Haiti Missionary Icon Visits Campus!

Mr.Turnbull visits the campus

I suppose calling someone a ‘missionary icon’ would not sit well with the person being called it, but a couple weeks ago we had a visit from a gentleman by the name of Wallace Turnbull. Both he and his wife are still active with missions at the age of 89 (or 90). As he pulled up to our house I could hear him say inside his car ‘that sure was a long driveway’! I hollered into the house at Gail that there was ‘an old white guy being driven by a black guy pulling up’! See, we don’t get many unannounced visitors here, so this was a real surprise. I didn’t realize who he was and that we even had one of his books he wrote sitting on the kitchen table! After a few minutes of speaking with him, due to my ignorance, I had to ask who he was. He was very humble and really didn’t expect me to know. We spent over an hour listening to a number of his many stories about Haiti. He also wanted to learn about the mission God has for us here. After an enjoyable discussion, we ended with prayer. He truly is remarkable. He was just passing through the area and wanted to stop. I think somewhere I read that he and his wife have spent over 60 years working in Haiti! There was a ceremony last Spring where he was honored by the President of Haiti. If interested, you can Google his name and find out more about him.


One of four bathrooms in the living area above the ed center

A couple weeks ago two guys from Living Water Ministries were here to work on the 4 living quarters above the education center. The rooms are really looking nice! All the doors and screens to the outside were installed, along with the finishing touches to the bathrooms, to include towel racks and mirrors. I think wiring and a few inside doors are about all that is left to do.

Last week we had two guys from Global Compassion Ministries here for a couple days. They were making preparations for their group that will come in January, which required doing a lot of errands in Port au Prince.

A little story about how things can go bad quickly…

Last week Gail and I were headed out to purchase some groceries at the market. Wouldn’t you know, the ignition key to the car was broke! It was the only key that came with the car. So back in the house we went. Soon after that, our water filtration system broke. A quick check showed that we still had about 4 gallons of ‘good’ water left. So I spent the evening thinking of how we can get the car running and if we would need to boil water to drink. That night I woke up to the smell of propane gas. The last of which was coming from the propane refrigerator line. We had just ran out of propane with no refills on campus. Rats. So we had no refrigerator/stove. We were then up before the crack of dawn only to find no lights working. We had no electricity. The batteries from the solar/wind system had gone dead in the night. So we started that day with no electricity, no gas for cooking, no way to make fresh water and no car. I know that all these things may seem rather trivial, but added together, the potential for frustration was on the rise. Thinking back on it now, it’s rather humorous! All was better within an hour.

My point being, things we sometimes take for granted in the States are only a hiccup away from going bad here.  But the grace of God prevailed. Global Compassion Ministries was here and they had with them a full propane tank. Also, they gave us a nice little system to purify water and the batteries were recharged by mid-morning. Thank you Jesus! All that is left is figuring out how to get the car working again. Hmmm…

Gail and friends waiting for the Jesus movie for children

On a more positive note, Gail and I were asked to show the Jesus movie for a large group of children last Saturday. One of Living Water Ministry supported churches had a big event which included many other churches. Seeing as the car didn’t work, we loaded up the ATV and took the 45 minute trip over the mountain to their church. The film was seen by a TON of kids!

Children enjoying a movie about Jesus

As you may know, the Lord has provided us with a big area for a garden. We started out by planting one of the two shade houses in it. As the plants began to grow, I started to feel pretty good about it. The Lord had other plans. Once everything was up and growing, the Lord also provided a hole in the fence so that the area sheep could enjoy themselves. Since then, we have enlisted the aid of two local men to take over the gardening. We will provide the land (which I fenced in), and most importantly, the water. They will supply the labor and we will split the produce. They are excited about the opportunity to raise some produce for their families. Gardening in this area is non-existent due to the lack of water and no top soil. It's very dry and rocky. Normal gardens do not grow around here. If it works out, we want to get gardens started in the valley close to their village. They are going to get started Saturday.

