Haiti Team 2009

were home safe

2009-01-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

Well folks we are home and safe , we had a great trip and much was accomplished for the Lord . We want to thank all who contributed to this misson trip ,it would not have been possible without you , your prayers were so appreciated as well . Although we had some excitement along the way we were protected by Gods watchful eyes . I know there will be more to do in the future so we will let you know what the plans are . If anyone would like to sponsor a child at the school ,there are many children waiting and praying for someone to sponsor them so they too can to school with their friends . You can contact karen at karenhuxter@hotmail.com and I know she would be glad to set you up with a sponsored child for only $ 200.00 per year - that covers their uniform, books , tutition and some to pay teachers salary . The children are also fed while they are there , a huge blessing . well must go , God Bless you All Gerry

Ten Thousand Angels - Day 13

2009-01-19T15:38:00.000-08:00

Dear loved ones and friends

The reason for the title is that I (Gerry) woke up this morning and felt impelled to ask God to surround our team today with the 10,000 angels. And I believe that God answered that prayer with what happened later in the morning.

We were at the job site, starting to run the cement for the roof when we ran out of gas for the cement mixer. Dickie, Karen, Ed and Cabano decided they would run for the fuel. As they were turning the corner to come unto the road to the compound a tap tap hit them in the rear passenger side just behind the rear wheel. Cabano flew unto the cab of the tap tap; Ed was knocked off the back of the truck and twisted his ankle - not real seriously - mostly sore. Inside the vehicle, Karen flew across the cab toward Dickie and suffered a knock to the head and possible cracked ribs. Dickie was knocked out and suffered a cut to his nose. When we reached the truck it was surrounded by forty to fifty Haitians and growing. There was a lot of yelling and screaming going on and our people were standing around in shock. The police did not arrive for almost an hour and a good part of the morning was taken up with settling the accident with the other driver and the Justice Department. We know that God was watching over and protecting them through this ordeal and we give Him all the honour and glory. Please pray that there is not too much stiffness and pain for all them.

Back to the job site - we poured cement until 2:30pm and then the job was finished. Everyone was so happy. We have had comments that maybe it wsas a bigger job than we thought when we came down - you're right - it was!!!

After we finished paying the men we invited the workers who had been with us for the whole two weeks to come over to the compound for a final good-bye and to give them some small gifts.

It was a great time of sharing.

Then after the workers left the children from the compound came to the meeting room for their good-byes. This was a very emotional time. The children took turns singing for us - in English. And then there were the hugs and kisses....

This is the last blog before we reach home. Thank you all for all your prayers and love - it has made all the difference.

Love and prayers

Haiti 2009 Team

We will leave you with some pics of the last day and some of the kids.

See you soon.

Praise the Lord Day 12

2009-01-18T13:37:00.000-08:00

Yes, indeed friends and loved ones - Praise the Lord!!

We had a large crowd at church this morning; about 80 or so - and may I remind you church was to begin at 7am but by the time the most of the Haitians arrived it was really 7:45am - that's the way it works down here - time is not of the essence.

It was a great service and one of the highlights for me was when Luckner - who led the service asked if anyone wanted to pray and one little girl - Milande - wanted to pray- and did - for those who were in prison - dear child - God bless her - what an inspiration!!

I was privileged to be able to preach again and the message was well received. Praise and worship was awesome.

Another highlight was at the end of the service when we had a service of laying on of hands for Karen and Luckner and the work that is done here at HATS. Gerry led in this part of the service and challenged those present to be unified in Spirit and to work together to accomplish what God wanted done here. When he was finished he asked if they understood what he was saying - some said yes and some said no. It was good to see and hear their honesty - and Gerry took pains to explain what he meant again - It was real Spirit filled time.

The other Praise the Lord for the day - is that we finished all the form and metal work and we are ready to start pouring 6am tomorrow morning. After the work was finished we had a talk with the workers and they asked questions of us and we responded. One Haitian asked if we had confidence in the work that they did? I (Gerry) told them that when I first saw the forest of small poles, my confidence went down, but when all the iron work was finished my confidence went up again and the Haitians thought that was funny.

Another Praise the Lord Item - Alex who has some form of CP walked 8 feet on his own today. We are all praying that by this time next year he will be walking and running on his own - you pray to that end too, please.

We finished about 3pm, had a rest and now we are going over to Luckner's for a break. The ladies in the kitchen are making us some tuna sandwiches to take with us so that we won't have to rush back for supper.

Well we are back from Luckner's place and we had a great time. We went onto the roof of his house and had a picnic. We ate the sandwichs and had a soda and chatted with each other and some shared about their time in Haiti and Luckner shared his thoughts about our visit. We were truly blessed.

Here are some pics from the day

1. The main house on the compound 2. Almost finished the roof 3. Tent City where most of the guys live 4. Germaine cooking supper on the charcoal because we ran out of propane 5. Martha pounding garlic for lunch 6. Luckner - the Assostant Director of HATS 7. Enjoying the evening at Lucner's house - on his roof.

Tomorrow will come sooner than usual. Word has it that we will be pouring concret at 6am. So good night and God bless. Please keep us in your prayers as tomorrow is our last day and we have a lot of work yet to accomplish.

Pastor Dennis

Man Was It Hot Day 11

2009-01-17T16:02:00.000-08:00

Hi folks

Our expectations were that we were going to finish all the iron work and the form work today then pour concrete tomorrow afternoon. Well that isn't going to happen. We worked like dogs but there was much more involved in tying the rebar than we understood. We are learning but it is slow work and our time here is almost over. We had one funny thing happen today. Luckner called and ordered more steel posts for the uprights to hold the forms. When the man who owned the posts came and he saw all the "blancs" - white people- he was very angry. He had Luckner the Haitian price but when he saw the whites he wanted to charge the price for Blancs which is three times as much. We felt we won one that time.

The plan was to work late tonight and get it finished, but we changed our plans due to the fact that the men are just too tired and sick from the heat to push them any further. So tomorrow the plan is to finish the form work and pour the concrete Monday morning (which we were told would take about 4 hours but we don't believe that for a minute - time will tell).

