I miss our C.T. guys immensely! After the first full day, we all had an immediate connection, it could be because we were all disgustingly dirty, or the sporadic laughter we shared throughout the day, or working with some of the most God fearing young adults I have ever met in my life...Walston, Jean Charles (JC), Junior x 2, Elbe, Jamel, Pastor Peoewh and Pastor Jules, just to mention a few. I would leave to go back there tomorrow with these guys...as long as I could bring my family with me this time. Debby great pics and post.

Morquettes Home

This is Lincolnson, our household helper.. Very nice kid!!! I gave him my clock and he was ecstatic and very grateful, for just a little ol clock..

This is Eda our other household helper... She cooked and cleaned up after us, helped us whenever we needed anything.. A very sweet young lady.. I gave her my watch and she was very grateful...

This was from the dining room looking into the kitchen..
This was only 1/2 of the dining room and the table we all gather at for breakfast and dinner time.. We all knew when to come for meals as Dr. Morquette would sing this song and we all would come running.. 1/2 the time if you weren't in the room you would hear everyone sing very loudly at the end, AMEN~AMEN~~

Dining room again...

This was the Family room where we gathered every night for our team meetings..

This is the 2nd 1/2 of the dining room where myself and JR spent a lot of time on our computers:) AND SEE THE DOOR BEHIND JR?? THAT WAS KEPT SHUT ALL THE TIME SO JR WOULD HAVE A NICE COLD ROOM TO SLEEP IN EVERY NIGHT!!! hahahaha!! :)

Family gathering room..

Amanda took my braids out for me after having them in for 4-5 days, THANK YOU AMANDA & this was the final result..

Here is a few picture of the Morquettes home that we stayed at.. The food was good and plentiful, beds were clean, (except for Teri's one night, hehehe) and well better than sleeping on the floor hehehe... Some had air conditioning (JR-JR-JR-JR!!! hahahaha BUSTED!!!) others had fans and we all had ice packs.. We had showers daily, some of us had bucket showers and some had water coming out of a make shift shower head BUT we all got clean daily:)

Our last night we all discussed how well we ALL got along great.. There were NO disagreements nor personality conflicts, and we all truly enjoyed being around each other:)

OUR HAPPIEST time during the trip

This was by far the funniest day we had.. Our last full day we were able to spend the majority of the day with the children of the Garden (Orphanage).. They laughed, played, sang, danced took our cameras to take pictures of each other and us..

After that we went to the Church site and had fun with the kids there... It was just a HAPPY HAPPY day, not only for the kids, but us too..

I figured how to post more than 1 picture at a time JR!!!! YEAH "ME"!!!

Patient of the week..

This was by far my favorite patient and touched me the most and I don't even know his name..How sad is that...

You can't even see the stitches in his forehead from the gash that was all the way down to where you could actually see his skull...That wound will heal, the others probably never will.....

Hi everyone! It was great to get home and see my dear faithful blogger friend Michelle and my beautiful wife RC.  RC had pizza for me when I got home and I had flowers from the Nelson family. It was truly an inspirational and spiritual expereince and our team leaders Amy and Mike Adams were the best. The entire team said they would not hesitate to make another trip to Haiti in the future. We ALL felt so blessed by God to experience everything he allowed us to go through in Haiti, from tears, to fears and everything in-between, especially laughter. We could not have had 12 better people from 12 different backgrounds, all at different paths in their walk with God. Thank you to all my team members for making this an unforgettable experience for me as a person and Christ follower! I love you all dearly and look forward to our team celebration. JR

FINALLY HOME & I'm SPEECHLESS

This video & picture will speak for itself.

So HAPPY to be home..

Safe & sound & back in town!

JR & RC see each other for the first time! So sweet!




Welcome home CCC Go Team! It was so nice to see all of you at the airport last night and welcome you in person! What a privilege to hear the stories from JR and Vince on the way home and I look forward to hearing many more! Well done! You are all inspirations to me! Thank you for all of your hard work!



