August 25, 2010

Dear Friends,

 

Greetings in Christ's holy name from Haiti where the Haitian people continue to pursue a normal life, where rebuilding remains a primary focus, and God's people are growing in numbers and spiritually as they experience His sovereignty and love.  
 
The work goes on and, unless our Lord returns, it will be years and maybe decades before the physical restoration of Haiti is complete. But the spiritual revival and reconciliation with God continues.

 

Rebuilding Haiti

 

Public market in Grand Goave

A few weeks ago, as we came through Port au Prince on our return to Haiti from Honduras, the evidence of the massive earthquake remains.  Road crews are diligent with their clean-up efforts.  Each community has people (hired by the government) to clean up rubble, which is moved and used for "filler" in many locations.  The geography of the land (which is very mountainous) makes it hard to clear the rubble in a timely manner.  The faithful remain to help and the people themselves continue to move forward little by little.  New buildings are going up, but the carcasses of old buildings (where many people are entombed) are everywhere.  People continue to live outside their homes in tents, under tarps, or in lean-to shelters. 

 

All around, the work of many relief organizations is evident by the new fashion of intermediate housing going up; many made of wood, which is new for Haiti. (In the past most new homes were constructed of cement block and many traditional homes were huts made of leaves, sticks, and mud.)  And for the most part people rented their homes, and didn't own them.  The landowners don't have funds to invest in re-constructing buildings so many are left without any place to live. Rental homes just aren't available!

 

Many people still live in tents

But there are signs of new life and new hope everywhere.  Today the signs of new life were present as we held Prenatal Clinic; over 60 women came. Tomorrow we will see another 40 or 50.
 
There's been bad press about Haiti and the slow rebuilding.  What we hear is that the promised international funds aren't flowing in yet.  Former president Bill Clinton was in Leogane recently to be present relating to the construction of a hurricane shelter in anticipation of perhaps another season of natural disasters.   

 
So much is happening that it's hard to tell all.  But the Haitian people are survivors.  They are persevering.  Relief agencies and missions all around the country remain focused on helping and it is by God's hand that the important things are being accomplished.  As mentioned in earlier emails sent right after the earthquake, it was amazing and made us proud to see what our U.S. military did to bless the people and partner with us here in the short-term.  When Bob and I flew here, there were many more of our army soldiers coming into Haiti.  Samaritan's Purse continues vigilantly with their aid to help with provisional housing and Doctors Without Borders still has volunteers on the ground here.

 

 

Celebrating 30 years in Haiti

 

One thousand Haitians gathered at Lifeline's Grand Goave campus to celebrate 30 years of ministry!

This year is Lifeline's 30th anniversary and in mid-August our main campus in Grand Goave was filled with at least 1000 people who came together for a convention from Lifeline's 14 churches to celebrate and fellowship. All types of exciting activities were planned and they always include music; there is NOTHING IN THE WORLD like the Haitian music.  Because it's so beautiful, we Americans can't complain at 4 am when the voices waft up to the sleeping dorms, from the church next door. 

 

The convention was 3 days of joy, celebration, a chance to leave problems behind, and praise and worship God. There were classes, sports activities, women's meetings, men's sessions, teen groups in fellowship and just about everything you could imagine.  The cooks in the school kitchen prepared 10,000 meals in the 3 days.  The spirit of the people was good/riding high as they were able to reflect on what God has done in their lives over these 30 years.  Bob shared with the people about the very first church service and how 35 attended; today we have over 10,000 in all our churches most Sundays. 

Our kiddies from the Lovelink Children's Home also came here and the girls stayed in the dorm while the young men/boys stayed with local Haitians.    One of our visiting Americans, Kelsi, told us that she woke up to find one of the young Haitian girls in the dorm using Kelsi's toothbrush to brush her eyebrows!  How funny. These young kids are so precious.  After breakfast one morning they came out the door and thanked us in unison.  We tell them to thank Jesus.  The breakfast everyone was being served out of the school kitchen was hot chocolate, and Haitian bread with peanut butter. We added oatmeal to it for the children's home girls.  
 

Pastor Luc preached that Sunday morning on the theme "Get Up, Take Your Mat, and Walk" (paraphrased).  He focused on the question Jesus asked of the cripple:  "Do You Want To Be Healed?".  We think we had at least 2000 in attendance and most of the pastors from Lifeline's 14 churches were present. 

 

In general, everyone got a respite and were able to take their minds off of the difficulties they've lived with since the January 12 earthquake.  

 

 

Grand Goave Christian School

 

Isaac and Gretchen register returning students at the Grand Goave school

School just finished recently and the school students received their year-end report cards in the past couple weeks.  It's amazing how they made it through and were actually able to have a somewhat normal school year after missing over two months due to the earthquake.  We did notice that a higher number of the younger Preschool Students (like our Kindergarten) didn't fare so well on their grades. Some are repeating their grade and we would attribute that to sporadic attendance and all they have been through.   

 

Recently Isaac, Sandia and I conducted the school registration for the returning Grand Goave school students. After a short break in September the students will return in early October to begin a hopefully, uneventful school year. 

