Mission Photo Albums
Below is a short description for each mission trip. Click on the photo or title to see the full photo album. There are also some photos in the Blog section under the category Posts With Pics.
Mission # 23 - Dominican Republic - September 2014
Mission 23 was a SLP first to the Dominican Republic. Yay for a new country :D We spent a week with Freedom International Ministries in San Pedro de Macoris. They minister to the working families of the sugar cane industry. There are many small villages, or bateyes, of sugar cane cutters located on a large plot of land owned by Domino Sugar. Freedom’s primary focus is to offer a Christian bilingual school for the children from these bateyes. We were able to install an 18 panel solar system for the first phase of the school’s campus. We actually finished the install in less than two days. Go Team !! We spent the rest of the week helping their electrician wire the school. We also got in a beach day and a visit to one of the bateyes. It was wonderful to spend time with the children in their own village. Overall, it was a fantastic week :D
Mission # 22 - Haiti - June 2014
Description coming soon. Pics coming soon.
Mission # 21 - Panama - March 2014
Description coming soon. Pics coming soon.
Mission # 20 - Haiti - February 2014
This was my first solar mission since moving to Honduras. It was a quick one week trip to Haiti (plus two overnights in Miami). I went back to Alex's House Orphanage (where we were last September) to do some updating on three small solar systems at the orphanage itself. As far as the SLP crew, I was the only person there. However, there was a team from SC doing various community ministries and also construction work for several new buildings. I was able to pull from the team for some help with the solar systems. However, I still had to work some longs days in order to get it all done. But even with long days and all, I thoroughly enjoyed getting back to the solar work. There's just something special about doing ministry with my hands :D
Mission # 19 - Haiti - September 2013
Description coming soon. Pics coming soon.
Mission # 18 - DR Congo - July/August 2013
We finally made it to Africa !! We had been planning this mission for several years before God opened to doors to go. More description coming soon. Pics coming soon.
Mission # 17 - Haiti - April 2013
This was a very long and full mission to Haiti. We installed 5 1/2 solar systems in three weeks. These are larger more complex systems that often include incorporating a generator or grid or both. We had the privilege of bringing / updating electricity to a hospital (Haiti Health Ministries), an orphanage (Operation Love The Children Haiti), a ministry compound (Life Connection Mission), a church (Jesus in Haiti), and the home of a missionary. The team consisted of Allen and myself, a couple from Pennsylvanian, and two guys from Florida. We worked many long tiring days to get it all accomplished, but by the grace of God we were successful !! And as a bonus we were able to enjoy some beautiful ocean views. :D One short video is included.
Mission # 16 - Honduras - November 2012
November is considered the month of giving thanks, and in fact this mission occurred during the week of Thanksgiving. A team from Cobblestone Community Church decided that the best way to show our thankfulness was to go and help others. I couldn't have agreed more, and it was made even sweeter with the presence of my husband, Sutton :D Before the team arrived, I went on a quick repair trip down some very muddy roads. Once everyone arrived, we headed down to the southwestern parts of Honduras. There we had the typical fun with dirt roads and river crossings, and of course the joy to be had at the schools themselves. The team said it was a rough and tiring week, but that they would do it all over again.
Mission # 15 - Haiti - October 2012
This week long mission had a team which consisted of just Allen and me. We went back to Cap Haitian, Haiti to install a system at the mission home of Hudson and Lucy Hess. We had the pleasure of the Hess' company on a previous mission when we installed a solar water pumping system back in 2010. During this trip, we had the help of their Haitian workers to install a 9 panel (~2.3 kW) solar electric system. It was a challenge to explain instructions, given the language barrier. However, a couple of the guys understood mechanics fairly well and I was able to direct them primarily with gestures. While there, we also did a quick repair trip at a clinic nearby. Unfortunately, there aren't many photos since Allen and I tend to stay more focused on the work.
Mission # 14 - Mexico - August 2012
Mission 14 was my first mission with my wonderful husband, Sutton. We got to see some of Mexico's breathtaking views along the many muddy trails. This mission was also special because of the new relationships established with a number of organizations such as solar suppliers, non-profits like Enlace, and even the US embassy in Mexico City. This trip was made possible by a grant from Proctor & Gamble which covered most of the expenses for installing six solar systems. The mission started with a full day of training for the community leaders and Enlace employees. Two employees received additional training throughout the mission that empowered them to successfully install the sixth system after our departure :D Videos included.
Mission # 13 - Honduras - June 2012
I was excited about this mission because we were finally getting back to a country I love, Honduras. The "road" conditions of this trip were considerably challenging. My cell phone literally bounced out of my pocket ... The remoteness of these locations required a sleep over at one of the schools. The stars that night were amazing. The communities were so excited about our coming that they prepared special celebrations filled with great food, music, and dance. So many people gathered at the fourth school that even the surrounding trees were filled with onlookers. This trip was unique because of the number of teenage students. We were able to witness to them on a deeper level the love and freedom of Christ.
Mission # 12 - Haiti - April/May 2012
This 3 week Haiti trip started mid April of 2012 and went through May. We worked on several systems in three different areas of Haiti with people from various organizations including Haiti Health Ministries, Touch Global, and El Shaddai Ministries International. Haiti Health Ministries is a hospital setting of heavy duty tents where medical personnel see a hundred people a day. Touch Global houses missionaries who do a variety of projects in the surrounding areas. El Shaddai's primary focus is church planting and its facility houses churches that are very vibrant. Ministering with these groups who respond with such love and caring for the poorest of the poor in Haiti was a privilege.
