Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Rain, Rain and more Rain!

That is what seems to be dictating life at the HOH these days.  We don't have "snow" days in Haiti -- but the kids sure do seem to be getting many "rain" days these days.  It affects all of life -- the roads turn into deep mud pits, traffic slows and even halts.  Food, produce and even charcoal to cook with becomes rare and the challenges of life seem to get even more challenging.  Because of this, I know Linda would appreciate your prayers for wisdom and patience to meet these challenges.

I wanted to share a great link with you today.  Tim Fausch from Extreme Response came down to Haiti with me on my last trip and wrote an informative post on the ER blog about the House of Hope.  I thought it might be interesting to you all hearing things from his perspective.  You can go to the link here:  Extreme Response Blog .

Monday, November 13, 2017

A Whirlwind Trip

Greetings to you all!  A big thank you for your prayers for my recent trip to Haiti.  Everything went just as we had planned it -- and if you know Haiti at all, you know that's a pretty big deal!  Three other Extreme Response Staff members joined me on this trip to Haiti and it was an amazing trip.

For me, the chance to get back and see 
Linda and the kids meant so much to me.  
Here's a picture of the best hug ever.... 
me and my Nannie!
For both of us the trip was too short and the tears were hard to hold back on the day I left. 
 
 I was thrilled to meet the newest member of our family, tiny Moise...
I held him every moment I was able to, 
what a precious little one.  
Can't wait to see him grow and get healthy in our care.

I'm not the only one charmed by the new baby
 Three year old Mits doesn't remember coming here around the same age as little Moise,
but he sure is excited to be here for his new little brother!

It was good to be able to get an update on some of our family who have been sick.  Oliana is definitely doing better and she asked me to thank you for your prayers.  You can just see that her poor body is having more and more trouble coming back from those crisis moments, so thank you for your continued prayers for her.  She is determined to continue with her studies and started back to school while I was there.

I was not able to see Lyse while I was there, but the fact that she didn't need to come to the hospital while I was there is always a good sign.  I was able to chat a bit with one of the other young ladies who is having some trouble with some mental health issues.  I won't publish her name for her own privacy, but if you could pray for her and for wisdom for Linda and our health care professionals as they try to work with her, that'd be great.  

It is always good for me to see the House of Hope through the eyes of people who have never seen it before.  So much happens in our home every day...
  • Our dedicated staff serves hundreds of meals each day.
  • Approximately 80 infants, children and young adults call the House of Hope home at any given time. 
  • We are able to help over 50 children and young adults receive an education.
  • Our yard is constantly filled with children and youth from our local community who find in our home a place of safety and refuge.  They simply call it, "The House".
  • Our kids, young and old, who have received help and hope for their lives are quick to pass that on to the others that come along behind them.
  • The love and hope of Jesus is spread both through many daily activities as well as through everyday life interactions.  

The visiting Extreme Response team put together a short video of our time at the House of Hope.   Here you can find it and see a bit of what they saw while there... House of Hope Haiti Slideshow 2017

All of this is possible because of you, our great team of partners who bless us with your support to keep this ministry going.  Thank you for your part.