The Living Word

Creole has not been an easy thing for me to learn.  My brain just isn't wired to learn languages.  It has taken me longer than I would have liked, but recently something clicked and I am able to have full conversations with my kids and staff members.  A few days ago I had a memorable conversation with Myslene and Joseph.  I was actually sitting in the kitchen trying to get the internet to work, to no avail.  Myslene had finished the preparations for dinner and was sitting while everything boiled.  Joseph stopped in to retell some of his favorite stories about Jackson and Grandma and Grandpa.  Things like, "Jackson, Mallery's little dog knows how to tell time!  At 5:00 he comes running over to me, sits in front of me on the couch, and barks to tell me it's dinner time.  If I ignore him, he stomps his front paw and cries.  If I continue to ignore him he stands up and taps me with his front leg!  He is a very smart dog!  He is like a child, not a dog!"  and "If Grandpa was here, he could walk right over and pick up that refrigerator!  Over 80 years old!  You wouldn't believe this man!  He is so strong and young in strength!"  After a few minutes of joking and laughing the conversation grew more serious.  As serious as death. 

There are some people in my life, both in my family and very close friends, who believe in God and are good people, and therefore believe they are going to heaven.  In my opinion, these can be some of the hardest people to lead to the Lord, because if you believe you can get to heaven on your own, then what do you need Jesus for?  Myslene and Joseph were both in total agreement.  Myslene shook her head, "Oh Mallery, there are so many people like that.  People who think they don't need Jesus.  But they are mistaken."

"There's nobody living right, not even one, nobody who knows the score, nobody alert for God.  They've all taken the wrong turn; they've all wandered down blind alleys.  No one's living right; I can't find a single one." (Romans 3:11 MSG)  "And it's clear enough, isn't it, that we're sinners, every one of us, in the same sinking boat with everybody else?" (Romans 3:19 MSG) 

Not one.  Not a single one of us could ever be good enough to earn heaven for ourselves.  We ALL have fallen short of the glory of God!  Oh where would I be without His grace?

Myslene continued to shake her head, "He is the only way.  The Only way."  "Amen.  Amen."  Joseph added.

We read in scripture that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.  No one enters into the Father's Kingdom except through him.  He was sent by God as atonement for our sins.  "Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself.  A pure gift.  He got us out of the mess we're in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be.  And he did it by means of Jesus Christ.  God sacrificed Jesus on the alter of the world to clear the world of sin.  Having faith in him sets us in the clear.  God decided on this course of action in full view of the public - to set the world in the clear with himself through the sacrifice of Jesus, finally taking care of the sins he has to patiently endured.  This is not only clear, but it's now - this is current history!  God sets things right.  He also makes it possible for us to live in his righteousness" (Romans 3:24-26 MSG)

Without accepting this gift, it is impossible to receive salvation.  Your good works alone are not enough.  ("For by grace you have been saved, and not of yourselves, it is a gift from God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." Eph 2:8-9)  Believing there is a God is not enough!  ("Do I hear you professing to believe in the one and only God, but then observe you complacently sitting back as if you had done something wonderful!  That's just great.  Demons do that, but what good does it do them?  Use your heads!  Do you suppose for a minute that you can cut faith and works in two and not end up with a corpse on your hands?" James 2:19-20)

You see, there is only one road that leads to salvation, and that is accepting that you are a sinner.  Seeing yourself for who you really are.  Because none of us, not a single one could possibly be worthy of His love.  And yet He sent His only begotten son as a sacrifice so that we could receive eternal life with Him.  It is not enough to just believe there is a God.  You MUST accept the sacrifice of His Son.  Your life should become a reflection of His. This reflection is not something that happens instantaneously.  We have to strive for it.  Yearn for it.  Work for it.  So that our lives can reflect his life, and draw others closer to the truth. 

If you have yet to recognize that you are a sinner in need of God's grace and the sacrifice of Jesus over your life, TODAY IS THE DAY!  Ask him right now.  He is ready and waiting to forgive you and write your name in the Book of Life!

If you have already accepted this beautiful gift, but your life is not reflecting Jesus', WAKE UP!  TODAY IS THE DAY!  Your reflection starts now!  Read through the Gospels and ask God to show you how to become more like Him each day!  He will answer! 

I sat in the kitchen amazed after by conversation with Myslene and Joseph was over.  Amazed at our God, and His Living Word.  How awesome is it, that as a child, I could read His Word in English and understand my sin and his gift of salvation?  AND that is another country, in another language, Myslene and Joseph did the same thing?  The Word of the Lord is for ALL people, of ALL time!  How beautiful is that?  What a marvelous God we serve!  Not a God of secrets, but a God who loves us enough to tell us exactly what we need to do to have eternal life with Him.

Confess.  Believe.  Reflect. 
 

Greetings fellow HFAP followers!  It's been a while! 

Frentz and I had a wonderful time in the states.  Between fund raisers, speaking engagements, meetings, and paperwork, we were extremely busy!  It was five weeks full of blessings!  We were blown away by all of the support and encouragement.  It was great to see so many of you!  (And for those we missed, hope to see you on our next trip!) 

Since returning to Haiti we have been making great progress!  The children are officially living in the new orphanage!  The unveiling of the new HOPE House was a night that I will forever remember.  A night when so many dreams came true.  For years and years this home has been in the making, taking blood, sweat, and tears from many.....and God is good!  He is faithful!  And we have a beautiful home for our amazing children!  He has gone before us, and surely He is here with us, as He will ever be!

When the kids ran into the building for the first time they took off past the playroom and into their bedrooms.  Caleb squealed with excitement at the blue room with Cars decals on the walls.  "Machine!!  Pou Mwen!!"  He has been so excited to share a bedroom with his brother, Guerlens, who just returned to Haiti with us last week.  (Guerlens is doing great!  He is healthy and adjusting well, praise be to God!  Our staff and children are so thrilled to have him here.  A true miracle!)

The girls stood in shock in their new princess bedroom.  Naika had asked for pink and princesses, but I don't think it ever became a reality in her head until she stood in the room herself.  The Pepto-Bismol pink room is complete with a castle on the wall, princess floor mat, and of course the magic mirror! 

Next it was out to the playroom filled with toy houses, a kitchen set, tool bench, picnic table, and more!  The kids have had so much fun playing with all of their new toys.  Countless hours have already been spent cooking special meals in the kitchen and braiding My Little Pony's hair. 

What a time of celebration!  THANK YOU to everyone who has been part of this journey with us!  There is still much more work to do, but the kids are IN the house!  They are safe with plenty of room to run and play!  I am looking forward to finishing the decorations in the nursery room, painting murals and verses on the walls, and getting the bathrooms finished up.  We also have little tricycles to put together and a gazebo to rock our babies under.  Our summer teams are going to be busy!

Frentz and I just finished moving into our new house as well!  After a year in a tent, and a year and a half in a container, we don't know what to do with all of this space!  We went grocery shopping yesterday to fill our fridge and freezer!  I could cry, I am so thankful to have my own kitchen!  I am cooking dinner tonight.....and it will not be rice or chicken!  (I decided to go healthy, Mexican stuffed shells and double dark chocolate chunk brownies.)

We are looking forward to the months ahead!  Tomorrow I am interviewing for our nanny, cook, and guard positions.  We are hiring 8 new employees in all.  We have a fabulous group arriving on Friday to help us with a professional nanny training seminar.  Our official hiring will take place after the training.  Please be praying for God to lead the right people to us, and for wisdom and understanding during the training time.  We will be training more than we will be hiring.  Pray that God will select who He desires to care for His children!

God is good!  All the time!

MarieClaude

Our medical missions weeks are always exciting! God brings the suffering right to our doors and healing takes place! This past medical mission week I met a dear woman named MarieClaude, who is now a dear friend.

MarieClaude showed up at our gate on a Monday evening, the evening before the medical team's departure. She lives on the same street as our old pink house was on, and is a friend of John's. (The amazing gentleman who sells Haitian made items at HOPE House) Her husband and another neighbor dragged her into our new orphanage building and tried to hold her up as she gasped for each breath. She was in an unbelievable amount of pain. Over a year and a half ago MarieClaude was diagnosed with breast cancer. A visiting doctor from the states performed a mastectomy to remove her left breast and the cancerous cells. Marie Claude and her husband of 13 years live in a tiny 12x12 ft cement house surrounded by dirt and sewage. Soon after her surgery her wound became extremely infected. Her husband tried to get her back to the hospital where her surgery happened, but because the doctor was no longer there, they had no follow-up care for her. He went to many other hospitals around the PAP area, but no one would help her because she was not their patient. Not their problem.

For over a year MarieClaude has been laying on the floor of her house. For over a year her infection has cause her so much pain she get very little sleep. For over a year she has to have someone feed her and change her. For over a year she has been stuck smelling the stench of her own rotting skin.

When I first saw MarieClaude my heart broke for her. Her eyes were rolling around, unable to focus on anything. Her breaths were short and filled with pain. I had never seen or smelled an infection quite like MarieClaude's. We had a wonderful ER doctor on our team who did everything he could to set her up with antibiotics and pain medications. He trained her husband and sent her home with supplies. Without the proper testing, we had no way of knowing how the cancer was spreading, but this infection gone untreated was likely to kill her before the cancer would. I was concerned that she would die before she even made it home.

