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I was back in PA for a quick family vacation time. It was a wonderful time in a wonderful place.
Now I'm back in the swing of Haitian summer. It was really hot the first couple of nights. I learned (once again) after the second night that this is the time of year when I need to take a bath right before I lay down. Otherwise the night is longer and hotter. The sun is directly over our heads at noon now. You have no real shadow. And the heat from the sun is real. It was 96 degrees on the outside wall of my office the other day. And then...it happened. Last evening. Rain. Real, prolonged, extended, wet, refreshing rain. After a dry spell (which we've had lately), rain is such a welcome sight. It makes people giddy. I put on a pair of shorts and went outside in the rain to inspect the new spouting system. It works about 80%. It did fill up the 200 gallon tank that I bought this spring, but there is some leakage. As I moved around in the yard enjoying the cool rain, the two young men who live with me came out as well. They ended up washing the dishes in the rain and washing the two steel buildings. I washed the outdoor shower stall. Normally, those tasks are mundane and require some kind of 'bribery'. In the rain, it was all laughing and playing. Rain means life. It ends the choking dust. And it means gardens will produce food. Rain is good when you live close to the land. Rural Haitians no about ra
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I'm spending about 2 weeks in PA this July. I've always locked up the ASAPH Teaching Center while I am away. This time I'm trying something different. Because it's only two weeks, and because it is summer vacation, I decided to have some ASAPH activities continue without me.
Erntz is usually away at school, but he is there to help watch over everything for me. He knows what I do (and try to do) as well as anyone. Esprenord is usually busy teaching in Cayes, but he is available to man the Teaching Center. He will be there from 8:00 until noon every day giving my students the opportunity to come and practice while I am away. This way, they will make progress instead of backslide while I am not there. Keyboards, guitars, trumpets, drums, trombones, and a bass are available to my regular students. I even encouraged them to come and make music together while I'm away. I even have a saxophone student this summer. I had hesitated to start anyone on sax because of the reed issue. (You can't buy them in rural Haiti.) But one young man is back in town for summer vacation and he is doing fairly well so far. ASAPH Teaching Ministry...preparing musicians to serve their congregations. A former student of the Help-From-Above School spent several years in Port and is now back in town and leading activities at one of the newer congregations in Passe-bois-d'ormes. He composes songs and leads a singing group. He wanted to have a fundraising concert for his young congregation that worships in a school classroom right now. He did a wonderful job of planning and coordinating. He invited ASAPH to participate in the concert along with another group from our church.
The ASAPH Brass Band played Haiti's national anthem to begin the concert. We also played a hymn and a brief compas during the program. ASAPH musicians also played a blues song and a drum & tin whistle duet. In effect, we were the instrumental interludes for the concert. Three singing groups were featured in the concert. All three offered songs that proclaimed the good news of Jesus Christ. There were some very nice moments by all three groups. It was great to work together with Christians from four congregations to prepare the concert. Sadly, there was not enough advertising and/or motivation and the crowd was small. The goal of raising money was not achieved. BUT, it was a great lesson in many ways. Thanks to sponsors of ASAPH Teaching Ministry, I was able to travel with a portion of the brass band (six instruments and players) and the ASAPH drum set. Your support makes this ministry possible! |
Andy StumpMissionary in Haiti. Archives
February 2023
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