiti

2010-02-28T17:56:00.002-05:00

Han Solo gets a little help from local missionaries.
For many years, Mission Aviation Fellowship serviced us with air support in Venezuela . The below article is borrowed from MAF.

Film star Harrison Ford (left) studies a map of Haiti on the wall of MAF's hangar office as MAF pilots John Munsell (center) and Jason Krul (right) provide Ford with a briefing on the area and Port-au-Prince airstrip. The actor, acclaimed for his iconic roles in films, including the “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” blockbuster movie series, flew one of his aircraft loaded with medical supplies and volunteers from Los Angeles to Haiti for a humanitarian mission. Ford visited MAF facilities twice during his recent visit to Haiti.

MAF Pilots Brief Acclaimed Actor, Provide Airstrip ChartPORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – MAF pilots recently provided acclaimed actor Harrison Ford with an airstrip chart of the Port-au-Prince airport and offered him a personal briefing at the MAF hangar.Ford told MAF the information its pilots provided helped him in his humanitarian mission to relieve suffering following the Haiti earthquake.

Ford flew from Los Angeles into the capital city’s airport in his own aircraft loaded with medical volunteers and supplies to help earthquake-stricken Haiti.“MAF is honored that an international celebrity such as Ford visited our post at the Port-au-Prince airport,” said MAF President John Boyd. “We commend him for his selfless humanitarian work.”

Ford, 67, is among the most successful film artists in history. His roles have included Han Solo in “Star Wars” movies, the title role in “Indiana Jones” adventure films, and as CIA official Jack Ryan in screenplays based on author Tom Clancy’s military novels.

The award-winning actor flew the supplies and team in his Cessna 208 Caravan to assist Operation Smile's relief effort in Fond Parisien, a community in central Haiti.While at Haiti’s main airport, Ford learned of MAF and asked the MAF staff to brief him on the area and the airstrip. MAF pilots John Munsell and Jason Krul provided the actor with a briefing and an airstrip chart. Ford stopped by the hangar a second time to thank MAF for the airstrip chart, said John Woodberry, MAF disaster response/security manager.During his visit, Ford also flew medical teams in his airplane into the central Haiti town of Hinche and piloted other flights into Santo Domingo, capital of the neighboring Dominican Republic.Ford, who is also a helicopter pilot, is a noted philanthropist and has used his aircrafts in mountain rescue operations.

But I do wonder...
Is Ford's plane perhaps named 'The Millennium Falcon'????

NEWS FROM VENEZUELA-JOE AND MILLIE'S NEWSLETTER

2010-02-25T19:37:00.001-05:00

7. THOUGH I WALK IN THE MIDST OF TROUBLE, thou shalt revive me: thou shalt
stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies and thy right
hand shall save me.

8. The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy O Lord,
endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.
Psalms 138:7-8

Dear Co-laborers in Christ,

Psalm 138 has been blessing our hearts in these days and especially the 7th
and 8th verses. For truly we have seemed to be walking in trouble these
last days and months. So many unforseen problems and trials to try our
souls but like the Psalmist says, He shall revive us. He will hold all of
our enemies at bay and He will perfect that which concerneth us.

We do appreciate all of the financial help that you give and all of the
prayers that go up to the Throne of God on our behalf. We know that the
prayers of
God's Saints are what keeps us here and keeps us able to function. We thank
you each on and we thank God for each one of you!

Well, we are in the countdown now as Joe approaches his 90th birthday. He
has three more days until the 28th and since there is no February 29th this
year he will celebrate it on the 28th. He is in good spirits and is still
able to get up each day and dress and sit in his favorite chair in the main
part of the house most of the day. He does take a lot of catnaps but all in
all for his age and condition he is doing well. We thank and praise the Lord
for this.

We are still without our electric plant here in Cosh as it still needs a
water pump. Mike ordered one and it came and was put on some time ago but a
flange which did not come with it and which was not in really good shape
caused the new water pump to tear up in just 2 days and that is where we
find ourselves now. The plant still down, another water pump ordered plus
flange but we are still waiting on getting the part here. This leaves us
without the big plant to be able to use our appliances (washers and dryers)
as well as the fact that all our water comes from a well drawn out of the
ground by an electric submergible pump. Thank the Lord Mike has a smaller
plant that he uses to pump water once a day for this whole place plus the
village needs so when the water is on we all spend a good bit of time
filling up every bucket, container, pot, pan, can, etc. etc. that we can
get our hands on and store that water for our daily use. Then I fill my two
kitchen sinks and wash all the clothes that Joe and I used the day before
and take one day of the week to wash the sheets, towels etc. These I hang
out on the fence in the back yard and the blistering tropical sun dries them
in short time. We have a small electric plant that we run about 4 hours in
the morning and 2 in the night which we use to keep our batteries up to par
and keep our freezers and fridges going so as to keep perishables from
spoiling. So even though it is a lot of hard work and time consuming we are
still able to keep going and do what has to be done.

My dear old lady friend, Louisa who was the wife of the old headman of the
village, Old Luis, comes pretty regularly to visit with me and I look at her
and realize just how fortunate I am in my old age. She is so sad and so
neglected. I made her a new dress the other day and she was so happy when
she put it on. She said, "I'm so glad to get this nice, new clean dress.
Look here at this old rag I've been wearing", and she shook the dirty old
dress that she had taken off which in reality was and old cotton night gown
I had given her sometime ago. Then she said. "You know, my children say,
'Mother why should you want a new dress? You're so old and so dirty. A new
clean dress would be wasted on you.'

I thought about how much love and good attention my children all give us and
I felt like crying for her. I hugged her and told her. "You know, just
because we get old doesn't mean we have to be dirty and wear dirty clothes.
We still like to be clean and look nice just as much as anyone."

She hugged me back and smiled through her tears and said, "Yes, you're
right. We don't like being dirty and smelly."

Now I am making a new dress for the other old lady in the village who also
comes to my door regularly for a handout and is also very old and very
dirty. She is the lady that I refer to in my book as "Baby Killer".

I've been giving these old ladies clothes down through the years but now
with not getting back to US and with groups not coming as they used to it is
hard for me to find things to give them. But even though I now have to sew
these dresses up by hand I'm going to try and keep them in a decent dress to
wear.

My two Math students have now multiplied to 5 and they seem to really be
enjoying studying their Math. They are Joshua and his brother Alexis,
Elvis, Cristobal and his brother Mequisale. I enjoy grading their books and
putting more math in for them to do the next day and try and stick Bible
verses throughout the notebooks as I add the Math. Since I can no longer
teach school as there is a government school here I can still teach these
boys. They are not students as they are too old for the School here. So no
one can fault me for interfering with the school.

Bautista still comes regularly to see Joe to sit and talk with him about the
Lord and the Scriptures and about the old days and all that went on. He too
is getting old and needs prayer for his continued health. He still works
hard in his garden.

Faith and Sharon are such blessings to us as they do so much for us in
making bread, cooking our lunch, and just being near-by when we need a
helping hand. Mike is run off his feet with all that has to be done here
plus having to run to Esmeralda so often to try and find a little more
gasoline. Keila is teaching preschool and keeps very busy also. So we will
all appreciate your prayers in these days as never before. God bless you
each one!

Until Christ Comes,

Joe and Millie Dawson

TREMORS CONTINUE

2010-02-24T22:49:00.003-05:00

Sherrie reports they are still having tremors. One as bad as 4.7. She says the people are still very fearful of buildings and won't sleep inside. Many of their buildings are unsafe anyway.
I will have to remember to ask Steve how he liked his first earthquake when next I talk to him. Please keep praying for his safety and physical strength for the work he has to do.

2010-02-21T15:03:00.005-05:00

HOMEWARD BOUND
The last day of a mission trip is always a mixture of emotions. Your exhausted body is ready for a hot bath, a big glass of ice tea, and your own bed. You can't wait to hug your loved ones and you wonder how you will ever explain the events of the week to them. Your heart aches each time you think of the work that still needs to be done. You look around and see the faces of the children, the teachers, and the incredible missionaries who are staying behind and you almost feel guilty about leaving. You hold the children close and promise you will be back soon. You make a mental note of the things you need to bring back with you on your next trip. You begin to give away your supplies and even your clothes from the week....no need to carry them back when they can be of such use here. The extra snacks will be a real treat for the teachers and kids.
Our mission team conducted one last medical clinic Saturday morning and then began to pack up the supplies. They will be stored and ready for the next team in - Dr. Karen McCarthy will be returning next week . Jim treated our group to lunch at Epi D'or, a restaurant in Port au Prince that serves some "American food" (i.e. hamburgers and french fries). Believe me, everyone is ready for that about now! Sherrie and Dorothy, our missionaries in Port au Prince joined them for a time of great fellowship and bonding. The team then went to Dorothy's place for the afternoon for a heavy dose of love with her precious children. Dorothy runs an infant rescue home where she cares for severely ill babies and toddlers. It is truly a place of ongoing miracles! For more information on Dorothy's minisitry, Faith Hope Love Infant Rescue, go to http://dorothypearcehaiti.blogspot.com/ After lots of hugs and playtime with the kids, the team headed back to the school to pack their personal belongings. The doctors had to go back to Karen's house to monitor a lady who was in labor. She will have to be taken to the hospital for a caesarean delivery.

One member of the team, Steve Dawson, will be staying in Port au Prince for the next two months. Steve is a great construction and handy man, and his continued work will be a real blessing with the rebuilding of Christian Light Ministries.

Please keep Steve and his family in your daily prayers.

One of the highlights of the work at the clinic today was being able to assist an 8 year old girl with cerebral palsy. Her mother had to carry this young girl dangling on her back wherever she went. Before they left the clinic, the team gave this family their very own wheelchair. The nurses strapped the young girl in and then lovingly covered her legs with a beautiful pink blanket that some third graders had made as their love offering for a chld in Haiti. What a privilege to be able to make such a difference in the life of this young girl and her family. One life at a time, one heart at a time, love heals and renews spirits.

