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Some additional thoughts...

2/11/2014

7 Comments

 
As I reflect on the past number of days I am awed, I am disappointed, I am troubled, I am hopeful.  Mostly the time spent in this poor, poor country has helped me to see how blessed we are and to see that, in Christian love, we can help show Jesus to people in ways that they would never be able to do for themselves.

The time spent at the worksite building the school was genuinely satisfying.  Every day, as the walls got bigger and bigger, I could picture the students sitting in them learning from their teachers the skills they would need to better themselves.  And I could picture the students eagerly listening to their teachers share with them the love of a God who understands suffering and pain, and overcame it for them.

As I said in an earlier blog, most of the skilled workers at the worksite are also members of the congregation.  They have a vested interest in this building and we worked hard alongside them, getting more comfortable with each other as the days went by.  Pastor Bernard told us that the Haitian workers wanted to know how we happened to get such “experts” to come and help.  The fact is, many of our team have great skills working with their hands and are also quick studies.  The Haitian workers estimated that we accomplished in 4 days what would normally take them about three weeks.

When we left Saturday the building was approximately 70% complete.  It will take the workers a couple of more moths to complete laying the blocks and putting the roof on.  But we have no doubt it should be ready to be dedicated early in the Fall and have students in every classroom.

Speaking of students, every day we spent to the school in Leogane the number of children who came to the worksite grew.  After school they would walk to where we were and just sit and watch.  At some point, each member of our team took time to interact with them.  One day the ladies of the team put together an impromptu VBS and there were about 75 kids there who participated.  They did crafts with them with some supplies they had left over from earlier in the week.  Each child made a bracelet with different colored beads, each representing a blessing of God’s love for them.  We also shared with them snacks, sang songs, and they formed a circle where they sang some Haitian songs and danced.

This week we learned a song in Creole, the native language of Haiti, that we sang in church on Sunday.  And when that song was sung, most all of children chimed in.  Among the children who were at the worksite were those who will attend this school, along with some who had gone to the school that was there prior to the earthquake.  All-in-all, while the work was gratifying, interacting with the children, and the adults who were at the worksite, helped to build relationships with the people of the community and hopefully, will lead more people to the church and school, and ultimately to Jesus.

When we left the school on Saturday we also left work gloves, hats, shoes, and other items with the men we labored with all week.  They were smiling from ear-to-ear for their new treasures.  It was touching to see our group give those small things away and see the reaction of the recipients.  They were truly grateful for the gifts, but we were the one’s blessed knowing that our labor, though still unfinished, would not be in vain.  We know that God will complete it.

The rides home each day were memorable.  The companionship of each other, the sharing of this experience, and the making of new friendships helped compensate for the true difficulty it is to travel in Haiti.  On most days we literally spent as much time on the bus to and from the worksite as we did at the worksite.  Over the past week we experienced three overheating of the engine of the bus, 5 flat tires, and nearly zero air-conditioning in the hot weather.  The smells that we encountered as we traveled with the windows down, either made by our own sweaty bodies, or the trash burning alongside the road, or the odors that emanated from the different towns through which we passed, are smells we won’t soon forget.

Neither will we forget the “near misses” we saw as we drove along (including our own), nor the mishaps along the way.  We saw several bad accidents.  One was a concrete pole that had fallen on top of a truck.  Another was a head-on collision between a big panel truck and an SUV.  And we saw people who just stopped on the street, open the hood of their car or truck, and began automotive repairs.  Odd to our eyes!  The driver and security guard who accompanied us everywhere were simply fantastic.  We will fondly remember “Luc-do” (sic) the driver, and Noel, our security man!

Sunday worship was quite the experience.  It actually stressed me out because it was like we were planning the worship service right before it was to begin.  But it was a special Sunday with nearly 30 people from Indiana, and another group of 10 from Michigan, Tennessee, Washington (state), and Wisconsin.  They were working on an addition to Good Shepherd, Port-au-Prince, another classroom that will be dedicated to a philosophy class that will be advantageous for students who will go on to attend college.

During the service Pastor Ahlemeyer preached, Pastor Currao and I served as lectors, both groups presented musical offerings, and the group from Seymour presented the congregation with a beautiful altar cross that will be a longtime remembrance of our life lived as brothers and sisters in Christ under the cross of Jesus.

