It was great!  I was finally able to attend Cel Slat's Bible Study yesterday.  We are on word studies at the moment.  Grace, temptation,watch and pray were some of the words we were looking at.  Besides myself, there were some other missionaries on leave present.  One young man was home from Nigeria and a couple was visiting Pittsburgh with their family from Tanzania.

Its so important to find a study or home group to participate in to butress our faith.  So many Christians cruise through the week without any "fillings', only to get a quik "fix" Sunday morning when the Pastor gives a 15-20 minute "message".  Where's the "beef'?

A strong faith cannot be maintained on spiritual "nibbles".  Something more substantial is needed in these trying times.  A good Bible Study can be so uplifting.  There is a good website with good devotions at www.backtothebible.org  or www.crosswalk.com  .

My 87 yr old Mother hasn't been allowed to drive because of a blackout spell she had some weeks ago.  She was fretting so as she hated asking friends to drive her places.  She's happy now that I'm here and temporarily filling the post of chauffeur.  Its always great to spend time together.

I'm now here in Pittsburgh a week and time is going fast.  I found a website for great Haitian Christian cds.  I have already prepared some for our Radio Station in Haiti and sent them down.  I usually compile the music separating the slow and fast music on different cds and that saves them having to keep switching the cds.

Haiti has been getting alot of rain as was predicted.  You have to feel for those many Haitians still in tents.  Only a small part of the aid promised them has actually been given.  Not so with our homes for Christian workers project we are now up to 8 houses being built for young men involved in Christian ministry.

Today and tomorrow will be exciting as my nephew, Chris, and his wife and 2 kids, Lily, Daniel and Victoria, will be visiting with us.  Chris married a girl from Chile and has been living and working down there for several years.

Although the Chilean part of the family speaks English, I wish I knew Spanish so that I could communicate with them in their own language.

If you can, look me up on Facebook because I  made up some albums there in my pictures.

Went with my Mom for her cataract surgery. She came through well and is recovering!

Praise the Lord, the plane trip from Dallas to Pittsburgh yesterday was fine.  It was great to see my 87 yr. old Mom and niece, Kate, at the curb to pick me up.

I hope to visit some churches in the Pittsburgh area during my stay.  Please pray that the Lord will open some doors to me so that the ministry will get some new donors.

My Mom is having cataract surgery today, and my sister, Liz, has to undergo surgery in the near future, please pray for them.

Things in Haiti are great!  Dubois church recently had 3 weddings and 4 new conversions, and Metayer church had 3 conversions. 

The Lord is coming soon!  Let us be found active in his behalf when He comes!

Well, last night I was at Rosanky Baptist Church to share about the ministry.  The media guy tried to do my photos by powerpoint and they came out too large so you could see only a part of the pictures, but some survived.  I felt bad they couldn't see them properly so as too really appreciate them.

But they were very generous and Pastor Abraham always has a good word for Gospel Growers.

Ronni and Jim are coming to Smithville tomorrow to pick up all the Gospel Growers records and files so as to reopen a new GGI office closer to their home in Southlake, Dallas.  I will return to  Dallas with them and fly onto Pittsburgh next Tuesday to be with my Mom.

Our new address for Gospel growers IS:

Gospel Growers, Inc.
PO Box 92814
Southlake, TX 76092

attn. James Guerriero        

On Sunday morning I was so blessed to speak at New Flower Hill Baptist Church here in Smithville.  It is the first time I have done so.  I spoke on the importance of missions based on Jesus command to us from Matthew 28:18-20.  Pastor J R Roberson and his flock gave me a really warm welcome!

Then on Sunday evening I returned to Trinity Baptist also in Smithville, where they were treated to my pictures of Haiti and the ministry there.  What a loving and supportive church they are!

Today, the WMU ladies of First Baptist of Smithville had Angie and me over for supper in the church fellowship hall.  After a tasty meal, I showed them the pictures of Haiti and gave a report of how the ministry is progressing.  Everyone was especially interested in hearing of how the earthquake has affected the country there. 

This morning I attended a Men's Breakfast at Rosanky Baptist Church-- great bunch of guys!  About 50 were present.  Pastor Abraham always has a good word for the ministry. 

I will be speaking at Rosanky on Wednesday evening service.

Well, hurricane Alex didn't do much here in Smithville, but we did get much needed rain.  Its a muggy day and the temperature is supposed to be in the 80's-- a "cool" spell.

I just don't know how people here survived without air-conditioning in the olden days!  Dariol  has ocean breezes and a drier climate.  Though this year it has been much more humid and rainier.

