Remote Travels

One of the 7 churches and 5 schools Marcel oversees is called Bataille. It's quite a trip to get there. Click on the title above "Remote Travels" for a sample of what it takes. Our team from a few weeks ago spent an overnight there, coming back weary but oh so filled. A impromptu worship time to rival any was enjoyed while with these very special people. The 4 minute slide show/video is worth checking out.

Along a mountain Road

These mountains in Haiti hold far more than what is seen at a quick glance. People are everywhere, scratching out a living trying to put a meal a day on their "table".

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." Matthew 25:35 & 36

Scripture has come to life, shall I pass by on the other side of the road? Tugging at my heart!

Marcel with December Team

Kansas, Colorado, Tennessee and of course St Marc, Haiti are represented in this team. The Lord blessed us to be able to come together Dec 5th to the 12th, meeting up with Marcel. Helping with roofing, clean up of new classrooms, visiting 5 of the 7 churches that Marcel oversees, worship, prayer and much more describes our week together. Our trip to Bataille a remote church/school was a highlight for everyone. The trip to Bataille involved a ride first to Fond Baptist area on top of a mountain. Bataille is reached by hiking down to the river basin about 3500 to 4000 feet below on very steep terrain. It was worth every step! Power and running water (other than the river) are only an imagination in this area. The church had been converted to our bed and breakfast which included rock and mud walls, dirt floor and some of the grandest hospitality found anywhere. A impromptu worship service with drums, voices and dance stirred our souls... Watch for more in the days to come.

Dec 2009 Trip

Just to the right is a link to a slide show from our recent trip to Charrette, Haiti near St Marc, or you may click on the title "Dec 2009 Trip" above. 360 students now call this as well as the church next door their school. Most of the students had been meeting outside in good and bad weather. Thanks to all who made this possible.

Leaders Conference

November 4th to the 6th will bring 250 to 300 persons to EMEVI's 5th Leaders Conference. Some will travel a full day by vehicle, foot or any way possible to attend. Two of St Marc's radio stations have been promoting it this week and have had Marcel share of the vision for EMEVI. Food will be prepared for Breakfast and Lunch each day by 20 ladies that will volunteer their time and 18 young folks will act as greeters and help to take care of needs as folks arrive. Two young ladies from Colorado will help with the school at Bois Neuf that will still be going during the conference.
Each day will bring Fellowship, Worship, Devotions, Food, Teaching and Question and Answer time. The teaching times will be brought from 1st and 2nd Timothy by Pastor Kent with support from others at his church.
Sounds like a typical conference until you remember where this is being held. The church at Bois Neuf has been prepared for such a time as this and provides a wonderful place to gather. Marcel shared that this past week they have had no power, the internet powered at his house by a generator has been very intermittent at best and even while talking by phone tonight we were cut off three times. "Hotels" in this area are beyond what the locals can afford and there are very few any way. So the church community truly draws together as the body of Christ providing for the needs of the saints as He directs.
Please pray for the Lord to move in this conference, this is a powerful time of encouragement for the Evangelical community in Haiti.

The push to Fond Baptist

Travels to Fond Baptist are always interesting. Few vehicles make this trip, most will make the trek by foot. As Marcel and a friend made the journey once again, mud from recent rains slowed the process. Everyone pitches in when there is a need and the uphill push was underway. Although a challenge, Marcel said the worship while visiting stirred his soul. Check out a few more pictures by clicking on the title or picture. Please pray for the team going in December, we will attempt to make this same journey.

Outside Class & Cistern

This class takes advantage of the shade in the desert area of Colmini. In the foreground the pipe connects to the cistern gathering much needed water from the roof during rainy seasons. It's quite a hike to the nearest water so this provides clean drinking and cooking water for the school of 230 children. For additional pictures just click on the title above.

December Travels

The front page of the brochure just to the left is a bit hard to see, yes? Just click on it and it will take you to a larger/clearer image. This coming December 5th to the 12th a team of 6 will be headed to St Marc to spend time with Marcel and his team. Please join us in prayer for this group.

As this is being written Marcel will be making preparations to return home after a time of refreshment and encouragement. What a blessing it is when others come alongside to walk with us in this journey the Lord is leading us in. Please lift up Marcel as he makes his way home.

Expectations

I walk into a room reach for the switch flipping it on and the room is filled with light. This past week was a reminder that this is not the case in much of the world. A brief interruption of our power brought on by a storm provided a time to pause and reflect. It was only a 4 hour outage with little inconvenience, but what about the food in the fridge and getting a vehicle out of the garage in the morning. What, no hot water and how about cooking, being in an all electric house can cause some concern. Then the reminder that causes reflection. While in Haiti, power is not a given, as a matter of fact you may be fortunate for a few hours a day if at all. You may have a generator but still it needs fuel and even then running it all day... A fridge becomes a place to store goods but probably not to keep them cool. Think for a moment about living without power, not just for a few hours but for the majority of the time. How would this change your life? For our precious neighbors just to our south this is a reality. The Lord has opened doors to help and Marcel does have a generator and an inverter for some worn out batteries that receive a charge pretty much daily from that generator. Would you be interested in providing for a new deep cycle battery? Let us know and we will send you some details.

