It is another warm and sunny day in Haiti. The seminary work just keeps amazing me, with so many hands, the fellowship, fun and willingness of all makes it all manageable The roofs have been finished, except for the final pour on the men's dorm, which if the weather holds, is on deck for Monday.  The Christner family just left after a week of sanding and painting, we recently had Rick and Kacha and now we have Neil here doing seminary construction but the teams have slowed for this part of the summer. Once again we Praise the Lord for all the people who give, who pray and who come and build. This project would only be a dream, instead of the reality it is becoming. Please continue to pray for the Lord to call workers, for strength for Gord and Dan (who is doing triple duty for the summer) for finances, and for Dr. Bill, the staff, and all the students at the seminary.

Well the second floor pour had a bit of a slow start with a torrential downpour the morning of, but the Lord blessed the crew with good weather this last week and work was done. The second floor is now poured and ready for when more housing is needed.  The library has windows and the adminstration building has the entrance complete. It is once again time to stand and marvel at God's provision. The finances, the safety of the Haitian workers and the arrival of the MFM teams when the manpower is needed. Please remember to pray for the seminary staff now as they are busy working through the applicants for the next school year and getting this school year complete and graduation plans.  Our anniversary plans are in final preparation stages, please pray for the travels of all who will be attendingk, and the Lord will be glorified for ALL He has done in Haiti in the last 50 years.

It has been a busy month with teams from Canada and Greenwood, and the crew featured in the latest photos, Ohio, and Canada. West coasters at that. We rarely get visitors from back home in BC. I am thankful for Garry's and Grant's help in getting these pictures to post. I am not good at climbling towers, not to say anything about dress code, and skirts. We had sent out several prayer requests for customs to release the containers and Praise the Lord, they have arrived. We now have door frames, 2X4's and sheet metal for roofing, and all the other things we were waiting on.

We have another team this month, from Canada, and then in May a few more, plus our 50th Anniversary Celebration, of OMS in Haiti! Exciting stuff, stay tuned for more postings and blogs. Please dont hesitate to send pictures of your team, so I can post them up too. yrjanahaiti@hotmail.com

Blessings, C

 It has been an exciting time in Haiti as the teams are fully booked and building and finishing is in full swing for the housing for the Shoemakers and the Wallaces - the onsite missionaries. These pictures show the cabinets recently installed and beautiul tile floors. It is so exciting to see plane load after plane load of people willing to take time out of their busy schedules to work in Haiti. Stay tuned in the weeks ahead for a guest editorial from Tom Black. He is a fellow that we met in Haiti, and is currently teaching in the Emmaus Seminary. He loves the Lord, enjoys a good discussion, a laugh, time of prayer and has the stompin of cock roaches down to a science with his trademark cowboy boots.  We are looking forward to hearing what is happening in the lives of the young men and women in seminary and what God is doing through them.

 

Also we were blessed to have spent time in Hamilton with the OMS and MFM crew and on our way back to BC tomorrow. We attended MissionsFest in Toronto and what a great time we had sharing about Haiti and the seminary building project.

Stay tuned....

The teams in Haiti have been so busy these last few weeks, I have posted some pictures and will post them as I get them. If you would like to notate who is in the pictures and it is you and your pictures, drop me a line at leaders4lifehaiti@hotmail.com   I can always use guest editorials if you are a journal person and want to share your experience. It is unique being part of the team building a training center of change, change for the advancement of the Haitian people, training young people to be Christian leaders and be a voice in their own nation. Blessings, Colleen and Jussi Yrjana

