Church Camp

Thank you for praying for the church youth this past weekend. We feel God truly heard and answered. 

We met here in this open classroom three to four times each day for prayer services, worship, teaching and debates. Pray that the Word that went out during this time would take root in their hearts. 

We visited a local church Sunday. It was a full crowd as several other church camps were visiting there too. The visiting pastor had an excellent message for the youth. "You may have come here to get away from carnival but you can still be there in your hearts and on your phones."

The food was delicious especially because it was prepared with love by several older sisters in the church who came along. This is "Diri koulè ak kabrit", also know as colored rice with goat. We bought two goats at the local market and butchered them there. 

Discussion after the evening service. Bartony, Rebecca, Wismith and Pete. 

This is the Mardi Gras truck being covered for the night. Unbeknownst to us, the people living at the school we camped at were in charge of heading up the local Mardi Gras parade for the town. They spent the afternoon getting everything ready and left from the school with music blaring and girls a-glimmering. It was a bit of a culture clash, the church getting ready for the next service, the world getting ready for the next party. 

We really saw the power of prayer when it returned that evening and scarcely a head turned from the church because of the intense interest in the work of the Spirit in the service. Blessed be the name of the Lord! 

Cleaning up the kitchen. 

Group photo. (This wasn't everybody. )

Beautiful Port Salut. 

Carnival

This time of year the school does a soccer tournament between the different grades. 

It is also this time of year that the youth from the church take a special trip they call camp; except it often is sleeping in the classrooms of a school in another area and not really camping per se. The Garber family is planning to go along at least for a few days. Please pray for them. 

Camp is a five day event designed to get the youth away from home during Carnival/Mardi Gras. Please pray for the mission over this time. It is a very rowdy time to say the least, and at its worst can be violent. A carnal atmosphere pervades, and the powers of darkness are especially palpable. 

School Room progress

Mission Mechanics

Ken Weber and Levi Kauffman keeping the vehicles on the road. 

Elementary School Snapshots

Jean Voltaire Oscar has been the school director since 1989. The other two young men assist here in the school office. 

The second grade classroom. 

The students receive a meal around eleven o'clock. This is the kitchen where the food is prepared. 

Dishing the food out. 

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We currently have two classes in the church building. 

And one class in this tent. 

These ladies sell various snacks to the students. 

And this lady cleans up the trash that the students throw on the ground. 

Thank you to all who support the school in numerous ways. 

One thing we are hoping to do this year during the summer break is to hold a seminar for the teachers here and from other schools in Fond Parisien to better equip them to be consistent in teaching a biblical worldview concerning natural science and social science. If you or someone you know is interested in Creation Science and could teach a series on it we would be glad to hear from you. 

Diphtheria Vaccination Campaign

There have been a few confirmed cases of Diptheria in our neighborhood, so the government has initiated a vaccination primarily for children, but encouraging all to receive the same. 

Today a few of us went along with the medical personnel to a village across the lake from us. Here we are boarding the ship to pass to the other side. 

This is the village of Port Ploom Batey. 

They first went to the school to be sure that the students received the inoculation. Then we set up in this church to receive the rest of the people from the village. Jeana Byler is assisting the nurses. 

This young man was taking down the names on a little card which the bearer is supposed to bring for another injection in one month. 

When everyone had been given a chance to be vaccinated, our group booked passage on this small vessel which took us back to our side of the lake. 

This village of about 1200 families has two churches and one school. The houses are all mud huts. There is a doctor that comes here once a week from Jimani and has an office in one of the churches. Most of the families are involved in raising goats or making charcoal. There are a number of little shops which supply staple foods yo the villagers. There is no water source in this village. The water is brought across the lake in buckets, barrels, or bags for the people to drink. It appears to be a quiet community that has adequate Christian presence. 

Various Church Activities

There were several special services this week at Water of Life Mennonite Church. 

Wednesday we had a village service at the mission. The people gathered in the backyard to worship and pray and hear the Word of God. 

Thane Boone from Ohio preached about the New and Living Way. Wismith Joseph translated. 

Saturday afternoon there was a members meeting. These men comprise the current church committee, which organizes and facilitates the activities of the church. They make many of the decisions also. 

Sunday morning was an ordination service for the two deacons that were chosen in November. Standing with them to the left is Gesner Louis and his wife who were already serving in this capacity.  It was a very elaborate service planned by the church committee. There were several local pastors present to officiate.