In Christ,

Michelle

I miss my wife and daughters cannot wait to see them! My phone is finally toast! It's been great all week, I drop one call after another with AT&T sitting at my desk upstairs in South Elgin, but I can call from Haiti and have a great wi-fi connection, what's wrong with this picture? We are checked in through customs and immigration with very little problem, a lot easier to get out of the country than it is to get in! We are relaxing upstairs at our gate, most are playing Uno, I'm blogging, Debby and Justine are still trying to figure out how to get on th "free" wi-fi here at the airport...lol! Teri is not feeling well, she thinks she may have picked up a cold from one of the kids, but of course she is still smiling and says everything is fine. Amanda and I are craving Pizza, Sarah wants Subway, Tom wants an ice cold Pepsi, Vince wants to help the world, Amy was showing off her puppeteering skills with her passport, Jim is itching to find a wall to tear down and Mike is looking for a pile of rocks to move, and poor Dr. Steve is home and we hope he fills better. We saw the capital building today and the devastation of Port au Prince, it was UNBELIEVABLE! There was a demonstration starting and we had to high tell it out of town and to the Visa Lodge for lunch and then to the airport. We are getting ready to board I will call my wonderful wife who I cannot wait to hug in Miami. I love you honey XXOO, I have some pretty cool news, I will tell you when I see you! Mee-Shell-Lee i knew you would never abandon the blog, I just wanted to make sure the owls wer not crowding us out.

Nubby (JR) is facebookin and bloggin with one hand

"Look honey one hand", says JR to RC! LOL!

JR your wife has been making me cry with her sweet post too. You should see the text she sends me. I'm pretty sure I'm her fave! LOL! I was at your house last night around 10:30 and RC was working her tushie off preparing the house for your homecoming! I think you are gonna like Coco's new pink pillow that goes right above yours in your bed. She has missed you too! She (Coco) gave up drinking bottled water while you were gone just as an act of appreciation.

Alexis said she may even wash her smelly volleyball gear too before you get home tonight. Just between us, well and all the other bloggers, I hope she does. It smells like the inside of my kickboxing gloves!

Did you sweet talk any government officials so they will consider opening the borders for international adoption again?

I'm praying for y'all today and the people on the airplane who have to sit next to you...lol...seriously safe travels all the way into the arms of your families! Well done!

Love,
Michelle, Meshelle, Shellyboo, Shelly just don't call me RJ

Meshellee is here Capin' Ron

Hey JR I've never left the blog for a minute, well maybe a minute to check in on the owls!

I've been gettin' my funny on in the comment section of the blog! Have you been checking the comment section? We sure have enjoyed ourselves there! LOL!

I can't wait to get the news that you are back on American soil, so text me from Miami K?!

Psalm 118:24 This is the day the Lord has made rejoice and be glad in it!!!

I love the pictures!

church

Hello all.  this is a picture taken at church after service.  some of the kids from church.  this is the church that the team has been working on. even though they increased the space in church to double it's capacity, it was packed! about 500 people at service.  it was powerful and amazing!  justine see you all at home soon. 

Where has Mee-Shell-Lee Gone? No posts or comments in two days! ...Is she okay? I hope so. I feel baaaaddddd that I have not heard from her.

Hi Honey! My phone has been down since yesterday. It says "No Sim Card" I have popped it out and cleaned it, but it still is not reading, so I cannot use my phone. You brought tears to my eyes after reading your past couple blogs. I love you so much and cannot wait to see you. Your info is correct, we have very little time in Miami, I will have to borrow someones phone to call you. So, plan on that time. I cannot wait to give you a big wet dirty hug and kiss! Yesterday was tough to get through. Jim and I were not feeling well, he was an animal the harder he worked the better he felt. So, I tried that too...and it worked for me as well, the harder I watched Jim work the better it made me feel! LOL! I couldn't eat lunch and for dinner I just had rice, bread, split pea soup and a piece of cake. I left with 5 bags and I am coming home with two! We gave everything away yesterday to our Haitian friends, even our shoes...Mike had to piggy back me to the van so I wouldn't have to walk through the sewer water we picked up rocks out of all week. Now I think he needs to see a back doctor when he gets home. Everyone is so excited about getting home to see their loved ones.  Thank you so much for taking care of everything which allowed me to go on this trip. The next one we are doing together! I asked Mike when the next Hawaii mission trip was and to let me know and to count us in! I wish! Okay, I gotta go help Mike find his ipod. Love you and talk to you soon! JR

Flight info

Please correct me if I am wrong, but I think I found the flight info for the Go Team.  I was going through some paper work and happen to come across it. The GoTeam will be leaving Haiti @ 4:55 pm. arrive in Miami @ 8:15 pm. Depart Miami @ 9:50 pm. arrive into Chicago Ohare @ 11:55 pm. Wow long day of travel for you guys. I will keep you all in my prayers. Please call from Miami so I know where to pick you up from.


