Summer Relief Teams
One of the major projects for the groups was to deliver beans and rice to needy families. Although Haiti is slowly recovering from the trials they have faced, the needs of the people where we serve are still very present. The final tally of beans and rice that was bought, packaged and delivered from both team amounted to 63,760 pounds, almost 32 tons of food. That represents 2,600 families who received beans and rice.
The distributions were done at local churches. In this way, we not only ministered to the physical needs of the people, but we gave the church an opportunity to serve in the name of the Lord. Team members like Jim Hardee would begin the distribution with prayer. The feeling of great need and distress could be seen in the faces of everyone who came to receive food.
The cost to deliver one family parcel of food is $16. That cost includes purchasing, packaging and transporting the food to the distribution site. In June, the Relief Team was headed by Terry Hall and Jim Hardee who did a great job directing this effort. In July, the Beans and Rice crew was headed by Al and Valerie Carpenter.
For the first time, the Relief team traveled south of Port-au-Prince. Their destination was the small town of Petit Goave or Ti-Goave as most Haitians call it.
The countryside is beautiful, but it belies the abject poverty that most Haitians endure. After four hours of bumpy roads, the team arrived to find the little church filled with people patiently waiting. The bus parked at the bottom of the hill, and all the food was carried by hand to the top where the church overlooks the valley below. Church members and team members banded together to carry the 100 pound bags up the steep pathway.
The people received the food with great appreciation. It was a joy to help.
The Medical Team
One of the most intense groups on the team is the medical team. Sometimes, they are seeing people at their worst condition, and their need is desperate. Volunteers like Tina Huddleston and Mike Miller commit their time and attention to each person who passes by their station.
When the team arrives at the church where they will hold clinic, they have no idea which kind of ailments they'll encounter that day. Sometimes the things they treat are minor. Sometimes, they're more severe. On occasion, they treat someone who was injured in a household accident, or a child who is suffering from a childhood illness. Regardless of the situation, each person who comes to clinic finds team members who are concerned for their welfare.
The July medical team saw almost 900 in 6 days of intense clinic. People come to clinic hoping for a cure, and the team works hard to provide quality care for everyone. The greatest hope the team can offer is eternal life through Christ.
Bible School Team
The VBS group spent each morning preparing for Bible School. The community of Bonnette is located on the national highway that leads to the Dominican Republic. Although this main thoroughfare makes traveling easier, the community of Bonnette is isolated from modern life. These native homes have no power or any convenient way of keeping in touch with the world outside of their village.
Each day, the team arrived as the school day was finishing. The church sanctuary was filled with eager boys and girls waiting to hear what new lessons and Scriptures the group had prepared just for them.
The weather in June is exceptionally hot, but the team led by Barbara Freeman and Wendy Buckner did not complain. Instead, they enthusiastically told the Gospel story in word and song through puppets and special presentations. They shared the Good News in ways that the children could understand.
Everyday, around 300 children came for Bible school. Added to that were a scattering of parents who came to observe what their children were experiencing. Because Bonnette is a Christian school, many of the children know who Jesus is, but there are those who have never made a decision to trust in Christ. As the week progressed, the children were given an opportunity to put their faith in Jesus. For these youngsters who made that decision, they have been given new life in Christ. These children will remember this VBS as the time they accepted the Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Construction Teams
Another major project was undertaken by the team as ground was broken for a new clinic on Mission To Haiti’s new property. This clinic, which will be headed by Dr. Bill Gray and his team of medical volunteers, will serve the community as a base of operations for our medical ministry. Michael Mosley is standing next to the first section of flooring poured for the new clinic.
The new clinic will need waiting rooms, examining rooms, a dental office, an ophthalmology office, a pharmacy, medical storage rooms, and a large generator to power this new facility. As the medical ministry grows, we envision the new clinic being open daily to meet the needs of the community. We pray that the Lord will provide the finances and the manpower to complete this worthwhile endeavor.
Except for a few details, the main mission house, kitchen, and dining room are completed. Michael Mosley, Billy Belding and the construction group moved everything from the old kitchen to the new one. Painting was finished, and new cabinets were made by Billy Belding and Mel Buckner. Ann Nealey who heads the meal crew was thrilled. The new kitchen is larger and more accommodating for the teams to meet together and relax after a hard day’s work.
In July, the framework for the new second story porch was begun. The new porch will be screened in, and serve as an extension to the second story living room. The space is more than double that of the old porch where the team would meet and eat together. What a blessing this new space is.
Mission To Haiti is registered in Florida as a 501(c)3 charitable organization. A financial statement
is available upon request. All gifts are tax deductible.