CrossWorld Crossings

Update from Phyllis

2011-11-30T12:54:00.002-05:00

Hi Everyone,

There were 21 at Cindy's on Saturday for Thanksgiving. I did the turkey, stuffing, gravy, green bean casserole. We also had other vegetables, rice and beans, goat meat in sauce, onion tart (pie), homemade rolls, cranberry layered salad. We had a Haitian apple pie and pecan pie and a birthday cake for one of the kids. It was delicious and fun. We had a time of sharing and songs in Creole which especially encouraged my heart

Then Sunday our morning service was the end of 2 weeks of evangelistic conference. We had two different choirs 5 special numbers. The church was packed to overflowing and a number went forward for salvation. The special speaker was excellent. A normal comment here if asked if someone is saved is "my father was saved (converted), my mother was saved and I grew up in the church and I'm saved". The speaker pointed out that God doesn't have grandchildren He has children. Just because you are raised by Christian parents doesn't mean you are saved - it is a personal decision you must make. He also reminded us that it isn't about being "religious" but about a "relationship" with Jesus Christ. It was very well done.

In talking with a leader in the church we found that his wife had been driving in the park area near the palace on Saturday, I think, and a bullet went through her driver’s side window and hit the windshield. She was not hurt but scared, as we can all imagine. God surely protected her and we praise Him for that. There have been demonstrations in different area but nothing like that was happening when she was driving by. One day when Cindy, Lauren and I were coming back from grocery shopping we saw police in “riot” gear running towards a group near the palace. We took a different direction!

We ladies in CrossWorld are gearing up for our ladies retreat in the mountains above Port-au-Prince December 3 after we attend the Christmas Bazaar at Quisqueya Christian School. There are many parts I look forward to but the cooler weather on the mountain is definitely one of them. We have two ladies coming from Florida from someone’s supporting church who are coming to share with us and “just love on us” is what we’ve been told. We finish on Wednesday and then will have to push to get ready to leave on Monday the 13th.

The plan is still on for David’s sister to move from Florida to Pennsylvania on Dec. 19th but David will not have to fly down to drive her up. That is a huge relief for him. We will be together with Mel’s family and Joanne for Christmas this year so it should really be a fun family time. Too bad Randy and Debi and families can’t be with us too. We are hoping to see some special friends in Phila and DuBois and otherwise just enjoy family.

I was able to contact my sister on SKYPE on Thanksgiving afternoon and to see her. She recognized me on the computer screen. She looked so good and it was wonderful to see her family and know they were all there with her. She didn’t really talk to me but I could see in her eyes and her hand waving that she knew it was me. I could see a peace in her face that was not there when I left her. She has adjusted well to the nursing home environment for which I really praise the Lord.

I pray Thanksgiving was a blessed time for you and yours and that you will enjoy a Christmas filled with rejoicing in the gift of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Love,
Phyllis for David too!

Update from Phyllis

2011-11-13T12:05:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone,

First of all, I want to thank all who prayed about the need of the Risograph machine for the Extension Bible School department. Thanks to 3 special gifts we were able to purchase a brand new machine in country and it is already up and running. PRAISE THE LORD! The material produced by this machine for the program is not only used within our own churches but other organizations use it for leadership training in their churches. Just last Friday we had 5 men at our dinner table who were here to see the program and materials to incorporate their use in their churches. This program was a dream of David’s dad for localized leadership training and many have had their hands in bringing it to fruition.

After 2 ½ busy months the building of a small house for a family from our church is in the final little details of completion. I don’t have a picture of the completed structure but from these two pictures you can get an idea of the digging of the foundation and the walls going up. It is a small home because the “footprint” of the land is very small and is surrounded by other devastated homes on all sides. I’m not sure if you can tell the house is on the side of a hill above Port-au-Prince. The building projects in our area are not on nice flat plots of land but rather mostly on crowded difficult sides of hills that can’t be reached directly with trucks for clearing debris and carrying supplies so it is all done by hand/shoulder/bucket. This building was completed with some of the left over funds people shared with us following the earthquake. McMartins, Youngs and Schmids will be welcoming teams from January – March to work on other projects in our neighborhood. We’d appreciate prayer for safety, unity and spiritual impact on the team members, us, and the community during these projects.

I can’t even remember if I shared that David and I will be travelling to PA December 12 until January 4 for the holidays with the family. We actually will be moving David’s sister, Joanne, from Florida to an apartment under Amy the first weekend we are there until she can move into subsidized housing. David’s brother, Mel, and family will be coming for Christmas weekend. It will be the first Christmas in many years that 3 of the 5 Schmid siblings will be together for Christmas. It will be a super busy time but we are glad we can get Joanne settled up north. Pray for her adjustment to PA winters and new doctors etc. We are glad she will be near family and especially Mel and Karen as they help her with many of the details of her care.

We also plan on a 6 month furlough in June – November 2012 then staying for the month of December as our vacation month. We are applying for a small furnished missionary apartment through Amy’s church in Lancaster. We may be able to use it if none of the church’s own missionaries are in need of it at that time. There is also a possible option in the DuBois area. Once again we ask that you pray for doors to open concerning a place to live for this short furlough and also a vehicle to use. We applied to an organization that supplies missionary vehicles for furlough but there were none available. We’ve seen God provide for these needs in amazing ways for 8 furloughs already. Yikes, I just counted up the number of furloughs we’ve had so far and this will be our 8^th. Knowing that we always stayed for 4 years each term until the last one when we stayed 30 months and had a 6 month furlough makes the 35+ years of serving in Haiti more real to me.

I will be contacting our supporting churches to plan a schedule for next fall. Please contact us if you have dates when you what us to come. It will help us coordinate our travels from – PA, FL, MA, IN, NY, and NJ. We will try to see as many of our personal supporters as we can too. So help us make up a schedule.

Classes at STEP are going well and in spite of the building project, sickness and lots of other responsibilities David is keeping up with his grading. He is hoping to be able to get his materials written for his January La Coma seminar written before we leave in December too. If I can type and get the materials put together it would be a great help. Would appreciate prayer for this to happen.

We are getting together with friends for Thanksgiving. We actually have a nice stateside turkey in the freezer carried in by the team from Florida who visited the end of October. Some of you will laugh but I’ve already put up my Christmas decorations to enjoy before we leave mid December. I love doing that. I just saw a picture that Judy and Ani had the same idea.

December 3-7 the Crossworld missionary ladies are getting together up at the Baptist Haiti Mission for a ladies’ retreat. Two ladies from Florida are coming to minister and share with us. It is nice and cool up there on the mountain in December so we are looking forward to the time of sharing, fellowship and fun being together.

May we each rejoice in the blessings God has placed in our lives and in the peace and joy He gives us in spite of any difficulties that come our way.

Love to all,

Phyllis

Answer to Prayer from La Pointe!

2011-09-27T07:52:00.002-04:00

Thank you very much for your prayers for the teacher training course. We finished classes on Friday. We enjoyed good health and all of the students did well in their presentations –the Wordless Book, teaching a Bible memory verse and teaching an evangelistic Bible lesson. We clearly saw God working in our student’s lives and His hand of blessing.

Marie Claire and I have begun one-on-one follow-up with the students who finished the course. We are helping them work toward being competent Bible teachers. We appreciate your prayers for this Ministry of Multiplication: evangelizing children, training teachers, equipping teachers & developing leaders.

Blessings!

Lois Beadle

Update from La Pointe!

2011-09-09T14:12:00.001-04:00

We had to postpone our Child Evangelism Fellowship course Teaching Children Effectively Level 1 (in Haitian Creole- KATAK) in August because of the cholera epidemic in our area. Then I was sick and out of commission for a week. We have been waiting for the announcement of the official first day of school to see if we could schedule the course before school begins as many of the students who registered are in school. We still do not have an official date, but they are saying 3 or 10 October! It seems that the enemy has done all he can so that we would not hold this course. We know that God wants these students to take this course.

Marie Claire an I decided that we would hold a course before school opens and we made up a schedule to teach the course 15-17 and 19-23 September. Marie Claire and I will be teaching the course and we have 8 students: Ernst, Marvens, Nachera, Nica, Patrick, Renald, Wilbens, Wilfrid.

Please pray for:

Marie Claire and I to be well prepared to teach this course. The original schedule had 4 Instructors and now we will be 2.
Marie Claire, the students and me to have good health during the course.
the students to be able to concentrate, learn and have time to do their homework.
Marie Claire and I to teach clearly and to understanding and be able to respond to the needs of our students.

After the course we will begin one-on-one follow-up with the students who finish the course to help them work toward being able to share the Gospel, lead children to Christ as their Savior and be competent Bible teachers.

Thank you very much for your prayers for this Ministry of Multiplication:

evangelizing children
training teachers
equipping teachers
developing leaders

Blessings!

Lois Beadle

La Pointe, Haiti

Changes to the blog

2011-09-09T13:59:00.002-04:00

Hi Readers,

Soon you will see some changes to this blog, including a change of address. Now don't panic. You can still use the old address, it will simply redirect you to the new one so will still have access to the blog. Those of you who receive this via Google Reader or some other reader-type format, I do not know what that will change for you.

Blessings,
Amy

Update on Dr. & Mrs. Jeudy

2011-08-04T08:23:00.003-04:00

Hello,

First of all, thanks for all the messages with the assurance of your prayers for this situation with Dr. & Mrs. Jeudy and their visa application. It was a great encouragement to us.

Sadly, they were not granted their visas today. They have a 17-yr-old son who they sent to the States after the earthquake to live with an Uncle so he could continue his school year. He has remained there this year too. His parents thought it best for him and for his schooling. He has his permanent US residency. Dr. & Mrs. Jeudy were told today that if he returns to Haiti and renounces his residency, they will grant them their visas. None of this makes any sense and we do not understand why they are demanding this. It is frustrating to us because we would like to help and meet with the consulate officers to see if there is anything we can do, but it is next to impossible to get in to do this. We understand that the applicants must prove themselves on their own, but sometimes it seems so senseless how they make decisions as to who gets granted a visa and who doesn't.

At the same time, we are at peace trusting God in his sovereignty and in his knowing what is best for the Jeudys in this situation. They haven't made a decision yet because it is a big decision to ask their son to give up his residency because it might mean he would never get it again and that would limit possibilities for his future. As you think of this situation, please continue to pray for them as parents as they need much wisdom in making a decision. Please pray for them to be filled with God's peace in the midst of dashed plans and hopes.

Please pray for us to know if there is anything we can or should be doing. Since their first meeting on July 11th, we have written numerous emails to the Consulate department - many times just getting a form response. There is one hour each day that you can contact the Consulate by phone to talk about pending applications, but we haven't gotten anywhere with that either. If there is someone who has a connection that might help in this situation, God could direct us to them.

Again, thank you for standing with us in prayer for this situation. In the end, no matter what happens, we know that God will receive the glory because His plans are perfect and they will be accomplished.

Love and thanks,
Bruce & Cindy

Prayer Request for today

2011-08-03T08:17:00.003-04:00

Today, Aug 3rd, at 1:00 p.m. Dr. Jeudy and his wife have a follow-up appointment at the US consulate here in Haiti regarding their application for a student visa. This will be their 3rd interview.

Dr. Jeudy, a graduate of our Seminary here, has been accepted at Dallas Theological Seminary and been granted a scholarship.

The Consulate requires that applicants show proof of their ties to Haiti which lessens the possibility of them staying illegally in the States. Dr. Jeudy and his wife have done that - own a house here, a clinic, are building another hospital, etc. This has been enough proof for them to have tourist visas - both have current tourist visas and Dr. Jeudy has had one for 27 years. Both he and his wife have honored their visas for all these years. They have had many opportunities to remain in the States if that was their intent, but haven't.

We are all vexed and do not understand why the problem now, except that maybe Satan is not wanting them to study at DTS. We also realize that God might be closing the door, but then wonder why He permitted them to receive a scholarship when those are not easy to come by.

Anyhow, we ask you to pray with us for their interview tomorrow. We are asking God in His sovereign power to change the minds of the Consulate officials and permit Dr. and Mrs. Jeudy to receive their visas.

I was reading for my devotions and this passage prompted me to write you:

"We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure....But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.....On Him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many." 2 Cor. 1:8-11

We covet your prayers and look forward to many giving thanks and glory to God for answered prayer.
Thanks, Bruce & Cindy

Your suggestions needed

2011-07-28T08:59:00.002-04:00

In light of the time passing since the last update, I would like to know if you are still interested in postings about activities in Haiti.

I have thought about posting information from each of the CrossWorld missionaries as their prayer letters get sent out so that we hear about the goings on from areas beyond Bolosse.

Please post a comment with your suggestions!

Haiti has a new President

2011-04-05T12:56:00.000-04:00

Michel Martelly has been announced as the new president. Please pray for this man as he takes office. The rebuilding work in Haiti is extensive and will be a major part of his years in office and beyond.

Mr. Martelly is not who I expected to win, however God is in control and has His hand on Haiti. Pray for the men and women in leadership (president, prime minister, parliament, etc.) who are responsible for the forward movement that everyone is expecting.

Haiti has the potential to be a wonderful place for business, tourism and everyday living. Please pray that Mr. Martelly and his administration will keep the people, and the country as a whole, as the focus and not be distracted by things that have plagued the Haitian government for centuries.

This link is to an article about Mr. Martelly.
CNN article

Elections

2011-03-25T17:56:00.000-04:00

Elections were held on Sunday with no announced results. From all reports it was a relatively quite day. Time will tell if things will heat up once a winner is announced.

Pray for the millions of people still living in tent cities or temporary housing. While life has "moved on" in the fact that markets are open, some people have gone back to working, if they have a job to return to, and some children have returned to school, this is not the case for all.

Pray for the aid workers who are still in Haiti working in the camps/tent cities. It is an incredible task that has no end in sight. Pray for the medical workers, both Haitian and from other countries. The need is still so great.

Update from Phyllis Schmid

2011-03-05T15:48:00.002-05:00

It has been awhile since you’ve heard from us. The 3 work teams have come and gone and as expected it was a busy but profitable time. Sam’s home is done, Jean Robert’s home was worked on and the faculty office building is over ¾ done. The remaining work is mostly carpentry (hanging doors and putting in windows, etc.). Anyone interested, please contact us. J A note of praise: We had asked you to pray for Sam’s salvation and he did pray with one of our Haitian leaders to receive Christ as his savior. Praise the Lord!!! Pray for his personal growth in the weeks ahead.

David, Bruce and the 4 top administrators of STEP were in Florida for a leadership conference. All of them returned on the 28^th and David came home on March 4^th. They all said it was a very profitable time and exciting to see how God is moving and leading in the world. David stayed an additional 4 days to help take care of his sister, Joanne’s, needs with paperwork, etc. She is in severe congestive heart failure and only has 25% function of her heart. She was very grateful for his help and just to be able to spend time with him. Pray for her as at this point she is living in her own small apartment near friends and her church but financially may need to move elsewhere. David also worked on arrangements for 2 containers to come down – one with a front loader and other construction supplies and one with hospital beds for a clinic in Port-au-Prince.

Lois Beadle has spent some time with me while David was gone. She is involved in teacher training seminars with CEF on the north coast and came with lots of projects to do. She, Cindy and I did get some movie and game times in and some just chatting time. J I thank God for the friends and coworkers He has given me.

This is Mardi Gras weekend in Haiti and the celebrating and noise is already reaching high levels at night. Monday and Tuesday will be bad and then hopefully Wednesday things will quiet down. Then we start with “Rara” which continues until Easter.

March has finally arrived. I hope maybe some of you at least have begun to see signs of spring. Our weather is beginning to change but still cools down nicely at night. I dread the heat and humidity returning full force but that is the way it goes. We also will begin to receive rains which makes everything come to life again

All for today.

Love,

Phyllis

Update from Phyllis Schmid

2011-02-05T13:44:00.000-05:00

Greetings,

I have a feeling this may be a long chatty letter so just a warning! :0) We have a team here from Florida working on the house we told you about in a previous email – Sam’s house. A crew of Haitian workmen, STEP teachers and students did the initial work of clearing the shack Sam had put together (previous photo), clearing the rubble around it from the destruction of his original house, building a strong foundation and putting up the walls. The team will be putting on the roof of Sam’s house and hopefully do the roof on another house so a family of 6 can move in.

This family of 6 is living in a windowless, dark, very small room down a dangerous set of steps. It is a family with 4 younger children and it is all they can afford. The husband is trained in welding and does really good work when he can get it. Now he is also heading up a bloc making business which was begun recently. So he is fixing up a little house in our neighborhood and if the team can help with the roof he will be able to move his family to a small home but larger and much better than what they have lived in for years now. Now I just recently saw the place this family is living in and I could not sleep that night thinking of and praying for this family. The husband is such a nice man, never complaining and always with a smile on his face. I was reminded of how much I have to be thankful for.

Starting February 12 we have people from Indiana coming to build a structure for STEP faculty offices and student study area on the campus. Duane Brown, a former co-worker, who helped put up the classroom building last summer is coming to supervise this construction. His coming is a tremendous help to Bruce and David as he knows the language and his way around working in Haiti.

Teams are so helpful in getting things done that we just don’t have the time and resources to do ourselves. It takes a lot of preparation to host teams because we no longer have a fulltime construction/maintenance person so we take on teams along with regular activities. BUT we receive such a blessing from the men and women who come with hearts open to what God wants to show them and how He wants to use them. This current team came to our home for dinner last night and it was great to interact with them. McMartins and Schmids will spend time with them Sunday evening on our patio overlooking the Caribbean (:0}) getting to know them better and sharing how God is at work in their lives and ours.

There are so many as you will see that are living on the hillsides in tents in our neighborhoods. Much still needs to be done. Someone recently said “we aren’t a crisis organization like some NGO’s but we do what we can to respond to needs.”

You’ve maybe heard about the arrival of the former “President for Life” (Duvallier) and the possible return of Aristide. The government just announced the two candidates for the runoff election to be held sometime in the coming months. If I could get David to sit down and type a few lines about this he’d be much more knowledgeable about it all. What do I think? All I can say is I continue to pray because God is the only answer to the situation in our “Haiti Cherie” (dear Haiti).

Without specifically giving prayer requests in this letter, I think you can see and understand what to pray for. Continue to pray for Sam’s salvation and the testimony to one unsaved team member from Florida. Add to that the continued gang activity in our area. It is so senseless and just causes so much fear and anxiety in people’s lives that already experience enough difficulties in life. It directly affects STEP as when the shooting is intense classes are canceled. Some weeks ago a window in our guest unit was broken by a passing bullet. It isn’t the first time and will probably not be the last time. I know cities in the states have this kind of violence all the time so we can pray for each other.

Cindy and I were sitting on her swing the other day for a break and the breeze was delightful. I commented on receiving pictures that morning from Karen showing her car iced over and the trees and bushes coated with ice. It is interesting that as you all look forward to spring and the end of winter, I love winter here and DO NOT look forward to spring and the return of the high temps and humidity. Oh well, I’ll enjoy it while it lasts.

David and Bruce are going to Florida along with some of the STEP administration for a leadership conference later this month. David will stay on a few days after it ends to help his sister, Joanne, with some of the details for her care and business matters. During that time Lois Beadle will come from La Pointe to spend time with me and she, Cindy and I can have some fun “girl time”!

I know I’ve referred to Rosita who works in our kitchen 3 days a week. Her husband, Lamour, is the mission chauffeur. Well, he is also a tailor and is always interested in any sewing – craft type – that I do. I made the girls bags with lots of pockets in for Christmas and showed him how to do it. He loved it. Now I’m showing him the “log cabin quilt pattern” and different ways he can use it. We helped him get a nice sewing machine when Missionary Flights was given some to distribute.

Well, enough for this epistle. I hope you all stay warm and have a blessed day in God’s house tomorrow.

Love,

Phyllis

Work Team Arrived

2011-02-04T13:16:00.002-05:00

There is a work team from Boca Raton, FL at Bolosse. They will be building a house in the neighborhood for Sam. There is a picture slidewshow below.

January 25, 2011 Hello Everyone!

Sam and his wife are an elderly couple that live in the neighborhood surrounding us here on the STEP campus. Their house was completely destroyed during the quake as a 3-story house above them fell over breaking down their house. It would break your heart to see the hovel they have been living in that they erected from odds and ends they salvaged or were given – rubble, pieces of tin, a tarp, etc.

STEP seeks to transform the lives of our students so that they in turn can be involved in the transformation of individuals in their circles of influence with the hopes of also impacting their communities. Corporately, STEP is involved in outreach and in developing relationships in the community around our campus.

With this in mind, STEP leadership identified several families to help by building them a cement block house. This past week materials were purchased, workers lined up, and details taken care of so that work could begin. Men in the community were encouraged to volunteer some time as a way to show their gratefulness for other times when they have received; STEP class presidents talked to their fellow students and encouraged them to volunteer their time in the mornings.

And yesterday, the work began. The goal is to have everything prepared and the foundation poured by next week when a group from MFI will arrive to spend a week helping the Haitian crew build this home.

Now here’s why I’m writing you all this: Sam is not a believer; his wife is. Please pray that, as a result of this ministry to he and his wife, the barriers will be broken down and he will come to salvation through Jesus Christ. Pray, too, for others in the community, who are watching closely all that is being done. Pray that they will be drawn to God because of God’s love being demonstrated before them.

May God be glorified and His Kingdom advanced through this project as you pray. This is it – the small tin hut w/ the rocks on top - not very secure, stable, rain /wind-proof, and really hot inside.

Pray for the people of Haiti who are living in conditions we cannot even imagine. We live in our big homes, with our nice cars, three square meals a day with truckloads of food readily available and the money to go get it. So many in Haiti are living minute to minute, with so very little to call their own but they still smile and are so thankful for the little bit they do have.

Pray with us that the team will have strength and good health, energy to see the project completed and that Haiti and the people will touch their hearts.

Pray for the people in community who will see the changes for this family.

Pray that as people hear why this is happening, to share the love of Jesus, that they will want to know more.

