Staff Camp

We are half way through our bi-annual Staff Camp, and so far things are moving right along. Thanks so much for your prayers on our behalf. It has been very busy, so that's why I haven't had a chance to write for a couple of weeks now. We are full of visitors, some just visiting, and some helping take care of the HOH children while the staff is at camp. Linda and the girls are very busy in the kitchen, making 3 meals a day for our 26 staff members, 24 visitors, as well as for all the HOH family, so for about 150 people all in all. I don't know how they keep doing it, but they do it so well, and I'll tell you, good stuff comes out of this kitchen!

Our visitors at the moment include, Jeb Bland and a group of 5 ladies from his home area in PA. They are doing a great job of taking care of the younger children throughout the day so we are free to keep things rolling in the kitchen, and with the staff. The Lewis family is also here from England, it's always great to have them with us, they are such an encouragement to us and the ministry here. Bonita Sparling has also dropped in, along with a number of friends (Some of the older kids/workers from Lemuel, including Judy Dilus who came for a day). We so enjoy Bonita's visits, and benefit from her non-stop energy, I just wish I could get some of it from her for myself! It's been a nice time of fellowship as well, as we all have one thing that binds us together, Jesus! His love for us, our love for Him, and our desire to serve Him together, at this time in this ministry. What a great privilege to have so many servants together in one place. Here you can see the staff and visitors sharing a meal together...

We ask that you continue to pray for us. I'll try and update more after the week is over. But we really want this week to be a time of relaxing for our staff, but also a time of growth in their walk with the Lord, and in a closer relationship with each other. We are spending several hours a day in studies, and in times of worship. Please pray for Pastor Kenny Vil, who is leading our morning Bible studies based on our theme verse of Romans 12:18. And also for several of our doctors who are doing health studies for the staff in the afternoons. Then also remember Linda and Rosnel who are leading the evening worship services. This picture is of the staff and HOH young people in last nights time of worship...it was a great time of praising God, and remembering all He has done for us, and who He is!

God bless you all, and thanks so much for your prayers!

Look Jenny!!

I could hear the excited voices marching their way to my office from the back yard. "Look what we found Jenny!" I'm always a little hesitant whenever I hear that, for some reason. Today their treasure was a couple of soldier snails. A group of the kids had found them, captured them, and were having a blast using them to terrorize whoever showed the least little bit of fear! Thankfully I've learned to be prepared for anything when I turn to face the group heading to my office. You can see their newly acquired pets in the little plastic container they are holding. Who knew you could have so much fun with snails?

This past weekend the kids enjoyed attending the Bible conference that is held every year in our town. 7,000 People from all over Haiti come every year for 4 days of Bible studies, times of worship, and kids programs. There was such excitement in the HOH as the kids prepared every morning and afternoon to attend the kids' programs. They learned lots of new songs and verses. This year's theme for the kids was "Jesus is the light". Here is a group of our children who were all dressed up and ready to head off to "Camp Bethel" where the kids' programs are always held. The kids weren't the only ones to enjoy the Bible conference. We adults had a great time of learning and worshiping as well, as Jim O'Neill shared God's Word with us each evening of the conference. Some of his topics were, "Operation Obey", "Getting involved in World Missions", and "Humility". I think God really used his message to speak to a variety of audiences, I know our young people really enjoyed what he taught, and learned a lot.

For those of you who were praying for and rooting for Manno in his singing competition. Thank you for your support. Manno was eliminated this week, as the competition took a different twist. It no longer was a judged competition, and was based much more on voting over the telephone. There really was no way (nor a desire on our part to do so) we could keep up with the thousands of dollars other contestants we spending to keep in the competition. We are thankful for the chance Manno had to compete, and we look forward to what God is going to do with him and his voice in the future.

Linda, Lois Beadle and Marie Claire are all teaching the CEF course number 2 this week. Please pray for them as they teach 10 ladies, who are all pretty influential in their communities. These ladies will take what they learn this week, back to their home communities and churches, and use these methods and ideas to teach children how to grow in their walk with the Lord.

Finally everyone is finished writing their exams, now comes the waiting period as we wait to find out if everyone passed. Speaking of waiting, we are still waiting for Ciliana's exams to get back, we should have them by Thursday of this week though. Here's a picture of her and all the girls who have "adopted" her into their family.Several years ago, Lovedine (the oldest girl who is holding Ciliana) took Esther, the young girl standing beside her, as her "daughter". She watches out for her during the day and makes sure she is taken care of. To follow in her "mom's" footsteps, Esther "adopted" Dieula (in front in pink dress) as her "daughter", making Lovedine the "Grandmother". Well, once Ciliana came along the family just kept growing as Dieula took Ciliana as her "daughter", and Lovedine is now a "Great Grandmother". It is so cute to watch the four of them interact with each other. What a beautiful example of Jesus they are as they lovingly take care of each other.

During these next two weeks we will be preparing for our Staff camp, set to take place on July 23 - 28th. We have a lot of visitors coming to participate, and the Staff is looking forward to a break and to a fun week together. Pray for Pastor Kenny Vil as he prepares messages to share with us each day, and also for us as we make all the plans for the week, there is much to be done, and it is at times like these we thank God for our older young people here who help out with so much.

Thank you for your prayers on our behalf, please continue to pray for God's provision of all of our needs, and thank Him for everything he has given us already. Pray that we would be lights shining forth the love of God to those around us. The children you prayed for last week are doing just great this week. We don't have any specific ones who are not doing good at the moment, so thanks for praying! God bless, and have a really great week!

Back home again

The summer fun continues here at the HOH as the kids are enjoying a new play area Linda and the boys fixed up a couple of weeks ago. They are pretty good at coming up with creative games, and while Linda and I can't always figure out what's going on, they seem to know and have a lot of fun playing them.

As always when we leave the HOH, it's good to be back again. We enjoyed our time in PAP, catching up with the Boucher family, and getting done the various things that needed to be done (despite the intense heat and very sporadic electricity).

Manno, was also in PAP over the weekend, participating in the next leg of his "Star" competition. While we weren't able to go to the show, Carl Evens (his brother) and St. Germain went and saw Manno and 7 other artists sing. Manno came in 3rd after the judges gave their points for the performance, and at this stage in the contest that will count for 40% of his total score. Now it's up to voters to vote via our cel phones. Manno and several others from the HOH are busy doing some marketing in our area to drum up as many votes for Manno as possible. I guess we'll see where this takes him. We are just proud of him for his hard work and getting this far in the competition, and for reflecting Jesus while doing so. It was exciting for him to see, and for us to hear, that all 8 of the artists in his pool at this stage of the competition are believers in Jesus, and they had a great time of fellowship this past weekend!

We were able to get Ciliana into the center to have her tests done. We should get the results next week. She's been having a bit of trouble with diarrhea these past few weeks, so we hope we can get that taken care of soon (for her health and ours! I was up 4 times last night to change her, down from the 6 times a night a week ago, but we've got a ways to go to get this back to normal). She's just so cute I have to share another picture of her!

