Today we've started to pack out bags and clean up as we prepare to leave. Many feel tore between wanting to leave and wanting to stay and do more. yesterday, we have the wonderful privilage of distrubuting food. (thank you to those of you that prayed for no rain it was on of the hottest days yet!) We were able to feed over 20 families for a week and all it cost was $150. Many US families spend that in a week just for a family of 4 or 5. The 5 house we went to was locked no parents home. When the door finally opened there were 4 malnutrition girls standing there ages 4-12. JeanJean told us this is really bad, the girls are left alone for hours on end and not feed. We left with them bags of rice, beans and cooking oil, most of us on the team were so moved we handed over our trail mix for the girls to eat right away. JeanJean said he had spoken to the parents before about the girls attending the nutrition center but they declined. JeanJean went back this morning to speak to them again, asking them to send their kids. This afternoon I'm pleased to say they all showed up and ate at the nutrition center and they each recieved a pair of shoes.


This morning we woke early to head down to the river and baptise a few people from the team! What an awesome exxperience... more photos to come.


We had another clinic this morning and treated another 30 people. Kristie does such a wonderful job working with these people. Her pharamancy always needs new supplies, but everything seems to come right when it is needed.


Yesterday we had our last VBS... what they didn't tell us about this one as that it was basically 80 two year olds! yes, you read that right 80 2 year olds! So come 11am it was melt down time followed by nap time. It was a true joy though to be with these little ones and hold them as they slept. At the end we gave them all of our remaining shoes... which were all small shoes. So it was prefect.

Before Lunch today we went and prayed for Andre a witch doctor. He asked us pray for him and to keep praying for him. In voodoo you sign a contract and if you break it before your committement is up their is fear that someone will kill you. Fear is a big thing here. We explained to him that Christ has already paid for his contract in full by his Son. JeanJean was telling us that fear is a HUGE thing here. So we ask you on behalf of Andre to pray for him, pray that God will break the strongholds in Andre's life that he will trust the Lord and not fear.


We ask for your prayers again as we travel back for safety. We also ask for you to pray that we hold on to what God has taught each of us here, that God uses each of us on the team to share this journey we've been on and what He is doing here in Haiti.


PS for those of you wonderful people that are picking us up at the airport: American Airlines arriving SFO at9:59pm from Maimi (sorry don't recall the fligt number)

Today was a busy day! We had VBC with around 100-120 kids, followed by shoe disturbution and clothes. We found out today that it is a requirment for all kids to have tennis shoes to go to school. Often times kids dont' go to school for one to two months due to their parents not being able to afford to buy tennis shoes. What a blessing not only these kids but for the parents. We meet with the Haitian board for UCI this evening and they said that they have parents coming up to them saying "thank you for the shoes" all the time now. It's amazing how God provides!

For the past two days we have had some very heavy afternoon/evening rain showers. It down pours for 3-5 hours straight. If you can pray because of the rain we have been unable to go and distrubute the food we have to give out. Please be praying that tomorrow and thursday between the hours of 3-7pm it stays dry, allowing us to go and deliever not only food but prayer to these people.

Thank you each so much for your prayers! Keep them up!

Enjoy the photos that will give you a glimps into what God is doing here! If you have it I suggest looking at the photos with the song "mighty to save" on as it seems to be our theme song here, we keep getting asked to sign it every where we go!

ps: on Thursday morning Elise & Tracy & Christe and others are going to be baptized in the river! The men's chore are joining us to sing, along with the local pastors and community! Photos to be posted!







VBC - Crafts




VBC - Drama time!





VBC - Sports Duck Duck Goss aka drip drip squeez

Well, this has truly been an amazing trip so far. We're all being eaten alive by mosquitos - thank God for our malaria medicine. We built walls for a house for a family who's mud and stone house was in a state of great deterioration, and we mixed and poured a concrete floor for another family who's children have suffered greatly from parasite infestation and disease. It's amazing to see how the community pulls together to help one another. The truly amazing thing is that just four years ago, that would not have been the case as this area was dominated by voodoo and fear. What little resources the people had was extorted from them by voodoo witch doctors under threat of a curse. Now, the people sing and laugh and come out to help and support one another. It's an amazing transformation! One local resident who left the area and moved to Port au Prince for work a couple years ago could not believe the transformation when he returned.

As others have already mentioned, we left at 4:30am for a strenuous hike to a voodoo cave in the mountains where sacrifices are still performed - bones and a skull from the most recent sacrifice still present. The entry to the cave was guarded by a couple of Pythons (or Boas), but they were too high in the tree to catch - those who know me know I tried. Anyway, we went as deeply into the cave as we thought safe given the slippery muddy bat gauno covered surfaces - it's rumored to go all the way through the mountain, but we chose not to find out. We then prayed through the cave before starting our hike back in the blistering heat of the morning.

We spent Saturday afternoon with a local youth group and had a great time putting on activities for the local kids (anyone 13-30 years old). There was a torrential downpour during our time with the youth group, which today we learned destroyed the former home of the family who we were building a new home for (we helped build the walls).

On Sunday we attended two church survices - one in Pignon at the church JeanJean grew up in, and another at a new church the Mompremier's started only 6 weeks ago - attendance was at least 300 which was amazing. Brooks delivered a brief message which was very well received.

