Thursday, March 22, 2012
Hello again,
Thank you so much for all of your prayers today!
The team visited Pass Rien today. They prayed over the land we would like to plant a church on and over the voodoo camp. To bring some of you newer prayer partners up to date, we believe the land that has been promised to us by her will eventually be part of the New Generation Ministries/Good Shepherd Ministries (this is what the ministry is called in Haiti).We have been praying to this end, since Nathan first felt called to pray for this area in May of last year. In January of this year, the team felt like we were supposed to walk down into the voodoo camp, which joins the property we would like to plant the church on. I felt like we were to drive a stake into the ground and claim the camp for Christ and then pray that satan and the madame would not be able to perform voodoo in the camp anymore. Nathan felt like we were to worship God in the camp, which we all proceeded to do. Mac felt like he was to cross the ravine in the camp and climb up the other side and then climb the Mapoo tree and "capture the flag" so to speak. He removed one of the voodoo flags that was up in the tree. I am not sure of the spelling of the trees name, but they are known trees for voodoo ceremonies to take place under. The Madam or witch doctor was not particularly pleased with us. When we came up out of the camp and put the flag in the truck bed, she walked over and retrieved it. The discussion that followed regarding giving her heart to God being more important than talking about the property purchase did not seem to help matters much. After she left we prayed more and some of the others on the team felt like the victory would come, but only with much prayer and fasting. Also, that it was about her heart more than the property. So when they finished praying today, Mike and Nathan walked down to her home and visited with her. Mike and Nathan shared that many are praying for her heart everyday. Mike told her that God tell us things about her and that God KNOWS her. In fact He has known her, her whole life, even before she was conceived and that He wants her heart. She was very interested in the words shared with her. Mike and Nathan noticed that the voodoo flag had not been put back up. She shared that the voodoo does not work good anymore. PRAISE GOD!!!!!!!!! And please keep praying for her heart. God's word says "the victory is the Lords".
The team also visited the orphanage across the river in Desire. They do not seem to have much help or support so the team brought them flip flops and some Gleaner's food and then prayed over them.
Later on the team did another craft with the children. And then they gave each child a book called 101 Haitian Creole Bible Stories. We have had about a dozen floating around the orphanage from previous gifts from sponsors. One boy has even come to Mike and had him duct tape the cover back together many times. A little before Christmas we had a group generously donate 32 more books. Then this month another couple donated another 30 books so that every child could have one. They are very nice hardcover books. They are written in Haitian Creole so that even the younger children that know how to read can read them.
The team climbed the mountain today and prayed over the valley. They will leave early tomorrow (Friday) morning, around 5:00 AM. Please pray for safe travel and on time connections. Also please continue to pray for Melissa as she leaves her girls. Usually the team helps whoever is staying with the orphange move in and get settled before they leave. Melissa wanted to stay one last night in the room with them. So Steph will be moving in tomorrow after the team leaves. Please pray for the girls, it is so hard being the ones who are always saying Good bye. Please pray for Steph as she adjusts to being the only blanc :) Pray she will enjoy herself, feel like she is accomplishing what God wants her too, and that she will be a positive light and role model.
Blessings,
Chris
Thank you so much for all of your prayers today!
The team visited Pass Rien today. They prayed over the land we would like to plant a church on and over the voodoo camp. To bring some of you newer prayer partners up to date, we believe the land that has been promised to us by her will eventually be part of the New Generation Ministries/Good Shepherd Ministries (this is what the ministry is called in Haiti).We have been praying to this end, since Nathan first felt called to pray for this area in May of last year. In January of this year, the team felt like we were supposed to walk down into the voodoo camp, which joins the property we would like to plant the church on. I felt like we were to drive a stake into the ground and claim the camp for Christ and then pray that satan and the madame would not be able to perform voodoo in the camp anymore. Nathan felt like we were to worship God in the camp, which we all proceeded to do. Mac felt like he was to cross the ravine in the camp and climb up the other side and then climb the Mapoo tree and "capture the flag" so to speak. He removed one of the voodoo flags that was up in the tree. I am not sure of the spelling of the trees name, but they are known trees for voodoo ceremonies to take place under. The Madam or witch doctor was not particularly pleased with us. When we came up out of the camp and put the flag in the truck bed, she walked over and retrieved it. The discussion that followed regarding giving her heart to God being more important than talking about the property purchase did not seem to help matters much. After she left we prayed more and some of the others on the team felt like the victory would come, but only with much prayer and fasting. Also, that it was about her heart more than the property. So when they finished praying today, Mike and Nathan walked down to her home and visited with her. Mike and Nathan shared that many are praying for her heart everyday. Mike told her that God tell us things about her and that God KNOWS her. In fact He has known her, her whole life, even before she was conceived and that He wants her heart. She was very interested in the words shared with her. Mike and Nathan noticed that the voodoo flag had not been put back up. She shared that the voodoo does not work good anymore. PRAISE GOD!!!!!!!!! And please keep praying for her heart. God's word says "the victory is the Lords".
The team also visited the orphanage across the river in Desire. They do not seem to have much help or support so the team brought them flip flops and some Gleaner's food and then prayed over them.
Later on the team did another craft with the children. And then they gave each child a book called 101 Haitian Creole Bible Stories. We have had about a dozen floating around the orphanage from previous gifts from sponsors. One boy has even come to Mike and had him duct tape the cover back together many times. A little before Christmas we had a group generously donate 32 more books. Then this month another couple donated another 30 books so that every child could have one. They are very nice hardcover books. They are written in Haitian Creole so that even the younger children that know how to read can read them.