Shipping

This past year has brought multiple deliveries to the port at St Marc, blessing this ministry. School supplies all the way to a truck have made the trip and now we have an opportunity to reach out once again. A new generator and compressor have been donated and we are also looking at sending shoe boxes with "goodies" for children. Care to help us "connect" the dots with this delivery? Send us a note at saintmarchaiti@gmail.com and we will let you know how.

Jean Rabel Mission Trip

Marcel and his team of 61 adults and 8 children we able to minister to many. This man had been imprisoned for a debt, God choose to set this captive free, allowing His saints to mark the debt paid in full! If you would like to see additional pictures from the trip just click on the title "Jean Rabel Mission Trip" above.

A note from Marcel:

Dear Friends,
We made it back safe and sound Tuesday afternoon, we were all indeed tired, still can't get ourselves back together. Looking back at what the Lord has enabled us to do,we are amaze and we praise Him for using even us in this great endeavor, the hospitality of the people at Jean-Rabel is awesome, we felt right at home, it was hard to separate with them. The Gospel is becoming more powerful in that place, we believe that the people start realizing the need to turn their life to the Lord,we will continue to stand in the gap to see more come to know the Lord as their personal Savior and Lord. We use the money to help the pastor there, with the pastor's advise we help some of the church members that still can't get themselves back to normal after the last hurricane, we fed 100 people a meal a day and we pay 5000,00 gourdes to release someone from jail.
Thanks for your prayers and support,
We love you!

Marcel

Mission Trip

Marcel and a team from EMEVI Churches took a trip to the northwest of St Marc from August 20 thru the 24th, or at least that was the plan. Jean Rabel is not all that far away, only 7 hours on some terribly rough dirt roads. This mission trip included 61 adults and 8 children. More details will follow in the days ahead but for the moment a brief update. Plans were to head home Monday on a rented bus. Marcel was notified Sunday night that the bus had some mechanical problems and would be going nowhere. Parts are not available in this area of the country so arrangements were being made to have another bus drive from Port-au-Prince which is 9 hours away. Lets see, that would have put them home late Monday or very early Tuesday. By Tuesday morning other arrangements had been made and the journey back begins via a large truck carrying everyone and their meager travel bags. Ok, 7 hours of travel back to St Marc, in the back of a truck, standing up, dirt roads ---- you get the picture. As of now we have not heard if they are back yet?! Now imagine the Lord opening the door during this "extra" day and night at Jean Rabel for Marcel to preach one more time. A crowd of around 500 came to hear the "Good News" and we wonder was this an inconvience or divine appointment? No doubt in this mind. Many came to the Lord during this mission trip, but we will save the rest of the story for another post.

God Provides

A donation, a port nearby, fences. Not long ago an item was shipped to the port at St Marc. A gift that was so close but at the same time locked behind a fence. Days of discussion, filling out the right paperwork and of course the funds to "release" the gift. God gets all the praise. Donors have gone above and beyond to bless this ministry and doors have been opened that no man can open, .....only God.

We have talked about goats before and the story continues, as the Lord has been opening doors to provide families with sustainable food through the blessing of goats. Scrap metal is collected to be sold for the ability to purchase goats. Funds are donated to purchase more goats. Donors go to the market in Haiti and purchase goats and then deliver them to families. The follow-through is in motion as one of the goats has already delivered two little ones and as they grow they are to be shared with the community. Sustainable provision brings encouragement and hope, thank you.

Encouragement

Reaching out

Marcel with a few of the pastor's from EMEVI visited Gonaives a few weeks ago to share with a pastor friend there. How good it is to have someone come to share and walk with you for a season. This area of the country is still trying to recover from the storms of a year ago. This church may not look like much but is still a refuge "from the storm and storms" of life. Remember to encourage your brothers and sisters in Christ and if possible spend a season with them.

Almost a year later

Tropical storms and hurricane's leave long lasting imprints. This is National 1 in Haiti between St Marc and Gonaives but very close to Gonaives. A 45 minute detour to reach your destination is still necessary after all these months. Marcel visited here a little over a week ago while visiting a pastor friend and church. When was the last time we heard about this in the news? Please pray for these people as any hope seems far away.

