Pray for Bible School Students

The school year started off with a real bang, over 55 first year students as well as returning students made about 150 students, and might be one of our highest enrollments since 1982. We were not only pleased with the quantity, but the quality of students as well. They all seem hungry for God and His Word. It is always a joy to teach those who searching for greater understanding.

Yet, as we closed out the first semester of the school year, we saw that there was trouble a brewing. Almost half of our student body were not able to finish paying their school bill. I believe this is the first time we have had so many who could not pay. It tells the story how difficult things are here in Haiti. You must know that in Haiti there are no financial aid programs or student loans available. Everyone has to pay cash for their schooling. I guess if it was this way in the States, most of those who are presently in college would not be there. Thankfully, it is not quite as expensive here in Haiti.


We do not know if these 60 plus students will be returning in January if God doesn't intervene on their behalf. As you can see we need a miracle. Pray with us that God delivers us from this difficult situation.

Transformer Installation

This is a great day for us! Yesterday, we had our private transformer installed in front of our house after three months of no city power due to an area transformer going bad. We want to thank all of you who contributed to this. It ended up costing a total of $ 4200.00. The city power came on last night and we have now had 18 hours of electricity. The city power just went out this afternoon. This is the most unbroken power we have had in the past several years. Before the area transformer burnt out, we were getting 6 hours of electricity a day. I think the difference is that they connected us to a high priority line.

These are several pictures of the installation of our own private transformer. As you can see everything was done manually, from the digging of the hole to the raising of the post and transformer. It was quite amazing to see.

God is so goood!

God's Blessings

Hello,
Things are buzzing around here as usual. The Bible school is going real well. I have been teaching a class on mission and a class on the Holy Spirit. This week we got to pray for those who haven't received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Out of the 35 students we prayed for, only one received the baptism of the H.S.. This is not unusual. There is spiritual and mental resistance to it. The church of Haiti needs a break through in this area.

We are glad to have some friends of ours from the states, Sam and Karen Knapp. They have ministered to our Bible school students several times and have blessed one of our elementary schools with food to feed the children for a month. Tomorrow we are going to one of our churches out in the country, about five hours away over rough roads. They will be ministering their. It is our l"Azile church.

We thank God for a copier that we were able to purchase for our mission and Bible school. It has been a long waited item. We are now waiting on the Lord for funds to purchase a multimedia projector.

God bless all those who support us through their prayers and giving.

New School Year

We are rejoicing in God's faithfulness. Our New Life Bible school has started with a bang. We have 51 first year students and a total enrollment of 141 students. Praise the Lord! This is amazing when you consider the very oppressed economy of Haiti. Some Bible schools have closed and others are struggling to stay open. These are hard times.

We ask that you pray for the students in our New Life Bible school. Pray that God provides for their schooling and their families. Our students pay $110 a semester, this does not include their $75 entrance fees. This is a considerable amount from them when you consider the average daily wage in Haiti is only $2.00. Many would not be coming if it wasn't for those more fortunate in their families paying their schooling. Also, we thank all of you who sponsor Bible school students. You need to realize their is no financial aid available or loans for students going to school in this country. It all has to be paid in hard earned cash.

Yet, amazingly enough, God seems to provide for our students. Yes, there are those who drop out because they are unable to pay and many others who never come because they can't afford it. If it wasn't for the destitute situation that many believers face in this country, I believe we would have twice as many students in New Life Bible school. There is a real hunger here for God's Word.

Know the Truth

It has been a busy week for Margaret and I. We have a group with us called, "Know the Truth". Most of them are from Mt. Gilead church in Virginia. We want to thank bishop Robertson for letting them come. Also, we thank Gerald Robinson for leading them. They have been a real blessing to us and New Life Mission of Haiti.

They went out to Fond de Blanc where there is one of our churches. It is a difficult trip. It takes 4 hours and 30 minutes each way. Two and a half of these hours are on very rough roads. We had some challenges with one of the rental cars that didn't like going up mountains. It stalled almost every time, especially on long hills. It did well on the flat and going down hills. It had something to with the fuel and angle of the vehicle. The only way we could go up the last long hill was backwards. This was my idea after trying to go up several times forward without success.

We had two services, and two seminars up at our New Life church. The group did a great job ministering to the people there. The last night, God moved mightily in the service and touched the hearts of the people. There were two key women in the church who had a falling out, and would not speak with each other. Over six months the pastor counseled them and tried bring reconciliation without any success. After the last service, the Holy Spirit dealt with one of the ladies to go reconcile with the other lady at one o clock in the morning. She said that God's Spirit was so strong on her in the last service the group led. Praise the Lord! The pastor glorified God because this was heavy on his heart and hindrance to the work of God in the church.

