A Desperately Needed Marine Habitat

Due to overfishing, fish habitats are greatly needed in Ile a Vache. A very large international conservation organization recently built some around Ile a Vache but they made them out of concrete blocks. Someone went out and destroyed several of them, taking the blocks to use for building something. Heartbreaking! I’ve seen the people save fish to eat only 3 inches long!! Protected habitats are desperately needed to give the fish a chance to grow bigger as they are the main source of protein on the islands.

Bill has long been trying to come up with an idea of something that can’t be taken to be used for other things. In January, B.J. Whitlow and Michael Haygood came to Ile a Vache to help. They finished nearly two weeks of work recently and completed assembly of the first of what we hope will be many habitats.

Weighing over 15 thousand pounds with 70 pieces, we are praying that this new habitat will enable fish to grow without being seined out of the ocean while they are small. Following are first hand accounts from Bill and then B.J.  Check out the pictures!

Feb. 4, 2018

Two weeks have passed since Michael and BJ crossed over to the base camp here on the small island of Ile a Vache.  The time we had together disappeared so quickly, yet after these two short weeks I feel like we have always been friends. We conceived, designed, and executed a difficult task we hope will have a lasting and beneficial effect for the people here where finding fish for food has become increasingly difficult.

A marine wildlife habitat! It is an eight tier octagon made of 70 precast perforated concrete blocks 10 feet wide at the base and 6 feet tall weighing 15,000 pounds.

It was a great team effort and was a joy to work together, each employing our strengths in all the different fazes of construction with such an easy grace. I couldn’t have wished for better mates.

Thank you Michael and BJ. It was a difficult and dangerous task but together by God’s grace we pulled it off!

It would take some time to explain all the implications and importance of these marine habitats, both to the people here, to the sea and thereby to us all.
I hope this will be the first of many.

 

From B.J.

Do you really believe that what you believe is really real?

A question Bill asked us at the table. I sure know that I can sense the presence of something more powerful than our minds can comprehend!! We trust in God through faith!! Us seeing the movement of God’s plan helps us believe!! Assembling a couple of guys from different states that have never met? Which turns out to be a great team by the way! God reveals so much if we open our eyes! Each trip I take I think I’ve seen it all, but with every new adventure comes “those light bulb moments”. So with our eyes and hearts open look for the light in the darkness that helps you believe that what you believe is real!!

Been a long 2 weeks, but had a lot of great experiences. God is good! We are all the same inside no matter what color, or how much stuff we have in this temporal world. Treat everyone with that in mind!!!

With thanks for another trip, BJ

From Michael:

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” C. S. Lewis
This famous quote comes to mind when I think about my time spent in Haiti over the past two weeks. What a real blessing it has been to be a part of such a unique project and work with Such amazing folks that I have come to truly respect. This project really pushed many different boundaries and I thank God for keeping us safe through the process. The amount of challenges that we all over came together as a group was truly remarkable. I praise God for the success of the project.

This being my second trip back to Haiti I thought I would be better prepared. I still haven’t quite adjusted to the culture shock of such a poverty-stricken country. To be just a small part of the “just mercy” movement has been a real Blessing for me. I can tell you firsthand that God is working miracles through Bill and the Just Mercy ministry!

If you wish to join in the next adventure go to www.adventuremission.org..  If you’d like to help fund more of these habitats which we hope to build, you can donate by mail (where no fees are taken out) or on the website. Thank you for your prayers and help!!