Haiti Update

For the first time in several days, American Airlines resumed flights in and out of Port-au-Prince today. Unrest over Presidential election results continues but with much less intensity. North American foreign ministers are pressuring the Haitian government to recount the votes from the election in order to verify the results.

As for the Cholera outbreak, the official death toll now stands at 2,323. However, the recent violence has hampered relief efforts, and as a result, there is some indication the death toll may not be accurate. Please ask God to be with the people of Haiti and return the sense of calm which had been prevalent for the past several months.

In an effort to assure the Haitian people they have not been forgotten in their great time of need, Franklin Graham of Samaritans Purse along with Sarah Palin visited Haiti over the weekend. One of their stops was one of Samaritans Purse cholera treatment clinics in Cite Soleil, an extremely poverty stricken area of Port-au-Prince.

John Rodgers

Pray, Pray, Pray

The results of Haiti's highly contested presidential election were announced today setting off riots and protests all over Port-au-Prince. As a result, American Airlines canceled all flights for the next two days and now the PAP International Airport has been closed. The run-off election is set for January 16 to determine Haiti's next president.

Unfortunately, with the airport closed, it will be extremely difficult for aid workers to get into Haiti to help with the rebuilding efforts following the earthquake and to provide medical assistance with the Cholera epidemic. The latest counts indicate 2,120 people have died and over 93,000 have been infected.

John Rodgers

Death Toll Exceeds 1,700

The official death toll has now reached 1,721 and nearly 76,000 people have now contracted Cholera since the outbreak began last month. The U.N. has asked for $160 Million in aid over the next year to attempt to keep the Cholera from spreading at a rampant pace.

As for the Presidential election, 12 of the 18 candidates have asked for the election results to be thrown out amidst questionable activities, lack of ballots, polling places not open, etc. So far, there seems to be no indication the election results will be thrown out. The official results are not expected to be announced until December 7th at the earliest. If none of the candidates attains 50% plus one vote, a run-off will then take place.

John Rodgers

Remember Haiti this Thanksgiving

The death toll has now reached 1,523 from the Cholera epidemic. Of those lives lost, 140 of them have been in Port-au-Prince. Since the onset, nearly 28,000 people have been treated in hospitals for confirmed cases of Cholera. Some say the numbers are actually much higher due to those who never made it to a hospital or clinic for treatment and, therefore, have not been counted.

This Sunday, November 28 the presidential elections are scheduled to take place. There are 18 candidates in the running to replace sitting President Preval who is about to finish his two term limit.

Please pray for God's will to be done in all of the challenges facing the people of Haiti at this time.

John Rodgers

Cholera and Unrest

Cholera continues to spread with 18,500 people hospitalized since the onset of the outbreak. The death toll has risen to just over 1,100. Medical experts are expecting the cholera epidemic to take from several months to even a few years to run it's course in Haiti.

Tensions remain high with the presidential election scheduled for November 28th. Protests aimed at the United Nations have now spread to the capital city of Port-au-Prince.

Please pray for the people of Haiti to remain calm.

John Rodgers

Death Toll Reaches 1,000

Several news reports now indicate the death toll from the Cholera outbreak has grown to just over 1,000. In addition, the total number of people hospitalized with Cholera since the outbreak began now stands at just under 17,000. Nearly $200 million has been committed to help with the outbreak with nearly $90 million being slated for permanent clean water distribution systems.

Tensions are high with reports of unrest in the north coast town of Cap-Haitien where demonstrators have began protesting against the U.N. The frustration with the U.N. is due to initial reports the Cholera outbreak came from a Nepalese U.N. camp's sewage system leaking into a river which provides drinking water for a large number of people in the surrounding valley. The U.N. camp has now been cleared from fault as the source of the outbreak.

Please pray for the people of Haiti to remain calm. Protests in Haiti have a history of getting out of hand. The last thing the country of Haiti needs at this time is to create a situation where the relief workers who are treating those who are sick find themselves in a dangerous situation and have to leave the country.

John Rodgers

Desperate Need for Housing

The latest news articles are now showing the death toll from the Cholera outbreak has now grown to over 800 with the total number of people infected at between 11,000 and 12,000. Approximately 200 cases have now been recorded in Cite Sole which is an extremely poor area between the airport and Carrefour.

With more than 1.2 million people still living in tent cities, the conditions are ideal for the continued rapid spread of the disease. It is difficult for me to understand why only approximately one fourth of the over $5 BILLION dollars raised for the rebuilding of Haiti has actually made it there to date! It seems to me $3.75 BILLION would build a significant amount of housing to get the people out of the conditions they are currently living in.

Most of the organizations which were building transitional housing have greatly reduced or stopped in anticipation of a mandated shift to permanent housing construction which was to have began in January, 2011. However, the meeting between the Haitian government and several other governments & relief organizations to discuss housing requirements has been postponed numerous times. The meeting is now slated for next March!

Please pray these funds will be released and suffering peoples need for shelter will be met quickly.

John Rodgers

Hurricane and Cholera Update

Hurricane Tomas brought far less damage than first feared. Approximate 30 people either lost their lives or are listed as missing. The city of Leagone which is located approximately 15 miles west of Joy House experienced significant flooding. This is the city where the mission church which the GPC team worked with is located.

As for the Cholera outbreak, the news is not good. The death toll is now approaching 600 with over 9,000 reported as being infected. The most distressing news emerged today - the first case of Cholera in Port-au-Prince! The infected child had not traveled to the area where the outbreak began nor been exposed to anyone from the affected area. The exposure to Cholera happened in the Tent City where the child lives!

Prior to the earthquake, sanitation was limited to non-existent. Since the earthquake, many latrines have been built but not enough to accommodate the 1.2 million people still living in tent cities. With the heavy rains from Hurricane Tomas, officials fear the sewage will spread the Cholera very rapidly through the city.

Please pray for the people of Haiti. Ask God to stop the spread of this terrible disease which could wipe out thousands of people in a very short amount of time.

Thanks for your prayers,
John Rodgers

Prayer for Haiti

Please pray fervently for the people of Haiti today. Just 10 months after the devastating earthquake in January, a Cholera outbreak has taken the lives of over 400 people and infected approximately 7,000.

As I write this update, Hurricane Tomas is beginning to pound Haiti with 85 mph winds and torrential rains. With well over 1 Million people living in tents and makeshift coverings, the potential for increased death and destruction seems eminent. The likelihood of massive mudslides and further widespread destruction is mind boggling.

The potential for the Cholera outbreak to spread as a result of the Hurricane and destruction it may cause is frightening. Please ask God to be with the people of Haiti and show Himself for who He is. Ask him to bring comfort and peace to those who have experienced more pain and suffering than most of us will experience in a lifetime.

John Rodgers

Thanks for the prayers. Roxanne has boarded the flight - scheduled to depart in 20 minutes.

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Pray for roxanne clement. Stuck in pap traffic and flight departs in 1 hour. John

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Joyful Weddings

Over the past several months, several people involved with Joy House Ministries have had a burden to see couples in the local Haitian churches who are living together to be able to get married. Most churches will allow unwed couples to attend services but are not allowed to be baptized or join the church.

As a result of a lot of prayer, donations of accessories (wedding dresses, men's suits, rings, etc.) and many hours of volunteer work under Norma's leadership, the Joyful Wedding project was born. Tomorrow, Saturday, September 18th, the first 4 couples will be married in a ceremony at Jesus Church at Santos. Following the wedding, each couple and 50 of their invited guests will be attending a reception hosted by Norma, Roxanne and Cheryl at Joy House.

Roxanne Clement, who was a member of our Grace Point Team in early August is in Haiti preparing for the wedding and sent the following message this morning: "Good Morning! Just a little update, the Joyful Wedding project is going great. I've spent the last 3 days doing dress fittings, decorating, and building relationships. Cheryl came yesterday and brought more wedding stuff, exactly what we needed. We're seeing God's hand all over this project already. Thanks for all your prayers!!"

Helping couples to be able to get married is a huge need in Haiti. Their culture requires them to spend a significant amount of money on their weddings and an elaborate meal for the reception. With Haiti being the poorest country in the western hemisphere, saving enough money for a proper wedding is virtually impossible. Therefore, most couples never get married. Please pray this ministry will be a huge blessing to the people of the Gressier area and beyond.

