Storms are Tough

June 4, 2023

May ended on a sad note for all of us at MOHI and the entire community as our beloved Pastor Bauvais passed into eternity. He was hit by a motorcycle in front of his house and died shortly after arriving at the hospital.

Pastor Bauvais was known and loved by everyone in Grand-Goave and the surrounding villages. His reputation as a follower of Jesus was renowned. So many would reach out to him when going through difficulties from sickness to family, financial, and spiritual troubles. He faithfully and passionately prayed with clinic patients each day. It was normal to see Pastor Bauvais walking with his Bible under his arm, heading to someone's home to pray with them at any time of day or night.

Mission of Hope International started in the front yard of Pastor Bauvais' house with church services and our first annual conference. He was also an employee of the mission for the last 20 years of his life, where he counseled many men, women, and students, prayed with clinic patients, and served as a crossing guard for our students. He was also our friend.

Pastor Bauvais will always be remembered by all of us at MOHI. He was integral to the formation of the mission, and his passion and close walk with Jesus has inspired so many over the years. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family. If you would like to share your condolences with the family or donate in memory of Pastor Bauvais, please contact us at support@mohintl.org .

June started with terrible flooding in our Grand-Goave and Leogane communities. Thank you to everyone who has already responded to this situation. Donations are needed as we anticipate engaging our local disaster relief teams to locate people left homeless and shelter them, and provide clean water, dry clothing, and meals. .

Our clinics will be responding to heightened needs through this time as the local hospital in Leogane is now completely flooded.

When the waters recede, we will have homes and drainage areas to clean, and then homes to repair or even rebuild. Thank you for showing our friends in Haiti that Jesus cares. Please keep praying and donate what you can. Thank you.

Just like in the United States, this is an exciting time of year for our students and their families in Haïti. Preparations for our June 29 and 30 graduation ceremonies have kicked into high gear. Certificates were presented to students who finished with the highest marks for the year in each grade.

John Elize joined the MOHI staff in 2019. He teaches computer science to our secondary students while he continues his own college education. He hadn't intended to make a career of teaching, but these last four years have done a good job of convincing him otherwise. The students love computer classes and look forward to seeing him. He also has grown to love them.

Benitha is so grateful to have found a place in the baby feeding program for Dawens and Princess. She told us she didn't know how she could feed them without this program.

Each of these children is in a similar situation. Thank you for making a difference in their lives.

Meanwhile, in Luperòn, Dominican Republic, we have been praying for rain. We have been ready to plant the big garden for over a month but needed to wait for a good rain. Finally, just the past two days, we have gotten some rain. Hope is rising that this garden will be planted soon!

We are grateful to have had our friend, Brittany Haley, with us this past week. Brittany participated in our village ministries, as well as helping with some administrative tasks - and teaching Renée some "new to me" technology.

We enjoyed making meals together, including making our own version of Teriyaki sauce for a chicken dish.

Brittany is one of three featured comedians in a fundraiser scheduled for this Friday, June 9, at 8 pm. The members of the next Hope Encounter in Luperòn are putting on this event to raise money to continue constructing a home for the Haitian Baptist Church of Luperòn.

Many years ago, we would give our visiting teams in Haiti one day off to explore another area of the country. We stopped doing this as insecurity became a real issue in different areas of the country. Here in Luperòn and all of Puerto Plata, there are lots of places to explore. It thrills me to see local tour guides earning wages to care for their family while doing their jobs well. The people are creative with what they offer tourists. A young woman brings a monkey out for tourists to play with on the Paseo de Dona Blanca, aka Pink Street, of Puerto Plata.

Nurse Marlouse had her first "solo flight," working as our first Community Health Promoter in the villages. I was happy to see her making the rounds as I arrived for a short visit to La Grua.

She was visiting my friend, Madame Moïse as Brittany and I arrived. Of course, my little friend Rose Marie came out to greet us immediately. She showed me the soccer ball that Mbappe (Lex!) gave her and the village. We enjoyed each other's company and I was able to have a heart-to-heart conversation with her mom, who has three little girls. Rose Marie is the oldest and the baby pictured below is the youngest. Mom is very young and Grandma is playing a big role in their lives, for which I am (of course!) quite pleased. We have affectionately referred to Marie Rose as "the Biter." You can imagine why. She really does have the sweetest spirit, though. I believe the LORD is at work in her life right now, and I'm praying her life will bring glory to HIM.

The storm pounding Haiti right now reminds me of how unfair life can seem. But the LORD won't let me plunge into despair about this world and its injustices. HE says,

"For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, 'Fear not, I am the one who helps you.'” (Isaiah 41:13)

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6)

"...And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

The storms of this life are NOT enjoyable. However, when we remember to be "looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2) ... we can look at this world through different a different lens. We can see through the eye of faith toward the joy set before us. And we can have hope for our brothers and sisters in Haïti.