Video of problems from Tropical Storm Sandy

This video shows walls and a house being taken down by the powerful current of a swollen river near a bridge that we use to go up north.

Storm problems

I just got up because an electrical outlet in our room was shorted out by the storm and an electrical fire started to climb up a cord. Thank God I was already awake, heard the phfffhhhttt, saw the glowing wire....I jumped up, yelled "it's a fire!" and "turn on the light!' I was afraid to unplug the things plugged into it, but my hero did it & didn't get burned or anything. Glad I was awake & that it was right in our bedroom, not somewhere else. I can't believe how much rain keeps coming down!

So, God saved us from our little emergency. But please pray for those affected by the flooding.
Carol

These pictures were from yesterday. The rain stopped for a while last night and then started up again. It's been coming down hard. With this storm we don't really have any wind to worry about, it's just so much rain (and thunder & lightning).

I thought it would be good to get these up early because our home internet went out, and electricity might go out (electric company power already went out and we're on our inverter). We have a travel internet USB key to use, so hopefully the towers will keep working.
thanks for your prayers.

Corrine Gries shares about her stay with us!

I've been in Port-Au-Prince, thanks to a last minute "change of plans" (within 24 hours of getting on the plane in the US) - I originally intended to go to the orphanage, but here I am with people that I met on Skype at 830pm the night before I left ;) Thank the Lord for CrossWorld, I met this couple (from Pennsylvania, of all places) that have been in Haiti for several years. Carol works at a Christian school in Port-Au-Prince, and I was able to watch her interact with her students... I loved how she took a moment as a "teaching moment" of doctrine in French class. I love the way she cares for students as individuals and values them. She has a gentle, yet "strong" presence. Richard has a soccer ministry. While I was here, he and his team had a major conference in Fond Parisien (near the Dominican Republic border) to encourage soccer coaches and chaplains in their ministry (or those that play soccer, who with new tools, can see soccer as a ministy). I met one gentleman and asked if he had learned a lot. He was so thankful for the training, as he was thirsty for resources to help with his ministries all over haiti. This was a big deal for many who came. Richard is passionate about people knowing Christ, and I've been touched by the number of times he's said, "we need to pray."

Really, these are their "jobs." Ministry, in a sense, is "how" one lives.... "how" one interacts with neighbors and friends (and strangers like me). I have met the people they have befriended here... a youg man, a woman with 3 kids, for example, who they "walk with" through life. I found this quote recently on the CrossWorld FB page: "What is a disciple? Someone who is learning to live and love like Jesus and helps others to do the same." What I like is the honesty of the "in progress-ness" of each of us (if I may make up a word) and the power that God uses us despite not yet being perfected. I have many examples of this at home, and I am thankful for a new "picture" of this here...

In addition to inviting me into their home, they've invited me into their life in HOW they have been transparent with me. They have not "glamorized" life in Haiti, but they have shared what they love and have shared the challenges. I have learned much, and I have been thankful for this "safe place" that they've allowed me to enter... At the moment, I really can't articulate how thankful I am for these new friends.

I've seen many new places this week in PAP, including the national museum, Petionville, and Fond Parisien (beautiful).... and a salt lake pond between Haiti and the DR because the ocean used to separate the island (ya learn something every day)...

On Oct. 20th we partnered with "Love a Child" (www.loveachild.com) ministries in Fond Parisien, which is near the border with the Dominican Republic.

They invited 4 Christian schools and 12 local soccer clubs to a training seminar that Ambassadors Football Haiti taught. We trained 3 leaders from each team: One to be a coach, another to be a chaplain and the last to be an administrator.

It turned out that many participants were not Christians and so we had a great opportunity to present the Gospel!

It was great to have two visitors to help us with this seminar in addition to Ronald William and Bruce Jean Paul Pierre-Noel, AFH staff members.

Corinne Gries, a friend from Pennsylvania and Serge Pierre-Charles, a Haitian American with a PHD in education. They did a great job registering the 53 participants.

In addition to the training materials, we distributed over 2000 evangelistic booklets to be given to the children at the schools that participated in the training.

So please pray that the Good Seed of God's Word that was sown yesterday - that it would grow in the hearts of the many who do not yet know Jesus as their Savior!.

Road I worked on is now fixed!

The stretch of road I was angry about a few weeks ago is now fixed. They completely patched the whole are that was eroding and it is now a pleasure to drive over it instead of a bone-jolting experience!

New life means new beginnings

New life means new beginnings

Since we have returned to Haiti, we have seen several babies that were born during our time away in the US.

Here are pictures of two of them:

You may remember the story of Venita and Bejanot that we featured in our last newsletter. Bejanot and Venita welcomed their 4th child on July 27th, 2012. A beautiful, healthy daughter named Esther who is growing daily.

Isidor and Joanne, the couple whose 8-day old baby died in the earthquake rejoiced in the birth of their son, Jonathan, this summer.