These are words that our water engineer friend, Martin Harrison, used to describe the two weeks he just spent in Haiti as part of a HCJB Global relief team working at a hospital at the edge of Port-au-Prince. The team of seven (three of whom have kids or grandkids at Dave's school) worked in the chaotic environment to triage patients, perform surgeries and set up a water purification system to keep the hospital supplied.
RESILIENCE - Martin was amazed by the selfless service of the Haitians who had just suffered so much tragedy. One woman, who was in charge of running the operating room (making supplies available to surgeons, sterilizing equipment, etc). lost her home and was sleeping outside, yet worked in the surgery from 7 a.m. until midnight for the first week. Her age? 82 years old!
MIRACLES - The hospital was quickly running out of clean water, so Martin set up a water purification system from Samaritan's Purse. His source of water was a fish pond on the property, but they couldn't find enough tubing to connect it to the hospital, which was at some distance. After prayer, they decided to look one more time in the store room and found a pile of tubing in the middle of the floor, where nothing had been before.
COMMITMENT - When such devastation occurs, the road to rebuild is long. Martin mentioned that though God didn't prevent the earthquake from happening, He promised to walk with His children through it. God is committed to His people in Haiti. The Haitians are committed to reconstructing their lives. And we invite you to join us in committing to help the people of Haiti through HCJB Globals' emergency response fund. To donate, click here. A second relief team will be leaving from Ecuador soon, with more teams planned for the future.
Martin created this moving four-minute presentation from photos he took in Haiti.
AN URGENT PRAYER REQUEST
Over the recent Carnaval weekend, our community lost a former Alliance Academy International (AAI) faculty member, Ana Ladines, along with her husband and her son (Asaf, 2nd grade) in a tragic car accident. Her daughter (Alejandra, 5th grade) survived the accident. Please pray for the AAI students who had classes with members of the family, and pray for the larger community as it grieves this loss. After the accident, Alejandra said she was glad she was the one who survived because she didn't think her little brother could have handled such loss. She also said the tragedy has only strengthened her resolve to become a nurse so that she can be a missionary someday, just like her parents. Please keep this amazing nine year old girl in your prayers.
IN AND OUT OF THE CLASSROOM
Just this morning, Dave turned to me (Beth) to say, "I really like my job!" It's great to have the confidence of teaching some classes for the third or fourth time and to have built up rapport with kids over several years. One student was creating a video to encourage his girlfriend, also an AAI student, and he asked Dave to comment on camera, "Because, you're, like, our spiritual father, man!"
Outside his classroom, Dave recently led a panel discussion on identity formation in third culture kids (TCKs). Many of the kids at the AAI are TCKs, growing up in a country that is not their parents' passport nation. When they graduate, students usually go on to study in their parents' countries. This is when it really hits that they are different. It was a good conversation-starting time for preparing these special kids for the transitions ahead.
Another recent speaking opportunity was with a different crowd - 40 squirmy preschool and kindergarten kids (including son, Levi). Dave and Beth guest-led the weekly chapel program: playing guitar, singing, acting out a story and talking about God's love.
Lastly, we ask for prayer for an upcoming seminar Dave is giving at a conference of international schools (of which AAI is the only Christian one) in Quito. He'll be talking about soul care for the teacher. Teachers from various faith backgrounds will attend, so Dave is asking for wisdom as he prepares his remarks and for discernment to speak truth and encouragement into the lives of all who attend.
THANKS SO MUCH!
Dave and Beth
Dave and Beth