Church is scheduled to start at 7am and then the men wil go to work around 8:30am if Pastor Dennis doesn't preach too long (Gerry's comment). How many of you will be up at 7am for church at 7:30???

Karen went to St Marc for supplies and on the way back one of the wheels on the truck broke 4 studs so Dickie was working on the side of the road trying to get the wheel off - bet he looked like a real Haitian. They made it back safe and sound which is good because they were also bringing the money to pay the Haitian workers.

Pastor Dennis is our spiritual leader on this trip. Although he likes to tell everyone that he doesn't do much while he's here, we want to tell you differently. He's been involved in just about every part of the projects we've been working on - over at the school site, here at the compound - helping to build cabinets, fix windows, inventory food for the school lunch program, helping with the ironwork for the school roof, etc. He's also the person responsible for consistently providing you with all these updates on the blog site (except for this one section). He preached last Sunday and he'll be preaching bright and early tomorrow morning. So don't believe him if he claims he just came down here for a holiday. We've really enjoyed having him on this trip and although he says it's his last, God has the final word on such things.

To close off, here are some images of Haiti we've captured over the past days.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you. We appreciate your prayer support and your comments and emails.

God bless

Working Thru Frustations Day 10

2009-01-16T16:31:00.000-08:00

Hello family and loved ones,

Today was much like yesterday - starting and stopping due to lack of building supplies. We had an accident on the site yesterday. Hillel, one of the Haitian workers, had a 2x4 fall on his hand and was cut badly. We sent him to the hospital and they checked him over and sent him back to us. He was not able to do too much work today.

We all had frustations with the Haitian construction workers, especially the bosses. They do not seem to know how to plan ahead which makes it very difficult when you are trying to work on a schedule. We are constantly finding that we are running short of supplies which stops us ftom working to schedule.

Just when we thought that we were coming to a dead stop, Luckner came through with enough supplies to keep us going the rest of the day.

We are still planning to pour the concrete on Sunday if all goes well. The team had a new work experience today - tying together rebar to make the main supports for the ceiling/floor. I think we really gave the Haitians a run for their money on making these and we got all seven made today.

We thought that we like to show you some of the supports that we have been using on the building. We are amazed at them and a little fearful about how well they will work but we are putting our trust where it should be. BUT not one of us are going to go under it while it is being poured.

This evening we are going to speak about the bubbly one - our Sandra. She spends most of her year working with figures and finances - when she heads for Haiti she puts on some of her other hats. She takes care of Karen and Alex. We have seen her painting, painting, painting and painting some more. She has been organizing the gifts which we brought down for the children. She puts a lot of love into the children. Here she is getting a well deserved foot massage.

That's all for tonight folks - it's 8:20pm EST and most of us are ready for bed. It's been a long day as it started shortly after 5am. We keep you in our prayers.

Love and God bless

Pastor Dennis

We're Slowing Down Day 9

2009-01-15T15:44:00.000-08:00

Hey family and friends,

I believe we are so blessed that we are able to keep in touch so easily. Just think - twenty years ago such communication was not possible.

Well, this has been another slow day. We have been slowed down by the fact that we had trouble getting the supplies we needed here on site. The poles that we described to you last evening are hard to come by. Today we finished puting the poles up in one classroom and parts of the other two. Luckner says that we will be pouring concrete on Sunday but it will be a miracle - of course we belive in miracles!!

Another ongoing problem - that I mentioned the other day - is the shortage of gas. And that is apparently a country wide problem. Can you imagine the effects of not having any gas - even for day?? For us it has created a problem in getting off the compound to get supplies.

A few of the gang have been slowed down today personally - Tim has been feeling low most of the day - he is on the upswing now; Bill headed for rest at mid-afternoon and got up just at suppertime; Jon has been sick to his stomach a half a dozen times - he came down for some crackers and decided to go lie down again.

Paul, on the other hand, is on the mend after having some slight allergy problem yesterday.

The highlight of the day for several of our team was the trip by mototaxi (a small motorcycle) to the hospital. The hospital is not quite up to Canadian standards. It is a very interesting place.

It was stated by a fellow who at 40 years of age went to medical school and became a doctor. He admired ALbert Schweitzer. Apparently he was fairly wealthy so he and his wife moved here to Haiti and built the hopsital and named it after Albert Schweitzer. For the last 50 years doctors from all over the world have been coming to volunteer here at the hospital. The doctor that our team members spoke to today was from Niagara on the Lake, Ontario.

A point of interest - it is because of the hospital that Karen is here in Haiti - her daughter Liette was working there and Karen came for a visit and never left.

When a patient goes to the hospital a family member is required to attend him/her. They are to supply food, sheets and to clean up after the sick or injured one.

Here is a couple of pics from the hospital.

Ed Rose is here for his third time. He finds real joy in coming and sharing enthusiastically with the children and the Haitian workers. Ed gives it his all. He works continuously and tirelessly. If there is a job to be done Ed is there to volunteer to do it. He goes above and beyond anything that is required. He has a great sense of humor and keeps us laughing. Ed is a very spiritual man and helps keep us on track spiritually.

We hear that there is a snow fall expected on Monday - we hope it is not in honor of our return. We shutter at the thought of snow. As hot as it is we do not want it to be cold at home - but ..... We think of you all often and keep you in our prayers. It is good to get your comments and know that you are praying for us as well. Keep those prayers coming.

We love you - God bless.

Pastor Dennis

Karen's Post

2009-01-14T16:48:00.000-08:00

Good Morning to those of you who enjoy hearing from us here at the HATS-Haiti mission.
I had good 'intentions' of writing last night, but those were overridden by the fact that my head could not sit properly on my shoulders and my eye lids decided to close of their own accord. I remember someone, hopefully it was my giddy sister, walking me to my bedroom. Don't remember much for some time after that.

Yesterday, Tuesday, I was up before 4:00 a.m. and I saw an absolute ton of work completed. It was a day that I will remember always. I did the usual run, run, run around both compounds seeing that things were moving along and things were supplied as needed. I ran for plumbing supplies with Brian and Dickie and Dickie and I took one of our security agents and headed to St. Marc for plywood, propane, and to return the second cheaply made, but expensive to buy, water cooler. The store owner continued to tell me the problem was me, or my house/electricity, etc. Dickie and I knew it was not and I stood my ground. I said I was not leaving the store without a credit for the total cost. Got it and then used it all, and more, to pay for plywood, etc.