Mission # 11 - Nicaragua - March 2012
My first trip to Nicaragua was during the hottest, driest time of the year. We were working with Amigos for Christ which hosts missionary teams to make base camp at their compound in Chinandega. Our primary work was to install the solar powered water pump on a mountain for the village of Rincon de Garcia. It was dusty, dirty, and relentlessly hot. However, it is very gratifying to know that 60 families will now have 100 gallons of clean water delivered daily to each of their homes due in part to the work we accomplished. Video included.
Mission # 10 - Haiti - January 2012
If there was a theme to this trip it would be 'Little Hands'. It seemed that every time my hands were idle a little hand would find its way into mine. The orphans at Eden Garden Orphanage in Montrouis just wanted to be touched, held, and hugged. It was really a joy to work with a team of 21 missionaries who did a variety of ministries in this compound composed of a clinic, school and church. We accompanied the clinical team while they went out to the surrounding communities to give medical aid. This trip was a rich experience!
Mission # 9 - Honduras - July 2011
This trip represented a milestone marking the 100th SonLight Power installation worldwide. The majority of the team members came from a long established small group. It was interesting to work with a team who had known each other for a long time. Knowing each others' strengths and weaknesses helped them work together very efficiently. Several of the members had been on previous SLP trips and helped to guide their rookie friends. Because of their previous experience I was able to step back and spend more time on training. Kudos to the team. Five schools in three days was quite an accomplishment!
Mission # 8 - Honduras - June 2011
Sometimes the nature of mission work puts you in dangerous areas. This trip took us to Copan, an area renown for Mayan ruins. It is also ridden with drug trafficking. Spiritually speaking, it was a dark place. We went into this area constantly praying and covered by the prayers of friends and families in Honduras and the U.S. God's protection became more and more evident with each passing day, so much so we literally felt angels guarding us during the night. With the help of the Lord we were able to safely install solar in three schools in this remote jungle area.
Mission # 7 - Honduras - May 2011
This trip represented a unique opportunity to work with the US Embassy in Tegucigalpa in addition to three school installations. Allen Rainey, John Foster and I designed a complex system for the embassy. The installation was in a high traffic location which includes a popular coffee kiosk. It is also in a courtyard where many gatherings take place. This was a very busy trip with travel to the remote areas of La Paz where the schools were located. However,even with the extra work the blessings of the trip far outweighed the effort.
Mission # 6 - Honduras - October 2010
The team traveled to Nacaome in the department of Valle. From there we went to three schools up in the mountains near the town of Aramecina. To say getting to the schools was a challenge is an understatement! One school even required a 4 am departure time and an 8 kilometer hike each way. By the end of the third installation and fiesta the team had become a tight knit group despite the differences in age, background and skills. It amazes me how in just over a week people who started as strangers can become almost like family. In fact we are family. We are the family of SLP and the hands and feet of Christ.
Mission # 5 - Honduras - June 2010
This trip we took two teams to two different areas and successfully completed seven installations at schools in the department of Choluteca and Valle. For the first time I found myself leading a team. I was fortunate to work with Leo Rader who is the SLP President. I was a bit nervous and didn't get much sleep, even though I had my own hotel room with air conditioning, another first! We had double the equipment, double the people and double the experiences. This was the trip where the First Lady of Honduras joined one of the teams for an installation. While the Valle team was schmoozing with the First Lady, my team was hiking up a hot mountain trail.
Mission # 4 - Haiti - March/April 2010
This was my first trip to Haiti, a rough unpredictable week, not knowing where we would be from one day to the next. The massive earthquake that happened in January made getting equipment and traveling extremely difficult. It was also exhausting. Every morning we were awake by 6 am due to the heat, the roosters or the neighbor sharpening his hoe. Port-au-Prince was devastated with tents everywhere, people living in the streets and one rubble pile after the next. Somehow, by the grace of God, we were able to get much accomplished. We met some wonderful resident missionaries who had served in Haiti for years. We were able to provide solar solutions to help them and, in turn, help the destitute people of Haiti during a time of extreme need.
Mission # 3 - Honduras - March 2010
This was my third trip with SLP to Honduras. I have to say that each trip has been different and special in its own way. This trip was the first collaboration between SLP and UPi (An engineering university in Tegucigalpa). We gave a workshop at the university and then took 11 engineering students with us to the south for the school installs. Many of the students said they were excited about learning solar and getting the hands on experience, but when they saw the faces of the children at the first school their perspective shifted and they discovered our true purpose. God is so GOOD!
Mission # 2 - Honduras - November 2009
This was my second trip with SLP. Our team was small, me and three other guys, but we worked hard and got alot done repairing old systems and finishing the third school from my first trip. We had promised everyone at the school that we would return to finish the installation with the right equipment. They were so pleased to see us back and were so excited to see the lights turn on! The mountains and the people of Honduras are amazing. I think I am falling in love with this country.
Mission # 1 - Honduras - June 2009
This was the trip that changed my life forever. It was my first solar mission trip with SonLight Power to the beautiful country of Honduras.Right away this trip taught me the difficulties of logistics and dealing with customs in developing countries. We were not able to get enough equipment for the final school. We had a big fiesta for the children with a promise to return. Even despite the difficulties I had the time of my life. How do you describe the feeling of discovering exactly what God wants you to do with your life? I truly found my calling. People said I glowed when I returned home. I couldn't wait to go back to Honduras again!