5 Things on a Thursday

It’s hard to believe it’s been an entire month since I wrote that last update, so I wanted to give a quick summary of what’s going on at Haiti Awake right now.

• Back to school is in full swing. Some of the children have gone back already. Some will return in October. As we plan toward the transition out of care for the older children at Kay Timoun, their educational plans have changed and include vocational training and night school for several of them. Sponsors, Kynda Colson, our child sponsorship coordinator, has sent out updates to keep you informed.

• Kynda Colson is doing a great job as child sponsorship coordinator. She has been a blessing to me personally, and I encourage all sponsors to reach out to her with your questions and comments. She will do a much better job than I will do in answering questions, as child sponsorship is her focus. She has helped all of us at Haiti Awake become better organized and productive, and for that we are so grateful. Her email is sponsorship@haitiawake.org

• Rebuilding continues in Camp Perrin post-earthquake. Vorb and I are hopeful to be in Camp Perrin in October and be able to give a first-hand report of how work is progressing. We are thankful for community participation in the construction efforts and for the faithful supervision of Frè Jacques, our trusted friend.

• We are one step closer to our dream of having a computer lab at the community center. Through partnership with Aprann.org, ten laptops have been secured, and we are now gathering other needed items like software licenses and accessories, as we make plans for classes to begin in 2022.

• Next week Pastor Steeve and I will be in Missouri for training with a Gospel-focused ministry called Concilium. We will be learn basic security principles, hostage survival, and first aid, and be trained in how to respond in a variety of situations, including active shooter, through extended immersion experiences. We are thankful for this opportunity, and Pastor Steeve is looking forward to taking the things he will learn in Missouri back to Haiti to teach others. The lack of security in Haiti has created a desperate situation, and we want to be proactive in stewarding our opportunities well.

It is hard to describe the difficulties facing our Haitian friends day-by-day. Fuel shortages, kidnappings, gang violence, inflation, dwindling resources, the assassination, the earthquake…

There are days I don’t even know how to pray for our friends, but the events of recent years have given me a deeper understanding of what true Hope is - and how to rest in it. This is my constant prayer for Haitian believers - that they will rest in Hope despite all of the uncertainty around them.

Hebrews 6:18-19 says: “It is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.”

The hope that lies before us. Amen.

A CCS Update

Hi Friends!

We couldn’t wait to give you another CCS update! You may already know most of our regular activities, but we would like for you to see some adjustments.

1- Sports day every Wednesday

Right now, Sports Day on Wednesday has become a  rendezvous for all of the children in CCS,  Big has started helping each week along with other staff members.  He truly loves the children..

What we are doing on Wednesday, it’s more than just doing sports. Every Wednesday, a theme is chosen for the sport day, such as: Patience- Love- Kindness- Wisdom- etc… and we always pray together.

2- Bible study 

Every Thursday,  some of those children continue to join our Bible study to learn the Word of God, even though it is not an obligation for them. We praise God for that.

3- English class 

English class is every Saturday. We can see how the children continue to learn and improve their English.  Sponsors, one day, we hope your child will be able to communicate with you in English!

3- Children’s church department 

Every Sunday, about 20 children come to children’s church.  Most of them are from CCS.

4 - Medical assistance 

Beside all of these activities, we were able to provide medical assistance to some of our children who needed a physician’s attention.

5- Big event

On the Haitian Flag Day, May 18, Haiti Awake  took all of the CCS children to a restaurant  for ice cream.   Going to a restaurant nor having ice cream is a regular thing for the CCS children.  In fact,  I believe most of those children experience this  for the first time in their entire lives.

Thank you, Sponsors, for your contribution to that event. 

6- School assistance:

We continue to assist some of the children with their school tuition, as well.

7- Thankfulness.

Sponsors, we want to express our gratitude by saying, thank you

Thank you for the change you are making in the lives of our children.

Thank you for helping our children to thrive, not to just survive.

Thank you for your faithful support.

Six years ago today

Six years ago today.

Six years passed in the blink of an eye.

Six years ago today we took the first step toward a purposeful relationship with the children of Kay Timoun. Six years ago today we moved them into a house close to Steeve’s house.

Little did we know six years ago today what God would do. We didn't have much money (the kids had one sponsor total!), we didn't have big plans (we were simply taking the next step), but our God who is faithful and true knew it all.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

Ephesians 3:20

Our Mission

No outsider can meet the needs of a local community in the way a local believer can. The Scripture’s model of missions shows Paul going into an area, preaching and building relationships, then leaving the Christians of that area to continue with a local pastor. However, Paul continued his relationship with these Christians long after his initial time with them was finished. We see this through his New Testament writings to churches and individuals.

In Haiti, poverty often hampers the ability of Haitian Christians to do the work of ministry in their own country. At the very basic level, many Haitian Christians must use the vast majority of their time and energy just to do what is needed to survive. Therefore, they have a difficult time focusing on evangelism and the ministries of their churches.

It follows that if survival is a struggle and there is little to no discretionary income, Haitian Christians often do not have the resources to adequately support the ministries of a local church or to get systematic Bible training. In Haiti, church planting and church growth largely depend on outside support in the form of finances and personal relationships.

