***From PVBC
Hey ya’ll!
Let’s just say any struggles or hardships during the process of coming to Haiti were well worth it. The joy of being around all the people is indescribable. This trip being less than 9 months from my last trip here is an amazing experience! The bus ride to the Mole St. Nicolas was the oddest experience. The trip was mixed with joy of being in Haiti, being with my friends, and seeing the beautiful sights of Haiti, and the pain of my butt constantly hitting a metal bar in the seat and a bunch of chickens in the back. We got in at 1 and after some good ‘ol Haitian spaghetti we hit our cots to get some good sleep for a few hours. The morning was pretty rough with how sore and exhausted we all were, but the joy of finally being there again overwhelmed the pain. That day was full of fun and excitement. After church and lunch we played with the orphans for hours, and then walked through the Mole, giving a tour to the four people who hadn’t been there. The beach was the most relaxing part of that day. We went and swam pretty far out and played the game 500 with rocks on the beach. At night, before bed, we went back to the beach with just the guys and had some fun catching crabs, star tripping, and Troy and I looking at the aquatic wildlife and trying to catch small fish with our hands. By the time we got to bed we were all exhausted. Today, the 29th was an amazing day. We had a conference with some of the town kids and played with them for a few hours. We got the big six foot tall soccer ball in the afternoon and within 15 minutes there was already a hole. We played a Haitian vs. American soccer game with like 9 ten year olds and most of the guys. I look forward to the rest of the trip and the ways God will be able to move in the Haitians and the two teams here. I pray God does move in absolutely amazing ways. Thank you everybody for all your support and prayers while we were in the process of getting here and while we are here. Oh, also, my phone still gets service here, so the random texts I get from people are pretty nice. And mom, don’t worry, it doesn’t charge any extra to receive texts, just to send them, we looked it up.
Thank you all so very much!
KJ Stahl
Although today seemed to go completely different than we may have thought or planned, it was a great jammed-pack first day of ministry! Our morning began with our younger pre-teens conference, with 8-10 year olds. Our team played games and colored with the kids while we were waiting for more to show up. Then we split into girls and boys groups for our lesson, which focused on God’s provisions in the past, specifically with the story of Moses and the Israelites in Egypt. Mikayla and Kaley led the lesson for the girls and shared that just as God provided for His people in the past He continues to provide for us here today! Our activity for all the kids today was to write ways God has provided for them in the past on a sticky note. Then we hung up all their notes on a big sheet of paper so they could look and see all that God has done for them, so they could remember that God is still with them and He has not forgotten them even in their midst of their troubles. It was so neat to see the things the kids came up with on their own – everything from God provided them with life, food, protection, sandals, and Christmas! After our conference lessons we invited them all back that afternoon for dance and sports camps. We started to teach the girls a choreographed dance to the song “More than Conquerors” by Rend Collective, which is a song that goes along with our conference theme of God provided for us and us having a promised hope in Jesus. The boys played soccer and other games out on the soccer field, even a few games with the giant 6” tall soccer ball! It has been great to just hang out with these community kids throughout the day and start to build those relationships with them. Later this afternoon we also got some Freedom Drama practice in! We also started training the Pastor’s two oldest sons who agreed to help us out and play parts in the drama! This was actually a really fun time and they were able to catch on to the drama quickly! The night ended with our team having devos and witnessing a soccer tournament game happening on campus.
Emily Spring
***From Bowling Green
Bonswa from Haiti! It is truly a blessing to be able to live side by side with our brothers and sisters in Christ! I have learned more from the Haitians than I could ever learn in America. I have seen the fruits of the spirit displayed everyday and that has been such a blessing.
Today we did street ministry in the local village and it was overwhelming to say the least. This morning while we were in the village we split up into two groups. Sharon (our new friend from Pennsylvania) and I went into the streets and walked to the upper part of the village. With us we had our two interpreters. While we were walking we made frequent stops along the way painting nails, jumping rope, praying and spending time with the Haitian children and their families. Mrs. Armstrong, Sarah, Lydia, and Emily mainly stayed around the local church and played with the children there. Before we split up into groups, I was walking by the church and this little girl was hiding behind her fence wanting to come say hello to us. However, she disappeared so we decided to take a few pictures. During the pictures out of the corner of my eye I saw the little girl riding her tricycle. I went over to her and started painting her nails. She was no older than four and I doubted she could understand my broken Creole but with a deep breath and a quick prayer I started to talk to the little girl. The only thing I knew how to say was: Jesus loves you, yes? The little girl lit up and started saying Wi! Wi! Wi! I could barely hold back my tears as my interpreter explained what she was saying, but I already knew.
This afternoon we held a party for the staff of the mission expressing our appreciation for all that they do for the kids, for us, and God. I was able to speak and pray over them with the help of our interpreter. Our team played Dominos, decorated cookies, and played Bingo with the staff. It was very exciting and entertaining to see how competitive Dominos was. They were very grateful for the party. Afterwards, we went to the beach for a few minutes. The water was a clear, aquamarine color and was absolutely beautiful. It is amazing all of the beautiful creations God has placed on this island.
Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers for our team. We have been blessed with safety and good health. God is great! Please continue praying for us in our time of being the hands and feet of Christ. We love to hear the comments that you leave for us! Thank you so much for all of your support!
With much love and joy,
Madeline Byrd
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