Easter 2016: Rebar

 (picture attached is in the bulletin this weekend)

Anybody seen the Lord of the Rings?  There’s a scene at the end when the mountain is exploding and they’re stuck on a rock in the middle of a bunch of flowing lava.  The scene is utterly hopeless – they are beyond saving.  Frodo says to Sam, “It’s good to be with you, here at the end of all things.”

The end of all things… as hopeless as it gets.  That’s surely how the disciples were feeling after the terrifying turn of events on Friday.  They had put all of their hope into one man, Jesus – but he’d been tortured and killed.  With his death, their hope died.  With his death, they themselves feared for their lives.  This was the end of all things.  Hope was lost.

In our own lives, every one of us goes through times like that:  Times of hopelessness.  We see no way to fix our broken marriage, get out of debt, fix our son or daughter who has made bad choices, bring back the health of a loved one… or ever feel “alive” again after the death of a family member.  Like the apostles, every bit of our hope seems washed away – nailed to that cross.

In our recent trip to Haiti, we saw LOTS of reasons for hopelessness: Crumbling infrastructure, intermittent electricity, no sewers, unclean water, corruption, deforestation, 80% unemployment, the list goes on.  It would be easy to just walk away… write it off… give up…

But, there’s something we can learn from the people of Haiti.  Look in your bulletin on the next to last page – there is a picture of a building in Haiti.  What do you see? 

I know, it’s not a great picture and it’s hard to see in this bulletin – but this is a typical building in a city.  Many families start out with a hut made of sticks and mud.  When they get a little bit of money, they’ll dig a foundation and start building a concrete building.  There are concrete buildings EVERY where you look – at least in the cities.  Some are done, but many are in various stages of construction… in fact, it’s hard to tell whether they are half-built or half-destroyed.  But there’s one thing every building has in common… notice the rebar sticking out of the roof.  Rebar is a ¾” rod of metal that goes inside of concrete to give it strength.  Almost every building you see has rebar sticking out of it.  At first, I thought they must not have the right tools to cut it off – but it was explained to me that whenever you get enough money to build even just a little bit, you build what you can.  Every time you build a wall or a roof, you let the rebar stick out so that WHEN you get enough money, you can build on.  So the rebar sticking out of this school in the picture I interpret as a sign of hope!  It means – tomorrow will be a better day – hope is still alive.  As long as there is hope, even someone in Haiti has a reason to go on living.

That’s what Easter is for us as Christians.  Regardless of how hopeless our lives seem, the empty tomb is a sign of hope – the empty tomb is like a piece of rebar sticking out… it means God is not done yet.  He plans to keep building.

He starts with a firm foundation… Every Easter we renew our baptismal promises.  When we were baptized, God poured a foundation in our lives.  This foundation is a big Rock… our Rock of faith.  Note that just being baptized doesn’t make us a good Christian… it is just the foundation.  God leaves the rebar sticking out of that foundation so that He can continue to build on us.  Think about when you pour concrete, you have to make a form with boards and have the rebar running inside – so when the concrete is poured into the form, it doesn’t run all over the place.  The forms hold it in place until it can harden.  As long as the concrete has the right mixture and the rebar is in place, the wall will be strong and virtually indestructible. 

God continually pours His grace into our lives – every moment of every day.  How we live is what forms us.  Every time we follow Jesus’ example, we are forming ourselves into the shape of Jesus.  If we fail to live as Jesus showed us, then all that Grace flows right out of us and is wasted.

But that’s part of the good news – no matter how we have lived our lives in the past, God continues to pour His grace and Divine Mercy into our lives – and if we simply start forming our lives to be like Jesus, God will build us up.  (Look at Peter – he denied Jesus three times, but instead of despairing, he allowed Divine Mercy to build him into our first Pope.  Even Judas could have been saved if he had allowed God’s Mercy to form him.)  Every one of us has a piece of rebar sticking out of our heads…. Because God ain’t done with us yet.  No matter how hopeless our life feels, this is NOT the end of all things

... God will roll the stone away and build on top of it.   

Good Friday Homily: By His stripes We were healed

When Jerry was younger – probably about 16 or 17, he was on a soccer team.  That year, they had a great season and they actually WON the sectional – so the next Saturday they would be playing the Regional. 