John & Kay Rodgers

Back in NWA

We arrived back in NWA Friday evening. Even though we are glad to be home with Tim, we miss our friends and family in Haiti. We were able to follow-up on ministry done by the Grace Point Team in early August and explore new opportunities for teams in the future.

Kay and I will be updating the blog as we have time to get our thoughts together over the next few days.

Thanks for your prayers,
John & Kay Rodgers

Leave dfw for xna in 10 min.

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Boarded fll to dfw flight. Depart in 15 min.

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Just landed in fort lauderdale ... Early. Waiting for ground crew to park us @ gate.

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Just now boarded flight from pap to fll for 8:50 departure - too close for comfort !!

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Just now passing the "recycle" pit. "We've got a long way to go and a short time to get there."

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Traveling thru pap - very heavy traffic. Flight leaves in just over 2 hours!

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Kay @ gran savon with daniel & team. Working with local mothers as part of the daniel project.

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Back @ joy house. Very heavy rain storm in progress. Begin wrapping up to leave friday morn.

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Traveling back to gressier. 2 hours to go. Great experience in l'azile w/ roland & benito's families.

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Making 3 hour trip to remote mountain village of l'azile. Roland, benito, & samuel's hometown.

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Watching lightning storm over the bay from roof of joy house ... Incredible!

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House finished this morning. Plan to work on daniel project this afternoon.

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Team working on second house. Kay and i are going to prepare donated items for distribution.

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Team finished house this p.m. Kay and i worked on articles for joy house newsletter

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Two people baptized identifying themselves with christ. Team now building a transitional house.

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Cool night - great sleep. Headed to beach for baptism @ 9.

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Revival service in progress @ jesus church @ santos. Praise and worship service is awesome!

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Reginald's last day @ jesus church @ santos. Leaving to study in france for 1 to 2 years.

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Gran savon church in midst of 2 week prayer vigil ... 6 a.m. To noon daily! Dedication.

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Uninhibited Worship with 150 believers @gran savon church ... Priceless!

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Safe and sound @ joy house. Just finished dinner ... Off to bed soon. Plan to attend benito's church tomorrow a.m.

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Sitting in traffic in a very familiar spot ... In a thunder storm! More to come ...

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All luggage made it. Now driving thru port-au-prince on way to joy house. Al is well.

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30 minutes past departure time. Waiting for maintenance paperwork before we can leave gate.

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Arrived in miami. Board port-au-prince flight in 10 min. Looking forward to seeing our friends in haiti.

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Travel Day - Saturday

Please pray for us as we travel to Haiti tomorrow, Saturday, September 4. Joe Patterson and a team of 5 people from a church in Fayetteville will also be traveling on the same flights. We will be sending updates to the blog from via text messages from my phone and hope to be able to send more detailed updates once we arrive at Joy House.

John & Kay

All You Need Is God

Well, I didn't really know what to expect when going to Haiti after the earthquake. But it was really just the same. All of the chaos and people going everywhere was exactly how it was. The only difference was that there was broken buildings and tents everywhere. The smells were the same and everything seemed basically normal in Haiti.

But what I noticed is that the people were still the same, which is a good thing. Most of everyone we came across was happy, like they have always been. I think it's awesome that people can be so joyful with all of the devastation that they have been through. That is pretty impactful to me, because it shows me that you don't really need anything to be happy. All you need is God.

(Written by Tim Rodgers - Team Member)

What Can Be Better Than That !

The Haiti trip was simply amazing. One of the things that was a Blessing to me was the Churches we worked with while we were there. They might not have a Church building like we do in the U.S., but that doesn't mean that they are not working hard winning people to Christ. The Church we attended the Sunday we were in Haiti is up on a steep hill next to Joy House. The Church was destroyed in the earthquake, so they are meeting under tarps to at least shield them from the sun.

Despite the heat and not having a building or the fact they have to climb a steep hill to get there, the Church was packed with people. The service was much like a service we would have here with singing, followed by preaching, and then more singing. One of the things that struck me was when they got to the weekly announcements at the end of the service. They announced that Monday was the women's Bible study and Tuesday they were going out to visit those who weren't at Church that day, and it seemed that they had something planned for each day that week.

This is a living, breathing body of Christ kind of Church. These people want to worship, they want to learn more about God, and they are excited about Jesus. This Church doesn't have air-conditioning, a fancy sound system, praise band, indoor plumbing, or anything. They don't even have a building! But they came to Church because of Jesus and the love they have for Him! And apparently Jesus is enough.

There were so many special moments all during the week. One of my favorite moments was during the last Vacation Bible Class. It was the story of Jonah and the Whale. You could tell the kids were really enjoying it, except for the little girl from the orphanage who fell asleep on my lap. At the end of the story Kay Rodgers did a marvelous job by walking the kids through a message of salvation. When she asked if anyone would like to accept Jesus as their personal Savior, a woman shot her hand in the air. It was like she was sitting on a spring just waiting for someone to show her the way. A total of eleven people came to know Jesus that day. (10 kids and 1 mommy)

Our team was Blessed by participating in so many activities during the week. There were the Kids Bible Schools, a food distribution, a shoes and clothing distribution, and the building of temporary houses are just a few that come to mind. But if I had to choose one thing that was the most special to me, it would be the "hut-to-hut" witnessing. It was wonderful talking with the people, praying with them, and in a few awesome instances, leading them to accept Jesus as their personal Savior. What can be better than that!

(Written by Kyle C. - Team Member)

Taking Ownership of the Gospel

I have gone to Haiti many times now. This time was very different for me. It seems after the earthquake the people of Haiti are changing. When, I talked to people about the Lord, I was told that they were going to a Christian church. Some people were even going out on the streets to tell people about the Lord. This is not normal in Haiti because of the Voodoo religion. It was good to see the people "Take Ownership" of the gospel and spreading the good news of Jesus in Haiti. This was the first time that I have seen the Lord moving in this way.

I have a strong love for my brothers and sisters in Haiti. We need more committed people to go and help out. There are two things that I find out on every mission trip:

1. God's work is so important!
2. Before I can serve God, I have to move out of the spotlight so the Lord can shine in me!

I am not a member of Grace Point Church but this is the second year I have been part of the Haiti mission team. You at Grace Point, are very blessed to have John and Kay leading your teams in Haiti. They have a "true love" for the people in Haiti. Last of all, I would be happy to talk with your church as part of a "Mission Day" program about Haiti. I have already started the wheels turning for a trip in January. God's work in Haiti has changed my life. Please don't be afraid to let God's work change yours!

(Written by Leon B. - Team Member)

Expanding Tents & God's Kingdom

Two months after the earthquake my mom and I spent five weeks in Haiti. We hosted teams that worked tirelessly to rebuild Haiti's crumbled country. I saw the joy of each Haitian family as they moved into their temporary houses. Their joy was so amazing to me because the house that was built for them was a simple 12 x 12 wooden framed structure with a metal roof and tarps for walls. But you see the Haitians have hope, they have a vision and a promise for a future! These are the same people that struggled in a tropical storm to secure a single tarp as it whipped in the wind weeks ago, now they have the safety of a home. And six months latter those people have added on to that simple wooden framed structure by adding more rooms, metal, push out walls and lean-tos.

Haitians live in a community driven society. They take care of those without ... even the poor takes care of the poor! So a single family can push out the walls to their home to give them the ability to house family and friends. They live in tent cites so that they can all share things. And when it comes to food, one family may have rice and the other has beans ... and another has meat ... they pull everything together for one great stew.

Isaiah 54:2-4 says:

2 Make your tent bigger;
stretch it out and make it wider.
Do not hold back.
Make the ropes longer
and its stakes stronger,

3 because you will spread out to the right and to the left.
Your children will take over other nations,
and they will again live in cities that once were destroyed.

4 "Don't be afraid, because you will not be ashamed.
Don't be embarrassed, because you will not be disgraced.

I went to Haiti believing that I was going to help the Haitians ... and actually I learned so much from them about my Christian life. I learned to be satisfied with the gifts God gives me and use them to the fullest. I also learned the importance of working together as a group of fellow believers. God blesses each one of us with special abilities that he wants us to use to reach the world. The more we use those abilities the wider our reach is for Him. The more we reach out to the world the stronger we are!! The most important thing I learned is that our life is all about adding to God's kingdom!

