Michelle's Blog

This morning we loaded the trucks with boxes of kitchen items, pillow case dresses, and 2 suitcases full of treat bags to distribute at one of the tent cities. As we were pulling into tent city, the people were having their market. They needed to move their merchandise in order for us to pull in. Once we were driving up the dirt road, people started coming out of their tents, especially the children. There was a sense of excitement in their faces. Donald organized with the leader of the “city” to figure out the best way to distribute the boxes. We each took a box and followed the leader to different tents and dropped off our boxes. The tents were made of tarps and sticks. It was VERY warm inside of them. There was one bed with a blanket on it. It had a chair in the corner next to the bed. In the front right corner there was a “kitchen.” The kitchen consisted of a foot by foot area where they can put their pots and pans on a very small table. It would not be what we consider as a house.

After passing out the boxes, we moved all of the children into the tent church. Here we passed out pillow case dresses, treat bags, and t-shirts. I walked up to this little boy, about 2 years old that had no clothes on, which was eating some crackers from his treat bag. He ate these crackers so fast that by the time I had gotten to him the crackers were gone. An older girl, Sonya, proceeded to open up his other bag of crackers. She took 2 of them and gave him the rest. I felt sorry for him. He was just standing there. No parents, no siblings, nobody specifically looking after him. He had nothing but the crackers. This may have been the only thing that he has eaten in a while. As we were getting ready to leave the leader of this “city” gathered all of the people he could around our truck. Our time here ended with Todd bringing the gospel to the people and saying a prayer while Robenson, our Haitian friend interpreted.

From here we went off to one of the poorest orphanages. We walked in and all of the children were sitting on these wooden benches. They started to sing a song about how they were so glad that we were there. We handed each of them silly bands, treat bags, and pillow case dresses.
All of the children joined us in a version of Father Abraham. They sang in Creole while we sang in English. After pictures of the beautiful girls, we were taken on a tour of this orphanage. There are about 20 children who live here. It is put together with some concrete block walls and tarps. There were 3 beds. We were told that most of the kids sleep on the ground on tarps. My heart was broken for them. As we were listening to the conversations between the woman and man who work here, I began to cry. The thought that keeps running through my mind is that we have a choice to make. Are we going to sit back, live our lives, and do nothing, OR are we going to stand up for justice and do something to help others?

Codie's Blog

Another day. How amazing is God? He truly puts us in the right places at the right times to hear things we need to! We went to the prayer rock today and heard devotions and some of the team's testimonies. God truly gave me peace and comfort from that for stuff that I have struggled with in the past. It is amazing that God can heal you in a place like Haiti. We did a work day again today and I spent the day in the medical clinic again with another team member (Josh). We saw so many more children today. We stitched up a little boy's forehead yesterday from where he fell into the canal and it looked so GOOD today! Praise God! :)
The rest of the team sorted clothes and shoes and sifted through the medical supplies here. Some even tore down a whole wall!! We definitely sweated today that's for sure! But this country is so beautiful that you can just tell God has made this land. You can feel His touch on everything. When we decided to let the village children from La Digue into the compound to play with us, tons of children came in! We played a game of soccer which was hilarious. They definitely are better at soccer than we are! But it was fun and I think both sides had a lot of fun!! There was a boy that I met a few days ago that has really impacted me named Leo Paul (that might be spelled right!). He just came up to me today and remembered my name and I had been helping him learn English and he just started talking to me. So amazing! I'm learning Creole and he's learning English! God is truly amazing and is working in this place in so many ways! Sometimes we can't tell how God is working in our lives because we don't see the big picture. But you can truly see God moving in this place and with these people. :)

Jordan's Blog

Today we got up at 5a.m. and went up to the prayer rock to pray and up to the big cross on the hill. Wow! You could see everything from the hill. What a beautiful place Lifeline is at. There are mountains everywhere. It's really the most beautiful place I've ever been to in my life. Then we walked around the compound and learned how Lifeline works. There are awesome things being done here.