Ruben is the only one left writing exams. He's been sick with malaria, and is now writing exams, so if you could pray for him he'd sure appreciate that. He'll finish tomorrow (Wednesday). Then they are all on vacation! We received back a few report cards this past week and found a couple of the kids didn't pass the school year. They were pretty much the ones we figured wouldn't, but one of them, Mirlene has a chance to retake her exams in August to try and pass the year, so you could pray for her as she studies. Most of the students did really well however, and will be moving up next school year.

This week our Haitian national mission the UEBH will be hosting it's annual Spiritual Life Conference here in out town. Somewhere around 6-7,000 people will show up for the conference that starts tomorrow evening. We've already been able to see a few early comers, and it's was especially good to see a lady who used to be a nurse here at the hospital, Mme Amichlot, come back. It's been several years since we've seen her, so it was nice to have her back for a visit. We are looking forward to the other CrossWorld missionaries who will be here for the conference as well. This year the main speaker for the conference is CrossWorld President, Jim O'Neill, he'll arrive tomorrow, and we are looking forward to having him here as well.

Next week Linda will teach her CEF level 2 course, so we are in a rush trying to get all her materials together for the class. Please pray as she prepares to teach people how to further teach the Bible to children The emphasis of this course is teaching children who are already believers so they grow in their Spiritual walk with the Lord.

We are still having some trouble with a few of the newer children. It's not always easy to figure out exactly what's wrong with them, and how to treat them. Please pray specifically for Valandina and Sloweky. Thank you once again for your support of the HOH in this way!

Summer Vacation is Here!

Wow, where have the weeks gone! It is way past time for me to update you all. I'm back in Haiti after having had the chance to visit a number of friends, family and supporters in North Western USA, and South Western Canada. It was a very busy trip, but I had a great time seeing all those I was able to.

I am happy to be back though, I missed everyone here, and was missed as well. The baby Ciliana is now 11.5 pounds, and doing great. I plan to go to Port-au-Prince this week to try and get her tests done. There were about 10 new admissions while I was gone, including an 8 day old baby girl named Valandina. She is doing really well and is now just over a month old. We seem to be getting quite adept at taking care of these tiny ones, and so far everyone enjoys pitching in to take care of them.

For the most part, school is out. Ronel, Phania, and Ruben are still writing grade 12 and 13 exams these next two weeks, so they could really use your prayers. They've worked hard studying, so we hope they each pass their exams. Everyone else is finished, and so summer vacation has officially begun here at the HOH. It's going to be a busy one, and has already started with a flurry of activity.

Linda and I are so thankful for St. Germain (pictured here), who has earned the title "Program Director" of the HOH. He has planned games every morning and afternoon to keep everyone busy. What a blessing to have that taken care of for us, so we can get other work done. God has gifted him in this area of planning and implementing his plans, and boy do we appreciate all of his efforts.

Last week started out with several very serious games of water balloon races, and dodge ball (with both balls, and water soaked sponges). With the high temperatures we've already been experiencing this summer (yesterday it was 108˚F in the sun!), any game with water is a welcome relief. As you see in the other picture even afternoon rainstorms couldn't stop them from having their fun!

While the kids are having all the fun, Linda and I have been busy preparing Bible studies and lessons for the coming year. Linda is also preparing to teach some Child Evangelism Fellowship courses this coming summer, so she could use your prayers as she prepares these lessons to train teachers to teach children the Gospel.

We enjoyed a fun weekend together this past weekend, not only was it the first weekend I was back, and the first weekend school was out. But it was also my birthday, as well as the graduation of one of our youngsters from elementary school, so we had a couple of parties together, and had a lot of fun enjoying just being together.

Manno, our star, is still waiting to head to Port-au-Prince to compete in the semi-finals of the singing contest. He's been busy preparing 10 songs that he will have to perform. Out of the 14 semi-finalists, they will eliminate 6 and only keep 8 for the finals. The Semi-finals are supposed to start Friday the 29th of June, so you could keep him in your prayers as well. We pray that he will be an reflection of Jesus to those he comes in contact with as he sings in this competition. Pray that God would direct his steps, and direct others who come in contact with him, pray that he would have the courage and wisdom to speak of his faith, and share Christ with others around him, and that some would come to know the Lord.

Here are some prayer requests you could pray for this week:

• There is some kind of fever/flu going around, we have kids dropping like flies, so pray for those of us who are still well, as we cover for those who are sick. Linda woke up not feeling well today, so hopefully she won't be the next victim!
• 6 of us plan on heading to Port-au-Prince this week to take care of some government paperwork, and doctor appointments. Three of the older kids will be going on the bus, and Linda and I plus the baby will be flying down. Pray for safety in travel, and also that we'd be able to get done all we need to accomplish.
• There is so much work to do, we need wisdom to prioritize what needs done, and also know when to say no!
• We have a very busy visitor schedule through this summer, pray as I work through all of these logistics, and pray for safety in travel as these groups come from all over.
• Pray that we would be a reflection of Jesus to those around us, and that we'd grow closer to Him every day.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support. We thank God for the many people He has placed on our team to enable this ministry to continue. Thank you for your part.

He Won!!!

We are so proud of Manno. He won, and is one of the two finalist for our region of Haiti. Now, early in June he will be going to the capital city, Port-au-Prince to compete with the other 13 finalists. This is a big deal for him, and we are proud of him! Please continue to pray for him, that he would be a good example to the others in the competition, and that he would be a light shining for the Lord as he continues to use the talents God has given him to bring Him glory. We'll keep you posted as time goes by.

I am currently in the US. I'm missing all my kids and Linda, especially baby Ciliana, you can see in this picture she is doing just great. We don't have a final answer yet with regards to her blood tests, we hit some walls, which I guess is normal as we are walking on new and unfamiliar territory for us, but hopefully we'll get things straightened out, and will be a help, not oly to her but to others in the same situation as she is in the future. At this point we won't know more until I go back to Haiti and can take her back to PAP.

I've been in touch with Linda and the kids and they are all doing just fine. School is coming to an end, so they are getting ready for exams. Some will be writing government exams this coming month, so they could really use your prayers. I'll try and list who they are before they write their exams. Thank you so much for your prayers, and for your patience as I'm traveling and not able to update this quite as often.

A Star among us!

Over the past few months the phone company that gives us the cell phone service in our area of Haiti has been having a contest to find a rising star in the area of music. One of our boys, Manno (Emmanuel Pierre), entered the contest, and out of the 1,000 contestants in our department of Haiti, he made it to the top 10. This week is voting week. The top two out of these 10 will go to the capital city, Port-au-Prince, to continue in the contest. We are proud of Manno, his hard work, and his love for the Lord. Please pray for him that he would use this chance to sing as a chance to be a strong witness for the Lord. We'll let you know if he makes it to the finals, but we are proud of him either way.

