Celebrity visits MAF hangar in Haiti

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

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

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.

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/.

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

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

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

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

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

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!!!

 

 

 

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

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

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

 

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

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.