The school construction was more than busy all day long. Luckner knew it was important to get all of that stage of the construction, building and pouring the cement supports for the roof, finished yesterday so this morning the work could move forward. There was still a lot to be done at 3:00 p.m. so Luckner jumped in the truck and ran outside the compound looking for men who wanted to come and work hard and fast. He found seven new ones and the other regular workers kept on trucking, Haitian and Blan alike. When it got dark we ran with extension cords and two lamps from my house. All the 'blan yo' who were not pounding nails or mixing or pouring cement, held up flashlights so the work could continue.

It was an amazing few hours where the workers , chocolate and vanilla alike, ran around like ants trying to get to the honey jar. At 8:00 p.m. we were all very overtired but had an extreme sense of accomplishment. Luckner and I both really want to see the cement roof finished with the tremendous help of the team. We would like to be able to start pouring on Saturday, but that might more likely happen on Sunday. Oops, for those of you who have not been on a work project like this, sometimes Sunday, after church, must be a day of work.

Ed mixing cement

Sandra and Faith have been busy beavers bug painting and regular painting the big fantastic cupboard Dickie built for my bathroom. They are in the process of moving and organizing things there for me. They have been doing a lot of different things which includes an outstanding job with my precious little happy guy. Alex is soaking up the attention of the whole group but looks to Sandra and Faith for most things. Mama Karen keeps running around and does not have enough time for Alex. He wants time with his mama, but he is certainly not hard done by with these two taking care of him.

I got back at this early this morning but the work day started. School is in session and today a presentation of Creole Bibles was made by Gerry to all students in our grades 5 - 8 students. Several sponsored students received gifts from the workteam members today that had been sent down by their sponsors and photos were taken. Work on the school construction continued, a lot of odd jobs and running around was done, and now at 7:40 I am once again very tired.
If you enjoy reading about the escapades of the group, come on down.
Karen

Another Very Interesting Day Day 8

2009-01-14T16:12:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends and Loved Ones,

Today was a different day. The construction site was busy but because the work is so labour intensive we did not see a lot of progress. The building of the roof is a very slow process but very interesting because of the way the the Haitians do their construction. It is very good and solid. One interesting thing is that they use tree saplings - 2 1/2 inches in diameter as the supports for holding up the roof - and there is hundreds of them that all have to be cut by hand.

One of Gerry's visions was to supply Bibles to all the students in our school in Grade 5 and above. This happened this morning and what a joy it was to see the excitemnet of the children as they received their Bible. Gerry had shared the vision with Pastor Bill Newell at Yarmouth North Baptist - he shared it with his people - and they supplied the money that purchased the Haitian Bibles. In the future we want to supply Grade 5 students with Bibles on a yearly basis. Next year we would like to do the staff as well. A special thanks to Pastor Bill and the Folk at Yarmouth North.

Bob Comeau is on his second trip here with us. He is our chief carpenter and translator. He works from dawn to dusk and we would not get near as much work done if he were not on the team. We are so grateful that he is on the team. He and his wife, Linda, are child sponsors. Here is a pic of him with his sponsor child.

We understand that you folks back home are having an ice storm and our thoughts and prayers are with you.

God Bless

Pastor Dennis

Work, Work, Work Day - Day 7

2009-01-13T16:46:00.000-08:00

Hello family and friends,

Well if yesterday was a day of relaxation and rest - it was a good thing that we took it off - because today has been go, go, go and go some more. It is almost 8pm here and almost everyone is over at the school compound trying to get the last of the header forms put up and the cement poured. Let me try to explain this in terms that even I can understand. The walls are up. Now on top of the wall they build a header - this is made up of rebar - 3 steel rods tied together to hold the cement in place, then these had to be boarded up on either side to form a place for the cement to be poured. Then the cement had to be poured. That's as simple as I can get. When the forms are removed tomorrow that will be the base for the roof. If this had not gotten done tonight then we would lose a day while we waited for the concrete to dry tomorrow. What a sight! Lights of all fashion were taken to the site to provide enough light for the work to be finished. Here is a pic of what it looked like.

Praise the Lord! The men have just come in and said that it was finished!

There were many other jobs completed today as well.

We took stock of the school children's food supply. We fixed windows and screens, painted and a lot of other little but important jobs.

I am working backwards tonight - the day started at 7:30 with us joining the school children for devotions. This was a great time of worship. There was lots of singing. It was so moving to see all the kids praising God.

Another one of our new recruits for this trip is Tim Newell. Tim is a fantastic asset to us. He helps out wherever he can. He has been on the school site. He has helped take inventory of the food. He has worked at replacing screens. AND he's a computer expert that has kept Karen's computer going and updated - and he is working on Excel so that Karen's paperwork can be streamlined. Welcome Tim.

I am going to sign off now. Good night. BUT stay tuned - Karen has told me that she wants to post a blog so she will do that in a little while.

Pastor Dennis

Haiti Team Day Off - Day 6

2009-01-12T16:08:00.000-08:00

Good evening friends and loved ones,

Today we took a day off before the hard part of building the school happens - that's the roof. We anticipate that will be a tough job. We had a little set back today but in Haiti that's not unusual. We had a fellow who was going to supply the forms for the roof but he ended up not having what we wanted and Luckner had to spend most of his day looking for replacement material. His biggest problem though was time. Today was the first day of school - he is the director and with registration and then having to teach - well let's say his day was not the best. Keep him in your prayers.

Today we are going to speak a little about the roads in Haiti. What we are about to tell you - you would not likely believe, so we will send a couple of pics to show you.

For the last two or three decades the roads in Haiti have not been maintained to the standard that they were in the early 60's and 70's. Because of hurricanes, heavy traffic and constructions the roads have been torn up and once they start to degrade they get bad very quickly. Pot holes are the norm but pot holes like we are used to in Canada. They are more like sink holes. They can be up to 2 feet deep and we have seen some deeper than that. This is one such place - here we had to get off the truck and let Dickie drive across this spot with only Alex in the truck with him.

