SHARING CHRIST'S LOVE IN HAITI

Steve and Joy Singer Wanda Skorczewski

P.O. Box 466 ^ R.2Box37
Pinckneyville,IL. 62274 Jbm I Pmckneyville,IL. 62274
Teaching Others To Teach
MARCH 1995
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ. As I write this edition of the newsletter John is in
Nebraska. He has traveled there to visit with a supporting congregation and to help in a revival
that is being held there. He had planned to write to you some in this newsletter but that will have
to wait. When he returns on Saturday he will have to get ready to make the trip into Haiti on the
following Monday. Pray that he will be safe on his journeys.
He will leave on Monday early in the morning. Jonathan Schnautz will be goingwith him
as far as Miami. John is goingto drive the new truck to Miami and with the help of Wybum
Osbumwill get the truck loaded onto a boat that will take it directlyinto Gonaieves. Jonathan
will be putting his motorcycle in the back of the truck and will return from Miami on the
motorcycle. I am sure that John will appreciate his company and help in driving the truck to
Miami.
So much has been accomphshed on the preparation of the new truck. As you know the
truck is not new, but only new to us. It is a 1979 F250 that we purchased from a local tanner that
goes to Friendship Church of Christ. After we bought it we decidedthat the best thingto do was
to completelygo over the truck mechanically before we sent it in to Haiti. Once the truck is over
there repairs are more expensive and also time becomes a major factor. Ail parts have to be _
shippedin fromthe States and then we must pay customs to get themin before we can use them.
Because ofthe limitedamount of time that John and I spend actually in country, we felt that it
wouldbe the best of stewardship to try and get the truckin tip top shape here. We replaced all of
the tires and did as much preventive maintenance as we could. While this was expensive, two
things need to be considered. If the truck breaks down while we are in country and we have to
spend time working on it, there are going to be a lot of things left undone for the mission.
Secondly we must consider the blessings that God has bestowed upon us. One of the things that
guides our work is the amount offinancial blessings God grants us. Many times we are not sure if
a particular endeavor is what God wants us to do or not. The way we resolve this dilemma is this.
First we pray for guidance from God. Then we act according to what seems to be best to us. At
this point we wait and see if God provides the finances to do the job. If He does, then we
continue on as fast as we can. If He does not then we will put the project on hold until the
finances arrive. If they never arrive then we will not complete the project, but somehowGod
always provides. Sometimes His timing is different from ours, but that is something that we must
accept. A good example of this is the Church building at Gonaieves. We started this project two
years ago, money was available at that time and the work progressed well. Then we experienced
a series of setbacks. First the embargo was reenacted. Supphes were not available at any price to
complete the project. Then after the embargo was once again hfted the prices were so high that
the money that we did have did not go as far as we had planned that it would. The money
exchange rate did not follow the pattern that it usually did after such incidents. If it had then we
would have been able to complete this project. We also during this same time experienced
expensive mechanical repair bills to the old truck. At that time we needed to make a decision to
repair or replace the old truck. We decided to repair and God decided to replace. While we did
not like losing the old truck, I believe that it is God's guidance in our efforts. I amjust grateful
that no one was hurt. Then as we began to prepare to get another vehicle we had less than
$500.00 in the mission account. In a short amount of time we were given large amount of money
($1210.00) in a matter of days we found a truck that was available for just about the amount that
we had in the accoimt. That was only the beginning. As work began on the truck donations came
in. One dayI returned with some rather large bills andJohn handed me a checkfrom a supporting
congregation that wouldjust about cover the cost ofthe newtires that I had purchasedthat veiy
day. As you can see God has trulyblessed this work through you our supportersand I want to
thankyou for your generousand ongoingsupport.
One thingthat we will be doingdifferent withthis truck is that we will be takingit to a
local mechanic in Gonaieves for maintenance. The man is an Austrian and he does excellent
work. On a regular basis we will be takingthe truckto himto help keep it in shape. We believe
that this will cut down the amount oftime that we will need to spend on our trips doingthis kind
ofwork. This will cost more money to have done, but I believe that in the long run it will
preservethe truck for a longer time and that we will be presentingourselves as better stewards of
our time in country. One thingthat will not change about the truck is it's availability. When
American Christian missionaries or groups go into Haiti, they are welcome and even encouraged
to use anyandall ofthe facilities of the mission. All that is theredoes not belongto JohnandI or
even the mission, it belongs to the Lord. Ifwe can help some other laborer for the Lord to get
things accomplished for the Kingdomthat is our desire. We also encourage others to use the
facilities at the project in Gonaives. All things considered and by Haitian standards we have an
excellent facility. There is electric on demand(by generator) and safe runningwater, including
hot showers. Ifyou or your congregation wants to go into Haiti on a missiontrip contact us and
we will gladlytake you with us or ifyou are goingin unattended and just need to use the
facilities let us know. We will make arrangements for you to have access to anything that we
have.
The agenda for John's trip this time is somewhat limited. Ifeverythinggoes accordingto
plan John will deliver the truck in Miami the day before the boat sails for Haiti. Consideringthe
fact that the trip by boat takes 3-4 days the truck shouldbe in Gonaieveswithin the week, this
all happens accordingto schedule John should be able to get the truck through customs and have
it availablebefore he leaves. His total time in Haiti will be approximately 9 days. As you can see
everythingwill have to go exactly according to schedule for the truck to be completely taken care
of on this trip.
Finances are another limitingfactor on this trip. While we have done very well through the
preparationofthe truck, we have less than $2000.00 dollars to make the trip with. John will as
usual pay his own ticket and expenses, but there are other cost factors. Shippingfor the truck to
Haiti is an unknown figure. A lot depends on the moodofthe Haitiancaptainthe daywe arrive to
shipit. We are hopingfor around $500.00. Customs is another variable, this too depends on the
mood ofthe customs officers ofthe day. This figure is totally unpredictable. The last time we
faced customs the figure onthe generator started at $500.00 andendedup at $4.00 that is quite a
drastic difference. Hopefully the customs peoplewill lookuponus favorably. We must also pay
some other expenses on this trip. We know that there are books that need to be paid for, as well
as some other school supphes for the school at Bois Neuf. Jack's salary in Gonaieves needs to be
paid up as well on this trip. As you can see there will be little if anything left to use on the
continuationofthe buildingprojects at Gonaieves and Passe Rein. But as usual God will provide
and we hope to go in again this summer or early fall and complete one or both ofthese projects.
