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"Lord, heal me, and I will truly be healed..." Jeremiah 17:14
Its a very present danger during the rainy season here-- MALARIA. It is a serious disease that causes high fever,
chills and diarrhea. You can get malaria from a bite by an infected mosquito. It can be treated with antimalarial
meds. The kids at Carlos orphanage have just expeienced a malarial epidemic. Carlos was distraught. Help
came through the assistance of Dr. Carol and Nurse Seret who have helped Carlos in the past when the kids are ill. Medications,
IVs and supplies ended up costing about $850 ! Gospel Growers wants to assist Carlos to pay his debt--if you'd like
to help contact our office at gospelgrowers@aol.com. We can only help when Christians like you make resources available. We praise God for his help in the past and
for how He uses His people to help the poor and suffering in countries like Haiti.
Claudette wanted to learn a trade so as to be able to support herself and to help her aged parents. She enrolled
in a sewing class with some other girls and has become very proficient in her work. Problem is... when these girls graduate
they don't have the means to purchase their own sewing machine.
Well, thanks to Mr. and Mrs. A.L. Beasley of Smithville, Texas, Claudette now has a sewing machine of her own! Soon,
some other girls will also be blessed as funds from Trinity Baptist and the WMU of First Baptist Church of Smithville
have been made available to purchase a few more machines.
In this way the poor will be able to climb out of the pit of poverty by some caring Christian extending a hand of help. One
by one, little by little we shall make a difference here in Haiti.
"You will pray to Him, and He will hear you..." Job 22:27
Well, I just got back from a visit to Dariol. I found the church going strong under the capable leadership of Pastor
Louinel. Not only are the longtime members experiencing a new spiritual commitment, new believers are coming forward
(one lady professed Christ for the first time this last Sunday). The schools and clinic are operating well. BUT...
drug shipments continue. On Sunday morning in the neighboring community at 5:30 AM., I could see from my
porch a light plane fly in,,, it didnt fly out. This makes 3 drug planes that have crashed as they were attempting to
land in our area since a visiting group of missionaries from Port-au-Prince prayed that God would block these planes.
WOW! In each case the pilots were injured, and the young man I mentioned in my last blog was burned badly.Please
pray with us that this illicit traffic of drugs here will be blocked COMPLETELY!
"Those who know Your name will trust in You, Lord..." Psalm 9:10
Well, the moment has arrived! I'm planning on visiting Dariol tomorrow and plan to spend the week. Last Sunday,
I am told, right at the end of the church service "Cocaine Airlines" decided to fly in using their makeshift runway
not 500 ft. from the church's front door. Actually, they came in too fast and ended up crashing into some trees.
The Columbians were injured. The guys who had been waiting for the shipment took them and the stuff and left.
They told one of their local members to douse the wrecked plane with gasoline and burn it. Guess he got carried away
abit as when he struck a match he ended up turning into a human torch. My driver and others who had been in church ran
to the rescue to help him. He was burned badly with his skin sloughing off right away. My driver and some others
drove him to the nearest hospital ( which isn't near at all) so he could be hospitalized. Do you think God was trying
to tell them something? Pray for him and for Dariol.
"And if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry..." Isaiah 58:10
Micheline is a survivor!
Two years ago she was discovered to have TB. She followed the prescibed treatment and is now healed.
But being the oldest daughter of a poor family, Micheline's prospects were not rosy.
I decided Micheline would be a good candidate for our Micro-Enterprise Encouragement program. With the funds
she received Micheline is able to sell in the market place providing herself with a small income.
This photo is of a family with a sad history. The little boy died last year in a fall off a cliff near their home, and
the little girl, who also fell, was badly injured but recovered. A couple of months ago the father in this picture fell
seriously ill and passed away leaving his wife to struggle to provide for herself and the 2 daughters. There were medical
bills to pay also. Things looked grim.
We decided to help Madame Dieumerite through the Micro-Enterprise Encouragement program.
Because of wonderful people like you, funds are made available to relieve some of the grueling poverty and despair that
so many Haitians live with each day. A gift of $130 can give a poor women a chance to start a small business in
the market place or out of her home. (Due to the fluctuating exchange rate we have upped the donation amount needed
from $100 to $130 per woman.)
Your gift of $130 enables us to give a woman hope and a chance to survive. Won't you help?
"Find some capable, honest men who fear God..." Exodus 18;21
In the coming days, Jean Denis and I will be meeting to formulate some practical policies that will help to form a more
structured framework for the different ministries presently operating. Jean's adminstrative and computer skills will
be of great help. The main ministries are : 1) The Student Sponsorship Program--this ministry needs to get the
school directors together for seminars on administration and accounting practices, improving the quality of the kids letters
and learning the need to do, collect and send them in a timely manner, child evangelism techniques and skills ; 2) the
Radio Station-- The Director and supervisory committee also need guidance in administative procedures, setting up technical
seminars with people with Journalism and Broadcasting experience ; 3) The Rural Church Worker Bible
Seminar Program-- in need of guidance in formulating and writing more detailed lesson plans ; 4) the Dariol Clinic--
needs to have work done during my absence reviewed, assessed and suggestions for possible improvements drawn up. There
are other ministries also needing future direction and planning studies done. Moses father-in-law had good advice--find
some good men to help carry the load. Please pray that the LORD will bless us with the necessary gifts and skills required.
"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems..." Romans 5:3
Unfortunately, I havent mastered the ability to rejoice in problems yet as Paul, but I imagine it comes with time.
Eriel is a young brother from Dariol who is half of the team that organizes, tabulates and send the kids letters to you all
who sponsor a child with our Child Sponsorship Program. I always try to shoot for the end of September as the time of
mailing. BUT something always seems to happen to delay us until sometime in October. This time it was
that the pictures of the kids from Dariol school just didnt come out--so, that means Eriel has to repeat the process all over
again!!! Poor Eriel! Please pray for Eriel and David--the dynamic duo who really do a great job (most of the time).
We now have around 424 letters to send out 4 times a year, besides grade reports which require some work getting together.
All in all, I cant complain when I see the great team God has assembled to accomplish this work. Praise the LORD!
Many thanks to Paul Morelli of Brockport, PA for the Yamaha keyboard sent in a carefully packaged wooden box.
The keyboard is being used in the Orphanage Church--what beautiful sounds with to worship the Lord!!!
Among the things waiting when I returned were the rest of the Christmas gifts that Red Bank Presbyterian Church had sent
and which apparently arrived after my leaving for the states 4 March! It didn't matter to the kids who got them, of
course! It was like an early or late Christmas for them depending how you look at it.
These are some photos of a few of the kids wearing clothes made and sent by the ladies of First Baptist Church
of Smithville, TX. These pictures show the sewing skills of our kind Texas ladies and a few very appreciative children.