(Written by Daina K. - Team Member)

Norma Back in Haiti

Norma returned home from Haiti for some much needed rest in early August and is now back in Haiti making preparations for more teams to arrive at Joy House. Please pray for Norma and the Joy House team as they ramp up to accommodate volunteer teams over the next couple weeks.

The Grace Point Team would like to formally thank Norma and the Joy House team for all of their hard work while we were there the first week of August. Thanks for all the great food, comfortable accommodations, safe transportation, accurate translation, and great Christian fellowship. Even though you were all very tired from having non-stop teams for several weeks before our arrival, you went above and beyond the call of duty and were a vital part of all God accomplished through the Grace Point Team.

John

Open My Eyes Lord

This was my third trip to Haiti. I've gone with Grace Point on two of their previous trips and I've seen God do amazing things. However, it still didn't prepare me for what God had planned. He opened my eyes to things that I had missed over the past two years and even allowed me to face personal struggles that I had been dealing with for months. It really is amazing to see what God can do when you take away all of the distractions that you allow into your daily life. No television, internet, facebook, cell phone...It reminds me of something that I heard, although I can't remember where- "Americans are busy doing nothing." When I'm in Haiti, I feel purpose in everything that I do. Even in times of rest, we're so joyous! Spending time talking to your friends rather than watching a movie can do surprising things in friendships, as I learned very clearly. : )

One experience that I want to share is a conversation that I had with a young woman who was only a few years older than me. She had two babies sitting on her lap, one of which shared my name. : ) I asked her what had happened to her during the earthquake, and it turned out that she was actually giving birth to her triplets in a hospital. She said that when the walls started shaking, she began screaming for Jesus to save her. Although one of her children didn't make it, she told me that Jesus had saved her other two children, as well as herself. Hearing that she had called out for Jesus and that she now gave Him the credit for saving her, I assumed that she had a relationship with Him. I told her that I was so happy to hear that God had saved them, and that I knew that He had a special plan for her two children. As I was getting up to leave, she began speaking to the translator, who then told me that she wanted to ask Jesus into her heart. She was trying to tell me that Jesus had saved them from the earthquake, and so she now trusted Him and wanted Him as her Savior. I had failed to ask her about her relationship with Jesus. I assumed, and it was the wrong assumption. Had it been only me, I would have walked away. Fortunately, it wasn't only me. God was there, and He impressed upon the woman what needed to be done. Despite my own failures, I have a new sister in Christ!

I thank God that he allowed me to experience this. Talking to people about God is one of the most intimidating things in the world for me to do. However, what I learned is that although God uses me, He doesn't need me. What I mean is that God wants me to go, to witness, to encourage. And I want to do these things more than anything in the world, but there are times when I'm going to fail. Thankfully, God is sovereign, and my failure is not His failure. Even if I mess up tremendously, like I did with this woman, God will be there. What I am praying for now is that I can take this with me to college. I don't want to let fears or timidness or insecurities block me from becoming a young woman who tells of her love for God. So please pray for me. I really don't believe that this mission is supposed to end quite yet! : )

(Written by Mindi F. - Team Member)

Nothing Prepares You For Haiti

No amount of preparation is enough, watching CNN or Fox News won't do it, nor will devouring everything on the Internet - not my mission trip to Africa – nor listening to the stories of those who have gone before me. Nothing could have prepared me for visiting the poorest country in the western hemisphere, after it was hit by a devastating earthquake. Nothing prepares you for Haiti. Nothing!

I wasn't prepared to see the small children living amidst the piles of garbage, to see them bathing in pot holes in the street –using dirty infected water for bathing and I certainly wasn't prepared for the children living in tents on the median – with cars flying by – smoke from burning plastic seeping into their tents along with exhaust fumes from vehicles. I wasn't prepared to see God's most precious children in such desperate need.

We met Madam Yvonne whose sister died in the earthquake and who now lives with her sister's five children along with her own three in what appeared to be a two person tent. It is hard to judge the age of children in Haiti because of malnutrition, but I would guess that these eight children were all under the age of 9. When asked what she needed most, Yvonne quickly said shelter for the children.

I also wasn't prepared for how happy these children are to see you, how much love they will offer you and how in such a short time, they will simply capture your heart. As we walked from hut-to-hut in Leagone – we had children happily chatting to us in Creole – holding our hands, arms and the wee little one with the big brown eyes who held onto my skirt because she was too small to reach my hand.

As I tucked my grand baby into bed last night, with his Land before Time movie and a glass of water, I thought of those small children in Haiti who have none of these items – most importantly they don't have the basic essentials – a dry place to lay their head – food – basic hygiene items – clothing.

I wasn't prepared to feel so helpless or for God to lay such a burden on my heart – these children will forever hold a piece of my heart. God has blessed me mightily by sending me to Haiti and I feel a great responsibility to continue helping in some capacity.

(Written by Mary B. - Team Member)

Overwhelming Joy

At first glance, all I saw in Haiti were blue tarps, collapsed buildings, and four wheeler trails for roads. Trash was everywhere, and the smells made me sick to my stomach. I could not believe people could live there.

When we attended church on Sunday, I saw something you could never see in the States. Under boards and a tarp, 100+ people worshipped God for two and a half hours in the blistering heat. Mud from the rain the night before covered the children's feet. I wondered how far they had walked to get there, but their joy was inspiring. Everyone was smiling. I felt privileged to be there.

I saw the same joy in people's lives throughout the week. I could not understand why people seemed happy. I saw devastation, but everyone was content with the little they had.

My trip to Haiti changed the way I view my life. Could I be joyful in their situation? Honestly, I do not think I could. I went to Haiti to help the Haitians. I left thanking God for how they helped me.

(Written by Blake R. - Team Member)

All For His Glory ...

When I know that I don't deserve anything from Him, God chooses to bless me beyond anything I could think of. I've never been more aware of that then while in Haiti. It was incredible to serve God in Haiti alongside some of the best friends I've ever had. One of the greatest blessings that He shared with me was a new friendship with one particular Haitian guy that began during that week.

I met Jin Johnny at the very end of our first morning of hut-to-hut witnessing in Leogane. My group was waiting on the other teams to finish when I saw a young guy watching us as he walked past. I called him over and began talking to him about his life. He is 21. His mom died when he was young and his dad died during the earthquake in January. He wants to be an engineer someday, but he is only at the 5th grade level right now. He said Haiti is a difficult place to live and he wants to move to the US or France, but he doesn't have the money yet. In turn, I told him about my life, and then, we discussed our relationships with God. He knew the Bible well and told me about his prayers and his church (about a 45 minute walk away). I encouraged him to be a leader around his family and friends and told him how glad I was that God led me to meet him. I saw him once more that afternoon at the bible study in Leogane, and we hated to say goodbye so soon.

In the few minutes that we talked, God showed me that I could just as easily have been me in Jin's shoes struggling to live my best for him in the situation he had been born into. But for no particular reason, God chose for me to be in a very different situation. I have both of my amazing parents. I have more material things than I could ever use. I have money in my bank account, and I know that when I get hungry, food will be waiting. I take a shower or two everyday. There is gas in my tank, and I sleep between clean sheets in a soft bed under a stable roof that I don't worry might collapse each night. After being in Haiti, it's hard not to feel guilty about having so much.

I know now that I have more resources at my disposal than I could ever use efficiently. I don't know why God chose to bless me like this, but I am learning through His love that I want to do everything I can to use what He has given me to bring Him more glory and to continue to share my life with people like Jin. Please pray for him and all of Haiti while the number of people that seek to glorify God daily continues to grow there!

(Written by Mac H. - Team Member)

Overwhelming Peace

Haiti captured my heart several years ago. Now, I feel as if I leave part of myself there each time I go - but, I also bring more and more of Haiti home with me when I leave. The relationships that have been built over the years are special blessings, and each trip brings more new friends.

Pastor Benito is one of those special people that we have worked with for the past six years. He has been our translator each trip, but the past couple of years we have worked with him to reach out to the people in the community surrounding his church. He is a very humble, quiet and gentle man, but he has helped us to proclaim the Good News of Christ with boldness.