One of the biggest problems with having a day off and taking a drive to the beach is that it takes about 1 1/2 hour over these kinds of roads. By the time we get back home we are just as dirty and exhausted as when we left; but we still enjoyed our day and were thankful to get to the beach.

You can see a couple of little pot holes here too. I mentioned that we were in the middle of a gas crunch. The situation has eased a little but notice the line up at the pumps in this picture.

Traffic jams in the villages and towns can be a problem too. I don't know how they manouver their way through these places without hitting each other. And the truth is that they do hit each other. I don't believe there is a vehicle in Haiti without a series of major dents in it.

One of the things that amazes us so greatly is how well our senior team workers thrive in this type of hot work climate. On our last trip John Fyfe showed what seniors can do. This year we have Paul and Bill with us - we have already mention Paul - and tonight we would like to talk about Bill.

Bill has been a pleasure to have with us on this team. He has a great sense of humour, is always smiling and is always willing to do whatever is needed. He is extremely interested in all that is going on around him. He loves the work and the kids. Here he is with Paul and they are sharing a laugh about something on top of the plateau where the fort was.

We hope that you had a good day today. -remember "this is the day that the Lord has made, rejoice and be glad in it." God bless you, have a great sleep and enjoy tomorrow. Pray for us as we face the difficult job of trying to put the roof on this building.

God Bless

Pastor Dennis

Enjoying God's Presence - Everywhere Day 5

2009-01-11T15:52:00.000-08:00

Hello friends and loved ones,

It's Sunday night about 7pm in Haiti. This has been a great day.

Most of us managed to sleep in a little this morning - until about 6:30am. After the usual showers, breakfast and final special grooming we were off to church. Church was supposed to begin at 9am but it did not get under way until 9:35am because the folk are in no hurry to come - and in no hurry to leave.

Cecile (the children's house mother) lead the service and did a fine job. She called upon a number of people to help in the worship - both Haitian and the team. The "blanc" the "whites" sang Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus. I was pleased to have the opportunity to bring the message at this morning's service. Pastor Luckner translated for me and it was a humbling experience.

After lunch we went on a tour of the Valley. It was a great trip. The Valley is the lushest part of Haiti.We saw Haiti at its best. Out in the country we saw people living as they have for decades. They bathe in the river, do their laundry there and wash their animals and their trucks in it as well. The roads that we travelled took us through the middle of the rice field belt. The rice and produce from the Artibonite Valley feed the most of Haiti.

Our first stop of the day was the irrigation dam. This controls the water flow into the Valley. That is the water that comes down from the mountains. It's a beautiful green when it starts down through the Valleey but by the time it reaches the sea it has been polluted terribly. It is sad to see people drinking this water.

We moved on to Ti Riviere where were heading up to the Haitian fort. We stopped at a house built by King Christopher in the 1700s. This house has 365 doors - one for each day of the year. Unfortunately the government has let it run down.

Here is a picture of the Valley from the fort.

For many the trip on the back of the truck was a new experience that they will never forget. Nine people crowded (and hung on for dear life) as Dickie drove over extremely rough and dusty roads. We had many many Haitians laughing and yelling at us. It was very funny for them to see 14 people - all but one white- riding in the style that they believed only Haitians used as their mode of transportation. We have to agree - we did look ridiculous - but we had a great time.

Dickie has been our "Mr.Fix-It" down here. He goes from job to job, working on Dickie's To Do List that Karen had written up long before he arrived. He's crossed most of her list off. He is wonderful with the children and is loved by them.

We hear that there was supposed to be a quite a storm in Yarmouth area today. We trust that you were abe to cope with it and had a great day praising God and worshipping for His greatness. We love you and think of you all continually. May God bless you

Pastor Dennis

To Market, To Market... Day 4

2009-01-10T18:10:00.000-08:00

Hi friends and loved ones,

This has been a good day here in Haiti.

We have managed to catch up on the work - Brian, Rob and Ed worked like troopers today to accomplish that task. It was a situation where only the three of them could spend any amount of time at the school because of the nature of the work. Several of the others were there for a short time. Look how far we have come.

Well that meant that the most of us could go to the market in Verrette. The last time we were here there was so much fear for our safety that we hardly left the compound so this year it is great to have a little more freedom. The fly infested fresh meat was not particulary appealing. The place was very crowded and we had to be very careful.

You saw Brian working hard on the school above - and he has been working hard - but he has been spending time with the kids as well. In the pic below he is with Josie - the same little one that was sleeping in his arms two years ago when we were here. She sure loves Brian - as we all do. We're glad he's a part of our team.

Tomorrow promises to be a busy day - what with church - the service will likely last several hours - but I'll get to that tomorrow.

My prayer for you is that you will prepare your hearts for your worship service - wherever that may be - and that God will be praised and worshipped.

God Bless - have a good day and I'll write again tomorrow.

Pastor Dennis

Another Day in Haiti - Day 3

2009-01-09T16:02:00.000-08:00

Good evening friends and loved ones,

It's 7pm here, it's been a long hot day - not quite as hot as yesterday. Supper is finished. We had ham and cheese sandwiches with some kind of cornmeal pudding and/or white flour sugar pudding.

Let me just give you a quick idea of how our days go.

We get up between 5-6am and this morning we took another stroll along the canal.

Then we have breakfast and after a little while - about 7:30am we go to the annex and have devotions with the children of the mission.

At 8am it's off to the various jobs that we have laid out for us.

Today Dickie finished the shelves that he started at Luckner's yesterday.

Bob and Brian worked with Vladame the carpenter forming up the pillars for the roof.

Ed worked on windows for the school. Tim/Paul/Jonathan/bill did pointing most of the day (that's cleaning up the mortar around the bricks so that it looks good.

Gerry drove - yes drove - to St Marc. He thought it was great to drive there. Yesterday Karen bought a new water cooler and today it had to go back because it did not work. So off to St Marc she and Gerry went. I told her she was "crazy" to let Gerry drive but....

Gerry brought 4 machetes back with him and sold them all to the rest of us.

Faith and I worked on some more screen doors. I think that when we get back to Canada we may hang our "shingle out". She wants her dad to know that she hoilds her hammer correctly!!

