New Building for Grace Presbyterian

Grace Presbyterian Church of the North Shore has a new building!

July 2012 Haiti Mission Trip

CMP Haiti Missions Trip, July 27 – August 4

Informational meetings will be April 12 and 13 at NPC/Naperville and Covenant/Chicago, respectively, at 7:00 pm. The commitment deadline for team members is May 11.

Download information here.
Donation list here

Updated GA Schedule

The AC published an updated schedule for the Committees of Commissioners. You can find it here: Schedule

29th Stated Meeting | July 18, 2012 | New Covenant Naperville

Please join us for the 29th Stated Meeting of Chicago Metro Presbytery on July 18, 2012 at New Covenant Church in Naperville, IL.

New Covenant Church1 Bunting Lane

Naperville, IL 60565 [Map it]
www.newcovenantnaperville.org/ 
630-357-4092 [office]

Schedule:
12:00 pm - Lunch

1:00 pm - Business Begins

4:00 pm - Business Adjourns

28th Stated Meeting | April 25, 2012 | Covenant Presbyterian

Wednesday, April 25, 12:00 – 4:00

Covenant Presbyterian Church
2012 West Dickens Ave
Chicago, IL 60647 [Map it]
www.covenantchicago.org
773-486-9590 [office]

Schedule:
12:00 pm - Lunch

1:00 pm - Business Begins

4:00 pm - Business Adjourns

2012 Midwest Connection | Church Planting

Time to register for Midwest Connection, a church-planting regional conference. Wed, April 18 through Fri, April 20, 2012.

Download information here | Register here

Haiti Mission Team Update - Feb 24

The team’s devotional time tonight went a little longer than usual. You would think after a day like today it would be shorter, as they are tired. But a great kind of tired.

By 1:00, the medical team had seen 115 kids in Savannes. They worked on until 5:30, doing at least three major procedures as well as the more typical range of care needed among the children and adults. There were 5 different medical stations set up now that the team was all working in one place again. There was barely a stop for lunch; usually the team just snacks while they go. Every person was prayed for as they came through for care. Some were taken off to the side for longer conversations about Jesus. At least a few accepted Christ as a result.

The children’s ministry was going full tilt all day, ushering in 15 kids at a time for an hour of crafts, coloring, and singing. They were riveted to Hector’s story telling about Jesus. Pastor Louis was astonished at their reaction, as they settled down to do these group oriented things requiring quiet and giving attention. In fact, they waited quietly outside for their turns in the hot sun for hours.

The engineers also put in another day’s work, this time plotting out a plan for a school in Savannes. It would be the first school to operate there. As soon as funding is in place, the building will go up – yet another way the Christian voice in Savannes will be heard, proclaiming God’s love for these broken and hurting people and working to change the very heart of the community from darkness to light.

Other seeds were sown today, too. A team member met a man who had just on Monday lost his wife and was now a single parent to two young children. He has no work and begs everyday for food to give to them. Antoine has been to America, and is highly educated by Haitian standards. Yet in Savannes, there is no work for him unless the “godfathers” allow him a job…and that won’t happen until he swears allegiance to them and to their voodoo gods. Thus far he has refused. He says he used to pray and used to believe in God, but “where is God now?” Would you please pray with the team for Antoine, that God would meet him at this crushing point of need and make himself known to Antoine, giving him hope and a future as he deals with sorrow, loss, and the responsibility of raising his children alone?

By the end of the day, more than a few people had pulled aside a team member to say they knew the team really cared about them because they came to Savannes - messy, poor, forgotten Savannes. They saw how they cared for each person who came to them, and how they treated each other. This spoke volumes to them about the love of Jesus – that they came, and they showed love “nan nom Jesi”.

As our tired but full of praise team members finished up their week in Haiti, their last team meeting had a hard time breaking up. They just didn’t want to be “done” – not with ministry, nor with each other.

