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