Free to Love..Free to Go…Free to Give
(SFD in Gros-Morne, Haiti)
Greetings from Gros-Morne, Haiti. The Southern Florida team of 24 has completed 4 days of Work & Witness effort in Gros-Morne (pronounced Gwo-Mawn) — which is just over 100 miles north of Port-au-Prince. Finally today (Tuesday) we secured Internet service.
We departed Miami at about 9:30 a.m. Saturday morning and arrived in Port-au-Prince (PAP) about 11 a.m. All of our luggage arrived with us (we had much food, tools and 2 generators). By 1 p.m. we made it to our school bus — and we we departed for Gros-Morne.
We arrived in Gros-Morne around 6 p.m. The last 25 miles was very rocky and rough with some rain. After unloading — we had a very nice meal provided by the Gros-Morne people.
Since I was here a year ago — the church has added a guest house to their district center. The rooms have private baths. Our room has an air-conditioner – but the electricity is only on (for the entire city) from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. each day.). So you have to get to bed early — to enjoy the air-conditioning for 3 hours/night!
Wendy Moore and her kitchen crew got up early Sunday morning to prepare breakfast — and we were off to church — where we posed for the picture.
Dr. David Nixon preached the morning service and Rev. Bruce McEwen (Palmetto COTN) preached the evening service. The second photo shows some of the approximately 150 people who responded to the invitation following the Sunday evening service. It was an amazing Sunday.
The Gros-Morne Church of the Nazarene is the largest church structure in this community of approximately 200,000 people. There is a very large VooDoo presence here — and the church is having an amazing impact on the community.
During the Sunday morning service the people expressed (again and again) their appreciation to the people and churches of Southern Florida who have done so much to get a roof for the church and school — and so much more.
On Monday morning the team earnestly began their two main tasks — 1) build and install a computer lab and paint the classrooms. Great progress was made toward achieving both goals. We were slowed a little today (and we will be tomorrow) since all students throughout the country are going through national testing (like our FCAT). The third photo shows all of the children in front of the church this morning — waiting to begin their testing.
Interestingly, children take their national tests not necessarily at their own school — but rather at the school closest to where they live. So this morning — many students came to our Gros-Morne Nazarene School who normally attend a different school. But it didn’t make any difference, the classes began their testing by singing hymns and repeating the Lord’s Prayer!
The final photo is our “Painting Crew”. Yesterday (Monday), they quickly painted the walls and varnished the wood ceilings where the computer lab is being built. They then began painting other classrooms — that don’t look like they have been painted in years and years.
We will give more information about the computer lab in our next update. The last time I was here — the area where the computer lab is being installed had no roof — as a result of its collapse after the 2010 earthquake.
This is a very congenial team — that has “jelled” together very quickly. They have a great determination to make a difference for this local church and for the people of Haiti.
The Gros-Morne COTN has begun a 40-Days of Prayer. They are meeting each night. On Monday night Rev. Pascal Permis (Indiantown/Port St. Lucie Evangelical) preached, Tuesday was Rev. Randal Rupert (Avon Park), Wednesday – Rev. Roy Shuck (Naples Faith) and Thursday – Rev. Jim Kenes (North Port).
Rev. Roy Shuck is our leader. He has done a fantastic job — despite all of the trauma at his local church (structure located on a sink hole). The team has had special prayer for him — and we encourage our district family to also be in prayer for him and the Naples Faith Community and Naples Iglesia (the Spanish church that has been meeting at Naples Faith).
I need to send this. We are back on a generator — and they are having some problems. We have also had difficulty getting Internet service.
Thanks so much for your prayers. They are seen and felt!
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