Answered Prayer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Cholera protesters barricade Haiti city, assail UN

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

Link to Photos 10 months after the earthquake

Boxley Boggs shared this link.

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

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

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!

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

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

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.

Hurricane Tomas heading for Haiti

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

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)

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

Brief Update from Phyllis Schmid

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.

Update from Phyllis Schmid

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.

Interviews with David Schmid

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

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

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!  :)

Update from Phyllis Schmid

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.

Please Pray

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

Update from Cindy McMartin

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. 

Now we need your hands

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:

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

Google Maps directions

Hand of God at work

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

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

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

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

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

Update from Phyllis Schmid

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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