Update from Cindy McMartin

2011-01-20T17:44:00.002-05:00

January 15, 2011

Dear Friends,

Wednesday, the whole country of Haiti remembered the day one year ago that changed their lives forever. All businesses and schools were closed; crowds of people all dressed in white marched in the streets in solemn remembrance of the devastation and lives lost; groups got together with their friends who had lost a loved one to read Scripture, pray together and encourage one another; we heard the services of prayer and praise all around us beginning before dawn and lasting into the evening; we remembered, we praised God for protection and His help in the past year, and we prayed asking Him to accomplish his plan and work for good and the advancement of his Kingdom in the midst of continued seemingly hopeless circumstances.

God is in control and He is at work and he encourages us with bright spots:

The cement block making business is up and running. Over 6000 blocks have been made, blocks are being sold, orders are coming in and the word is spreading. An engineer came up to check out the blocks to see if they were a good quality. He tested them and proceeded to put in his order for a project he is doing. So, we praise God for this project that has become self-sustainable and is helping several families in the community live. Bruce is meeting with the Haitian man overseeing the sale of the blocks in a time of Bible study and prayer with the idea that he, too, will meet with the other men making the blocks to disciple them. Please pray for the ongoing results of this project – not only for the families that are being helped, but for the transformation of lives.
The other day Mackenson and Emanes came to see me – 2 boys that had been at Jehu’s center and had since moved on. It was such a thrill to see them and to see them continuing to walk with Jesus. They both are attending church regularly and Mackenson had just finished baptismal classes and was baptized. Please pray for these boys and for Jehu and the ministry he has with the boys God directs him to.
Just this morning a young lady (a former student) came to see us. She shared how this past year she has let other things replace her relationship with God. She said that God should have washed his hands of her, but in his grace He is drawing her back to Himself. She was coming asking us to pray for her. We praise God that she is still listening to Him, that she is repentant, and that she is walking with Him again. Please pray for Erna.

The second semester of STEP started this week. We are receiving teams in the next few months coming to build homes in the neighborhood, coming to build temporary faculty offices, and coming to hold dental clinics. Please pray for us in the different responsibilities we have related to these activities- teaching, buying materials, overseeing work, hospitality, etc.

Our prayer for you all in this new year is that you would be filled with joy and experience much satisfaction and fulfillment as you work with God in accomplishing the plans and tasks that He has prepared for you to do in the days ahead. May you have a sense of passion and excitement knowing you are exactly in the path He has directed for you.

Thanks always for your involvement with us – your love, prayers and support.

Blessings,

Bruce & Cindy

Pray for Haiti

2011-01-17T15:03:00.000-05:00

These days, Haiti is in need of prayer. Elections results still have no definitive president names. The former president for life, Jean Claude Duvalier, has returned to Haiti.

God has Haiti in His hands and he knows that plan for the country we all care about so much. Let us pray together for a peaceful resolution of the election issue.

Pray:

for the people of Haiti

those still searching for comfort and have not yet turned to Christ
those who have given their lives to Him. Pray for believers in Haiti who can encourage their growth
those still living in temporary shelters not designed for long term living
for food and clean water for those in need
for medical care for those in need of it

for the students as they study and work towards finishing this school year

of the seminary
universities around the country
High School
Junior High School
Elementary School
Kindergarten and Pre-School

for the missionries from all the mission organizations who are at work in Haiti in their various ministries

for strength to keep up the work
for hope as they touch the lives of those around them, that hearts will be open to the seeds of Salvation
for patience as they wait for the Spirit to water those seeds
for encouragement as they are far from family

for the Leadership of the country

UN peacekeepers
Government officials
Presidental candidates
Former leaders
Future leaders

Haiti UnChanged?

2011-01-13T10:39:00.000-05:00

January 10, 2011
by Dwight Lehman, International Director

I viewed a video and read an article today from CNN titled, One year later, Haiti's symbolic sites are sadly unchanged. With all due respect to the writer and the news organization, the symbolic sites may be sadly unchanged but the Haitian people are changed...most for the rest of their lives on this earth.

In typical fashion for US reporting, the focus is on the external. But Haiti has changed. There would be no Haiti without the resilient, friendly and resourceful people that make up that country. Let me relate how I see Haiti changed.

For many of the Haitians their lives are changed because of the loss of loved ones or loss of health or limbs. If anything, Haitians could teach us about suffering and being long-suffering. The nation has seen numerous disasters, strikes, riots, deaths, tragedies, and political strife. Many have suffered through all of these and some have struggled as a result, but they are changed. The people of Haiti now realize there is a power greater than anyone or anything outside of them that can change their world. That power is the God of the Bible.

Then there are the many Haitians whose hearts are changed forever. Many hundreds, if not thousands, have come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. They have new life, new purpose, a hope beyond the grave, and peace in the midst of it all. Granted some of those decisions may have been "foxhole conversions" as we call them, but isn't this what making disciples is all about? It begins with trusting Christ as Savior and Lord, and then growing in the grace and knowledge of Lord Jesus Christ, God's Son.

Yes, Haiti's landscape and symbolic sights are pretty much unchanged from a year ago and it is sad, but we celebrate the change that God is doing in the nation that has been dubbed the poorest in the Western hemisphere. Haiti is not unchanged because the people have been changed.

Dwight A. Lehman
International Director for the Americas
CrossWorld

Answered Prayer

2010-12-11T16:35:00.000-05:00

Thanks so much for your prayers.

The streets are more open so people can get out and around to purchase supplies though some barricades are still in place.
Praise the Lord the Mears were able to fly out on Missionary Flights yesterday to Fort Pierce Florida so will be able to attend Grace's college graduation in California. MFI usually comes to Port on Thursdays but due to the problems they waited until Friday and had room so Mears were able to get out. They live on the other side of town closer to the airport and were able to take back roads to get there.
The Lord's answer concerning us thus far is that we will not fly out on Monday but have seats on the American Airlines flight on Wednesday the 15th. The airlines called Amy last night and gave her this information.

We are seeing these additional days in Haiti as an opportunity to get work done especially for David who was so far behind in administrative responsibilities. He will give his exam on Tuesday afternoon if the seminary opens. He can also start writing his materials for his January La Coma seminar and I can begin typing it all here. He will still have to work on it in Lancaster probably but at least can get a good start on it here.

Please pray that Wednesday goes well and we can get our flight out. David has a dentist appt on Friday the 17th and our eye appointments are on Monday the 20th.

Thanks again for being such faithful partners in prayer with us.

Phyllis

Thursday Update

2010-12-09T16:51:00.002-05:00

Not sure what news you all are hearing but first let me say we are fine and not even hearing a lot of shooting or anything in our area as of 8 am Thursday morning. It is VERY quiet which is not normal. We do know that the airport is closed today as it was yesterday. The road we use to leave our area is barricaded. Obviously we won't try to pass through the barricades. They aren't there for us but to close down travel in our area.

We are the secondary route from south of Port-au-Prince into the city so this successfully blocks traffic coming and going south.

We just received word that MFI is NOT flying into Haiti today because of the situation.

I'm sure there will be no seminary classes tonight and maybe not tomorrow. Next week is exams so not sure what will happen. David was to give his exam on Saturday so we could leave on Monday.

Please pray for several things:

1. The Haitian people pretty much live day to day with provisions and everything being blocked this way for very long will make it hard for people to buy what they need.

2. Rich and Carol Mears and their son Ricky are scheduled to fly to the states tomorrow for their daughter's graduation from college. God can open the way but the "not knowing what will happen" is difficult. Imagine yourself in their shoes and pray accordingly.

3. Our flight to PA on Monday isn't nearly as "vital" as the Mears but it will still be a big disappointment if that is not possible.

The Lord knows HIS plans for each one of us. He is actually sending a gentle rain right now - we woke up to it and that is extremely unusual during our dry season but rain usually keeps people out of the streets.

I'm working on the notes for one of David's classes next semester as well as baking some "goodies" for some of our Haitian friends before I leave. Going ahead and taking one step at a time. Thanks for praying.

Love,
Phyllis

Brief update from Phyllis Schmid

2010-12-09T07:52:00.000-05:00

We are praying that the airport will be functioning for our flight out on Monday.

I know if things are too bad it will be hard for David to leave the other missionaries here. He says he'll sent me out but not wanting to do that - we've been down this path before. :(

The road we use to leave our area is barricaded. Obviously we don't try to pass through the barricades. They aren't there for us but to close down travel in our area.

We are the secondary route from south of Port-au-Prince into the city so this successfully blocks traffic coming and going south. I'm sure there will be no seminary classes tonight and maybe not tomorrow. Next week is exams so not sure what will happen.

David was to give his exam on Saturday so we could leave on Monday. The Lord knows HIS plans for us. He is actually sending a gentle rain right now - we woke up to it and that is extremely unusual during our dry season but rain usually keeps people out of the streets. I'm doing typing for one of David's classes next semester as well as baking some "goodies" for some of our Haitian friends before I leave.

Going ahead and taking one step at a time. Thanks for praying..

Love,
Phyllis

Update from Phyllis Schmid

2010-12-04T12:14:00.001-05:00

Hi,

Well, Elections took place last Sunday and it seemed to go pretty quietly this time. We heard from friends in the northwest and La Pointe that there didn't seem to be any trouble. It was a quiet day here too. We have not been given the results - they are to be announced on Tuesday December 7th but the rumors are flying of fraud, etc. We appreciate your prayers for the outcome of these elections.

I've mentioned that there has been shooting in the area west of us and this past Wednesday we were awakened at 5 am to the sounds of a "war" taking place. It kept this up steady until around 6:30 when it quieted down. Gang members have died and been injured as well as innocent bystanders who got in the line of fire. This is happening in our area between two local gangs so I'm sure it isn't making the news there. Please pray for peace to come to this area and for the protection of people in the area.

We've heard in one of the updates on the cholera situation that the number of cases continue to rise but the number who are dying of the disease has decreased which means people are getting treatment more quickly.

David is preparing to preach tomorrow. Next week is the last day of classes and he gives his Revelation exam on Saturday the 11th. We fly out late in the afternoon on the 13th arriving in Philadelphia after midnight on the 14th - won't be too productive that day for sure. :)

Love to all,
Phyllis

Unrest in Haiti

2010-12-01T08:26:00.000-05:00

Please pray for the innocent people around Haiti who are caught in the protests and gang fighting. Many people are still struggling from the earthquake and now the cholera epidemic. When this level of frustration boils over, innocent people are hurt or killed.

Early this morning, the gangs near the Bolosse campus (Ti Bwa and Grand Ravine) started an all out war. It suddenly stopped around 6:30 and has been very quiet except for the people yelling because innocents were injured and one man killed. There has been fighting over the last few weeks and apparently some gang members one both sides killed.

Mom and Dad and McMartins are safe on campus. The concern is for the people who live near this gangs and the protests happening all over the country.

God has His hand on Haiti. Many are reaching out to Him as a result of this tragic year. Please pray with us that their questioning will result in genuine searching for Christ. We know He wants to be found and will not hide from them.

Update from CindyMcMartin

2010-11-30T08:01:00.000-05:00

November 29, 2010

Dear Friends,

This past week we celebrated 2 special events, but neither of them on the actual day. Bruce’s birthday is the 24th, but we celebrated his life earlier on the weekend with the Schmids. We had our traditional grilled meal, cheesecake for dessert, played a game (Phyllis and I tromped the guys), and even watched a movie. Would you pray that God would continue to bless Bruce and his involvement in lives here – that he would continue to make disciples and be instrumental in the advancement of God’s Kingdom?

Thanksgiving is not celebrated here of course so we never have that day off, but because of elections, STEP canceled classes on Friday and Monday. We invited the Dorlus, Wadestrant, Louis, Schmid and Mears families over. The kids filled a table outside and after dinner enjoyed the afternoon running and playing together. We adults had a very fun time together – there’s always lots of laughter with Jean and Jacques around. We also had a special time sharing praises to God and then things we are thankful for about each other. Bruce and I are so grateful for these good friends and colleagues. Would you pray especially for Jean, Jacques and Wawa in their positions of directing STEP – that God would protect them both physically and spiritually and continue to bless their impact on the ministry and many lives here.

Almost 2 years ago, Wawa’s Dad, a Voodoo witchdoctor, came to salvation through Jesus Christ. He continues to have a thirst for knowing God and is growing in his walk with God. A STEP grad is leading a Bible study at Yves’ house with 36 people. This group is the start of a new church in an area with no other evangelical ministry. Praise God! And pray for this new body of believers.

We asked you to pray for Claudy who is working for Vision d’Antioche (VA). He is doing a great job of representing VA. He is contacting lots of pastors and churches and connecting them to the ministry of VA again, and helping to renew their involvement, not just with VA, but also in the whole area of missions. Please continue to pray for him as he teaches/preaches on missions each week and in all he does to help VA function properly.

Roger, our Haitian missionary in Senegal, wrote saying that 163 Haitians have arrived in Senegal to study there. After the quake, the Senegalese government invited Haitians to come to their country. Roger has made the effort to go see these students and he says many of them are believers. Every day Bruce and I pray that God will send out more workers into His harvest. Would you pray with us? Would you pray that some of these Haitian believers would be workers that God will use in His harvest in Senegal?

The area around us remained calm over the weekend as elections took place. We are still not sure of the final outcome as most of the candidates are asking that the elections be annulled because of fraud. Pray with us that this situation will be resolved without a lot of upheaval and that God will put a good and capable leader into the presidency.

I’ve got Christmas music playing and have decorated the house. We look forward to celebrating the wonderful gift of Jesus in many different ways in the days ahead. We love you and praise God for each one of you – your friendship, your prayers, your support, your involvement in our lives in so many ways. May you enjoy each day the abundant life God has provided.

Love, Bruce & Cindy

Update from Phyllis Schmid

2010-11-27T12:44:00.000-05:00

Greetings from Haiti on the day before the Presidential Elections!

We received information yesterday from the American Embassy Warden's network that the due to the elections the Haitian government is closing the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic today at 6 pm until 6 am on Monday.

American citizens are encouraged not to do any unnecessary travel tomorrow. Please pray with us that God would put into place the person whose desire is to make real changes in order to bring Haiti out of the desperate situation she is in right now. Pray too that violence would not be a part of the election process this time.

Only 15 days and we fly to Pennsylvania for a visit with our family. We look forward to a restful and possibly a "white" Christmas! White or green it is ok with us!

David is busy finishing up his classes. He missed several hours of his Revelation course when classes were canceled yesterday so is trying to get all the material in before the final exam on the 11th. Daniel/Revelation is a "heavy" course for the 4th year students and so I would ask you to pray for them to be able to retain the information in the next two weeks. David has been encouraged by both his 1st and 4th year students. In the midst of everything else hitting Haiti it is exciting to see students desire to really understand and study God's Word.

While in PA he will be preparing his studies to use in the continuing education seminar at La Coma in January. Please pray for him as he puts these studies together that they will be useful to the pastors and lay leaders in the northwest and be an encouragement to them in the ministry.

Our yard and McMartins is full of brightly colored playground equipment slated to go to Jehu's - teeter totter, jungle gym, slide, merry go round and 2 metal picnic tables. These are all made here. The swing available was small so a bigger one is being made. What an encouragement this will be to the boys and to Jehu himself as he sees his vision for this ministry increasing. They have now moved into the new building even though there is still finishing work to be done.

We had a fun afternoon yesterday as we joined with other American and Haitian coworkers and their families to have dinner together and celebrate giving thanks for what God has done for each of us. As we each shared almost everyone mentioned God's protection during, immediately after and His continued provision in the months following the quake. Sometimes an unexpected sound still makes me jump so the affects of those 35 seconds on January 12 still are with me but it was good to share with the others our thankful hearts for all God has done during and since the quake.

Cholera continues to be something we are aware of even the children yesterday were very aware of the need to wash their hands and be careful.

We've been told it will be an ongoing thing for a long time in Haiti's future.

Thanks for all your prayers.

Love to all,
Phyllis

Update from Phyllis Schmid

2010-11-19T14:29:00.000-05:00

When I last wrote I had just returned home 2 days earlier than expected from La Pointe where I worked with Lois and the CEF instructors, due to the projected arrival of Hurricane Tomas. At that time the mission hospital at La Pointe, CMB, had seen 10 cases of cholera and they all survived. Apparently it was just the beginning . . .

Within days they were seeing many more patients with cholera and the hospital space soon became overwhelmed. Tents are set up to house all the patients and another organization supposedly is going to help set up a "tent city" in another section on the mission property to care for the cholera patients. Thus far the death rate there is less than 1% which is very good compared to many other places which are seeing as high as a 7.5% death rate. The hospital staff is exhausted but really pulling together to take care of the influx of patients. The House of Hope with 90+ children on the hospital grounds is taking very stringent precautions to keep the children safe and free from exposure. It has been expressed many times over that this problem is far from over. Pray for the medical staff's health and physical stamina. Pray for a strong witness to the sick and their families during this time. Pray for the Haitian people as this causes great fear and suspicion among people.

Port-au-Prince is beginning to see an increase in cases. People are being educated concerning the spread of the disease and how to combat it. But Haiti is a country without running water and good sanitation provisions for the vast majority of the population; so telling people to wash their hands frequently doesn't help. Today I saw a man washing his motorcycle tire in water running in the streets. Not sure where the water was coming from and also that he would be able to really wash his hands afterwards.

We haven't eaten a salad since this all started and fruit is looked at very cautiously for breaks in the skin and washed in Clorox water before it is peeled and eaten. A doctor gave an announcement on Sunday in our church service to explain precautions to the congregation. She did an excellent job but again not everyone has the means to protect themselves as desired.

A recent report David received stated: "The Ministry of Public Health (MSPP) reports the latest statistics on the cholera epidemic as 1,034 deaths and 16,799 hospitalized cases according to data collected up to 14 November." We also received the news that a Haitian arriving in Florida from Haiti was diagnosed with cholera.

We appreciate each one of you who has expressed your loving concern for us and the Haitian people over the 34+ years we've been here and especially this year since the earthquake and now a cholera epidemic. We Know Our God is Sovereign and is in Control. Please continue to keep this country and her people in your prayers.

The Presidential elections are scheduled for Sunday November 28th. STEP has canceled classes on Friday the 26th and Monday the 29th because of possible election violence. We've had increased gunfire in our neighborhood to the west. Some days there is nothing and others it is pretty active. Rumor has it that it is gang related. We appreciate your prayers for safety in this also.

As we all celebrate Thanksgiving may each of us look to our heavenly Father with hearts full of praise for His work in our lives whatever the circumstances are that we may be facing at this time.

Love to all,
Phyllis

CrossWorld News - November 16

2010-11-16T21:05:00.004-05:00

Cholera Outbreak in Haiti

Hospital Tent for Cholera Patients

A few days ago, if you had arrived at the Berachah Medical Center (CMB) in LaPointe, Haiti, you would have seen people lying on the porch, under the trees and anywhere they could find room. The wards are overflowing, and they have no room for the influx of those who have contracted cholera.

CrossWorld Community Development missionary, Bruce, saw the incredible need and sent a crew of Haitian men to put up a large tent on the hospital grounds for the overflow, helping to alleviate the crisis (see picture). The hospital is continuing to receive more cases, people are starting to die, some before they can reach the hospital.

The flooding from Hurricane Tomas has caused a lot of problems, and water in rivers and other places is being contaminated by those who are sick. Even though the hospital staff is exhausted, there is an incredible spirit among them that has not been seen in a long time. They've admitted 269 cases of cholera during the first week of November alone, and more are arriving each week - on top of all the other normal patients in the hospital.

Of course, most people are unable to pay for the care and services they receive. Jenny, CrossWorld missionary and Assistant Director of the House Of Hope, the children's hospital/orphanage annexed to the hospital, saw the need for more medications for the patients. She contacted our CrossWorld personnel in Port-Au-Prince who are obtaining more meds to ship up to the hospital.

A former CrossWorld missionary medical doctor is organizing at least one team to go to Haiti to help in this crisis and to relieve the exhausted staff.

CrossWorld has responded with a large grant to the hospital to purchase mattresses, beds, sheets, IV's, and whatever else is needed in this crisis out of the Haiti Relief Fund.

Rich, CrossWorld missionary in Port-Au-Prince, realized the need for clean, potable, drinkable water before the outbreak and began working on a plan to have a large water filter system installed in the area hardest hit by the cholera in the Artibonite Valley. With funds from our Haiti Relief Fund we were able to make this plan a reality and a small shed to house the system and the system itself should be operational in another week.

Please pray for Haiti....God is the One who will help all of Haiti get through whatever is ahead!

See also: Scenes from Haiti's Cholera Outbreak - Photo Essay - TIME

Cholera protesters barricade Haiti city, assail UN

2010-11-16T20:59:00.002-05:00

http://www.aolnews.com/story/cholera-protesters-barricade-haiti-city/1347181?cid=10

Link to Photos 10 months after the earthquake

2010-11-13T10:48:00.000-05:00

Boxley Boggs shared this link.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/11/haiti_ten_months_later.html

2010-11-07T17:40:00.000-05:00

Greetings Everyone!

November 6, 2010

Cholera spreading around the country, little or no water on campus, Hurricane Tomas, 1000’s still in tents or under tarps, and only 2% of Haiti back to pre-earthquake status, but it’s still good to be home! We are being very cautious with the Cholera - not eating fruits or raw vegetables, treating the water we have, and washing hands constantly. We also talk with all our friends about using good hygiene themselves and being careful about eating anything not prepared at home.

I know many of you were praying for Haiti with the threat of Hurricane Tomas. Praise God with us for answered prayer. Yes, there was lots of rain and strong winds did damage to gardens in different areas, but we do believe God spared this country worse disaster.

Many ask about my foot – I am still not walking normally, but have made good progress. The bone has healed, but it will take time for the tendons/ligaments, etc. to heal completely. I look forward to the day I can walk without a limp and pain free, but anything is better than a cast and crutches!! :0) Thanks for praying.

It was good to see Jehu and the boys again. There has been good progress on their building and they hope to be moved in by the end of the year. All the boys except one passed the government school exams and have moved onto the next level. After the quake 2 mothers came and got their young sons. Just recently Donald was brought back to the center. He was all smiles and so happy to be back. The other mother is on drugs and living on the street and took her son because she felt he would help her bring in more money. The older boys have seen Schneider Paul on the street – his mother is not able to take care of him. He’s 6. Pray that God in His sovereignty might see SP returned to the center before it is too late. Eli, one of the older teenage boys, called me the other day. He wanted a missionary offering envelope. He has been doing some odd jobs and he wanted to give a portion of his money to Roger’s support in Senegal. I’m sure this is the first money he has ever had. He is an example to me.