The Lords ministry here in Haiti is furthered by your prayers and support. Thank you so very much! God bless each and every one.

In His Service,
Chuck & Gail

Thanksgiving Day

School in Terrel de Nigris

Today we give thanks to the Lord our God! All praise and glory go to Him. We all should be mindful of giving thanks to God for every aspect of our lives. Giving thanks to God in every situation will not necessarily make our troubles go away, but our attitude about them will be so much better!

Children getting notebooks and pencils

 

In the past week, Gail and I have made two trips to a little village called Terrel de Negrs. It’s about 1 ½ hour’s drive via ATV. We have been there in the past and were aware of the school situation. At one time there were 80+ children in this Christian school. Now they claim to have 40, but the day we were there, there were only 29 kids present. The school has lost over ½ of its pupils due to a lack of school materials, books, no uniforms and no daily meal given (not to mention that the building’s roof has started to come off). So another organization came to the families and told them they would give them uniforms and a meal every day if they dropped out of this Christian based school and attended theirs.

The school is in need of new chalk boards

Things are beginning to change! Living Water Ministries along with Global Compassion Ministries have started to deliver food to the village and to the school. The children that remain at the school now get a nutritious meal every day! We still are working on getting them materials, books, writing paper, chalk  boards, craft supplies, etc and sometime in the future, God willing, uniforms. Uniforms are highly regarded in Haiti. Basically, a school without uniforms is not a school at all. Helping this school is a work in progress. If anyone has connections to where to purchase inexpensive uniforms, please let us know!

The schools kitchen

For a reason we didn’t fully understand, the first day we showed up there was no school. While we sat in the shade across from the school, it wasn’t long before we had a number of ladies from the village around us. Seeing as our Haitian Creole isn’t very good (terrible at best) our conversation was limited to a few words and a lot of hand and foot signals! They brought a bunch of plantain and we purchased a few of them to cook up later. It was an interesting interaction between all of us! Within an hour, the director of the school, Sony George, arrived. His English was pretty good and we were able to get a tour of the school and of the village.

Fresh vegetables!

Ismita and daughter in front of what use to be her house

While in the village, Sony George showed us his house and gave us a couple papaya, a bag of peas and something that looks like a  round green vegetable, but I have no idea what it is! He then took us around and we stopped at a place where recently stood the house of Ismita Pierre. Her house had caught on fire and collapsed just a day before. It was still smoldering when we were there. She has 5 children and no husband. They are staying in her parent’s house for now. That’s a lot of people in a very small space. We left the area praying for this lady and her dilemma.

All that is left of Ismita's house and belongings

We returned to the school the following Tuesday to the joy of children learning. They are so happy to be in school! Because of the generosity of others, we were able to give each child a notebook, pencil, and tooth brush. There are four teachers, including the director, and each received a hygiene packet along with a couple bags of craft supplies to be used with the children. We stayed at the school for an hour or so then headed into the village to see how Ismita and her children were doing. We left Ismita some children’s clothes and hygiene packs. It’s so sad to see her house in shambles. She is a Christian and we pray our Lord will provide for her needs.

More on Thanksgiving…. There is an old Haitian saying (or, maybe I just made it up;). “Any day you have less than three flat tires, it’s a good day.” With that in mind, last Monday was a good day, we only had two flat tires!!!! One on the ATV and one on the car. Thankfully, we were not on the road when they went flat. We were able to get a moto (motorcycle taxi) here to take the tires to Ans Rouge to get fixed. Unfortunately, the flats didn’t occur at the same time. We didn’t notice the flat on the car until the moto had left with the ATV tire! So our taxi guy made two separate trips, about 45 minutes drive each way. On the plus side, we got to get to know this young gentleman. We look forward to working with him and getting to know him better in the future.  

‘Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.’  1 Chronicles 16:34, 2 Chronicles 5:13, Psalm 106:1, Psalm 107:1, Psalm 118:1, Psalm 118:29, Psalm 136:1

As we reflect and give thanks for how great and loving our God is, we also give a prayer of thanksgiving to all who have given to the people of Haiti through their prayers and support. God bless you and your families.

