August 2, 2010
Day One for Mike and Bonnie Snider
It’s 8:21 p.m. and we are listening to the orphanage children sing before bedtime.
This was moving day for Mike and me, and day one of a mission trip for 19 people, formed from two groups. One, from Holiday Hill church in Jacksonville and the other, Wood Run church in Tallahassee. We are all working through the Jacksonville Baptist Association (JBA), who sponsor’s the orphanage, church and school approximately 30 miles north of Port Au Prince. Another team, not associated with the JBA, Through His Eyes (T.H.E.) Mission Haiti, headed by Shasta Mott is already here with 21 of her people till Thurdsay, then they will go home and 15 will arrive. Her group was staying at our compound, but moved to the school to make room for the JBA teams until after the JBA teams leave next Monday. Now we are three groups, but actually 40 individual mission trips, which makes for shared ideas and experiences.
Together the three teams hope to accomplish a few projects this week, including concrete wall construction surrounding the pre-K through 6th grade school across the street, finish tiling the floor in the downstairs portion of the orphanage, construct kit (pre-fab) homes for landowners who have no way of repairing their current homes destroyed in the earthquake or otherwise. These are transitional shelters, not meant to be long-stnading homes (but so much better than a tent), and we will be working on this project in our community of Bercy and surrounding villages funded through Samaratain’s Purse. We will also do Vacation Bible School, process two new orphans, and are open for anything else the Lord has in store for us.
Earlier today we were thankful that all flights were on time, people and luggage arrived safely with no incidents. Austin, Nick and Wilfrid (from the orphanage) met us at the airport. “Big” (local man) and his team helped us load our 42 duffle bags into the old blue truck and van. I misplaced my trusty BA backpack, but rejoiced that my prayers were answered when I noticed it after all the bags were distributed tonight. Yeah!!!
After leaving the airport, we stopped by Queen’s grocery store for a few items and enjoyed the last air conditioning we would have for a while. The heat index was up to 115F and a cool rainwater shower never felt so good tonight!
After Queen’s we continued our journey toward the orphanage. Had to empty the people off the truck to change a tire, then continued on. The truck arrived home and emptied the duffle bags, while the van stopped at the Mission of Hope hospital to pick up a local girl, Ejina, seen at a medical clinic in Labade , who is actually an orphanage girl, Wanna’s sister. T.H.E. Mission (who conducted the clinic) took her to the hospital, with tremors in her legs, crippled by Typhoid. We had to pre-pay for her medical care and she was told by the doctors said she will not be able to walk again. We put her mother and wheelchair, as well as two of T.H.E. Mission group who stayed with her at the hospital, in an already crowded van and dropped them off at their village. Then arrived at the orphanage!
Shasta’s team made a large banner for the orphanage gate, welcoming Mike and I “home”! Had to hug the children before going upstairs to find our room fixed up nice and clean with more signs on the wall welcoming us from David, Donnie, and Darla Garrett! Thank you, everyone!!!
Oh, the city power just went off, but came back on within two minutes. Just a minor inconvenience…and the children kept singing.
A woman from Holiday Hill Baptist church wanted to contribute to the team even though she could not go on the trip. Her contribution is an awesome blessing!!! She purchased cooling headbands for the entire JBA group! Wow, what a blessing! The are called Mira Cool Cooling Headbands, by OccuNomix International. Soak in water for 10-20 minutes and the headband stays hydrated for several days.
Had some team members go to the local market and they picked up green peppers, tomatoes, mangoes, avocadoes, watermelon, and honeydew melon. Had a salad of tomatoes and green pepper with dinner tonight, along with some sliced mango and other food, which was all delicious! Linda, from the Holiday Hill team, has volunteered to cook this week as her mission.
Austin shared that he was able to recognize a severe athsma attack on Elis, a young woman staying at our orphanage, and got an inhaler from our medical supplies and administered it just in time to save her life. He was walking around the compound praying, when he noticed she was not well. When he came back downstairs she was lying down choking. We need to be so sensitive to God’s leading.
Pray for strength, wisdom, and guidance for tomorrow. We miss our family and friends already!!! Thank you Jon, Adam and Linh, and Becky for taking us to the airport and for Juana and Armando for braving the early morning send-off! Sing praise to the Lord for He is good. His love endures forever!!!
August 3, 2010
Day Two for Mike and Bonnie and the Holiday Hill and Wood Run Mission Teams in Bercy, Haiti
Got a late start on projects today as we had to go to Port Au Prince to register with Samaritan’s Purse. We bought one kit house and loaded it onto the old blue truck. Started construction on it and realized that 40 people were too many for one tiny house. We will finish it tomorrow and have a truck deliver 6 more kit homes tomorrow.
