By Christi & Craig Gabhart, Spiritual and Organizational Development Managers in Pignon/Sylvain, Haiti
We have pondered the concept that we are with MH4H here in Haiti not necessarily serving the Haitian people but specifically serving God. “Blessed be the LORD forever. Amen and Amen. Psalm 89:52” The progress being realized on the MH4H Sylvain Campus is such encouragement from the Lord. We think Proverbs 16:3 is where it’s at! “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”
Read fast…tomorrow these photos might be OLD NEWS. We hope so!
The gazebo, in Creole: cazibo, has been a blessing since the first day it was in use. Each weekday morning at 7:00 AM the MH staff and a handful of other friends and neighbors come together for a time of worship through song, scripture with group discussion, and prayer. Yesterday morning after the discussion time the wife of a nearby witch doctor responded by wanting to have Jesus be Lord of her life. The MH Haitian staff approached the moment with confidence by speaking to her to be sure she understood what that would mean on her part. One staff member boldly stated that as she would become a Christian she could face persecution starting right then. The woman wants to be a Child of God. “Blessed be the LORD forever. Amen and Amen. Psalm 89:52”
As modeled by Jesus.
Today the “Well House/Prayer Hut” has the first layer of Krepi, the smooth cement finish on the walls. The pump for the well will be secure and the back side, a prayer area, is a place to give thanks for such things as simple yet as essential as water. “Blessed be the LORD forever. Amen and Amen. Psalm 89:52”
The prayer hut/well house
The prayer hut/well house
The current BIG project is the “EquippingCenter”. The Haitian work crew is led by contractor/project manager, Jim. They are working hard each day in the hot sun but making great progress. Some evenings we receive a progress report on the days work such as this:
Not much for automated equipment here. See the small cement mixer in the background to the left. Concrete block, rock, gravel, sand, water are the recipe for most construction projects in Haiti. Day by day, wheel barrows and buckets and shovels and hard work will get the project done.
All the cement goes one wheel barrow at a time.
Equipping Center
The serving counter in the Equipping Center
The outdoor kitchen in the Equipping Center
The storage rooms in the Equipping Center
Everyday, we see progress being made.
The Equipping Center will be the location of the Thrive program. A daily, weekday meal will be served. See the serving counter to the right. Supply room on the left.
The Equipping Center will not only be used for the Thrive program. This facility will allow MH4H to host conferences, seminars, community meetings, as well as events with a worship setting. All this to develop and grow Spiritual Leaders for Christ. Next week there will be American missionaries coming to work with MH4H to help with the roof. Ephesians 4:11-13 The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.
This structure is labeled the Agronomy Training Center. Two shipping containers were carefully placed with construction of a roof to complete the facility. It’s first use however will be to host the Thrive program until the Equipping Center is ready for use.
The Agronomy Center will house the Thrive for 5 until the Equipping Center is completed.
Today an introductory Thrive meeting was held to help parents understand what the program offers. “Blessed be the LORD forever. Amen and Amen. Psalm 89:52”
The parents with their children meeting to learn about the new Thrive for 5 program they are enrolled in.
Woody and Heidi lead the meeting, which included mothers, fathers, and siblings.
People leaving the campus to return home after the meeting.
Included in the report from Jim, the contractor: All of the bench lumber has been cut and router-ed. They will be sanding them tomorrow. This is being done at Jim’s warehouse about a mile away. Another update from Jim included: I stopped by the welding shop today to drop off steel for the tack plates on the columns and I see they are hard at welding on the benches. I also had him make hurricane straps for the container roof.
All the wood and lumber for the benches that will be built soon.
Seedlings ready to be transplanted into the Sylvain model garden that will teach and train community members on how to have a more productive garden. Colossians 3:23 “Whatever your task, put yourselves into it, as done for the Lord and not for your masters since you know that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward: you serve the Lord Christ.”
A new harvest is coming, with seedlings sprouting into productive plants. This is our hope for not only agriculture, but people as well.
- Half of the perimeter columns were poured yesterday. The remainder will be poured today.
- The bond beam on the block will be poured Thursday
- The well house was rough plastered and forms and steel were placed for the bench.
- We will form and pour the center columns tomorrow.
The Equipping Center
