Internet woes!!

Hello all!

 Our Internet has been out for the last week, and we're just getting it back! Hoping to be able to start posting things on the blogs again very soon!

God bless you all!

The Nourishing the Needy Program

The Nourishing the Needy Program- where we provide milk for babies who either don't have mothers or are in need of extra nutrition.

I'm sure a lot of you are very familiar with it; recently we've added some more needy cases to the program and are having a hard time keeping up with the demand for milk.

Just today I had to speak with a little old grandma who was holding a newborn baby on her lap- she had come a couple weeks ago, seeking help. The baby's mother had died right after birth and the family had been giving it tea and sugar. She had begged us to put the baby on the Nourishing the Needy program, but we were already over budget and couldn't afford another child. Someone had donated some newborn formula when they visited a month ago, so we give her some of that. The nurses encouraged her to get their extended family to assist with the baby's needs, return for a little more formula the next week, and tell us what she was able to figure out.

She came back and said she hadn't the opportunity to ask the extended family for help. We gave her another week's supply of milk, telling her after that, we couldn't help her.

Today I was called out to the clinic; she had returned again. She was holding the baby on her lap- a contented, chubby little thing, sleeping with a peaceful look on its face, nestled in a swathe of blankets. The little grandma pleaded with me, asking again for milk. All the donated formula was gone, and the formula that was purchased for this month was reserved for the other babies on the program. The answer had to be... "no".

I discussed other options with her- the only realistic one was getting financial help from her extended family and purchasing formula for the child. She shook her head and said she didn't know and it was such a difficult situation; I felt terrible. Fighting for the strength to look her in the eye, I told her I was sorry, and that I wish I could do everything, like God. I am just human- but God can provide for her and that He knows the difficulty. She nodded and said she understood. I told her we would be praying for her and that God would take care of them. And that was it... the conversation was over. I walked away, wondering what the following weeks would hold for that little one. More tea, more sugar water, loosing weight and getting weaker and weaker- possibly dying within a month.

But maybe not? Maybe the family would pull together, provide finances for the milk and the child would continue to grow and thrive. That's my prayer, anyway...

But unfortunately, many times that isn't the case.

So, for this week I'm highlighting the Nourishing the Needy program. Several of you have already shown support in sponsoring children, and for that we are so grateful- to those families in need, we have been able to say "yes!" to their plea- but there are still so many more who are waiting. Please think about it and maybe sponsor a baby on the program. The more that are sponsored, the more we can help.

To see the Nourishing the Needy website, click this link: www.nourishingtheneedy.blogspot.com

God bless you all!

Port and pipe!

Yesterday Dolan, Rhoda and I went out to Port au Prince to pick up Rhoda's sister.

She and her husband and little boy flew into town in the afternoon, so that gave us lots of time to do some shopping and pick up a couple things for clinic.

Driving in Port is always fun :)

The other day the guys' house was having plumbing problems.

Pastor Darwin, Rich and a couple of the guys dug the drain up yesterday and discovered roots breaking into the old pipe. It was full of dirt and debris.

If this isn't true pastoral servanthood, I'm not sure what is! :)

Today, after they cut out the old line (and flushed the rest of it out real well) they installed some new pipes, along with an access port for clearing out the line (if perchance it gets clogged in the future!)

Madam Moise

For the next little while (maybe once a week, on Mondays) I’d like to highlight some of the needs that surround us each day- a child, a mother, a clinic case, a neighbor who needs prayer; things like that. These updates are intended to help you all see some of the many needs that abound in this country.

With some of the things we’ll highlight we might ask for financial help; some we might ask for prayer; some might just be something interesting that you might just take to heart and carry in your thoughts throughout the week.

This week we’d like to request prayer for Madam Moise and her husband, Moise (for those of you who are new to Haitian culture, it’s tradition that after marriage, the wife takes on the name of her husband, adding “madam” in front). Many of you will remember her by name, since she’s been on our prayer requests many times before. You will also remember that she is the resident witch doctor, performing many of the satanic rituals which go along with voodoo practice. Her husband is also involved in a lot of spiritual activity in the community. They both have resisted the Gospel for as long as the mission has been around.