There are many real life heroes in Haiti right now, but I would like to recognize and thank two of them at this time. Karen Bultje is from Canada has been living and working in Haiti since 1996. Her humanitarian work focuses on helping handicapped/medical needs children find care. Karen has graciously turned her courtyard into an ongoing medical clinic for our teams since the earthquake and tirelessly tranpsorted both supplies and volunteers. May God bless you richly, Karen, as you make a difference in Haiti. To learn more about Karen's work in Haiti, check out her blog at http://www.haiticoramdeo.blogspot.com/ .

The second person I would like to thank is Kathy Brooks of Much Ministries in Georgia. Kathy's love for Haiti is contagious and she and her husband, Beaver, are largely responsible for the effectivce system of food and supply distribution at Christian Light Ministries. Beaver was one of the first people to get to our missionaries in Haiti after the earthquake (also after the mudslides in Gonaivies in 2008). Kathy followed close behind to relieve Sherrie Fausey in running the Christian Light Ministries school and orphanage so that Sherrie could return to the states for a time of emotional and physical healing. It was under Kathy's watchful eye and leadership that the school property began to operate as a base camp for food, medical and supply distribution. I love the image of our petite Kathy sitting in the cab of a large UN truck leading a convoy of trucks filled with much needed food and supplies to our property for distribution. Thank you Kathy for your can-do attitude and enthusiastic belief that all things are possible with God. To learn more about Kathy and Beaver Brooks ministry, Much Ministries, check out http://muchministries.org/haiti/.

2010-02-20T16:24:00.002-05:00

Every patient has a need. Every patient has a story. It is so hard to see the needs and know that you do not have the power to change the circumstances of their daily lives. This week a severely malnourished baby was brought in by his grandmother. He was dehydrated and starving and the team of nurses fed and cared for him all day. Today his mother brought him back very sick again. It was obvious that he had not been fed or cared for these past few days. Once again, the team of nurses lovingly nurtured him back to a stable point. The doctor warned the family that this baby would be dead within two weeks if they didn't change their care for him. The team asked them to leave the baby in the care of the missionaries until he could stabalize and they would teach the parents how to properly care for him. They refused and once again carried the child away. The Canadian nurses who had cared for the baby shared their concerns and broken hearts with the rest of the team, knowing that this child's chances of survival are slim. These are the visions that haunt you when you get home. Attached is a picture of a similar precious baby we met on my first mission trip to Haiti in 2008 that was taken to Dorothy's for help and attention. Dorothy takes in the sickest of infants and nurtures them back to health until they can be returned to their families with a fighting chance. These are the faces that call for your return.Ms Sherrie's Little Angel feeding program is designed to stop and prevent this type of malnutrition. Feeders go out each day to the homes in the ravine slum area and give infants vitamins, baby food, Plumpy Nut, and high energy biscuits. Before the earthquake, they were feeding 45 babies and toddlers; now they are feeding over 300....and there are so many more in need. Let's continue to send money to Christian Light Foundation for this program and to hold up these workers each day in prayer.The team will be working the medical clinic all Saturday morning and then packing everything up in the afternoon for their return home Sunday morning. Please keep them in your prayers during this last day with our friends in Haiti. May God be lifted up.

A POST FROM JIM HAMBRICK

2010-02-20T09:21:00.003-05:00

Jim was determined to find Erica, the little girl that took his heart on his last visit as he carried her to the hospital outside the Dominican Republic. He had held her hand, cried and prayed with her as she endured surgery with no anesthesia on her mangled arm. He drove back to the hospital to find that she had been released and no one knew where she was. After many hours of investigative work, he learned that Erica had been taken to a refugee camp/rehab area where she and her mother and young brother were living in a tent. Visions of Erica sitting dejected with an amputated arm filled his head, and he continued to seek her out throughout the tents at the camp. She was in "school" and came running with outstretched arms and a huge smile to hug her new hero. The doctors had performed skin grafts from her leg and saved her arm. She was even able to wiggle her fingers for him! Tears of joy flowed freely as they clung to each other - love has no language barrier. Jim's grandchildren (Christian and Aliya) each send one of their favorite toys with Jim on every trip as their love offering to the Haitian children. Jim presented Erica with a little toy dog tht wiggles and barks. She laughed hysterically and clung to the dog as her new treasure - a trophy of survival, love, and her new friendship. The doctors won't let Erica leave the refugee camp/rehab area until they know that her family has a tent or place to live in PA. This is much easier said than done. Jim gave the family some money and told them he would continue to pray for them and check on them. Erica's smiling face and restored arm will remain in all of our hearts as a symbol of hope and Christ's love shining forth through the work of these mission teams.

Posting from Donna from the group

2010-02-19T07:38:00.005-05:00

And the rains came pouring down....
Good morning faithful friends in Christ,Did you sleep safe and warm last night?How blessed we are to be able to cuddle up in a warm soft bed protected from the elements. There are so many that did not have that privilege, including our beloved mission team. Torrential rains poured down on them all night. They sleep on mattresses strewn on the concrete second floor of the school covered by a makeshift leaky tin roof that was just added. As the rains poured in and they huddled for warmth and protection, no one complained because they knew they were the lucky ones. They had some form of covering over them, while thousands lay sleeping nearby totally exposed or covered only by a drenched sheet. Many silent tears fell as the reality hit hard of what trials our precious Haitian friends face on a daily basis. It is rainy season now in Haiti, and a whole new challenge arises as the ground turns to filthy mud. Karen Butjke reported up to six inches of mud in the tent cities today, the perfect breeding ground for future disease and illness.

The medical clinic saw 133 patients yesterday while Jim and Steve began constructing hand rails across the second floor of the school building in hopes of preventing a disastrous future fall. The weather cleared long enough for the men to play a game of basketball with some of the young Haitians after the clnic. It was a great way to release the tensions of a long day, and I understand that several of the younger boys gave them some valuable lessons!

Travel plans have changed once again as they try to work with the ongoing chaos of airport traffic. The commercial flights still aren't flying into Port-au-Prince, so the team will have to fly back on a small 7-seater private plane that is now scheduled to depart on Sunday. Jim is dreading getting back on a small plane in this weather, but is thankful that they have a way home while so many others are stranded. The rest of their luggage and supplies still hasn't arrived, and it looks like it may be Saturday before they will have access to unpack it.

Debbie has fallen in love with a new little girl at the orphanage. Nadeje was brought to the clinic this week by her grandfather for treatment of pink-eye and a bad cold. This precious two year old weighs about 15 pounds and is so malnourished that she can hardly walk . Her grandfather told the interpreter that he needed help as Nadege's mother has 3 other children and is pregnant again. Knowing that they can't provide proper nutrition and care for Nadeje, he asked if the school could please take her in. The doctors gave her worm medicine and treated her eye, and Sherrie agreed to make room for her at the compound. They have surrounded her with love for the past two days and she seems to be doing better. Debbie cried at the thought of a grandparent having to give up a beloved grandchild to total strangers in order to give her a chance of survival. The heartbreaking stories of loss never stop in Haiti. Right across from the now destroyed Providence guest house where we stayed on past mission trips, five people are still buried under rubble. A family member cries that no one will dig them out despite her continuous pleas. She is one of thousands that remain in limbo as they daily have to look at the crumbled concrete sealing in the bodies of their crushed loved ones. These bodies all have a name, a family, and a life story. There is no closure....just ongoing pain for these family members. There is still so much work to be done. We must keep praying and sending help. We must not grow hard to this tragedy in progress. I thank God for those who continue to respond to the call of Haiti. I thank God for the families and prayer warriors who stand behind them here at home. I thank God for going before us on these trips and for His mercy. I thank God for the power of prayer.

RAW EMOTIONS, REALITY AND REPAIRS

2010-02-18T08:17:00.005-05:00

Thursday, February 18, 2010
Raw Emotions, Reality and Repairs
It was the first full day at work for our mission team yesterday.
They saw over 150 patients in the medical clinic. There was
much less chaos at the clinic this time as they were able to return to the effective "Ticket" Patient Processing System. A set number of tickets are given out in the morning and patients move from station to station like a well oiled machine. Interpreters (often Sherrie's students) assist at every station. Intake first - name, blood pressures, vital statistics, recap of problem. Then on to see the doctor for a diagnosis followed by a visit to the meds station. With less earthquake trauma injuries, there are more of the "routine diagnosis" being made - i.e. pneumonia, blood clots, cancer, malaria, malnutrition, tuberculosis, worms, HIV, bronchitis, wide open cuts, etc. . But sometimes these diagnosis are the most frustrating and emotional for the physicians and nurses - again and again you witness
severe illnesses and pending death that could have been so easily prevented with a simple pill or
proper medical attention in the United States. The lady who is nine months pregnant with a serious blood clot in her leg - the cries of the starving infant - the death rattle in the chest of the frail man - the film coating the blinded eye. Tonight Dr Marty hung his head in discouragement as he shared the story of the interpreter who refused to tell the lady that she had only 6 months
to live due to the cancer that had filled her breast and taken over her lymph nodes. The interpreter shook his head and said he couldn't/wouldn't tell her - "no hope" - "no hope". She left not knowing what her true diagnosis was or what lay ahead of her. I will say it again......Haiti changes you forever. There are no words to describe the poverty, disease, loss, and filth that these people live in every day. You return home overwhelmed at the need and appalled at how much we take for granted in our every day lives here. Please hold the hearts of these team members up in prayer as they experience this time of raw emotion and frustration. This is the shadow side of Haiti, but then there is the light.....