 

New cook stoves compliments of Ramon Pastrano/Impact Lives

We will continue to feed the children right through until school starts again in October.  The school kitchen has been cranking out the food in record quantities and the new cook stoves couldn't have been installed at a better time!  (There are also new stoves going to two other school kitchens - Leogane and Deuxieme Plaine - where earthquake damage has resulted in rebuilding.) The plan is to triple the quantity of food prepared and fed to the hungry.  

 

These new cook stoves not only allow our cooks to prepare more food for the school kids, but we are also going to increase the numbers being fed through the kitchen who are in our various nutrition programs. 

 

Praise God for our ministry partners who are giving us the rice based "Kids Food"!

 

 

 

Feeding Haiti

 

Food from USAID is also distributed

We have had a deluge of blessings as 15 forty-foot containers of mostly the "Kids Food" have cleared customs.  After the earthquake and the port was repaired, Haitian customs instituted a "Rapid Process" policy and cut out some bureaucracy and allowed our containers to flow quickly.  This was a mixed blessing in that the port was made better (thanks in great part to the U.S. military), but with the addition of new cranes/equipment, an additional fee has been added ($300 per container).  So although we were able to get containers faster, reducing storage fees, we then sustained this increased handling/unloading fee.  BUT the greater news is that the dozens of containers of food donated from Kids Against Hunger, Meals From The Heartland, Impact Lives, and Outreach International continue to flow.  However, in late June the government closed the "Rapid Process" window and we had 9 containers get hung up in the old way of processing.  Then, and we aren't sure why, 2 weeks ago they reversed the process and we are back to "Rapid Process" again!!!! Thus 15 containers all cleared at once.  So it was our pleasure to notify many missions that they had containers with 285,000 meals on them coming their way. And smaller missions with less mouths being fed have continually flowed in to Grand Goave with their trucks to pick up their smaller allotments of food, along with boxes and boxes of peanut butter, clothing, bedding and other relief goods.

 

 

A Huge Need
 

Suzette in clinic receiving IV solutions

Last week in clinic, one of our young 9-year old school girls came in very sick. Her name is Suzette.  She was very dehydrated and we had to give her IV solutions. She was weeping and as I queried her I learned she lost her mommy in the earthquake.  Since school had been out, she hadn't had the daily lunch we provide and she told me she hadn't eaten in 4 days.  I asked her if it was because she was ill or because of no food!  The answer was "no food". She has neither mother, nor father and her aunt is young and can't care for her.  We are going to put her in our Lovelink Children's Home.

 

The reason I share this story is that this story could be repeated, with different names all over Haiti.  Some are surviving by the grace of other Haitians, but many aren't.  Bob and I are feeling even more led to start another children's home here in Grand Goave.  If we did, would you partner with us to sustain it?  Pray for Suzette!

 

 

Tent City/Camp
 

A team member prays for a new baby and mom in Tent City

The population has dwindled some more; people are packing up and moving back to their previous home sites, even though many are simply pitching tents at their home sites and not living in homes.  I believe the people are homesick for their own communities and the camp life is tough.  But our work teams, led by Keith & Christi Dimbath, continue to visit the people who live on site here, as well as visit other locations to pray with people, provide baby layette packages and invite people to church.  One of the highlights for work teams is to go to these camps and see up close and personal what the earthquake did.  The people are so appreciative of the visits and ask for prayer for their spiritual needs and not just material needs

 

 

Churches
 

The newly rebuilt Jeanty Christian Church, which has electric lights!

We recently went to church at the Grand Goave Christian Church and when we first entered at 8 a.m. it was hard to conceal my disappointment!  It was less than ½ full.  In June the church leadership changed church time from 9 a.m. to 8 a.m. and I was so sure when I went in that the time change had driven people away. Well, I was reminded again that in Haiti people don't live by the clock as we Americans do. By the time church was really in full swing (about 9 am), the place was full and standing room only.  So people are remaining faithful. Pastor Luc's message was about serving others and giving to others and it touched our hearts.  A woman went forward to be baptized. 
 
We also attended Jeanty Christian Church one night and the new/rebuilt church there is just beautiful. The people are on fire for Jesus and the service was rousing and full of praises.  They even have electric now and the lights that Bobby Curlee installed!

 

 

Leogane Church & School Site
 

The newly rebuilt Leogane Christian Church

The reconstruction at Leogane Christian Church & School is looking fantastic!  When we were there the newly rebuilt classrooms were being used for community students to take their National Exams. 

 

The grading of the land was accomplished by our friends from Samaritan's Purse and the entire campus there is taking on a new look. There is LOTS MORE to do there.  Through a financial gift from Pierre Garcon and his Helping Hands Foundation, we have a computer science lab under construction at the school. (Leogane is where the epicenter of the earthquake occurred)  The completion of the computer lab/office facility and the remodeling of the kitchen hopefully will occur in the next several months.

 

 

Homes for Haiti

 

A new home that was built and dedicated in August

Homes for Haiti: a subject we could devote an entire email to!  In 2009 we constructed 35 homes, the largest number ever since the ministry's inception in 2003.  Well, as a result of the hearts of sponsors and generous donors in the U.S. being touched, we have constructed 43 homes so far for sponsor/donors, with another 20+ on the calendar this year, and we know of other orders coming in. 