Madam Moise and Katie along the trail. 

However, quite a few months ago, Moise’s foot became infected. They tried healing it with all kinds of potions and remedies, but when it became even worse they sought help at the clinic. By then, his foot was in such bad shape that we could do nothing for him- he needed an amputation or else he would die of infection. After several weeks of going back and forth with their own family, they decided to send him to the Untied States for the operation. Some of their children live in Florida, so they sent him there.

Moise, after his amputation.

Once he came back from the operation his health improved tremendously. The stub left beneath his knee was healed and his body was able to recover from the severe infection that had been plaguing it. I could be wrong, but it seems like since that humbling experience he has been more open to listening to us when we talk to him on spiritual matters. He allows us to pray with him and seems more willing to hear us out.

Now, getting back to Madam Moise: during that whole ordeal she seemed to continue in her stubbornness and resistance to the Gospel and our little visits here and there. 

Moise's compound.

Then, Steve had his cardiac event and left for the States- and something seemed to change. Maybe she was shaken up by the sudden turn of events; maybe she realized that even a young man is susceptible to death; maybe she felt sorry for Steve and his family. I’m not sure, but she seemed far more open to talk about God, about salvation, and the way she has been serving the devil. Some people have speculated that she is just pretending; that she is simply trying to act different because of what has happened. Maybe so, maybe not. However, in any case, we have had many good talks with her- and I believe that whenever we can do that, seeds are being sown that might just take root.

Voodoo altar at the entrance.

Even though her husband is well now, we still go over to their house often to help monitor his blood pressure. This continues to give us opportunities to pray with them and speak truth into their lives. 

Would you please join us in praying for them? It would be a tremendous blow to the kingdom of the enemy if this head of satanic service were to give herself to Jesus. It’s been a prayer request for as long we’ve been here at the mission- perhaps it’s grown stale in our minds, it’s been so long. Maybe we’ve been saying to ourselves “It’s been so long, she’s just not going to give in.”

The cooking house, on the left. The tree stump on the right is somehow used in voodoo rituals...

So, we simply ask again that you pray with us, as we see the possibility of her salvation maybe closer than before. What would happen if we all pray for her, again??

Thank you all for your support, and for taking interest in God’s work here. He is and will continue to be glorified, as we give ourselves to Him in service.

God’s choicest blessings to each one of you today!

Painting and Pastoral Premonitions

On Saturday we painted the depot!

It already had a primer coat on from a few weeks ago.

Team work... it's a good thing!

You can see the progression of paint...

And, not just on the building... 

:)

Pastor Darwin and his wife and youngest son came for a visit!

He will be preaching to the church here in some special meetings later on.

Along with came a surprise- DominiQue's dad, Rich. He arrived without telling her he was coming!

We're blessed with their presence and are looking forward to a few weeks with them!

Rainbows of promise, visiting and power washing!

Earlier this week we had an amazing, double rainbow.

I haven't ever seen one so brilliant and so well defined!

An amazing reminder that God is above all...

Some of the group hiked up to a neighbor's house yesterday. 

His name is Ajinal; he and his family live up on the mountainside behind the mission.

His wife had been burned last week, so the nurses cleaned the wounds.

It was sweet to see Ajinal hold his wife's hand and help her cope with the pain.

We're all pretty amazed how well he gets around, considering how old he is!

How old? Well, we don't actually know, for a fact :)

We're guessing 70's or 80's.

Here he was sitting with a bunch of youngsters that hang around his house.

Visiting...

The two guys...

:)

The three girls...

:)

The trip back was very nice-

lots of green and leafy stuff around!

The rainy season is departing, so we're enjoying the foliage as long as we can, 

before it turns brown again...

Today Glenden was washing off the machines and performing maintenance on them.

It takes time and effort to keep the machines going well.

