Luke 5:36-39

Luke 5:36-39

Build Us A House Oh God

Psalm 127:1

¹ Unless the LORD builds the house,

They labor in vain who build it;

Well this week has been filled with lots of work on the house. We had originally planned on being in here a week ago. Whenever we would fix one thing three more things would need repair.The tools and supplies are a little hard to come by and the quality, well lets just say I am very thankful that we have and very thankful that it is ready for us to occupy.

We began the week by working on getting power into the house, then we were working on water issues. We had to replace two pumps for the cistern.

We replaced 10 light fixtures throughout the house. The toilet didn't work, so we fixed that. We had to install a sink in the bathroom.

We cleaned out the water tank on the roof , added new pipe for the additional pump, Installed eight batteries, a power inverter, a gas tank, a stove, a refrigerator, and replaced a wax ring on the toilet. I built three bunk beds to house the children, set up a makeshift work area and hooked up water for a place for the Laundry to be done.

The kids have been busy making friends. They have been setting up their personal items trying to make it feel like home.

Kylie fell in love with a little girl, Elisabeth, and spent a day crocheting her a little dress. We were all happy to see that it fit her and that she looked really cute in it.

Shalom has been hanging out with so many children it has been hard to keep track.

Charis has made a real friend in Palmella a girl that comes to visit after every church service.

Christian has been playing legos and found a friend in Manuel.

Seth has been playing guitar, video games, and helping me with the work around the house.

Thanks so much for your prayers and that God would continue His work IN us.

We are grateful to see His hand at work IN our lives.

Build us a house O God, Its rooms are filled with praise

Build us a family Father, sons and daughters of light

Build as a house O God, its walls will echo your Peace

Build us a family Father, with children to run and play

We sing as people God set free, you dream the very best you dream, and then we know, we know

Our home is what we make with You

You love Your children [yes You do]

We are Your house, Your home

Build us a house O God,keep it sunny by day

Build us a family Father, our sons will love Your name

Build as a house O God, keep us safe at night

Build us a family Father, our daughters Your word will Keep

We sing as people God set free, you dream the very best you dream,

and then we know, we know

Our home is what we make with You

You love Your children [yes You do]

We are Your house, Your home

Medical Mission Haiti: Anse-a-Pitre

From Drop Box

So we made it on the plane and after several hours of travel and untold adventure we arrive in our new hometown, Cassandra Alpha LaMontana Santa Cruz Barahona Dominican Republic. We arrive at the HMM mission base where we will stay temporarily until we complete the work needed on our house here so that we can move in. Within a few hours of arriving I was invited to join a medical mission to Haiti. My initial response was no, being afraid to leave my family for 3 days and 2 nights after just being in this country for a few hours, but after I committed it to prayer the Lord showed me in His word, Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

_{I joined up with the 10 member group from MtVernon Church}

_{[ MTVchurch.com ] being led by Tim Dortch and Mark Mckenzie. The team comprised of Two Doctors from Mississippi, Dr. Dunn, and Dr.LeBrun , Several medical professionals, Lanette Thrasher, Sherry Banks, Kristi Dickerson, Ashli Dunn, Paige Blankenship, Katie Leenman, and two church leaders, Lynn Robinson, and Al Wise.}

From Drop Box

I was not really sure what I could add or what part I would play in this mission. Seth [my 13 yr old son] and I were talking about documenting these missions via video and photos earlier, but Seth was not feeling well and was unable to make this trip. Therefore I became the default Videographer.

From Drop Box

On the first day of the mission we saw over 400 sick people and had two separate church services for each group where they were given the gospel clearly and understood that the medical healing they received was temporary and that God is offering them eternal healing through Jesus which will last for eternity.

From Drop Box

The process would work as several hundred people would spend the day walking some as far as 5 or 6 miles to receive treatment [all while not feeling well] and arrive at various times throughout the day. We would wait for the Church to get full, and then when the Church became full we would start a worship service and then teach a short Bible study explaining the gospel clearly. When the service was over the people would then be taken through a triage process where they would be asked survey questions to help streamline the visits with the Doctors. The vitals would be recorded and they would be assigned a number to ensure they would be seen that day.

From Drop Box

_{When their number was called they would go into the entrance of the Mobile Medical Unit and receive treatment and then exit the Mobile Medical Unit with a gospel tract in Creole, small gifts for the children, a lolli-pop, and any medication needed that was prescribed by the Doctor.}

_{By the end of the second day over 1000 men, women and children had been treated. [This is 1/10th of the population of the town we were in]}

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

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From Drop Box

From Drop Box

From Drop Box From Drop Box From Drop Box Anse-a-pitre is a border town located in the southeast province of Haiti.

View Larger Map

It is surrounded by Fonds Verettes to the North, the town of Thiotte to the west, the Dominican Republic to the east, and the Carribbean Sea to the south. It has population of approximately 25,000 inhabitants, RGPH [Global Public Health publication] 2002. Of that population the ratio is 97 men to 100 women, living in two areas---the village of Bois d'Orme and Boucan-Guillaume and the village of Banane. The population of the city of Anse-a-pitre is estimated at approximately 8,000 inhabitants.

