Prep Time

Sunday, August 18, 2024

In Haiti, preparations for school opening are in full swing on the Thozin, Grand-Goâve campus. Maintenance jobs that were difficult to do while school was in session, like replacing broken classroom tiles, are now happening.

The maintenance crew is removing trash and washing the school from bottom to top.

The school administration met with the teaching staff to prepare for the school year. Pastor Lex also joined in with a video chat.

The clinic was bustling this week…

…But where was Dr. Evens? Oh, he was busy tying the knot!!! Congratulations to Dr. & Madame Evens!

Gemima and Paul work together to make sure the babies are eating well.

MOHI’s second church and school campus is in St. Etienne, Leogane, about half an hour away from the Thozin, Grand-Goâve campus. About 7km up the mountains, when you come across a building with a pretty, blue hip roof, you’ll know you have arrived.

Living in the mountains is much different than living in even a small city, like Grand-Goâve. Most homes never have electricity and none of them have running water. This makes for a LOT of extra work. Fetching water can take hours each day. People depend on their neighbors a lot more, too. It’s normal to see women working together to prepare a meal or wash clothes.

Most of the time, it’s the children who fetch water for the family. Sometimes the choice has to be made  - Do we send the child to school or do we send them to fetch water? Seeing as no one can clean, bathe, or cook without water, school usually loses out.

Did you know, several years ago MOHI drilled a well on our campus? No longer do our neighbors have to descend the steep mountain into the valley and back up and down mountains to get home with buckets of water on their heads. This has saved our neighbors dozens of hours of labor every week and it helps keep their children in school!

This campus has become a hub of activity for the community. People come out for church, school, Bible studies, baby feedings, water, and more. Our neighbors inspire me. They work in their gardens from sunrise until sunset, selling in surrounding neighborhood open markets while serving the LORD and caring for their children.

In the Dominican Republic, the Bless Back Business Academy at MOHI completed its second week of classes and coaching.

It's plowing season in Luperón.

The newest START NOW branch is helping little ones in Luperón to fight off malnutrition. This program began when a generous donor gave the funds to feed all the babies for one month. We now need people to sponsor the babies individually to sustain the program in Luperón. For only $30/month, you or a friend can ensure one baby eats regularly each month. Click here to sponsor a baby today.

The feeding program for school-aged children in La Grúa will continue through the summer's end.

The water house is complete! The next step is to install the system. I'm super excited about this!

I love the ministry taking place through our Community Health Promoter program with our partners at Bless Back Worldwide. Nurse Marlouse has entire neighborhoods eagerly awaiting her visit each week. The older patients especially appreciate the peace of mind that comes when they see their blood pressure stabilized at a good number each week. It encourages them to continue taking their medicine faithfully.

We are really excited to be working with local churches in Luperón to put on a city-wide crusade October 17-19. Would you join us in praying for this event to have a seriously awesome impact in the lives of all those in our city? Thank you!

I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt thanks to each of you who have taken the time to read this update. Your continued prayers, financial support, and words of encouragement mean the world to us and make a real difference in the work we do at Mission of Hope International. It is through your generosity and faithfulness that we are able to press on and continue impacting lives in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and beyond.

Thank you for standing with us on this journey of hope and transformation.