The question is, does that mean there is a greater chance for having hurricanes?  Please pray that God will be merciful to Haiti as they have had so much suffering and destruction in the last couple of years.

So far telephone calls that I've received from down there are good news and not bad.  Lift up the Gospel Growers staff in prayer please that the Lord will bless.

Ever since last night, we have been having rain on and off here in Smithville, Texas.  In fact there was a great thunder and lightening storm last night.  Could this be due to Alex?  Most likely.

Its pouring as I write this entry.  Hopefully the rain will end later as we are planning on going to Wednesday Night Service at Trinity Baptist Church.

Please continue to pray that Haiti will be spared damaging winds and storms during this summer.  They have been battered so much already!

This morning I was blessed by being able to attend 2 worship services and I spoke at both.  The 9am service at Gulf Prairie Presbyterian Church in Jones Creek, Texas, was the first time I was privileged to be able to address the congregation in the sanctuary.  I shared with them what was happening in the ministry.

Then at 11 am,  I was at Churchill Baptist Church to speak as well.  This was not the first time I had given the sermon here.

What a blessing it was to see all these wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ once again.  I was warmly received and felt very much at home.

Both of these churches have been very generous to Gospel Growers and supportive in prayer and in the sharing of resources.  I thank God for bringing these faithful and loving believers along side me so that our work among the Haitian people can continue.

Please pray with us that Haitians will open their hearts to the Gospel and that God's Kingdom will spread throughout the island. Thankyou Lord Jesus for your love and the  gift of salvation.

Don't get excited, I'm not a father!  But since I'm visiting with my sister and brother in law I enjoyed some of the perks vicariously by being invited to a restaurant to celebrate bro's day.  Its been 8 months since I tasted beef, as this is a meat not seen very often out in the countryside where I live.

So-o-o, I was drawn to get the prime rib--let  me tell you,,, it was great!  We also paid a visit to the Dallas Art Museum where there were some wonderful exhibits.  They also took me on a driving tour of Munger Road area which is a historical site of beautiful old homes.  Just our luck, one was being sold and so was open to view,,, some digs!

Oh yes, I forgot that yesyerday I was taken to the movies to see Ironman 2-- very good special effects!

In spite of all these interesting things I'm thinking of my people I left behind in Haiti--my heart is there, and my prayers are for them. 

Yes, I'm afraid I've fallen victim to the Facebook bug (due to my older sister) and you can meet up with me there if you like.

Today my sister held a brunch for some of her Christian friends and I was able to share something about what the Lord is doing in Haiti thru Gospel Growers.  The food was great! and the company chosen by the Holy Spirit! 

I also showed some pictures of the work and various places in Haiti on my computer to them.  Some were of the post-earthquake devastation, others of Dariol and the beautiful Haitian people.  Hope  you'll get to see them one day soon.

Next week I will be with Angie Brannan in Smithville and also at some point Surfside.  After July fourth it will be on to Pittsburgh and my base there will be my Mom's house.

Should you like a visit from me to your church or group please let me know at www.gospelgrowers.org  and we'll see what we can do.

Sorry for the long silence,,,it was beyond my control.  On May 20 my server stopped service leaving me high and dry!  What enables me to write again is because I'm currently in the states.  Since yesterday I'm here at my sister's home in Southlake, Texas.  I will be having meetings with Angie Brannan, outgoing President of the Gospel Growers board and Ronni and Jim Guerriero who will be trying to fill Angie's shoes. Not an easy thing to do.  One of the things being decided is the address change of our Gospel Growers office so stay tuned for further developments.

During my stay I hope to be able to visit  many of the churches that support Gospel Growers by their prayers and support.  If you would like me to stop by your church drop me a line at samrice@gospelgrowers.org and I will get back to you.

Praise to God for His protection and support as I came out of Haiti and continue to travel around/  God bless you!!!

Sunday morning was a real blessing here in Dariol as we worshipped with the visiting Norman family.  There was a wonderful time of prayer and praise.  Different groups and individuals offered up special songs for the occasion.

The pastor preached on the need for persevering prayer.  He touched on what prayer is, why its needed and what can empower or weaken it.  I introduced the Normans to the church and they got a WARM WELCOME.

That afternoon around 6pm there was another service but this one focused on the love of God and our responsibility to manifest it to the world.  The many ways to do his were touched on.  We gathered in a circle at the close and sang together "Blest be the Cord which binds..."   The Pastor and people expressed their pleasure at receiving the Normans and thanked them for coming to visit them.  Another invitation was extended to them to come sometime again in the near future.

