February 2020 Prayer Letter
“Therefore we do not lose heart . . .”
“(W)e do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (II Cor. 4:16a,18)
We praise the Lord that schools continue to function! Other than that, nothing else has improved. From a human standpoint, the future of Haiti looks bleak. However, we are focusing on the work God has given us to do and rejoicing in the souls who have come to Christ through radio and through personal evangelism and discipleship. We take great comfort knowing our God is in control. In addition to (and perhaps mostly because of) the corrupt and illegal actions recently taken by President Jovenel, insecurity and crime are on the upswing with increased killings in the capital. The international community is perhaps the only organization able to stop President Jovenel’s excesses. We covet your prayers and we look to God to intervene in the coming days to avert an even greater crisis.
Tom and I will be traveling to Haiti from February 25 – March 18. We will be there for the Ladies Retreat, the Medical Clinic, and completing the computer lab and other small details before returning home to the US.
Medical Clinic – March 4 – 11
Coming to us again from Grand Blanc, Michigan, is Dr. Patrick Hawley along with ReeAnn Slager NP and Teresa Dehmel RN. They will be joined by Germaine Gilbert RN from Pelzer, South Carolina, and, of course, our very own national doctor, Sem Victorin, and Esther, his pharmacist wife. They will minister in five rural areas where we have sister churches. Last year we treated over 900 patients. We will most likely reach many more than that this year (especially children and the elderly) because of widespread malnutrition created by the hunger crisis. We covet many prayers that God will grant stamina and endurance for this team as they work long hours in the Haitian heat.
During this same week Tom will be helping Craig Dehmel and Joe Kuptz build computer desks for our new computer lab. Computer training is now required by the government before high school seniors are allowed to graduate. Even though the country’s crisis was unfortunate and caused a delay of school opening, it has allowed us time to complete the classroom and make the desks.
Annual Ladies Retreat
Pastor Salomon is in full swing for the Ladies Retreat this year. The stress of the country has weighed heavily on families, especially mothers. The main speaker this year is Dr. Yolle-Guida Dervil Pierre, Founder and CEO of D’Vine Therapeutic Services, Inc., a nonprofit organization providing faith-based psychotherapy to women, couples, and families. She was born in Haiti and migrated to Naples, Florida at the age of ten. Following her education and preparation for ministry, she moved back to Haiti as a full-time missionary in 2017. Attendance for the Retreat has grown every year until we have now overflowed the cabins onto pieces of carpet on the floor of the all-purpose building. The theme this year is the fruit of the spirit as found in Galatians 5:22,23.
“Teach us to pray, Lord…”
Josue Laguerre is teaching and encouraging the new believers to develop their prayer life with the Savior. Exciting testimonies are coming from their lips. Evelande, a third-year student at a local university was fearful that she would be asked to drop out because her debt from the spring semester was transferred into this semester. As the names of those who had debt were called out, she was surprised not to hear her name. She later learned that she was the recipient of some scholarship funds that covered both semesters. Marie-Dyme, a concerned mother of a high school student was so concerned that her daughter was going to fail because she had been very ill from the torments of demon possession. Joyfully, she reported to the class that her daughter is doing better and passed her exams. PTL
With thanks in our hearts to God and to you,
Sarah & Tom
