Mickey Starling: Greene Publishing, Inc.
Tessa Andrews grew up hearing stories about the plight of people living in Haiti. Her mother, Teresa Galbraith, made two mission trips to Haiti while Andrews was in elementary school. Now 21, Andrews has already made two trips of her own to the impoverished nation.
Andrews’ latest trip was in March and it set in motion an unexpected chain of events that will impact the course of her life. While ministering to Haitian children who were fascinated with her red hair and white skin, Andrews became aware of an urgent need for more teachers for missionaries’ children. The normal process for volunteering to teach is a long one that requires training and plenty of time for fundraising, since all volunteers raise all of their needed support in advance of the trips.
Due to the urgency of the need, Andrews will take the necessary training at a future date but must have all of the $13,000 needed to finance her nine-month mission by mid-July. So far, Andrews has raised about $9,000 and she is hopeful that the remaining funds will come in. Her new adventure in Haiti begins in September, at Cite Lumiere (City of Light) Christian School, in Les Cayes.
Many things will be different for Andrews as she begins this new adventure with World Team, a global missions agency serving in 28 countries around the world. School hours are only from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. due to the heat common to Haiti. Shopping for food can also be tricky. Fresher, more expensive items are always on the front of the shelves, with the cheaper and older items further back. For instance, shoppers get a great deal on fresh fish if they buy from deep on the shelf, but the unrefrigerated catch could be six days old. “Many Haitians are forced to eat these cheaper items,” said Andrews. “I’m looking forward to seeing how God uses me during this time.” Haiti is certainly a place where “the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few.”
If you would like to help make this opportunity a reality for Andrews, please send donations to her church, Pinetta First Baptist Church, at 10285 NE Colin Kelly Hwy., in Pinetta.