Thank You

Thank you to everyone that supported this team both with financial gifts and prayer.  It was a very difficult week in many ways.  Most things are hard in Haiti.  It is a constant, uphill climb.  You are often able to physically feel the spiritual oppression that surrounds you there.  Particularly in different parts of the villages.   But God gave each of us moments of beholding Him and moments of refreshment.  There are those in Haiti that do not like Blancs (white people).  We often see this among the young adult men.  But more frequently, the people are warm, affectionate, lovely, generous with what little they have, and very very thankful for anyone's help to encourage them and help them better their lives. This is what we normally experience when there.  In such a short amount of time of Cornerstone's involvement, we see God bringing forth much fruit both at Centre Loving Hands Orphanage and Children's Lifeline.  Many Haitians we revisit are beginning to lower their walls and discipleship is beginning to take place.  There were many one-on-one divine appointments that God provided this trip.  We are so thankful for that. 

We apologize that there are not more pictures to share of the guys at work.  With Chris on crutches and not being able to make it around to most of the work sites, and the English classes happening each afternoon, picture takers were not available.  The guys worked very, very hard though and accomplished much.  God's timing is always perfect even if we don't always see that.  We were reminded of that this trip.

We praise Him for His goodness to each of the team members and those in Haiti we worked alongside. We are thankful for each of you and for your continued support and interest in the work God is doing in Haiti.  Thank you for joining in His work there.

Blessings to each of you,
Rob and Chris Russell

Notes of Thanksgiving Given to the Team and Lifeline

Dear Cornerstone Team, Thank you so much for your service to the Lord this week.  I am so encouraged by your hearts and attitudes in following the Lord's will and not necessarily your own.  While this week did not go as planned, you still took each day and situation in a way that expressed the joy of the Lord and shined a light for Him.  Thank yo so much for your willingness to go with the flow.  Also, thank you for all the hard work you did this week.  It was all a blessing to us!  Christ radiates from each one of you and I'm not just saying that.  I say that because Ive heard how you speak and approach each day, it's clearly with Jesus as the center.  I'm very encouraged and blessed by each of you.  Thank you for coming to Haiti to serve Christ.  May He bless each one of you.  I'm praying for you.  For Jesus, Michelle Welke

I feel so good cause you came to help us.  Ferline

The class English was very very good for me.  For the I want to say to God for helping the team.  I know many vocabulary new and to bless Lifeline too.  Philippe

Children Lifeline, one of the best organizations that I know in the whole world.  It helps me to progress and help other people progressing because gathering everybody together is the best way to go forward.  So the goal of the mission is to join the world and help the needy people.  English is a very nice language that everybody needs.  But no possibility for some of us to pay for an English class the stay differently.  with teacher Jonckheere, learning English became easy and fast.  I've learned a lot.   Minold

I will be good about what I found of the class.  I would like you to continue with the class but sorry.  I think you for that God bless you.

Lifeline is so good for me, the come Lifeline it's was a blessing for the people specially for me.  I find possibility to work, to teach the kids for to make them to know Jesus Christ.  I'm a teacher of Lifeline Barbancourt.  I have a program, Lifeline give me some food for them.  The President give me possibility to sell the bracelets I do.  Its for that reason, Lifeline change my life.  Fresnel

This English is the class help me very much.  I can speak now, I can reading, writing.  Richard

May God bless you, I love you all, but don't forget that God loves you more.  Minold

To my life, it is the first time I me some people like that as English teachers.  I would like for God protect them very much on their way because this language can help me on my life.  I can do much many about English.  I'd like you coming back again in Haiti.  Jean Sadrac Peter

Children's Lifeline helped me against hunger.  It's helping me to save my life.  For example, it gave me work.  I may tell thank you with God for that.  It's a good mission.  Michelet

And there were many more notes that were given. What a blessing.

Saturday, Leaving is Difficult

The house will continue to be built in our absence.  We will post pictures as we receive them as the building progresses.



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From left to right: Jean Fritz, Michelle, Adrian, Candice and Celissa.  We will miss these girls and will be praying for them.



Friday's Adventures at Lifeline

Friday morning some of the team helped to pass out Love Bundles to the younger grades at Lifeline school.  A Love Bundle is made up of a toy, toiletries, maybe a piece of clothing and wrapped in a bath towel.






Happy faces.  The children love to have their pictures taken and then look at themselves on the camera screen.





Dave and Cindy headed out into the village with Kathy Cadden.  One of their first stops was to the "free" school across the street from Lifeline.  They had brought uniforms from Country Day School to give out.  School usually begins in early October in Haiti.  This year, it was delayed until the end of October because the new President wanted to open more government "free" schools so children who could not pay to go to school, could still receive an education.  This is a move in the right direction.