This morning the Normans returned to Port au Prince and I just confirmed their arrival at the guesthouse in Carrefour.  Tomorrow morning they are scheduled to return to their homes in the states. 

What about YOU?  We would be glad to receive you and others as visitors sometime  in the near future.   Anyone wishing to do so may contact me at samrice@gospelgrowers.org

My name is Dena Kemmet, I am from Beulah, ND and I'm visiting Sam in Dariol. My family arrived in Port-au-Prince on Wednesday, May 12 and traveled by pick-up to Dariol. The drive was an adventure, but well worth it!

We visited a home and were able to share a few items we brought for some children who are in need. They were very grateful and we had such a wonderful time visiting them. The man (Eriel) and his family try to feed the children and provide for them once a month. The crowd was large! Eriel has a true heart for God and it shows in how he supports these children.

Another opportunity we had was to visit a country church and school. The walk was well worth our visit! We visited the local clinic and can see many needs that we hope to help meet.

The view is beautiful in Dariol, but the people are more beautiful! We have been treated with such kindness it amazes me. I have certainly been reminded that the people with the least are most often the most generous. 

It is amazing to experience the love of God that is very real to these people. Watching them teach their children warms my heart. I wish everyone would have the opportunity to experience this beautiful country and these loving people.

Please continue to pray for Sam and the work he is able to do in Dariol. Your support and prayers makes many things possible through Sam.

Thursday morning Deena, Cheryl and I took a walk.  We walked through the countryside behind my house.  Jean Denis a co-worker was with us.  It was a beautiful day with a gorgeous blue sky.  Along the way we observred different Haitian wildflowers and plants.  After about 25 minutes we saw a tin covered structure on a rise before us.  We had arrived, and we were all pleased as it was very warm. 

There to greet us was the church committee of Bodary Evangelical Church.  We sat and visited awhile.  Hearing the sound of noisy children nearby we went to investigate and saw one of the schools which Gospel Growers assists.

The kids were in recess and a soccer game of sorts was going on.  We spent some time with these bright, curious kids.  They were looking very thin I'm afraid and sorely in need of some good meals but they were happy anyway.

They were very interested in Cheryl's long blond hair.  They were also all crowding to see a digital camera which captured their images.  Laughing and noisy they accompanied us partly back to the church.

The church elders presented us with gifts before we rose to return to Dariol.  There on a table before us were a melon, some hen's eggs and a honey from a nearby hive.  What riches of generosity in view of their utter poverty!

These people even carried our gifts back to my house for us.  Please pray for these poor people as they are completely neglected by the government and aren't getting any of the massive aid being doled out in Port au Prince.  

 

This morning we left Dariol for the short ride up a mountain to Zabo where Eriel has his monthly program with orphan and poor children.  Besides the 32 that we had planned for there was a friendly crowd gathered to see strangers who had arrived. As the kids and others listened to Christian music and ate a meal of rice and beans, we sorted the different articles to distribute to Eriel's kids. 

Eriel you may recall from past blog entries was one of the 2 young men who had been falsely arrested by the police and mistreated for almost a month before we were able to secure their release. He has since married and fathered a little boy.

Eriel wanted to give his life in service to God after his terrible experience so he started this program which he continues on his own small funds.  How glad I was to be able to recommend him to the Normans so they could come and encourage his efforts with some assistance.

The group were blessed by their grateful Haitian hosts with some coconuts, pineapples and a goat! 

On returning to Dariol we had another good meal and a rest.  Deena and Cheryl went to swim in the ocean nearby with some of their new Haitian Friends.  

Well, the Normans plus Deena and Cheryl got safely to Dariol about 4pm.Haiti time.  Since then they have feasted on rice and beans, goat, fried banann, and coleslaw.  Larry and Phyllis opted out of climbing the mountain to my house but the girls were syked.  Somewhat breathless after the climb we enjoyed the view from my porch.

Larry and Phyllis Norman, and their 2 grown daughters, Cheryl and Deena, arrived safely in Port au Prince early this morning.  I spoke with them on the phone.  They are en route and should arrive here in about another hour or so. 

Dariol is rolling out the red carpet so rarely do we receive visitors.  Tomorrow we plan visit a project which assists ophans and poor kids.  Friday will be spent exploring and Saturday hopefully we will be able to reach the Radio Station.  Sunday will be spent in church, morning and evening services.  Monday morning they will return to Port au Prince, Tuesday to the states.  The weather is sunny at the moment and we have prayed for 5 good days or at least until they leave Haiti.