Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Our medical missions weeks are always exciting! God brings the suffering right to our doors and healing takes place! This past medical mission week I met a dear woman named MarieClaude, who is now a dear friend.
MarieClaude showed up at our gate on a Monday evening, the evening before the medical team's departure. She lives on the same street as our old pink house was on, and is a friend of John's. (The amazing gentleman who sells Haitian made items at HOPE House) Her husband and another neighbor dragged her into our new orphanage building and tried to hold her up as she gasped for each breath. She was in an unbelievable amount of pain. Over a year and a half ago MarieClaude was diagnosed with breast cancer. A visiting doctor from the states performed a mastectomy to remove her left breast and the cancerous cells. Marie Claude and her husband of 13 years live in a tiny 12x12 ft cement house surrounded by dirt and sewage. Soon after her surgery her wound became extremely infected. Her husband tried to get her back to the hospital where her surgery happened, but because the doctor was no longer there, they had no follow-up care for her. He went to many other hospitals around the PAP area, but no one would help her because she was not their patient. Not their problem.
For over a year MarieClaude has been laying on the floor of her house. For over a year her infection has cause her so much pain she get very little sleep. For over a year she has to have someone feed her and change her. For over a year she has been stuck smelling the stench of her own rotting skin.
When I first saw MarieClaude my heart broke for her. Her eyes were rolling around, unable to focus on anything. Her breaths were short and filled with pain. I had never seen or smelled an infection quite like MarieClaude's. We had a wonderful ER doctor on our team who did everything he could to set her up with antibiotics and pain medications. He trained her husband and sent her home with supplies. Without the proper testing, we had no way of knowing how the cancer was spreading, but this infection gone untreated was likely to kill her before the cancer would. I was concerned that she would die before she even made it home.
I had trouble sleeping that night. I was kicking myself for not praying over her. For not asking her if she knew her Savior. What if she died in the night and I had missed an opportunity to share our Father's love with her? His peace and hope? I asked the Lord to forgive me for only being concerned about her physical health and begged him for a second chance. The next day, and every day after that until we left Haiti, Frentz and I visited MarieClaude. My initial intentions were to encourage her, but God had a plan to encourage all of us!
The first day Frentz and I went to visit MarieClaude I asked her a few simple questions to get to know her better. I learned that her name was MarieClaude, she is 42 years old, and she has spent the last year of her life laying on the floor praying to God. "PRAYING? MarieClaude, don't you mean complaining?" "Oh no, I love Jesus very much. I know He alone can heal me. I pray and worship him." Wow. Lord, would I have that same attitude?
Throughout my visits over the next 10 days, I learned that her entire family except for her husband had abandoned her. They believe she is cursed. No one comes to visit her or pray with her. They have written her off as dead. Bug her husband is full of courage and love for God. He has stuck by her through all of it! He said that he knows Jesus can heal her and that one day she can walk and tell her family of all the things God did for her.
One day as I was sitting on the floor praying over MarieClaude God gave me an idea. I asked MarieClaude if she had ever painted before. She said no. Which was the perfect answer. I asked if she would be willing to try with her one good hand. (The other hand has been paralyzed since surgery for some unknown reason.) She eagerly said yes!
"MarieClaude, what would you think, if I got together some paint, brushes, and paper, and put you to work? Would you like that?"
"Yes! Very much! I would like to work! But I might not be very good."
"It doesn't matter how terrible your pictures are! Your story and your faith are beautiful. I would like you to paint pictures of whatever God puts in your mind, and I will to take them back to the states with me and sell them. Perhaps people will see these paints and hear of your amazing faith and courage and God will ask them to help you."
"I would like that very much!"
"MarieClaude, we are going to get you up off that floor. You are going to sit at this table and eat dinner with your husband. You are going to sit outside and talk with your friends. God can do this, and He can use your story and other people to make that happen."
Tears filled her eyes, and the most beautiful smile came across her face.
And so the next day we delivered all of the supplies she needed to get started! I came home with 10 heartfelt paintings designed by my dear friend MarieClaude. I will be carrying them with me to our various fundraisers and speaking engagements over the next few weeks. For a $100 donation MarieClaude's picture, testimony, and painting could hang in your house. All of the funding will be used to help MarieClaude receive the testing, medicine, and physical therapy that she so desperately needs. I also hope to take her back a wheelchair, and cases of Ensure!
I have met very few people like MarieClaude. I think it is because very few people like MarieClaude exist. She is a true Job. God did not give her this suffering, but He gave permission for it to happen because He knew she would remain faithful. MarieClaude is a servant of the Most High God! She will receive a complete healing. Would you take it upon yourself to pray daily for MarieClaude and her husband? That their faith will remain strong. They they will be filled with hope. That MarieClaude will be released from her pain. That the infection would be healed. That her hand and arm would come back to life! That she would sit again. Eat again. Stand again. Walk again!
We just finished celebrating the resurrection of our Savior. Jesus is ALIVE! ALIVE! Our God is a living God! Working miracles everyday! Join with me in pleading for a miracle for MarieClaude! He hears our cries!
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Friday, March 30, 2012
Today was a very exciting day! It was the official start of our lunch program at Les Bours School of Hope! I have never seen our children smile bigger than they did today as they ran back to their classrooms with a bowl full of rice, beans, and vegetables! Some of our children are only finding food every 2 days. This meal means everything to them! Not a grain of rice went to waste! We are so thankful that we are able to provide these hungry children with a meal each day for the rest of the school year. We are praying that faithful sponsors will come forward to provide this essential funding for next year! For only $6 per month you can feed a child with a nutritious meal every school day. Think about it.....if you are out to eat and you and your date choose to drink water instead of purchase a drink, you could feed a child for a MONTH! Or if you skip a Starbucks coffee or two. Or pack a lunch. You can feed a hungry child for an entire month!
For the past few days another kind of feeding has also been happening at our school. A spiritual feeding for pastors in the Les Bours neighborhood. Pastor Mike and Travis have been teaching and equipping Haitian pastors to better lead their church. We have been celebrating the great response they are having from the pastors this week! In the past there has been a great deal of arguing and competition among them, but something in their hearts has changed. They are breaking into song, joking with one another, and really soaking in the Word. Can I get an AMEN? Tomorrow morning we are having our first ever crusade at the school. Please pray for God to move in the hearts of those living in Les Bours! We are all His children!
Construction back at HOPE House continues to slowly progress. The tile in the orphanage should be completed next week. Today the plumbers hooked up the water. We have working sinks, toilets, and showers!
I have a new friend I am so excited to tell you about. Her name is MarieClaude. But she deserves her own blog post! You will just have to wait until next time...
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Sunday, March 25, 2012
This past week has been a crazy blur of construction, clinic, and growing HOPE House!
We have continued to make progress with our construction by hiring some additional Haitians to help us paint and put in the plumbing. HOPE House is completely painted in the inside. The bright yellow, blue, and pink make for a very cheery house! The kids enjoyed helping! They ask everyday when they can sleep in their new rooms! They are so excited to be sharing their bedroom with their friends. Naika and Sophonie keep asking me to find them more friends their age so they can share their room with more princesses! We are so blessed with our amazing children and the hearts they have!
We have an awesome team of doctors and nurses here this week. They have seen every single one of our Les Bours students and charted full physical evaluations on all 208 kids! They have also seen over 2,000 patients already this week! Glory to God! They treated over 900 patients in the tent city alone on one day! People have been so blessed by the energy and knowledge of this team! They have had several severe cases this week. One little 17 month old boy was brought in from the tent city in desperate need of hydration. He was lethargic and so dehydrated from diarrhea and vomiting. Thankfully the team was able to put in an IV and before they left, he had come around and was responsive and happy. Without fluids, that sweet little boy could have died. Thank you Lord for your perfect timing and ability to provide all of our needs!
