Small and Mighty

Thank you to everyone who has been praying for Pastor Bauvais this past week. He is home recovering, but is still feeling weak and not yet eating well. Would you please continue to pray for this mighty man of God?

Nurse Marlouse had an impactful first month of the year at the Port-au-Prince campus (CLS). She was able to treat staff and students with a variety of symptoms. Being a nurse, she is only able to treat with over-the-counter medicines. Even so, there is great peace of mind in knowing that families won't have to spend money on doctor's visits when they may not even be necessary. And when they are necessary, we are aware and can be of help to them.

Have you ever had a toothache on a weekend - when your dentist's office is closed? How difficult is it to wait for Monday? Many of our friends in Haiti have not had the means to visit a dentist at all. When the pain is too much to bear, they reach out to friends and families until they come up with enough money to visit a dentist. If they find relief, it comes with a big debt. What a privilege it is to be a part of the solution for those who are suffering. Our primary students have free dental care. Others receive professional care at a greatly reduced rate.

Michael asked Saintonia why she comes to the clinic at MOHI. She gave him quite a spirited response: "I am the one to tell you, my son, what this clinic has done for me. It was God who sent this clinic here for us. My blood pressure was very high and I couldn't do anything about it. Now, I come to the clinic each month and they give me free medicine that actually goes with my body. Thank you is not enough to say."

"My name is Donia. I am 17 years old. My parents used to talk to me a lot about my life but I didn’t listen to them. I was about to go into 9th grade when I got pregnant. My mother didn’t know I was pregnant when I was alone in the house and went into labor at just 7 months. I’m so grateful for the MOHI clinic where I can get free care for my baby. Please pray for me. My dream is to be able to go back to school."

Widley was burned when he fell into a seizure. He’s been in a lot of pain. His mom was relieved to see how quickly the medicine from the MOHI clinic eased his pain. I am so grateful for the resources provided by our supporters and the supporters of our partner organizations like Bless Back Worldwide. Thank you for showing care for people you don't know but who are known by our Heavenly Father!

Pastor Lex and I spent the week in Jacksonville with our dear friends, Peter and Esther Plastridge. We met them over 20 years ago when their pastors, Phil & Irene Cebula, asked them to join a meeting we'd scheduled with them. They have been to Haiti many times over the years and have sparked many impactful projects such as business startups (including the first cybercafe in Grand-Goave when there were no cell phones nor internet access in the area!), the missionary compound, the annual leadership academy, and more.

After the 2010 earthquake, they introduced us to their good friends John & Lisa Armour. John had created an amazing water filtration system that they wanted us to have in Haiti. John, Peter, and Esther brought most of the necessary parts with them to Haiti on a plane and we have had the purest water ever since. Eventually, we were blessed with a second portable system that we have used extensively in disaster relief efforts, including the major earthquake that hit the south of Haiti this past summer. Later, John, Lisa, and their son Austin spent several weeks in Haiti with us, laying out the foundation of the school and training some of our best construction workers. Peter, Esther, John, and Lisa are all such an inspiration to us. We were so blessed to spend an evening expanding visions this week!

We had a great week of school at all 3 campuses. Seeing the students working hard encourages hope in me.

Tactile teaching? YES! How many 20oz bottles of water does it take to fill a 5-gallon bucket?

Knowing they are eating at least one good meal a day settles my mind.

Seeing them enjoy one another lifts my spirit. How about you?

Did you know that a team from Covenant Day School in Charlotte created a fish project for our Thozin campus? They sure did. Years later... Ahoy! There still be fish in that pond!!!

We spent some time this week having conversations about why we do what we do and how much of what we do is driven by our desire to share our faith. Time and time again we came to the realization that God is love. How do we recognize love? Mostly we recognize love through Jesus's actions... Jesus touching and healing people with compassion... Jesus defending the adulterous woman... Jesus feeding the multitudes... Jesus directing Peter to throw the net into the water on the other side... Jesus delivering people from demon possession... Jesus raising the dead... Jesus taking the time to speak compassionately with the woman at the well... Jesus laying down His life for you and me... The list goes on and on. It's His actions that SHOW me that He cares about me.

Lord, may our actions at Mission of Hope International be a reflection of that powerful love that Jesus continues to demonstrate to us. Lord, use our hands, our feet, our voices, our lives to bring Your Good News to each person You bring across our path each and every day. May Your actions be seen in and through our lives.

I think of Pastor Bauvais - a man who is small in stature, but mighty in Christ. Our lives are not meant to be lived for the approval of or glory from the people who see us, but to glorify our Maker. Would you join me this week in praying for the Lord to use you and me to confound the wise?