Another example to me: Naomie had been standing in line at the bank for over 2 hours. She was very tired and almost ready to give up, but finally her turn came. As she was leaving, a young man fainted. Everyone moved back away from him, ignoring his need. Naomie thought of passing him by too, but instead she got some water, bathed his face, let him drink and helped him sit up. She then called his family and stayed with him until they came to take him to see a Dr. She had done more than her part. But she didn’t stop there. She called the family later on that evening to see how the man was doing. She has continued to be in contact with the family and has taken this opportunity to share the Gospel with them. Because of her unusual example of love, they have been receptive. “Don’t run up debts, except the huge debt of love you owe each other. You can never finish paying that! If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill all the requirements of God’s law.” Rom 13:8 It’s so easy to get calloused to the great needs around us – not just for us here in Haiti, but for all of us wherever God has us – and yet I believe more people would respond if we loved more. I’m asking God to fill me up each day with His love and then to help me obey and be ready to love in the opportunities He gives me.

Thanks to funds that were given, Bruce picked up a cement block maker today and will get a rock crusher in another week or so. Pray that God would use both these tools to help establish some small businesses for some Christian Haitian families, and that these families will in turn have an impact on their workers and communities as they not only seek to live, but to bring light into darkness.

Please continue to pray for the STEP administration and profs. All are under heavy loads. Bruce is meeting this week with a group of men from Reach Global (E-Free Church Mission) who are exploring opportunities to be involved in Haiti beyond earthquake relief. They have 2 Brazilians and 2 men from Zaire who feel God’s call on their lives to minister in Haiti. Pray that God would guide in these meetings.

Thank you for your faithful support and prayers. Thank you for partnering with us in God’s work here in Haiti. We covet your prayers as we interact with people here, as we make disciples, and as we develop ministries that God directs us to. We have been impressed lately with how short our time might be. We’re praying daily that God will raise up many laborers to bring in the harvest.

Love, Bruce & Cindy

Update from Phyllis Schmid

2010-11-06T12:42:00.002-04:00

We were glad that the rains had stopped to a drizzle when we went to bed last night. Then at around 2 am a heavier rain began and last for a while. I really wondered what it might bring as the ground is so saturated (in my unscientific opinion). Anyway, David received the following report this morning:

HIGHLIGHTS/KEY PRIORITIES

Two deaths and two people missing have been reported due to Hurricane Tomas.
The DPC estimates 10,000 people have voluntarily evacuated their shelters since 4 November.
In upper Artibonite, heavy rains since 17:30 P.M. are accumulating, causing flooding in areas in and around Gonaives with 25 to 35 centimeters of standing water reported by MINUSTAH.
The South and Centre departments of Haiti are not impacted by the hurricane anymore while the North-West of Haiti continues to be affected until night hours.
Hospitals in Léogane and Les Cayes, as well as Saint Louis Hospital in Delmas (Port au Prince), have been evacuated

There are approximately 120,832 tarps and 4,268 tents in the country to provide assistance to over 300,000 individuals. Over 60 per cent of the shelter needs can be covered with available in country stocks. Assessments are ongoing.

I was just on SKYPE with Ginger Muchmore who is with daughter, Judy, and her husband, Manis, in Plateau Anse Rouge. They had the same gentle rains at first and then got hit with bad winds and heavy rains which took out people's gardens. To quote Ginger:

[9:49:54 AM] mllejud: terrible drought that nearly took the gardens....
[9:50:05 AM] mllejud: then a soft gentle rain that fell all night and made the plants smile
[9:50:11 AM] mllejud: then the strong winds and hard rain
[9:50:17 AM] mllejud: and .....gone

Also many of the trees Manis has been growing for the past 5 years were damaged or uprooted so there is much work to be done. Please pray for this young couple in their work of bringing the light of Christ to an area steeped in voodooism - it is not easy but they push ahead. The sun is finally pushing through the clouds today here in Port-au-Prince.

Again thanks for your prayers,

Phyllis

Thank you for your prayers!

2010-11-06T06:16:00.002-04:00

Thomas is past the north tip of Haiti. We have not heard any reports of heavy rains or destructive winds. For us in Port-au-Prince we had a light steady rain since early last evening and all day today. At times it was heavier with very minimal wind here in the capitol. God answered prayer. I'm sure it is uncomfortable for those in tents because it is cool and damp but the damaging winds and heavy downpours did not materialize for us. I just talked to Lois up north and they are having steady rains but not the bad winds either so that is wonderful. I pray for the soil not to be so saturated that mudslides occur now. Indeed the world has kept Haiti in their prayers and God has answered. We are grateful.

Our news from our hospital at La Pointe is that they continue to receive cholera patients. Please pray for the medical staff as they handle this heavy influx of very sick people and for those not affected to stay safe and healthy.

Thanks again for praying.
Phyllis

Hurricane Tomas Update

2010-11-05T08:29:00.000-04:00

This is the latest advisory (5 am EDT Friday) and map at the link below. It is classified a hurricane one and will pass through the western part of Haiti sometime this morning /through the day and exiting the strait between Haiti and Cuba late Friday/early Saturday.

In my tracking it appears to ever slightly be moving north/northeast and those of you on the north coast could be having the center of Tomas passing closer to you.

In PAP we had rain through the night and around 1 am woke up with stronger winds that have died down, though with intermittent rain squalls that are becoming more frequent now.

Keep in touch.

NOAA website

Update from Phyllis Schmid

2010-11-04T14:27:00.000-04:00

Well, I arrived back from La Pointe today, Wednesday, instead of waiting for Friday due to the fact that a weather upset named Tomas is headed our way. It seems to fluctuate from a Hurricane to a tropical storm but either way it could drop a lot of rain on Haiti. We know many of you are aware of this and are praying. We appreciate it. David is parking our truck and the mission truck out in the open instead of under trees as a precaution.

My time at La Pointe with Lois and the instructors of the CEF teacher training course went very well and was a special encouragement to me. This was the second time I've done this with this group of women. The laughter, fellowship and worship times together were a blessing to me. They've invited me back for the next seminar so I'll be looking for additional craft ideas. Anyone with simple ideas using things available here like small hand sewing projects, things with paper, glue, etc would be great.

While I was there the mission hospital treated around 10 cases of cholera and all survived although it was "touch and go" for some of them for awhile. Today we heard that they have more cases that have come into the hospital. Please pray for people. If they get to medical care to be treated it can have a good result. It has people very concerned but it that makes them more cautious that helps keep the spread down maybe. The year 2010 will be remembered in Haiti for many years for the quake, cholera and now maybe Hurricane Tomas.

As I sat in the plane getting ready to fly home yesterday. I wished I'd taken pictures. It is not the smallest plane I've ever been in but it isn't too big either. Because of the weather in the area it was quite a bumpy ride down. Then because there is only one landing strip and an American Airlines flight was going in ahead of us we had to circle out over the ocean. It was beautiful to see the different colors of blue in the water but then as we came close to land you could see the pollution of erosion for a long distance from shore.

All for today. With the storm coming we may not have good internet connection for a few days but will let you know how things go as soon as we can. Thanks so much for all your prayers.

Love,
David and Phyllis

Hurricane Tomas heading for Haiti

2010-11-04T08:59:00.000-04:00

Please pray for Haitians bracing for Tomas, a hurricane headed for the coast of Haiti either today or tomorrow. Not everyone has shelter other than tarps or tents and flooding is a constant issue in Haiti.

Please pray for:

shelter for those still living in tent citys
food and other necessities to be available after the storm blows through to help those who will be affected by flooding
aid workers who are still working Haiti that they will be able to reach out to those in need
strength to face the uncertainty surrounding Haiti; regardless of the storm
for people to continue to reach out to God and be touched by the salvation of Jesus in a way we have never seen in Haiti.

Praise God for:

leaders who opened buildings around the city to give those in tent cities a place to find shelter
aid workers who have been in Haiti since January and for those who have rotated in since then
His love and care for the people of Haiti even in these very trying times they face
for the people who have called on Jesus and found salvation and peace in Christ

Cholera Update

2010-10-24T14:04:00.002-04:00

The number of deaths in Haiti's cholera outbreak has risen to 208 dead and the number of confirmed cases to 2,646 in the Artibonite and Central departments. Of the five people with confirmed cases of cholera in Port-au-Prince, four were shown to have originated in Artibonite and one from the Central department.

The relatively small increase in the caseload today is a possible indication that some containment efforts may be taking effect. The government of Haiti, MINUSTAH, the Humanitarian Community continued to reinforce cholera prevention and response measures. The construction of 12 Cholera Treatment Centres and public information campaigns gathered speed today. Distributions of soap, water purification tablets and rehydration salts continue.

Cholera outbreak in Haiti (Three news articles)

2010-10-23T10:03:00.001-04:00

This cholera thing has everyone's attention. I know you are bathing this county in prayer for many different reasons and just add this to the list.

Announcements are being made on the radio for people to boil their water or use cleansing tablets, wash hands and avoid non cooked foods. No more fresh fruits or uncooked vegetables for us for a while. And we are washing hands ALL the time. I already use Clorox in our wash and rinse water for dishes and we are putting Clorox into the campus cistern.

They are trying to keep this outbreak to the Artibonite Valley in the center of the country but cases are being diagnosed closer to Port-au-Prince because of the movement of vegetables, fruit and people around the country.

Once again we know GOD is in control and HE makes no mistakes. Thanks for praying

Phyllis

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gqz5M_K-NzCurU42tsF3xbXue
Cholera outbreak behind Haiti deaths: health official(AFP) – October 21, 2010

PORT-AU-PRINCE < An outbreak of cholera was to blame for dozens of deaths in Haiti in recent days, a health official said Thursday. "The first results from the lab tests show that there is cholera, but we don't know which type," an official from the public health ministry told AFP, asking to remain anonymous. "The government and the health authorities are meeting at the moment and an announcement will be made," he added.

Health officials said earlier that at least 50 people had died from acute diarrhea and hundreds were being treated in local hospitals as laboratory tests were carried out to determine the cause of the illness. The outbreak of illness was outside the capital, which was ravaged by a devastating 7.0 earthquake in January, leaving more than 250,000 people dead and another 1.2 million homeless.

Cholera is transmitted by water but also by food that has been in contact with unclean water contaminated with by cholera bacteria. It causes serious diarrhea and vomiting, leading to dehydration. With a short incubation period, it can be fatal if not treated in time.

The World Health Organization says on its website that "cholera is an extremely virulent disease. It affects both children and adults and can kill within hours." Aid agencies have voiced fears for months that any outbreak of disease could spread rapidly in Haiti due to the unsanitary conditions in the makeshift amps housing the homeless, with little access to clean water.

The impoverished Caribbean nation has also been hit in recent days by severe flooding, adding to the misery of those struggling to survive in the scores of tent cities now dotting the country.

------------------------
[YWAM-Haiti] URGENT! "Many Many Many people are dead or sick!"
We’d like to call people to prayer for our city and the countryside surrounding it. There seems to be an outbreak of some kind of a water borne disease where people who contract it come down with severe diarrhea resulting in death within 24-48 hours. We do not have concrete numbers of how many have actually died to date, only scattered reports from Haitian Messagers seek aid and purified water saying; “Many Many Many people are dead or sick!”. The hospital in St Marc is filling up with cases and our clinic down the road has been made ready for overflow. hospital ward.

Symptoms point to Cholera but that has not been confirmed, test result due in today. [See article above.] If it is Cholera the problem isn’t medicine, they claim they have the cure, but getting it to the people in time. We are focused on three things, distribution of purified water, transportation of the sick and education on sanitation. The disease seems to have originate in the countryside (known as the 5th section) where the river has flooded several times over the last few weeks. The minister of health for our area is hot on the case and we are in good partnership and communication with him. We have made our Clinic in Balague (5th Section in the heart of the problem) available as needed, Nouveau Depart Health Center in St. marc City available as needed and our Mercy Truck Ambulance has already been mobilized transport the most serious cases.

We are taking precautions at our campuses and outreach post, be prayerful for Lubin 4 where we have the Bosseutte family who have been leading a new church and school.

Prayer points at a glance:

Pray for protection to all health workers and volunteers in the area.
Pray for a quick diagnosis so that correct treatment can be administered immediately.
Pray for those who have already lost loved ones.
Pray for peace in the countryside and for protection for those who live in the high risk areas that may not have access to clean water.

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Rains cause floods in Haiti; officials say 12 deadOctober 21, 2010

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) < Steady rains flooded portions of the Haitian capital over the weekend, turning streets into rivers and leaving at least 12 people dead, civil protection officials said this week. Storms falling on the mountains that ring the capital sent cascades into the pitch-black downtown, where trucks left boat-like wakes as they forded boulevards.

At least 10 people were killed in Port-au-Prince on Saturday and Sunday, most when surging rivers burst through houses built in ravines, civil protection chief Marie Alta Jean-Baptiste told The Associated Press. One victim fell into an open sewer. Others were killed trying to cross rivers.

Two children were killed when mud slid into earthquake-refugee camp in Carrefour, west of the capital. An AP Television journalist who reached the camp Monday said dozens of families were repairing their tarps. The rocky dirt under other post-quake settlements, home to an estimated 1.3 million people, turned into spongy mud and then lakes.

Aid groups and officials overseeing Haiti's post-earthquake reconstruction have been on guard for heavy rains since the Jan. 12 disaster. Canals were cleared and drainage ditches dug around some of the better-managed camps. But even without a direct hit from a hurricane this year, 23 rain-related deaths have been confirmed over the last month in southern Haiti, including the quake zone. The national meteorology center issued flash-flood warnings across Haiti's southern peninsula through Tuesday, which extends west from Port-au-Prince.

Brief Update from Phyllis Schmid

2010-10-21T09:49:00.000-04:00

The McMartins and Schmids were in Kansas City, Missouri, the location of the home offices for CrossWorld now for a leadership conference from October 11 through October 15.

The CrossWorld Leadership conference was very good. The guesthouse at the new facility was very nice with large rooms with individual bathrooms like in a motel. There were comfortable lounge areas for fellowship, laundry facilities and an excellent menu of meals. It was exciting to see old friends and make new ones and just to see how God is working through CrossWorld in so many different areas. The worship times each morning were truly a blessing to our hearts. Those from Haiti shared one afternoon about the earthquake and aftermath with the staff there in Kansas City who did so much to help us.

Our friend and co-worker Lois from la Pointe stayed in our home while we were gone. She said she got a lot of work done and also enjoyed some of the "perks" of living in Port-au-Prince for a week. The only thing she didn't enjoy about Port-au-Prince living is the gun fire. There was a lot of gun fire again yesterday and today we learned that in the gun fire last week some people were killed. So what she and we heard was not just shooting in the air but actual battles in the areas to the west of us.

Please pray for safety for all. This kind of thing does affect the STEP classes. With the elections coming up things are unsettled. Kidnappings have been reported to be on the rise once again with related violence. We know we are in God's hands wherever we are and that HE is in control.

Bruce and Cindy return to Haiti next Wednesday. Cindy's able to walk on her foot but it is definitely not back to normal. Pray for complete healing and that these next few days in Florida will be especially restful for them.

Also pray for the water situation in our area. It is such a miracle that city water was available during the weeks after the earthquake even if we didn't have it in our houses. Now there is no city water so we are thankful for the rains to help fill the STEP cistern because we are having to buy truckloads of water for the campus. The water we are getting is not the cleanest and our kitchen filter is having to be cleaned more frequently.

Update from Phyllis Schmid

2010-10-09T08:10:00.004-04:00

35 seconds is all it took on January 12 to change the face of Port-au-Prince and our STEP campus for years to come. Our campus became a place of refuge providing safety and shelter for almost 5000 people in our area. They knew it would be temporary and God provided through many different sources for their needs.

The seminary (STEP) lost the original Bible school building built in the 1940’s. It partially collapsed trapping several students and causing the death of one student. There is a scholarship set up in the name of the student who perished and the first recipient of that scholarship this fall is his brother.

Others students were injured but not seriously. It took 5 hours to find Romel buried in the rubble. He escaped with scrapes and bruises and has returned to classes this fall.

By mid April the campus “tarp city” was emptied as people began to repair homes and find other places to live. Work began to prepare for classes to resume in the fall.

The Seminary opened September 6 with 45 new students registered. The enrollment (120) is down because of the economy after the earthquake. Many students lost family members, homes and/or jobs as a result of the quake. We praise God for those who are able to return.

Thanks to many different individuals, a temporary wooden structure holding 3 classrooms and a house remodeled as an administrative center were completed before the start of classes. David has “shifted gears” from helping get the buildings done to preparing to teach again. He is teaching two classes of Hermeneutics and one class of Daniel/ Revelation this semester.

Please pray for the administrative council of STEP as they look to the future. We trust in God’s sovereignty in all that has transpired and know He will lead and give wisdom and direction in the planning process. We praise God for the leaders He has placed in the STEP administrative council.

Interviews with David Schmid

2010-10-05T08:27:00.000-04:00

This link takes you to Haven Today's website were Dad is interviewed.

Video: http://www.haventoday.org/video-david-schmid-gd-566.html (short video)
Radio: http://www.haventoday.org/havenplayer.php?file=david_schmid.xml&id=2319 (longer interview)

This radio interview is with Steve Hershey, teacher at Quisqueya Christian School: http://www.haventoday.org/havenplayer.php?file=steve_hersey.xml&id=2319

This radio interview is with Elsa Peterson, with Baptist Haiti Mission:
http://www.haventoday.org/havenplayer.php?file=elsa_peterson.xml&id=2319

Generous gift

2010-09-10T10:34:00.000-04:00

God led the Kregel family (Kregel Publications, MI) to graciously donate a family member’s personal library to STEP faculty. Wow!!! Did they have fun selecting titles and are so appreciative of expanding their personal library for teaching and preaching.

In order to reduce the costs of shipping to Haiti and the hassle of customs, we decided the best means of shipping is through CAM (Christian Aid Mission) out of Lancaster. That means I need to find a location to temporarily store the boxes of books until the next CAM container can be filled, whenever that is.

Please pray with us that we can work out the logistics to store this generous gift in a moisture free and bug free environment until the next CAM shipment.

Please pray for students who have registered this past week:

For finances to pay for each coming semester
For strength to function in a country that is still struggling
For shelter, food and comfort for many who are still without
For comfort as many grieve for family and friends that were killed or injured in the earthquake

Update from Cindy McMartin

2010-08-30T19:29:00.000-04:00

As of today, Bruce and I are in the States. We’re in Happy Valley, Oregon. Our reason for being here is to help Joel and Andi. Joel has one last linguistics course he is taking for his training with NTM and is in Oklahoma for 7 weeks. Andi has a job teaching math at a high school in Vancouver and starts this week. So, we’re using our vacation time and have come out to help take care of Ethan and Tyler in Joel’s absence. We’re all living together with Andi’s sister’s family of 5, so it’s quite an experience….and never a dull moment! :)

Bruce also has plans to take care of some details for the coffee project, to work on Joel’s car, to make a trip to see his Mom and family, and to catch up on some rest, but until I’m off crutches and more mobile, he’ll need to stay close by to help with the kids. Please pray that my foot heals quickly so I can do what I came to do and Bruce is free to get some other things done. I get discouraged at times about my foot because it is still swollen and sore and has very poor circulation and I wonder if I’ll be able to actually walk on it in one week.

Please pray for STEP as it plans to begin the new school year September 6^th. That STEP was able to finish the school year after the quake for the 4^th-year students and to see these students graduate on June 10^th was a real accomplishment that we praise God for. A simple temporary building with 3 classrooms has been set up and an empty house on campus converted into Administrative offices. A couple large canvas tents will be used for student study areas and additional offices for professors. The quake not only destroyed one of STEP’s main buildings, but created other challenges too. Many students do not have the funds to continue their education or to begin it as a new student. Due to the quake they lost jobs, are caring for family members because of deaths or injuries, are rebuilding, or can’t find a place to stay in Port-au-Prince while attending school. Please consider helping with some student scholarships. See below for details.

STEP will continue classes on its present campus for the time being. The plan is to eventually expand to build a Christian University with STEP being the Theological department. We’re excited about this plan/strategy. Please pray for the STEP administrators and board as they develop this plan. The first big need is a larger piece of land. Pray for God’s clear direction in this whole process and for each decision.

Bruce continues to make progress with the coffee project and hopes to focus more of his time on it during the months ahead. He has also started the process to help begin some small businesses in order to set a few key Haitian individuals up in business and provide others with jobs. If you are interested in contributing to either the coffee business or the cement block/ rock crusher business, see below for details.

Some GREAT NEWS! – Claudy Jean Baptiste has begun working part time for Vision d’Antioche (the Haitian Missionary Organization). We have been praying for a long time for someone to take on some Administrative responsibilities to help get VA established and functioning as it should. He is receiving a monthly salary from VA – a step of faith for us as this will be in addition to the monthly support needed for Roger and Fredine to continue ministering in Senegal. So please pray with us for God to provide as we’ve taken this step of faith, and pray for Claudy as he begins to develop VA into the mission organization it needs to be.

I realize this is long, but we covet your prayers for each activity that we’re involved with at this time. We will be attending CrossWorld’s Leadership Conference the first part of October and will return to Haiti following this time. Thanks for standing with us so faithfully. You are an encouragement to us and we are grateful for each one of you partnering with us.

Once we get a phone set up for our time here in Oregon, we’ll let you know. All for now.

Love and blessings,

Bruce and Cindy

Contributions:

Checks made out to CrossWorld, Finance Department

Mailed to: 10000 N. Oak Trafficway,

Kansas City, MO 64155-2010

Designate:

STEP student scholarships – Haiti

Haiti McMartin BAM – account #57617

Block BAM – 001

Coffee BAM - 002

Update from Phyllis Schmid

2010-08-28T11:02:00.001-04:00

Greetings,

I’m sitting on our patio enjoying the view. I wish I could invite all of you to join me here for a tall glass of iced tea. It is very HOT and HUMID but there is a breeze and I love sitting here. Last weekend David worked with Amilus to top some of the overgrown trees giving us a view of the sea once again. God protected the men as they worked and the result is breath taking. I can see several royal palm trees and I was thinking about how they are still such a beautiful sight to me. I came from small town western PA and have now lived in Haiti longer than I ever lived there. I had never traveled far away from PA and Indiana when David was in seminary so coming to Haiti and all the tropical beauty just awed me and I still love it.