 

But in addition, IDES (International Disaster Emergency Services) has requested we construct 100 homes.  Those homes are going to earthquake victims and to the neediest of needy, who do not have a sponsor that could possibly provide a home.  By the end of September, 24 families will have received a home because of the IDES funding.  Little did we know back in 2003, when this dream of a home

Little red dump truck bound for Haiti and the Home Building ministry

building ministry became a reality that it would place Lifeline at the epicenter of meeting housing needs for the victims of this horribly, tragic earthquake.  Thank you to IDES and all who give to them, and to our generous child sponsors, for making it possible for us to help meet the currently most urgent  physical need here.
 

 

Eye Clinic

The eye clinic is entering a new stage and another "vision" is being realized! 

 

About 5 years ago we constructed an eye clinic here on Lifeline's Grand Goave campus. A large portion of the funds were raised through the efforts of Bob and Elaine Angell, Lifeline volunteers from Ohio.  (Elaine was here during the earthquake too).  The original goal was to recruit optometrists and ophthalmologists to come down and provide their professional services and eye glasses.  But the Lord just didn't lead a lot of eye docs to us. 

 

About 2 ½ years ago I met a dynamic visionary named Kendal Holland at the Global Missions Health Conference in Louisville, Kentucky.  Kendall had this amazing, computerized, state of the art eye refraction equipment and eye glass scanning and inventory program AND the greatest part is that it did not require a physician to utilize the equipment. Well when I saw it the old light-bulb went off in my head: Another ministry that a trained Haitian could do and the eye clinic would be functional full-time! 

 

Bob and Elaine attended a workshop on the system and brought it in with them to Haiti!  That equipment is being used to test people for glasses and we have chosen a Haitian young man to train in the operation of the equipment. The medical team that came in, led by Dr. Rod Dynes, includes an optometrist named Dr. Fisher. Dr. Fisher will have Fenel Cherubain working with him...Fenel is our ophthalmology student, studying in Port au Prince, who will return and work with Lifeline after his education.  Thanks to Fenel's sponsor, Joan Ballbach, Fenel is getting a life-time opportunity for a career in medicine and Lifeline is getting a doctor. 

 

So, in summary, the eye care ministry of Lifeline is on target and we can only praise God for directing the timing and providing the people to make this work.

 

 

The Children in Lifeline's Schools & Nutrition Programs

 

Lifeline has 11,000+ children in our Christian schools and nutrition programs, and more than 6000 of these children are not yet sponsored.  And a majority of these non-sponsored children are in Haiti.  You can help write the next chapter of rebuilding Haiti by helping find sponsors and bringing hope for a future beyond poverty for a child in Haiti.  Our goal is to have at least 600 more children sponsored by the end of the year. 

 

If you would like to sponsor one of these children, please visit Lifeline's website.  Or, if you would like to host a sponsorship drive at your church, organization, etc, please contact Erma at Lovelink@Lifeline.org or 614-794-0108 for more details.   We thank you for partnering with Lifeline to change lives and bless these precious, needy children in Haiti in Christ's name! 

 

 

Prayer Needs

 

Some most urgent prayer needs:

• For continued souls coming to Christ.  For revival and evangelism to continue on the current path that has brought hundreds and hundreds more to Christ in Haiti this year.

• For the new Christians to remain firm.

• That the hurricanes will not hit Haiti this year.

• For the many missions and organizations who are reaching out to the lost for Jesus and meeting physical needs.

• For all the containers of food still to be delivered this year.

Still seeking additional couples to serve as Volunteer Laborlink Work Team Coordinators, leading work teams for Lifeline in Haiti (and Honduras)

 

Thank you for all you do and for caring about Haiti.
 
Your servants in Christ,
Bob and Gretchen DeVoe and Staff

July 12, 2010: 6 months after the earthquake

Six months ago, Haiti was changed when the earthquake struck.  Loved ones lost.  Devastation everywhere.  Possessions gone.  Everything was lost...except for hope.  God is faithful and God's hand has been present with accomplishments made possible through His direction and your generosity.

 

Your response to meet the needs of the Haitian people has shown the depth of your love, care, and concern for them!  And your assistance is still needed for ongoing relief efforts, building homes, feeding the hungry, reconstruction, and more.  Here are a few ways you can be part of the next chapter in relief efforts:

 

Pack a "Picnic" in the Park for Haiti through our Meals for Haiti ministry

Several dates and shift times are available in July & August for you, your family, community group, or church group to participate with us.  Click here for dates, times, cost, to RSVP, and more details.  You can also host your own Meals for Haiti food packaging event at your church!

 

Donate 

Your donations help with the ongoing relief efforts to meet the needs of the people, such as shipping food to Haiti, the reconstruction of churches and schools, and so much more!

 

Go!  Join a short-term mission trip to Haiti in 2011 

Get your hands dirty as you minister to the physical needs and spiritual needs of the Haitian people.  There is still much work to do!  General trip details are on Lifeline's website or contact Laborlink@Lifeline.org.

 

Build a Home for a Haitian Family

You can purchase and even participate in the construction of a 2-room cement block home for a needy family in Haiti.  Homes currently cost $4000 and include all construction materials and labor costs.  More details are online or contact Info@Lifeline.org.

 

 

Again, thank you for your prayers, financial support, and volunteer hours that you have given these past six months!  You have gone the extra mile and we greatly appreciate all you have done for the people in Haiti!

 

With much gratitude,

The Lifeline Staff

God is good; all the time!

