Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Some pics

Taking it all back down....

Met Evans hard at work!

Me and Baby Carl (he says hello to Al, Ruth and Keith)

Prayer meeting with staff and several students

We're thankful to have a few visitors here right now (Nicole and Steve)

Monday, September 27, 2010

Long overdue...

Sorry for the silence... our situation changes daily and I didn't want to broadcast any news only to have it change the very next day.  What I can tell you is that last week we retrieved all our textbooks from the previous property which made me very happy as I and the teachers could start to prepare for the upcoming year. As of Friday we received permission to remove our stuff from the temporary property, in fact work started today.  Of course it is bitter sweet, we are happy to be able to remove our stuff finally, but it's sad to see all the hard work of our staff, students and many Canadian volunteers be taken down so shortly after it was put up.  The whole situation is difficult and has caused us much grieve.  We continue to pray for the situation; that hearts would be softened, and broken relationships mended.
But, moving forward... what's our next step?  Well we have found two potential places to relocate.  Both have pros and cons and today we explained the possibilities to the teachers to receive their input.  In the interest of time, we need to make a decision soon.  School is officially supposed to start on October 4th, we realize that we won't be opening on this day but hope to lose as little time as possible.  We are going forward with plans, buying textbooks, meeting with staff, registering new students and visiting students' homes. 
On a more personal note, I had a scary experience on Friday afternoon.  I was driving to my colleague's house when out of nowhere a crazy wind started whipping dust around on the street.  Next some heavy rain started to fall.  I really thought nothing of it, but as I neared my house and the rain came harder and the wind picked up, I decided to stop by my house quickly to close the windows.  As I was standing on my front porch I saw my neighbour's large water container fly off their roof into my yard.  My patio furniture was blown up against the wall of my house.  Once inside I could barely close the front door behind me.  I struggled to close all the windows, but one section of my house doesn't close, it is only iron bars so the wind continued to whip through the house.  Things were falling off the wall and being blown around, it brought back a lot of memories from the earthquake and even once I was out of the house it took a long time for my heart to start beating normally once again! Many trees fell during the storm and many tents were destroyed... it's so difficult for those in Haiti.  They deal with one disaster after another!
Not much else to report at this point.  Our team is doing well for the most part and staying positive through it all.  The Lord is great and greatly to be praised.  We praise Him for all that He is doing and we are honoured to carry out His work here in Haiti.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Working Out

Sorry no more news about our current situation.  Keep praying... and I'll let you know as soon as I know anything!
In other news... I taken a keen interest in working out these days.  Before the earthquake I had joined a gym in the neighbourhood, however I was mostly interested in the large track they had behind the building.  It was wonderful to be able to walk to my heart's content, not having to worry about chickens, goats, large stinky puddles of water, large vehicles whizzing past and people trying to get my attention.  After the earthquake the track become a "displaced persons camp" and it was no longer pleasant to walk on it.  This year I decided I was going to join the gym again and try the weight lifting thing.  That lasted about two days, it's just so boring, even with my i pod. So now I'm trying out the aerobic classes.  At first I was really intimidated because the classes take place in the center of the room and many of the men working out like to take breaks from working out to check out the aerobics class (the class is mostly made up of women:)  After the first class I quickly lost my nervousness, I was so busy sweating away and trying to keep up with the rest of the class that I didn't have time to notice who was watching.  Due to the heat here, halfway through the day most people start to feel tired and lethargic and I'm no exception.  I do, however, find that working out at the end of the day gives me an extra energy boost and I feel much more energetic the next day.  I'm hoping I'll keep up the routine for the rest of the year, only time will tell.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Encouragement

Unfortunately, there's no news yet on the school building situation.  We still don't have our stuff, and we still don't have a new building.  We remain in good spirits all things considered...
Due to lack of an office I've been taking it on the road:)  On Thursday I drove around and met up with the teachers in various places.  I visited several  homes and met teachers on the side of the road!  Later, several of the teachers came to my house to discuss several ideas for next year and begin making plans.  As always, the teachers are a huge source of encouragement to me.  Although they are upset about the situation that we are in, they keep reminding me that the Lord will provide for all our needs.  We prayed together and looked to One who is the source of all hope.  We continue to move forward, and hope to open the school in October as originally planned.  We're doing what we can for now and leaving the rest in the Lord's hands.  Thank you for your prayers!  We feel surrounded by support both here and overseas.

