So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. – Colossians 2:6-7
And the journey continues… Operation Hope: Round 2 with “The Twelve”
Earllllllyyyyy! Even though it was 3AM and our eye-hand coordination severely lacked in the stuffing of our bags on the bus in Brookfield, we were pumped to be heading to Haiti.
Pastor Andy and Bob, now veterans in the Haiti traveling adventure and very excited to be reconnecting with their Haitian friends and the Zoranje church family, joined some new faces from new places. This team consists of 12 volunteers from both New Life Trumbull and Brookfield First Assembly. However, the Scarlett thread of Christ connects us all and we are ready to do some work for The Lord!
After arriving at JFK at 6:45, we sped through check-in and security. No extra bag checks or pat downs for us! For those who are wondering, Pastor Andy did not leave his bag behind. And he didn’t sprain his ankle. We were off to a good start!
The one-hour delay in our flight gave us some extra time to get to know one another better. And it gave Richard more time to find a good parking spot at the Port-Au-Prince airport for the cattle car. Oh, the good, old cattle car…
The flight went smoothly. However, once we entered the baggage claim, the typically swarm of “friends” ensued wanting to take our bags and help us to the cattle car. Richard and Maxine came to the rescue.
Our baggage load doubled in size for this trip, with enough bags for a team of 20. But we cannot wait to see the kids’ faces when we give our all of the new flip-flops and other goodies we have brought for them.
Also included in our packed bags are about 200 pounds of construction tools for our missionary Richard and his Haitian crew… stuff that we take for granted like saw blades, screw gun chargers and a variety of other assorted pieces that have been collected since the first group’s return from Haiti. We are so very grateful to be able to provide Richard and Team Haiti the necessary equipment. God is so good! Thank you to everyone who was able to donate.
Oh and before we forget. Not to rub it into to those back home entering the fall season or anything. But guess what the weather was like today? 90+ and bright, blue sunny skies.
And yes, Pastor Andy still had his backpack. And he still hasn’t sprained his ankle.
God is so good!
Fully loaded and crammed into the cattle car, we headed to the guesthouse to get settled in. With anticipation building in their stomachs, Pastor Andy and Bob talked about the upcoming introductory Haitian dinner on the patio.
If you can remember from the previous trip’s blogs, the patio has quickly become a fan favorite to all who visit this wonderful place. We are looking forward to nights filled with fellowship and laughter, as we share the day’s activities and tell stories of how God has ministered through and to each of us.
And of course, where everyone nervously waits but secretly yearns to be picked for the Team Spotlight questions.
The fellowship will be sweet, the food great and the experience meaningful as we endeavor to soak up everything God has in store for us over the next 7 days!
Stay tuned for ongoing blog posts as we share all that is happening in Haiti with “The Twelve.” Coming to you straight from Zoranje, Haiti.
PS- Richard and Kelly send their greeting to our churches and our members from the first trip (and especially to Team Gravel).
OPERATION HOPE - Haiti 