The departure day for the team began with a brief message on Acts 20, where Paul left on one of his missionary journeys.  The message was regarding the fact that there is always a time to depart.

We dropped the Wood Run group off at the airport first, then headed off through PAP to get a check cashed and actually saw traffic lights and street signs.  We stopped for souvenirs and cold drinks then took our Holiday Hill team to the airport.  Sad to see “our team” go, but excited for them to go back home and impact their world!

Mike and I then went to Barbara Walker’s home for unwed mothers to purchase water filters.  Bonnie fell asleep and didn’t get to meet Barbara.  We received a phone call on the way home, saying that the 100 tents we ordered after the earthquake were finally here and ready to be picked up, which we did.  Before we went home, we had to stop by the Marche (open market) in Cabaret for fresh fruits and veggies.

T.H.E. Mission, Shasta’s team was already moved into the orphanage when we did arrive home, so we held an orientation to familiarize them with the policies and procedures at the orphanage.  They built a Samaritan’s Purse home and hiked up the mountain with the children before dinner.

The following day T.H.E. Mission team held a medical clinic and built a shelter.  They also held an activity for the neighborhood children.  The clinic had to be abandoned early because it was being held at a Samaratin’s Purse tent, which was needed that evening for Franklin Graham to speak at.

Mike repaired the screen on the door to our room.  He does so much else, I can’t even begin to report on it all

We’ve had some kids at the orphanage sick with malaria this week, and they are better now.  Everyone is careful to take their malaria meds. Today 20 orph kids and 21 adults piled into the 16-passenger van and old pickup truck and headed for the beach!  We had fun when we finally got in as the gatekeepers wanted to charge more for the white Americans than the Haitians (a difference of 64 cents per person, as advertised on their sign and wanted to charge the set amount for Haitians, but  $1 for blancs (white folks).  As usual, our driver, Nick saved the day after we started to pull away to go to another beach and we were able to get the one price fits all rate.  We won’t be going to that discrimatory beach again.  Several of the adults (always the youngsters it seems) did a quick snorkeling trip while we were there.

Last night a church service started at 8:30 and was supposed to end at 1 or 2 a.m.  The music was lovely and we could tell the prayers were heartfelt, but when the pastor started speaking in tongues without an interpreter Mike had to pull the plug.  Literally.  He took out the power to the orphanage and church.  Some of our missionaries were already over there as they heard what sounded like and exorcism and wanted to get the “full experience.”  The power was off for only a half hour at the orphanage, because Mike realized he could have just turned off the church power alone, without taking us out too!  He told the pastor to look up the chapter in the New Testament that talks about when you speak in tongues you must be careful to have an interpreter.  (Sorry, I have not committed the reference or verse to memory.)

The adults came back to our abode, walking through the hallway on the girls side, when one of them screamed at the sight of a 5″ tarantulla.  One of the nanny’s shooed it outside and beat it to death with a straw and bamboo Haitian broom.  I had to battle my fears so I could get to sleep last night.

Unyez, a seven-year-old girl from the village, along with her Uncle Simon, twelve-years-old (who speaks English very clearly), was treated for severe burns to her hand and arm.  She came to one of the clinics held by our team this week.  The nurses were so impressed by her sweet, calm spirit that they gave her a Ballerina Barbie doll!

The beach was a good wind-down from a very busy week.  In our bible studies these past several days, we talked first about 2 Tim 2:13.  Ran talked about God remaining faithful even when we are not.  Don’t give up even though it looks like you won’t make it.

Matthew 25 and the talents and end times.  We battle with pride and arrogance when serving God.  Our faithfulness is determined by the question, “Will I apply what I have learned and done here effectively at home?”  Yes, we should seek to be faithful when we get home.

Jonah 1:13-17, God is trying to teach us something.  He requires our loyalty to Him.  We were created by God for God, for a purpose.  Ran said that he wanted to be a youth pastor since he was a teenager.  He challenged us to live out what God has called us to do.  Take what God has given to us this week and use it for God’s purpose.  What are you going to do now?

Two people were led to Christ this week!!!  The small things we did can make a huge difference in people’s lives.  It is a dying world and we can’t help everyone.  Don’t take things for granted!

