A peek into our Whirlwind!

Wow, so much has been going on, so I thought I'd stop for a minute and catch you all up on the news. I am busy getting ready for my trip to the US. I will be there for several weeks, but will miss everyone here very much...especially my two special girls Lala and Ciliana, who are here in the picture with me. These are the two little girls we've had since they were days old, and they are such an important part of the HOH. We continue to be pleased and praise God for Ciliana's progress, and both of them continue to put a smile on our faces and bring joy to our hearts!

I received quite a few comments on how you liked the picture of Owen on the last blog update. I'd like to ask you to pray for him. Just a few days after taking that picture, and seeing how excited he was to have his own set of wheels, Owen had a major set back. We have not seen that smile on his face recently. While we do not know who his mother is, Owen apparently recognized her in a group of ladies who came to pray with some of our sick children. She didn't identify herself, and no one knows which one she was except for Owen. She didnt talk to him, and he was very hurt by the whole experience. I'm sure she was just wanting to check up on him and make sure he was doing ok...perhaps she didn't realize he'd recognize her, or see her, but it really broke his heart and he is very sad. Please pray for him, that with the Lord's help we'd be able to lift his spirits, and pray also that she would be convicted, and would come back and meet us and see her son.

The two new children we mentioned in the last blog are doing pretty good, it's been a rough road for Daphnie, she has not wanted to stay here, but I think we've gotten over the toughest part for her. We've admitted 8 more children since then! Our house is definitely bursting at the seems, even with having sent several of the children back to their homes. Two of the newest children are Kendrick and Amos, both boys around 12 years of age. They come from the same area of Haiti but from two very different family backgrounds, and both needing a lot of love, attention and care. We struggled to help a little boy named Wilphene. He took up a lot of our nurses time over the past week or so, trying everything we could to save him, but he passed away earlier this week.

Our students have been studying really hard this week, as mid-term exams start this coming week. We are one of the only places in our whole village that has electricity at nights, so we've been noticing an increasing amount of students from the community coming to the HOH in the afternoons and evenings. They've created study groups one for each class in school (even though they attend several different schools in the community), and they can be seen all over the HOH putting their heads together to study. You can see one of the groups in the picture here. We are so glad we can be a help to the community in this way, and pray that the connection with these young people will produce fruit for the Kingdom of God as we interact with them as the spend time here with us.

We have one more Bible study tonight, and then the Tuesday and Saturday Bible studies shut down for a while as I'm away. Linda will continue to have evening devotions and Sunday School as well as Sunday Evening studies with our kids and young people, so she'd appreciate your prayers. She'd appreciate your prayers in general as she holds down the fort, it's always harder to do when one of us is away!

So here are some more prayer requests for the next little while:

• Our new nurse started work, and so far she is doing really great. Please continue to pray for her as she learns her role here, and organizes the auxiliary nurses so that they can all do a better job together.
  
• For more monthly supporters who can help us with the daily expenses of running the HOH.
  
• For safety as I travel, attend a conference, see some friends and supporters, and take a break at my sister's place.
• For our students writing exams, that they'd have clarity of thought as they remember what they've studied and learned.
• For continued growth as they study God's Word with Linda over the next few weeks, and for wisdom and patience for Linda as she helps them.
• For health of the numerous malnourished children who have been admitted, and for the Gospel to be communicated and understood by their families as they are here with their children.

Our latest newsletter is now available to be viewed online, so feel free to go take a look at: http://www.handsofhope.org.uk/hoh_main.php click on "Read our latest newsletter"

Thank you some much for your prayers for and support of the House of Hope.

Moving along...

We were blessed to receive a number of new wheelchairs this past week, from www.freewheelchairmission.org . They are made from parts that can be easily replaced, and not cost a lot...plastic lawn chairs and bicycle tires. We are thankful to our friends from Extreme Response who connected us with the distributor of these chairs in Port-au-Prince. Owen, pictured here, was one of the children who received a wheelchair. He was so excited, as he has spent his life walking on his hands and knees. This is the young boy who was abandoned here several months ago, and has just turned into a ray of sunshine here at the HOH. We are so thankful for this gift that has allowed him to get up off the floor, and move around a lot easier.

The children are doing well for the most part. We received two children this week, Daphnie and Anslot. They are both older, around 10 years old, so it's been a bit of a harder adjustment for them, but they are getting there. Pray as we interact with these young people, that they'd be open to the Gospel as we share it with them during their time here.

School and studies are both going well, thank you for your prayers. We were happy to have a visit from our friends, Jeb and Gail Bland last week. They brought over 100 pairs of cloth diapers with them, what a blessing that was! We were also able to get a prayer/news letter written, and mailed. It should be posted on our website sometime in the next week or so.

We appreciate your prayers for us very much and ask that you continue to pray for:

• The students here at the HOH as the attend school and study here at home, that they would be faithful in their studies.
• For our different Bible studies, that we will be open to the Holy Spirit's teaching as we study God's word together.
• For God's provision of more monthly supporters of this ministry.
• For the health of our children, and for our staff as we care for many sick children.
• For our new nurse who will start working here this next Tuesday. That she would fit into this ministry, and would be an example of God's love to our children.
  
• For me as I prepare for a trip to the US the end of this month.

God bless you all...