I was in Cap Haitien, Haiti for a few days in early June to make preparation for a Leadership Training Conference (LTC) Truth Connect will conduct here in August. I was with two friends from the USA who serve with another great NGO called HOLD the children (Htc). Htc is a child advocacy program that helps poor children in developing countries have a meal, a safe place to stay and a chance to go to school. Richard Rohde is the Director of this program. I was with Richard and Gary Stannis, an Htc Advocate.
 |
| Don Schreier, Gary Stannis, Aleonce Bazile, Richard Rohde |
Pastor Aleonce Bazile is the national host pastor for
Htc in Cap Haitien. While we were with Pastor Bazile we visited the school/church on two separate days. On the first day we visited with the 100+ plus students, faculty and staff. Many of these children are sponsored through
Htc. To learn more about the
HOLD program visit www.holdthechildren.org or contact Richard at richard@missiondiscovery.org.
 |
| Don in class with children at HOLD the children school. |
 |
| HOLD the children sponsorship helps provide a meal, uniform and supplies. |
The second day we visited the school the children were gone and over 70 men were there to pour a roof on the second story of the 30' x 50' building. This was no job for the weak. Men worked at both ends of the building. They mixed 300 bags of cement, sand, and rock - scooped and hoisted it in 5 gallon buckets - man to man up a wooden ladder to the top. It was then wheel-barrowed into place and worked to a finish. This job took all day in the blazing sun. Truly, these are hard working men.
 |
| Men mix concrete on the ground into a slurry that is scooped into 5 gallon buckets. |
 |
| These men work all day in the sun, in the mud, on the ladder. |
 |
| Lifting cement from the ground to second story roof. |
 |
| Working on the ladder - all day. |
 |
| Working the roof - by day's end, it was all done! |
At the end of the day each man received his day's wages - 160 Haitian dollars or about $20 USD. In a country were unemployment is over 70 percent, this helped these men to provide for their families.
 |
| Hard working men earning a day's wages. |
The school/church now has double the space for classrooms and will be able to help more children. The building, once faced off and painted, will be a source of community pride.
 |
| Limonade Alliance Church and School - once finished will be beautiful. |
It is in this building that Truth Connect will conduct its August LTC. Please pray for Truth Connect. If you would like to help a pastor attend the conference ($50) or support the work of Truth Connect, please send your tax deductible gift to Truth Connect, P.O. Box 5608, Johnstown, PA 15904. I would love to hear from you!