As you know, I spent almost a week in Port-au-Prince meeting with the other CrossWorld missionaries, and a couple from the CrossWorld Home Staff. We had a nice time together up at the Lodge, in the very cool mountains above PAP. I was also able to take Ciliana to get her blood tests, we are waiting for those results.

Thank you to those of you who expressed your condolences for the death of our friend and former HOH kid, Celibon. Our young people were able to participate in Celibon's funeral while I was away. They sang a beautiful song together, and I have heard that it was very well attended. Continue to pray for his family and friends who are missing him very much, and also that as they talk about his life, others would come to know Jesus because of how much he imitated Christ in his daily walk.

The two men from Compassion Canada were able to make it here after all, and we had a nice visit with them. We also enjoyed a visit from David & Phyllis Schmid, and John and Rachael Sherwood from the CrossWorld home office this past week. Now we have one more group of men coming for just one day this weekend before I take off and go to the US for a few weeks. It has been a busy year for visitors!

Most of the children are doing pretty good. Only Blandjina is still struggling, but she is doing better, and we hope in a few weeks she'll be fine. Many of our students are really studying hard as end of the year exams are coming up really fast. Linda and I are preparing things for my travels, so we are all managing to stay busy.

We'd appreciate your prayers over the next few weeks, as I travel in the US and Canada, and as Linda stays here and holds down the fort (and she's not been feeling well for quite a while now). I will try to update as often as I can while I'm away. I will be in Corsicana, Texas first, then will be traveling with my sister up to Seattle, then up into Canada, over to Calgary and Edmonton, and then back again. It will be a busy few weeks, but I am looking forward to seeing a number of different friends and supporters of the HOH. If you'd like to get in touch with me while I'm in the US just send me an e-mail and I'll give you my phone numbers. I'd be more than happy to talk with you! Thank you for keeping in touch and for your prayers. We just admitted a little malnourished 2 year old boy named Kedner, so you could keep him in your prayers as well. God bless, til next time...

With the Lord...

It is with a very heavy heart and great sadness I write to tell you that Celibon (see picture below or in the last update) passed away this morning. Thank you to those of you who prayed for him after my last update. While we know he is better off right now, and we rejoice that he is with his Saviour, whom he loved very deeply, and with his beloved "Miss Caro" (Carolyn Bradshaw, the founder of the HOH, and the lady who he loved like a mother), you can just imagine how sad life already feels without this ray of sunshine in it. We will miss his smile and ready hello as he passed through the HOH on his way to/from work, his laugh as we sat around telling stories. His incredible courage to face a society that scorns people with any kind of handicaps, not to mention someone with the multiple physical handicaps that he was born with, was an inspiration to everyone who knew him. We will miss Linda and him remember the "old days" of the HOH together, and the many stories they had to share. I ask that you please pray for his family, Fre Domay, his father, is beside himself with grief, as are his brother and sister. The funeral will be held Tuesday of this coming week, but they really haven't made to many concrete plans, Linda is working closely with them, and I am trying to prepare what I can ahead of time as I have to be in PAP this week, so I regrettably will miss it. He was a very close friend of Linda's so this is very difficult for her right now, so please pray for her as well. They have known each other a good part of their lives, so the memories and ties run deep and long. Thank you for holding us up in prayer and support through the good and the difficult times. How grateful we are that we have a loving and sovereign God in times like these, and we can trust Him to work out his good and perfect will in all situations. God bless...

What's up?

This past week had some unexpected, yet good twists to it. First, here's some news on how things are going here at the HOH since our first Peacemaker seminar. We have had the occasion to use our newly acquired teaching a lot throughout the week. Some comments we've heard from others were, "wow, that seminar came at a good time, everyone is getting along a whole lot better now", which makes us very glad that our kids and young people are taking what they learned seriously. It's been neat to watch their interaction with each other, and hear principles from the seminar coming out of their discussions...especially the idea of choices you make having consequences that go with it. Yesterday, a number of our young people left late for school, and arrived after they had already shut the doors. They were sent home, and received, as they were expecting, a punishment for being late...Choices and Consequences! They left extra early for school this morning!

You can see by this picture that our little miracle baby Ciliana is doing just great, she is almost 10 pounds! A huge difference from the less than 2 pound bundle we received just 4 months ago. I will be taking her to Port-au-Prince (PAP) this coming Monday to try and get an HIV test done for her. The test they do here only checks the antibodies, so we wouldn't know if she is truly positive until she is 18 months old. We'd like to know sooner, and I am going to PAP anyway for CrossWorld business meeting and team training with the other Haiti CrossWorld missionaries, so we thought this was a good time to have it done. We of course are praying that it will be negative, but we want God's will done more than anything, and will continue to love and care for her just the same regardless of the results.

All of the malnourished children we had received last week are doing really well. So far this week we've admitted three new children: Linda, a 9 month old little girl who has TB; Kerlin, the older brother of Jamesley who came in last week with TB; and Phanor, a little boy also with TB. You could pray for Richoudly, he is doing better, but his sisters who have been staying with him until he got a bit better, have now left, and he is dealing with that. We are confident that he'll be fine in a day or so, but needs your prayers. Julienne and Junior are continuing to improve, once again amazing us all!

A number of you know or know of Celibon, a friend of ours who works at the hospital here in La Pointe, and a former HOH child himself. We'd like to ask you to pray for him, he has been very sick lately, and has been needing quite a few medical tests done to determine what the problem is. He is usually such an energetic and joyful man, but lately his energy level has dropped considerably, and while his joy still shines through, it's easy to see this is very taxing on his body and spirit. Pray for Celibon to rely on God for His strength, timing and provision during this difficult time. Pray also that the doctors would have wisdom in dealing with his complicated case.

We enjoyed a the visit of our friends from Valley Bible Church in Vermont, very much. Unfortunately it was a short visit, and I was busy the whole time and didn't get to spend much time with them at all. They helped us prepare, stuff, and mail our prayer letter, so we are very thankful for their help! They also spent a lot of time loving and caring for our children, for which we are extremely grateful. With all those new malnourished children, they sure needed the extra boost of love and care.

After they left we received a visit from another missionary, Joel Trimble, and Haiti for Christ ministries. He did quite a bit of filming the HOH for his TV program that airs in both Haiti and various places in the US. He also captured some film on DVD for us to use for promotional/fund raising purposes. It was an unexpected twist to the week as we had never heard of his ministry until last Friday, but we are glad God arranged for us to meet, and glad he could come see the ministry here at the HOH.

Now we are waiting for two visitors from Compassion Canada to come see the HOH. They were just coming for the day today, and are scheduled to leave tomorrow. Unfortunately things aren't going as smoothly as planned (should we be surprised?). Apparently, another airplane from a company that we don't use had an accident on the runway in Port-de-Paix yesterday afternoon. They hit a UN helicopter that was sitting in the middle of the runway. No one was injured, just the plane and helicopter that are now blocking the runway and every other plane from taking off or landing. So we are sitting around waiting to hear if and when the runway can be cleared and flights start up again. I do hope it isn't too late, as they are only going to be here one day.

