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VIDEO VAULT – Hoop Homes in Haiti

August 12th, 2010 1 comment

Categories: featured Tags: , ,

Hoop Homes Update

March 2nd, 2010 No comments

This just in from our friends at Esbenshades….

Hey Everyone,
Want to start off by expressing how much we appreciate everyone’s support whether that came in the form of prayers, finances, or encouragement. We couldn’t have asked for smoother travel on the way down, all our luggage made it and we had no real issues being processed through customs. Our contact from YWAM met us directly after we claimed our baggage and did an awesome job of getting us through the madness that was the outside of the Port Au Prince airport.
We didn’t see a whole lot of devastation while traveling through Port Au Prince. Just outside of town we passed large tracts of land where people had “claimed” plots to put shelters up by outlining them with small rocks. Shortly thereafter we passed one of the mass graves where some of the victims of the earthquake were buried.
That made it real, very sobering.
After we arrived on the base Sunday afternoon we found Scott and Shawn, who were armpit deep in greenhouse parts in the back of the container. We worked till dark trying to unload, organize and also began assembling one of the Hoop Homes.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSgiLEMjaIQ]

We are staying in a large communal dorm lined with triple bunk beds and about 25 other guys. Everything here on the base is powered by a generator which is shut off around 9 PM and turned back on around 6 AM. Some of the staff keep their radios,TVs, and lights on until the the power leaves. That made falling asleep pretty interesting. When we did fall asleep, we slept, and slept well.
Morning came early to the sounds of roosters, Guinea fowl, and one very ticked off dog. After a 6:30 breakfast we set to work finishing unloading the container and finishing up the afore mentioned Hoop House. Praise God the base has two, count ’em two, skidloaders. Or as we like to call them, back savers. What a blessing!!!
We finished getting everything organized just before lunch at which time we were told where the first “batch” of Hoop Homes were setup. We loaded enough material for 10 homes and headed down into St. Marc to clinc the YWAM base oversees. As we begun setting the house up, just 50 yards from the coast, I couldn’t help but praise God for the breeze, the ocean AND THE POST POUNDER!!!!! The REAL back saver. There is no way we could have even made 1/3 of the time we did if it wasn’t for that. Pounding 10, 3 ft. stakes by hand, into hard rocky soil would have even slowed down Charles Ingles and Mr. Edwards. We made great time. We started working around 1:00 and by 5:15 we had 5 houses completely finished and the structure of 3 more already up awaiting the poly. The weather was hot, but not unbearable. At least there was no rain. (Keep praying.)
Overall, our first day and a half could not have gone a whole lot better. We are all learning to work together and finding our niches. Thanks so much for everyones support. The houses are going up so smooth, and we are still working out OUR kinks. I’d say by day 3 we will be clipping along like a well oiled machine. Praise God for this!
I’ll wrap it up now. Please forward this to anyone you might think is interested and continue to keep us in your prayers. This whole “idea” and trip has come about in such a amazing way, we feel God truly has his hand in it. Much love to all of our loved ones. We miss you guys.
Jon Gehman for The Hoop House Team
Categories: missions Tags: , ,

Hoop Homes for Haiti

February 4th, 2010 No comments

Terry Esbenshade talks about the “hoop home” temporary housing structures being sent to Haiti.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSgiLEMjaIQ]