UPDATE MARCH 16/2011

We had a safe tip to Haiti ... only missing one suitcase.. going to find things for Evelyn to replace what was in her suitcase.... Evelyn is from Steinback who has always wanted to go on a mission trip to Haiti.... Wayne and his son Robert from P.E.I. are with us.... the Minneapolis team arrived also last night from the Hosanna Lutheran Church...we are seeing so many things that are improving since our last trip just over a month ago... again so many teams are here.. met a team of 50 this morning... lots of construction happening.. so good to see...
watch for follow up with photo's ...

Bob, Linda & team...

CARREFOUR RAYMOND CHURCH SERVICE

For those in the Medicine Hat area and are planning on being in this area for March 12th, please join us for our banquet at the Lodge.....It is a saturday night starting at 6 PM......Please book your tickets early as we have to have the numbers into the hotel by the 9th....You can book your tickets by calling 403-878-3635 or purchase a the Book Nook or at the Gift Boutique at the Medicine Hat Lodge.....Would sure love to see you there.
Photo of the morning after the roof was completed on this school...they celebrated with a church service...You will see Neil sharing with the group..Thank you for making a difference...One child at a time....Bob & Linda

CINDER BLOCK PLANT

So close to being finished....The company that is building our press assures us he will have it in place soon....This is a picture that Chad sent looking down on the project from our Chabin school. The blue is a cover over the work area of the cement mixer and the to protect the workers from the sun and rain....The buildings are storage for equipment and a security building that will keep track of everything going in and out....

The second picture is of Jerry, Chad's dad, that did some building and welding for us...Also did some training for one of our helpers...This is a cage built around the extra large generator we have for our cinder block plant...All the equipment is run off electricity so this will not only run the equipment but supply power to our schools in this area....Thanks to everyone for making a difference....
Bob & Linda

SCHOOL IN BAIE D'ORANGE

At our Baie d'Orange school in the mountains towards the Dominican about 2.5 hr drive from Jacmel....I had met many of them on other visits but the first time I had met them at their school. I feel bad we cannot do much for them at this time. We are only able to provide them with one book per class and the teachers are volunteers till we can raise the funds to help.....We feed when we have the food available....Even with the little we can do the children are so happy...This is the area we have purchased the land for our coffee plantation....It is at about the 4000 food level....It cools off very much at night in this area...The soil will be broke in May an the trees planted at that time....That is when the rainy season is in full swing....It will be 4 years before we can pick our first harvest of coffee beans....The profits from the coffee will go back into this area for two schools....In the mean time we will need help to help these children....If your church or organization feels in your heart to help...this would be a perfect project... $18,000. per year would put 200 children through school for one year.. this provides, uniforms, books, medicine, clean drinking water, teachers salaries (9 teachers), desks and a hope for the future.. the coffee plantation will provide about 30 jobs in the area and at times 50...
THANK YOU FOR MAKING A DIFFERENCE... ONE CHILD AT A TIME...
Bob & Linda

FUNDRAISING BANQUET MEDICINE HAT MARCH 12TH...

We are having a celebration of the Champions of Change and a fund raising banquet at the Medicine Hat Lodge on saturday, March 12th at 6:00 p.m. with the meal at 7:00 p.m.....There will be a silent auction which will include NHL items.......Come and join us for this celebration....

We change the original date from the 25th of February as another banquet was booked in the City that I did not want to conflict with.....

Tickets can be purchased at the Book Nook, The Gift Boutique at the Medicine Hat Lodge or by calling Red Carpet Events at 403 878-3635......

There is room for 400 people and would like to see it full....Get the work out.....See you there.....
Bob & Linda

SERVICES IN EASTEND, SASKATCHEWAN FEB.20TH

Just an update.....I had the privilege of sharing in Eastend this weekend....saw many people that I have known over the years. We had great meetings and the support received will be a big help....Especially the help with the water needed in Haiti..... Thank you to everyone....Was like going back home.....Thank you to Pastor John and the community of Eastend.......Bob & Linda

THE CARRFOUR RAYMOND LOCATION

The local cooks cooked up food for our team and the helpers.....everyone got lots to eat...all were such amazing workers....the locals pitched in and helped.....
It was a joy to see and for the locals that had never seen anything like this before,
Thanks again so much......
Bob & Linda

Energy to go!!!

