Hello,

I am writing to share a bit more from my heart and to thank you for your prayers for the ministry and our family. I am also writing to ask for more prayers for our family and the ministry. As we get closer to the dates of our move to Haiti in January we are experiencing what feels like heavier spiritual attack. My intent is not to list everything, but to ask for prayer covering, so I would like to share on just two areas in particular. The first is about my father. He passed away Saturday night. My daughter who is a CNA and an emergency room tech, has been caring for my father and helping my mother since the first of July. We have spent the last few months visiting and preparing, as they live a couple of hours away. My father has always been a very faithful, moral man. Some of us have tried in the past to share with him about having a personal relationship with Jesus, but he would answer vaguely. Right before Thanksgiving my daughter was able to share one more time with him and he truly gave his heart to the Lord, she was also able to tell him we loved him and understood he was at the end and that we all wanted him to know it was okay for him to go. He said thank you to her and expressed his love. My daughter also organized a huge (37 people)Thanksgiving dinner at my parents home. We suspected this would be his last. I felt like I was supposed to call hospice the next week. He was officially put on Hospice the following Friday. Then in the middle of the night last Wednesday, I woke up and felt like I was supposed to pray for both by father and my daughter, only to get the call to come as the end was near a little while later. Most of my siblings are a few hours away like I am, so one by one we arrived at my parents home. We spent the next few days all gathered with my Mother and Father at their home. My daughter, sister and I were able to take shifts round the clock in caring for him, with advise given by phone from the Hospice Nurse. All of my siblings and my mother were able to lay hands on him and pray. We read our favorite scriptures to him and played our favorite worship songs over him. Saturday night we were all able to have all of our hands on him and with tears and prayers we ushered him into the kingdom. God gave us a huge gift.

The part in which I am referring to as spiritual warfare happened while my father was dying. During this time my daughter in law-in-law, whom I love as my own, ended up in the emergency room, not being able to breathe, having sparks of light in her eyes and then loss of vision. We were going to honor her with a baby shower this weekend, which we did not hold because of the family being with my father. She is 7 months pregnant. Just minutes ago, at a cardiologist appointment she had a heart monitor put on her, to monitor her heart for the next 48 hours. This event and others like it, are why we are asking for and so greatly appreciate your support through prayer. As Mike has shared in the past, your prayers are a lifeline for us and we are so very thankful for them.

Blessings,

Chris

 Prayer Partners: Christmas is truly in the air and we at New Generation Ministries are praying that you are having a blessed time. Can you imagine first coming to salvation in the name of Jesus? Remember that amazing feeling. You felt so new, so alive, so wanting to know what to do next. You immersed yourself into your Bible. But what if you didn't have a Bible? What if there was no Bible book store? What if the small amount of money you had, was needed to buy food instead of a Bible, even with your new hunger to want to read the bible? We have hundreds of families that are new Christians that desperately need a Bible. We have a great Christmas gift idea. We have found a resource for good quality Haitian Creole Bibles for just $10 each, these are not the thin evangelistic bibles, but good quality complete bibles. We would also like to suggest giving a healthy young goat. You can buy a Haitian family a goat for $35. Goats can be a positive change for a Haitian family. Please consider the purchase of Bibles or Goats for our Haitian brothers and sisters for Christmas this year.............Mike

We also have some exciting news. Our new website has been completed. Please check it out. It has new information and pictures to keep you up dated with what is happening in Haiti. One of the new features many of you have been asking for, is the ability to pay by credit card, debit card, or electronic checks (automatic bank drafts) and the ability to choose both one time donations or recurring donations. Of course we still have the pay pal option for those who prefer pay pal. The new options are available on our new donation page. There is even a space for special instructions, so you can specify what you would prefer your donation go to, for example orphan sponsorship or the medical clinic. We have had a few friends try it out and they say it is easy and very user friendly. Just go to www.newgenerationhaiti.org and follow the simple instructions. Hope this makes donating easier for each of you. Thank you so very much for coming alongside of this ministry with your involvement, prayers and support. Please have a blessed Holiday Season................Mike

   Wow, Praise His name from on High !!! God is really on the move in Haiti. This is like a piece of history in the making. We are so excited, and amazed, and humbled at the outpouring of the Spirit of God right now in Pass Rien. The first Sunday morning in the new tent we saw 30 salvation's. That very same evening we saw 35 more lost and hurting people come to the revelation that salvation in the name of Jesus Christ was the answer to their problems. We have seen several salvation's and healing every day since then. And this is not just in Pass Rien. In Perou, and Marotte we have seen 5 or 6 salvation's each Sunday for several weeks now. This is so amazing to really see God redeeming his loved ones into His Kingdom. These people will now live for eternity with Him in Glory. "No more pain, no more tears."

This is a direct result of the mercy of God and the consistent prayers of his people. Some of you Prayer Partners have been so diligent and faithful about praying for the Spirit of God to break the chains that have held these people in small villages like Pass Rien for generations. Where which doctors and Voodoo camps have cursed and intimidated and carried out the work of satan to destroy people. Where men, marriages and families have been lost, hurting, blind and in prison to the poverty and oppression of the devil. God is breaking, and smashing and overturning the tables of these evil spirits to set His people free. "To bring sight to the blind, healing, freedom and to declare the favor of the Lord."........Amen

Pastor Nathan and Pastor Bruno are hosting an "all night prayer and worship meeting" at Pass Rien tonight. Please continue to pray for this move of God to rescue the ones He loves in Haiti.

With all these new believers we are incurring a few wonderful problems. We need Bibles. There is only a few Bibles among hundreds of new salvation's, and we need benches for the people to sit on, thus far they can only stand as they gather. If this is something that you feel God would have you help us with, we would appreciate it so very much. Thank you again for your prayers for this ministry.............Mike 

Hello,

A quick update full praise! Thank you so much for your prayers. This morning in Pass Rien, Nathan said there were 30 salvation's!!!! Nathan preached again this evening and there were 35 more salvation's!!!!! God is so good, 65 more people will enter his courts with praise. One of the men that gave their hearts to the Lord today was a witch doctor.  The Spirit of God is definitely moving and drawing hearts in Pass Rien. We can not praise God enough for all He is doing. God is so awesome. Please keep praying for Pass Rein and the Haitian people.

