The Last Three Months

Prayer requests:
                          We can get our conference center booked
                           We are able to bring glory to God through our actions and words


Praises:        We have received all the things we shipped down in March
                    We have been making intentional family time
                    We got our Visa's (permis)!!


The end of January we were blessed by another ministry organization as well, by lending us a teacher, a painter and a mechanic for a week.  The teacher gave Kristie a much needed break for the week and the painter and mechanic helped cross off a lot on Nicky's to do list.

Our visiting teams have been doing construction, working on dorms on the compound, building a new church, and doing some welding and generator work, along with bringing a much needed welder and supplies.

Another ministry we partner with brought down a professional painter to do much needed painting on our volunteers quarters.

A team of three from our home church, FBC Hendersonville, came in April.  We were blessed by them helping us start a carport for our house, helping teach the kids (while Kristie painted), and did lots of photography for upcoming gran moun and teacher sponsorship.  What an encouragement to have friends come and work along side you!

Helping start our carport

Visiting our kindergarten

Gran moun feeding program

Xander learning to weld

Our boom lift arrived!!

One team had asked us weeks before if we had any personal supply needs and they went above and beyond in blessing all of us missionaries on the compound, especially the kids, 42 suit cases.  It was like Christmas time.  Just being blessed with the everyday items like ziplock bags, honey, and candy/ snacks.

During the egg hunt

The most recent team was here over Easter.  They brought in lots of supplies along with candy and plastic eggs for all the kids on the compound and other missionary families to enjoy an egg hunt before bible study.

The kids were all smiles after receiving their prizes.

 We love having teams who work selflessly to invest in God' s kingdom.  Teams have worked ministering to our gran moun (old people),  patients in the burn clinic, kids in the schools, building a new church, drilling and repairing wells, and encouraging us. Without teams we couldn't get much done behind the scenes, bringing in parts and supplies keeping us going when things are broken. And the people we get to meet and have relationships with that continue, especially if teams come back year after year.

We continue to pray for more missionaries to come full or part time to minister alongside us keeping our compound maintained and running well.

The kindergarden girls love playing with Ellie's hair.

Brian and Carla Tyndale were here for 2 weeks doing revivals

More loads heading up the mountain.

A load getting ready to go the new church building site.

A son dedicating this new church to his deceased father.

Our mission built a church 1 1/2 hours up the mountain in a place overwhelmed by voodoo. Forty-two truck loads of materials and water were taken to get it done.  This kept Nicky busy repairing trucks and tires along with everything else going. This church was dedicated to a young father of 3 young kids that lost his life in a accident.  He came to Haiti years ago with Global on a team and that started his love for Haiti.  This man's parents, younger brother, and 12 yr old son came to dedicate the church.  It was a sweet ceremony, so many Haitians hungry for God 's word.

A new church built in a place overwhelmed by voodoo.

Youth Dorms being built

A team member being baptized  in the pool, not all our ministry is to Haitians

Fun in the Kitchen!

Well drilling a mile from the compound.

Xander hard at work.

That boom lift can't get here soon enough.

It's here!!  Nicky has used it almost everyday since it arrived.

Welding a dozer that was working on the new soccer fields for a new ministry her on the compound

Youth leaders conference.

Fighting fires next to our compound.

January

A quick blog, Kristie is teaching the girls how to bake.

We are praying before drilling a new well in a new village for clean water. There is not a clean well for miles of this place.  They have to walk to our compound or buy water to get it.  Pray we hit good water , as we are drilling close to 2 dry holes we drilled here last year. 

By the time I posted this we broke the cable and the drill was left in the hole, but  we were able to retrieve it and we will try again as soon as I get caught up. 

We are starting a new church building in the mountains this week, in a village that's the voodoo capital in the area.  Satan will be and is fighting us hard in this place, dedicated to satan, as we build this place of worship. This is our local church that has bought the land and planting this church, so glad to see the church growing here! Keep praying hard for us in this, he won't give up easy. 

Took this picture as I dumped the 3rd load of materials just before dark Thursday, don't like driving down the mountain after dark, but sometimes we run out of daylight.

Pray for us as we have 5 building projects going on, and needing to hire a welder full time to keep up with the building of trusses, gates, and maintenance, and we are down to 1 good welding machine as 2 are broken. 

PRAYER REQUESTS: Continued strength and energy
                                        Continuing to learn the language
                                        Our family as it is hard to do things as a family, satan tries
                                         to do whatever he can to separate us.                                  