Your support and prayers are greatlyappreciatedand needed. Great things are being done
and I knowthat they will continue to get done. We just reallywant you to know howmuchyou
meanto us. Johnwill^ve a f^brtln^e^ math's newslett^^ Keep himin your prayers and
thoughts. We are always lookingfor folks that wouldlike to go and work with us in county. It
wouldbe an experience that you wouldnever forget.
Until next month.
Steve and Joy Singer John and Wanda Skorczewski
SHARING CHRISrS LOVE IN HAITI . - - :
Steve and Joy Singer John and Wanda Skorczewski
P.O. Box 466 R.2Box37
Pinckneyville, IL. 62274 jSgt ^ PinckneyviIie,IL. 62274
Teaching Otliers To Teach
APRIL 1995
As I sat down to start this newsletter, I could not helpbut thank Godfor the many ways
Hehas blessed us andthismission. I started to count theblessings received andreahzed that I
could not possibly list them all in just one newsletter. First of all Ithank God that He is my God
and Father. I thank Him for all the opportunities He gives me to serve Him. I thank God for all
our supporters and encouragers, without whom we could do nothing. They funnsh the finances
and means by which the mission operates. They are the true missionaries, we are just the
messenger boys doing the errands assigned to us. Then I thmk ofthe people who are wilhng to
help us in the many other ways to further the work. Those who invite us to give presentations in
their congregations, this is one ofthe ways that people realize the magmtude of the task ahead of
us and show their willingness to help. I thank my Father for men like Johno Schnautz, who
volunteered to help drive the truck to Miami and who was valuable beyond measure when
problems developed. He stepped right in and began solving them. Then there is the Osbums in
Miami. Wybura and Dee take us into their home at any hour and feed us and give us aplace to
rest as well as dozens of other services that they do for the mission. Wybum took care of all tiie
details involving the shipping ofthe truck to Haiti, as well as many other services to the mission.
Then on arriving in Haiti, there are the Postons, ofthe Christian Bible College at Port-Au-Prince,
who make arrangements to meet our plane, take us to their home and make us as comfortable as
they possibly can. They too do innumerable errands for us. I might also mention the people who
assist us in putting this newsletter out. Truly God has blessed us with many blessings.
The trip to Haiti this time was like most ofthe mission trips I have been on. Satan tries in
many ways to discourage or stop us. We left home at 4:30 am on April 17th. the ship on which
the truck was to be shipped was dure to leave on April 20th. As we left home we were aware that
the truck was running ahttle warmer than it should have been, and as we traveled it progressively
started running warmer. Not dangerously hot but warmer than it really ought to. We took several
precautions but none seemed to help. Finally in Atlanta we noticed that it was not shifting
properly, and on pulling into agas station and examinmg it Johno determined that the fi*ont seal
on the transmission was leaking and we were getting low on transmission fluid. On contacting a
transmission repair service, they said that they would tow us to their place ofbusiness and take a
look at our problem. On hearing the history of our problem, they figured that probably the seals
inthe transmission hadbeen dried out due tolack of use and then after driving the truck with the
high temperature the seals probably crystallized and broke up. They suggested that since the
truck was going overseas it would be agood idea to take the transmission apart and replace all
the seals and any worn parts which is what we did. They started working on the truck at 8.00 am
the next morning. While they were working on the transmission, Johno took the radiator to a
shop to have it cleaned out. Once they removed the dirt and sludge fi'om the radiator, it leaked
like asieve. So ithad to be replaced. All together the bill came to $635.00, and we got on the
way to Miami fi'om Atlanta at 5:30 pm April 18.1 was scheduled to be on aplane to go to Haiti
at 11:30 am on .^ril 19th. We drove all night and arrived atthe Osbums house at 5:15 am. After
acup ofcoffee and visiting for ashort time, we made arrangements to go to the airport. The ship
had arrived the day before and was nowhere ready to start loading. I tried to delay my departure
date by one week but was informed by the airlines that it would cost me an additional $200.00,
so I decided to go with the original schedule and hope for the best. On amving at the airport at
Port-Au-Prince, I was met by George Poston and we went to the Bible college. I got word to
Jack Myrtil through his son Godson tocome and pick me up atthe college. He had to have some
work done on the Trooper, as he calls it, and we left Poston's at about 3:00 pm and airived at the
mission house at around 9:00 pmApril 21st (a 100 mile trip). There was noelectricity, no
gasoline for the generator, the generator was in the storage room. No water, as the water pump is
electric, and besides that it was not inworking order. I did enough cleaning by kerosene lamp
hght to be able to fix aplace to sleep and went to bed thanking God for the safe journey. The
next morning we got the generator operating and had the water pump fixed. We also repaired a
break inthe solar water heating pipe onthe roof, cleaned the entire house (dust accumulates
while no one is there). We then went and inspected the progress made on the Church building
and checked the school. The Church building has progressed tothepoint where thewalls are up
and we are ready to put in the rough floor and make the roof. My estimate is that we will need
about $4000.00 tocomplete both Church buildings. Material cost has skyrocketed. Cement has
gone firom about $8 to $9 per bag to $15 per bag. Aload ofsand from $30 to $80 per load. All
other building materials have followed suit.
Sunday I preached at Gonaieves in the morning and two young men came forward to give
themselves to Christandbe buriedwithHimin baptism. Sunday evening I preached at Font
Gaudin and happy toreport that the congregation there isonce more umted and active after
having some problems with division in the past. They do have aproblemhowever. Someone
stole the hand pump that was on the well and now the community is once again without pure
water. Some how some way we will have to replace the pump. As awhole I was pleased with the
condition of the Church inthat area. Onthe way back toPort-Au-Prince onApril 27westopped
atBois Nerfto greet and have a short visit with Neiriel. He has accomplished much there both
spiritually and physically. The Church is wired for electricity and he has made several
improvements on the building. The electric company however refiises to hook up the power until
he pays afee (as they called it) of$100.00 for the meter. The catch is they refuse to give a
receipt for the $100.00. You figure out where the $100.00 is going. This is not something new in
Haiti, ftiat is just the waythey do business.
