Calling All Friends!

Lex, Alexis, A. Jay and I will be arriving in New England next month and we want to see you!!! 

If you are in New England, save this date: September 15th.  Lennie and Amy Engman will be hosting an open house for all the friends, supporters and “curious spectators” of MOHI.  Contact mspattysparks@hotmail.com for more information.

If you live in eastern Pennsylvania/western Ohio, save this date: September 30th.  Chris and Joy Youell will be hosting “an awesome, music-filled evening of fundraising for Mission of Hope International.”  Contact overjoyed3@hotmail.com for more information.

These events are great opportunities to learn first hand about the work in Haiti, not only from my family, but also from many others who have spent time with us on the field.  It’s also a great time to share ideas and find creative ways that you personally can be involved in positively impacting the lives of the Haitian people with the love of God.

 

Oh, how I long to see you!!!  (Yes, YOU!!!) Over and over again in the letters of the Apostle Paul to the churches, he talks about how he longs to see the brethren.  In Romans 1:12 he says, “…that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.”  In Col 4:89 he talks of sending people to see them, “I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances adn that he may encourage your hearts…They will tell you everything that is happening here.”

Let’s encourage one another.  Come on – it’s not everyday that we’re around.  We NEED each other!!!!

Peanut Butter Drive

While we are in the USA, we’ll be gathering items to ship to Haiti before we return in mid-October.  Top of the list?  PEANUT BUTTER!!!  We need your help.  Please put the word out right away that we’re looking for peanut butter to ship to Haiti.  Post it on your social networks, tell your family, friends and co-workers, ask for donations from retailers.  Peanut butter can be brought to either of the events mentioned above or you can ship/mail it to Gloria Harvell, 32 Catalina Ln, Nashua, NH  03064.  Thank you for your active participation in this effort.  I’m looking forward to sharing lots of peanut butter in 2013!!!

 Construction

We had a slow week with construction last week.  We had to keep the stairs wet and let them cure for a full week.  Tomorrow we’ll take the forms off to see what we get.  It should be great.

 

Don’t you love the muliple uses of equipment here?

Clothes washing (and all other kinds, for that matter) is done by hand most everywhere in Haiti.  Men who travel to work far from home (whether it’s city to city or way out in the mountains down to the city) have to deal with their dirty clothes.  Mano and Jumel were a bit embarrassed about having their pictures taken, but they laughed and joked about it.  The money these men make for working, they hold on to it as best they can, so they can bring it home to their families.  If they didn’t have such a strong sense of responsibility they would hire someone else to wash for them and eat on the street (restaurant prices) three times a day.  But these guys accept the humiliation of washing their own clothes and many times they eat only one meal per day – and it’s provided on the job site by the mission.  I honor them, because I see for myself that they are loving their wives as their own bodies.  (Eph 5:28)

Conference in Grand-Coline

Pastor Lex preached twice this morning.  He started out at the MOHI church in St. Etienne and continued at a church way out in the mountains.  The pastor from the church in Grand-Coline had joined us for our annual conference.  He got so much out of his time with us that he asked Lex to come speak during their conference.  The church was packed and the ministry was wonderful.  Jesus touched many minds and hearts this morning.

The Hands and Feet Project

We have been working side by side with the Hands and Feet Project for over four years now.  We help one another out regularly and we really appreciate  this ministry.  They built a children’s village here in Grand-Goave, for the 31 children that we were caring for here at MOHI.

As you know, Wilson, from here in Grand-Goave, has been undergoing treatment for cancer.  Michelle is back in Port-au-Prince with him this week, as he undergoes some treatments with new drugs.  He has responded very well up to this point and we thank you for continuing to keep him in prayer.

This week, we received some very difficult news from the children’s village in Jacmel.  A small group of children had gone to the beach for some enjoyment, as is their custom, along with missionaries and visitors.  A large wave came suddenly, while the children were in the water and dragged one of them away.  After two days, six year old Junette Jules’ body was recovered this morning.  This is a heart wrenching loss for the children and staff at both campuses, as Junette spent a month or so here in Grand-Goave before Christmas.  Please keep the children, staff, missionaries and leadership of the Hands and Feet Project lifted up in prayer, as they find comfort in good memories and a good God.

The Vine’s Ministry Continues

The Vine Community Church team that was here two weeks ago, is still strongly impacting a family.  During a time of visiting homes in the community, the team met a family that was really having a hard time.  They put money together to purchase some food items for them, which Lex brought to them this past week.  He shared with me about how terribly poor this family is.  They were so excited to receive the food the team had purchased for them.  There was a boy in the family that could not walk, as a result from a “tropical” fever that went untreated for too long.  They prayed with the boy.  When Pastor Lex brought the gift to them, the boy was walking with the help of a stick.  He still needs to gain more strength, but he is doing so much better.  Praise God!

We will be making every effort to put the children from this family into our school next month.  It may mean we need to add more classes, as most of them are already filled to capacity, but sometimes you just have to take that extra step of faith.  After all, Philippians 4:19 does apply to us!

Sometimes it may seem that village ministry is just something we do, but people’s lives are often changed because someone from a far away land came and touched one person.  Are you willing to come and touch that one for Jesus?  Are you willing to help someone else to do the same?  Please don’t hesitate to contact us to make arrangements to do so.  Come to Haiti and be used by the Master!