A few weeks ago, Benito shared with us about a new church that he and another pastor helped start near Leogane after the earthquake. He asked us if we would be interested in working with him in this area. Of course we were excited at the opportunity.

We arrived at the "tent" church and Pastor Benito introduced us to Pastor Joshua. John and I had the privilege of sitting down with both of them and hearing their story of how this church began. Right after the earthquake, they had been preaching each night in the tent cities and several people gave their life to Christ. These new believers needed a church to help them grow in their relationship with Christ, so Benito and Joshua helped make that happen. This church began meeting in April and has been averaging 40 on Sunday mornings, and they have been meeting a couple of nights a week for prayer and Bible Study.

Before we finished, the four of us spent some time praying for our team, the ministries planned for the afternoon, and for the people of this church and community. This was one of the most incredible experiences of this trip for me. Benito and Joshua prayed in Creole, and even though I didn't understand every word they prayed, there was an overwhelming peace that flooded that tent. I knew that we were all one in heart and that God had great things in store for this church and its leaders. I thank God for a new friend and I pray His blessings on Joshua and his family. I am so thankful for the opportunity to be a part of what God is doing through this new church. Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Kay Rodgers

Thoughts on Haiti

My favorite place to visit in Haiti is Gran Savanne, and Tuesday morning we were going home to home sharing the salvation of Jesus Christ. On the beaten path, a little boy grabs my hand and we begin walking through the village together. As we walk down the road, I am pointing to things I see and asking him the name of the objects. In my broken Creole I manage to ask him where other children are, so he takes our evangelism group from house to house looking for children to tell them of the Bible Club that we would be having later that day.

So here I am, walking with a little boy, hand in hand, on a dusty dirt road, thinking to myself, "This is what I've always wanted to do, and this is who I've always wanted to be." In my heart I've always dreamed of being someone who goes into the remote villages, tries to learn the language, and tells people about Jesus Christ. I almost came to tears on that road. God has made us all so different and with different giftings. If we were all feet, who would be the hands? If we were all eyes, who would be the mouth? God made me to be feet, and on our trip I truly was feet. Beautiful feet that went and shared the good news of Christ.

(Written by Kerrie B. - Team Member)

1 Timothy 4:12

A song by Hillsong titled "Hosanna" seemed fitting for this experience. The song says "I see a generation rising up to take their place, with selfless faith. I see a near revival stirring as we pray and seek, we're on our knees." The kids of Haiti will be the new generation whom I believe is going to change Haiti. The song continues "Heal my heart and make it clean, open up my eyes to the things unseen. Show me how to love like you have loved me. Break my heart for what breaks yours, everything I am for your kingdoms cause, as I go from nothing to eternity." This trip opened up my eyes and broke my heart for the despair that this country and the people are in.

The children is where my heart is called to. Our last Bible school was one of my favorite parts of this trip. We went to Carrefour for this one and again had somewhere around 200 people in the church. We had done the story of David and Goliath at all the other Bible schools and decided we needed something different. It was put together all kind of last minute which really allowed God to work it all out instead of us. God pointed us to the story of Jonah and the whale. Jonah is about a man whom God called to talk to a city called Nineveh because they were not living for God. Jonah was too scared though so he thought he could get on a ship and run away. God sent a storm so Jonah was sent overboard. He was swallowed by a whale where he stayed for 3 days.

Jonah prayed and told God he would follow his will so God tossed him back on land and he went to Nineveh. So there's a little more to the story than that but this is my short version so you can understand what we talked to the kids about. I had felt a little like Jonah all week, being nervous about talking to people about God and praying a lot for courage and boldness and the right words to speak, which he always provides! That's why God placed me up there to talk to these people. I was honest with everyone about being nervous but stressed the importance of following Gods will and sharing Christ with others. We talked about how God wants to have a relationship with people and what that looks like. God is like a best friend. You talk to him through prayer, learn about him by reading the Bible, and spend time with him in church. Then Kay spoke about what Jesus did for us and how we can have a relationship with God.

That day 11 people made a decision for Christ. These hearts were healed and made clean and these people really are going from nothing to eternity. It is so exciting to know that those 11 people will never be the same, their lives are changed because they know God. They have the potential to change the people around them. 1 Timothy 4:12 says "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." These kids will set an example and I believe they will make a difference in many people's lives. Children set a great example of love, faith, and purity and I learned a lot from them while we were in Haiti.

(Written by Bridgett C. - Team Member)

They Blessed Me!

I don't even know where to begin. I first want to thank John and Kay Rodgers
for the tremendous amount of time and effort they spent planning the trip,
training our team, and being incredible servant leaders to all of us. Their
heart for Haiti is very evident and I learned so much by their example. Each
day we were there was amazing in it's own way. It's hard to choose one
particular event to write about because there are so many.

The time we spent at Lifeline Orphanage in Carrefour was definitely special
to me. I fell in love with the children there and didn't want to leave when
it was time to go. Although they have little in material possessions, their
smiles were contagious as they sang and danced for us. We gave them balloons
and blew bubbles with them and their laughter was like the sound of music to
my ears. I went there to bless them and instead they blessed me!

One moment that I can't forget is on Friday August 6th, our last full day of
ministry, we built a transition home for a lady who attends Jesus Church at
Santos. Some members of our team were talking with her and her family and I
noticed the lady kept smiling as she watched her house go up. Just as we
were finishing, I walked around to the back side of the house to take a
photo. As I came around the corner, there stood this lady with her hands in
the air, her eyes closed, and she was obviously praising and thanking God
for her new home, and dedicating it to the Lord! I stood there quietly not
wanting to interrupt her prayer meeting. When she opened her eyes she looked
at me and smiled and I gave her a big hug. Even though I couldn't speak her
language, there was an understanding between us and I felt God's presence so
strong. In my heart I was praising God with her! I'll never forget her
smile, the look of thankfulness in her eyes, and the love of God on her
face. Just like those children at Lifeline Orphanage, we were there to bless
her by building a shelter for her family, yet she blessed me far beyond what
she'll ever know!

(Written by Roxanne C. - Team Member)

Much Needed Shoes

Thank you to the Grace Point Family for the shoes which were donated in the month of July. Our team was able to take 180 pairs on this trip. On our last full day in Haiti, we distributed not only the shoes but also many of the clothes which Grace Point members donated in the weeks following the earthquake. Between 80 & 100 families in the area surrounding Joy House were blessed by your generosity.

Thank you for making a difference in the lives of many people who are struggling to put their lives back together following the largest natural disaster in recent history.

John & Kay Rodgers

Baby Blankets

One of the things that really affected me on the trip to Haiti this year was during the Baby Blanket Ministry. As I gathered the blankets from the different women back home, I looked forward to seeing the babies' faces and how sweet the babies would look when we presented the blankets to them. All along I was focused on how it would affect the babies & small children.

But more and more I began to see how it impacted the mothers of these little ones as well. In a way it was a baby dedication for the mothers. The mom's whole expression changed from being excited about getting a free blanket, to realizing how important these little lives are to women in the United States who have never even met them. How women from another part of the world prayed for these little ones to make a difference in their lives. Something as simple as putting a little blanket together can express the unconditional love of our Lord & Savior.

(Written by Rita R. - Team Member)

Shelter From the Storm

One of the ministries which our Grace Point Team had the privilege of being a part of was building transitional housing. During our 7 days there the team was able to build 4 shelters for families who desperately needed them. With hurricane season at hand, the need for adequate shelter is overwhelming.

Tent cities spread as far as the eye can see. Many people have built makeshift shelters in the median of an unbelievable busy highway, risking the lives of their family members in order to find shelter from the storms.

Joy House has an awesome opportunity for the foreseeable future. Another major Christian based ministry has agreed to provide materials for as many transitional homes as they have the manpower to build! Anyone interested in going to help with constructing these homes can contact me for further information.

Thanks,
John

Back in Arkansas

The team arrived safe and sound in Northwest Arkansas at 1:00 a.m. this morning. Three suitcases failed to make the connection in Miami but should arrive Sunday afternoon or Monday. Once we've had a little rest, we will be updating the blog with highlights from this trip.