The team climbed the mountain today and prayed over the valley. They will leave early tomorrow (Friday) morning, around 5:00 AM. Please pray for safe travel and on time connections. Also please continue to pray for Melissa as she leaves her girls. Usually the team helps whoever is staying with the orphange move in and get settled before they leave. Melissa wanted to stay one last night in the room with them. So Steph will be moving in tomorrow after the team leaves. Please pray for the girls, it is so hard being the ones who are always saying Good bye. Please pray for Steph as she adjusts to being the only blanc :) Pray she will enjoy herself, feel like she is accomplishing what God wants her too, and that she will be a positive light and role model.
Blessings,
Chris
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Hello,
I heard from the team. They spent the morning in Marotte visiting the school and church. They passed out candy again and prayed for the children and teachers. They also took a photo of the whole school and of the teachers. While they were there, the team was able to meet with one of the women who was married when the September team was in Haiti. I made a packet of wedding photos to share with her. Mike said it was so sweet watching her, because she shared that she was surprised by how pretty she looked in the photos of her wedding. She had no way of seeing what she looked like on her wedding day. She was thrilled to see herself in the photos. We have experienced this before, old ladies laughing when they see themselves for the first time on the back of our digital cameras. Our culture could not even imagine growing up not knowing what we looked like. We could use a little less self absorption.
After visiting Marotte, the team went into Jubilee to feed the poorest of the poor. Mike said it was good to help feed the children again. After helping, our team joined their team for lunch. We like to trade off hosting lunch with them.
The afternoon was filled with meetings for Mike and Nathan. They meet with our bookkeeper again, the electrician and the plumber. And for those of you who have been to the orphanage on the last couple trips, you will be glad to know that the team (thanks to the plumbing knowledge of one of Jason's relatives), has solved the toilet flushing problems and they work! And the really great news is, that Mike and Nathan interviewed two people for the position of orphanage director. Please pray for Godly discernment and wisdom in regards to who they hire. This is a position that carries a huge responsibility. They need to be able to communicate well with the staff, children, Nathan and Mike. They need to be able to understand vision, goals and how to get there. They need to understand servant leadership. They need to understand and implement safe and healthy rules, and routines. The list goes on, please pray for the hiring of this position.
Mike said that Dustin was feeling well again today. Thank you so much for all of you that prayed for him.
Tomorrow morning (Thursday) the team will be going to Pass Rien. They will most likely be speaking with the witch doctor. Please pray that God continues to draw her to Him. Pray for discernment for the team as they speak to her and pray over the area, as well as for her. Pray that she will come to the knowledge that our God is more powerful than satan.
"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 8:37-39
In the afternoon the team will be visiting a small orphanage on the other side of the river. The January team also visited this orphanage when they were in Haiti. The couple who runs the orphanage also has the same number of orphans that we do, but the children are younger overall. It is basically the pastor and his wife who run the orphanage, but they do have a few helpers.
Also please continue to pray for the team, as it will be the last day with the children. They will leave for Port-au-Prince on Friday. Pray for Melissa as she leaves the children and staff after building relationships with them over the past two months. Please pray for Stephanie as she will be staying in the orphanage for the next two months. Like Caitlin and Melissa, she will be the nanny in the oldest girls room. The difference will be that Stephanie will be working in the medical clinic 6 days a week, making it possible to keep the clinic open more than Monday and Tuesday. She just graduated from nursing school in December and passed her state exams in January of this year. She also has years of experience working in the E.R. (along with my daughter and son) of Saint Joseph's hospital. She will be obtaining her 1000 hours in Haiti, so that she can apply for a higher degree in nursing. She also will have contact by phone with Dr. Ralph on the days he is not in the clinic. So please pray for her adjustment and for the transition of the older girls as Melissa leaves and Steph stays.
Blessings,
Chris
I heard from the team. They spent the morning in Marotte visiting the school and church. They passed out candy again and prayed for the children and teachers. They also took a photo of the whole school and of the teachers. While they were there, the team was able to meet with one of the women who was married when the September team was in Haiti. I made a packet of wedding photos to share with her. Mike said it was so sweet watching her, because she shared that she was surprised by how pretty she looked in the photos of her wedding. She had no way of seeing what she looked like on her wedding day. She was thrilled to see herself in the photos. We have experienced this before, old ladies laughing when they see themselves for the first time on the back of our digital cameras. Our culture could not even imagine growing up not knowing what we looked like. We could use a little less self absorption.
After visiting Marotte, the team went into Jubilee to feed the poorest of the poor. Mike said it was good to help feed the children again. After helping, our team joined their team for lunch. We like to trade off hosting lunch with them.
The afternoon was filled with meetings for Mike and Nathan. They meet with our bookkeeper again, the electrician and the plumber. And for those of you who have been to the orphanage on the last couple trips, you will be glad to know that the team (thanks to the plumbing knowledge of one of Jason's relatives), has solved the toilet flushing problems and they work! And the really great news is, that Mike and Nathan interviewed two people for the position of orphanage director. Please pray for Godly discernment and wisdom in regards to who they hire. This is a position that carries a huge responsibility. They need to be able to communicate well with the staff, children, Nathan and Mike. They need to be able to understand vision, goals and how to get there. They need to understand servant leadership. They need to understand and implement safe and healthy rules, and routines. The list goes on, please pray for the hiring of this position.
Mike said that Dustin was feeling well again today. Thank you so much for all of you that prayed for him.
Tomorrow morning (Thursday) the team will be going to Pass Rien. They will most likely be speaking with the witch doctor. Please pray that God continues to draw her to Him. Pray for discernment for the team as they speak to her and pray over the area, as well as for her. Pray that she will come to the knowledge that our God is more powerful than satan.
