Dedication Day!
We had an exciting dedication day here in Haiti.  Since our team had finished its VBS program that day, we combined the both events.  The kids were showing off what they had learned in their classes throughout the week...songs and dances.  They were so enthusiastic and really showed how much they had learned.  After the awards and presentations, it was time to dedicate the playground.  You could tell the kids were getting antsy and ready to play on their new playground.

Once they were let loose, they overtook the equipment!  You could almost not even see it.  Most of the teachers and adults could tell that this would be a great relief for them as the kids could now release their energy on the playground, instead of the classroom.  Several of the kids came up to us and said "Thank you" as well as the adults.  The school principal was overjoyed that we came and couldn’t thank us enough.  He said that this was a great example to the kids and the community that children need to be valued and cared for. There were also several Double Harvest board members that couldn’t believe how we had transformed the area into a place of joy so quickly!  The credit for this has to go to the 20 volunteers from Kindred Church in California.  They worked tirelessly to complete the project and even had a few blisters to show for it!

Besides their hard work on the playground, the team also saw over 50 decisions for Christ this week as well as the opportunity to impact 450 kids with the gospel.  It was truly a great week for them and for the Kingdom!

We want to thank you all for your prayers and support for this project. We also want to thank all those involved on this project:  Double Harvest, Kindred Church, Food for the Poor and all of our volunteers including Les Bley.  We hope to go back to Haiti soon and bring more hope into this country.

Day 2

Today we had quite a few holes to dig and 50 yards of pea gravel to move.  The team did great and it looks like we will finish tomorrow.  Most of the volunteers we have are under 20 years old so energy is not a problem for them.... They have been spending 6 hours with the children conducting a VBS program and then spending the remainder of the day with us digging holes and putting up the playground.

There have been 400+ kids every day at the VBS and most of those kids have been on the playground site while we have been working.  It has been exciting to say the least!  They all want to help and are very inquisitive.  Some of the little boys grabbed the large shovels and went to work and were serious about it.  It was cute to watch.

This playground will be used by hundreds of children on a daily basis.  Some of the adults have said that this playground is an incredible gift to their children and they are so grateful.

Thank you for your prayers for us as we continue to minister to the children of Haiti.

Chris Marshall
Kids Around the World