Widlene is one of our brave cooks! She is taking a special college course, for cooking and decorating cakes, etc. Widlene “loves” to cook! She is always cooking something up for her “Poppie Bobby,” (even though he is on a diet!) She loves to make food “look good on the plate!”
We have had Widlene since she was about five; her sister was just a baby. Madamn Jesula, her mother, was sick and thought she was dying. She came to our gate back then, to ask if we could care for her children after she died. We sent her to a hospital and paid the bills; we found out that she was anemic and almost starving to death. We took her and her two children in. They have been with us ever since. We later built a small house for her mother.
Widlene has her own opinion of what it’s like to be raised in an orphanage of 85 kids, all ages… sharing your “stuff,” with everyone, and often, having things come up missing because a “sister” has borrowed it! This is what she wrote to us, about being raised in our orphanage… she sent this to me and “Poppie Bobby:”
“Many people don’t understand that LAC is not just a beautiful house, it’s our home. The only place where we feel safe and loved and precious. The LAC family is not just a chosen family… it is what life has given us, to replace everything we’ve lost, and nothing can ever change it. We have our ‘quarrels,’ we have our ‘spats’ and then love each other more and more, because we know what we are going through; we understand it and we love it. That is why, even if we leave it by choice or force, even if we die, we will always be a family. Because it is the will of God. ‘Love is Something You Do!’ LAC Family Always and Forever!”
Sick, hungry, and abandoned children need a loving home. Thank you, partners, for changing many lives!!!!
As you may know, Haiti is in “total chaos,” from one end to another! The gangs are in control! There is no law and order… manifestations are all over Haiti. Gangs are blocking the roads, burning down gas stations and buildings, and shooting people! Thousands of Haitians had to leave their homes to go somewhere else to find a safe place. The Haitian families and children have suffered way beyond belief! Haiti is totally out of control! I could tell you so much more, but I won’t. I don’t even want to go into it!
This morning, on the phone, I was talking to a friend, and I had a “ray of hope!” In a nutshell, the President of the Dominican Republic has had a meeting with the OAS, (Organization of American States) concerning the crisis in Haiti. The OAS is “outraged,” that the international community has not helped! The President of the Dominican Republic and the OAS have come up with a definite plan. I will tell you the plan later, but the “plan will work,” no doubt about it! The “plan” is just not talk! It is action! There’s only one thing that can stop this plan… The United States! Haiti has hope! Please pray! Things could change overnight for Haiti, for the best! There are too many Christians in Haiti that have been praying!!! The devil can’t have this country! Prayer works and Jesus never fails!
Note: This has not been confirmed yet. Please pray.
Sometimes we all are in a hurry for the Lord to answer prayers. Like driving through a fast food restaurant… I want my food now. The Bible says: “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.” Psalm 27:14
The Bible says: “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31
Waiting on the Lord has its reward! God has more miracles than you have needs!
Fritzner is different than the other children. He has a calm spirit, nearly all the time. He is quiet, timid, and hard working. This year, he will be in 6th grade. He is so, so tall that he grows out of pants, all the time!
He was just four months old when Pastor Justin brought this baby all the way down from the mountains of Covant! This would have been a tough trip, even on mule, but carrying an infant down those mountains… I don’t know how he did it!!
His father could not care for him when his mother died in childbirth, so that is why Pastor Justin brought him to us! Fritzner is always working and smiling. He is a “no-stress kid,” who loves school, plays the bass guitar, and wants to be a teacher. He is quick to help any of the moms (worker ladies). The kids call him “pa sou sa,” (I’m not interested in that!) We will see what God does in the life of Fritzner… a good kid!
Lot’s of kids nowadays do not know the meaning of the word “work” or “chores!” When you have “a lot” of kids under your roof, everyone must work, and work with a good attitude! School has not yet started in Haiti, so our Children’s Home is really clean! Bedrooms are the hardest to keep up with, but the kids never complain about any work whatsoever. Someone once said, “Your attitude determines your altitude!” These kids will fly high!!! Sherry
Yesterday, we flew into Jamaica on a small plane to get Dumolia acquainted with her college at University West Indies, Jamaica, which has 20,000 students. Our new friends, Madamn Carol and her husband Derick met us at the airport and took us to the hotel. The next day, they took us to her college, assisted us in getting through all the paperwork, etc. She had things to buy for her room, so they took us shopping at “Woolworths” (some of you remember Woolworths)!! We still have more things to get for her, books, etc.
Our good friend for many years, Bishop Herro Blair, met us at a restaurant and then took us to his lovely home, fixed a delicious dinner and then took us to the airport this morning!
Our friend Robert Levy has given us a lot of counsel and helped us through the maze of paperwork, etc, arranged for Carol and Derick to meet us and help us, and much more. We thank them!
We fly back to Miami today to attend a funeral of a close dear friend tomorrow and back to Haiti on Monday!
Thank you to our friends for helping financially to make all this happen. Dumolia’s dream is coming true!
“Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the vats overflow…” Joel 3:13
There are many ways we “preach the Gospel” in Haiti. Most of the ways, we do not use words, but we use “love!” Love speaks louder than all of our words! We show love by feeding the hungry, building schools for the poor, conducting Mobile Medical Clinics, and much more. Now, we need to “pray” that the Lord will send forth more harvesters into His field! (Matthew 9:38)
Anna Jean is now 18! It won’t be long till she finishes High School, and she will make a very important “life decision” … what she wants to be.
We tell all the girls that they need to stand on their own two feet. They must be ready to take responsibility in case their husband leaves them one day and runs off to the Dominican Republic Border, as many do. All these girls especially need to have a career job to keep their families going.
Anna is a Christian. She loves Church and loves to sing. She also enjoys “helping people” who need help! She is a good helper at the Children’s Home!
Anna says she “wants to be a doctor!” We will see! Anna is a “blessing,” and we all love her!
School in Haiti has been deferred twice and now three times. It was supposed to start last month, but now, it may not start again until October due to the gangs. We had to buy new black shoes, uniforms, backpacks, and books for all the children at our Children’s Home. But, due to the gangs, especially right now, we do not know if school will start on time.
We had to hire some school teachers to help our children during these times but, as you can see, they love it!!
As of today, people are setting fire to gas stations because they are doubling prices! No one is going out of their homes today, for any reason, unless it is an emergency.
Poor Haiti… the rich grow richer, and the poor grow poorer every day. Only God can intervene now because there is no help in sight.
Two major things… The price of fuel has doubled again for the second time in Haiti. No one can survive like this. Thousands of people are wanting the Prime Minister to resign! For the last three days, Haiti has been shut down, even all the way up to Cape Haitian. People have been asked to stay indoors and not to go outside. Gangs have been up and down some roads on motorcycles shooting everyone. Buildings in Petionville and Port au Prince have been set on fire… “total chaos from one end of Haiti to the other end.”
I was told this morning there is no fuel in Haiti, not even on the black market. I’m thankful we were able to get to many villages and areas with our Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) meals just before all this happened! The families were thankful!
Our work, building the special Gabion Houses, is still going on deep in the mountains of South Haiti for the families who lost their lives in the earthquake.
As you know, Sherry and I arrived yesterday in Kingston, Jamaica, with Dumolia to set her up in her college dorm.
Tomorrow Sherry and I leave for Florida. We must take part in a funeral on Saturday of a dear friend who was very close to us. Monday, we travel back to Haiti…
Haiti needs your prayers. We, along with the other missionaries in Haiti, need your prayers.
Thank you for your prayers and your support financially, especially now.