Well, Friday night, Jerry wanted to go out to a party with the rest of the soccer team to celebrate their Sectional win, but Dad said ‘no way’… you need to catch up on your homework which has suffered during the soccer season because of all the practices.  Jerry was mad… all of his friends would be at that party… and HE was one of the heroes of the sectional-winning team, so he’ll miss his chance to impress the girls.  He went to his room and slammed the door – fuming.  How could Dad be SO mean!  He thought about running away…I mean, obviously Dad didn’t love him.  The more he thought about it the more worked-up and angry he got.  Then he had an idea…

Dad worked 2^nd shift, so he would be leaving the house around 3 pm and would get home right around midnight.  Mom had her sodality meeting that night… so he could sneak out just after she left… and neither of them would ever know about it.

As Mom left, she reminded Jerry to stay focused on the homework and try to get to bed early to get rested for the game tomorrow.  Your older brother Tom is in charge, so you listen to him. 

That’s right… Tom and Jerry… they never heard the end of that joke at school.  And they FOUGHT like Tom and Jerry did in the cartoons too.  OK, Mom… Jerry just rolled his eyes… whatever.  As soon as the car left the driveway, Jerry grabbed his coat to leave and Tom asked, “Where are you going?”  None of your business.  Well, yeah it IS my business… you heard Mom, I’m in charge and you are supposed to stay home and get your homework done.

I got some of it done and I’ll finish the rest after I get back…I’ll be back before Mom gets home.  Tom tried to stop him, but Jerry would hear nothing of it… he got into his Dad’s 1960 Corvette and took off.  Well – as you might expect, there was alcohol at this party, and even though Jerry stayed away from it, one of the other players backed his car into the Corvette.  Jerry almost got sick to his stomache….oh no!!… what will Dad say?  I’m not supposed to be here and I’m CERTAINLY not supposed to drive the Corvette!  He figured his life was over…  He drove home, parked the car in the garage and hesitantly went inside and tried to sneak to his room.  But just inside the door, Tom was glaring at him.  You’re gonna be is SUCH trouble.  I know about the dent in the Vette… one of your buddies called here looking for you since you left the party in such a hurry.  You KNOW we’re not allowed to drive Dad’s vette!  And you left the house, which Mom and Dad explicitly told you NOT to do! 

As much as Jerry tried to be a tough guy about it, he was scared of what punishment his Dad would give him.  He apologized to his brother for not listening to him…then headed to his bedroom to try to concentrate on homework, but all he could think about was the punishment which he deserved.  Dad was gonna beat him within an inch of his life!

Mom came home about 45 minutes later and he expected her to come up and start yelling, but 10 minutes later – nothing… 30 minutes – nothing… He snuck into the hall and could hear the TV on, but no talking.  Strange… wonder why she didn’t come up.  Maybe she’s leaving it for Dad to handle… yeah that’s it, she’s waiting for HIM to punish me….which means he gets to sit here and stew in his guilt for another 3 hours until Dad gets home…. Pure torture.

At midnight his Dad came into the house.  Jerry was waiting for the yelling to begin.  He was waiting for Dad to storm through the door and punish him…He fully expected to be grounded and not be able to play in the Regional game tomorrow.  He would never live that down at school… His life was over.

But 10 minutes passed…30 minutes… then his brother came up the steps and went to bed, and he could hear his parents brushing their teeth and preparing for bed.  The suspense was killing him, so he snuck across the hall to his brother’s bedroom and whispered… ‘what happened? – why aren’t they yelling?’.

His brother explained, I knew that if you got grounded, you wouldn’t be allowed to play in the Regional tomorrow – and that would be horrible.  You’ve worked so hard to be on this winning team, I couldn’t let that happen… so I told Dad it was my fault.  I’m grounded for a month and I have to pay for the repairs to the car.

WHAT?!  Why would you do that!?  Jerry felt a mix of emotions… guilt for what he had done, fear for the punishment he knew he deserved, and now gratefulness to his brother who took the punishment that HE deserved.

From that moment, Jerry gained a new respect for his brother.  They’d always fought up to that time, but now there was an unspoken bond between them – and he knew if there was ANYTHING he could do for his brother, he would. 

Jesus is our older brother.  He took the punishment upon himself for our sins against God… our Father.  By His Stripes, we were healed…upon him was laid the punishment WE deserved.  How do we respond to that?  Like Jerry, once we realize how much our older brother has done for us, we are grateful – and we will do ANYTHING we can for him.