Thanks for all your prayers.

John

Almost Home

I talked to John a little bit ago. They are now en route from Miami to Tulsa. We are in Tulsa waiting for them to arrive. Please continue to pray for safe travel, both air and ground. We should be back in NWA shortly after midnight.

A big thanks to John Sickels for driving one of the vans to help transport the team!

- phillip

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Landed in miami - 2 hrs. To get thru immigration, customs, eat & make connection.

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We have boarded pap to mia flight. Scheduled to depart in 20 min.

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Everyone checked in & waiting @ gate. Flight departs in 2 hrs. All tired but in good spirits.

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Just left joy house for airport - 1 & half to 2 hour trip depending on traffic.

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Rained for several hours last night - difficult to sleep knowing hundreds of thousands sleeping in tents.

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Distributed clothing & shoes to between 80 & 100 families yesterday afternoon.

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House finished. Mountain of clothing to be sorted & prepared for distribution later this afternoon.

House # 4 to be built this morning. Will distribute clothing & shoes this afternoon.

Great afternoon - 250 kids (& some adults) in bible school. Several prayed to receive Christ today!

Walking streets of carrefour inviting kids to bible school. Will have sewing & hygiene classes for adults.

Loading bus for hour drive to carrefour. Everyone tired & hot - pray for strength & wisdom.

House completed in 2 hrs. 3 teams out witnessing in gressier. Pastor eddie's church in carrefour this afternoon.

The team would like thank Sara T for spending a sleepless night writing notes for each day we're here. Each days note has been a huge blessing & very fitting for the specific day it was written for. God bless you Sarah.

Everyone had great time with 70 kids @ lifeline orphanage. Plan to build another house tomorrow morning.

Team completed house in one & a half hours this morning! Awesome experience during hut-to-hut!

Building another house this morning. Going to orphanage in carrefour this afternoon for bible school.

Sorry for short updates. Internet not available. Updating via text messages from phone.

We pray safe travels for Leon as he returns to the States today. Thanks for your contribution to the team.

First transitional house almost complete. Will have classes and distribute food this afternoon.

226 kids, teens, adults packed into a 12 x 24 tent for bible school this afternoon. Divided bulk rice & beans tonight for distribution.

Morning @ belval church went well - going back this afternoon for classes. Unloading 3 house kits which we plan to build this week.

Great day - 180 kids in bible school. Tomorrow we go to work with a new church which formed since the earthquake.

Going to house of hope orphanage to play with kids then back to joy house for bible school, sewing class & adult bible study.

Church service in progress - building destroyed in quake - meeting under make shift shelter.

Just finished breakfast and devotions. Team will worship @ Jesus church at Santos this morning. John

The team finally made it to Joy House last night after a long 4 hour drive. It took longer than normal due to the rain storm causing flooding on the road. They sat in the bus in stand still traffic. Everyone had a good night's sleep. Today they are unpacking and sorting supplies and preparing for the ministries they will be doing this week. The team will be going to the orphanage near Joy House this afternoon. Please pray for House of Hope and their director, Alice. Also, be praying for the church services in the morning. The team will definitely be at Jesus Church at Santos. They are hoping to go to Benito's church in Gran Savon (sp?) as well. Pray for the weather to be favorable, so the team can go out and do the ministries they have planned. There have been several tropical depressions lately that have really affected the area. Pray for each member of the team for safety, health, and that God would use them.

- Phillip & Sarah

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Arrived safely @ joy house. Traffic issue due to flooding. Now eating dinner - off to bed soon. John

Sitting in traffic jam during heavy rain storm. Traffic @ complete standstill - no idea what the cause.

All bags made it! Driving thru port-Au-prince to joy house. John

Safe in ft. lauderdale. Two hour layover then were off to Haiti. John

Made it to dfw & have now boarded fll flight. Everyone doing fine. John

Heading to church for packing party. Team departs early tomorrow morning for Haiti. Please pray for safe travel. Watch for updates.

GPC Summer Mission Team

This summer's Grace Point Church Haiti Mission Team is now making preparations to travel to Haiti in late July. We have 14 team members who will be doing a variety of ministries very near the epicenter of the January 12 earthquake. Over the past couple of months, Joy House has been able to build several transitional houses in the area with the funds donated to date. Our team will have the opportunity to construct more of these structures providing we have the funds available to do so.

In addition, we will be teaching basic hygiene classes due to the vast numbers of people now living in very confined conditions. Tent cities have sprung up everywhere and with no infrastructure, the potential for the rampant spread of disease is eminent. We will be conducting bible schools for children, teaching adult bible studies, providing sewing classes, doing hut-to-hut (tent-to-tent) evangelism, and have opportunities to participate in evangelistic services in the evenings.

Please pray for this team as we prepare for the task God has placed before us.

John & Kay Rodgers

While in Haiti in early February, Norma's daughter Sherry interviewed me regarding the earthquake which had happened just 3 weeks prior. In the hectic pace of things following the earthquake, I had totally forgotten about the interview until browsing the Joy House website a couple of weeks ago. After watching the video, I realized it captured not only my thoughts and feelings related to the disaster, but also one of the many aftershocks. The video can be viewed at: http://joyhousephotos.shutterfly.com/318

Thanks to all who have given toward building transitional homes. To date, enough funds have been received to build 11 structures. If you have been thinking about giving toward this cause and have not yet done so, I encourage you to make a donation as soon as possible. We will continue building these homes every time a team goes to Haiti and we have funds available. Joe will be returning home from Haiti this weekend and we will get an update on the progress made this past week. The goal was to build the remaining 9 homes.

For anyone interested in going with our team from Grace Point this summer, the deadline to register is tomorrow, Sunday April 25th. I will be in the lobby following all 3 services to collect your completed and signed covenant along with your $200 deposit.

John Rodgers

Temporary Home for Jesus Church at Santos

Once the debris from Jesus Church at Santos had been cleared a few weeks ago, the leadership of the church devised a plan to build a temporary facility in order to have a place out of the elements to worship. Attached you will see the structure which the leader of the church, Reginald and some church members built.

Update on Pastor Eddie - He is out of the hospital and is feeling much better. It was confirmed that he had malaria. Matthew also had malaria and is recovering.

Pray for Joe and Norma Patterson - Norma will be traveling to Haiti tomorrow in order to prepare for a team which will arrive late this week to focus on building as many transitional homes as possible with the funds which have been designated for the project to date (last I heard was an additional 6 homes). Joe will be leaving this Friday to travel to Haiti to help the team with building the transitional homes.

Pray for us as we recruit a team from Grace Point to travel to Haiti this summer. Deadline to sign-up is Sunday, April 25th.

John & Kay Rodgers

Homeless Count and Death Toll Increase

The latest estimates of the number of homeless people in Haiti directly due to the massive earthquake have risen from 600,000 to somewhere between 1 million and 1.5 million! In addition, the death toll has now been revised from 240,000 up to 300,000. The rainy season has arrived in full force and reports of diseases such as malaria and typhoid have been increasing significantly! We received news today that Pastor Eddie is in the hospital but we do not know why he was admitted. Matthew is recovering from Malaria and is doing much better. Roland has been ill and is also recovering.

The great news is the first two transitional homes have been built. Zet, one of the cooks for Joy House is a single mom and her home was destroyed in the earthquake. She was the first to receive a new home. The second was built for Pastor Benito who is an interpreter for Joy House and also pastors the Church at Gran Savon. In addition, enough money has been received by Joy House to construct an additional 5 transitional homes! A team is scheduled to arrive in Haiti in just over a week and will hopefully be able to build all 5 homes while there.

Thank you to everyone who has given to this very worthy cause. If you have not yet made a donation for transitional homes and would like to give, please go to haitijoyhouse.org and make a donation through Pay Pal or you can write a check to Joy House Ministries and mail to PO Box 6643, Springdale, AR 72766. Please write "Haiti Transitional Housing" in the memo of the check to be sure it makes it to the correct fund.

Norma Patterson, founder of Joy House along with Daina Kennedy and Rita Robertson returned home from Haiti 10 days ago for some much needed rest. Thank you ladies for giving of your time, talents, and resources to help the people of Haiti as they begin the long recovery process. Norma and her husband Joe will be returning to Haiti in approximately 1 week to make preparations for the next team arriving to build the transitional homes. Please pray for them as they take care of all the details in order to get ready to go back to the country they love so much.