Many Blessings,

Chris

Hello,

I wanted to send out a quick note to ask for prayers in regards to Pass Rien. If you remember in one of the last e-mails, I shared how both Nathan and Mike felt like something broke in the spiritual realm in Pass Rien. I shared how the blind man who was healed offered his house as an indoor place to meet for church. This would have most likely been a hut. Nathan told us today, that the people in the village of Pass Rien have become so excited about God that they couldn't wait until Sunday to go to church. They asked pastor Nathan to come teach them tonight. So he went to Pass Rien to teach and 5 more people gave their hearts to God tonight. He also said that other people came forward and offered their property for church. We have one more large military style tent that we have been waiting to set up. We did not have any property in Pass Rien available to set it up on. The witch doctor had the only available piece of property. So now there are other offers and most likely it will finally be set up. Please join us in praying for the people in Pass Rien, that the Spirit of God will keep moving and more will come to know God. Also please keep praying for the Madame (witch doctor) to soften her heart for God. She has not been in Pass Rien the last few times a team or Mike and Nathan have visited. We do not know if she is gone for just awhile or if God has given her chances and finally removed her from the area.  She has been quite intimidating to the other villagers in the past. Please especially pray this Sunday morning. Ephesians 6:12 says "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Thank you so very much for your prayers.

Blessings,

Chris

Hello,

I talked with Mike today. Both he and Nathan went back up to Pass Rein yesterday. The Madame(witch doctor) usually gets a chair and sits down in the middle of things and stares. She can be intimidating. But she was not there Thursday when the team was there. And she was not there this time. Both Mike and Nathan felt like much of the tension from the past was gone and that a stronghold was broken. The Madame still lives in Pass Rein, but they both felt like God has moved her out of the way, and that something was broke in the spiritual realm. Please keep praying for Pass Rein and for the Madame. Also please pray for the man who's eyes were healed, he has opened his home up for the church to meet in. Yesterday evening there were 2 more salvation's at the crusade, one of the Haitian pastors gave the message.

This morning Mike preached in Poteau. He spoke on repentance, understanding sin and what Jesus did for us. There were 2 salvation's and at the end of the service most of the church was on their knees repenting. God really moved and touched hearts. Thank you for your continued prayers.

Tonight Mike is staying with Nathan and his wife and family. They will go to Port-au-Prince early in the morning, as Mike will be flying out. Please pray for safe travel.

Blessings,

Chris

The November team

Pastors from South Carolina

Hello,

Just a short update. Nathan took the team to Port-au-Prince this morning. He is staying in Arcahaie tonight. Mike had one more meeting with the pastor's association this morning. He said the meeting with the mentor for the older girls went well, the girls seemed to like her. She is going to be meeting with the older girls twice a month to encourage them. Thank you for praying.

Tomorrow Mike will go into Gonaives to work on some things for our move to Haiti, he said he will also try and go to Jubilee. Both Nathan and Mike will go to the crusade in the evening again. Please continue to pray for the Spirit of God to touch many hearts during the crusade. I will post a photo of the team. And I will leave you with a verse from Isaiah.

 It is Isaiah 45:8.
                        "You heavens above, rain down
                          righteousness;

                          let the clouds shower it down.

                          Let the earth open wide,

                          let salvation spring up,

                          let righteousness grow with it;

                          I, the Lord, have created it.

Thanks and Blessings,

Chris

Hello,

I spoke with Mike tonight. The day went well. The team went to the pastor's conference in the morning. Then right after the conference the team went to Pass Rien for their outreach. The weather was sunny and hot, later cooling down with some clouds, no rain, thank you so much for praying. The team prayed and then had worship. Four pastors from the team each shared a message. Then when they asked for those who wanted prayer to come forward all 200 people came forward. Mike said it was hard to know who came forward for salvation, who for healing, or who came forward because everyone else did :) The teams always have an interpreter with them when they are in the villages, so the people understood what to come forward for. At any rate the response was positive, and the team prayed with as many as they could. Afterwards the team served food to all of the people who came. Some of the pastors from the association came to the outreach to see what the team was going to do. They also joined in and helped to serve the people in the village. It made a huge impact. In Haiti there is a system or a type of hierarchy like in some other countries (really there sort of is in our own country). Also in Haiti men do not serve the women and children. So it was huge to model serving the less fortunate, especially with the pastors from the association helping to serve the women and children food. After serving the people, the team went down into the voodoo camp and prayed over the grounds and sang worship songs. One interesting thing I would like to share is about the blind man who's eyes were healed at a crusade about a year ago. Because we still have not been able to get the land the witch doctor owns, there has been talk over where the people can meet for church besides out in the open in the rain or heat. After much deliberation this man who was blind but now can see offered his home for the church to meet in, until a better place could be found. I am sure it is a very small home, all of the homes that I have seen in Pass Rein are very small. It reminds me of the story of the boy and his loaves and fish in John 6:1-13. The story of how the loaves and fish feed 5000 men plus women and children. God multiplied what was offered in love.