"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 8:37-39
In the afternoon the team will be visiting a small orphanage on the other side of the river. The January team also visited this orphanage when they were in Haiti. The couple who runs the orphanage also has the same number of orphans that we do, but the children are younger overall. It is basically the pastor and his wife who run the orphanage, but they do have a few helpers.
Also please continue to pray for the team, as it will be the last day with the children. They will leave for Port-au-Prince on Friday. Pray for Melissa as she leaves the children and staff after building relationships with them over the past two months. Please pray for Stephanie as she will be staying in the orphanage for the next two months. Like Caitlin and Melissa, she will be the nanny in the oldest girls room. The difference will be that Stephanie will be working in the medical clinic 6 days a week, making it possible to keep the clinic open more than Monday and Tuesday. She just graduated from nursing school in December and passed her state exams in January of this year. She also has years of experience working in the E.R. (along with my daughter and son) of Saint Joseph's hospital. She will be obtaining her 1000 hours in Haiti, so that she can apply for a higher degree in nursing. She also will have contact by phone with Dr. Ralph on the days he is not in the clinic. So please pray for her adjustment and for the transition of the older girls as Melissa leaves and Steph stays.
Blessings,
Chris
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
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Tuesday March 20, 2012
Hello,
Thank you so much for your prayers. They are what moves the mountains. We do not take for granted the power of prayer. So Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.
This morning the team traveled to Perou. Yes, I spelled it different this time. In most of Haiti there are not signs telling you where you are or how you would spell where you are. We ask translators, in some cases we even ask people how to spell their name, ask the translator how to spell their name and then see it written on a legal document and realize all three times it is spelled differently. So Mike has tried on this trip to get the correct spelling on a few places, one being Perou (pronounced pay-roo). He was shown a sign with this spelling so hopefully now we have it correct. I also asked him how to spell the name of the village I wrote about the other night. The one we are considering starting a ministry of a church and school at. He has been told the correct spelling is Poteau (pronounced Poe-toe). So back to the team in Perou. Today they were able to see the well we had dug. The well was dug on the road side edge of our property so that the whole community has access to good clean water. Their previous source of water was a small creek/river, that barely covers the creek bed part of the year. The community is thrilled that they now have access to good water. They have had a lot of water borne illness in this community, especially with the children, so this is a huge help to them. One sight on the Internet had these statistics for the country of Haiti, these are not world wide stats, they are Haiti's.
Most sources of water supply in Haiti are contaminated with human waste and germs for hepatitis, cholera, malaria, typhoid, and chronic diarrhea.
1.8 million deaths are related to the consumption of contaminated water.
6,000 (mainly children ) die each day by consuming unsafe drinking water.
1 out of every 8 children die before reaching the age of 5.
Haiti has the highest infant mortality rate in the western hemisphere. The Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) reported that more than half of all deaths in Haiti were due to water-borne gastro-intestinal diseases.
So thank you to all who have donated to our well drilling project. We hope to be purchasing equipment soon and to be drilling wells for the people of Haiti.
The team also spent time visiting our school in Perou. They prayed over the teachers and students. They also passed out candy to them. Then they visited Wadner and his mother Yolin and prayed for him. The team said he seemed to be walking around a little bit better. As I have shared in the past, I believe some day he will be walking on his own, glorifying God.
Today Dustin was sick. Mike said when the children found out they came in and prayed and sang over him. He is doing better this evening, but would appreciate prayers. The team made popcorn for the children tonight and gave out glo-sticks. The glo-sticks are still very much a highlight of each trip.
Tomorrow the team will go into Gonaives. They will visit our school and church. Again Mike asked for the correct spelling of the area. Our church and school is in the district of Gonavies, but like our large cities, there are areas within the city with their own names. So the correct spelling of our area is Marotte. (pronounced ma-woat). So from now on I will try and refer to the school and church as Marotte. The team will then go into Jubilee, another area of Gonaives and feed the poorest of the poor. This will most likely be the only meal most of these children will get for the day. Please pray for the team as they feed, hold and pray over the children, it is such a privilege to be a part of Jubilee's ministry.
Blessings,
Chris
P.S. When the team talked with the rest of the ladies who work in the kitchen this morning this is what they told me.
"In an interview with a few of the girls from the kitchen this morning, we were amazed at the emotions that they were expressing to us as they were trying to tell us about their new kitchen. They were literally laughing and crying and dancing around the room as they were trying to tell us how happy they were about the new things that we had brought to them. Sometimes when we, “white people”, do things around the orphanage that we think are important or essential to doing things well, we get the reaction from the staff that that was a “white people thing”. But not so with this new kitchen, they loved it, they really really love it, and they were having a hard time containing themselves as they were telling us how they felt."
Thank you so much for your prayers. They are what moves the mountains. We do not take for granted the power of prayer. So Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.
This morning the team traveled to Perou. Yes, I spelled it different this time. In most of Haiti there are not signs telling you where you are or how you would spell where you are. We ask translators, in some cases we even ask people how to spell their name, ask the translator how to spell their name and then see it written on a legal document and realize all three times it is spelled differently. So Mike has tried on this trip to get the correct spelling on a few places, one being Perou (pronounced pay-roo). He was shown a sign with this spelling so hopefully now we have it correct. I also asked him how to spell the name of the village I wrote about the other night. The one we are considering starting a ministry of a church and school at. He has been told the correct spelling is Poteau (pronounced Poe-toe). So back to the team in Perou. Today they were able to see the well we had dug. The well was dug on the road side edge of our property so that the whole community has access to good clean water. Their previous source of water was a small creek/river, that barely covers the creek bed part of the year. The community is thrilled that they now have access to good water. They have had a lot of water borne illness in this community, especially with the children, so this is a huge help to them. One sight on the Internet had these statistics for the country of Haiti, these are not world wide stats, they are Haiti's.