Wonre planning on avacation Bible school mission during the second and third week of
September. There is a group fromBurwell, Nebraska, Findlay, Ohio and BowlingGreen,
Kentucky, aswell as myself (John) going to teach, preach, have vacation Bible school and paint
the school. There isstill plenty ofroom for others and you are more than welcome tocome with
us. I took a survey ofhowmany children we ought toprepare for and found that we are toexpect
750 to 1000+ children, soyou can see there isplenty todo. Plan togo ifat all possible.
May God bless all ofyou and keep you safe until we all meet at the feet ofJesus.
Steve g^T^d Joy Singer John and Wanda Skorczewski
SHARING CHRIST'S LOVE IN HAITI
Steve andJoy Singer JohnandWanda Skorczewski
P.O. Box 466 R.2Box37
Pinckneyville, EL. 62274 Hh J Pinckneyville,IL. 62274
Teaching Others To Teach
JULY 1995
As I am writing this newsletter I am getting ready to make another trip to Haiti. I wiU be
leaving on the 14thof August. I wiU be accompanied by Bud Goeke, he is a friend and neighbor
of mine here in Pinckneyville. We have two main goals while in Haiti this time. First of all we
will be trying to put the roof on the building in Gonaives. This will be a majorundertaking, for it
is a large Church building byHaitian standards. We arehoping that $3000.00 will get thejob
done. At this point we do not have $3000.00 but we are hoping that before we go in more
support will arrive. We must also have enoughto pay Jack and our other preachers through
September when we go in. We have made a commitment to these men andthey dependuponus
for their support. We will be surethat these commitments are met before anyotherexpenditures
are made. I am happy to report that since the writing ofthe last newsletter we have had some
support for the other two preachers. We now have commitments to pay them $100.00 American
money each month. There are more preachers that deserve our support and need help, so if you
are interested in doing so get in touch withus. I knowthat this does not sound like a lot of money
to us, but to them it is a bountiful harvest. Oneof the reasons that I wanted to let youknowand
be sure that you understood this is sothat you will understand thewaythat the money is handled.
It seems to some that our mission should have lots of money, but when1goin this time it will
take $1800.00 just to cover these men salaries. We need another$3000.00 at least to finish the
Church building. Wealso have water projects to work onandfood to buy. Another commitment
that we have are the teachers in the schools, we must alsopay theirwages as well. As you can
see, there is a lot of work to do inHaiti, andit requires a lot of support. I would liketo see each
of our supporters go and experience the work first hand, this wouldhelp to broaden their
perspective and help them to understand the work being done.
We would like to see the Church building completed on this trip so that John and the
others going in duringthe month of September would be able to use the facihties to conduct the
VBS. John is taking several fromNebraska one fromKentucky and one from Ohio in to work on
a VBS. for several of the Churches that we work with in Haiti. We anticipate havingin excess of
1000 young people in attendance throughout thewhole program. Ournewbuilding would be able
to handle twice as many as the oldbuilding inmuch better comfort. Wemust also provide all of
the teaching and handout materials for thisnumber of children. I amhoping to be ableto takea
large portionof this in withme on this trip.
The second goal for this trip is to find a reliable translator for the materials that we would
like to sendin for use in the Churches. We had a yoimg manthat did some translating for us, but
it provedto be too big of a job and he did not continue. Right nowI have a study in James that I
wouldlike to get translatedfor use in the Churches. I wouldalso like to have the Joxuney through
the Bible that we offer herein the Statestranslated. Along with that 1wouldhave the tapes done
in Creole and then we could allowthe preachers to listenand study at the sametime. They in turn
couldteach the courseto all of the people in the congregation. Part of the ministry of TOTTis to
provide quality materials for the instruction of the Christians inHaiti. Weprovide these materials
first in Enghsh for Americans and then we want to have them translated into Creole for the
Haitians. All material is reviewed andeditedby this ofiSce. Thenit is printed and distributed to
anyone that has a desire for it. I would like to see a widevariety of course selections offered, but
we need more contributingwriters to get the job done. We will print and distribute this material
completely free ofcharge. That is the only stipulation that we have onthe distribution ofany of
ourmaterials, that they never be sold. I believe that if we canget a reliable translator working
withus that we can distribute untold volumes of material inHaiti. This would be inkeeping with
the ministry ofTOTT and Sharing Christ's Love in Haiti. Our only goal is to spread the Gospel
every where.
We also provide our teaching materials in English. We are ayoung ministry and some of
our presentation techniques reflect this. We are growing fast! We hope tohave a more
professional presentation in the future. The rules for our English materials are the same as that
for the Creole materials, they are never tobe sold. I hope that inthe fiiture many ofyou will take
advantage ofthe materials that we offer and use themin. the instruction of your local
congregations.
Thislast week Johnreceived a letter from one of the preachers that we work within Haiti.
This is what the letter said:
Jxme 19,1995
Dearest brother John and sister Wanda Skorczewsky. Greetings to you in the goldenname
of Jesus Christ our saviour and Lord, amen.
I love you inmymind, I love youinmy heart, I love youinmyletter.
Thanks a lot for thepast time youhave beensohelpful to me andmyfemily.
Nowmy wife died since May ten, she hurried onMay fourteen. Please think tomy
sufferings and my problems.
Please keep onconstantly praying for me and my daughter of eleven years old.
MayGod give youmore thanyou gave. Act 20:35
Truly yours in Christ,
P.A. Martin Jerome.
It is a sad thing tohear ofthe death ofMartin's wife, but it is good toknow that he is
continuing in the gospel.
Martin's wife probably died of dysenteiy or pneumonia, relatively common and easily
treatable problems inAmerica. InHaiti however, this is another matter. We donotrealize what it
would belike to go tothedoctor and tohave himTell usthat weare sick butthere is nomedicine
available to cure us. It is not like the medicine has never been discovered, they are just too poor
to make it available. This is one of the reasons that I feel we need to work to help the people
physically as well as spiritually. Jesus met the physical needs of those that followed Him, we
should do the same. It is difficult to turnyour back on these peoplewhenyou knowthat it is
within your power to dosomething to help them. Dysentery canusually be prevented by simply
supplying clean waterto drink andcookwith. Thatis whywe put inthe waterprojects
everywhere thatwe go. Wehave two thatneeddone right now, all it takes is money.