PRAISES:  Boom lift purchased and delivered to Nashville
                   Nicky baptized Ellie while we were in the States
                   New family arrived to work with us
                    Good well was drilled for school with 800 kids
                   Crusade went well in our village during voodoo holidays Halloween in the states

We pasted our 1 year mark for living in Haiti.  In some ways it seems like a year has flown by and other ways it seems like we have been here for much longer.  Either way we are blessed to be able to serve the Lord as a family.

Sorry for the late post.  I have many excuses that I could tell you but the fact that I am a procrastinator should say enough.  I know people want to here what is going on down here but to me it is just normal everyday stuff that doesn't seem important.  I have realized I need to get over that because no matter how small and unimportant our daily lives seem, they are so important to God and His will for the future and furthering His kingdom.

For the past month we have had back to back teams and guest housing.  We are able to be such a blessing to other ministries, providing them a place to stay and meals.  (One night we had over 30 people to feed).   I thank the Lord for our Haitian ladies that do most of the cooking.  I just make sure the meals are planned out and they have the food they need, and help with some of the cooking, making  some deserts.

I was able to give our ladies in the kitchen a cake decorating class with some of the supplies that brought down with me.

Carlene's son turned ten that day.  This was the 1st birthday cake he has ever had.

The boom lift was delivered to Nashville and is awaiting transport, when Nicky can fly back in and load a container. (We have to get our list of things going on the container approved by customs first)

We had a new family move down a month ago.  The Todd family, they have 4 children, ages 4-16.  Xander and Ellie are so excited to have more kids to play with and we are very appreciative of the additional help and fellowship.

Since the time has changed it gets dark at about 5:30pm and gets light about 5:45 am.  Most nights we struggle to stay up till 8:30pm and some nights I have gone to bed at 7:30.  But we do get up early, making you feel that you are more accomplished, plus it is cooler earlier in the mornings.

While we were guest housing both kids were up before I was to make sure they could go help make breakfast for them.  Xander usually is up early but Ellie likes to sleep.  Even she wanted to help even if it was to sit and read a book while Xander, Carrie, and I made breakfast.

Xander is a pro at making scrambled eggs by 6am

We had two well drillers from the states come down with Healing Hands.  They were able to help drill a well for us at a school for about 800 kids, the great thing about that is our kid supporters paid to have this well drilled! From Refuge, Mountain view, Central Baptist churches VBS fund raising along with a few other children that have supported us. We want to give children a opportunity to give clean water and the living water to kids here in Haiti!

Happy kids excited about other kids from the states giving them clean water! We were pumping out the well getting the drilling mud out allowing the clean water to flow!

Doing some maintenance on the well drilling rig replacing seals in the jacks

Got a flat tire on the way to the school to drill the well.

Some of the older students at the school praying for good water.

We had a 4 night crusade for all souls day, similar to Halloween in the states, but it is a 2 day national holiday, not trick or treating, ( people here that are into voodoo love to hear about Americans delving into their dark side on halloween) there was over 1000 people here each night 80% were young teens and children at our crudsade, this picture was taken from the far behind.

One of the holes washed from heavy rains, Nickys trying to get the water diverted as we build a wall around the compound so it wont keep washing these ravines.

July in Haiti

Prayer Requests:
Nicky's safety on the compound (being high up on a ladders and roofs)
God's strength for these hot days
For the support to purchase a tow able boom lift and send it down in September

Praises:
Xander's heat rash has cleared up
It is really hot and by 6pm we are worn out, its 95 to 100 in the house, but we are all healthy

Teams are a lot of fun and a lot of work.  We have a few teams that return year after year, some members are old friends but we also get to meet many new friends.  Teams not only come with their own projects in mind but come with the attitude that we are your servants here to help you with whatever is needed at the time.  What a blessing!!

We had 8 Americans here for a wedding.  We were just guest housing them but they wanted to help out with what they could.  We put them to work driving a tractor, painting, much needed organizing of freezers and pantries (what a blessing, who knows when we would have gotten to it).

Our teams consist of a wide range of gifts (medical, construction, well drilling and pump repair, VBS, youth sports camps, photography and video production, hair cuts, computer knowledge, mechanics, electrical  plumbing, etc.). You have no idea how God might use you to bless others.
We encourage you to be open to what the Lord has gifted you with and not be afraid to use it on the mission field.

It is great when people get excited about coming on mission trips.  We do tell them that our mission has found it more effective if the Haitian people are running the ministries.  They are able to reach and disciple more people.  There are things that we oversee, (I punch the cards for our gran moun feeding program and Sheryl is the head of the burn clinic) but for the majority we have a Haitian staff that do these ministries out in the community; well drilling and repair, teaching at schools, sewing, cooking schools and youth camps.

