Seasons

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

            a time to be born and a time to die,

            a time to plant and a time to uproot, 

            a time to kill and a time to heal,

            a time to tear down and a time to build,

            a time to weep and a time to laugh,

            a time to mourn and a time to dance, 

            a time to scatter stones and a time to gather               them,

            a time to embrace and a time to refrain from             embracing,

            a time to search and a time to give up,

            a time to keep and a time to throw away,

            a time to tear and a time to mend,

            a time to be silent and a time to speak,

            a time to love and a time to hate,

            a time for war and a time for peace” Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.

Most read these verses in their lifetime. Usually it’s in connection with a funeral. However, life also weaves it’s way though happy seasons as well. Even in the letting go there is hope for the new. For example, a popular speaker quits something every Thursday. Sometimes it’s a burden he gives up, sometimes it’s letting go to make room for the incredible. What would you give up? A lack of commitment? An activity that doesn’t fit into the path God has you traveling? What season are you experiencing?

Life has many changes, some minor, some major. Hope for Haiti recognizes the seasons in life.

A season is closing, but a new one begins. This is the last blog post at www.emevi.blogspot.com. However, the adventure continues at our new blog site: www.hopeforhaitiws.wordpress.com. We find the flexibility at Wordpress will allow greater opportunities for us to connect with you and encourage you to be involved with the people of Haiti, even from your home.

We work with established Christian organizations in Haiti because we believe that God can do a wonder for Haitians through Haitians. The ministry we currently support is called EMEVI. However, here in the states, the group that helps EMEVI is called Hope for Haiti. Imagine a book with EMEVI on one page, and Hope for Haiti on the conjoining page. Same book, different pages. Therefore, we’ve established the new blog as www.hopeforhaitiws.wordpress.com.

Another question we often receive is “why ws?” It’s simple: “ws” stands for website. If you venture to www.hopeforhaitiws.wordpress.com, you’ll also have the address of the website where all our projects, sponsor children, and more information is housed: www.hopeforhaiti.ws. We encourage you to frequently visit each site and learn more about the ministries.

Please feel free to email us (saintmarchaiti@gmail.com) with any questions, suggestions, prayer concerns, or just to say “hello!”

In this season of reflecting, joy, and revelation, we pray for you and your family the happiest of holiday seasons. We also pray a particular peace… for your season.

Reflect

As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart” Proverbs 27:19.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Often, we’re busy wrapping gifts, baking for parties, and dreaming of what to do while we don’t have to be at work. Haitians celebrate Christmas too. There’s midnight suppers, concerts, and gift giving, and they go all out starting at midnight on December 24. After Christmas, for Haiti, they have another huge party. There’s more celebrating to do after the most wonderful time of year. January 1 is also another huge party. It’s not only the first of the year, but it’s also their Independence Day. The slaves broke free from the French rule January 1, 1804. Haiti has parties with tons of food all week, and they celebrate with flowers and bands too. The voodoo culture is very much part of the tradition.


As you celebrate, Hope for Haiti encourages you to reflect. In what celebrations do you participate that reflect who you are? What do you care about, and what will be priority in the new year? Two things reveal what you care about: your schedule, and your pocketbook. Take a look over the past year, and reflect on what you care about.

by Mollie B.

P.S. For more information about Hope for Haiti, or how you can give before the end of the year, please visit http://www.hopeforhaiti.ws/#/the-story-contact-info/donate.

Teach

 

“Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when he said to me, ‘Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children’” (Deuteronomy 4:10).

As you watch the video, notice the sounds. Separated by a thin sheet, the sounds come from the classroom next door. These children don’t complain. At least they aren’t in the outside classroom without a chalkboard or walls. It’s not the ideal situation to educate, but it’s important for the children to learn even with distractions and without desks.

Some Haitian kids don’t have the funds to pay for school. Public education is not free in Haiti. It doesn’t use the gospel in its foundation. The poor quality often has parents looking elsewhere, or nowhere, and the child never learns to read or write or do math.

Hope for Haiti provides children with the opportunity to learn. Sponsoring a child gives the kiddo a uniform, a meal, and education: the chance to support themselves for a lifetime. The sponsorship also gives them the chance to hear God’s words so that they can learn to revere the Lord.

God recognizes the need for people to learn at a young age because it stays with them for the rest of their lives. He even encourages us to learn and grow too, so we can teach the younger generation.

Do you find yourself learning? Do you take the time to apply the lessons? Will the younger generation learn from your example? Consider sponsoring a child. Perhaps a younger person around you will also sponsor children when they see a picture of your sponsor child on your refrigerator. Perhaps your prayers will bolster the kids in this video to stay in school, even with the distractions. Perhaps your gift of education will inspire them to become teachers, live in the land, and teach their children about the goodness of our Father.

By Mollie

Oct 2013 News

It's happening!

     October 30th thru November 1st Leadership Conference will be in full swing. This year it will be held in the new building at Bois Neuf allowing the 400+ attendees to stretch out a bit. Want to see the new building and where it's at? Click here. Please remember to pray for the attendees who come from all over Haiti as well as the teachers.

