▪••  •  • ••  • •  • •  •••      March, 2017      ▪••  • ••  • •▪  ▪▪  ▪•••  •  •▪ ▪  

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary;
and they shall walk, and not faint.  Isaiah 40:31

<<Salutation>>

          Another month has zoomed by.  Each new day we see progress and a greater sense of recovery from the hurricane that smashed into Haiti back in October.  It’s a joy to see so many familiar faces visit Haiti, and meet new friends as well.  We are so blessed to watch the hand of God move in great and mighty ways.   

         2017 Haiti Calendar:

          The 2017 Haiti Calendar has been getting "rave" reviews!  The cost remains the same at $25.00.    

          The available locations are:
...at the guest house in Haiti for teams
...at 210 Johnson Street, Alta. Drop by or receive your copy by mail with an additional small shipping cost. Carolyn's contact information is 712-299-5956.



 

Village of Hope Baptisms

         Between Les and Zachery we usually have a couple of places each month where one of them is preaching.  The ongoing ability to perform our “traditional” missionary roles is not only a blessing, but gives us a greater sense of involvement with the spiritual climate of the people involved.  This past month, six people were baptized at the Village of Hope.  A traditional baptism service at the Village of Hope consists of meeting at church at about 7:00 am on Sunday and marching about a mile to the nearest river singing as we march.  Then a time of prayer and each person walking out into the river and getting immersed.  Once the newly baptized person gets out of the water, they go to a curtain type enclosure that’s held for them by friends so they can enter and change into dry clothes.  Then we march back to the church…singing along the way, and begin the regular worship service.  It’s a full morning, but so rewarding to see how God is touching lives and drawing people unto Him.
                     

          The Center of Help (COH) continues to be “buzzing” with activity.  The security wall is now 100% completed with concrete and block.  It just needs some paint on the front wall and entrance and some finishing touches with the metal entrance gate.  Half of the original gate was damaged beyond repair by the hurricane.

          The new bathroom is at 85% completed with the structure finished and painted, and we are now getting tile on the floor, and then installing three toilets, and metal dividers and doors to make privacy stalls.  This is a septic system with regular style flush toilets, which will be a great improvement over the latrine that was destroyed by the hurricane. 

          We recently had a team visit from South Dakota, and we took the team on a Friday night and showed the Jesus movie at the COH.  This is quite a feat as we had to bring a generator and our own screen (aka white bed sheet).  This type of entertainment is a rare treat for the kids and staff at COH. God stirred the hearts of the team, and they have generously decided they want to help install a solar electrical system.  Over the next few weeks we hope to get that installed along with supply lights, and down the road a bit, a submersible pump that will pump water to overhead tanks to provide running water.  

           A new project that is just under way is the addition of a second floor over the kitchen and food depot.  This will be an apartment for Madam Farril, who is the founder and director of the orphanage.  She has been very non-assuming and always sleeping in tight quarters to make sure the kids have plenty of space.  This will allow her to have a secure space for official records and private place to call her own. 

Next month we will show you pictures! 
           Please contact us with more information if you are interested in helping in any way with this project.

    

          A new focus that started after Christmas break is a vocational training emphasis.  In Haiti it is call Professional School, and there are a variety of classes offered that teach more specific curriculum on an occupation.  For example, there is masonry, carpentry, agriculture, cooking, and sewing to name a few.  The older girls and boys of CCH also have the opportunity, and are encouraged, to attend some of these classes.  Classes start at 3:00pm and usually go to about 5:30pm, and are held Monday -Thursday.  It’s a full day for the older students, but they seem to be enjoying it.  These classes are also offered to the community, and there are number of students or adults who have completed high school who are taking advantage of the specialized education.

              One of the most asked questions, as the kids get older, has been, “What will the kids do once they leave CCH?”.  This latest addition to CCH, is a direct response to that very question.  The hope is that as the boys and girls move on in life, especially those who likely won’t be able to pursue post high school education in a formal sense, they are prepared to have a profession that will give them future opportunity.  Please continue to pray for the kids of CCH.

SEED BANKS

How is the collection of seeds going?  The Haitian agronomists have used all the US seeds and we have had some good rains, so we should see some good results soon.  Here is a useful list of seeds to try in Haiti, as well as, Nigeria.

                                              Eggplant                Bell Peppers             Okra
                                              Jalapeños              Roma Tomatoes       Collards
                                              Carrots                   Red Onion                White Onion
                                              Green Beans         Green Pepper           Cucumbers              
                                              Kale                       Romaine

May we encourage you to use the Seeds of Faith baskets to remind and build continued awareness of this very important gift that continues to grow in our Nigeria FAAGRIC program.  The need for seeds to teach the ever growing FAAGRIC centers through our faithful instructors and seed sower students is important because they are not able to obtain them in Nigeria.  Thank you so much for sowing into the health and well-being of others who are less fortunate for their future.   

Thank you for your words of encouragement and faithful support.

Serving for the least of these, 

Les & Catherine, Zachery & Olivia

 
     Just click on this link: Love gift to Laborers With Christ You can also visit us at laborerswithchrist.org and go to our Financial Support page. Thank you so much for your willingness to partner with us in ministry.     

Laborers With Christ

P. O. Box 74

Alta, IA 51002