Off to Haiti!

Off to Haiti!  On January 17, 2013 Molly Bullington, Craig Favor, Travis Smith, Lori Earles, Henry Schaefer and Alec and Andy Travers are traveling to Haiti as part of our congregation’s year-long effort to help install a water supply system for the Allison School in the small village of Larevoir.

The Allison School (or St Thimothee’s as it is known in Haiti) is a collection of small buildings in the hills just north of the coast in the southwest part of the country. The school is very basic.  They are mere concrete buildings with open air windows and doors.  The school has no power, no lights, very limited school supplies and no fresh water.  Nonetheless, a staff of 17 serves over 425 primary school children 5 days a week for a six hour school day.   

The Allison School is one of 40 schools managed by the Haiti Education Foundation (HEF).  Our congregation’s connection to HEF and the school goes back over 20 years.  Over the years members from our church have visited the Allison School to help foster its development, but primarily our support has been financial.  Recently RCPC has begun to inject a larger, more regular presence to the school.  Last year Andy Travers and Rob Crittenden (who also serves on the HEF board) visited and begun to develop a plan to bring a fresh water system to the Allison school.  

       

In September 2012 Travis and Andy attended training in Arkansas with the organization entitled Solar Under the Sun.  Solar Under the Sun is a mission ministry that trains groups to develop and install solar power energy systems in communities like Haiti.   Installing and securing such a system is the first step in the process of providing fresh water for the school, which we hope to do later in 2013.  

Once a power source is in place, we will begin the process of trying to get water to the school site where it can be filtered and suitable for human use.  This too will be a part of our January trip.

In early summer our church will send another group to Haiti with the hope that they will be able to bring water to the school.  The team includes Susan and Rief Kessler, Sharon Stinnette and Andy Corbin.   Pre-travel training and preparation is already underway.  Susan, Rief, Sharon and Andy C are attending a Living Waters workshop in the spring to help them prepare for their trip.  You will be hearing more about their trip in the months ahead.    

There are many ways for members of RCPC to get involved with this extraordinary mission opportunity.  Most importantly we need your prayers of support.  You also may want to consider going on one of these trips or to supporting the effort financially.  To get more information about the January trip or the overall mission to Haiti please feel free to contact to any member of our group.  We will be serving the Fellowship dinner on January 9th, 2013.  We welcome your questions, suggestions, comments and well-wishes.