Gord has always had a love for helping people and building things.  He and a good friend often talked about helping someone on a mission field but it was a while before it ever went further than talk.  In 1990, we had just finished building a brand new house - well, almost finished, and the way became clear.  I was not too happy that he was so determined to go - I really wanted this house finished up.  Well, there was no discouragement possible and a short while later Gord and his friend came to Haiti.  Life has never been the same.  A couple of years later we both went and brought along with us our youngest daughter -- we went to Colombia.  I asked God to change my heart just like He did Gord's and our wonderful God did just that.  Later on that year, Gord took a team into Haiti to work on a church in Port au Prince.  I went with him and so did our daughter and also our son.  Our hearts were touched by the needs in Haiti and with the thoughts that God could use us, just the way we were.  Before our 2 weeks were up, Dave and Marilyn Shaferly asked if we would consider coming back to Haiti to look after the guesthouse called the Villa Ormiso in Port au Prince.  Well -- we still had this new house -- our oldest daughter was flying the nest and our son was following very shortly so that left our youngest, Heather.  Gord and I prayed about this step and what God would have us do - we wanted to serve the Lord.  Heather, our youngest daughter, thought it might be a good idea but only for a year -- her thoughts were that she may not really like it and she didn't want to totally leave her friends in Canada.  We understood - first step was selling the house and God did it.  Then raising support and getting things together.  I didn't want to just pack up and leave, I needed a home; so we purchased another home and was able to rent it while we were away.  Haiti wasn't ready for us when we were ready to go so God sent us to Hungary.  It was a learning experience and our faith grew.  We finally got to Haiti in Feb. of 1995 and settled into the Villa.  We ended up being there for 11 years -- wow -- Gord tells people that we forgot how to count.  But God fulfilled our needs and gave each of us a love for the country and the people.  In 2002 the politics were getting bad in the country and we ended up leaving for a short while.  As we looked back over the statistics at the Villa, we averaged 21 people a night for all of the 365 days in a year.  We were able to do all the remodelling necessary and that involved putting in a first class kitchen and dining room.  It was an awesome experience for us but we knew that our time was coming to a close.  We were told that we should be able to work ourselves out of a job and the Villa has a great staff and we developed a good Haitian manager and we left in February 2006.  God opened the door for Gord to use his construction experience to help build the seminary in the north.  We have been in the north of Haiti for a year now.  We have repaired one of the little houses on the compound and done a lot of organizing and planning.  The construction began on the wall early last year and they are working on the two main houses and the shop right now. The rest of the project is coming together.  Pray that God will give us strength to continue.

 

Gord and Doreen were out in Canada having Christmas with their family and grandchildren.  They are back in full swing in Haiti and would love for you to say hello either in Haiti when you visit with a MFM team or via email. Let us know at leaders4lifehaiti@hotmail.com and we can pass along their email.

Guest Editorial this week is from Ernie Peters. Ernie and his wife Norma hail from Alberta and have recently left the cold Alberta winter for a six week stint at the OMS compound in Vaudriel, Cap Haitian.

Ernie's first trip to Haiti was back in 1999 when he joined Les Babcock and his team. Since then God has called and provided for Ernie to return to Haiti each year and in the last few years, twice a year. Ernie and Norma have realized the call of God on their lives and have willing hands and ready feet to go where God calls them in Haiti or wherever God wants them to be.

November 5th, 2006

The weeks here is Haiti seem to be flying by. I have noticed a few changes each time I come to Haiti. This year for the first time I have noticed the songbirds on the compound. Instead of those noisy monkey birds (those of you that have been here know exactly what I am talking about) each day at dawn and dusk. Another change has been that there are a lot more trees growing on the mountains than there used to be. God is at work rebuilding Haiti. Haiti was once known as the richest island of the Caribbean, it was called the Jewel of the Caribbean. Now the poorest country in the Western Hemishpere it is exciting to see God changing the landscape and brigning back the sounds of birds and beauty of the flowers.

 

This week at the seminary : Check out the pictures in the album:

 

Each week we pour a new concrete floor at the seminary. It is an interesting process, for it is faster to mix than it is have it delivered. It is approx $120 per yard US to have concrete delivered but with road conditions etc. it is faster to to run two cement mixers. The Haitians have teams of four, working on each mixer, one shovelling sand and rock, one adding water and the other mixing. It is then put into wheelbarrows and hand poured. I have been running the bull float (to level the concrete) and to keep up the pace all day in the heat tires me out. Last Tuesday we poured all day in 90 degree heat with no wind, we were beat by the end of day, and our shirts never dried all day. We are praying for a nice overcast day, no sun or no rain. Dream on Peters.

 

Last Monday Norma and I took a team to tour the different ministries here at OMS. We spent the morning visiting the clinic, radio station, a school and the new semianry site. Each day in Haiti is a gift that reminds me of what we have back home in comparision to what is here in Haiti. The Unimog is up and running again so we also took a group to Gaudin. The group is from Hamilton, Ontario and with no exaggeration they were horrifed about the roads and bathroom facilities, but after some kidding, God showed them a side of Haiti to remember and I will miss them, they have been a lot of fun.

 

When we arrived in Haiti I started fixing vehicles, there was more broken than running!  I have worked at the seminary, toured with visiting teams, and spent time at the beach at Cormier Plage, and each time I come I am not disappointed. God has Haiti in his Hands. You only need to spend about 5 minutes on the roads and realize it is by the grace of God that teams travel back and forth each week and missionaries travel here and there and God keeps everyone safe. Thanks to all that are praying for us and for the seminary project and work that is underway here in Haiti. It is nice to hear from all of you, take care. (edited for space)

 

(If you would like to read more of Ernie's adventures or correspond via email - urnypeters@yahoo.ca, he would love to hear from you)