Tomorrow is a long day of travel (they’ll be on the bus for the long ride from Cayes to Port au Prince at 4:00 a.m. EST) and a “re-entry” day. It seems that people who go to Haiti for a week feel like they’ve been there much longer due to the intensity of the experience. Please pray for safe travel and on time arrivals, for continued good health as they arrive home, and for a smooth re-entry and re-orientation to “real life”. 

They’ll all have more stories and pictures to share in person. You will enjoy every one of them! And be sure to ask them if they want to go back.

Haiti Mission Team Update - Feb 23

“Savannes has been transformed. It’s different.”

This comment is from one of the team members who was there a year ago. Today was like a crazy celebration all day long. There was still a huge crowd, but the personality was different. Instead of desperation at the edges and the scent of discontent and wariness everywhere, like a pot of something bad ready to boil over, there was a happily bubbling feeling of reunion with touching moments and beautiful stories.

Jude was there waiting for the team to arrive and stayed all day, helping, hugging, and smiling. Here’s his picture with the team leader who forged a relationship with him last year. At that time, Jude was one of the wary, angry, powerful leaders of the community steeped in voodoo. By the end of their multi-day visit to Savannes, he was saying he wanted what they had. He wanted Jesus. And in the intervening year, he has grown much and become a leader in the fledgling church in Savannes.  

Vilia Seide was also there. Last year, she was the mother of a very sick newborn as well as six other children. She had also just become a widow, her husband dying of cholera. With no husband, no money, and seven children her future was bleak indeed. Women in her situation often have only one thing left to sell, and that is themselves.  Pastor MonChera knew she had an idea of how to open a legitimate business to support her family, but had no funds. One of the doctors on the team last year went home and mobilized a group of women to underwrite a business plan for Vilia which included support until her new business could get up and running. Today she was beaming like a light bulb, and when she was taken to see this same doctor, once again on the team, the tears flowed all around.

Two changed lives because of the power of the gospel. The ripple effect has been enormous. The church began to grow quickly after much prayer and the concerted prayer and mercy ministry of the team there last year. In December, Pastor MonChera (the second attached picture is of him and his wife) held evangelistic services where another 100 people responded to the gospel. Things are indeed different in Savannes!

The team prayed for every patient that came through today (100 kids alone and many more adults); at least five were led to the Lord by the team’s interpreter.  The day was really chaotic at first, but settled into somewhat of a bumpy routine. Once the kids figured out you got a new set of clothes after a scabies wash, the little curtained facility that was set up was overrun with volunteers. Eventually, a ticket system was put in place to restrain the crowds, and things went fairly smoothly from then on. Such is the way of ministry in Haiti…try, adjust, try again, flex, and get it done, praying for people all the while!

Meanwhile, a small contingent went to Cherette again to finish up the medical attention needed and the survey work. It took three different replacement vehicles and a few hours waiting for them on the side of the road, but they eventually got there. It was hot work out at the river, really hot, for hours and the Haitians with the survey team recognized that white people can’t deal with the sun as well…so they used their bodies to shield the team members from the sun. Whenever the team members sat down to work something out, subtle shifts would take place so they were shielded. The team was touched by this silent service and the way the Haitians showed their gratitude for their labors in this most sweet and unassuming way.

The medical team had one serious thing to work on, and it took the whole team plus Pastor Nerva and a few others.  One very resilient and determined 6 year old orphan had injured her big toe, and one of our team members taking a closer look at the missing nail and injured nail bed brought her to the medical team saying, “there’s stuff alive inside her toe”. Indeed there was. But to thoroughly remove the “stuff alive” she needed a nerve block shot…which is where she showed her determination. Suffice it to say, the shot was given and the procedure completed but not until all were exhausted! You never know what you’ll be asked to do on a medical team in Haiti.