Well, that's about all of our news. You could pray for both Linda and I as we aren't feeling too well, and have both been checked for malaria today, not sure yet if that's what's wrong, but we are both feeling like it could be a possibility. Once again, thank you so much for your prayers on our behalf. It will be at least a week before I can write again (I'd appreciate your prayers for safety as we'll be in PAP all next week), so we wish you a very nice week, and we'll connect as soon as we can. God bless...

A Great Week

We had a great week studying the first six lessons of the Young Peacemakers together. We had 3 sessions a day, learned some new songs together, and studied God's Word. You can see some of our young people studying and writing in their workbooks. How exciting it was to see them not only interested in what the Bible has to say about being Peacemakers, but also working through how they can put it into practice in their own lives. On Saturday night we had a testimony time, and numerous of those participating said they had unresolved conflicts with other people and now knew what to do to deal with them, and many made a commitment to work towards resolving them. Thank you so much for your prayers for us during this past week. Please continue to pray that we would all put into practice what we heard and learned from God's Word, and in doing so shine forth the Light of Jesus into our community.

We continue to receive new children who are severely malnourished. We've added four new ones since last week. Senderly, Edson, Blandjina and Jamesley are all severly malnourished. Three of their moms are staying here as well, so pray they would hear and respond to the Gospel during their time here as well. One of the mothers we know is the wife of a witchdoctor.

Wilvens is doing much better, but Richoudly still needs your prayers for a good adjustment into life here at the HOH. He will be here almost a year, Lord willing. Both Julienne and Junior continue to improve, and amaze us each day with their recovery. Junior was busy riding rollerblades on the weekend, and Julienne started walking unassisted again yesterday.

Our students all returned to school today, and so things are returning back to a somewhat normal schedule. Almost two weeks of vacation can really mess up the schedule around here! Also today we pick up a group from Vermont who will be here for the next few days, helping with odd jobs around the HOH.

Thank you once again for all your prayers on our behalf, we appreciate you very much.

2 Years old!!!

It's hard to believe it's already 2 years since we were handed that little 4 pound bundle of a very sick 10 day old baby girl. I remember thinking when we received Lala that day that there was no way this little one was going to pull through...and oh how glad I am that I was wrong. Now two years later we couldn't imagine life with out this beautiful little girl. She brings a smile to our lips, and joy to our hearts every day. We thank God for bringing her here, and allowing us to be His hands of hope extended to this precious child.

The rain continues to fall here in our area of Haiti. Now at least the days have a few moments of sun every now and then, but the rain and clouds persist. We are thankful that whenever our teams needed to travel they were able to inspite of the soggy conditions of the runway.

Thank you so much for your prayers on our behalf. I praise the Lord that I was able to finish translating and preparing the first 6 lessons of the Peacemaker's Study. We start the seminar with our kids and young people tomorrow afternoon. Please pray that God would work in all of our hearts as we learn to handle conflict in a way that pleases the Lord. Pray for strength and health for me as I teach these lessons all through this next week.

Some other answers to prayer include: Junior is doing much better, as is Julienne. Our students are finished with their exams, they are enjoying some time off from school.

Please continue to pray for Wilvens and another new child, Richoudly. Richoudly doesn't want to drink milk or take his medication, it is difficult coming up with ways to get it down him, and can be exhausting. Pray for our nurses especially as this falls in their territory to get him to drink as much as they can.

Thanks again for your prayers and support, we appreciate it very much. Have a great weekend, and coming week. With the seminar, I'm not sure when I'll get to write again, but thanks for keeping us in your prayers. God bless!

Rain and more rain...

Greetings from a very soggy La Pointe. I am somewhat disappointed about all this rain. They finally started to fix the road between La Pointe and our nearest town, Port-de-Paix, it was looking really nice, I could actually get to 30 mph in some places! (not a normal experience for those of you who have never driven on our road). And then the rain came, and came and came and is still coming. It's been days now. I'm pretty sure the road is no longer so nice. But I also know the rain is important to so many people in the area who have gardens, so I won't complain! There are so many people in other parts of Haiti who would do anything to have this rain.

As you can imagine things were very busy last week with the young people from Liberty University here. But it was a great week. They spent a lot of time teaching our young people a lot of truths from God's Word, I'm sure everyone here learned something new, and it was a really great time of growth. One of the sessions they talked with our girls about inner beauty, and then gave our girls make overs, you can see them in action in the picture here.

We thank God for getting the team off in time in spite of having airplane complications here in Port-de-Paix the morning they were to leave. Then that afternoon the dental team from Seattle, and the dental students from Las Vegas arrived. They have been working hard in the dental office. Unfortunately the rain has kept a lot of people away, but in a way it's been good because they've been able to give all of the kids at the HOH a good check up.

• The HOH students have all started exams, so I'm sure they'd appreciate your prayers.
  
• I am almost finished the 1st 6 lessons of the Peacemakers. Please continue to pray as I prepare these lessons that God would prepare the hearts of the 47 young people who will be participating in the seminar on March 31-April 7th.
  
• I am gearing up for a trip to the US in May/June. This year I'll be heading West after spending a week in Corsicana, I'll then head to Seattle, then go North into Canada to Victoria, then over to Banff, Calgary, and Lacombe. Please pray as I am in the planning stage that I'd be able to work out all the logistics.
  
• Having our own nurses seems to really be working out great. Continue to pray as they adjust to working at the HOH. Yesterday we had a little one pass away, that was difficult for them all.
  
• Please continue to pray for Julienne, she got an infection this week, and isn't doing too well. Pray for her healing. Pray also for two new boys Wilvens and David, who are very malnourished.

As always, we appreciate your prayers very much. And thanks for your patience in waiting to have the blog updated

Time just flies!!!

Ok, can someone tell me where the month of February went? I was just sitting here telling you of my upcoming trip to Miami, and here we are into March already. Here are some of the highlights of things that happened since I last wrote:

I did indeed go to Miami, and had a very busy but great weekend with our friends at Miami Shores Presbyterian Church. I was also able to do a bit of shopping and get some much needed supplies that you can't mail, and then our friends took them to the boat in Miami to bring them into Haiti for us.

The team from East Stroudsburg, PA did come down, and sure did a lot of work both for us and for the hospital. We enjoyed seeing those who have been down many times over the past years, and also the chance to meet a new member of the team as well. I personally didn't get to spend a lot of time with the team as I was in Miami, but Linda and the kids did and enjoyed having them here.

