Google+ WTN Haiti Partnership: June 2012

Nov 2013 - St. Vincent's Trip

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Next mission trip in November-team is ready

After a flurry of emails and phone calls between Texas, North Carolina, Ohio, CUBA and Memphis, we have our team of 15 ready to go to St Vincent's in November.  One of our team members, Jill Bullard,  is an episcopal deacon in North Carolina, who is currently spending some time in Cuba.  Last minute calls to the travel agent required at least one email exchange with her.  You know that anxiety of booking flights, spelling your name "exactly as it appears on your passport" so you wont get any hassles going through security, making sure all your connections are good, "Oops, wait, I forgot to add travel insurance",  etc?  Multiply that by 15 and imagine my email inbox and cell phone voice mail the afternoon of this Friday last.  SHEESH!

Here is our valiant team going to St Vincent's in November (November 28-Dec4)
FROM MEMPHIS:
Drew Woodruff, deacon at St Mary's Cathedral
Susan Nelson, MD, St Mary's
Adam and Stephen Nelson, my sons (Stephen is at St John's)
Dr. Bheki Khumalo, podiatrist, Grace St Luke's
Sherye Fairbanks, deaf interpreter, Holy Communion
John Mutin, paramedic, Holy Communion
Dr. Jennifer Holbourne, physical therapist
Dr. Keisha Land, pharmacist
Brandy Britton, nurse (our newest recruit!)

FROM NORTH CAROLINA
Jackie Harris, MD
Jill Bullard, deacon

FROM OHIO
Sonya Yencer, Red Thread Promise (organization that supports St Vincent's School and other children's charities, check out their blog at www.redthreadpromise.org
Hana Yencer, her daughter

FROM TEXAS
Angelene Price, Sherye's niece

Please add these folks to your prayer list, that God will prepare their hearts for the work they will do in Haiti

Each team member is responsible for their own airfare and lodging.  The plane tickets cost $750, and lodging is $330 for 6 days in Haiti at the guest house. If you would like to support the travel costs of this coming trip, your donation would be greatly appreciated by team members who have to raise their own funds!  You can mail your donation to The West Tennessee Haiti Partnership, c/o Denny Calloway, Diocese of West Tennessee, 692 Poplar, Memphis TN 38105.  Please mark your donation "for travel costs, Nov 2012"

God continues to send us amazing folks to join our teams. 12 members of this team have been to Haiti before, and are ready and willing to spend their own money and time to go again.  That tells you the power of the experience we have working with the children at St Vincent's.
Watch this blog over the next few months for updates about the rebuilding of the school and other news about St Vincent's School
Susan Nelson

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Shoes for our kids

Last November, our team took several suitcases worth of crocs (shoes) for the kids at St Vincents. Unfortunately, because the crocs were collected at St Marys school, which is a GIRLS school, the shoes were all small sizes, none big enough for many of our teenage boys!  Ramelle, one of our nurses, says she will never forget the look of disappointment on Ricardo's face.  She vowed not to return to Haiti without a pair of shoes for him and the other teenage boys at the school. 

Now we have a very generous donation from a company called Chung Shi, who makes shoes called Dux. They are similar to crocs, and of good quality.  They have donated 150 pairs of shoes for us to take to St Vincents.  Cathie Pruitt, a parishioner at St Marys Cathedral, has worked with Drew Woodruff to make this possible.

This Saturday, June 9, at 10 AM, we will have a formal "presentation" of the shoes to Drew Woodruff at St Marys Cathedral. Many thanks to all who made this possible and for your prayers which continue to make amazing things possible for our kids at St Vincents.

Susan Nelson