After my last trip into Haiti I had to take some time away from the office to rest....Thanks to everyone that dropped me a note on Facebook with Champions of Change award.....What a privilege to get to do what I do and have the most amazing wife, family and friends...

The first team to Haiti with us on this trip was a team from the Free Grace Church in Lethbridge Alberta.......I had shared there a number of years ago and it was awesome to have a team of 11 come in to help...They built 19 rafters 40 ft long for our Carrefour Raymond school...This is a school we had to stop construction on a couple of years ago because of lack of funds... They have been using tarps and tents up to this time.....It was amazing to see how fast this went up...in about 4 days they had the structure up and sheeted in....The celebration for the local people was on the sunday morning just after completing it on saturday...We celebrated with a service sunday morning...
Thanks so much for making a difference...One child at a time....
Bob & Linda

Thank you Donnie Mowatt and team

It is a work of engineering marvel to get the water from a spring at the bottom of the back of the mountain at our Savanette location up to our school....It is a one mile line with about a 2000 foot elevation from the spring to the top of the mountain... This has been on Donnie's heart for several years to get water up the the Savanette school and village....The people in the area would carry water up the mountain in 5 gallon pails every day....Donnie got it set up with an electric pump run by solar panels.....Thank you to Donnie and his team for making a huge difference in the lives of the people in Savanette.......Bob & Linda

TO HAITI AND BACK...

Thanks to the teams that came in to help...Lots of power outages....A huge project was completed with a roof on our Carrefour Raymond School....This is one of the 4 schools that are under construction but we do not have the funds to complete them... With all the challenges all worked out well....Thank you...
Bob & Linda

THANK YOU

Just a short note to say Hi and to thank everyone for their e-mails and facebook notes...... the children and staff in Haiti are so excited about the recognition and the donation from Manulife Financial and Champions of Change.... this will be a big help.... the need is still huge, so please donate if you can... Miles & Rosemary will be going down with me on this trip... a team from Free Grace Church out of Lethbridge will be in Haiti for two weeks with me and a team from the Urban Refuge and Evergreen Churches in the Minneapolis area will be there for one week..... we are looking forward to an exciting and productive trip.. thanks again to everyone that has been helping with your support through donations and those that have come down to help in Haiti... next teams will be in the fall.. book early if you are wanting to go...

we are preparing for a Champion of Change celebration here in Medicine Hat on Mar. 12th, 6PM at the Lodge.. get your tickets early... it will be a fundraiser also... contact person Leanne....leanne@rceweddings.com
Bob & Linda

Champions of Change Video

http://www.cbc.ca/change/video.html

Please take a look at the video of the Mark Kelly show "Champions of Change"

CBC'S CHAMPIONS OF CHANGE.... UPDATE

Thank you to everyone for your votes and all your support over the years.....
We were awarded the Manulife Volunteer Award, International Winner....and the $25,000
awarded to our mission in Haiti. Thank you to Manulife Financial, Outpost Magazine and CBC....Also congratulations to Bobby Hayes in winning the National Award for his charity....Also to all the other finalists.... They are all Champions and an inspiration to us....Interviews start tomorrow a.m. CBC and TV and Radio early here in Toronto before we leave for Medicine Hat.

Thank you once again for the outstanding number of people that registered their votes......
Bob & Linda

UPDATE JAN.14/11

Cholera is still spreading to the outlying areas but has slowed down in the bigger centers......apparently 150,000 affected......all our children are doing well.....

We are leaving this morning to catch a flight to Toronto for the CBC Champions of Change Finale....The results will be shown on CBC Sunday night the 16th at 9:30 p.m. eastern time....We do not know the results a yet.....Thank you for all of you that voted for us....

Thank you to each one for all your support in so many ways......
Bob & Linda

UPDATE DEC. 31/2010

...photo of just some of our staff and volunteers in Haiti...Happy New Year!!!

Our hope is for the best year ever for everyone. For those that have sponsored children that would like to send a letter to your sponsored child the address is:


For those that would like to see some of our pictures from our mission in Haiti please go to http://flickr.com/photos/lifelinehaiti

If you have not had a chance to vote for me just a reminder the voting is over on the 10th of January www.cbc.ca/change/vote2.html

Lifeline Haiti and Bridges of Hope exists to promote poverty relief and community empowerment within nations of the world. This mission is achieved in cooperation with Governments, donor organizations and individuals. Implementation is accomplished in cooperation with local business & Spiritual Leaders, individuals, & indigenous organizations within the region of operation and by building the capacity of these partners. The goal is to build the assets of these partners to become sustainable and reproducing agents and transition from beneficiaries to benefactors.

