CODEP

The passing of Rick’s mother served as a reminder of how short our time on this earth can be. Each day can either be used for the glory of the Lord or can be wasted in selfish pursuits. Each person has to answer for each day personally. As for us, we just want to make God smile.

God provides plenty of opportunity for that! Our days at L’Acul are filled with laughing children, wash women, and garden workers. We feed the fish, cut wood for cisterns, make benches, and trim bushes. Occasionally we host visitors passing by and share a meal or a cold drink. We enjoy going to the local market to buy fresh food for another week. We visit families when we take walks and help them when they need food or medicine. Our little Pushli is much better now and is getting food from our pantry to nurse him back to health.

This month we were able to share in kindergarten celebrations. We are like the visiting grandparents in the crowd, taking pictures and applauding when our “kids” do something special. It feels good to belong.

Rick and Clement continue to check on tree plantings and new nurseries. They have stocked most of the fish ponds with fish from our tanks at L’Acul. The new water composts are working well and people are amazed at how they can feed fish without commercial feed. Our fish here actually prefer algae and marenga leaves to fish pellets. Why wouldn’t they? It’s like they have a buffet to feed from now!

Jenner, our local animator in charge of the L’Acul Demonstration gardens, has begun his first class teaching principals he learned while at Terrier Rouge Vocational School. Five local teens are enrolled. All have already shown an interest in gardening by planting gardens at their own homes. Summer vacation is an excellent time for them to learn something new that will benefit their families. All of these kids are part of the beach kids group and have watched the L’Acul gardens progress from banana grove to beautiful vegetables.

Haiti Fund Executive Director, John Winings, and his wife Debbie, and guest Kirby Kline spent a week with us. They brought wonderful teaching tools for the kids from their church back home. They spent days along the beach and in the mountains, viewing the progress of CODEP. Over 500,000 trees have been planted just this year already! Plus, many meters of hedgerows have gone in to support the new trees. Multiple sacks of fertilizer have been applied, so the little trees are now growing strong and green. The July rains are coming and the mountainsides are beautiful and lush where CODEP has been working. Now the groups are starting their tree nurseries all over again in preparation of the 2nd planting season this fall.

Our home church, Cornerstone Christian, sent their first mission team. Nine of our good friends were able to see first hand just why we left Indiana. They came to help with a 3-day VBS for 33 beach kids. Samuel, Roselore, and Mark Eddy, Haitian university students, came as teachers and mentors. The kids enjoyed lessons, drama, memory verses, games, and crafts. They all received bright colored T-shirts and a big Haitian lunch everyday. A lot of new friendships were formed during the week.

The Cornerstone men were able to fabricate and weld the final railings and window bars for Clement’s new house. Rick installed the finishing touches to the stairs. Clement is so proud of his new home, the prettiest in the addition!

The final day with the CCC team we hiked into the interior with Rene and installed 2 cisterns and gutters for CODEP workers who have been waiting to receive their awards. The hike was spectacular, walking for miles on ridges overlooking deep valleys. The people we met along the way blessed us with warm welcomes. The homeowners offered us hot cocoa and bread and rice and bean sauce. We were so humbled as we all crowded into the small palm wood house and shared a meal using borrowed plates and spoons. We were reminded how precious these cisterns were to these hard working people, all who walk over 30 minutes to collect water in buckets from a nearby stream way down in the valley.

Now we wait to receive word that the container of treated wood will be released from customs today or tomorrow so we can unload it before leaving for Indiana. [Container arrived and was unloaded the night before the Land’s left for home – ed.]. Rick is fixing a leak in the main water tank and Kathy is preparing to have the beach kids in for a final get together and video in the afternoon. The kids have learned 7 bible verses already and will continue during the weeks that she is away in Indiana. Pastor Gabriel is filling in with bible lessons and verses every Wednesday. Wensy has started summer school and it will continue during the month of July.

May your days be as filled as ours and may each one make God smile!

Sincerely His,
Rick and Kathy Land