Did You Save the Date???

Yes, I plan to remind you regularly, as we want to see YOU!!!!  In New England, September 15th at 1PM, join us for an open house in Westminster, MA.  On September 30, join us for  “an awesome, music-filled evening of fundraising for Mission of Hope International” in Western Pennsylvania.  We’re not likely to be around again until next year, so if at all possible, please plan to be with us at one of these events.  Soooooo looking forward to seeing you!

Love Is In the Air

We have had 3 weddings for people in the St. Etienne church in the last month.  Pastor Hakine must be preaching some good Word up there!  I wanted to share some some of the cultural differences in wedding ceremonies with you.  I decided using video clips and pictures would cut down a bit on explanations.  My emotional reaction to weddings in America and in Haiti are very different from each other.  In America I cry.  No matter how well prepared I am, I always cry.  In Haiti, I laugh.  In America a wedding is beautiful, because all of the details that have been planned are all executed perfectly – or very close to it.  In Haiti a wedding is beautiful, in part, for those reasons, but even more so based on how the kiss is executed.  My husband always does something interesting to “frame” this special moment.  In this wedding, you’ll see that he has the bride start walking from down the isle a way to meet her groom.  The couple in this video, Elysée and Jean Louis, executed the kiss better than most…

 

Alexis

Angela will be returning to Haiti in September, but in the meantime there are still plenty of people who need attention.  Alexis, who is enjoying some time off from school for the summer, has been able to fill in the gap a little.  She has been checking temperatures, blood pressures and heart rates, cleaning and dressing wounds and providing over the counter medicines for common problems like heartburn, skin rashes and colds.  It’s amazing how much you learn about medicine when you translate for doctors, nurses and pharmacists so often.  Alexis’ desire to enter the medical field continues to grow.  She still has three years of high school to go, but is starting to think nursing may be in her future.  We continue to pray for clear direction for her, as she thinks about what’s to come.

Goodbye Junette

This week we attended the funeral for little Junette Jules, in Jacmel.  As you can imagine, it was a sad event.  The program was well thought out and the Hands and Feet Project children did a beautiful job singing two songs.  We trust that Junette is enjoying being with Jesus and yet the missionaries, staff and children are left with a tangible weight, as they move forward without her presence here on earth.  Please remember them in prayer, especially Stephen and Carrie, the directors there in Jacmel.

Staff and Friends

We usually have a department head meeting on Wednesdays at noon.  We needed to be to Jacmel (about 2 hours away)for the funeral at 3PM.  We decided to make it all work, by bringing our staff with us.  This was also seen as an honor and blessing for our department head, who not only work full time, but are ready at a moment’s notice to attend to any pressing situation.  What a joy it was to bring them to the Cap Lamandou hotel for our meeting.  The view there is breathtaking and it’s someplace that most people in Grand-Goave have never visited.  That made it an extra special outing for these folks.  They also really appreciated the opportunity to represent MOHI at little Junette’s funeral.  They were all so glad to see our friends Drex and Jo and deliver their condolences personally.  You may recall that Drex and Jo spent several months with us in Grand-Goave, as they began constructing the children’s village here.  They are very dear to all of us and it was special to be with them again.

Construction Update

We are happy to be in full swing with construction once again.  We were held up for a week or so, while waiting for cement and re-bar to be delivered.

In addition to our high school students, continuing with their summer jobs, we have several dozen masons, carpenters and metal workers on site again.  Because of the delay, we are running two crews per day.  When the first crew finishes up at 5pm the second one comes in and works until 11 or rain, whichever comes first.  Yes, we have been in a very rainy season.  Almost every night we get a big thunderstorm with LOTS of rain.

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Progress at BLB

We’re excited to see the septic system at Be Like Brit almost done and finish work well under way. Since the orphanage is being built on a mountain side (just beautiful!), the rain has had some negative affects on the road to the orphanage. Please continue to keep this project in prayer, along with all of the other activities at MOHI.  Thank you!