VOLUNTEER MISSION TRIPS

 Since so many of you are fairly recent to my blog, I thought I would give you a peek into Dave's and my life.  

Several were asking if we would go to Costa Rica with some members of our Faith Based Photography Club.  Our answer has been..probably not...  Age and finances are the most real of the issues.  Our heart is still there though.

We were never "official" missionaries but went to different places to help and serve where we were needed.  Over the next week or two I will be posting photos  and comments from each of our past trips.

Our first trip was to Haiti,  This was with a group from our church, Bethel Christian Church in San Francisco, CA.

We lived on a compound and went out to serve from there.The compound was located up-country in the mountains.  Hinche, Haiti.  Had to take a "puddle Jumper" from Port-au-Prince to the mountains.  The UN had a very strong presence in the capitol.  So much unrest in that city.

We served there for 2 weeks, repairing the compound for future visiting groups, but our main job was delivering rice and beans to families in dire need, sharing the Jesus film and the guys through finances ahead of time were able to construct the roof trusses so their building for church and meetings could be finished.

There definitely was a "Spiritual" presence throughout the area.  Voodoo  was strong and there were visible signs everywhere.  We sure had to be solid in our faith to be out among the people.

Downtown Hinche

Coming home from Market Day

This was the road in front of the church where we put on a Vacation Bible School.

This is the inside of the church where about 100 kids squeezed into the building.

The temperature was 100F as well as the humidity.

A sweaty time was had by all.

Here are our guys plus a few hired workers putting up the trusses for the roof.

No electricity ... just manual labor ...

My hubby is the second guy up on the right in the hat,

Lots of hard work and a scary balancing act.

Job completed and church goes on.

Next after we left was putting on a tin roof and pouring the cement slab floor.

These were the kind of trails going up to the peoples homes.

We went there to distribute rice and beans to those is much need.

many people came to the compound to get fresh drinking water.

You can see by the color of the children's hair that they lack certain vitamins and minerals.

They always come to the compound if information has gotten out that a medical team is on campus.

This little boy and girl waited all day for the medical team to return from the bush.

She had a series of tumors.

I unfortunately don't know what the outcome of the visit is.

I am afraid it wasn't very hopeful.

Going down to the river to do the wash.

The water is used for everything and not very pleasant.

Many back problems and neck problems.

Everything is carried on their heads.

Faces of Haiti

Life is Hard

We saw many little guys walking around like this.

Can you believe doing that with bare feet?

Well that's a glimpse into our time in Haiti.

I'm glad we went but it was a difficult time with lots of culture shock.

Always be Grateful

Always be Kind