Since a magnitude 7.0 earthquake devastated the country of Haiti on January 12, 2010, killing upwards of 300,000 people, God's has surely been present.  The epicenter was less than 10 miles from Lifeline's headquarters in Grand Goave where Gretchen DeVoe, Lifeline Co-founder, was leading a team of 58 women ministering to our Lovelink children.  Soon after the initial shock, Lifeline sprang into action by assisting those in immediate need of water, food and shelter, and began strategically planning long-term disaster relief.  Out of chaos came order and stability.  Read more...

Dear Friends,

 

We ask that you please keep the Haitian people in your prayers: heavy rains and flooding are threatening Haiti.  Weather forecasters indicate that heavy rains and flooding could hit Haiti this weekend, and experts say that a "major rainfall season is just beginning".  With many Haitians still living in tents and rebuilding their homes, heavy rains could be an extreme problem.

 

You can read more about the potential of heavy rains and flooding here. 

Thank you for your prayers and continued support of the Haitian people.  You have been a blessing! 

May 26, 2010: Returning "Home"

Dear Friends,

 

After a short two weeks in the States, we are back in Haiti.  The return was sweet and it was good to see our loved ones here again.  The earthquake of January 12 strengthened our bond with our Haitian friends and the communities where we serve.

 

Returning "Home"

Flying into Haiti on American Airlines, I had the opportunity to ask our Flight Attendant a few questions about the day of the quake.  Something I had wondered was what happened with the American Airlines flight that was on the ground during the quake?  It landed about 4:30 p.m. and people were in the process of disembarking the aircraft.    She told us that she was not on the flight that day, although she is part of a relief organization founded by flight personnel to help in such circumstances as the quake and has been back to Haiti many times helping out in Port au Prince. People were on the jet way when the quake hit and the first reaction of the crew and airport employees, as well as many passengers, was that the new jet ways had broken down.  Once they realized it was an earthquake and they began seeing the dust all over the city, the pilot had the crew and airline personnel meet together.  They made an assessment of the runway and determined it was safe to take off again, but because of the uncertainty of what might happen and the aftershocks, they only had time to board about half of their passengers.   Today, the airport is still shuttling people from the plane to a temporary luggage area in an old warehouse.  Repairs of the airport continue.  I can only imagine the feelings and fears of those on the ground who did not make the flight. It must have been chaos.
 
When arriving in Port au Prince, things didn't look much different as we made our way to Grand Goave.  Six of us came in together: Bob and I, Bobby Curlee, Karen Lydick, Elaine Angell and a "first timer" named Katrina Miller, a nursing student coming for an extended stay to work in clinic.  More rubble has been cleaned up but rebuilding is slow.  Over 100,000 people have migrated out of the capital to other major cities that did not sustain damage, thus putting a hardship and drain on the resources in those communities.  Not many came out to Grand Goave or Leogane because of the severe damage we sustained.

 

Elaine and Karen had not been back since the earthquake

The school children practice for Flag Day (top) and then celebrate Flag Day (center and bottom)

so it has been a time of healing for them. They've  been a huge help with two very large work teams that we've hosted already.  Lissa Knue, one woman who had been here during the quake, returned on a team last week to participate in building a home for her sponsored child. Lissa told me the trip was healing.  During the earthquake, Lissa experienced a horrible tragedy when a little toddler who had lost most of his blood died on her lap that fateful day.  Bringing joy to her sponsored family brought further closure. 

 

David Price returned to Haiti a week before us to resume his oversight of much of the rebuilding of Lifeline's structures (schools, churches, orphanage, etc.).   Clean rubble is being used at our Leogane site as filler there to help with drainage and landscape.

 

The rains have come but not as much as usual (this too is a gift from God) as people are frantically working in some areas to put in culverts and raise up tents to avoid flooding.  The Navy continues to help with this process in

Bob DeVoe (left) & David Price (right) at the Leogane church construction site

 Port au Prince for just a little while longer. For the most part, the U.S. military presence is gone except in Port au Prince; basically in June the official stand down takes place

 

Following up with Earthquake Patients in Clinic

The first few days here were spent working in clinic with Katrina and teaching her the ropes.  I saw a number of the patients in follow up that had been treated as emergencies immediately following the quake.  One patient is a little girl named "Lisa" that was treated by my sister Bertie and some of the women on the women's team who worked in clinic during that immediate crisis.  Lisa had her pelvis crushed and had glass in her vaginal area; she was bleeding and we all were sure she was going to die.  She hung in there and when Dr. Bill Rutherford,  Dr. Doug Harty and the Navy arrived, Lisa was taken to the U.S.S. Bataan for treatment.  The amazing thing is that today she is back in school and running all over the place! 

 

She was such a loving, sweet-smiling girl from the first time we met her, laying on the ground outside the clinic in the grass where many patients were waiting to be cared for those first days.  She would always reach up and touch your hand and smile, yet we knew she was in agony!  Her loving ways haven't been stymied at all by what she's been through and it's amazing to see her now.  She looks like she's grown a foot!   She is 10 years old but when she was injured looked like she was about 7, all curled up on the ground.

 

 

Rebuilding Churches & Schools

The rebuilding of the Leogane Christian Church and School has progressed tremendously.  Last week Lifeline was the grateful recipient of a large donation from the Pierre Garcon Helping Hands Foundation to build a computer science lab at the Leogane Christian School, similar to what we have in Grand Goave. Once the school is completed, the computer facility will be next.

