Peredo Campus Mural

Last October, RoRo and a team started talking about the long, concrete wall on campus. Plain and serviceable, but not very beautiful. Part of the team’s focus was to paint some new prayer stations around campus. It was soon suggested that the concrete wall could use some color and be used to encourage others. Maybe other teams would want to help.

This February, the team that included folks from Fowler CC, Lebanon CC (both from IN), and Northside CC (Wadsworth, OH), gathered supplies that could easily be taken in checked luggage, talked with RoRo about what verses to illustrate, and painted a couple of test panels. We wanted the mural to be colorful and encouraging!

The green panel verses are from Proverbs 3:5-6. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all you ways, acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” This verse went home with all of our students in Peredo as a part of a team project that week. Principal Sorel had the children begin memorizing the verses. We hope this mural will help keep this verse in mind for a long time to come!

The yellow panel verses are from Matthew 5:13 and 14. “You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world.” These verses were the text for RoRo’s very first sermon. He shared the story of that sermon with the team during devos one night.

Now, it’s worth noting that about 30 minutes after the green panel was finished – base color and all the lettering, the sky cut loose with a Haitian downpour. Ack! As we ate dinner, the team members who didn’t spend the hot afternoon painting encouraged those who did that the paint would be fine. Yay for Valspar Duramax paint and the hot Haitian sun – the paint was completely fine even though it didn’t get the “standard” drying time in before the rain!

Our hope is that creative teams who feel led will adopt a panel or two and help us bring color and encouragement to campus! There are about 10 panels that are easily seen from the campus road: 7 more next to these and 3 on the other side of the path that leads into the back side of the hospital. The panels are about 10 concrete blocks wide by about 5 blocks tall. The goal is to use scripture and color on each panel.

Our Supply List:

• 5 quarts of  Valspar Duramax satin paint + primer from Lowes (We didn’t know what we would end up painting, so we took bright, coordinating colors that could paint about any subject (red, green, blue, brown, and yellow). We packed them in checked bags and inside 2-gallon zip top bags to protect other items.)
• a collection of wide and thin paint brushes (We took about 9 brushes – wide for large areas and thin for letters and details.)
• paint rollers and pans (We opted for brush painting the blocks due to limited paint – we felt pouring in pans and rolling would soak up too much paint and we would run out!)
• some paint can stir sticks
• paint can opener (actually we forgot this, but you’ll want one. Jimmy bailed us out with an ice pick!)
• a Creole Bible app to translate the verses we would choose
• prayers for inspiration!

Is your team up for the challenge? Let us know so we can talk about the possibilities!