The team is thankful for many things –

• For your prayers, especially, as they have held up the team during long days and unusual circumstances.
• For the impact they’ve been able to have as Jesus’ hands, feet, and heart in this hurting world.
• For the physical relief they’ve been able to give to so many.
• For their ability to work seamlessly together and the joy they’ve found in each other’s company.
• For their good health this week.

Their last full day is already upon them. Tomorrow, all will go to Savannes. They could stay for weeks and still be busy there, so tomorrow will be bittersweet and difficult when it’s time to go. Please pray for them – that they have a sense of completeness and an ability to let go. Pray for the children’s ministry, which will run alongside the medical team, sharing bible stories and the gospel through story and acting. And praise God with the team that they have a ringside seat to see the gospel in action in Savannes, Cherette, Casa Major, and Cambry.

Thank you for reading to the end of this update. You’ve probably noticed as the week goes on they get longer!

Haiti Mission Team Update - Feb 22

It doesn’t count as a trip to Haiti unless there are rain and transportation issues. Today was a “two for one”!

The early start to Cherette was delayed until it was determined that the rain falling in Cambry was not worse up in the mountains. It is very easy to get stuck in Cherette if you are on the wrong side of the rainfall – for days. So, with a later but safer start, the entire team boarded a bus for the first leg of the trip.

 The plan was to change into four wheel drive vehicles at the end of the road. Literally, the end of the road; it’s creekbeds from there on up. But the bus had other ideas (busses in Haiti live a hard life and there’s hardly a bus repair shop on every corner; breakdowns are common), so more time was lost waiting for the four wheel drive vehicles to meet them a little nearer to Cambry than originally planned. Once again on their way, spirits were high. The off road “road” to Cherette has been described as better than a Disney ride through a rain forest. And two of our team actually got to drive some of the vehicles up. Awesome!

And as they pulled into Cherette, the best was yet to come. Two hundred children were gathered in worship and were singing with such joy at the top of their voices they could hear them from a distance. As the team came in the building and filled in around the edges to watch, they saw a display of joyful singing and dancing that “made the whole trip worth it right there”.  The children sang for them and after introductions were made, the team trouped up to the front and sang for the children (a rather credible version of “Jesus Loves Me” in Creole – they had been practicing!). It was met with clapping and much approval!

The picture attached is the first group of children waiting to see the medical team. The team was very encouraged at the progress the children have made in comparison to their first visit two years ago. These orphans have been sponsored by a consortium of individuals in several churches for a full year now, and it shows. The funds go for adequate food and care by more and better trained housemoms. It also helps to raise the quality of education by affording better trained teachers.  There were the ever present scabies issues, but not to the extent seen in the past. The kids are growing and are happy. They weren’t at all shy with the team, which is another big change. The first team that visited Cherette was quite a shock for these remote village dwellers, who kept trying to see if the “white” went all the way up past the edge of a shirt sleeve!

There was a big issue with lice, however. Doctors and the team leader worked hard to convince the staff that the best solution was to shave the heads of the girls and start from scratch with treatment and then boiling all clothing and bedding at once. It was a hard sell but the only way to get ahead of such a bad infestation.

Even the compound is making great strides. There is a water purification system in place to go with the newly dug well which runs on solar power. There are propane tanks for cooking instead of wood fires. And the walkways are paved so the issue of walking everywhere in mud has been alleviated.

Some of our team members, who are trained engineers, spent the entire day at the river bed assessing the situation with ESMI staff member David Short. Partial remediation has been made to counteract the flooding that occurs as a result of the river actually shifting course a few years ago during a severe hurricane season. However, it is not complete and decisions need to be made about future work…or moving the village.

The second picture is Pastor Nerva, the pastor in Cherette, who is father figure to the children and tireless in his work with them. He has a very interesting story to tell of God’s grace in his life. If you’d like to hear more, let us know.