Last time I wrote we were on our way to the beach with McMartins. We had a WONDERFUL time and Cindy did find the “water therapy” was good for her foot! Actually swimming helped David with some of the residual stiffness in his shoulder. We all looked at each other and said why did we wait SO long to get away like this. The peace and tranquility ministered to our souls.

Progress is taking place on the classroom building. Classes are scheduled to begin on September 6^th. It is a very nice and practical building and will house 3 classrooms. The home being converted into administrative offices for STEP is close to completion and will serve very well. MFI was given some 16X32 heavy white canvas tents with sides and screens. They are like new condition. MFI covered the costs of shipping 2 of them to Haiti and we will only have to pay for the customs charges. Please pray with us that customs would be reasonable. One of the tents will probably be used to place some sturdy metal picnic tables for students to use for studying etc. There are also plans to put up temporary faculty offices. Please pray for the STEP administration and board as they evaluate the plans for the future.

David just returned from La Coma where he taught 3 – 3 hour sessions for pastors and lay leaders in the northwest. There were 20 new students there this time. This was the seminar that was supposed to take place the day of the earthquake but had been canceled that morning due to heavy rains in the area. This permitted David to be here in Port when the quake took place. Anyway, it was a very good seminar.

It is hard sometimes to see progress when we are in town. The piles of debris are overwhelming. There is progress but it is a slow process. We continue to have people come with needs. One young man told me of his struggles since the quake. He didn’t want a “handout” - he wanted a job. My heart broke because this is the case with so many. A young woman lost her mother who had a small business downtown. When the noise of the quake began the mother was outside and she ran inside because she thought it was shooting and she was killed when the building collapsed. Now there are 3 younger siblings and her father (who suffered a stroke last year) that she is trying to care for and they no longer have the income from the mother’s business. One of David’s STEP students told us he is responsible for his sister’s 4 young children because she is still recovering from grave injuries in the quake. This is repeated over and over again. Thanks so much for your prayers for the Haitian people and for the specials gifts we’ve received in order to help people begin to rebuild their lives. The affects of your generosity are far-reaching.

Bruce McMartin leaves tomorrow to join Cindy in Portland. They will return the 18^th of October. Pray for the circulation problem in Cindy’s foot. The break is healing but there is still a problem there. We are glad she can be seen in the states.

Bruce and Deb Robinson spent the night here on Thursday before heading out to the states for vacation, meetings and team preparations. Deb was SO SWEET when she told me the next morning at breakfast that our home was a “refuge” for them. Even though our guestroom now has a tall bookcase full of David’s books from his former office (just a fraction of his library) and the desk has his stuff on it she still thought of it as a “refuge”. Thanks Deb, you made my day!

David and I are attending CrossWorld’s leadership conference the 2^nd week in October in Kansas City, Missouri. Last week I was cleaning the dental appliances I got in April. They have been a tremendous help to me but when I was cleaning them I had the water a little too hot and I guess I warped them! Believe me when I went to put them in after the cleaning I was SICK. It didn’t register with me for a second and my heart sank. A long story short I will be going out ahead of David for the leadership conference and will again see the dentist in Fredericksburg VA to be refit. The dentist reminded me that God is in control and I know that beyond a shadow of a doubt but I also felt so ashamed that my negligence (granted not intentional) caused this problem. Oh well, God has once again worked out the details and I’m thankful for the care I can receive. I’ll see my brother’s family and also Karen, Amy and Jeff for a couple of days.

I always have projects while David is away like he was for the seminar. I got some finance work done, organizing, baking and other odds and ends then decided it was “ok” for me to have some “me time”. I worked on a wall hanging sewing project I’ve wanted to do for a while. I hope to finish it today. I was talking to my friend, Lamour, about it. He is the mission chauffeur but is also a very good tailor. He loves seeing different sewing projects. I told him I was taking “me time” and he said it was good for me to do that because he knows sewing is “medicine for my spirit”.

Well, enough rambling for today. Have a great weekend.

Love,

Phyllis

Please Pray

2010-08-27T09:56:00.000-04:00

Classes are scheduled to start on Monday September 6th, with registration begining next week.

Please pray:

For returning students, second, third and fourth year students as they pick up after a semester of no classes
For new students as they begin their classes
For professors as they prepare for their classes as well as to teach, mentor and care for the students
For STEP leadership as they move the school forward and look for ways to make the temporary classrooms and office spaces work
For the missionaries as they work with UEBH and STEP

Moving Donated Furniture

2010-08-17T14:25:00.003-04:00

Update from Cindy McMartin

2010-08-14T17:54:00.002-04:00

Greetings Everyone! August 14, 2010

When I saw Mme Lionel after the earthquake, I was shocked. She had lost so much weight and she didn’t look well. Ever since I’ve known her, even in the midst of difficult living circumstances, which has been the norm for her, there’s always been a smile and hope in her eyes. She was willing to work hard and do what was necessary to take care of her family. This time was different – it seemed like she had no energy left even to hope.

Many of you sent in funds to help with quake relief, so we had the means to help her. But it wasn’t too long until she was back – a single mother with 4 children to provide for, no job since the quake, sickness, and continual house problems. She has one daughter in her late teens who is mentally retarded – a very difficult situation, but she has loved and taken care of this child. I looked at Mme Lionel and wondered what would happen to her children when she died, which she was looking more and more like that would happen – she’d already had one episode where she collapsed unconscious, which we later learned was due to her heart.

We helped her again with her immediate needs. At the same time, she shared with me that an older woman had offered to sell her her “business” -- she was leaving for the USA because of the quake. Could we help?

Now, you need to remember that she is not the only one who has come needing help. And we’ve already helped her times before. How to decide who gets help and who doesn’t? But, I wanted to help her and I knew it could mean life or death for her family. So, I prayed and asked God that if He wanted us to help her buy this business, that He would provide some “unexpected” funds for us – outside of what we had and from an unexpected source. I asked Mme Lionel to pray too.

God answered and provided from someone not on either our prayer letter list or supporter list. God had put the desire to give a contribution on this young lady’s heart, so she contacted us. Long story, short, we were able to give Mme Lionel the funds to buy this business and all the left over stock. She immediately began working with the woman to learn the ropes and got introduced to the contacts where she can purchase more stock. Her 2 oldest kids started working in the “store” too. They were all very busy and it was a couple months until I saw Mme Lionel again.

What a difference!!!! She looked healthy again; she was no longer skin and bones; the light was back in her eyes, the smile on her face, and the energy in her steps. More important, she and her kids, and I have experienced again God’s faithfulness and goodness. He answered our prayers, and though life is still very challenging for them, their faith and mine has been strengthened yet again to trust in God’s sovereignty.

Thank you for your prayers and for all the contributions that were sent in that enabled us to help so many. This isn’t the only story – there’s also Silia, Naomie, Lemores, Brutus, Jacques, Tinor, Jeanette, Johny, Jehu, Claudy, Garry, and many others who have been helped because of your generosity and your commitment to the family of God and the advancement of His Kingdom.

Since I last wrote we’ve had several teams with us working out at Merger and also here on campus. Each group was a blessing in all they helped us accomplish. We also had a great meeting with those involved with Vision d’Antioche (the Haitian missionary organization), and we plan to focus more on the work that needs to be addressed to make some progress with this ministry. Bruce is also returning to his work on the coffee project. Please pray with us for some good progress with both of these ministries.

I recently had a mishap and ended up with a cast (unfortunately not a walking one) to my knee. After enduring a lot of pain for 4 weeks from the cast and not being able to contact our dr., Bruce cut the cast off – did you hear my sigh of relief?!!! We found another dr. and saw him Monday. I didn’t have to have another cast put on, but have 3 more weeks before I can put weight on it to start walking. Please pray with me for complete healing and no complications.

This is long enough. Our love to you all. Thanks for your faithful partnership with us as we continue on in ministry here. There is so much we see here as people continue to live in miserable situations that makes us sad, but we have hope as God continues to direct us in the ways He wants us to be involved. We covet your prayers.

Blessings, Cindy for Bruce too

Now we need your hands

2010-08-10T09:22:00.007-04:00

If you are in the Lancaster area and available this Saturday (August 14th), we could use some help moving the items from the storage units into the trucks to take to the container. We will take the trucks to CAM International later in the week.

We will be meeting at 11 am at the offices of Coresource on Marshall Street as parking is limited at City Self Storage. Please be sure you park in the Coresource parking lot. It is at the back of the property that used to be the Lancaster Stockyards. The lot is to the side of the building. Spaces are marked "CS". We will walk over to City Self Storage together.

Here are the directions from Route 30, Lancaster:

Take the exit for Lititz Pike (PA-501) and US-222 S
Continue to follow US-222 S/Lititz Pike
Turn left at Marshall Ave
Coresource is on the right
City Self Storage will be on the left

Google Maps directions

Hand of God at work

2010-08-03T08:30:00.005-04:00

Karen, my sister, called me Monday night just beside herself excited and I thought you might like to hear about how God has provided some wonderful blessings.

Karen's employer has moved locations from downtown to a new office complex. In the process of moving, the company decided to get rid of a lot of the furniture and an amazing amount of office supplies. When Karen asked about taking them, the company agreed.

So the seminary and Lemuel Ministries, a organization in NW Haiti (Anse Rouge) where Judy (Muchmore) Dilus (a CrossWorld MK) works with her husband will have desks, cubicles for offices and all kinds of office supplies like notebooks, basic office supplies, etc.

Then yesterday as Karen was finalizing the details of renting a truck to get the items and lining up help to dismantle some of the furniture before moving things to a storage unit, she was told that the company had already had their people dismantle things, and they would move things to a storage unit for her.

When Karen contacted the storage unit and explained that we needed the units for only two weeks, the owner donated the use of two units (because it won't all fit in one unit) because he wanted to help Haiti but did not know how.

Can you see why Karen was so excited!! What a blessing! Thank you Lord for blessing us all!

Update and Pictures from Phyllis Schmid

2010-07-30T07:56:00.003-04:00

Hi,

These are pictures of the renovations making “Almost Heaven” (most recently Boggs Home) into administrative offices for STEP.

As you walk in the front door – Jacques Louis’ office is on the right – where Boxley’s office was – Jacques is the Administrator.

The glassed in area is for the secretaries.

The kitchen\Dining room area will be divided into smaller offices.

The large back bedroom will be President’s office and the other large bedroom will be divided between the Dean of Students, and Academic Dean. Not sure who the back little bedroom by the bathroom is for.

The following pictures are of the temporary classroom building.

McMartin's team is doing the installation of fans, lights, outlets and wooden shutter windows.
The Haitian masons will do the front porch, steps and sidewalk. There will be a covered porch on the front of the building towards the basketball court.

The last picture is of the finished retaining wall by the house that used to be Bitner's, See's, Laloi's and several others.

Update from Phyllis Schmid

2010-07-26T15:57:00.003-04:00

Had a little scare in church this morning when before the service began we heard a loud crashing noise behind and above us from the stairway to the balcony. Everyone around us responded in the same way - panic on faces until we realized it was a folding chair that had dropped on the stairs and tumbled down. I wonder when these panic responses will fade - everyone smiled at each other because we all had the same reaction.

I wanted to tell you about a good story on Haiti in the Newsweek magazine dated July 26, 2010. It is called A TreeGrows in Haiti. It is a good review of the situation here withdeforestation, etc. Don't know if you can read it on line or not. (Here is a link to the article: http://www.newsweek.com/2010/07/16/a-tree-grows-in-haiti.html)

We arrived home to Haiti via Miami yesterday (Saturday) morning around 8 our time. That was a bit different than we planned when we left Amy's at 3 am on Friday to catch the 7:20 am flight to San Juan Puerto Rico with a connecting flight to Port-au-Prince. Karen drove us to Philadelphia and everything was going well until the time for boarding passed and they made the announcement we all dread - there is a problem with the plane. The problem with the plane was that the plastic EXIT sign cover near the front of the plane was missing and they can't fly without it. They could not find a cover in Philadelphia airport so one was being driven down from JFK in NYC which is a good 2 hour drive in good traffic conditions. So they called anyone who had a connecting flight to come up. In the end we were switched to fly to Miami but would have to spend the night and then fly to Haiti on Saturday. Our plane for Miami flew before the one for San Juan. It was really delayed even more than 2 hours.

We were given a voucher for lunch and then got our plane to Miami. In Miami there was a little bit of a tense time when we didn't know where our luggage went. It was supposed to be pulled from the San Juan plane and taken to the Miami plane. We were told that had happened and that we would have to claim it in Miami and then recheck it the next morning. The agents in Miami said we did not have to claim it and it would be put with the Haiti stuff and be on the plane. Well, experience told us that perhaps we should pray about this so we did. We were put in the Airport Hotel because we had such an early flight the next morning. We had a great dinner, wonderful room, and nice breakfast all compliments of American Airlines.

We originally were in the very back of the plane for the Haiti flight, then moved to an exit row - seats #10 A & B. When we went through security I got stopped because the security agent looked at my boarding pass and my passport and said, "Did you change your name?" Of course I looked at her like she had grown horns and said NO. My boarding pass had the name of a man - Daniel Weissman - on it. So off we go to the AA desk and got my correct boarding pass and got back in the security line. Thinking "what else can happen on this trip?" we were getting ready to board the plane and David was called up and we were put in FIRST CLASS!

We were the first ones on the plane. As we were sitting in these incredibly large comfortable seats and being served orange juice we heard them ask for Daniel Weissman - yes that same name that was on my boarding pass to come to the front. We heard him say "yes, they gave my seat away" so I guess they did it again as they already had given it to me once. Anyway what a mess but at least we got seats in 1st class and got another small breakfast and enjoyed our flight back.

That was to prepare us for arriving at the Haiti airport just after the Fort Lauderdale flight had landed so the baggage claim area was absolute BEDLAM. Thankfully everyone laughed and helped each other and we finally found our suitcases (thank you Lord) and got out of the airport. We went to the outdoor market to buy veggies and fruit since I knew I had none at home and finally got home.

David had his stuff from his STEP office sorted, packed and organized before we left for our 10 days in the states but now needs to get it out of the house where they originally put it so that area can be made into administrative offices. That will be his job this week. Then in mid August he goes to La Coma on the north coast to teach the continuing education seminar he was supposed to do the day of the earthquake back in January. Remember it was cancelled due to heavy rains up north which meant he was here with me for the earthquake - praise the Lord! We also need to work on getting his teaching materials.

I need to catch up on the earthquake finances and have a few other things on my "to do" list. It was not easy to think about returning once again but now that I'm back I'm ok. I am SO glad we had the time at the Bala Goodbye. The fellowship, sharing, rest away from the stresses of Haiti were really what we both needed. It was great to remember with so many co-workers from many different fields how God provided that beautiful property 56 years ago. At one of the meetings during the worship time the leader had us all sing "God is so good" in the language of the country where we live at the same time. What a neat experience it was! She hadn't planned it but we had sung "oh for a thousand tongues to sing" and so she suggested it.

The temporary classroom has a roof, outer wooden walls completed and 2 interior cement block walls done. There is still a lot of work to get done so keep praying that this building will be ready for classes to begin.

We enjoyed some family time and even went to see "Joseph" at Sight and Sound in Lancaster. I was reminded once again of the "power of forgiveness" and how many times I read and teach these Old Testament stories from the Bible and don't really let the truth impact my life. I was in tears at the end after seeing the "power of forgiveness" in Joseph's life.

My niece in Illinois just got on skype with me and the call lasted 10 minutes. I was able to see her kids and they could see me as I took them on a little tour outside. They wanted to see our lizards and tarantulas but alas none were around for the viewing! Maybe next time. That was fun.

Love to all,
Phyllis

Share your memories

2010-07-15T13:23:00.003-04:00

If you have memories of Haiti, please share them with me. If you have pictures, send those too!

I have a set up a second blog to pass them along for others to share. Send me an email at Haitigirl1976@hotmail.com. I will share them on http://HaitiMemories.blogspot.com.

Update from Phyllis Schmid

2010-07-12T12:52:00.002-04:00

Hi Everyone,

Wow, where does time go? We leave tomorrow for Philadelphia and the "Bala Farewell" at our mission headquarters before the big move to Kansas City. I think we both might be a little more enthusiastic if we hadn't been sick all weekend. I am not a last minute person and my energy reserves have been depleted and so today getting everything done before we leave seems insurmountable but I know it isn't. It will all get done!

Duane Brown and his friend, Jeff, left on Saturday morning with the classroom building tin roof almost completed. Cindy's brother in law and nephew are here until Wednesday and continue to work on the remodeling of one of the houses for administrative offices for STEP. It is hard to leave Bruce and Cindy behind as we are all stretched about as tight as you can get. On top of that Cindy turned her ankle on an uneven floor on Friday and broke a bone in her foot so she is in a cast for 6 weeks. A friend once shared that even a "strong rubber band" snaps eventually under too much pressure and we are trying to avoid that by all means. Bruce and Cindy are leaving for a period of time this fall for some vacation, family time and work. Pray for added strength for them during these 10 days we are away and for good healing in Cindy's foot.

Pray too for the campus and STEP administration as they follow through and complete the temporary classroom and administrative office work this summer. There is still a lot to do.

One of our main projects when we return will be preparing David's student materials for hermeneutics and Daniel/Revelation for the fall semester.

David just got back from the American Embassy. Two answers to prayer – we needed new pages in our passports but didn't know if David could do it for me or if I needed to be there in person. He was able to get mine done so that was great. We had been notified that they were now charging for this service but when he got there he found out that today it was still "FREE" and tomorrow they start charging for the service. Thank you Lord.

I probably won't be able to send an update until we get back to Haiti but we will be able to communicate by email through David's computer and at the same cell phone numbers we've always had in the states.

Phyllis

Pictures of the changes on campus

2010-07-08T09:38:00.007-04:00

Update from Phyllis Schmid

2010-06-24T18:33:00.003-04:00

Greetings,

We are having strange June weather but I guess there is a storm somewhere in the Caribbean and the last few days have been very windy, a little cooler and rainy. I'm just praying the northwest is getting some rains too as they need it. The problem with the hurricane season beginning is all the people who are still living on the streets in tents and tarps. Tropical storms and hurricanes can dump a huge amount of rain in a short period of time as we all know. Please pray for the people of Haiti during this time.

First I want to share something wonderful with you. Cindy just sent out an update and put it into words so well that I'm coping her update for all of you:

It's always good to hear about victories on God's side and defeats against Satan. So I want to share one for your praise and prayer.

In January 2009 I shared about Yves, Wawa's father and a voodoo priest, who turned from Satan to the truth of salvation through Jesus Christ. Yves is growing in his new faith very quickly. Wawa has shared how serious Yves is about studying God's Word. He also is very enthusiastic about sharing his faith and seeing others come to salvation through Jesus. This past week, Yves told Wawa he is giving land so a church can be built. Wawa said there is no church or evangelical ministry in this area.

So, land once used to house a temple for the worship and work of Satan, will now be dedicated to God and used for the spread of the Gospel and the advancement of God's Kingdom.

Go ahead...shout hallelujah! Do a happy dance! Sing a song of praise!

And continue to pray for Yves: that he'll grow in faith and in understanding of God and stand firm against the attacks of Satan. Pray for this project of building a church on this land.Satan will not let go without a fight I'm sure.

I hope you are encouraged today with this victory for our side and with the mighty power of God displayed in this situation.

Blessings, Cindy

Just in case you don't know what a happy dance is I've seen Cindy do a few in my time. :-) I'm a little more reserved but this news just has to fill you with rejoicing.

Reports from Rich Mears are that he is healing and doing well. We are thankful for that.

I'm attaching some pictures of the Quonset Hut almost completed. We received 3 - 20 foot containers on campus today to use as additional storage. Those of you who know our hill and campus lay out will be able to imagine that getting those up here was a real "feat" especially when it rained when the last one was coming up. This is truly an amazing building.

I've mentioned my struggles recently and know many of you have been praying. Thank you for praying. And thank you to Beth Brown' for her help which enabled me to get caught up with the audit reports I need to make every three months and also all the finance accountability for the Earthquake Relief funds for April - mid June this week. That is a huge load off my shoulders. Things got backed up because of my time in the states.

It wasn't just that though that was weighing on me - the pressure to get everything done this summer for STEP opening in the fall can be overwhelming for our men and that affects me too. I read a note from a friend that reminded me that peace will fill my day when I allow Christ to fill my mind.

Nothing new there but it does help to be reminded where my peace comes from. I need to remember too that peace is not the absence of trouble but is the presence of God.

Just pray that David, Bruce and Duane will be able to keep up the daily work load. Pray for Bruce as Duane leaves on July 10th and we leave on the 13th for 10 days. Last night David was asleep by 7 pm and got up at 5 am today.

He needs to do that a little more often! He spent a lot time today looking for supplies - what he wouldn't have given to be able to go to a Home Depot for an hour or so and he would have found everything in one spot - oh well.

All for now.
Love,
Phyllis

Update from Cindy McMartin

2010-06-24T18:31:00.000-04:00

Hello Everyone!

It’s always good to hear about victories on God’s side and defeats against Satan. So I want to share one for your praise and prayer.

In January 2009 I shared about Yves, Wawa’s father and a voodoo priest, who turned from Satan to the truth of salvation through Jesus Christ. Yves is growing in his new faith very quickly. Wawa has shared how serious Yves is about studying God’s Word. He also is very enthusiastic about sharing his faith and seeing others come to salvation through Jesus. This past week, Yves told Wawa he is giving land so a church can be built. Wawa said there is no church or evangelical ministry in this area.

So, land once used to house a temple for the worship and work of Satan, will now be dedicated to God and used for the spread of the Gospel and the advancement of God’s Kingdom.

Go ahead…..shout hallelujah! Do a happy dance! Sing a song of praise!

And continue to pray for Yves: that he’ll grow in faith and in understanding of God and stand firm against the attacks of Satan. Pray for this project of building a church on this land…Satan will not let go without a fight I’m sure.

I hope you are encouraged today with this victory for our side and with the mighty power of God displayed in this situation.