Homily Palm Sunday 2016: The Stones are still crying

Anybody been watching all of the political primaries going on this year?  You’d almost have to live under a rock to NOT hear about it.  Seems to be all the News talks about.  Well, to understand the Gospels, imagine with me that Jesus was part of the political primary…Jesus is a candidate for President!  With that in mind…

Listen again to what the crowd was crying out as Jesus entered Jerusalem:

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.” Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” “if they keep silent, the stones will cry out!”

Who are these people waving palms and screaming for joy as their candidate enters Jerusalem?  They were getting so rowdy and shouting SO loudly that the Pharisees told them to shut up.

It reminds me a lot of a political rally... Everybody gets worked up into a frenzy, and people who normally would be silent and grumpy with their arms crossed seem to wake up and throw all of their support behind their candidate.  For some reason, politics is one of those topics that churn up a lot of emotion in us so we will do and say things that otherwise we would consider – well – uncivilized.  If anybody in the crowd tries to speak contrary to MY candidate or tries to point out the lies being told, they risk being lynched by the mob. 

Most candidates today court us with catch phrases, real us in with rhetoric, and pandered to us with promises…and for some, Our fears are fanned into flame by words of hate.

Not Jesus – as a candidate, He speaks of Love.  He speaks of Truth.  But more than words… He goes on to prove He IS from God by the miracles he worked… like when he healed that crippled guy in the Temple on the Sabbath.  It was enough to convince the crowd in Jerusalem, at least for a day….that Jesus is the King.  It wasn’t based on rhetoric or flowery speeches.  They have SEEN for themselves what he can do.  They were SO convinced, they took to the streets waving palms and shouting HOSANNA! 

But… where were these people one week later when the crowds cried CRUCIFY HIM!  Unfortunately, a lot of them were the same crowd.  How could they go from Hosanna to Crucify in one week?

Well – it’s similar to our current political situation. 

No matter what a candidate says, It can be hard – even impossible - to decide if they are a good candidate.  It seems it’s no longer about what a candidate will do, but about what the other candidates have done wrong.  Everyone is quick to point a finger…to try to make us afraid of how bad things will be if the other candidate wins.  People throw doubt and hate into the decision by presenting their own versions of the truth, half-truths, and even outright lies. 

You’ve seen this happen, haven’t you?  Often, somebody takes one truth and puts their own spin on it... posts it on Facebook or CNN with a suggestive title ... And suddenly thousands of people have their opinion formed and set in stone... Few people actually read the article, and even fewer check the facts to see if the article is true.  The HEADLINE is what sets our opinion. 

This is nothing new though...

I imagine some Pharisee from the Jerusalem Daily Gazette - sitting with his iPhone typing up an article declaring that Jesus is OBVIOUSLY evil because he broke the Sabbath.  The headline just says, “Jesus, the impostor, Breaks the Sabbath”... The average Jew would think – well – I 'thought' Jesus was the one, but OBVIOUSLY Jesus CAN’T be the Messiah if He broke the Sabbath…and it was a chief Priest who wrote the article, so it MUST be true.  Suddenly, public opinion is turned against him.  The facts don’t seem to matter:  The HEADLINE is the opinion former… nobody actually reads the article or checks the facts to understand that Jesus “broke the Sabbath” by curing a crippled man.  Even a MIRACLE can be twisted into something bad.  Perhaps that could explain why the same crowd that shouted HOSANNA one day turned against Jesus by the end of the week…they were swayed by the headlines.

Put yourself in that political rally with Jesus – the candidate for King.  Which side of the crowd are we on?  Do we WANT Christ as OUR King?  Think seriously about that:

Does Christianity have ANY impact on our decision about who should be our leader?   

Like the crowd in the Gospel, we've allowed the world to rebuke us to be silent.  Anybody speaking Truth with Love will get squashed… but Jesus promised, “if we keep silent, the stones will cry out!”  You and I are called to join the stones in continuing to declare as loudly as we can... With our tongues, with our knees, with our votes, and with the way we live, that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD and King. 

Yes, even today, the stones still cry out….because people have stopped shouting for Jesus.

