FEEDING 1,798 CHILDREN

We are well into the Lenten Season and I began to wonder why people give up CHOCOLATE or SWEETS for Lent. I did it as a child but It really made no impact on my life.

Perhaps if my parents had taken the money we spent on desserts and had me give it to someone that was hungry I would have felt the sacrifice was meaningful. But who would I have given that money to???

This holds true for all the times my Mom told me to eat everything on my plate because there were starving children in the world. I would have gladly given them that piece of liver I had to choke down. Again I never saw those starving children but I ate that liver anyway.

Things are different now....we know where those starving children are and we have the opportunity to help them.
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.



Pastor Isaac Jacquet has 12 schools in his district that are receiving one meal a day through Trinity Hope's Feeding Program - this is a total of 1,798 children. Only 702 are sponsored at this point. That leaves 1,096 that still need support. The Haitian Lutheran Mission Project has committed $ 8,403.00 for this coming year to feed the children of Dame Marie.
We need your help to make sure these children get fed.

If you need more information or would make a donation of any size to help email me at.

suelynn144@aol.com

Sue Gross
Haitian Lutheran Mission Project
Christ Lutheran Church
14700 S. 94TH Ave.
Orland Park, IL 60462

BELAGUE & COLMINY HAITI

The Haitian Lutheran Mission Project has taken on a new area to support. The villages of Colminy and Belague both have Lutheran Churches that are in partnership with LCMS. They, however, have not received any assistance from the funds that LCMS has reserved for the areas most directly affected by the earthquake. The water filters, latrines, and housing being supplied by LCMS only reach a few of the Districts where our Lutheran Pastors are working.

The Church in Belague is pictured below. It is surrounded by water which is terribly dangerous because of the mosquito population and high rate of Malaria in Haiti. People in Belague must wade through this water to reach the river where they bring their 5 gallon buckets to collect drinking water.


This mother and her son collect drinking water from the river behind the Lutheran Church of Belague pictured below.


This path is the only dry way to get into the Church/School in Belague. It is completely surrounded by filthy water which the children and community members wade through to get to the river behind the building.
This wet area can be corrected by purchasing fill to be deposited around the building.


This Mother is taking drinking water home for her children to use. She told me she had dropped chlorine tablets into the water already and does so when she has access to them. The river is where bathing, laundry and animals go to get cool. One day they hope to have a well so they can have clean drinking water



The Haitian Lutheran Mission Projects goal for this area is....

1 Raise $2,000.00 to provide fill for the area around the school so that the mosquito population decreases near the Church/School. This needs to be done soon because the month of May is when the rain comes heavily.

2 Find an organization like the Rotary Club (which is active in Haiti drilling wells) to help us get clean water to this area as well as the very DRY - DESERT LIKE village of Colminy.

WHAT YOU CAN DO
Lent is meant to be a time of reflection and sacrifice for many.
Giving up chocolate and pizza may be good for your waistline but is that really life changing for anyone?

When The Lord puts an opportunity to impact the lives of others at our feet we can choose to participate or refuse it. You make the choice. Your participation in this effort to help fellow Christians in Haiti is critical. No one else is helping them.



You can help in a variety of ways.
* Mission Trips
* Fund Raisers.
* Awareness presentations
* Project support (send a used school bus filled with donations to Haiti)
We will help you in any of these areas.
Mission work brings Church Members together.

Blessings,
Sue Gross
Haitian Lutheran Mission Porject
suelynn144@aol.com

BUS leaves for Jeremie, HAITI

LCC President Tim Hetzner Sees Off Bus for Haiti



This past Saturday and Sunday Tim Hetzner was out at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Richton Park. Saturday Tim was there to see the loaded bus take off for Haiti. The bus is filled with supplies for Pastor Isaac in Jeremy Haiti. The bus, God willing, will be shipped this week from Miami and will arrive in Port Au Prince, Haiti where Pastor Isaac will pick it up and drive it to Jeremie. The Haitian Lutheran Mission Project of the Northern Illinois District, the Richton Park - Immanuel Community Coalition, and Lutheran Church Charities would like to thank all the volunteers and donors who made this possible! What a blessing this will be to so many people in Haiti!

