It’s already amazing to see God at work through this  experience and part of the team hasn’t even been here for  3 hours yet. By the end of the day on Monday we all  arrived safely here in Haiti, finally. There were two  groups out of Indianapolis on Sunday afternoon and both  had some travel challenges. One group slept in the  Miami airport, the other in the Chicago Hilton. One  group arrived at Lifeline today a little before noon as  planned, the other rolled in around 7:45 pm. Through it  all, everyone is still smiling. Excitement is still winning  the battle against exhaustion, and we’re eager to get started with the house construction first thing in the morning.

The sights, smells and sounds have flooded our senses from the minute we all arrived on the ground here. It’s unfathomable to think about what the people here have endured as we made the drive through the city, passing site after site of flattened buildings, piles of rubble and tent cities. One can’t help but be deeply moved by all that we’ve taken in today. The group that arrived late this morning had some time to get our supplies organized, go through orientation and get a tour of some of the local highlights near the mission in Grand Goave. We had the privilege of meeting some of the sponsored kids and presenting gifts on behalf of ourselves and others. When the final part of our team arrived, there was much rejoicing. We wound out the evening together through prayer and worship on the rooftop under a moonless, yet starry sky with brief flashes of heat lightning far off in the distance.

Throughout the week, you’ll have the opportunity to hear a few times from a different trip participant, hopefully writing at the end of each day. We didn’t know if we’d have the opportunity, but as long as there is electricity and the stories to share, we’ll try to write and hope that through our communication network (CRYM blog, facebook, etc…) you’ll get to share a small part of the experience with us. Please continue to keep our team in your prayers. It’s apparent that there have been some serious attempts to try and frustrate the plans that have been laid for the work of the Lord this week. Our battle is not against flesh and blood… Please pray for the spiritual strength to keep our eyes on the Lord and walk in his strength in whatever may come our way. We eagerly anticipate joining God in his great and mighty work through Lifeline in Haiti.

In Christ,
Nick Wilkes