Thankfully, Glenden is up to the challenge :)

The gardeners have planed some cabbage, onions and carrots in the garden plot in between the two mission houses. To keep the seeds and sprouts safe from too much sun and any heavy rains, they also constructed a frame and mesh to cover the mounds.

The sweetest face in the country :)

Makayla has been such a wonderful bright spot in our lives the last month!

Unfortunately for us, Donavan and Thea flew home today, 

leaving us waiting for Darwin's arrival on the 7th!

The sidewalk project is all finished now, so yesterday Dolan and Glenden did some clean up.

The horrors of office work... :) :)

There's been a lot of reorganization in the office this week, so that means sorting through all the paperwork and filing old documents.

Ah, what joy... :)

God bless!

A few things going on today around the mission compound...

DominiQue and Thea worked on lunch:

Looks like it's pates on the menu!

A new walkway is being constructed to and around the front of the depot.

Donavan here is troweling cement in-between the paver stones.

Dolan worked on a different section...

And Glenden was the official cement mixer!

Inside the house this evening Whitney and Rhoda worked on making packets of antibacterial cream.

These will be used in the clinic tomorrow.

Last but not least, some of the neighborhood girls were out helping Katie wash a widow lady's clothing.

The one girl is working to earn a pair of sandals and the others were just helping for the fun of it :)

Prayer requests and thanksgiving!

Good morning to all!

The last few weeks (as you could imagine) have been really filled with times of uncertainty and unexpected events! But in those times of difficulty it has been amazing to see God's grace and peace being provided. I'm sure everyone has heard about Steve's heart problems a couple weeks ago- the experience has really made us see how fragile and uncertain life can be. It only takes a few seconds of heart malfunction and the entire course of life can be completely altered.

But again, we all here back at the mission can say it has been a good time of growth for our faith in the Lord. He has shown Himself so faithful so many times in the last few weeks! So, we continue to trust Him and expect great things from Him!

We have a few prayer requests to make, so if you're in the habit of praying for the mission here, please add these to your list! And, even if you aren't in the habit, even a few prayers right now would be appreciated :)


Please pray for:

     1. Madam Moise, the local witchdoctor. It seems like the events over the last few weeks have really shaken her and she is more open now than she has been for quite some time.
     2. Sickness at the mission: several of us have come down with bad colds/fevers of some sort, making it difficult to keep the pace in some ways.
     3. Wisdom for the stand-in staff: Steve and Shana filled a huge position here and those of us taking over feel our need for wisdom very keenly.
     4. Steve and his doctors, as they try to figure out what's wrong. They are currently waiting for test results that should shed some light on his heart condition.
     5. Steve's family as they adjust to life back in the States: as you could imagine, coming from Haitian culture and being dropped suddenly back into the American culture has it's challenges!
     6. The spiritual outreach to the Haitians we come in contact with each day: we see people all the time, and talk with them just about as much; at the clinic, on the road, at the mission compound, at church, on the mountainside. There are so many opportunities each day to shine the light of the Gospel! Oh, for wisdom and the ability to speak rightly! Many of us are still learning Creole, so it makes communication difficult oftentimes.
     7. That we at the mission would continue to live in peace and joy with each other.


Of course, a prayer list wouldn't be complete without also a praise list! :)

     1. Obviously, that God has been so very good to us! :)
     2. Steve is still with us and is on the road of recovery!
     3. Things have gone very smoothly here at the mission- all things considered.
     4. It seems like a lot of people have softened their hearts and are more willing to look at their lives in the light of eternity. Opportunities, opportunities...
     5. The amazing support we've received from everyone back home- a HUGE thank you for all your prayers and help through the last little while!


May God continue to be glorified in all of our lives, wherever we find ourselves on this globe! Thanks again to all of you back home! Keep Jesus first and trust Him!

In Him,
-the team in Aleg

Tuesday Bible Class!

It's Tuesday afternoon and work at the clinic is finished; the children are getting out of school and the nurses are done with lunch and going back to clinic once again. This time, though, instead of medical books and medicine, they're carrying a picture board, a cardboard box, and a Bible story book.