Love,
RC

You're coming home tomorrow!!! God bless you're last day in Haiti and may Christ's love shine brightly in all you do and say... speak boldly the truth that saves...

Love and safe travels back to the good ol USA!!!

Kelly

ISA 58:8-14

Isaiah 58:8-14 (New International Version)
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness [a] will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. "If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.
11 The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
13 "If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
14 then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob." The mouth of the LORD has spoken.

This reading says it all for your trip to the "sun scortched land" and the work you all have done this week - may you rest well tonight and be prepared for your journey back home tomorrow. We pray for God's protection on you all for a safe journey back hom tomorrow. What are great work our Lord has done thru you all this week.

One more day!

Hello GoTeam, I hope you are all having a good time on your last day of your mission. You guys have done GODS work over there and you all should be proud, (even tho pride is a sin). I know I am very proud of my Husband J.R., for him to go with out A/C for seven days is HUGE! Can't wait to hear all the stories.

J.R. you inspire me, for you to go way out of your element zone and do it with grace and with a smile on your face. You just keep taking my breath away.

When we met I was overwhelmed with the idea of you,
When we got to know each other I learned that you were a person with strengths and weaknesses like everyone else
When we got closer I was overwhelmed with the idea of love
Now as time has passed, I am no longer overwhelmed with the idea of you and love, but I am more than overwhelmed with you and the love we share
-Susan Polis Schutz

I miss you and can't wait to see you!

Love,
RC

This is Mislinda, She was adorable enough for both of us, so my ugly mug didn't need to be in the picture anyway. She hung out with us all day, she even worked the bucket live

Yes Virginia, Their is a Vincent or "V" as many Haitians have come to affectionately call him. He is the youngest member of our team, thus the blunt of jokes and being teased, but he is a wonderful young man and takes it in stride. He has done an outstanding job of documenting our trip.

Jim and Tom raising the roof on a very hot day!

Where Mike is standing and my left leg is, the only thing that is seperating us from falling 15 feet is an 8 inch ledge.  This is the day we forgot lotion and we of course worked outside.

JR don't worry the owlets are just fine

Don't worry JR the youngest owl is still in the box. He may come out tonight so I'll take lots of pictures for you. They will hang around the owl box for another week or so. So when you get home you can get back to staying up all night watching the owl activity on ustream!

Love ya,
Meshelle

Hi bloggers! I am back to about 70%, I went to church service this morning, it was tough getting through it for me because of the heat, I think one of the pastors saw me turning green and put a fan up by us, poor Jim was the next to fall victim, Amanda was smart as soon as she got home yesterday she started antibiotics, but still fill a little queezy. Dr. Steve left for home this afternoon and he felt terrible too! We did our group devotional meeting tonight, each had a night and tonight was mine. Back to the grindstone tomorrow... I will get to see my beautiful wife and adorable daugters Tuesday night! I am so excited, I cannot wait! I have missed them all so much. I am so glad we have so many pictures and videos of this trip, it would be hard to explain any of this to you without visual aid. Vince has recorded a lot of video time, it should be really cool. Miss you and l

Well Done Friends!

Hey maybe you guys can post a picture of Vince so Cris will believe he exists! LOL!

Matthew 25:35-36 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.

Matthew 25:40 The King will reply," I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

*what we do for others demonstrates what we really think about Jesus words to us, feed the hungry, give the homeless a place to stay, look after the sick and look after the orphans and widows.

* what each of you have done on this trip seperates you from mearly hears of the words to doers of the word. You have walked your worship, even when you were sick you still were the hands and feet of Jesus. I thank you all for your service, love and hard work to help the Haitian people. I'm sure they will never forget you! I know I won't!!

Finally, Matthew 25: 21a "Well done my good and faithful servants" those will be the words you will hear when you stand before our Lord Jesus someday for a job well done! Praise God for each of you!