We went to see and hang out with the kids in the village and what an experience that was. Words couldn't describe it. The kids love to hold your hand. We had 4 to 5 kids for every teammate.
I love kids. I have three of my own, so it's natural for me to be drawn to the kids here, but to see the kids that have nothing was heartbreaking. But man let me tell you they love to be loved on. Seeing that was a tearful moment for me. Another precious moment was when I saw a teammate, who is a physician's assistant, take care of a kid that had a cut on his head.

Next thing we know there were tons of kids with all kinds of cuts and scrapes lined up needing help. God's work is amazing and to personally see it in action was just plain great. I will be back to see the kids and help with God's mission to feed the kids and do the work needed around the village.

GOD'S HANDIWORK!!!

When God's men come together with their faith, resources, talents, and finances great things happen! This week in the midst of all the upheavals and turmoil of the elections and all of the terrible tragedies that the Haitian people have resiliently lived through, God has held out His most precious hand in placing some of the most wonderful faith building people in place to further His Kingdom here in Haiti and to partner with Lifeline to build a very needed Orphanage. 

Our Haitian Director donated some inherited land to begin with the process of building a new orphanage. Along with another God driven group from California, and a team of Christian workers from Tennessee, and a dedicated group of Haitians, the wall was broken down that adjoined the Lifeline Barbancourt School yard and the land where the new orphanage is being built. 


This ground breaking ceremony took place and soon after forms were built for the foundation of the orphanage. The work didn't stop there! The group continued on to pour yet another foundation for one of the buildings that is going to be the Administration building for the Orphanage. This will be only one of the many buildings that are going to be built on the compound. There will be others such as buildings for the food warehouse, the wash room, the facilities that will house the teams of people that will join efforts in God's amazing work to take care of some of God's very special children that He places with us in this orphanage.  The children will be allowed to LIVE, GROW UP, LEARN, FURTHER GOD'S KINGDOM IN HAITI! 

The Bible tells us "When God is for us, who can be against us." The hand of God Has been present and shown bright in ALL that has took place this week! So we will continue to give God the Glory in ALL that He does and His MANY BLESSINGS on His people and those who have chosen to serve Him to do His Will.

The Most Incredible Experience I Have Ever Had! Adrian Center

This trip was the most incredible experience I have ever had. God revealed himself to me and opened my eyes in so many ways. The night Mrs. Bunse told me about this awesome experience and invited me to go, I immediately felt God speaking to my heart. I knew He wanted me to trust Him, take this opportunity,and ignore all the doubts and fears racing through my mind. In just a few short weeks, God provided all the funds. 
The day we arrived, we had a tour of the mission, then went to the village. I instantly fell in love with the people and all of the kids. They are the most beautiful people I have ever seen. They are so genuine and the joy in their smile is unforgettable. These people have so little, yet they are always willing to give more and help out in every way they can. As soon as there was a need and work was to be done, there was always a Haitian there ready to help. Everything we did was appreciated, even the smallest acts. My favorite part of every day, was watching the children go to school. When they stepped inside the gates in their adorable school uniforms, excitement would be on their faces, as they got ready to learn. It made me think of most Americans and how they view school. Every morning I wake up and complain, as I have to face another day of learning. However, with these people it is a privilege to go to school. In just one week I realized I need to trust God in whatever he asks from me and to not take for granted all that I have been blessed with. The people were so inspiring. 
Leaving an experience like this is always the hardest part, especially after seeing so many needs that still need to be met. I did not want to leave those people and I wanted to spend everyday with those amazing kids. Even though it's been a few weeks, I have not lost the excitement of my experiences when I first arrived back from Haiti. I talk about it every time I get the chance, to anyone that will listen. I'm pretty sure I am annoying my family by my endless stories of Haiti. But I plan on going back as soon as it's possible; and this time, I hope it's much longer than one short week. I am graduating from high school this spring and I am not still not sure what God's plans are for me. I have a strong feeling it's going to do something involving missions, though. But I sure hope He wants me to go back to Haiti as much as I want to. (:

Presidental Elections

Tonight we saw a good reminder to pray for the upcoming elections. We saw hundreds of people marching in a demonstration for their favorite candidate for president, Jude Celestin. They were singing, shouting, playing instruments, all to raise attention.

