Athens, GA Church Team

Saturday:
We picked the group up from the airport and they are from Athens, Georgia and go to Athens Church. There are about 18 of them and the group is consists of college aged students and young couples. We went to the old camp for the afternoon. We started with a prayer walk/tour of the community. Solomon (deaf leader) taught a short sign language class to the group and they were able to hear some stories from the deaf leaders and community in LaPiste. We were able to go back with them to the 410 Bridge guest house in Cabaret and had a wonderful meal and short devotion time before we had to head back to MOH.
Sunday:
The group went to church in Leveque. When the church service was finished we were able to all gather in the new church area on top of the hill. We had a praise, worship and prayer time together with the team and some of the deaf people from the community. In the afternoon the entire team did a prayer walk around the community.
Monday:
This morning our team went to Bercy to help MOH with VBS. It was a little bit of a “goat rodeo” but it was fun! We had one deaf girl name Lileane who was twelve show up so Mary and I were able to interpret for her during VBS. In the afternoon we all went out to Leveque and half of the group had a sign language class while the other half of the group helped start someone’s garden in the community.
Tuesday:
This morning our team went out to Bercy again to go to VBS. Lileane was there again and we all had a great time! In the afternoon we went out to Leveque for the weekly Tuesday afternoon soccer game. Some MOH teams came out to play the deaf leaders but the deafies were the champs today—4 to 2.
Wednesday:
Today the team went out to the old camp in LaPiste with Alexis (deaf leader), William S. (deaf pastor) and Karlens (translator/hopefully interpreter for the deaf). The team did a great job of having a mini VBS for the kids in the community while the deaf adults had a Bible story time taught by Pastor William S. In
the afternoon the team continued with the mini VBS and two of the men on the team shared a lesson with some of the deaf adults from the community.
Thursday:
Today was the last full day out at Leveque for the team L  The team spent the morning doing another prayer walk and visiting some deaf families. They had the chance to sit down and watch Estras (deaf painter) paint some paintings and they also watched some of the deaf woman make their bead necklaces. Before leaving Leveque the entire team went on top of the hill to the church area where we all gathered for a special announcement from Pastor William S. One of the couples on the team was celebrating their 15^th wedding anniversary and Pastor William S. renewed their vows. It was the most precious thing I had ever seen. (It was a surprise to the wife so she loved it!)

*On another note here are the bios for the women who are making the bead necklaces & bracelets:Berthide Cius is a deaf leader who lives in house number 315 in Leveque, Haiti. She is thirty-five years old and has one daughter who is ten. With the money from the bead products she wants to support her coffee trade until she has enough finances to start her restaurant business.
Evlyne Phillipe is a deaf woman who lives in house number 310 in Leveque, Haiti. She is fifty years old and has two daughters—ages 24 and 25. With the money from the bead products she wants to start a cookie and coffee business to support her livelihood.
Roseline Prevaly is a deaf woman who lives in house number 329 in Leveque, Haiti. She is twenty-eight years old and currently has no children but hopes that God will bless her with a child soon. With the money from the bead products she would like to start her own rice business to help feed the people of Leveque.
Melonnie Milceus is a deaf woman who lives in house number 286 in Leveque, Haiti. She is fifty-five years old and has five children—one son and four daughters. With the money from the bead products she will support her cooking and crochet business. 

Celiane Exantus is a deaf woman who lives in house number 347 in Leveque, Haiti. She is thirty-six years old and is married to a leader of deaf community in Haiti. With the money from bead products she will help support her husband and her family.

Nadege Jon Louis is a deaf woman who lives in house number 332 in Leveque, Haiti. She is 30 years old and has two sons. With the money from the bead products she would like to buy a chicken and use the eggs to sell for income in addition to feeding her family. 

Suzette Augustin is a hearing woman who lives in house number 282 in Leveque, Haiti. She is 45 years old and has 3 daughters. With the money from the bead products she wants to start her own business selling shoes and clothes.

Matala Francois (also known as Kyle’s Haiti Mom) is a deaf woman who lives in house number 322 in Leveque, Haiti. She is 54 years old and has two daughters. With the money from the bead products she would like to buy the necessary supplies to start a business making and selling bread and peanut butter.