With much love and respect,
Michelle Ridens

PAP Airport

OMGoooooooodness, I don't look forward to going back here to fly home.. It is total chaos there... Bags and carts everywhere... Lot's of people wanting LOTS of anything.. Extremely hard to go thru that part of the city, right outside the airport..The airport itself is just an open building, walk in one side, find your bags, and exit thru the other side.... I'll try to get more pictures on the way out..

Can't wait to see you!

I hope you all are feeling a little better, we are still all praying for you. So glad you all got some time to relax. J.R. me and the girls miss you so much we can't wait to see you. Just one more full day for you guys and then off to AMERICA on Tuesday! I am sure you all can't wait to get home and see your families.

What are the pick up plans? Are you all riding back to Black Berry Campus together and I pick up the guys from there or should I plan on picking up J.R. and Vince at the airport? What time you all getting in and what FL. #. Sorry for so many questions but J.R. wasn't told this info before leaving. I will continue to pray for you all to feel better for your travel home.

Jesus, I pray that you continue to watch over J.R. and his go team, that you continue to keep them safe. It has been a rewarding yet hard journey for them. May they have the strength to get up in the morning and finish your work. May they fill the kids hearts with joy and with your WORD as they leave them on the final day. Lord, you are a good, loving and forgiving GOD, you are my savior and we know we are not worthy of your grace. But because of you we can travel to Haiti and spread your love and grace, you are the ALL mighty!
Amen

Psalm 37:28

For the LORD loves the just

and will not forsake his faithful ones.
They will be protected forever,
but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;



Love,
RC

My NEW 2 BFF's from the Garden

These are my 2 new BFF's.. The older one has a notebook with songs writen in spanish but writen by Celin Dion.. She can sing almost as good as Celin.. She has a wonderful voice...

One more day

JR we hope you are feeling better and will be able to finish strong tomorrow! Please take care of yourself. I know your beautiful wife and daughters can't wait to see you! We are praying for your health as well as the rest of the team and of course safe travels home!

Because of Him,

Michelle & Kevin Ridens

Tom getting the ROYAL treatment from the girls

Justine, TOM, Amanda, Debby and Sarah

Tom deserved the ROYAL treatment for all his hard work at the church so we carried him around to cool hime off!!!

BIG turtle!!

Heres the turtle.. He wouldn't talk to me, he just wanted to get away.. hehehehe.. Isn't it cute??

Picture of the day (YESTERDAY)

Amanda, Justine, JR, Debby and Sarah...

FINALLY cooling off and BOY DID IT FEEL GOOD!!! Here's JR & Sarah just an hour or so before they started with the stomach virus... At least they enjoyed themselves before getting sick... One of the Hatians brang a big turtle up to shore, I took pictures and will share them IF i can get them to download today..

Our construction Team

Our incredibly HARD WORKING construction team!!!

Jim, JR, Pastor Jules, Mike, Vince and Tom.... YEAH for the construction guys!!!

Medical Team

Here is a pic of the Meidcal team on the roof of the hospital.. Boy is it a site to see from the roof.. The hospital is only 3 stories but you can see for miles around PAP...That is going to be a place for the patients to go when they are able to get out of bed and walk around.. There has only been about 2-3 patients, but they will be full when they can finish the hospital... There are about 4-6 beds in each room with about 6 ot 8 rooms... Right now there is I think about 28 total employees at the hospital, nurses, 2-3 doctors including Dr. Marquette and his wife Dr. Junie we call her, maintanance staff.. We have 3 interpreters helping us at the hospital which makes thing run much smoother..

Left to right... Amy, Dr. Marquette, Sarah, Debby ("ME"), Amy and Teri!!!

WHAT GROUP HUH????

This was the Beach

This was a Haiti Resort.. We paid a daily rate and got the beach, a pool, some used it, and lunch.. The beach was mostly rock BUT it had the ocean and we all enjoyed getting wet in it... It definately was a luxury for Haiti and us while were are here...Some of us even took showers on the beach in a real shower, well a pole coming out of the wall outside with water coming out of it.. For me it sure beat the bucket bath/showers I have been taking.. We all really enjoyed ourselve this day.. Except poor Sarah got bit by the stomach virus and then JR by the time we left...Both are still recovering.. JR did get up and go to the church service this morning but Sarah, Steve and Amanda were all under the weather still..