Sandra is continually busy looking after Alexandre (Karen's little guy) and the rest of the children as time allows.

Bob and Jonathan were feeling a little under the weather this afternoon but that seems to have passed as well. They both went on the walk to Luckner's place - about 2 miles away - and had a great time.

Jonathan is having a great time here as the pictures will show.

Let me just share a picture of a typical Haitian home in the area.

I mentioned that supper is over - well now we will sit around for an hour or so and then slowly our crowd will fade away as one by one we head off to bed. It is very unusual for anyone of us to be up past 10pm.

The work on the school is progressing more slowly than we had hoped for due to th heat, but all in all we are only about a half day behind where we wanted to be. Praise God for all that is being accomplished. thank you for your continued love and prayers.

God Bless

Pastor Dennis

Day Two

2009-01-08T15:20:00.000-08:00

Dear friends and loved ones,

The one word that we will use to describe today is "hot"!! We will remember this dayfor a long time to come. The thermometer topped out at 54C which translates to 130+F. We were moving pretty slow today. In the shade it was about 38C - almost 105+F. We are starting to become aclimatized to the heat and so no one suffered to much from the hot, hot day

On the work site the men were in good humor. The team and the Haitians worked well today with lots of laughter and joking. Ed has a new nickname - it's Let - in Haitian that means "ugly".

There was certainly a lot of teasing about that one.

Bob and Brian did a couple of projects today. The laminated beam in the school part from last time was sagging a bit so they re-inforced it. Then they propped up the clothes lines down by the children's dorm.

Faith and I finished screening in the door that was started yesterday. Dickie did some work at Luckner's. Sandra and Faith sorted some of the suitcases of shoes and dresses that were sent down. The rest of the men worked hard on the concrete work.

School has not yet started for the new term - that happens on Monday. Then there will be a lot more kids around and then we will highlight some of them.

A highlight of the day was a walk along the canal. This was late in the afternoon when the day was cooling down.

Paul Sims is really enjoying his time here. He has been playing with Alex and working hard on the schools as the pictures will attest.

Thanks for your prayers and God Bless

Pastor Dennis

Day One is Almost Complete

2009-01-07T15:38:00.000-08:00

Hi Friends,

Well we have just completed supper. It has been a busy day.

Most of the team have been working on the school. Great progress has happened today. The back wall is up about 6 rows to where the windows will begin to take shape.

Faith spent most of her day with the younger children, helping to tend to them and getting to know them.

Dennis went to St Marc with Karen to go to the bank and pick up a few supplies. It was certainly an adventure. I don't know which is the most frightening - the big bus last night or the little Tracker this afternoon. My hat is off to Karen - I don't think I would want to drive here. There are kids, cows, dogs, goats and all kinds of cars and trucks to avoid. Words can not describe it. Then I am sure that we came home only by the grace of God. Let me explain - there is a gas shortage here this week (real or imaginery I am not sure - and it doesn't matter). When we left the compound Karen said we did not have any gas in the truck. Well we got to St Marc (40 minutes away) and could not get gas to get home - I am sure we came home on fumes.

We did stop at one place and they wanted $100. Haitian per gsallon (5 times the regular price) We said that we would take our chances. We were praising the Lord greatly when we drove into the compound.

Dickie and I worked on several projects today - replacing the gate at the stairs in the main house, replacing screening on one of the house doors - there will be more of that tomorrow. Dickie also is in the process of building some shelving for Karen's room.

The heat is oppressive here - that's the word the men were using at the school site. Ed suffered some from the heat today and had to make it a short day. He got some sleep and took a shower and he came around nicely. The heat sneaks up on you and you really don't notice how dehydrated you've become.

Enough chatter for this evening. We love and appreciate each of you and as we pray for you we invite you to continue to pray for us.

Now for some pictures - hope you enjoy them.

God bless

Pastor Dennis

It's A Beautiful Day

2009-01-07T05:27:00.000-08:00

Dear friends and loved ones,
It's a beautiful morning here in Haiti. Already several are mentioning about the heat!!
We have had our breakfast and morning devotions. What a great time to share around the circle and introduce ourselves to the family here and to be reminded that we are all the family of God. It was good to see the children and to receive the hugs of not just the children but the staff as well. Now most every one is scattered around doing their various duties and assignments.
Most of us have been to the school site and what a great spot. You will see a big difference from the last time we were here and I will post some pics later.
Please continue to pray for us as the real work of building and interacting with the hired men begins. Pray also for those who will not be working on the building - some will be doing repairs around the compound, some will be helping in the kitchen, some will be working with the children and some will be working on the computer. Every job is important for the whole compound to work efficiently. Your prayers are so important.
We love you all
Blessings
Pastor Dennis

We've Arrived

2009-01-06T17:27:00.000-08:00

Good evening friends,
We've arrived safe and sound at HATS - Haiti; praise the Lord.
It has been a long trip. The day started in Montreal at 5am and here it is now 8:30pm.
We arrived in PAP, were met by Karen and Luckner, and cleared the paper work by 4pm and then the trip to the compound - that's always an adventure. Words can not describe it.
We were met by the children with open arms - there was a great deal of excitment from both us and them.
Will start the real updates tomorrow - most of us have had a bite to eat and are ready for bed.
Thanks for your prayers and support.
God bless

On the way...

2009-01-06T05:21:00.000-08:00

Hey folks, we had a great trip to Halifax and made it through security with no problems. We were delayed 1 hour in leaving for Montreal but made it safely. We were up early to make it to the airport on time but everything went smoothly here too.
Keep checking for updates as the days go by. Thank you for your continued prayers,
Faith Greene, personal secretary to Pastor Dennis
Who is personal secretary to Gerry Rhyno. :)