It is through thesupport thatyou provide thatwe areable to help as many Haitians as we
do. Wewant youto knowjust what your dollars aredoing inHaiti. Every time that yougive to
the mission you should think of themany people that you arehelping. Your dollars goa long way
towardpreventing bothphysical and spiritual death.
As I close this letter, I want to tiiankyou for all of your participation. I have great visions
of what this mission could become and do. I am humbled every time that I review our progress. I
knowthat without the financial participation of somanyof youthat veryHttle wouldget done. If
I was working bymyself, it would be aninsurmountable task, but together we cando much. It is
only withyour support andthe guidance of Jesus that we can do anything. I praythat youwill
continue with me in this effort to spread the Gospel in Haiti.
Until next month.
Steve andJoy Singer JohnandWanda Skorczewski
SHARING CHRIST'S LOVE IN HAITI
Steve and Joy Singer Wanda Skorczewski
P.O. Box 466 R.2Box37
Pinckneyville, IL. 62274 IK' I Pinckneyville,IL. 62274
Teaching Others To Teach
AUGUST 1995
Thank God for Jesus and His atonement for our sins, for without it we would all be
hopelessly lost. I marvel at the great love of God that sent Him to earth, and pray that I might be
pleasing to Him so that some day I too might be in heaven.
By the time you receive this newsletter Steve and Bud Goeke shouldbe in Haiti. Keep
themin our prayersnot because of any danger but that they have the strength, time and finances
to do what theyhave gone to do. Theyhave manyprojects to do but as I said before, time,
conditions, strength, andfinances willplaya largepart in what theywill accomplish for the Lord.
Both are able bodied and resourceful men, so with the Lord's help all should go well. George and
Lois Poston are not there at this time to meet them at the airport and to be a rallying point so that
complicates the trip a httle.
Some of the goals that theyhave for this tripare: 1.) To get the Church building under a
roof. 2.) Finda goodtranslator whocan andis willing to translate teaching material fi'om Enghsh
to Creole. 3.) Get the preachers that are being supported by individuals and congregations the
money that was given for them. 4.) Get as many of the teachers that teachin the schools paidas
possible. 5.) Check on all the physical properties of the mission and repair if necessary or
straighten up and make sure all things are in-anacceptable working order and tie up any loose
ends. I feel confident that these two fine young men will get much of that done.
We thank God for the responses fi"om Christians on supporting the Christian preachers that
we areworking with in Haiti. Wefeel that the more good preachers we have working the fields
themore that canbe accomphshed for the Lord. I think that at present we have the best possible
set up to spread the Gospel through out Haiti that there is. Through the school system we can
start to teach the very young children about Jesus andinthis way break the cycle of voodooism
andstart them onthe right track. Thenas theyget older and showa desire to learnmore about
Himand His Church we can through the help of, and workingalongwith, George and Lois
Poston and the Christian Bible College at Port-au-Prince, sendthem along to higher learning and
preparethemto preach and teach in Haiti. It makes no difference how hard we try and whatever
we do, it is muchmore effective if one of their own brings the gospel to them than if we do. We
see this in manydifferent congregations in Haiti. So we feel that if we can produce good
Christian preachers then give them some sort of livelihood to free them up to work for the Lord,
that Haiti could be won over to Christ and when that happens the ills and problems will
disappear. We all still serve the same Godwho saidin 2 Chronicles vs. 14 "Ifmypeople, who
are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn fiom their
wicked ways, then will I hear fi-om heaven and forgive their sin andwill heal their land. NIV. I
believe that promise is as valid today as it was thedayGod first saiditnot only for Haiti but for
this country as well. This country has taken the attitude that the wayto solve all the problems of
the world is to throwmoney at them. In a sense that is true, but we need to be careful what we
throwthe money at. If we throwthe moneyat crookedpoliticians no matter where they are it
only worsens the situation. This is what was done in Haiti by this country for many years.
However if we were to throw that same money to spread the gospel, only God knows what we
could accomplish for Himnot only in Haiti but in our country as well. I promise you thisyour
moneywill not be wasted. Every penny and more that is sent to this mission is used for the cause
of Christ. Our books are open to who-so-ever wants to inspect them. I for one would be afraid to
close my eyes and go to sleep at night if in someway we woulduse the Lord's money in the
wrong way. Much praying andsoul searching goes into eachandevery decision made regarding
this mission. Youare awareas well as I that there are manymissions that exist onlyto further the
lifestyle and the welfare ofthe peopleinvolved in themthis is not he case withthis mission. I
have been involved with it almost from it's veiy inception and have yet to see anyoneinvolved in
this mission that has benefited throu^ the mission financially. All have been blessed by God in
their outside activities, but as I said before none have received any financial compensationfrom
the mission. In our private lives we support ourselves and in most cases we also are among the
top supporters ofthe mission. I amnot tryingto brag or to down grade anyone but there are not
too many missions that can make these statements, so it is with some pride that I make them. We
do depend on and appreciate our supporters because they are the ones that make it possible to
continue. By their support ofthis mission it becomes their mission and we are but servants. We
try our best to please God and you our supporters and encouragers in every way that we can. Our
main objective is and always wiU be to win souls to Jesus and then, as is our Christian
responsibility to help them survive.
One of our goals is to get Gonaieves to the point where most ofthe operation and decision
making will be theirs so that we can move on. We at present have a great desire to enlarge and
expand the work at Bois Neuf and surrounding areas. This area has been one of the most
profitable for spiritual growth of any ofthe areas that we work in. The young preacher Nerriel, is
one ofthe graduates ofPort-au-Prince Christian Bible College and was highly recommended by
George and Lois Poston for the job. After being around him and working with him I can
understand why they were so enthused about him. He is a hard worker for the Lord and an
intelligent individual along with it, a combination not too often found. He is one ofthe preachers
who are nowbeing supported at $100.00 per monthby an American Christianfamily. We wishto
express a special thank you to those of you who have stepped forth in this special ministry. As
was previouslystated there are so many more that deserve our help and I am sure that the Bible
collegewill graduatemore as the years go by. We have been able to get the very best so far, to
work with us, a blessing that we thank God for.