Haiti 2016: Headed Home (Mike)

It has been a great trip, and aside from a touch of diarrhea for a few of us, it has been a healthy and safe trip as we prayed for.
Right now, half of the group is in the Port-Au-Prince airport waiting for our 2:30 flight and waiting for the others from our gang to show up.  (The chartered flight from Jeremie only holds 5 people, so we had to split up, but we'll be on the same flight to Miami).  Hopefully Fr. E got out of bed...he was still sleeping when the first of us left the house.
The commuter flight gave us great views of the mountains and Jeremie as we flew out.  Now that we are familiar with some of the landmarks, it meant more to see it from above.  That side of the island is So much more forested than north of PAP, showing the beauty that this island COULD possess.

If all goes well, we should be in Louisville by 11 pm.
Bon voyage

Haiti 2016: Mission within a Mission (ladies of the group)

Our journey began with Sunday Mass. After Mass we met a carpenter!!! Throughout the week visiting various schools we continued to see this carpenters work. This man made all the desks for the schools in Jeremie. By Thursday we had a strong desire to visit his tiny wood shop. With limited resources and basic tools, he creates masterpieces. He introduced us to his wife, and told us about his family.  His daughter is in her fourth year of nursing school. She has an opportunity to travel to the US with her class to finish her training. Marcel told us of his struggle to help her with the money to finalize her nursing degree.

This is our Mission within our Haiti Mission: Marcel is helping all the children in Haiti with their schooling, we feel a strong passion to raise $2,500, by April 1st, to help Marcel's daughter come to the US and acquire the highest quality of training. Be watching for more info on ways we are going to raise this money

Haiti 2016: Seeing what is Possible (Fr. Eugene)

As our time to leave Haiti draws near, I have been reflecting on what I will take from this experience and what God is trying to teach me from my time here.  First, no matter what stage in our life we can make a difference.  Gary and Cathy Boice along with Rose, an elderly lady are doing just that.  Gary has put in purified water systems in 7 schools in Haiti and started a technical school, and have brought laptops and iPads to several high schools.  Quality education is a key to changing economic situation in Haiti (By the way, I had said earlier poverty was not as bad as I thought.  Well I found it in the center of Jeremie) .  Rose teaches English at the technical school.  As kids graduate from this technical school, Gary's hope is to find jobs for those who graduate.   Many times when we are too close to a project we don't see the amount of good we do. These three are making a difference.  One misconception I had about Haiti is its beauty.  There is some beautiful places in the country.  We have had many scenic views on mountainsides overlooking the ocean and valleys.  We traveled to a beach front that was quite striking.  Therefore, Haiti could be a tourist site in certain locations if the infrastructure was present.  I never would have dreamed of that possibility.
The environment and people in Haiti has forced our group from our parish to live in the present moment instead of too much in the future and past.  Plus, many times us Americans focus so much on communicating by social media.  In the place we stayed there was no tv nor DVDS.  We had to sit around and talk about our experiences that day.  We also played card games such as Rum and did some real trash talking about our card games.  Kirby Knies was the top trash talker. The time sitting around the dining room really brought us closer together and we bounded much more than we would have in the states.  I really enjoyed getting to know Allison Schroering, Kirby Knies, Deacon Mike, Gary, Kathy, and Michelle Boice, Lisa Mehringer, and Cheryl Seger.  Also the  focus in this Carribean island is so much about surviving today it pulls you back to the needs of the present.  On the other hand are vision and planning for the future helps to remind the people 
of Haiti the importance of having a  vision and setting goals.  Thanks for your prayers.  God bless Fr.  Eugene

Haiti 2016: "it's so awesome". (Allison)

This trip just keeps on surprising me by the minute! Today we visited the orphanage and saw the little kids and played games like hokie pokie and follow the leader. It was great! Not only that but I got to see a first aid station which really interested me because I am going for nursing at USI. It was sad though because the conditions weren't very sanitary and they didn't have much supplies. After this Gary said we were going on a detour to the beach! And I was like I've never been there and to the ocean! It was so cool! And the views we saw today were just breathtaking! Also, me and Kirby finally finished our paint job at the school we think. Haha and it looks pretty good! This trip was a lot of firsts for me including my first airplane ride, going to the beach, going out of the country, and just so many other cool things! At first, I was a little iffy and scared about going on this trip but I kept having these signs to go, and now God has showed me so many cool things and I know I did his will by coming here. I just feel at home here with everyone from the parish and our new Haitain friends. It's so awesome!