This evening pastor Charles gave the message at the crusade and there were 12 salvation's and another 12 that came forward for prayer. Also a severely crippled young man was brought up to the front, he was helped by some men, and his mother also came forward with him. Mike said his limbs were totally uncontrollable, his body was soiled and he had some sort of mental illness. The mother said she had taken him to more than one voodoo doctor and they had taken all of her money but had not helped her son. The mother had found him in the ditch on the side of the road today and said she did not know what to do. Someone shared about the crusade and suggested that she bring him to it. Neither of them were Christians. The team took him to the side and prayed for him for quite a while and the boy started to sit upright and smile. After a while longer he spoke and said "I feel God moving on my insides". Over the course of the evening his limbs kept straightening out. After the worship and preaching were over and the altar call was given, Mike took hold of the boys hand and together with his mother they walked to the front and the boy and his mother renounced voodoo and gave their lives to the Lord. They then found out where the boy and his mother lived and introduced them to the pastor of the church in their area, so that there will be follow up. Praise God! He is soooooooo good and soooooooo merciful.

Tomorrow most of the team will be leaving for Port-au-Prince and flying back home. Please pray for safe traveling for the team and Nathan as he drives them. Mike will stay at the orphanage for four more days. He will be having some meetings tomorrow. One of the meetings is with a mentor for the older girls in the orphanage. She is a successful, educated Haitian women who has a job with World Food, is part of a traveling worship team with her brothers, and is a Godly Christian young women. We would like her to speak into the lives of the girls in our children's village. To let them know that they can hope and dream, go to school and become whatever they want. Please pray for wisdom and discernment as they meet and as she shares with the older girls. Also please pray for Mike that his time will be fruitful. Thank you again for your prayers.

Blessings,

Chris

Hello,

The team had another great day in Haiti. Pastor Sam and Pastor Nathan made it from Port-au-Prince up to the orphanage safely and in time to participate in some of the days events. Thank you for praying for them. The morning started out with the Pastor's conference and the Farmer's conference. Both went well. There were about 40 farmers in the farmer's conference. Pastor Eugene has a PHD and is connected to the University of South Carolina. He has formed a research group of professors to help the Haitian farmers. They are working on grants and ways to help the farmers. Pastor Eugene spent the time sharing, teaching and asking how the Haitian farmers want to be helped. Which lines up with the way we try and do things, Asking, instead of assuming we know. One of the farmers in the group was a very educated man, he is a technician that works with the farmers. He said that the farmers work in small group or co-ops and he said he had relationship with about 10 co-ops. He was excited and said that he would be able to network and get more of the groups involved. So the plan is for Pastor Eugene to come back in the early spring and meet with the co-ops, he also has vision for meeting with the country's prime minister of agriculture. So there were seeds planted today, literally :) it is the start of something and we are excited to see what God will do. The team left for Perou after the conferences, but before they reached the village it started pouring and they were not able to make it up the steep inclines, Pastor Renalds suggested going the long way around, but with the hard rains they could only get as close as 2 miles from the village, so Pastor Renalds took the gifts for some of the children from their sponsors and walked the rest of the way to his home in Perou. The team was disappointed, but it can be very treacherous reaching some of the mountain villages when it rains, as often there are no real roads. Tonight Pastor Benjamin preached during the crusade. There was one salvation and at least 30 came forward for prayer. Mike said it was a good night.

Tomorrow morning they will once again have the Pastor's conference. Then after the conference the team will go up to Pass Rien for an outreach. They will be taking enough food to feed about 200 and then 4 of the pastor's will be giving messages. Please pray that they are not rained out. Pray that the enemy is not able to stop them. Pray for the people they feed and for the messages given. Also please pray for the Madame (the village witch doctor). Pray for her eyes, ears and heart to be opened. Please also pray again for the crusade tomorrow night, I believe Pastor Sam will be preaching. Pray for the Spirit of God to move and for the people to chose to have relationship with God while the door is still open. I know I write thank you for your prayers in a lot of the prayer partner e-mails, but we would like you to know that we really are very appreciative of your prayers, with out them the work God is asking us to do would not happen, your prayers are really important. Blessings,

Chris

Hello,

Today was a good day in Haiti. The pastor's conference went well this morning. Afterwards the team visited our church and school in Poteau. They also did some painting in the orphanage. Mike said that the crusade is going very well also. Tonight a new girl led worship and the Spirit of God was on her and the people were very moved. Pastor Wilmar from South Carolina shared tonight, Mike said he did an awesome job.

One of the pastor's had to fly home for a funeral and will be flying back into Port-au-Prince tomorrow, Nathan will go down and pick him up. Please pray for safe travel for both of them. In the morning there will also be another Pastor's conference and a Farmer's conference going on at the same time. One of the team members from South Carolina is also a professor at the University of South Carolina. He will be teaching the conference for the Farmer's in the area. Afterwards the team will be going up to Perou to visit our church and school. Then again in the evening the team will be going to the crusade. Please pray for continued refreshment, encouragement and vision for the Pastor's conference, and for understanding and vision at the Farmer's conference. And again for God to move during the crusade bringing healing and restoration to the people of Haiti. We really appreciate your prayers

Blessings,

Chris

Hello,

Your prayers were very much appreciated today. Mike met with Doctor Ralph and our two nurses, and because of your support at the mission store this summer, Rose and Steph were able to send some important medical equipment with Mike on this trip. One of which was an ultra sound Doppler, which will allow Dr. Ralph to monitor a baby's heart beat during pregnancy, among other things. Dr. Ralph was thrilled. They also sent glucometers, there is a high rate of diabetes in Haiti. Many thanks to all of you that helped to purchase this equipment.The crusade went really well tonight. There were about 500 people in attendance. The crusade is being held in Poteau, the newest village we work in. They are holding the crusade in a large field by a school. The worship was fantastic and Pastor Rondey from South Carolina preached. Mike said he was really good and afterwards about 30 people came forward for prayer. Thank you so much for praying.