I have said this before, but as the Apostle Peter said HI tell you again, so that you might
remember, George and Lois Poston have done a splendid job with the College together with their
other ministries. Pray for and support them in any way that you can.
Remember we are anxious willing and able to come to your congregation and give a slide
presentation ofthe work that is being and needs to be done in Haiti. We have another Christian
that has been to Haiti working for the mission in Indiana who is available to cover that state and
we try to take care of the rest. I am going to be at Bowling Green Ky. on August 20 at the
Church that meets in the Corvette Union Hall ofwhich Lany Jamison is the minister. Ifyou
would like to see what we are doing feel free to be there.
Next months newsletter will be written by Steve. He will fill you in on what takes place on
their journey. Until then let's aU try to be more pleasing to the Lord and bring honor and gjory to
himin any way that we can.
Steve and Joy Singer John and Wanda Skorczewski
SHARING CHRIST'S LOVE IN PiAIH
Steve aod Joy Singer John and Wanda Skorczewski
P.O. Box 466 R.2Box37
Pinckneyville, IL. 62274 jHr^^SlLv# J Pinckneyviile,IL. 62274
Teaching Others To Teach
SEPTEMBER 1995
As I write this newsletter John is preparing to leave for Haiti. He will leave onMonday. He
will bejoined byseveral from Nebraska, Kentucky and Ohio. Pray thathehas a good trip.
If you remember my last newsletter, I stated that I hadtwo major goals when I went to
Haiti last month, to get the roofontheChurch building inGonaives and tofind a good translator
for our materials. I did not accomplish either of these two objectives on that trip.
As soon as we arrived we began to work onthebuilding in Gonaives. Tomysurprise
inflationhas soared in Haiti. When Jack would call with his regular report, I would ask the price
ofgasoline. This is what I was using as an indicator ofwhat the economy was doing. Ten months
earlier when I was inHaiti last, gas was seUing for $6.00 a gallon this was upfrom $3.00 a gallon
before. As a result of theincrease inthe price of gas (at leastthat is whatwe were told) building
materials had gone up, a load of fill was $40.00 and a load of sand formixing cement was
$80.00. This seemed high but we figured that when the price ofgasoline went back to normal
that the price ofbuilding materials would follow suit. So you can see why I was using the price of
gas as an economic indicator. Just before I left for Haiti Jack called and told me that gas was
$5.80 a gallon, as you can imagine I welcomed the news ofa drop, however small in the price of
gas. What I did not expect was the enormous increase in everything else. The same load offill
nowcosts $140.00 and a load of sandfor cement is now $200.00. ITiatknocked a hole in our
plans for the construction work. We did proceed with the money that we had and itwas enough
to complete the subfloor ofthe building. This must be done prior to the roof being put on so that
they have alevel surface to brace the forms for the cement roof. Hopefully next year we will be
able to finish the roof on this building.
The good news is that we were able tofinish getting the roofon the building at Passe
Rene. Actually most ofthe work was done before we got there, but we needed to pay for the
materials used in the completion ofthis project. While there is still a lot ofwork to be done at
this location, the building is now serviceable during the rainy season and during the hottest times
ofthe year when shade is anecessity. Sadey is to be commended for his efforts in getting this job
done during our absence.
We also completed some work at the project itself this time. We prepared two rooms for
housing guests during their stay in Haiti. As oflate we have been having more folks using our
facilities. Most of these folks are fromAmerica and are simply looking for a place to operate out
ofwhile inthe country, that has some ofthe comforts of home. We are very glad tohave them
take advantage ofthe mission house and ofcourse there is never any charge for anything. To that
end we installed some screen doors and screens on windows as well as painting these other two
rooms. Later we plan to make a doorway into the main Hving quarters so that we will be able to
go from one part to the other without going outside. One ofthe main occupants is a group from
Winston-Salem Bible College. They make several trips a year intowork with Sainsurin, a
preacher at aChristian Church close to the project. I want to take the time to thank both them
and Sainsurin for the help that they have provided inthe past. Sainsurin sent his truck to pick us
up from the airport on this trip. That saved us abus trip and for that I am grateful. Without the
help from this group Sainsurin would not be able to accomplish the work that he does in Haiti.
He has repeatedly told me good things about these folks. It is a good feeling to know ofothers
that are working toward the same end that you are. I pray that they will continue intheir efforts.
We didexperience some diflSculty onthistrip. Thelast time that we went in we shipped in
a newColeman 10horsegenerator. It has beenusedapproximately 6 weeks since then. When we
got there, we took it out of storage andstarted it up. It worked fine for about 2 hours, then it
began to runrough. Bud, whoaccompanied meonthis trip is a fiill time mechanic andhe went
down to look at it. The main shaft in the carberator was worn and this was causing the erratic
running. Weworked it over, since we could not buy a replacement, and tried it again. It took3
days worth of fooling withit inthe evenings but we finally got it so that it would run. Budwent
upto takea long overdue shower andjust as he was getting into the shower the electric went off.
The generator however was still running. He got dressed andwe went down to lookat it and
found that the generator part wasnot producing anyelectric. Wetookit apart andfound one
brushcompletely worn andthe gasoline part of the motorwas leaking oil into the generator part.
While the generator is still underwarranty, we wouldhaveto bringit back to the States to have
it serviced. It would cost more in shippingand we would have to pay customs again when it
cameback into Haiti, than what the warranty service would be worth. We will try to take parts in
to repairthe generator and use it as a spare. In the meantime we have had to purchase a new
generator. Needles to saywe didnot want to get another Coleman. We decidedto get a Honda
thistime as theyhave the best reputation of all the gas generators in Haiti. The Coleman cost the
mission $500.00 plus shipping andworkedless thanone year. The Honda cost $1920.00
including shipping, but we hopethat it will last a longtime before we needto do anything to it.
