CONFERENCE TIME AGAIN

    We had our first conference since the earthquake 2 years ago (Jan 12, 2010). What a great blessing to all. Close to 90 pastors and ministers from different churches came for the 3 day conference. Tom from Danville KY lead 1/3 of the teaching, pastor Kelly from our church in TiTanyen did 1/3 and pastor Carl lead the last 1/3 of a John Maxwell equip leadership training. This team was in the middle of a conference when the earthquake hit, so it was fitting for them to be the first group back. The Haitians have already planed next years conference with this team getting 2 pastors from each of 50 churches to be trained with this leadership material to take back so they can train their church staff. We have conferences scheduled through out the year. This is discipleship at its best. 

This is a blessing to have our conferences up and going again!

                                                  3 Days and nights of conferences.

Xander and Ellie helped out in VBS at one of the schools a team sponsors here. Tom, that put on the conference, his sisters came and did VBS

Xander and Ellie had to help the school kids color their crafts.  The kids weren't sure what to do with the crayons.

          Another dress given to a young girl, picture above Ellie's wearing one of them too!

          We also guest housed 3 teams for other missions while they were in Port heading out to the northwest Haiti. One of these worked in Port showing the Hope movie.  They brought back packs that included everything to show the Jesus film and the Hope movie in creole. The backpacks included a solar panel that powered speakers, projector and microphone.  This team was from the group who made the Hope movie and are translating it into many different languages around the world. The other 2 guys were with the Jesus Film Harvest Ministry that shows these films millions of times around the world. Some of the head guys have been showing these for over 20 years, I took video of them sharing why and how they show the movie like they do. It was great learning from these guys so we will be more effective in our ministry here showing these films. These guys also gave me a number of resources for sharing Christ with people, so excited to show you when we come back to the states.

Went to show the Hope movie at Double Harvest with this team, all that is needed to show the movie is in one of these back packs. Technology has come a long ways from a loud generator, drop cords, big speakers, big projector, DVD player and screen. This would be a good investment one day, these were promised to another mission, but great to know this is out there!

We were setting up at Double Harvest in the dark.

 Xander cleaning the pool, we all have lots to do! This was a great blessing donated a few years ago so the kids on the compound would have something fun to do since they don't leave the compound much.

  Also we got our first basketball goal up on the basketball court. They had just finished the court right before the earth quake hit then it got turned into a helicopter landing pad while Samaritans Purse were here. This will be a blessing to many youth in the future. We will be taking the hanger down and putting it back up over our grease pit.

This is how most travel here,

BIG BLESSING

God provided us with a 2009 Ford Everest, for a great savings here. Its just like an Explorer with 3 rows of seats with a 2.5 diesel motor. This is a place you can't safely buy used cars unless they come from another mission, that ministry just upgraded cars so this blessed us! 3 of the 4 times we went to Port we had loss brakes, dead battery, broke water line, starter died and had to be towed home. This truly is another blessing from GOD!  Thank you to all that are partnering with us.

It was a long week some mornings up at 4AM to get things done, 5AM to cook for teams each day, and back to our room at 8 to 9pm. Thank you for your prayers!

BLESSINGS

God provided a great conference disciplining 88 pastors and ministers!

GOD provided a family car for us at a great price!

Many more also.

PRAYER REQUEST

Please pray that Eddie the Haitian man getting our drivers licenses, residency, and Visa's will get what he promised he would done 

Pray for us to find some one to get our car stickers and paper work done so when we have our monthly support this will be ready for us to come back and have already been done.

Pray that God would build our prayer,support, equipping team and that will allow us to be the hand and feet of Jesus here to reclaim Haiti for Christ!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 Pray God would bless us with better Internet when we come back. many days and nights it doesn't work making it hard to keep our team posted with how things are going and prayer needs!

making a difference everyday

We don’t have to be famous, rich, important, church workers, or a CEO of a company to make a difference. Changing the world doesn’t necessarily come through a massive production, but rather through touching one life at a time.

Here’s a story I heard once:
As an old man walked the beach at dawn, he noticed a young boy ahead of him picking up starfish and flinging them into the sea. Finally, catching up to the youth, he asked him why he was doing this. The answer was that the stranded starfish would die if left in the morning sun. “But the beach goes on for miles and there are millions of starfish”, countered the man, “How can your efforts make a difference?” The young man looked at the starfish in his hand and then threw him safely in the waves. “It makes a difference to that one”, he said.

There are people all around you that you can make a difference in their lives. It takes us looking around, seeing where the Spirit might be leading, and acting on that.

Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world. Because, indeed that’s all who ever can.” -Margaret Mead

Here in Haiti a lot of humanitarian work is done and around the world, people spending trillions of dollars, much of which does nothing for the souls of men, not leading them closer to Christ. The end result is an easier way of life here on earth but hell is their reality if we don't share the truth with them and they accept Jesus into their heart. We all need to remember to take the time and make sure seeds are being planted, Jesus is being shared and is being glorified in all we do. Some times this means slowing down and pouring into someone not just speeding though life getting to the next thing we feel we need to do.

                                        Work on the conference center

 Replacing rotten boards on ceiling, then screwing roofing back down to new boards

                                              Replacing insulation in cafeteria ceiling.

Pouring concrete on grease pit shed.

Finishing concrete.

Installing deeper sinks in cafeteria.

Finished Grease pit slab for mechanics shed to be relocated from basket ball court.

Fixing door closers on cafeteria.

Kids helping Nicky after school.

Ellie found the camera.

PRAYER REQUEST

1-23-11 is first day of conference over 100 pastors here to be discipled for 3 day conference.

 Drivers license, residency paper work to get finished in next 2 weeks. Pray for Eddie our Haitian man getting this for us that he moves quickly.

God's discernment about used vehicle purchase here this week. If it's not right for God to close door but if it is right that it will go smoothly.

One of the biggest projects we are working on is getting our conference center ready to start having conferences in 1 1/2 weeks. Its been used for disaster relief for 2 years. Today is the 2 year anniversary of the earthquake where 316,000 were killed. Everything is shut down in remembrance of the lives lost. Sunday our head missionary Dave Heady preached and the service went as follows, 1 1/2 hours of worship time, then 45 minutes of time on our knees praying and confessing to our Lord, then 3 offerings were taken up, 1 for widows and orphans, 1 for the church, 1 for the new church sanctuary being built behind the church that will hold 2,500 people. This is an exciting time in the church here to be able to give. Then the word was preached and over 40 people came forward to rededicate and 3 saved. During this time the Holy Spirit had filled the room of 1,000 with the chorus being sung in harmony. We got there for the 2nd service at 7:30 and didn't leave till 11:30, and no air conditioning.  This doesn't always happen but it did Sunday.

They use a flannel board to share Jesus at a Saturday morning bible time.

This is group of amputees from the earthquake
                          This is determination! Next time you feel like life is hard remember there               are those who have it worse but make the best of it.

Never give up no matter how hard life gets.

                                              
                                                         Some of our 311 kids in our school.

                             Getting our conference center back and ready to start conferences and            closing down disaster relief. Close to 250 beds to get back in working order.

Working on the dorms, fixing beds, doors, and fans.

                                              
                         This is one of the wells we drilled donated in memory of a loved one.

Sunday after church we rode up the mountain in TiTanyen and gave dresses to some girls.   
The littlest girl here didn't have any clothes on out at one of our wells, what a blessing it is to clothe them in prayed over hand made dresses by youth being mentored at FBCHNC making a difference in young girls being mentored providing dresses for girls in Haiti.

These younger girls where only wearing some type of bottoms (undies or shorts) and the little older girls were wearing torn and too small dresses.

Prayer request

1. Pray for our conference center and staff to be ready for our 1st conference in 2 years. Teaching the Haitian Christians to disciple others more effectively.

2. Pray for our support to increase allowing us to return full time in July.

new years

    We started off the new year with a great worship time this past Sunday, spent 1 1/2 hours singing praise songs with communion, they use the real stuff, then a 1 hour service on Jean 8: 36 (John in English) . Haitians make a traditional meal of pumkin soup, so yummy, it has chicken, beef, carrots, cabbage, potatoes, noodles (of some kind), and a very fine pureed pumpkin. They usually make lots. We have been eating it for three days.
    Bon ane (Good year).  January 1st was Haitian Independence Day. In 1804, they became the first free slave nation. This passage talks about being set free from sin.  Praise the Lord the church is alive in Haiti but under lots of warfare.

Looks like Xander was happy to get just a stocking for Christmas, but Ellie wasn't.

Nicky and the crew repairing a well pump that was down.

Ellie and the ketchup bottle had an accident.

This is the Presidential Palace.  It is still damaged from the earthquake 2 years ago.

The kids sleeping in the back seat of the truck.

Last night the kids had friends over for chocolate chip cookies.

The girls.

This is such an awesome picture!

This is Patrick.  He has Downs Syndrome.  He is the sweetest guy!
He is always ready for his hug!

Our big friend outside our door.  Good thing he was outside.  He is about 5 or 6 inches long.