Footings were poured for the block wall surrounding the school.
A morning VBS for the younger children of the orphanage included several games of duck, duck, goose and coloring. The younger children do not understand much English, but appreciated the love poured out over them! The older children enjoyed an English lesson with squares of colored construction paper. They also made “Jesus loves me!” bandanas. Both groups sang Jesus loves me together.
Everyone enjoyed playing with the kids and some had a great time interacting with the adult workers as well as the children. We discovered a beehive on the back-side of the building next to our entry door and it was sprayed well and removed. No casualties.
Some in the group decided to walk to the beach less than a quarter mile away. It’s not a beach you would want to swim at, but fun for exploring.
Andres cam back again tonight and sang “What a friend we have in Jesus,” “Lord I lift your name on high,” and others. He gave a ten minute lesson, followed by prayer, blessings and more singing. Most of us were downstairs in the midst of the worship and were blessed by it.
August 4, 2010
Day Three for Mike and Bonnie Snider and the Holiday Hill and Wood Run Mission Teams in Bercy, Haiti
We had a great morning devotion by the Wood Run Youth Pastor (named Ran). He cited Matthew 5:16, where Jesus encourages us as Christians to be both salt and light to the world and to let our light shine before others. Also, Luke 6 shows us that God wants us to love our enemies and to give without expecting anything in return. We come from different backgrounds and cultures and God has a call on our lives. Collosians 1:16 says that we are made by God for God, with a purpose. We need to come close to other people and to God. We should let God know that we want to pursue what He has in store for us.
Conducted a medical clinic primarily for women and children at our church. Three nurses and several volunteers, including three interpreters. 95% of the children had scabies, and many with bumps, vitamin deficiencies (orange tint to hair) . The adults had the same conditions, which has a lot to do with unclean bathing water.
One child was taken to the Mission of Hope clinic for skin infections and possible “failure to thrive.” Mike and I took baby Nachka and her mom, Gina to the clinic, praying the entire trip and thankfully while there she was able to eat and opened her eyes when Dr. Jennifer examined her. Such a wonderful ministry this hospital/clinic is. They also operate a church and school on their compound. Baby Nachka was given prescriptions for baby Tylenol and antibiotic cream and ordered to come back tomorrow for hemoglobin and malaria tests. Nachka is only 18 days old and her weight today was 2.7 kilos/8 lbs. Thankfully, she is thriving and mom will continue to feed her for the time being.
The Samaratin’s Purse kit homes arrived today via a truck rented by one of our mission groups. The houses were distributed and land for one house had to be cleared, but the group discovered a village of 30 plus houses, which were merely shelters made out of tine sheets and sticks behind one of the lots they are working on. The house begun yesterday was completed today! The most challenging part of the bulding process is to dig holes for hurricane strapping on each corner, using a pick axe and shovel and moving big rocks by hand. The homeowners were helping with this labor-intensive effort, so grateful for the shelter and taking pride in ownership. How many of us can be proud of a shack with a dirt floor, with a 5’x 6’ piece of plywood for a master bed and 12’ long x 24” shelf for additional bedding, nailed to the frame of the house.
The group working on the block wall surrounding the school has been pouring concrete on top of the footings in preparation for the blocks, which are scheduled to be delivered on Saturday.
We went to church tonight, which was supposed to start at 6 p.m. We have learned, however, to wait until we hear the music begin which was good because tonight the music started around 6:45. No worship at the orphanage as the children were next door at church.
Bonnie and Linda (our chef for the week from Holiday Hill church) were able to attend cooking class, conducted weekly for the teenage girls. Today our lesson was Pain Belgian, or as we know it, French toast! The recipe is as follows:
PAIN BELGIAN
One large plus one small can of sweetened condensed milk and a pinch of salt, cooked to almost a boil. Add this mixture to 3 eggs, whisked with a pinch each of freshly ground nutmeg, cinnamon, and more salt. Add two capfuls of rum and stir.
Add oil to a frying pan and when hot take a piece of thick, not thin toasted bread, dipped in the egg and milk batter. Fry in oil, turning till golden brown.
Eat as a snack or include as part of a meal.
Helpful hint: Be sure to take all flies out of batter prior to adding bread to egg mixture, being sure to do this continually (as they keep on coming) while ccoking over a charcoal fire.
Several in the group have been affected by the heat and/or other conditions and are doing the best they can. The working through adversity message from day one keeps coming to mind.
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