Please pray for us as we begin the process of organizing a team from Grace Point Church to go to Haiti this summer. We have had many people who have been with us on past trips who have shown an interest in going with us this year. In addition, we have had a significant number of people who have never been to Haiti and some who have never been out of the U.S. who are also interested in going. Please pray that God will bring those individuals to us whom he has called and are willing to make themselves available to be used to make a difference in the lives of the people of Haiti.

John & Kay Rodgers

Faith & Works

James 2:15-16 If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well," but you don't give them what the body needs, what good is it?

Much of the media and the world have moved on with life, and the problems in Haiti seem to be behind them. But, for the people of Haiti, those problems are still very much a part of every minute of their life right now…and will be for many days and months to come. Thank you to all who have donated to Joy House over the past couple of weeks…God has blessed and Joe was able to return to Haiti this past Thursday with enough money raised to build SIX houses!! God bless those who have given sacrificially to help the people of Haiti. Most of the conversations we have had with Daina and Rita over the past week, it was either raining at that time or there had been rain overnight. These houses are going to get people out of the rain and save lives. Joy House has also just finished building a latrine for the tent city in Gran Savon. This will be a big help in preventing the spread of disease in a small area where there are a lot of people living so closely together.

Two teams – one from Living Hope Baptist in College Station, Texas and the other from Baptist Collegiate Ministries in Oklahoma have spent the past week working at Joy House, and when I say work, I mean WORK! They were able to completely clear away all of the debris from the church and also helped feed people from Jesus Church at Santos, Gran Savon, and Pastor Edie's church. Thank you teams for all your hard work and for accomplishing SO MUCH in such a short time!

Pray for the current team of 23 that is from Northwest Arkansas as they continue the work at Joy House this week. They will continue repairs and construction as well as helping with the doctor's house, which is right next to the compound.
Continue to pray for Norma and Rita as they are both not feeling well and pray also for Daina. Pray for their strength and endurance as they will be providing meals for the team this week.

Thank you everyone for your prayers and gifts…for being a part of what God is doing in Haiti. The passage from James asks the question "what good is it if we talk, but don't do?" Well, so many of you through your prayers and giving have not just had words, but actions behind your words…Thank you. Matthew 25:34-40 describes you well. "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why: I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room, I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me.' "Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.'

Thank you for reaching out to people who have been "overlooked" for a long time.

John & Kay

Thank You Grace Point Teens!

On behalf of the 600,000 homeless people in Haiti, thank you to the Youth Ministry of Grace Point Church. During their annual discipleship weekend (One Weekend), Jn. Claude was able to share his testimony about a friend who gave him $50 to help him with his personal needs because he was in Florida during the earthquake and could not return home to Haiti. He had no source of income and did not have any money at all. Instead of using the money to take care of his own needs, he sent the money to a pastor friend in Haiti to help him meet needs in his church. Jn. Claude later learned the pastor was able to feed 60 people who had nothing to eat following the earthquake!

Following Jn. Claude's testimony, the Holy Spirit laid it on the hearts of the students to take up an offering to help build transitional shelters in Haiti. As a result, they raised over $2,000 which will build 2 shelters for families who desperately need them! Thank you Wade Bryant for being sensitive to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. By allowing the students to be obedient to God's call on their lives, He has used them to bless people who are in desperate need!

Following is an email we received from Kay's sister, Daina Kennedy who has been in Haiti for 2 weeks and is currently seeing the overwhelming needs first hand. Please prayerfully consider what she has to say and ask God how he would have you respond to the needs.

John & Kay

NOTE FROM DAINA: The destruction here is massive. The poverty level was great before the earthquake but now it's completely overwhelming. The average Haitian makes $30 a year. We have children that come to the gates of the compound we are staying in and beg for food every day. Food is hard to come by in Haiti, even for us Americans, however because we have money and transportation we are able to drive the many miles it takes to buy some food. We see UN helicopters and transports taking food to the south of us and into Port AU Prince but nothing comes to Gressier. While most of the damage was in Port AU Prince the people living in Gressier have lost their jobs or even businesses in Port AU Prince, which has left them without a source of income. That makes it very difficult for them to buy food.

The ministry that I am working with is Joy House Ministries. It was started in 1996 by Joe and Norma Patterson. They work with teenage orphans, providing shelter, income, and education. Since the earthquake the amount of Haitians that they are housing has more than doubled. For Joe and Norma it is impossible to turn them away. These boys have nowhere to go, so they are working here to help make needed repairs and in turn they are earning a small wage as well as receiving food and shelter each day. For Joy House, feeding these boys is a burden; but not taking care of them is not an option.

While being here I have experienced many aftershocks, plus the rainy season has come early for Haiti. Most, if not all Haitians affected by the quake, are living in tents or tarps. Please for one moment imagine with me what it must be like for a mom and dad living under a tarp with their babies during a rain storm. The other night I laid awake during a storm thinking of the babies that are cuddled by the moms as their dads try endlessly to keep the single 10'x10' tarp from flying away in the storm. Even as I write this, I am having problems trying not to cry. We had a medical team in last week and they saw around 1200 people. Many children were suffering from respiratory problems caused by the rain, cold, and windy nights due to improper or no shelter.

I don't beg people for money; but now that I am in Haiti and have witnessed firsthand the extreme poverty and unthinkable living conditions, I can think of no other way to help the overwhelming amount of people in need. Please, the Haitians need food, shelter, and medicine. Joy House is set up and ready to help with these things but do not have funds. Many organizations have promised large amounts of money to Joy House but have backed out or just have not sent it. Joy House is a non profit (501c3). 100% of the money donated goes to the people of Haiti. None of the money goes to Joe and Norma or for administrative costs.

Please!! go to haitijoyhouse.org...you can make a donation via credit card and pay pal.

Your donation is greatly appreciated and will be put to good use, also I will be here to see the benefits of your generosity.

One person can help and many can make a difference!

Serving God in Haiti,
Daina Kennedy

Travel Day

Please pray for several people who will be traveling today. Joe, Jason & Kerrie will be traveling from Port-au-Prince back to Northwest Arkansas, arriving late this evening. Also, the 11 members of the medical team traveled by bus to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic yesterday and will be flying back to the Birmingham, AL area today. Pray for safe travel for each of them. Also, as they reflect on the past several days, pray that God will continue to work in their hearts and lives helping them to put into words what they have experienced while in Haiti and that He will use them to convey the immense needs to everyone they come in contact with once they've returned home.

Thank you to all of the team members for their hard work over the past several days. Even with wind, rain, hot sun, and significant aftershocks, the medical team was able to treat over 1,100 people during their time in the Gressier area! We have been praying for several years for God to allow us to have a medical team in the area and our prayers have been answered! We are praying other medical teams will be able to come and pick up where this team left off. As a result of the ministries this week, between 30 and 40 people came to know Christ as their Lord and Savior!

Pray for Norma, Daina, Rita, Christopher and the Joy House team as they prepare for a disaster relief team from Oklahoma to arrive today. We received word from Norma that the internet connection is back up and running (very slowly) so we hope to get more frequent updates from them. Once we have more information on what the OK team will be doing, we will pass it on to you.

Norma also reports the people of the area are getting very hungry and no feeding programs have made it into the area surrounding Joy House (village of Santos). Joy House has been approved to help distribute food with one of the feeding programs but have not yet been contacted by them to begin the process. Pray for food to arrive quickly in order to meet the needs of the hungry people of the area.

John & Kay

More than busy

The past two days have been more than busy as the medical clinic set up at Joy House to minister to the people of Gressier. Monday, they were able to treat 340 people, taking the time to pray with many and leading 3 to Christ. Today, they saw people with even more serious needs than yesterday. The medical team, along with Jason, Kerrie, Daina & Rita took some time today to go to House of Hope Orphanage to visit Alice and the kids. As a part of this visit, each child was able to get a check-up...what a blessing to Alice and the kids!!!

