I have been interning at Mission of Hope for 3 weeks.  There already have been countless memories made, but one of my favorite roles I get to do here is taking team members to meet their sponsor child.  Every time I have brought a person or family down to meet their student, it has been a unique experience that almost always brings me to tears of joy.  I think my absolute favorite aspect of child sponsorship is that the child is literally chosen.  So many of these children are not 'wanted', they were not 'planned', and in a lot of ways are seen as just another Haitian child.  However, when a child is sponsored, someone is caring for them personally, desiring to financially and prayerfully support them in receiving a Christ-centered education and to have food daily.

Today, I got to meet my sponsor child Hedson.  Hedson is 15 years old and in 8th grade.  I have been looking at his picture for about a week now, and today decided to officially sponsor and meet him.  When Hedson walked into the room initially, he was very timid.  Without a translator I could only ask basic questions, but you could tell that he enjoyed just being there.  Eventually we got a translator and I asked him about his life more and what he needed.  He responded that he wanted a Game Boy.  I love that response, because he is just a regular kid who has the same wants as kids in America, Canada, and all over the world.  He wants a toy, and still without knowing much about his life, it is encouraging to me that he can ask for a toy.  I know very little about his home life other than that his father is a driver, his mother is a vendor, and he has two sisters and a brother.  But I do know that every day he comes to school he gets a meal, he gets an education, he gets to learn English, he gets to learn about Jesus.

-Kelci Haydocy

This past week, a girl named Sarah from a short-term mission trip group shared her experience at a Haitian church service here at the Mission of Hope Campus.

As she entered church that night, Sarah sat next to an elderly Haitian woman.  As the pastor began to preach, the Haitian woman leaned over and motioned to see if she could borrow a pen.  With great enthusiasm and willingness, Sarah lent the woman an extra writing utensil from her purse.  The Haitian woman beamed with gratitude, and began to write the scriptures that the pastor recited.

At the end of the church service, the Haitian woman returned the pen, and it was clear that she wanted to pay Sarah for her apparent sacrifice.  In awe of her humility, Sarah politely turned down any payment, but the woman insisted.  Before Sarah could protest further, the Haitian woman took off several bracelets from her wrist, slid them on to Sarah’s, and lovingly said goodbye.

Haiti has a way of surprising North Americans when they come down here (including myself).

I think everyone who comes down here expects to make a huge impact on the Haitian people.  Yet, as North Americans come and go from MOH, they generally find the opposite to be true.  That is, North Americans are the ones who leave changed.

Haitians talk about their friends and family that died in the earthquake, and in the same breath acknowledge God's goodness and provision in their lives.  The Haitian peoples' faith and trust in Jesus is profound and thought provoking.  How could a people who have endured such difficulty have such joy and generosity?

Their peace comes not from financial security or a steady set of circumstances, but from an unshakable promise from God:

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11.

Though suffering is a guarantee in this life, we can trust in God’s plan to fix the brokenness of this world.  He is bringing light and restoration to the dark places of the earth as well as the dark places of our hearts.  His plan can be fully trusted, knowing that if we place our faith in Him, all things work together for our good and His glory.  The Haitian woman knew God's plan for her included things far better than a few bracelets, and was therefore free to give what she had away.

I am spending the next 13 weeks hoping to be a part of God's transformation of Haiti.  I am beginning to suspect, however, that much of the transformation is going to happen to me.

-Jimmy Driver

I could go on and on about all the beautiful things I get to experience day in and day out here at Mission of Hope.  But to me, apart from seeing someone come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, there is nothing better than seeing a life transformed.  Whether it’s a new orphan that arrives at our doorstep, a family that has been living in a tent since the earthquake receiving a home in Leveque, or maybe a child in our school eating in the cafeteria - the only meal they will receive for the day - life transformation is truly a sight to behold.  But beyond the life transformation of Haitians, the “icing on the cake,”  for lack of a better term, is sitting with a North American team at the end of the day and hearing stories of how God is transforming their lives!!

Some team members arrive somewhat nervous because they’ve heard all the reasons why going to Haiti is unwise or maybe a foolish decision, while some team members arrive and their eyes are bright with excitement and anticipation of what the week may entail. But ALL team members leave with eyes even brighter of the hope they have not only for Haiti, but for themselves!  The year is just getting underway and I cannot wait to continue to see not only life transformation for every man, woman and child in Haiti, but also every man, woman and child that steps foot into this country!

Valentine's Day at 3 Cords is quite possibly my favorite day of the year. This year, we had our second annual Valentines Day dance party, and it was a blast! There are so many parts of the day that were beautiful and redemptive, and well, just fun. We started the day out with the ladies opening little gift bags and chocolate hearts. I think their absolute favorite part was looking through the pictures of themselves that were in their gift bags; you could tell that they all felt so beautiful in them! Then we all drank delicious homemade Haitian juice and enjoyed some cupcakes.