One More Sleep

2009-01-05T06:15:00.000-08:00

Good morning
It's 10am AST in Yarmouth, NS and I know that today is the day that we leave for Haiti but we have to overnight in Montreal so it will not be until tomorrow that we actually arrive in Haiti- one more sleep.
The team is excited! We had the Commissioning Prayer Service at the Salvation Army Community Church on Friday evening and it was a wonderful time of worship, prayer and fellowship. Several groups who were doing special projects were present and they presented the Mission with gifts of money for the project and we are over the $25,000 mark. God and His people are so good.
Dear Gerry, our team leader, had HATS HAITI ball caps made up for each member of the team and passed them out as well. It was a little something that helped built team relationships - thanks Gerry!
I am not sure of the rest of the team but I have spent the most of this morning with last minute packing details. I think it is all done now.
We gather at the Yarmouth Wesleyan Church at 1pm to make the trip to the Stanfield International Airport from which we fly to Montreal. As I mentioned, we overnight in Montreal and then it's off to Port aux Prince, Haiti. Karen has made arragements to pick us up and then on to the HATS - Haiti Mission Compound.
Please check everyday to see what is happening in Haiti. You know that you can also send comments and notes of encouragement via this blog. We will try hard to post our progress everyday but sometimes we do not always have power in Haiti, so if a day goes by without a post - it's probably just a lack of power.
Thanks for your continued prayers, love and support. Without you our trip would not be possible.
Blessings
Pastor Dennis

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T12:56:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since Gerry or I have written on the blog - but for those who are in Southwest Nova you know that this has been a busy time. Christmas kept us all busy with our various church activities - and then there was the big power outage story. I was fortunate - our power was only out for two days - and not in a row. I trust you all made it through without too many inconveniences.
In my house it actually gave us a chance to slow down and reflect on what Christmas is all about - the birth of the Christ child and the opportunity to gather together as family and spend some quality time together.
Now the New Year is here with all that it may hold. Late yesterday the snow started and it has not yet stopped. As I look out my picture window I can see the snow and there is not a footprint in it. The new year is something like that - it is a clear clean field - fresh with no footprints in it. That will not always be the case - before long there will be all kinds of tracks - where will they go? Will they be useful or not? As you journey into this year I encourage you to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit of God to lead you in the paths of righteousness. Then when you look back may you see a trail that was filled with purpose and hope. And even now as you may look back over 2008 may the trail of last year be a trail that gives you hope for this year. If 2008 was not the best year for you, may you learn from it and go on resolved to trust God more and be filled with His Spirit.
The Haiti Team 2009 is growing more and more excited as the time nears for our departure. Between us it looks like we will have about 12 suitcases of clothing, supplies and toys to take with us to the Mission.
And, praise God - we are closing in our goal of $25,000 for the funds needed to complete the phase of the school that we are planning for this trip. God has brought together an interesting group of travellers for this trip and we have worked well together and He has blessed our efforts. We could not have done it without Him and without the way in which His Spirit has moved in your hearts to help wherever you could. Thanks so much for all your effort.
I mentioned some time ago that there would be a Commissioning Service for the team on January 02. That is still in place and again I invite any and all to come to the Salvation Army Community Church on Brunswick St., Yarmouth, NS and join with us in this service of worship and praise. Time is 7pm, Friday, January 02, 2009.
Again, I find it hard to find the right words to express my gratitude and my joy for all that God and you have helped us to accomplish at HATS - Haiti. Please continue to pray for Karen (and Luckner and all they do in Haiti); for travelling mercies; for good health and the work that we will be doing while we are there.
This will likely be my last post until we arrive in Haiti. See you tomorrow evening in Yarmouth..
God bless you all
Pastor Dennis

2008-12-20T04:34:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone ITS Gerry Well i think its time I sent a message out to all ,dennis has been very active getting all the updates on the blog and sending out emails letting people know what is happening and I want to thank dennis at this time , well done , we are now getting close to our trip and everyone is busy getting those last things done before we go , I say now I am really looking forward to our time together , i know all will be blessed by this time doing Gods work in Haiti . Im getting excited about the trip but I want to take this time and personally thank all who have given so much to make this trip a reality, without you listening to Gods voice speaking to your heart , nothing could be accomplished . It has always been my desire to have churches working together ,answering Gods calling united , as I believe it really is a wonderful witness to our community and the world , this trip we have 6or 7 different churches sending people down to Haiti , praise to GOD , we also have many more churches helping out with the funds needed to build this school , THANK YOU ONE AND ALL . Children who would never have had a chance to go to school now do so because of you , while Im on the subject if you would like to sponsor one of these children , they need money for school uniforms ,books, food , pay teachers salaries , the cost is very minimal , $ 200 to $300 per year please contact dickie macdonald at 902-742-5234 and God will bless you . MAY YOU ALL have a Very Wonderful Christmas ,, again GOD BLESS YOU ALL gerry

More Connections

2008-12-18T05:32:00.000-08:00

Good Morning Friends,
After a wild, cold, rainy night it is a beautiful clear, cold morning. God is so good.
I had an e-mail yesterday with the following link attached - http://thoughtsfromhaiti.blogspot.com This blog is one that Liette Wilson is sharing with us.
Liette is Karen's daughter. She has 4 children 2 which were adopted from Haiti when she worked there. She is down for Christmas from Calgary.
The pictures are the foundation of the building we will be working on. I believe you will enjoy reading this blog and sharing in Liette's adventure.

Remember to keep praying for the team as they prepare to go to Haiti on Jan 5, 2009 - but also be in prayer for Liette and her family and our Haiti family as well.

Blessings,
Pastor Dennis

God Continues To Bless

2008-12-15T08:15:00.000-08:00

Good morning

I hope that you all had a blessed day yesterday as you worshipped God in your various places of worship. He is, indeed, a great God.

With Christmas being so close, it certainly is a busy time of year.

The Haiti team 2009 has been busy as well - fundraising and trying to get all their needles and papers in order.

Our team Leader, Gerry, had a burning desire to be able to provide Bibles (or New Testaments) in Creole to the students in Grade Five and up this trip. After much prayer and sharing the idea around - the Yarmouth North Baptist Church sponsored Bibles (or New Testaments) for this group. The Bibles (or New Testaments) have arrived at the HATS - Haiti Compound and they will be distributed by the team members during their stay in Haiti. Praise God!!

I want to introduce to the last two members of the team.

The first is a man whom I describe as a "gentle giant" both in terms of his physical stature and his faith. Brian Roberts was with us in 2007 and we are delighted that he is going again in 2009. Brian and his wife, Patricia live in the Argyle area and faithfully attend the Argyle-Pubnico Baptist Church. Brian is looking forward to this trip and will be a great asset.