There is stftl more to this story. What we did not realize was that the generator was not
producing full powerduring the time that it was running. As a result ourwater pump was
receiving lowvoltage andit burned themotor up. As far as we could tell thelights in our part of
theproject worked well andwe didnot notice a power drop while the generator was running, the
pump however runs on220andapparently was not getting thefiill voltage. At leastthat is what
we attribute theproblem to. When theregular current came backon afterwe lost the generator
thepump would not run. We didsome testing anddetermined that the problem was inthe electric
motor. Fortunately we keep a spare pumpinHaiti, so the next day was spent replumbing the
water lines to make the new pump fit. This soimds like an easyjob, but the availability of simple
plumbing supphes is scarce. It took several hoursjust to findthe right size bolts to bolt the
adapter to the front of the newpump. When we didfind some that would worktheycost $12.00
for two bolts. At anyrate the sparepumpis in andworking well. We will be shipping another
pump or just the electric motor ifwe can find the right one. Hopefully we will get awaywithjust
replacing the motor, but whatever it takes we needto have another pump so that if something like
this were to happenagainwe wouldbe prepared.
Another major change that took place this timewas the hvestocksituation. We are
currently switching from raising pigs, to goats. During the embargo we realized howdifficult it
was to get feedintothe country to sustain the pig project. Goats on the other handare already
natural inhabitants ofHaiti. They survive on the vegetationthat is already there. With that in
mind we purchased 5 goats on this trip to begin our goat project. We hope to be able to provide
food for many people and to be able to offset the costs of feedingthe childrendaily in school. I
don't know a lot about raising goats, but we will learn. We will keep you posted on the progress
ofthis project.
Once-again LwouldJikeLto say thanks for the support and encouragementthat you provide.
Without your support, we couldaccomplish nothing in Haiti. I wouldliketo be able to take many
of youwithme so that you can see the work first hand. Ifyouwouldbe interestedin going,
please call or write to me.
Praise God for all ofHis goodness!
Steve and Joy Singer John and Wanda Skorczewski
SHARING CHRISrS LOVE IN HAITI
Steveand Joy Singer John and Wanda Skorczewski
P.O. Box 466 R.2Box37
Pinckneyville, IL. 62274 Pmckneyville,IL. 62274
Teaching Others To Teach
OCTOBER 1995
I thank our God for being such a loving and powerful God. Without His help the
missionary trip just completed would have been a total disaster.
On the 8th of September I fell off a ladder and broke my left arm on the 11th of September
I was scheduled to lead a team of six people for VBS and revival preaching in Haiti. Steve on
hearing that my arm was broken immediately assuming that I would not be able to go stepped
into the breach of the plans and started to make plans to take the group into Haiti. However God
stepped in and with His help and a good doctor I was patched up to the point that I was able to
make the trip. Ray and Joy Guggemnos of Burwell NE. drove down to our house and with their
help and the help of some of the congregation here we were able to take the vast amount of
necessary equipment we had packed to the airport on the 11th of September as we departed for
Haiti. We landedin Haiti and were met by GeorgePoston who helped us get throughcustoms
and there we joined the rest of our group-Mark Maas fi-om Findlay Ohio and Larry & Pam
Jamison firom Bowling Green Kentucky. On the way to the Port-au-Prince Christian Bible
College, Ray's hat blew off his head and as we slowed to stop to get it Ray underestimated the
speed at-which we were traveling stepped off the truck and went sprawling in the street. Again
God stepped in and kept him from being hit by any ofthe traffic on the streethe did suffer
bruises, abrasions and a badly wrenched wrist. Just before Larry and Pam left Bowling Green,
Pam received word tliat one her favorite uncles had died and that if she would go to Haiti she
would miss his funeral. Tom between two responsibilities she elected to put God before man and
went to Haiti. I think by this time you can see that Satan had pulled out all the stops in order to
prevent us fromkeeping our commitment to work for the Lord in Haiti. At this point I was greatly
limited with one arm in a sling, Ray was limited with two very sore and skinned up knees and a
sore wrist but we went determinedto accomplishthe task we came to Haiti to do, namely to
conduct 3 day VBS in 4 congregations.
On Septemberl2 we left the hospitahty of George and Lois Poston at the College in
Port-au-Prince to go to the project at Gonaives. We stopped at the Church and school at Bois
Neuf to check with Nerriel on the situation there and found things in good order. We also found
out that Nerriel and his wife had become proud parents of a fine boy just a few days earlier.
On arriving at the mission house and pig project we were greeted with the news that there
would be no electricity until midnight. The power is turned on at midnight for a 24 hour period
and then off again for 24 hours. We also discovered that the generator that had been shipped in
and was supposed to be at the house was 40 miles away at Port-de-Paix. Larry and Mark
volunteered to go get it80 miles roimd trip. The road is very bad and it took 8 hours of driving
to make the trip not even considering finding and loading the generator which was at Sonlite
missions operated by Roger Alexander and his family. They reported that while they were
traveling along the road they passed and were passed by a lady who was carrying a goat as she
rode on her burrow three times, so you can see how fast they were able to travel that road.
The next day Mark and Ray xmpacked and assembled the generator and put it on line and
life became somewhat easier. We started to get things in order to start VBS at two of the four
congregations we had planned to teach. The 14th, 15th, and 16th we had VBS at the Church
ministered to by Sanserene John Baptiste in the morning for 3 hours and the congregation where
Jack ministers to in Gonaives for 3 hours in the afternoon. The eveniugs were taken up with
preaching revivals at 3 congregations each evening. Larry preached at one Church, Mark
preached at another congregation and I preached at athird. All together, over the period oftime
we were there, the Gospel and plan ofsalvation was preached in 5congregations and many had
to be turned down due to lack oftime. Meanwhile Ray and Joy were busy each evening making
the peanut butter sandwiches that were given to the children as aspecial treat. We had to buy, on
an average 35 loaves ofbread each day at $1.00 perloaf. They did a great jobofmaking all
those sandwiches. Pam filled in the empty spaces doing whatever she could and helping out in
general. Sunday Larry, PamandI worshipped inthe congregation where Jackis minister in
Gonaives. Larry preached and Mark preached atPasse Reine. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
the schedule was about the same except VBS was heldat PasseReine Church andin Gonaives
where Martine Jerome ministers. Most of theteam suffered some ailments anddiscomforts at one
time or another but the work went on. Thesum total of all the efforts was: at least 910different
children attended VBS with atotal of2237 for the six days or an average of373 per day. As I
said before each child received apeanut butter sandwich and asmall cup ofKool-aid each day.
