Haiti Update!!

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving...we all have so much to be thankful for.  As you are aware, for personal reasons, I did not join the group when they went to Port au Prince this past September.  I will be traveling with them this February (February 19 - 26) and want to take this opportunity to update those who gave such generous donations, and to those who might still be interested in supporting our efforts.

The people of the Croix de Mission Church and its neighborhood in Port au Prince, Haiti, have benefited greatly from your gifts.  This past September our team employed neighborhood men to help us repair the walls of five earthquake-damaged homes in the village, to reinforce the church foundation we began in February 2009, and to fill the foundation with 300 cubic yards of gravel.  The concrete floor was poured after our team left this past September.  Each day during that visit, 110 people were fed a hot lunch, which contained meat (not something this community is able to provide to their families due to lack of money.)

Our team had expected to erect metal trusses and put a metal roof on the church in September, but after the earthquake, new building codes required an improved foundation.  To see pictures and read a blog from the September work group, visit:  http://www.croixdesmission.blogspot.com/.

The friendliness, faith, and patience of the members of the Croix de Mission Community are remarkable under any circumstances, but in the dire state of Port au Prince at this time, they are truly a miracle.  Nearly all the surviving homes have structural damage.  Some families do not eat every day, and no one in the neighborhood has a job (and NOT for lack of wanting one!)

Now cholera and other diseases endanger the people of Haiti.  We pray that the government and volunteers can stave off this horrid danger.  Meanwhile, our team remains faithful to our promise to arrive in February to finish building the Croix des Mission Methodist Church so it can be used to serve the neighborhood not only as a place to worship, but also as a temporary medical clinic and a school for the children.

Please follow my blog while we are away - February 19 - 26, 2011 - http://haititales2010.blogspot.com/.  And if you haven't already, please consider supporting our work in this impoverished country.  A little goes a long way and is appreciated more than you could imagine.  Thank you in advance for your support and Happy Holidays to you and your family!

Donate toward the cost of roof construction for the Church ($25,000)
Donate toward the cost of repairing badly-damaged homes in Croix de Mission ($5,000)
Donate toward the cost of feeding the hungry community we are working with ($2,000)

You can make you tax deductible check payable to:  Lebanon Methodist Church.  Please mail to me, Robin Caissie, 986B Route 12A, Plainfield, NH 03781.

Travel Delayed

Hi all,

Due to unforeseen circumstances, I have changed my Haiti travel dates from September 14-22 to February 19 - 26, 2011.

Please check back periodically, as I will keep this site updated with new news as we get closer to the date.

Many thanks,
Robin

T MINUS ONE MONTH!!!!

Woohoo!!  Stay tuned!

Mutual Benefit!

Good afternoon!



As you may be aware, I am heading to Haiti on September 14 to work in the village of Croix de Mission in Port au Prince. We have two additional volunteers this year, Liz Tomlinson and her daughter Sophie, who is a sophomore at Hanover High School. They will be working directly with 17 families teaching them the skill of sewing, which will not only provide much-needed clothing for their own families, but will give them the opportunity to sell these items and use the money for food, water, and medicine. We have already raised enough money to purchase 2-3 manual sewing machines (foot-driven) along with fabric.


Liz and Sophie will be holding a benefit yard sale this Saturday, August 14, at their home in Hanover and are looking for those who might like to donate any old items. All proceeds will go to offset the cost of additional materials, food, and water for the Haitian community we are working with. If you are interested, please contact Liz directly at 603-643-3243, or by email etomlinson@wcbh.org.

Many thanks in advance for any help you can provide.


Regards,

Robin

It's Official!! September 14!

It's official! We will depart for Port au Prince on September 14 and return on the 22nd, where/when we will literally "raise the roof" on the Church we began building in February 2009. What will be different this year, is that we will also travel with three additional volunteers, who will be teaching part of a community how to sew (money has been raised in order to purchase foot powered sewing machines along with a variety of fabric). This will be a wonderful way to teach a village a very useful skill that can begin sustaining their families in the future (either by making clothing for themselves or by selling it to others, allowing them to earn money for food and shelter).

To reach my own fundraising goal, I need to raise another $600 --- so, so, so close. This money (and what has come in thus far) will be used for tools to continue the building project, for work gloves, and for food that will be provided to the community we are working with in Croix de Mission, Port au Prince.

I write today to ask you to consider donating what you can to this very worthy cause. You should also know that EVERY PENNY that is donated will go to these projects and the Haitian community we work with - and every bit makes a WORLD of difference to these people.

If you do decide to make a donation, your check can be made payable to the Lebanon Methodist Church and sent to me, Robin Caissie, 986B Route 12A, Plainfield, NH 03781.

Thank you to everyone who has already contributed to this mission. I will be sure to update everyone as we get closer to the date, and of course, while I am there via my blog (haititales2010.blogspot.com). Your generosity is AND will be greatly appreciated by the Haitian community.

Stay tuned as the fundraising cranks up and we count down!!!

Peace,

Robin