In His Service,

Chuck & Gail

Mt Pleasant Christian Church back in Haiti

Tom working on a school desk

Three men from Mt Pleasant Christian Church in Bedford, Indiana have been on the campus since last Friday afternoon. Tom Bishop, Toby Adams and Carey Deckard have spent their time looking at the various needs of the nearby villages. They spent a lot of time walking through the two nearest villages asking questions to many of the locals. As you may imagine, there is no lack of ‘needs’ for the people here in the northwest. Their task will be to determine what the Lord will have them take on.

Toby and Carey taking school pictures

Today, the guys worked on the desks and benches in the church at Ti Paradis and Ti Rivere. The churchs are also used as the school so the desks and benches get quite a work out every day! Even though today was a holiday and no school, the director of the school in Ti Paradis got all the kids (about 67) together for individual pictures and class pictures. Toby and Carey hope to put a year book together for them! What a great idea!


Student waiting for his picture to be taken

Tomorrow they guys will be headed back to Port au Prince. Gail and I have really enjoyed the time they have been here. We look forward to getting to know them better with future trips they will be making here to the northwest!

We pray they have safe travels back home to their families…

In His Service,

Chuck & Gail

Sleeping through the noise of power tools!

Gail's One Month Perspective



Palm Tree Seedlings and Vegetables Sprouting to Life

It is now ‘One Month’ on “Our Adventures with God” in Ti’Lagoon, Haiti

We give “Many Thanks and Praises” for the senders and faithful Prayer Warriors who daily take us to the foot of the Cross of Jesus!!

As Oswald Chamber writes in his book:        
So, I send You: “Our lives are the answers not only to the prayer of other people, but to the prayers the Holy Spirit is making for us, and to the prayer of Our Lord Himself”. The call of God is the call according to the nature of God; where we go in obedience to that call depends on the providential circumstances which God engineers. When we are rightly related to God, life is full of spontaneous joyful uncertainty and expectancy – we do not know what God is going to do next; and He packs our life with surprises all the time….. Readiness for God and His work means that we are ready to do the tiniest thing to the great big thing, it makes no difference. He is the One surrounding us, listening and sympathizing and encouraging. “Ye shall be My witnesses”. To be a witness of Jesus means that when any duty presents itself we hear His voice just as He heard His Father’s voice and we are ready for it with alertness of our love for Him. Be ready for sudden surprise visits of our Lord, and remember there is no such thing as prominent service and obscure service; it is all the same with God, and God knows better than ourselves what we are ready to do. No enthusiasm for humanity will ever stand the strain that Jesus Christ will put on His workers. Only one thing will stand the strain and that is a personal relationship to Jesus of a man or woman who has gone through the mill of God’s spring-cleaning until there is one purpose only---“I am here for God to use me as He wills.” 

If you build it they will come??

God Himself gave us the vision and out of obedience to His calling we have made our home in northwest Haiti. We wake up daily to God’s glorious sun rises in which He softly announces His mighty Presence in our ordinary daily lives.

The desert dust has settled here at LVM campus with the help of much needed rain most of last  two nights and frequent rain showers yesterday.  Also with our month long duration of various visitors, from four different states, the last group headed back to their families, homes and jobs in the states yesterday. As stated in preparing to leave, “We [Chuck & Gail] are now in the honeymoon phase of our new home in Haiti”. We are thankful for those who have come along side us to provide the much needed prayer, bible studies, help, and encouragement. May the ones who have gone before us find us faithful? It is a ‘blessing’ [meaning in Haitian Creole: ‘benediksyon’] to have had many who have come here before us to prepare this land and home for us to live. May we be faithful to their vision in service to Jesus Christ.


