Oct 4, 2013
Dear Friends,
There is a beautiful Proverb 13:12 – one of my favorites – that states, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick; but when dreams come true at last, there is life and joy.” (TLB).
After arriving in Haiti on Monday morning, it has been an extremely difficult 4-day battle beyond anything I expected. I am not naive when it comes to the powers of wickedness in high places, but I simply had no idea the battle it would be to simply get three containers released from Haitian customs. After fighting with the Haitian government for two-and-a-half years, we were finally on the verge of getting the containers released. But it wasn’t going to be easy.
I’ll be sharing the details of this fight in my blog over the coming days, but right now I just want to share some of the victory. Following are just a few of the pictures I’ve taken so far. Perhaps some of you have seen some on Aslan’s Facebook or website that other team members have sent over the past couple of days.
As I walked through the three connected units this morning, I saw for the first time what I envisioned over 3 years ago – a fully functional and modern, state-of-the-art medical clinic. Well, I saw what will be these things in a few short months. There is quite a lot of hard work to do to waterproof everything, put in doorway facings, unpack equipment and clean, clean, clean. There is termite damage to repair on at least one of the units, but all-in-all it looks like the containers weathered the “storm” of being held up by Haitian customs for over two years pretty well!
Thank you, again, for all your prayers. Please continue to pray, because the battle is still not over. After this wonderful team of men is finished with their work, I’ll need to return (probably no later than January) with another group to finish the electrical, plumbing, septic systems and connecting up our deep-water well. So, by the early part of this coming year we’ll have our first medical team in Haiti!
Following are some great pictures with explanations.
Much love and many blessings to you all!
Craig
1. Two of the containers rolling through Ouanaminthe at dusk on their way to Aslan’s property.
2. We were greeted (in the dark) by hundreds of people from L’Acajou – singing, cheering, clapping, and welcoming the Aslan clinic to our property! 
3. Bright and early Thursday morning, our containers on their trusty “steeds” sit upon the hill, waiting for the arrival of the crane. 
4. And the strong and solid foundation awaits the setting of the containers.
5. The first clinic section is carefully lifted off the truck to be swung around in place onto the foundation. 
6. Swinging Medical Container 1 into place onto the foundation.
7. Section 2 is now being “scooched” up against section 1.
8. Section 3 is being lifted off the truck to be swung around to join sections 1 and 2. 
9. May God bless Dr. Michael Wawrzewski and our good friends at Hospitals of Hope (HOH), who constructed these units and have stood with us in our fight to get them released from customs. Kyle Stevens, HOH Project Manager, is with us here in Haiti helping with all his technical expertise to place the units together and prepare them for operation.
10. Success! After a full and extremely hot day’s work, the three sections are on the foundation and next to each other. Now to bolt them together, waterproof them, clean and do all the inside work!
