What's Happening Now

Can't stop time and it has run out for this trip. We have much still do here in Cayette—replacing roofs so village people in mountain regions have homes again. Many are still without safe shelter caused by the 2016 Hurricane Matthew. We are starting to make some good relationships that will help us to share more deeply with these folks who have lost so much in so many tragedies—hurricanes, earthquakes, poverty, hunger.

The pilgrimage back to Port and home starts today. On the way we will stop at a small fishing village in St. Louis de Sud. This is where one of our first roofs went on. It's a small community of about four families living communally. We will bring them some food supplies that each family will share.

Today will be our last day on the mountain. I have scheduled a meeting to reinforce our vision and plan to make sure everyone is still on board. I wanted to give the people in the village of Cayette an opportunity to speak their concerns and get their input on the roof restoration project. For our next trip here, we will start using signed agreements by each home owner before any more roofs are started. This will help with less confusion, and hold them and us accountable. We have a small program planned with the children before we leave. The sewing ministry at a church in Texas has made more beautiful “pillow case” dresses for the little girls. 

Today was a day of rest and reflection. I once had a neighbor who would tell me "When the ox is in the ditch you gotta’ get it out." This was that day for us. The local bosses had completed 14 roofs and they were ready to be paid. We met them in the ravine at the base of the mountain, thanked them for their hard work, encouraged them to keep the faith, and paid them. They always want to give us all the credit for replacing roofs for families who lost their shelter during the big hurricane a year ago, but we quickly tell them we are only the messengers and all praise and glory goes to God. 

Hit the road early as always and headed to the mountain to check on the progress of the roofs. The rain is making it difficult but the bosses are doing a great job.  I am not prepared for the rain in spite of knowing the rainy season calendars wherever I travel. We climbed to the top today which is the furthest that I've hiked yet. A very long hard, dangerous climb. Coming down can be treacherous. The rocks and mud get very slippery, but a young man who helps us was there to assist me. At the top of the mountain the men were working hard on five roofs.

We are back in Cayette, Haiti getting the roofs on 20 houses in this small village. Supported by Conscience International and Give Shelter Ministries we are able to continue this re-development project that is now a year old. It’s about a four or five hour drive from the airport in Port au Prince to Les Ceyes, where we found a place to stay for some much needed rest before starting a very busy week. 

We have discovered a tremendous local work force here. This is very encouraging because this place is off the beaten path. People have been sleeping in the streets for the past five days but some are slowly venturing back inside. Many homes, however, are damaged beyond repair here in Ixtaltepec.

It was a life-changing moment when Matthew Coley stepped into the surgery tent at the emergency field hospital near Mosul, Iraq and saw the eight- month- old infant girl who had lost both her legs above the knee, a victim of an ISIS attack.

As soon as Conscience International volunteer Robert Smucker arrived in Kurdistan, he helped load a truck with 1200 thirty-pound boxes of rice and 2400 six-packs of half-liter jars of baby food, and headed to Camp Jamakor twenty-five miles east of worn-torn Mosul.