The day before I left for Miami Linda came down with Malaria, so she was sick most of the time I was gone. In spite of being ill, she was still able to help the Veterinarian run a clinic for the animals in the local area...mostly dogs. The day after I returned Linda left to go to Cap Haitian and visit her family. She took along a number of the older kids here who were on vacation from school as well. They had a great time, but were really missed here at the HOH by those of us holding down the fort.

The team from PA left and another smaller group from PA came through for a few days. Jeb Bland and his wife and a friend stopped by. We always enjoy having them stop by, as they have developed some really close relationships with some of our young people. Jeb looked over out building project, and helped Ronel decide what was the next step for getting the building under way again.

Ciliana spent the weeks eating, sleeping and growing, she is up to 6.5 pounds, and actually feels big to those of us who remember her being under 2 pounds. She is sleeping better during the nights, much to our joy, and is really starting to recognize people and has a pleasant and happy spirit about her most of the time. She is such a joy to us all.

Our own nurses started working on March 1st. So far they are doing a great job, and it is a relief for Linda and I to have someone here to look after our children's health needs 24/7.

We are looking forward to a team of young ladies coming from Liberty University this week. They are coming to do seminars and lessons with our young ladies on "Knowing your True Identity in Christ". We are looking forward to a very fun week of trading cultures, and learning God's Word together as these young ladies interact with each other. Please pray for their safety in travel, and for health as they spend just over a week with us.

I am excited to also have a long time friend from College come to spend the week with us as well. Amy and I were in our freshman year at Pillsbury Baptist Bible College together before we both went our separate way. We have always kept in touch however, and I'm so excited to welcome her to Haiti and enable her to see the ministry down here.
Here are some prayer requests for you all to continue to pray for us during this coming week:

• I am still working on translating and preparing the first 6 lessons of the Young Peacemakers Bible Study to teach our children and young people this coming Easter break. It is a lot of work as you can imagine, but I'm very excited about the chance to teach these precious truths to our young people. Please pray that I would find the time I need in between all the activities of the teams coming, and the other administrative needs of the HOH, to finish the first half of this project in time. Pray also that the Holy Spirit would already be preparing the hearts of everyone here for the things they are going to learn, and that the lessons throughout the first week of April would bring forth much fruit in the lives of our young people.
• Pray for safety and health for our visitors and for us over the next couple of very busy weeks.
• Pray for the dental team from the University of Nevada Las Vegas that will be coming down again this year with some dentists from the Seattle area, that God would prepare the way for their trip. Pray that those who need to be here for both dental care and to hear the Good News of the Gospel would hear about the coming dental clinic, and be able to make it here for that week. Pray for clear chances to share the Gospel during this week, and that God would be glorified through the use of His servants with skills in the dentistry area.
• Pray for several newcomers to the HOH, including Julienne, pictured above. She has only been here a couple of days, and isn't to the smiling stage yet, but she's getting closer every day, and is really starting to look healthier. Pray for her father who was also very sick when he brought her here last week, her mother just passed away about 3 weeks ago.
  
• Pray for our nurses as they get used to their position here. Pray that they would build good relationships with each other, among the kids, and with our other staff. Pray for wisdom as the provide health care for our children. Pray that they would also have the chance to grow in their spiritual walk as they spend time here at the HOH.
• Pray for all of our spiritual growth, that we'd seek to be more like Christ each day, and reflect Him in our lives.
• Praise God for his faithful provision for our financial needs and pray that He'd continue to provide all we need.

We hope you have a great week! Thank you for your support and prayers.+

Busy Busy Busy!!

Wow, where does time go? It was such a busy week with our team from Canada, but it was such a great time. The kids enjoyed all the pampering the team did, and those who need glasses sure are looking forward to having them sent back to them. We appreciated the eye doctor who checked out all of our kids as well as quite a few people in the community. He even brought down a wide selection of eyeglass frames to choose from. Our precious Ciliana (formerly Siliana - sorry I spelled it wrong), even took a turn modeling the smallest of the glass frames he brought along. She looks very sophisticated! She is doing just great by the way, weighing 4.5 pounds, and gaining! Our only trouble with her is she doesn't sleep well at night, making it tough for Linda and I who take turns staying up with her. The team from Canada helped out so much, even keeping her for night so we both could wake up rested the next day! We really appreciated all they did for us.

Now we are looking at the next visiting team from East Stroudsburg, PA. We are looking forward to seeing the 5 members of the team who have been down here many times before, as well as former Haiti missionary Paul Browne, and a new visitor we will be meeting for the first time. It is going to be a busy week, with much coming and going, as they have different jobs to work on, and I won't be here for most of the time they are here. Lord willing, I am going to Miami for the weekend for a mission's conference. When I get back Linda will be going to Cap Haitian for a quick visit with her family. The students have a vacation from school starting on Friday of this week and going through the next as it is the "Carnival" weekend here in Haiti. So the next couple of weeks are going to be quite something trying to coordinate everything that's going on!

We appreciate your prayers on our behalf as we continue to serve the Lord here at the House of Hope and in Haiti. Here are some specific requests for you to pray for:

• Pray for safety for all the traveling plans over the next couple of weeks.
  
• Pray for safety and health for the visiting team coming down, as well as strength to finish the different jobs we have lined up for them.
  
• Pray for Linda as she holds down the fort while I'm away, and then for me as I hold it down while she is gone...it's always much harder when one of us is away. Also, she just came down with malaria, so she isn't feeling very well.
  
• Pray for our nurses that we have hired as they go through their internship in the hospital, and plan on starting to work for us March 1. We still need to hire 2, so pray that we would find the right nurses who will fit into the program here at the HOH.
• Pray for Colly, Blon, and Iseline three new children here at the HOH. Blon and Iseline have malnutrition, and Colly has TB.
• Continue to pray for Ciliana, that she'd continue to get strong, and that she'd start to sleep through the nights.
• Pray that in spite of all the things going on that keep us busy we'd reflect Jesus to those around us, and we'd take the time to get to know Him better.
• Pray that God would supply all of our needs, and that we'd trust Him for everything.
  

Once again, we appreciate your prayers and support. Have a great week.

Life is Good!

As you can see our "little peanut" as we affectionately call little Siliana, is continuing to flourish. She is getting more energy every day, and when she isn't sleeping is either smiling or crying, no in between! It is at times like these that we are thankful we have such a big family as everyone takes turns taking care of this little one. Even almost two year old Lala does her part, bringing the milk to her whenever she cries! We were able to catch her in a smile though, and wanted to share it with you all.
Last week was busy but good with the team here from the Seattle area. They were able to accomplish many things here at the HOH and at the hospital. Now we are eagerly awaiting a group from Simcoe, Ontario Canada who will arrive today, Lord willing. This group will be here a little over a week, and everyone is excited, as they are close to our kids here, and are a lot of fun to have. One of the men is an eye doctor, so we are happy to be able to have all of our kids' eyes tested to see if they need glasses. I suspect quite a few do, so it will be great to get this taken care of.
The boat arrived in this week, so we are happy to be receiving a number of things that have been on the way for a while now. Included in this shipment should be the rest of the Christmas gifts, so you can imagine everyone can't wait for the things to get here.
Yesterday we hired a nurse to work full time at the hospital, and also one LPN. We plan on hiring 2 more LPN's before it's all said and done. They will be doing an internship at the hospital for a month, to make sure they understand the way things run here, and hopefully starting March 1 we'll have our own nursing staff. We are really looking forward to this, as we know this will enable us to give our sick children better care. We also know this is going to help lighten Linda and my load quite a bit as well.
We appreciate your continued prayers for us. Some specific things to pray for this week would be:

• Continued health and healing for Siliana.
  
