Climbing For Christ has been ministering to churches in the Chaine de la Selle mountain villages in southeastern Haiti since the summer of 2005. Helping churches, schools, and villages with seminary training, teacher assistance and school supplies, and sanitation, clean water and medical assistance are among the goals for 2008 mission trips.

Dates: Dec. 1-13.

Team: 10 participants, maximum.

Members: Sarah Brownell, Rochester, N.Y.; Josh Carroll, Denver, Colo.; Elaine Fallesen, Rochester, N.Y.; Gary Fallesen, trip leader, Rochester, N.Y.; Dr. Steve Quakenbush, Canon City, Colo.; and Pastor Erica Zeiler, Littleton, Colo.

Purpose: Serving basic health needs, including the teaching of first-aid; completion of the first year of a monthly seminary involving pastors and church leaders from Gentilhomme and surrounding villages; the introduction of sanitation with the building of arborloos in Gentilhomme (where there are no toilets); the implementation of a water system (to purify and make more accessible drinking water for Gentilhomme); the support and encouragement of churches and schools in Gentilhomme and Malasi. Spiritually caring and feeding of believers in Gentilhomme and Malasi, and introducing Jesus to those who do not know the Lord.

Sarah Brownell coaxes a reluctant schoolgirl to take a deworming pill during our visit to Gentilhomme in December 2007. One deworming pill will provide protection for six months to under-nourished children. (Photo by Gary Fallesen)

Help Wanted: Health-care workers are needed to assist on the medical portion of this mission.

Cost: Estimated at $1,600, including airfare from New York City to Hispanoila. (Note: You must arrange and pay for your own transportation to New York City.)

Applications: E-mail gfallesen@ClimbingForChrist.org to apply for this mission team. Membership is required to participate in an Evangelic Expedition.

School children in Malasi, which is located about eight miles southeast over the mountains from Gentilhomme. (Photos by Gary Fallesen)

Posted Dec. 30, 2007

The Call

Climbing For Christ is praying about, reviewing, discerning, and planning 2008 mission trips to Haiti. Among the goals determined on our December 2007 trip:

Health care

We need medical personnel to hold clinics in Gentilhomme and Malasi. This is a top priority. A medical mission team will (prayerfully) be formed to carry out the work that is urgently needed to improve the health of the people in those two mountain villages. Our personnel will provide instruction to leaders so that basic first-care services can be provided in an ongoing basis.

Sanitation

A community arborloo will be constructed on our next visit to allow villagers in Gentilhomme to see and use a toilet. In the future, we will provide toilets for each of the houses or groupings of houses. An arborloo costs only $30 to build. We could construct arborloos for all of Gentilhomme for less than $3,000.

Seminary

Missionary Miguel Rubén Guante has been equipped to continue this program, initiated with the help of Pastors Dan Freng, Derek Fullerton and Erica Zeiler. Pastors and church leaders from Gentilhomme and surrounding villages (including Malasi, Soliette, Thoman, and Jimani) will attend monthly classes, and Climbing For Christ may return in December 2008 to complete their studies.

School

Continue to develop the education being offered in Gentilhomme and replicate it in Malasi. We have been paying two teachers U.S. $100 a month each. We will add a third teacher (in Malasi) during the 2008-2009 school year. Additionally, we will continue to provide school supplies to Gentilhomme, Malasi, and Jimani.

Water

Further testing on water sources as well as the cleaning and preparing of the cistern outside the church for capture and purification of rain water. We will be investigating the most efficient and least expensive method to divert spring water up the steep slope to the village for easier access for the people living there.

Ongoing

Monthly expenses for this mission include a salary for missionary Miguel Rubén Guante, expenses for travel and communication for Miguel, teacher salaries, health-care assistance with the clinic in Jimani, and support for the church and Pastor Meristaine Tresin of Gentilhomme.

More on Malasi

Miguel visited Malasi five times in 2007 and Gary Fallesen went there with him in December 2007 to meet Pastor Verite Velsuis, the teacher of a school that was started in November, and other people of the village. God has called Climbing For Christ to serve in Malasi as we are serving in Gentilhomme.

Support

You can help by supporting this mission through prayer and financial giving. Send tax-deductible donations to:

Climbing For Christ
c/o Mission: Haiti
P.O. Box 16290
Rochester, NY 14616

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