Karl giving a morning message

Teaching the Goats 'To Walk This Way'
Meet Abraham, Sarah and Hagar

The time so far has gone by quickly! We have established a comfortable home. We started a goat herd, with one Billy and two nannies, with the installation of a nice fenced pasture. The goats arrived on the campus via ‘moto’ a motorcycle with straw saddle-type bags. Chuck is just beside himself, in disbelief that he would be a goat-farmer, so probably with many reading this post. God’s garden in the shade houses has sprouted and is turning green with life and the promise of produce to be harvested. The trees and seedlings have sprouted as well and are growing. The flower beds near the house are not so fortunate and proving to be a challenge. The sheep from the neighboring village enjoy the tender little sprouts as they grow and get any leaves. Laundry can be a challenge as well as these same sheep along with a lone donkey can smell the water and need a drink. In fact, if they see a white bucket they are confident that there will be water in it.  We have a beautiful chicken coop built by Ken Challis anxiously awaiting the arrival of laying chickens. There seems to be conflicting stories on where chickens can be purchased. Therefore, we will patiently wait for chickens to arrive, along with the eggs...              


People of Ti Riviera coming for the food distribution



We have fed weary and hungry travelers that have come to the campus from several  hours away by donkey to receive the food provided by Global Compassion and Kids Against Hunger, as well as a truck with a group of stranded travelers broken down on the road all day on their way to Port Au Prince, still 6 to 8 hours of travel  yet to go.

As written in Matthew 25:35-40  -  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,  I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’  “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Our New Aloe Vera Landscaping

This past Sunday we all attended church in a neighboring village, Ti Paradis. Our pastor, Neal Schroeder, from Range Community Bible Church provided the message. Pastor Etienne translated for the church members and we were blessed to receive a message in English that we could understand. That being said, we are grateful to have the internet for the purpose of receiving sound biblical teaching in our native tongue. 

Much Deserved Fellowship & Relaxation
George, Chuck, Jerry and Daniel

So we have arrived in Haiti…. We have and are going into the hard places.. The places that God has called us to be and prepared for us in advance…. A place of great joy, suffering and hunger. Where there is a real need to serve God and His children. We do and will at times feel ill-equipped and inadequate because we are. But that is OK because throughout God’s Word He chose the least likely people to do His work.  In Haiti, we often do not know where the road is leading or if it is even a real road, but here is the great part, Courage is not about knowing the road. It was about us stepping out in faith and coming to Haiti. Just like Peter getting out of the boat, stepping out onto the water with complete faith that Jesus would not let him down. 


'For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.' Eph 2:10

In His Service;

Chuck & Gail



Range Community Bible Church in Haiti

Group headed to Ti Rivere

Thursday afternoon saw the arrival of 4 people from Range Community Bible Church in Hurley, WI, Neal and Lea Ann Schreoter, and Clint and Sydney Mabie. Accompanying them was Fred Chalker from Atlantis, FL and Pastor Etienne from Port au Prince. They were all in good shape even after the long and grueling ride from Port au Prince. Gail and Mary prepared a ‘Haitian’ meal of rice and beans for the evening, followed by a bible study in the book of Titus led by Pastor Neal.

We all awoke Friday to yet another beautiful sun rise! Pastor Etienne was working on the food distribution for the schools. Living Water Ministries help feed approx. 4,000 school children every day! There were Haitians loading up the dump truck to start a 2 day process of delivering the food to 27 different schools in the northwest. For about 40% of the children, it’s the only meal they get.

Meeting with the Pastor of Ti Rivere (orange shirt)

After the truck was sent on its way, most of the group loaded up into Pastor Etienne’s pickup and headed out for the day. The first stop was the village of Ti Rivere where we stopped and met with the pastor. School was out for some reason, so we weren’t able to make a visit to it. Next, a couple hours drive to where Living Water Ministries has built and supports a small clinic up into the mountains. There is one full time nurse working with very limited supplies. The building is in need of repair and some updating. Prayerfully, someone will come along side this project and do the needed repairs.

Friday was Mary Challis’s birthday! After a spaghetti meal, we had a ‘dump cake’ which Gail made earlier in the day. We topped off the evening with a continued bible study in Titus.

