Category: News (Page 71 of 100)

Friends of Haiti,

Over the course of almost twenty years we have had the privilege of crossing paths with many groups, churches and individuals who assist the ministry in different ways — those who sponsor a child to support the schools, those who give to support the feeding programs , those who collect vitamins for the kids or give supplies and bottles for use in clinic or the schools. There are those who give to the general fund in order to make up for a shortfall in one of the other areas if needed and those who have gone and provided physical labor to help build or repair something.

One of those people, Bryan, met Steve in Haiti in the days after the earthquake. Bryan was in Haiti working with one of the larger banks installing computer programs. He had been staying in the Hotel Montana. Slowed by traffic, he had arrived in the parking lot of the hotel just in time to see it collapse, killing almost everyone inside and trapping others, some for days.

After making it back to the bank, spending the night alone in the parking lot, he made it to the American Embassy where he met Steve and their friendship began. They flew to the Dominican Republic together, exchanged numbers and email addresses and the next morning went separate ways, more than likely thinking they would never hear from each other again.

Bryan did make contact and wanted to help in some way. Steve, knowing what he did, told him we needed a web site and it was born. Bryan does all the work, including posting information and keeping it up to date. He and his wife provide monthly financial support to the ministry as well.

Bryan, like Steve, is alive only by the grace of God and we feel their meeting was also God-directed. By the time they met, there were at least two hundred people in the embassy so the odds of them meeting, forming a friendship and his putting a public face on the ministry were high.

This is just one example of someone we didn’t know, whom God allowed us to meet to further His ministry in Haiti. We appreciate Bryan, what he does for the ministry and his and his wife’s willingness to help in giving.

Our thanks to everyone for your continued sacrifice in giving and your prayers for our friends in Haiti.

Serving HIM together,

Steve and Terry

Friends of Haiti,

We have a saying in Missouri (and more than likely you do, as well) that if you don’t like the weather just wait, its about to change. Unfortunately for our friends in Haiti, other than the relentless unchanging poverty, it seems something is always waiting to happen to change their world.

The cholera epidemic that swept through the country following the earthquake has died down, but it took several thousand people with it and sickened even more. Today’s problem is an African one called chikungunya — Chik-ah-gun-ya. It is a virus spread by mosquitos. Although not known to cause death, it causes painful joints, pounding headaches and spiking fevers as high as 104. There is no vaccine to prevent the virus. The common treatment, acetaminophen, has quadrupled in price over the counter, putting it well out of reach for the average person.

According to Reuters, the Haitian Ministry of Health has ordered 400,000 doses to be distributed around the country. This comes at the same time a known problem, dengue fever, also spread by mosquito, comes into season. The two diseases have a lot of the same symptoms and problems, but dengue can be deadly. There is no vaccine for it either.

Some good news: the school year is about over, except for Joe’s school which will run about two weeks longer. This has been one of the few years that they have gone from start to finish with little interruption, and everyone is thankful for that.

We are also thankful those who sponsor a child or help a school to make this possible. Your sacrifice over the past year has made it possible for a child to have one more year of education.

Serving HIM together,

Steve and Terry