Mission Team #1 for Summer of 2007!!

Again a lot has happened since the last time I wrote. Will finished his visit, said his goodbyes and boarded a plane back to Chicago last Wednesday. The kids were sad to see him go especially many of the boys, the boys really appreciated him being here. The children have many great role models in the mission teams that come down, and in the people like Kim and Kez who are able to stay long term… but there is something lacking for the boys. All our long term missionaries have been women, and live in the girls house, and although we all love the boys very much, and build great relationships with them. It was great to see someone who was here for the boys. Great to see them interact with a man – because there are some things, some “guy” things that the women just cant provide for the boys, but that the boys still need. Will is a teacher in the states, and still not sure as to what God has called him to in Haiti – but he loved his time here and all the children very much.

On Sunday an amazing team of people came to join us down in the orphanage! The team was made up of some of the most hardworking, compassionate, real people I have ever met in my life! They are the same team that comes down a regular yearly basis to do construction projects on the HFC buildings! In the past 10 years they have built the complete second and third floors of the girl’s house. Two of the team members came down a few months ago to assess the needs of the orphanage, they saw need for more space and some updating on the boys house, need for flushing toilets for the school and the need for a library. The construction projects for the boys house would have needed more resources then they had for this summer and the need for toilets was more urgent. So in a week 8 people turned a second floor bedroom into a beautiful library, complete with built in shelving, two enormous work tables and 8 new computers! They also put in nine flushing toilets, and a cement wall to separate the stalls on the first floor!! The amount of work this team has to do prior to leaving, while they were here, and will still continue to do after they return home helps me to remember how real God is in our daily lives! I can not even begin to imagine the sleepless nights, the tiresome fundraising, the planning, and packing that went into this trip- but i do know, because I know all this people on a more personal level now, that every step was done in love and done through God. Despite some difficult travel, some difficult Haitian salesman at the hardware store, the heat, the hard and dirty work this team did amazing things for all our current children and for every child that will walk through the door of the Marion G. Austin school. “I think things are just as good as they are bad” (the ever popular statement, which many of you have read in letters I am sure!) was made real to us all, when we think to the numerous days the children will be blessed by these gifts, and listened to the heartfelt “thank you” and “we love you” from the children.
And no team!! I DON’T think “it’s easy!”

Plus my momma was here for a week!!!!

The same day (Saturday) that the construction team left, a team of adopting families came down! I am sure this will also be a great week for the children and the moms as they get an opportunity to connect, and catch up on lost time with their children.

Please lift praise to God for the gifts of Will, the construction team, all the sponsors, and all the parents and board members that make HFC possible. Please ask God for continued support and guidance, and that our resources will continue to be used wisely and provide a wonderful life for all our children. Please pray for the current team that they have a refreshing and loving time with their children and all the children here. Please pray also over the busy summer that we have here at the orphanage and that with all our wonderful visitors we will still find some valuable lesson time, and some structured programs that will help benefit the children.

Blessings -