We feel blessed and comfortable here.  Madline, 3 years old now has become a little “chunky monkey” as she is filling out from everyone feeding her!  She came to the orphanage two years ago, when the Mandarin Baptist team was visiting and was near death.  She stayed with Dorothy in Port Au Prince for two months, who nursed her back to health and now is the star of the show, always smiling from ear to ear!

The Holiday Hill and Wood Run teams are working and fellowshipping very well together.  The two groups have really blended into one team.

There is a mother staying briefly at the orphanage with her 2 month old baby, Yousedalie and it is pronounced as it is spelled.  Momma loves for us to take her and love on her!

Mirloudes, one of the young teenage girls, shows real promise as a photographer. She is not the only one.  Other children like to help take pictures and have great fun looking at them when they are posted on Facebook.

Vedline and Wilna were taken to Mission of Hope today, but were not seen because they weren’t sick long enough (fever and stomach aches). Danielle from the Wood Run team went with them, as she is a nurse and wanted to check out the operation there. Jeana actually slept in Austin’s room last night with Vedline and Austin slept with “the guys upstairs.”

Susana’s (pregnant nanny) mother has been “sick in the booty” this week and she has been unable to work as has been caring for her.  Nick and Austin left “momma” at Mission of Hope to undergo some tests’

Today is bible school, Phillipian’s 4:13 skit, flannel graph and coloring sheet.  Charity and some of Shasta’s team are here to participate.  They are almost ready to roll.  (It was awesome!)  This afternoon Pastor Albert wants his whole team involved in the combined clinic and peanut butter sandwich distribution.  Sandwiches are already made!

The mewing sound we have been hearing for five days has finally been stopped.  The cat was freed from between the two bathroom walls upstairs.  We heard a very noisy cat venting her frustrations once freed!

Mike and Nick had to leave bright and early at 6 a.m., driving both vehicles to take part of Dan’s group (CPR3, who work on disaster relief and are staying with Shasta’s group) to the airport and then wait in Port Au Prince for two different arriving flights, an all day task.  We all thought Mike would be discouraged spending all day at the airport, when actually he was able to lead a previous acquaintance to Christ!  Willben is a Haitian man Mike met a while back at the airport and Willben shared at that time that he is a teacher who hasn’t been able to find work since the earthquake.  He is working at the airport for tips by carrying baggage for people.  Instead of asking Mike for money, he offered to buy water for Mike.  Mike arrived home at 6:30 p.m.  He also was able to pick up a few supplies for the orphanage while he was in town.

We settled some issues with staff and nursed some of our coworkers back to health and are carefully monitoring children with fevers.  We were able to exchange a few pairs of new shoes for some that were broken.  Jacob and Dada were very happy!

35 New Mommy bags were put together and 100 bags of vitamins were distributed to families in the tent city and 25 bags of rice and beans were handed out by our team in the village.

One Samaratin’s Purse house was started and completed today, another was started, lacking completion because the tarp nails from the kit were misplaced.

Bonnie and Sony, our head nanny, went to visit Susana, one of the nannies, and prayed for her sick mother.  Momma was laying on a mattress in the yard outside her home. They described her as “sick in the booty.”  Susana is unable to work because of this and she is expecting a baby in the next few weeks.  We took a new mommy bag to her along with a few diapers and a receiving blanket for the baby.

Sony taught me the names of four animals in creole: poul/chicken; kochon/pig; bourik/donkey; and bef/cow.

We had heard that tonight was going to be a meteor shower so a group climbed the hill and sat on top of a cistern for an excellent view.  The stars were beautiful as well as the lightening in the distance!  Who needs TV?  We have Discovery Channel and National Geographic firsthand!

 Day Three for Mike and Bonnie Snider and the Holiday Hill and Wood Run Mission Teams in Bercy, Haiti

We had a great morning devotion by the Wood Run Youth Pastor (named Ran). He cited Matthew 5:16, where Jesus encourages us as Christians to be both salt and light to the world and to let our light shine before others.  Also, Luke 6 shows us that God wants us to love our enemies and to give without expecting anything in return.  We come from different backgrounds and cultures and God has a call on our lives.  Collosians 1:16 says that we are made by God for God, with a purpose.  We need to come close to other people and to God.  We should let God know that we want to pursue what He has in store for us.

