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

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

Isaac Orphans in WORLD MAGAZINE

World Magazine - June 5, 2010 includes a photo of Charles the most recent addition to Isaac's Orhanage. Pastor has taken in several earthquake orphans including Charles, who was buried alive for 5 days with his dead "Auntie" in the rubble of a building in Port au Prince. His parents were also killed. He seemed confused when we were concerned about him, never smiled but never cried.



Three of the orphans are holding World Magazine issues dealing with the Haiti earthquake. Charles is holding up a copy of the now famous photo of another boy buried alive - but reunited with Aunt after another successful rescue.


Please keep Charles and all the Orphans in your prayers.

Sue

TEAM Update

Sunday, March 14th - 125 children shoed up for VBS at the church we were expecting 40.

It was quite an ordeal getting there. Did a lot of prep work for medical and eyeglass clinic. Jeremie is filled with a lot of people. Pastor Isaac has a boy living with him that was 5 days buried in rubbled. Doctors did not want to treat him becuase he smelled of death. Parents deceased. He will live with them. Back was all scared but healed and well. JAN

Saturday, March 13th - Pastors arrived this morning safe, but very tired. We are separting getting ready for the week. VBS this afternoon with the orphans. Quite overwhelming. Still missing 4 medical tubs and 1 VBS tub. Lophane is checking airport today. JAN

Friday, March 12th - Got up around 4:30AM to get a quick breakfast and head to the airport to get our medical luggage and try and find the additional missing five tubs. They were not there but were told by American Airlines that they may have gone through to Port-au-Prince. Upon flight delays we arrived in Port-au-Prince around 12:30PM. What confusion at the airport as the main building is closed down. Our entire luggage made it EXCEPT the five tubs. American Airlines said they would get them to Jeremie where the medical clinics will be. The plan was to have a truck take the medical supplies by truck to Jeremie and the group would fly with their carry-ones. Well - that didn't work, not enough room on the small plane, so three of the guys are on a bus with ALL the luggage and medical supplies. They will be driving through the night and arriving in Jeremie sometime Saturday - God willing! TIM

Thursday, March 11th - After gathering at O'Hare Airport to leave, and loading the 38 medical containers, we went to the boarding area to fly to Miami. One group was to fly out at 2:30PM and the other at 3:30PM. We found out that the 2:30PM flight had mechanical problems so at the last minute American Airlines arranged for them to get on to another plane. Both groups arrived shortly after each other. American Airlines said that we were not able to check our luggage through to Port-au-Prince so we had to gather all of our baggage and arrange temporary storage. We noticed that five of our medical containers were missing - they did not get on to the new flight. After spending about three hours at the airport in Miami on this we decided to go to the hotel around 10PM and try to locate them early in the morning. TIM

Jesus, save me!

I would like to tell you how God is good.
In the first book of Samuel 2:6, and Deut. 32: 39,

it is said: "The Lord killeth and maketh alive; He bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.” See now that I, even I, am He, and there is no god with me: I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.”

Almost Died

That’s why I feel I must share with you my testimony, how God saved me on January 12, 2010 in Port au Prince, Haiti from the deadly hearthquake that devastated the country killing people by the hundreds of thousands, living millions of victims.

That Tuesday, I was attending a workshop on how to care for the orphans. Sponsored by a nonprofit organization called RACINE, this workshop was supposed to take place from 3:00 to 5:30 PM. Then, At 6:30 PM , I had a preaching appointment at Evangelical Christian Church led by Pastor Benissoit Pierre in Martissant. The revival service at that church started at 4:00 PM and had to last till 8:00 PM. As the guest preacher, I was supposed to arrive at around 6:30 PM.

While still attending the workshop at the University of Hautes Etudes, by 4:30 PM it just came to my mind to leave the place immediately. I asked my colleagues to allow me to leave, but they didn’t want me to. Yet, I left anyway, took a taptap (taxi) and headed downtown as fast as possible. When I arrived at Rue Pavee, just half a block to the Telecommunication building (very tall building indeed),

I stopped by a tyre inflater pump open shop, and all of a sudden, I heard a voice urging me to buy a tyre inflater. I didn’t buy the tyre inflater. I wasn’t interested in buying one because I didn’t have enough cash in my wallet. But, for a third time, the same voice commanded me to buy the inflater anyway by saying: “I command you to buy the inflater immediately!” Well, I had no choice this time. I obeyed and bought the inflater. It was about 4:45 PM. The seller took 7 long minutes to give me the change, enough time set up by the Almighty God to prevent me from getting killed when the Teleco building crumbled.

As soon as I left the open shop and arrived just in front of the Teleco building, I heard another voice saying to me: STOP!

