Nine members of Northside Baptist Church, Calera, recently completed the initial phases of construction on an orphanage in Haiti. Led by Pastor Mark Sickmiller, the group spend July 6-13 on a labor of love that will provide permanent housing for up to 40 children.
The trip was the culmination of a churchwide missions effort begun earlier this year. Most of the funds needed to build the orphanage came from per-mile contributions generated by a cross-country bicycle trek made by Sickmiller this spring. His journey began in San Diego, Calif., on April 21 and ended 15 days later in Savannah, Ga.
The Northside workers were unable to complete the orphanage as originally planned, but the start, along with the remaining funds, will allow for its completion by Haitian laborers.
The idea came when Sickmiller met Leslie Bertrand, a minister with a heart for orphans in Haiti. The Northside congregation subsequently decided that the orphanage would be a fitting tribute to Debbie Glass, known in the Calera community for her work with children.
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