Meeting with new meal recipients

Saturday morning, Fred, Etienne, and I went to Anse Rouge to meet with a group of pastors and school directors that receive meals from Living Water Ministries and Feed My Starving Children. It was a great meeting and very informative for the attendees. It was mainly intended for new schools that have just come on board the feeding program. Expectations were shared and guidelines discussed. There were many schools that were there to share their experiences with the new recipients. Fred and I both got a chance to speak to the group and give encouragement and enlightenment about the program.  I will always remember one older gentleman that got up and looked us straight in the eye and said ‘you don’t understand the difference this food makes for the children that receive it’. He was very sincere.

This afternoon, Ken and Clint started on a shower project in the guest house, while the rest of us made a trip to see two pastors in two separate villages. These are 2 of the 4 pastors that Living Water Ministries have placed and have on payroll. They shared with us their joys, accomplishments and desires for the future. We had a great afternoon!

We appreciate your prayers and support! Please know that our prayers are with you, too!

In His Service,

Chuck & Gail  

Food Distribution

Loading the truck with meals

 The quarterly food distribution held last week went well. There were 7 villages that received 'Kids Against Hunger' meals. Each family got one case of food which consisted of 216 meals. It's intended to be a supplement to what they currently eat. Each meal also has added nutritional value to it.

Global Compassion Ministries delivered meals to three villages by truck. Three other villages came by boat, and one village by donkey. It took 2 days to get all the meals to the village that came by donkey. It was about a 4 hour, one way walk for them.

About 16 donkeys were used to carry food

As the food was delivered, Karl Leiber gave the Gospel message. Karl is a great speaker and loves to share Jesus with all!

The solar oven that Karl and Ken put together is about ready for it's first loaf of bread. We still need to build a stand for it, but once that's accomplished, in goes the dough!

Karl sharing the Gospel before food distribution

The guys from Global Compassion - Karl, Jerry, Danny, and Christopher their interpreter, left to go back to Port au Prince Thursday morning. George Truelove headed back further north to his home here in Haiti. It was great to be around such Godly men! By the Grace of God, they all have arrived back home safely and without a hitch. That leaves just the four of us here for now. Ken has been working on a chicken coop and I have been fencing a pasture area for the goats. I have a Haitian man working with me and it's been interesting! He's a great guy and one of the few from the village that can read. He has a very ripped up Haitian Creole NT Bible which we hope to replace soon.

We are awaiting the arrival of the two couples from our church back in Hurley, WI along with Fred Chalker, the head of Living Water Ministries, and Etienne, a solid Haitian pastor. They are scheduled to be in the northwest Thursday afternoon. We look forward to their arrival.

Working on the pedestal for the solar oven

We had a trial run of using Skype to speak with the Junior and Senior High Sunday School class at our church back home. It worked great! They had questions prepared and we were able to speak with them for about 20 minutes! I was glad to see that it didn't use a lot of data from our phone to do it either. We look forward to many more Skype conversations with them and any group or Sunday School class that would like to visit Haiti live.....via Skype.

Ti An and Gail (Ti An normally has a smile!)

We thank you for your prayers. Haiti can be a tough place and we appreciate all the prayer support you provide. May the Lord shine His light upon you always!

In His Service,
Chuck & Gail

Three New Goats!

Unloading 'Kids Against Hunger' food

Last Sunday, Ken, Mary, Gail and I went to another church that Living Water Ministries built and supports. It’s in the village of Ti Anse. It’s a very small church but was filled to capacity, about 75 people. The little Haitian Creole I know was enough to know he was speaking on grace alone, faith alone, scripture alone. He also has a very good delivery to his message.

The rest of Sunday was spent relaxing. Later in the afternoon, Ken, Mary and Gail took a swim in the ocean. I decided to stay back, I’m not too much of a swimmer!

Our new 'Billy' and two Nannies

Yesterday also saw the arrival of another team from Global Compassion Ministries. Including Jerry, Karl, and Danny. They followed two trucks of food up here loaded with ‘Kids Against Hunger’ meals. We got the trucks unloaded mid afternoon and the drivers headed back to Port au Prince. Today they plan a food distribution in the village of Ti Anse.