Blessings, Cindy

Brief update from Phyllis Schmid

2010-06-20T08:01:00.001-04:00

We are praising God for His protection of one of our co-workers, Rich Mears, who was shot in a robbery early Thursday morning here in Haiti. It was a small caliber bullet and passed through his upper thigh missing arteries and bone. A "good Samaritan" at the scene helped Rich get to medical care and then David spent most of the day with him. The two hospitals close to us that we would normally go to in the past are both closed basically. This highlights a problem in the country following the earthquake.

Rich ended up at a "Doctors without Borders" clinic where they did an assessment and then David took him to Dr. Jeudi, a STEP graduate who is also a surgeon. He took excellent care of Rich and kept him into the evening to adjust medication. We picked him up around 9 pm and brought him back to Bolosse campus. He spent the night and then left on American Airlines Friday afternoon to join his family already in the states. It could have been much worse and so we are reminded once again of God's protection. I know Rich and Carol would appreciate prayer for complete healing and recovery. It was a first for us to have someone in our "family" wounded by a gunshot during a robbery. Guns are everywhere and it is truly only God's protection that this has not happened before.

Beth Brown flew home to Indiana today after spending a lot of time going over the finance books for me and helping me set things up with all the added work of the earthquake relief funds. She made me smile when she said that she enjoyed doing it - it was a puzzle and it challenged her. I don't know if I will ever use the work "enjoy" with doing finance work. I appreciate all she did.

Her husband, Duane, is still here for 3 more weeks and will be joined by a friend from Indiana who will help him get many different repair/building projects done. The main frame of the Quonset Hut is up and now the ends need to be finished. Once it is secure we will move in the things salvaged from the damaged building for storage which will free up another building (formerly Boggs house) for making administrative offices for STEP. Temporary classrooms for the fall semester are still in the planning stage but must be started soon.

As the result of a gift from dear friends, David and I are traveling to PA July 13 - 23 for the "Farewell to Bala" as our headquarters moves from Bala-Cynwyd, PA (outside of Philadelphia) to Kansas City, MO. It is an unexpected trip but we look forward to seeing and fellowshipping with many missionaries we have come to know and love over the years we've been with UFM/CrossWorld.

Please keep us and McMartins in your prayers. We find things challenging and it is only by God's grace that we keep pushing forward right now. We are reminded daily that by His strength and His strength alone is anything worthwhile accomplished. Thank you SO much for "standing in the gap and holding up our arms" at this time.

Love,

Phyllis

Update from Phyllis Schmid

2010-06-13T19:39:00.003-04:00

Hi,

Just a quick update. The following two paragraphs are from Cindy's recent update. We were not here when the beginning of demolition of the Bible School Building took place but Cindy describes it so well.

"We didn't hold a funeral service, but I did join with many of our Haitian colleagues to watch as demolition started on the Bible school building May 10th. Bruce was in the middle of it all as he worked alongside the men helping to oversee the job. There were groans, even tears, as the large tractor clawed and pounded the building to bring it down. There have been many godly leaders trained in the classrooms of this building; many hours of prayer have risen up to God from meetings held within its walls; lots of laughter and good fellowship have filled its rooms; numerous different materials and resources have been written and produced by those within this building; and many different Christian ministries have been birthed and directed out of offices in this building. The building is gone, but thousands of souls remain for all of eternity."

She also added this prayer request which I'll share with you too: "Please continue to pray for Jehu and his relationship with the boys. They've all experienced trauma and continue to live in challenging living conditions.

Pray that God will fill Jehu with love, patience and wisdom as he interacts with them. Pray for the work being done to reinforce and strengthen the building to withstand any future quakes. Pray that they'll soon be able to move into their new home."

Graduation went well on Thursday with 30 graduating from STEP and many more graduating from the Extension Bible School program. The men left this morning (Saturday) for a two day STEP faculty retreat. We are praying for good communication of ideas, times of fervent prayer and direction for planning for the future.

We had a good visit with Judy, baby Ani, and Bonita and her dad, Bryon. They left this morning to return to the Plateau. Please pray for them as they face some struggles with vehicles that are broken down, other sensitive situations they are having to deal with as well as the lack of rain in their area. Sometimes just day to day living can be so hard and then other things come along to stress the situation even more. God is at work through the ministry there and Satan is not happy to see that happen. I so enjoyed little Ani after she got used to me again. We made some fun memories.

The men are in the process of getting the "Quonset hut" up. It is hot dirty work but will be such a great help to the school. Please pray for continued safety and strength to see the work completed. See the attachments. I don't know how to put the picture in the actual text so if anyone can tell me that would be great.

All for now,Phyllis

Brief update from Phyllis Schmid

2010-06-08T12:38:00.001-04:00

Greetings from Haiti!

I am overwhelmed by all the birthday wishes I have received from people on Facebook. It was fun to open the email this morning and see them all though. I do not get on FB very often because I really do not know what I'm doing on it. But I can see how people can enjoy it for keeping in touch with friends. I also opened a card with a special letter in it from a dear friend of my mom's. She shared with me among other things how happy my mom and dad were at my arrival after dad returned from the war. Her letter will be kept as one of my "treasures"!

I was laid low for about 4 days with a nasty stomach bug that really wiped me out. Thankfully that was last weekend and not this coming week with so much going on.

Today won't be a normal "birthday" type day. I'm baking cookies this am and preparing for a team of 3 men coming tomorrow. Judy, little Ani and friend, Bonita, are coming from the Plateau today to stay with us for a while.

David is driving out to a town on the coastal road where there is a 40' container holding many supplies including the "Quonset Hut" being put up on the campus for storage. He went out yesterday and hoped not to have to go back today but things didn't turn out that way. It is VERY HOT heavy work inside that metal container under the tropical Haitian sun in the middle of the day. But that is the way it is.

David goes out in our pickup and the dump truck goes along with some workers. They take water and David insists they take breaks because of the heat. Bruce Robinson returns from the north coast of Haiti tomorrow to work with 2 men coming from Florida tomorrow to put up the"hut" so David needs to have the parts here in Port. Bruce has put these up before in his community development work in the northwest. We really appreciate his help. Last week they spent time digging and doing the foundation for the building. Please pray for safety in all the travel and work going on these days.

Duane and Beth Brown arrive on the 12th of June. Beth will stay a week and Duane for a month. He has a friend coming to help him later in the month. Cindy's brother-in-law and nephew come for a while to help too. Repairs to our home are scheduled in somewhere so that will be interesting to live and function while getting some of the cracks repaired inside and out.

Thursday is graduation for the seminary and then there is to be a faculty retreat Friday - Sunday. Sunday is our "40th" wedding anniversary. Again, there won't be the normal chance to celebrate that either because of the faculty retreat but trust me McMartins and Schmids are planning a time at the beach in early August and hopefully nothing will interrupt those plans. McMartins will be celebrating their 35th anniversary and we can celebrate David's birthday so we really look forward to that.

Still many decisions to be made in all the planning ahead. Continue to prayf or wisdom on the part of STEP administration and board as they look to the future and seek God's will in planning.

This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!

Love, Phyllis

Update from Cindy McMartin - June 6, 2010

2010-06-08T12:36:00.001-04:00

Greetings!

We didn’t hold a funeral service, but I did join with many of our Haitian colleagues to watch as demolition started on the Bible school building May 10th. Bruce was in the middle of it all as he worked alongside the men helping to oversee the job. There were groans, even tears, as the large tractor clawed and pounded the building to bring it down. There have been many godly leaders trained in the classrooms of this building; many hours of prayer have risen up to God from meetings held within its walls; lots of laughter and good fellowship have filled its rooms; numerous different materials and resources have been written and produced by those within this building; and many different Christian ministries have been birthed and directed out of offices in this building. The building is gone, but thousands of souls remain for all of eternity.

Immediately following our return, Bruce was back into different work projects on the STEP campus. One house that was vacated shortly after the quake was repaired and prepared for teams. It was immediately filled with a team from Churches Helping Churches that came in coordination with STEP to host a 4-day seminar for 200 Haitian pastors. These pastors came from all over Haiti and enjoyed good fellowship, encouragement, and teaching from the Word. It was good to hear their voices raised in worship, in laughter and in discussion of the materials being taught.

May 22nd, a team from Alderwood Community Church in Washington arrived to spend a week working out at Jehu’s property. We really enjoyed these men and their time with us. They accomplished a lot on the construction project and also helped Bruce with a bunch of odd jobs around the campus. Just as important, their lives were impacted by their time in Haiti and we are certain God will use them to impact other lives as a result.

Please continue to pray for Jehu and his relationship with the boys. They’ve all experienced trauma and continue to live in challenging living conditions. Pray that God will fill Jehu with love, patience and wisdom as he interacts with them. Pray for the work being done to reinforce and strengthen the building to withstand any future quakes. Pray that they’ll soon be able to move into their new home.

During the past month there have been times of discouragement; we have been frustrated with the frenzy of activities and work that don’t always seem to have a planned strategy guiding them; we have missed the regular interaction with the students and our ministries of teaching; there are times when it’s hard for us to find the motivation to keep slugging away at the mundane tasks; and we continue to feel overwhelmed with the great needs all around us – how some people are living is just unbelievable.

Please pray for us: we don’t doubt God’s sovereignty, but need a real sense of His direction for our involvement in the months ahead so that we’re not just letting circumstances dictate what we do. Please pray for us as we receive and facilitate teams coming down to work on many different projects. Pray that God would direct us to identify those projects that are His plan and which will be the most beneficial to the advancement of his Kingdom. In everything, please pray that we’ll be filled with God’s joy and that it will overflow in all we do.

We can’t do anything here without the power of the Holy Spirit working in us, so we covet your prayers. We continue to be grateful for abundant life we have in God and for His grace and mercy at work in us each day.

Love, Cindy for Bruce too

Starting from Scratch in Haiti

2010-05-27T18:34:00.001-04:00

Photo by CrossWorld MK Natalie Day

These were David Schmid's words as he spoke to a tear-filled group at CrossWorld's headquarters in Bala-Cynwyd, PA. The Schmids returned to Haiti May 13, after a much needed one-month R&R in the United States. He reflected on the past 4 months since the January 12, 2010 earthquake, by focusing on the blessings.

It blessed David and Phyllis to see people, who had lost everything and had to leave the camp in early April, expressed a warm 'thank you' for all that had been done for them.
It was a blessing to see people from overseas and local people "working together" in the name of Jesus.
It was a blessing to see the universality of the family of God - people all over the world were praying and encouraging them - and giving financial help.
It blessed them to see how God uses tragedy to add to the family of God. "How come my colleague at work perished, and I am here alive?" was a common question which drove people to God.

We now get to re-think the best way to meet physical and spiritual needs - we are "starting from scratch". Pray for our missioanaries as they look to God's future for ministry in Haiti.

Update from Phyllis Schmid

2010-05-23T09:30:00.000-04:00

Sunday May 23

Hi,

I usually try to do an update before Sunday so people can have it to share in church if they want to but yesterday things got away from me. I was planning on 4 visitors for lunch and at the last minute invited 4 more people so there was a little bit of scrambling but all were fed and the fellowship was great.

Big news: the container the church in Boca Raton Florida sent to us is out of customs and at a mission compound outside of Port-au-Prince. It contains a LARGE "Quonset hut" that we will be putting on the cement slab basketball court near the demolished building. The Quonset hut will be constructed and used for storage of all the materials rescued from the building. Currently all of that material is in various locations all over campus. The container had extra room in it so the church filled it with all kinds of things for STEP like plywood, desk chairs for classrooms, and all kinds of other things.

Bruce and Deb Robinson, our co-workers involved in Community Development on the north coast, were here this week and a plan was developed. He is experienced with putting the Quonset hut together so will come back on Wednesday and get the foundation work done on the cement slab. Then in early June he will come and meet a team of men he put together and they will put up the building. Then we will be able to empty the places containing much of the material saved from the building.

Another organization has offered us two pre-fab buildings to place on the original site of the demolished building to be able to have classes there in the fall. One of the empty houses on campus will be remodeled for use by the seminary

David and Bruce have prepared an empty house (where we used to live) on campus to receive those coming to work on these various projects. Our main guest unit is occupied by the displaced families who had been living in the "motel" building which also was demolished after the quake damage.

Duane Brown is returning for a month to work on the retaining walls and other projects damaged in the quake on campus.

McMartins have a team of 4 men to do some work at Jehu's building. They had planned to come early this year but the quake changed those plans. They also have a group from Washington who will come the end of July to work in a community outside of Port-au-Prince where a STEP grad has a ministry.

Many of you have expressed a desire to come help and believe me when we know what kind of skills we need we will let you know. It may not be a situation where we can give a lot of advance notice but we will try to work up a plan. No one has told me exactly but I would think the kinds of skills eventually needed would construction, electricians, plumbers, carpenters. Then later those involved in painting and finishing work.

I share all of this as prayer requests for:

safety in hauling all the materials to the campus from the container
safety in putting up the Quonset hut preparation of the other buildings for the beginning of the seminary in the fall
planning for the other projects needing to be done daily
strength, patience and wisdom for Jacques, Bruce, David and Robert as they manage their time
energies this summer Cindy and I to keep everyone fed and happy :-)

All for today,
Phyllis

2010-05-21T08:09:00.003-04:00

Four months after the earthquake and only one month with no one living in the yard and nature has taken back the land. This is Dad (David Schmid) trying to tame the jungle of our lower yard. The See house (house at center of campus) is directly behind him. You can see the roof to the right, through the gap in the trees.

This is a picture of the Motel, or the remnants at least, from the road.

Here the loader (not the right name :0}) removing debris from the Bible School building. The Seminary building is in the background.

Please pray:

For the leaders of UEBH and Bolosse Campus as they make decisions about the future of the campus property, Bible School and Seminary (STEP)

For the work crews as they remove the debris, clean up the property to be ready for whatever is put on the sites. At this point, there is talk of "pre-fab" structures to house classes in the fall.

For visiting work teams, for safety in travel and safety as they work

For all of the people who will take care of feeding and housing these work teams

CrossWorld Event coming up

2010-05-20T11:07:00.003-04:00

July 14 to 18 is a special time at CrossWorld's home office. If you are connected to CrossWorld (formerly UFM International) in anyway (currently or were formerly missionaries, missionary kids, etc) please register to come to this time of celebrating decades at the Bala Cynwyd location.

If you are Haiti field member, please make a special note that there will be a Haiti Reunion schedule for Saturday July 17 from 2pm to 4pm.

If you would like to come, please register at: http://www.crossworld.org/good-bye-bala.html. There is a schedule of events, list of who is already registered and a link to the online registration form.

We will have a few suprises for you! We are working on getting some older 16mm and 35mm film from the 1940s and 1950s. We also found some footage from some Haiti Family Retreats from the 1980s. We are working on getting all this footage on to a DVD that will be available for purchase. We will not have copies at the reunion but you will be able to register to have a copy mailed to you. However, there will be a small fee ($5 or $7) to cover production and mailing costs.

If you are unable to attend but would still like a copy of the dvd, please send me an email at HaitiGirl1976@hotmail.com and I will make arrangement to get you a copy.

Missing Photos in previous post

2010-05-17T10:40:00.001-04:00

Some of you may not be able to see the photos in the previous post. I will try to fix that tonight. Check out the slideshow at right. They are the last 6 photos.

Brief update from Phyllis Schmid

2010-05-15T18:21:00.007-04:00

Hi,
Just a note to tell you we are back safe and (I think) sound! It was a pleasant surprise to see how green everything was and to see the flowers blooming because of rainy season. All of Haiti continues to need rain to fill cisterns, water tables, etc. Of course June begins hurricane season and so we are praying for a safe hurricane season.

Yesterday Cindy and I went grocery shopping so I'm stocked up for visitors coming on Monday. This morning David is giving his exam for his last eschatology course and then reviewing with the seniors for their comprehensive exams before graduation.

Bruce and Cindy returned to Haiti ahead of us and Bruce has headed up the demolition of the Bible School building and the "motel". I will attach some pictures to show you. We got here in time to see the last of the Bible School bldg and the motel come down. It is a sad thing but necessary to begin the renewal process. They were able to get things out of both buildings including doors, appliances, plumbing fixtures, ironwork, etc and we praise God for His protection of the men as they worked.

Cindy has been out to see Jehu's boys and I will go the next time. Please pray for these precious boys and clear direction for this ministry.

We returned tired but in the midst of unpacking and settling in again we are getting some sleep. Thanks for all you did to encourage us during our time in the states. We packed a lot into our time there - 3 trips to Virginia, time in DuBois, North central PA and our home office. We were able to share at least 5 times with groups about the earthquake and how God is working.

Please pray for McMartins and us as the summer will be a busy time. We are aware of our need to pace ourselves and also to try to not let the "tyranny of the urgent" rule our lives. But we need your prayers in these areas.

********************
I am having trouble getting the photos to show here. Please see the slideshow at right for the demolition pictures.

Pictures of Demolition started on Monday May 10

2010-05-11T17:23:00.004-04:00

Cindy McMartin took these on Monday. They started with the seminary building side of the bible school building.

Demolition Day

2010-05-10T08:23:00.001-04:00

Starting today, crews are beginning to bring down the damaged buildings on Bolosse Campus. I believe they will be starting with the Bible School. Please pray for the work crews.

They have an excavator and they are starting with the end facing the seminar building.

Pictures are coming. Bruce and Cindy are also taking video of the demolition.

Returning from R and R

2010-05-07T19:20:00.003-04:00

Bruce and Cindy McMartin have already returned to Haiti and David and Phyllis Schmid return on Thursday.

Please pray:

for wisdom to know what future ministries will be for the four of them.
for strength as they continue to help the local community.
for discernment as they help people. There are still so many in need.
for safety as they travel around.

Churches Helping Churches (http://www.churcheshelpingchurches.com/) is an organization that visited Haiti and interviewed Cindy McMartin and David Schmid (see video in link at right: Sermon from Mars Hill Church) is sponsoring a seminar for Haitian pastors on the Bolosse Campus.

Please pray:

for the 15 people from CHC as well as the 250+ Haitian pastors.
for the logistics of housing, feeding and caring for the 265 or more people participating.
for Joset as she is responsible for hosting.
for Jacques as he works with CHC to set this seminar up

2010-05-04T13:32:00.002-04:00

Hi,
Well, 9 more days and we’ll be travelling back to Haiti. David’s month and my 6 weeks in the states have been very different than we had planned but we’ve seen God work in so many ways.

Physically:

David and I were able to have lab work done along with physicals with our doctor in DuBois
I’ve gotten excellent care under Dr. Wayne Whitley in Fredericksburg, VA (check out his website at wwhitley@wwhitley.com) which involved some trips to VA
David was able to have a colonoscopy done in Lancaster (on very short notice – a miracle) to check out his frequent intestinal problems – no tumors or polyps but still waiting results on tests for parasites etc.

Emotionally:

I was able to spend time with my brother and his family and also attend the celebration of his life after his “homegoing” on April 23. Lots of tears, laughter and fun as we remembered the terrific brother, husband, father, grandfather and friend he had been to so many. His life of dedication to God’s service alongside his wife of almost 45 years was an inspiration. I was also able to spend time with my sister, Sue, and her husband, John, when they came from Indiana for the funeral.
David’s brother, Mel, and his wife, Marsha and their son, Matt visited us for 2 days and were a special encouragement. Mel is involved in counseling at a mental health clinic in Boston area and has many Haitians as clients. He helped me understand some of my remaining reactions (feeling like things are shaking) as a result of the earthquake are “normal”.
Our weekend in DuBois with our “home” church family was amazing. They are such a loving and encouraging group of people. We felt wrapped in a blanket of love and I got lots of hugs. What a blessing people were to us there.
Being with our family off and on throughout our time here has also been such a blessing. It’s fun to do things with our adult kids and laugh as we “walk down memory lane” with them. They along with a cousin, Matt, are planning to come visit us in Haiti next November.
We’ve had almost 2 weeks at this lovely home in north central PA seeing deer, wild turkeys, lots of other woodland creatures. It is so beautiful and quiet – lots of time for reading, listening to great music, napping and just enjoying each other. Sue and John were here with us for 2 nights and then Mel and family for 2 nights. Amy and Jeff arrive today for a few days before we all return to Lancaster. One of the little framed notes here at the home says : “How beautiful it is to do nothing, and then rest afterwards.” Doesn’t that just say it all?!?!?!?

Spiritually:

As we have shared with each other and with family and friends all that happened during and after the earthquake we can see God’s hand on our lives. We can do NOTHING in our own strength but with and through God we can do ALL things He brings into our paths.
Knowing so many are praying for us and the people of Haiti in the area of rebuilding of lives, buildings and ministries gives us the strength to carry forward.
We know God has much to teach us in the days, weeks and months ahead of us. Bruce and Cindy have already returned and shared that it is hard to return. We know it will be but God gives the enabling as we need it. The coming summer will be full of preparations for the beginning of a new school year for the seminary. The physical plant may look very different but we know God desires this ministry go forward for His glory.

Thanks to all of you who have encouraged us in so many ways during this time in the states. Please pray for McMartins and Schmids that we will be faithful in what God calls us to do and that we will go forward in HIS strength.

Love,
Phyllis

Update from Cindy McMartin

2010-04-29T18:20:00.002-04:00

April 25, 2010

Our get-away time is fast coming to a close. We have been so thankful for this time to kick back, not worry too much about responsibilities, and to enjoy some good time with part of our family. Once we got to Missouri, we realized how tired we were. It was very easy for Bruce to adopt Tyler’s schedule and nap when he did. :0) Bruce is just now beginning to feel “normal” again. He had several upper respiratory infections in Haiti and started up with another one soon after our arrival here. Please continue to pray with us for a return to complete health for Bruce.

The last large team that was with us was able to accomplish a lot. Four of the men worked many long, hard hours repairing the damage to one campus house. The rest of the group held medical/dental clinics. They treated hundreds of people in the community surrounding our campus and at Merger. They also set up in the rubble of a church in a community of one of our STEP students. This was the first medical/dental aid they had received so the people were very grateful. It was also the church of Dr. Milo, a graduate of STEP and the dentist who had served on the 2 Haitian outreach teams to Senegal. He and his wife and child were killed in the quake.

It was great having the girls home again. They went out with the team each day, but we still managed to steal some times together.

