3 Houses in 1 Week!

Today was a day of celebration for 14 members from Highpoint Church in Thompson, Connecticut as they said their goodbye's and headed home.  Last Saturday afternoon this team composed of couples, families, and even in-laws landed in Haiti.  They came with a goal of building three houses for families who had lost their homes in the 2010 earthquake.  There mission was a success.

Josh George, pastor and leader of the Highpoint team, began his travels to Haiti while he was working for MFI (Missionary Flights International).  He loved his time working with MFI but he knew God was calling him to work on the ground with His people.  Since that time he has become an Associate Pastor and his love for the nations has overflowed into his congregation.

Highpoint church does two short-term trips a year.  Some of these trips have included Tanzania, Venezuela, and Kenya.  The trips typically consist of construction projects as the team engages the culture with the goal of making the name of Christ known.  As the team travels home today, we know that they will never forget the lessons they learned, and the stories they heard about how the gospel is impacting the people of Haiti.

One of the mothers from the work-site shared about how she came to know the Lord.  She said it was one year after the earthquake and there were some evangelists from a local church in the area.  She was intentionally keeping her distance.  Her child, however, was playing with a group of kids in the neighborhood.  After being asked for his mom, he immediately took the evangelists straight to her, she could hide no more.  She is so thankful for the encounter that completely changed her life.

Working alongside the Haitian translators, house builders, and families, the team members learned a great deal about the culture of Haiti.  Roger, a grandfather, said he was amazed when he saw the kids playing with a cut-up milk jug with lids attached to the bottle to make it into a car.

"I realized my grandchildren, and myself have a lot of 'wants' that are totally not necessary.  The people here are so happy and so content with what they have," said Roger.

Teenagers, Mitch and Jacob, were amazed by the work ethic of their Haitian brothers.  "We took at least 3 breaks during the day, the whole time the Haitians continued to work so hard.  It definitely challenged me to work harder," said Mitch.

"I am going home with a renewed perspective on how much I waste on a daily basis," said Mackenzie.  "I saw firsthand how important it is to conserve water, and take care of the things the Lord has given me."  

At the end of a very full week, the team members are excited to return home to family, friends, and a warm shower.  We are thankful for the work of Highpoint Church.  Several of the team members said they hoped to return to Haiti again. We eagerly wait to serve alongside them in the future.