Clinic Days

June brought "Clinic Days" one each at Bois Neuf, Charrette and Colmini. Marcels connection with Destiny Village orphanage has brought so many blessings. A truck that was shipped from the states that Marcel now uses and when a team of doctors and nurses were available they blessed EMEVI by spending a day at three of the churches providing a clinic. They saw 515 people in those three days touching so many lives. Through your prayers and investment into this ministry many are touched in ways beyond our imagination. Keep up the prayers! As we minister to the needs of the people it opens doors to share and lives are being changed for an eternity.

School

These students are content meeting outside and their families are happy for the opportunity they have to be in school. No public schools for miles in this desert area of Haiti called Colmini leaves so many without any opportunity to receive an education. Would you like to help a child attend school? $30.00 a month helps with school supplies, uniforms and in some cases lunch meals. Less than a dollar a day goes a long ways here in Haiti, contact us for additional information.

Roads?

Here in the desert of Colmini roads come and go. What road are you following? Allow the Lord to guide and direct your steps taking you on the right road for an eternity.

Travels

This coming December a group will visit Marcel in Haiti. Interested? Contact us today for more information. saintmarchaiti@gmail.com

Going Deeper

Recovering from an injury allows plenty of time to "go deeper". At Bois Neuf part of the stage was dug out to allow for these pillars to reach a new depth to support a load. This took time and energy to go deeper. How about going deeper with the Lord? Set aside time today spending time in His presence to "go deeper".

On the Road

So typical a sight along the roads in Haiti. What's your load like?

EMEVI Mission Trip

Setting the stage! Marcel and his team will be headed to "Jean Rabel" in the northwest part of Haiti August 20th. See what he has to say:

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MISSION TRIP
Yes, we still have this plan, we will leave on the 20th of August and return on the 24th. Please pray for us as we are trying to raise fund for that trip. We will have a group of between 50 and 60 people that want to go.

We will be at Jean Rabel and we will be working with New International Mission Church there. The pastor's name is Yacynthe.

There, we will be going out witnessing door to door making disciple for the kingdom ,and invite people to come to church every night to worship God and listen to the word of the Lord. It will be a soul winning trip.

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"Then Peter said, Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you"... (Acts 3:6a) As we well know few in Haiti have much of anything - here they will offer what they do have - a Savior.

Would you like to help? Let us know or donate using Paypal to the right if you are feeling led.

Possibilities

Cast out your nets on the other side. The possibilities for change in Haiti are there but will we take a chance and cast out our nets once again? The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few - so we are asking the Lord of the harvest to send workers. Interested?

Three strands

Scripture tells us that "A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." (Eccl 5:12b) Just outside the airport at Port-au-Prince can been seen this statue. Now this is not a history lesson about why the statue but it serves as a good reminder of standing side by side with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Below is a snapshot of how we can pray for our brothers and sisters in Haiti and especially for Marcel. The Lord continues to open doors above and beyond what we have imagined, here's a brief update.

June 24, Medical Clinic at Bois Neuf
June 25, Medical Clinic at Colmini
June 26, Medical Clinic at Charrette
Each day they hope to see between 150 and 200 people in need.

July starts the renewal for a visa for Marcel - Please Pray!

August the possibility of a Mission Trip by EMEVI to the northwest portion of Haiti.

October a trip to Colorado for Marcel for a missions conference.

November, leaders conference in Haiti

The hands in the sculpture above could represent the many that make all this possible. With each of you involved a difference is being made. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God"

Children are sponsored by a number of folks, food is purchased, housing materials, vehicles, goats, school supplies. Consider if the Lord may be nudging you to be a part. This is not about Hope for Haiti but about how God is moving and using people from many different churches that have been nudged to walk with Marcel and some of the least of these.

Sharing your gifting

Marcel is taking it all in as Rox is sharing about her art work. During this trip Rox was able to teach the children some basics about drawing and art. As we each share the gifting/s the Lord has blessed us with the body grows. What a blessing this time was for the children and also the adults each watching and learning.

Where do you call home?

The next tropical storm or hurricane may very well take this home. In this desert area of Haiti called Colmini most of the homes look like this or are very similar. Some survive the storms some do not, in any case the "mortar" needs to be constantly replenished to keep them standing. It may not look like much but it is home to a family, this family has been blessed with the donation of a goat. Would you be interested in funding a goat for a family? It cost's $40.00 and goes a long way helping the family with milk, cheese and hopefully another goat soon. Help a family today by donating online and letting us know how to apply your donation.

What Joy

A trip to Haiti can be life changing and will certainly touch your heart. A few months ago a team from Colorado visited and Rox was part of that group. Want to hear a bit of what she had to say? Click on the title to visit the latest newsletter for a testimony. If the view is too small there is a magnifier just above the image to the right. Enjoy.

