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

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

Trinity-HOPE overview and schools impacted by recent earthquakes

Trinity - Hope is responsible for the feeding program through the schools.
For many families this is the source of food for their children.

Click on the following Slideshow to get an overview of this excellent program:

Click on the forward arrow to progress :

Trinity/HOPE overview and schools impacted by recent earthquakes

View more presentations from Trinity/HOPE.

Please consider supporting this program.

KEN

Life in a Haitian Earthquake Refugee Camp

...unashamed voices rendering thanks to God for the blessings of life and health and shelter.



It always strikes me that in a land permeated with voodoo, the Christian people express their beliefs unchallenged and unashamed. Why don’t we claim that freedom in the United States more than we do???






Nora reporting from Les Cayes, Haiti informed us yesterday that the Children of Israel orphanage was declared unsafe for occupancy.


Interested in reading NORA's full blog :
http://norainhaiti.spaces.live.com/?_c11_BlogPart_BlogPart=blogview&_c=BlogPart&partqs=amonth%3d1%26ayear%3d2010

KEN

Spring 2009

Easter Greetings from Pastor Isaac's Orphans,

It has been some time since I updated you on Pastor Isaac and his ministry so I will attempt to fill you in briefly on the last several months.
It certanly has been a year of ups and downs for Haiti and Pastor Isaac but, as always,

GOD IS GOOD.

1. We started out 2008 by sending a bus packed with much needed supplies for the children and for the construction that was to begin on the School/Orphanage building.

2. Construction started and the foundation was poured for the building before our team arrived in June.

3. 2 Mission teams arrived in Jeremie starting the end of June until mid July. These teams helped with the construction of the School/Orphanage building and hosted VBS for over 500 children in Jeremie. They also got to know the Orphaned children that live with Pastor and his family and gave them 17 days of love and attention they will never forget.

4. A few days after our last team left in July hurricane season hit Haiti and devastation resulted. Not just 1 hurricane but several hit the tiny island and people everywhere suffered from it. Food prices skyrocketed, homes were destroyed, disease killed many from contaminated water supplies. Haiti has still not recovered from these storms.

5. Relief from many of our Lutheran Church Ministries helped Pastors in Haiti get food and medicines to those who needed it most. They did not keep these supplies for their own congregation members but distributed aid to anyone in need.

6. The School/Orphanage building project stopped due to lack of funds but the children continued to be well cared for and were able to attend school thanks to the donations from LCC and those who support the children monthly.

7. Recently Pastor Isaac resumed construction on the School/Orphanage with the promise of a grant from LWML for this purpose. He hopes to have the building completed buy Sept of 2009 in time for school to start.

8. We now are now able to support enough teachers to keep 4 of the Lutheran Schools open for the coming year. 6 of the teachers are pictured below from the school in Beaudouin.

9. Pastors Isaac and Marky are planning a trip to Chicago after Easter to thank the Congregations,individuals and Lutheran Church Charities that have been supporting their ministry. If you would like one of the Pastors to visit your congregation contact suelynn144@gmail.com.

10.A mission Trip to Haiti is being planned for the week of July 4, 2009 if anyone is interested contact Sue at the above.

Please pray for our Haitian Brothers and Sisters as they continue their ministry

Newsletter September 2008

Back to School - September 2008

Greetings to you in the name of our Compassionate Lord.



Now that it has been a month since our return from Haiti we are ready to put some new projects together.
September has always meant BACK TO SCHOOL time for me,so that is what our focus will be for now.





Schools in Haiti will be starting soon and most children will NOT have the opportunity to attend because public schools are NOT free in Haiti. If you cannot afford to feed your family every day how can you afford to send your children to school?



If we were to tell most of our children here in the U S that we could not afford to send them to school this year they would most likely accept this decision cheerfully (for a while anyway) but not Haitian children. They are told that getting an education is the only way out of the extream poverty that they live in. This is their only chance and if they cannot attend school they face a life of hunger and despair. Education is so important that parents will give their children to strangers living in the cities, as servants, if they will send them to school. For those people living outside of the cities, schools are not even available.



This is why the 22 Lutheran Schools that Pastor Isaac started in the villages surrounding Jeremie are so important. The problem is that these schools can not afford to pay their teachers regularly. Although they are promised a salary most of the teachers work for what ever is given them until another opportunity comes their way which they accept in order to feed their families. Some schools do not stay open for the entire school year because the teachers have left to take other positions.



Pastor Isaac asked me to work on a support system for the teachers in 4 of the village schools that he feels are in most need. They are villages that our teams visited while in Haiti last July. They are:
Mar Franc - 67 children - 2 teachers
Moron - 72 children - 3 teachers
Beaudouin - 97 children - 4 teachers
Anse d' Hainault - 182 children - 6 teachers



We have the opportunity not only to educate 418 children by supporting 15 teachers but to expose them to Christian Values through Bible study that is taught in these Lutheran Schools. These children will go home and teach their parents that Voudou is not their salvation but Jesus Christ is. The Haitian people have a great respect for education so they will listen to what their children bring home form school.



After meeting with Pastor Isaac and Pastor Marky (president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti) we have decided that a fair salary for the teachers would be $50.00 a month. This would be enough for an educated person to support his family in the country. We are looking for churches and schools to make a long term commitment to support 1 or more of these teachers. Please prayerfully consider this commitment. $600.00 a year by our standards is not a great amount of money but think what it means to a Haitian child desperately wanting to attend school. Many of us spend this amount every year on our cable service or cell phone service or a cup of coffee on our way to work everyday instead of drinking it at home. Why not remind yourself of these suffering children by giving something up in order to send that $50.00 a month. I guarantee you will not regret it.

SUSAN