Hello,
I have been thinking for a full 24 hours now about how to write this email. I am sick to my stomach after an event that took place yesterday. I was so angry I couldn't write words without screaming them as I typed. Our team went to the school yesterday to have our second day of day camp. About half way through the day we had a knock at the gate from a neighbor in Les Bours There had been a car accident. A bad one. Two large trucks (carrying about 50 people each) hit head on sending truck parts and bodies everywhere. The accident happened on the main road right outside our school. Frentz, Abner, and myself rushed to the scene. There were dead bodies laying in pools of blood in the road. People were run over by the huge truck tires and crushed. Others were thrown from the top of the truck and laid in the ditches. People were all around bleeding and crying. We have a nurse on the team so we began searching for people with minor injuries we could help. We only found 2. Women sat in the middle of the road with their faces falling half off. The police arrived about an hour after the accident. They sat the severely injured in the back of their pick-up trucks for a long bumpy ride to Hospital General. The ride alone could have taken them another hour. I'm sure many were not alive by the time they arrived. Hospital General is not anything like you would imagine a hospital being. It is total chaos lacking supplies, medicines, and medical professionals. Currently, they don't have any pain medications....so these poor people were going to feel every part of them that hurt. Many had broken bones, others would require surgery. Probably, few will live. Unfortunately that's the reality in Haiti. The trucks were full of women coming into Port-au-Prince to sell their produce. Children were waiting up for them to come home with enough money to cook a small dinner. But they didn't show up. Children are growing up without a mother because two drivers wouldn't slow down. That's infuriating. They both honked, neither wanted to stop, so they crashed. Some things are worth stopping for. My heart aches for the families of those who lost loved ones yesterday....and for those laying in the hospital still suffering and in pain due to a lack of resources. It's not fair.
A kind gentleman from a city near to where our new property is located has been helping Frentz and I along with the paperwork. He is a notary in the area and he has been so sweet to make himself available when we are in the area. He even helped with Kelancia's paperwork since the notaries I used to use were killed in the earthquake. Frentz received a phone call 2 days ago that he died. He had diabetes and even though he had a job with income he couldn't afford medication. His death was not necessary. He left behind his wife and children. He was the only one in the family with a source of income. What will they do now? Because there wasn't enough insulin.
On a lighter note, the team is doing great. We finished our day camp today. The kids had a BLAST!!! We had a dance off and pulled EVERYONE in the courtyard in on it! It was so much fun to see these kids doubled over in laughter....something that doesn't happen very often. At one point Frentz and I traded clothes and I ran out dancing like a boy and he ran out shaking his hips all over the place! It was a riot....we looked like fools but I'm sure the kids will be laughing about it for years to come!
Tomorrow the team is painting the school and distributing food and hygiene kits to 40 more families! I am going to be catching up on paperwork which is covering the desks in the office, and Frentz is going to be purchasing more construction supplies for our new site! We are building storage rooms and a kitchen/dining room. It will be a great day of multi-tasking! There is a possibility that our containers could be released next week. We are one step closer!! Please pray it happens! We are so ready to move!
Thank you for caring. Thank you for praying.
Blessings,
Mallery
Friday, August 20, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
8/17/2010
Hello All!
I am so thankful to be writing you today! We are celebrating HOPE House's 6 month birthday today! Six months ago we hired our staff and began our infant care center/orphanage/guest house we call HOPE House. We are so thankful for the many blessings the Lord has given to us since February. Today I am most thankful for our staff! They work so hard everyday! We could not do what we do without them! They are amazing with the children and they cook and clean better than anyone I have met in my entire life! (I think our teams would second that!) I am throwing a party for our staff today to thank them for all of their work and giving HOPE House a successful first 6 months! We have MANY changes ahead and so many things to look forward to! Thank you for YOUR support! You have helped provide these families with a job that pays to feed and educate their children! They are some of the most wonderful people I know, and they have become my very best friends!
Benley is adjusting well to life at HOPE House. He sleeps the days away and plays all night....everyone loves this except the night nanny! Poor girl is 7 months pregnant with twins and needs her rest! He is smiling whenever he is a wake! He has been a wonderful addition to HOPE House. Jivenson is doing well! We are working on a better sitting posture as he often folds over and gets stuck. He needs some intense therapy to help his muscle tone! He is as floppy as a ragdoll. Pierreline has had a great week! She is thinking about listening more often...the next step is doing it! She just had her hair braided and beaded and she looks adorable!
