This month we had wanted to talk about Jesus Country and what our (and
God's) ideas and plans are. However, it takes a lot longer to "get legal" than
we originally thought so this is going to have to wait for at least a month if not
longer. That's OK, because we know that God is in control and this is his will
and in his time what we are doing, not ours.
So instead of Jesus Country, we're going to feature the kids we are trying to
find sponsors for. All of the kids and families are on The Outside Kids Page
We are really trying to work with them and get them ready to have sponsors
and handle money responsibly. We had our first seminar on what to do with
money this past Saturday, July 10. We are trying to get each kid $40/US a
month. That is converted into $320H. We told them we are going to keep
$220H a month for their schooling. This way they never have to worry about
school. It's thus always a given that it's taken care of. That should go all the
way through high school.
That leaves $100H. We told them at the seminar that we could give them the
$100H and they could spend it on food but it would be gone in less than 10
days. The alternative is to invest it in a small business. That's where Aland,
the clinician, came in. We actually had the seminar in the clinic so it was very
convenient. Aland talked for a good 45 minutes and much of it was
interactive. Most of the kids agreed at the end that they wanted to pool their
money, go to Dajabon in the Dominican Republic, buy some stuff wholesale
and then as a team sell it. This was their idea, not mine. I'm very encouraged
by their innovation and desire to make something of themselves.
It is important for the kids not to become dependent on Americans like so
many others we see. It doesn't do anyone any good that way and all it
teaches is reliance on others (begging), not any sort of motivation to support
oneself and one's family. There will probably be growing pains with this, but
we truly believe that we are taking steps in the right direction.
Also we haven't completely determined this yet, but we may just put them on
a limited schedule for help like this. Perhaps something like 2 to 5 years, so
we can wean them off any dependence on Americans. If we do this, it has to
be on a case by case basis with a large range like the 2 to 5 year one. We
would have to allow for exceptions too.
So for the time being, we are asking (pleading) with our American and
Canadian brothers and sisters in Christ to help those who right now just can't
help themselves. We aren't asking for money for a big screen TV or a new car
or a new kitchen with all the accouterments. We are asking for help so that
they can learn to be independent and support themselves in the coming
years.
Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 6:8 that if we have food and clothing, we will be
content with that. To me that goes 2 ways. If we have that, we should be
content with it just as Paul tells us and then use our excess to help others.
But to those others who don't have it, we have an obligation to see that they
do get it in the short term and help them achieve self-sufficiency in the long
term.
Please, please, please...pray about this and ask God if there is a brother
and/or sister in Christ on The Outside Kids Page that he wants you to help.
We suspect there is and ask you to open your heart to that (those) is
someone(s) and help out God's kids.
We also of course don't want anyone to forget about the Mountain Church of
Christ. We have updated the pictures to your right, a minor update on
Granmesi below, and finally added the story of another member (Ulrick) also
below. Notice on the top pic of the 4 Mountain Church pics to your right, that
Fefe and Manno went with us to help out.
agape
bob
God's) ideas and plans are. However, it takes a lot longer to "get legal" than
we originally thought so this is going to have to wait for at least a month if not
longer. That's OK, because we know that God is in control and this is his will
and in his time what we are doing, not ours.
So instead of Jesus Country, we're going to feature the kids we are trying to
find sponsors for. All of the kids and families are on The Outside Kids Page
We are really trying to work with them and get them ready to have sponsors
and handle money responsibly. We had our first seminar on what to do with
money this past Saturday, July 10. We are trying to get each kid $40/US a
month. That is converted into $320H. We told them we are going to keep
$220H a month for their schooling. This way they never have to worry about
school. It's thus always a given that it's taken care of. That should go all the
way through high school.
That leaves $100H. We told them at the seminar that we could give them the
$100H and they could spend it on food but it would be gone in less than 10
days. The alternative is to invest it in a small business. That's where Aland,
the clinician, came in. We actually had the seminar in the clinic so it was very
convenient. Aland talked for a good 45 minutes and much of it was
interactive. Most of the kids agreed at the end that they wanted to pool their
money, go to Dajabon in the Dominican Republic, buy some stuff wholesale
and then as a team sell it. This was their idea, not mine. I'm very encouraged
by their innovation and desire to make something of themselves.
It is important for the kids not to become dependent on Americans like so
many others we see. It doesn't do anyone any good that way and all it
teaches is reliance on others (begging), not any sort of motivation to support
oneself and one's family. There will probably be growing pains with this, but
we truly believe that we are taking steps in the right direction.
Also we haven't completely determined this yet, but we may just put them on
a limited schedule for help like this. Perhaps something like 2 to 5 years, so
we can wean them off any dependence on Americans. If we do this, it has to
be on a case by case basis with a large range like the 2 to 5 year one. We
would have to allow for exceptions too.