The population breaks down as follows:

1. 43.1% - 0-15 years of age

2. 51.4% - 15-64 years of age

3. 5.5% - over 65 years of age

The most frequent health problems in the area are:

1. high infant/mother mortality;

We saw several small babies who were in desperate need of medical attention. One dear child just over a month old had not taken her mothers milk in four days and lie lifeless in the arms of her mother.

From Drop Box

She was given treatment and I saw her the second day of the outreach and she looked like a new baby! Praise be to God!

2. a high incidence of HIV/AIDS-TB

3. infant malnutrition due to unmet needs

4. pre-term labor

5. Malaria and typhoid [although it has diminished quite a bit thanks to access to potable drinking water provided by the Foundation for Peace].

Life expectancy for the population is 51 years of age for women and 48 for men.

There is no electricity, the highway is in a bad state, which does not allow for people who live in remote areas to access already limited health services. Deaths can also result from limited access to a center staffed with qualified medical and paramedic staff. On our way out on the first day a bad motorcycle accident happened literally behind/beside us. An NGO truck hit a motorcycle head on at a high rate of speed.

From Drop Box

The young man was thrown from his bike, bounced off the hood of the truck, flew over the rear of our vehicle and then landed firmly on the blacktop. Our Doctors jumped from the back of our truck, proceeded to assess the needs of the young man, started an IV and the rest of the team tried to control the mob-like crowd while Katie, Kristi and I prayed for the young man and his family. Earlier this day we had a visit from the UN and we had just o happened to get a cell phone number of one of the men. One of the local pastors that was working with us ran and was able to call the UN who showed up clearing us of any misconception of the accident, and providing a way for the Haitian young man to be transported across the border to the nearest hospital in the DR.

From Drop Box

The team donated enough money to pay for his transport to a modern medical facility in the Capitol.

In this town, there is no vocational school, and the rate of illiteracy is estimated at 65%.

We had the Town Doctor from Pedernales, Dominican Republic serving with us as well.

View Larger Map

In America 7.8 out of every 1000 children born die before they reach 5 years old.

In Haiti 71.5 out of every 1000 children born die before they reach 5 years old.ancy

Life Expectency

Little Boy Securing House before the Storm

Preparing for Tropical Storm Tomas

Wait....

Psalm 62 :
1 Truly my soul silently waits for God; From Him comes my salvation.
2 He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.

I hate to wait!
I have been working diligently over the past several days trying to get our mission base ready to be occupied by my family. I have purchased items needed to make our stay here "doable". We will by no means be living at the same standards of that in Delaware, and this once again was made very clear to me as I carried 25 gallons of water 5 gallons at a time for my family to take a "shower" this morning.

My plans were to have everything ready too move into by Tuesday (two days ago). I am realizing that things move at a different pace here. And I admittedly become frustrated.
Frustration turns to irritation which turns to anger.
Then I realize when God asks us to wait it is for our own good.
Waiting is a pause......which means SOMETHING active is going on.
But waiting on someone tells me I am no longer in control, and my flesh really dislikes this.
It is especially unnerving when you KNOW that something can be done but the people involved just do not have the desire to do anything.

I have been working on electric,water,installing water pumps, cleaning water tank, plumbing, beds, mattresses, table, chairs,temporary water,propane,sink,batteries,receptacles,fixtures,light bulbs, and much more while fixing the motorcycle at least once a day with now two flats since Sunday,oil change,blown headlight,brake cable, and just having to go to the store once a day to buy enough food to make it to the next day without proper refrigeration or the ability to plan a week in advance.

 All of this to be put on hold with a storm coming through and mucho rain.


In America I can build a new house in less than 90 days, so these small things, in my mind should be no big deal,  but there is more to it than just accomplishing each task, you see here it has taken God less than one day to rebuild a man.

He desires for me to wait on Him. Waiting is learning to walk in obedience.
Psalm 25
1 To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, I trust in You; Let me not be ashamed; Let not my enemies triumph over me.
3 Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed; Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause.
4 Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths.
5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day. So now we prepare for the Storm. Tropical Storm Tomas has already been giving us some rain. We could get as much as 15" so please pray. People have begun to prepare.

The Journey Begins

So we packed up the rest of our belongings that now snugly fit in the back of a 5x8 trailer, and headed south toward Florida. We stopped by Wilmington, NC to visit The Hodges our dear friends there, and to meet with Pastor Clay of Calvary Chapel Wilmington. [Pastor Clay makes a mean Vanilla Chai Tea Latte Dirty]

We then headed toward Coco Beach Florida to spend a few days with our friends, The Clarkes. Our time there was spent watching God perform several small miracles in getting the last minute preparations to fly out completed just in time. We fellowshipped with some awesome people at First Baptist Church of Merritt Island and were introduced to people who share the same passion to reach the people of Hispanola.

We were blessed with an Inverter from good friends, The Simmons, in PA and quickly began to realize we did not have a firm plan on how to get it into the DR.

The Inverter weighs 83 pounds and Jet Blue has a strict 50-pound per bag limit. We were introduced to Joe Hurston of Air Mobile Ministries was willing to take our inverter into Haiti, although it would mean 83 pounds of water treatment would have to be left behind, with the Cholera outbreak we trusted and believed that God had something else in mind. Joe was very encouraging and full of wisdom, we prayed for God to work out this situation. Joe told me some things to say at the airport terminal and with hundreds of people praying we were able to board with the inverter in hand!