• That the doctors would know what to do with Junior, he still isn't doing well, continuing to swell up almost daily. He is convinced he has been cursed because of something he did at home, and so is paying the price for it. We continue to share the Good News of freedom and forgiveness in Jesus with him. Pray that he would grasp these concepts and also that God would give us the wisdom to help him.
• A new little girl named Iseline arrived here yesterday. Pray for her as she is very malnourished, that she'd respond well to the treatment we can give her here.
  
• For continued spiritual growth in our lives, that we'd reflect Jesus to those around us.
• For God's provision of our financial needs, as well as other needs that we currently have.
• For safety and health for our visitors. And also that we'd be a blessing to them as they are to us.

We hope you all have a great week, and appreciate your prayers on our behalf. Blessings on you all!

She's doing great!

Greetings! And a Happy New Year to you all.

We are all doing fine her at the HOH, especially our little baby. As you can see by the picture. A couple of weeks with plenty of formula, love and care made a huge different for this little one. She is so precious, and we enjoy having her as part of our lives. She is having trouble mixing up her night and days though, so she tends to sleep most of the day and keep us up most of the night! But she's cute anyway! We are just thankful she is healthy.

The other kids are doing well, and are well into the next cycle of school. A couple of them didn't do too well during the last exam period, so they are spending more time studying. They'd appreciate your prayers as they get ready for the government exams coming up in the early summer months.

Our Bible studies will start up again this week, and we have a group of men from Seattle coming in today to spend a week helping us fix things around the HOH and the hospital. So it's going to be a busy week, and we'd appreciate your prayers for health and strength for all of us to make the most of the time the team has here.

Please continue to pray for God to supply all of our needs. He is our rock and is so faithful. Pray as well that we would reflect Him in our lives as we interact with people in our community. Thanks for your prayers and continued support.

Merry Christmas!!

It was a great party! Last Sunday we enjoyed a program put on by our young people. About 100 visitors came to the HOH to enjoy the program and party with us, and it we had a very nice time, remembering our Savior, the ultimate gift, who's birth we celebrate at this time of the year. For many of the kids it was their first time, and you can see by their faces they were very excited.

Little Siliana is doing great, thank you for your prayers for her. She is now drinking on her own, and putting on weight. She also loves to sleep all day, and keep us up all night! We were sad to find out that her mother passed away on Tuesday, and she is now an orphan, but we are thankful we were able to get her in time to give her a chance to live.

Our school kids are enjoying a break these days, and I am enjoying a visit with my family in Texas. Please keep Linda in your prayers, as she is holding down the fort. Her family experienced a loss this past week with the sudden death of a beloved cousin in Miami. His funeral is Saturday, so please keep them in your prayers. We'd appreciate your prayers for our friends in Port-au-Prince, as security continues to be a big concern for them all.

We extend our wishes to you all for a very Merry Christmas!

"The Least of These"

We had seen her several times before, lying on her mom's hospital bed. Her mother was diagnosed with AIDS, and is extremely ill. Whether due to the AIDS or Post Partum Depression, her mom had mentally lost it when she was born, and had refused to accept her as her child. Her mom was better now, and accepted her presence there on the hospital bed, but still refused to take care of her. In fact, no one was taking care of her, everyone was preoccupied with her mom, and her sad state of health. But no one did anything about her needs. In fact, she didn't even have a name yet. She is 2 weeks old, and since being born, had not been fed anything of substance, her diet mostly consisted of sugar water the nurses gave her whenever they came by, perhaps once or twice a day. Sunday after church we stopped by to see her, and our hearts went out to her seeing this tiny 3 pound bundle lying there so helplessly. All that was going through my mind was, she, if anyone fit the description "the least of these" that Jesus had talked about in Mathew 25. She had been forgotten, and would soon die unless someone did something.

So we did. We brought her to the HOH. Cleaned her up, and starting putting regular amounts of formula into her little stomach through a feeding tube. We did tests for her at the hospital, and started her on medications. We have been taking care of her needs day and night. We even gave her a name: Siliana. Her mom's name is Silianie, so it's something her mom might have named her if she had been in her right mind. It hasn't taken long for Siliana to start getting better, she has already started to change color from a sickly yellow to a much healthier light brown. She is waking up more often, and has even given us a smile or two. Last night she was cooing in her bed, it was so cute, and we once again feel blessed to be able to take care of another precious treasure! And talk about a perfect time to receive such a treasure! The time of year when we are celebrating the coming of Jesus to earth as a little baby. When we brought her to the HOH the other kids here said, "Great! Now we have our Baby Jesus!".

We are busy getting things ready for our Christmas celebration on Sunday, it will be a busy but very fun day. We will be preparing in the morning, have the program in the afternoon, and receive the gifts in the evening. Excitement is in the air!

We appreciate your prayers and support very much. Junior is still about the same, but he isn't worse so we are thankful for that. Wendjina is doing much better, but when her dad came to see her this morning we sent her home with him to finish her treatment from home. She really misses her family a lot, and we think this is the best course of action for her.

Thank you for your part in this ministry. God bless,

Continued Prayer Needed

Thank you so much for your prayers for Wendjina. She is doing much better the past two days. Please keep praying that she'd continue to respond to the treatments we are giving her. Now we need your prayers for another young child named Junior. This is his second time to be at the HOH. He was here several years ago with TB, but this time has returned severely malnourished. His symptoms are very confusing for the doctors here, and we are trying to change his diet to see if that helps. Please pray for wisdom for us all to know how to help this sweet little boy.

The boat arrived this week! So that means at least some of our Christmas presents are here. I don't think they all made it in time, but at least some did, and we have already received a good number here at the HOH. The kids were all very excited yesterday as they saw the boxes coming in. Now they just have to wait! Thank you to all who sent gifts, we are looking forward to seeing the kids faces when they open their Christmas sacks this year.

The Our Hope young people are busy preparing the Christmas program for this year. They are being quite secretive about it, and have been going to the campground that is attached to our property to practice every night, so we don't see it before hand. We are happy they can now do this on their own, and we are looking forward to seeing the program on the 17th. That is when they will all receive their gifts as well.

