This morning started with breakfast (scrambled eggs, toast, mangos, vin- ripened bananas, hand-squeezed grapefruit juice, Haitian coffee and hot chocolate) at 7 AM. We had a lot to get ready for. Final preparations for both the mobile camp and the camp here at Jacob’s well continued as campers started arriving. This year the Haitians have 5 directors and are running everything scheduling and logisitics-wise. We have many of the veteran activity leaders and counselors back, and things seemed to progress very smoothly. Jarvis and Katie are helping at riflery, and Caleb and Edie are helping keep the archery range safe J! Hardin and Faith are at crafts, and Jordan and Amy are the Adventure Challenge facilitator’s help.
Elizabeth R. is helping at Ballon a Follee (Pitball) and Nine Square in the Air. Brittany, Alyse and Isaac are with Sports/baseball on the big field in the village. Gillian and Autumn round out the administrative side of camp here at the ministry center, and Konrad and Noah are busy with maintenance and new construction. Today they fixed the drinking/hand washing station, and made a prototype for the solar light poles to be installed at camp.
Mobile Camp started at 10:30 this morning. The church we are working with (Evangelical Church of the 23rd Psalm) is a new church set in a very poor neighborhood bordering the town of Limbe. The Haitian program director is one of the Tse Guinea leaders trained here in the past at Jacob’s well, and the church we are working with supplied 33 counselors trained by one of the Jacob’s Well staff before we arrived. They also recruited 375 children – mostly unchurched! We overfilled the small churchyard and spilled over into a nearby “football field” of about 100’x60’ not counting the part occupied by some goats on the side. The mobile camp crew includes Maris and Allie facilitating the use of the big parachutes, Thomas, Fharid, and Hans running group relays/games on the soccer field, Maggie, and Jan running Steal the Bacon, and Abby and Jamie doing crafts, and Liz Valcin translating and helping where needed most! Pastor Valcin helped translate for the sports on the field, and conducted the narration and preaching for the Bible drama on Joseph that we (the Americans or “Blans”) pantomimed. Pray for this effort tomorrow as the Haitian staff will be sharing the gospel with these kids, many for the first time. It was an experience that we will not soon forget!
This evening many on the team went to the “Attic” to help Konrad measure the cross monument in anticipation of lighting it up with solar lighting. The remainder of the team shelled quite a few peas for a future meal. Our study in Joseph concluded just as dinner was served – a huge feast of ham, beef, fried plantain, rice and beans, cole slaw, beets, and a vegetable medley were served in honor of Edie’s 16th birthday (she was sick on the actual day and we missed having a party). A wonderful chocolate cake brought all the way from Port au Prince for the occasion rounded out the celebration. The team is currently putting together crafts and counselor gift bags out of tee shirts, and loading them with gifts for tomorrow. We are multiplying supplies for 48 gift sets into 56! We are also putting snack bags together and practicing the drama installments for camp tomorrow. Whew! It’s been a very busy, productive day, and God gets the glory for all that was accomplished. Please continue to pray for health and safety, and for opportunities to serve in ways that point Haitians to Christ! We love you and miss you all,
Bon Nwit!
The Haiti 12 team
Comments