Another energetic team of 14 from Prince of Peace, Springfield was with us from April 16-21.  Led by Lazarus Project board member, Ray Schaible, half the participants were new to Haiti and half were repeats.

The timing of their visit happened to coincide with the senate elections in Haiti, so their activities had to be modified to fit the national mandates issued to safeguard the elections.  On the day of their arrival, the government announced that all schools in Haiti would be closed on both Friday and Monday because of the elections that were to take place on Sunday.  Then on Friday, the government decreed that all vehicular travel would be banned on Sunday in Haiti in an attempt to head off any violence that might erupt in connection with the elections.

But once more, God showed us who is in charge, that He was not going to let the peculiarities of an election prevent a team from getting His work done.  Just as we were finishing our tour of Food for the Poor on Friday, word was received that our long-awaited Matthew's Box, the container that had been started by Prince of Peace last fall and whose arrival was very much in doubt until Ray Schaible intervened, had just been released from the dock and would be at the warehouse in about an hour!  So the team scrambled back to Hope House and hastily made room in the cottage to receive the half a container of goods that had been sent for our ministries.  Much of the rest of their time was spent in unloading, sorting and distributing the goods that were received.  Included in the items received were half a truck load of diapers for Little Children of Jesus and over 1500 pair of shoes.

We also discovered that it takes more than a ban on driving to keep God's people from worshipping.  While we were not able to drive to the Village of Hope for worship, and most of the team did not look too favorably on Pastor Bollinger's suggestion that we bike out, we had a wonderful, Spirit-filled worship experience at Marie Major's Grace Church.

Besides dealing with Matthew's Box, the team was also able to spend some quality time at both Little Children of Jesus and at Marie's orphanage, as well as take care of numerous little repair projects at Hope House.  And, thanks to their willingness to get up early on the day of their departure, we were even able to finally get them to the Village of Hope to witness the beginning of the school day there.

And by the way,  of the over 50+ Haitians that I have asked so far, not a single one bothered to vote!