We also brought home two little boys this week! Benly is officially back at HOPE House! We are thrilled to have him back in our care and blessed to love him until he is adopted to a forever family in the states! On Thursday, as I was leaving Les Bours School, an elderly woman walked up to me with a little boy bundled up in a blanket. She lives in a tent city on the side of a mountain just down from our school. The baby is her grandson, and both of his parents are dead. His mom was only 18 and his dad only 25. She is not physically able to care for him, the the other children her daughter left behind, and her own children. On Friday we brought home little Ricardo to HOPE House. He will also be living with us until he finds a forever family. He is 7 1/2 months old and only weighs 9 lbs 14 oz. Our little 2 month old Love Kelly weighs more than him! He is alert and strong, and I am confident he will catch up quickly! He has stolen my hearts, and the hearts all everyone here! He is such a happy little guy. Ricardo and Benly both need sponsors for their care at HOPE House! (Sponsorship is $30 per month, email information@haitipoverty.org for more information) We are up to 13 children now! It's time to move!
Today the team held a clinic day for our kids and our staff's families. It was so much fun to hear so many children playing and laughing together. Our kids were excited to have visitors! They were running laps around our "track", swinging on the playground (many for the first time in their lives), coloring with chalk, and drinking lots of kool-aid! A beautiful way to spend a Sunday afternoon!
Our medical team has another full day of clinic tomorrow. They will most likely see another 1,000 patients before they leave on Tuesday. Our pastoral ministry team arrives on Tuesday afternoon. We are looking forward to an exciting week of evangelism, training, crusades, and baptisms! God is on the move!
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Saturday, March 17, 2012
As promised, I have uploaded pictures of some of this week's progress here at HOPE House! We have made great strides this week thanks to our many helping hands! We were so grateful to have the roofs on and windows sealed before the rains began! It has been raining every night for the past 5 nights and will most likely continue to do so for a while.
It is so exciting to be in this stage of construction, because every night when we go to bed it looks completely different than the day before! The rooms have all been partitioned off, the bedroom and bathroom doors are all in, and the kitchen cabinets are being hung! By the end of tomorrow all of the painting will be finished except for the kids playroom/kitchen, and the outside of HOPE House. Our next steps are plumbing and electrical!
Today was a BIG day! For more than the reasons listed above. As of today, HOPE House has 24/7 electricity. All day, all night! I can hardly wrap my mind around it! Our batteries and inverter system are all hooked up! We have enough charge to last us 2-3 days of no electricity or generator usage! Can I get an AMEN!?! That means no more bucket showers! We will always have running water!
We are going to celebrate the week's progress with Frentz's famous fresh fruit smoothies tonight! I am so thankful for everyone who has played a part in making this all possible! I stand absolutely amazed at our marvelous God. Our provider and help in time of need! Amazing!
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Thursday, March 15, 2012
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Some say a picture is worth a thousand words. With so much happening down here at Les Bours School of Hope I thought it would be best to share some new pictures! In short, the trees are growing, the children are eating(Bingo is still alive), the teachers have new cabinets, and the cooks came for an interview and will start cooking lunch next week! Everyone involved in our school is so excited about the new improvements! The children are full of joy, as always.
Also, I just had to throw in a picture of little baby Julia! (Jean and Nana's new daughter) She is absolutely perfect! God answered our prayers for a safe delivery, and a healthy mom and baby! She looks like another little Mini Jean!
I will post pictures of HOPE House construction updates soon. The guys are working so hard, and doing a beautiful job! We hope to be painting the nursery and children's bedrooms all day Saturday! Things are coming together so nicely. I am beyond thankful for all of our amazing help! Everyday we are a little bit closer to moving in to our permanent HOPE House!
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Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Oh what a day! A day of PROGRESS! For months it felt like we were working everyday, yet our construction project was in a standstill. Today we started making up for lost time! The orphanage roof is ON! It looks amazing! It keeps the inside so nice and cool! (Yes! Cool, even in Haiti!) We even got to start painting real colors in our house this afternoon! The tiles for both our house and the orphanage were delivered, and the orphanage windows are being installed as I type this blog entry. Great progress for one day! Especially in Haiti where things tend to move at a much slower pace.
A team from Frontline Church made it in last night. I am thankful for all of their hands! We still have three guys down here working on the construction, and a visiting adopting family who is able to help with our plumbing needs! We are so blessed that God continues to provide us with His faithful servants, knowing just the skills we need!
On another exciting note, our driver, Jean and his wife Nana, had a baby girl this morning! About 5:00am Jean was outside our bedroom window whispering, "Frentz! Frentz! Can I take the truck? I have to get Nana to the hospital." He ran from his house to our house to get our truck, pick up his wife, and get her to a hospital. She nearly lost her life during the delivery of her first child. This pregnancy has been closely monitored and considered high risk. I spent the early morning hours praying that God would not allow another child to be born without a mother, or husband to lose his wife. At 7:35am Jean called and said it was a GIRL! She and Nana were both doing well. Around 9:30am he came running up to our house with a big smile on his face. He was gleaming with pride for becoming a father for the second time, and gave me the honor of naming his new baby girl. And so, today, we welcome sweet little Julia Duprene to the world! Julia and Nana are both still in the hospital. I am eager to hug them both, and meet little Julia for the first time! What a celebration of life!
Unfortunately, one of our other staff members did not have such an exciting night. One of our night guards, MesiDieu, called about the time he was supposed to arrive at work last night with terrible news. His three year old son had been run over by a motorcycle in the tent city where they live. He had already left for work, and his wife saw the whole thing. While she was crying in agony for her child, the man got off from his bike and came over and began beating her, punching her in the face. MesiDieu returned home immediately and had to take his son to the hospital. We are still uncertain of his actual injuries, but we know he is "broken" in three places. He was not in good condition when he was admitted last night. We are hoping to receive an update this evening. Please keep MesiDieu, his wife, and his son in your prayers. They also have other children who are still in the tent city and very afraid. God can heal all wounds! Please Lord, touch this sweet boy's life. Heal him of his pain. Give the doctors wisdom, and supply all of the things he needs to receive proper care. You are our ultimate provider and healer. May your glory shine through this terrible tragedy.
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Saturday, March 10, 2012
Today did not start out great. And it didn't really get any better. Wonderful and exciting things are happening here at HOPE House with our construction progress, but my jobs for the day did not include them. Have you ever had those days where no matter what, you just feel frustrated? One thing after another. All little things. All frustrating. Well, I was sitting down to take a little break from dealing with the day's drama and decided to read some of the sponsor letters our school kids wrote. After the first letter, I decided to have an attitude change. Here's why:
Hello Sponsor,
How are you? Everything's good for me by God's grace, I write you this letter to ask you how are you, and I pray for you so God can give strength in everything you are doing and bless you so you can keep helping me. I don't know what I can give you to thank you, but I know that God will give it to you, and everything you deserve. He will guide you in everything you are doing because there's nothing He can't do. Soon I will pass the government test, so I am asking you to keep me in your prayers so I will succeed and I will do my best. God can do everything, so please keep me in your prayers, so the Almighty God can break the chains that hold me, I know He will break them all before the exam. I accept Jesus as my personal Savior, but I have a problem that keeps me from going to church. I know God will help me find money to provide the stuff that I need. Thank you for sponsoring me.
In the name of the Almighty.
I love you
Elda Mertilien
Wow. Where do I begin? Everything is good for her? She eats only once a day and lives in a tent city in an extremely dangerous part of town where several people have been shot and killed this week. But she has God's grace. She knows His love. Everything is good for her. She doesn't have anything to give to thank her sponsor? I'm pretty sure this letter, and her prayers are the most powerful and best gift she could give! Notice that she says she will pass the test, and then to pray for her to pass. She believes she can do it, she believes God can help her. How many times do I doubt, Oh God? "The Almighty can break the chains that hold me." Can I get an AMEN? She has accepted the Lord as her personal Savior! Hallelujah! But she has a problem going to church. How many other people don't have a "problem," that stops them from going, they just don't go.
I could go on and on about Elda's heart and the huge role her sponsor has played in her life, but I think her letter just did all of the explaining. AND I have a glorious day to go and enjoy.
Lord Almighty, break the chains of my frustrations. Where would I be without your grace? Keep me focused on YOUR goodness and peace.
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Tuesday, March 06, 2012
On typical morning I wake up begging for 10 more minutes...and then 10 more. I have never been one to jump out of bed and embrace the day. What can I say? I love sleep! Often times I'll roll over and grab my little devotional book and start reading. I find it if the perfect time of day to spend with God because I don't have to physically get out of bed! Though I must admit, there are several (okay many) mornings I end up dozing back off in the middle of my morning prayers.
NOT this morning! This morning I followed the orders my mother used to wake me up with everyday, "Rise and Shine!" I'm pretty sure she knew just how much I loved mornings and got a kick out of being extra happy. Or maybe her coffee had something to do with it. (Love you Mom!) Either way, today I woke up, rolled over, and began clapping my hands and shouting praises! Why? My Dad is coming to Haiti today!
I am so overwhelmed with joy this morning, I wanted to publicly thank God for the AMAZING Dad He gave me! Truly, the world's #1 Dad!
Back when this whole "Haiti thing" began in my life, my dad thought I was a little nuts. He didn't come right out and say it, but he was sure I would be running home to my curling iron by day 3. I think he was a bit surprised that I fell in love with Haiti. When I begged and pleaded and convinced him to come down, I think he was even more surprised that he fell in love too! Even though he initially came to hold babies for a week, God had big plans! Our marvelous God who sees the future knew exactly what He was doing.
Dad was right there with me when I wanted to open a nonprofit organization to help Haiti. I could not have done the paperwork or understood the nonprofit world without him. Between my dad's knowledge, wisdom, and connections, we got it done!
When the Lord placed a call on my life to move to Haiti and open an orphanage, He called my dad to be a huge part in that. My dad obediently responded and began traveling to Haiti to help me search for the perfect home for our future children.
When the earthquake happened he left on a jet plane with me. (literally.) He left work and all of his obligations to go and find our hurting friends. We experienced and witnessed things that are hard to describe. Things that most other people in our lives could never fully comprehend. I am so thankful God gave me a dad who loved Haiti, his daughter, and His God.
After several weeks in Haiti, he returned back home to begin researching construction of earthquake proof housing. He has been organizing shipments and construction teams for over 2 years now! Despite all of the frustrations, corruption, and setbacks we face, he is persistent and he continues to find ways to make the best of every situation. Without fail, God gives him the wisdom to solve every difficult situation. God knew exactly whose daughter I needed to be.
Today, he is boarding a plane and heading down here to Port-au-Prince. Which is a pretty big deal because he was supposed to be on vacation. A much needed vacation I might add! He and my mom and sister were supposed to be spending the week in Melbourne, FL. Instead, Dad drove Mom and Brooke to Florida, left them at the beach while he spent his day at Home Depot trying to find the materials we need to attach our roofing panels, drove to Miami, will board a plane to Haiti, work his butt off trying to assemble our roof, fly back to Miami, pick up Mom and Brooke in Melbourne, and drive them home to Michigan.
He already had a ticket booked to come down to Haiti on the 17th. But he knows how important it is to me and our children to get our roofs on! He gave up his rare vacation time to come work in Haiti. How many dads would do that? Only the best! Thank you Dad!
Thank you Lord for giving me my earthly Daddy. I am so thankful you know the future. You saw a good thing in him. Thank you for giving my family the blessing of loving Haiti. At times it seems we need Haiti more than Haiti needs us. Thanking you for showing yourself to us over and over again. Thank you for giving my dad every skill and quality he would need to obediently carry out your work. Thank you for molding him into a humble man of God. Please give him the rest he needs, even though he lost his vacation time. Grant him your wisdom as he searches for a new way to attach our roof. Thank you Lord for the way he has blessed my life, and the other lives around him. I love you Father!
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Monday, March 05, 2012
 I am overflowing with joy and thankfulness! Your prayers have been answered! Our containers arrived on Saturday morning! We have roofing, showers, toilets, sinks, windows, doors, cabinets, and more scattered all over the property. Grap was so excited to unload our new lawn mower! For a year and a half he has been cutting the grass on his hands and knees with a machete. He was like a kid in a candy store running around with the mower! He hasn't quite captured the techinique of walking back and forth....it made for some pretty hilarious entertainment for our team. He is all over the place making circles and darting from one place to the next, absolutely amazed at how easily it cuts the grass. He mowed last night until dark, and I woke up to the mower going again this morning. I have never seen someone so excited to cut grass before in my life! We are going to have a very busy month getting the houses all put together! How exciting! We have been waiting over two years for this day! We had planned to purchase a building and move into an orphanage in March of 2010. But as we all well know, plans were intruppted. God's will prevails above it all! This is His ministry and these are His children! And they are about to have a beautiful, safe, secure shelter. We had a wonderful week with some visitors from North Holland Reformed Church. We have been so thankful for the loving support of both their church and the individuals on the mission team. We had planned to put the roof on HOPE House last week, but ended up waiting for the containers to be delivered. There were many other tasks to keep busy! The men were able to make som beautiful cabinets for each classroom at our school. Our teachers have been asking for something to keep supplies in for about two years. We finally had the funding to do it and the man power and knowledge to get it done! I am excited to deliver them to the school later this week. Our school director, Abner, called this morning with upsetting news. A well known man was shot in Cite Soleil this morning on the road that leads to our school. Rioting and other shootings started right away. Several gangs are upset and the road has become extremely dangerous. Please keep our children and their families in your prayers. Many of our kids live right along the road where the violence is occuring in Cite Soleil. Pray that the violence does not spread, and that God's peace will reign. Information about if the man was killed or not has not been released. If he dies, there could be even more trouble as people will be very angry. Last week I had the blessing of seeing our sweet little Benley. He is not so little anymore! He enjoyed a peanut butter sandwich as we worked on a distribution of peanut butter 500. Please pray for both Benley and Jiniole. Jiniole is feeling overwhelmed and continues to make bad decisions. She would like to give Benley up for adoption. Frentz and I will be meeting with both of them tomorrow morning. I am looking forward to thie upcoming week! We have a team from Cornerstone University here now. They are busy painting Frentz's house, varnishing cabinets, and preparing food for our kids in Les Bours. (We pray the violence settles so we can get out to the school on Thursday morning.) On Tuesday afternoon my 4 heroes arrive to put on our roof! We sent out an urgent request for help when we realized that the containers were arriving the day before our construction team left. God is good and he has provided us with a skilled team of 4 men. Keith Thurlow, Keith Veldeer, Jim Schut, and Pat Thompson are jumping on a plane tomorrow morning and heading for Haiti! Please pray for safe travels AND that God would lead them to bring the right materials that will be needed to attach the roof. Things are not going as planned, and a little experimenting will need to happen. The cement on the top of the walls is not hard enough to hold the tan cons and roof in place. We have been trying to think up solutions, but they will need to bring what they need with them....and we don't know exactly what they need. A bit of a problem. Praying for God's wisdom and direction! Only He knows! I feel confident placing my trust in the Lord. For He is good! His love endures forever! How blessed are we to serve and love the creator of this beautiful universe? I am constantly reminded of God's goodness and creativity as I look to the breathtaking mountains, brilliant flowers, and the beautiful ocean. Despite man's sin and destruction, God's beauty prevails! He is all around us! What a God we serve!
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Friday, February 24, 2012
Typically I dislike asking people for their money. I would much rather let God do the prompting and watch how He provides. Many times it far surpasses any expectation. Other times, the needs need laid out in order for God to stir hearts, and for people to respond in obedience. This is one of those time.
If you are involved in our ministry at all, chances are you know some of the heart wrenching stories of the lives of our children. From abuse to slavery. Starvation to sex trafficking. Maybe their stories made you shed a tear (or two or three), or made you feel sick to your stomach. They should, because this is NOT okay. These children need rescued. They need love. They need purpose. They need you.
It is nearly impossible to exaggerate the impact you have on a child's life when you become their sponsor. They consider you their godparents because you are providing life for them. Whether you are sponsoring a child to attend school, or to live here at HOPE House, you are providing the finances necessary to give them life.
Many of our students at school are restaveks, meaning they are slave children who have been sold by their families to work for another family. Without a sponsor they would never have the opportunity for education. And Les Bours School of Hope is so much more than just a center for education. It is where the children receive food, medical support, and love from visiting team members. Being part of Les Bours School of Hope is their saving grace.
The children and babies at HOPE House come to us with severe malnutrition, abuse, and/or deeply infected wounds. Without the financial help of their sponsors we would not be able to provide the necessary care to nuture them back to health. It takes many people and a lot of work to care for a dying child! Our sponsors play a HUGE life saving roll when they commit to sponsoring a child at HOPE House.
And to think, you could save a life for only $1 a day. Only $30 a month provides a child with all of this, and all $30 is spent on your child. Sponsorship allows you to bring a precious piece of Haiti into your life, and hope and a future into theirs.
I know economic times in the states are difficult. We feel it as you feel it. But if I may continue standing on my soapbox to say, there are very few people I know that honestly cannot afford to sponsor a child. Perhaps you have to cut out a few coffees, trips to the theater, or an evening out to eat. Please take this to prayer and see how God leads you.
There are few reasons that bring me to my knees begging people to respond, but this is one of them. These children are worth it. This program works! Your $30 a month truly transforms their lives. If you don't believe me, I invite you to come to Haiti and see it for yourself! Listen to our children sing "Yes, Jesus loves me, yes, Jesus loves me, yes, Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me so." Without your sponsorship, they may not hear the Good News of our Savior.
If you hear God asking you to respond and sponsor a child, please email us at: information@haitipoverty.org. Feel free to designate boy/girl or school/orphanage.
Thank you for your continued prayers and your love and compassion for the people of Haiti!
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Monday, February 20, 2012
Last week the HOPE House family grew a little bit larger. We welcomed a 6 week old baby girl into our care. Sweet little Love-Kelly was born on January 1st and is in remarkably good health. Yet like many children here in Haiti she has a story that starts off sad, but a future that is full of hope. Love-Kelly's mother, Nadine, lives in a very dangerous area in downtown Port-au-Prince. She does not have her own house or even her own tent. She is living with other people who told her that she needed to get rid of her baby if she wanted to continue to stay there. With no place else to live, she began searching for an orphanage. Love-Kelly is Nadine's second child. She had to send her first daughter out to the countryside to serve as a slave child because she could not afford to feed or educate her. Nadine is hoping to find a better fate for her new baby. After a lengthy discussion about Nadine's life, education, and ability to be a good mother, she firmly believed the only way to give her daughter life was to give her up for adotpion. We asked her questions like, "If you had a place to live with Love-Kelly, would you want her back?" "If you had a job and could provide for her, would you want to keep her?" With tears rolling down her face she said, "Yes, of course, but I would have no one to watch her. I have thought of everything and the best choice for me is to give her up so she can have a better life." We searched for ways to keep them together. I would always prefer to keep a breastfeeding mother with her infant baby! However, it came to a point where Nadine was so sure she would fail, that if she didn't leave Love-Kelly here, she would leave her somewhere else. And so we brought her home. She is absolutely beautiful from head to toe. I have no doubt that God will provide a loving family for Love-Kelly and that she will grow up surrounded by love and joy. But my heart breaks for Nadine and the emotions and heartache she is facing. She never intended to put her children through this pain. This is never how she envisioned her life. I cannot imagine how hard life must be to have to come to a point where you have to abandon your child, out of love, because that is the best thing for them. If you have children, can you even imagine that? To see your children sick and dying and having to choose which one to abandon? It is a difficult choice that too many mothers in Haiti are facing. I am thankful that we were able to make Nadine an appointment for our birth control program. Until she is able to provide and care for her children, she will not be having any more. She will be beginning Depopprovera this month. Nadine just arrived at our gate. She is going to help us with laundry over the next few months. Please keep Nadine and Love-Kelly in your prayers. Despite all of the heartache and trials, God is good, and there is great hope for both of them! I am excited and blessed to have the opportunity to know them and pour the love of Christ into their lives. I am looking forward to what God has in store for their futures!
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Thursday, February 16, 2012
We have been so blessed by an awesome work team this week! So much is getting accomplished, and we have no shortage of projects! Part of the team has been working on hooking up our water and electricity around the back side of the property and over to our storage rooms, staff bathroom, and Jean and Lucienne's house. It is always a challenge coming down to another country and doing work that you are used to doing with all of the materials available in the states! Flexibility and innovation are key! This group has both! The other half of the team has been helping me sort through and organize all of the boxes and bins full of donations from our last shipment. Just two days ago I couldn't even walk into the storage let alone find something! Now it is beautifully organized and labeled! I know exactly what we have and where it is! Praise God! That alone makes life so much easier!
The team took an afternoon to set up the new playground equipment! The kids are absolutely loving it! I think the slide is the biggest hit! It's hard imagine that these children are 4-9 years old and have never swung on a swing or slid down a slide. This is all new for them! My favorite part is the three person porch swing! Perfect for rocking our precious babies! ....and in about 10 years the mango and chadek trees should be large enough to provide shade! HA!
So far over 130 families have benefited food, clothing, and sheets from the shipment. Praise God! We are so thankful to blessed to spread God's love and hope to those in need. Thank you for donating to HFAP!
Also, thank you to everyone who has been praying for Guerlens. He is officially back in Michigan and the surgery behind him! Please continue to pray for his recovery, health, and appetite.
The team has been able to enjoy riding around in an air conditioned van this week! We were able to get our new full sized van out of customs and complete all of the paperwork for licensing literally 20 minutes before they arrived. I am so thankful for a vehicle that provides protection on all sides! God is good!
I have so much more to say....including the story of our new baby girl, Love-Kelly....stay tuned!
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Thursday, February 09, 2012
(The pictures above were taken just before Guerlens went in for surgery. His head will look so much different once the wrap is off the and the swelling goes down.)
The surgery was a success! The surgeons were very pleased and found nothing unexpected. They were very interested to see how pointed the back of his skull was. They were able to split the bone and reshape his skull without any complications. The surgery was over shortly after 5:00pm yesterday evening. It was difficult to see him after surgery, but I am so thankful that he was not in pain. The nurses have been wonderful and Guerlens has been so comfortable. He opened his eyes for the first time after surgery at about 11:40 last night. I was sitting with him and he heard my voice and jumped awake and even gave me a little wave. At this point, he is far more scared than he is in pain. I am thankful that even though I can't hold him, I can wrap my arm around him and sing him to sleep. He has been doing a lot of resting which is so good for him.
This morning the swelling had already noticeably gone down. By about 10:30am he had his catheter and his hand IV taken out. I got to feed him a little lunch, but he was not able to keep it down. He is drinking clear fluids well. Please pray that he will be able to keep food down soon. He has such an appetite and he wants to eat so badly. For now, the pedialyte is holding him over.
It is amazing to think the journey this little guy has been on. Less than a year ago he was sleeping on the streets of Port-au-Prince with little food, little protection, and little hope. Because of our amazing supporters, we were able to provide Guerlens with a loving home when he was only 6 weeks old. Our staff fell head over heals for him despite the shape of his head. For the first 6 months of his life he showed little progress and little personality. I spent months wondering what I could do for this boy and how he would ever find help. Then something miraculous happened. This great adventure leading up to his surgery began in late October when he was officially diagnosed with craniosynostosis. It is hard to believe all that has happen in the last few months. Our God is so great! Countless people have given generously of their time and money to help Guerlens have a better life. From the bottom of my heart, I cannot thank them enough!
The hardest part is behind us now! Guerlens has a beautiful head that will hopefully be unveiled tomorrow! Please pray that a bed opens up in the pediatric wing so we can be with him more. Please pray for him to be pain free and feel safe and comfortable. Pray that he will be able to keep solid foods down so he can fill up that little man belly of his!
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for playing a significant role in Sweet Guerlens' life!
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Tuesday, February 07, 2012
Guerlens and I are loving New York! We have been able to see so many things and meet so many amazing people! I cannot believe how friendly and kind the people in New York are! What a wonderful place to be. Every person we have met or run into has been so welcoming and generous. From directions in the subway, to "goodmornings" as we walk down the street. From the gentlemen who carry Guerlens and his stroller down the stairs, to the amazing staff and volunteers at the hospital. From the people who offer to take our picture, to the kind hosts and waitresses at restaurants. This place is nothing short of amazing! I have never been surrounded by so many helpful, friendly, kind people in my life! We love New York!
We have had the opportunity to meet with Guerlens surgeons and all of the people involved to make this happen...and there sure are a lot of them! The Posada Foundation is covering all of Guerlens' hospital expenses. The two surgeons, Dr. Staffenberg and Dr. Weiner are donating their time. Together, they are financially making this happen. The National Foundation for Facial Reconstruction has provided us with housing and connected us with all of the right doctors, papers, and other appointments to get ready for the big day. NYU Medical Center has cooperated with all of organizations involved! All for one very special little guy! How GREAT is our God?
Our latest appointments with the two surgeons have put me at such ease. Guerlens is in wonderful hands here at NYU. We were unable to have the surgery performed in Haiti, due to loss of blood. The survival rate would have been less than 50%. He was more likely to die than live. This morning, while meeting with Dr. Weiner I asked what the risk of life is for this surgery here in the United States. Less than 1%. Amazing. There is also less than a 1% chance that he would suffer any brain or long term damage. There is a 10% chance that he would need a future operation to continue to reshape his head. Both surgeons are extremely confident in the surgery and the outcome for our sweet boy. They said we will be amazed at his beautiful round head when they remove the head wrap! I just can't wait! They will reshape the whole back of his head and make it wider. The only thing they will not reshape is his forehead, but overtime they expect it to flatten and reshape with the rest of his skull.
Guerlens is scheduled to go in for surgery at 1:00pm tomorrow. I will be able to hold him in my arms while the anesthetic kicks in. Once he is fast asleep I can lay him on the operating table and he won't know anything happened until hours after surgery when we are standing by his bedside. It is such a blessing that he is still so young and has no idea what lies ahead. He has nothing to dread or worry about.
Please pray for a smooth, successful surgery. Pray for Guerlens tomorrow morning as he will be very hungry! He cannot eat after midnight tonight....and the boy LOVES to eat! Pray that his stitches will not get infected and that he will not need a blood transfusion. These are the two most common risks of this surgery. Pray for comfort and no pain. Pray he feels safe and can rest well in his hospital bed. And pray he only has to spend one night in the PICU! (After that we can be with him and he can be out of his bed in the regular pediatric wing.) And pray that this is the only operation he will ever need!
Our God is so good! I know your prayers will be heard and answered! I will leave an update here on the blog tomorrow night. We hope he is out of surgery around 5:00-6:00pm.
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Thursday, February 02, 2012
It's old news by now, but nevertheless it's still exciting and a huge answer to prayer! The container finally arrived! After 4 months of sitting in customs, Papa Frentz took matters into his own hands! I could hardly believe my eyes or contain my excitement as the bright yellow sea container backed down our street and into our gate! What a glorious day! With the help of Joseph's men it was unloaded in a matter of minutes. And with the help of my wonderful mother, the supplies were somewhat organized and in storage rooms in a matter of days. Just in time for my departure to New York City to be with Guerlens during his surgery.
The very first delivery we made were the preschool chairs to Les Bours! Our poor kids have been standing, sitting on the table, or sitting 3 to a chair. We have 60 preschoolers and there were a grand total of 9 chairs left. The kids' faces lit up as we handed each one their very own brightly colored plastic chair. All of the kindergarteners began chanting, "Mesi! Mesi! Mesi!" The teachers were equally as excited with their little desks and chairs. We delivered a truck load of school supplies! Everything from chalkboards and backpacks to markers and paper. Our school nurse, Linda, was excited with her new desk for the clinic! She had previously been using a preschool table. It was a very happy morning!
The next morning we went down to Cite Jeremie to set up our new clinic. We had previously been hosting our clinics in a large canvas tent. Our Haitian nurse, Marilane, has rented a house, and we were able to rent two rooms as a permanent clinic. Marilane has been seeing and treating patients everyday for months with very little medications or supplies. We unloaded a desk, folding table, patient table, a cot, folding chairs, a filing cabinet and more! The filing cabinet and several other boxes were full of medications for the beloved peopled in Cite Jeremie and Cite Okay.
I am writing this post in an apartment in Manhattan with little Guerlens. We have this weekend to check out the sights, but starting Monday morning he is going to be a busy little guy with several appointments a day leading up to his big surgery on the 8th. I will be receiving more details Monday or Tuesday about the exact time of surgery, but right now they believe he will go in at 8:30am. The surgery should last 3-4 hours. Please pray for wisdom for Dr. Saffenberg as he and his team perform the surgery. Pray for Guerlens to feel no pain and to recover quickly. We are so thankful to have received such blessing for Guerlens' life! Everyone we have met here with the Posada Foundation, NFFR, and NYU Hospital has been so gracious and kind. Everywhere we go people fall in love with our sweet boy. He certainly is a charmer!
I also ask that you would lift Jouvenika up in your prayers. She has been in our care at HOPE House for about 4 months now because of a wound on her leg. Everytime is scabs over and we think she is ready to go home, it opens back up again. Her body does not want to kick the infection. We have started her on a new antibiotic. We are praying her body will respond to this new medication quickly. Otherwise, we will have to take her in to have her bone and blood tested for infection.
I have been feeling sick ever since my first night in NYC. I'm not sure whether it's allergies or a flu bug, but I just feel plain miserable. Guerlens just went down for his nap, and I think I will join him! A nice rest and a warm cup of tea is all I have on my schedule this afternoon!
As I learn more about surgery times I will post them here so you can be specifically praying for Guerlens. Thank you in advance! Our God is a great, loving God! The ultimate healer and redeemer!
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Thursday, January 19, 2012
Frustration. Joy. Sadness. Grief. Hope. Love. On any given day in Haiti, it is easy to experience all of these emotions. For example, just yesterday I felt frustrated over our lack of control and outrageous amount of time and money it takes to ship life saving supplies to our loved ones in Haiti. I felt joy as I saw the beds nearly empty as Sisters of Charity because so many birth moms and American visitors were there holding the children. I felt a deep sadness passing by the site of a terrible semi-truck accident that killed and wounded almost 90 people two days ago. I felt grief as we traveled around downtown on streets filled with filthy tent cities and starving children. I felt hope as we made great progress towards getting our adoptive children home to their forever families. And I felt such strong love as I came home at the end of the day to a group of cheering children with their arms stretched open. I often fight through my days, trying not to break down and become emotional, but also trying not to grow callous to the pain and desperation. Sometimes it's a fine line.
I used to pray often for my heart to break for the things that break the heart of God. I have received just a small glimpse of that pain. I daily need His compassion to hurt for those who are hurting, and His strength to continue being a useful vessel for Him. Oh what would I do without my Savior?
Thankfully, He has given me much strength throughout these last two weeks. Most days I have been out traveling with the adoptive children working on papers for their dossiers. My goal is to have every adoptive child's dossier complete and in the hands of the agency by the end of the month! For the first two weeks of February I will be in New York with Guerlens while he has his surgery. The last two weeks of February we will be in full swing with our orphanage construction, and I will be interviewing and training new employees. March will be a huge month for us, as both Frentz and I, and the kids move into our new, permanent houses AND we can double the amount of children we are caring for!
Excitement! Anticipation! Stress! ......and on it goes. Good thing our all-knowing God is in control!
Please continue to pray for the release of our container. We have heard possibly Friday or Monday. We are praying for Friday! We can accomplish so much over the weekend before I leave for New York next week! (Also another reason I needed to hurry up and get the dossiers done so I could unload and distribute the container! Thankfully I have three wonderful ladies arriving this afternoon to help me with this HUGE task! And none more lovely than my amazing mother!!) Keep in prayer until I update the blog again rejoicing that your prayers were answered!
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Sunday, January 15, 2012
Tomorrow is not a guarantee. We do not know the minute or hour of our death, but dying is certain. This past week I have spent a lot of time reflecting on the dreadful day that happened two years ago. Nobody who lost their lives on January 12th, 2010, woke up that day thinking it would be their last. The old nor the young. And yet, for over 300,000, it was.
I am not trying to be depressed or morbid. I am learning to be grateful for every day and every minute that I have. To make the most of my relationships, and to live obediently. I recently saw a post on someone's facebook saying something to the effect of, "When I die, God will not ask me why I didn't take more time for myself. More time to kick back, relax, focus on ME." There is so much more work to be done. So many lives that are still lost. And we are not guaranteed tomorrow.
There is a phrase that Haitians use when making future plans. If I were to say to someone, "See you tomorrow." They would reply, "If God wills." Or when I tell the kids that we can watch a movie tomorrow. They reply. "If God wills." At first I was a bit annoyed to always have to say, "If God wills" at the end of every sentence regarding something that would happen in the future. More and more I appreciate its power and meaning. It is true. I will only see you tomorrow, if God wills.
What would you have done differently today if you knew it was your last? Do you know where you are going? Is your hope in the Lord? Jesus shed his blood, so that he could prepare a place for us, with him in heaven. To receive this great, undeserved gift, we must choose to surrender our lives to him. A life surrendered to Christ is not a life without pain, but it IS a life with hope!
I have been thinking about my family and close friends, and their relationships with God this week. I am so blessed and thankful to have so many of them living for Christ. Even though I will miss them terribly when they leave this earth, it will also be a time of rejoicing (and even a little jealousy) that they are walking in heaven with the Father! Do you know where your loved ones are going? Have you shared how gracious God has been to you? His grace knows NO bounds!
I think of the lives that were lost on January 12, 2010. Little Migvee is wrapped safely in the arms of Jesus. Alongside thousands of other innocent children. And our sweet Little Jeeves. As loved ones pass on, I look more and more forward to the day that I will see them again! Oh what a glorious day it will be when I see Jesus face to face! .....if you beat me there, I will celebrate your passing. And if I beat you, I'll be waiting!
Our God is good and mighty to save.
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Thursday, January 12, 2012
  It's hard to believe that the earthquake that killed over 300,000 people, and changed Port-au-Prince, forever was two years ago today. It seems like decades ago that I was pacing my apartment, nauseous after hearing the words "earthquake" and "Port-au-Prince" in the same sentence and answering my cell phone, to Frentz screaming on the other end, asking if I was okay. And yet, it seems like just weeks ago that I sat with Myslene and Gyslee in thier home with their three children, celebrating Mika's baptism. Now there are only two. And one has a scar that reminds us of that dreadful day on a daily basis. Many of you probably recall that Myslene lost her daughter while giving her a bath in the courtyard of their apartment complex. The wall surrounding the perimeter of the property came crashing down on her tiny 18 month old body. Myslene reached down to pull her out of the bathtub and only pulled out her arm from the shoulder down. As I hold Kelencia in my arms, it's hard to believe that two years ago she was sitting in the dirt, on a street filled with rubble, going days without food and water, until we found her. Praise be to GOD that she did not have a single scratch on her body. The devastation, the tragedy, and the trauma doesn't just disappear. Not a day goes by that we do not think about what was lost on January 12, 2010. The tent cities, rubble, and scars serve as daily reminders. But we have HOPE! Both in PAP and within HFAP God is on the move and lives are being restored! As Frentz and I returned to Haiti last week we were shocked by the amount of new houses we saw built around the outskirts of town to remove people from the tent cities. On our drive home we noticed that the tent cities around the airport only had half of the amount of tents that had been previously been there for the past 2 years. We have seen more rebuilding and cleaning of PAP in the past few months than we have seen in the past 2 years combined! Here at HOPE House we are thrilled to be moving forward! We are finally at the place that we were before the earthquake. We are preparing to move into our official orphanage building! Within the coming months the roof will be fastened on, the walls will be painted, ceramic tiles will be laid, and the children's beds will be assembled! That was the plan for March 2010. Now it is the plan for March 2012. We are so thankful and excited to me back at this point! The point of safe, secure housing, and a full orphanage of children to love! As you go through your day, please remember to pray for Haiti. Pray for the people who lost their loved ones. Pray for their hearts to find healing in the arms of our Father. Pray for the city to be rebuilt, both spiritually and physically. Pray for President Martelly to have wisdom in his decisions for his country. Pray for the strongholds that the devil has on this country to be broken by the power of our Mighty God! And pray as Haitians hold their breath and pray to God at 4:53 this afternoon, that the earth would be still, and their hearts would be filled with His peace and presence. ,
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Monday, January 09, 2012
  Happy New Year! The new year has already brought us great joy! We have received a surgery date for Guerlens! His operation will take place in New York on February 8th. We will be leaving for New York on January 25th. That week, he will have an evaluation and some testing done. His return date to Michigan will most likely be February 28th. That will leave him a few months to recover and receive a post-opertation exam before returning to us in Haiti! Guerlens has been loving his time in Michigan! I don't think he could be any happier. He has received so much love and so many prayers from our wonderful supporters. Every need he had has been provided for! From food to diapers, winter jackets to a swing and high chair. THANK YOU! I stand amazed by our God who loves us so much and cares for us through each other. Thank you for responding in obedience and loving this sweet little boy! He is pretty easy to love! He has become quite vocal these days. He is saying a few words in English and a few in Creole including, "dog" "papa" and "ba'm" (give me). He is an absolute monster for food! He becomes quite dramatic in a restaurant setting. Last week Dad and Joseph and I were out to breakfast with Guerlens at a local restaurant. I had ordered blueberry pancakes. Before the waitress could set them down, there was a handful of pancake missing! Guess whose mouth was full? Dad shared his scrambled egg with Guerlens...or should I say Guerlens ate all of Dad's scrambled eggs. He was yelling, "Mum mum mum ba'm ba'm ba'm!" Everyone in the restaurant was laughing. Finally one lady yelled out, "How many days has it been since you fed him?" ....He had eated his breakfast about an hour earlier. Ah, the life of a growing boy! In preparation for his big surgery Papa Frentz gave Guerlens his first haircut last week! He was such a big boy. We were sad to see his braids go, but he is certainly cute with a shaved head too! Please continue to lift our GuerBear up in prayer as we get closer to his surgery date. The surgery could last 8-12 hours. We are praying for wisdom for his doctors, comfort for Guerlens, and a speedy recovery! Thank you for your continued prayers and support!
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Wednesday, November 30, 2011
I'm not sure where the last week went, but I am writing this blog from snowy Michigan with Guerlens sleeping on my lap. What a blessing to have such a snuggly piece of Haiti here with me! We do not have a definite surgery date for him yet, but we anticipate it will be within the next month.
It has been good to take a few days to reflect on various events that have taken place in the last few weeks. Both exciting, and heartbreaking. The highs are high, and the lows are low. Life in Haiti is a constant battle of emotions.
Last week while we were on our way home from the embassy we were rejoicing over Guerlens' medical visa! So much work and prayer had been done to get us to that point....in less than a month! God had moved mountains! We were overjoyed. On the way home, as we traveled up Delmas 75 to our house, we were stopped by a large funeral procession. Young people, sobbing, wearing their finest clothing, filled the street. A young boy, who Frentz worked out at the gym with, had been shot. He was riding on the back of a moto taxi when an officer got into a shooting fight with another man. This young teenage boy was caught in the middle of it. He quickly jumped off the bike to lay on the ground, but was accidentally shot and killed. His innocent body passed us in a casket traveling down our dirt road.
The next day, as we were leaving our house for the airport our spirits were back up. Guerlens was wearing his airplane shirt and we were on our way to Michigan! We could not contain our excitement! Laughter and joy filled our truck, until we passed Hope Hospital. A body, lifelessly wrapped in a white sheet was being loaded into a truck. Most likely a cholera victim. Our truck went silent and was filled with prayers the rest of the way to the airport.
So much joy. So much devastation.
The news no longer continues to cover the devastation in Haiti, but that is certainly not because it no longer exists. Cholera, disease, violence, and hunger are daily battles.
Please continue to pray for our container to be released from customs! We have many needed supplies that have been sitting at the docks for 7 weeks now.
We have several exciting things in the works! I can't spill any information just yet, but check back to the blog soon! God is on the move! He reigns through the ups and downs. Our Rock. Our Fortress. Our Provider. We can do nothing separate from Him.
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Monday, November 21, 2011
Praise God from whom all blessing flow!
Guerlens was granted a medical visa! Your prayers were heard! Our God answered! He is so good.
We were in line by 6:00am this morning and we were walking out of the embassy by 8:30am!
We have one more step before Guerlens can travel to Michigan. Tomorrow morning at 7:00am we will pick up his visa and take it to social services. There Marie Guerda will sign giving permission to me to travel with Guerlens. Typically this paperwork take 2-3 days, but we will need it done tomorrow in order to leave on Wednesday morning!
Keep praying. We are so close! I will post again to let you know how tomorrow goes. Take some time today to thank God for all of his miracles and tell Him how much you love Him! He is so good!
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Sunday, November 20, 2011
I have been wanting to update the blog all week but our internet cable was somehow damaged. We aren't sure whether the dogs got to it or a mouse, but somehow, something frayed the wires connecting to our satellite and we were without internet for the last 5 days. We have an internet card for backup that we can plug directly into our laptops, but it charges us per megabyte used and we have to go out and by cards to make it work. (Much like the cell phone system here in Haiti.) BUT thankfully the internet company came yesterday to repair it! (Only because Frentz went to the business to pick them up and then dropped them back off again.)
We have been making so much progress on Guerlens' visa. We have everything in place, and TOMORROW morning at 7:00am we have an appointment at the US Embassy. We may not be seen until 10:00am-11:00am or ever later, but Guerlens, Marie Guerda, and myself will be standing in line on the street outside the embassy by 6:00am! Please be in prayer tonight and tomorrow that the consulate would grant Guerlens this very important medical visa. We still have not received an important letter that we need from the hospital doing the surgery. It is something the embassy requires, but we have no choice but to show up for our appointment. We are praying for a miracle! Praying that whoever interviews us will take the time to realize all that has been put into place and how important this surgery is. Please also pray for Marie Guerda to answer their questions correctly. She sometimes struggles with responding to direct questions. She is spending the night here with us so we won't be late! I will be a nervous wreck in the morning! I know God has this all under control. Whatever happens it is His plan. So much has been done for Guerlens already. God has moved mountains for this 10 month old boy. What's one more? Bondye Kapab!
Several people have been asking if we are still in need of donations. We have been extremely blessed by so many of you! We are set with most of the "big" things we needed! Thank you Jesus! Right now, we most need help with his day to day care items. You can send monetary donations to: 1301 Timber Dr. Midland, MI 48642. Please mark that it is for Guerlens. Monetary donations will be used to get him to the states and purchase the necessary supplies he will need while he is in New York for surgery and recovery. Or you may drop off the following items to Kim Chapin or Marci Thurlow: Size 3 diapers, wipes, baby cereal, 2nd foods fruits and veggies, formula, lotion, baby soap. (information@haitipoverty.org)
All the rest of our HOPE House kids are doing well! Marise-Love has had an on and off fever the past few days. Please be praying for her to get over whatever it is that her little body is fighting. Jouvenika's wound has completely closed up! I will be calling Gerlande tomorrow to let her know. We may keep watch over it for a little bit longer to be sure it won't open up again. Vanessa is gaining so much weight! She is so healthy and beautiful! Kimberlie is one of the big kids now! So hard to believe. She has been using her voice, walking with only the help of a finger, and eating all of the big kid food! She greets everyone who walks into HOPE House with a, "Hi!" and a silly smile showing off her two teeth. Pierreline and Caleb are doing very well in preschool. Every Friday they bring home all of their school work to show me. They are coloring very beautiful pictures of the founding fathers of Haiti. The biggest excitement of the week was learning how to jump with both feet! Sophonie and Naika have been helping me a lot in the kitchen. They are experts at pizza, M&M cookies, and angel food cake!
Outside of our gates things haven't been so friendly. This week there was a terrible incident near Cite Soleil. A mother was upset about a boy her daughter was dating. When he came over to the house to see his girlfriend the mother went after him with a machete. She cut his neck and head and didn't stop until he was in pieces. Frentz and I watched the interview of the woman on Haitian TV last night. .......Teenagers, if you think your parents give you a rough time, go hug them right now! (And be thankful they don't have a machete.) I just can't imagine living with that much hate. It is my hearts cry for all of Haiti to know the love, peace, and joy of Christ!
Pray for Christ's love, joy, and peace to abound in Haiti! Pray for the hearts of those who are searching. Pray for strength and protection for those here living and teaching the Good News. We can do nothing separated from Christ! He is our all in all!
Internet permitting, I will post an update as soon as we return from the embassy tomorrow. I rest assured knowing God is in control and that your prayers will be heard and answered!
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Friday, November 11, 2011
Wow! You guys are awesome! We at HFAP have been blown away by your response to Guerlens' story. Thank you for responding in obedience and with such generous hearts! Just a little update, we are about $1,000 shy of completing his paperwork and cost of his plane tickets. All we have left on our needs list for his care are his everyday items. (size 3 diapers, baby food, baby cereal, wipes, size 9-12 months warm clothing) Most of these items are needed for his 6 week stay in New York while he is having surgery. Please contact Marci Thurlow (989) 205-9418 or send donations to 1301 Timber Dr. Midland, MI 48642.
My mind has been completely occupied by Guerlens and all of the visa paperwork, however MUCH more has been happening in Haiti! Last week we had a fabulous time of training with the pastors and their wives in Les Bours. A great deal of wisdom and direction for the future of this ministry was given to us. We are so excited to partner with a small number of pastors and raise them up to teach the entirety of His Word!
Lucienne and Grap's wedding was AMAZING. What a time of celebration! The yard was beautiful thanks to the help of our team! The children were dressed in all white, and Lucienne was absolutely stunning! Lucienne and Grap were thrilled with the entire celebration. They shared with Frentz and I after the wedding that they both thought their lives were over. Before the earthquake they were in the midst of a bad time in their lives. Feeling as though they would suffer forever. They are so thankful to work for HFAP and so excited to have a new beginning! And we are equally as excited and blessed to have them! They are such wonderful people, growing closer to their Lord every day!