We are enjoying having a young man from Vancouver, WA here with us for a couple of weeks. Mason Young is the newest human jungle gym here at the HOH! The younger children in particular have enjoyed having Mason here to play with them, and he is fitting in and helping out a lot. He has a kind heart and doesn't mind holding the little babies, and they sure are loving it!

Once again, thank you for your prayers and your support.

Pray for Wendjina

Good morning, thank you for praying for Jean Daniel, he has recovered well from his surgery, and is almost back to his normal self. Now we need to ask you to pray for Wendjina, who is very sick. She is 2 years old and has been here at the HOH since September. She really was doing well, responding to her TB treatment, and starting to get healthy, and then during the past month she has started to really go down hill. The doctor doesn't know what do to for her anymore, and we are just trying everything we can to save her. Her parents think that someone has put a curse on her, and so have lost all hope that she will live. We keep telling them that is for God to decide, and that if He chooses, He can spare her life. Our prayer is that her family would come to know the Lord through this difficult time, and also that Wendjina would get better. Please pray for Wendjina, for her parents, and for us as we take care of her. Thank you.

I meant to write this before today, but didn't get a chance. This morning one of our oldest boys, Jean Daniel will be going through surgery to have his tonsils removed. We'd appreciate your prayers for Jean Daniel, and for the surgeon, Dr. Mozart, as this operation takes place. Thank you so much. God bless, and have a great day!

Christmas is Here!!

This past week Christmas arrived at the HOH. We love to start early, as everyone here loves the lights and the decorations. For some of the children, this will be the first Christmas they've ever celebrated, and for some the only one they ever will. The new ones have never seen lights and decorations before, it is so fun to watch their faces light up with each decoration that is put in place. We are looking forward to being able to enjoy this time of the year with our children and young people, and to share the Good News of Jesus with those who don't yet know Him.

Speaking of those who don't know Him yet, we can cross Djimmy off that list! Remember a couple of weeks ago I asked you to pray for him. Well last week he accepted Jesus as his Savior, here in the office with Linda and I. It was so wonderful, and at that moment I pictured the angels in Heaven celebrating this newborn member of the family. Thank you for your prayers for him.

It has been a difficult week for us, as one of the young people who has been here 5 years decided she wanted to return home to her father's house. We had been trying to discourage this, as her father is extremely poor, and has no way to take care of her, but she insisted, so we had to let her go, even though it was very difficult for us. In the end she wanted more freedom to do as she pleases, and she knew she wouldn't get it here. That is a very difficult for some of our young people, especially as they have friends whose parents let them do what they want. Please pray for our young people, that they'd be able to stand up to the peer pressure around them, and continue to learn and grow in their walk with Christ so that they are a positive influence to their friends and schoolmates.

We are looking forward to some visitors this next week. A young man from Seattle named Mason Young is coming to spend several weeks helping us out here at the HOH, and a group of men from Oklahoma are coming for a quick visit as well. I have been spending quite a bit of time planning for the work teams that will start to come here in January and continue through to April. Please pray for me as I work out all the logistics of having these teams here. Pray also for security in Haiti so they can come and help us do some much needed repairs at the HOH and the hospital as well.

This week has been rainy and stormy, we actually pulled out the winter clothes yesterday evening for the young children! We have a number of needs here at the moment, and would appreciate your prayers for God's provision for all of our needs. Pray also for a number of very sick children we have here right now. Those include: Gamaniel, Wendjina, Edmaya, and Ashley.

We want to say Happy Thanksgiving to all of our US friends. Hope you have a lovely day.

Fun on Holidays!

Fun on Holidays!
Originally uploaded by House of Hope.

Greetings once again from the HOH. Last week our students had 3 days of vacation from school, having just completed their mid term exams. Not wanting to let this opportunity to have some fun pass them by, our older young people put their heads together and organized 3 days of fun and games. They opened it up to some of the children in our local community, and did a superb job of organizing and pulling off the fun days. It was such a joy for Linda and myself to see our young people take the initiative to do this, and then to organize it and pull it off! The one young man who really put his all into this project was St. Germain. Which won't be a surprise to any of you who know him. He just really shined forth his God-given talents of leadership and administration. It was really exciting to watch and participate in, although by the end of the week we were all exhausted! In this picture you can see a group of both our kids and the community kids playing Bingo together.



Having a group of young people come in from the community did open our eyes to the sad moral state that some of these young people are in. We hear stories from the community every now and then, but seeing it and experiencing it with our own eyes was another story. It made me realize how much peer pressure our kids are under when they are in school with these other young people, and it reminded me of the great need we have to pray for our kids to be a light and a witness for Jesus Christ in their schools and the local community. Please keep them in your prayers.



We were surprised when we looked at the news online on Monday to find that Haiti was named the world's most corrupt country. What a mark of distinction! And another reason to get on our knees and pray for Haiti, for the leaders of this country and for all the believers here trying to make a difference for Christ in such a corrupt setting. I was reading in Phil 2:13-15 this morning, and it struck me that this is what we are trying to do here in Haiti. Here's what it says: "...for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe." So pray that we would do our work here without complaining or arguing, so we may shine like stars in this struggling country.



Please continue to pray that God would supply all of our needs. We appreciate your prayer support very much, and know that this is God's work, we are all just partners together in it--He will supply what we need. Thank you for lifting us up before the Father. God bless, and have a great week...

Hello!

Hello!
Originally uploaded by House of Hope.

It's been a couple of weeks since we've last written. In the past two weeks, I went to Port-au-Prince for a few days, we've had Dr. Boucher visit for a few days, the school kids have all been writing exams, we've been dealing with discipline problems, we received a bunch of boxes off the boat, we admitted 8 very sick and malnourished children, had 2 young children pass away, and we've been getting over the virus that went through. So you can imagine how busy things have been.



But today we are feeling fine, the kids are almost done their exams (most will finish tomorrow), and the really sick kids are starting to get better. Among them are 12 year old Djimmy. He came here very sick and malnourished, but is already feeling better and starting to enjoy life at the HOH. Please pray that he would be receptive of the Good news of Jesus during his time here.



Tomorrow I need to return to PAP, just for the day, I'll fly down in the morning and Lord willing back in the afternoon. I have to take care of some government paperwork, so I'd appreciate your prayers for safety.



Wednesday and Thursday of this week are a holiday here in Haiti, so the kids won't have school. They are already preparing for two big recreation days, filled with fun and games. It's neat to see them using their creative minds to come up with fun things to do, and we are looking to some fun times together.



Please keep some of our young teenagers who are going through some very difficult times. We all know those teenage years are tough, so please pray for these girls in particular: Roselor, Guirlene, Verline and Pierla.



Our Bible studies are going good, and we know God is working in the lives of our kids. While it gets discouraging sometimes when we see our young people make bad choices, we find our encouragement in God and in His Word. This morning I was encouraged with Phil. 1:6...that confidence that God would continue His work in the lives of His people...we are clinging to that same confidence these days as our young people grow, stumble, fall, get up and keep going. Thank you for your prayers on our behalf. Please continue to pray as well for God to provide financially what we need to keep the HOH going.