Just as your heart is breaking, God gives you a ray of hope and reminds you that He is still in control. The sound of beautiful praise songs will fill the air, the wide grin of a child delighted with the simplest of treats, the tight hug of a patient who is overwhelmed at the personal care and attention of a 5 minute doctor visit, the tears of a soul who has just understood the concept of salvation and hope in our Lord, the orphan who clings to your neck hungry for just one more minute of your love. Jim cried as he told of purchasing two large French Study Bibles today for Pastor Cenor and his head elder. These grown men wept and jumped up and down. waiving their arms in celebration, and singing praises of Thanksgiving. Jim said the men stayed buried in the word of God throughout the long ride back to the school. With the spiritual revival going on in Haiti, Bibles are one of the most desired items. There are no Creole bibles available right now, so Jim purchased over 250 small French bibles to be passed out to those hungry for the Word of God. I look around and see at least 10 Bibles throughout my home, many that haven't been opened for years. Lord, please give me a renewed appreciation and hunger for your holy word.

Steve is working hard building wooden coverings for the outdoor classrooms to protect the children from the rain and glaring sun. The signs of restored life are popping up everywhere in our base camp. Outside shower stalls and toilets, cleared rubble, rebuilt walls, installed security gates, classrooms in progress, and constant deliveries of food and supplies to be distributed in the area. A sense of hope and the power of our God shines forth in the darkness. We can not become complacent. We can not forget these precious people. We can not stop giving of our time, talents, money, and energy. We can not stop praying. God is at work. I pray that each of us will continue to grow spiritually as we stand in the gap for our missionary teams in Haiti.

Postings from Donna, sister to one of the team, Jim Hambrick

2010-02-17T16:55:00.002-05:00

Wednesday, February 17, 2010
ON THE GROUND
Good morning friends,

Our team is safely on the ground and ready to start work this morning at 7:00. Jim says our prayers are already working!Despite being told they could carry only 50 pounds each of personal luggage on Tuesday, they were able to get 700 pounds of critical medical supplies into Haiti yesterday and the remaining 1400 pounds will be flown in this week. Yea God!

The team had an extremely bumpy four hour flight into Port-au-Prince on a small six seater plane. The small plane had to fly at a very low elevation and there were a lot of prayers going up from the plane as they traveled through some significant weather storms. Once they landed and found their stomachs again, they began setting up the clinic to be held on our dear friend Karen Butje's property starting this morning. As soon as the word got out that the doctors were there, people began bringing patients. What a blessing it is to be able to bring these medical teams right to the people!

We need to keep the team in our prayers as they try to offer medical assistance to as many people as possible in conditions that are still very tough. Rainy season has started in Haiti and it brings it's own challenges even without the earthquake devastation. Despite many hard hours of volunteer work, the living quarters are still very primitive and the medical challenges are many.

The power of prayer is powerful, and your role as prayer warriors is critical. Thank you so much for your continued support for these teams. Your encouragement and love make all the difference.

Have a blessed day!

Donna
Posted by Donna Tyson at 5:10 AM 0 comments
Monday, February 15, 2010
HERE WE GO AGAIN!
Praying friends,

As promised, another dedicated team of volunteers is heading to Port-au-Prince today to offer medical assistance and construction labor to the Christian Light Ministries school and orpahanage and the surrounding Haitian neighborhood. The team consists of two physicians,two nurses, two laborers and a team of Canadian nurses who will be joining them on site.

The team has already faced considerable challenges in their travel plans. They have had two different domestic flights cancelled to date and are now heading to Fort Pierce where they will fly out on a MAF flight at 6:00 a.m. tomorrow. Plans have been made for a private jet to pick them up next week to bring them home.

Sherrie Fausey, the director of the Christian Light Ministries school, reports that the security wall and entry gates are now complete. A stairwell has been built to the open second floor "Starlight Hotel" where our team will be sleeping under the stars. The courtyard has been cleared of all the rocks and razor wire now and there are a lot less injuries to the children and dogs on a daily basis. The teachers have returned and they have reopened the school in the open courtyard. There are currently 42 children attending class. All the students are receiving two meals a day, medicines and vitamins. Sherrie says most of her teachers lost their homes and are sleeping on the ground in tents now. They are exhausted and Sherrie is sending out a plea for a well organized team of teachers to come for Spring Break and give the teachers the week off to recoup. Let's hold that request up in prayer.

The Christian Light Ministry property is serving as an important base for the disbursement of critical food, medical attention and supplies to the surrounding community. The larger aid organizations have been quite impressed with our effective system for providing much needed help to mass numbers of Haitians, and they are now delivering supplies directly to the school property. With the help of local ministers and volunteers, we are now serving over 2000 meals a day and continuously distributing tents, clothes, and medical assistance. Addiitonally about 150 Little Angels are being fed nutritional supplements. Thank you God for providing a way to get these donated items directly to the people in need.

Miracles continue to abound! This weekend, the Prime Minister of Haiti accepted Christ on Friday and openly proclaimed it on public radio. He called for a National Day of Prayer for Haiti. Sherrie reports that Haiti is experiencing a huge spiritual revival with 90% of the population fasting and praying for three days. The churches are packed and people are gathering in prayer and praise in the streets! The government had the people march around the fallen palace seven times just like Joshua and Jericho! Yes the Walls are Down! Normally at this time of year, the country is partying hard in celebration of Mardi Gras,, but now they are crying out to God to restore their country. Please continue to pray for Haiti and that God will sweep over their desolate nation and pour down His grace. Only a miracle can restore such devastation.

I will be updating this blog early each morning with a report and pictures from Jim. While there will not be an official 24 hour prayer chain in place for this trip, we do ask that everyone take time to pray for the safety and anointed work of this team every day. There is no greater power than that of earnest prayer.

Thank you for standing in the gap with me as our mission teams serve as the hands and feet of Jesus in Haiti.

In His Love,

Donna
Posted by Donna Tyson at 2:36 PM 1 comments
Sunday, February 14, 2010

IN HAITI

2010-02-16T21:20:00.002-05:00

Steve and the group flew from Ft. Pierce, Florida this morning early with Mission Flight International. All of us back here miss him already. Ryley the dog has been looking out the window for him this afternoon. But we are on a journey for the Lord and know His blessings will come from our obedience. We will do what we can from this end.

As I hear any updates I will post them. He doesn't do email but I am sure we will hear about him from others.

Please continue to pray for safety and physical strength to handle all he will see and encounter. Also for the work ahead.

REVIVAL!!!

2010-02-14T17:49:00.002-05:00

Hello from joyous Haiti:

We have been hearing rumors that President Preval said on the radio on Friday that he has become a Christian. Wisnal told me he heard the president say this on the radio. Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!!!

In Haiti that means to accept Jesus as his Savior and turn away from Voodoo which in Haiti may mean turning away from the Catholic Church. The reason for this is that Voodoo and Catholic are so deeply entwined in Haiti that it is hard to separate one from the other. Even one of the Catholic popes refused to accept Haitian Catholics because of their involvement in Voodoo.

90% of Haitians are fasting and praying and seeking the Lord for 3 days. Everything is closed. Churches are so full you can't get everyone inside. People are singing and praying all day long. Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!

Haiti is having REVIVAL!!!!!!

God bless you,

Sherrie Fausey

TRAVELING

2010-02-14T08:21:00.001-05:00

Today is the day. We are taking Steve to Roanoke to meet up with a team of doctors that are also headed to Haiti. They will then drive to FL where they will fly with Mission Flight International. They will arrive in Haiti Tuesday morning.

COUNT DOWN TO LEAVING

2010-02-09T16:48:00.003-05:00

Well, it is official. Ticket is now in hand. Steve will be leaving from Dulles airport on Monday, February 15, in the afternoon. He'll have a long night layover at JFK in New York. He will there meet up with some folks from the Roanoke area. Tuesday morning 2 more people will join them at JFK and then all of them will travel on to Haiti. He is looking forward to being used by God in this way.

Please pray for their travel safety. Please pray for the provision we need. Pray for us being separated for two months at a time.

Sherry's update- Feb 2, 2010

2010-02-02T21:32:00.001-05:00

Hello from Haiti,

Things are still very chaotic here but we can see that is is becoming more organized. Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!!!

Mike, the nice construction guy from Georgia, has done a wonderful job with our Haitian construction workers. They have finished most of the security wall. They are building a latrine so the bathroom problem will be solved. They are starting steps to the second floor which will make working on the building much easier. It will also help the Americans sleeping in the "Starlight Hotel." Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!!!

Mike is supervising Haitian construction workers. This gives the men jobs which means they have a paycheck to feed their families. The Haitian men actually do very good work and they know what systems work in Haiti. Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!!!

The Starlight Hotel is our many star accommodations for teams. Basically, they sleep on the second floor of the construction site "under the stars." The night sky is very beautiful.
Anyone coming to Haiti needs to realize that the conditions here are very difficult. We are trying to get real bathrooms instead of the bucket they have been using, but there is no water to flush except carrying buckets of water up the steps. It is not the Hilton.

For a while we need to limit teams to urgent needs. The conditions are just too difficult to have very many people here doing various activities. We are still trying to sort out the materials we rescued from the 18 room building that was destroyed in the earthquake. We are crowded from having 28 rooms to 10 rooms. Only 4 of the 10 rooms have electricity, tile floors, etc.

School is going as well as can be expected under current conditions. Many classes meet under a tarp in the yard. The 4 actual rooms all have 2 classes each plus mixed up storage boxes. But a VERY WONDERFUL THING!!!!! I FOUND THE 6TH GRADE TEST REGISTRATION PAPER!!!!! Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!!! Without that, they would have had to repeat 6th grade because they could not take the state exam. The education department seems to have lost all their paperwork so they took a copy of our registration paper. God is soooooo good!!!!!

Supplies are coming in for each distribution day. We never seem to have a lot, but always have enough. Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!!!

God bless you,
Sherrie

Count down to leaving

2010-02-01T21:17:00.002-05:00

We showed some of the photos of the devastation at our church yesterday. They are planning to help take up supplies that are needed and to help financially so Steve can go be there for 2 months at a time.

It is hard to believe it is going to happen. It is hard being apart for that long but God wants him there. And we believe he is to go alone. We also both have peace about the whole thing. We know that the 2 months will go fast. Then he'll be home for a month or so and then go back. He will continue this until God says he is done there.

