New Year & New Challenges

Happy New Year to our family, friends and supporters,

It is hard to believe we are into 2020. We want to first and foremost thank God for binging us through 2019. Secondly, we want to thank those who support us through prayer and giving. We could not have done it without you.

As we have mentioned in our regular updates life in Haiti was VERY difficult in 2019. The country has been on strike with protests for most of the fall months with at least 2 months of "lock down".  “Lock down” means that everyone was unable to go out, businesses were closed and if you did go out you took a chance of being attacked.  This went on Monday - Friday for over 2 months.  They did give a 'reprieve' on the weekends so that folks could do shopping and make preparations for the next week. Schools in the city were unable to function at all from October to December.

Although the issues that brought the country into the political crisis have not been resolved, we are thankful things have calmed down. Most businesses, and all government offices have re-opened. Also, all schools began functioning this week. The radical opposition has decided to allow all these things to function once again, mainly due to the fact that their efforts of forcing out the president have failed, and people in general are unwilling to be held hostage by them any longer. Ultimately, we believe it is a miracle how things have improved, and give all the glory to God.  We are believing God for continued improvement in the country.

Despite these many challenges, God was gracious to us and our ministry. He protected everyone in our ministry from harm, supplied our needs, and allowed our elementary schools and Bible school to continue to function.
Prices are still extremely high and life is very difficult for many.  Many folks were without work during the fall months and are now in debt because they were obligated to borrow in order to live.

In light of this, please consider giving a onetime donation of $25 or more that we might be able to help those who are struggling to feed their families.

 Send gifts to:
Elim Fellowship, 1703 Dalton Road, Lima, NY 14485
www.elimfellowship.org
Please include a note stating "preferred for Roger Clark Grant Fund"

Give thanks to the Lord with a Specail Gift

“Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” Psalms 106:1

We are THANKFUL!
Thankful to God for redeeming us.
Thankful that His mercies are new every morning.
Thankful for the strength God gives us every day.
Thankful for family, and friends like you.
Thankful that during these days of continual unrest in Haiti that we only missed one day of Bible College classes.
Thankful our elementary schools have been functioning well.
Thankful life has returned to a more normal state where people are able to go about their business in relative peace.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

As we enter the season of Advent in anticipation of celebrating the birth of Jesus, God’s Son, and the great gift of salvation we have in him, won’t you please consider giving a special gift for one of the following things:

---To our child sponsorship program.
---To our Bible College scholarship program.
---To our nutrition program for school children's hot lunches.
---To our cafeteria program for Bible College Student's lunches.
---To our Bible College building expansion project.
---To our weekly radio program.
---To us personally.

Please feel free to contact us if you have questions about these areas of ministry. Our email address is newlifemission@yahoo.com

Please be praying for the following things:
---Health & protection for Margaret & I & all those who work with us in these volatile times.
---A solution to the political unrest that will usher in peace and strengthen Haiti.
---Financial provision for all the things mentioned above.

Know that we are praying for each of you during this season, that you would know God's presence as we celebrate the greatest gift ever, His son, Jesus the Christ.

Great progress despite severe challenges.

We are thankful that New Life Bible College has only missed one day of classes since opening on Sept 7th. This is amazing considering all the trouble around us. There are still students from outside the city who have been unable to attend, but the majority of students have made a great effort to get here.

We have made great head way on our construction project (pavilion) for New Life Bible College. We have poured all of the columns and beams. They are ready to receive the concrete slab for the roof. It is looking great. 

We are rejoicing in the completion one of our church projects. New Life church in Lazile expanded their auditorium and we helped them put on the new roof. Now pray with us for a move of God Spirit to fill the larger church.

We thank God for answered prayer. We have received all the funds needed to purchase new batteries for our solar panels and inverter. These are greatly needed because the current batteries are not holding their charge well, resulting in lengthy blackouts. The challenge we face now is going out and buying the batteries on the other side of the city.

For the past 7 months, those who oppose the president of Haiti have hindered him from installing a new prime minister after the previous one was forced to step down. There have been protests every week. These last 4 weeks have been the worst. The opposition to the president has been blocking the streets with burning tires and barricades throughout the country, EVERY DAY.

As a result, the country has come to almost a complete standstill. Most schools have not been able to function. Public institutions and businesses have only functioned sporadically. Travel from city to city is often impossible. At one point the grocery stores and open markets were almost out of food in Port-au-Prince. Thankfully, the opposition gave a two day break last weekend that allowed open markets and stores to replenish some of their supply.

The most difficult and stressful thing for most in Haiti is the constant wondering if they will be able to go out and do what they need to do. Also, the big question in everyone’s mind is when they do go out, will they make it back home and under what circumstances. As I write this, there has been gun fire all morning not far from us, and there is smoke in the air from burning tires at intersections in the street.