Joy did aremarkable job ofplanning and teaching VBS and deserves much praise for her efforts.
During the revival preaching 56 decisions for Christ were made and 42 precious souls
were Baptized into Christ. The devil didn't have a chance when we turned Lany and Mark loose
on him with the gospel plan ofsalvation. I only wish that they could have preached for a
monthwhat a team! 11
While we were at Passe Reine we had towalk up a pile ofrocks inorder toget into the
Church building, so the group decided that a small porch and steps were desperately needed. On
asking Sadey to figure out the cost he came up witli the figure of$335 American. The group and
mission got their heads, hearts and wallets together and came up with the money so the next time
we go there we ought to have stepsinstead of a rockpile.
We shared the house with some men who came fi:om the Winston SalemBible College
who had come to Haiti to build a school for Sanserene so that he might be able to teach the
children inhis congregation. It was a real pleasure tobe able to share with other Christians.
As you can see we had many problems but thank God, He gave us the strength and means
to overcome them. It hasbeen my experience that a person canalways find anexcuse not to do
something for the Lord ifthey don't want to do it or they can find away to do itifthey really
want to do it.
Starting with the next newsletter, we plan to feature one ofthe Haitian preachers that we
work with each month.
Thank all ofyou for your support and prayers which keep us going. You are the mission
we are your servants.
Steve and Joy Singer John and Wanda Skorczewski
SHARING CHRIST'S LOVE IN HAITI
Steve and Joy Singer
P.O. Box 466
Pinckneyville, IL. 62274
John and Wanda Skorczewski
R.2 Box 37
Pinckneyville.IL. 62274
Teaching Others To Teach
NOVEMBER 1995
As I write this newsletter there is much
happening in the mission. Jack Myrtil, who has
worked for the mission for a very long time is
going to make his first trip to America. He will
be arriving in Miami on December 15 and fi*om
there he will travel to Cornelia Georgia where
he will speak to the congregation there. The
Church at Comeha has been a long time faithful
supporter of the mission and also of Jack
personally. This will be the first time that they
win get to meet the man that they have been
supporting on the mission field. After speaking
at Comeha, if possible he will speak to another
congregation in Georgia, and then I will drive
down and pick him up and bring himtoPinclmej^ville. We would like tobeable tofly him into
St. Louis but that is cost prohibitive. John will beleaving here onthe 7th ofDecember totake the
money intopay the teachers and tobring Jack out. When Jack arrives inMiami not only will he
face a world that heknows nothing about, but hewill have tomake it through immigration and
customs as well. Even though heis only coming for 2 weeks hemust stiU gothrough immigration
and register as an ahen inthe U.S. John and I did not feel that Jack would be able tonegotiate the
travel without a companion, so that is the main reasonthat Johnis going in at this time.
This trip for Jackis very important inmany ways. It allows youour supporters a chance to
meethimand hear first handthe things that the mission is doing mHaiti. The schedule is already
filling up, but there area few slots for one night engagements if you would hke to have him
come. We can not promise that hewill be able tomake it, but if you call or write we will do our
best.
This is also an important learning time for Jack. While he is here, we will tryandexpose
him tomany different situations sothat he can take some of what he sees back to use inHaiti.
Jack has many talents that he is not using simply because he does not have the confidence to put
them to use. We hope while he is here that we will be able to boost his confidence andabihty.
Another very important aspect of this trip is the precedent that it sets. As you know we
have beentrying to get Christson (Jack's son) a visato come to America. This has beenvery
difficult for several reasons. First of all Christson is still considered a minor by embassy
standards. Until he completes high school, which most Haitians never do, or until he getsmarried
ourembassy considers him a minor. They teU methat theywill not issue a visaunless he is
accompanied by a parent. Our goal inbringing him here is to allow him to takehigh school
classes in the U.S. and then to go on and receive a Bible college education. After that is
completed he will return to Haiti and work for themission ona fuU time basis. There are several
menin Haiti that have done this verything andtheyare top notch workers for the Lord. They
completed their programs prior tothe pohtical unrest inHaiti, when securing a visa was amuch
easier thing to do. WithJack securing his visa andusing the mission as his sponsoring
organization the door has been opened. We wiU be very careful to make sure that Jack always
meets his deadlines for return to Haiti and that he is in total comphance with all regulations. We
feel that this will establish some sort of track record for the mission. Hopefully after 3 or 4 trips
tothe states the embassy will look more favorably onourrequest for a visa for Christson. There
are several young men who would be good candidates for this program, but we must first
establish a precedent.
Jack's trip tothe states will cost around $600.00. Once heis inthe States John and I will
take responsibility for all of hisneeds. He will need winter clothing as they never have any use
for heavy clothes inHaiti. I am sure that there will be other things that hewill beneeding but I
don't think that it will be anyproblem. If you would like to help payfor the tripfor Jackit would
begreatly appreciated. Any fimds received will beused tohelp pay for his airplane ticket, ifthere
are any contributions above the cost ofthe ticket wewill simply apply them toour expenses in
Haiti. None will be usedto payfor anyof his needs here inthe States, John andI will gladly
accept this responsibility. I will take lius opportunity to thank you inadvance for your support of
this worthy venture.
I stated earlier that John will be takingthe money in to pay the teachers for the entireyear.
I would liketo sharewithyousome of the particulars of this. At BoisNeufwe mustpay7
teachers, plus one English teacher. We also are paying Nerriel's salaiy which is separate from the
$100.00 a month American money that goes direcfiy to him. The total cost for these people is
$7,456.00 in Haitian money. There are 106students at BoisNeuf. At Gonaives we must pay 10
teachers andJack's salary which is again separate from the $100.00 a month that he also
receives. Thetotal cost for thesepeopleis $9,135.00 in Haitian money. Thereare 291 students at
Gonaives. All toldwe areresponsible for $16,680.00 inHaitian money just to paythe teachers at
thetwo schools. Because the exchange rate is so flexible we cannot sayfor surehowmuch
American money this will take, butwe have estimated it at about $5,550.00.