LCC office at (866)455-6466

GIVING THANKS

Thanksgiving 2011

We would like to share with you what the
Haitian Lutheran Mission Project
is giving thanks for this year.

Although we will miss one of our most faithful servants,Dave Alm, who is now with his Lord and Savior,we are grateful for the progress we witnessed on our most recent visit to Haiti..

The 30 Orphaned children in pastor Isaac's care are not only being fed, educated and receiving medical care they are growing spiritually and learning to be responsible, loving family members.


We are very thankful for the well being of these children, largely due to your support, but we cannot forget the thousands of other children who live in the mountain villages that Pastor Isaac is responsible for.


Most of the Orphans come from these villages and there are dozens of children actually WANTING to enter the orphanage. In my mind there is something wrong when children WANT to go to an orphanage but this is reality in Haiti.

The purpose of our October visit was to decide where our focus would be for the coming year in Haiti. We feel we are being lead to expand our assistance beyond Pastor Isaac's Orphanage into the villages in the Jeremie District. We zeroed in on two related areas. Enlarge our sponsorship program for the Lutheran School Teachers in Haiti and Starting Lutheran Schools in some of the villages where schools do not exsist.

We are standing on the foundation for the new school in Fond Rouge - church is in background.


Fond Rouge is one of these villages where a school is needed. We have raised enough funds to begin the work and hope to have the building finished and teachers hired so that school can start next September. We feel confident that this school can make a real difference to the people of Fond Rouge and expect we can accomplish this in the months to come.

The Children in Fond Rouge want to attend school. Their parents see education as their only hope for some kind of future. Maybe their child will be able to make a living and not face the despair they live with.

Many of our Haitian schools are now also qualifying for the Feeding Program through Trinity Hope, Nashville, TN. which provides each child 1 meal a day of rice and beans while they attend school.This means that children who normally do not eat everyday will now get a dish of rice and beans 5 days a week. Think of what this means to families that cannot afford to feed each family member every day.


Since the earthquake I have been asked repeatedly where did all that money go?
My answer is. I guess it depends on who you gave it to.
We have seen great progress in Jeremie over the last several years. The Haitian Lutheran Mission Project has an ongoing relationship with Pastor Isaac. We communicate regularly, require accountability, and evaluate the progress of the projects continually.

We understand that each donation is given to us in love and we convey that to Pastor. We respect your sacrificial giving and are committed to directing your gifts where they will do the most good.
This year we will give thanks for YOU the people who are making a difference in so many lives.

We pray that you continue to support the Haitian Lutheran Mission Project this coming year.

Thanksgiving Blessings to you and your families.

Sue Gross
suelynn144@aol.com

HELP fill the BUS!

We packed the bus for Haiti on Saturday Nov.12th and it is PACKED!


We left just enough room for Pastor Isaac's last request MUSICAL INTRUMENTS. He wants to start a band with the children. So please pack up those instruments that you no longer use and make some children very happy. Can you just hear 30 children practicing in Pastor's home????


We are also in need of sewing supplies for the classes. Scissors, thread, bobbins, zippers, etc. Bolts of material (please no scrapes unless they are cut for expressly for quilts).


Teachers supplies, chalk, rulers, globes, maps.

Kitchen utensils, silverware, metal bowls (these are used in for the feeding program each child needs to bring a metal bowl and a spoon so that he/she can receive a meal of rice and beans at noon).


THANK YOU to so many of you who participated in helping to fill the bus. We are almost there. We have sewing machines, clothing, shoes, a generator, bicycles, chalk boards, bunkbeds, pillows,quilts and school supplies and much much more.