We are praying for more teams that are willing to come and get their hands dirty with all that we have to do behind the scenes here on our compound.  It takes a lot to keep what God has blessed us with running.  We just got finished guest housing 28 Americans with 4 Haitian staff for their 4 day conference with 180 Haitian youth.  The same day they left we had 200 nurses come to use our dorms for three nights. This adds up to 72 Americans in our volunteers Quarters and 470 Haitians thru our conference center in the last 6 weeks. There are 2 or 3 of us families here to take care of the teams, maintenance, airport runs, grocery, and material shopping, etc.  Kristie has been doing a lot of baking.

A typical week here starts out (depends on the arrival and departure dates) with Sunday-going to one of our local churches that our head missionary is preaching (he preaches at a different church each Sunday).  These services are usually lots of prayer, praise, and preaching (3-4 hours).  We come back to the compound for a nice home-style lunch, then relax time or trip to the mountain so teams can see the mountain life, before bible study at 5pm.

Monday begins with devotions with our men at the shop, then helping out with our gran moun (elderly) feeding program, lending a hand at the burn clinic or for some just taking a peek inside.  The rest of the day holds many opportunities to help on the compound.

The rest of the week kind of depends on the needs at that time or any emergencies that need to be taken care of.  like I said earlier some teams come with specific projects (they prepare months in advance for and bring the necessary supplies) they want to do or some just come to help us do what needs to be done.

All of us missionaries don't always eat every evening meal with the team.  Each family gets a designated night to eat with the team and share their testimonies and how we got to Haiti.  The teams really enjoy getting to ask questions and find out how we were called here.

Nicky and I have come under the couple that started these ministries over the past years (they have found what really works and allows the Haitians to be the main ones doing most of the ministries).  We pray that we are able to learn a good amount of what it takes to keep this place and those ministries going.

Please pray if God would have you get a team together to serve behind the scenes or to help equip us to keep the facilities in great shape as the harsh environment tries to corrode it away. We have been so overwhelmed in the last 9 months we haven't even had time to paint our own house.

Xander helping Nicky after school, greasing bearings

We gave 1538 lbs of fabric bolts to our sewing school.  Madam Pastor was so happy, they are going to make sheets and privacy curtains for some of the hospitals

The community praying for good clean water before we start drilling. Unfortunately 3 dry holes

One of our teams doing a youth sports camp

Kristie, Xander and Ellie give out food to 62 elderly every Monday morning.

Nicky repairing a well at another mission keeping orphans healthy 

Some of our team members.  You would not catch me that close to one of those!!

some days we have a extra 6 kids on our porch playing, can you find them?

8 of our workers ready to get to lunch, We praise God for the polaris!

180 youth here enjoying Facing the Giants movie in French

First hand miracle  

Praises:We serve a mighty God that is able to do anything!!!!

       

 Just Monday there was a little boy in the burn clinic that stopped 

breathing.  During the next hour of not breathing on his own Nicky was able to lay hands on him and pray as 4 nurses worked for 30 minutes while others on the compound prayed for him also.  He came back to life to where Nicky had to hold his legs as he was fighting them, and that's a good thing.  He had been coming for burn treatments, finished today's treatment and stopped breathing, alot of pain involved in scraping the wounds to keep scar tissue from building up. A real miracle from the Lord!

Later in the day a tool was lost while drilling 190' in a well the cable broke, the Haitian driller tried fishing for it for 1 hour, Nicky stopped everyone prayed and got it first try!!! God was busy Monday with us. Thank you supporters for your prayers and support allowing us to be used by God here in mighty ways!!!!!!!!!

    Prayer Requests:  
   
For a support team to help us with raising support                          For our family- it is hard balancing ministry, school, and family time                       
Our marriage- it can be really stressful
Two missionary families leaving this month- losing friends    
 and increased work loads   
For a tow-able boom lift


                      Catching you up on the last month

It has been weeks since we have blogged. We have been busier with fewer families here in the last 2 months. It was very nice to have 4 and 5 families here for a number of months as some new families were trying out our mission to see if it was a fit. We have been down to 2 families as one family retires leaving 2 families to run ministry's here and one on furlough. We knew this time would come but were enjoying have more families spreading the load out.

   We will try and keep our blog up as we get busier so you can know how to pray and be apart of our ministries. We also haven't had teams for a while but will start up in 2 weeks, every week to every other week. This has given us a great opportunity to get settled in and some more work done on our house. Maybe next year it will get finished painted, as when the day ends the heat has zapped the strength from us.

    North Carolina Baptist men who have been here since the earth quake are leaving the house they are in on our compound the end of the month. One family left Saturday and the other one leaves June 30th. It will be much lonelier here with out them here.

We have found a English speaking church 1 hour up the road at the beaches allowing us to meet other missionaries, making friends, and worshiping together in English.   We can't go every Sunday  but when we can, it has been a blessing.