This morning, Zoray (a Haitian that works on the campus) went to the market in Anse Rouge to purchase 3 goats for us, two nanny’s and one Billy. We pray it will be the start of a small herd. We have them tied up and they are all adjusting nicely to their new surroundings.

Karl & Ken working on the solar oven

While Gail and I were dealing with the new goats, the rest of the group distributed food in Ti Anse. Also this morning, George Truelove came to spend a few days helping out with the food distribution and fellowship with all of us. He and his wife Carol Ann have a clinic about 4 hours away from us. I think they have been missionaries in Haiti for over 30 years, but don’t hold me to the exact number of years they’ve been in country.

This afternoon Karl and Christian (a fantastic young Haitian interpreture) along with some help from Ken, built a solar oven. I look forward to trying it out tomorrow!

Danny, George, and Jerry (new generator house in the back left)

If you are receiving this automatically, the pictures may not come through. You may want to go to the blog site and check it out there.

Thanks for your continued support!

In His Service,

Chuck & Gail

Update: Ti Lagon, Haiti

Evening meal

The team from Global Compassion left the campus yesterday (Thursday). They were such a blessing to us – thank you Steve, Jim, and Terry! God bless you. We enjoyed most breakfasts and evening meals together.


Campus Suzuki

A huge thanks goes to Denny Mitchell for all the work he has done. Not only on the campus, but also the work he has done on the campus vehicle that Living Water Ministries has provided. Having the Suzuki here gives us the possibility of going to nearby villages rather than taking the ATV. Also, if needed, we can now get to Port au Prince in the event of an emergency. It brings great peace of mind to all of us. With the help of Mary and Emily, we started to work up the garden two days ago. It’s a slow process due to the heat. The soil has eroded from the nearby hillside to this bottom area. It’s the only place that I have seen around here that has real dirt and not just rock on it. By last night we had the large shade house area worked up. By the Grace of God, the water lines that were run to it a few years ago were still all functioning! So we gave the extremely dusty dirt a good watering. We will plant it soon. It will be interesting to see what grows!

Two gardens will be inside the shade houses

Ken has been busy making shelves for our house. He does such a great job! We now have a couple shelves in the kitchen and 4 nice sized shelves in the bedroom. The next project is to build a chicken coop so we can get a few chickens. We are so fortunate that both Ken and Mary have taken the month out of their lives to serve here in Haiti!
Today we went to the village of Ti Anes. Stopped at the school and met with the kids and teachers there. They remembered Gail and me from the last time we were here. Just our luck it soon was recess time, so we enjoyed playing with them.

Ken making shelves

We then walked through the village and stopped by the ocean for awhile. After a short break, we headed to the village of Baie de Henne. We drove to one of the 4 churches that Living Water Ministries built and support. The pastor came out to greet us and showed us the church. After a brief stay, we went to the open market to look for eggs. We got a good deal on 5 dozen eggs! Next to the small market is a little building where we got a couple bottles of soda. Drank them down and headed back to the campus.

Yesterday's sunrise

We give our Lord the glory for giving us the opportunity to serve Him here in the Northwest of Haiti. It is by your support and prayers that His work can be furthered! God bless!

In His Service,
Chuck & Gail
Ti Lagon, Haiti

"A voice of one calling in the desert"

Yesterday we attended church in Ti Parade. Pastor Etienne's message was from Matthew 3 and how John the Baptist was a common man but called great by Jesus. The things of this world did not make John the Baptist great. He was poor, clothed in camel hair and ate locus and honey. Not exactly what we, of this world, would call 'great'. But in God's eye, he was. Fantastic lesson to be learned.


Gail was asked to read from Scripture Matthew 3:1-10 in front of the church. She did a great job!
We had a good time meeting all that were in attendance. The church was really full, there were even people sitting on the cement floor. It's nice to see people giving praise to our God!