Wednesday, September 08, 2010

Situation

As per my previous post, we are in sort of a difficult situation these days.  We are not yet able to access the previous property which is frustrating on several levels.  First of all I don't have an office (once again!) and although I'm thankful that Randy and Karen have provided me with a corner of their living room for the time being, it's just not the same as having my own space to work in.  Thankfully, the most important school materials were removed from the property immediately (student files etc.) and a lot of my work is stored on my computer so I have enough to work on but there there are still a lot of materials I'd love to be able to access.  Hopefully sometime this week we will be allowed back on the property to retrieve our stuff.  We are making the best of the situation and working away on what we can in the mean time.  The teachers are eager to help in any way so once I get myself organized I will get in touch with them and put them to work.  As well, we have started to register the school and organization here in Haiti which we have wanted to do for a long time and now we have a chance to work on this.
Despite the difficulties, it's still good to be back.  I'm loving the heat and it was great to see all the teachers and staff so shortly after I arrived back and pray with them.  Please pray for much wisdom and patience at this time.

Tuesday, September 07, 2010

Request for Prayer

A Request for Prayer

Dear Friends of Adoration Christian Centre:
Due to a situation that is outside of our control, it appears that Adoration is going to have to find a different location for the upcoming school year which begins in October.
The temporary site that we were using was owned by Pastor Charles of the Presbyterian Missino to Haiti. Because of a falling out with the church, Pastor Charles has withdrawn his permission to use the property. At this point Randy is hopeful that all the buildings and materials will be recovered. The news of this development is a great disappointment, as many relationships have been severed, and for those who worked so hard to erect the offices, residences, classrooms, playground, bathrooms, kitchen and the tent.
However, the teachers and staff have been a source of encouragement for Randy and Karen and Kim! They are confident in the Lord's goodness, and that even in this, the LORD has a plan. He has always come through for us, and He will again.
We ask for your prayers in resolving this situation, either through a change of heart for Pastor Charles, or that God may lead us to another property where everything can be re-installed. We stand with the decision the Prsbyterian Mission to Haiti board had to make regarding Pastor Charles Amicy, and with the decision of the overseeing Presbytery of the PCA. To read their statement on the situation please visit their website at www.presbyterianmissioninhaiti.org. We continue to work with Pastor Ben Hopp, OPC missionary, and Pastor Octavius Delfis, PCA Pastor. The work of the church will continue, as we prayerfully and humbly move forward. Sometimes it seems like life in Haiti is one crisis after another, and it is true, the Devil is hard at work! On the other hand, our work has been so greatly blessed, and many people have been able to witness the love and power of our God, that we stand in awe of His works.
As much as possible we will try to keep our supports up to date on the developments. Thank you for your continued concern, support and prayer.
Yours in Christ,
CDIA Board and Adoration Team


Thursday, September 02, 2010

Back in Haiti

It's good to be back.  I flew into PAP, Haiti on Tuesday afternoon and except for arriving without my suitcases the flight went smoothly.  Yesterday, Randy, Karen and myself sat down and they filled me in on all the happenings while I was away, we also started to plan the month of September.  This morning we had the opportunity to meet with the teachers and pray for the upcoming school year.  We have been blessed with such an amazing staff, we are so thankful for all the gifts and talents they bring to our organization.  The previous week was the final week of school for this school year and the teachers have officially started their vacation time!!  I'll be keeping busy during September getting ready for next year, getting new uniforms, buying new textbooks, hiring new teachers making schedules and all the other fun stuff that needs to be done before school opens for another year.  Sorry no pictures quite yet...  when something exciting happens I'll be sure to post pictures.