The needs there are so great. They are struggling to find food and water. They need tents to sleep in. Most buildings are damaged in some way it sounds like. The people are afraid to stay in them. It is very understandable after all they have been through.

Will Haiti ever be the same? Will lives be put back together? Only God knows and with His help we will do all we can.

2010-01-30T10:24:00.000-05:00

Count down to leaving

2010-01-28T17:45:00.005-05:00

Steve is planning to head to Haiti with the next group going down. The next group is planned for around the 13th of February. The plan is for Steve to stay down between groups to keep the rebuilding going working with the Haitians. He may be gone for as long as two months at a time. He will then come back to rest and renew for a few weeks to return and continue the work.

If you would commit to being a prayer warrior leave a comment to let us know you are standing with us. We will keep you updated as to how things are shaping up support wise and preparations for leaving. Then as word can get out from Haiti we will keep you posted on how things are progressing with the work.

Prayer list:
needed support for travel and living expenses
materials needed for building
needs met for the Haitian people
more to come to Christ through this trial

Back home

2010-01-26T21:37:00.002-05:00

Steve has spoken to Jim Hambrick and the team is back on American soil. Many emotions are flowing as Jim tells us in his note below. It looks like the next trip going down will be February 13.

Steve will be in that trip.

PACKING UP

Tuesday JANUARY 26, 2010

by Jim Hambrick
The emotions of the last day of a short term mission trip are intense. You are exhausted physically, mentally and emotionally. You long for a hot bath and the comfort of your own bed. You miss your family terribly and tear up at the thought of a loving embrace and kiss. And yet your heart is torn. You just figured out how to function effectively here. You finally have some sort of routine going and better understand how you can best serve in this setting. You have built relationships with others on the team and the precious people of Haiti. You can actually speak a few words of Creole and communicate with the people. In awe, you realize how much the team has accomplished this week with God's help....and you are intensely aware of how much more still needs to be done. How can you possibly leave? Your life will never be the same.

Our team worked hard again today. They set up a medical clinic at Karen's place and saw patients from sun up to sun down again. The injuries seemed even more severe today. Jim, Jonathan and Michael transported people to a doctor's station just a few miles outside the Dominican Republic. The roads were incredibly busy. There were hundreds of big semi trucks filled with supplies from all over the world coming in from the Dominican Republic to Port-au-Prince. Many places the traffic came to a dead stop and the truck drivers would just get out of their trucks to stretch and talk to each other. Thank God for the caring hearts of so many people who are donating money for much needed tents, water, food, clothes, and medical supplies. Please pray that there will be some organization in the way that the supplies are distributed to the people. The airport is packed with supplies and people coming in to help. Just today, a large group of 40 people flew in from LA. The problem is that if they are not plugged in to someone locally, they have no idea what to do or where to go when they get to the city. How blessed we are to have the Christian Light Mission site as a base to work from. God has provided us with wonderful ongoing relationships in Haiti which help us network, find resources and meet the needs of the people effectively. A huge thank you to the many missionaries and people in Haiti who have worked tirelessly with our team to allow us to serve so many people this week.

Pastor Mike preached again today at the clinic and many souls were saved. Hearts are receptive and Pastor Mike's words are anointed. Thank you God.

Dr. Karen's flu bug has passed and she was working at 100% again today (not that she ever stopped! ). Praise God for answered prayer. When the last patient was seen today, our medical team let out a praise whoop and gave high fives. A job well done. It took hours to pack up all the medicines and supplies for the next medical team to use. Then everyone began to pack up their belongings for the trip home Tuesday. Funny, when you begin to pack is when you realize you can't possibly get it all back in the suitcase. How do you pack the memories, the love, the faces, the experiences of the week? You find yourself crying but you can't fall apart - you must prepare for the evening devotions and you don't want to miss the last night with your new friends. The last meal together will be filled with lots of laughter and sharing of memories. The evening devotions will be filled with praise and singing and sharing. Each person will share their special memories of the week and will be encouraged to look for the lessons. There will be an overwhelming sense of the presence of God - and there will be many tears of pain and joy shared. The team is homeward bound- yet they will leave a piece of their heart there in Haiti. They will vow to return soon to work again. They will lay down tonight and go through their own reflections of the week.

Our team secured seats on an MFI flight to Fort Pierce leaving Port-au-Prince mid morning on Tuesday. They should be back home for dinner. It seems they are all craving Pizza now and they plan to stop at the closest Pizza Hut once they land in the States. :) I know everyone wants to see them and hear their stories, but I encourage you to give them a few hours to adjust when they get home. They have seen a lot this week..... they have given their all!

FW: Prayer and Praises Jan. 26, 2010

2010-01-26T17:09:00.003-05:00

Jan. 26, 2010

Hello from Jacksonville,

My cough is much better and I can talk again but not too much. Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!!! Time to go home.

The Americans

at Christian Light Ministries in Haiti are doing a fantastic job. Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!!! Kathy has the staff organized feeding the teny cities in the area. Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!!! They choose a leader for each area and give him the food. Then they quietly go back later to see how it was distributed. If there is a problem, they choose a new leader for the next day.

On our staff.......... Chantal died, Lizette injured buy OK, Madsen has injured hand. Brucely, Delva, Jolina, Anise & lost homes, probably more I don't know about yet. Most lost at least 1 family member. Ifonise (Edmond's wife) is still due to have a baby in March. Please keep the staff in prayer.

I have heard a lot of criticism of our officiials for not getting relief to the people of Haiti quickly enough. Nothing in Haiti is ever easy to do .I do believe the officials are trying. They, too, have been overwhelmed by massive destruction, number of people in need, lack of roads, water pipes, electricity, etc. These were all problems before the earthquake and now it is much worse. Please pray for the thousands of army personel, etc. trying to help.

Several school children are staying at the orphanage because they lost their homes. I know of Christly, Alex, Stanley, and Johanne but am not sure who the others are. Anne and Ivenson (not the twin) were injured but are OK. Please keep the children and their families in prayer. We sometimes won't know where their families are if they are in tent cities.

I am very eager to get back to Haiti. That is where I belong. Please pray that I get a flight in quickly.

We are going to need help - especially medical and construction teams. The medical problems will be serious for a long time. I need a construction supervisor who can stay for at least 6 months to coordinate the teams and the Haitian workers. (One is trying to come - please keep this in prayer)

God bless you,

Sherrie

Another stirring story from Haiti

2010-01-26T16:43:00.001-05:00

Today at 3:05pm
MAF pilots were scheduled to fly a team of doctors to Pignon, Haiti, early in the morning on January 22. The night before the flight, someone called and canceled the reservation.

Despite the fact that the flight had been canceled, the doctors arrived at the airport around 9:00 AM, requesting to fly to Pignon. Will, an MAF pilot, told them they would have to wait until another previously scheduled flight to the Island of Lagonave had been completed.

The rest of this story is Will's personal account about the amazing events that followed.

"We had arranged to fly to the Island of Lagonave. We were dropping off food supplies and picking up a team that was inspecting the Wesleyan hospital for damage from the earthquake.

When we arrived, Dan Irvine, the director of the mission, said he had a 9 year old girl that had BOTH feet crushed in the earthquake. The hospital on the island had done all they could and they needed to find an orthopedic doctor in Port-au-Prince (PAP) for surgery. According to Dan, her feet looked like "ground beef". If infection set in, it could be fatal. I agreed to transport the girl back to PAP.

On the return flight I began to think about how we were going to get help for this little girl. Knowing the huge strain on the field hospitals in PAP, I was not hopeful of the girl finding an ortho unit to operate on her. Then I started to think about the doctors that were waiting for me in PAP. I seemed sure they said they were orthopedic surgeons.

When we arrived in PAP, I taxied to my parking place and ALL of the doctors were standing right next to the plane with all their supplies. I told Dan I thought that they were an ortho team and introduced them to each other.

In no time the team was examining the girl and making plans to take her directly to the Pignon hospital. We removed the girl from the plane to fuel and they were able to start an IV and examine her more.

After loading the plane, I was able to fly 3 doctors, the girl and her mother to Pignon.

It was so exciting to see how God worked the events of the day to bring these two groups together. I was humbled to be a part of it."

HAITI TEAM UPDATE

2010-01-24T20:14:00.005-05:00

Here is a letter sent out by Sherrie today. The team from our mission is working hard.

"Below is a report of what is going on at Christian Light Ministries in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The teams at the house are doing a fantastic job. Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!

I am trying to go back to Haiti with Missionary Flights International on Friday. Please keep this in prayer. I don't have a confirmed seat on the plane yet.
Please keep my health in prayer. I still can't talk very much. Too much effort lands me back in bed. I need to be strong."
Sherrie Fausey

Sunday, January 24, 2010
CONTINUED BLESSINGS
REPORT ON TEAM FOR SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 2010
We serve a mighty God! There is no doubt that God has his hand on our mission team. He continues to bless them with an abundance of food, water, supplies, blessings and protection. There is power in prayer and the name of the Lord!

Our team had another "good day" serving in Haiti. The medical team continues to see patients from sunrise to sunset. Dr Karen McCarthy has such a heart for our Haitian friends and she is tireless in her efforts to see as many patients as possible during the day. Allison and Cindy complete her team with warm personalities and great nursing skills. It is incredible to watch them in action and see how efficient and caring they are with each person. On this trip, they added Debbie's medical knowlege and organization skills to the team and created a powerful force. What a blessing that we can take the medical team in to the people rather than waiting for them to come to us. On past mission trips, walking the ravine with Dr. Karen and her nurses was one of the most memorable parts of the journey. The ravine is one of the poorest, filthiest places in the city. People live along the banks in make shift homes of cardboard, cloth and plywood. Entire families may live in one small room with no floor or furniture. They drink from the same water in which they bathe and wash clothes while pigs wade through trash right beside them. Needless to say there are many sick children there. Most of the children in Sherrie Fausey's school are from this area and they are given food and loving care while under Ms Sherrie's watchful eye. Since this area had so little to start with, it hasn't changed that much since the quake. The medical team has walked the ravine trying to help these families in addition to the clinics. On Sunday they will be setting up a clinic to minister to the people around Pastor Cenor's "church on the rooftop". That is going to be quite a challenge as the homes are built into the steep mountainside and there was great loss in this area. On Monday, the team will be working a clinic at Karen's again. Please keep them in your prayers.