We have a team coming in this afternoon from Frontline Community Church in Grand Rapids. I am excited about all we have planned for the week! Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday we will be holding a day camp for the kids in Les Bours. We will be dancing, playing games, learning Bible stories, and serving a hot meal each day. This is the first time we have tried anything like this during summer vacation! We will also be repainting the school. The earthquake damage has been repaired but the courtyard and several of the new classroom walls need painted. The team has raised money for a food distribution and we will be feeding 100 families this week, as well as visiting an orphanage, and visiting our new property! We will definitely be keeping busy!
We sang a song in church on Sunday with some powerful lyrics I would like to share with you.
"Stir in me, a passion that the world cannot explain, I've come to worship you.
Stir in me, a passion hat my heart cannot contain, I've come to worship you.
Hold me, break me, mold me, and make me more and more like you. I've come to worship you.
To love you, fear you, draw ever near you as I worship you. I've come to worship you, Oh Lord."
As I meditated on those words I was praying for the Lord to increase my passion for Him. God is looking for people who will passionately love Him. ...Not just on Sundays...Not just when it's convenient....not just when we have nothing else to do. ALL THE TIME. To love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. When we PASSIONATELY love God we are willing to do the hard things for Him. The hard things are the things that cost us something. The things that might be embarassing. The things that we say, "Not yet." or "Not me" to. It's easy to do the easy things! ....Not so easy to do the hard things. People are always asking what they can do to help Haiti. There are three very practical ways. Donate money, pray, and go help. For some people money is the easiest thing for them. For other people praying is the easiest thing. They don't have much money and it would take a lot of rescheduling to clear a week on their calendar so prayer is the easiest. For some going to Haiti is the easiest thing. They want to feel part of it, tell others about their experience, and see the difference they make. All of these things are SO WONDERFUL! And it takes a combination of ALL of them for us to be successful. But today, I would challenge you not to do the easy thing, but the hard thing. God is looking for people to do the hard things and trust that He is God and He is good! For me, it's easy to go help! I want to be here, love the people, see the change. It's HARD for me to pray. Sometimes it feels like I am talking to myself...or worse, the wall! It's hard for me to be still when I see so much around me that needs my attention. SO this week I am going to pray. Because it's not easy for me. Because I want the Lord to know how much I passionately love Him. I trust He will listen. I trust He will answer. What about you? What will you do this week?
Well, I'm off to go pick up the team! I don't want to be late to the airport! I'll be sending another update soon! Until then, may the Lord stir in you, a passion that the world cannot explain!
Blessings,
Mallery
I am so thankful to be writing you today! We are celebrating HOPE House's 6 month birthday today! Six months ago we hired our staff and began our infant care center/orphanage/guest house we call HOPE House. We are so thankful for the many blessings the Lord has given to us since February. Today I am most thankful for our staff! They work so hard everyday! We could not do what we do without them! They are amazing with the children and they cook and clean better than anyone I have met in my entire life! (I think our teams would second that!) I am throwing a party for our staff today to thank them for all of their work and giving HOPE House a successful first 6 months! We have MANY changes ahead and so many things to look forward to! Thank you for YOUR support! You have helped provide these families with a job that pays to feed and educate their children! They are some of the most wonderful people I know, and they have become my very best friends!
Benley is adjusting well to life at HOPE House. He sleeps the days away and plays all night....everyone loves this except the night nanny! Poor girl is 7 months pregnant with twins and needs her rest! He is smiling whenever he is a wake! He has been a wonderful addition to HOPE House. Jivenson is doing well! We are working on a better sitting posture as he often folds over and gets stuck. He needs some intense therapy to help his muscle tone! He is as floppy as a ragdoll. Pierreline has had a great week! She is thinking about listening more often...the next step is doing it! She just had her hair braided and beaded and she looks adorable!
We have a team coming in this afternoon from Frontline Community Church in Grand Rapids. I am excited about all we have planned for the week! Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday we will be holding a day camp for the kids in Les Bours. We will be dancing, playing games, learning Bible stories, and serving a hot meal each day. This is the first time we have tried anything like this during summer vacation! We will also be repainting the school. The earthquake damage has been repaired but the courtyard and several of the new classroom walls need painted. The team has raised money for a food distribution and we will be feeding 100 families this week, as well as visiting an orphanage, and visiting our new property! We will definitely be keeping busy!
We sang a song in church on Sunday with some powerful lyrics I would like to share with you.