Pray:
- That the political powers in place bring about a solution to the impasse in this country.
- Protection and wisdom for all.
- Provision for the masses who are suffering greatly and for many who may not have eaten a regular meal for days.
- Peace and stability so people can get back to their lives and allow the children to go to school.

Summer Travels and Blessings

We have now been in the U.S over 6 weeks. We have driven in 6 states, traveled over 3500 miles, flown to Texas and will be going back to Haiti on July 18th. We have slept in over 15 different beds as we visited family, friends and churches. Through it all, we have rested and enjoyed many things. We are presently in Florida with some good friends, making last minute purchases before we return.

We have 2 big praise reports. We have received the money we have been trying to raise for New Life Bible College Pavilion. This is for the second stage of this project which is pouring the pillars.

Also, from an unexpected source, we received money for a new roof on our New Life Church of L’azile. We were speaking in one of Elim’s churches when after service a man came up to us and told us that he would take care of this need. The miracle is that he was not a member of this church, but a visitor. God knew the need, and sent someone we didn’t know to a church that was not his own to provide for God’s kingdom work.

Our God is Awesome!!!

As we look to this coming school year, we would like to challenge you to sponsor an elementary school child or provide a scholarship for one of our New Life Bible College students.

This is of great importance due to Haiti’s high inflation rate of 17.70 % (compared to the United States being 1.60 %). The results of this, to an already very poor nation, are devastating: causing greater poverty, malnutrition and hunger. According to latest statistics by the World Bank, 50% of children do not attend school due to the fact that 90% of the schools are private, and the impoverished parents are unable to afford them.

 

 

Won’t you consider sponsoring ?
A child for $35 a month or $420 for the year.
A Bible College student for $30 a month or $360

SOLAR PANELS INSTALLED

Solar Panels! Praise God we now have 8 solar panels installed for our 3 story building. They provide power for our home, New Life Bible College & the administration offices. These will greatly lower our costs for city power as well as the diesel for our generator.  They will also provide consistency of power, which is much needed. We thank those who provided us with these solar panels.

Solar Panels on the Roof! End of the year party under a shade screen. This is the location for our new pavillion.

As we close out the school year there is much activity. We had our end of the year school party. We are gearing up for our Bible College graduation as well as preparing to celebrate New Life Mission’s 25th anniversary. In the midst of these things, we must prepare ourselves to leave for the States on May 30th. We will be gone for six weeks visiting family and friends and getting some rest. We would like you to consider helping us in expanding our Bible College facility. We need to build a large pavilion which will serve as a multi-purpose space for New Life Bible College. It will be used as place for our students to eat lunch, as a classroom, and a space for larger seminars and meetings. We thank the Lord for our 95 Bible College students and how He is working in and through them. We need this 6th classroom for the expanding student body. The first phase will cost $7,400 and the second phase will be $9,600, for a total of $17,000. Prayer Requests: 1. For political stability in Haiti. 2. For funds for the new pavilion. 3. For safe travels for us this summer. 4. For Roger as he will have surgery for a hernia repair next week.

Road Trip To Fond de Blanc, Haiti

This past week I went to our mission church out in the country side to minister and thought some of you may want to see the roads that I must go over to get to this place. Much of the road is dry river beds and others are roads carved out of the mountain by hand, and at some spots no larger than my truck.

I praise the Lord for our good 4 wheel drive Ford Ranger pickup truck that is able to go every where no matter the terrain.

ENERGY CRISIS - SOLAR PANELS NEEDED

We want to thank you, our prayer supporters, who have stood with us in prayer during these difficult times in Haiti. We thank the Lord that for the past 2 weeks that the country has returned back to normal in many ways. The major protesting has ended for now, but the long-term impact it has made on the nation is great. Many businesses and missionaries (NGO groups) have left for good and others are contemplating when they will return. Most mission groups have cancelled for the year.

The political instability has worsened the economical and social problems in Haiti. One of the things that it has affected is the amount electricity (city power) that you receive. There has been a shortage of electricity these past few months, and it has only become worse.

In the past 48 hours we have received 20 minutes of power from the electrical company without much hope that things will get much better. Our generator and inverter backup system can not keep up with the energy that is needed to run our house and Bible College.

We are needing to go to solar panels which we have resisted doing in the past due to its initial cost. Therefore, we are asking funds to buy 8 - 315w solar panels to put on the roof of our building. The cost of purchasing and install the solar panels will be $3800.

Please consider helping us meet this urgent need.

Also, continue praying for Haiti because it may be at its lowest point in 30 years. Yet, we are not discouraged because our Lord is able to do above and beyond all that we could imagine or think.

God bless you,