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By Narayan Mitra
COME January, a group of up to 20 fire and rescue workers from Kamloops will be
landing in the seaside town of Les Cayes in southern Haiti, for a mission
unrelated to their professions.
Along with their chaplain, Ray Parker, the group is planning to build a
dormitory for school kids on property owned by missionary couple Rod and Debbie
Wray – also from Kamloops, and now in their sixth year of service in Haiti.
Long-time former chaplain at the Kamloops Correctional Centre, Parker is now the
volunteer chaplain with the city’s fire department.
The Haiti group is shaping up as a good mix of church and non-church workers.
Described as a humanitarian effort, and not necessarily a mission trip, the
project has several Christians assisting – with all members paying their own way.
All money raised from fundraising pledges will go toward the project.
Some 16 to 18 teams go to Haiti per year – half of them medical initiatives – to help the Wrays. The January team will focus on construction.
“We have a group of people who are very dedicated. Our previous two trips to
Africa and Nicaragua under the banner of Hands Across Borders have sparked a
lot of interest among fire fighters,” said Dennis Fayers, operations chief and a member of the upcoming expedition.
With his earlier experience in development work in Africa and Nicaragua, Fayers
is eyeing this next trip with keen interest.
His wife sponsors a Haitian child and has visited the country once already.
Fire Chief Neill Moroz is a willing team volunteer. Most of the fundraising will
be in the hands of Parker.
“I’m very excited to go on a Third World mission along with my wife,” Parker said. “Sharon will do puppetry for children during the days we’ll be working.”
He added, “The goal is to raise about $10,000 from businesses and sponsors. The Wrays left
their Kamloops jobs, sold everything and are now doing a fantastic work for the
underprivileged. What a privilege it is to stand beside them in a small way.”
Based in Florida, the interdenominational Harvest International – the Wrays’ umbrella organization – has works in Cuba, India, Kenya, Romania, Uganda, Ukraine and Zimbabwe, besides
Haiti.
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The Wrays have established schools, a medical clinic, sports teams and camps.
Over 900 children attend Sunday schools each week. Every three weeks, a doctor
visits the clinic. Children recently received donated shoes from Canada and the
U.S.
Ken Baerg and his wife of Valleyview Bible Church in Kamloops already sponsor a
Haitian child.They were friends of the Wrays when they attended Valleyview.
“The Wrays are doing a fabulous work there, and we wanted to strengthen their
hands,” said Baerg, a 10-year veteran firefighter.
“We put up a notice at the fire hall about the upcoming trip, and the ball
started rolling.”
Baerg and Fayers are looking forward to enlisting a few more than the 11
colleagues from their place of work who are already confirmed to go on the trip.
The thought of blessing over 200 underprivileged kids per week through the camp
ministry fuels the mobilization drive.
The January team welcomes donations of clothing, first aid materials, sports
equipment and cash. Contact 250.372.5131 for information on how to donate.
The Wrays can be reached at: rdwray@fastmail.fm.
December 2009
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