 

This past Sunday was the first day of church at the new Jeanty Christian Church. Next week Leogane Christian Church will be fully complete and then we will begin work on the Vieux Cayes Christian School where part of the church (offices) and a classroom building were destroyed.

Leogane Christian Church: after the earthquake (left) and under construction (right)

 

We need to construct hundreds of school bench/desks to replace those that were destroyed when the school walls fell on them in the quake.  $100 will build a school bench/desk for 2 to 3 children.  Consider buying a bench or half a bench for a sponsored child!

 

For your tax-deductible gift: Checks can be written to "Lifeline Christian Mission" and sent to our office at 184 Olde County Line Road, Westerville, Ohio 43081.  Credit card gifts are also accepted online (simply explain your gift designation in the "Comments" section included with the billing information) or contact Lifeline's office at 614-794-0108. 

 

 

Distributing Relief Supplies

During the short two weeks we were in the United States, 10 containers of food and relief goods cleared customs in Haiti.  Our new warehouse had just been completed when they started flowing in.  Six containers went to other missions - each one having 300,000 meals of the rice-based Kids' Food on them.  Most of these were containers of food bagged and donated by Kids Against Hunger, Impact Lives, Meals From the Heartland and Outreach International, with shipping paid for by our faithful friends at IDES (International Disaster Emergency Services). Since then, seven more containers have cleared customs and we still have a dozen more in process.  A special thank you goes to Firmin Louis, Lifeline's Container Processing Agent, for the outstanding work he is doing clearing containers through customs; a very difficult and time consuming task.

 

Relief items in the warehouse (left), reaching across the miles with kids food from kids in the USA (center), and receiving a container from Impact Lives

 

The first week we returned was like "old home week" as we were able to notify dozens of missionaries and pastors to come and obtain relief goods: mostly clothing, food, medical supplies and appliances, 5 gallon bottles of water, bedding, tents, the rice-based "Kids Food" and much more.  Many of the missionaries we hadn't seen in years came and we had a great time loading down their vehicles with the goodies.  All of these missionaries are having a huge impact here both spiritually and physically.

 

Last week we were visited by Jim and Kim Dewar and Matthew Rust, representing the Master Foundation. They provided 4 containers full of relief goods (remember a container is 40 foot long and holds about 40,000 lbs). God worked it out so that the shipments all arrived while they were here to oversee unloading and begin immediate distribution.  Some things went to the tent camp immediately, others to Port au Prince, and today a large load went to Laregal.  Each day another large box truck full of relief goods and food will go out to a different location.

 

Matthew Rust and the Haitians pray over the container before unloading & distributing it (left) and distributing relief goods and food (right).

 

Also last week we had a visit from folks with Meals From The Heartland who supply a very large portion of the food we distribute.  This team of 10 included a young man named John Cheathem who held a concert for the youth of the church and it was phenomenal; young and old alike praised God with old and new songs!  It was really a musical paradise that evening and it amazed even us veterans as how these talented singers can bring so much beauty from their voices of praise.  In just a matter of a couple of hours John and Robenson Faustin, one of our young adults who grew up in our church and is very active, put together a duet that brought the house down (not literally of course)!

 

 

Basketball Camp

One of the highlights last week was having Amy Stephens, Girls Basketball Head Coach at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, and Sandy Clubb, Athletic Director for Drake University, present a basketball camp for our 4th through 6th grade girls at Grand Goave.  Isaac Fils, who grew up in our children's home and now works with Lifeline full-time as one of our Lovelink staff (Isaac studied computer and does our spreadsheets and paper work associated with the sponsorship program here), is extremely talented in basketball, has coached and sports is his first love.  He worked with Amy and Sandy and the program was a  huge success to the point that Isaac now is the coach of our first ever girls basketball team!  Thanks to Amy and Sandy and everyone for this gift to our young people. 

 

A news crew followed Amy & Sandy's time during the basketball camp.  Visit their website for the video and more on this story.

Coach Stephens hands out uniforms (left) and Isaac coaches the new girls basketball team (right)

 

 

Tent Camp

Although the number of people who are living in our tent city have diminished some, the tents remain. Many people are still afraid to sleep in their own homes, so they go to their homes during the day but then come back at night to sleep here at their tent.

 

Upon returning and visiting in the tent city, we learned that Matilde and Marlene organized having the 4 a.m. Prayer Meetings in the tent camp.  With people displaced they could not continue to meet each morning in different homes.  Here in the camp they are ministering to non-Christians.  Matilde says that they sing, pray, read from God's Word, and the church leaders preach to the people; many are responding.  In fact, tonight while our work team was having supper together, Matilde asked me to come to the chapel to take photos.  A wedding was taking place between a couple that has been living together for years who are residents of the camp and they have been receiving encouragement from the church.  We visited with the woman and witnessed to her last week with our team from First Christian Church, Canton, Ohio and Christ's Church of the Valley, Philadelphia, PA (a great team of talented and hard working people).  I went out and took some photos and it was a beautiful ceremony.  Afterwards they asked to use one of our vehicles for the traditional parade to the reception site.  It's quite an honor for them to have a nice car to take them through town.

 

 

Building Homes

We've constructed 5 more homes since returning to Haiti on May 2.  A total of 20 homes have been built since the end of February when we were able to resume this awesome ministry that has led dozens of families to Christ.

 

The greatest challenge facing the people of Haiti now is housing and the rainy season. We are doing our best to build homes but there are so many more people who need homes than we have funded.  If you know of available grants/funds for rebuilding, send the information our way....we have the ability to construct 3 homes per week.  Our build schedule takes us to the end of July. So we could construct dozens more homes. The cost is $4000 per home.  Each work team that comes also participates in this awesome and rewarding ministry.

 

You can provide a "Home Raising Grant" to a needy family.  Lifeline wants to provides funds for families to be able to relocate either to a new owned or rented home, or help them repair the home they have.  Grants ranging from $400 minimum to $4,000 maximum per family will be given. The donors of the funds will receive a family profile and photos of the need and work done.  A new 2-room cement block home will be constructed for a $4,000 grant.

 

For your tax-deductible gift: Checks can be written to "Lifeline Christian Mission" and sent to our office at 184 Olde County Line Road, Westerville, Ohio 43081.  Credit card gifts are also accepted online (simply explain your gift designation in the "Comments" section included with the billing information) or contact Lifeline's office at 614-794-0108. 

 

 

Sponsor a Haitian Child

Hundreds of Haitian children are available to sponsor for $30 per month, such as these precious kiddies below!  Email Lovelink@Lifeline.org to sponsor a child or visit www.Lifeline.org for kids who are available to sponsor immediately.

 

 

Work Teams in Haiti

This past week our work team from the United States witnessed 8 baptisms and 2 members of the work team were baptized too...A.J. and Josh!  The ocean is our baptismal here and it's so beautiful.

Right now we have a combination of groups here:

Cox School of Nursing, Springfield, MO;

University of Kansas at Lawrence, Kansas; 

Mid Atlantic Bible College in Roanoke, North Carolina;

and SCAMPS Campus Group from Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana led by Mark Gallagher, a long-time veteran of Lifeline work teams.  They are building 2 homes this week. 

 

Today while some of the team mixed the concrete for the foundation of one home, another group put up a plastic covering for a make-shift tent home for an older lady that caught Bob's attention out near where the new home is being built.  Such service is so rewarding. 

 

Sunday worship was in the typical Haitian fashion of sensational music and praise for our King. And we shared worship not only with Americans and Haitians but we had 3 visitors from Samaritan's Purse who are based here for a year.  One is from the U.S., one from Burma and another from Ethiopia. Our spirits were united in giving glory and honor to Jesus.

Something interesting that we need you to pray about: 

Many of the 58 women who were here during the earthquake have told me they are coming back next January for our women's work trip.  Where am I going to put them all?!  Maybe we can have a reality program and pitch tents for us all to live in and experience what our Haitian brothers and sisters have endured.  (Just a little joke!!!). But seriously, we may have two different dates/groups.  Please keep this in your prayers.

 

 

A Special Honor

Last week, Major Betsy Ross received a medal for bravery.  Lt. General Ken Keen presented this award because of Betsy's heroism exhibited in the rescue of a fellow soldier at the Hotel Montana in Haiti following the earthquake.

 

Lt. General Keen and Major Ross visited Lifeline's Grand Goave campus on March 17.

Photo: Major Betsy Ross (right) with Gretchen and Lt General Keen (center) at Lifeline's Grand Goave campus

 

 

Beyond Haiti

Lifeline's work also continues to thrive in Honduras, El Salvador, Cuba and the USA.  Exciting things are happening!  Be watching for an update on these ministries coming in the next few days!

 

 

God bless you and thank you again!

Gretchen DeVoe 

Co-founder and Administrator

Lifeline Christian Mission 

 

Our great grandsons keeping up with Bob & I on the computer!

 

The Children's Home kids are back to school!   The Mahoteire school has re-opened after the earthquake.  The kids were very happy to see their teachers and friends.  Praise be to God!

 

 

 

 

April 6, 2010

Tonight I'm sitting here with mixed emotions. Tomorrow we leave Haiti. This is my first time to leave since arriving January 3rd.  In fact, I haven't been into Port au Prince all the way yet; I'm kind of fearful of what I'll see. As we shared in church Sunday with our Haitian friends, we have experienced something together that has brought us closer to one another and we have seen the hand of God everywhere.  In Proverbs 27:5 it says "In the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling." and we remind our Haitian friends "Be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."  (Proverbs 27:14).  God continues to open doors to help Haiti and we are honored to have been here during this time.

David Price, Bob and I leave tomorrow but we will be back soon. Our time away will be short; Bob & I return May 2nd.  In the interim we will spend a week in Cuba. We'll be joined by Drs. Mike & Joni Scott and Ron & Karen Lydick, as well as Jose' Rodriguez, his wife and son. I'm really excited about the Cuba trip! 

 

 

Communion trays for Deuxieme Plaine Christian Church

Some quick stats and news on what has happened since the last update:

• We just got word that 13 containers have landed in Haiti (40 foot containers of relief goods; much will be food going to other missions, medical supplies, etc.)  Four containers we are receiving are from Canada, compliments of James and Kim Dewer and their ministry; these containers are in Haiti being processed for release.

• 5 more containers are on their way.

