Dear Berkley Hills Church Family,

We want to thank you all so very much for your financial and prayer support for us as we took Jesus to the impoverished village of Anse-a-Galets, Haiti. In addition to the personal support many of you gave to us team members, Berkley Hills funded the costs of the various projects we performed while there. Below are some of the ways that the generosity of our church family translated into “being Jesus” to the precious people we came in contact with:

WATER. We conducted formal testing on the water supply at many sites around the mission compound and village. Several sites tested contaminated and repairs to the UV filter systems have since been made. We purchased and installed 19 point-of-use biosand water filtration systems in various homes in the village. In addition, we installed a high-volume UV filtration system at Wesleyen College, the large primary-secondary school.

SCHOOL. We provided the concrete, sand, and gravel for a new floor of an outdoor classroom. We provided the lumber and tin for the construction of a roof over this same area and we hired 8 Haitian workers to help us with these tasks. Pictures were taken of every single student (from pre-K to 13th grade), submitted (in the middle of the night!) for developing in Michigan. These pictures were then brought down by our second team and then distributed to the kids. Each kid received a framed 4-6 picture of themselves, AND a sheet of 4 wallet-sized pictures. We sung and played with the kids.

ORPHANAGE. We delivered several large boxes of toys, games, balls, and clothing for a small orphanage in the village, one comprised of earthquake orphans.

POOR HOUSE. We did a scrub down of the inside and outside walls. Then we painted those same walls, along with the doors. We bought concrete and sand and hired several Haitian concrete workers to pour smooth concrete floors for the dirt floor bedrooms and for the porch. We built 11 beds and hauled them into their bedrooms (there were no beds in the whole house previously. We purchased 11 mattresses and sheet sets for the beds. We also had their cracked-cement rain water cistern repaired. The house had no electricity/lights so we purchased and installed a set of LED lights in the house, powered by a solar panel which we installed on the roof. We brought enough clothes and shoes to provide for all the poor house residents. We laid them all out on a couple of the beds outside their house and they went through, one by one, and picked out what they wanted. We purchased enough food to feed them for several weeks, along with enough charcoal to cook with. We provided manicures and pedicures for several of the older men and women. We hung out with them, hugging on them, laughing with them, etc.

HOSPITAL. We installed a new xray system, replacing the broken unit. We repaired lead aprons and installed leaded glass windows. We performed a thorough clean of the xray building and held several days of training for the xray tech staff. Many surgeries were performed and clinic patients seen. We provided two lectures for the hospital staff: one on asthma, the other on the use of xray.

In our spare time we went for walks in the village, interacting with the Haitian people. In all we did, we had close interaction with those we went to serve. We ate Haitian food. We enjoyed Haitian church. We played soccer, sang songs and played games with the children. In the evenings we discussed our day, sang and had devotions. We worked hard. We slept hard. We loved on people… hard.

Each one of us has stories and experiences that the others didn’t see. Stories and experiences not shared here. But they are stories and experiences that have made a great impact on us and that we’ll treasure for a lifetime.

Team one’s last night was spent on the mainland at a comfortable resort, where we relaxed and debriefed. Team two’s trip was cut short by Hurricane Tomas, forcing our early return across high seas.

We came home with new friends: missionary friends, Haitian friends. Friends we know by name and can pray for by name. And who will know us when we return.

God was surely with us during our journey with Him. He surely met with us and we trust He was evidenced through us as we tried our best to be Jesus.

Thank you Berkley! This was certainly a Team effort: you and us together. You resourced us through project money and team member support. And you prayed for us. In no uncertain terms we did this together… for the glory of God.

Sincerely,

Jim Burkholder
David Chamberlain
Tim Chamberlain
Rick Courter
Brian Dykstra
Jennifer Dykstra
Katie Edmondson
Steve Edmondson
Hannah Oldenberg
Stacey Oldenberg
Dawn Pifer
Connie Root
Ed Rutowski
John Schmid
Tim Ulstad
Mark Wildie
Freddy Williams
Bill Wright

I’m writing this evening from my kitchen table. Outside the sun is just setting, the temperature has dropped to a comfortable 80 degrees, and the sound of a man yelling on a microphone is drifting in through my windows. His staccato speech is occassionally interrupted by smooth waves of cheers.

To be honest, in some ways it sounds a lot like a Sunday morning church service here where the worship leaders yell out phrases which the congregation echoes. But this isn’t church; it’s a political rally. Apparently one of the candidates is holding an event in the center of town. There’s a crowd of people gathered in the sqaure, and political posters all over the walls in this city.

With elections only 9 days away, it’s safe to assume, the whole country is covered with political preparations. It’s definitely interesting to see campaigning in a country with limitted electricity (and therefore limitted televison/campaign ads). Last week we heard a band playing and a large crowd of people cheering and singing. We peeked out the gate and saw the crowd moving down the street, singing all the way. Apparently this, too, was a political candidate. This kind of campaigning feels a lot more lively than the endless advertisements we see on American TV.

Unfortunately election times in Haiti have also historically been a scene for unrest. With so much corruption in the government, times leading up to elections can become a little more unpredictable with high emotions and political protests. The country dodged potential unrest earlier this fall when Wycliff Jean was denied presidential candidacy, but since then there have been several protests happening in Port Au Prince over other issues.

During the next few weeks leading up to the elections (which take place November 28th), please pray for this country. Pray God would raise up the right leader to rebuild the governement and this nation. Pray that God’s hand would be on all political events, and that his peace would reign. And pray that God would miraculously begin breaking the strongholds of corruption in Haiti.

- Justine (for the Haiti Team)