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Our June 2006 mission trip took place from June 26th through July 7th, 2006. Our group of 12 people was an awesome team!
(rear, l to r) Vince Reed, Brian Fitch, Steve York, Glenn Freeman, Rock West, Matt Lenfestey (front, l to r) Philip Charles, Jamie Charles, Tammy Poulin, Shayla Poulin, Sarah Pettengill, Lisa Freeman  This team was a unique one for a His Hands for Haiti work team because all the team members (except Philip and Jamie Charles of HH4H) were from the same church - Fayette Baptist Church in Fayette, Maine. For all the Fayette team members, this was their first trip to Haiti and for some it was their first time in an airplane! Our primary purpose on this trip was to help with the construction of the new church/school building in Ouvray but there were many other projects and events happening during our visit so hang on - you're in for a LOT of photos!  One of many new experiences for this team was riding to the job site in the back of a tap-tap. How many Americans can you fit in a tap-tap?  Another one of those new experiences was riding on the "roads" in Haiti, including this one leading into Ouvray. The team probably walked this road more than they rode on it! Some of the typical "traffic" on the road into Ouvray    When we first arrived in Ouvray, this is what the building looked like - the walls were up but there was no roof in place.  The team immediately rolled up their sleeves and got right to work. Even the girls grabbed hammers and helped in building the trusses for the roof.  With everyone lending a hand, the trusses were finally completed and ready to be put on top of the building.  Without any heavy equipment to lend a hand, it took the hands of many humans but, one by one, the trusses were put into place and the roof began to take shape.  Once all the trusses were in place, they began putting on the metal roofing which really changed the look of the whole project.  A view from the opposite side of the church building, showing the metal roof almost complete!  While the construction on the roof was moving forward, there was a crew digging up fill from the hill behind the building. This fill had to be hauled into the building and was used to level out the floor.   It was difficult, back-breaking labor which was made even more difficult by the stifling heat. In case you can't read the watch in this photo, it reads, "10:40 a.m." and the thermometer is just shy of 120 degrees fahrenheit! This reading was taken inside the church building while the crew was working.  In these working conditions, the crew was forced to take many rest breaks out of the sun and consume vast amounts of liquids.  Of course, some team members had their own ways of taking rest breaks - like having soccer games with the kids!  On Friday, we had a real treat when we were the invited guests at a ceremony honoring the first class to finish preschool at the new school in Ouvray.  Amazingly, even in remote Ouvray, the cell phone is still an interruption to the preparations for the ceremony!  Once the ceremony began, we were impressed by the many songs and recitations performed by the 5 year olds, including this one about "The Pencil".  The ceremony ended with the presentation of gifts to all the 5 year olds who were very happy to receive them and relieved that they had performed their parts well. On Sunday, back in Terrier Rouge, we also had the great blessing of being a part of the graduation of the 5 year old class from the Center of Protection.  The preparations began as they always do with the children coming to the house to be dressed in their caps and gowns.  It took many hands and quite a bit of hectic activity but somehow they all got dressed and ready to walk down to the church for the ceremony.
The boys and the girls of the Center of Protection Graduating Class of 2006  
The wonderful teachers of the Center of Protection   We also found some time to help out at His House. We delivered and assembled some much-needed garment racks for the children's clothes (above) and also some paint to spruce up the interior of the house. Shayla and Sarah were very happy to receive some painting assistance from Madame Christian's grandson, Geraldy!(right)  Some of the team members found time to replace the rotten boards on the tower that holds the water tank for the house (left) and we even found time to process some children who needed to be added to the Sponsorship Program.(below)   But by far the biggest blessing we received was being a part of the very first service held inside the new Ouvray church building, when we learned that Pastor Noel had named this church "L'eglise Baptiste de Maine" (The Baptist Church of Maine), because of their appreciation for all the help they received from our teams from Maine.  As part of the service, the team handed out Creole Bibles for some of the people of the church, whom Pastor Noel had chosen to receive them. Some of these people were men from the work crew that our team had been working side-by-side with throughout the week. It was a great joy for us to see them with the Word of God in their hands and they were very thankful to receive it.  The team also was given the gift of a guitar to give away in Haiti and the people of The Baptist Church of Maine were thrilled to receive this very special gift! What a joy for us to be the delivery persons of these wonderful gifts for our brothers and sisters in Haiti!
The carpentry crew and the "pit" crew of L'eglise Baptiste de Maine   Even with all the work and the activities, we still had time for our most-important activity - building relationships with our brothers and sisters in Haiti.  Team members "hanging out" with some of the kids on the front porch  Steve entertaining some of the kids on the porch  Tammy surrounded by neighborhood kids outside the building where we use the telephone  Pastor Apollon Noel and Marie Noel, Cuban husband and wife doctor team, Lourdes Luzua Acuna and Ivan Mojena Rodrigues (who will be working in Terrier Rouge for a year or so), and Jamie and Philip Charles of HH4H All in all it was a very full, very rewarding trip for HH4H and Fayette Baptist Church. We look forward to what God has planned for Fayette and for HH4H in the future. We will leave you here with a special photo, which we think is a great one!
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