As they walk they gather up little ones and call them to come and sit on the benches. Seeing they are lacking a few attendees, Katie heads down the road to search out the rest of the young ones. Rhoda unpacks cut-out figurines and props from the box and takes one last look at the Bible story book. It's time for the Tuesday Children's Bible class! Ah, more seeds are to be planted into their little hearts again!

Looking over the crowd there are still a few missing, but they begin anyway because time is limited today. A song selection is given and they begin to sing: "Chante Alleluia Ou Senye!" (Sing Hallelujah to the Lord, in English). Another song is requested and then a prayer given.

The story today is about Joseph. The children listen well and hear about his father's love for him, the coat of many colors, his dreams and the betrayal of his brothers. In the middle there's a small disturbance as some of the boys pick at and tease each other. Correction is given and the story goes on. Rhoda moves the cut-out characters around on the board, illustrating the account and giving visual aid to the memories of the attentive little ones. The story finishes as the brothers sell Joseph into captivity. The rest of his life's events will have to be told next time- at the next Tuesday Bible class!

The children sing one more song and have a closing prayer and begin to help carry things back to the mission. Normally there would be more visiting and sharing with them, but today there was a funeral to attend; the nurses had to go.

Children prance and crowd around as they walk back, saying farewell, giving their parting "bye-bye"s and run off, tussling and playing as they go.

It always blesses me to see these little eager lives soaking up every word and learning Biblical truths. Yes, some of them make trouble and tease, pinch, and annoy others during the class, but it seems there is a kind of hunger in their hearts to hear about the Bible and the accounts in it. Pray for them, that as they hear, as they grow, and as the nurses minister to them, they would take all these things in and allow the precious seed of the Word of God to sprout and grow in their hearts!

-Nate

Apologies...

Due to the fact that our secretary, Jon Hofer, was required to return to his home in Manitoba on very short notice, I'm afraid that this blog will probably suffer a bit from lack of attention. The Clinic Life blog, however, should continue to receive fairly regular updates; as all of the nurses contribute to it.
Thanks for your understanding and patience!

Sent from Steve's iPhone

Sorting through clothes!

Today Shana and DominiQue are sorting through boxes and boxes of donated clothing... They're organizing them according to size and gender, putting them into totes, and storing them safely until a need for clothing arises...

A big "thank you!" to the donors!!

God bless you richly!

Wheelbarrows!

One of the unfortunate things that happens during a project like the church rebuild is the daily casualties of wheelbarrows. As tragic as it sounds, there is hope for their broken pieces. The heavy work of hauling large rocks and numerous loads of sand tend to wear them out quickly- and when that happens, they are brought back to the shop and fixed, reinforced, and sent back up for more work!

Glenden, the master repairmen, grinding away at a highly customized, heavy duty replacement axle.

The wheelbarrow-in-waiting...

Another that had been previously modified with extended spokes.

We fix about 2 per day, on average; we try reinforcing them in any way possible, but somehow something else always manages to break!

Grandpa Harold relaxing!!! ;) and a visit to Deacon Noaz's home.

I caught grandpa and Nathan relaxing the other day, couldn't help taking the
shot because it's not often I see grandpa sitting idle. He is a high light for all
of us here at the mission,

I was walking up to the church building two days ago, spending time listening time playing
with the little fellows along the road, singing and praying, and as I was walking around Deacon
Noaz's house I heard "Nothing but the Blood of Jesus" being sung, so I decided to go
join them. They were all sitting working with beans and joyfully singing as they worked.
I'm always thankful the mountains loudly echo any noise for a long ways, so many people
hear the gospel with anyone directly preaching to them. 

Noaz's wife sitting on the right, and the man on the left is a poor fellow
who isn't a believer either, such a sad, forlorn look on his face, but he has
heard the gospel now if he never heard it before that.

There is the house, with all the beans strewn about drying in the sun.

I was ready to walk on and I heard these avocado come crashing down from high above me
and looking up couldn't figure out why they're dropping, if you look close enough you can
see a young man with a long stick way about 18 feet up in the tree banging around making
them drop down.