Hi everyone,

If we can believe the Ministry of Education in Haiti, school will begin on time — the first Monday in September. The Ministry of Education has inspectors who go to each registered school to make sure it is what we say it is, issue permits to operate for the coming school year, enroll the kids and then we’re ready. If a school isn’t registered (all of ours are), children can attend but once they finish the 6th grade, they can’t go on with their education.

A schoolteacher from St. Charles donated almost 50 pounds of supplies recently, and you just can’t put a price on donations like that. Not only does it save the ministry a lot of money, she knows exactly what to buy and how it will be used. Obviously, we appreciate all donations and help with the schools and nutrition programs.

The enrollment so far, for four schools, is up to 600 kids, pre-school through 6th grade; that is about all we can do, financially or room-wise. With prices the way they are now it would be very costly to build or try to expand. The largest school in terms of space will probably add another 50 kids.

Terry’s tests on August 8 were not what we had prayed for. The tests that monitor the cancer were up by more than expected, which means all the others were down more than expected. They have scheduled bone scans to see if tumors have formed on any bones, and will schedule surgery to put the chest catheter back in. She can’t take the pill or injection form of chemo, so they are going to administer it through the catheter.

Once that is finished, they will try another stem cell transplant. When they harvested them the first time, they took enough for a second transplant, so she doesn’t have to go through that again, but the second is the last one they will do. There is no third transplant.

To say the least, she is having a hard time deciding whether to go through with the transplant or not. If she does, there isn’t a third and there are no other options. If she doesn’t, the cancer could get out of hand — or may stay where it is. So, we want you to pray for God’s will in this, but also pray for her in making this decision.

When I mentioned her birthday last month, I had not thought of birthday cards. But boy, did she get a lot! Thank all of you for taking the time to do that. It meant a lot to her.

It has been a very quiet hurricane season here and in Haiti and we can pray that continues; for them and us.

Thank you for all you do for our friends in Haiti and for your prayers for Terry. Your thoughts and cards sure make her feel better.

Hi everyone,

The turmoil continues in Haiti with no sign it’s going to end soon. If everything the protesters say is true, I can’t say I blame them. Maybe not the way they go about it, but protest, yes.

With everything that is happening, including the price hikes, this is only going to make things worse. Fortunately, school is out for several weeks and parents don’t have the worry of their kids being caught up in a bad situation. However, the high prices remain in place and those affect everyone there, as well our ministry because the nutrition programs run all year.

In April of 2019 the International Monetary Fund published a report on global finances, and placed Haiti the 14th poorest country in the world. You have to go all the way to number 30 to get out of Africa – other than Haiti. (The U.S. places 180 out of 191 countries listed.) The GDP in Haiti is $1,903 compared to $64,767 in the U.S.

It’s no wonder kids can’t go to school! Of course, there are more reasons than money, but it isn’t because they don’t want to go. Education in Haiti is valued; literacy is a mark of prestige and students wear their uniforms with pride.

The Ministry of Education in Haiti reported that Christian ministries provide about 2000 primary schools educating more than 600,000 students. Some offer a better quality of education than for-profit schools. 600,00 seems like a lot but you have to consider that 33% of children between the ages of 6 and 12, do not attend school. While the mandated age to start school is 6, it is not unusual to see a student finish the 6th grade at 15 or 16.

We know we have covered this in the past, but it’s good to review it occasionally, especially for you who support the schools, or the programs associated with them, so it’s always fresh in your mind how important your partnership in this is and how important you are to a child in Haiti.

We hope everyone had an enjoyable July 4th and as always, we appreciate all you do for our friends in Haiti and for every prayer you offer.