HAITI BUILDING TEAM
Haiti is home to House of Hope Orphanage where a family of kids and adults live out the daily stuggles of life but with the help of people who love them and with the hope found in Jesus Christ.
This is a newsletter about a team from two PA churches who ministered at House of Hope and brought joy and change to the lives of the House of Hope family. The team was only at the Orphange six days but they have left a legacy of love and ministry that will be remembered.
We are thankful for this team and the other teams who have ministered with us in Haiti. They have made a difference in the lives of the Haitian people both in a temporal manner and in an eternal manner. You and your church could leave a legacy of love and ministry in Haiti as well. We would love to have you join us in ministering to the family at House of Hope.
The men from Palmyra & Lititz, PA Grace Brethren Churches came prepared to work and make the lives of the children at House of Hope Orphanage much better. A worship service at House of Hope on Sunday AM allowed the men to get acquainted with the kids, spend some time with them and see the orphanage facilities where they would be working during the week.
Though the men came expecting to do some plumbing work at House of Hope they ended up doing some other important tasks as unexpected circumstances prevented their work on the plumbing. This is not unusual in Haiti and that is why a key word for our teams is "flexibility."
Some of the team members took on the task of strengthening and rebuilding some of the bunk beds and putting screws in all beds so they would be more stable. Several other members gave the girls' dorm a new basic coat of paint which improved the appearance tremendously.
The team also built a tool and supply storage building underneath the farm water storage tank so Bobby Lucien, our farm supervisor, would have a convenient place to store his equipment. They did an excellent job on this building as well.
Several other projects also took place during the week . The team did repair a broken water line (that is some plumbing) and they erected a basketball pole and goal for the kids. A pole & goal sounds simple and unless you have been to Haiti you can't possibly understand how complicated this can become. For more information on this please contact the guys from Palmyra & Lititz. I am sure they can spin a good tale on this project. The team also brought basketballs and a pump for the kids to use.
One of the team members from Palmyra who had been to House of Hope in January of 2011 brought photos of the kids from that trip and made a bulletin board for the boys' and girls' dorms featuring the photos. This was a special treat for the kids since they have very few photos of themselves. One of the things the men enjoyed the most was working with many of the kids, teens and adults who live at House of Hope. They all worked together, talked together, laughed together, played together and just hung out together. Team members always say the best part of every trip to Haiti is being with the kids, whether at House of Hope or with the neighborhood kids around Grace Theological Institute where the team is housed.
This was a great team. The men are highly skilled in many construction areas. They all had a great attitude and an evident love for God and people and they were very flexible. After returning home they are continuing to consider projects for House of Hope that will make a real difference in the lives of the kids. We praise God for teams of people like these men who are willing to sacrifice that others less fortunate may be helped