Since many churches preach the gospel in Haiti, it is not a mission field which needs Christ introduced. In fact, it is our belief that American Christians could learn much from Haitian believers in the way they live their lives in trust, submission, and mutual edification. Instead, Haiti is a mission field where economic opportunities and personal relationships are necessary to help Haitian Christians and pastors move beyond mere physical subsistence to evangelism and systematic Bible training that will spur church growth and additional church planting.

This is our mission at Haiti Awake - to walk alongside Haitian believers as they identify and meet the needs in their own communities.

Great Is Your Reward!

When asked if I would contribute a guest blog to Haiti Awake, my heart did a cartwheel!

I’ll start by saying that I have been blessed beyond measure since I found Haiti Awake last year! It was in the wake of my personal spiritual awakening as I started looking outward more than dwelling on my own circumstances. God’s timing was IMPECCABLE! I had set very specific criteria on the organization I desired to support – child sponsorship, the ability to really connect with the children I would be sponsoring, build a relationship, send personally-chosen items. God provided all of that and MORE through Haiti Awake!  Isn’t God just incredible?

So, as I sat tonight considering what I felt would be important to share, about what God would want me to share with you, I felt led to the word “giving.”

When I think back on 2020, I can’t help but sit in awe of how God used people like you and me to power forward in His Kingdom-work despite the challenges the globe faced amid the pandemic. Even though people struggled, many still found a way to give. That’s why being a Christian is so wonderful. We give and we love because He first loved us and gave the best gift the world has ever known!

The Bible is PACKED with guidance on giving. For instance, in the book of Acts, we read about how the early church provided for each other’s needs, taking care of the orphan and the widow and spreading the Good News!

Acts 4:32 says, “All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.

Or, in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, Paul wrote, “6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

And finally, one of my favorite verses on giving, Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

So, as I close, I want to share some lyrics from a song released way back in 1988.

One by one they came
Far as the eye could see
Each life somehow touched
By your generosity
Little things that you had done
Sacrifices made
Unnoticed on the earth
In heaven now proclaimed

And I know up in heaven
You're not supposed to cry
But I am almost sure
There were tears in your eyes
As Jesus took your hand
And you stood before the Lord
He said, my child, look around you
Great is your reward

Thank you for giving to the Lord
I am a life that was changed
Thank you for giving to the Lord
I am so glad you gave

Hindsight is 2020

Since Haiti Awake was founded, we’ve often quoted Proverbs 16:9 in order to remind ourselves that God is ultimately in control.

We can make our plans, but the Lord directs our steps.

Perhaps no year has this verse been more relevant than 2020.

In January we started the year with such optimism and so many plans. Jake Flaming and Michelle Carr came to Haiti for a few days to work on projects for 2020. They were also in attendance on the first Sunday of Eglise Évangélique de la Grace de Caradeux.

February was monumental for us because we helped the first child ever in our community with school fees. By year’s end, our community child sponsorship had grown to the point that we were able to help all children in the program with school-related fees for the 2020-2021 school year.

Then came March. And we all know what happened in March.

But prior to a great portion of the world going into quarantine, we had the most blessed weekend with our friends, the Finks. God knew how much our hearts needed encouragement from them before heading into a very uncertain season.

In April, we began to focus a great deal of our time and attention on creating a homeschool program. In Haiti, though school was suspended because of Covid-19, there was no plan for remote learning. So we created our own curriculum, and it was fun and fulfilling.

In May, God brought a series of events together in a way that can only be credited to Him, and we knew we were to intentionally begin investing in the life of a young woman named Kerwin. At the time, Kerwin’s health was very poor, and her situation seemed hopeless, but today, by God’s grace, we have seen her come back to life in so many ways. We are so thankful to be part of her story.

June was a month of continued opportunities for outreach - including an outreach at a women’s prison. Our friend, Brian Sanders, had encouraged us to focus on others during quarantine, and his perspective, his questions, his advice opened new avenues for ministry that are continuing. We are so thankful for the influence he has had in our lives this year.

In early July, the country of Haiti reopened its borders, which had been closed since mid-March. We felt like we were beginning to see some light and hope for better days ahead. One of the forward-planning things we did was take photos of all the children individually and collectively so we could send out new child sponsorship cards to all of the wonderful people who support Kay Timoun month after month.

August was a blessed month indeed. Life in Haiti began to return to normal, and we were able to host our first ever dental clinic for the children of Kay Timoun, our staff, and the children in our community. This was so exciting to everyone!

Becky was able to return to Haiti in September. Being away for 6 months was the longest absence she had ever had from Haiti since Haiti Awake was founded.

In October, we hosted our first Mission Made Live Facebook event since MMJ became part of Haiti Awake in July. The on-line event was incredibly successful. We are thankful for our team of volunteers here in the US who makes events like this possible.

November brought the homecoming of our friend Jocelyne Andre who was severely injured in an horrific accident in September. Many regular givers gave above and beyond to make sure Jocelyne and her family were cared for, and it has been our honor to help the family during this difficult time.

December was full of exciting events, but nothing compared to our opportunity to bless those in our community through Christmas for our Community, an annual event where Haiti Awake gives to vulnerable members of our community - a goat, rice, beans, and oil. What a joy it is to be part of this program year after year.

We look back on 2020 with utter amazement at the way God provided through every challenge, every difficulty. Our Community Child Sponsorship grew. Our opportunities for outreach expanded. Our own children and staff matured in many areas.

As we look toward 2021, we have chosen the following verse to guide us:

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

— Hebrews 12:2