Those Yankees Are Gone!!!

I'm referring to the Short Term Mission Team from Newport, Rhode Island who just departed after spending the past five days with us. It was a week of hard manual labor mixed with several spiritual highlights while visiting homes, helping in the school and health clinic, and singing for one of the local churches.

Their #1 priority was to complete the building of a new storage facility for our de-salination drinking water plant. This plant allows us to provide drinking water to islanders at 40% less cost than they pay anywhere else. Currently the plant sits over the ocean - which leads to much rust and short life span of pumps and motors. The new plant will be located on the opposite (up hill) side of our clinic building.

Some of the islanders helped us prepare the slab before the team arrived on island. This proved to be a real God-send, as the team was detained along the route and did not make it onto Helene until two days after their expected arrival. But all were safe and sound, and the work went fast.

The building to the left of the slab contains our large generator; which powers the entire complex.

<------ The team arrived and immediately got busy at work! Thankfully they brought a couple of experienced carpenters with them, which quickly made up for lost time.

While this portion of the team worked on the building project; other team members went on medical rounds with Terry & Deirdre, while still others helped unpack tubs of books and school supplies they brought with them for our school. I wish you could have seen the estactic faces of our children when they saw their first large sheet of art paper. Until now, all drawing & painting was limited to 8 1/2 x 11 inch size. The island teachers were more excited about the new pencil sharpeners, three hole punches, notebooks and fresh markers. The visiting teachers also helped us complete the annual reading tests that is given to each student on an individual basis. The results will tell us alot about which students will move forward next year, and which students need a little more time at their current grade level.

The final touches are being applied as the doors are being hung. The project was basically completed in three days time! Great team work and planning ahead by Camas and Paul on our Team Helene. Now all that needs to be done is dig trenches and run PVC pipe along the full length of the property - twice. We are sitting on the edge of "rainy season" so the pressure is on to complete the project.......

which is now "doable" thanks to the great team from Rhode Island.

God really used this group of seven educators, three construction professionals, and one Doctor during their short term mission ministry with us.

They not only completed all of their intended projects, but touched many lives (ours included)in the process. A huge thank you to the Presbyterian Church of Newport, Rhode Island!

Here is Dr. Ruth from the Rhode Island Team (to the left of Terry) and Nurse Deirdre.

This was the 22nd Short Term Mission Team to Helene this year; however, our first. It was a great experience sharing time with a group of like-minded people who are passionate about living their lives for God.

There is something for everyone and anyone to get involved with on a Short Term Mission Trip to Helene........keep that in the back of your mind, in case we end up back here next year! :-)

Resting in Him,

Henry & Terry