"Stir in me, a passion that the world cannot explain, I've come to worship you.
Stir in me, a passion hat my heart cannot contain, I've come to worship you.
Hold me, break me, mold me, and make me more and more like you. I've come to worship you.
To love you, fear you, draw ever near you as I worship you. I've come to worship you, Oh Lord."
As I meditated on those words I was praying for the Lord to increase my passion for Him. God is looking for people who will passionately love Him. ...Not just on Sundays...Not just when it's convenient....not just when we have nothing else to do. ALL THE TIME. To love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. When we PASSIONATELY love God we are willing to do the hard things for Him. The hard things are the things that cost us something. The things that might be embarassing. The things that we say, "Not yet." or "Not me" to. It's easy to do the easy things! ....Not so easy to do the hard things. People are always asking what they can do to help Haiti. There are three very practical ways. Donate money, pray, and go help. For some people money is the easiest thing for them. For other people praying is the easiest thing. They don't have much money and it would take a lot of rescheduling to clear a week on their calendar so prayer is the easiest. For some going to Haiti is the easiest thing. They want to feel part of it, tell others about their experience, and see the difference they make. All of these things are SO WONDERFUL! And it takes a combination of ALL of them for us to be successful. But today, I would challenge you not to do the easy thing, but the hard thing. God is looking for people to do the hard things and trust that He is God and He is good! For me, it's easy to go help! I want to be here, love the people, see the change. It's HARD for me to pray. Sometimes it feels like I am talking to myself...or worse, the wall! It's hard for me to be still when I see so much around me that needs my attention. SO this week I am going to pray. Because it's not easy for me. Because I want the Lord to know how much I passionately love Him. I trust He will listen. I trust He will answer. What about you? What will you do this week?
Well, I'm off to go pick up the team! I don't want to be late to the airport! I'll be sending another update soon! Until then, may the Lord stir in you, a passion that the world cannot explain!
Blessings,
Mallery
Thursday, August 12, 2010
08/11/10 Welcome New Baby!
Hello!
We have a new baby at HOPE House! We just took him in this afternoon! He is a precious 2 month old little boy named Benley. He was born on June 5th in a tent city in Les Bours. He has been living there with his mother and grandmother since birth. His father died in the earthquake before he was born, and he was the only member of the family with any source of income. His mother, only 20 years old, is very malnourished and she is unable to produce enough milk for him to eat. Purchasing formula is not an option because she can barely afford to feed herself. She has been battling the rains and the sicknesses running rampant through the tent city. She was so afraid Benley would catch an illness that would kill him like so many other babies in their community. She made a tough but brave decision to give him up...temporarily. I explained our Women's Business Journal Program to her and she became overwhelmed with excitment at the thought of earning an income that would allow her to raise her child! I have never seen a smile so big! Benley will be in our care until his mom is earning enough income to leave the tent city and afford formula. We are so excited to love on him over the next 4-6 months!
Today was our team's last day. We had a great week! The families LOVED the hygiene packets the team made up ahead of time. They included shampoo, soap, wash cloths, toothbrush, toothpaste, bandaids, neosporin, deoderant, hand sanitizer, candies, gum, and a scripture for each family. As the families came up to accept the packets they were each read a scripture picked out just for their family to keep in their hearts. They were so touched and encouraged by the Lord's words to them! Several people came up afterwards to have their scripture read again so they could share their promise with their families.
The vacation Bible school and teacher training went so well! The kids had their last day of school for the year on Wednesday. They left with bubbles, balloons, tootsie rolls, and cross necklaces. Their laughter carried throughout Les Bours as they walked home from school! It was such a blessing!
We held the "peanut butter 500" 3 days this week....each day more and more street children would show up for sandwiches! The word spread quickly! The last day we ran out and the kids were still pouring in! Thankfully we had crackers left over from vbs and no one left hungry!
We visited the new property today. It is looking great! The gates and being made this week! Please keep praying for the containers to be released! We desperately need the supplies and housing!
GREAT NEWS! Three of the children from our school that we lost last summer reappeared! Their father was being chased by the police and they had already killed many of his friends. He quickly moved his wife and kids with him to the mountains and we never had a chance to say goodbye. My heart was broken because the oldest of the 3 siblings was extremely smart! I saw him going places and making a difference for his family! He was great at math and he was always lending a helping hand to other students. I knew his opportunity for education in the mountatins was very slim....THEN this week he showed up in an old ragged shirt for a peanut butter sandwich! I could hardly believe my eyes! He said his mother moved him and his siblings back so they could continue in school but the director said we had already filled their places....I quickly changed that! We now have 163 students enrolled for next year! Thank you Lord for beinging Josue, Lenerson, and Malaika Frisma back to us!