Most sources of water supply in Haiti are contaminated with human waste and germs for hepatitis, cholera, malaria, typhoid, and chronic diarrhea.
1.8 million deaths are related to the consumption of contaminated water.
6,000 (mainly children ) die each day by consuming unsafe drinking water.
1 out of every 8 children die before reaching the age of 5.
Haiti has the highest infant mortality rate in the western hemisphere. The Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) reported that more than half of all deaths in Haiti were due to water-borne gastro-intestinal diseases.
So thank you to all who have donated to our well drilling project. We hope to be purchasing equipment soon and to be drilling wells for the people of Haiti.
The team also spent time visiting our school in Perou. They prayed over the teachers and students. They also passed out candy to them. Then they visited Wadner and his mother Yolin and prayed for him. The team said he seemed to be walking around a little bit better. As I have shared in the past, I believe some day he will be walking on his own, glorifying God.
Today Dustin was sick. Mike said when the children found out they came in and prayed and sang over him. He is doing better this evening, but would appreciate prayers. The team made popcorn for the children tonight and gave out glo-sticks. The glo-sticks are still very much a highlight of each trip.
Tomorrow the team will go into Gonaives. They will visit our school and church. Again Mike asked for the correct spelling of the area. Our church and school is in the district of Gonavies, but like our large cities, there are areas within the city with their own names. So the correct spelling of our area is Marotte. (pronounced ma-woat). So from now on I will try and refer to the school and church as Marotte. The team will then go into Jubilee, another area of Gonaives and feed the poorest of the poor. This will most likely be the only meal most of these children will get for the day. Please pray for the team as they feed, hold and pray over the children, it is such a privilege to be a part of Jubilee's ministry.
Blessings,
Chris
P.S. When the team talked with the rest of the ladies who work in the kitchen this morning this is what they told me.
"In an interview with a few of the girls from the kitchen this morning, we were amazed at the emotions that they were expressing to us as they were trying to tell us about their new kitchen. They were literally laughing and crying and dancing around the room as they were trying to tell us how happy they were about the new things that we had brought to them. Sometimes when we, “white people”, do things around the orphanage that we think are important or essential to doing things well, we get the reaction from the staff that that was a “white people thing”. But not so with this new kitchen, they loved it, they really really love it, and they were having a hard time containing themselves as they were telling us how they felt."
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
A fun story from Haiti - Monday March 19, 2012
Hello again,
I heard from Mike tonight. The team had a great trip to Cap Haitien and back. Thank you for praying for them. Mike said it took them 4 hours each way. Looking on a map, it should have taken about 1 hour. I guess the roads are as bad as the road to the orphanage was 4 years ago. What then was a 6 1/2 hour drive, has now become about 3 hours. I read last night that only 628 miles of road are paved in the whole country of Haiti. Some of the roads have pot holes large enough to totally engulf a car or truck if they fell in. They said the scenery was beautiful on the way, but the city itself was like most other cities in Haiti, crowded and dirty and poor. Cap Haitien is the 2nd largest city in Haiti. The US Department of State web site says Cap Haitien has a estimated population of 250,000.
Since the beginning of the orphanage we have wanted to help the women in the kitchen. We have wanted to make their job easier and not so back breaking. It is hard for us to imagine how hard life is for the people of Haiti sometimes. The kitchen in the beginning was a small smoke filled hut. They cooked over an open fire and they squatted on the ground to prep the food. There was no water, no stove and no tables. To most of us a large pot would be about 8 quarts. I have a 18 quart stock pot and it seems enormous to me. Their pots make mine look small. When using these large pots they are not able to use all of the burners on the stove top in the orphanage, because the burners are so close together. So, the January team built a new stove that has 4 burners lined up in a row that are spaced far apart. Perfect for their large pots. The March team was able to get the needed parts and get the stove hooked up and working. And the women love it.
On a fun note (and a practical note) I would like to share this story. Some of you have attended Rose's 'Mission Store' for our orphanage. This fall they helped to outfit our new kitchen. Our kitchen staff has one small prep table, but because of the quantity of food that needs to be prepared, it is not nearly large enough. So we asked Lynden Sheet Metal to build a stainless steel table top. This, along with most of the kitchen supplies arrived in the first part of February in the container Melissa helped to unload. The teams are usually working on something when they visit the orphanage. The women workers are usually so busy they are not paying attention to what the men are doing. So this time when the team started building an 8ft square table to go under the stainless steel top, the kitchen workers did not pay attention to what was going on. Today the team finished building the table and putting the top on it. They moved the table into the kitchen this evening after the kitchen workers had left the kitchen. For some reason a little while later one of the women workers returned to the kitchen for something. Mike said she saw the table in the kitchen and realized what it was and started screaming and laughing. By the time they got to her she was crying and dancing. She was fully over joyed by the thought that someone would think of them and try to make things easier for them. I would have loved to have her reaction on camera. Tomorrow I will see if the team can get a photo of the helpers and their new table to post on the blog. Thanks so much to all of you that have helped to make life easier for the women working in the kitchen. Thank you for helping to bless them.
Tomorrow the team will travel to Peru and spend time visiting our school children. The team will also be able to see the new well that was dug. And they will be taking a care package to Yolin and Wadner, and will pray for him. Please join them in prayer for healing and provision for him and his mother. Please pray that the compassion and mercy shown to him will be an example to others in the village and Glorify God.
