Lemuel Ministries

Hello again from toasty-warm Haiti!

As I mentioned before, Jenna Brill is our intern this year. Her main responsibility is teaching English in the school. She started teaching on Monday and is doing a GREAT job... more on that in a moment... First let me let her introduce herself:

Hey Everyone! I'm so excited to be here working alongside Lemuel! I really enjoy working with children, and I am excited to be starting teaching this week. I am from northern Wisconsin where there is ice and snow for about half the year. It's just a little different than here :) I have three brothers and three sisters, I love music and art, and I enjoy trying new things. I am grateful for the opportunity to be here, and I am looking forward to being pushed out of my comfort zone a little bit and seeing how God will work in my life this coming year. I am praying that His name will be glorified through me!

On Monday I went over to the campus in the morning so I could be there for Jenna's first class and make sure everything was ok. Her first class was the kindergarten and it was so much fun!

The kids were totally engrossed.

Little Woodyoume was mesmerized in the front row...his poor little neck!

Even Isabelle learned "Clap!"

Later in the day she had the Fifth and Sixth Grade...

The fifth grade perfecting the "ah" sound, as in "Sam"

High-fives all around for the Sixth Grade.

In other news from this week, Loring, Marion and Rick all flew out on Saturday. They are GREATLY missed!!!

Marion was Ani's teacher while she was here.

That was such a HUGE help as I was able to have a bit more time to put toward Lemuel stuff.

Rick and Loring were able to get a lot of things fixed... or at least diagnosed... and were a real encouragement to all of us in multiple ways.

I took some pictures of Loring, Marion and Jenna that they could share with their church. I particularly liked this one and thought I'd share it with you... keeping things in perspective :)

Also this week, the water tank returned having been switched over to a new truck. What a blessing this is!!!

Sam leaves next week (ahhhhh!!!! Next week!!!) for Germany. He will be gone for two months so he has been trying to get some things wrapped up, including the porch and depot on the back of the church...

In closing, as I was drinking my coffee this morning (for those of you who know me, you know what kind of a day drinking coffee means I was anticipating:)) the quote on my mug reminded me of where my peace is to come from. I thought we could probably all use this reminder today:

I got this mug at an airport shop on my way to Wisconsin last year.

Although it does not say it in so many words, it is always a reminder to me that the peace God offers His children does not depend on our circumstances.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

Father, as we "present our requests to you"

please grant us your peace that transcends understanding,

that this stressed out, frazzled, tired, volatile world may seek our peace and find You.

This morning I headed over to the Lemuel campus around 8:00. Armed with my camera, my mission was to get pictures of everything going on so I could give you an idea of what a typical morning at Lemuel is like...

Since I was entering the campus from the airstrip I came to the pretty blue gate...

Were you to enter from the main road you would come to the main gate which Regilien would open for you.

To my left upon opening the gate is the storage container and the box from the yellow truck. The yellow truck was sent into Port-au-Prince the week along with the water truck. The water tank is going to be transferred from the older green truck to the newer yellow one. They put the yellow box on stilts so that when the green truck gets back it will be easier to put this box on it.

Ahead of me is the Development Office where Gulbert is working on making doors for the new Guest House bath area.

He has taken very rough cut lumber down to a smooth and is now cutting the planks to size.

To my right as I walk in the gate is the school kitchen where I find Mme Wisly. Today's school meal (cornmeal with dried herring) won't take too long so she is using some spare time to sort beans for tomorrow. She has been here since 5:00am. She goes to an early prayer meeting and then cleans and sweeps her area and begins preparing the hot meal for the children and staff.

I continue on to the school and get there just in time to catch them raising the flag.

The kindergarteners are busy with their morning routine as well.

All three classes sing some welcome songs together...

...and then greet each other in French.

The teachers help the children practice their greetings.

They then join in a circle for some fun singing.

Kin. 1 Teacher, Kattia, provides the music.

On the way out of the Kindergarten I passed through the office where Wiltha was talking with a parent. Wiltha is now working in the office as supervisor of grades 1-6, disciplinarian, receptionist and secretary among other responsibilities.

By the time I finished all of that, the other classes were in session. There have been some changes in position since the last school post I did so you may notice some teachers have changed classes.

Bergeline is teaching the First Graders about C Cedille (the French C with the tail... I can't do one in blogger).

Andiose is working on diction with the Second Graders as they read the phrase of the week, "Jesus is the light of the world."

Mezou is working with the Third Graders on putting the correct heading on their papers. The poor guy was a bit frustrated as I passed by. It seems some of his students were not following directions :)

Guillaume is teaching the Fourth Graders about why they won't have class on Friday, November 1.

Wilnique is grading papers while his Fifth Graders take their monthly exams.

The Sixth Graders were also taking exams. I accidentally missed their teacher, Osslet. He was also grading papers while he supervised the exam.

Djanaika, the only girl in the Sixth Grade, writing her exam.

Back toward the Development Office, the development guys are planting trees. They have been here since 7:00 and have already done a huge amount of work in front of the Guest House. Lenique, our General Administrator has stopped by to check on their work. He has been here since before 6:00 and is always one of the last to leave. Derilus (in the straw hat) digs the holes...

...and Wesner comes behind him and plants the trees.

My next stop is the finance office where Williamso is covering for Krischelle while she is in the US. Williamso is currently studying Administration in university. The universities have a very different schedule - their break is from mid-September to mid-November... just when Krischelle was planning to be gone! YAY!

From the finance office I head into the main part of the Lemuel House (the finance office is in the Lemuel House) where Loring, Marion, Rick and Jenna are having breakfast. Loring and Marion you have already met. Rick is here for two weeks helping out with all kinds of maintenance things... electrical issues, vehicles, plumbing, burnt out appliances, odds and ends for people in the community, and who knows what else will pop up before he leaves on Saturday! Jenna is our intern for this year. She will be teaching English in the school. She is working on writing up a post to introduce herself to you all so that should be coming soon.

Mme Gulbert is busy cleaning the Lemuel House.

Jinel, head of the Hospitality staff, is taking down a list from Mme Celissa...

...who is busy cleaning a chicken for today's lunch.

After leaving the Lemuel House kitchen, I took this photo to give you a little peak at the new Guest House shower area, then headed back down toward the gazebo.

I found Mme Obert sweeping behind the gazebo. Mme Obert has much to do. She washes, cleans Manis' office, the gazebo, guest house, and latrines and sweeps the Lemuel House yard!

Back toward the Development Office I find Nadege and Mme Tiferne going for water for the school children to drink.

The school kitchen is the thatch building in the back left of this photo.

As I get back to the Development Office, Lenique is discussing the doors with Gulbert. They have run into a little bit of a problem with the doors are are discussing possible solutions.

Inside the Development Office, Rick writes down some information I need, and then he and Loring show me the list they have been working on of items we need to purchase... it is getting pretty long! :(

They then head over to the 4-Runner that they have been working on for the past two days and that has been giving them quite a few headaches! The sunroof was left open last night and we had a little rain so the doors are open so it can air out :)

As I made one last round I found Mme Adrien in the school kitchen pounding spices...

...and starting the fires. Mme Wisly was still sorting beans... it takes a long time!

Mme Tiferne was outside of the school with water ready for the students.

And Marion was in the school to do a story with the Kin. 2 students. The two other Kin. classes were so interested she did it with them as well!

Jenna was also in the school today. She is just following classes to see how a normal day goes. She will begin teaching English in the school next Monday!