Church project

Here is a pic of the Church.. Nothing like I was expecting.. AMAZING work the guys are doing there.. UNBELIEVABLE... This is the main floor... They started setting up for church with all the chairs...

Phil 4:4-9 Calm our Anxious Heart

4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

For some children, all sorts of situations cause worry. They have paralyzing fear about homework, schedules, and teachers. They agonize whether they are going to fail a test or have friends to sit by in the cafeteria. The fear can even make them physically ill. Psychologists say the cause of anxiety disorders in children is both biological and conditional. Some children are more prone to being shy or perfectionists, and these tendencies show up during the school years when pressures increase. Anxiety disorders are not limited to children, but also plague countless adults.
In our discussion about our self-image and identity, we often focus on external characteristics like appearance or possessions or accomplishments. But what about internal issues that threaten to derail our secure identity in Christ?
Today’s passage in Philippians is worth committing to memory, for it offers advice for those who are anxious in spirit. It begins with a command, “Rejoice!” (v. 4). The command may seem puzzling, worry has just been mentioned. When are we to “rejoice”? The answer is “always.” But the source of our rejoicing is not found in ourselves or our circumstances, but “in the Lord” (v. 5). Our lives are embedded and transformed in Christ. We are not our old selves.
The reason we can rejoice is found in verse 5: “the Lord is near.” God is near to you today. He knows you and your circumstances. He knows what you will do and say. He goes before you. Therefore, the next verse makes sense. “Do not be anxious about anything” (v. 6). This is perhaps the best advice that can be given. We can tell everything to God—even all of our worries. God is the only one who can see the future. He is the only one who can truly help. In return, “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (v. 7). What better news can we get? The peace of God is ours.
TODAY ALONG THE WAYIn order to find peace, we have to spend time in the presence of God. Too often we fill our lives with talking, reading, or doing something. Today, meet with God in silence. Close your eyes and meditate on His character. Be still, and know that He is God (Ps. 46:10). You can cast all your cares on Him, because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). Not only does He care, but He is all-powerful and able to bear any burden. Allow the peace of God to calm your anxious heart.

Rejoice in the Lord today!!!

Pastor Jules just called and said they prayed for all of us sickies here at home... Hope it helps and we are all better so we can finish working tomorrow..

YEAH FINALL GOT THE PICTURE from the last blog I wrote..TAKES 4EVER to get a picture here, internet is a lil slow....

1st Day at the Clinic/Hospital

This was when we 1st arrived to the hospital on Wednesday..
We had no idea what we were in for but we took the challenge in stride and have made it 3 days with no major problems.. The patients that come to the hospital clinic are most patients that have had symptoms for months if not years and have never seen a doctor.. A lot of stomach and indigestion/intestinal problems that have gone untreated.. Also a lot of the women give birth at home and have no prenatal or after care so they have female problems.. Some have old injuries from the earthquake but very few of them.. We have had a few follow up bandage changes from injuries that are still pretty fresh, from injury or minor surgeries..
When the Haitian Doctor at the hospital found out that Justine, one of our team, he brought in many patients of his to have her consult and treat.. Justine found a lot of treatment devices that will help these patient for long term. KUDO'S for JUSTINE:)
There is loads and loads of supplies that have been boxed up and set aside so Amy and Teri have spent days unpacking and organizing all of them for Junie and set up a stock room.. They and label HUNDREDS of supplies that now can be used..KUDO'S to AMY AND TERI!!!They also Painted about 4 or 5 rooms that had been damaged and repaired from the earthquake..
As for the construction team, they have done the MOST PHYSICAL WORK of anyone here!!! They have been more or less working in a cement box, think of a HUGE HUGE cement basement with a cement ceiling and a here there in it.. The floor is just completely fille with boulders and rubble.. It is like a dusk factory inside not to mention probably well over 100 degrees in there.. and also a gas generator running while they are working in there...I was only there to help for a 1/2 of a day and within 30 minutes of mixing cement with a shovel on the ground and scooping it into wheel barrels I was so and dizzy I had to go outside for fresh air, which was not fresh at ll.. The water and running down the narrow street was from the suers so the smell was awful.. KUDO's KUDO's KUDO's to ALL the construction team, Mike, JR, Tom, Jim, and Vince!!!!
Amanda and Sarah worked for hours in the clinic and had incredible patience for the staff we were assisting.. They do things much different than we would but we took direction from them and did our best...KUDO's to the nurses on our team.. Sarah also helped Steve (our Dr) suture up a very deep wound in a little boys head.. It was open all the way to the skull.. He had tripped or fallen on the stairs.. Steve admited him into the hospital for the night and he left to get Xrays elsewhere as we don't have that equiptment set up at the hospital yet.. She also assisted Steve in suturing a boys hand which was cut pretty deep...
I was the help wherever need person, clinic taking vitals, bandage/dressing changing person, phlebotomist drawing blood for tests, PLAYING WITH THE CHILDREN while they were waiting to be seen, unpacking boxes, organizing, what ever needed to be done and I was available..
OOOOOOOOOOO and our construction-Videographer VINCE has gotten some amazing video with a huge nice movie camera and he will be sharing it with all of us once he edits it at home.. UPDATE, he is feeling much better now, he was our 1st team patient with the stomach virus and boy was it bad...
Well I'm glad I had a few minutes to get this blogged.. I feel terrible for telling everyone to read the bog but not contributing to it so here it all is in a nut shell (BOOK I MEAN).... Love and miss everyone.. Keep your comments coming.. Even tho we all don't have time to blog, WE READ EVERYTHING you write......AND APPRECIATE IT MUCH!!! HUGS N KISSES TO EVERYONE..
Donna, Dawn, George, whoever reads this tell Mom and Dad I said HAPPY 50th and wrote mom a short email to her yesterday.. Sorry I couldn't call them but was thinking of them ALL day since I remembered the date!!!!! HUGS N KISSES TO THEM ALSO!!!! :)