Blessings,
Chris
I heard from Mike tonight. The team had a great trip to Cap Haitien and back. Thank you for praying for them. Mike said it took them 4 hours each way. Looking on a map, it should have taken about 1 hour. I guess the roads are as bad as the road to the orphanage was 4 years ago. What then was a 6 1/2 hour drive, has now become about 3 hours. I read last night that only 628 miles of road are paved in the whole country of Haiti. Some of the roads have pot holes large enough to totally engulf a car or truck if they fell in. They said the scenery was beautiful on the way, but the city itself was like most other cities in Haiti, crowded and dirty and poor. Cap Haitien is the 2nd largest city in Haiti. The US Department of State web site says Cap Haitien has a estimated population of 250,000.
Since the beginning of the orphanage we have wanted to help the women in the kitchen. We have wanted to make their job easier and not so back breaking. It is hard for us to imagine how hard life is for the people of Haiti sometimes. The kitchen in the beginning was a small smoke filled hut. They cooked over an open fire and they squatted on the ground to prep the food. There was no water, no stove and no tables. To most of us a large pot would be about 8 quarts. I have a 18 quart stock pot and it seems enormous to me. Their pots make mine look small. When using these large pots they are not able to use all of the burners on the stove top in the orphanage, because the burners are so close together. So, the January team built a new stove that has 4 burners lined up in a row that are spaced far apart. Perfect for their large pots. The March team was able to get the needed parts and get the stove hooked up and working. And the women love it.
On a fun note (and a practical note) I would like to share this story. Some of you have attended Rose's 'Mission Store' for our orphanage. This fall they helped to outfit our new kitchen. Our kitchen staff has one small prep table, but because of the quantity of food that needs to be prepared, it is not nearly large enough. So we asked Lynden Sheet Metal to build a stainless steel table top. This, along with most of the kitchen supplies arrived in the first part of February in the container Melissa helped to unload. The teams are usually working on something when they visit the orphanage. The women workers are usually so busy they are not paying attention to what the men are doing. So this time when the team started building an 8ft square table to go under the stainless steel top, the kitchen workers did not pay attention to what was going on. Today the team finished building the table and putting the top on it. They moved the table into the kitchen this evening after the kitchen workers had left the kitchen. For some reason a little while later one of the women workers returned to the kitchen for something. Mike said she saw the table in the kitchen and realized what it was and started screaming and laughing. By the time they got to her she was crying and dancing. She was fully over joyed by the thought that someone would think of them and try to make things easier for them. I would have loved to have her reaction on camera. Tomorrow I will see if the team can get a photo of the helpers and their new table to post on the blog. Thanks so much to all of you that have helped to make life easier for the women working in the kitchen. Thank you for helping to bless them.
Tomorrow the team will travel to Peru and spend time visiting our school children. The team will also be able to see the new well that was dug. And they will be taking a care package to Yolin and Wadner, and will pray for him. Please join them in prayer for healing and provision for him and his mother. Please pray that the compassion and mercy shown to him will be an example to others in the village and Glorify God.
Blessings,
Chris
Monday, March 19, 2012
Sunday March 18, 2012
Hello,
The team had a full day today. Thank you for your prayers.
In the morning Nathan preached in Gonaives. The team stayed back with Mike as he preached in Marose. Mike said that the presence of the Holy Spirit was obvious. He said many people came forward for healing.
After church everyone helped to get ready for the anniversary celebration. Some cleaned, some prepared side dishes,
some roasted the pigs and the team made eight cakes complete with frosting and sprinkles! There were about 250 in attendance including the orphanage, staff and team. Nathan shared his story and how God gave him a dream, and Mike shared his story and how God gave him a dream. Two other pastors shared short messages and they had a dedication. Then they prayed for the ministry. Mike said the celebration lasted all day and everyone had a really good time.
Tomorrow the team will be traveling up north to Cap Haitien. They are excited to visit an area of Haiti that the team has not previously been to. Nathan has been to Cap Haitien and he will be going with the team.They are wanting to check the spiritual climate out. Please pray for safe travel and protection.
Nathan and Mike have also been asked to possibly take on a church and start a school in the community across the river called Poto. I am not sure of the spelling. Please pray for wisdom and discernment in this decision. It would probably be a smaller school than our other schools. For those of you that have traveled to Haiti with us, this is near Nathan's grandfather's house. Poto is where the large market is on the way to Pass Rien. Once again thank you for your prayers, we appreciate them.
Blessings,
Chris
The team had a full day today. Thank you for your prayers.
In the morning Nathan preached in Gonaives. The team stayed back with Mike as he preached in Marose. Mike said that the presence of the Holy Spirit was obvious. He said many people came forward for healing.
After church everyone helped to get ready for the anniversary celebration. Some cleaned, some prepared side dishes,
some roasted the pigs and the team made eight cakes complete with frosting and sprinkles! There were about 250 in attendance including the orphanage, staff and team. Nathan shared his story and how God gave him a dream, and Mike shared his story and how God gave him a dream. Two other pastors shared short messages and they had a dedication. Then they prayed for the ministry. Mike said the celebration lasted all day and everyone had a really good time.
Tomorrow the team will be traveling up north to Cap Haitien. They are excited to visit an area of Haiti that the team has not previously been to. Nathan has been to Cap Haitien and he will be going with the team.They are wanting to check the spiritual climate out. Please pray for safe travel and protection.
Nathan and Mike have also been asked to possibly take on a church and start a school in the community across the river called Poto. I am not sure of the spelling. Please pray for wisdom and discernment in this decision. It would probably be a smaller school than our other schools. For those of you that have traveled to Haiti with us, this is near Nathan's grandfather's house. Poto is where the large market is on the way to Pass Rien. Once again thank you for your prayers, we appreciate them.