Also during the service Pastor Bernard presented each congregation represented by a member of the mission team with a plaque to bring back to their congregation as a remembrance of our work together.  Then he singled out Timothy Ahlemeyer and told the story of how, ten years ago, he and his sister were baptized in that same church by him.  It was a very emotional time for our team and for the congregation – a treasured memory for the group.

I would be lax if I didn’t let you know that the service lasted over 2 ½ hours.  The choir of young people during the service presented some awesome hymns; we sang congregational hymns together – many of which were familiar tunes; we were absolved of our sins; confessed our faith together in the creed; prayed together the Lord’s prayer; and received the benediction of our mighty God.

After church and greeting the members of Good Shepherd, we were treated to some delicious sub-sandwiches and drinks.  We visited with each other and stayed at the church until the time of the dedication of the library took place.  That event, which started about 45 minutes later than it was scheduled (a cultural thing that really worked on my patience), was attended by more than 150 people.

During the dedication some of the students of the school presented several skits, poems, songs and other “artsy” offerings.  The Haitian people are a passionate people and the facial expressions and voice inflection helped us to understand what we didn’t understand from the words.  It was a very moving service.

The ride home brought another very memorable event that I’m sure will end up in a sermon sometime.  Others who are blogging are sure to share this.

Today, as I sit in the airport, I’m wondering when we’ll return to this land and what our next project might be.  Some of the original group are up for a new adventure here in Haiti.  Others have “been here and done that”. 

We’ll see what happens in the future.  In the meantime I am so glad to have been a part of this mission trip.  I am so proud of how this group represented our community, our churches.  And I am more proud of how they represented the body of Christ, sharing their talents, gifts, and their very selves with people who they may only see next time in heaven.

Please continue to monitor this blog.  And please add your comments.  Our group looks at it every night, and we will for a while.  Blessings to you all in Jesus Christ.  To Him be the glory forever and ever.

Pastor Rodriguez

7 Comments

Sunday Worship & Library Dedication

2/9/2014

8 Comments

 
Another amazing day here in Haiti.  Brilliant worship service wherein the Lord was glorified in Word and song.  We were honored to be so graciously hosted not only in church but then at a lunch after church that included some uplifting fellowship time with the members of Pastor Bernard's congregation.

Following worship we were honored to be present and participate in the school's dedication of the new school library.  Pastor Bernard spoke and the instructors led some of the school children in songs, speeches, and dramatic presentations for the congregation to celebrate the opening of the new library!

Our time here in Haiti is growing short, but we are confident that the ministry that has been accomplished here will carry across the ocean and energize the churches in Jackson County to continue supporting missions across the world and in their own back yards.--Matt Nieman
8 Comments

And the Mission Goes On

2/8/2014

1 Comment

 
What a thrill to be a part of a project that will influence so many lives!  It never fails that no matter how hot, sweaty, and hard a project is, we know that the Lord is working through it all so His will can be done.   And while the construction aspects of the trip are finished, we still have a lot of ministry to do here as we enjoy an incredible worship service tomorrow morning and get to meet so many of Pastor Bernard's congregation for some valuable fellowship time. --Matt Nieman
1 Comment

Just some more pictures...

2/8/2014

4 Comments

 
You'll see pictures of work, of just people, and of children.  The work being done is the Lord's so whether it's laying block or playing with children, His work is being done. 
4 Comments

Return of a Haitian-German-American

2/7/2014

4 Comments

 
Timothy has been a Haitian-German-American smash hit on the trip.  The native son returned to his homeland and has become a sensation.  The kids especially have gravitated to him and are fascinated by the metal on his teeth (his braces).  He enjoyed his time today with the local kids during an impromptu VBS session.  He has had a tremendous opportunity to see the country of his birth, meet fellow Haitians and build a school for these children.
Our day was filled with many twists and turns, but the Lord blessed us once again.  We blew two back tires on the bus on the way to Leogane and we got the bus to the work site on one spare.  The Lord blessed us that our driver was able to acquire six new tires in Leogane.  Even with a "delay" we were able to accomplish a lot of work today.
We have completed the support columns and are starting on the second tier.  I am sure that our "boards on concrete blocks" scaffolding is not OSHA approved.  The trip and our work has been blessed by the Lord as we lift high the cross in Haiti.
I haven't drank this much water and ate so many energy bars in one day since my hiking days in Colorado!
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Ahlemeyer and Timothy Ahlemeyer
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Timothy Ahlemeyer with the Haitian children
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Timothy Ahlemeyer with some of the children
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Kelly Delph with some of the Haitian girls
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Some of the progress for Friday
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The group loading buckets of cement and mortar to the top of the school
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Pastor Ahlemeyer sifting some of the sand for the cemet
4 Comments