So many of these thing we do daily most people wouldn't think a missionary would do but how else would the ministries keep running with out all the behind the scenes work keeping them going.

Hauling sand to the job where we are building a block wall around the compound, Xander and his friend inside are enjoying the big truck

Still cleaning up from the hurricane last summer, pulling up a stump

These men are building the trusses for the church we are building.   They are over built but building codes require it now.  We have 20 of the 60 made, it takes one day to make one.  Overseeing the welding is one of the jobs I have going and a painter painting these after they get done.

One of the geckos eating a roach on our house, yay for the geckos! 

This is the best tool ever. It is my service truck for the compound,  jobs close around, and to the well sites.

I had many friends come and help pressure wash the pool for 3 days and come to paint it, huge job but thankful for all the friend that helped out

Working on a generator from the 1980s, good Honda, it pays to have good equipment that will last for years

Xander making breakfast for us each Saturday and Sunday

Xander and Elisae fixing the lights on a old Isuzu we just overhauled

Nicky and Joel, our mechanic got married 2 weeks ago, he has got a great heart, and brought lots of people to the crusade this spring and 5 of them came to the Lord






We helped out at an orphanage a couple of weeks ago.

         A day (Monday) in our life here in Haiti

 Mondays you never know what they will bring. Flat tire on our army truck, take it off then send someone to the guy on the side of the street to repair it, much cheaper and quicker for him to fix it with these big split rims wheels.
   
By this time Kristie, Xander, & Ellie are ministering to the gran moun (old people) singing and worshiping with them and giving 62 of them provisions for a week. These are old people who don't have anyone to provide for them.
   
 Next off to the shop where we have 4 vehicles inside not working:

 The 1971 John Deere tractor, our main loader for all construction, loading well drilling supplies and material for pouring pump bases.  The oil pump broke and we have to replace it and the bearings on the crankshaft .

Then the white 1991 Isuzu trooper pouring oil out of the top of the engine so we took it apart to find the seals and gaskets need to be replaced.

The 1990's mule a dog chewed the wiring on it.

Glen takes the 1991 dodge transmission out, because it won't go in reverse, to find one of the forks in the transmission broken and have to replace the fork.

Not pictured a blue 1986 army pickup, military master, with a wheel cylinder broken and needs replaced, and a modulator valve that's not been hooked up since we swapped engines 2 years ago.

Beside that a giant yellow 1984 gmc power company truck we use for hauling well drilling supplies on well sites, it can be locked up and left on the drilling site, its valve cover gaskets are falling out and pouring oil out. ALL OF THESE HAVE BROKEN DOWN IN THE LAST WEEK.

 By this time Kristie and the kids are at the burn clinic giving the gran moun medicine for head aches, stomach, and other minor things. Then she's off to home school by 10 AM, make lunch and dinner.

I load our dump truck with sand to take to our guys building a wall by the main road, as they are hand digging footings for the wall.  Part of our guys are going to put a new pump on a base they poured Friday so more people in a tent city will have clean water.  Our guys share the gospel at each well site dedicating it to Christ and giving opportunity for people to receive Christ or planting seeds letting them know that God provided this water and well for them.

Then I get with Tim, who over sees the well machine I've been using, about some parts the big compressor needs.

 I find out someone has cut off our faucets where we give free running water everyday, these are beside the main road. One bad person ruins it for those really in need!  I get Joel our Haitian mechanic helper to come with me and I weld on a new coupler and get both faucets fixed so the next day the people and animals will have clean water again.  We are not going to let one rotten person spoil it for everyone.

Now its 4:30 pm and since its not rained in weeks I take the old fire truck up and help our workers water their gardens, and I get our kids pulling weeds in ours. 7 pm comes and its supper time, yay, by the way did I say i got up at 2:30 am this morning because I couldn't sleep, great time for a quiet time, then catch up on computer work till 5 when every one else gets up. Yep its another day in Haiti. I thank God I can serve him daily in what ever comes our way!

helping the guys water their gardens

this is a wreck 100' away from our water faucet at the deadly road

here's the mule, dodge with its transmission out, John Deere with oil pump out and need to replace the bottom end, The Isuzu we have the top of the engine off waiting on gaskets and 2 more outside also, they wouldn't fit inside

Kristie helping the gran moun in the clinic with medicine

first thing Monday morning flat tire

end of the day Xanders made him a bow and arrows out of sticks

Nicky working to weld on new faucet head, this is at the end of our property giving water to so many and the run off waters hundreds of animals that farmers bring down, this is the reason for the cattle guard around it

Glen working on the tractor, Xander likes helping out in the shop

Ellie and Siedle playing