God is mighty in tearing down the strong holds of the enemy. Great is the Lord.

Patrick Laventure Michel

Another school year has started, and we thank God for all the new Bible school students we have. Pray that God transforms their lives. Pray that God provides for their schooling. It is very difficult for everyone now.



Also, I want to thank God for Patrick Laventure Michel who has worked with us for more than twenty years. He wears several hats in our ministry. He is the Haitian representative for New Life Mission of Haiti. This is required by the government. He is the one who does all our legal work in the mission. Also, he is assistant director of our mission. Finally, he is vice president of our New Life Bible Seminary. As you can see he is an essential part of our ministry.



Pray with us that God would provide a very much needed vehicle for him. He has many responsibilities that would be more easily fulfilled if he had a vehicle. Also, do to some health issues, he struggles more when he walks, which he does everyday from his house to the missions headquarters. This requires walking 60 minutes every day to get to work and back home. Of course this doesn't include all the other walking he may have to do on a given day.



Pray that God provide the $5000 he needs for a dependable vehicle. God is good and we thank God for all those who support our ministry.

Demier Church Parsonage

We rejoice in God's faithfulness. He always supplies our every need. Also, we thank God for the $2000 donation given towards the parsonage for our Demier mission church. For Margaret and I to get to this church, it requires us driving for two hours and hiking in three hours.

We ask you to pray with us that God provides the remaining $5,700 for the pastors home which is falling down around him literally. The wood is rotting and the tin roof is completely rusted out. We are wanting to build a concrete structure that will be strong against the hurricanes that come through Haiti, and stand the test ot time.

We thank God for the sacrifices pastor Nelson Espere and his wife are making for the Gospel in Demier, Haiti.

School Opening

This Monday schools are to open all over Haiti. Yet, there is much talk of trouble during the first week of school which is a common occurrence in Haiti. Those groups who want to protest to the government about something, always do it on the first day of school. Often the schools are unable to open on time because of this.

Our Bible School is to open this Saturday. We presently have over 40 students registered for the first year class, and expect more. We usually leave registration open during the first couple weeks of school to allow the stragglers in.

Haitians are late about doing most things. A big frustration for many foreigners here is how everything moves so slow and everyone is late to everything. Typically church services and other kinds of meetings start 30 minutes late. Weddings start normally an hour late. One thing there always on time for an even early for is a handout or a good deal.

Preaching in Churches

This summer I have been preaching in many Haitian churches. It is exciting to see God working among his people. Several of the churches I spoke at had over 1000 in attendance. One of these was raising money to purchase a vehicle for their pastor, another one dedicated 12 babies in one service. It was great to see these proud parents bringing their children before the Lord. I was sorry that I had not brought my camera. It was a great sight to behold, all the parents lined up in a row with their babies.

One of the reasons, I have visited these churches is to promote I Bible school. Praise the Lord we have 27 who have registered already, and expect many more before school opens on September 7th.

In Haiti, all children wear uniforms to school. If they do not have a school uniform they will not be allowed to attend classes. This can be a hardship on the parents.

This week Margaret hired some lady friends of ours to cut fabric that we bought for our elementary children uniforms. We do this every year for the sponsored children. Then we give the cloth to the parents and they take it to a seamstress to get their children's uniform made.

Time of Conflict

When it rains it pours! We are now facing another crisis. We have been in the midst of a legal battle with one of our elementary school teachers in our mission for more than a month. Mainly due to a poor lawyer and poor courts.
The new crisis is with another one of our elementary schools which meets in one of our churches. They are demanding the school to leave their facilities and have given one week notice. This is not legal, and definitely not Christian but their whole board is in favor of it. As result, we are on the verge of another expensive legal battle if God doesn't intervene.
There is never a dull moment in serving Christ, especially in Haiti.

Legal Battle

There is always new challenges and surprises as we serve the Lord in Haiti. We ask you to pray for our mission as we are presently in a legal battle with on of our school teachers that we had to fire. He has taken us to court claiming that we did not pay him his severance pay. Also, he has threatened the family of our school director. We have recently found out that he is part of a gang near the school. Tomorrow they are to be appearing before the judge for the third time. As always legal battles are costly.

Camp

Our daughter Rachel has been helping at a camp all this week. She is really enjoying it. She is one of the group leaders. Everday they have a different group of kids, about one hundred each day.
We are already missing her, and looking forward to seeing her again.

Under Construction

This blog has just been created so be patient. We have never done this before. We are looking forward to keeping you up-dated on Haiti Happenings.