Bringing a Haven of Hope to Haiti: Reflecting the Love of God...

Mary is with her sister Cynthia in Waycross. She went to see the internal disease Doctor last Thursday and the test did not reveal any problems. She continues to have nausea after she eats, as she did before she was sick, though with medication she is able to hold food down. She went to her Doctor on Monday and will be seeing a specialist to see what is causing her nausea. I sure miss her being here beside me. She conveys her appreciation for your prayers and intercession on her behalf. Please continue to pray for her.

The work here is going well, Julie, Laura Lynn, and Terry returned to Gonaives on the 8th of January and school has been back in session for two weeks now. It is a blessing to see the children maturing and learning. They love to share with us the English words which they are learning. Laura Lynn has been working towards getting Haitian teachers to help complete this year and for next year as we expand. This week we have a team from Julie's home church in Va. They are having a VBS for the children. Julie is enjoying spending some time with her dad. Please continue to pray for these servants as they represent Him in their task each day.

Brian returned on the 27th of December and is continuing on the housing project. We now have 14 Foundations complete, walls on three houses complete and working on placing rafters on the first house. It is exciting to see a community being built. It is also great to see some of these guys which do not have a lot of work, have jobs to supply their families. We are thankful for Cross International allowing us to participate with them in this project as we work together for the Kingdom of God. It was great to have Jim, Phil and Jeff from Nebraska, here for few days helping out with this project.Brian is here to build houses, his main objective is to disciple and be discipled. As followers of Christ how would each of our jobs be different if this was our primary Goal. Please continue to pray for this community.

Darrin Mitchell from Toccoa Ga has been here since the 26th of December working with local pastors and helping with many different mission projects. It is great to see the the pastors coming together in unity, working together for the Kingdom of God. It was great to have Jim Hambrick here with friend Rick Via for a few days. They taught local pastors and were able to visit some families and pastors in Jubilee and also pass some time with Pastor Genada. Please pray for the local pastors here as they are really on the front-lines here.

We are continuing to meditate on relationships and this morning we had a great devotion with the team from Va. We talked about love and the scriptures were used about the many things which we can have, but if we do not have love for our fellowman, what we have is nothing and we are nothing more than a clanging symbol. It reminded me of the devotion we had a few weeks ago where we agreed that our relationships to one another was more important than the work which we do. If those relationships do not reflect the love of God, then why are we here, we would be just as well to go home. I have meditated on this over the past few weeks and how it would apply to our local bodies of believers in our churches and other Christian organizations. Would it not be the same? Our relationships and love towards one another and preferring one another is more important than the work which our mission produces. The work would only be a conduit to testify of how God's love allows us to work together in relationship. When we say we are doing it in the "name of God" or in the "name of Christ" and Their love in not manifested in what we do through relationship, then why are we doing it. That would be an indicator that our relationship with God is false. God our Father, please help us to walk and represent you in our relations with one another, in a way which truly represent you as we walk in His steps amen.