anxious to start the work

Dear Friends and Family, The time is getting close for our team to fly to Haiti as Christmas is over and the new year is almost here. Our team, families, fund raisers and churches have been extremely busy raising the funds for this project which will see a residence built to house a missionary-minded couple needed to help Karen with the work of HATS HAITI orphanage and school. Over the years, the work has grown and there is definitely a need for people that God has called to go and help in this ministry. Our team is numbered at 14 - some with past experince in Haiti and some on their first trip. We have Jim Steer, Karen's cousin from British Columbia, Tim and Heidi Newell and their 3 children, Kate, Aidan and Erin (from Dartmouth N.S.), Brian Roberts, Brian Bowers, Robert Comeau, Ben Churchill, Colton Colquhoun, Leonard Cottreau , Major Peter Rowe -Salvation Army, and team leader Gerry Rhyno (all from the Yarmouth area.) At this time Haiti seems to be fairly peaceful and we pray that it will remain so , but we do ask that you pray for our team during our stay in Deschappelle and that you always keep the work there in your prayers as Haiti can be a very dark place spiritually. I am sure that Karen will covet your prayers. Our plans are to fly to Montreal from Halifax and Vancouver on January 4th , then fly on to Port Au Prince the next morning , arriving about 2:30 in the afternoon. Karen plans to meet us there with transportation to take us to the orphanage compound which is usually about a 3 to 4 hour trip, so we should arrive around 7 pm . The children at the orphanage are always there to welcome us and it makes a wonderful finish to a very long day. Over this last year a Board has been setup in Canada to over see this work in Haiti and we have people from all across Canada on the Board. We have applied for charitable status from the Canadian Government and are in the final stages of that being granted so all future checks to the HATS HAITI mission can be written directly to HATS HAITI and we will send you your tax receipt. We really want to thank the Yarmouth Wesleyan Church who have helped us is this area for the last few years. Finally, I again ask for your prayers , God Bless You All- Gerry.