Haiti 2016: GREAT Day in Haiti (Mike)

Enough pics to keep you on this blog for hours...but I'll just share a few here, but watch for the real blog entries coming shortly with the real story.
Highlights: playing with kids (and pics to prove that Fr Eugene can "dance"), highest elevation I've been in Haiti, most forest I've seen, and Awesome views of ocean, soccer with a coke bottle...

Haiti 2016: Answer to a Prayer (Allison)

"By becoming the answer to someone prayer, we often find the answers to our own." I found this quote and I think it's especially true for us today! We have been working really hard and we have been meeting incredibly awesome people. Yesterday we were talking to college age students, actually some the same age as me, and I was surprised by how different, but similar we were. They have different hobbies than me like washing clothes and playing soccer, but they liked to joke around too. They work really hard at the technical school and are very grateful for it. They are easy to talk to and have the same taste in music, like one of the guys liked Justin Bieber! I thought that was pretty cool. Then we visited the children at schools. I love playing with those kids! They are so happy and bright eyed all the time! I know they don't have a lot, but you wouldn't know it, because they are always smiling those cute smiles! They just swarm you and love playing games with us. And they love taking pictures on our phones. Getting to know these people and seeing the progress Gary's school and everyone's efforts are making is just really cool. Today we made two more classrooms and painted away. I'm so happy I get to be a part of it and meet some new friends.

Haiti 2016: Lisa Day 4

Best day ever!  We spent time at the elementary school today. When we took pictures with the children they squealed with delight when they saw their faces in the pictures!  As we were touring the school I wondered into one of the classrooms. One little boy ran up to me with a book. The title was simply "Hello", written in English.  I read the title. The group of children gathering around me immediately repeated the word. Looking down at the children I saw anticipation. I began reading the words from the book. With each word the children repeated the English word back to me. I'll never forget the the energy in that small classroom! The joy in their  expressions were priceless. So eager to learn!!!

Haiti 2016: (Kirby) Day Four

Evening came and morning followed, the fourth day.

This morning we visited in of the elementary and high schools. And as soon as we walked into the school were swarmed by adorable,  smiling little Haitian kids. They loved taking pictures and looking on all our phones. When we got to the elementary school we are immediately welcomed with hugs from one of the classes.

After that, we headed over to the technical school and talked to the students of the English class one on one to see how much they have learned.

I am constantly amazed with the locals kindness and friendliness, this morning while walking to school it started raining, and some kind stranger with an umbrella walked across the street and sheltered some of us without a poncho. The other day, someone said to me " my people don't have much, but we care very much." And how true that is!

Complete strangers will smile at you on the street. Back home, when you smile at a stranger at Walmart you are looked at with shock!

While here, I've discovered just how much I take for granted back home. So tonight, while you are sitting in you air conditioned house, drinking water you don't have to worry about, hold the ones you hold dear just a little bit closer.

- Kirby Knies

Haiti 2016: Cheryl Day Three

Today we were able to visit schools  ... elementary, middle, high and finishing with the Tech School. My most memorable time today was talking to the individual students to help them with their English. I was able to talk to four different students for about 10 minutes each. I realized how ambitious these students in Gary's Tech school are, they want to learn and become professionals in the technology world. So very glad to have the opportunity to be part of their education.

Haiti 2016: Fr. Eugene's thoughts day 2

     Since I have been ordained, I have felt God nudging me to take a mission trip to Haiti.  Every time I had an opportunity to go, I always had an excuse.  However, when asked to go this time I decided to go.  I know there is something that I am suppose to learn from this experience but it is too early in the journey to know what it is.

    I am surprised by the weather so far.  It has been in the low 80's.  Also the poverty level in Jeremie has not been as bad as I thought, but I don't think we have not seen the worst places in the area.  Thanks for your prayers things have gone well so far and no one has become sick yet (knock on wood my head).  God bless Fr Eugene

Haiti 2016: Cheryl's Second Day

Today started with mass. Church was full with people, although we couldn't understand what was being said, we were still able to follow along and receive the Body of Christ. After church, we walked to the Technical School Gary Boise started. It was such a wonderful feeling to be able to help Gary in his quest to educate Haitian's on how to be technical savvy and earn a valuable career. There are intelligent Haitian guys who work for Gary, it was nice working with them and seeing their capabilities.