The last member of our team - but certainly not the least - is a new recruit by the name of Bill Olsen. Bill is a retired lobster fisherman and his friends are greatful that he is also a willing and able handyman. He is a member of the Yarmouth North Baptist Church. He has been active in the Gideons for several years, making the Word of God more available. Bill is also interested in working hands on where most needed. He has been thinking of joining a work mission for several years now and this year everything just fell into place to make this trip possible.

I introduced Ed Rose on my Dec 6 blog - but without a picture. Here's what he looked like at the airport in Halifax on our last trip -and he still looks that good.

Anyway, may God richly bless you as you prepare to celebrate the birth of the Christ Child at this Christmas Season.

Bod bless,

Pastor Dennis

Good News

2008-12-08T08:46:00.000-08:00

Good morning
It's a snowy blustery day here in SouthWest Nova Scotia. A month from now the team will likely be wishing for some cool weather. The last trip we made to Haiti the temperature peaked at around 50 degrees C.
This week end we had the Bake Sale and we raised just over $350.00. We were very pleased.
This morning I had a phone call from the Beaver River Baptist Church and they told me that they had a Cinder Block Sunday yesterday and they are sending a cheque along to the Project for $425.60. We praise God for the number of area churches that taking this project to heart and supporting it so well.
I was speaking to Pastor Craig Minard at the Arcadia-Chebogue Baptist Church early last week and they too are taking up the challenge to purchase blocks for the school. The Salvation Army are building a block wall with cut out cinder blocks and that is progressing well.
Thanks to all who are participating in this project. Don't hesitate to contact me an let me know what your project is so that I can acknowledge it on the blog. Contact me at dennis.leamont@gmail.com.
Have a great day,
Blessings,
Pastor Dennis

Bake Sale at the Salvation Army

2008-12-06T13:37:00.000-08:00

This was a great day. The sun was shining and everybody was in good humour. When I arrived at the Salvation Army Community Church this morning at 8:50am a few of our team were already there and our table was well on the way to being laden down with all kinds of goodies - cakes, rolls, biscuits, fudge, pies and lots of other things.

At 10am the doors opened there seemed to be a fair stream of people for the next two hours. Things quieted down about noon and were still quiet when I left at 1pm. I don't know how much money was raised for the school but it was more than with which we started.

Thanks to all those who helped with the sale. And if you bought something - thanks to you too.

I want to introduce you to a couple of more members of our team at this time.

The first is Paul Sims. Paul is a member of the Plymouth Baptist Church and is a faithful attender. He and his wife, Joyce, are hard workers in the church. Paul missed the last trip to Haiti and I was determined that he was not going to miss this opportunity. He is excited about the trip and looking forward to whatever God has in store for him and the team.
The second is Ed Rose. Ed is first of all a Christian man with a big heart for people, serving God in many ways in his local church and day-to-day as he encounters many people in his construction business. This is Ed's third time to visit and help out at HATS-Haiti. (Written by his wife, Janet)

Mark your calendars for January 02, 2009 - That's the night that we will be having a kind of commissioning service for the team. We would welcome any who want to come and be a part of this service as we praise and worship God for all that He is doing in our lives and in the lives of our friends in Haiti. That's at 7pm in the Yarmouth Salvation Army Community Church.

Have a great time at worship tomorrow and the blessing of God be on you and yours
Pastor Dennis

I'm Encouraged and Excited!!

2008-11-28T07:16:00.000-08:00

Good morning and God bless.

I was at the Evangel Assembly Pentecostal Church this morning delivering Christmas Shoe Boxes (another very worthy cause) and Pastor Rod Bezanson shared with me that he got my e-mail regarding the cinder block idea - and he and his youth group are excited about it and they have some ideas of how they might help. I can't go into all the details, but let me assure you that I was encouraged and excited.

If you are becoming involved, how about giving me a call and letting me know?!

The leader of our group is a fine Christian gentleman by the name of Gerry Rhyno. He is married to Heather and they are both very involved in the HATS - Haiti Project. Gerry has been to various regions of Haiti in the past - he has made almost a dozen trips to Haiti over the years. It was Gerry who sparked most of our team's interest in the school project that we began over two years ago. Heather made the trip to HATS - Haiti last time but is unable to go this time. I know that we will miss her there. Gerry and Heather attend the Salvation Army Community Church in Yarmouth and are very active there. Thanks for all your guidance, Gerry and Heather. I love this picture.

Another new member of the group is Tim Newell. He is married to Gerry's daughter, Heidi. They have three young children and they are very mission-minded. In a few years their hope is to take a family mission tour wherever God would lead them. Tim tells me that "I've felt called to help, for a reality check to help appreciate how truly blessed we are, and to do something that matters." I know that Tim will find this to be a great experience and he will be truly blessed.

Please continue to pray for the team, their families ; for Karen and all of those who live at the HATS -Haiti compound.

God bless and keep tuned into the blog for more updates.

Pastor Dennis

Another Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T06:35:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is American Thanksgiving. When I looked and saw that my last post was on Canadian Thanksgiving I said, "That's super!" There is so much to be thankful for. May we all realize how great our God is and give Him thanks for His goodness.

I am sorry to be so long in getting back on the blog. I was a way for a vacation and then it took me some time to get over the vacation.

But now I think I am back on track.

As well, we have had our first team meeting since September and now there is some news to relate.

We have had a number of fundraising events and they have been very successful. But we are still short of our goal. We have just launched a little promotion for the Advent Season - we are encouraging local Sunday School and Church Families to buy a cinder block for the school. We have challenged each congregation to try and buy at the very least 100 blocks at the cost of $1.00US per block. Then at our commissioning service we will collect the block money and hopefull have gained a lot of blocks. If you want to participate in this in your congregation please let me know and I will forward further information to you.

We will be having a table in tha Salvation Army Yard Sale on Sat Dec 06 from 10am to 3pm. If you can help us out by providing some fresh homebaked goodies - then please have them at the Salvation Army around 9am.

Let me introduce you to another team member at this time.

