"Confirming the Work of Our Hands"

"Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us;
And do confirm(give permanence to) for us the work of our hands;
Yes, confirm the work of our hands."
Psalm 90:17

The Lord brought this verse to mind last evening, and it seemed a very fitting prayer for the Haiti team.  I have just finished talking with Brian, hearing how God is indeed "confirming the work of their hands."

It has been a day packed full for this team of people.  They traveled to Hinche this morning and were able to reconnect with Pastor Giordani.  Being introduced to the church and  spending even a brief period of time worshiping with the people was a blessing.  From here, they traveled on to Sapote which is where some of the team...Brian, Poppy, Cam and James worked 3 years ago in beginning the building of the school/church/community center.  It was meaningful for Brian to be there and see this finished work.  (At least I believe it is now complete)  Reuniting with teachers and the pastor here, which Brian had come to know 3 years ago, was definitely a highlight of the day.  This day of rest has been fulfilling but very busy, and added to it was about 4 hours of riding in a bouncy car, thanks to the roads of Haiti.

Just to wet your appetite a little, Brian will have some exciting news to share about the multiplying of money raised for the work in Haiti!!!!

Tomorrow, the team will return once again to the site of the 5th cement pad.  Although most of the team was unable to work there on Saturday due to the broken down truck, there was still a good amount of work accomplished that day.  Wayne and Mark had gone to the work site in the morning with a truck load of equipment.  Even though the rest of the team could not join them, 6 Haitians added their own sweat equity to keep this project moving forward.  The team hopes to pour half of the cement tomorrow...if all goes as planned.  Pray to this end.

Now for the infamous houses and the current status.  The company hired to transport the houses to LaJeune, has agreed to take them as far as Hinche.  They want $4000 MORE than the original $3000 already paid in order to deliver them to LaJeune's doorstep.  Marilyn has said "No" to this.  Instead, they have hired a dump truck who will transport from Hinche to LaJeune.  This will require 6 loads and the hour travel time each way.  The team is hoping to be in Hinche on Tuesday to load the truck and then unload at LaJeune.  They ask for your concentrated prayers to ensure that these houses will arrive in Hinche and that the delivery process can flow smoothly.

I began this post with a scriptural prayer asking God to confirm the work of the hands of this Haiti team.  Brian's closing words this evening reveals that God is already accomplishing this:  "We may not be putting the screws in the walls, but we have done a lot of work to prepare for these houses."  Five families will eventually have a roof over their heads and a place to call home.  Five families will always remember 9 Canadians who traveled to their country to help make it possible for a dream to become reality. 

I invite you to continue to pray for this team and the work still ahead of them.