And all of sudden I started turning around like a drunk person with the earth vibrating under my feet, and I could see the Teleco building and the Nova Scotia hotel shaking and dancing like crazy, and me right in the middle, between both tall buildings that are about to collapse on me. People in the street ran like crazy taking refuge under the Teleco. I also thought of taking refuge under the huge building and didn’t have much time to decide when all of a sudden a taptap just stopped in front of me with no passenger on board, and I grabbed the back of the taptap with all my strength so I can stand somehow on the earth trembling under me. While crying: “Jesus, save me! Jesus, save me! Jesus, save me!” unexpectedly I saw a young man dressed in blue pants and white long sleeve shirt who came and grabbed my arm and dragged me in the taptap, sat on the floor and put me between his legs to make sure I am safe.

Then, in less than a second, the Teleco building collapsed and killed instantly all those that took refuge under it. Please remember it is a huge building! That building fell also on the back of the taptap and pushed it under the Nova Scotia Hotel (another skyscraper). A powerline pole fell as well on the back of the taptap making the situation worse for me as the seconds passed by, blood all over my face and my shirt, because a piece of something hit me hard, but not hard enough to kill me (My God said no!) During all this time I was bleeding in the taptap, everything was upside down, from bad to worse. I kept praying: “Jesus, please keep the hotel from crumbling! Jesus, please keep the hotel from crumbling! Jesus, please keep the hotel from crumbling!” Meanwhile, the whole Port au Prince was covered with dust, debris and dead bodies all over the place. I couldn’t see anything. 10 minutes later, when I could start seeing somehow, I looked around to thank that guy who put me between his legs, and I never saw him till now. It was unquestionably God’s angel that came to rescue me. All those who took refuge under Teleco building perished instantly. And it was God who sent me to buy the tyre inflater and make the seller take a long time to give me change so I could avoid being killed that day, January 12, 2010. It was also the Almighty God that urged me to leave the workshop on time, because the building collapsed and killed all my colleagues who were attending. Also, when I arrived in Martissant where I was supposed to be the guest preacher, I saw the church building flat down killing all those who showed up at 4:00 PM. Only three people and Pastor Benissoit escaped. Over 100 people arrived early. They all perished. Too bad so sad!



But thank God who saved me 1) from the worshop, 2) from the Teleco building, 3) from the church building that all collapsed and where I almost had a rendez-vous with death.
Yes, God rescued me! God saved me so I can keep taking care of 24 needy kids that I house, feed, clothe and send to school by faith.



Most of those needy kids are fatherless and motherless. They all sleep in my living room, sleeping on the floor. The facility I started building as the orphanage is not completed yet. Now it’s a must to complete it ASAP. I still have a lot to do for the Lord. That’s why I almost died, but I didn’t. Thanks be to God! He saved me for a purpose! To Him be glory, honor and praise!

If you feel like helping me help the needy, the wounded and the victims of the deadly earthquake, please feel free to do so. Welcome to Haiti! Welcome to Jeremie! We need you! The Lord God needs you for the betterment of Haiti. Please don’t block His blessings!



I would like to finish the buildings that have three comportments: School, Orphanage and Medical Clinic. So, if you want to help us to finish it or sponsor one or more children, Please contact Susan Gross in Chicago at her E-mail: suelynn144@aol.com

Please send this testimony to your friends.

With a grateful heart,

Pastor Jean Isaac Jacquet
District President of Jeremie, Haiti

Power of our Prayers !

Saturday 8:15 AM cst

This just in:

We heard from the team.
They are at the airport in Port-au-Prince. Pray for swift connections with Barb, the adoption facilitator and for the visas to arrive quickly for Lovelie and Wisken.

We aren't sure when they'll be able to fly out at this time.


Jason Christ
Director of Student Ministries
First Trinity Lutheran Church



from this mornings Buffalo News article :
...for more than two years, Whited and his wife, Susan, have been trying to adopt two children from the orphanage, Lovelie, an 11-year-old girl, and Whisken, a 7-year-old boy. The Whiteds have had an agonizing time working through Haiti’s complex adoption regulations.

Whited said he was hoping to arrange to bring the children home with him this year, but the earthquake has made the situation much more difficult. The pastor said all the paperwork he and his wife filled out may have been destroyed in the earthquake. He has been unable to reach any of the necessary Haitian officials to complete the adoptions.


Whited said. “My understanding is that the earthquake is going to push the whole process back even further.”

With our God nothing is impossible.
See God's hand is moving mightily in HAITI today.

Keep those prayers going...
KEN

completer article can be read at: Click here: Tonawanda church group grateful to escape Haiti unscathed : Home: The Buffalo News

NEWS from "Children of Israel Orphanage" - Les Cayes, Haiti

Rev. Charles Whited of First Trinity Lutheran Church was on the second floor of the orphanage in Les Cayes, Haiti, when the earthquake hit.