Tomorrow the team will meet with the pastor's association in the morning and then come back to the orphanage and do projects. They will be doing some carpentry and painting. I think the carpentry is shelf building, but I forgot to ask. Then in the early evening they will be going to the crusade again. So please pray for the meeting in the morning, the projects, and then again for the crusade as another pastor from South Carolina will be preaching. Pray that God prepares hearts to hear what he will be sharing and that the Haitian people will be blessed. Remember prayers move mountains :)

Blessings,

Chris

Hello,

Thank you so much for your prayers today. At the church service in Marose this morning several people gave their lives to the Lord. Praise God! This evening the Crusade started. It will last through next Sunday night. About 500 people were at the crusade tonight.They had a great worship time. One of the Haitian pastors gave the main message. Mike was also asked to share. He shared on Noah and about how the people in Noah's area saw the door of the ark open for many years. They assumed that because it had been opened a long time that it would always be open. One day though, God shut it and it was no longer open to the people. It was too late. Mike said he felt like he was supposed to share the story of Noah. And to share that yes the door is open right now, but the door will not always be open, one day it will be shut, and we do not know when it will be closed. It reminded me of a little while ago when Nathan tried to share God with the witch doctor and his wife, who lived in Marose. Nathan spoke to him the day before the witch doctor and his wife were killed. His words to Nathan that day were, "later Pastor Nathan, later". For the witch doctor and his wife there was no later, the door was closed. Sometimes we think that later we will give our heart and lives to God, when it is a convenient time, later we will serve him, after we have all of our ducks in a row, so to speak. But sometimes the days, weeks, and years go by and we still have not fully given over our lives to Him. We have not really sought the purpose God created us for. We have not truly chosen to give our all no matter what the cost. And therefore we have not fully lived. And at some point the door will be closed. I believe that I am supposed to share this tonight for three reasons, one to ask that you pray for the Spirit of God to move in the hearts of the people, the second reason is for those reading this letter that have not given their hearts to God, to encourage you to give your heart to him and seek him while the door is still open. The third reason is to encourage those who have not yet asked God to show them the purpose He created them for. We ALL have been created for a purpose and He will show you, if you ask expecting Him to answer.

Tomorrow in the early part of the day the pastor's association will meet for a conference, please pray again for a refreshing and encouraging time for them. Also please pray for the crusade in the evening and the Haitian pastor's and the South Carolina pastor's as they take turns preaching and sharing at the crusade.

Blessings,

Chris

Hello,

Thank you so much for your prayers. I spoke with Mike tonight. Everyone is doing great. There were a lot of meetings today. The sponsor gifts were passed out to the children, thank you so much for blessing the children, it means so much to them. The older girls planted a garden right before the September team arrived in Haiti, Mike said it is doing very well. He said the corn is taller than he is. Beans will be planted in our field across the river while the team is in Haiti also.

Tomorrow morning Mike will be preaching in the Marose church. Please pray for hearts to be touched by God. The focus this trip is a week long crusade which starts tomorrow evening. All of the pastors coming from South Carolina will be taking turns preaching during the crusade. Please pray that God is present and that many turn their hearts to him.

Thanks & Blessings,

Chris

Hello,

I am writing to let you know the November team is on their way to Haiti. Mike is flying out of the Seattle airport. The rest of the team is a group of pastors coming from South Carolina. Please pray for safe travel and a great trip for all of them. I will try to get a group photo in a few days. Thanks for your prayers.

Blessings,

Chris

Hello,

Hope all of you are having a wonderful fall. It seems like within a week summer was over and fall had begun. Now a couple weeks later I think fall is ending and winter is beginning. A late summer and a short fall…wondering what winter will bring?



This past Monday we loaded a 40 foot shipping container. It arrived at our home Monday morning. It is amazing how large the inside of a 40 foot container is when empty. We loaded some of our belongings that we will need to live in Haiti, in the back of the container. It was with very mixed feelings that we loaded the container. I have been going through our belongings for months now, as first we prepared to sell them at the garage sale we had in August. Then with what we kept, I had to decide which things we would want in Haiti and which things we would leave here, in the basement of our home. Our second oldest son Dustin and his wife Melissa will be moving into our home and renting out theirs. (If anyone you know wants to rent a home a couple of blocks from the Lynden fairgrounds please let us know.) Any way it is more difficult then most would realize to decide which items to ship, if we will need them in Haiti, then most likely we will need them here between now and January, or when we come back to visit. The only way to get them to Haiti in January is to ship them now. So quite a few times Mike or one of my older children have asked where something is, only to hear me say it was sold, or it is in the container. I am known to be the saver or keeper in the family and never dreamed that I would be told that I have given away too much. All that aside, the emotional letting go has been even more difficult. We have a very close family, with all of my 6 older children married and most of them starting families. We have 6 grandchildren and one on the way, the same ages of my youngest 3 adopted children. Every time another birthday comes, I am reminded that this may be the last birthday I share with each of them. (We are raising personal support separate from the ministry funds, so coming home once a year will be dependent on raising enough to cover the flights home for all of us.) As I have gone through the seasons this year and as the holidays approach, I often stop and thank God for what I have been given in family and ask Him for help to walk through what is inevitable. It gets harder as the day of moving gets closer. I would greatly appreciate prayers for our family. For those of you that know me well, you know that for me to move and leave my children behind is not something I could ever do in the natural. It is only with God's help that I will be able to walk this path that has been set before me. So prayer is vital. Thank you for that ahead of time. I do really appreciate your prayers.

As far as the container goes, we were also given a very generous donation of cabinets. We have packed medical supplies, school supplies, and items that were purchased by some of you at the mission store, along with donated shoes and clothing. We also loaded the incinerator that was made for the ministry. And thanks to generous donations we were able to add two pallets of rice, which is 5,000 pounds of rice. We were also able to load one pallet of beans, which is 2,500 pounds of beans. We then added 200 gallons of vegetable oil and ½ pallet of spaghetti noodles. And because of another generous donor 123 jars of peanut butter will also go to Haiti. We will be shipping a very generous donation of 20,000 square feet of shade cloth, which will be the shade cover for the New Marose market. And the final loading will be dried soup from the Gleaner's. This container should ship early next week. Please pray as we add the last few items that they are what God desires for us to send and that the container arrives in Florida, Port-au-Prince and finally up to the orphanage with out any problems or additional costs. Shipping to Haiti continues to be a moving target with rules and prices constantly changing. Please pray for God's favor.