Continue to pray for everyone working at Joy House that they will stay healthy and will have strength as they treat so many people with so many different needs. Remember to pray for strength and good health for Norma as she has been in Haiti for several weeks and will stay for several more to come.

Communication has still be difficult, so keep praying for improvements in this area as well.

John & Kay

Solo to God

The team attended worship service at Jesus Church at Santos today which is currently meeting under some trees on the Joy House property because their building was flattened in the earthquake. The time of singing is always incredible during church here, but Daina described it as if each person was singing their own "solo to God." Every person has had significant loss in their lives, most of which have lost their homes; but yet, each person sang at the top of their lungs in worship and thanks to God.

The medical team arrived at Joy House today and spent the afternoon getting things ready to start the medical clinic tomorrow. Please pray for them as they minister to the physical and spiritual needs of the people of Gressier.

Yesterday the team visited with Pastor Benito and his family and were able to give him a large eight person tent to help with temporary housing for them. During the rain one night last week, Pastor Benito and his wife slept sitting up in chairs under their tarp to keep from getting wet. They were very thankful for this tent to help them stay dry in the rain.

Please pray for improved communication with the teams staying at Joy House. The internet device we have is with the local provider and relies on cell phone towers to operate. It is a very slow and only works sporadically. Also, the cell phone service over the past several days has been almost non-existent. We are working on possible high speed internet solutions via satellite dish but most options are very costly.

Praise: So far, we have had $2,200 committed toward transitional housing which translates to 2 1/2 structures! Thank you to those who have already responded to the need. Your generosity will make a huge difference in the lives of the families in need.

John & Kay

Team Safely at Joy House

The team of 7 people who left Northwest Arkansas this morning arrived at Joy House this evening, along with all of their bags. Pray for them as they settle in to their tents for the night and hopefully get a good nights sleep (if the rooster can resist the temptation to crow at 3:30 in the morning). Tomorrow will be spent sorting supplies and getting oriented for the task before them.

Over the past week, considerable progress has been made on repairs to Joy House. Several significant aftershocks over the past few days have caused only minor additional damage to the kitchen area ... the rest of the building has shown no signs of additional stress.

Please pray for the medical team who will be arriving at Joy House on Sunday and will begin treating patients next week. We have been praying for a medical team to come to the area for the past few years due to the lack of medical facilities in the immediate area surrounding Joy House. With injuries and illnesses resulting from the earthquake, the need for medical care has been magnified greatly. Pray the team will be able to not only meet the physical needs of those who come but will also be used to bring spiritual healing in the midst of such great human tragedy.

John and Kay Rodgers

Psalm 33:18-22

18 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,

19 to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.

20 We wait in hope for the LORD;
he is our help and our shield.

21 In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.

22 May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD,
even as we put our hope in you.

TRANSITIONAL HOUSING UPDATE: The cost to build a 1 room temporary house approximately 200 sq. ft. will be $875. The size may vary slightly depending on availability of materials. Anyone interested in providing funds to help with this project can make checks payable to: Joy House Ministries and mail to PO Box 6643, Springdale, AR 72766. If you have any questions, you can contact me at johnglenro@cox.net.

TARPS FOR IMMEDIATE SHELTER: Due to the arrival of the rainy season, the need for tarps to provide shelter from the rain is immediate and urgent. Tarps can be purchased in Haiti but are very expensive. If you feel led to help with the need, you can either purchase tarps (10 X 12 or larger) and bring them to the Haiti table at Grace Point or donate funds for us to purchase them. We will take as many as possible with each team who goes to Haiti.

PORT-AU-PRINCE AIRPORT RE-OPENS: The PAP airport re-opened to commercial traffic this past Friday and Wayne Ford was one of the first passengers to fly out. Under Wayne's direction, major headway was made on restoring Joy House to a safe and structurally sound facility which will house hundreds of missionaries over the next several months as they build transitional housing, provide food and clean water, rebuild churches, and share the gospel with the people of Haiti. Wayne, thank you for your obedience to your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for your love of the Haitian people, and for your hard work and dedication. Having the airport open again is a HUGE blessing! Traveling thru the Dominican Republic was very costly and added two days of travel to each trip.

NORMA PATTERSON STILL IN HAITI: Norma remains in Haiti as she prepares for teams to begin coming in. She has been living in a tent for the past 3 weeks in very hot and humid conditions. Norma's love for the Lord is very evident as she continually prays for the people of Haiti, loves on the Joy House team, and tirelessly gives of herself in order to see others come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. She is fondly referred to as "Me maw" by all of the young Haitian men and women who make up the Joy House team. Please pray for Norma as she remains in Haiti for at least the next couple of weeks. Also pray for Joe as he works tirelessly here at home to make sure Norma has everything she needs and coordinates teams to go and help in the relief effort.

TEAM DEPARTING FOR HAITI: This coming Friday, a team of 7 people will be leaving for Haiti. Joe Patterson will be going back in to help for a week. Daina Kennedy and Rita Robertson (Kay's Sister and Mother) will be going to stay for 5 weeks to help Norma and hopefully allow her to come home for a couple weeks of much needed rest. Jason and Kerrie Bollinger from Grace Point will be going for a week to help with a medical team who will be set-up at Joy House to provide medical care to the people of Gressier. In addition, two other men will be going to develop plans for an upcoming construction team and to help with the rebuilding of Joy House.

GRAN SAVON CHURCH RE-OPENS: On Thursday of this past week, Wayne was able to go with Pastor Benito to his Church at Gran Savon and temporarily repair the roof. During the earthquake, two of the steel roof trusses were damaged and they were able to jack the roof up and place temporary supports underneath. Concrete columns will be added later as a permanent repair. The plan was for the church family to resume services inside the building today. Praise the Lord!

WELCOME JN CLAUDE: One of the young men on the Joy House team which Grace Point has worked with on the past several trips was in Florida when the earthquake struck. He was unable to return to Haiti so he decided to come and spend some time with his friends in Northwest Arkansas. He arrived yesterday and will be attending Grace Point next Sunday, February 28th. Please join us in welcoming him to Grace Point and Northwest Arkansas.

God's "Healing Rain" falls on Haiti

On Thursday of last week, we began to hear the people of Haiti talk about three days of Prayer and Fasting to begin Friday morning and go through this evening (Sunday). In their own words, the purpose was to thank God for bringing them through the earthquake and ask Him to help them as they rebuild their lives and look toward the future. While driving through Port-au-prince on our way back to the Dominican Republic early Friday morning, thousands upon thousands of people were gathering in tent cities, open areas and in or near churches and were singing and praising God.

When I arrived in Miami yesterday morning, I was very disappointed to hear the media refer to what was taking place in Haiti as a "National Day of Mourning". Of course the people are sad for all they have lost but are focusing on their future. They are humbling themselves before God and asking him to heal their hearts and their land. Believers have been gathering for early morning and late evening worship services since immediately after the quake and thousands of people have been giving their lives to Christ as a result. Pastors have been preaching in the streets and meeting the physical needs of others instead of focusing on their own need for food, shelter and water.

After having the privilege of meeting Michael W. Smith last Thursday on the streets of Port-au-Prince, the words of his song "Healing Rain" began to flood through my thoughts and prayers for the people of Haiti. God is moving in a mighty way to touch the hearts and lives of the people not only in the quake zone, but all over the entire country. The churches are not relying on missionaries to come in and preach the Gospel, but are doing what they know God would have THEM do.

As I write this from my living room here at home, I think of the hundreds of thousands of people in Haiti who have no shelter from the upcoming rainy season. As the first rain came several nights ago, many people including some families of the Joy House team, were exposed to the elements due to only having bed sheets for shelter, if anything at all! With the help of the visiting missions pastors, we were able to purchase some tarps to help with the immediate need but are looking for a more long term solution.

We plan to begin building transitional housing (1 room made of 2X4's, plywood and corrugated tin) for families of the Joy House team and expand out from there. By early next week we will have a cost estimate to build one of these homes and will be asking people to help us with funds to begin the process.

After spending two weeks in Haiti, the vast devastation is overwhelming. It feels as if anything we do is only a drop of water in a desert. However, with the entire world working together and with God's help and guidance, we can and will make a difference in the lives of the millions of people who have suffered for so long.