• The warehouse for container shipments is nearly finished.  Now we are waiting for pallet racks and the new overhead door.

• Many baptisms have occurred!  14 baptisms at Grand Goave, 25 more baptisms at Deuxieme Plaine, and 26 more baptisms at Mahoteire Christian Church.  David Price witnessed 24 being baptized at Leogane this past Saturday in the new baptismal he build for them.

• Deuxieme Plaine Christian Church received their communion trays!  They were donated by Eastside Christian Church in Ohio.

• Distributed shoes to about 200 kiddies at Vieux Cayes March 24

• Distributed approximately $200,000 (U.S. dollars) in relief money the past 10 days to over 160 families and to 1000+ children from their sponsors.  This is only part of what has gone out to the communities.

• Rosa Moore's brother & sister-in-law sponsor a girl who we witnessed to and will be baptized this week.

• Saw 65 patients in clinic; there is a virus going around

• 2 containers of "Kids Food" arrived from Impact Lives in the U.S. Thanks to Ramon Pastrano and the people who made this possible through donations and packaging of food.  It has come in and gone out already! These containers came through the Dominican Republic with absolutely no problem getting in.

• Trench dug in back to allow for water drainage  

• Clinic water line run for new lab and entire clinic

• Food delivered by military (Kids Against Hunger food and rice) distributed to 32 missions this week serving over 45,000 children and adults

• Visit from Dr. Rod Dynes of GHO (Global Health Outreach) who will be bringing a team to Haiti with Lifeline from his home church

• Peanut Butter Drive update: 5,500+ jars received so far this year!

• Structural engineers from AIDG came today to evaluate more buildings in Grand Goave

• El Don from Beaverton Christian Church, Oregon got the ultrasound machine working, as well as sterilizers and so much more!

• More and more baptisms El Salvador

• Jose, Rosa, Christopher received their visas to the U.S. to celebrate Lifeline's 30th anniversary this summer. We are still waiting on permission for Carlos and his family, and Adam, Ruth and their baby.  Eduardo from Cuba was able to get visas for all his family except the U.S. Consulate did not grant the VISA to his daughter Karen who is in university in Cuba.  Still working on all these.

 

 

 

Pierre Garcon, Indianapolis Colts Wide Receiver, Visits Lifeline's School in Leogane

Today was another special day!  As many of you know we lost all of our school classrooms and our church in Leogane during the earthquake (this is the rebuilding project that David Price has been overseeing since arriving).  David departs tomorrow too and we hope and pray he'll be back soon.  It has really lifted our hearts to see the Haitian people welcome David back to Haiti; it was like he'd never left. 

 

Hundreds of cook pots ready to distribute!

We went to Leogane with 600 cook pots, compliments of Nordic Ware and Kids Against Hunger, and we went there to receive a very special guest: Pierre Garcon, a star wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts whose mother is from Leogane.  He came to Lifeline's site in Leogane to see us, to see the city and to visit his mother's former home; his mother and three sisters came with him. They were accompanied by several other missionary friends of ours including Janiel Owens of Northwest Haiti Christian Mission (NWHCM), Cameron Mayhill Director of Development for NWHCM, Ro Ro Eustache (who works in multiple locations throughout Haiti including Jacmel), a handful of private security people, photographers and reporters from ESPN and the NFL.
 
All of this was arranged by Northwest Haiti Christian Mission who is partnering with Pierre Garcon to help Haiti. Pierre's foundation, Pierre Garcon Helping Hands Foundation, provided a grant to Lifeline to help with some of our school reconstruction. The program was wonderful!  The children sang in that amazing way that only Haitians can sing and then we had lunch

Pierre Garcon provided tshirts with his foundation name on them.  They were presented to the children at Lifeline's Children's Home in Port au Prince

and distributed the Nordic ware cook pots, along with Kids Against Hunger packages, and McDonald's toys to over 600 children. Although the classrooms are not totally finished yet (the work at Leogane is about half complete), the kids eagerly went to their rooms and sat on the floors to await their goodies. (They sat on the floors because all of our school desks were destroyed when the walls collapsed in the classrooms. We need to construct more benches and desks too. See the "Help a Haitian Child or Family" section below to help build school desks!)
 
During the main "ceremony" Pierre spoke to the children in his native language of Haitian Creole and he thanked God for the work being done in Haiti and he encouraged the children. His mother also spoke and reconfirmed that God is the answer to Haiti's problems. After everyone else left, the Haitian staff people helped me hand out Lovelink gifts and Cash Relief to the children from their sponsors. Pierre autographed photos and tshirts and handed out some Frisbees to the children.

 

 

Deaths of Students

Leogane is a school where two of our students died from the earthquake.  One died immediately at the time of the quake when a classroom wall fell on her.  Then her brother was injured too and the teacher rushed out with him to the hospital but he died on the way.  He was 17; his sister 13.  Today was the first that I knew that two children had died there.
 
One of our little school girls from the Deuxieme Plaine region was killed a week ago on Sunday. She was sitting along the side of the road after dark selling things at a roadside stand, when a car didn't see her and struck her and brother. He ended up in the hospital but didn't die. She was killed instantly.

 

Please note: none of these students that passed away were sponsored.