Haiti is a place where there always seems to be good and bad happening at the same time. I find the most difficult question to answer is, "How is Haiti? Are things getting better?" It's really hard to say. Great things are happening. But awful things happen too. Like the news I received a week and a half ago about Magalie's youngest daughter, one of our preschool students. (Pierreline's step sister) She has recently been rapped by a seventeen year old boy in the neighborhood. She is only three years old. Such a beautiful little girl. The boy is in jail, but Magalie and her daughter still have such pain in their lives. Pain that will last for a very long time. Please pray for Magalie and her sweet little girl. Pray for healing that only our Father can provide. Pray against disease and infection in her sweet little body. Pray for forgiveness for the young man. Pray for healing and salvation for him. For the past year, Magalie has asked me to pray that her spiritual walk with the Lord would be strengthened. Pray that this would bring her closer to Him and not push her further away.
Young girls are victims of rape all too often. How painful it must be for our Father to sit on His throne and see such horrifying violence. We, as His children, must do something about it. We can start by praying protection over the women and girls in Les Bours. The women and girls in the tent cities. The women and girls in Haiti. Women and girls all over the world. If we are afraid to talk about rape and shed light into something so dark, how will things ever change?
I know that I can type this all out and click "publish post" and know that hundreds of prayers are going up for Magalie and her daughter, and for Guerlens, and all of Haiti. Thanks for being part of our HFAP Family!
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Tuesday, November 08, 2011
What a mighty work God is doing in and for Guerlens! I stand amazed at the great God we serve! How awesome and powerful is He! He knows all and sees all. He loves us beyond anything we can imagine! Oh how He loves us!
Guerlens will grow up to tell a miraculous story one day....his own story! God had it planned long ago....Born to a woman who was possessed by demons and cast out of her community. A woman who was sleeping on the streets with 5 young boys even before Guerlens was born. Born with a misshapen head and twelve fingers. Both reasons for others to shun him and abandon him. But His Father had a great plan! He would call strange, white people to his neighborhood. They would meet his mother 3 years before he was born. They would pray for her, and when the time came, they would assist her in caring for a child that she did not have the heart to abandon. Then, after months of prayers and medical testing, a diagnosis would be made. One that would take him to the United States. Sagittal Craniosynosis. Many people would hear about his story and cover him in prayers. God would hear their cries and call on His children to respond. He would ask his daughter, Gail, to carry the burden of his sweet son and to seek out every avenue possible to find treatment. He would prompt the hearts of New York Yankees catcher Jorge Posada and his wife, to hear this story and respond. He would make sure the surgery was paid for in full! He would allow every necessary paper to happen in His perfect timing. He would even prepare a forever family for him. A family who has been to Haiti and understands his culture. A family that has such great love for Him and desires to raise Guerlens to know and love his one and only Savior. A family whom He loves so dearly, He desired to give them a son, to replace the one He already called home. And He would do all of this to show His children how good He is, that they would respond and say, "What a Great and Mighty God we serve! A God who is alive and working miracles for His children! A God who cares, and hears, and heals! Oh how He loves us!" People's faith would be strengthened because of the testimony of one little boy, born to an outcast, on the streets of Haiti.
But his story isn't over yet! There is so much more to tell! Would be part of this story? Would you join us in prayer that we will receive a visa for as long as necessary when we go to the embassy? Pray for his mother to obtain the documents necessary for her to sign and allow her son to travel for surgery. Pray for things to happen quickly so we can return to the states and schedule his operation as soon as possible!
Would you consider donating financially to make all of the papers and airfare possible? We are looking at over $2,000 worth of costs not including the surgery or airfare that the Posadas are providing.
Also, we are in need of a few things to help us care for Guerlens while he is in New York for surgery, and Michigan for recovery. It is a little bit colder up there than he is used to! Poor guy has nothing but shorts, T-shirts, and sandals! (and 1 pair of pants)
Here are some things we need within the next 2 weeks:
Warm winter clothing - size 9 months (9-12 months if it runs small)
Snow suit
Warm jacket
Mittens
Warm shoes/boots
Socks
Size 3 diapers
A baby swing (The boy LOVES to swing! Preferably one where he can sit up straight and has a tray table)
High chair
Stroller to push through the snow or backpack to carry him in (We will be walking in New York from where we stay, to the hospital)
Pack-N-Play
We will be bringing him from Detroit to Midland, so it would be ideal to have things sent to Midland before November 20th. (We are praying to arrive home the week of Thanksgiving!) You can call Marci to arrange a drop off time (989) 205-9418, or mail donations to 1301 Timber Dr., Midland, MI 48642.
THANK YOU! I KNOW you will be praying! We feel your prayers and see God's answers! Your cries are heard! We are so thankful for you! You are a critical part of our ministry!
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Sunday, October 30, 2011
God is good. All the time.
Yesterday morning I had an appointment with Rosemane, a woman in our Gift of Hope program. We were meeting her near Cite Soleil to take a picture of her with her children for her journals. For the past week my allergies have been making me miserable. Sore throat, congestion, coughing, headaches, the whole nine yards. I decided it was best for me to drink and rest, and sent Charly and Jean to take Rosemane's picture.
Upon meeting Rosemane and her children out on a main road, Charly took several pictures of them trying to get all of the children looking at one time. ...Always a difficult task! Especially when there are ten of them! Charly and Jean made their way back to the truck and got in. As they were turning the truck around, three men with machine guns came up to their windows. They yelled that if either of them made a move, they would shoot. They made Jean park the truck and all three climbed in our backseat. With guns to Jean and Charly's heads, they ordered them to drive down a small corridor so no one could see. Once they were out of sight of the other traffic, they told Jean to park the truck. They pulled Jean and Charly into the street. With two guns to his head, Charly's pockets were searched. They took everything he had on him. His wallet, money, and phone. They only gave him back his ID card.
Jean was standing on the other side of the truck with a gun to his head. The leader was yelling for all of his money. He said, "If we do not find any money on you, we will shoot you." He emptied his pockets and the truck. They took his money, phones, necklace, and my camera. Once our truck was emptied and the boys had nothing left they yelled, "Go, go go!"
Jean and Charly jumped in the truck and got out of there as fast as they could. Neither one of them thought they would be alive to get back inside the truck again. They couldn't call us because their phones were stolen, but they came racing back to HOPE House, still in shock.
I cannot even begin to say how thankful I am that God spared their lives yesterday. We nearly lost our driver and translator, but God intervened. They work for Him.
This morning in church, I stood, worshiping, holding Nata, Jean's daughter, tightly in my arms. Jean has another child on the way. Both of them need their Daddy. Thank you Lord for keeping watch over us. Jean praised our Father this morning with hands lifted high! Together we sang unto the Lord,
"Our God is greater, Our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other
Our God is healer, Awesome in power, Our God, Our God
And if our God if for us, then who could ever stop us?
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against?
Then what could stand against?"
Maybe God gave me allergies for a reason. I'm sure having a "blanc" in the truck would have only made matters worse. I think I will stop complaining about being sick. Truly, our trials are blessings. I am rejoicing that I was sick!
I am beyond thankful for the way things turned out yesterday. We have no one to thank but God. So many "what ifs" can fill our minds with situations like this....but there are no "what ifs." God had the situation happen exactly as He intended. If it was His will to call Jean and Charly home, He would have done so. And He would still be God. And He would still be good. And even if I had been along in the truck. God would still be God. And He would still be good.
As the former pastor of our church here in Haiti likes to say, "The safest place for you to be is in the center of God's will. For Daniel, that was in the lion's den. For Stephen, that was in the pit where he was stoned. For Jesus, that was on the cross."
We can pray for safety and protection. Those are good things to pray for. But the best thing to pray for, is God's will. Above all else, God's will.
Haiti may or may not be "safe". But if it is where God calls you to live, or visit, you are in the best place in the whole world!
Wherever you are today, are you living God's will for your life?
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