Bobby Comeau was born in Meteghan River and moved to Yarmouth a long time ago. He has been a carpenter for 28 years. For the last 12 years he and his wife, Linda, have operated a Senior Citizens Home in Yarmouth. They are members of the Yarmouth Wesleyan Church. Bobby was with us in 2007 and he says that he is looking forward to returning to Haiti to help others.
Have a Blessed day - no - make it a Blessed day!
Pastor Dennis

Thanksgiving Day

2008-10-13T07:09:00.000-07:00

What a privilege to be able to take a few moments and write a note on the blog. This is Thanksgiving Day in Canada and I have just been reflecting on the bounty that we share here in this great country.

I recognize that this past week has been hard for many of my fellow Canadians as well as many people around the world - I speak in terms of the great financial crisis that is taking place. However, I believe that we, Canadians are among the most blessed people of the whole world and are still very well off despite the great drop in the Stock Market this past week. All I do, when I begin to think of the money my pension fund lost this week is to close my eyes and see the extreme poverty that I experienced when I was in Haiti as part of Haiti Team 2007. Words can not begin to describe the great need in Haiti and places like it.

Haiti Team 2009 is going back to Haiti to build another section to the school that we worked on the last time there. We believe that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the key to bringing hope to the people there. We also believe that Education is another key to bringing hope to the people there.

I realize I have not really introduced myself as yet in these blogs - I was looking for a good picture to share.

My name is Dennis Leamont. I am Pastor of the Plymouth and Pleasant Lake United Baptist Churches in those two communities just outside the town of Yarmouth. As I mentioned I have been in Haiti as part of Team 2007. I had not planned to go this trip but the call of God has been strong and I have said "yes". I am looking forward to seeing the boys and girls (and adults) that I met last time and I look forward to helping out in any way I can.

Another new comer to our team is Jonathan Skjelmose from the Yarmouth area. He is a local entrepeneur who is very interested in helping out in Haiti. He tells me that he expects to learn a lot from this trip. (And he will!) He is excited to see how people in troubles areas of the world can follow God through the hardest of living conditions.

May you all have a great Thanksgiving Day and please remember to pray for HATS - Hait and the Haiti Team 2009.
God bless,
Pastor Dennis

Meet Some Team Members

2008-10-08T12:24:00.000-07:00

Dickie and Sandra MacDonald of Yarmouth are family to Karen at HATS - Haiti. This will be Dickie's fourth trip and Sandra's third to the HATS - Mission. Dickie and Sandra love to go, work and spend time loving the kids.

A new recruit to this year's team is a young Christian lady from the Argyle-Pubnico Baptist Church. Her name is Faith Greene and she was really moved when the 2007 Team did a presentation in her church and a mission trip to Haiti has been on her mind ever since. She says "I feel blessed that the Lord is pushing me to minister in this way and pray He will use me through His power." She promises a picture in the very near future.

Before I sign out for today let me remind you that there is a Ham Supper planned for the School Project at the Yarmouth Wesleyan Church on October 24, 2008 at 6pm. Tickets are $10.00 each.

Thanks for your continued prayers and support.

Blessing,

Pastor Dennis

Blog Problems

2008-10-08T12:02:00.000-07:00

For the past few days the "blogspot" people have had our blog blocked. Why I do not know why and I am not sure that even now it is accessible, but I am going to try to post something now.

In my first blog I mentioned that the Yarmouth Wesley Church would receipt donations for sponsorship for the HATS - Haiti Mission - This information was correct. I was wrong in saying that they would receipt donations for individual team members support. Please accept my apogolies if this has caused any confusion.

For those who wish to send donations to HATS - Haiti please send them to the Yarmouth Wesleyan Church, 70 Haley Road, PO Box 337, Yarmouth, NS B5A 4B3 and clearly mark the donation for HATS - Haiti School Building Project.

Once I see this post worked I will post more in the near future.

Have a blessed day.

Welcome to Team Haiti 2009

2008-10-01T02:31:00.000-07:00

Good Morning,

It is 6:33am Atlantic Time and it's hard to know where to start.

Team Haiti 2009 had its first full team meeting last evening at Gerry's house and all but 2 were present. Gerry, our Team Leader, led us through a very intensive package of things that we needed to know for our Mission Trip to Haiti.

The very first thing that we were told is that "it is an honour to be able to serve God and bring Him glory as He leads us on this new adventure." May all the team member and those of you who support us with your love and prayers always remember those words.

What is Team Haiti 2009? This is a group of men and women (mostly from the Yarmouth, NS Canada area) who have felt the call of God to travel to Haiti - and in particular to Deschappelles and the HATS - Haiti Mission (Hands Across The Sea - Haiti) to continue the work started by Haiti Team 2007.

A number of years ago, Karen Huxter founded HATS - Haiti as a small Christian Mission and Orphanage to care for a number of children who had been abandoned in the Deschappelles region. Over the years she felt the call of God to provide a school for those children and the other children of the region. In 2007 that became a reality. With the help of Team Haiti 2007 and their supporters $44,000.US was raised to build a seven room school. The work was begun in June 2006 by the local Haitians and in January 2007 Team Haiti, consisting of 11 members, went to HATS - Haiti to help finish the project.

Today there are about 200 students attending the school and they are out of space - thus the need to build an addition to the school. And that's the reason we have joined together again. Under God, we have been challenged, and we challenge you, to finance and help the Haitians build more class rooms for students hungry for an education.

The cost of the project is about $25,000.00US. The new construction is about 15 meters (50feet) long, 9 meters (30 feet) wide and one story high with the intension of building it one story high with the ability to add another level when the need arises - as we hope and pray that it will.

Each team member is responsible for raising his/her own support to get to Haiti and back. In addition to that we are asking each team member to raise an additional $1,000.00 to go toward the project. As well, there have been several yard sales and there is a Ham Supper planned for October 24 at the Yarmouth Wesleyan Church beginning at 6pm - Tickets are $10.00 each.

Should God lay it upon your heart to help sponsor a team member or the Project please send your donation to the Yarmouth Wesleyan Church and mark it for the team member or the project (I will provide you an address for the church in the next blog, which will be very soon.)

In the following blogs I will also tell you who is going and brief bio on each one.

For now - please keep - saturate this team and this project with your prayers - and thank you for your love and support.

Pastor Dennis