Everyone has returned home... safe and sound. Sadly not all of our luggage made it due to heavy winds. Liat omitted telling our group returning on Monday that their bags were left in St. Vincent - at least not until they landed in Barbados. Thankfully Air Canada has been helpful at it now appears most of the bags have either been returned to their owners, or are still sitting in the Toronto Airport.
It truly is amazing and beyond human explanations how everything was accomplished in a four week period. With the exception of a few details will be completed by local contractors in the next few weeks, a solid home for the children has been built and even furnished with bunk beds, mattresses, sofas, tables and chairs, appliances and linens - all provided through the generous donations of our extended mission team at home who were so helpful when we were gathering things for the container last November and December.
The days lost by the delayed container clearance and the weather were largely overcome by tremendous effort from all the team members and a number of late nights during the last week.
Major Antoine estimates the grand opening to occur later this month, and the children to begin to move in commencing April. We solicit your continued prayers that:
- the right staff are found to care for the children with sufficient compassion and understanding of the difficult circumstances they will come while attempting to build a new blended family.
- that the community who seemed quite excited about the project and receptive to the children's home, will also adopt the children as part of their community, and
- that the government officials who have promised operating funds for the facility follow through on their pledges.
Sadly the need for the home is great and this was made evident to even our youger team members when chatting with the local school children. They were full of questions about what we were building and why. One young girl asked many questions about who would live there, and how old they could be. Apparently she was living in an abusive situation, and was hoping that this might be a place for her. Our prayers go out to her and all of the other children who need a safe and loving home.
We must thank everyone again for their support - physically, financially, emotionally and prayerfully.... but most of all we must be thankful for Phillipians 1:6 (the Message) "There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish."
We know the building is only the beginning. Each of the lives that pass through the doors will be another new beginning. May they know the love of hundreds of Canadians who invested in their future in many different ways, and may the know that the love of God is even greater!
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