1000 Miles of rain

One thousand miles of rain.

I have taken on many projects in my time with Voice of Angels, but few have caused me as much concern as my most recent endeavor.

I started the eighteen hundred mile trip from Minnesota to Miami in our slightly modified 1996 70 passenger school bus. Of course there where no passenger at all, just me and roughly 12,000 pounds of shoes, clothing, and other essentials headed for Caroline’s House in Fon-De-Nèg Haiti.

The trip started out very cold and wet, within a few miles I had figured out the heater, I had never needed it in my few short excursion around our area in Minnesota. The rain was another issue entirely. I had not anticipated taking on this drive in such adverse conditions.

Driving something so large is quite different from my little car, complicated by the weather and the higher level of physical exertion this machine requires made this trip something more than I was prepared for. But with a little prayer, and mustering a little fortitude, the miles started to go by.

The miles passed, the rain did not. There where short breaks in the weather from time to time but mostly rain, making it more difficult to see and requiring every ounce of my attention, with both hands firmly on the oversized steering wheel.  I made my way through Wisconsin, Illinois, Kentucky and most of the way through Tennessee before having trouble with the bus on a particularly steep incline on a detour through a mountain pass.

One thousand miles from home, many miles to go, in a bus that would hardly move. This also was not in my plans.

But when our God calls us to action he also provides a way.

For me this came in the form of an unlikely couple, transplanted from the inner city of Chicago to the remote hills of southern Tennessee. Diesel mechanics by trade, but they are so much more. Over the next few hours as I shared my story and photos, and considered the next few steps, they came to know and love our little ones at Caroline’s House.

Well I had to be in Haiti in two days, and the bus repair was going to take a little time, so I dropped the key in one hand as I shook the other, and with help from another neighbor, was off to the local airport.

Now the bus is repaired by our new friends (I should say supporters) as the repair bill some how came out to zero!! Thank you Solid Rock Automotive in Trenton, Georgia!  And God above all.

A few weeks passed and I have now returned to Tennessee soon to see our friends and continue the long trek to Miami. With a thousand miles of rain behind and many uncertain miles ahead, we press on. Putting our faith in the one who called us to this work.

I think this is how our God works. If we always knew ahead of time what we are facing would we still have the strength to follow him? I don’t know. Would I have been willing to start this journey if I knew I would be facing one thousand miles of rain? Perhaps not, but he calls us to this work and he gives us the strength to complete it (Philippians 1:6 ).

So what’s next for our team at Voice of Angels? Many things I’m sure, but more then this I am sure that the one who has begun this work in us, will be faithful to complete it.

The bus will leave Miami on a barge headed for Haiti on December 11th and should arrive about December 16th. Just in time for Christmas.

*** We would like to thank all who have made this trip possible. Our good friends in Minnesota at Riverwood church and Maple Plain Community Church, and so many others, who have given so much of their time and resources. We would also like to thank our friends Shari and Bill of Rock Solid Diesel, God has touched their hearts for his little ones at Voice of Angels. Our friends have reached out to me, in a time of need, far from home and family, hungry and alone, to show God’s love. I know they share our heart, because this is also the goal at Caroline’s House.

Steve Vanoss - Director of Voice of Angels
Caroline's House, built by his hands, to serve his very own.  
612-500-1995 US. / 011-509-3194-4949 Haiti   stevevanoss@gmail.com

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