I had trouble sleeping that night. I was kicking myself for not praying over her. For not asking her if she knew her Savior. What if she died in the night and I had missed an opportunity to share our Father's love with her? His peace and hope? I asked the Lord to forgive me for only being concerned about her physical health and begged him for a second chance. The next day, and every day after that until we left Haiti, Frentz and I visited MarieClaude. My initial intentions were to encourage her, but God had a plan to encourage all of us!

The first day Frentz and I went to visit MarieClaude I asked her a few simple questions to get to know her better. I learned that her name was MarieClaude, she is 42 years old, and she has spent the last year of her life laying on the floor praying to God. "PRAYING? MarieClaude, don't you mean complaining?" "Oh no, I love Jesus very much. I know He alone can heal me. I pray and worship him." Wow. Lord, would I have that same attitude?

Throughout my visits over the next 10 days, I learned that her entire family except for her husband had abandoned her. They believe she is cursed. No one comes to visit her or pray with her. They have written her off as dead. Bug her husband is full of courage and love for God. He has stuck by her through all of it! He said that he knows Jesus can heal her and that one day she can walk and tell her family of all the things God did for her.

One day as I was sitting on the floor praying over MarieClaude God gave me an idea. I asked MarieClaude if she had ever painted before. She said no. Which was the perfect answer. I asked if she would be willing to try with her one good hand. (The other hand has been paralyzed since surgery for some unknown reason.) She eagerly said yes!

"MarieClaude, what would you think, if I got together some paint, brushes, and paper, and put you to work? Would you like that?"
"Yes! Very much! I would like to work! But I might not be very good."
"It doesn't matter how terrible your pictures are! Your story and your faith are beautiful. I would like you to paint pictures of whatever God puts in your mind, and I will to take them back to the states with me and sell them. Perhaps people will see these paints and hear of your amazing faith and courage and God will ask them to help you."
"I would like that very much!"
"MarieClaude, we are going to get you up off that floor. You are going to sit at this table and eat dinner with your husband. You are going to sit outside and talk with your friends. God can do this, and He can use your story and other people to make that happen."

Tears filled her eyes, and the most beautiful smile came across her face.

And so the next day we delivered all of the supplies she needed to get started! I came home with 10 heartfelt paintings designed by my dear friend MarieClaude. I will be carrying them with me to our various fundraisers and speaking engagements over the next few weeks. For a $100 donation MarieClaude's picture, testimony, and painting could hang in your house. All of the funding will be used to help MarieClaude receive the testing, medicine, and physical therapy that she so desperately needs. I also hope to take her back a wheelchair, and cases of Ensure!

I have met very few people like MarieClaude. I think it is because very few people like MarieClaude exist. She is a true Job. God did not give her this suffering, but He gave permission for it to happen because He knew she would remain faithful. MarieClaude is a servant of the Most High God! She will receive a complete healing. Would you take it upon yourself to pray daily for MarieClaude and her husband? That their faith will remain strong. They they will be filled with hope. That MarieClaude will be released from her pain. That the infection would be healed. That her hand and arm would come back to life! That she would sit again. Eat again. Stand again. Walk again!

We just finished celebrating the resurrection of our Savior. Jesus is ALIVE! ALIVE! Our God is a living God! Working miracles everyday! Join with me in pleading for a miracle for MarieClaude! He hears our cries!

Feeding

Today was a very exciting day! It was the official start of our lunch program at Les Bours School of Hope! I have never seen our children smile bigger than they did today as they ran back to their classrooms with a bowl full of rice, beans, and vegetables! Some of our children are only finding food every 2 days. This meal means everything to them! Not a grain of rice went to waste! We are so thankful that we are able to provide these hungry children with a meal each day for the rest of the school year. We are praying that faithful sponsors will come forward to provide this essential funding for next year! For only $6 per month you can feed a child with a nutritious meal every school day. Think about it.....if you are out to eat and you and your date choose to drink water instead of purchase a drink, you could feed a child for a MONTH! Or if you skip a Starbucks coffee or two. Or pack a lunch. You can feed a hungry child for an entire month!

For the past few days another kind of feeding has also been happening at our school. A spiritual feeding for pastors in the Les Bours neighborhood. Pastor Mike and Travis have been teaching and equipping Haitian pastors to better lead their church. We have been celebrating the great response they are having from the pastors this week! In the past there has been a great deal of arguing and competition among them, but something in their hearts has changed. They are breaking into song, joking with one another, and really soaking in the Word. Can I get an AMEN? Tomorrow morning we are having our first ever crusade at the school. Please pray for God to move in the hearts of those living in Les Bours! We are all His children!

Construction back at HOPE House continues to slowly progress. The tile in the orphanage should be completed next week. Today the plumbers hooked up the water. We have working sinks, toilets, and showers!

I have a new friend I am so excited to tell you about. Her name is MarieClaude. But she deserves her own blog post! You will just have to wait until next time...

Construction, Clinic, and Growing HOPE House!