Face to face

Nothing quite like meeting the child you sponsor face to face. In many cases it is possible to take a trip to meet your child and if the parents are willing you might get to see their home. Enough to stir your heart and cause you to pause, wondering why the Lord has blessed me in so many ways. Would it be good to share some of those blessings with those that are struggling to survive? Just something to ponder and listen for His voice.

Sponsored Child

Marcel and Pastor Mark are with one of the sponsored children in this picture. This is where the sponsor took another step and provided a goat for the family! Would you consider sponsoring a child today? E-mail saintmarchaiti@gmail.com for information regarding sponsorships.

All Smiles

Teams that visit the EMEVI churches and schools get to see lots of smiles. They may not have much of anything but they share what they have through their actions and smiles. Help support a child today through a sponsorship. This helps children attend a Christian school where in some cases there are no other schools. Contact us today at saintmarchaiti@gmail.com .

Curiosity

Children peering through the block are just curios to see what is going on. So just what is going on? People are sponsoring children to help them attend school! Want to become a part? E-mail today saintmarchaiti@gmail.com for additional information.

Pondering

This child may be taking a break? Hey may also be pondering what the future holds! Become a part of a child's future in Bois Nuef, Haiti through a sponsorship for school. E-mail today for additional information. saintmarchaiti@gmail.com

The Children

Hope for Haiti seeks sponsors for children which helps to insure they can go to school. Consider sponsoring a child, investing in their future. E-mail today saintmarchaiti@gmail.com

Child at Charrette

Everywhere you go there are children! Here in the foothills east of St Marc is no exception. While building walls for the schoolchildren the children were always watching and in many cases lending a hand. Sponsor a child today providing for his or her education. E-mail saintmarchaiti@gmail.com for additional information.

As iron sharpens iron

Here these two artists are spending time together sharing their giftings and experiences. Coming from two different cultures and totally different backgrounds but bound together through Christ. As iron sharpens iron right before our eyes. The ministry EMEVI and Hope for Haiti working together and the body of Christ is strengthened. Would you like to become a part of it? E-mail today saintmarchaiti@gmail.com .

Teamwork

This team from Colorado visited Marcel the end of March. Months of preparation and planning all came together with this visit. Many contributed, prayed and helped with the details that are not pictured here. The body of Christ was clearly seen through this outreach mission trip. Thank you Lord for the teamwork.

Laughter

While the children we being taught some simple art work Marcel joined in. Laughter was the order of the day and Marcel laughed with the best of them. Joy is good for the heart!

Invitation

A message with an invitation. Pastor Taylor has been a part of the Camp Meetings for years calling out to the lost. Could this be your day to answer the call? John 3:16 is a good place to start.

Special Music

Sharing from their heart they stir the soul. Each year brings the opportunity to sing praises to our Lord (for that matter each day) and groups from the churches share their gifting with the fellowship.

Preparation

Maybe a bit hard to see here are the many pots supported by rocks over wood fires. This is a commercial kitchen, Haiti style. Food was prepared each day for 800 persons, lunch and supper, during Camp Meeting. Thankful for anything today?

Worship and Praise

Each evening at Camp Meeting brings time for Praise and Worship. A people that are so desperately poor in material possessions but so rich in Praise to our Father in heaven. Something to ponder here.

EMEVI Camp Meeting starts

Just the start of the gathering as the Lord brought many to this years Camp Meeting. The updated stage served well and notice all the benches brought in from many churches. Surely the Lord has provided.

Camp Meeting Stage

The stage is together and the tarp is up for the start of Camp Meeting this Thursday! Thank you Colorado team for your part in making this a realty. More pictures to follow in the days ahead. Pa pe Poze is not only on the new truck but also stage front for this years get together. Soon well over a thousand folks will gather here, 800 of which will also be fed two meals a day for the 4 day gathering. Wednesday Marcel is headed into Port-au-Prince to pick up bulk supplies, please keep him and the team in your prayers.

Helping hands

Every hand makes a difference. It may seem like such a small thing but when you add it up, each piece that's moved, every step that is taken is one less that someone else has to take. Through all of this mountains are moved and we pray that a change for the better may come to pass. Relationships are also being built as you walk and work side by side.

So little does make a difference, and is significant. For less than a dollar a day a child can be sponsored to help ensure that they receive an education and it even helps to provide lunch each school day for some.

Would you like to be a part of this? E-mail today for additional information saintmarchaiti@gmail.com

Fit

Here John, Marcel's brother is working on the next rock and it's fit into the scheme of things. Piece by piece the wall comes together and there is a place for each rock, they all will fit. It's that way with the body of Christ, each have a place and the fit when we work together is perfect. There is a lot to be done not only in this wall but in each of us and in the unity of His church.