Those of us serving on the committee that was taking care of the IDP camp turned over this responsibility to the UEBH the end of March. The UEBH informed the IDP camp they would need to move off the campus by April 3rd because schools were to resume the 5^th. We were pleasantly surprised at how smoothly this process went. Many groups of people expressed their appreciation for all that had been done for them to help them after the quake.

STEP is holding classes for the 4^th-year students out in the country at the UEBH’s property in Verrettes. Graduation is planned for June. The other students are organized in ministries and social services until classes resume in the fall. No decision has been made yet as to where STEP will rebuild. They are continuing to explore different possibilities, land, and the affects of a move.

We leave here the 28^th. We’ve had a great time with Joel and Andi and the boys, but we are ready to get back to Haiti and to the plans God has laid out for us to be involved in. Two big projects in the near future will be the demolition of the STEP and apartment buildings. We realize the months ahead will be full of teams continuing to come to be involved in the work still needing to be done. Please pray especially for Bruce as he helps to organize all the logistics involved with this. One idea talked about was organizing the community to work together in repairing their homes. Pray for wisdom in moving ahead with this.

We will be receiving a team in May to continue the work out at Jehu’s property. Jehu is reinforcing walls/pillars and changing building plans a bit to make it more quake proof. He has the boys in school out in their new area now. Please pray for the boys in all the many challenges they’ve been through these past few months. Pray for Jehu as he takes care of these boys and interacts with them.

The coffee project, students to disciple, the Haitian missionary organization, work teams, repairs, strategic planning – some of the many challenges and opportunities facing us as we return to Haiti. Thank you for your faithful involvement with us as we are involved in the activities and ministries God directs us to.

Love, Cindy for Bruce too

Prayer Request

2010-04-23T14:30:00.001-04:00

Phyllis' brother Bob Roper went to be with Jesus today. Please pray for the whole family. We are rejoicing that he is with Jesus but grieving the loss of our dear one. No details regarding arrangement have been decided as of yet.

Reminder of May 8 get together at Calvary Homes

2010-04-22T08:33:00.001-04:00

In order to see as many people as possible, there is a get together scheduled. Here are the details:

When: May 8, 2010 from 2pm to 4pm
Where: Calvary Homes, Assembly Room (Directions below)
Who: Anyone who would like to get an update about Haiti and see the Schmids
Directions to Calvary Homes:
Calvary Homes are located at 502 Elizabeth Drive (Lancaster, PA 17601-4499). You can get turn by turn directions at www.maps.google.com or www.mapquest.com

If you still need help getting there, feel free to call my cell phone or you can also call Calvary Homes at (717) 393-0711.

Once at Calvary Homes, go to the main entrance under the portico.Turn right at the receptionist station and the room should be down the hall.

This will be a very informal time for fellowship. There will be a PowerPoint presentation available for viewing as well as pictures.

Short update

2010-04-19T08:59:00.004-04:00

The country is beginning to find its feet. The schools were to open on April 6th. Those that were able to open, did so.

Bolosse campus as a christian high school on campus and they were scheduled to open on April 6th. In order to do so, the campus needed to be made available. By late March, many of the people on campus had already returned to their homes or to existing displacement camps around the city where aid is provided by such groups as the Salvation Army, the Red Cross and many others. As of April 13th, all of the displaced persons had moved off campus.

Prayer requests:

pray for the people of Haiti as they are still working to recover from the earthquake over three months ago. Many people are not able to go to their homes because they were destroyed. This is the rainy season in Haiti so people living in the tent cities are affected by the weather.
pray for the goverment leaders in Haiti. That they will be able to lead the country effectively and not sit back and let the well-meaning foreign help take over. Pray for them personally. Each man and woman in leadership has a burden to carry their country forward.
pray for the new belivers all around the country of Haiti. Pray that their spiritual growth would not be stunted. That they will get connected to a bible believing church that will walk beside them as they grow in Christ.
pray for local churchs around the country as they reach out to new belivers and those who are not belivers. Pray for wisdom to know who needs their help, courage to speak out for Christ and strength to keep the faith as they are affected by the earthquake and are facing some of the same fears and challenges for the future.
pray for the leadership of the UEBH (the Haitian organization that has long been associated with CrossWorld, located on Bolosse campus) and the leadership of STEP (the seminary (a ministry of the UEBH), located on Bolosse campus) as they decide what the future will look like for both of these organizations.

Update on the missionaries at Bolosse:

The McMartins are in Missouri with their son and daughter-in-law, Joel and Andi. The are getting some Grandma and Grandpa time Joel and Andi's two boys!
The Schmids are in Pennsylvania getting some much needed rest at a vacation home of some friends. Their three kids are sure to be dropping by as often as possible!

Prayer Request for the Schmids

2010-04-07T13:07:00.003-04:00

Please be praying for Phyllis Schmid's brother Bob Roper and his family. God knows the details. Out of respect, I will not share them here.

Get together is planned

2010-04-02T18:56:00.002-04:00

In order to see as many people as possible, there is a get together scheduled. Here are the details:

When: May 8, 2010 from 2pm to 4pm
Where: Calvary Homes, Assembly Room (Directions below)
Who: Anyone who would like to get an update about Haiti and see the Schmids

Directions to Calvary Homes:
Calvary Homes are located at 502 Elizabeth Drive (Lancaster, PA 17601-4499). You can get turn by turn directions at www.maps.google.com or www.mapquest.com

If you still need help getting there, feel free to call my cell phone or you can also call Calvary Homes at (717) 393-0711.

Once at Calvary Homes, go to the main entrance under the portico.
Turn right at the receptionist station and the room should be down the hall.

This will be a very informal time for fellowship. There will be a PowerPoint presentation available for viewing as well as pictures.

Update from Phyllis Schmid

2010-04-02T18:50:00.003-04:00

Hi,

My flights to PA went well but I was really weary when Jeff and I finally got to Amy's at about 2:30 am. I loved having a chance to talk with Jeff on the drive home. It was hard to leave what we'd been living in for 2 1/2 months to arrive back in the United States where no one else was dealing with tent cities, demolished buildings and damaged lives. In the Miami airport where I was waiting for my flight to Philadelphia the floor kept shaking off and on. My heart beat faster and immediately thought - "earthquake!" but I looked around and no one was paying any attention to it.
I kept wanting to say something to someone but knew it would sound crazy since no one else was reacting. I think that feeling will be with me for a while.

David is so busy getting ready for his class and tying up all the loose ends before the McMartins leave tomorrow. I am including an email David sent this morning. This is some of the news he sent out today and will bring you more up to date since some of this news surprised even me. I did not know about the people leaving campus. I knew some had left but it sounds like the temporary tent city has closed much sooner than I thought it would be.

Right now things are moving towards a get together with anyone interested in seeing us on May 8th in the afternoon in Lancaster. Time and location are not known at this time but Amy will post it here. This is just a chance to see people all together and not try to spread ourselves too thin.

There is also a link on Facebook with pictures you might be interested in viewing. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Haiti-Alumni-Association/113823438630636?v=wall

I am glad to be here experiencing the beautiful signs of spring and renewal in PA. I pray each of you will rejoice in God's blessings during this weekend of celebration of Christ's resurrection. He is RISEN!

Love to all of you,
Phyllis
***********************************************
From David:
What a surprise this morning at 6 am when I walked the dog. The tent city on Bolosse campus was being dismantled. Yes, everyone is gone and no problems. Let me explain.

The Haitian government declared schools were to open on April 5. The UEBH decided to use that date to encourage people to move off campus and return to their communities or to established displacement communities developed by international aid agencies in concert with the Haitian government. Two weeks ago the UEBH posted a notice on all the entrance gates and spread the word that people were to be off campus by April 3. Some started moving off the early part of the week but there were still people in all 4 sections. Section 4, at the end of the campus by the shop, emptied on Thursday and the tarps were taken down. This morning when I got up people were tying up their belongings and moving off in the other 3 sections.

A number of people came up and thanked me for opening up the campus to receive and provide for them in their time of need. My eyes began to water and I choked up. We have been through a lot as the crisis brought us together. It was another way in which I bonded with the Haitian people in a way that is hard to explain. My heart pained for them knowing that many would still face difficult days ahead of them.

Where are they going? Many are returning home to residences that are habitable but in need of repair. They do not have the money but somehow will manage. Others have lost homes and will live under some type of covering in their neighbor's yards. Some may move to the official communities developed for displaced people in La Plaine, a suburb of Port-au-Prince. I helped one lady make that move and paid for a tap-tap pickup truck to take her. She lost everything in her collapsed house in the next community to Bolosse where the campus is located.

What is the next phase of recovery? On campus we still need to put the razor wire on the rebuilt walls. The campus cistern is holding. We completed the work on Pastor Tony' s house yesterday, the campus residence most severely damaged. We will paint the interior rooms this next week.

Then we will work on the remaining residences that need fixing. I am finding more and more significant cracks in our house as I have had time to examine it better. The next major project is to rebuild the retaining walls that put some residences at risk. We hope to have all these projects completed by the end of July.

We still need to demolish the Seminary building and the apartment complex. Both are still standing. That will be done this summer by July, Lord willing.

We still are focusing on the communities around the campus and see how we can continue to help people. Yes, they left the campus but life is still hard and a challenge for many. Since McMartins and Schmids are taking their R&R in April, this will be evaluated and acted on this summer.

I want to, thank all of you for your part in the crisis and recovery process to date. We could not have done it without the Lord's help and your personal effort and presence. Words cannot express my personal appreciation for what each one of you did. The demonstration of Christ's compassion and love has marked many. Many came to Christ while a part of the tent city.
You marked my life with your presence too and have become a part of the extended family of CrossWorld.

Blessings on you all this Easter season.

David

Link to Video of Haiti

2010-04-02T12:35:00.003-04:00

These videos are courtesy of Doug Anderson and Matt Mason. Thanks Gentlemen for sharing!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Haiti-Alumni-Association/113823438630636?v=wall

I hope you all can access it. There are several videos and lots of pictures.

CrossWorld News: Does Haiti Still Need Our Help?

2010-04-01T20:57:00.000-04:00

Apr 01, 2010 12:01 pm

Haiti is no longer in the news much. And yet the plight of those who lost family members, friends, homes, employment, possessions is as dire as before.

Through your gifts, thousands have been helped. Cindy McMartin writes with appreciation: "Thank you to all of you who continue to pray for us and to so many who have contributed funds to help us in responding to the needs here. It has amazed us to hear of all the creative ways that have been used to raise funds for relief by so many of you. Your generosity and concern for the situation here has overwhelmed us. You have enabled us to help many with food, clothing, medicines, quilts, car repairs, house repairs, and tarps. In the midst of all this, we want to be sensitive to spiritual needs too."

What is the next phase of response?

The next phase of response, through our Haitian partners, will adapt to the needs of the people in each new area. It may be shelter from the rainy season in one area, while in another, medicines and hygiene may be most needed. In another location, the greatest need will be food. One village may most need seeds to plant crops, while another lacks Bibles and Christian literature - or perhaps the need will be for school supplies. In some places, meeting all of these needs may be what is required.

Seismic Explanations - Update from Bruce & Deb Robinson

2010-04-01T20:21:00.006-04:00

I was out in the neighborhood last night. It gets real dark here. We don’t have streetlights and there was no moon. A guy came by on a 50cc motorbike and we exchanged hellos. I didn’t recognize him, so I called after him. I might have recognized the face in daylight but he introduced himself. His father is the caretaker at the building the pastors have for development, and someone we have been working with on an irrigation canal.

He reminded me he had been away in Port-au-Prince at university. A big deal for around here. I
asked about his university- was it in session during the earthquake? Yes, but he had morning classes and had been home after taking an exam.

The university is pretty much gone. The loss among students and professors was significant. The highest school toll was university age as most universities were in session when the quake hit. Most students and professors have day jobs. The universities (and our mission seminary) hold classes from 4 to 8PM. Many were decimated in the earthquake. Most were multistory buildings and a few had no survivors. Sadrack is the young Haitian engineer who works with us. His alma mater, GOC, well known for Civil Engineering, is completely gone. We both weren’t in a hurry so I asked the guy on the motorcycle how he survived.

He was on the way out of the house to a local pharmacy when it hit. But hadn’t been in a hurry
and was helping a younger girl with her school lesson. The house started shaking violently. It was swinging back and forth so much that it was hitting the buildings next to it. He finally figured he better get outside.

When he got on the porch he says God caused him to look up before he got completely out. The
multistory building across the street was falling down and coming his way. He stopped and turned to go a different direction off the porch just as a girl came running out of the house next door. A wall came down on her splattering him with blood. At this point he decided for better or for worse he was going to stick it out on the porch.

Directly behind his house was a school with 1500 students in it from elementary to trade school/vocational level. It was in session. He said it pretty much got them all. They did pull out a few injured the next day but he shook his head and said he didn’t think that any of them lived very long.

The pharmacy where he was late walking to sunk into the ground when the earth liquefied. Only six inches of the first floor is still above ground. He didn’t say anything about his friend who worked there.

He is third year in accounting and among other things is worried about whether he is going to lose this school year and if there is going to be a way or a university for him to finish at. Now he has time to talk. He is here with his parents with nothing to do and nothing clear about his future. But as he pointed out, he is alive.

For eight days he lived on the streets. He didn’t have any money to come home with so was stuck there. The helicopters dropped cookies (probably protein bars) and there was a huge battle for them everywhere they dropped. The thieves took over, stealing and getting stuff everywhere. The thing that saved them at his house is that there was one of the camps that sprung up in the church and school yard next door so there were always people around and
that helped.

One of the things we are helping the pastors organize at five centrally located churches out here
is retreats over Easter for the local and displaced young adults. Hoping for spiritual input and to help young people like this young man to deal with grief and trauma. I think many like this young man are still in shock and haven’t started to deal with the loss and the what-ifs. He said if you lived through it, it was only God because it totally depended on where you were for one instant on the afternoon of January 12th.

As I said before, many of the IDPs (internally displaced people) are out here and as it rains more
will come. Pastor Bernex has six or seven at his house, the pastor here as many. Boss Aletude from the shop had six but has set up three of them in Port-de-Paix. One friend has 22. Some are staying at the house and some are going to Port-de-Paix the town near us. Which bothers me. Construction in Port-de-Paix is as bad or worse than what fell down in Port-au-Prince. There are many buildings that worried me even before this earthquake happened.

When I came to this remote part of Northwest Haiti, we were the only people for two hours drive with a bicycle, motorcycle, or vehicle. All that has changed. People don’t walk ten or twelve miles to town anymore.

The vehicle of choice for doing public transportation is a little Toyota pickup. They are called tap taps because when you are ready to get off you tap on the body of the truck somewhere and say thank you to the chauffeur. With some modification to the springs, they can carry a couple tons of bagged rice or flour or twenty some people. They have just come out with roof racks which are good for one to three, and one guy lays on the hood and reclines against the passenger side windshield. Deb calls him the windshield wiper. Sometimes there are goats tied upside down in front of the radiator and usually bags of charcoal hanging off the back. How many people they can put in the bed of the truck is a mystery to me. I always lose count in the mid- twenties and don’t bother to try anymore.

But you can be sure when they have that many in there, people are packed in pretty tight and there is no personal space.

One of the challenges of explaining things, particularly cross culturally is to put something in context for the people you are explaining it to. Consider for instance plate tectonics; how the
pieces of the earth’s plates move and cause earthquakes. How do you explain this to your Haitian friends? What is all this with the ground moving all of the sudden. First the big one, and then all the aftershocks that continue to this day.

Even in a hungry country, there are a few of the market ladies that get pretty big. Fat or obesity
doesn’t have the same stigma as it would, for instance in America. Big is beautiful. When we
come back from the states, we are told (as a compliment), oh you look fat. OK, so friends make
wonderful meals for missionaries but you don’t have to rub it in. But here it is the best compliment you can give or get. So you smile and hope you are going to have time to get in a routine and get on the treadmill some. Anyhow, BIG here means you are eating. And that is good.

The best way I have found to explain what is going on with these earthquakes is to explain that one of these huge ladies in the middle of the back of the tap taps with twenty some other people surrounding her has gotten uncomfortable. When she finally gets uncomfortable enough and rearranges her mass, there are problems in the back of the truck. Because everyone is so tightly packed in, everyone around her has to make some adjustment to account for the way she has moved. That is aftershocks.

When everyone finally gets resettled, things calm down and nothing moves again. But it takes a while for the repositioning to ripple through the back of the truck because everyone is packed in like or worse than 25 people playing twister.

When everyone finally gets resettled, things calm down and nothing moves again. But it takes a while for the repositioning to ripple through the back of the truck because everyone is packed in like or worse than 25 people playing twister.

In the middle of it all, two pastors from one of our sending churches came and their first comment was appreciation that we stayed at our posts. It makes the news when they dig though the rubble to save one single someone who has been under it all for two weeks. But if you want to save lives in Haiti, there are water systems to build, medical work to be done, irrigation and drainage canals, and tons of other stuff that can be done every day. But it won’t make CNN. Because of all these people coming, we didn’t need to go to Port-au-Prince and so missed being at the center of the world’s attention for a couple weeks. But we had the luxury of keeping
working and not having to interrupt the work we were doing. And then the refugees (IDPs) from
Port-au-Prince started showing up.

Life also continues. Pastor Chrisbon’s father is dying and finally dies. He was born in 1908 and
lived on his own up until the last week. It is raining to beat all. For the farmers it is the best year in recent memory. However, the clay roads are mud and it is not weather to be traveling or trying to bury your father. My task is to get 5 drums of water for the wake and go over to the funeral to help with hauling supplies and give moral support. Like a brother. I am going down our road getting mad. A large US humanitarian group which started out pretty good in this area 30 years ago had money from USAID to fix this road but didn’t and USAID finally fired them which surprised everyone since they had (not) been doing projects like this for the last 15 years. But I can barely get down the road in the mud and rain and I can’t stay home like I normally would because of the funeral. And the same organization that didn’t do the road is raking in the money because of the earthquake with slick websites, a well oiled advertising budget and people
lobbying inside the beltway. Keep your mind on the road and keep the LandCruiser between the ditches. Let your mind dwell on something that is more positive or that you can do something about.

The man of God is buried with honor and dignity even if the graveside part was hasty because it
started to rain again. I drove Pastor Chrisbon back to his father’s house and he had to walk in the last part of the road. He didn’t get out with his 4x4 until two days later when the roads dried out.

Meanwhile, we are doing the projects we normally do, only with more sense of urgency. I still think about earthquakes a lot. As time goes on, I am more appreciative that I didn’t have to go down and work in Port-au-Prince. You remember from the last letter I said we had tents and tarps and demolition equipment stored here because of the fault that runs along the north coast near us here. And that I thought it was this fault that would go off first. The construction in Port-de-Paix is worse than Port-au-Prince and the foundation conditions are much worse multiplying any earth movement. We only sent half of our stuff to Port-au-Prince after the
quake. Just in case. Besides trying to help Port-au- Prince and the refugees out here, we are trying to get our stock of emergency supplies and equipment here back up to where it was. There is a second big mama in the back of this tap-tap. And we are praying she is comfortable and doesn’t move.

Update from Phyllis Schmid

2010-03-25T08:15:00.002-04:00

Well, I missed sending an update last weekend. Sorry.

Pray for Bruce and Cindy as they host a huge medical/dental team this week from their home area of Washington. Cindy is very organized and the group brought their own tents, etc. but it is still a tremendous amount of work to keep food going for that many people. Omisia and Eliette are doing the cooking and Eliette's daughter, Betty is helping too. They even set up a small cooking area outside under a tarp to have enough room to do all the cooking. The team is doing clinic each day down in front of the seminary building and seeing many people.

The group paid for both McMartin daughters, Rebecca and Michelle, to come to see their parents and to help with the team. What fun to see them again here in Haiti. Bruce and Cindywill have a couple of days to "catch their breath" and then will head out on April 3 to spend time with their son, Joel, and family and enjoy being grandparents to Ethan and Tyler. Pray they get some rest too :-).

I wasn't sure why I was going out so early (leaving here on March 31) but God has certainly shown me once again that He was directing my steps. David has to teach out in Verrettes April 5-11 and so I would have been here in Port alone with McMartins and him gone. I could have done it but he just thought I should go out early. Now I know why.

Well . . . in my last update I mentioned my left jaw giving me trouble. You may not remember (but I DO) that back in the early '80s I had trouble with my jaws. At that time God provided a dentist from Fredericksburg, VA who was coming to Haiti each year with his family to do dental work. He worked on me in Haiti and then in 1986 right after my mother's death from cancer my jaw caused me a lot of trouble and he took care of me in Virginia. I have not had any trouble with my jaw for 24 years until just recently.

Well, this same dentist in Virginia has offered to treat me again so I am going by train from Lancaster, PA on April 4 and will spend the week with my brother and family to have this work done, and return to Lancaster on the train on April 12th, the day before David comes out of Haiti.

Being able to spend time with Bob and his family is a precious treat I hadn't thought I would have and getting my jaw taken care of by an expert is just God's extra special blessing. Also my niece has a friend who hasoffered to help me set up a Power Point presentation about the earthquake. I need help as this is not my area of expertise AT ALL.

We will be in DuBois from April 16 -19 and on the 20th will go to a lovely home in the woods of north central PA for some quiet R & R. Our kids will come to spend a few days when they can and then we'll return to Lancaster area on the 8th of May to return to Haiti on the 13th. We will be seeing our doctor and getting lab tests done while in DuBois so are glad to have that taken care of. We are packing in a lot but those days of R & R are what will really prepare us for our return.

Thanks to your many very generous gifts we have been able to help people gettheir homes repaired (the homes that could be repaired) so they could move back into them. Please continue to pray for those who have no homes to return to - this is a serious problem all around Port-au-Prince. TheHaitian Christian High School on our campus wants to begin classes in April and so they will be asking people to leave campus.

It is a difficult thing for us to leave when there is still much to do butwe know God's timing is best and He is in control of this situation not us. Trust me all 4 of us are ready for a change.

Will try for another update next week. After that we will try to send one from the states when we can. Keep praying.

Love to all,
Phyllis

The Handiwork of God!

