I'm Thankful
Sunday, November 19. 2023
Happy Thanksgiving this week to all our friends in the United States! I encourage you to take a moment each day to consider how you've witnessed the goodness of God in your life. During this season of thanksgiving, let the LORD know how much you appreciate His blessing in your life. There is none one else like HIM!
Some of our friends in Haiti are thankful for the opportunity to learn an employable skill at MOHI. On the weekends, the school is transformed into a workshop where students practice their newly acquired skills in carpentry, masonry, electricity, plumbing, computer technology, and sewing.
The opportunity to go to school at all, is something hundreds of families are grateful for. What joy parents experience in sending their children to school each day. It is commonly believed, with reason, that education is the key to unlocking a better future. It's also life-saving for many, as they eat meals that very often simply cannot be provided at home.
Health and dental care the students find at school make all the difference, too.
Whenever I consider the importance of being thankful, my brain returns to the early days of raising our children. Psalty the Singing Songbook taught us many important lessons, including thankfulness.
There's a bit of political uncertainty in the air these days in the Dominican Republic. We already have friends from different political persuasions, but our friendships always manage to take precedence over politics. We are grateful!
We are excited to start working with Aquilina and Bless Back Worldwide to start a business academy in Luperón. Aquilina, a business owner and officer with the Chamber of Commerce, attended our workshops in October. She's very outgoing and knows her community very well. She will now embark on four months of training to become the Coach for the Business Academy. Welcome Aquilina! We are praying for your success!
Gladys built her first "house" in La Grua, located on the banks of the Rio Bajabonico. When heavy rains hit the mountains above, the river came down with such ferocity that it left its banks. Everything along the bank was washed away, including her little shack. When the water receded, she gathered whatever materials she could find, mostly sticks and pieces of rusted corrugated metal, and she made herself another shelter. Sadly, the same thing happened again, and she found herself homeless once again.
Eventually, Gladys obtained a small plot of land within the heart of the community and began to build again. She gathered enough money to build a small concrete foundation and room. With time, she added another room and a tiny kitchen. Sadly, disaster struck yet again, and her home rose in flames. Today, only that little foundation remains.
Gladys now sleeps in her daughter's little room where she lives in the batay (where sugar cane workers used to be housed). She tells me she has a heart condition, and most nights, she ends up outdoors because it is unbearably hot in the tiny room, and she finds it difficult to breathe. She feels very discouraged and wants to build herself a little shack again. Will you join us in asking the LORD to intervene on Gladys' behalf? We see the physical need, but HE knows every need!
With your help, MOHI began constructing a one-hundred-meter-long structure to house twelve families in similar situations. Please help us to continue. It's so difficult for people to wait patiently when the circumstances are so difficult. May Jesus move our hearts with compassion for hurting people without hope. May we take a step of faith and impact someone else's life. Click on the picture below to donate today. We need approximately $25,000 to get the roof on this building.
For those of you in Central Massachusetts (or if you have family or friends there, please pass this along!), we are planning an exciting Christmas season event with our friends at Chair City Church. In addition to raising funds for the roof project, we hope many people from our neighborhood will experience God's love at this event. We hope to see you there!
