Seasons

Growing up in New England, I learned to anticipate and appreciate the changing of the seasons. Each season has its own unique beauty. At this time of year we all grow weary of the cold and the snow - well, I know I do anyway. Although the details of what the new season will bring are unknown to me, there are some constant certainties. Spring is quickly approaching now. I anticipate the trees will bloom, the grass will turn green, it will rain, the flowers will grow, the birds will return with plenty of singing, and the remaining snow will melt. After a long winter, Spring is always a welcome change.

This month is our 21st anniversary of being in Haiti. I've spent most of those years feeling like the "new kid on the block" and yet we are now the "older" and "experienced" missionaries. Right? Interesting how time keeps moving forward and we change - hopefully for the better! Probably the biggest change for me is my level of confidence and trust in Jesus and HIS will for the people in this world - myself included.

The seasons at MOHI have included seasons of incredible growth, seasons of loss, seasons of maintaining, seasons of excitement, and seasons of disappointment - all seasons involve opportunities for learning. 2020 was a season of maintaining for MOHI. This is a very good thing. Let me share my personal perspective of that with you.

I have struggled with my weight since early adulthood. I have dieted and enjoyed the thrill of losing a lot of weight and then the total horror of gaining it all back, plus some. A couple of years ago I lost about 75 pounds. It felt wonderful. I was able to become more active. I've been there before and it's great. But for the first time in my life, I have actually been able to maintain that weight loss. I have been able to navigate all of life's ups and downs without turning back to old comforts. Maintaining that weight loss is freeing! Maintenance is awesome!!!

MOHI maintaining in 2020 has been the proof in the pudding, so to speak. The pandemic may have caused changes in our plans, but it was not able to destroy the work in Haiti. Children are still being educated. The sick are still being ministered to either in the clinic or in the churches. The hungry are still being fed. Hope is still alive. Maintaining is a great accomplishment!

Winter is coming to an end and Spring is in the air at MOHI. As I shared last week, we are pretty excited about the opportunity to open a medical lab to support the clinics at our main campus. (The crocuses are popping through the snow and the trees are budding!)

There's more growth coming and I'm asking you to please pray for us over the next few weeks. We are currently looking into a major expansion into the capital city of Port-au-Prince. Although we were not looking for this, it has found us and we can't seem to shake the sense that God is in it. We have reached out to many of the wise counselors God has put in our lives. We have searched for the reasons this would not be a good idea and end up finding more reasons why it's a great idea. We LOVE serving the Lord and the people of Haiti. We CAN'T do it on our own. We have to trust in God for every breath and every step we take. Today, we are trusting God to lead us. Will you pray with us, too? We so appreciate your support! Thank you!

Angela brought her little daughter, Bethssaida to the clinic at MOHI this week. Angela is from a more distant area of Grand-Goave, called Dano. It's way up in a beautiful mountain range, so they rode on a motorcycle taxi in order to get to the clinic. Angela and her neighbors often make the trip to the clinic when their children are not feeling well. They appreciate the clinic staff, who show humility and speak to them with respect, as they would a close relative. Angela loves to hear Pastor Bauvais share the word of God with the patients before the doctor arrives and values the prayers that he speaks over the patients. She is grateful for the care she finds at the clinic. I am so grateful to all those who are impacting our community through this clinic. Thank you!

Dony is ten years old and a student in 3rd grade at our Thozin campus school. Like most youngsters in Haiti, he loves to play soccer when he has free time. He lives with his godmother in the village of Papatann. He loves to learn, studies hard, and hopes to become either a doctor or an engineer. His favorite subject? Grammer! Isn't it wonderful how God has created us individually with gifts specific to us? Thank you to all our donors who have opened the door for Dony to be educated and realize his dreams!!!

7 of Marie Rose's children have been registered for school at MOHI. (Marie Rose is a newly widowed mother of 12, including 3 sets of twins and 2 month old triplets!) If you would like to provide a scholarship for one (or more) of these children to continue attending school, please send me an email at renee@mohintl.org for more information. Together we can impact this family with love and care like they've never know. Would you join us?