In the Country

We have arrived in Haiti! The trip was relatively on time and uneventful - unless you consider a 20-minute delay for a couple of us on I-95 a non-event. The welcoming temperature was hovering around 90. Dan, Judain and the Canter were waiting for us, and the ride to Ortlip Ministry Center at Croix Luly was an "interesting" experience for the first timers. Following dinner tonight we hope to have a dialog with Dan to learn more of his vision for the ministry and his desires for our time here. Tomorrow we expect to cross the channel to Anse-a-Galets. Hopefully additional dialog with Greg Edmonds will crystallize our plans.

Recovery Continues

Although there are times one wonders if recovery from the 2010 earthquake in Haiti will ever be complete, we keep addressing one project at a time. On Friday morning a team leaves for Haiti to continue the rebuilding of churches damaged by the earthquake. The focus of this trip is Fontina, a village in the mountains above our mission station in Anse-a-Galets on the island of La Gonave. In the summer of 2010 a team erected one of the pole-barn structures to replace the church that was destroyed. The second phase is to pour reinforced concrete walls; that is our task. Although Fontina is just a few miles from the mission station, the terrain (and what passes for a road) is very hostile to vehicluar traffic; and travel time is 2 hours one-way. In order to maximize our work time, the team is planning to stay on site for several days at a time. The only electricity will be supplied by a generator that runs during working hours. Water for cooking and hygiene comes from a well nearby. Drinking water must be brought from the village below.

The eleven team members come from six churches across the Penn-Jersey District. For five of them this is their first trip to Haiti.

As in the past, I plan to periodically update this blog as long as the Internet is accessible and I'm reasonably coherent.

Your prayers for wisdom, strength and safety are always welcome.