The best part? The dance party that ensued right after! All of the ladies were having so much fun dancing, which was actually quite incredible seeing as they were dancing on prosthetic legs! Everyone would continually break out in laughter as we took turns pushing a new lady into the middle of our dance circle. Some were so shy but so precious, and others just couldn’t get enough of it!

What a picture of redemption. It was my joy to know each of these women as they were first being fit for a prosthetic leg, and I clearly remember the blanket of sadness that seemed to cover their hearts. They were so burdened that life would never be the same, and that they would never find jobs or joy again. God has completely provided for each of these women, and I truly think that they would all agree that life now is even BETTER than before the earthquake. I wish you could see the joy amongst these women each day at work, not just on days of celebration like Valentines Day, but on the normal work days as well. I am back in Haiti for two weeks working with 3 Cords, and more than anything on this trip I am struck at the beauty of the community that God has provided for each of these women. They are all so happy to work at 3 Cords because it means being with their best friends all day! What a joy and an honor to witness. Please continue to pray that God would pour out His blessings on these beautiful women!

This past Sunday was the launch of our church in Leveque. It is exciting to have a church for both the current residents and the new deaf community to worship together. It was a beautiful sight to see; however, when we arrived at the pavilion last Sunday morning, there was nothing inside. I was a little concerned, but remembered how “Haiti Time” works. My mom and dad were with us and my mom asked, “Where will everyone sit?”

Within a few minutes we saw men carrying wooden benches our direction. Before we knew it, there was enough seating for everyone. As people started to enter the church, you could hear many greet each other with a “Bonjou” and at the same time, see others greeting with the sign for “good morning.” (I learned sign language in Elementary School many, many years ago, and I love how a few simple words are coming back!) I was able to introduce myself to a few people and even learned how to sign “Madam Ruben."

Pastor Patrice brought his guitar and began singing worship songs. Right by his side was a Creole to American Sign Language interpreter, Franklin. I looked over and the whole front row was following along, signing the words, and praising God in their own way. I didn’t want to stare, but it was incredibly beautiful. I started thinking about how God hears our heart, not just the words that come from our mouth. Anyone can sing the words and recite a prayer, but if we don’t mean it with our heart, it means nothing. In the book of Matthew, Jesus was asked what the most important commandment is. He replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.” It doesn’t say we must love the Lord by singing the best, preaching the loudest, or praying the longest…it says to love with all your heart.

After praise and worship, Pastor Patrice shared a great word from God. Again, right by his side, Franklin was interpreting it to ASL. It is such an honor, and I feel so blessed to be a part of what God is doing in Haiti!

It has been another incredible week working with teams!  We have been to orphanages, villages, project sites, and the list goes on and on.  Painting.  Soccer.  Bible stories.  Our days are FULL!!  I’m fairly certain that some of hardest “workers” last week were a few of the children that came down with their parents!  Who are the best people to play with kids??  Other kids!!  It was so much fun to see them interacting with the Haitian children.  They played in the Village of Hope and did wonderfully out in the villages!  I’m fairly certain that “tag” is a game known around the world.  It was also a guaranteed way to get them to sleep at night!  Most days they didn’t even make it back to campus without falling asleep on the vehicles.  It definitely brought a smile to my face every time the team would arrive back at campus and a child was being carried off the canter. 

It also made me think of Jesus.  It helped me understand more and more why He said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” – Matthew 19:14.  For the children that stayed with MOH this week, it was easy: Play and have a lot of fun!  It was also challenging to me to take a step back and look at my own life.  Do I complicate things too much?  Do I trust the Lord like a little child?  Needless to say, I’m so thankful that I had a few days with some very special children!

-Elizabeth Billingslea

Today is a day of celebration!

Today, with our partner Convoy of Hope, we dedicated our new warehouse. As I stood in the giant 35,000 square foot metal structure, I thought back to the first meal we served at Mission of Hope.

I will never forget our newly hired school director calling us over to the school of hope in 1998. It was our first year of having the school and we had 230 children. There was a problem - kids were fainting in the class rooms because they were hungry. That very next day, we went to the local market and bought a peanut grinder. We hired a lady and she made peanut butter. The nutrition program had launched!

Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that one day we would be giving nutrition to 65,000 children every day, but today we are! Praise God! The best part about it is that not only are we able to give them nutrition, but they receive health education, a better education and the life-changing message of Jesus Christ.