Celestin is current President Rene Preval’s hand-picked successor in the November elections. He is only one of at least nineteen different candidates. The election will take place on November 28^th. One of the biggest questions for the candidates seems to be, how will you handle the billions of dollars sent to Haiti for earthquake recovery? Haiti needs so much help and with the right president in office, it can turn around and be the country we all know it can be. Haiti can rise up and be better then it was before the disaster. Please join with us in praying for the next president of Haiti and that he works as a man of integrity.

Kids and Adults Against Hunger

This morning we were able to bless an elderly man with some food.

For many elderly men and women in this area, life is very difficult. They aren’t able to live off of social security, there are no nursing homes, there are no soup kitchens, there are no homeless shelters, there is nothing for them when they are in need. The only hope that the elderly have is that their kids or grandchildren can help them receive food, housing and help them provide for their other needs. A sweet man came to us this morning with a wounded thumb. The man didn’t grimace in pain once as his wound was cleaned and bandaged, but the entire time the man was shaking. We could tell the man was very hungry. He asked us if we were able to help him with some food because he had a son to die recently and he himself wasn’t able to work. We could see that the man obviously was in no way able to provide for himself so he was left to the mercy of any kind soul who would help him. Praise the Lord that we have Kids Against Hunger food. We were able to bless the man with some food to sustain him for awhile. We gave him a rice sack and packed it up with the KAH food. We are so grateful to have been blessed with this food so we can in turn give it to those who are in need. While Lifeline’s main target is to help take care of the children, this valuable food also goes to helping feed the elderly such as this man, the widows, and the disabled. What a blessing it is to be able to extend a hand to someone in such great need.

Love Bundles

Today we were able to bless Lifeline’s high school students with love bundles. They were so happy to receive such a needed gift. Thank you so much to the kind people who have sent us love bundles. We appreciate them more then we can say! The love bundles Lifeline handed out today were separated by age and had all kinds of wonderful things in them such as a simple plan of salvation pamphlet in Haitian Creole, clothing items, hygienic essentials (soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, and shampoo), brush, comb, towel, washcloth, school supplies, and a jar of peanut butter. To them, it was like an early Christmas. These kids are in such need for basic items such as these. We take these things for granted, but to these kids, they are of utmost importance. Love bundles are one great way for you to be a part of our ministry here in Haiti. It’s a great way to share the love of God with the people here. If you’d like to know more information on how you can help the people of Haiti by sending love bundles, please email us at missionlifeline@bellsouth.net.

What a Difference a Sponsor Makes

This family of five in desperate need came to Lifeline in hopes of receiving help. As God would have it the very evening they came, a heart-felt man happened to be visiting at Mission Lifeline and took it upon his heart to sponsor not one, not two, not even three, but the whole family. It was the mother’s hope and desire that her children could attend school. That was her original request as she approached the Lifeline School’s director, Sentil. He quickly worked to make calculations as to what it would cost to allow four of the school-age children to attend. They needed uniforms, registration fees, and the yearly school fee. Thankfully this man along with kids from his Detroit inner-city youth program stepped up to the plate to provide the needs for this special family. What divine timing God had that night. Here is what the family looked like before sponsorship.



This is the children in their school uniforms now that they’re able to attend school.
Today this is children and their mother coming to church (wearing their new clothes that the team from Ohio just left!)
What a difference their sponsor made in the lives of this poverty-stricken family. It’s a blessing for us to watch the transformation that takes place when a giving heart makes the wonderful decision to support and help a family such as this one. If you'd like to help change lives by sponsoring a child or an entire family, please email lifelinedw@bellsouth.net.