Pastor Michael Grooms preached at the clinic site today and 6 lives were saved. Mesi Jezi! (Can you guess what this means in Creole?) Pray that there will be a revival among the people of Haiti as God begins to heal this land. Praise God that we have Christian doctors, nurses and laborers who give God the glory as they work. Thank you Pastor Mike for the sharing of your anointed word. The team will be having a praise and worship service at the clinic site Sunday morning with Pastor Cenor's congregation. Pastor Mike will be preaching with a translator. Oh how I wish I was there with them! Haitians truly enjoy their songs and worship - there will be a whole lot of clapping and praise going on in those hills today! Pray that more souls will be saved as Pastors Mike, Jonathan, and Jim share their faith.

It appears that the larger support organizations have quite a supply of food and water just sitting at the airport waiting to be distributed. Many of the volunteers have never been in Haiti before and are actually afraid to go out into the communities with the Haitian people - probably due in large part to the alarming reports of violence being played on CNN and other news channels. How frustrating to know much needed water and nourishment is just sitting there unused . Jeff and the guys on the Georgia mission team are making sure the people around the school and the ravine area are getting supplies. They have been making numerous trips to the airport to load up supplies and distribute them to those most in need. It is amazing what you can do when you walk with authority! I understand some people even got crutches today! You rock, Jeff!

Kathy Brooks is doing a GREAT job running the base camp until Sherrie returns in the near future. They have secured a generator, set up a working bathroom, and the Haitian cooks are preparing meals for the large group of children and adults now staying there. They cook in large pots over open fires - lots of beans and rice! Peanut butter, poptarts, and MRE's (military version of tv dinner) are the popular foods now. The Haitian laborers have completed one of the outer walls and continue to work hard to complete the rest of the security wall.

The team has loved the beautiful songs of praise that can be heard coming from the street during the night and early morning. Last night there was one beautiful voice that stood out like the voice of an angel. Jim was so taken with it that he sought the lady out today. He found a 20 year old woman behind the captivating voice and made a video of her singing to share with us when he returns. He invited her to join the team for their evening devotion time and she serenaded them with three solos. Jim said it was simply amazing!

In the midst of all this praise report, the reality is that there is an overwhelming amount of work yet to be done, and the conditions are really rough. The safety of our team continues to be a major prayer request. There are thousands of starving, frustrated, hurt, homeless people filling the streets. It has to be overwhelming for our team to know they are leaving soon when the need is still so great. The next few days will be very emotional for them as they feel torn between their two worlds. Please hold them up in your prayers.

I pray each of you supporters will enjoy a day of rest and restoration on this beautiful Sunday. Thank you for standing in the gap with me for this important mission team. To God be the Glory.

Posted by Donna Tyson at 1:29 PM 0 comments

UPDATE FROM OUR TEAM IN HAITI

2010-01-23T09:12:00.004-05:00

FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2010

Jim Hambrick's sister, Donna, has received an update from him on the team our mission currently has in Haiti:

I began and ended the day talking with Jim. What a blessing! I was thrilled to hear his voice this morning assuring me that all is well. The team is making a difference every day in the name of the Lord. I began to immediately ask a million questions about the team's health, safety, and work. They are praising God for his incredible faithfulness every step of the way. In the middle of our conversation, a strong tremor, later to be identified as a 4.4 quake, hit and I listened as Jim yelled "Tremor" out to those around him. I could hear the fright in his voice as he hurried to escape the concrete second floor sleeping quarters. He exclaimed that the whole building was shaking and I held my breath in disbelief while saying a prayer for their safety - this 30 seconds of chaos was surreal - and then it abruptly stopped. Jim hadn't yet descended on the ladder and he resumed our convervation with a bit more emotions. He said that the tremors are frequent, though not as hard as this one, and he asked that the prayer warriors pray for these tremors to cease so that our team can work and sleep on solid ground. When the tremors hit, they produce great anxiety and fear as everyone goes on alert - they have a routine to get away from any buildings asap. Evidently one person can feel a powerful tremor and a person only 100 feet away will feel nothing! They keep everyone on constant alert. Jim shared a story about sitting at a metal table yesterday while a young Haitian boy played in a small tent beneath it. A big tremor rocked the house and the young boy panicked and began to scream in fear. The zipper was stuck on his tent and he couldn't get out. Jim struggled with the zipper from the outside as the boy pulled at it from the inside. The ground was shaking beneath them and Jim said he felt so helpless at that moment. His emotions overflowed with the awareness that he must get out of the building but he couldn't leave this young boy behind. The zipper released and when they both finally got safely outside, he was so weak he had to sit down. He realized that these precious children will have to live in this type of ongoing fear long after he returns home. I stopped asking questions then and listened as my brother shared his heart with one story after another of emotional experiences from this week. He spoke of his visit to the ravine where a nun called him over to help a young preteen boy with a crushed leg. The boy had open infected wounds wrapped in a bloody, pus covered bandage. Jim knew they had to get him to the clinic that was 1 mile away, so he prayed for strength to physically carry him. When they got to the street, along came Jeff driving a truck going to distribute food for one of the agencies! Jeff stopped and gave them a ride to the clinic - Praise God. ( These are not accidents - these are miracles! ) . The young boy cried out in pain the entire ride. but evidently transformed into a whole differnt personality when the pain meds took over. He began to smile and joke and give high fives to those around him. Unfortunately when this dear Haitian boy's pain meds wear off, he is going to have to live in excruciating pain again. Jim was overcome as he saw Sherries house and how close she had stood to death. He wept with Pastor Cenore as he listened to the details of the destruction of our beloved "church on the rooftop" . So many lives were buried alive as all the houses built into the hillside came tumbling down into the valley . He said the US troops were able to save many, but wouldn't carry off the dead bodies. A mass grave now lays in the rubble of a once awe-inspiring spot. The team is handing out lots of food and water for the UN and other support agencies. Everyone has a role now, and Jeff is doing a lot of supply distribution. It seems the smaller non-profit agencies are doing a much better job than the large agencies at getting the food and water from the airport to the people. Jim said in order to avoid mobs, he often gives the local pastors the food and supplies who in turn call their congregation together to distribute them to the indiviual families. He doesn't see a lot of armed forces there in the slums of the ravine area, yet there is little violence. There are many pictures of children helping other children throughout the streets. Some of the street venders are setting up again with their limited supplies ( a couple cans of tuna, a bottle of mustard, vegetables, dusty flip flops ). The big cargo planes and the helicopters transporting patients fly over them constantly, but the most beautiful sound is that of the Haitians singing their praises to God throughout the night. I am convinced that this is how God is refreshing the spirits of our weary team each night and morning. That is a very different sound than the voodoo drums I heard on my last trip. Jim said to be sure to tell you about the airport. Each assisting country has taken a field of their own where they set up tents and proudly fly their flag above their relief efforts. It is a beautiful picture of a united world joined together in hope and love. Hopefully someone will get a picture of it for us. I apologize for rambling. There is so much to share and so little space. There is another mission team of 6 Georgians staying there at Sherrie's also. It is really hot there now ( 90s) and everyone is struggling to stay hydrated. Water is not readily available all the time and they end up giving away most of it everytime they get another supply. They are working hard. Today the medical team saw 103 patients. Yesterday they saw 133! Pastor Genada is staying with them to oversee the rebuilding of the outer security wall. They have hired Haitian men to help and the wall is really progressing. It looks like we are one of the only homes rebuilding in that poor area. Jim says familiar faces greet him everywhere as he walks and everyone wants to share their story of loss. Tonight Jim sounded tired but was happy to report that "It was a very good day!".

Please pray very specifically for these things today:

1 - The tremors cease and our team has firm ground to stand on.
2 - Renewed strength and energy for our team as they work long hours in high heat in the poorest of circumstances.
3- That God will continue to walk before our team preparing the way
for them to make a difference.
4 - That a spirit of revival will overtake Haiti and God will be honored
5 - Continued physical protection for our team
6 - Pray for their emotional well being while seeing so much tragedy and loss constantly.

7 - That souls will be saved!

Jim ended our conversation thanking everyone for their prayers. They are overwhelmed at the number of people who are praying for them each hour. Prayer works! Our team is living proof.

There is power in the name of our Lord!

Sherrie's house

2010-01-22T22:04:00.001-05:00

This was Sherrie's bedroom. She was in it when the quake hit but ran out to her bathroom. She does not believe she would have gotten out had she not done that.

Eyewitness accounts from another missionary group in Haiti

2010-01-21T09:19:00.004-05:00

Read here for stories you won't hear elsewhere. God is at work in Haiti and Steve is excited and anxious to be a part of it.

The Livesay family is not part of our mission but have been a big help to all through this. Troy went on foot to try and find word on our missionary Sherrie Fausey. Read their stories as they share the moments they have had. Sending their kids to the US while they stayed behind and so on.

http://www.livesayhaiti.blogspot.com/

A letter from Sherrie herself

2010-01-19T14:01:00.002-05:00

Hello from Jacksonville,

I am in Jacksonville but not feeling very well. I'm exhausted. The concrete dust has taken a toll on my breathing and I am running a fever. I have a cough, total laryngitis and cannot talk at all.

Some structures are OK. Many houses fell down. Many more are standing but were damaged and are unsafe. Thousands of people have died. Many are hurt.

By the grace of God and a miracle, I am alive. I was walking in my room when the earthquake hit. I tried to run but fell down into the hall and couldn't get up. I crawled into the bathroom, put a little plastic table over my head, and watched my room fall off the bui;lding. Had I been sitting in my room, I would not have gotten out. The noise was terrible and concrete was falling all around me. I praise the Lord that I got out with just a few little bumps & bruises. Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!! The house is totally destroyed. The back third of the house fell off. It is a miracle anyone got out.

