Newsline: Haitian church celebrates 100th home

[CoBNews <CoBNews@brethren.org>]

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service, News Director Cheryl
Brumbaugh-Cayford, 800-323-8039 ext. 260, cobnews@brethren.org

>Haitian church celebrates 100th home

(June 17, 2011) Elgin, IL -- A group of leaders from the Church of the Brethren 
in the United States traveled to Haiti June 4-8 to help Eglise des Freres 
Haitiens (the Church of the Brethren in Haiti) celebrate completion of the 
100th home built by Brethren Disaster Ministries. The church was also 
celebrating a new Church of the Brethren guesthouse, which will be able to 
house workcamps.

The guesthouse sits on two-thirds of an acre in Croix des Bouquets, outside 
Port-au-Prince. A wall was built in November, and work began on the guesthouse 
in January. The group visiting from the US was the first to stay in the 
building, where plumbing and electrical hook-ups were being finished the day of 
the celebration.

"I want to thank God for this occasion to gather in this building," said 
Klebert Exceus, who has led the Brethren building efforts in Haiti. "We give 
God the glory." 

The 100th home sits with two others just beyond the wall of the guesthouse. 
They are among 22 homes completed since January. People were expecting to move 
into the new homes throughout the month of June. Each house cost $7-8,000.

Several pastors and church leaders spoke at the celebration, which was held in 
the guesthouse and attended by a busload of Brethren from the two closest 
congregations. They asked the visitors to convey their thanks to supporters in 
the US. 

Jean Bily Telfort, general secretary of the Church of the Brethren in Haiti, 
recalled the days immediately after the January 2010 earthquake. "There were 
people who were in tears, but today there is joy. We want to thank all the 
volunteers and supporters. We thank God for you."

While in Haiti, the group from the US church worshiped with several 
congregations and visited communities in Port-au-Prince, Fond Cheval, Morne 
Boulage, Gonaives, and Bohok. They saw a number of the houses built by Brethren 
Disaster Ministries, and visited with some of the recipients of these homes.

"We have traveled here from the US to celebrate the many accomplishments God is 
doing here among you in Haiti," said Andy Hamilton during his sermon on Sunday 
morning at the Delmas church in Port-au-Prince. "Every time I hear the stories 
I am encouraged. Your faith has an effect on my small congregation in Akron, 
Ohio. We hold you in prayer constantly."

The delegation from the US included representatives from the Church of the 
Brethren staff and board, district executives, the Haiti Advisory Group, and 
disaster auctions. 

The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to continuing 
the work of
Jesus peacefully and simply, and to living out its faith in community. The 
denomination is based
in the Anabaptist and Pietist faith traditions and is one of the three Historic 
Peace Churches. It
celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2008. It counts some 123,000 members across 
the United
States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in Nigeria, 
Brazil, the Dominican
Republic, Haiti, and India.

># # #

>For more information contact:

>Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
>Director of News Services
>Church of the Brethren
>1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120
>800-323-8039 ext. 260
>cobnews@brethren.org