bryan@bmeyers.net – Page 53 – Haitian Island Ministries

Hi everyone,

Last month we sent some pictures of the outside of the new building in Belanger. We thought this month we would show you what it looks like inside, since that is where most of everything takes place.

What is most significant about this building is the fact the land was donated by a man we know who was heavily involved in voodoo. Also significant is the fact he knew the Bible would be preached every Sunday and that the school kids, including his own, would be taught Bible lessons every morning.

Another significant fact is that the ministry did not pay for the blocks to build it. Some time ago, when we started taking about needing a new building, all of us got together and decided to see how the local people and congregation could help, making it more “theirs.” For a year they raised money, talked to local block makers and others who they thought could or would help. Guess what? At the end of the year, there were enough blocks to build the building you see now — a testament to working together!

Update on Terry: The implant continues to work its magic and has to this point eliminated most if not all pain in her feet and legs, without the benefit of pain medicine. In fact, pain management has reduced two of the medicines she has been taking and we are considering dropping one other. She has just got over about the worst case of bronchitis and upper respiratory infection that kept her in bed for a week. The new visit to the bone marrow clinic and testing is August 1.

We hope you will have had a safe and happy fourth of July.

Happy Birthday America!

Steve and Terry

Hi everyone,

We’ll start with Terry’s medical “report” first. I guess you could say the implant was/is a success. Except for a very few brief periods, it has stopped any leg or foot pain. The problem right now is recovering from the incisions. There are two, each approximately four inches long — one alongside her spine and one just above and with her belt line. Although they are healing well, they are both in areas that are in constant contact when sitting, so sitting is difficult. But, this will pass and it will have been well worth it. Thank you for the prayers, emails and notes.

This month we want to share some photos of the school in Belanger where our friend Prosper works. We have worked with Prosper for 18 years. He started his school in a tin building that some of you will remember. It was like being in a sauna doing clinic there, and no better for the kids who went to the school. Women from his church would walk the three miles to Desca to our clinic and they talked us into visiting the church there. 18 years later, we are still working with them.

The school is a little closer to the main road from where it was and in a much better area. The ground it’s on was given to us by a man who was, at the time, into voodoo. Even knowing Prosper would be preaching there every Sunday, he gave us the land because he wanted his kids to go to school. There were 150 kids in the school this year, and almost as many go to church there every Sunday — including the man, who is no longer involved in voodoo.

Of course, these kids as well as kids in the other schools receive their education and meals because of you who sponsor the schools and feeding programs. Just in this one spot, consider how many children have learned how to read and write, and get to eat, because of those first sponsors. Kids we first saw are now adults with families. To Terry and me, it’s just amazing. Amazing because of God’s blessing and amazing because of God using you to help.