Trading Places

In less than 12 hours, at 4 a.m. the family will be driving me to the airport and I'll be getting on a plane to Miami, meeting up with five guys from Findlay E-Free Church in northern Ohio, then straight into Cap-Haitien, for a week focused on working alongside co-workers at Radio 4VEH, and local churches, in outreach, evangelism and giving out solar radios. 

So, this is going to be a really quick update, with some prayer requests if you'd remember us. 

• For my trip, that we'll see God working in us and through us to do the amazing things that He does in drawing people to Himself.

• Storly came back from Haiti 10 days ago. Now I'm off for a week. We think we've traded information (me to Storly on making packed lunches for girls every day, getting them to school on time etc; Storly to me on latest information at the radio station, which keys are for office, trading phones etc.). We may have missed some stuff. Would you pray for our family in our various ministry / family responsibilities? 

• The response to the Fall fundraising appeal for Radio 4VEH that we mailed out a month ago has been amazing. We're thanking God for providing exceedingly abundantly more....again. 

• Having some technical difficulties at the station, in various pieces of equipment, that are affecting broadcasting in different ways. Lots of problem-solving needed. 

And just to finish, last weekend, our only weekend all together for a few weeks, we did what is becoming an autumn tradition for us (and is one for every other family living in central Indiana). Yep, we went to Apple Works. Gorgeous weather, gorgeous day. Enjoy the Fall colours in these photos, and thanks for supporting us in all we do. 

Switched On

You know when you're working towards something, a project that demands much attention, effort, funds, negotiation? That requires you get down on your knees again and again (and again...) to seek God, His help, His direction, His way, His grace and patience, His answers to what seem like impossibilities? When you know there are so many things that could go wrong with this?

And then,...ah, yes. It's done. Accomplished. To God be all the glory!

Ten days ago, we got to that point. Here's what happened.

So, Storly's back in Haiti. Yeh, I know, he was just there (July/Aug/Sept), came home to Indiana for three weeks, knowing once the Towers crew gave him their estimated completion date, he'd head back down for a week or two to help turn the AM station back on, oversee the completion of the project, the crew getting all their equipment packed up into a container and to the port ready to be shipped back to their home base in the States.

840 AM switched back on 

Meanwhile, Storly was feeding me updates so I could post updates online, like this one.

On 8 October, after a short commissioning service giving the glory to God, and thanking so many people who've played a part in the restoration project, Storly went into the air-conditioned room at the AM transmission site, and pushed a button. And voila, more than two years of prayer, work, prayer, work, was...well, completed. 

Storly traveled in to Cap-Haitien with Tom King, head of Kintronic Labs, project manager
for this towers project. A friendly conversation when we met Tom at the NRB Convention
 turned into a partnership to restore the AM signal at Petite Anse. 

Some tweaking of the transmitter...

Yep, both new towers are still standing!

Tom and Jim work on fine-tuning the system for the best possible AM signal

The Transmission House looks great with a fresh lick of paint! 

The commissioning service included  a couple of hymns, testimonies from staff who have been working at 4VEH a long time, including at the Petite Anse site, speeches from OMS Haiti Director Brett Bundy (who shared some of 4VEH's history, and how having a vision and being obedient have been key), speeches from Jim from Towers for Jesus crew, Tom King of Kintronics and then Storly switched on the AM station. 

A crowd of 4VEH staff, OMS missionaries, visitors from Canada on a short-term
Resounding Hope trip from Galcom, representatives from the Towers for Jesus crew,
technicians, pastors, community leaders and friends of 4VEH all gathered for the commissioning service. 

Elima (4VEH programming director) leads the "Grande Prière" - main prayer. 

Brett (OMS Haiti Field director) shares lessons from 4VEH's history, of vision
and obedience. 

Storly checks the time before...

...pushing the button...

...and turning on 840 AM, sending the signal out hundreds of miles across northern Haiti
to an area where more than four million people live. 

Tom, Storly & Jim.

Friends enjoyed refreshments (ok, this one and the next is just for those of you who know and love
the Gross family - here Steve is enjoying a Tampico) 

(...and Melissa is enjoying a Coke...so glad they could be part of this!)

Bursting 

Of course, I missed all the in-the-flesh excitement, being thousands of miles away. When Storly called to confirm we were back on the air, I jumped up and down and shared the good news with the girls (still home on Fall Break...) and they were (moderately) excited. 

So, the next afternoon was the best bit, at least for me. I was listening to the live call-in show on 4VEH, the regular music show turned into a special show asking people listening to the newly restored 840 AM to call in. 

And I was bursting with joy to hear listeners bursting with joy that they can listen to 'their 4VEH' again. People calling from all over - Gonaives, Ouanaminthe, from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic - saying how they suffered when 4VEH was off the air, saying thank you to all who contributed, saying thank you to all the technicians. 

"AM is clear. Now it's back, I feel like a champion with a medal! And I want to say thank you to all the technicians!"

"My heart's full of joy that 4VEH is back on AM!"

Ahh, sweet! So many people have helped get the work done, from teams helping rebuild the wall, praying for the work, donating, helping our family while we've been working on this (even now, I'm writing this because a sweet friend has had the girls for a bit this afternoon). Thank you, thank you!