First GAiN team of 2012 leaves and the second arrives

Last week we had a GAiN mission team made up of groups from two churches: Messiah Lutheran from Texas and Hillside Lutheran from New Jersey.  They had a great week!  They finished strong and saw God do many things.  They distributed water filter systems to 120 families and in the process saw 13 people come to Christ. They also did a wide variety of other projects on the NVM compound. A big thanks to all of them.  Here you see them with their interpreters and being thanked by the pastor of the church plant in Onaville.

 

On Saturday, our second team of 2012 arrived.  Yes, they were back to back.  This team is comprised of 22 team members from Hanson Baptist Church in Kentucky and two other dear friends.  Jaye Grattan, who is on the GAiN staff and Sandy Stageburg, who is one of Cheryl’s life-long friends.

This team was put to work immediately. Sunday was the third anniversary of the NVM church. So Saturday evening we put them to work getting ready for the big day. They put up a big tent to handle the overflow of people and constructed temporary showers for a large group staying overnight.

And today (Monday) they are hard at work.  A few of the ladies are helping Cheryl redesign the work area she uses to manage the sewing and jewelry training and business. They are also preparing for the sewing class this week.

And the rest of them team is helping in the warehouse today. NVM just received a 40-foot container of supplies and things need to be sorted and stored away.  And 2 of our guys are helping another crew who are here this week doing the electrical wiring in the new hospital.

This is a great group and they will be working on other projects this week. We will keep you informed so stand by.  And please be in prayer for the team that they will remain safe and healthy and that God will work through them to do wonderful things for his kingdom.

Jim, Cheryl and the Girls

GAiN mission in Haiti is going great!

We are having a great time in Haiti with our water filter distribution team. However, we are doing more than just distributing filters. Let me fill you in on our activities.

The distribution of water filters is the central focus of our time together this week.  This morning we conducted our second distribution in the Onaville displacement camp. We had the privilege of providing water filter systems to 40 families. And the exciting part is that 10 people prayed to receive Jesus Christ into their lives.  They not only have clean water, they now have clean hearts.

NVM has begun a significant agricultural project. They are preparing over 10 acres to be planted with a variety of crops in May.  The purpose of the project is to train Haitians how to farm and also to produce crops to provide income for them. One of the requirements is to put a fence around the field. This is required to keep the livestock out. They will eat everything as it is growing. Our team is helping a great deal to make this fence a reality.

There has been a small garden on the NVM compound for a long time. And it never has produced any significant food. So, a decision was made recently to convert it into a prayer garden.  With that said, our team went into action. It was converted from a small overgrown jungle to the start of a wonderful garden. All that is left is the final landscaping. Thanks so much team!

As we have reported, Cheryl has been working with a growing number of Haitian ladies teaching them how to make beaded jewelry and how to sew.  Many of them are now making extra income to support their families.  Yesterday many of the ladies on our team helped with the jewelry class. And today they helped Cheryl sort through the jewelry that was turned in and tagged each piece preparing it to be sold. They saved Cheryl 2 days work!

The team members from Hillside Lutheran from New Jersey did a picture exchange. They brought 100 pictures of young people in their church to be handed out to Haitian young people who were asked to pray for the person on their picture. We then took photos of 100 Haitian kids and printed them on a photo printer. These photos will be taken back and given to the kids at Hillside. What a great idea!

Thank you for your prayers. The team has felt your prayers. Tomorrow is their final day of ministry.  I will keep you posted.

Jim, Cheryl and the girls

GAiN Team Arrives at NVM

Sorry for not posting for awhile.  Our family was in Minnesota for the holidays. But I want to bring you up-to-date on what is happening now.

On Saturday our first GAiN team of 2012 arrived in Haiti. The team is made of up folks from two churches: Messiah Lutheran from Texas and Hillside Lutheran from New Jersey. This team has raised the funds to purchase and distribute 113 water filter systems to people living in Onaville. As you may recall, Onaville is the largest displacement camp in Haiti. Nearly 220,000 people live there as a result of the earthquake. They are a great group with a heart to serve!

Here are some photos of the team. They are getting a great view from the top of the pre-school building, working with water filters, playing with kids at the NVM sponsored children’s home and riding to the ministry site in the taptap (the Haitian mode of transporting people!)

Please be praying for this team this week as they continue their good work. Thanks so much!

NVM Distributes GAiN School Supplies

NVM has a major partnership with Global Aid Network (GAiN) which is located in Plano, Texas.  Jim and Cheryl Warner serve on the GAiN staff and are on loan to NVM for one year. NVM has a school on the compound that serves nearly 400 young people from Chambrun and other nearby communities.

One of the continual needs for these children is school supplies. Today the Warner’s along with other NVM staff distributed a bag of school supplies to each student along with a big Merry Christmas.  They were all very excited to receive this Christmas gift.

Please be praying for each of these young people. They are receiving a great education and some of them may even be future leaders in Haiti. Leadership in all sectors of Haiti is a tremendous need. And these children could make a difference in making Haiti a more successful country and a better place to live!

The NVM Christmas Party–Ho Ho Ho!!!

On Thursday afternoon we invited the entire staff of NVM to the annual Christmas party. It was a great time. With nearly 100 in attendance we had great food, singing, sharing, gifts and a few rousing rounds of Christmas Bingo. That was a huge hit.

But it was also a time to say thank you to the NVM staff who work so hard throughout the year. We wanted to provide them with a great night to show our deep appreciation for all they do 365 days each year.

Santa even showed up to distribute gifts, to have his picture taken with all the boys and girls (some quite old!) and to bring merriment to our evening.  We wanted to let you have a peek into our joyful evening. Merry Christmas to you all!

NVM’s new office building is dedicated

In the past, the operation of the NVM ministry was conducted out of 3 small offices. Today we officially moved into our new office building! Construction of this building started only 6 months ago which is very quick by Haiti standards. Pastor Pierre has made the quick completion of the new office building a high priority.  We will now operate out of a 3500 square foot building. A wonderful new phone system was donated and internet access is better than ever. Many thanks to Steve and Jake.

During the celebration today we started outside with a time of prayer and ribbon cutting. We then moved inside for a short praise service and a few words or encouragement from Pastor Pierre.  Those involved in the construction and opening of the building were recognized. We then let the staff tour the building and provided them with food and drinks.  It was a grand time for everyone!

We are very grateful for this new facility. God is good and the building will be used for his glory and to expand his kingdom in this part of Haiti.  Come down and take a tour sometime soon!