Drive back from the Beach, WOW!!!

The drive to and from the beach was an experience that none of us will ever forget... We had the oppertunity to see more of Haiti, 2 hours worth on the way there and back... All I can say is WOW!!! Like I said Brant, I had flash backs of your videos from Iraq except no military present.. There were a few UN Police but not what I expected..If the video goes thru you will experience a small piece of what we saw..

This was 1 of the MANY MANY tent communities..

Enjoy Worship Haitian style

Praying you all have such an amazing time of worship tomorrow morning. Lord may you be gorified and exalted tomorrow morning as these dear sisters and brothers come together to worship you... may it be a time of blessing, and may your Holy Spirit be moving... Strengthen these dear soldiers of yours to finish strong the race that is set before them.

In the strong name of Jesus I pray,
Amen

Have a blessed Lord's day everyone!

Love

Kelly

There is no such thing as a Vincent.

I don't believe Vincent really exists! There are no pictures of him posted that I could find. I think you are delirious from the heat and are just imagining him.

from Cris N.

Thanks for the update

Thanks for posting Debby and updating us on the rest of the crew. Praying that everyone that is sick recovers quickly : ( and that those of you that are healthy remain that way. Happy to hear Vince is starting to feel better.

Love,
Michelle

Lab

Here is the lab I helped out in the 1st day... VERY VERY different than from the states.. It was a room less than 10X10 while they are finishing up the new lab across the hospital...Had a few blood draws then went up to help in the clinic again...Drew the blood with syringes, not vacu tubes... Don't have vacutainers here YET..

Video is from the drive home from the beach.. Brant this reminds me of your videos from iraq when you were driving thru the streets except there was not much if any military around...
Internet problems, won't upload the video sorry.. So I'm posting my kisses pictures again.. I got sooooooo many kisses again yesterday, all for 1 LITTLE PIECE OF CANDY!! :)

CCC Haiti Gang

Sorry everyone is getting sick - we are praying that your stomachs are settled and that you are getting better with rest tonight. I was reading James 1 :1-18 about testing of our faith and perseverance. A great read for all of us and summary :

James 1
1James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.
Trials and Temptations 2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
9The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. 10But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. 11For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.
12Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
13When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
16Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. 17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

The book of James begins with what seems like a strange sort of pep talk: “Consider it pure joy . . . whenever you face trials” (v. 2). As James explains, though, this is not a masochistic reveling in pain and suffering. Rather, we can have joy because these trials that weface are for a purpose: “that the testing of your faith develops perseverance” (v. 3). Perseverance means finishing what we start, completing what has been begun, or sticking to the job. Perseverance enables us to press on toward maturity and completeness, “not lacking anything” (v. 4).
The experience of trials allows us to develop the qualities that lead to the completion of a beautiful character that honors God. God will not rest until He has placed the last piece of the puzzle in our lives. These trials are merely sanding the edges of our imperfection, wearing down our old, selfish, human nature. We find perfection not in pampering, but in difficulty. That may not be the answer we want to hear.
The chapter ends with a warning: “Don’t be deceived. . . . Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change” (vv. 16-17). He will help us persevere to the end.