John

Almost home

Just wanted to let everyone know that John made it to Miami and is getting ready to board his next plane to Dallas. Thanks for praying...he's almost home. He is still scheduled to arrive at 5:15, I'll try to get word out if there are any delays in his arrival.
Kay

Rain

It has been exactly one month since the quake and remarkably there has been no rain…until today. The first rain came this morning at about 3am. With people sleeping and living under makeshift tents, it was a rough night for so many. This caused the group at Joy House to realize that just as much as people need food, water and medical attention, they need shelter too. The past two days have been busy with a lot of visits to different places. They visited with Alice at House of Hope orphanage and she gave constant praise to God that He has protected them and how He has provided food for them everyday. The repairs at their compound are already underway. They also visited the compound where Sue used to house the children at the Lamb's Center. It was sad to see the building completely demolished, but also grateful that nobody was living there when the quake hit. It was even harder visiting the homes of some of the Joy House staff – like the house where Matthew, Reginald and Daniel had been living the second floor had now become the first floor. With so many people without homes, many have been taking refuge within the courtyard of the Lifeline orphanage in Carrefour (where we visited this past summer) and it is estimated that as many as 1,500 people are sleeping within these walls because they feel safe here. The struggles are many, but God keeps sending the blessings. Today the group traveled into Port au Prince and stopped at the palace to view the damage. As they walked around at the palace they ran into Michael W. Smith who was there working with Samaritan's Purse. He was very gracious and visited with John and the others asking them about their work in Haiti. Michael shared his heart with them about how great the needs are and that it is going to take everyone working together to help the people of Haiti. Samaritan's Purse has been doing many different things to help in Haiti and one of those things has been distributing tarps to help with the shelter needs. Pastor Benito has one of these tarps to provide shelter for his family. Thank you Michael W. Smith and Samaritan's Purse for all you are doing to help so many people in need.
Please be in prayer throughout the day Friday as John and the four pastors spend the day traveling back to the Dominican Republic and then Saturday fly back to the states. Don't forget to keep Norma and Wayne and the Joy House staff in your prayers as they continue to work at Joy House over the next week.
Kay

Living out Acts 2:46

We are so excited about what God is doing in Gran Savon through Pastor Benito's church. Not only have they been meeting at 5am on Sunday, but they have been having worship services EVERYDAY AT 5AM! He said that they have been gathering each morning and evening for preaching, teaching and singing. They are truly living out Acts 2:46 - Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. Pray for Benito and the other pastors as they are reaching out to the people in the community each day and as they disciple the new Christians there. Pray that they will be encouraged and rely on God's strength. About 25 men from the Gran Savon community met to discuss a plan to go to the UN and let them know that there are many people in their area who desperately need food. They did just that and were able to get much needed food from the UN for their community. Praise the Lord!
Anyone who has been to Joy House knows how big the compound is and the thought of rebuilding 80% of the wall is a huge task. As I have talked to John each day, he would say that they were making great progress on the wall, but I never really asked for details of what that meant. As I talked to him today, he said that they have about a 40 foot section left and the wall will be complete and the compound will be secure. WOW! These guys have been working hard to accomplish something of this magnitude in such a short time. And this isn't just a shortened version of the wall like they initially anticipated doing…THIS IS THE WHOLE WALL! Progress on the house has been coming along also, but not as quickly due to struggles in getting the exact materials needed and the job of repairing a foundation being a little more complicated. Over the past week, several Southern Baptist Disaster Relief workers have been at Joy House assessing the needs in the area and discussing plans for bringing teams in to work at Joy House. Today, four mission pastors from Alabama and Florida arrived at Joy House to determine how their churches will be able to help with disaster relief in Haiti. Pray as they work with Norma, Wayne and John over the next few days to develop a strategy that will bring the most help to the people of Haiti. There are so many needs right now, so pray that God will give them wisdom in planning. John will be returning to Santo Domingo with these pastors on Friday and then fly home to Arkansas on Saturday arriving at 5:15PM. Norma and Wayne will be staying a little longer, so pray for them as they continue the work at Joy House next week.
Kay

See the Marvels of God

God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him. We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom, courageous in seastorm and earthquake, Before the rush and roar of oceans, the tremors that shift mountains...God lives here, the streets are safe, God at your service from crack of dawn...Attention, all! See the marvels of God! Psalm 46:1-8 (Message) I know so many people have been praying and all those prayers have been the lifeline of hope in Haiti. We may not be able to physically see what God has been doing, but I hope that these reports are an encouragement to you to keep praying because THESE ARE THE MARVELS OF GOD! Joe, Sherry, Doug and others had a safe trip across Haiti and the Dominican on Friday and then made it back to the states Saturday. Norma, Wayne & John have continued the work at Joy House along with the Joy House staff. They were able to find a bigger and better generator for a little less than they anticipated, so they have been able to make great progress on the wall and the foundation of the building. Wayne was able to run extension cords to their tents, so they could have fans running while they sleep…Although Wayne decided to put one of the big fans in his tent and John said the fan was so big compared to the tent that they were afraid they would find Wayne gliding across the bay by morning. The fans were a big blessing and helped them get a good night's sleep. Jesus Church at Santos met today under the trees outside Joy House with about 70 in attendance. Daniel played his guitar and sang a song and Reginald preached a moving sermon with two women accepting Christ at the end of the service – SEE THE MARVELS OF GOD! One of the women said that God had spared her whole family and because of that she needed to give her life totally to Him. This afternoon they went out to Benito's church and he said that they have been meeting out in an open field because of the fear of being in buildings, and that this morning they met from 5AM – 7AM in order to avoid the heat of the sun. Now that is dedication to have worship service at 5AM! The aftershocks have been fewer today and they were seeing signs of city power being restored in different parts of the area this evening. Keep on praying because we are seeing the marvels of God everyday. 2 Corinthians 1:10-11 (NIV) On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.
Kay

Urgent Prayer Request

Apparently the generator did suffer some significant damage from its tumble down the stairs because it quit working today. They worked on it, but were unable to get it running again. They found another generator that they could borrow, but it is not working anymore either. The generator has been a vital part of the work right now and without it they will not be able to pump water needed not only for personal use for the team, but also for mixing cement for construction. Without the generator they cannot run any of the power tools needed for repairs on the building. They estimate that it could take as much as $5,800 to purchase a new generator. PRAY that God will provide this much needed resource in order to continue the work on the compound. This is a major setback in the rebuilding process, but we know that with all of your prayers, God will provide and take care of this need. The team made a trip out to Christianville today and many of the buildings there are destroyed or heavily damaged. They also went to Gran Savon to see Pastor Benito's church and the church building did have some damage, but can be repaired. So many people are homeless or afraid to go into buildings because of the aftershocks...and they did have several aftershocks today. They were able to take some food out to Gran Savon to distribute because very little food aid has made it to this area. The team was also able to talk to Gerda, the former voodoo priestess who accepted Christ this past summer. She is doing well and was praising God the whole time for His protection over her. Continue praying for everyone, some of the team will be returning to the states this weekend, but Norma, Wayne and John will be staying through the next week. They need our continued prayer because with each day, new and tougher challenges come their way.
Kay

Hard work

The team is doing well and has been working hard on repairs at Joy House. They were able to get the kitchen functioning and Norma cooked their first hot meal yesterday…beans and rice and I think I remember hearing something about spam too. They have made a lot of progress on the wall thanks to a lot of hard work from the Joy House team – they are the best, we couldn't make it without them! Several of them spent the day pulling blocks from the rubble of the church, cleaning them off and getting them ready to reuse in the wall around the compound. The repairs on the foundation of the building are coming along as well. There have been a few aftershocks felt, but nothing major so far. Some of the team went to Alice's orphanage to check on them, and found that the compound had only minor damage…the building looked stable and strong and there were only a few places in their wall that had fallen. Alice and all of the children are doing well; God has definitely had His hand on them. The members of Jesus Church at Santos are continuing strong in their faith. Most of them lost their homes and they have lost their church building, but that has not stopped them from meeting to worship. Sunday, they had their worship service under the trees in front of Joy House. This church has had many homes over the past several years…kind of like GPC…and they are a living example of the fact that a building is not the church, the PEOPLE are the CHURCH. Pray that they will continue strong in their faith.
Kay