Have a great week, Jenny and the HOH

Building away!

Building away!
Originally uploaded by House of Hope.

Greetings from the House of Hope! We have a virus going through the HOH, and people seem to be dropping one after the other! Every day we wake up to several more cases of fever and flu like symptoms. We appreciate your prayers for all those who are sick, and for those who haven't fallen sick yet as they try to pick up the slack of those who are sick.



The boys along with some local workers have worked hard to rebuild our burned out building. Thanks to a generous gift we were able to get a large amount of work done on the building, as you can see in the above picture. We are excited, and are again praying for God's provision to allow us to continue, and one day finish this project.



Please keep 1 year old Stevenson in your prayers, he got really sick this past week, we gave him a blood transfusion, and then the Doctor decided to transfer him to the hospital. He is still there, but is doing better. Thank you so much for your prayers on our behalf. God bless you and give you a great week!

The Boucher Family

The Boucher Family
Originally uploaded by House of Hope.

We got back from Port-au-Prince last night. Thank you so much for your prayers for our safety and for Benitha. God, as usual, worked everything out just fine. We were referred to an ear doctor who turned out to be Dr. Boucher's cousin. She was very quick at diagnosing Benitha's problem, and her treatment worked almost immediately. Within a few days it was apparent that Benitha didn't need surgery, her problem was corrected with medication only, for that we are very thankful.



We thank God so much for our relationship with the Boucher family in PAP (pictured here with their new baby boy). They are always so quick to help us when we are in need, and this time was no different. They helped us get all the testing done we needed to, and took very good care of us. Please continue to pray for this special family as they continue to live through very difficult times in PAP. Our young man, Carl Evens, who is in PAP lives with them. It was good to connect with him this past week. He will start writing exams to try and get into university tomorrow. He has exams on Friday, Saturday, and then next Tuesday through Thursday, so please pray for him. He has studied hard this past year, with Dr. Boucher's help, and so we pray that he'll succeed in being admitted to university and begin his studies this coming year.



All of the "Our Hope" young people and kids started school this week, and it's nice to see things getting back to a more "normal" schedule. Pray that they all would use their time wisely, and learn as much as they can during this coming year.

Pray for Benitha

Greetings! Linda came back Tuesday afternoon. Everything went well, and it was so good for her to have been with her family during this difficult time. Thankyou for your prayers for her safety, and for the funeral. The Gospel was clearly presented at the funeral, so we continue to pray that it will bear fruit amongst those who attended.

As soon as Linda returned we found out that one of our older girls, Benitha, needed to go to Port-au-Prince to see a Ear Specialist. She has a very advanced and complicated ear infection, and the doctors here are worried she may lose hearing in her ear. Please pray for this to heal, and pray for us as we head to PAP today. I'll be taking her down, and traveling with Stephanie as well. Pray for safety, and for the doctor there to have wisdom to know how to deal with this problem. We appreciate your support in this way. Have a great week!

Jackson

Jackson
Originally uploaded by House of Hope.

Last night Jackson passed away, after battling Leukemia for almost a year. Thank you so much to those of you who prayed faithfully for him this past year. We never were able to get any kind of treatment for him other than blood transfusions every couple of weeks. This past week has been rough and the doctor told the family they needed to take him home, as there was nothing else they could do for him. It has been extremely tough on his family as they've watch him suffer without being able to help.



Linda will travel to Cap Haitian on Thursday along with Phania (pictured here), so they can help participate in his funeral. Please keep them in prayer as they travel, and also as they do a lot of the planning for the funeral. Pray for the family as well, most of them are not believers. We are thankful that Jackson did believe in Jesus, and we know he is no longer suffering. Pray that during this time with their family, Linda and Phania will be able to share Jesus with them. Pray for receptive hearts, and that God would be glorified in all that goes on there these coming days.



School begins for our students this coming week, pray for us as we get all the preparations finished. We will also begin our Bible studies with the children and young people here. So things should soon start to be on a more regular schedule. We've had several young children be able to return to their homes this week, specifically Sandley, Djeffry, Jamesley, and Jamesen. We've also had 3 new children come, please pray for them, their names are, Withcy, Nayson, Guerry. Please pray specifically for Guerry, he is very sick and swollen with malnutrition.



We appreciate your prayers for us. God bless and have a great week!

Kensly is Happy!

Kensly is Happy!
Originally uploaded by House of Hope.

Thank you for praying for Kensly, he is doing just great! He has adjusted to life back at the House of Hope, and as you can see in the picture of him in our garden, is very happy. We appreciate your holding him up before the Father.



My trip to PAP went well, we got the interns off fine, thank you for your prayers for safety. I was also able to touch base with our friends the Boucher family, and see their precious newborn baby boy.



These past few weeks, things have been extremely difficult here at the HOH, we've had many things happen to discourage us, things we've never faced before, and it's been very tough. We still are working through some things, and would appreciate your prayers for wisdom for Linda and I as we work through them. Please continue to pray for the spiritual growth of our children and young people, as well as Linda and I. Pray also that God would be glorified in all that goes on here at the HOH, and that we would be lights in our community.



Things have settled down somewhat in PAP, so we are thankful for that, especially for all our friends and colleagues who live and work there.



We continue to have a house full of visiting friends from England, so that keeps us busy on top of all that's going on. On Sunday we enjoyed having Jeb Bland and his team here for the day. I have been spending quite a bit of time making up new Bible studies for the Our Hope young people in the coming months. Please pray that God would use them in the lives of our young people to bring them into a deeper knowledge of Him, and a closer walk with Him.



We have three new children who are quite sick, their names are: Lubiana, Samenta, and Louvensky, please keep them in your prayers. Also praise God together with us for a couple of very generous donations that have been an encouragement to us, and are enabling us to do some much needed work around the HOH. The boys and some local workers have finished pouring the cement roof for the first floor of the building we are working on since it burned down. This coming week they'll work on making the stairs to the second floor, and also on starting to put up the walls.



We appreciate you and your prayers on our behalf!

Pray for Safety

Just a quick note to let you know that I have to travel to Port au Prince tomorrow to take the two interns to the airport to fly back to the States. I'd appreciate your prayers as we travel there. I will be spending the night with the Boucher family, and will get to see their new baby boy! Then I'll be back on Friday.

Also pray for our visitors coming from England some arriving here tomorrow, and some on Saturday. We appreciate your prayers as we travel around, especially during our time in PAP as things are not as calm there as we'd like it to be. It also looks like Tropical Storm Chris is heading our way over the next few days, so pray we can all arrive back here safely.

Keep Linda and the kids in prayer as well, the boys are working with some local masons on the burned out building, they should be ready to pour the roof sometime early next week. And pray for Kensly as well, a new 3 year old boy who is sad and sick, pray for him to adjust well here, and to start to feel better. Thanks!