The response to Rose's letter has been great. Some of you have asked when the next trip to Haiti is, so that you can bring gifts for the orphans and staff. Mike will be flying out November 1st. We usually pack bins a couple of days ahead, so if we could have gifts by Monday, October 29th it would be helpful, as each bin needs to be packed and weighed. We take teams every other month to Haiti, and this schedule will continue even after we move, so any future gifts will still be able to be dropped off at our current home and Dustin will make sure they are packed and sent with the next team going to Haiti. The following trip will be in January and then again in March.



We have a wonderful opportunity this coming Sunday as we have been invited by our church to have a table before and after services to sponsor out school children along with a couple of other ministries. Currently we have all of our orphans sponsored, but we have only about 250 of 700 school children sponsored out. The cost of offering free school to the children in our villages is a huge drain on the general budget of the ministry, we have turned down children in some of our villages and have not been able to afford having school in Pass Rien. The cost of sponsoring one child to go to school is only $15 per month. Please pray that God moves many hearts and that many children will be sponsored and have their lives forever changed.


We really, really appreciate the generosity of everyone who donated towards the items in the container and the shipping costs.

Blessings,

Chris

Hello,

I am writing to you for a couple of reasons. First I would like to ask for prayer for two of our faithful followers. One is a very sweet lady named Jane. She is undergoing chemo right now and it is not her first time fighting this battle. The second prayer request is for a wonderful lady named Gin. She is not able to get out of bed due to pain caused by a sciatic nerve. Both of these women have been sick for at least a month. Usually our e-mails are only about the ministry, but we feel like God is telling us to share about them and ask for prayer. Thank you ahead of time for your prayers I know they have the power to move mountains and bring healing.

I am also writing because a dear friend of ours, Rose Crabtree went on the September trip with us to Haiti. She has written a letter and asked us to share it with you. Her intent is to encourage others to participate in relationships with the children and staff in Haiti. She is writing both to those who sponsor and to those who do not, you do not have to be a sponsor to participate in being the hands and feet of Jesus loving these children. I have copied her letter below. Also a HUGE thanks to those of you that have faithfully given, prayed for, served and blessed these children and the staff in love. 

Many Blessings and Thanks,

Chris

Communication With Your Sponsored Child – Student – Teacher - Nanny – Staff

Hi Sponsors

I was on the Sept 4 – 14 mission team to Haiti with New Generations.

Boy! was my eyes opened and my heart broken. This is to describe to you what happens when a team comes with gifts from their sponsors. First the word goes out to the orphanage kids that the sponsor gifts are going to be passed out so the younger kids (probably under 12) come running in hopes that they will have something there for them. They stand at the steps and look on as individual names are called out to come get their sponsor’s gift. They open them and then have their picture taken. What joy there is in opening a gift! But many are disappointed as their name is never called. The older kids hang out on their porch within calling distance just in case their name is called. They just don’t come and hang out. They may have done that in the past and been disappointed. I asked Mike & Chris about this and was told that some kids get a gift each time a team comes to the orphanage and a few 2 or 3 times a year and many who never have received a gift at all.

The reason I can type this letter to you is sadly I’ve been one of those who have never sent a gift to any of our sponsored kids. How selfish I have been. But God allows a contrite heart to turn direction and to start anew today. So this is to encourage all to put together a few small gifts and put them in a double grocery bag or gallon size zip loc bags with the sponsored name written in large letters on outside.

These are suggestions for what to send: Hair barrettes, ribbons, large toothed combs, brushes (both for girls & boys)- shampoo /conditioner combo ( make sure lid is on tight- bag it in a separate bag) – hair rubber bands – hair bands – sunglasses – Flip flops ( ask for current team to trace your kids foot & send back with next team – BE sure you add a size as they grow rapidly at this age) - Soccer shoes are highly Prized along with soccer sox and or any shirt or shorts that denote soccer –closed toed shoes are a must for school uniform -colored T-shirts – a nicer dress shirt for church –funky hats - tie – neck scarf – pierced earrings -toothpaste – tooth brush - finger nail clippers – Socks ( dress, sports) – Coloring books w/ colored pencils and sharpener – ANY child’s book that has a lot of pictures in it. (The Golden books are good, any animal, insect, fish etc ) – Blouses or tops, skirts, slacks. Belts are very much appreciated for boys. Beef jerky – dried fruits – gum – Notebooks paper – pencils w/ sharpeners, journals - flash cards ( addition, subtraction for all ages ) game cards - toy that would fit in palm of hand – Send a picture of yourself and your family – put it in a small ziploc to protect it ( commonly was asked who I sponsored ) – in Nov. –March, one might be able to send hard candy ( not so hot – I saw melted candy in Sept.)

It’s not the quantity of what is sent, it’s the giving and the receiving. When we took on the responsibility of supporting a child or staff or teacher or student, we became more than just a monthly check. We speak God’s love into their lives. In Haiti they have so little physical possessions that relationships take priority. We get the privilege of being their sponsors. Please let’s give these orphans – nannys– teachers – any of the staff that you may support - a smile when the next team goes. They go about 6 – 8 times a year and your gifts may be brought to the Lelands home at any time.

Mercy to the needy is a loan to God and God pays back those loans in full. Proverbs 19:17 The Message

If you have a question in particular for your sponsored person and their needs, please call the Lelands or email them at newgenerationhaiti@gmail.com. I will also pursue any answers that you may need. My email is bjcrcc@comcast.net or phone # is 398-8989

Yours in Christ

Rose Crabtree

We wanted to thank everyone who attended the fundraiser dinner. We had a wonderful evening and enjoyed seeing all of you. We also wanted to thank everyone for their donated items and especially for all the help we received. All of your involvement helped to make the evening successful and enjoyable. 