This past week has been a crazy blur of construction, clinic, and growing HOPE House!

We have continued to make progress with our construction by hiring some additional Haitians to help us paint and put in the plumbing. HOPE House is completely painted in the inside. The bright yellow, blue, and pink make for a very cheery house! The kids enjoyed helping! They ask everyday when they can sleep in their new rooms! They are so excited to be sharing their bedroom with their friends. Naika and Sophonie keep asking me to find them more friends their age so they can share their room with more princesses! We are so blessed with our amazing children and the hearts they have!

We have an awesome team of doctors and nurses here this week. They have seen every single one of our Les Bours students and charted full physical evaluations on all 208 kids! They have also seen over 2,000 patients already this week! Glory to God! They treated over 900 patients in the tent city alone on one day! People have been so blessed by the energy and knowledge of this team! They have had several severe cases this week. One little 17 month old boy was brought in from the tent city in desperate need of hydration. He was lethargic and so dehydrated from diarrhea and vomiting. Thankfully the team was able to put in an IV and before they left, he had come around and was responsive and happy. Without fluids, that sweet little boy could have died. Thank you Lord for your perfect timing and ability to provide all of our needs!

We also brought home two little boys this week! Benly is officially back at HOPE House! We are thrilled to have him back in our care and blessed to love him until he is adopted to a forever family in the states! On Thursday, as I was leaving Les Bours School, an elderly woman walked up to me with a little boy bundled up in a blanket. She lives in a tent city on the side of a mountain just down from our school. The baby is her grandson, and both of his parents are dead. His mom was only 18 and his dad only 25. She is not physically able to care for him, the the other children her daughter left behind, and her own children. On Friday we brought home little Ricardo to HOPE House. He will also be living with us until he finds a forever family. He is 7 1/2 months old and only weighs 9 lbs 14 oz. Our little 2 month old Love Kelly weighs more than him! He is alert and strong, and I am confident he will catch up quickly! He has stolen my hearts, and the hearts all everyone here! He is such a happy little guy. Ricardo and Benly both need sponsors for their care at HOPE House! (Sponsorship is $30 per month, email information@haitipoverty.org for more information) We are up to 13 children now! It's time to move!

Today the team held a clinic day for our kids and our staff's families. It was so much fun to hear so many children playing and laughing together. Our kids were excited to have visitors! They were running laps around our "track", swinging on the playground (many for the first time in their lives), coloring with chalk, and drinking lots of kool-aid! A beautiful way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

Our medical team has another full day of clinic tomorrow. They will most likely see another 1,000 patients before they leave on Tuesday. Our pastoral ministry team arrives on Tuesday afternoon. We are looking forward to an exciting week of evangelism, training, crusades, and baptisms! God is on the move!

Construction Update

As promised, I have uploaded pictures of some of this week's progress here at HOPE House! We have made great strides this week thanks to our many helping hands! We were so grateful to have the roofs on and windows sealed before the rains began! It has been raining every night for the past 5 nights and will most likely continue to do so for a while.

It is so exciting to be in this stage of construction, because every night when we go to bed it looks completely different than the day before! The rooms have all been partitioned off, the bedroom and bathroom doors are all in, and the kitchen cabinets are being hung! By the end of tomorrow all of the painting will be finished except for the kids playroom/kitchen, and the outside of HOPE House. Our next steps are plumbing and electrical!

Today was a BIG day! For more than the reasons listed above. As of today, HOPE House has 24/7 electricity. All day, all night! I can hardly wrap my mind around it! Our batteries and inverter system are all hooked up! We have enough charge to last us 2-3 days of no electricity or generator usage! Can I get an AMEN!?! That means no more bucket showers! We will always have running water!

We are going to celebrate the week's progress with Frentz's famous fresh fruit smoothies tonight! I am so thankful for everyone who has played a part in making this all possible! I stand absolutely amazed at our marvelous God. Our provider and help in time of need! Amazing!

Worth a Thousand Words

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Some say a picture is worth a thousand words. With so much happening down here at Les Bours School of Hope I thought it would be best to share some new pictures! In short, the trees are growing, the children are eating(Bingo is still alive), the teachers have new cabinets, and the cooks came for an interview and will start cooking lunch next week! Everyone involved in our school is so excited about the new improvements! The children are full of joy, as always.

Also, I just had to throw in a picture of little baby Julia! (Jean and Nana's new daughter) She is absolutely perfect! God answered our prayers for a safe delivery, and a healthy mom and baby! She looks like another little Mini Jean!

I will post pictures of HOPE House construction updates soon. The guys are working so hard, and doing a beautiful job! We hope to be painting the nursery and children's bedrooms all day Saturday! Things are coming together so nicely. I am beyond thankful for all of our amazing help! Everyday we are a little bit closer to moving in to our permanent HOPE House!