New friends.

Hello again everybody!

I apologize to my avid readers for not posting a blog last night. Between the many conversations with people that keep me busy, and the storms that have been knocking out the internet every now and then, it is hard to find time! But nevertheless I will try!

The last few days we have continued our work on the school. It is a very interesting dynamic during our days of work, because FOHO has hired 8-10 Haitians to help work on the school alongside us. However we are all learning to work around the language barrier.

To make it easier, God worked his magic to send Dinesia, along with the missionaries. She was born and raised in Haiti until she was 14, when she moved to the States. Shes 28 now, and amazingly has very little accent at all. It is amazing how God worked it out for her to come, and blessed us all with a translator who speaks both English and Haitian Creole fluently. She has taught everyone a lot about the Haitian culture, which would have been hard to understand otherwise. She also translated for Pastor Bill who was asked to preach to the Haitian church on Sunday. It was the first time I had ever been apart of a church service, that was in two different languages. It is quite the experience!

In one way or another I have formed friendships with everyone in our group. It is cool to see how we have all drawn together, and treat each other like family, despite all of our GREATLY differing personalities.

Craig, a missionary I have been working with a lot on the school, is truly a mans man. He hardly ever is found taking a break no matter how hot it is out. His sense of humor is so good for keeping the mood light. Me, Him, and Dinesia have all worked well together the last two days. We have mostly been cutting, and welding the windows together. Both me and Craig have a lot of burns to show from it!

Jaimie is probably one of the nicest guys I have ever met. He has very much a missionaries heart. He is always playing with the kids in the "school" tent next to where we work. He also found out I like chess, so we have been playing together every night recently. We have had a ball!

Carol, who is the leader of their group, has almost taken the mother figure among us. She is constantly asking everybody if they have drank enough water. Shes a very sweet person, but also very opinionated! =)

Paul is an extremely graceful man. He is also extremely soft spoken, to the point of being hard to understand in noisy places. He has told me MANY stories in just the few conversations we have had.

Ed, who is a very hard worker, used to be in the Army. He also is very much a mans man! He leaves the impression of being very harsh and blunt at times, but as I have gotten to know him I have seen him be extremely caring for everyone around him.

Dot is a woman who often keeps to herself, and doesn't very often sit around and talk with the whole group. She has a very timid personality and seems very unsure of herself at times. But for whatever reason, I seem to have connected with her fairly well. She has an incredibly gentle heart.

I would like to go on and speak of everyone here, but my exhaustion has caught up with me! I am sure I will talk about the rest of the group in the future. I am certainly thankful for everyone here. They have all played important parts in what is happening!

Thank you again to all you guys who are praying and supporting me! I have gotten a lot of peace knowing so many people are behind me.

P.S. Carol has been fighting off sickness all week, so pray for her especially!

I love you guys!


-Elijah-