Tonawanda church group grateful to escape Haiti unscathed

Also thankful it can aid recovery

By Dan Herbeck
News Staff Reporter
Updated: January 15, 2010, 7:38 PM

At first, the Rev. Charles “Chuck” Whited wondered if his mind was playing tricks on him when a massive earthquake struck Haiti on Tuesday. “I heard a wall crack. Then, I saw people running. Everything around me was shaking,” said Whited, a Town of Tonawanda pastor who is in Les Cayes, Haiti, with a missionary group this week. “I got outside with my son, and everyone was running toward a soccer field. I felt wobbly, almost dizzy. Everything was waving back and forth. I thought maybe I was overheated because I didn’t drink enough water that day.” It was a bizarre and scary experience, but Whited is thankful that he and 13 other members of the missionary group from First Trinity Lutheran Church walked away unscathed.

They arrived in Haiti on Monday — one day before the quake — for their annual visit to help out at the Children of Israel orphanage, which was adopted by the Town of Tonawanda church six years ago.

Because of fears that an aftershock might cause the orphanage to collapse, the group slept outside Tuesday night, laying blankets on the stony ground. Since then, they have slept indoors. “The Haitians were really cold that night, but we weren’t cold. We’re from Buffalo,” Whited said with a laugh.

... saying nobody in the group wants to come home early.

“Our feeling is that God has put us in this place at just this time,” Whited said.

“We’re here to help and comfort the people of Haiti in every way that we can.”

to read complete article: Tonawanda church group grateful to escape Haiti unscathed

In the right place at the right time!

God's Blessings to those who love Haiti,

I would like to start by thanking all the Congregations, schools, Bible Study Groups and individuals who made our Haitian Pastors feel so welcomed last month as they visited our country.

Pastors Isaac and Pastor Marky Kessa (President of Evangelical Church or Haiti) spent a very full week visiting MANY Chicago area Lutheran Organizations. They shared information about their Ministries, how some of the orphaned children came to them, school construction progress and the Faith that gets them through daily life in Haiti.

One of the most moving stories Pastor Isaac told while here was about the newest orphan, Saintilove, who he has taken into his home (number 23). Pastor Isaac was visiting one of his village congregations (he rides his motorcycle as far as he can and then walks over rough terrain to get to the village). He and one of his Lay Pastors were walking through a wooded area toward the village when they heard a strange sound in the distance. Pastor stopped to listen, heard it once more and then started to walk in that direction. There, lying in a pile of trash was a 4 year old girl near death,(this is where Pastor began to sob) a wild pig had begun eating her leg. Pastor chased it away and picked up the unconscious little girl and held her until he felt her breathing. He then fed her some wine he had carried in his travel bag and sent the Lay Pastor back for his motorcycle so that they could get her to the hospital in Jeremie. Pastor then went on to explain that this little girl's parent were both dead and she was being raised by her grandmother. Her Grandmother had no food for the little girl and knew that she would die soon. Because she did not want to watch the child die she put her in a trash heap in the woods. We all cried.

How desperate people in Haiti must be to abandon their children so as not to watch them suffer. How good our loving God was to put Pastor Isaac in that place just in time to help one of HIS children. He could have kept walking when he heard the sound and he never would have found her. We can keep walking and also not help those needing us because we think someone else will do it. How good God is that he is letting you read this message.

Pastor Isaac did tell another story that stuck out in my mind. The day before Easter one of his lay pastors came to him and said he could not attend Church on Easter Sunday because he had no shoes to wear (The Haitians dress very respectfully for Church). Pastor Isaac told him he had 2 pair of shoes so he could have the other pair which made the man very grateful because he could now attend church on Easter. The next morning as Pastor was dressed in his suit ready to preach at the Easter morning service he told his wife he could not find his shoes and she said that the day before a member of their congregation had come to the house and told her he could not go to church on Easter because he did not have any shoes so she gave him Pastor's extra pair. We laughed.

Those that have so little are so much more willing to share. We have so much compared to those living in Haiti yet we are so reluctant to share what we have even though God tells us to do just that. Please Lord make me less selfish!

Many of you expressed your thanks for the Pastors visit as it made your support more personal and meaningful. I hope that feeling will stay fresh in our hearts and remind us of our blessings.

Although this was not meant to be a fund raising visit many new hearts were moved and through Lutheran Church Charities we were introduced to a wonderful business that donated the money Pastor Isaac needed to purchase a car. Just when I think, this is too much of a project to handle, The Lord comes through with an answer. When will I ever learn?

Again, thanks to all who shared this experience.

It was truly a team effort and we appreciate all of you.
Susan Gross

Haitian Lutheran Mission Project

Christ Lutheran Church, Orland Park, IL