Hello Everyone! I know…it’s been a while! Sorry for not writing sooner, but school has had me treading in deep water, and I am so very ready for a break. Thanksgiving cannot come soon enough at the West house! I have SOOO much to share, however!!
Over the last few months there have been numerous groups to go to Ganthier to work on the development. These groups have not only worked on building the medical/dental clinic and missionary dorm, but they have ministered to people in the community of Ganthier by holding medical clinics and sharing the love of Jesus to various members of the community.
In September a group went to do construction work. The workers finished pouring the footings for the wall surrounding the medical-dental clinic and began laying block for the wall. They anticipated having the wall completed by October and that is now done. They have now completed the wall by adding gates and placing wire on top of the wall.
Here is a picture of the wall and the gate as well as a picture of one of the Haitian family houses completed:
-
- The wall that goes around the medical/dental complex
-
- This is the gate that has been installed in the wall around the medical/dental complex
-
- Haitians who currently live in tents are moving to these houses in the new development
Two more churches in the Jackson metro area have agreed to partner with But God Ministries as well. First Baptist Church Brandon is sending a team July 21-28, 2012. It is so exciting to know that churches from our own home town are going to work on our future home. God is so good!!
One HUGE praise report on our end is that our own church, Crossgates Baptist Church, has informed us that it is helping to support our family, as we move to Haiti to operate the medical-dental clinic full-time. This is an amazing answer to prayer as we have begun to ask the Lord to provide for us in this step of faith. So far we have raised $22,500 towards our support for the year 2012. We will soon start talking to other churches about getting on board and pray about supporting us as well.
This next week a team is going over to continue construction and we hope that they will be able to move out of the dorm where teams have been staying for the last 10 months and into our dorm within the medical-dental complex. Moving into our own dorm will greatly enhance our efforts and make the trips even easier, logistically, for visiting teams. It is so exciting to me that from now on our mission teams will actually get to stay ON SITE to work. My how God has done some amazing things in just 5 months!!
Electrical work and cabinetry is underway as well. We were blessed with donated time from a local engineering team to prepare the best possible plan for incorporating all the potential sources of power. This will be a combination of utility power, diesel generators, battery banks, and we are praying solar as well. The second electrical team was there the week of October 8-15. We can now operate the clinic with portable generators as we move toward the final steps with the electrical work. The first mechanical building is complete as well. The roof of this building will also hold the water tank.
Construction is not the only thing going on in Ganthier either! Teams have shared the gospel on the worksite as well as at the apartments where they have been staying. There have been 1-day Vacation Bible Schools for children at a nearby church as well as on the grounds of the clinic. Worship services have been held with the workers on the work site. The first medical clinics were held in October. 700 registration cards were given away in advance of the clinic designating which day each patients may see the doctors. Every patient had the gospel shared with them. In addition, orphans in a nearby orphanage as well as the children of the local pastor received complete physical exams by a pediatric team.
God is doing some AMAZING things every single day with this ministry, and we are so thankful to be a part of it.
Please continue to pray as we prepare as a family to make this huge move. Pray that God will send someone to buy our house here in Brandon, and pray that God will continue to lead people and groups to help us with support while we are there. Pray that God will strengthen each one of us as we prepare spiritually for the challenges ahead. We have no doubt that God is ALWAYS in control, and that as we are obedient to His call, he will bless each member of our family with the very special gifts we will need for Him to use us uniquely in this Kingdom work.
We praise God for you, our friends and family.
Thank you for your prayer support.
~Mickie West
haitiwest 