Four Weddings and a Celebration

The picture in the last post drew inquisition. It is a startling piece, though a bit unclear. It was the evening of our Haiti churches ten year celebration. The grounds were packed most of the day as they celebrated the ministry and growth of this wonderful church. It started with 12 of the orphans who had been with Robinson in the orphanage years ago, and 12 people from St. Marc. They are now running over 600 and still growing! Each year they do a special thing for the community, they perform a free wedding ceremony, including everything needed for the wedding. They pool their resources and actually rent the wedding dresses for the brides, suits for the men, they arrange travel for the brides to the property, and fix a wedding meal, all at no cost to the couples. It is a way to help the young couples who have been living together and cannot afford a wedding to be able to get married. This year Robinson and the ministry team married four couples at the same time! It was a highlight of the community. Ladies can you imagine sharing your day with three other couples and a rented dress. When you think economical, do you even consider such a thing?! Now there's a new perspective on desperate! The ministry has gained high favor among those who we seek to minister too. Together with the orphanage, the giving out of thousands of gallons of water, the feeding of the poor, medical attention to the afflicted, children being put into school, and the preaching of the great hope of the Gospel, lives are being changed in incredible ways. That we all have been able to be a part is stunning and humbling. God is famous for taking little, blessing it, and delivering much! We have pretty well finalized our daypacks today, stitched up several lose ends, and double checked lists. Robinson let us know our newest orphan, baby Vladimir has been very ill, but seems to be doing a little better. They took him to the hospital as he had been vomiting and had diarrhea. They will have test results tomorrow, they have been a little anxious. In Haiti these symptoms are a grave concern, as they are common killers of infants. Something we take so for granted here anymore, has life-threatning implications there. They lack so many of the common treatments there, and symptoms so easily diagnosed and treated here, can bring devastation quickly in this land of the deprived! Keep them in your prayers. Just a couple more days and we head toward Detroit again. We are excited about what we will be able to accomplish this trip in. It is always daunting, but we rise to the challenge as we have been blessed and graced by God's infinite love. We have much more to share, but will do so in more posts! Blessings tonight!