Another stop Dave and Cindy made with Kathy was to a woman's stick house.  They helped Kathy deliver two billboards for her to use as walls.




Friday was the last day of English classes.  The English classes took place everyday from 1:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.  The students didn't want them to end. 





The three faithful English helpers; Patti Lurvey, Abbey and Sara Russell.  The highlight of helping with these classes for Abby and Sara was the opportunities they were given to lead discussion groups.  One day Abbey was asked two questions which the group then talked about.  The first question was, "When you go to bed at night, do you lay awake thinking of Haiti?  What hopes do you have for Haiti?"  The second question which was actually brought up a few times was, "What can we do to repay you for coming here to help us?"



We held a graduation ceremony for both English classes.  The superintendent of the Lifeline school, Osmy the Haitian Director of Children's Lifeline, Dave and Cindy, Patti, Abbey and Sara formed a line and each student was called and handed a certificate, a picture taken and then walked through the line shaking hands.



A picture of both classes combined.  During the ceremony, a spokesman from the students thanked the teaching team and told them what a blessing these classes were to each one of them.  They asked if the teaching team could stay another three or four months!  They said if they did, the whole village would learn how to speak English which most Haitians see as an improvement for their lives.  Learning English gives them hope.  When the spokesman asked what they, the students could do to repay the teaching team for coming to help them, they were told to practice and teach what they have learned to others and that would be their payment.





New electrical panels installed.  Wiring updated.




New generator installed.



Thursday's Adventures at Lifeline

On Thursday, the guys were able to start building the home for the family of eight.  Pictured here are the father, mother and one of their youngest children outside their current home.  There were many Haitians working alongside the guys.  The father of the family worked very hard too helping in anyway he could.  It was amazing to see how quickly the home went up.  It was a very hot day.



In this picture, Adrian is holding Jean Fritz.  Adrian is the young woman that is currently the main host for Lifeline.  She is only 18 years old!  She does a wonderful job of taking care of us all.  Also pictured is Kathy Cadden and Chris with most of the children from the family and a few children from the village.  The children were very interested in Chris' crutches.




A look inside one of the family's tarp rooms.




The guys begin their work and learn as they go.





One of the family's daughters.




Chris holding another daughter.




One of the little ones of the family.  We were not able to get this little one to smile and laugh like the others.  She may not have been feeling well.  She moved very slowly and was very lethargic.




This boy lived with the family but was not their son.  He became an orphan when the earthquake hit.  The family has taken him in.  He ran around in a t shirt only.  No bottoms or underwear.  We took the kids over to the mission house and cleaned them up a bit.  We fitted them with new shoes and clothes.  They were very happy!




The father brought out a small, rush seated chair for Chris to sit on.  He insisted she move to the shade.  It was the only chair the family possessed. 




This is one of the family's daugthers that needs eye surgery.  Kathy Cadden is hoping to make arrangements for this surgery in Port au Prince.  If that is not able to take place, she hopes to bring her to the U.S. for the eye surgery.




The father was so appreciative for the team and this gift of a new home.  He thought it came directly from the team.  Chris had to explain to him that it was not just from the team but many donors that live in Michigan and other parts of the U.S. that gave generously to help make this happen.  He understood and began to weep when he realized how many people gave towards this new home for his family.



Wednesday's Adventures at Lifeline

Worked continued on the house project for the family.  The foundation was finished.



This is the family's current home.  The new home will be an enormous blessing to them.  We also found out that the mother had just had another baby buy it didn't survive.




Painting continued in the classroom. 




This is Jean Fritz.  The little orphan that lives at Lifeline.  He is quite a special little boy. 




Celissa is a wonderful sister in the Lord that was staying at Lifeline.  She is attending college in Port au Prince and studying to become a nurse.  She often worked in the medical clinic at Lifeline each day treating people from the village.




This young woman is Candice.  She was one of our hosts this week at Lifeline.  She and her friend Michelle are staying at Lifeline while they are waiting for their house to be built at the Barbancourt Orphange.  She and Michelle will be the American missionaries on the ground that help to run that orphanage.  This is an orphange Lifeline is helping to support.  Candice is wise beyond her years. 



More mural scenes.  It was a lot of fun to do this.  The teacher was very happy and said she and her class were blessed by this.



Cindy is pictured with Noah and Kathy Cadden.  Noah spent a lot of time with the team and lives in the village.  Kathy is a partner with Lifeline and we nicknamed her the "woman who can do it all".  She and her organization is a huge blessing to Lifeline.