Anthony's Post

After our morning devotion most of the team packed Love Bundles and VBS supplies for our visits to the orphanages. Several of us went into the village to install a door that we built for a widow; she has been living in her home without a door and only had an old sheet to cover the opening.
Following that, we assembled the team and went to the first stop - Barbancourt School. A well kept property in a neighboring village owned and managed by Lifeline. We sorted the love bundles by age and gender and proceeded to distribute them to the youngest children first from preschool to 6^th grade. The children were beautiful, dressed in their uniforms, they smiled and carried their packages while posing for a quick photo. Even the teachers and cooks received the love bundles. All were very thankful.
Our next visit was to a Tent Orphanage also supported by LifeLine. Up until May of this year the 32 orphans that lived there were living and sleeping in tents. Now several beautiful dorms are providing shelter and living conditions to these beautiful children. After a brief worship service we began our VBS program. We split-up the girls and boys and began crafts. Our team members either worked with the girls building colorful bracelets or the boys making necklaces. They all participated and appreciated their new gift. The team was then treated to a drama by a local youth troop that performed an awesome drama about the difficulties of life’s troubles and temptations to the backdrop of the song “Everything” by Lifehouse. It was awesome. After that we handed out candy to all the children and headed out.

Our last stop was for a little R&R after a very busy week; our destination was Wahoo Beach Club in the Northwest corner of the island. We had a great time snorkeling around beautiful coral reefs, colorful parrot fish, and even saw a few jellyfish. After snorkeling we had a great dinner of fresh seafood and did a little shopping from the beach vendors waiting like barracuda.

We had a wonderful day, a week of blessings that will last forever, and a desire to bless Lifeline and the Haitian people.

Day Two of Food

This morning started off with two trucks full of Kids Against Hunger boxes showing up just as everyone started to eat breakfast. So we dropped everything and headed down to unload, it took just under two hours with great teamwork.

We were then off to VBS with the 2nd and 3rd graders. What a fun and uplifting experience it was to work with the kids. We taught them Jesus Loves Me with hand signs. It was awesome how quickly they learned and how excited they were to have us there. After the song Colleen taught them about how much God loves us all and how he makes us all unique. Then we helped them paint wood cut out hands with their thumbprint on them to show how they are each unique and made special by God. Another group taught the same lesson to the other class, but made little people out of paint stirrers, that were all different and unique just like the children.

We then headed over to the storage building, next to where the much needed new warehouse will be, to hand out love bundles. It was so wonderful to see their faces as we handed them out. During this time there were some kids from the village on the outside of the fence watching and they caught Pat’s eye so she had someone bring them around so we could give them love bundles also. That was really special, they were so grateful to have been included. Those sweet sad little faces staring at us from the other side of the fence became faces of joy. I really am struck by the hearts of those that run this place and how quickly needs are addressed and taken care of. Anytime anyone comes up to the house cut, scraped, burned, or bruised everything is dropped to take care of their needs, weather it be bandaging or a run to the hospital.

After lunch we went to a tent city near Titanyen to hand out beans and shoes. What a good feeling to know at least for a day or two these people would have food to eat.
Next came the shoes, everyone lined up and we fitted them individually at one of several stations. There is a tremendous need for school/closed toe shoes here, the kids are not allowed into school without proper attire, flip flops cannot be worn to school.

After we were finished at the tent city we headed back to the mission for dinner. After dinner, people were getting showered and relaxing and another two trucks of food showed up that needed to be unloaded right away. Crazy right, 6 trucks equaling 3 shipping containers in two days. But what a blessing to have a group here to help unload! Praise God, He is good, all the time!!!!! Bless Haiti and their wonderful people!!!