 Conducted a medical clinic primarily for women and children  at our church.  Three nurses and several volunteers, including three interpreters.  95% of the children had scabies, and many with bumps, vitamin deficiencies (orange tint to hair) .  The adults had the same conditions, which has a lot to do with unclean bathing water.

One child was taken to the Mission of Hope clinic for skin infections and possible “failure to thrive.”  Mike and I took baby Nachka and her mom, Gina to the clinic, praying the entire trip and thankfully while there she was able to eat and opened her eyes when Dr. Jennifer examined her.  Such a wonderful ministry this hospital/clinic is.  They also operate a church and school on their compound.  Baby Nachka was given prescriptions for baby Tylenol and antibiotic cream and ordered to come back tomorrow for hemoglobin and malaria tests.  Nachka is only 18 days old and her weight today was 2.7 kilos/8 lbs.  Thankfully, she is thriving and mom will continue to feed her for the time being.

 The Samaratin’s Purse kit homes arrived today via a truck rented by one of our mission groups.  The houses were distributed and land for one house had to be cleared, but the group discovered a village of 30 plus houses, which were merely shelters made out of tin sheets and sticks behind one of  the lots they are working on.  The house begun yesterday was completed today!  The most challenging part of the bulding process is to dig holes for hurricane strapping on each corner, using a pick axe and shovel and moving big rocks by hand.  The homeowners were helping with this labor-intensive effort, so grateful for the shelter and taking pride in ownership.  How many of us can be proud of a shack with a dirt floor, with a 5’x 6’ piece of plywood for a master bed and 12’ long x 24” shelf for additional bedding, nailed to the frame of the house. 

 The group working on the block wall surrounding the school has been pouring concrete on top of the footings in preparation for the blocks, which are scheduled to be delivered on Saturday. 

We went to church tonight, which was supposed to start at 6 p.m.  We have learned, however, to wait until we hear the music begin which was good because tonight the music started around 6:45.  No worship at the orphanage as the children were next door at church.

Bonnie and Linda (our chef for the week from Holiday Hill church) were able to attend cooking class, conducted weekly for the teenage girls.  Today our lesson was Pain Belgian, or as we know it, French toast!   The recipe is as follows:

PAIN BELGIAN

One large plus one small can of sweetened condensed milk and a pinch of salt, cooked to almost a boil.  Add this mixture to 3 eggs, whisked with a pinch each of freshly ground nutmeg, cinnamon, and more salt.  Add two capfuls of rum and stir. 

Add oil to a frying pan and when hot take a piece of thick, not thin toasted bread, dipped in the egg and milk batter.  Fry in oil, turning till golden brown. 

Eat as a snack or include as part of  a meal. 

Helpful hint:  Be sure to take all flies out of batter prior to adding bread to egg mixture, being sure to do this continually (as they keep on coming) while cooking over a charcoal fire. 

Several in the group have been affected by the heat and/or other conditions and are doing the best they can.  The working through adversity message from day one keeps coming to mind.

 Day Two for Mike and Bonnie and the Holiday Hill and Wood Run Mission Teams in Bercy, Haiti

 Got a late start on projects today as we had to go to Port Au Prince to register with Samaritan’s Purse.  We bought one kit house and loaded it onto the old blue truck.  Started construction on it and realized that 40 people were too many for one tiny house.  We will finish it tomorrow and have a truck deliver 6 more kit homes tomorrow. 

 Footings were poured for the block wall surrounding the school. 

 A morning VBS for the younger children of the orphanage included several games of “duck, duck, goose” and coloring.  The younger children do not understand much English, but appreciated the love poured out over them!  The older children enjoyed an English lesson with squares of colored construction paper.  They also made “Jesus loves me!” bandanas.  Both groups sang Jesus loves me together.

Everyone enjoyed playing with the kids and some had a great time interacting with the adult workers as well as the children.  We discovered a beehive on the back-side of the building next to our entry door and it was sprayed well and removed.  No casualties.

Some in the group decided to walk to the beach less than a quarter mile away.  It’s not a beach you would want to swim at, but fun for exploring. 

 Andris came back again tonight and sang “What a friend we have in Jesus,”  “Lord I lift your name on high,” and others.  He gave a ten minute lesson, followed by prayer, blessings and more singing.  Most of us were downstairs in the midst of the worship and were blessed by it.