Also, since I usually do not post much in between trips, I seldom have the opportunity to share about God moving in the hearts of the Haitians when a team is not in Haiti. This past Sunday Nathan shared with us that 6 more people gave their hearts to the Lord. God is so good as He continues to draw the Haitian people to Him. Thank you for your continuing prayers.

Blessings,

Chris

Hello,

Hope you are having a wonderful day as our late summer days turn into fall. It can be a reflective time of year for me, probably more so as we continue to prepare to move. I wanted to share with you a little out of my devotional today. It is from a devotional called Jesus Lives by Sarah Young. " My kingdom cannot be shaken! This present world seems to be shaking more and more, leaving you off balance much of the time. As you worship Me, however, your perspective changes and you regain your balance. To worship Me acceptably with reverence and awe, thankfulness is essential. I designed you to be thankful on a daily, moment-by-moment basis.....My unshakable kingdom is for all people who love Me, who know Me as Savior." Worship and thankfulness, I invite you to ponder them.

I am also writing to remind you that our fundraiser dinner is this Saturday, there will be a full course prime rib dinner, live auction, entertainment, and a photo booth. The evening will be held at the Northwood Hall in Bellingham, just off of Northwest road, behind the Northwood restaurant. The Northwood restaurant is preparing the meal for us. Please come join us this Saturday evening, we would love to see you as our time in the states is coming to a close. There is still room available, you can contact us by phone at 360-305-9070 or e-mail us at newgenerationhaiti@gmail.com  The invitation is also posted below on this blog. Thank you again for coming along side of us to help the children of Haiti.

Blessings,

Chris

THE GOATS ARE HERE!

                                 Some of the recipients of the goats

A view of the children's village from the mountain. On the left you can see the roof on the first half of building #3. You can also see the walls of the second half of building #3. We will be living in the front part of the unfinished half of building #3, providing it is finished in time :)

From inside the children's village on the left you can see the office, dinning room, kitchen etc. In the middle across the back are the rooms for the children and the nanny's. On the left you can see the finished part of the first half of building #3.

This is a view from the porch of the finished part of building #3. All it needs is outside paint.

Hello,

I talked with Mike tonight. Everyone else is asleep. He said he was sitting on the front porch, sad that he was leaving. Long ago he stopped saying he was coming home and started saying he was coming back. Our hearts have been torn between here and Haiti for quite a while now. God has not only given us a heart for the children and people of Haiti, but has given us a love for them also. Mike's heart left here for all intent and purposes a while ago. I am still incredibly torn between here and Haiti, but know that I am called to be in Haiti, so that is where I am going.



He did say that the youth event was great today. Travel is so difficult in Haiti, they were not sure how many youth would make it from the other villages we minister in. But Mike said that around 120 youth showed up mostly on foot. These are the dedicated ones. Mike shared with them that we were trying to set up "sister youth groups". The youth groups from our Good Shepherd Churches in Haiti would be matched up with youth groups in the states or Canada. The idea is for the state side or Canadian youth group to adopt or support them a little and for the groups to get to know each other, pray for each other, encourage each other and get a little more global view of what God is doing with others their age. So this morning they arrived and met in their groups, each group then came up and sang and shared. They were full of enthusiasm. They were video taped and lots of photos were taken. Nathan led worship,Jeremiah gave a great message. Mike said he shared also and Nathan closed. Then the youth said they wanted to pray over the children in the children's village, so they walked up to the village and spent another half an hour praying for the children. Then the team met with the youth group leaders and prayed over them. They spent about 5 hours altogether.



The Goat man showed up with the Goats also. He brought the goats for all the families in Marose. He will also be responsible for checking up on the families weekly, to make sure everything is going well and that there are no problems. Next week he will be delivering the goats to Poteau and then to Perou and Marotte. Mike decided to wait on the chickens a few weeks until everything settles down from the goats. I will post photos as soon as the team gets back with them. Thanks to all of you that helped to bless the Haitian families with goats. They are so very excited at all of the possibilities. To most of them it is unbelievable that someone who does not even know them would care about them. It shows just how big our God is.



The craft time was wonderful for the children, they enjoyed it. Please remember to pray for them as the teams leaves, it is really hard to be the ones that are always being left. Please pray for the team as they head to the airport tomorrow morning, and for good connections for all of their flights.



Blessings,

Chris

Hello,

I heard from the team tonight. The day started off with taking more photos of the school children. The team then went to Jubilee to help feed the poor. Brian was there with the rest of his family, who just moved to Haiti 2 days ago. So the team worked with them feeding the children. The teacher's conference went well and the teachers were given new shirts with the school logo embroidered on them, like the staff was given, only the teachers shirts were the school uniform color. In the afternoon Mike meet with the women who attended the women's bible study that Rebecca taught. Both Rose and Kathy shared with the women how much bible study has meant to them in their own lives. In the evening the team traveled north to Perou for the revival. They also spent time with Wahdner and Yolin. They brought him a package and prayed with them. He is one of the children that we have an especially soft spot in our hearts for. And we have faith that God will heal him one of these days. The team said worship was great, I think Nathan led worship, but I am not sure. Mike gave the message. Afterwards there were 2 more salvation's and about 20 more came forward for prayer and healing. Thank you so much for praying.



The goats were not delivered today, but they are supposed to be there in the morning. So again, please pray for everything to go smoothly and for everyone to use the training they have been given. Tomorrow the team will also be doing one more craft they have planned with the children. Then there will be a meeting with the youth groups from all of the Good Shepherd churches. Nathan will be leading worship and both Mike and Jeremiah will be giving a message. Please pray for all of the youth attending, that God will touch them, that he will give them strength to choose right, that they will believe and understand that they too were created for a purpose. I guess most of all that hope for their future would be restored.



Also please pray for the team and the children as tomorrow night will be the last night the team is with the children. It is extremely hard to say good-bye for the team and especially for the children. Thank you soooooooo very much for all of your prayers.