2010-03-24T09:32:00.003-04:00

God has worked out an amazing thing:

A couple of weeks ago I (Phyllis Schmid) was eating a sandwich and after 24 years of no problems, I have had pain in my left jaw ever since. I've been in correspondence with Wayne Whitley who helped me so much 24 years ago.

I asked Mom about how we met Dr. Whitley:

Wayne came to Haiti every year for a while in the late 70's and early
80's [on dental missions trips to La Pointe, Northern coast of Haiti]. The last time he worked on my jaw was in 1986. His treatment gave me relief for 24 years until the problem just recently. He has kindly offered to treat me and take care of the problem while we are out this time. His family are very special friends.

Dr. Whitley and his family live in Fredericksburg, VA. Guess who else lives in Fredericksburg?!? Mom's brother Bob Roper and his family! What a blessing that Dr. Whitley is available to help her and that Uncle Bob and Aunt Joanie are in the same town.

So Mom is coming out two weeks before Dad and in that two week period, she will be having her jaw taken care of. An additional blessing is that she will be staying with Uncle Bob, Aunt Joanie and Sherri and will be able to visit with Julie and Jeff and their kids!

Because Mom is in the US for the two extra weeks all of this will be done before Dad comes and they can spend the rest of the time here relaxing together which is also a blessing!

God is so amazing in the way He works these things out!!! I just had to share with everyone!

Brief update from Phyllis Schmid

2010-03-21T15:56:00.001-04:00

We had another "shock" again last night that woke me up. I was just falling asleep. It was later than usual for me but I was trying to stay awake for dad to come home. He and Bruce were out for a long time last night because there was trouble on campus. Things finally calmed down but it took a while. The group living on the basketball court has been the most unruly and there was a big problem there. He finally got home and we were able to sleep without getting called out again.
Mom

This message is from someone who visited with Radio Lumiere:

FRIDAY IN HAITI

I spent the morning visiting pastors and churches. Rain has turned the dust to slop in the streets. Pedestrians are splashed to their knees with the white glop, but the human swarm continues unabated.

For 2 months now, folks have been digging themselves out of the rubble. I
know I’m only seeing a cleaned up version of the disaster, but the more you see, the harder it is to imagine what a terror those couple of minutes must have been.

I visited Pastor Napoleon’s house. All that’s left is a slab of concrete with recently-laid white tile covering it. He showed me where his mother was pinned by falling concrete, and he spent from 6 pm til midnight digging her out. She underwent two surgeries, but died of infection. I asked how his slab was cleared, when all around were sites where the houses still lay in ruin. He told me that the youth group from church had come and cleared it for him. It’s a crazy world when the greatest service you can render a friend is to haul the rubble of his house away. It’s even crazier when you realize what a precious gift that was – it’s not easy to get rid of rubble in a city where that is all that is left.

I went to see Bellevue Salem Church #2 at Delmas, now a gravel pile. Pastor Villemar lived upstairs. His wife and two sons were seriously injured when suddenly their whole house fell down into the church below. They are being cared for at Cayes, and he is staying in town at Delmas to take care of his people. I asked “How are you doing emotionally?” He answered, “Avec le Seigneur, ça va.” With the Lord, all is well. I asked “How is your wife?”
He answered, “Others are worse off.” Those are answers I heard through out the day.

Since the quake, 1700 people have accepted Christ at Côte Plage. 1000 more accepted Christ at Bellevue. That’s just two churches. How can a church give a proper foundation to so many new believers? That is the challenge. They need to train thousands of disciple-makers. Radio Lumiere might be part of the answer...

But Radio Lumiere is broadcasting from under tarps in their courtyard. Most of the staff his moved on to the property and are living together in tents. I’m sure it’s not all fun and games, but it will be a time that people now living will be telling their grand kids about when they are old and grey.

Making Plans

2010-03-18T17:39:00.001-04:00

David Schmid (left) and Bruce McMartin (right) making plans for campus with a generator near by. For those of you familiar with campus, this is at the McMartin's driveway below the upper half court.

Update from Cindy McMartin

2010-03-15T08:44:00.001-04:00

Greetings! March 14, 2010

Last week some of the young boys living here in the camp came to my door with one of their friends. He had gotten hit in the head by a rock. I had restocked my first aid stuff so I went to get what I needed to take care of him. As I came back with protective latex gloves on, my bottle of disinfectant cleanser, gauze, ointment….the works, the little boy took one look at me and took off running and screaming. I couldn’t convince him that I wasn’t going to hurt him. :0)

Thanks for your prayers for the 5-man team that was with us this week. We appreciated their hard work and willingness to do whatever needed to be done. They installed 9 out 10 windows on the 1st floor and 14 out of 20 on the 2nd floor on the multi-purpose building for Jehu’s street kids ministry. This work necessitated some repairs to walls surrounding the window frames and chipping out cement on others in order to fit the windows in (none of the windows were square). They also did a lot of clean up of rubble, knocking down some interior walls that need to be rebuilt because of quake damage, and preparing cement blocks from fallen walls for reuse. They encouraged us with good fellowship and lots of laughter. They also brought some fun and joy into the lives of Jehu’s boys and lots of the kids here on our campus.

Now we are gearing up for our next team that arrives this week. Bruce will be getting supplies purchased and things organized for repair work to be done on one of the houses; I’ll be getting organized with our Haitian colleagues in the surrounding communities for the medical/dental clinics, and also for feeding this large group. Again, we’d appreciate your prayers.

One exciting bit of news is that both our girls will be coming. Michelle arrives first on the 20th and then Becca arrives on the 24th. Bill Mays of MRI has made this possible for our girls and we can hardly wait! It has been hard for all our kids to hear about the country they grew up in and love being devastated by this earthquake and it will be good for them to be able to process it all by seeing it first-hand and being able to help out a bit.

Thanks for praying for Romy and Louda. Romy came up yesterday for a visit. The change in his attitude was very evident. I gave him a Bible and a children’s Bible for his kids. Please keep praying for growth in their lives.

We continue to work hard and have busy days, and honestly, we are tired and ready for a break. I realized one good break I’ve had since the quake: I used to have to iron 6 long-sleeve dress shirts for Bruce each week. I haven’t had to do that once in the past 2 months. That’s been nice! Anyhow, we’ve been encouraged by our mission and others to get away and that’s what we’re planning. April 3rd we are going to Joel and Andi’s in Missouri for our get-away. Bruce plans on sleeping for at least a week, but we’re also excited about having some Grandpa and Grandma time. :0)

We continue to covet your prayers for the challenges of the weeks ahead. Our love to each one of you.

Love, Cindy for Bruce too

Update from Phyllis Schmid

2010-03-14T12:49:00.003-04:00

March 12 - 2 months since the most frightening few seconds of our lives.

When we stop to think about what has happened since that time it is truly a testimony to God's sustaining grace and mercy which is NEW every morning - GREAT IS HIS FAITHFULNESS!

We can see changes in the city when we are out - some places are being cleared by huge machinery and other places the change is a bit slower as it is being done by hand but clean up is taking place. Food distributions continue to take place. We've seen some people move back into their houses when they were determined to be safe. Pray with us for those who do not have a home to return to. The solutions are not easily come by. One young man had a backpack on his back and I knew he wasn't going to school because there are no schools functioning. Here he had all his earthly possessions in that little backpack. Wow, this is repeated many times over.

One couple who came to the campus shortly after the wife delivered their child by C-section. Her incision opened and they were able to get shelter and medical care in a tent on campus. Today the husband came to tell David they were moving off and to thank him for all the help they had been given.

Many times its our actions that speak so much louder than our words. It is something we pray for all the time here as weariness and fatigue can get the best of us all. Please pray for patience and strength to meet each day's needs.

We learned of two woman doctors with "Doctors Without Borders" who were kidnapped and held for a week. They were released but we do not have details. This is the first we have heard about this kind of problem since the quake. Maybe it has happened more and I just have not heard about it. Many escaped prison during the quake and the police have been trying to find them again but obviously many are still out there.

Many of you know Bruce and Cindy have been developing a "coffee project" to help support the sending of Haitian missionaries. Last week they had 300 lbs of roasted coffee beans delivered to their home. I helped Cindy finish bagging the last 100 lbs yesterday into 1 lb bags to sell. They have a team of 5 here who leave tomorrow and will take some out in their suitcases. I love the smell of coffee beans but trust me it got to be a bit much after awhile. Cindy said she could smell coffee in her sleep! I know I could smell it as I walked up to their front door!

Well, we are finally taking a break. We have the tickets made and are counting the days now. I leave first on March 31st and Jeff is coming to Phila to get me. David will be traveling to Verrettes to teach 4 hours of eschatology for 5 days straight to the 4th year seminary students. Other profs will be doing the same to enable the 4th year class to graduate in June. He will join me in PA on April 13th. Bruce and Cindy are leaving on April 3 and going to visit family in Missouri. David and I return to Haiti on May 13th. We will be able to get away for some R & R in a lovely home in the north central mountains of PA from April 20 to May 10. We will be away from internet during that time but available by phone. More later on that.

My left jaw decided to make me aware of it this week and I'm having to favor a soft diet for a while - too bad ice cream is not available but someone did give us some canned applesauce and other canned fruits so maybe I'll make us smoothies for supper! I have not had trouble for many years and so this came as a surprise except that stress contributes to the problem and there has been just a little bit of that in our lives recently!!!!!!

Please pray for all the details that need to be done before we leave - financial reports, finishing up of projects and covering things while we are gone.

God is at work in this tiny part of the world. Thanks so much for your prayers and encouragement in so many ways.

Love to all,
Phyllis

Beautiful Pictures of Haiti

2010-03-13T11:02:00.002-05:00

Some of David Uttley’s pictures. David and his brother Jim grew up at Cite Lumiere in Cayes and worked with me at La Presse Evangelique in the 1980s. He was a photographer with Samaritan’s Purse for five weeks after the earthquake.

http://luminescentimages.com/

CrossWorld New: What has Eternal Value in Haiti

2010-03-12T08:39:00.002-05:00

Mar 10, 2010 06:16 pm

The latest update from our staff in Haiti reminds us of that which has eternal value, while not neglecting immediate needs.

"The wall around the campus is repaired; today the last of the cement is being poured to repair the water cistern; a cement pad has been poured and another pure water system installed with spickets outside the wall to serve the community to the SW of the campus.

There have been several well-organized food distributions. The UN escort for one distribution commented to Bruce (McMartin) that it was the smoothest and best organized one he'd been involved with to date. We were proud of the Haitian leadership and our own security men here on campus who helped to pull these distributions off in a mannerly way.

Tom, a structural engineer has been with us for a week. He has been kept very busy inspecting houses, schools, and churches. The people in the neighborhood are so grateful to have Tom inspect their houses. It is hard to have to tell some their home needs to be demolished, but for most, he has been able to tell them what they need to do to repair their home. His professional assessment has helped families feel at ease about moving back into their homes.

Thank you to all of you who continue to pray for us and to so many who have contributed funds to help us in responding to the needs here. You have enabled us to help many with food, clothing, medicines, quilts, car repairs, house repairs, and tarps. In the midst of all this, we want to be sensitive to spiritual needs, too.

Wednesday, a man and woman - no one I knew - arrived at our house sharing about their desperate needs. I had already decided to help them, but felt the need to find out about their spiritual needs. Food gets eaten up, clothes wear out, things continually need to be repaired, but the soul lasts for all of eternity. I shared the Gospel with them (others standing around listening) and pulled a Haitian brother in to talk with them too. Long story, short, they both prayed to receive the wonderful gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Join me in praying for R and L - that they will stay on the road with God and grow in this new relationship. Please continue to pray for Haitian believers, pastors, and leaders as they follow up with those who have joined God's family during this disaster."

How to keep informed

The CrossWorld news releases and web updates will be less frequent but still focused on up-to-date news of Haiti. Here is what you can do to keep informed:

You can subscribe to CrossWorld's E-prayers which is a regular up-to-date list of prayer requests which includes Haiti requests. Write to prayer@crossworld.org.
Continue to read the news on Haiti and pray each day about what you read and hear.
You can still give to the Haiti Disaster Relief Fund (See Where to Donate section to the right)
Keep a watch on the CrossWorld website.
Keep praying and encouraging our CrossWorld team in Haiti. They are true heroes, and as you write them and pray for them, you will hear back from them incredible stories of God's grace, provision, sustaining power in this difficult and challenging time. You yourself will be encouraged and blessed by them!

Short update from Mom (Phyllis Schmid)

2010-03-04T18:04:00.004-05:00

We need to get away before the summer and so I am flying out March 31, David will fly out April 13th (he has to teach a course in Verrettes (Central Haiti)) and we'll return to Haiti May 13th.

McMartins leave on April 3rd for Missouri.

It rained ALL night last night so you know people under the tarps were damp and cold and some were down right wet! It has been overcast all day and looks like rain again tonight. Usually I love it when rainy season comes after the dryness of December and January but it is hard to rejoice when it causes so much discomfort to people.

David and the structural engineer have spent this week going to homes all around the neighborhoods beside the campus helping people know what needs to be done for their houses. He carefully explained that just because they are giving an evaluation doesn't mean we can personally fix every house but at least people know if their houses are safe for living in again. Even though they are told the house is safe, it is still a very nerve wracking thing to go back in. Any noise or sense of movement and you are ready to run.

Update from Mom (Phyllis Schmid)

2010-03-02T09:49:00.003-05:00

Greetings from Haiti!

I know I've not sent an update for a while. My mind writes one but then my hands never catch up with the thoughts running around in this brain of mine.

Roger, Duane and Bryon all have returned to their homes - weary I'm sure buthopefully content with ALL the work that was accomplished. We have two men still here now. One is working with organizations to get aid and the other is a structural engineer (Tom). Tom has evaluated our original STEP building and confirms it continues to move and is very unstable. David and Bruce's offices are at the end of the hallway near an exit door so they were able to get in and get things out of their offices last week. The offices more towards the middle of the building are not safe to go into. Tom set up a way of measuring the movement of the building and just as they thought it is moving each day.

Yesterday, he and David went out in the neighborhood and evaluated houses there. David said he saw some really sad situations and prayed with people though his emotions were hard to control. For the most part though they found homes were stable but in need of repairs. That is one of the things we hope to see happen next.

Mme Lucien and family have been living rightoutside our dining room under a big blue tarp. She had been eager to move back to her house and yesterday after David and Tom visited the house and said it was stable they came and moved everything back to the house even though it was already after dark. With rainy season upon us it was only going to get more miserable to be sleeping outside even if they were coveredby a large tarp.

No major "shocks" or tremors this week yet and we hope it stays that way.You think it is over and then when another one comes along it is just disconcerting. The other night I had a nightmare. I thought it was interesting that with all the political turmoil and violence we've experienced here I didn't have nightmares about that but since this earthquake I've had several about earthquakes!!! Actually after the second 4.7 one last week I had a hard time sleeping one night thinking there would be another one. Maybe it's my age but whatever the reason this has had an impact on me. I'm doing better now.

A team that planned to come in early February to work on Jehu's new building are now coming this weekend. Then a medical/dental team are coming the lasttwo weeks in March to do mobile clinics in our area. These teams are both contacts of Bruce and Cindy's from Washington. We will be involved as much as we can but the teams hope to be pretty self sufficient.

By the beginning of April both McMartins and Schmids plan to "get away". We've been encouraged to do this before April but things just have not worked out for that. We may be able to sneak away to a beach between teams but that remains to be seen.

David will be teaching a modular class for 4th year STEP students in eschatology April 5 - 12. He will teach 4 hours each morning for 5 days. They are doing this to enable the seniors to graduate this year. Still lots of decisions need to be made for the future but we praise God for His leading and direction and for strength that can only come from Him during these busy days.

We praise Him too for all of you who are praying and have given sacrificially and abundantly to help meet all the needs atthis time. Thank you seems so little to say to express our appreciation. As our friends here often say to us "we can't repay all you have done but God will repay you abundantly"!

Love,
Phyllis

CrossWorld News: Beyond Haiti’s tears – hope for the future!

2010-03-02T08:35:00.005-05:00

Mar 01, 2010 10:27 am

Through all of the pain, injustice and chaos which the nation and people of Haiti have experienced the past seven weeks, one might ask - is there hope?

Hope for a people

Hundreds of stories have been told of people turning to God, miracles experienced and people finding an inexplainable sustenance in the face of tremendous losses. We have related many such stories, such as this recent one from Jean Dorlus, president of the STEP seminary: "A wealthy businessman asked me to give him some pointers on what it means to live for God and not for himself. Another one who narrowly escaped death and has lost many friends and material possessions asked me if there is any sense at all in all that happened."

We thank you on behalf of the Haitian people for your generous giving, which has been extraordinary. Funds have been distributed and will continue with these guidelines:

Immediate "first response" emergency services (medical care, food, water, shelter) provided for the refugee camp on the Bolosse campus
Repairs to the Bolosse campus infrastructure
Assistance to the Beraca Medical Center (La Pointe) for costs incurred in treating earthquake victims free of charge
Assistance to the UEBH association of churches for relief and care of church members, rehabilitation of church buildings and strategic operations being planned
Assistance to the seminary STEP for relief, care for students and community; rehabilitation of strategic facilities according to a new strategic plan

Relief efforts and funds have a strong emphasis on local empowerment and job creation, which then stimulates the economy, rebuilds broken lives and stabilizes society.

Hope for a nation

God certainly will bless a nation which calls itself to prayer and fasting, as Haiti did on Feb 12-14. During that time hundreds trusted Christ as Savior and others reflected on the meaning of life and the direction of their country.

CrossWorld has a long heritage of work in Haiti and also a new outreach in Senegal. Could the invitation of the president of Senegal to relocate Haitians to Senegal be a way God could use to bring hope to Haitian families while at the same time bring the gospel to Senegal, the land of their roots which is now majority Muslim? Will you pray to that end?

Haiti still needs our help. CrossWorld thanks the many who have gone to Haiti with expertise to provide: technical help, trauma debriefing skill, training in logistics and crisis/trauma care, medical care, organization and assessment skills, supervisory skills, crisis management and expert counsel. As things transition from a technical crisis mode to stabilization, strategic planning and recovery, we will still need volunteers at strategic points. If you are available, please be in touch with CrossWorld's mobilization department at get.involved@crossworld.org.

How to keep informed

The CrossWorld news releases and web updates will be less frequent but still focused on up-to-date news of Haiti. Here is what you can do to keep informed:

You can subscribe to CrossWorld's E-prayers which is a regular up-to-date list of prayer requests which includes Haiti requests. Write to prayer@crossworld.org.
Continue to read the news on Haiti and pray each day about what you read and hear.
You can still give to the Haiti Disaster Relief Fund at the CrossWorld website (http://www.crossworld.org/) or give directly to the CrossWorld business office:

CrossWorld
10000 North Oak Trafficway
Kansas City, MO 64155-2010

In Canada:

CrossWorld
1020 Matheson Blvd. E #11,
Mississauga, ON L4W 4J9
Keep a watch on the CrossWorld website.
Keep praying and encouraging our CrossWorld team in Haiti. They are true heroes, and as you write them and pray for them, you will hear back from them incredible stories of God's grace, provision, sustaining power in this difficult and challenging time. You yourself will be encouraged and blessed by them!

CrossWorld News: Helping Haitians Restore Haiti

2010-03-01T09:14:00.004-05:00

Did not realize but this post is a repeat from Feb. 19 (Thanks for catching this Mary)

Over the last few days, the following reports have encouraged us:

Rebuilding the Walls
"Repairs on the wall around the campus started weeks ago as fallen blocks were salvaged and cleaned up for reuse, as the ground around the wall was prepared, as sand, gravel, cement and cement blocks were purchased, and as men were hired. Today the men are actually laying block. And another team is working on the repairs of the water cistern."

As we have considered how best to help with this rebuilding, the team on the ground in Port-au-Prince has had to make an important decision. Sometimes it would be easier to just ask a team of qualified North American builders to come and help us to quickly rebuild. On the other hand, strong, capable and willing Haitian men are desperately seeking work. For over a month now, many of them have had no source of income whatsoever. Giving them temporary work in rebuilding the essentials on the seminary campus allows them to feed their families, buy medicines, and begin to think about returning to their homes. Currently, there are at 26 men working on the wall, another crew has begun repairing the water cistern that supplies the entire campus, and many more are lined up asking for work.

Rebuilding Lives
The 3-person team that was here to do the counseling/debriefing had a good week. CrossWorld missionaries Walt and Pat Stuart met with 2 different groups of pastors and leaders. In these short sessions, they were trying to minister to men and women who are leaders and who have their congregations looking to them for help, for answers, and for strength. Big strong men wept as they shared their own stories and admitted they were empty and didn't know how to respond to all the needs around them."

As CrossWorld missionary Phyllis wrote recently: "The level of grief some of these dear ones have had to experience is mind boggling to me."

The Stuarts also debriefed the missionaries and several Haitian leaders and their wives who live here on the campus. In coordination with a Haitian pastor's wife, a group of young adults were trained and began meeting in small groups with the children here on campus for a time of trauma debrief. Please pray for those here who will continue to follow up with all these different ministries.

Building that which has Eternal Value
"February 12th-14th the Haitian government called the nation to come together for 3 days of fasting and prayer. And it happened! Here in Port-au-Prince, where the streets are normally thronged with people, with vendors selling goods, and gridlocked with traffic, they were empty and all businesses closed. The only place there were crowds of people was at churches where the people overflowed out the doors and onto the streets. In small neighborhoods, the people roped off their street and held services in the street.In our neighborhood the services started at 5a.m.; on our campus they began at 6:30 a.m. and went until noon. We realize that many regarded this time the same way they would buying a charm to protect them from the spirits, but you also hear the people saying that they realize they really don't control anything - it is only God who decides what will happen and who controls everything.

On our campus alone there were 300 who made decisions to follow Jesus. We had other students call and share the numbers that came to Christ in their areas - one place even included a witchdoctor.

The people are more sensitive spiritually right now. Please pray especially for church leaders and believers - that they would be empowered by the Holy Spirit during this time to seize this opportunity to live and to share the reality of the all-powerful loving God in their lives to those around them who are in great need and searching for truth."

Building for the Future
"We'd appreciate your continued prayers for the Haitian church leaders and for those planning the future of the seminary, STEP, as they are meeting and trying to make decisions concerning future direction."