Tomorrow, the survey team and a small contingent of the medical folks will go back to Cherette, while the majority of the team will go into Savannes. With Mardi Gras officially over, it seems to have calmed down in the last day.  Savannes is one of the poorest sections of Cayes, perhaps some of the poorest in all of Haiti. Unemployment is 100%. There are no schools. It is a dark place where voodoo is followed by most. But ESMI has sponsored a church plant, and our teams have visited there before.  A year ago, our team was able to witness a moving of the Spirit there which was the direct result of much prayer before and during their visit by many people. The new church grew so fast it outgrew its brand new building in the month after our team's visit. The team is anxious to go back and reconnect with some of the people last year's team met there!

Although fatigued, the team is working seamlessly. After a very long day in Cherette, all of the remaining supplies were completely reorganized for the last two days of ministry. Fortunately, the heat seems to have abated somewhat, which is a relief.

Please pray that the team will benefit from a night of rest, and will stay in good health and good cheer for the rest of their time in Haiti. Tomorrow in Savannes is yet another “new situation” for many and will be stressful. The needs there are great, as are the crowds. Pray also for another safe travel day for those going to Cherette. 

The team is grateful for your prayers!

Haiti Mission Team Update - Feb 21

Tuesday was the kind of day that gets people hooked on ministry in Haiti.

Some good work was finished up in Cambry with a small team, including helping a man from the community swing a machete better by removing the extra digits he was born with on both hands. When you work as a laborer, it is not a small thing to be good at swinging a machete. With help from our medical team, a Haitian doctor (whose name is unpronounceable to most Americans, so the team calls him “Junior”) did the surgery with supplies and meds brought in the duffels.

The larger group went to Casa Major. The big task was to see all 190 kids, plus any adults who needed it. The children in Casa Major were mostly in good health; scabies and pneumonia were the main issues. With several teams set up and a triage group that kept the pace flowing, the goal was met. Along the way, they met some adorable children, and some who really needed a doctor.

The attached pictures tell the story of the day…see that smiling face in the red and white dress? That’s one way to get hooked on ministry in Haiti.

See the sleeping child? Another way to get hooked. They just want to be held sometimes.

The boy with the burn on his chest? This is the main way to get hooked – sometimes you see the hand of God very clearly when you minister in Haiti. Here’s his story…apparently, a few days ago he was scalded by some water from one of the ever-present outside cooking pots. The medical team quickly determined he had third degree burns on his back and chest (the picture of his back is much worse, and apparently even worse than that in person) and spent two hours debrading the wound. In the US, this little boy would have been heavily sedated for treatment and then kept sedated in a hospital for a week because of the pain. The burns had gone down to the bone. But in Haiti, they gave him what they had for pain and this little guy sat perfectly still with tears running down his face until they were done.  The docs said that no adult could have withstood it. The bravest boy in Haiti, indeed!  And how does this display the hand of God? The docs said that had the team not shown up when it did in Casa Major, the wound certainly would have gotten infected and this little boy would have likely been dead within two weeks. Now that the major repair has been done, a local nurse will be left with supplies, meds and ointments, and they believe he will heal. Certainly God orchestrated this timing to show mercy to this precious little boy, and show his glory to the team by allowing them to be a part of this. Praise God!

One last picture – the group of boys with the team’s interpreter – the boy in the red shirt, Fransco, is the one whose life became new in Christ yesterday in Cavillon. Thought you’d like to see his face!

The day came to a close for the team back at the guest house with a meeting including lots of laughter, good spirits, and a dose of dark chocolate J. All are healthy though exhausted after a long day, and looking forward to Cherette tomorrow. Cherette is quite remote - literally up the side of a mountain and accessible only via four wheel drive vehicles and roads that look an awful lot like river beds.

Please pray that good rest restores tired bodies tonight. Pray for safety tomorrow. Pray for the precious children who were taken care of today, and the adults who watch over them. Praise God for his provisions for the team - food, safe water to drink, the gift of laughter and fellowship, medicines with which to work, and clothes to provide.