Remain in the Lord and he will provide you the strength!!! God bless you all!!!

stay strong!

You're in the moment now
A bitter rouse
A wandering eye and then
The ties that bind start wearing thin, within

You're in the moment now
When all that you've been blessed with
Is not enough
Here's where the ground gets loose
Here's where the devils call your bluff

Stay strong
You are not lost
Come on and fix your eyes ahead
There's a new dawn to light our day, our day
You've gotta stay strong
You and I run
For the prize that lies ahead
We've come too far to lose our way, our way

We've seen the tragic flaws
The tortured souls
The saints with feet of clay
Here's where sin becomes cliche'

We've come through wilderness and watched
The cloud by day
The burning sky into dawn
Have you forgotten who you are?
Did you forget whose trip you're on?

Stay strong
You are not lost
Come on and fix your eyes ahead
There's a new dawn to light our day, our day
We've gotta stay strong
You and I run
For the prize that lies ahead
We've come too far to lose our way, our way

Get up, there's further to go
Get up, there's more to be done
Get up, this witness is sure
Get up, this race can be won
This race can be won

We've gotta stay strong
You are not lost
Come on and fix your eyes ahead
Our Father's dawn will light our day, our day
Come on and stay strong
His grip is sure
And His patience still endures
There'll be no letting go today, no way

Come on, and stay strong
You and I run
For the prize that lies ahead
We've come too far to lose our way, our way" <3>

Saturday... Clinic closed..Beach Day

Clinic was closed for the day so we drove a couple hours to enjoy the beach for a few hours... Had a very close call on the drive back home, almost ran over a man...Roads are terrible here, unbelievably.. Brant, the video clips we took today remind me of yours from Iraq.. I will try to attach one on here if internet allows tonight...

JR and Sarah are sick today so we all are starting our antibiotics as a preventative for the stomach virus that has hit 3 of our team members as of today..

Transportation Home

Mike ~ I wanted to make sure that your rides back from the airport are set up but I wasn't sure who to contact. Please post or email Lois and I so we can make sure no one is stranded at O'Hare.

Bob Dahlstrom

Ran out of water yesterday, by far the hardest day of the trip and the hottest! I slept the best I have slept in a month, apparently I woke Tom and Mike up and myself snoring, but they have no proof! I recorded them both snoring like crazy the night before! Today we are at Kaliko "Resort" the water is beautiful! We all desparately needed a break! Vincent has improved about 80%, but Amy and Sarah are not feeling well now, please pray for them and for the remainder of us who have not gotten sick. Miss u all! JR

Goat boy..

Goat boy....sorry I could not resist!

Kisses for you dad!

Dad, I miss you, can't wait to see you. 

1 Corinthians 13 (New International Version)

Love

  ⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
 ⁸Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. ¹¹When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. ¹²Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
 ¹³And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Hi honey, just wanted to pray for your love and compassion you ALL are showing to the kids and the helpers. May you all have a blessed day today, enjoy your time together.  Stay safe see you soon. three days till we see you!

Love, 

RC

Beach Day

JR when you go to the beach today find me a shell LOL! YOU know how I like shells! LOL!

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Love,
Meshellee ;-)

For Sale: Make offer, open floor plan, handyman's special, just needs a little TLC, located in the Caribbean...Seriously, the area we are working in, 10% of the houses look like this one, Port au Prince Harbor 60% of the the building were destroyed, downtown Port au Prince 90% of the buildings were destroyed! I will hopefully post pictures of those tomorrow or Sunday. Mostly all Haitians are living in tents in their front yard or in a tent city. The people here are the hardest working individuals I have ever met in my life! They are also loving and caring individuals who insist on serving you hand and foot, when we should be serving them.  That has been one of the biggest blessings for me so far is being allowed to serve along side them as we all try and rebuild their church. Please continue to pray for them and us.