So for the time being, we are asking (pleading) with our American and
Canadian brothers and sisters in Christ to help those who right now just can't
help themselves. We aren't asking for money for a big screen TV or a new car
or a new kitchen with all the accouterments. We are asking for help so that
they can learn to be independent and support themselves in the coming
years.
Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 6:8 that if we have food and clothing, we will be
content with that. To me that goes 2 ways. If we have that, we should be
content with it just as Paul tells us and then use our excess to help others.
But to those others who don't have it, we have an obligation to see that they
do get it in the short term and help them achieve self-sufficiency in the long
term.
Please, please, please...pray about this and ask God if there is a brother
and/or sister in Christ on The Outside Kids Page that he wants you to help.
We suspect there is and ask you to open your heart to that (those) is
someone(s) and help out God's kids.
We also of course don't want anyone to forget about the Mountain Church of
Christ. We have updated the pictures to your right, a minor update on
Granmesi below, and finally added the story of another member (Ulrick) also
below. Notice on the top pic of the 4 Mountain Church pics to your right, that
Fefe and Manno went with us to help out.
agape
bob
| Glorifying God in Haiti. Not my will but His! |
 | |  | |  | |  |
Looking for CHCH, the
Cap Haitien Children's
Home?
It moved!!!!
The new home is: The
Orphanage's New Web
Address
Just click to go there!
This also serves as a
friendly reminder that
Bob is no longer affiliated
with the orphanage, and
yes he knows what's now
on their website!
Cap Haitien Children's
Home?
It moved!!!!
The new home is: The
Orphanage's New Web
Address
Just click to go there!
This also serves as a
friendly reminder that
Bob is no longer affiliated
with the orphanage, and
yes he knows what's now
on their website!
| Scripture of the Month |
Luke 1:38
"I am the Lord’s servant,"
Mary answered. "May it
be to me as you have
said." Then the angel left
her.
"I am the Lord’s servant,"
Mary answered. "May it
be to me as you have
said." Then the angel left
her.
| Pictured to your left is 32 year old Rosalinday Augustine and her 3 month old daughter named Debora. They have been here about a month. The baby got sick and Rosalinday had to use all of her money on the doctor and meds. She couldn't pay the rent and got evicted. Rosalinday also had a small business selling merchandise but lost it when she got evicted as she had to use everything she had to pay for the meds. So now she needs help in getting a place to live and getting her business back. We pay $400US/year for rent for a decent but not luxurious place. On that basis we would ask for the same for Rosalinday and the baby. They may not need 2-14 foot by 12 foot rooms like we have so it could be a bit cheaper, maybe $300/year, which would include an outside toilet and a well. $100US for a business startup would be adequate also. Thanks so much for your consideration. |
The Mountain Church of Christ.
Click on the thumbnails to enlarge.
Click on the thumbnails to enlarge.
Philippians 3:10-14
I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of
sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to
attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this,
or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which
Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have
taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining
towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which
God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus.
I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of
sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to
attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this,
or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which
Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have
taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining
towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which
God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus.
Saturday July 10, 2010. The above pics
are of our Business-001A Seminar. We
had 12 kids total in attendance (OK, 13 if
you count bob).
are of our Business-001A Seminar. We
had 12 kids total in attendance (OK, 13 if
you count bob).
| WELCOME !! BYENVINI!! Sa se peyi mwen! Sa yo se pep mwen! |
| The first person from the Mountain Church we'd like you to meet is Ulrick Dorsainvil. Ulrick is 28 years old and single. He has his own Bible and helps us a lot with the worship service. I always ask him to pick out a Psalm and read it for us. His Creole reading is excellent. Ulrick is from Limbe, the same town that Granmesi now lives in. His mom is sick and he can't stay with her. I don't know what other family he has. He has been on the mountain for 16 months. I see him in Cap Haitien every once in a while. He looks for work there but rarely finds any. He tells me he can fix stuff but I don't know how good of a mechanic he really is. The reason he lives on the mountain with his bundle of possessions is because he had to leave the place he was staying at when the owner or renter (not sure which) got sick. Apparently they either could not afford to keep him or they had to move out also. As we said he reads well. He says that he has a 9th grade education, which is a bit above average. He definitely appears to be a dedicated Christian. He is one of the first we want to help because he would be the easiest. Others, such as you will meet later, are mostly single women with kids and we need to co-op them in some type of child care and business together. |
| This is the Yalie clan. Florestal, age 38 and the mom lost her husband a little while ago. At about the same time, she lost her home too and they have lived here since January. She tells me that her house was broken. That means someone, in this case the government, razed her house. In all probability they were squatters on government land. However that doesn't mean too much when you have 5 kids, no husband, no food, no money and no home. The kids range in age from 17 years to 7 months. The oldest girl is named Roskalin. She is the 17 year old. She is sick and is aperiodically coughing up blood. She needs at least a chest x-ray and probably more. It could be TB, I really don't know and we can't help her now. This family needs a lot of help. Well actually everyone you will meet on this mountain needs a lot of help. Please pray about it. What would Jesus do? |