Day of Food

It was a day of food. This morning started off with a rush at 6:30 AM by unloading two truck loads full of an assortment of t-shirts, flour, sugar, shoes, canned goods, baby food, oil…even a dryer! God is so good! Our team worked together, forming two lines to quickly unload the rest of our supply; a truck load and a half of 50 pound bags of beans. We are blessed to have donors that give such generous support! Later we went to market and saw all sorts of culinary delights! We passed everything from small pyramids of fruits and vegetables spread on blankets to several wheel barrows full of coconuts. We made our way to the charcoal fields where they have bags and bags full of charcoal to sell. Many people cannot afford gas or propane, so they use charcoal to light their fires to cook their food.After painting and some small repairs around the mission, we finished the evening with a Haitian style meal. The team feasted on rice and beans, goat, chicken, beets, pasta salad, fried plantains, and a few other dishes. It was very extravagant and delicious. It was the perfect ending to our day of food.
-Chewie and Kendra

Hannah's Post

Haiti is an amazing place. It is very beautiful. There are great people here. They are the nicest people you will ever meet. God has touched my heart so many times this trip by seeing all the kids and watching them live their lives. If it would be me, I would not make it. They walk with 50 pound bags full of different things on their head without a problem. We hiked up a mountain today.
We have made benches for the past few days for the mountain people so we brought them up today. We hiked and someone else brought the benches up on the truck. We were hiking and a girl got sick. She decided to tough it out. She is a really good role model. We all prayed over her and she got better almost instantly. She was still feeling sick when we started again but better than before. It took us two hours to get up the mountain. We got to the school and had a devotional. We were praying over a girl and her family and I started feeling sick. They instantly started praying over me, I felt very loved and special, the color restored in my face and I felt a little better. God does wonders! The girl who was sick and I rode back down in the truck and instantly fell asleep. I woke up and built more benches. I felt A LOT better. We built benches and painted class rooms. Dinner was delicious! We had a ‘meeting’ time and Donald Jr. (the president of Lifeline) answered a lot of questions. Tomorrow is market day and we will also have Haitian food for dinner. It is so exciting! Haiti is an awesome place. You should come sometime!

- Hannah Heismann

Benches, Bible Study, & Bercy

Today was a great day working with the team from Ohio. They all worked together to build ten school benches for some schools here who are in great need of them.

They also did a Bible study with one of the classes at Lifeline’s school here in La Digue. They talked about how each one of the children was made special and how God loves them and they are to love each other. The kids had fun decorating crosses to remember to love one another the way Christ loves us.

This evening we all went to the Bercy Orphanage where the team spent some time playing with and loving on the kids. The kids had a blast playing with the new people.

Tomorrow we are all climbing up the mountain to Petit Bois to give them some of the benches that were built today. Climbing up the mountain is always a great experience and we’re looking forward to the trip tomorrow!

Arrival of Ohio Team

Today a team from Ohio arrived to spend a week working with Lifeline. We are so excited to have them here. Some have been here before and for others this is a first time. After they got settled in we took them on a walk through our village and to the dam. The kids in the village were so excited to see new people to love on.

When we got to the dam we were saddened to see that Hurricane Tomas had broken the dam. Dirty water was flowing through it with great force. It completely busted through the rebar. It was a strange sight to see.

But we are grateful that no one was injured when it happened. As this week goes on, pray for the team that is here that they have a great week and that God moves on their hearts. We’re looking forward with anticipation to see what God has in store for this week! If you’re interested in coming to Haiti on a short-term mission trip and have the experience of a lifetime, email us at missionlifeline@bellsouth.net.

No More Cold Nights

Due to the cold rains of Hurricane Tomas, nights have been abnormally cool for Haiti. On top of that, many of the homes here have leaks in their roofs and the rains have been pouring in at night getting people and their belongings wet. Thankfully we had some blankets that we were able to pass out to some of those in our village today. They were so grateful to receive them knowing they can now be comfortable at night and not spend the night lying awake shivering in the cold. Who would have thought that Haiti would be cold enough for blankets, but we are so grateful that we had them to pass out to those in our village who needed them for these chilly nights. Praise the Lord for blankets!

