Where Else Can I Go?

Sunday, June 23, 2024

When we realize that Jesus truly is our everything, we find ourselves asking, "Where else can I go? Jesus has the words of life." (John 6:68) And so then we find ourselves asking, "Where else can I go?" - in HIS Name, knowing the LORD has more for us to do.

Angie lived with us in Haiti for 14 months. As a physician assistant and much more, she had the expertise to oversee the medical clinic and help further develop our partnership with Bless Back Worldwide.

Over the past few years, Angie has made multiple trips to the Dominican Republic with us. She was with us and our partners from Bless Back Worldwide as we launched the Community Health Promoters (CHP) program. Given our history together, she is uniquely qualified to evaluate our programs honestly. For this reason, I’m excited to share some of her insights with you.

Angie had the opportunity to work closely with Nurse Marlouse for a couple of days last week. She observed a remarkable change since the CHP program began. Initially, she had serious doubts about the program’s viability. Patients came to the clinic, and Marlouse would follow up with them weekly. Months later, the numbers were still off, and they weren’t consistently taking their medications.

Now, residents eagerly await Nurse Marlouse’s arrival on the appointed day each week. The children run to greet her, and reassurance comes with blood pressure and glucose checks. Questions are answered, and there has been a significant improvement in both health and people's dispositions. Success!

Regarding Start Now, Angie relayed to me, “I was really impressed! The kids have learned to bring their bowls and get served in an organized fashion. They greet Marlouse with smiles and waves. We didn’t see any children with blatant signs of malnutrition, such as swollen bellies, red hair, or frail arms and legs. They also had a variety of meals from one day to the next. It was a joy to see the basic needs of the community being met and the relationship of care and trust forming between MOHI and the villages.”

Angie and her team also spent time with Aquilina, the now fully trained coach for the Business Academy. They visited many businesses whose owners eagerly await the academy’s official launch next month. Aquilina is well-known throughout the small city of Luperón, so everywhere they walked, she was greeting people. The business owners lit up when Aquilina entered their establishments. Many asked when classes would begin and if Ron, the founder of the Bless Back Business Academy and author of the curriculum, was here. The business owners were excited to see the team and very welcoming. This is a huge difference from six months ago. Hats off to Aquilina!

We greatly appreciate Pastor Miratel’s heart for the people in his community here in Luperón. Angie, Bill, and Linda joined him in local house visits, offering prayer and sustenance for those going through difficulties.

Yesterday, we welcomed a team from New England Chapel, the church that has spearheaded the clean water project in La Grúa. We had a wonderful evening getting to know them last night. They attended church this morning in Luperón, where Pastor Lex was the guest speaker. They visited the church construction site, and this afternoon, they visited the water project in La Grúa, where they will spend much time this week.

Every Hope Encounter (mission trip) we have hosted here in Luperón has been transformational. The LORD blesses us with "win-win" situations. It’s beneficial for the people living here, for the visitors, for the churches the team members call home, and for MOHI as an organization. I encourage you to get involved. Let the LORD transform life in and through you! Click on the graphic below to request more information.

This morning, Pastor Lex made an exciting announcement during his message at the Haitian Baptist Church of Luperón. We will expand our START NOW Early Childhood Intervention program to a third location in the Dominican Republic: Luperón! The families were thrilled to hear the news. Registration is scheduled to take place on Thursday. If you’ve considered sponsoring a baby, this would be a great time to make it happen.

In Haiti, we’re in the final weeks of school, and then it will be graduation time. It has been a great year of hard work and loads of fun.

The clinics at our main campus in Thozin continue to be valuable resources for anyone in need.

From July 4-7, we will hold our annual conference at Eglise Evangélique Mission of Hope in Thozin, Grand-Goâve. This is a time to celebrate unity as we invite churches throughout Haiti to join us. We provide housing and meals for them. Your support for this event is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

We are filled with hope and gratitude as we reflect on the incredible progress and heartwarming transformations we’ve witnessed. Each step forward is a testament to the power of God and the unwavering commitment of individuals like you. Let’s continue to strive for a brighter future, nurturing the bonds we’ve formed and extending a helping hand to those in need. Together, we can make a lasting impact and inspire others to join this beautiful journey of compassion and empowerment. Thank you for being a part of this mission. Let’s keep moving forward with hope and love.