These figures fMect the salaries alone, they do not include, notebooks, paper, pens,
pencils, books, chalk or any other items that wefurnish. We must also provide a meal a day for
each ofthe students.
When John takes themoney inhe will payall of theteachers for the entire year. Nerriel
^dJack are responsible to ensure that theyreceive theirmoney monthly. They have a great
responsibility, as they are theones that hold and administer these fimds inHaiti. Besides the
items already mentioned we also paya salary to Saudy and sponsor two young men to theBible
college at Port-au-Prince. Before we canmove onto anybuilding projects we mustfirst meet our
annual obligations. Ourfiscal year begins in October so that is when wetry to meet these
obligations.
Another thing that John will be doing onthis trip is building a baptistry in Gonaives. Funds
were specifically donated to thisproject andit will be accomplished onthis trip.
As soonas our otherobligations aremet we needto put a roof onthe building at
Gonaieves. The newbuilding has the walls upbut noroof, the oldbuilding has a roof but the
walls havefallen down. Thiswill be our top priority. We really have no idea howmuch it will
take to complete thisproject as inflation is rampant inHaiti.
Weaskfor your continued prayers and financial support. Weare attempting to domany
things andwe wantto keepyouup to date onall of our projects. Prayfor Jack as he comes to
America. This could be a greattime for him anda tremendous opportunity for the mission as
wellr
God bless you until next month!
Steve and Joy Singer John and Wanda Skorczewski
SHARING CHRIST'S LOVE IN HAITI
cpf
Steve and Joy Singer SkorczewsW
P.O. Box 466
PinckneyviUe, IL. 62274 / Pinckneyvme,IL. 62274
Teaching Others To Teach
DECEMBER 1995
As I write this newsletter John is inHaiti. I really would have liked tohave been able to
go in and makR this trip, but time and obhgations would not permit. I beUeve that it will be
tremendously exciting to bring Jack to America for the veiy first time. Jack knew that John was
leaving on Thursday to help escort him to the States. He was very excited to meet so many folks
that have supported him and the work there for so long. He did not know that John had an
overnight layover in Miami on Friday. By Friday evening he was worried and called to ask about
John, he was very relieved to know that John was actually on the way.
While in Haiti this time John has three goals. The first is tobuild a baptistry inthe new
building at Gonaives. The building does not yet have aroof, but money was donated and
specified for the construction of abaptistry and so it will be done. To those ofyou that donated
these fimds John and I would hke to say thank you! Rest assured that the roof will be on the
building sometime this year, and that the baptistry will be well used.
The second goal that John has is to pay the teacher's salaries for the year. Our year runs
from October 1to September 30. Because of generous support from so many people we are able
to meet this obhgation on this trip. What we do is to give the bulk sumofmoney to the director
of the school and he pays the teachers on amonthly basis. This prevents paying ateacher for the
entire year and having them quit, resulting in us losing their salary for the year. This also
demonstrates the honesty and trustworthiness of our directors. The amount ofmoney that we give
them at one time is ahuge sum for them. We are happy to report that we have never even had
one incident oftrouble with this system. How many people do you know that you could trust with
that kind ofresponsibihty? All the more reason that we need to continue to support our men in
Haiti. We would also like to report that we have given each ofthe teachers a 16 1/2% raise. I
know that this sounds like alot but the rate ofinflation in Haiti has gone up afull 100% since the
embargo has lifted.
Inlast month's newsletter I outlined thetwo current locations inwich we are operatmg
schools in at the present. In this newsletter 1am going to show you aletter that we received from
Sadey, who is the preacher at Passe Rene. In this letter he appeals to us to be able to help him to
continue the school operation at Passe Rene. We have supported the Church by building them a
building. They are holding their school classes in this building. The building is not complete, but
the shell is up including aroof. On the last mission trip several of the individuals that went m
pooled their resources and donated enough money to build aset of steps to be able to get into the
building easily. Passe Rene is located in the mountains, and the building is built on ashghtly
sloping piece of giound. Before these folks donated the money for the steps, the people at Passe
Rene were using arock pile to get into the building. We have also just begun to supply Sadey
with $100.00 amonth American. That is the only compensation that he recieves for working at
the Church and the school. We would like to be able to pay him aregular salary and support the
school as well, but at this time funds are not available for these projects. Passe Rene also does
not have awater supply that is certain to be clean. Ariver runs right by the Church building, but
much ofthat is surface water, wich is easily contaminated. With that in mind, we would also like
to be able to put awell at this location. We supported and paid Sadey's way through the Bible
college at P. A.P. We would like to be able to do more with him to help to continue the work at
Passe Rene.
We are currently considering increasing our efforts inthe Passe Rene area, but it isnot the
only area that we have opportunities to work in. As you read the following letter, consider what
youthink we ought to do.
.fejsiac:
a
/_ jf* # J ^
m- .2^1
^ _ irt
As you can see there is definately aneed in this location. These teachers have been
teaching without any compensation. I wanted to show you the letter in Sadey's own handwriting
so that you could see that the need isreal. Along with the needs in Passe Rene there are many
others that are in need as well. I mentioned that there was no goodwater supply at Passe Rene,
there isalsojio water supply atBois Neuf. We get letters just like this one from many different
communities inElaiti. When we arein country weHave someone come almostrdaily from a
congregation of Christians somewhere in the area to tell us oftheir needs. We want to be able to
help them all and I feel that we are making abig difference, what we want to know is how do
youfeel aboutthe workthat is being done.
Please donot misunderstand, we are sothankful for ail of the support that we recieve. But
there is somuch more to do. Weneedyour help to be able to reach out further. Our goal is to
make the congregations selfsupporting, and we feel that Gonaives might be able to accomplish
this in the next decade. With your continued help and input we will reach out tothe rest ofHaiti
as well. Write to us andlet us know howyoufeel about the workthat we are doing.
Johnwill write the next newsletter andtell you all abouthis tripintoHaiti.
Until then wepray that you will have peace inthe Lord.
Steve and Joy Singer
John and Wanda Skorczewski