Dear Loved Ones,

Our prayer for you is that the King whose birthday we celebrate brings you His peace and all the blessings for this season and the coming year.

I was once speaking in a church in the States and somebody wanted to know how poor persons build their houses in Haiti. He wanted to know if they get loan from the banks, charitable institutions or they hire a building company.

I told him that we build one block at a time. It may take 10 or 20 years but the goal is to finish and call it a house. 

The house in the photo started in 2010. The family of 7 people lives in one room with two beds. Beds are not only to sleep on but we use their underneath as a storage room to keep our belongings. The wife and her husband combined make US $ 134 a month. They eat, clothe the entire family, have their children study and build their house out of that US $ 134. That is why it takes years to build a house. 

It is in this house that family of seven will welcome our Lord, the savior of the world.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2014.

Yours in Haiti,

Nzunga & Kihomi

 

Dear Faithful supporters,

We get a 30 year loan and move into our house.  Haitians do the opposite and build it themselves over many years.   I flew from Port-au-Prince to Pinion once in a small plane that did not fly real high.  I saw literately hundreds if not thousands of these unfinished homes.  After years of getting the block work done they are often stymied when it comes to the roof.  The metal is expensive and the trusses should be metal due to hurricanes.  Some go ahead and use wooden poles to get the roof on but it will be gone if a hurricane hits.   I have seen some with tarps over the top also, however most are just roofless shells.  Foliage grows fast and year around in tropical countries so many look abandoned and almost reclaimed by the jungle.  Can you imagine working on your dream house your whole life and maybe never getting it finished?  Can you imagine living in such close and primitive quarters?  Can you imagine those who are building these block house as being the lucky ones as many will never get the money to even get the land?  If they woke up tomorrow in our garages they would think they won the lottery. 

This is just one illustration of how the “least of these” live and why the hope of Jesus that Nzunga and Kihomi brings to them is so cherished.  Churches are full and the singing and praying is unbelievably heartfelt. 

Thank you for allowing them to be there.  Thank you for your faithful support.

In my warm home in Indiana,  (It was 1 degree this morning)

Dennis Shewell

Mission Partnership Team Communications Advocate and Convener

Nzunga and Kihomi Ministry

E-mail: deshewell@gmail.com

Phone: 812-569-1352812-569-1352

 

Other team Members:

Les Roberson

Diana Peysha

Terry Bivens-Fry

Charles Newman