It is time for dinner...Myslene has white rice and vegetable sauce ready! It smells amazing and I don't even like vegetables!
Please pray for safety as the team travels home tomorrow. Pray for little Benley to adjust well to life at HOPE House and for his mother to stay strong and healthy.
Until next time....
Mallery
We have a new baby at HOPE House! We just took him in this afternoon! He is a precious 2 month old little boy named Benley. He was born on June 5th in a tent city in Les Bours. He has been living there with his mother and grandmother since birth. His father died in the earthquake before he was born, and he was the only member of the family with any source of income. His mother, only 20 years old, is very malnourished and she is unable to produce enough milk for him to eat. Purchasing formula is not an option because she can barely afford to feed herself. She has been battling the rains and the sicknesses running rampant through the tent city. She was so afraid Benley would catch an illness that would kill him like so many other babies in their community. She made a tough but brave decision to give him up...temporarily. I explained our Women's Business Journal Program to her and she became overwhelmed with excitment at the thought of earning an income that would allow her to raise her child! I have never seen a smile so big! Benley will be in our care until his mom is earning enough income to leave the tent city and afford formula. We are so excited to love on him over the next 4-6 months!
Today was our team's last day. We had a great week! The families LOVED the hygiene packets the team made up ahead of time. They included shampoo, soap, wash cloths, toothbrush, toothpaste, bandaids, neosporin, deoderant, hand sanitizer, candies, gum, and a scripture for each family. As the families came up to accept the packets they were each read a scripture picked out just for their family to keep in their hearts. They were so touched and encouraged by the Lord's words to them! Several people came up afterwards to have their scripture read again so they could share their promise with their families.
The vacation Bible school and teacher training went so well! The kids had their last day of school for the year on Wednesday. They left with bubbles, balloons, tootsie rolls, and cross necklaces. Their laughter carried throughout Les Bours as they walked home from school! It was such a blessing!
We held the "peanut butter 500" 3 days this week....each day more and more street children would show up for sandwiches! The word spread quickly! The last day we ran out and the kids were still pouring in! Thankfully we had crackers left over from vbs and no one left hungry!
We visited the new property today. It is looking great! The gates and being made this week! Please keep praying for the containers to be released! We desperately need the supplies and housing!
GREAT NEWS! Three of the children from our school that we lost last summer reappeared! Their father was being chased by the police and they had already killed many of his friends. He quickly moved his wife and kids with him to the mountains and we never had a chance to say goodbye. My heart was broken because the oldest of the 3 siblings was extremely smart! I saw him going places and making a difference for his family! He was great at math and he was always lending a helping hand to other students. I knew his opportunity for education in the mountatins was very slim....THEN this week he showed up in an old ragged shirt for a peanut butter sandwich! I could hardly believe my eyes! He said his mother moved him and his siblings back so they could continue in school but the director said we had already filled their places....I quickly changed that! We now have 163 students enrolled for next year! Thank you Lord for beinging Josue, Lenerson, and Malaika Frisma back to us!
It is time for dinner...Myslene has white rice and vegetable sauce ready! It smells amazing and I don't even like vegetables!
Please pray for safety as the team travels home tomorrow. Pray for little Benley to adjust well to life at HOPE House and for his mother to stay strong and healthy.
Until next time....
Mallery
Monday, August 9, 2010
Back in Haiti! 8/9/10
We are back in Haiti!
Our flights were smooth and went as planned and we arrived in Haiti at 3:15 on Friday. We stayed at the airport for an hour and waited for our team to arrive. We got back to the house about 5:15, just in time to eat a quick dinner and set up a tent before dark! When we pulled in the driveway the kids and staff were all out on the front porch cheering! They were all so excited to call me, Mrs. Neptune, and see the wedding pictures! It was so good to be back with our HOPE House family again!