What a Blessing

2/6/2014

6 Comments

 
God has blessed the trip from the very beginning.  Pastor Thomas arranged a police escort from the airport to the hotel for the "honored guests" from Jackson, County Indiana.  We even had a policeman on foot running through the streets of Port-au-Prince to stop traffic and clear the way for the group.  The first day at Good Shepherd Lutheran School saw a third of group leading a VBS at the school.  This allowed the group to see the final touches being put on the library that will be dedicated on Sunday.  What a blessing it was to work with the children all day.
Today the whole group worked at the school site in Leogane.  A great deal of work has been done.  Pastor Thomas said that the Haitian foreman remarked to him that he had never seen a mission team work as hard and lay block as well as this team from Indiana.  The team has represented the Lutheran Churches of Jackson County very well and is providing a blessing to the people of Haiti.
One of the very moving parts of today was the adhering of the stickers to the blocks of the school.  Seeing the names of family members, church members, and fellow residents of Jackson County was an inspiring moment.  All is well and God has blessed us every step of the way.  We thank you for your prayers and support and we wish all of our friends and family our love.
God bless you, Pastor Eric Ahlemeyer and Timothy Ahlemeyer


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6 Comments

Day 3

2/6/2014

1 Comment

 
Our day today went well and was hard work. It is very warm here- we hope you all are enjoying the cooler weather. ;) 

To give you an idea, we started today with an almost flat tire. We rode/sat for a good 45 minutes before our driver stopped to get air. Below is a picture of where we finally got air. 
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On our way we went very close to the poorest area in Haiti. Let's just say it smelled very unique. We also passed an open landfill (on the way back we passed a burning one). Needless to say, the air quality all around is poor. The following picture was a very common site during most of our ride.
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We arrived at the school building site (about 2 hours and 30 minutes ride in total).

We carried MANY blocks. There are no machines, which means that all labor is done by hand. You carry blocks to one pile, just to move them to another, then to the stairs, then at the main floor, and finally to a soon-to-be room in the school.  The concrete transportation is very similar. It is mixed on site and carried by bucket.

The good news is that the school is really coming along.
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The view of the school from the top of a very tall hill.

After about six hours we were finished. We then loaded the bus for a three hour ride back to the hotel. Did I mention how bad the traffic is here? At least it gave us enough time to learn a new song in Creole, which we are supposed to sing on Sunday at church. 

We made it safely.  Thanks be to God for good brakes and most importantly, a great driver!
Ben & Kayla Thompson
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Just a few from Thursday...

2/6/2014

2 Comments

 
We take so many pictures during the day while the sweat is dripping and the blocks are being laid.  These are only a few--as posting too many pictures of us lifting, hauling, and laying blocks could get quite tedious.  We'll go back in and put some captions by each picture, I promise.  But dinner is waiting and I'm STARVING!
--Matt Nieman
2 Comments

And this is why I love working with youth...

2/6/2014

0 Comments

 
I just had to load this one.  These guys (and TONS of the young people at our VBS) just show that no matter where you go, young people are AWESOME!  Had a blast doing VBS, and I'm hoping some of the other team members will be able to describe the joy shown in this picture!
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First working day on two sites!

2/6/2014

5 Comments

 
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In our prep room at the site in Leogane.  More pictures and hopefully videos to come.  Great first day on the worksite!









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I wanted to help out Matt by adding information here as well.  Day one went really well after fighting traffic for over 3 hours.  We laid around 560 blocks.  This finished the majority of 3 sides of the school.  I have included a before and after picture to see the progress.  Everyone is working very well together. We are getting help from people from Haiti that are skilled masons.  They have helped a lot.  

This is the Before Picture!

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This is the After Picture!  

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We went to Good Shepherd Lutheran School in Port-au-Prince and had a VBS with over 250 students.  It was awesome.  Once again, more pictures to come.

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