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Expansion

Pastor Kevin has been busy flying his new droid around. It’s been quite the spectacle at the school, the beach and the open market. He has taken some really cool video and still shots and shared them with us. In the photo below, you can see our current campus in Thozin. I have marked the different buildings. As you can see, it’s a very compact space. The land next door has come up for sale. We have first dibs on it and we are looking to get it. Why would we need it? While we have a great school academically, our students have no room to play in the yard. We have money designated for a playground already and a soccer field is a must.  We also are preparing to embark on a new apprenticeship program (aka trade school) for the upper classes in our high school.  We need room for shops for metal work and carpentry to start with.  We hope to expand to other areas (electrical, plumbing, masonry, sewing, culinary arts and more) in the years to come.

We need to raise $90,000 to purchase the entire lot.  This includes the cost for all the legal fees and survey, as well.  One of MOHI’s partners has offered to match donations.  Would you help us to purchase this land?  Please feel free to contact us if you have questions or need more information.

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Health

The big news throughout Haïti this week is one word: Chikunguyna.  A mosquito-borne, viral disease,Chikungunya was first seen in Southern Tanzania in 1952.  Since then it has made its way from Africa to Asia, and more recently to the Caribbean.  This month the virus landed in Haiti.  The first week the government reported 14 cases.  Last week, 1500 were reported.  This week, the count is over 5,000.  Of course, I have no idea what this count is based on, as many never even seek professional treatment.  Unlike Malaria, which is easily treated, but can be fatal if left alone, Chikungunya does not usually cause death.  What it does cause is high fever, acute fatigue, almost unbearable joint pain, and, in some, an itchy rash. There is no known cure for Chikungunya.  It is treated symptomatically, usually using Tylenol or Paracetamol and keeping the patient hydrated.  As with all mosquito-borne diseases, avoiding getting bit is the best prevention.  Screened rooms (or use of mosquito nets), wearing long sleeves and pants, using insect repellent and removal of standing water near homes all help to keep the critters at bay. We have been hearing reports that it is not recurrent, so once someone has had it, they shouldn’t get it again.

Tammy had a long week, suffering with Chikunguyna, as have several of our staff.  We are anticipating a busy week for Leah in the clinic, as well.  Would you please join us in praying for our friends and neighbors, as well as for Leah, as she endeavors to help the sick this week?  Thank you.

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Water

It seems that Leah is constantly telling her patients to drink water. Here in Haiti, there is a long standing tradition of inadequate hydration among the population in general. I imagine a big part of that is simply that clean drinking water is not readily available to most. Treated water costs money. Treating water costs money (fuel to boil it, for example). Clean wells are few and far between. I remember starting the MOHI school in 2000 without any water. Kids were encouraged to bring a bottle of water with them from home, but many went all day without drinking. Today in Grand-Goâve, we have plenty of clean, water for our students, staff and even our neighbors.

The MOHI school in St. Etienne, has no water. We are so blessed by the kindness shown by Pastor Paul Berube and Grace Fellowship of Nashua, who have offered to pay to have a well drilled at the St. Etienne campus. This will be such a blessing to our students, their families and hopefully to the community. Would you please pray that the well driller will come soon and that God would give them knowledge and wisdom so that the well produces adequate water on the first try? Thank you.

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Soccer

This week the MOHI soccer team played their second match. The final score was 1-0, not in our favor. Despite the loss, the team played great. We saw much improvement. We have a few players that are really doing an outstanding job. Ganyo had several spectacular saves in the goal. Job and Joel are tough competition on the front line. We are looking forward to some more help for the team next month, as Bless Back Worldwide is coming with folks who will be working with the team. It’s so neat to see the sense of school pride among our students each time the team has a game. Hopefully, down the road, we will be able to make a soccer field right next to the school and integrate sports into our curriculum even more.

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Church

Today is Mother’s Day in Haiti. I had lots of well wishes and hugs from so many friends in church this morning. I especially enjoyed seeing the Sutton family, as Angie and the girls were back in the States last weekend. It’s so cool to watch the girls change as they grow. Faith actually carries on conversations now. Lex and I both enjoyed hearing about her trip. The most important points? Grandparents and a trampoline. Love it!

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It was great having the extra seating space in the church this morning. I translated for a little bit and got to see the view from the platform. Pretty neat! Our friends visiting Be Like Brit this week joined us. The children at BLB were especially pleased to have their new friends join them for church.

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School

Another school year is coming to a close. We will be celebrating graduations June 12th in Thozin and June 13th in St. Etienne. The kids have been busy preparing speeches, poems, songs, and dances for these special days. We look forward to our friends Rev. Paul and Rev. Cheryl Minor joining us for these events. They will be bringing graduation gowns with them for our kindergarten classes. It’s going to be a great time!

Here are a couple pictures from the school this week:

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This picture was taken just outside the school wall, as our elementary students were leaving school. It’s a reminder that, while we are helping so many, there are many more that still need to be helped.

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Some of our high school girls will be dancing at another UN event this week.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to see what we’ve been up to. Please do remember to pray whenever you think of us this week.  Thank you.  Have a great week!