Day One for Mike and Bonnie Snider

 It’s 8:21 p.m. and we are listening to the orphanage children sing before bedtime.

 This was moving day for Mike and me, and day one of a mission trip for 19 people, formed from two groups.  One, from Holiday Hill church in Jacksonville and the other, Wood Run church in Tallahassee.  We are all working through the Jacksonville Baptist Association (JBA), who sponsor’s the orphanage, church and school approximately 30 miles north of Port Au Prince.  Another team, not associated with the JBA, Through His Eyes (T.H.E.) Mission Haiti, headed by Shasta Mott is already here with 21 of her people till Thurdsay.  Now we are three groups, but actually 40 individual mission trips, which makes for shared ideas and experiences.

 Together the three teams hope to accomplish a few projects this week, including concrete wall construction surrounding the pre-K through 6^th grade school across the street, finish tiling the floor in the downstairs portion of the orphanage, construct kit (pre-fab) homes for landowners who have no way of repairing their current homes destroyed in the earthquake or otherwise. These are transitional shelters, not meant to be long-standing homes (but so much better than a tent), and we will be working on this project in our community of Bercy and surrounding villages funded through Samaratain’s Purse.  We will also do Vacation Bible School, process two new orphans, and are open for anything else the Lord has in store for us.

 Earlier today we were thankful that all flights were on time, people and luggage arrived safely with no incidents. Austin, Nick and Wilfrid (from the orphanage) met us at the airport. “Big” (local man) and his team helped us load our 42 duffle bags  into the old blue truck and van.  I misplaced my trusty BA backpack, but rejoiced that my prayers were answered when I noticed it after all the bags were distributed tonight.  Yeah!!! 

 After leaving the airport, we stopped by Queen’s grocery store for a few items and enjoyed the last air conditioning we would have for a while.  The heat index was up to 115F and a cool rainwater shower never felt so good tonight! 

 After Queen’s we continued our journey toward the orphanage.  Had to empty the people off the truck to change a tire, then continued on. The truck arrived home and emptied the duffle bags, while the van stopped at the Mission of Hope hospital to pick up a local girl, Ejina, seen at a medical clinic in Laboudry, who is actually an orphanage girl, Wanna’s sister. T.H.E. Mission (who conducted the clinic) took her to the hospital, with tremors in her legs, crippled by Typhoid.  We had to pre-pay for her medical care and she was told by the doctors said she will not be able to walk again. We put her mother and wheelchair, as well as two of T.H.E. Mission group who stayed with her at the hospital, in an already crowded van and dropped them off at their village.  Then arrived at the orphanage! 

 Shasta’s team made a large banner for the orphanage gate, welcoming Mike and I “home”!  Had to hug the children before going upstairs to find our room fixed up nice and clean with more signs on the wall welcoming us from David, Donnie, and Darla Garrett!  Thank you, everyone!!!

Oh, the city power just went off, but came back on within two minutes.  Just a minor inconvenience…and the children kept singing. 

A woman from Holiday Hill Baptist church wanted to contribute to the team even though she could not go on the trip.  Her contribution is an awesome blessing!!!  She purchased cooling headbands for the entire JBA group!  Wow, what a blessing! They are called Mira Cool Cooling Headbands, by OccuNomix International.  Soak in water for 10-20 minutes and the headband stays hydrated for several days.

Had some team members go to the local market and they picked up green peppers, tomatoes, mangoes, avocadoes, watermelon, and honeydew melon.  Had a salad of tomatoes and green pepper with dinner tonight, along with some sliced mango and other food, which was all delicious!  Linda, from the Holiday Hill team, has volunteered to cook this week as her mission. 

 Austin shared that he was able to recognize a severe athsma attack on Elis, a young woman staying at our orphanage, and got an inhaler from our medical supplies and administered it just in time to save her life.  He was walking around the compound praying, when he noticed she was not well.  When he came back downstairs she was lying down choking.  We need to be so sensitive to God’s leading.

 Pray for strength, wisdom, and guidance for tomorrow.  We miss our family and friends already!!!  Thank you Jon, Adam and Linh, and Becky for taking us to the airport and for Juana and Armando for braving the early morning send-off!  Sing praise to the Lord for He is good.  His love endures forever!!!