Blessings,

Chris

Hello,

Today was a full day for the team. Thank you for all of your prayers. The teachers conference started today and will go through tomorrow. Mike greeted the teachers and spent some time encouraging them. The conference is being taught by a trained professional, with the last part of the conference involving testing, certifying and the signing of contracts with the teachers. Please pray for the teachers tomorrow. The team also spent a good part of the day taking photos of the children attending our Marose school. They also painted the outside of the children's village :) The front as you approach the gates. The team enjoyed passing out Polo's, with the Good Shepherd Logo embroidered on them, to each of the staff members in the children's village. Also Kathy and Rose played a card game called 'flinch' with the children, that helps teach numbers and math. I guess they brought quite a few decks and will be leaving them with the children. The balloon artistry team visited, they shared the gospel message with balloons and they made animals and flowers and things with more balloons. They gave out woven bracelets and played basketball and football too. So the children had a great afternoon, which was finished off by the team making homemade kettle corn for them.



Tomorrow the team will take more student photos in Marose. Then they will go to Jubilee in Gonaives and meet with our friends Kathy and Beaver and possibly Emory (not sure who all is there at the moment). This is where we like to help feed the poorest of the poor children in Gonaives. Again, as I have mentioned in the past, this can be hard for some of the team members. Please pray that God will speak to their hearts and open their eyes both in Jubilee and Marose, or where ever God is calling them to be his hands and feet.  The team will be visiting our village of Marotte on the way back from Jubilee. In the afternoon Mike will be meeting with the women, who took our daughter Rebecca's inductive bible study class. He will be encouraging them and following up with those who are now teaching other women how to study the bible. He will also be letting them know that she will be returning sometime this winter to teach them more as they have requested. And if that were not enough sometime during the day the goats are going to be delivered. Yahooooooo, they have been a long time coming. Thank you, to all of you who helped this to happen. Please pray for this to be a blessing to all involved. In the evening the team will travel north to Perou and participate in the revival, some of the team members may even be asked to share. They will try to get some photos of the school children that we were not able to update the last time and they will try to visit Wadner and his mother Yolin.



I asked about the health of the little girl, Danika who was so severely burned when the July team was in Haiti. They said that she was actual doing unbelievably well, again thank you so much for your on going prayers.



Blessings,

Chris

The View from the mountain behind the Good Shepherd Children's Village 

More view photos

Hello,

This morning the pastors conference started. There were about 50 pastors and leaders. Each of the members of the September team introduced themselves and shared something as an encouragement. Then Mike taught two sessions with a break in between. The pastor from the church that the team visited up north through the river also came to the conference. The name of the village is Nanpaul. (pronounced Naa-Paul) Afterwards they had an association committee meeting for planning an area wide crusade in November. The team was able to get enough parts to fix one more tank in the water system. So now two of the three 1000 gallon water tanks is working. It seems like it is impossible to just get what you need in Haiti sometimes. We are so spoiled here in the US and Canada, if we need or want something we just go to the store and get it. Not so in Haiti, some things are not available at all and some things are just hard to find and are available in very small quantities. In the early evening the team hiked up the mountain behind the orphanage and had devotions. There is a pretty good view of the valley from up there.



Tomorrow morning there will be a teachers conference for all of our teachers from all 4 of our schools. The teachers from Nanpaul asked if they could join the conference also. School starts October 1st. Tomorrow the team will be taking photos of the school children that will be going to the Marose school. Also in the afternoon one of the other Haitian ministries we have become friends with will be bringing a team of balloon artists to our orphanage. The balloon artists tell the salvation story with balloons. I am sure the children will enjoy it very much.  There is a revival meeting going on each evening at our Good Shepherd church in Perou. Please pray that God would touch hearts during the revival, it started Sunday night and will continue through next Saturday evening. Also please pray for the teachers conference and the balloon artists as they witness.



On another note we are slowly changing the name of the orphanage in Haiti from Good Shepherd Orphanage to Good Shepherd Children's Village. We are doing this as we believe it better describes how we are taking care of the children.  When we first started building a home for the children, we wanted something more than what most people think of when they hear the word orphanage. Most of us picture a large institutional style group home. We believe strongly in family and wanted to create an atmosphere as close as possible to a family. That is why we have 11 rooms with outside porches and entrances for the children to live in. Each one having a nanny or house mom, they call them keepers in Haiti. The idea is less children per caretaker, which hopefully will result in better care and less children slipping through the cracks. This will hopefully help the children to learn how to have relationships with adults that care about them. Adults that will  make sure they go to school, eat and drink, take showers and care for them when they are sick or hurt. We know this style will not be fail proof as we are dealing with real people and we all make mistakes. We are hoping that it will come close to a healthy family style of living. This is one of the reasons we feel moving to Haiti will help. We hope to be able to teach and model healthy family relationships, with God's grace, knowing we are not perfect either. We would really appreciate your on going prayers in this area. We need to find a balance between teaching what we think is the right way and what is just a different way, versus what is God's way and has nothing to do with culture. A tightrope we can only walk with wisdom from God.

Well thank you again for all of your prayers and for reading as I once again pour out a bit of my heart.



Many Blessings,

Chris

Good evening,

I talked with Mike a little later then usual tonight. The team woke up to a leaking water system. They were able to fix part of the problem before church so that everyone had water. After church they were able to fix most of the problem. They just need one more part that should be in town. Please pray that the part is available tomorrow when they go looking for it. Church went well this morning. There were two more salvation's this morning. Part of Mikes message was a challenge for those who have drifted off and/or fallen away. He said there were 15 to 18 rededications at the end of church. Nathan asked him if he was going to share the same message in the evening at Poteau. Mike said probably, why? Nathan told him that it was a risky teaching, but that he thought it was a good one. So Mike shared the same message in Poteau this evening. God moved hearts again and their were two more salvation's and about 20 rededications in Poteau. Thank you so very much for your prayers.

