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.

10 Years after The Earthquake by Steeve Derard

"It is not the dead who praise the Lord, nor any of those descending into the silence of death. But we will praise the Lord, both now and forever." Psalms 115: 17-18

January 12, 2010.

10 years since a terrible earthquake had shaken our dear Haiti and affected all the Haitian people.

10 years where we can not forget good friends, siblings or someone we knew and neighbors we have lost on that day.

But 10 years also where God has never stopped pouring abundantly His blessing on the life of the Haitian people despite it all.

We bless the name of our Lord.

He is faithful yesterday, today and forever.

I truly believe, that God has used this difficult moment for our good.

Not all houses have been repaired yet, neither the National Palace, the Haitian cathedral, some schools, some hospitals. But I can testify how God used this earthquake as a tool to call several members of my family and my friends to God's family. Now it is amazing to see how they are growing in the Lord.

"We know that God works all things together for our good." Romans 8:28

God is our hope, when there seems to be no hope.

He is our light in the darkest moments.

He is faithful and good.

January 12, we will never forget you.

An Emotional Week.

Last Friday night, Steeve and I talked by telephone.  He was still in Doko with Fre Jacques and Maken, but they were finished working there and had plans to travel back to Port the next morning.   We were rejoicing, praising God for everything that had transpired in Doko during the week.

Roughly an hour later Steeve sent me a text: "I just heard that Wesly and Idelmy had an accident.  They are at the hospital."

That text led to a restless night followed by several busy days filled with texts, phone calls, and requests on our part for favors from people in Port-au-Prince as we tried to ascertain the severity of Wesly and Idelmy's injuries.   Getting medical information about loved ones in Haiti is not always an easy thing. 

Idelmy had surgery on his foot on Sunday and was discharged on Monday.  Wesly had surgery twice (hand and foot), and he is still hospitalized.

I arrived in Haiti Wednesday afternoon and was able to see them both.

Seeing Wesly at the hospital is not an easy thing, but Steeve and I have been able to see him each day since I arrived.  

Visiting hours are twice a day (noon to 1:30 - but they seem to cut the line off about 1) and (5-6:30 - but again, the line isn't open that long). Each patient can only receive one visitor at a time, so for the last 3 days Steeve and I have arrived about 30 minutes before the scheduled visiting time in order to wait for the gate to open where we can pass through, wash our hands, give our ID, and then be given permission to spend a little time with Wesly while trading time with other people who care about him like his mother, his brother, and other friends.

Idelmy is recovering at home.  He can't do much yet because of his foot, so he has been the happy (and exclusive) user of a Kindle tablet to help him pass the time.

The privacy of both Idelmy and Wesly is important to us, and we ask you to please respect that.  We also ask that you pray with us that God will allow them to fully recover.  We are specifically praying that Wesly will be able to come home before I return to the States on September 7.

Thank you for loving the people we love and caring about them.