Bob & Linda

PLEASE DON'T FORGET ABOUT HAITI

From our family to yours...Merry Christmas....During this busy time of the year of shopping, travel and family time, please do not forget about the children of Haiti...

Before year end please consider making a donation to help the children of Haiti...Our needs are still huge....The pictures are of just a few of the children you are helping.... "Lifeline Haiti" c/o Bridges of Hope, PO Box 81 Stn. Main,
Lethbridge, Alberta, T1J 3Y3..

Thank you to each of you for your support over the years....Without faithful people like yourselves this mission of love would not have been able to help in over 50 locations in Haiti.....There are thousands of children just like the ones in the photos above waiting for a lifeline....

Remember.....Jesus is the reason for the season.....
Bob & Linda

UPDATE DEC 16/2010

I just spoke with our Director of Operations in Haiti and he informs me of the good news that the cholera seems to be decreasing.... There are fewer and fewer people contracting cholera....We are so grateful that all of our children are safe and none of them have been sick...The sanitation program we run at our schools has proven to be effective to prevent the spread of this disease....Providing clean drinking water has also been key.....We are still looking at different options for water purification systems....The cholera will be in the country for many years to come... We must keep up the effort to getting clean drinking water into all areas of Haiti......Not allowing people to take their dead relatives to bury them has seemed to have made a difference also....As hard as it has been for the families to go through this they are now seeing the difference it is making.....

For those that were not able to see the segment on CBC Connect with Mark Kelley, you can see it on the net at the following address.....voting goes until the 10th of January......

http://www.cbc.ca/change/2010/10/bob-davisson.html

Thank you to everyone for all your support...
There is still so much to do..
Bob & Linda

DESPERATE NEED FOR CLEAN WATER DEC.13/2010

THE SITUATION IS GETTING MORE DESPERATE EACH DAY.. WITH MORE THEN 100,000 PEOPLE INFECTED AND THOUSANDS THAT HAVE DIED THE SITUATION KEEPS GETTING WORSE WITH THE CHOLERA OUTBREAK.. ... THE ROADS HAVE BEEN BLOCKED COMING OUT OF PAP BECAUSE OF THE RIOTS WHICH HAS CAUSED THE SUPPLY OF FOOD TO BE AT AN EXTREME LOW....

I had put out a request for help for water purification systems that will help these
precious people.......I have found a supplier out of Jacksonville, Florida....
web site is....
www.aquavast.com... this will purify water of all diseases including Cholera..

This is a note I got from the company about one of the smaller systems....

I worked on some numbers for you regarding what the water will cost.
Depending your cost to get the system to Haiti and how much water you
have available to filter, at 50% of capacity or 1,314,000 gallons for
the first year your cost would be about $.01 per gallon. That would
fully amortize the initial cost of the unit ($10,000 FOB Jacksonville,
FL.) and installation in Haiti. After that at 50% capacity the cost
per gallon would drop to less than $.002 per gallon.
If the people can come to a central location and get
their water then a larger system could be used. AquaVast has built
systems with 20 gallons and 100 gallons per minute capacities. Those
systems would be need to be placed in a permanent installation. The
other problem would be the amount of water available. The water
source can be any non salt water regardless of how polluted it is.
The system will remove all bacteria and virus. The inventor is working
on systems that could use salt water, but they are not currently
available.

Thank you to those of you that have responded to our request for funds to buy these units...with shipping and installation we are looking at about $15,000 per unit...
To date I haven't found anything else that will produce the amount of water needed to help the 80,000 people that live close to our schools as this unit.....Most of our
schools are located in the remote mountain areas....The cost per gallon and the number
of gallons it will pump out each minute will be a big help.....There is also a
unit that has a submersible pump and a solar system to pump the water to feed this type of system in areas where we do not have electricity.....A unit like this would
be under $10,000.....


We desperately need to hear from you....Information to donate is on the home page of our blog for our friends in the United States and Canada.... BOB & Linda