Blessings,
Chris
Saturday, March 17, 2012
God is good ! Commitment from 100 youth!
Hello,
Thanks so much for all of your prayers. Wow!!! the team had a good night last night and a great day today.
Last night at the all night prayer and worship celebration they had trouble getting set up, among other things the generator would not run. After quite a while Mike went up to the front and said he thought that the enemy was trying to keep the prayer and worship time from happening. He told them everyone needed to start worshiping regardless. So by candle light worship started. Soon the generator and things started working and they kept worshiping. Later on during the night about a dozen youth came forward and asked to be set free from bad spirits. Eight of them prayed for salvation and were set free. Praise God !!!
This morning the Pastor's conference went very well. The pastor's never seem to get enough teaching. They usually ask for more. It is amazing how long they can sit and soak in God's word. The pastor's said they were very encouraged.
The youth event also was amazing today. They started with games, worship and food. The team members shared during the first part. They all did really well. Then Nathan shared and they had more worship. Then Mike shared and he said the youth seemed to really engage. He was sharing on "being the best you can be". He shared that too many friends today are considered friends because they endorse what you want them too. They go along with your choices good or bad. He shared that true friendship was being a friend that was willing to speak truth into your life. That they would hold you accountable and encourage you to make the right choices. They would be someone who was willing to be with you on bad days and good days. Towards the end of the event Mike felt like God wanted the youth to make a commitment. He told them that God had made a commitment to them by sacrificing His son. That God was asking them if they would make a commitment to Him and to each other. Mike said about 100 youth stood up and chose to make a pledge to be true friends and to support each other in making good choices. He said that all of them either gave their lives to Jesus or rededicated their lives to Him. God is soooooooooooo good! Please join us in praising God and praying for them as they walk their commitments out.
Tomorrow Nathan will be preaching in Gonaives. Mike will be preaching in Marose. Please pray for them as they teach. Also the orphanage will be celebrating the 1st anniversary of moving from a small hut the size of most north american living rooms, into the new orphanage. It has been wonderful watching the children blossom in their new environment. The team will be baking cakes and frosting them. This will be a huge treat. We served cake for a wedding two and a half years ago and that was the first time any of the children or staff had ever had cake. We have twice as many children and more than double the staff now and again there will be many who have never had cake before, much less frosting and sprinkles. I can see the smiles now:) They will also be having the first ever pig roasting. Actual pigs, this will be a first for most of the team also :) And yes Debbie brought a meat thermometer so it will be safe. There will be other invited guests, it should be a lot of fun. It is amazing what God has accomplished in a little over 4 years. Thank you so much for all of you that have come along side of us and the people of Haiti. To God be the Glory!
Blessings,
Chris
Thanks so much for all of your prayers. Wow!!! the team had a good night last night and a great day today.
Last night at the all night prayer and worship celebration they had trouble getting set up, among other things the generator would not run. After quite a while Mike went up to the front and said he thought that the enemy was trying to keep the prayer and worship time from happening. He told them everyone needed to start worshiping regardless. So by candle light worship started. Soon the generator and things started working and they kept worshiping. Later on during the night about a dozen youth came forward and asked to be set free from bad spirits. Eight of them prayed for salvation and were set free. Praise God !!!
This morning the Pastor's conference went very well. The pastor's never seem to get enough teaching. They usually ask for more. It is amazing how long they can sit and soak in God's word. The pastor's said they were very encouraged.
The youth event also was amazing today. They started with games, worship and food. The team members shared during the first part. They all did really well. Then Nathan shared and they had more worship. Then Mike shared and he said the youth seemed to really engage. He was sharing on "being the best you can be". He shared that too many friends today are considered friends because they endorse what you want them too. They go along with your choices good or bad. He shared that true friendship was being a friend that was willing to speak truth into your life. That they would hold you accountable and encourage you to make the right choices. They would be someone who was willing to be with you on bad days and good days. Towards the end of the event Mike felt like God wanted the youth to make a commitment. He told them that God had made a commitment to them by sacrificing His son. That God was asking them if they would make a commitment to Him and to each other. Mike said about 100 youth stood up and chose to make a pledge to be true friends and to support each other in making good choices. He said that all of them either gave their lives to Jesus or rededicated their lives to Him. God is soooooooooooo good! Please join us in praising God and praying for them as they walk their commitments out.
Tomorrow Nathan will be preaching in Gonaives. Mike will be preaching in Marose. Please pray for them as they teach. Also the orphanage will be celebrating the 1st anniversary of moving from a small hut the size of most north american living rooms, into the new orphanage. It has been wonderful watching the children blossom in their new environment. The team will be baking cakes and frosting them. This will be a huge treat. We served cake for a wedding two and a half years ago and that was the first time any of the children or staff had ever had cake. We have twice as many children and more than double the staff now and again there will be many who have never had cake before, much less frosting and sprinkles. I can see the smiles now:) They will also be having the first ever pig roasting. Actual pigs, this will be a first for most of the team also :) And yes Debbie brought a meat thermometer so it will be safe. There will be other invited guests, it should be a lot of fun. It is amazing what God has accomplished in a little over 4 years. Thank you so much for all of you that have come along side of us and the people of Haiti. To God be the Glory!
Blessings,
Chris
March 16, 2012
Hello,
I had a wonderful time tonight at a Missions Celebration. I missed Mike's phone call though, and have not been able to get in touch with him again tonight. He did leave a quick message saying that they were headed off to another church for an all night prayer and worship celebration. He said each of the team members will be speaking and sharing their testimony or a story from their lives. Hopefully some of you will read this tonight (Friday) or during the night(Saturday) and will be able to pray for the team. When the Haitians hold an all night prayer and worship service, they really will be praying and worshiping all through the night. They start leaving to go home and begin their day as the sun rises. Please pray that the Spirit of God moves powerfully and that many will be healed.