 

 

Items Flowing In

Containers are starting to flow in now and our new warehouse will be under roof this week.  Bob has mixed feelings about leaving too because there is so much to do but it will continue without us.  We have never felt so sad about leaving before.  We feel that it is time, though, to get a little break.  It's been quite intense the past 3 months; running on adrenaline and the strength of the Lord has been a really incredible experience.  When we return here in May the focus will be to continue rebuilding. We have the Vieux Cayes, Deuxieme Plaine and other school repairs and reconstruction to complete.  We need lots of benches/desks for the children...these alone will cost tens of thousands of dollars.  And making them in the welding shop is very time consuming.

 

 

 

Homes for Haiti & Tents

Homes For Haiti are going strong!  Since the quake we've built over 15 homes and they will continue to be constructed. 

A new home is built beside this family's tent home

It's been a bit hard because we can't seem to get all the welding done that is needed; the construction of trusses for the buildings so we can get them under roof, has been a top priority.  But we are sandwiching in the trusses for the homes and the steel doors for each home.
 
People continue to live in their tents, mainly because they have nowhere else to go. Some have moved out, but not many because here in the tent citys they have water, toilets and the blessing of food being distributed. Those who've moved out have mostly just relocated their tents to their own property. The fear and concern that another quake is imminent keeps them from making the complete move into their homes for those whose homes ARE livable and safe.

 

 

 

Food Distributions

Lifeline's supply of food to distribute to the people in the tent cities (Relief Distribution) has now dwindled to the "Kids Food" that we receive from Kids Against Hunger, Impact Lives, Outreach International and Meals From The Heartland.  The other foods that were being shipped in have stopped coming (those from large organizations like World Food Program, etc.). 

 

Food being unloaded into the warehouse

I am seeing better health in the kids that daily receive the hot meals through Lifeline, but there is no shortage of people coming to clinic who are in desperate need.  We continue to see many malnourished elderly, women, children and infants.  One of the main causes is not the shortage of food available in the Haitian marketplaces, but the shortage of money to buy this food.  Just last week when we held OB clinic nearly all the women had low hemoglobin and required iron along with their vitamins. At least 10 of the 60 women should have had blood transfusions!

 

 

 

Homeless in Haiti

There are a lot of older, homeless type people just like we have in the States.  Friday, I went to Deuxieme Plaine to distribute relief money to the children from sponsors.  In this process the children are put in alphabetical order and must come with their plastic school ID card that shows me who they are; we have to be sure to give the gifts/money to the correct child.  Isaac was helping me; he was counting the money while I did the photos and photo numbering.  We'd been working for an hour or so when I happened to look over at the next kiddie in line and it was an old man with a cane, white beard and white hair.  It was obvious by his clothing and demeanor that he was a very poor, hermit type person.  So I just to let him come on through, had him sit in the chair and gave him some money.  Everyone enjoyed being able to bless this old man and we chuckled about him slipping right in with the kids. But about 20 minutes later, 2 more showed up!  That's the story of how it goes in Haiti.  I gave them some money too, but was thankful we were finished with our distribution.

 

 

 

A student at Lifeline's school receives lunch

Back to School Again

School is opening full force in Haiti this next week and Lucson Desrosiers, our Christian Education Coordinator who graduated from Christianville Bible Institute, is conducting seminars for the teachers. Some additional things are being added to the curriculum that relates to the earthquake and what the children and parents experienced. So Lucson is very busy visiting every Lifeline school (12 of them) and conducting seminars, while also delivering the Kids Food for the next 3 months.  

 

We've learned that the government has declared that school will go on through August!  It's going to be a long summer for the kids. They'll get a month break and then start school again the first of October.  This makes it so much easier to locate the children for their sponsors when school is in session.
 
As well as rebuilding Leogane, Jeanty, and Grand Goave, we have demolition and reconstruction to do at Vieux Cayes and Deuxieme Plaine Christian Schools.  Work at other outpost schools as part of Higher Ground Program had to be suspended temporarily due to the top priority of the reconstruction from quake damage.

 

 

 

Help a Haitian Child or Family 

Build-a-Desk

We need to construct hundreds of school bench/desks to replace those that were destoyed when the school walls fell on them in the quake.  $100 will build a school bench/desk for 2 to 3 children.  Consider buying a bench or half a bench for a sponsored child!

 

Home Grants

You can provide a "Home Raising Grant" to a needy family.  Lifeline wants to provides funds for families to be able to relocate either to a new owned or rented home, or help them repair the home they have.  Grants ranging from $400 minimum to $4,000 maximum per family will be given. The donors of the funds will receive a family profile and photos of the need and work done.  A new 2-room cement block home will be constructed for a $4,000 grant.

 

These gifts can be included with your regular contribution and designated on your contribution envelope.  Credit card gifts are also accepted online (simply explain your gift designation in the "Comments" section included with the billing information) or contact Lifeline's office at 614-794-0108.

 

 

An African proverb says:  "Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors".  As we reflect on what we have experienced in Haiti, we are made better by what we experience with God leading us through the rough seas.
 

 

God bless you and thank you again!

 

Gretchen DeVoe 

Co-founder and Administrator

Lifeline Christian Mission 

 

 

Please note: There was another significant tremor Tuesday, April 13 in Haiti that was 4.3 on the Richter scale.  Please continue to keep the Haitian people and Lifeline's ministries in your prayers.

 

 

More news from Haiti: January - March 2010