Haiti Work Team Update

Haiti Update – Sunday – February 12, 2012

WORK TEAM 1 UPDATE

 Four team members, including Steve & Sheila Scheib, Dave Soper and his granddaughter, Aubrey Soper, left Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Tuesday morning, February 7^th, heading to Dallas, Texas where they met up with Beth McCormick, who had flown in from Omaha, Nebraska. After boarding their fight to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida the excitement of arriving in Port au Prince, Haiti later that day, was starting to build. After arrival in Florida, we chatted with other work teams and individuals all heading to Haiti to assist in the re-building effort that is still under way. Once we landed in Haiti, we were ushered off the plane, down a long walkway to a shuttle bus that would carry us to the immigration and baggage claim area. After filling out numerous forms we gathered our check through bags filled with tools, supplies, clothes, medicine and food. We had prayed earlier that day to ask God to help us get the bags through customs without them removing or confiscating anything that would be needed in our time there. Amazingly, no one even asked us to open a bag and out the airport we went with two loaded carts that we rented in the terminal. Don & Doris Peavey were waiting for us and after hugs all-around, we loaded our bags and luggage into the Ford van. Thank you God for watching over us and answering our prayers!

We drove immediately to Heartline Missions to drop off 2 bags of donated medicine and cholera supplies that had been collected in the states. After saying hi to Troy Livesay and Dr. Jen Halverson, we departed for the long, dark van ride to Marchand Dessalines, some 90 miles away. Once reaching the main highway, the trip was pierced with many questions from the new team members visiting Haiti for their first time. Some 2 hours later we arrived in St. Marc and stopped at the local grocery store to purchase some additional supplies that would be needed for our stay. With only 18 miles to go, we finally arrived at the Ebenezer Glenn Orphanage in Dessalines at 10:00 pm, making our long day just about over. We unloaded and unpacked bags, showered, and all fell into clean beds listening to the many new sounds and smells outside the orphanage walls that were so new and unfamiliar to the new team members.

Wednesday:

For Dave & Steve, all day was spent in the shop fixing flat tires on wheel barrels and replacing broken parts on saws, generators, and mission vehicles. New leads were installed on welders, bolts and screws sorted and organized, and just catching up with mission workers and the many young men & women who live at EGO. Sheila helped Doris sort through mail, correspondences from future teams, paperwork for the government, medical records, and more. Aubrie and Beth spent the day interacting with all the kids and workers who make up the extended family here in Haiti. Later that day, Aubrie installed a new net for the basketball hoop, filled her basketball with air, and formed sides in a pick-up game that was rough and tumble from the beginning. A huge pan of Haitian beans, rice, and goat meat awaited us that night for supper and we did not have to be asked to go to bed, as all were beat from the day of higher temperatures in the upper 80’s, the more direct line with the Sun, and the tropical breezes that wear away at your face and skin. Day 1 had rushed by in a flash as God began filling us all with the inheritance of His earth. Thank you God for adding to our faith this first day in Haiti.

Thursday:

Aubrie & Beth worked with the children, helped in the medical clinic that was open all day, and played Basketball later in the afternoon. Sheila worked in the clinic, while Steve continued servicing vehicles and readying the school job site for Teams 2 & 3. Dave started wiring a remodeled home that will house a new missionary couple later this year. Again the day flew by but all team members were reflecting on our morning devotional that illustrated Faith & Duty in Luke 17: 5-10. Five important truths are reflected in this instructional teaching to the Apostles of Jesus. #1 Be willing to have one thing after another placed on you. #2 Do not expect to be thanked for what your job is. #3 Do not charge other people with selfishness. #4 Confess that we are unprofitable servants. #5 Admit that we have not done one bit more than it was our duty to do. If you do these things, your faith will be increased to that of a mustard seed, so that you can say to the Mulberry tree, ‘be uprooted and planted in the sea, and it will obey you’.

Friday:

Aubrie and Beth spent the morning baking bread for the orphanage and cookies for the Bible Study that the teenagers have later that evening with Don & Doris. The afternoon was spent at the local hospital in town. The girls plan to work there next Monday all day, so this day was meeting the doctors and nurses they will be working with. Dave continued his wiring and circuit panel installation on the house, while Steve hauled all the portable generators that don’t work into the shop with hopes of finding one that works. With more repairs, deferred maintenance, and welding chores on equipment, the day was soon gone. Friday evening, our Team joined the teens in their Bible reading and study on being a servant for Christ. Afterwards, Don showed the Helen Keller movie.

Saturday:

A big push to get one running generator out of the 5 that don’t run. No luck. They are broke. Finished up servicing the Toyota Land Crusier. It has a leak in the lower radiator, so found that and showed everyone what needs to be fixed. Changed oil and greased. New battery cable ends. Welded the dipstick tube bracket back to where it had broke off. Checked and filled every tire on every vehicle. All ready to hit it hard on the school Monday morning. Dave is just about done wiring the remodeled house and will finish up Monday, so that he too, can start on the school building. Lots to do next week! The girls are busy helping Doris with paperwork for the school. Besides that, they are sorting clothes, meds, and more. Just the logistics of 80 kids and who knows how many workers is mind boggling. In the afternoon, everyone went to the garden and pulled weeds. Can you imagine the amount of weeds we picked in a short time with 30 people working together.  Now it is done.

Remember what James said in 2:17 “so also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself.” 2:18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works. Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by my works.”