Message from Mom (Phyllis Schmid)

2010-02-24T10:26:00.002-05:00

I wrote this yesterday but in the rush of all the comings and goings never got it sent. So will send today.

******************************************
Well, we thought perhaps this saga was coming to a close but night beforelast we were awakened by a strong shock at around 4:30 am and a smaller onearound 10 am. Then this morning at 1:30 am we had another strong shock with a smaller one 11 minutes later. I have to admit that I could not get back to sleep last night so got up and got dressed and laid on the living room couch cushions but didn't sleep much there either. I know in my mind that the house is still standing after a 7 earthquake so the smaller ones won't take it down but somehow it still really bothers me with these shocks take place.

Today will be a long day!

Our population on campus had begun to decrease but these new tremors have caused people to come back on campus more than ever. We have extra security on campus and people have been cooperative for the most part. The children's meetings continue on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons. The section leaders for the "camp" are working well in keeping things organized. We had a special clinic yesterday for children.

There was another food distribution and it went very smoothly. Our extra "hands" are leaving - Byron left Monday, Roger leaves today, Duane leaves next Saturday.

There has been good progress made on the security perimeter wall. People outside the wall have complained that we are making it "too high". Interesting that they think we'd make it low enough that they can easily come over which defeats the purpose of a security fence! Not sure what decision has been made about the water cistern. We are still using the temporary bladder from Samaritan's Purse for water. The best thing will be to replace the old original cistern but that is another huge job.

Please pray for wisdom as the men determine what is the best route to follow in so many different areas.

A lot will fall on David and Bruce withthe other men leaving. We are SO thankful for the time, energy and expertise Byron, Roger and Duane have given to us. They have worked "above and beyond" and accomplished an amazing amount of work.

Jehu is planning to move the boys to the new property in the next week. They have cleared land for tents, built a latrine and made a temporary kitchen area. A team from Washington is maybe coming in early March to helpwith the completion of the new building. We are seeing God's provision forthis new building to take form and have much to praise the Lord for.

The seminary is looking to put together a modular session in April for the 4th year students to be able to complete their studies. David teaches a fourth year class so if this becomes a reality he would teach 4 hours for 5 days to complete the Eschatology course for the students. It would be tough on teacher and students as there is a lot to cover but at least the 4th year students could complete their last semester.

McMartins possibly have two teams coming in March - the one mentioned abovef or Jehu's building and then a large medical/dental team who are coming to do local clinics in our area. Pray for special strength for Bruce and Cindyduring this time. We will help as much as we can but it will still be a lotof responsibility on them.

We are working on a time to get away - both McMartins and Schmids. Not sure exactly what that looks like yet but we realize we need it. We'll head in different directions. We really need some time to regroup and allow ourb ody, minds and spirits to be refreshed and to process all that has gone on since January 12.

Pray for the administrators of the seminary as they make plans for the future. Leadership training is the heart of David's ministry goals and we want to be involved in that for the remaining years of ministry in Haiti.

Structural engineers came yesterday to evaluate our original building. They actually went in and David was able to rescue some things from his office like a very special photo of his dad buying grapefruit at a roadside stand here in Haiti MANY years ago. Another boat picture I had given him was rescued. When I tried to clean it up I found that inside the glass front and behind the board backing there was cement dust and particles. I don'twant to even think how those got inside the glass and backing. They ares till hoping to be able to get some of David's books out so we'll see about that.

There must be other things to share but I just can't think of them right now.

Dad (David Schmid) and Bruce McMartin are Famous!

2010-02-23T18:06:00.005-05:00

From Cindy McMartin:

I thought some of you might enjoy this photo. One of the boys here on the campus was pulling it around.

First of all it's amazing how they take garbage they find and take it apart and flatten it out so they can design a car or truck. But of special interest on this one is the addition of the Haitian flag.....and on the flag are photos of Bruce and David Schmid.

In all the files and stuff that scattered all over when the Bible School building was damaged there were some old graduation programs with all the photos of the profs and students graduating that year. It just made me laugh to see that this boy had cut out these 2 photos and glued them on the flag for his truck. :)

Priceless.

Morning conversation with Mom (Phyllis Schmid) on Skype

2010-02-22T10:57:00.002-05:00

There were a few aftershocks/new quakes last night and this morning. The one at 4:30am was about a 5. Mom said the waterbed really moved with her in it! Dad was up shaving already.

Dad picked up some structural engineers this morning who are helping retrieve things from the Bible School building. They were staying for lunch and then moving on to the next area. When Mom went down, they had been able to retrieve some pictures from Dad's office: a painting, a picture of Grandpa Schmid buying grapefruit and another of a Haitian sailboat. Mom was not sure if they were going to try for the book in the office.

Ginger Muchmore, Judy (Muchmore) Dilus and Judy's daughter Ani are coming on Thursday for an overnight stay before flying out to Lancaster. Mom is looking forward to the visit and chance to see the three of them. Mom was there with Ginger and Judy when Ani was born in Lancaster. Judy and Ani often stay with Mom and Dad when Port-au-Prince.

Please pray for no more aftershocks/new quakes as people are still struggling to cope from the original quake in January.

Please pray for wisdom as the campus leaders work with the debriefers to meet the needs of the community on campus.

Please pray that plans will work out for the leaders to get a break soon, emotionally and physically.

Pray for the people of Haiti who were struggling to meet basic needs before the quake and are now facing an even bigger challenge of meeting those needs.

Pray for the leaders of Haiti as they work with the various organizations to work on rebuilding Haiti.

Pray for new believers. Life will still be difficult and pray that they do not loose the flame of faith in the harsh reality of living in a quake-ravaged country.

CrossWorld News Update, Friday Feb. 19

2010-02-21T12:30:00.000-05:00

Helping Haitians Restore Haiti

Feb 19, 2010 09:18 pm

Over the last few days, the following reports have encouraged us:

Rebuilding the Walls
"Repairs on the wall around the campus started weeks ago as fallen blocks were salvaged and cleaned up for reuse, as the ground around the wall was prepared, as sand, gravel, cement and cement blocks were purchased, and as men were hired. Today the men are actually laying block. And another team is working on the repairs of the water cistern."

As we have considered how best to help with this rebuilding, the team on the ground in Port-au-Prince has had to make an important decision. Sometimes it would be easier to just ask a team of qualified North American builders to come and help us to quickly rebuild. On the other hand, strong, capable and willing Haitian men are desperately seeking work. For over a month now, many of them have had no source of income whatsoever. Giving them temporary work in rebuilding the essentials on the seminary campus allows them to feed their families, buy medicines, and begin to think about returning to their homes. Currently, there are at 26 men working on the wall, another crew has begun repairing the water cistern that supplies the entire campus, and many more are lined up asking for work.

Rebuilding Lives
The 3-person team that was here to do the counseling/debriefing had a good week. CrossWorld missionaries Walt and Pat Stuart met with 2 different groups of pastors and leaders. In these short sessions, they were trying to minister to men and women who are leaders and who have their congregations looking to them for help, for answers, and for strength. Big strong men wept as they shared their own stories and admitted they were empty and didn't know how to respond to all the needs around them."

As CrossWorld missionary Phyllis wrote recently: "The level of grief some of these dear ones have had to experience is mind boggling to me."

The Stuarts also debriefed the missionaries and several Haitian leaders and their wives who live here on the campus. In coordination with a Haitian pastor's wife, a group of young adults were trained and began meeting in small groups with the children here on campus for a time of trauma debrief. Please pray for those here who will continue to follow up with all these different ministries.

Building that which has Eternal Value
"February 12^th-14^th the Haitian government called the nation to come together for 3 days of fasting and prayer. And it happened! Here in Port-au-Prince, where the streets are normally thronged with people, with vendors selling goods, and gridlocked with traffic, they were empty and all businesses closed. The only place there were crowds of people was at churches where the people overflowed out the doors and onto the streets. In small neighborhoods, the people roped off their street and held services in the street.

In our neighborhood the services started at 5a.m.; on our campus they began at 6:30 a.m. and went until noon. We realize that many regarded this time the same way they would buying a charm to protect them from the spirits, but you also hear the people saying that they realize they really don't control anything - it is only God who decides what will happen and who controls everything.

On our campus alone there were 300 who made decisions to follow Jesus. We had other students call and share the numbers that came to Christ in their areas - one place even included a witchdoctor.

The people are more sensitive spiritually right now. Please pray especially for church leaders and believers - that they would be empowered by the Holy Spirit during this time to seize this opportunity to live and to share the reality of the all-powerful loving God in their lives to those around them who are in great need and searching for truth."

Building for the Future
"We'd appreciate your continued prayers for the Haitian church leaders and for those planning the future of the seminary, STEP, as they are meeting and trying to make decisions concerning future direction."

Video done by Carl Joseph

2010-02-17T11:50:00.003-05:00

Video by Carly Joseph Alabanza. With God and Unity, Haiti will rise again after the earthquake.

The lyrics are in creole and he is working on an english translation.

Tuesday Feb. 16 Update from Cindy McMartin

2010-02-17T09:22:00.001-05:00

Greetings! February 16, 2010

It’s been a very full week since my last update. The days continue to be demanding, but God also continues to give strength and health. Please pray that we’ll be sensible in all that we’re doing and recognize our limits so we can accomplish those things that God wants us to do.

Repairs on the wall around the campus started weeks ago as fallen blocks were salvaged and cleaned up for reuse, as the ground around the wall was prepared, as sand, gravel, cement and cement blocks were purchased, and as men were hired. Today the men are actually laying block. And another team is working on the repairs of the water cistern. So, the work is moving ahead. Bruce made this comment last night, “If I survive all this work, I should be pretty buff at the end.” :0) Hopefully the aches and pains will disappear as they get used to this hard labor.

The end of last week, we had water restored to our houses – what a treat that is!!!! Samaritan’s Purse supplied us with a huge bladder that we’re using as a temporary fix until the cistern is repaired.

The 3-person team that was here to do the counseling/debriefing had a good week. Their time was just too short. The Stuarts met with 2 different groups of pastors and leaders. In these short sessions they were trying to minister to men and women who are leaders and who have their congregations looking to them for help, for answers, and for strength. Big strong men wept as they shared their own stories and admitted they were empty and didn’t know how to respond to all the needs around them. The Stuarts also debriefed we missionaries and a handful of Haitian leaders and their wives who live here on the campus. In coordination with a Haitian pastor’s wife, a group of young adults were trained and began meeting in small groups with the children here on campus for a time of trauma debrief. Please pray for those here that will continue to follow up with all these different ministries.

February 12th-14th the Haitian government called the nation to come together for 3 days of fasting and prayer. And it happened! Here in Port-au-Prince where the streets are normally thronged with people, with vendors selling goods, and gridlocked with traffic, they were empty and all businesses closed. The only place there were crowds of people was at churches where the people overflowed out the doors and onto the streets. In small neighborhoods, the people roped off their street and held services in the street. In our neighborhood the services started at 5a.m. and on our campus at 6:30 a.m. and went until noon. Now we realize that many regarded this time the same way they would at buying a charm to protect them from the spirits, but you also hear the people saying that they realize they really don’t control anything – it is only God who decides what will happen and who controls everything. On our campus alone there were 300 who made decisions for salvation. We had other students call and share the numbers that came to Christ in their areas – one place even included a witchdoctor. The people are more sensitive spiritually right now. Please pray especially for church leaders and believers – that they would be empowered by the Holy Spirit during this time to seize this opportunity to live and to share the reality of the all-powerful loving God in their lives to those around them who are in great need and searching for truth.

We’d appreciate your continued prayers for the UEBH and STEP as they are meeting and trying to make decisions concerning future direction. Our team here on the campus has committed to 3 projects: repairing the wall, the cistern and the houses here on campus. How we are involved after the completion of these projects will depend on the decisions made by the UEBH/STEP.

Finally, many have asked how they can help and I know many have sent in contributions to CrossWorld. Thank you. We are grateful and have already been involved in distributing funds and aid to those around us. Here is another opportunity or option for those of you who are interested. As you know, the Haitian church has been supporting their first full-time missionary couple to Senegal for the past 20 months. As you can imagine, with this disaster I’m not sure if anyone here is even thinking about their support of this couple or, if they have thought about it, I’m sure they don’t have the funds to give. People just don’t have money right now. So, if you would like to help the Haitian church keep this couple in Senegal, here’s how you can contribute: write your check to HLD (Haitian Leadership Development) and mail it to: 17201 NE 32nd Ave, Ridgefield, WA 98642. Include a slip of paper designating your contribution for Roger Derpilus. You will receive a tax-deductible receipt.

Thank you each one for your love, prayers, encouragement, support, and messages. You have ministered greatly to us during this time.

Love, Cindy for Bruce too

Tuesday Feb. 16 update from Mom

2010-02-16T16:58:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to share a special PRAISE with all of you that during the 3 days of worship services on campus Friday - Sunday, over 300 people prayed to receive Christ as Savior. This was only one location so combine that with the services held all over Haiti during this time and you know God's name was lifted up in praise and worship over and over again. Pray for the follow-up of these new believers and for them as they begin their walks with God.

I am so thankful for finally getting water in our home once again. It makes life a little easier. We are still conserving water as much as we can - like keeping the rinse water when we do laundry to use to wash the next load. I don't have a "great" system for doing this but I have one that is working for now so that counts, right?!?!?!?

We are using a temporary water container system from Samaritan's Purse while they repair the original cistern. Work is also taking place on repairing the perimeter wall where it came down during the quake. STEP is meeting again tomorrow to make decisions and plans for the future. The administration has been active in making short and long range plans. Many things need to be taken into consideration - how or if to finish out this academic year, where and how to rebuild, etc. But the security wall and water are both essentials for the campus and STEP at this time.

We continue to hear stories from STEP students concerning the loss of life in their families and neighborhoods. The level of grief some of these dear ones have had to experience is mind boggling to me. David, Bruce and Robert received a very heartfelt email from the dean of STEP thanking them for their tireless efforts to find and rescue students the night of the quake. All three men would tell you it was just automatic - how could they not do it!

We have 3 men visiting at this time - 2 former missionaries (Roger See and Duane Brown) with building expertise and 1 former "short termer" (Byron Sparling) who has helped build and done a lot of welding for churches in Haiti over the years. It is great to have these men here helping in so many areas.

One prayer request is for Roger's tiny new born grandson, Jaden. He is Darcy and Jesse's son. He was born while Roger has been here helping us and now is hospitalized in ICU at a Michigan Children's Hospital. He has a "rhinovirus" and is getting good care but it is hard for Roger to be away from his family during this time.

We are all at different stages of fatigue and the work only continues on. Rainy season is approaching which makes living under tarps more difficult for people. Please pray for us as we seek to meet needs around us daily. We all struggle with weariness at various levels but we thank God for the strength and grace He provides daily.

Phyllis

From CrossWorld News Page: First Person Interview

2010-02-16T16:56:00.001-05:00

Friday Feb. 12 Update from Mom

2010-02-13T07:56:00.009-05:00

Well, this will be a short update.

The main item this week has been the fact that we were awakened one morning just before 5 am to the sound of rain and not just a little sprinkle. Now normally in February when we are so dry and dusty we look forward to refreshing rains but our first thoughts were of the tarps and the people outside.

David and others worked to keep the water from sitting in the tarps and tearing them.

Of course we gathered every available container to store the rain water. This is Toby, our dog, guarding the rain-filled buckets.

It lasted for a while but praise God all the tarps held. People had been shown how to keep the water off the tarps as much as possible and everyone did a great job. We were very glad that the rain came in the early morning (unusual for Haiti) and not at night when people would have then had to sleep or try to in the damp and coolness the rains bring. This way people were up and starting their day. The sun quickly dried up any wet bedding for people. It is a reality because rainy season can begin in the next month or so.

We've appreciated Walt and Pat Stuart as they came from France to debrief and minister to missionaries and Haitians alike in this time of heartache. They have a tremendous ministry and we are glad for the time they could give to us here.

Duane Brown is here and coordinating with Roger See and Bruce McMartin the repair work on the security perimeter wall which fell, the campus water system (still no running water in our homes) and the repair of some homes.

Today was a memorial/praise/prayer and worship time in churches all over the city. Our campus was filled this morning with songs of praise and people thanking God. There will be another service tomorrow morning and then the regular service on Sunday. God is at work in the hearts of His people and others are searching for the peace that they see in the lives of His children.

Pray for a mighty work of the Holy Spirit.

Pray for daily strength.

We all have our moments. People are working very hard and sometimes just need that little break. David has said many times how thankful he is for Wawa, Jacques and other leaders who have worked tirelessly to make things happen and keep things together on the campus. We have much to praise our God for. I appreciate friends who go "above and beyond" in our home to help me. They humble me with their servants hearts.

All for now,
Phyllis

CrossWorld Update Feb. 11

2010-02-12T08:34:00.004-05:00

As people give, pray and volunteer for Haiti, generally there are five main issues of concern. How are we doing, one month after this major disaster?

Crisis Management:
The Crisis Management Team is composed of CrossWorld members and Haitian leaders on the ground, and they are supported by a team in the CrossWorld office in PA. We have been coordinating logistics, personnel, finances, expertise and resources and the organized application of them for the crisis. The trauma team which arrived this week is hard at work today, helping people with emotional and heart-level needs.

Today, CrossWorld Director for Haiti, Dwight Lehman, arrived in Haiti for top-level talks with the Bolosse Crisis Team, the national church and seminary leaders. We are moving from the critical life-and-death stage to more long-term planning for recovery and projection for the future. This requires national church decisions and a strategic plan.

The real CrossWorld heroes of this crisis are those who have remained in the place of suffering in spite of the physical and emotional toll - working around the clock - holding the hands of the suffering Haitians - staying on their computers late into the night - providing liaison with the outside help coming in - and all the while giving God the glory and pointing people to Jesus! Thank you Dave, Phyllis, Bruce M, Cindy and Roger at Bolosse; and Denny, Rich and Carol in other parts of Port-au-Prince; and Bruce R, Deb, Jenny and Gail in Northwest Haiti. We are all holding up your hands from afar.

Food and Water:
The World Food Program of the UN has now issued ration cards to those in need and this has relieved the pressure of finding food for those on campus. Basic food needs such as rice are being provided for everyone while other foodstuffs are available for sale though most people cannot afford them. The water purification machinery provided by Samaritan's Purse is supplying pure drinking water for thousands on and around the Bolosse campus.

Health and Sanitation:
The Bolosse camp has been divided into sectors and people are being trained to assess medical needs and educate about sanitation. New latrines are being dug. Health efforts are focusing on preventing communicable diseases that result from overcrowding and poor sanitation. Our Bolosse camp is one of the largest in the city.

Shelter:
A major goal is for people to return to their home areas, but there is still a major lack of tarps and tents available, and people are fearful to go inside buildings. A full-time logistics liaison officer is now giving much needed attention to procuring resources from the UN, US Aid, NGOs and others. The rainy season is less than two months away, and after that comes the threat of hurricanes.

Security:
Crisis leader, Dave S, reports that "... people's patience/tolerance from living in close quarters is being strained." There are reports of increased violence and crime in the surrounding community and two gangs are fighting nearby. In the camp, there is reasonable success with people policing themselves, but a camp security team is being assembled.

Thank you for the outpouring of prayers, finances and volunteerism. We are carefully accounting for the use of all financial aid, and will eventually provide details of services and goods provided for things such as: Protection services for the camp, a new generator, fuel for transporting much needed goods, purchase of some foodstuffs, repair of some structures, the repairing of Haitian homes, upgraded communication services, physical materials needed for recovery strategies and general help to the poor and suffering.

Update from Cindy McMartin

2010-02-09T08:26:00.001-05:00

We have a couple of urgent projects that need men with masonry experience. Please contact Elisabeth Berger at CrossWorld: elisabeth.berger@crossworld.org if you can help.

Greetings! 2-8-10

The adrenaline rush is over. We’ve settled into a new routine. Now the challenge is finding the motivation each day when we wake up to face the new responsibilities of what sometimes seems like a drudgery.

Basically, the immediate crisis is over. The other night as Bruce and I went to bed and were talking, we were asking ourselves, “Is this how God wants us to finish our ministry here in Haiti? Is this the best use of our time and efforts? Of Wawa’s and Jacques’? Is running an IDP (internally displaced people) camp a waste of their unique gifts in discipling and teaching Haitian Christian leaders?”

Please pray with us as we seek God’s direction in all of this. Pray we’ll be sensitive and open to His leading in all we do. Meetings will be going on this week with the UEBH to find out how they want to handle this camp and what our next steps are.

With the IDP camp stabilized (for the moment), it’s also time for the UEBH and STEP to make some decisions with regards to their future plans. Is this the time to make some changes? Do they rebuild in this same spot? This is a time to evaluate vision and possibly new avenues of ministry that require different facilities. So, this is a crucial time for both the UEBH and STEP. Their leaders need your prayers as they meet together and seek God’s wisdom and direction. Will you please remember them regularly in your prayers?

I was talking to a group of people living up here in the camp on Saturday. They were expressing their gratitude to God for providing this place for them during this time. They compared it to other places similar to this that have sprung up all over the city. They said our camp is clean, no flies (not really true, but maybe in comparison), there’s order and it’s safe. There has been some gang activity starting up around us again – tempers flare easily and they’re quick to seek revenge. So, please keep praying for the smooth running of this camp in the days ahead.

Last night around 11 p.m. we had a gentle rain. The tarps have been put up very effectively by Roger See, but there’s really no way not to get a bit damp and cold. We wondered if it was a gentle nudge from God to begin moving some people back into their homes. Many people are having a hard time getting over the trauma and not being fearful of being inside any building. We have a 3-person team here this week to help begin talking and counseling with the people. Pray for an effective week for them.

On Wednesday I went up to Petionville to do some market. I found tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, onions, green peppers, bananas, tangerines – basically market as usual. These vegetables come down from the mountains above Port-au-Prince and people are still selling and buying. Just so you don’t picture us starving down here. If you have money, there are provisions to buy. The problem is that most of the people have no income right now. There’s no way we can provide food for everyone up here so it was hard for me to come back home with the things I bought. We are keeping things very simple, but I know we have more than others.

We covet your continued prayers. We have experienced divine strength and health these past weeks. We are very aware of how much we need God in this whole situation.

Blessings and love, Cindy for Bruce too