It’s been through the prayers and contributions of thousands that we have been able to come this far and we are just getting started. My prayer to the Lord is that He would fill the new warehouse with food, and in turn that we would have the faith to empty it to serve those who need food the most; all while knowing that as we serve His children, He will refill the warehouse again for His glory.

Praise God for a great day of celebration and for every child that is being reached today.

In an instant 300,000 lives were lost and all lives were changed by the earthquake that shook Haiti to its very core two years ago today.

Now two years later God has taken the darkness of January 12, 2010 and is shining new Hope on Haiti. In the days after the earthquake Mission of Hope promised to serve the people of Haiti and praise God in 2011 we had our biggest year to date!

In 2011 Mission of Hope:

• Led 540 people to faith through the Church of Hope
• Led 13 voodoo priests to Jesus and a career change.
• Delivered over 15 million meals to school children and their families with our partner Convoy of Hope
• Provided a quality Christian Education to over 3,000 students
• Opened two new Mission of Hope Campuses
• Worked with over 100 other ministries to see every man, woman and child in Haiti know Jesus.

Will you help us bring More Hope in 2012? We plan to reach more, educate more, feed more, and bring more transformation for Jesus Christ. Will you help us see a Nation Transformed? Make a donation now!

See more ways we've brought life transformation in the past two years.

So much has happened over the past year in 3 Cords, and I am excited to share it with you all!  I just got back from a two week trip to visit 3 Cords before Christmas, and it was so good for my heart.  You see, when my husband and I moved from Mission of Hope for grad school in June of 2011, 3 Cords was still meeting in an oversized closet.  Now, six months later, I was able to witness the women working in their new facility, which is fabulous!  It was so encouraging for me to see how far along the women have come in their sewing, meet the two new employees, and to see what a beautiful, colorful, spacious place these women work in every day.  When 3 Cords officially started in September of 2010, it was my dream that 3 Cords would be a sustainable, long term business venture that would not only employee amputee women, but show them their worth as individuals and creators.  This past December, I was so encouraged at how much God has done with 3 Cords, and am so excited where He will continue to take and grow it!

If you are as excited as we are about 3 Cords and want to get more involved, here’s some ways you can do that:

1. PRAY.  Pray for the women by name- Marie Maude, Dorce, Lesroinise, Love, Nadege, Denise, Gernise, Sencia, Rosenie, Fafane, Elphine, Natacha.  Pray that God would protect them to and from work every day (tap taps can be difficult with prosthetic legs!), that He would continue to provide for them and their families, and that God would continue to create a sense of family within 3 Cords.  Pray that He would grow the business so we could hire more women as well!

2. DONATE SUPPLIES.  On your next trip to Haiti, stuff some of the following in your suitcase and bring it down to 3 Cords one morning.  (Please give it to Marie Maude, the supervisor, in 3 Cords, at the bottom of the hill).

-Fabric at least a yard long, either solid or with a pattern, anything you like, really! :o) We always use lots and lots of fabric!
-Cute buttons (no super bright plastic ones, please)
-Interfacing
-Felt at least a yard long
-Clear 12” rulers with easy read markings
-Mini hot glue guns
-Mini hot glue sticks
Don’t forget: Every week, Michael’s, Joann’s, and Hobby Lobby have 40% off coupons!

3. BUY 3 CORDS PRODUCTS. This one goes without saying, but buy lots of 3 Cords stuff when you are down in Haiti!  Bring them home as gifts for you, your friends, your sisters, your mom, your mom’s mom, your mom’s sisters, your friends’ mom’s sisters, and don’t forget your great aunt Sally!

-Diana Cherry

There are a lot of things I really love about my job.  Holding a child, learning Haitian Creole, walking through the local villages.  But probably one of my absolute favorites is being able to witness a team member meeting their child that they have chosen to sponsor.  I can never tell whose smile is bigger - the team member, or the child.  It’s almost as if you could reach out and grab a handful of pure joy as you watch the meeting take place!  The student is so excited to know that someone is investing in their future and that they are loved by a complete stranger.  And the team member begins to realize that they really can make a difference in the life of a student, and they can be a part of the “bigger picture.”  
 

Today was one of these days.  I took a woman and her daughter down to the School of Hope to meet their sponsored child.  The little girl was maybe 5-6 years old.  I literally fought back tears as I watched the woman and daughter give the little girl a jump rope and some barrettes to put in her hair.  The light in the little girls eyes was unexplainable.  They sat and held her.  Laughed.  And took pictures.  You could see it in all of their faces that if time could stop and they could stay in this moment for as long as possible, they would!  What a beautiful representation of the Gospel.  I am so blessed to be able to have this experience week in and week out.  I love my life in Haiti.

-Elizabeth Billingslea