Hi everyone,

October is a very important month in Haiti, just as November is here. After a year of haggling in Haiti, another presidential election is scheduled for October 9th . In the last election in 2015 wide-spread fraud was declared and all the votes were thrown out. This caused the country to be ruled for a time by the outgoing president, then a committee, then a government figure appointed by the committee. Finally, all those involved are satisfied with new safeguards and rules in place, and they say this one will be different. The United States, Canada and France paid for the first election, but will not pay for this one.

There are two main candidates, Jude Celestin and Jovenel Moise. All of the people we know and work with say Moise would be the best man for the job. He came from a lower middle class family; when he was almost to his teen years he moved to Port Au Prince so he could attend school there. After high school he went through college and then began his career, with little money, working to bring clean water to areas in the north. He also worked in the agriculture sector; through his banana crops (he is called the banana man) he created 3,000 new direct jobs and 10,000 indirect jobs.

If you wonder why this month’s post is devoted to this person, realize that each of you has invested, financially as well as spiritually, in Haiti. All of us need to pray the right person is elected their president, just as we have a very important choice to make in another month. Haiti needs someone stable who will bring jobs and change to that country. They deserve a chance to succeed.

Medical Update: Terry is doing really well; in fact, she says she feels better than at any time over the past two years. She still has the tiredness but it isn’t the fatigue she previously felt. There is a difference!

Thank you for all your prayers for her and for helping our friends in Haiti.

Serving HIM,

Steve and Terry

Friends of Haiti,

Have you ever had one of those “Kodak moments” and not realize you’re having it until it has passed and then it’s too late to do anything about it? The picture you are seeing is one of those times!

People ask, “Is what you are doing making a difference? Do you make a difference in the life of a child?” The young woman in the picture is a “yes” answer to both of those questions. At the time I took this I didn’t realize just what it meant and hind-sight being what it is…

This young woman, Marie-Cianne, was one of our first sponsored kids. She started in one of our schools and feeding programs when she was six years old. She went through the schools, and passed the government mandated test to pass into the seventh grade. She moved to Port Au Prince to stay with family, went two more years of school, and then got a job using the skills she had been taught. She is now is helping her family live.

I had spent most of the day in Belanger and was about to leave when I heard someone calling my name. It was Marie-Cianne. She wanted to talk, telling me all she had been doing and about her life now that she is an adult. She is 23, and a very long way from the six year old I remember. I have seen her so many times over the years.

Although it isn’t a great picture, we wanted to share it with you. It demonstrates that the school and feeding program accomplished what they are supposed to do, at least in her life. You have to believe there are more stories like hers out there.

Obviously we are there, but so are you. Your help and your giving made those things possible for her, As always, we are very thankful for each of you and what you do.

Serving HIM,

Steve and Terry

P.S. Medical update on Terry: The oncologists at St. Louis University tell us there are no “detectable” cancer cells but there are still problems with some of her blood levels. They are adjusting some of her medicine and vitamins to see if that will help. The leg pain is still there and her energy runs out very quickly. If you want to pray about this, pray about the pain and energy. If those two things would change it would make a very big difference in her life.