TEAM REUNION

STEPHENSON, ERVE AND THE TURKS

SOME OF THE BEAR LAKE TEAM

CLEAN UP MADE EASY

CREOLE COOKING AT BEAR LAKE

Last evening we had our long awaited team reunion with the bear lake community church. In April they sent a large group of 29 people to work with GAP Ministry in Haiti. These people at Bear Lake have been a blessing to us and our work over the years. On two occasions they have opened up their camp to Canaan students to stay at when they have visited this area on their trips to the A.C. E. International Convention. They have used two Haitian students as summer counselors during church camp and been very supportive of Erve Joseph's attempt to get a nursing degree here the U.S. It was exciting to have them come visit us in Haiti this Spring and help us host a mini youth camp, work at our clinic and do some small construction projects.

So last night my wife (Shirley) cooked up a large pot of rice, bean and creole sauce, pickles and banann peze ( plantains). Others brought desserts, salads and drinks and we (45) people all enjoyed a Haitian potluck. I brought everyone up to date on things in Haiti, Canaan and Bobi and Marcus's romance, see Bobi Bender's blog on the Canaan website. I gave an update on the medical clinic project and we discussed possible funding projects that the might be able to help with. I think everyone had a good time and went away saying "I will get back on my diet tomorrow." In God's love , steve

MY FRIEND THE WITCH DOCTOR

PRESWA THE FORMER WITCH DOCTOR

ONE OF THE MALNOURISHED BABIES

IN THE MEDIKA MAMBA PROGRAM

CUTTING DOWN COCONUTS

THE LOCALS SHARING COCONUTS WITH US

The Preswa story began back in 2005 when I took a team from Pa. back to a village in the mountains called Dauphine. We had taken along some Bible tracts and were doing evangelizing in the different villages we passed through. I had met Preswa on a previous trip to Dauphine and he had explained to us he was a witch doctor. He made his living this way because people would come to him to cure them through potions, herbs and magic spells. Likewise they depended on him to put curses on those they might be having problems with and on occasion bring harm or death to their enemies. He showed a vast knowledge of the Bible, of God and His son Jesus Christ but explained that he needed the income, produce and occasional livestock from being a witch doctor to provide for his meager livelihood. He had two homes in the village one over along the Mountrouis River and one along the road leading into Dauphine, where he spent most of his time and performed his witch craft. Inside this house he had built a stone and mud alter and kept his paraphernalia, even to my suprise a book of spells and potions.

Whatever the reason on that trip when we encountered him and asked him if he was ready to accept and follow Christ he answered yes. We followed him to his hut where we laid on hands and prayed for him and his willingness to accept Christ into his life. We then dismantled the alter and took all of his witch craft stuff outside and burned it. One of the most moving moments occurred when we removed the sacrificial cross where animals ,usually chickens were sacrificed from inside the house. Lorah Styere one of the team leaders took off her necklace with a small wooden cross hanging from it and told him that from now on this cross the cross of Christ would replace the cross of voodoo in his life.

That was four summers ago I pass through the village on a regular basis and often stop with groups to visit with Preswa and his wife. It never fails that they will offer all the hospitality to us they can, bringing out whatever they can round up for us to set on and cutting down coconuts for us to drink and eat. Preswa even worked with us this Spring on the road project to the village of Freta the next village beyond Dauphine.

This is one of many examples of people reaching people and making a difference. On our most recent trip from which the pictures were taken we also encountered two mothers with malnourished babies. They are part of the Medika Mamba program we are involved with and directed by Bobi Bender to save undernourished infants in Haiti another example of progarms that are making a difference in the lives of Haitian families. In God's love, steve