The children all ran outside. Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!! They are OK except for Peterson who died instantly when the house fell on him.

We had about 150 people sleeping in the yard Tuesday evening. Pastor Cenor came by Tuesday evening and I asked him to sing & pray with the people in the yard. They thanked the Lord that they were alive. 9 people accepted Jesus. Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!! The children have a praise time every evening. They thank the Lord for everything they have.Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!!
There were many injured people in the yard Tuesday evening. One little girl had a big gash in her leg and was losing a lot of blood. Karen Bultje was able to take them to the Sisters of Charity who still had a building and medicines & bandages. Then the little girl was brought back because everyone slept outside because there were frequent aftershocks, some pretty strong. Karen gave us some Ibuprophen to give the injured.

The children are eating. Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!! We found boxes of Feed my Starving Children rice mix. Then someone gave us cases of Poptarts. They like Poptarts. They are sleeping in the yard of the construction site. Tuesday night the slept on the ground, but by Wednesday we had started to find some mattresses. It is cold at night. By Friday we were finding blankets and sheets. It is very cold at night - especially sleeping outside on the ground. The wind blows fine concrete dust all the time. We have worked very hard scavenging whatever we could from the rubble. We are all exhausted.

We got our medicines out. Sometimes there were aftershocks and the building was shaking as we were working. A doctor with the Restavek Assoc. came by and asked for medicines. She went off Thursday and Friday with a laundry basket full of medicines and bandages to help people.

We have taken in more children. I don't know how many because we had no paper to make a list. Some school children are staying there while the family stays with relatives in the countryside. I expect to get multitudes of children. Please pray that we can help the children who lost parents in the earthquake.

It is very important that we try to keep going. We need to continue the feeding program and medical program. The children in 4th - 7th grades still have classrooms. They need to continue. They need some sort of a normal life. Please pray that we can continue feeding and caring for children.

We got some stuff out of the house. Most of the clothing is ripped & covered with concrete. The children need shoes.

Please help us. The wall around the construction site fell down and needs to be rebuilt. We need to finish the 2nd floor of the construction site to make space. Right now, we are very crowded. We will have about 20 boys in 1 bedroom. We need to build a school kitchen and an orphanage. We need clothing, shoes, and everything for daily living.

Thank you for your prayers. The Lord took care of us.

God bless you,
Sherrie

A memorial to little Peterson

2010-01-16T13:51:00.003-05:00

The son of co workers from Venezuela days, Jeremiah Hambrick and his wife have a blog where they have written a memorial to young Peterson that lost his life at our mission's orphanage in Haiti. I have posted the link for it here for our readers. Please go to the link and read this touching story about the young boy.

http://www.thehambrickfamily.blogspot.com/

MESSAGE CONCERNING SHERRY FAUSEY

2010-01-14T17:00:00.000-05:00

Here is the word we have been waiting for!!!

Hi, just got the internet working today. We have the inverter working but I can’t keep it on long. We don’t know when we will have regular electricity again. SHERRIE’S HOUSE SUFFERED SEVERE DAMAGE AND PETERSON WAS KILLED IN THE RUBBLE BUT MIRACULOUSLY EVERYONE GOT OUT INCLUDING SHERRIE AND JULIE. The new building held well and everyone is staying there. Too risky to stay in buildings and everyone is sleeping outside. Everyone is working hard. It is a disaster here. Many killed and injured. Have everyone pray for Haiti.

What I saw in Haiti

2010-01-14T16:17:00.006-05:00

Steve's thoughts on Haiti:

I thought I knew poor people. I grew up among the Yanomamo people in Venezuela and they are poor. They have nothing. But when I made a trip to Haiti I met poor people. Compared to them, the Yanomamo are far from poor. They seemingly have nothing but when hungry they can hunt. They can and do grow gardens in the jungle. They are free to pick up and move anytime they want or need to.

The people in Haiti have no way out of their situation. They have no place to plant a garden. There aren't even any trees for shade. They have no where to move to. Jobs are scarce. They don't even have hammocks to sleep in like the Yanomamo. Many just sleep on the floor. No place to roam and hunt in. I saw a people with no hope at all in this world of ever improving their situation without outside help. And even then what can be done is limited. They live around what is a ravine that looks to have sewage flowing through it. And they even dip water from it.

Their hope is in the life to come through Jesus. And I saw a great need to help anyone there spreading His Good News. This is where my heart is and why we are so worried about Sherry Fausey who as of today has still not been heard from. There will be people from our mission going down there and I plan to be among them. I want to see this work of raising godly children in Haiti continue. Sherry took on teaching the children and then after the Hurricane disaster taking in live in orphans. Her goal is to make changes in the country by raising the children under God's principles and raising them with the needed education to change things around. Pray we find her well and then pray for the provision to rebuild or repair whatever the need is. Then this work can continue.

Livesay family update on Haiti

2010-01-14T14:11:00.002-05:00

Troy Livesay went on foot to try and find news on our missionary Sherry Fausey. The area was so bad he could not get in. So we still do not have word. Here is a note from Troy's wife, Tara, on their blog.

Thursday
I don't know how long the internet will hold up. Follow Troy's tweets for information.

Many roads are blocked by fallen buildings. MANY people walking around with open and serious wounds. It is hard to travel freely to the areas you've asked us to check, that is why we don't have that information for you.

The deceased are being dragged to the side of roads, covered in sheets and left. We don't live in the hardest hit areas but even so there are many bodies.

Everything in Haiti (PRE earthquake) runs on generators and inverters and batteries == sometimes (pre earthquake) we get a city power current. Now there is no city current. Right now the Internet companies need to use diesel and generators to offer us service. It won't likely last ... and will come and go. We'll do our best to stay in touch. Diesel is going to go fast and will be needed for any sort of communication.

Pray.

tara

Links to Haiti blogs

2010-01-13T15:57:00.004-05:00

Our daughter, Erin, has friends that are either in Haiti or connected there. Here are links to their blogs.

http://www.iansadoption.blogspot.com/
http://www.livesayhaiti.blogspot.com/

MAF reports from Haiti

2010-01-12T21:53:00.002-05:00

Mission Aviation Fellowship, that flew us in and out of the jungles of Venezuela, has a work in Haiti and are located where the quake hit. Here is an early report from them.

-----Original Message-----
From: "Rick Dickson"
Subject: FW: Earthquake

Phone lines and electricity are all down in Haiti as nightfall has now come We have managed to receive two e-mails from our program manager there, sent via his Hughesnet Satellite Dish saying that all seven of our MAF families are safe, praise the Lord! Each is currently hunkered down in the doorways of their cement homes waiting the night out in alert for any destructive aftershocks.

We have heard from two sources, not confirmable at the moment, that the home of one of our young pilots is down. We aren't sure if it's his home or just his wall, since the program manager did mention that "two walls are down."

Only our Lord knows what lies ahead for Haiti in the next few days. Security will be an issue for looting and such because there is absolutely no infrastructure in Port-au-Prince to handle a crisis of this magnitude and quickly things go to an "every man for himself" mentality. (Rick and I have seen this before in Africa.) Rick got a report from a relief agency already that water will be the foremost critical issue. One of our families has a pool so we're praying it hasn't been cracked so that it could be a good source of potable water for some time for our team.

MAF is already working tonight in contact with relief agencies that will be sending in supplies.

Rick leaves tomorrow around noon to go to Haiti. The only flight he could get has to overnight in Miami and he'll arrive in Port-au-Prince early morning on Thursday.

That's all we know for now. (But we know that God is in control and we are trusting Him in all things.)

Thanks for praying!
It was a 7.0, and initial reports are lots of damage, probably deaths. Looking at mobilizing some relief activity,

Will send more as I get it.

Rick

________________________________
From: Mark Williams January 12, 2010 5:47 PM
Subject: Earthquake

Hi everyone,

At about 4:45 PM an earthquake shook our area for about 20 seconds. I am no expert, but I would think it is right up there with a 4 or 5.... The ground was surging, walls and telephone poles were swaying like I have never experienced. All the staff at our side of town, the Kruls, Carwells, Whites, Edgertons and Williams are doing fine, but shaken. The phones don't call out so I am not able to get hold of the Broyles and Munsells. I understand from outside sources that they are OK.

All houses are intact. There have been many after-shocks, to a much lesser level. Lots of dust in the horizon which to me indicates many structures collapsed in the downtown area.

We have no idea of the extent of the damage. I will be in contact with various sources if/when able.

We will be "sleeping" by our doors. We live in cement houses and do not want to have them collapse on us. I have briefed all the staff to sleep near exits in the houses. I will most likely call off flying tomorrow but try to go down to the airport to access damage...pray there are none.

Thanks for your prayers.

Mark

Many Casualties Expected in Haiti Earthquake

2010-01-12T20:44:00.006-05:00

The earthquake that struck Haiti, struck in the location of the school and orphanage that Steve went to work on and where he left a piece of his heart. We have not heard any word yet to know if Sherry Fausey and her children she works with are alright.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — The largest earthquake ever recorded in the area rocked Haiti on Tuesday, collapsing a hospital where people screamed for help and damaging other buildings. An aid official described "total disaster and chaos."

Communications were widely disrupted, making it impossible to get a clear picture of damage as powerful aftershocks shook a desperately poor country where many buildings are flimsy. Electricity was out in some places.

Karel Zelenka, a Catholic Relief Services representative in the capital of Port-au-Prince, told U.S. colleagues before phone service failed that "there must be thousands of people dead," according to a spokeswoman for the aid group, Sara Fajardo.

"He reported that it was just total disaster and chaos, that there were clouds of dust surrounding Port-au-Prince," Fajardo said from the group's offices in Maryland.

The earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.0 and was centered about 10 miles west of Port-au-Prince, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It had a depth of 5 miles. It was the largest quake recorded in the area and the first major one since a magnitude-6.7 temblor in 1984, USGS analyst Dale Grant said.