Today we ventured to market, poured another concrete floor for a "dirt poor" family to help them overcome the constant illness and parasite infestation their children are suffering, sorted our craft supplies for the VBS programs we will be doing over the next 3 days, and provided a medical clinic for locals - we served 45 people today - we just wish we had more medication to serve more.

Anyway, we're about to deliver food to starving families, so I need to sign out. The sky is rumbling with thunder so we may get drenched. But a little inconvenience is nothing compared to the need here. We're honored that we get to help those who's needs are so much greater than our own. Thank you for your continued prayers.

Balloon game with the youth group!


Nutrition Center


Group shot before church this morning.


Watching Yesterday's rain storm from inside the worship center

Tracy and Elise here! Hey family and friends, we are adjusting to life here in Haiti very well. We're super sweaty, no makeup and our hair has seen better days, but we are LOVING it! The food is awesome. We have discovered the yummy Haitian treat, spicy peanut butter and we are bringing some home for you! You should see us at night in our bug nets, that are sealed shut, no bugs allowed. Another day taurantula free, in our room at least.

God is doing amazing things here! Last night we met an ex witch doctor (Zourel)who told us his testimony. He shared with us about how he came to know Christ and how he used to live in darkness and now he is sharing his faith with other whitch doctors. Yesterday, we played with about 60 kids at the food distrubution center. The room was full of laughter as we played with balloons and crafts. They are so amazing and joyfull little kids! We are going to miss them. We (tracy and I) painted 3 benches for the worship center yesterday! We feel like so much was accomplished, the other part of our team worked on a house and laying cement! yey.

Today...was eventful, even though it's only about 12:30 right now. We started off our morning at 4:30am!! (yes, that's 2:30am at home) with a hike to a bat cave. This was no easy hike. It took us about 6 hours total. The scenery was beautiful, green mountains, corn fields, and grass so tall it was above all of our heads! We saw some baby goats and cows. We stopped to rest, eat and gaze at the view over the whole city of Pignon. Then we arrived! At the mouth of the cave there were 2 boa constrictors curled up in a tree. AHH!!! They didn't come near us, thank goodness! The whole inside of the cave was covered in guano (bat poo) and we needed flashlights just to see our way. There were bats flying around our heads. So then, I (Elise) decided to venture deeper into the cave with others. To get to the next area, we had to JUMP over a muddy/guano filled pool. Thankfully i made it...on the way there...on the way back, I wasn't so lucky...I jumped and my left foot sank THIGH DEEP into a hole of guano. Yes, that is the picture you are seeing above. My bat poo covered leg. On the way down the mountain, Tracy had a little spill into a bush when she lost her footing on some loose rocks which is nothing new for her. Into a bush she went and her pants got a nice big hole in them. It was more of a tipping over then a fall really.

Other than that, we are doing great! Excited to see what God will do through our team. We LOVE and miss you guys tons, and we are loving the letters. Until our next update! Tracy and Elise, signing off.
LOVE YOU!

Hi, Cambri again.

We just had our evening devotional. Some are still worshipping, some have moved on to getting ready for bed... and some are blogging.

This evening's devo was led by Ms. Tracy Buchanan who shared with us the first of a series of noted her mom wrote for her to read on the trip. She wrote about how we will be seeing many things that we have never seen before. She compares it with a thought form the book "Crazy Love" in which the writer talks about all the different kinds of laughter. "What a cool reminder," Tracy's mom writes, "of how creative God is!"

Indeed, we have seen many beautiful things. Here are some of the favorites of the team:

1. Everyone here laughs. In spite of the language barrier, our team has used the universal languages of laughter and play to connect with this community. A moment Garth shared with us that he says says blessed his heart was when we were playing with the kids from the nutrition center in the worship center. Some were running around with their balloons, some were tossing beach balls around, but all 30 children were laughing.

2. Today, one of the projects we helped with was the building of a house of one of the men who built Zouel's (the former witch doctor's) house. Again, only two of the men were being paid to work, but about seven gathered to volunteer their time. We shared some laughs with them as well :)

3. When serving the children in the nutrition center, there was absolutely no shoving, pushing, or bickering for who went first. Indeed many of the kids helped pass out the bowls and plates. We sat with them and watched them interact- for instance, one girl helped her small brother eat his meal, blowing of the steam so that it wouldn't be too hot for him. Many took a few bites and packed the rest away to share with their families.

As we shared these stories and others with one another, Kristi shared with us a thought that makes these so much more precious. She told us about how once in this area, one could always hear the chanting, singing, and drum beating of voodoo rituals. Haitians would say that nothing good came out of this area. Praise God for the work He is doing here that such love and joy, evidenced in the constant laughter of the community, is alive!

As a close to the evening, Zouel shared with us his testimony. It was such a blessing to hear about how Christ's love changed his life. Before shaking everyone's hand (and receiving a few hugs) we asked how we might pray for him, and he asks that his six children don't remember what he used to be like. Please keeps him and his family in your prayers.

Tracy's mom shared Isaiah 30:17 with us: "Your eyes will see the king in all his splendor, and you will see a land that stretchs into the distance."

We have truly seen God's greatness and as we sang tonight "greater things have yet to come and are still to be done in this city." Praise God!