Sue
Haitian Lutheran Mission Project
suelynn144@aol.com

BUNKBEDS for HAITI

I am often asked how a small congregation can be part of the Haiti Ministry without making a monthly commitment of support.
Well here it is.....................

Immanuel Lutheran Church Richton Park along with the Richton Park Community bought a used school bus which we will use as a shipping container to send large items to pastor Isaac in Haiti.


This is a rare opportunity for us to have such a large space to ship needed items to Haiti so we decided to take advantage of it by shipping the much needed BUNKBEDS that the children will use when the addition on Pastor's house is finished next year.

We found white pine bunkbeds at IKEA for $159.00 each. The mattresses are extra and they have 20 available right now if we want them. We do not have to pay tax and we will pick them up ourselves.

So if we can get 20 congregations to donate $300.00 we will have enough beds for the 30 Orphans and the guest room where mission teams will stay in the future.



We would like to thank Immanuel Lutheran Church and the Richton Park Community for the FEST they sponsored last Saturday.

All proceeds went to pay for the cost of shipping the bus to Haiti.

Please consider a donation for this cause.

These children sleep on a concrete floor in Pastor's home right now. These children have never had a bed to sleep in! Can you imagine the excitement when they get to sleep in their very own bed for the first time?

Please help make this happen NOW. If the bus leaves before we can raise the money for the beds it will be too costly for us to ship them.

Please contact Sue Gross
Haitian Lutheran Mission Project
708-389-6676
suelynn144@aol.com

Haiti Spring 2011

Greetings from the Haitian Lutheran Mission Project.

Please view our mission trip via YOU-TUBE

http://youtu.be/QBGf9yXRJaU

We are pleased to report that many good things are happening in Jeremie, Haiti thanks to the support that many of you are providing.
Since our mission trip in March Pastor reports that many more improvements are in the works.

Pastor received a second shipment or Water Filters that were distributed to the neediest people on his list. Remember these filters are inexpensive and supply a family of 6 with clean water daily lasting 5 years before they need to be replaced.

We also raised $3,500.00 through Lutheran Church Charities to be sent for the building of 7 new toilets (latrines). The building of these latrines is done by the village people themselves but the supplies needed cost $500.00. Each has a septic system of some sort.

The Traveling Medical Clinic continues to function, bringing care to village people that do not have access to a doctor. Our goal this year is to be able to support this clinic by sending supplies that are needed to treat these patients’ needs.

We are happy to report to you that the Orphans are doing well. Several of us who have known the children since the Orphanage started continue to picture them as small children. To our surprise many have grown to become very polite young ladies and young men. Pastor seems to do well with a house full of teenagers. It was fun to see him dance with them and put up with their teasing.

Our goals for this coming year are:

Continue to supply the Traveling Medical Clinic with basic materials

Start a new school in the village of Fond Rouge where a building already stands but is in need of repair . Benches and teachers support are needed.

Continue to supply Water Filters to families so that they can have clean drinking water


Continue to build Latrines so that each village where Pastor has a Church will have access to a toilet which will help prevent the spread of Cholera.

Bring 2-3 Oral Surgeons to Haiti to provide a Dental Clinic for our 2012 Mission Trip.

Thank you so much for your continued support.

Sue Gross

Haitian Lutheran Mission Project

suelynn144@aol.com

FISHING Orphans

When I arrived at Pastors home the children were all excited to show me the fish tank. Brushing it off I took my time playing with the children until someone insisted I see their fish.

I followed them around to the back of the house where normally the cooking and cleaning is done. I climbed the steep hill at the back of the property above the chicken coop fully expecting to see a residential aquarium but was suprised to see two large concrete ponds fully stocked with 425 fish. One contains Tilapia but I forget what kind of fish is stocked in the other. What a marvelous idea. They expect them to reproduce rapidly and help feed the multiple mouths living within the HOME!







