Celebrating Opening Day for PPM Community 3

Wow! It's hard to believe that this project is already completed and people are moving in.
God is truly to be praised!!

We just finished the dedication ceremony for this, our third transitional community. All of the beneficiaries were so grateful in prayer for their new shelters and start-up kits.

Each new resident received a set of cookware, a large plastic container for water, basic hygiene kit, and mosquito nets so they can start off on the right foot to keep themselves healthy and the community a clean and sanitary place to live. It's so cool - some folks have already started personalizing their homes (see little flower beds one mom and her children put in near their door).

I'm in a hurry to get things done today, so I'll let these photos speak for themselves. I'm off to Darbonne to check on progress at Community 4, then on to the city of Dufort to look into the possibility of land for a fifth community.

Seeking His Strength,
Roody

Joyous News: Marie Yolene

I have great news to share!

I received an update about little Marie Yolene, the two year old we helped after the earthquake. If you recall, her arm was severely burned in the quake and all that had been done for it was to wrap it in a towel. When I first saw her, her aunt was so distressed because little Marie was suffering (left). The doctor I took her to told her aunt that, without proper treatment, she would have probably died within a week or so of the horrible infection that had set into her arm.

After she saw the doctor and I helped Danita's people relocate her to their orphanage, I lost track of her. Brittany, one of the workers at Danita's, contacted me yesterday and provided an update on little Marie:

Marie Yolene, who we now call Marie Joy, is doing great! Actually, her aunt came to live and work with us a few months ago. She is also doing really great, living and working with all our children from Port-Au-Prince. The aunt is going to start going to school in the fall and continue working with us. Marie's arm has completely healed, as you can see, with only a couple scars left which will most likely heal soon. She has gained weight, is starting to talk, and has a HUGE personality. She's joyful and spunky :)

Thank you so much, Brittany, for letting us know how well Marie is doing! You made my day!

Joyful,

Roody

Transitional Shelters to Be Converted Into Permanent Homes

I am so happy today! Building the transitional communities is incredible and, thanks to our partners, is going smoothly. I finally had some time to turn my attention to the needs of some of the people who own their own property but lost their homes.

While we, sadly, lack the funds to distribute all 500 of the shelters we have been allotted for this purpose, with the 'go-ahead' to distribute four of them, I made arrangements to have three of them delivered to their intended sites today. The other one will be delivered by the middle of next week.

The first one was delivered to 64-year-old Andre Mathurin (left). He was so overjoyed - all he kept saying was "I pray for you, I pray for you!". Rebecca, he was so happy to talk with you on the phone. He says you are an angel from God and he prays for you every day. (Note: He also wanted me to remind you that he needs more of the protein supplement we send to him).

The second shelter will be dropped off to a group of elderly widows who live way off of the main road. If you recall, one of them came to me about three weeks after the quake and said they had received no aid at all. She took me to where their little hut had been and showed me where the five of them were living under sheets hung from a little tree. It was so pitiful and I have shared Rebecca's heart for sheltering them as we found we were able to do so.

The third shelter will be delivered to an elderly couple who lost their home. They can't even find the words to express how they feel.

The plan is to apply the technology I learned from Charly as we constructed Pastor Danley's house and convert these temporary shelters into permanent homes (right). The cost per home is only $495.00 (for plywood walls, protectant oil, and the materials to screen the windows). An added bonus is that I will be having our boys help with these conversions. This will add to their growing knowledge of construction skills.

These enhanced shelters should provide nice, little homes for these elderly folks for the remainder of their lives. I call that a really good investment!

Serving Him,

Roody

Darbonne Community Becomes a Reality

I visited the landowner today to have her sign the necessary land lease documents and to pay her. The project managers will beginning the layout process tonight - determining where the houses will go, where amenities such as the rest rooms and play areas will be located given the property boundaries and terrain.

My prayer is that actual construction can begin very quickly. We have had torrential rain for several nights and the people in Darbonne are suffering the effects of not being able to shelter themselves and their limited belongings from the rain. They are so excited and can't wait for the shelters to be ready to occupy.

I can readily locate other parcels of land, there are supplies available to construct literally thousands of these shelters -- we just lack the funds to continue building these communities. We must continue to pray for God's continued provision of the funds to lease the properties.

Expectantly,
Roody

The Waiting is Over for Darbonne

The waiting is over! God 's answer to our prayers for partners in this most worthy endeavor was to link us with our friends at CoAid, based in Colorado. Who but God could intricately link people from so many different places to work together for His purposes? Truly awe-inspiring!!

Thank you so much, Steve, for taking this need to your board and for impressing upon them the importance and urgency of this project. The construction of a transitional shelter community in Darbonne is happening none too soon for these poor people who have been almost completely without aid since the earthquake and living totally exposed to the elements for so long.

This parcel of land is going to create a wonderful home for so many people - plenty of shade trees and nice level terrain. I had already negotiated the contract with the landowner, so I will visit with her tomorrow to finalize things. The plan is for the planners to draw up the layout tomorrow as to where the homes, latrines, play area, etc. will be placed on the property and for the workers to begin construction shortly thereafter.


Relishing this miracle,
Roody

Praises for A New Partnership

We have been praying for some time now for God to bring the partners we need in order to do the work He has set before us. Those prayers have been answered -- CoAid, based in Colorado, has offered to come along side us and provide the funds needed to begin construction of the community we had planned for Darbonne.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, CoAID, for joining forces with us to provide safe, protective homes for so many people.

Praising Him Above All,
Roody

Being Still

"Be Still and Know That I Am God".

One of the toughest commands given to us tells us to sit and virtually do nothing. How ironic is that?

Since we negotiated for the use of land for the construction of PPM 4 in Darbonne, a city otherwise devoid of relief efforts (photos of current living conditions here), we have reached out to a network partner for funding to proceed with this much-needed community of transitional shelters. As is a requirement of good stewardship, their board of directors is having to meet to discuss the viability and urgency of the community and pray for guidance. I honor that.

Still -- the waiting is difficult. I have filled the past few days with searching out a few friends in Port-au-Prince and other areas surrounding Leogane in an attempt to offer encouragement and to catch up on each others' lives since the earthquake. It has been good to find that most of our partners, although wearied and significantly worse for the wear, are still alive and still pressing on in their work for the Lord. Rebecca always says that missionary work is not for sissies and she is so right! But even after all they have been through, with few exceptions, our friends are still looking at the half-full parts of their glasses and looking to the future of Haiti with hope.

I am praying for an affirmative reply from God and from our network friends concerning the funds to begin construction on PPM 4 very soon.

Prayerfully Still,

Roody