Tomorrow morning the Pastors Association meeting will begin. They will be meeting until late in the afternoon. Mike will be teaching most of the time but, I believe Jason also has a message to share. Please pray for them as they teach, that it will be from God and that it will refresh and encourage the Pastors. Also tomorrow there will be a youth event that will start at noon and will go into the evening, overlapping the Pastors conference. Nathan and Mike will be teaching at the youth event also and again some of the team will be sharing their testimonies and stories. The youth will also be doing activities, some sports and they will have a time of worship. Please pray that the team will be able to speak into the lives of the youth. That what they share will be relevant to the youth and that there would be many salvation's. Thank you for praying.
Blessings,
Chris
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Hello,
I just got off the phone with Mike. The team spent time with the children today. They also hiked up the mountain and down to the river. Mike met with the contractor and construction seems to be going well. Mike also met with Melissa and Eliezer our bookkeeper. They showed Mike all that they have accomplished and then discussed some more ideas. We also have an additional little boy who has joined the orphanage. His mother is Haitian and his father was from the Dominican Republic. He only speaks Spanish so please pray for his adjustment. The language barrier makes it more difficult for him to fit in with the other children and makes school impossible until he picks up the language. I know with my children this took only a couple of months, children learn very fast when they are immersed in another language. Tonight the team also went to church.
Tomorrow they will install the stove that the January team built. Some of the pots are so big that the cooks requested a stove with the burners further apart. The January team needed a part to complete the stove that was not available in Haiti, so the March team was able to bring the needed part . Tomorrow the team will also build a new work table in the kitchen that will have a stainless steel top. This should make prep and clean up easier and safer. The team will also try to build more shelves in the storage depot to hold all of the items from the container that arrived just after the January team left. Melissa directed the unloading of the container, but the depot needed more shelving in order for things to be accessible and organized. The team will also be able to go to the Market tomorrow, to purchase food for our one year anniversary celebration of moving into the new orphanage building. They will be having a celebration this Sunday. Please continue to pray for the team as they build relationships with the children and staff, and for the ability to obtain the supplies they need. Thank you so very much for your prayers.
Blessings,
Chris
I just got off the phone with Mike. The team spent time with the children today. They also hiked up the mountain and down to the river. Mike met with the contractor and construction seems to be going well. Mike also met with Melissa and Eliezer our bookkeeper. They showed Mike all that they have accomplished and then discussed some more ideas. We also have an additional little boy who has joined the orphanage. His mother is Haitian and his father was from the Dominican Republic. He only speaks Spanish so please pray for his adjustment. The language barrier makes it more difficult for him to fit in with the other children and makes school impossible until he picks up the language. I know with my children this took only a couple of months, children learn very fast when they are immersed in another language. Tonight the team also went to church.
Tomorrow they will install the stove that the January team built. Some of the pots are so big that the cooks requested a stove with the burners further apart. The January team needed a part to complete the stove that was not available in Haiti, so the March team was able to bring the needed part . Tomorrow the team will also build a new work table in the kitchen that will have a stainless steel top. This should make prep and clean up easier and safer. The team will also try to build more shelves in the storage depot to hold all of the items from the container that arrived just after the January team left. Melissa directed the unloading of the container, but the depot needed more shelving in order for things to be accessible and organized. The team will also be able to go to the Market tomorrow, to purchase food for our one year anniversary celebration of moving into the new orphanage building. They will be having a celebration this Sunday. Please continue to pray for the team as they build relationships with the children and staff, and for the ability to obtain the supplies they need. Thank you so very much for your prayers.
Blessings,
Chris
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Hello,
The team arrived safely at the orphanage tonight. Travel went smoothly, thank you so much for your prayers. When Mike called tonight I could hear happy and excited children in the background. He also said Melissa's face had a non-stop grin, I am sure Dustin's did also :)Tomorrow the team will spend the day playing with the children. Mike will have a meeting with the contractor regarding the third building. We have just started construction again, after a long wait, and are hoping to finish this building by the end of the year, God willing. It includes much needed bathrooms for the orphanage girls and short term missionary team rooms, one for men and one for women. Right now we take over the children's dinning hall every time a team comes. It also includes a 2 bedroom and 4 bedroom long stay missionary apartment. Tomorrow Mike and Nathan will meet to discuss the schedule for the team while they are in Haiti. I will be able to let you know how to be praying as soon as I hear from them. Please pray for the team tomorrow as love on the children.
Blessings,
Chris
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Hello,
Tonight our March team is flying to Haiti. They should be in the air around 11:25 pm. Please pray for safe travel and on time connections. I will post a team photo tonight. The photo will be missing Melissa, as she is still in Haiti, so I will try and get another one with her included later on in the trip. Please pray for Melissa as she is still trying to get over her cold. Also this will be Melissa's last 10 days with the children and it will be hard on her and the children when she goes, so please pray for the children also.
I will update again when I know they have arrived safe at the orphanage. Thank you so much for your prayers.
Blessings,
Chris
Tonight our March team is flying to Haiti. They should be in the air around 11:25 pm. Please pray for safe travel and on time connections. I will post a team photo tonight. The photo will be missing Melissa, as she is still in Haiti, so I will try and get another one with her included later on in the trip. Please pray for Melissa as she is still trying to get over her cold. Also this will be Melissa's last 10 days with the children and it will be hard on her and the children when she goes, so please pray for the children also.