     Travels to the states. Marcel traveled to Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee and Alabama visiting supporters and

friends along the way this past month. So many contribute in so many ways it's hard to report it all, so, just a

couple notes of interest for now.

     Churches in Colorado, Michigan and Alabama have made and are making it possible for the building at Bois Neuf to come together. Checking out the slideshow mentioned above with the realization that this just would not be possible were it not for the body of Christ all coming together, each with their giftings.

     A clinic in the mountains? Yes it has begun. For many years now it has been a desire of Marcel's heart to

be able to minister spiritually, emotionally and physically to the needs of those around him. From our standpoint the original clinics started not many years ago seemed to meet some very basic needs. When no health care is available even those basic needs are huge. Last month a building in the mountains became the newest addition for clinics. Much work both from stateside and in country all came together as the first (in this location) clinic was held as well as teaching for midwives. This coming week the second clinic will be held with more improvements to the building as it also becomes a place of refuge. If you would like to see some of the progress to date, click here. , here you will also find a link on the photo or title to a short video.

     Beyond the mountain clinic work continues to bring to completion a new church/school building. No big deal except that you reach this location by foot. This coming January plans are for a roof to be set in place. A church in Kansas and Tennessee have partnered with the folks there to encourage and walk with them,

marveling at all that God is doing. More on this may be seen by clicking here.

     Next year is filling up fast with groups from Kansas, Tennessee, Colorado and Alabama already in process looking at dates. Not to mention Camp Meeting in April and EMEVI's mission trip scheduled in August going to Belladere, Haiti. Just a couple photo’s, one from this year’s outreach in Gonaives. www.hopeforhaiti.ws 

Fog

“By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or by night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.” Exodus 13:21-22

Fog slows us down. It’s hard to see around the corner, or if you are on a ledge, when there is fog. Just like in this picture, sometimes you can’t make out who is the person in front of you. This photograph was taken on the way to a remote village called Bataille, whose people have to climb the mountain in order to get supplies and meet those from the city of St. Marc. This day, they came in the fog to meet a team from America. The fog led the people to each other.

God sent fog to lead the Israelites. It seems odd to send something that makes it harder to see. And even though God had fire guiding the Israelites by night, the blackness still made it hard to see everything around them. When they were ready to move forward, it’s like God had a sign that said, “No Running Allowed.” Each step had to be slow and deliberate.

It sounds contradictory, but praise the Lord for the things in life that confuse. When things get foggy, and it’s hard to see the right path to take, it’s actually the Lord being close. He’s leading your steps, even if by looking at the shadow of a person ahead.

Take a moment today to thank the Lord for his guidance. And praise the Lord for foggy days.

Lajounen, Senyè a t’ap mache devan yon an yon gwo nyaj kit e gen fòm yon poto pou moutre yo chemen pou yo pran. Lannwit, li t’ap marche devan yon an yon dife kit e tankou yon flanm ki t’ap klere yo. Konsa, yo te ka vwayaje lajounen kou lannwit. Lajounen, nyaj la te toujou ap marche devan pèp la. Lannwit, se te dife a. Egzòd 13:21-22

By Mollie Bond

Living Water

“Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life’” (John 4:13-14).

Before the earthquake, Haiti was the poorest country in the Western hemisphere. Everyone had needs. The country was bypassed on the news, another third-world far away from the daily grinds of Americans.

After the January 12, 2010 earthquake, the country changed dramatically. The average life expectancy changed in one day from so much death. Tent cities arrived. Other towns around Port-au-Prince doubled in size overnight from those who had nothing to come home to. People were more verbal than ever about what they needed.

Most of Haiti still looks the same as January 12, 2010. In Port-au-Prince, some of the rubble is left in the roads. No one is getting paid to move it, so drivers learn to take different routes to avoid the buildings in the middle of the road. Tent cities still exist, although now, without deeds and offices to zone, squatting and claiming makes the tent cities volatile. Most didn’t return to Port-au-Prince. There wasn’t much to return to, so those cities who took in extra residents struggle to continue to provide basic utilities for it’s long-time residents and the new population. People still can see the lingering affects of people being verbal about what they need. Take for example, this house seen on a major highway outside St. Marc. The spray paint reads, “Nou bezwen dlo,” which in Haitian Creole means, “We need water.” The earthquake left a visible impact on Haitians.

Jesus has a knack for leaving a visible, long-lasting effect on people. However, his eternal legacy restores, not destroys. Meeting the Samaritan woman and asking for a drink of water, he gives the woman a refreshing do-over. Her actions after speaking with Jesus concludes what our response should be as well. “Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, ‘Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?’” (John 4:28-29, italics mine.)

The woman at the well heard Jesus’ call for eternal life. Then she left her jar, and invited others to come. Do you see an invisible sign on someone’s house telling you of their need? Does a friend need an invitation from you to “come?” Will you leave your water jug to help another find the living water?

By Mollie

Nanpwen

This will start a short series on Nicknames.  Marcel enjoyed sharing while spending some time in the states.