Friday night Frentz was commenting on the drastic changes we encounter in just 24 hours. The night before last we were sleeping in a big, comfortable bed with sheets and pillows. We had walls around us and a roof over our head. We had running water and could even choose if we wanted it hot or cold! We had flushing toilets and a shower. We slept in air conditioning and we could even control the temperature in the room or turn on a fan. We had electricity to charge our phones and lights that worked. Last night we had to rush to set up a tent that smelled like mildew from the rain. We blew up an air mattress to sleep on in the driveway. There was no water pumped so we couldn’t shower or flush the toilets. It was dark 45 minutes after we got home and we had to set up the tent and get ready for bed by flashlights. As soon as we were about to fall asleep is started to rain so we had to run outside and try to throw tarps over our tent to keep it from leaking. With all of the windows in the tent zipped up it was stifling hot!! We slept in a pool of sweat. I don’t say all of this to complain about life in Haiti, because truly, I love it here! But we have OH SO much to be thankful for in America! SO MUCH!
Saturday morning I woke up to Pierreline chanting, “yallyaii” (Mallery). She was squealing with excitement and telling all the nannies that Papa and Yallyaii were back…..as if last night was only a dream. Jivenson is getting SO BIG! He has 4 teeth now! Two on the bottom and 2 on the top! His hair is getting so long! He has a great little fro going! Guerlik is so excited to have a team here! He has been on their laps and “helping” then with suitcases since the moment they arrived! Mika is looking more and more like her mom! She is so beautiful!
The team has a vacation Bible schooled planned for the Les Bours school this week and a teaching seminar each afternoon. We also have food distributions and hygiene kits for the tent city, and we plan to visit St. Joseph Orphanage and our new project site! It should be a great week!
Please join us in praying for our containers to be released soon! We have 3 containers sitting in customs. They have supplies and our housing units on them for the new site. Also, please be praying tomorrow afternoon as Pierreline sees her family for the first time since we took her in back in April. Her future will be discussed with her abusive father that nearly killed her.
Thank you for all of your love and encouragement while we were home. It was so wonderful to see many of you! May the Lord bless you and keep you safe!
In His Care,
Mallery
Our flights were smooth and went as planned and we arrived in Haiti at 3:15 on Friday. We stayed at the airport for an hour and waited for our team to arrive. We got back to the house about 5:15, just in time to eat a quick dinner and set up a tent before dark! When we pulled in the driveway the kids and staff were all out on the front porch cheering! They were all so excited to call me, Mrs. Neptune, and see the wedding pictures! It was so good to be back with our HOPE House family again!
Friday night Frentz was commenting on the drastic changes we encounter in just 24 hours. The night before last we were sleeping in a big, comfortable bed with sheets and pillows. We had walls around us and a roof over our head. We had running water and could even choose if we wanted it hot or cold! We had flushing toilets and a shower. We slept in air conditioning and we could even control the temperature in the room or turn on a fan. We had electricity to charge our phones and lights that worked. Last night we had to rush to set up a tent that smelled like mildew from the rain. We blew up an air mattress to sleep on in the driveway. There was no water pumped so we couldn’t shower or flush the toilets. It was dark 45 minutes after we got home and we had to set up the tent and get ready for bed by flashlights. As soon as we were about to fall asleep is started to rain so we had to run outside and try to throw tarps over our tent to keep it from leaking. With all of the windows in the tent zipped up it was stifling hot!! We slept in a pool of sweat. I don’t say all of this to complain about life in Haiti, because truly, I love it here! But we have OH SO much to be thankful for in America! SO MUCH!
Saturday morning I woke up to Pierreline chanting, “yallyaii” (Mallery). She was squealing with excitement and telling all the nannies that Papa and Yallyaii were back…..as if last night was only a dream. Jivenson is getting SO BIG! He has 4 teeth now! Two on the bottom and 2 on the top! His hair is getting so long! He has a great little fro going! Guerlik is so excited to have a team here! He has been on their laps and “helping” then with suitcases since the moment they arrived! Mika is looking more and more like her mom! She is so beautiful!
The team has a vacation Bible schooled planned for the Les Bours school this week and a teaching seminar each afternoon. We also have food distributions and hygiene kits for the tent city, and we plan to visit St. Joseph Orphanage and our new project site! It should be a great week!
Please join us in praying for our containers to be released soon! We have 3 containers sitting in customs. They have supplies and our housing units on them for the new site. Also, please be praying tomorrow afternoon as Pierreline sees her family for the first time since we took her in back in April. Her future will be discussed with her abusive father that nearly killed her.
Thank you for all of your love and encouragement while we were home. It was so wonderful to see many of you! May the Lord bless you and keep you safe!
In His Care,
Mallery
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