...also in this last photo - back in the distance you can see the 2nd floor addition to safely keep the children above the pastor's living quarters. Second floor has a large boys room, girls room, smaller room for care-takers, a small guest room along with a bath room.

KEN GROSS

BOUDUIN HAITI 3-17

The main roads continue to be blocked by rioters so for the last three days we have had to completely change our plans. A pastor emailed me when I asked for prayers regarding safety and disappointment due election protesters. He reminded us that when doors are closed God will open others.Wow - what Beautiful Door have been opened to us these last three days. Marfranc on Tuesday, Carrefoursano on Wed., highlighted today with Bouduin. Crossing the Grand Arnese we almost lost Doris and Sue due to swift currents but several men rushed to stop them from floating down stream.

About 12 of the school children in uniform came down to the river to help carry our Meds, VBS material and tubs of seeds and gardening tools across the river and up the mountain side.

Bouduin is one of the schools we support the teachers and Trinity Hope in return provides the 70 students with a meal of beans and rice once a day. What wonderful and welcoming people - BUT the greatest joy was observing the constant flow of students and villagers using the clean water filtration system many of you purchased (300 total @ 35.00 ea)

Again today we planted gardens and provide villages with over 5000 seed packages hybrid specifically for Haiti. C ompliments of Hope Seeds.
Children and adults joined in the gardening.

Team photo

Clean Drinking Water for Haiti

Thanks to many of you the children in the school of Bouduin now have clean water to drink. Pastor Isaac has delivered 60 filters so far to schools and families in Haiti. For $35.00 this water filter will provide enough clean water for a family of 6 every day for 5 years.
Thank you,
Susan
Haitian Lutheran Mission Project
suelynn144@aol.com

UPDATE: Christmas TOILET

Toilets are being built in Jeremie, Haiti to prevent the spread of Cholera and other diseases. The first of several was built at the Dame Marie Lutheran School. There are 34 schools in Pastor Isaac’s district and he hopes, eventually, to have a toilet built at each location. Thank you so much for the donations he has received so far.

Sue Gross

suelynn144@aol.com

The Haitian Lutheran Mission Project

ALL I want for Christmas - is a TOILET!

These children are asking for a TOILET for Christmas.
Yes, that must sound strange to most of us but it is true.
Cholera is invading the country of Haiti. Clean water and toilets are needed to prevent thousands of deaths. Please read Pastor Isaac's letter below.



All I want for Christmas is a TOILET!

Greetings in the precious name of Jesus to all our brothers and sisters.

Haiti is struggling with one more dilemna, the cholera desease that already killed 2000 peope and affected 30,000 according to the officials. But, the reality isover 3000 deaths and 50,000 affected. Ms Cholera is visiting Haiti departmentafter department, city after city, village after village on a weekly basis.

Jeremie distrist has 34 churches and 30 schools. (Jérémie, Marfranc, Moron, Fond Rouge, Beaudouin, Iles Blances, Roche-à-Pierre, Durocher, Dame Marie, Grande Barrière, Layé, Irois, Ansed’Hainault, Bariadèle, Pian,Galette, Les Rois, Cicar, Mandou,Loton, Frezine, Gabriel, Lexis, Pestel, Thozia, Saint Louis, Perla, Vendrebuche, Désormaux, Glaci Dalier, Nan Jeudi, Lavalette, Daniel, Sajotte and Louimeme JeanCharles).
Almost,each church has a school. NONE OF OUR SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES HAVE A TOILETTE FACILITY, NO EVEN A LATRINE. Since there is no toilette facilities, the risk to get sickis very high and always imminent.

As the District President, I am very concerned about the eventuality of having somecases of cholera among our people momentarily because of the lack hygiene and the absence of toilette, latrines, safe water, you name it.

We plan on building 34 toilettes (latrines), one for each school and/or church. We are hoping thatsome good samaritan would commit to building 1,2, 3, 4 toilettes. Each toilette will cost $500 only with the participation of the community inproviding sand, stones, gravel, foundation. The $500 will be used to buy ciment, blocks, steal, nails, woods. We will make a photo of each toilette completed along with the beneficiaries and forward it to whom this may concern,specially the donor.

