In days to come, the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established

as the highest mountain and raised above the hills.

All nations shall stream toward it...and say:

"Come, let us climb the Lord's mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob,

that he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths."

Isaiah 2:2-3

The reading for the first Sunday of Advent is from Isaiah, entitled The Mountain of the Lord. This Advent, I pray that our mountain, Piton Mountain, will become known as the Lord's mountain.

I'm grateful for the leadership shown by Samuel within his community. His leadership is what brought us to his village back in 2014. His flexibility and initiative are what's kept us going even as variables, such as my health issues and an increasingly volatile political environment, have threatened to stop our progress forward.

Pictured above is the road to Piton. This is right where the paved mountain road stops and the road to Piton arches up at about a 45 degree angle and becomes more and more treacherous. At this very moment,  a collaborative of groups (including ATI) are working to pave this road! For years before and after we began traveling to Piton, hardly anyone paid attention to the area past this point, except those who live there. Now, thanks to Aid to Infrastructure's work and Samuel's constant advocacy for his village(s) to the local powers that be, he's getting his long-wished-for road. Thank you, Lord/Mesi, Bondye.

As we enter into this holiday season and you are inventorying your own blessings, remember that you have been a blessing to us! The good work happening in the Piton area despite chaos enveloping the country, is happening because of Samuel's commitment and your commitment to our efforts. Thank you!

Grateful you're here,