NEW school in Luly!!

So, I work for a non-profit called World Wide Village - an organization whose mission is to transform lives, empower communities, and love people.  God is the reason we do any of this - it is his love within us that compels us to work in a country that breaks the heart of many humanitarians.  Some wonder why World Wide Village works in Haiti.  Don't we know we'll never be able to save the entire country?  Aren't we cognizant of the fact that people have been working in Haiti for awhile and people are still starving? 

Oh baloney!  God is bigger than all of the so-called "here is why the world thinks you shouldn't work in Haiti"!  Want proof?  Click here!!

Here's the story -- in January 2010 there was a devastating earthquake in Haiti.  The church where school was held in the community of Luly was rendered completely structurally unsound, to the tune of WWV organizers being nervous with people even setting foot in the building.  Locals fashioned walls out of banana leaves and made a temporary shelter for the kids to continue classes.  Banana leaves do not hold up well to elements, and so the shelter pretty much dissolved within a few months -- torrential rains kind of have that affect.

The kids moved back into the structurally unsound building because they had nowhere else to hold class.

God roused World Wide Village into action!  Loving the people of Haiti means we were compelled to HAVE to do something!  We rallied supporters and gathered donations from individuals, companies, churches, etc.  Then Digicel, Haiti's largest cell phone carrier, came alongside the school and funded the rest of construction.  The school was built bigger and better than we expected...what a blessing!

This past Tuesday was the opening ceremony for the brand-new Luly Community School.  Some recognizable faces were in attendance - Miley Cyrus, Haitian President Martelly, Bill and Tani Austin from Starkey Hearing Foundation, as well as Randy and Pat Mortensen and WWV staff on the ground in Haiti.

Just look through the pictures above - I nearly started crying for joy.  ALSO: President Martelly guaranteed free tuition at the school for all students!  Woot woot!

I was at this school when visiting Haiti with WWV in January - it was completely heartbreaking, and the children are amazing, and it is an absolute blessing from God that these kids have a new (safe) school in which to study.  As someone who came from a poor background, I can testify that education is often the key to making a brighter, more stable future.  Praise God that the 304 students who attended on Wednesday are getting that chance!  :)

Now excuse me while I go happy-dance.  :)