Not My (Travel) Plans

Be Flexible!

One of the things we stress when we're working with people preparing to go to Haiti on a short-term mission trip is this: plans will change, so be flexible.

Everything we outline is"draft". We won't know exactly our daily schedule, the locations of our planned outreach or how the days will go until it happens.

Lots of people, especially those with Type-A personalities, aren't comfortable hearing that.

But the fact is, there is so much out of our control, and we can be delayed, redirected, refocused by many things. By bad weather. Road blocks. By a stolen truck battery. By sensing a bigger need somewhere other than where we had planned.

November trip to Haiti: Delays! :(

So when I was delayed getting to Haiti first week of November, first by one late flight meaning I missed my connection into Cap-Haitien, and then for two days by heavy rains in Cap-Haitien, it was another opportunity to live out the "Be Flexible" motto. And I haven't got some deep insight into the purpose for me spending three days in Miami, between airport and hotel, hotel and airport, airport and hotel (you get the picture).

When I eventually arrived in Cap-Haitien, on Tuesday (instead of Saturday), it was with great relief to finally be there. During the flight from Miami, the pilot announced at some point that the Cap-Haitien airport was actually still closed (because of bad weather, heavy rains, flooding the last three days) and if it didn't open by the time we needed to land there, we would be rerouting to Port-au-Prince. So when we did land, it was a great relief.

Met up with fellow OMS missionary Gwen at the departure gate, and another mission team
going to northern Haiti. When flights were cancelled, we spent some time together.   

 

Glad to be safely on the ground in Cap-Haitien.

Gwen and me, soaking wet from the walk/run from the airplane steps
to the now-fabulously renovated terminal building in Cap. 

So, there were drips of water coming through the ceiling...we were just glad to be there.

Of course, whatever I'd planned for my team's visit was, well, shot to pieces. But not to worry. They degaje'd. (NB: Degaje - essential word to learn in Creole. Means 'make do with what you've got, make the best of it'.)

--

P. S. More on what we actually did do coming soon. Right now, the girls and neighbour friend are clomping around the house in my high-heels. Storly's in Haiti with a team for the official dedication of the new AM radio towers at Petite Anse - they were out today doing outreach in Phaeton in north east Haiti, working with the local church to share the Gospel and give out solar radios. Looking forward to hearing how it went.

P.P.S. It's actually above freezing here - and sunny. The frigid cold hasn't stopped me going out running though. I'll tell you that story soon too. Blessings to you for a lovely weekend wherever you are!

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!

New Towers Up - Woo-hoo!

We're all together again...Storly's been back with us a couple of weeks - and we're happy!

...And he's just booked his trip back to Haiti for about 2 weeks' time. Just for a short trip this time. 

New Towers Up - Exciting!

If you've been getting updates from us here on our blog, email, Facebook, have read anything about Radio 4VEH or have talked to us in the last year or so, you probably know about the Towers project: to replace two 40-plus-years-old, crumbling AM radio towers (270 foot and 200 foot tall), all the ground wires (that are as long as the towers are high and dug into the ground) and tuning system at Radio 4VEH's AM transmission site at Petite Anse. This site is a powerhouse for the Gospel in Haiti, for getting life-saving information, farming and health advice, and a friendly voice to people. When the work's completed, the AM signal will reach all across northern Haiti again, to an area where four million people live.

We've reached a milestone in this project - both new towers at Petite Anse are up (just a few more weeks until it's all finished and we can turn 840 AM back on). 

And I'm so jealous! Storly got a ride to the top of the first tower before he left; and our colleague Witny got a ride to the top of the second tower, enjoying the two flags attached at the top as a testimony to the partnership of God's people to restore 4VEH's AM signal and proclaim Christ across Haiti.

Here's some photos:

Beginning of August: Storly with part of Towers for Jesus crew.

Jim, leader of Towers for Jesus, starts off all the work on the towers with prayer. 

First tower comes down - safely. Phew!

Crash!

Jim, the leader of the crew, just celebrated his 71st birthday. He's put up many radio
towers all over the world, so that good news can reach people through radio. 

Storly's all strapped in, ready to be hoisted up to the top of the first new tower. 

Storly (with Tower Bob).

"Tower Bob" takes a pic of Storly as Storly takes a pic of him.

Storly's legs, quite a long way off the ground:)

Jim instructs Storly on controlling the winch (and whoever is hoisted to the top of tower). 

Two flags - American and Haitian - were attached to the final piece of tower
before it was put in place. People living in the area, who have gathered on rooftops
to watch this project progress, broke out in cheers and singing when
the final piece was in place, and flags were flying. 

View of the Petite Anse area and bay of Cap-Haitien, from the tower. 

Witny, our Operations Director, at the top of the 2nd tower. A proud wonderful moment!
(And a great picture - thanks Towers for Jesus team!)

Witny contemplating the view from the tower. 

Towers for Jesus team and local workers at tower base.

Glad to see Storly's learned a few tricks with that camera (that I kindly lent him :)

Thanks for your prayers, support and encouragement for this project. It's a big deal, and we're excited to be nearing completion!

Update in 5

Here's a quick update:

1. USA 3: Haiti 1

The girls and I (Kate) are back in Indiana after three weeks in Haiti, so the girls could get back to school. They started last week. So far, so good.  We left Storly in Haiti, mainly to oversee the Radio Towers/Petite Anse project. He'll probably be there for another few weeks. 

2. Towers & Stuff Have Arrived

The three containers with new towers, equipment and supplies for the new Towers Project - replacing two AM radio towers - arrived and have been delivered to the Petite Anse site ready for work.

3. Towers Coming Down

The technical team doing the towers work have arrived in Haiti and started work. They took down one tower already, will be doing some preparation work and getting new towers erected and connected over the next few weeks. 

4. Transmitter Problem

The longer I'm around Radio 4VEH and involved in this work, the easier it is to see that the enemy (yeh, I do mean Satan) does not like the work of 4VEH, and will do anything to disturb, distract, and discourage. As we've been happy to see progress with the Radio Towers project, urgh, another problem comes up - the AM transmitter's broken down. 

If you think of the radio towers and tuning equipment as the steering wheel and accelerator (gas pedal) in a car, the transmitter is like the engine. (Apologies to all you radio technicians out there for oversimplifying). 

Tech adviser Jerry working on the AM transmitter

After several days with our technicians on the phone with technicians from the transmitter manufacturer, and a trip to Haiti by our tech adviser Jerry and another technician, and several more days working and troubleshooting...and more time on the phone with manufacturer...and still the transmitter's not working. If you're someone who prays, would you pray that the transmitter will be fixed quickly?

5. Great birthday

It was great to be able to enjoy Haiti's gorgeousness on my birthday recently with a day at Cormier beach, with Elida (OMS missionary nurse) and new friends Meg, Rachel and Lauren, who were helping at the medical clinic.

 

Elida and Lauren

Rachel and Meg

I have no idea what that is all about!

Gorgeous gift - Haitian wooden bowl (you can never have too many :)

My three precious ones! 

Oh yeh, a day at the beach can be exhausting!