New England is just so beautiful!  Everyday, as we drive from one place to another, I feel such contentment at being back in the land of my birth.  The trees, flowers, birds, squirrels, chipmunks, rivers – even the skies seem so different from Haiti.  What’s really amazing is that I can enjoy being here so much and still look forward to returning to Haiti.

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As we were driving along in silence one day, Lex said to me, “Look at this country!  Even the animals live better than most of the people in Haiti.”  My immediate reaction was to think he was exaggerating, just for effect.  As I thought about what he said, however, I realized he was being brutally honest.  Most pets live in their master’s homes.  Even the domestic animals all have barns to shelter them in harsh weather.  Food and water are abundant, even for wild animals (of which there are so few in Haiti).

I have to admit, a few tears slid down my face as I took it all in.  So many go to bed hungry in Haiti.  So many don’t have what we would even consider a bed here – a straw mat, a piece of cardboard.  Barns in America provide much better protection from the elements than many homes in Haiti.  Clean drinking water is often impossible to find.  Many are sick and even die from drinking dirty water.  Those fortunate enough to find work (less than 1/4 of the population!) often work for 8-12 hours doing heavy labor in the hot sun.   How my heart breaks for the intense suffering of so many people – all of whom Jesus loves and freely gave His life to redeem.

One of our biggest goals at Mission of Hope International, is to provide an outstanding education to children whose families might not otherwise afford to educate them.  We are so grateful for the Lord’s provision in this regard.  Year after year our students prove that they can perform just as well, and sometimes even better, than children from great means.  I’m so proud of how focused they are on their education and how hard they work to take advantage of all that God has provided for them – spirit, soul and body.

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Although my family is Stateside, everything continues to function normally at the mission in Haiti.  Our schools opened for the 2014/2015 school year on Monday.  Leah lets me know regularly how much she loves seeing all the kids back – especially the little ones!  This is our 15th year providing schooling for the children of Grand-Goâve.  Each year always seems better than the previous one.

Leah continues serving the sick with joy in the MOHI clinic.  We are so grateful to have such a dedicated, passionate and caring person on our team!

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The MOHI dance team was invited to yet another UN function.  We are so proud of how well this group represents the mission at these events.  AND they dance great, too!

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The water tower in St. Etienne is under construction.  This will enable us to provide water for the community without having to run a generator constantly.  We are anticipating a cost of $6,000 to complete this project.  If you or someone you know would like to help in bringing water to this community, please make a donation and indicate “Water Tower” in the memo.  Thank you.

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Yesterday we enjoyed the company of many of you at our annual Meet & Greet in Westminster, MA.  What a wonderful day it was.  Thank you to everyone who came out and for all the generous souls who made donations to help reach out to our friends in Haiti.

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We had a wonderful time this morning at Chair City Community Church in Gardner, MA.  We thank Pastor Dave and Kristi Tralongo, along with the entire church for their hospitality and generosity.  We look forward to continuing to work together for the Kingdom.

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We covet your prayers, as we begin the “road trip” portion of our time in the States.  We plan to leave early Tuesday, heading to Akron, OH.  We are trusting the Lord will guide us safely to each destination and prepare the hearts and homes ahead of our arrival.  We are so excited about seeing so many of our wonderful friends and supporters.  We’re also looking forward to making some new friends.  Thank you for your prayers!