Saturday, February 25, 2012

Summary of Mission Trip

The 2012 ABC Haiti Missions Team made it safely back home! It was an incredible week.

There were two main tasks that our team focused on during our trip to Haiti. First, we designed and constructed 50 very solid bunk beds for the children in the care of Pastor Daniel Jean. Secondly, we spent time playing with, singing with, giving gifts to and loving on those children.

Many of the children at the three homes of blessing (i.e., orphanages) run by Pastor Jean had been sleeping on the floor, sometimes on pieces of cardboard or on thin, straw mats. The filth, cockroaches and cold associated with sleeping on the floor was not healthy for them.

We were able to purchase lumber and supplies (e.g., wood screws, some power tools) for about 40% of what we had expected to pay. This meant that with the money our team raised from members of ABC and family, friends and coworkers of team members, we had enough money to pay for the bed frames, purchase 100 twin mattresses, and pay to register and send a box truck to deliver about 20 of the bunk beds out to the western town of Les Cayes.

The relationships we formed with the children at the home of blessing in Port-au-Prince where we stayed were quite memorable. John DiFrancesco, Tony DiVirgilio and Jon Gillette were especially big hits with the children. They often stayed up late singing and playing games with the kids. Saying goodbye to them was not easy. Hopefully we can return again next year.

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