Seraphina doesn’t want me to tell you it was her 16th birthday today, so I won’t mention it. :-) We did some sneak decorating last night and somehow Seraphina missed the balloon popping!

Today we spent the morning helping put in a cement floor. A couple Haitians were hired to run the project and we helped where we could. We transported some buckets of fill dirt to put on the floor, and we hauled water. Thankfully the pump was just next door! There was a pile of sand in the path right outside the gate of the front yard. The men got to work mixing right there! We formed a bucket brigade and passed full buckets to the house and empty ones back. With breaks to haul more water and mix more cement, we accomplished a lot in a short amount of time.

The house where we poured the cement floor was a small two room structure made of stone and mortar with a tin roof. Each room was about 10 feet by 10 feet and had a hole for a window and door to the outside with a door inside connecting the two rooms. The cooking is done out back. A mom and dad and their three year old son live in this house. The mom is also pregnant.

It’s hard to imagine what it is like to live in that situation. We camp and cook outdoors for fun, but to live day in and day out with no running water or electricity is beyond what most of us can comprehend. The dad was picking up their son from school when we were done, so the mom expressed their deep gratitude from the family for the floor we were able to put in. A simple thing like a cement floor means so much to them and will improve their health immensely. Parasites are a real problem for families with dirt floors. Before we left we were able to pray for the family, and we made it back to UCI in time for lunch.

In the afternoon the team again spent some time in the school helping with English classes, this time with second graders. We worked with them on their colors, shapes, numbers, and some basic greetings.

After helping with English classes, we had a little birthday celebration for that birthday that someone doesn’t want us to talk about. Hannah was able to bring cake mixes and bake a couple cakes. JeanJean sent to town for some amazing Haitian ice cream! What a treat!  If you are looking for a place to celebrate your next birthday, Haiti definitely offers a memorable experience! After the birthday celebration we had some down time.

Today, Bill concluded his two day pastor’s conference on Mormonism. It was well attended by almost eighty area pastors and leaders. Natalie was able to share her testimony with the pastors, and they prayed for her and her family. Pray that this equipping from Bill will provide a solid foundation for understanding and combatting the false doctrine of Mormonism. Each pastor left with a gift of food from UCI that our team packaged up and distributed.

We are thankful and praise God for the beautiful weather we have had. We are grateful for health for the team. Kristie Mompremier has been sick for a few days, so please pray for her healing. The country of Haiti is staging a national strike/shut down tomorrow (Wednesday). We do not anticipate any issues, but please pray for peace for the country of Haiti (and rain to deter the protests). The Iowa team here was planning to leave tomorrow, but their departure is now delayed. Pray for provision and timing for them to make it home.

Thank you for your support and prayers. We miss you all.
-Hannah, Andy, and Seraphina