We wish we could find 34 sister churches that would be willing to join hands withus.

Please pray for Hait and don't forget Jeremie. Thanks a lot for your love, support, andeverything you have already done to prove and demonstrate your love.

Godbless!
Jean Isaac Jacquet

If you or your congregation can help please contact Sue Gross 708-389-6676 or email suelynn144@aol.com

THANKSGIVING 2010

Giving THANKS this Holiday!

Although my recent newsletter talked about the need for Water Filters in Jeremi to prevent the spread of Cholera, good things are happening in Haiti too. THANKS TO YOU.

The Haitian Lutheran Mission Project is truly THANKFUL this holiday season for the many completed projects that Our Loving God has provided this past year in Jeremie, Haiti.



WE HAVE A LUTHERAN SCHOOL IN JEREMIE NOW.
This is a vision that Pastor Isaac shared with us six years ago. Never did we think that it would go this far in such a short time but The Lord moved many people to follow their hearts and help to make this happen.

Pastor Isaac’s dream began to materialize when an anonymous donor gave us the money to purchase a piece of land for the future campus site. Then came donations of all sizes from congregations, individuals and small groups to enable a foundation to be placed.
In 2008 we sent two teams to help with the construction of the building and last March we saw the LWML Grant put the roof on the building at last.



When the public schools started in Oct this year Pastor Isaac opened the doors to the first Lutheran School in Jeremie along with them. It is not quite finished.



There are no desks for the teachers, no blackboards, no plumbing but Pastor was able to borrow 40 benches for the children to sit on and 30 children came. Two weeks later he had 147 children enrolled.

This school gives the children of Jeremie an opportunity they have not had before. Children who have not been able to attend public school because they could not afford a uniform, shoes or supplies will now learn to read and write. Education gives the people of Haiti hope. Parents see education as the only way out of poverty for their children and will even give their children away to someone who promises this.

The Haitian Lutheran Mission Project has also been in partnership with Trinity Hope making possible feeding programs in eight village schools. Many of our newsletter readers are now sponsoring teachers in these schools. Without these sponsors the schools would close and Trinity Hope would no longer be able to feed school children one meal a day of beans and rice (for most children the only meals they get all week).

Another project completed this year was the Medical Clinic that Pastor was able to provide to four villages last March when our mission team arrived in Jeremie. This was a major event for the people of these small mountain villages. Many were fitted with eye glasses and given medicines that they would otherwise never be able to afford.

Yes, despite the earthquake, hurricanes and epidemics Haiti still survives and it’s people go on as best they can. BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT FOR THEY SHALL BE CALLED CHILDREN OF GOD. The Haitian Lutheran Mission Projects is Thankful for the opportunity to be part of God’s Plan for Haiti.


Thanking Him,
Sue Gross and The Haitian Lutheran Mission Team.
Suelynn144@aol.com

UPDATE : Jeremie & Hurricane Tomas

just in from Pastor Jean Isaac Jacquet

Too soon to forget the night of Nov. 4-5.
It was so tough!

1) 800 houses destroyed, and 1500 damaged.

2) The new roof of pastor Isaac's house was taken away.

3) Farms, gardens, and animals are gone. So, farmine is around the corner, for sure.

4) 10 preachers' houses are gone.

5) 37 church members' houses are gone.

7) More and more homeless people to take care of.

Yet, God was in controle. It could have been worse.
Thanks for your prayer!
The best of all, God is with us!
We are still alive!
To Him be the glory! “La vie continue.”

Please pray for us!
Pray for for Haiti as earnestly as you can.
Pray for the orphans, the widows, the homeless, the neglected!.

Thanks!
Agape-love with a grateful heart,

Jean Isaac Jacquet