A special hello and I Love You to my wife, Margie. Hope to see you soon.
Well, it’s been over a week since we left Virginia and set out on a journey that we knew might be filled with uncertainty and many other challenges. It has been that and more. Did we bring the right tools for the job, what travel issues might we encounter, who and how will we be able to communicate with as we set out to help the Haitians begin to build these orphanage buildings here at the Mole St. Nicholas. Even with these and many other concerns, we knew that to meet our goals, would require a lot of patience, flexibility, stamina and prayers. We often have found that our desire to get a task completed was much more intense than the strength in our bodies. But you know what, even with these uncertainties, God has been with us every day, step by step.
Today was our last workday at the orphanage site and we continued to work side by side with our Haitian co-workers. We continue to be amazed and truly appreciate the strong work ethic of these Haitian laborers. They struggle with the same issues of heat and thirst, but they continue to work through it all. We usually gather in a circle in the morning and have prayer and songs together prior to starting work. The Haitian work leader is named Elijah and he is a fine young man, soft-spoken, but firm and direct when he needs to be. He usually leads the morning worship in Creole, the Haitian language, and we sing in English if we know the tune, or hum if we don’t. It is very obvious to us that these Haitian truly love the Lord and give him praise with hearty AMENS from all in the group.
Progress at the orphanage site has gone well with all the digging for three homes complete and the rock and cement installation complete for about 40% of the below ground footing. The work continues to progress well and there is opportunity for anyone with construction expertise who is willing to make the sacrifice and provide for these Haitian orphans who need this help, now is the time. There is a lot of excitement and energy in the community here and they seem to be committed to the future completion of this complex and the arrival of these needy kids. We give thanks to God for the progress so far at the Mole St. Nicholas. We have had an awesome TEAM and experience. We have seen God’s vision and pray for continued success and many more workers with servant’s hearts for this mission. Continue to pray regularly for its success and health and strength for our Missionaries (Jody and Jose Castillo) and their families.
Bon Jour,
Raymond
