STUCK IN HAITI
Most people born in Haiti will never leave Haiti. It is very difficult for people from such an impoverished nation to legally obtain a visa to visit America or Canada or France. They’ve see many things on television (some have more access to TV than others) that they will never see in person.
So many times I’ve thought of how fun it would be to introduce my friends to the New York City, Boston or Miami. They hear about them all the time. To show them what snow really looks like – and what it feels like, too.
It’s easy to think poor people should be content if they have a full belly, a roof over their heads and their children in school. Well, yes, they should be – just like each one of us should be. And yet, don’t we all love the adventure of a new beach or restaurant or seeing the Patriots (you can fill that in with YOUR favorite team!) play in person? Poor people are still people with hopes, dreams and desires.
.
TAH DAHHHHHH!!!
We now have the next best thing to a visa stamp on a Haitian passport for our students. We have a library!!!!
The New MOHI LIbrary in Thozin, Grand-Goâve, Haïti!
.
Now we can travel together to the lands of Narnia, Australia, Alaska, the Glade, District 9, the Shire of Middle Earth, to “Infinity and Beyond!” And ohhh, the people (or should I call them characters?) we will meet! Our “5-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.”
The Shire of Middle Earth (Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit)
.
Let me tell you the background as to how this incredible project came to pass. Dr. Gary and Melissa Lee were part of a Kids Against Hunger Global team that were visiting a couple of years ago. Melissa, who is a big dreamer/visionary and one of the most generous people I’ve ever known, mentioned something to Dr. Lee along the lines of “Wouldn’t it be wonderful to make a library for the students?!!!” Dr. Lee, who has been on missions trips all over the world, says to his lovely wife something along the lines of, “Now, Honey. Let’s let Lex and Renée tell us what THEY would like to see in the school rather than deciding that for them.” That same day, Melissa and I started chatting and I said something along these lines to her, “You know what I would REALLY love to see for our students? A library!…” Coming into agreement was quite simple.
The Lee Family (Dr. Lee missing in picture)
We are so grateful to the Lee Family (Dr. Gary, Melissa, Candace, Elizabeth, Jillian, Gary and Madeline) for their extreme generosity and vision to make this dream become a reality. They donated 18 book shelves, 2 beautiful, hardwood tables with chairs, two desks and two credenzas, along with all the carpeting for the library and the computer lab. All just gorgeous!!! Marshall and Sherry Horn so generously donated the Kids Against Hunger Global box truck to use as a shipping container. The Congregational Church of Newbury, MA then joined in (at just the right moment, mind you!) with a large donation that was just right to cover shipping the furniture (along with quite a bit of food from Kids Against Hunger) to us here in Haiti. And many of you have donated books, so that we have over 1500 of them, as well as the Kindle Readers donated by Books for Haiti.
.We will now search for the right person to begin training as our librarian. We want to get the most out of this resource for our students and staff as is possible. Please join us in praying for wisdom to make the right choice and that the Lord would send the right people at the right time to help train him/her up. Thank you.
60KW+ GENERATORS
There is another major need I’d like to make you aware of. (Major for us, but not so major for the Lord to provide!) We have two campuses that depend very much on electricity. We have some solar, but we are dependent on generating electricity with our diesel generators, as well. We have a 20KW and a 25KW diesel powered generator. They have been such a blessing over the past few years. Unfortunately, it seems our demand for electricity (with teams in regularly at the missionary compound and computers, radio station, sound systems at the church, fully functioning medical clinic and administrative offices at the other campus) is greater than either of these generators are capable of putting out. Both of them were down while we were Stateside. We were able to get the one on the Thozin campus repaired, but have not yet gotten the one at the missionary compound running. It’s obvious that it’s time to upgrade. We would like to get two diesel generators (John Deer engines preferable), each generating a minimum of 60KW. Please help in whatever way you can: spread the word, pray, donate a generator, make a financial contribution. I believe that each of us will do our part and the Lord will provide abundantly, above all we could ask or think. Thank you for joining with us in seeing these needs met.
.KIDS AGAINST HUNGER GLOBAL
KAH team (L to R) Brian, Marshall, Sherry, Lex, Melissa, Gary, Jana
.
The team from Kids Against Hunger Global (Tulsa, OK) had a very productive week. The library furniture was put in place, the bookcases secured, books were organized onto the shelves and prayers of dedication were offered.
The amazing library!
.
In addition to this, thousands of tummies were filled as the team helped to feed our students.
Sharing Kids Against Hunger food with our students
.
We were able to bring one delegation to Port-au-Prince to pick up some food that they had shipped to us. Another delegation went to Port-au-Prince to buy some more books for the library. They also had plenty of opportunity to spend time with some special little people and bless them with food and clothing.
Dr. Lee sneaks in some Stanley time!
Stanley and Marshall
.
A Few More Pictures from this Week:
.
Melissa was born on Melissa’s birthday and fondly named after her.
Hard working staff and cute patients in the clinic
Church in Thozin this morning
Three children from the Hands and Feet Project were dedicated at church this morning.