Haiti 2016: Lisa's second day

Today was day three in Haiti!  We left for mass at 6:45 this morning. Following 2 hours and 30 minutes of Sunday morning mass (don't worry, we've already discussed this with Father Eugene. He won't be adding any time to mass at home!). Back to the house for a quick breakfast and change of clothes. Once again we headed to the school. With twice the troops we really got a lot accomplished!!!  One of the hardest things to face is how poor everything and everyone in Jeremie is. Standing on the third floor of school looking out over the beautiful blue water it's hard to come to terms with the fact that this area is so under developed. Yet there are so many young people here. Gary and Cathie's dream of this school is amazing. The fact they they are bringing job opportunities to the people of Jeremie is a wonderful thing!  I'm so blessed to be part of their mission!

PS. I found an elf on the shelf in Haiti!

Sent from my iPhone

Haiti 2016: My first trip (Cheryl)

Arriving in Haiti … the view of the mountains were beautiful, then a large flat area was Port of Prince, it was 2:30 PM. After landing in Port of Prince, we had a driver transport us from one side of the airport to the other in order to get on a 6 passenger airplane to fly to Jeremie. Haitian people were everywhere trying to help with our packages to make a dollar. Once we got to the “airport” in Jeremie, the long strip of concrete surrounded by cows, chickens and people standing all around was shock! The journey still wasn’t over, we transported our luggage to the back of a pickup truck where a driver drove us through the outskirts of Jeremie to the house we were going to stay.  During the drive, I noticed the nice clothes most of them were wearing. There were motorcycles weaving in and out of the other vehicles as well as many walking donkeys carrying supplies. The view of the homes, people, animals etc. was beyond my expectations.  We ARRIVED!!! The house was amazing! There was a very friendly, English speaking Haitian who helped us with all the luggage. The dining room table is large enough to hold at least 12 people.  There is a fabulous cook who made an amazing meal for us. Once our stomachs were filled after the long day of travel, it was time to sit around the table and tell stories.   The work will begin tomorrow after the Sunday mass.

Haiti 2016: Alison's first day

Kirby, Mike, Gary and I all arrived at the Louisville Airport early Friday morning, around 4 a.m. That was my first airplane ride ever and I couldn't stop looking out the window, the houses were so small and then we were literally flying over a cloud. I was so excited for this trip and couldn't wait to get to Haiti. I had never really traveled before, especially not out of the United States, but I knew God wanted me to do this. We arrived in Miami and met up with Lisa and got on the next plane to Port-Au-Prince. Haiti is so beautiful even though there is a lot of poverty. We got on a charter plane and that was a really cool experience too. I have to say the driving in Haiti is my kind of driving:) There isn't really any rules, no staying on the right side, people are constantly honking, and they'll do whatever, including driving on sidewalks, to get where they need to. The people in Haiti don't really get road rage, they just get around them. We arrived at the house and met some of the workers for Tek4Kids. They are all native Haitians and are really nice and easy to talk to. Today, we worked at the school and worked on tables, chalkboards, and boards. It was a lot of hard work, but I knew we were helping the school and the people that go there. The other half of our group arrived around 4:30 today and now we will really be starting the missionary work together. One thing I have to say about Haiti, it is truly an amazing thing that you really need to see. It is hard to explain all the things I have seen so far in a few words and it's only been about 2 days into the trip. I can't wait to see what else this trip teaches me.

Haiti 2016: Lisa's first day

I arrived in Jeremie on Friday with the first group.  Gary, Deacon Mike, Allison, Kirby and I had our 1st work session today (Saturday).  We went to the school to work on desks for one of the classrooms.  Sandpaper, varnish and drills were everywhere!  As we worked some of the staff from school stopped to visit.  Everyone I’ve met has been so friendly.  One teacher in particular stood out. After asking me about my family and my life in the United States,  he thanked me not once but twice for coming to Haiti to help!  He said he knows that people are scared to come here because of things they hear.  I was so touched by his sincerity! Tomorrow we are going to mass at 7:00am.  Then back to the school!!!     

Haiti 2016: A Day of Firsts (Deacon Mike)

NOTE - technical issues solved... Hopefully all posts will now be on this blog site

All 9 of our team members are now on-site in Jeremie, Haiti.  God greased the skids and the travel went smoothly.  This was a first in many ways... For some it was their first jet ride, first time out of the country, first single-prop plane...plus some firsts we can't mention until we get home (don't worry mom's it's not that bad ;)
Assuming our (slow) Internet connection stays up, watch for further blogs from other team members