The rest of Sunday was relaxed. I think we all sort of needed a break. It got really hot in the afternoon.

Today Gail, Chuck, Ken, and Zoray (the interpreter) went to the market at Anse Rouge. We wanted to get a few vegetables and some fruit. But fruit was not going to be bought today. We couldn't find any, but being in this desert area, it's understandable. The market is a good hours drive away which in and of itself can wear you out. You get there on what they call a 'road', but calling it that is a bit of a stretch! Added to the drive was intense heat and the ever curious smell of the market. This afternoon Ken and Aaron started to wire the guest house. It will be nice to have the place wired!

A group of about 8 Haitian kids walked through the campus Saturday. Emily quickly grabbed the soccer ball and ran over to them. Before you knew it, a soccer game started! It didn't end well for Emily. Her flip-flop came off and she cut her foot on a rock. Ouch! So it's wrapped up and she's hobbling around. Thanks to John Filz, we were able to bring a bunch of crutches to Haiti last year. They came in handy today - thanks John! Dad and Arron did a good job of cleaning it out and she'll be fine. Praise God!

Steve, Terry, and Jim from Global Compassion Ministries left yesterday to deliver items to Linda B. further up into the Northwest. They also wanted to see a few other missionaries a few hours away. I'm not sure where they camped overnight, but will be anxiously waiting to hear! I hear their truck coming as I write this so I better finish up!

Thank you all for your prayers. We do need them. And know that we are praying for you also!

In His Service,
Chuck & Gail

The Adventure Begins!

All is well with the group that arrived in Haiti on October 15th. It's been a bit hectic and the lack of a good internet connection has kept us from posting. But now that we are in the Northwest, it is better.

Ken and Mary Challis along with Gail and I left Ironwood Michigan on Tuesday, the 14th. While spending the night in Chicago before our flight to Haiti, we found out that we couldn't take all of our luggage. So, with the help of Gail's son-in-law, (who lives in the Chicago area) we had to eliminate two checked bags. Hummmmm, what won't we need? Tough choice! Gail did some last minute rearranging and by the Grace of God we have what we have! We met up with Ken and Mary's daughter, Emily and her friend Aaron in Ft Lauderdale. The six of us flew to Port au Prince, Haiti on the 15th. There we met Steve, Terry and Jim from Global Compassion.

We all stayed at the Global Outreach facility just outside of Port for 2 nights. One full day was spent purchasing food, furniture and supplies. We attempted to purchase about a months worth of food for 10 people. Unfortunately, we found out later that we had lost a bunch of groceries. I'll (Chuck) take the blame. I loaded the truck and had some groceries sticking up out of boxes towards the back of the truck. When we got to where we were headed for the night, a bunch of the food was gone. We pray that someone that really needed it was blessed. The following day (Friday) was a Haitian holiday and the stores were closed. So we headed to the Northwest with the provisions God supplied. We are headed later today to a little market a few miles away to see what we can get.

Many parts of the road leading to the Northwest is a single lane. We were stopped about 1/2 hour away from our destination with a truck full of charcoal that was stalled on a hill. The next thing we knew, we saw their truck starting to roll backwards, then tip over. By the Grace of God, nobody was injured.  We had to 'create' a new road down an embankment in order to get around. When the guys from Global Compassion came through, they pulled the truck out with their 5 ton military truck. I can only imagine how thankful the driver was for them! That truck could have very well sat blocking the road for days before being moved.

The picture on the right is from this morning. We have been busy unpacking and getting settled in. We thank God for Global Compassion which hauled all our belongings!

This is our first full day and we got up running (so to speak). Denny from Living Water Ministries has been taking Ken around and showing him all the systems and layout of the campus. Ken and Aaron then started in on taking out the framing from the new septic system for the education building. It's hot today, so they worked hard until noon. We will get back at various jobs after a few hours when it isn't so hot!

We thank all of you for your prayers and support! We also pray that our Lord will use us for His will. Every day is an adventure with the Lord!