An Associated Press videographer saw the wrecked hospital in Petionville, a hillside Port-au-Prince district that is home to many diplomats and wealthy Haitians, as well as many poor people. Elsewhere in the capital, a U.S. government official reported seeing houses that had tumbled into a ravine.

Haiti's ambassador to the U.S., Raymond Joseph, said from his Washington office that he spoke to President Rene Preval's chief of staff, Fritz Longchamp, just after the quake hit. He said Longchamp told him that "buildings were crumbling right and left" near the national palace. He said he had not been able to get through by phone to Haiti since.

Don Blakeman, an analyst at the USGS in Golden, Colorado, said such a strong quake carried the potential for widespread damage.

"I think we are going to see substantial damage and casualties," he said.

The earthquake's size and proximity to populated Port-Au-Prince likely caused widespread casualties and structural damage, added quake expert Tom Jordan at the University of Southern California.

"It's going to be a real killer," he said.

The temblor appeared to have occurred along a strike-slip fault, where one side of a vertical fault slips horizontally past the other, Jordan said.

"Whenever something like this happens, you just hope for the best," he said. "The damage caused by this earthquake is not going to be pretty."

Minor earthquakes are common in the Caribbean, but there has not been a major one in Haiti in 16 years. The country of about 9 million people, most of them desperately poor, has struggled with political instability and has no real construction standards. In November 2008, following the collapse of a school in Petionville, the mayor of Port-au-Prince estimated about 60 percent of the buildings were shoddily built and unsafe in normal circumstances.

The quake was felt in the Dominican Republic, which shares a border with Haiti on the island of Hispaniola, and some panicked residents in the capital of Santo Domingo fled from their shaking homes. But no major damage was reported there.

In eastern Cuba, houses shook but there were also no reports of significant damage.

"We felt it very strongly and I would say for a long time. We had time to evacuate," said Monsignor Dionisio Garcia, archbishop of Santiago.

Haiti, however, was another story.

"Everybody is just totally, totally freaked out and shaken," said Henry Bahn, a U.S. Department of Agriculture official visiting Port-au-Prince. "The sky is just gray with dust."

Bahn said he was walking to his hotel room when the ground began to shake.

"I just held on and bounced across the wall," he said. "I just hear a tremendous amount of noise and shouting and screaming in the distance."

Bahn said there were rocks strewn about and he saw a ravine where several homes had stood: "It's just full of collapsed walls and rubble and barbed wire."

In the community of Thomassin, just outside Port-au-Prince, Alain Denis said neighbors told him the only road to the capital had been cut but that phones were all dead so it was hard to determine the extent of the damage.

"At this point, everything is a rumor," he said. "It's dark. It's nighttime."

Former President Bill Clinton, the U.N.'s special envoy for Haiti, issued a statement saying his office would do whatever he could to help the nation recover and rebuild.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Haiti," he said.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid said U.S. officials were holding emergency meetings.

"We need to gather what information we can quickly. We will of course assist in any way we can," he said.

Felix Augustin, Haiti's consul general in New York, said he was concerned about everyone in Haiti, including his relatives.

"Communication is absolutely impossible," he said. "I've been trying to call my ministry and I cannot get through. ... It's mind-boggling."

DEATH BRINGS NEW BIRTH

2010-01-05T14:05:00.002-05:00

Many times while living in the jungles in Venezuela among the Yanomamo we witnessed miracles. But none ever top the miracle of new birth. It is a story you can never tire of hearing. It is what Steve is anxious to be a part of again and what he feels God leading him to do in 2010.

Here is such a story sent back to us by Steve's brother, Mike.

A BABY DIES. PARENTS ARE REBORN!

"From Ashes to triumph!

Today, Sunday, the 3rd of January the Lord allowed us to witness a huge miracle. But on the 28th of December, a miracle had been denied and hopes were crushed. We had been called to come up and pray for Sergio and Dada's little three year old boy, well, he would have been 3 on the 24th of February. but it was not to be. He died shortly after we finished. Malaria had claimed another victim here and we were of course crushed. Deaths are so hard, especially for a young couple, and this little boy was their first death. The funeral fire was made and we stood around with tears in our eyes watching the poor couple wail their grief. I further grieved with the couple knowing that in spite of the fact that they were both born and raised here in a Christian village neither one of them had ever made a personal confession of faith in Christ.

So I was shocked when on Sunday morning, Sergio and Dada stood up in front of the church and asked to be allowed to say something to the congregation. Sergio's nervousness was obvious, but griping the microphone he started. "My friends," he began, swallowing hard to keep from breaking down, "I am very sad. My wife and I are really suffering, but we have been talking. We know our little boy is in heaven with God, and we also know that if we died now, we would not go to heaven to be with him. We have decided that we want to ask Jesus to forgive us our sins and clean our hearts and make us HIS. We want to make sure if we die, we go to heaven to be with God and with our son. I want the elders to come up here and pray for my wife and I and then we are going to pray and ask God to save us."

Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather. I stared and I am sure my mouth was hanging open. I suddenly realized they were waiting for me to get up and go up with the elders to pray for them. I was choked up as i prayed for them remembering my own grief, and wondering how in the world they had found the peace needed to go through this so soon. For a Yanomamö, to even be seen in public this soon after their loss is unheard of, and here, not only were they in church, but were talking openly about their son. My eyes were filled with tears when after the elders prayed for them, he prayed a simple prayer of repentance and asked God to save him. His wife then made her own public profession of faith.

After they finished, I sit there deep in my own thoughts. This work has grown increasingly difficult and if i might say, "less fun." Not that we are to be looking for fun and excitement, but up till this last couple of years, i have always loved working with the Yanomamö and have enjoyed the time i have spent with them. Now however, many of them are getting into politics and being the novices that they are, are extremely prone to manipulation and what not. Authorities in town, both mil and civil use many of these wannabe politicians to put pressure on us and have succeeded in making life very difficult. So to be honest, there have been times when i have wondered why we have stayed. It is easier to get discouraged and harder to keep our eyes focused on HIM. Praise God, HE showed us again this morning that HE will build HIS church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it."

Please consider support to help Steve make the trips to help begin the classes again to grow more spiritually mature Yanomamo.

PRAY FOR JOE AND MILLIE

2009-11-27T17:41:00.001-05:00

Please read Millie's latest letter and pray for them and the siblings far away from them.

Dear Faithful Co-Laborers in Christ,

Thank the Lord that we are back in communication on the Internet once again.
It still has its flaws but hopefully we will be able to keep you informed better of what is going on in our lives and where we are. Thank God He is always here and never leaves us nor forsakes us.

Joe is not very well at all. His memory is getting worse and we continually go over things to help him remember. I believe that he has had several mini strokes as at those times he will talk very mushy for awhile and not seem to
know what he is doing or what is going on. But then he will pull out of it
and become rational again. Sometimes he doesn¹t even know me but that may be because he is also almost blind and his hearing is very bad also. I have been going over our life together with him to try and help him remember things. I am even reading our book "ALL THE DAY LONG" again to him. He perks up and remembers things as he hears them being retold and it seems to help him get refocused for a time. He will be 90 in February if the Lord gives him that much more time. We¹ve had some really good talks about death, heaven, and resting and trusting in the Lord without fear.

Please keep him in your prayers as it is hard for him. He has always been so active and he finds it very hard to just sit. He can¹t see to read or do anything that requires sight so that avenue is closed to him. He constantly wants me with him talking to him and encouraging him so I find it hard to really get a lot done. I try to work while he is napping but sometimes I accuse him of being a yo-yo as I no sooner get him settled and get back to what I was doing when he is back out again. He loves me to read the Word to him and all the devotional books that I can get my hands on. This keeps him encouraged and he still loves to pray for anything that is going on here and faithfully for all our kids and their families. I usually take care of prayers for friends etc and other needs as he cannot remember so well but he faithfully joins in with his AMEN ever so often.

I have been tutoring 4 young men, actually they look more like boys and are kids that I taught when I was teaching in the school. Two are in their early 20¹s and 2 are still in their late teens. They were too old for the school here so were not allowed to attend and one boy (Joshua Santos) who was my prize pupil in Math came and asked me if I would continue to teach him Math as he still wanted to learn and not forget what he had learned. I agreed and began to put Math in a notebook for him which he would take home and do and then bring the notebook back for me to correct, grade and put more work in. Soon I was teaching his younger brother Alexis also and then came Elvis Rivas, and shortly after that Cristobal Perez (Bautista¹s younger son). (Pray for him. Some of the men from here who have turned their backs on the Lord and are living lives of sin out in Ayacucho, one being Cristobal¹s brother-in-law persuaded him to go out to Puerto Ayacucho with him recently. In spite of his father¹s pleadings he went out anyway. We are very concerned as the ones who have gone out there have gotten into alcohol, tobacco, prostitution and now even drugs. So pray that he comes back unscathed by these sins and that he will not have a desire to go back
again.)

The little thirsty blood-sucking gnats have returned with a vengeance and are making life miserable for all. I feel so bad for the women who come in with the skin all around their eyes sprinkled thickly with little red blood spots where the gnats have drawn blood. They try to cover their heads with old pieces of clothes and just leave their eyes uncovered so they can see to work the gardens. This leaves an unprotected area for the gnats to swarm to and get their blood. Who was it that said these people live in Paradise -- just leave them alone? Well, it's Paradise cursed. Paradise after the fall and believe me it is not an easy life for these people. The women work very hard and suffer to get the food that they carry home in heavy baskets on their backs after a hard day's work in the garden.

We had some hard days with a flu that was going around which many thought was the swine flu. Joe and I did not get it as our family and also the Yanomamö were very thoughtful not to come to see us at that time. Someone had told me that putting raw onions in saucers around the house would ward off flu so I tried that also. I don't know if it helped or if it was just the mercy of the Lord and His protection that kept us well but we give Him all the praise and glory. Faith's adopted son David and his wife Milaide were very ill with this flu and it took them a while to recuperate. Then just recently Susan's son Andrew (they live in the village of Jalulusiteli) was very ill with falciparum malaria with temperatures of 106. Thank God the last reports that we have are favorable. He has responded to the medicine and is doing better. WE were very concerned as he was hurting in the spleen and kidney areas and that is never a good sign. Please pray that he will fully recover and be completely well again. They live on a different river and have no contact with the outside world except for radio contact with Sharon and Faith once a day.

