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