In His Service,
Chuck & Gail

2 Weeks and Counting!

Time is flying by as we prepare to leave for a new home in NW Haiti. Although there seems to be so much to accomplish before we leave, we need to pause and trust in the Lord that we will get done what He wants us to get done. Nothing more, nothing less. There is great peace in Jesus and we need to realize that He provides the peace and contentment in all our lives. We can rest in Him, if we let Him rest in us.

Below is a short picture video that Gail and I put together when we first felt the call to Haiti (many of you may have already seen it). I have been criticized from a couple people about this video. They say I'm just showing the 'poverty' of the country and only showing 'hurting' people in it. I suppose there is room for that argument unless you understand the intention of the clip.

Gail or I took all the pictures in it. We didn't go 'hunting the internet' for sad images as I was accused of doing. We have met all the people in it. I could take you to almost every child that is shown. These are 'real' people with 'real' needs. Many of them, if not all of them, are either hurt, hungry, in extreme poverty, in desperate need of love and affection, or all of the above. Here is a passage that Gail gave to me a couple years ago. I still carry her hand written note of it in my bible.

 Isaiah 58:10-11 (NIV)

¹⁰ and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
    and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
    and your night will become like the noonday.
¹¹ The Lord will guide you always;
    he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
    and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
    like a spring whose waters never fail.

If you watch this video below, please keep Christ in mind and the need He has shown us.

Gail and I want to thank all of you for your prayers and support! We pray that God will bless you as you have blessed us.

In His Service,
Chuck & Gail Guerber

% Grace Hill Ministries
P.O. Box 171
Ironwood, MI  49938
email: guerber11@gmail.com
USA:  715.869.8128
Haiti:  509.4753.0270

The Countdown to Haiti - One Month!

As of this writing, we are one month away from the move to the Northwest of Haiti! Seems like so much to do and get done. Our trust is in the Lord.


Our goal is to pipe water across this area
 

We are grateful that Ken and Mary Challis will be joining us for the first month. An extra hand or two will be a blessing! We will be going into Haiti on October 15 with a few guys from Global Compassion Ministries. Ken and I will help them get water to a small village. There is water a couple miles away up the hill, but our intention is to put in a cistern and pipe it to a church that Living Water Ministries built a few years ago. It would be such a blessing for them to not have to carry water miles a day.

Earlier this month, we met with the board of Global Compassion Ministries out of St Charles, MO. We had a great time! Thank you Global Compassion.


Four area pastors (Not the guy in the middle)!
 

We look forward to working with the four pastors and churches that Living Water Ministries planted. Their jobs are not easy, but they all have great hearts! Please keep them in your prayers.

As we move forward, we thank you for your prayers and support. Our goal is to keep you updated on what God is doing in the lives of the people of Northwest Haiti. So stop back here often, or sign up along the right hand side of this web page and you will be notified when we put a new posting up. Thank you and God bless!

In His Service,
Chuck & Gail

July Food Distribution Movie

Here is a short slide show from the 270,000 meals that were distributed in NW Haiti this past July.

270,000 Meals Delivered to the NW!

Our friends at the orphanage in Z'Orange, Haiti

Trucks hauling food

By the grace of God, myself and two other guys delivered 270,000 meals from Feed My Starving Children to the NW of Haiti in July.

We were able to get two trucks with drivers to make the 8 hour journey to our campus in Ti Lagoon, Haiti. From there we contacted various villages to let them know we had food to distribute. Villages came on foot, donkey, and boat to get any amount they could.
We traveled by truck to deliver food to a few remote villages unable to come to the campus.

The man in the picture in the lower right is Jerry Lantz. He, along with Global Compassion Ministries, has a food packing program with Kids Against Hunger. Along with delivering 270,000 meals from Feed My Starving Children, we were able to deliver a little over 15,000 meals from Kids Against Hunger.

Most families received a case of meals and 1/2 a case of instant potatoes. Totaling about 325 nutritious meals!


Chuck handing out food

Jerry Lantz and friends!