Tomorrow morning the pastors association will meet for teaching and encouragement. Please pray that what Mike has prepared to teach will be life giving and what God would have him share. The association is the larger group of pastors from many denominations who have agreed to set aside their theological differences and come together on their common belief in Christ. Later Mike will share with the pastors of our Good Shepherd churches that are part of the larger group. We have one new pastor in our Good shepherd Church group, please pray as they continue to impart vision to him. Later in the day the team will try to fix the rest of the water problem, also they might do some more painting in the afternoon. Thank you again for your prayers, they are appreciated.

Blessings,

Chris

Hello,

Today was a fruit filled day. The meeting regarding the goats went well. The goats are supposed to be delivered Wednesday. Hopefully we will get photos that I can share with you on Wednesday, if not I will post them when the team gets back home. Please pray for healthy goats and for wisdom in regards to who receives them. The people receiving the goats have gone through an application process and some training, so everything should go smoothly. The team also traveled north up the river today. Nathan wanted Mike and the team to visit a village up the river literally. They drove up the river and when they came to the village they stopped and walked to the rivers edge and met the village pastor and his wife. The pastor and his wife took Nathan and the team to a little church. Mike said there were about 200 people waiting for them. Nathan lead worship and Mike gave a message. Afterwards the team prayed for people who came forward. Two people were set free from evil spirits and then Nathan gave an alter call and 12 people came forward and gave their lives to God. Then the team was invited to have rice and beans with them sitting in between the banana trees. When the team arrived back in the orphanage they played some more with the children, while Phil and Mike did some organizing of the tools in our tool and generator room. Mike also said that they have been having lightning storms, but no rain. The lightning in Haiti can be pretty wild looking, mostly because there are no other lights except the stars in Marose, so the lightning shows up well. I love watching it. It speaks of the vastness, the complexity, the beauty and the power of God. It reminds me of how amazing it is that God would even notice us, much less shower us with his mercy and favor.

Tomorrow morning Nathan will lead worship and Mike will share in the Marose church. In the early evening they will go to Poteau, and Nathan will lead worship again and Mike will give the message. The team may also take turns sharing in Poteau. Please pray for the Holy Spirit to be present and for salvation's and healings both in Marose and Poteau. Thank you for continuing to lift the team and people of Haiti up in prayer.

Blessings,

Chris

Hello,

It was very hot in Haiti today. Tonight as I write at 10 PM, which is 1 AM in Haiti, my computer says it is still 84 degrees in Haiti. The team passed out bath items like lotions, shampoos and conditioners to the nanny's or keeper's as they like to be called, just to bless them for all of their hard work. They also passed out 8 more quilts that we received from a wonderful group of women who make quilts for our children and other ministries. The team also built the shelves for the medical clinic and organized and labeled the new bins for the shelves. They installed towel bars and toilet paper holders in the newly finished short stay missionary team rooms. Also when they were in town, Jeremy found fresh coconuts for everyone, which are in season right now and they cut off the tops and all had coconut milk to drink. Both Jeremy and Rose said that fresh coconut milk is supposed to be good for people traveling in foreign countries. It is supposed to help with digestive issues and is supposed to be among the top nutritional foods. Rose taught the children how to play drop the handkerchief today. Can you imagine 67 children and Rose, Jeremy and Sam playing drop the handkerchief :) I guess Rose was the favorite person to drop the handkerchief behind. I would have loved to be there watching :) The team also spent some time praying for some of the children individually. We all need prayer, but some of the children have walked through more than any of us ever will and prayer can make a night and day difference to them. Sam, Phil's son has also been playing a lot of basketball and soccer with the children.

Tomorrow will be meetings with the goat and chicken man and hopefully deliveries of goats and chickens, lots of them. Please pray for all of the details to be worked out. Everyone is really excited about them. The team will also travel north in the afternoon to visit a new village and pray over it. Please pray for safe travel and words from God. 

And for those of you who have asked, our garage sale went extremely well, we were blown away at how much we made. A huge thank you to those of you who brought baked goods, brought by items to sell, helped with set up, helped during the garage sale and helped pack it all up at the end. We were even blessed by someone stopping by and purchasing the left overs, which we were going to donate. Praise God for His awesomeness.

Blessings,

Chris

The Good Shepherd mural painted by Darlene. She did a great job.

Our ministry is called New Generation Ministries in the States and Good Shepherd in Haiti. 

Hello again,

The team had a great day. Thank you so much for your prayers.They went into town to look around and purchase supplies for building shelves in the medical clinic tomorrow. They also spent a lot of time with the children, they went down to the river to swim and they passed out gifts to some of the children from their sponsors, which is usually one of the highlights for the children. The team also barbecued hamburgers and made french fries for the children and staff. B.B.Q. has become one of the much anticipated activities for the children when Phil is part of the team. Each team tries to bring one American or Canadian treat each trip for the children. In the evening they did devotions and singing with the children.

Tomorrow the team will mostly be working on building shelves for the medical clinic, repairing one of the water tanks or possibly painting. Please continue praying for the team as they minister to the children and staff tomorrow.

Blessings,

Chris

Hello,

The team arrived safely in Haiti today. Thank you so much for praying. On the way up to the orphanage they stopped and had lunch with Madame Nathan and then visited and prayed for Pastor Jeremiah. The team spent time sharing words and encouragement with him. One of the prayer requests he had, is for the people in the area by him. The hurricane flooded many fields in the surrounding area, which has ruined the crops. Please remember to lift them up in prayer, along with the team. The first half of building #3 in the orphanage is finished and painted. Mike said it looks amazing. We are close to finishing the second half of building #3 also.Tomorrow the team will spend time at the orphanage with the children as they plan out the schedule for the rest of the trip. Please continue to lift them up in prayer as they adjust to a new environment and build new relationships.

Blessings,

Chris