Thank you all for your faithful support through your prayers and giving.
Thank you for bearing with us during all the long seasons of no communication by email or any other way. These are hard times for us also but thank the Lord He is always available night or day when we call on Him.
No human force can cut our communication with Him.

In His Great Love,

Joe and Millie Dawson

WHAT IS THANKSGIVING DINNER LIKE IN THE JUNGLE??

2009-11-18T16:18:00.005-05:00

Living deep in the jungle like we did, often meant for unusual meals. Never more so than when it came to holiday meals. There is no Fool Lion or WalMart Supercenter to run to. No butter ball turkeys to be had. No Virginia ham or my favorite the sugar cured ham. If the airplane schedules did not sync up there were often no potatoes or other vegetables. So we had to look to what was there for the pickings. Meat, the main course on any thanksgiving table, was often variable and interesting. There is a bird they call a wild turkey but looks nothing like one here. The meat is all dark. Then if the hunter was really lucky, we might have tapir. Don’t know what a Tapir is? Well, the meat is indistinguishable from beef. Looks and tastes the same. The photo shows you what one looks like. Maybe catfish would be on the menu. That would not please me as I am not a fish eater but most that are proclaim it delicious. My LEAST favorite of the possibilities is what has been called a glorified rat. Yes, it is of the rodent family but many like it. It is called PACA in English but you would hear us call it a LAPA, the Spanish name for it. It is a rather large rodent like animal but is favored among most. I ate a bad bit of one once and never could go it again.

Then there are the sides. If potatoes could not be flown in, we looked for alternatives. There are a few. Yucca is one that could be eaten boiled or fried. They have something they call yams but again looks like none of what is in the U.S. The meat is white and kind of dry but not bad. Then there is mapue (mah pway). (not sure I know how to spell that) The taste is very similar to potatoes once you get past peeling it. There is a slim under the skin so you want to peel it under running water. But then you boil and mash it just like you would potatoes. The MOST surprising thing is that when you are done you have a bowl of very PURPLE potatoes. Yes, I said PURPLE. But they are really pretty good.

Vegetables are not that plentiful in the jungle. Not naturally anyway. Sometimes the villagers would grow corn and we would buy it from them but often they didn’t pick it until it was hard. Canned veggies could be bought so often we had them flown up. But if we didn’t have any at the time we had the starchy ones mentioned above and often some kinds of fruits. Fruit found there are delicious. Papaya, pineapple, bananas (lots and lots of varieties), citrus, others such as guava and the list could go on.

Flour and sugar were usually bought in abundance so there was never any loss of sweets. Mostly no pumpkin pie but other things made up the difference. If bananas were overflowing there would be banana bread, banana cake, banana smoothies, banana whatever. Had to get creative because when they ripened on a stalk 3 or 4 feet tall they ripened all at once. One can eat only so many bananas.

Whatever the dinner, many thanks for souls saved, family and friends that loved us were offered up. Most of all we were thankful then as now for God’s amazing love.

2009-11-12T19:03:00.001-05:00

Dear friends,

Many of you know that life in Venezuela is not what it was and that we have not been living down there. We have been serving wherever we can and seeking anything the Lord wishes for us to do. We have been feeling for months now that the mission work for us will take on a different look. We will continue to need your partnership and indeed are seeking more of you to jump on board.

Steve made a trip to Haiti and his heart was really touched by what he saw there. He wishes to be greatly involved in helping to build the school and orphanage there. Also he has been asked to make a trip to Venezuela early next year to go on a survey trip. Many times over the years they hear reports there is a tribe that has never been reached. They wish to try once more to go to the area and see if they can find any concrete evidence. They also want to make trips to the villages they had been working with. Mike plans to work toward having the gas to go and he and Steve and the believers of Cosh take a month or more and go up and down the waterways.

Because of our totally American status we do not feel living in Cosh is an option for us right now. Getting supplies has become very difficult so the fewer
that live there the better. But our hearts have never left behind the ones that were struggling to grow in the Lord and need help. We believe the Lord would have Steve make trips down to work with Mike and others to do what they can to get out and reach those that need help. Mike and Gary both have asked him to do this. They have obtained a piece of property down river in Las Esmeraldas where they hope to begin holding the seminars they were having before. They would like Steve to come down a few times a year to help develop this property and help with the seminars.

We also believe his skills in building can be greatly used in helping to build churches and other needed buildings wherever help is needed. In order for him to be able to go whenever and wherever we need to raise the support to live on and for his travel. We are asking for continued support, increased support and new supporters to raise the level we need to concentrate on his going out.

The JUNGLE for us now could be in many places. And with your support, together lives can be changed with many different languages, faces but with one Spirit.

With your help we can add more countries and faces. Will you partner with us as we seek to follow the Lord’s work wherever that might be? With the needed funds we can be prepared to go as needs arise.

Your tax deductible gift can be mailed to:
Christian Light Foundation
P. O. Box 23881
Jacksonville, FL 32241-3881

Checks made out to CLF
Designated for Steve and Theda Dawson
Give on line too
www.christianlightfoundation.com

Steve and Theda Dawson

stdawson@metaconi.com

We are available to come present what our hearts are leading us to do if you would like. We are looking for more individuals and churches to partner with us to reach those whose only hope is Jesus.

2009-11-12T16:40:00.001-05:00

Below is a recent letter from Steve's brother, Mike. Its contents will reveal some of why Steve is feeling the time has come for him to return, making the trips to help them to reestablish the seminars.

Dear Praying friends,

Just a note to bring you up to date on what has been going on here.
This finds us fine and in good health. We have a lot to be thankful for. Dad's health continues to be good. Thank you for your prayers.

We had a German telivision crew up show up here and they had a lot of questions. We decided it would look better if Keila was our "spokesperson" since she is the only one that is not also an American.
This way, no one could say, "well, there are those Gringos! What are they still doing here?" I think her interview went well, they had some good questions and Keila did really well. While walking past Dad and Mom's house, they saw Dad outside and asked if they could ask him a few questions. Dad also did real well, and after only one question (A real easy one for Dad, it was "Why do you think the Yanomamö needed to hear about a "western god") After Dad answered his question he turned it around and was very graciously witnessing to the gentleman doing the interview. I am pretty sure most of this will be edited out, but at least the 6 people doing the interview clearly heard the gospel and the reason we are here.

Our hearts have been burdened that we have not been able to continue our seminars due to lack of fuel up here. Since many of us have to go to Las Esmeralda once or twice a month we have decieded to build a place there where we can spend a few days a month meeting with and encouraging the different students that do make it down there. we realize these meetngs will have to be a bit clandestine and we will have to be careful, but we think this might be a good opportunity to continue ministerying to these guys. I have already been talking to a lot of them and have been trying to encourage them. This last month we went down there a couple of times and have started working on the place. During this time, i have had many opportunities of talking to some of our students. a few days ago i spoke with our student from Bodomawä. He is excited about us continuing classes down there. "I really want to follow the Lord, but I fall so often." he told me. "It is so hard serving the Lord when you are all by yourself, but I still talk to God and ask HIM for help. I can't wait until you all start meeting down here, i will come down as often as i can."

I was speaking with Carlos from the village of Seducudawä. He paddled down to bring his wife to the medical dispensary as she had been stung on the foot by a large stingray and was in a lot of pain. Carlos at one time had been one of our most promising believers in Seducudawä and was a big witness for the Lord there. His grandfather, uncle and younger brother were all powerful witchdoctors but we had believed the power of Christ had allowed him to break the cycle. Then a number of years ago he had an affair and later on divorced his wife and married the other woman and since that time has not wanted much to do with us.
Then about 4 years ago he almost died with malaria but slowly recovered. After his recovery he attended one of our seminars and publically made things right with the Lord and the church here, but for some reason, as soon as he returned to Seducudawä he fell off the deep end. The next thing we knew, everyone was saying he had become a witchdoctor. It is hard not to take these defeats personally and frankly, setbacks like this are always hard to take, so we were feeling very defeated as far as both Carlos and the work in Seducudawä was concerned. So i was surprised when he came in yesterday and sit down to talk with me. For the last three years or more our relationship has been strained and cold, to be honest, he mostly has avoided us.

I invited him in and after some small talk I asked him how he was really doing. "Not good" he admitted. I am not happy anymore. "Yes, I heard you had now become a 'shaboli,' (a witchdoctor)" I told him. He shook his head no. "I tried," he admitted, "but i just never could make it. I chanted and chanted, the jecula came close and taught me many chants to use, but they kept telling me I had to get rid of the light. I made my heart as dark as I could, i took dope almost non stop, i chanted all night long but every time the spirits would approach me the small little light in my heart was still shinning and would neither go out nor go away. I did all I could do, but the spirits finally even just quit coming. So to answer your question, I am not a witchdoctor but i did try." (Sounds like a great argument for eternal security, doesn't it?)

"What do you think the light was?" I asked him. "I know it is God's Spirit. In spite of all I have done, HE has never left me, so the jecula would not come. My heart is so heavy, but I just don't know what I can do." God's Word says if we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us our sins." I told him. "Pray for me." he said, "I need to take my wife home, but I will come back and talk some more soon."
he told me.

Prayer and Praise!
Pray for Cesar from Bodomawä
Pray for Carlos from Seducudawä
Pray for wisdom for us as we seek to take advantage of everyone
having to go down to Las Esmeralda, that we might be able to
continue teaching our students.
Praise for being able to purchase 9000 liters of diesel fuel for our generator! God continues to provide a table in the wilderness for us!
Thanks for your prayers!

Michael and Keila