Donnie Garrett

When we landed in Haiti we were shipped to a warehouse to pick up our bags, everything seemed pretty normal until we walked out of the warehouse and we stepped into pure poverty. The ride to Caberet was long and hot, and the entire way you’re watching people on the side of the road wanting to sell you anything and everything. It was something that you would have to experience for yourself, Liz one of are team members said it perfectly, “you can’t take a picture of Haiti, it’s an experience.”

Once we got to the orphanage we unpacked forty-two fifty pound bags full of stuff for the orphanage. We had 6 duffle bags full of diapers, which is really great news because the diapers had to be rationed here at the orphanage to two diapers a day, and we also had about 6 bags full of clothes for the kids.

Today the men worked very hard outside cleaning the cistern, fixing clothes lines, and fixing the pump to the well. The women planned for our VBS that starts tomorrow, cleaned the bathrooms, and organized the food in the kitchen.

Leaving you with a final thought today David led us in devotion in Deuteronomy 15:1-11. Verse 11 stood out to me “There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.” David challenged us to be openhanded and openhearted so that God could work through us, and also bless us.

This week I am challenged to take off my American eyes, and see Haiti through Gods eyes. Please continue to pray for our group and the people of Haiti, not because you feel sorry for them but because God commands it.

Brittany Knight

The stories of destruction, misery, and recovery following the January 12 earthquake have basically slowed to a trickle from the major news sources, but let me asssure you that Haiti is indeed “still going on.” Your donations, especially financial, are still needed to assist the devastated nation. Up to this point JBA has raised over $130,000 to be used exclusively for disaster relief. Let me provide you with a quick breakdown of how that money has been spent and the difference it is making in the lives of those in the Cabaret area.

• Eight hundred bags of cement have been purchased, along with thousands of block, and several truckloads of sand and rebar.
• Sixty-three homes have been rebuilt or repaired.
• The damaged sections of the wall around our compound were rebuilt, and damaged sections of our church and school repaired.
• Since our school was up and functional, we resumed classes two months earlier than other schools in our area, and as a result, our attendance numbers swelled to over 200 students. 
• Inumerable amounts of rice, beans, and bread have been purchased, prepared, and distributed to hungry people hit hardest by the quake. 
• One hundred tents have been purchased and shipped and are currently making their way through Haitian customs.
• Gas shortages prompted fuel prices to rise to an amazing $15US per gallon, so disaster funds were utilized to keep our vehicles and generator running.
• The number of mission teams coming to serve with us has doubled since the earthquake, most of them being from JBA churches, but teams and individuals from Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Kansas, Arkansas, Minnesota, Michigan, and even Canada and England have joined us as well.
• Due to the increased workload, our old generator finally broke down and had to be replaced with a newer, stronger one.
• Special services were held following the earthquake. The Haitian government called for all churches to conduct three days (6am to 6 pm each day) of worship and prayer and thousands of people participated at our church alone. 
• “Forty-three Days of Prayer” were held at our church, with evangelistic services being held each night. Sixteen people accepted Christ and were baptized. A meal and a special concert were held for the community at the close of the 43 days.
• Since the earthquake, 10 new children have been added to the orphanage, most of them directly or indirectly affected by the quake, bringing the current number of children in our orphanage to 48.
• Due to the high-profile case of one American mission team from Iowa (not related to our ministry in any way) trying to traffick orphans into the Dominican Republic, Haitian rules, regulations, and guidelines regarding orphanages and adoptions are being re-examined and re-written. We have hired Haitian legal counsel and are seeking to ensure that we are legally solid, registered and in accordance with the new Haitian laws.
• By August, JBA will have three Americans living full-time at our site to oversee the work there on a daily basis. They are Mike and Bonnie Snider from Mandarin Baptist in Jacksonville and Austin Betz from White Lake, Wisconsin.

Please continue to pray daily for the people of Haiti in general and our children, workers and ministries specifically. Let me encourage everyone to contact Maryann Grigsby at mgrigsby@jaxbaptist.org and plan a trip down to see first-hand what God is doing through JBA in Haiti. Let me also encourage everyone to continue to give financially to JBA and JBAHaiti so we can keep making a difference in the lives of so many.