I will update again when I know they have arrived safe at the orphanage. Thank you so much for your prayers.
Blessings,
Chris
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Hello,
It has been a while since I have sent out an update. I wanted to remind everyone to continue to pray for Melissa while she is staying in Haiti. She has been doing an awesome job of gathering information on the children,and on getting some of the new ones documented and legal, as far as guardianship papers and all. We really have appreciated her efforts. She has been organizing our office in Haiti, complete with computer, scanner, copier and hanging files. And she has been helping and teaching our bookeeper. She also has been a nanny and role model for our oldest girls as she shares a room with them. Please pray for her protection and health, Melissa has been pretty healthy up until now, but does have a cough. Also please pray for her ability to continue to learn the language. Pray that she is able to speak into the girls lives, and pray for both her and the girls as it gets closer to the time for Melissa to come back home. Here are two stories that Melissa has shared.
"The girls have been doing my laundry for me since I've been down here. They were busy one day and I really needed some clean clothes, so I decided to try doing my own laundry. So I got all my supplies together and start washing away. The kids thought it was hilarious that the white girl is washing clothes. I had a group of kids just staring at me while I washed. And then the littlest girls and Maylin jumped in to help me. So we washed clothes together and had a great time doing it. I was very thankful for their help. I would have been sitting there awhile if they hadn't come along. :)
another good little story....
Yesterday, I decided I wanted to go up the hill to spend some time praying and reading my bible. And then I got the idea that I should ask my girls if they wanted to come with me. So five girls and I headed up the mountain and we ended up having an impromptu worship and prayer time. It was so awesome to see them pour out their hearts to God in prayer and to sing his praises. I felt so blessed to be a part of their worship time."
Again thank you so much for your prayers, they are so vital to this ministry and the people involved in it.
Please also be praying for the March team as they prepare to fly to Haiti in 10 days. Melissa's mother will be on the trip and also our son Dustin who is engaged to Melissa, they are both very excited to be on the team that will be picking her up after being in Haiti for two months.
On another note Our "Awake & Arise Prayer and Worship Night" was fantastic. We experienced amazing and intimate spiritual worship and prayed to break strongholds in the heavenly realms. Janet and her team were great, and very sensitive to the spirit of God. Check out her website at: http://awakeandarise.com/
We have lots of great trips planned, and have openings on the May trip and the September trip. So if you can make the time available, we would love to have you, and even challenge you to what God might be calling you to do for His Kingdom and the people of Haiti. If you are interested, please contact Jeremiah at: .jeremiahleland@yahoo.com
We are also planning a couple of fundraiser events later this spring. Please be watching for those announcements. If you have any items you would like to donate towards the U.S. fund raiser you can contact Mike at newgenerationhaiti@gmail.com. If you would like to donate towards the Canadian fundraiser please let Wendy know at: wendynyboer@shaw.ca
Thanks so much for praying,
Blessings,
Chris
It has been a while since I have sent out an update. I wanted to remind everyone to continue to pray for Melissa while she is staying in Haiti. She has been doing an awesome job of gathering information on the children,and on getting some of the new ones documented and legal, as far as guardianship papers and all. We really have appreciated her efforts. She has been organizing our office in Haiti, complete with computer, scanner, copier and hanging files. And she has been helping and teaching our bookeeper. She also has been a nanny and role model for our oldest girls as she shares a room with them. Please pray for her protection and health, Melissa has been pretty healthy up until now, but does have a cough. Also please pray for her ability to continue to learn the language. Pray that she is able to speak into the girls lives, and pray for both her and the girls as it gets closer to the time for Melissa to come back home. Here are two stories that Melissa has shared.
"The girls have been doing my laundry for me since I've been down here. They were busy one day and I really needed some clean clothes, so I decided to try doing my own laundry. So I got all my supplies together and start washing away. The kids thought it was hilarious that the white girl is washing clothes. I had a group of kids just staring at me while I washed. And then the littlest girls and Maylin jumped in to help me. So we washed clothes together and had a great time doing it. I was very thankful for their help. I would have been sitting there awhile if they hadn't come along. :)
another good little story....
Yesterday, I decided I wanted to go up the hill to spend some time praying and reading my bible. And then I got the idea that I should ask my girls if they wanted to come with me. So five girls and I headed up the mountain and we ended up having an impromptu worship and prayer time. It was so awesome to see them pour out their hearts to God in prayer and to sing his praises. I felt so blessed to be a part of their worship time."
Again thank you so much for your prayers, they are so vital to this ministry and the people involved in it.
Please also be praying for the March team as they prepare to fly to Haiti in 10 days. Melissa's mother will be on the trip and also our son Dustin who is engaged to Melissa, they are both very excited to be on the team that will be picking her up after being in Haiti for two months.
On another note Our "Awake & Arise Prayer and Worship Night" was fantastic. We experienced amazing and intimate spiritual worship and prayed to break strongholds in the heavenly realms. Janet and her team were great, and very sensitive to the spirit of God. Check out her website at: http://awakeandarise.com/
We have lots of great trips planned, and have openings on the May trip and the September trip. So if you can make the time available, we would love to have you, and even challenge you to what God might be calling you to do for His Kingdom and the people of Haiti. If you are interested, please contact Jeremiah at: .jeremiahleland@yahoo.com
We are also planning a couple of fundraiser events later this spring. Please be watching for those announcements. If you have any items you would like to donate towards the U.S. fund raiser you can contact Mike at newgenerationhaiti@gmail.com. If you would like to donate towards the Canadian fundraiser please let Wendy know at: wendynyboer@shaw.ca
Thanks so much for praying,
Blessings,
Chris
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