First Team in Haiti a Success!

Yesterday was a great day of progress. Tom and Wendy, the team’s facilitators, are a wonderful pair and Tom is wonderful at leading a team. The team has a wonderful spirit and a cheerful attitude about every inconvenience or slowness. They and the Haitian workers integrate very well. They seem to have kindred spirits. They even sing Christian songs while they work. They share their lunch with their fellow workers and are concerned about the welfare of everyone involved. At about 1:00 pm, the women on the team have been going to the church to do ministry with the children and help out with an after-school feeding program.

The house foundation is complete; the framing is starting, and the floor will be poured at the same time as framing takes place. All the members of the team have contributed in a marvelous way both in their labor, and in their labors of love and encouragement. One young man named Nick has been a real blessing as a worker and leader in construction. He is a very bright young man, who can outwork anyone! He really knows construction and construction management and he wants to stay here when the team leaves and help me with the completion of the construction project. I think he would be a great help.

The whole team is a Godsend. Since the arrived there have been breakthroughs in every area. Just about everything we pray for comes to fruition. I can feel the prayers of all the people who support this team, and it is fervent and effectual, causing wonderful things to happen.

Update from Nick Rogers in Haiti

I have been in Haiti six days. The country has changed in just three weeks since our scouting trip. A great deal of progress has been made both in PaP (Port-au-Prince) and Carrefour. When I arrived I slept in a tent at Grace Village in Carrefour. It rained all night. I slept through most of it since I had spent the night before on a bench at the Fort Lauderdale Airport. Many people sleeping in tents told me they had not slept at all. Their tents leaked and mine did not.

The next day I was impressed at the progress at Grace Village. They have been designated and a "Cluster" by the U.N. Danny Jeune, the director, gave me a tour of the site including their hospital. The hospital is new but is not currently in use, so it will be used by the U.N. as a food and shelter storage site. There were many bathroom facilities being constructed next to the refugee site for sanitation purposes. All 17,000 refugees had been organized into 12 groups and leaders appointed over them. The leaders met with Danny each day. A building to house the orphans had been built outside the main building. The building had been certified as safe to re-enter by structural engineers certified for earthquake assessment.

I then travelled to La Plain, which is Haiti's main Agriculture site, just fifteen miles from the border with the Dominican Republic. The site is beautiful, with ample water from natural springs. The next day I traveled to Jacmel where I have an apartment. On Saturday they asked me to preach in the main service. It was my second time of preaching at Restoration Ministries Church. The worship service and singing was wonderful. I will send a video if I can. It seemed like a little bit of heaven.

This week we begin constructing homes for the homeless. Our teams here will be helping with the construction. They will also be teaching children and some adults English while teaching about the Bible.

Job Opportunity: Haiti Field Coordinator Needed!

Our team is wrapping up their time in Haiti. The trip has been very successful and they have made many important connections that will help us as we work to help rebuild in the coming months and years.


A key component to our program in Haiti will be making sure we have full-time field coordinators in Haiti who will help identify projects and organize work for the incoming short-term volunteers. We are currently accepting resumes from interested candidates.

If you are interested please review the full job desciption. We are seeking people with the desire and ability to commit to a year or more in Haiti. If you'd like to apply, forward your resume with a cover letter to Matt Harris at matt@forwardedge.org

Once our team is back we will review the applications and begin building our team in Haiti.

In The Wake of Gustav

Your prayers made a difference with Hurricane Gustav! God graciously answered and the storm was much less severe than predicted.

Yet, while New Orleans avoided major tragedy, areas west of the city have been severely damaged and your help is needed.

The lives of those living in the Gulf Coast have been thrown into chaos once again. Now is the time to show them the love of Christ in a way they may have never before experienced.

This restoration effort is about so much more than fixing roofs. It is about the heart of our Master. God uses your hands and feet to provide hope to those in need.

Will YOU serve?

Aaron Gordon and Bob Johnson, FEI field staff living in the Gulf Coast area, reported, "We found much need for assistance. The damage is not at Hurricane Katrina level, but lots of roofs were torn apart. Lots of trees are down and the power lines are shredded in MOST places."

FEI is uniquely positioned to help those affected. We have the resources in place to begin restoration immediately, but we can't do it without YOU!

How you can serve:

• Volunteer-join a team or create a team and offer support and hope to the hopeless and disheartened.
• Make a Financial Gift - funds are a necessary component of disaster response. Your financial support makes this ministry possible. MAKE A DONATION NOW
• Pray - continue to pray for those affected. Also pray that the other storms of this hurricane season will be diverted.

To learn how you can show Christ's love to your fellow countrymen and women in desperate need, contact Nate Wieck at 360.574.3343 or nate@forwardedge.org today.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and, Love your neighbor as yourself." -Jesus