Hurricane Tomas

Once again, Haiti is has found itself in another tragic situation with floods from Hurricane Tomas. Praise the Lord that Lifeline’s village of La Digue was only hit with pounding rain but very minimal damage. Some homes had a little bit of water damage. Many are having to wade through much water in order to get in their houses. Even in hurricane rains, the children still lined up outside the gate to come to Lifeline’s feeding center. As we watched our children come in the gate, they were all cold, wet and muddy yet still happy and anxiously running to come to eat the one meal they would eat for the day. While we were being hit with rain here, Leogane was being pummeled with hurricane winds and rains even more intensely. Leogane was the epicenter of the earthquake and now was also one of the worst-hit areas in the hurricane along with Gonaives. Four people died as a result of the floods. Much of the city of Leogane is now under water. Missions all across the country are scrambling to help those affected by this tragic hurricane. The US Military deployed the USS Iwo Jima to offer their help and relief supplies as well. The cholera epidemic could now possibly worsen as these new flood waters form a perfect breading ground for the disease. These dear people have been hit with so much tragedy this year. Please continue to keep Haiti in your prayers. God is not finished with this country yet!!

Urgent Prayer Request

We’ve been watching the approach of Hurricane Tomas as it gets closer and closer. We are making preparation in every way that we know getting our diesel and groceries in any event we will be unable to go to Port-au-Prince for our business affairs. From time past we are very much aware that the prices of things sky rocket and there are shortages of goods and there is even a possibility of not being able to go to Port at all. In knowing that, we need everyone to pray for the safety of the mission and all of Haiti. There are still 1.3 million people living in tent cities. Those tents won’t be able to withstand hurricane winds. With the rain, many areas often flood which will again increase the chances of cholera as well as destroy all of the few belongings they’ve acquired since the earthquake. In all of this, we know God is in control and it’s comforting to know that we know the One True God that holds us in the palm of his hand.

First Egg!

Today we celebrated a small but happy victory for Lifeline, our first egg! We’ve had chickens for about two months but they haven’t laid any eggs yet so we were so excited to see our first egg in the coop. Eventually when they lay enough eggs, we are going to use them in our canteen to feed our school children. Eggs are a great source of protein especially for children who suffer from malnutrition. We’re hoping these eggs can provide a great source of nourishment for the children who eat at Lifeline. Lord willing this one egg is the beginning of many more to come!

New Water Purification System

As the cholera epidemic continues on and the death tolls now are over three hundred, the people who live on our road can rest a little easier thanks to Samaritan’s Purse. They came in and installed a water purification system. It takes the water straight from the canal, purifies it and makes it safe to drink. What a blessing it is to drive past and see people filling up their water jugs knowing that they are drinking safe water!

Healing from Malaria

Today we are grateful to see this beautiful eight year old girl smiling once again. Not too long ago, she was far from having a smile on her face. She was very weak and very sick. The precious little girl had been sick for awhile before they flagged us down on the road one day telling us she was sick. We ended up taking her to the hospital where we found out she had malaria. Every year nearly one million people die from malaria and in Haiti where most children don’t make it to their fifth birthday, having your child be diagnosed with malaria could be very scary for a parent. Thankfully she stayed at the hospital for only about a week before they released her. Praise God for her recovery!

Cholera Outbreak Continues On

Praise God for the donor that sent us the mule! I can't even begin to tell you how many jobs have been done with the use of the mule. We have rebuilt homes, hauling cement, rock, and gravel, along with tools to do the job. Many times we have taken food to people. We have used it to pick up some people that can't walk to church and take them home. And of course it can take us into many remote areas that we could not go otherwise, and it helps us so we are not having to walk as much. This morning I took it to retrieve some information for one of the sponsors but as I went out the gate I was told of an elderly lady down the road who was very weak, and had been sick with all the symptoms of the cholera. I immediately went to check on her and then to transport her back to the Lifeline doctor, and as I was returning still another report was given to me about another one that had the same symptoms. This time on the way back I was stopped and a man ask me if I could help him. I ask what can I do for you and he proceeded to tell me about a man who had died yesterday and they needed to bury him and they wanted to know if I could give them mask and gloves to wear while handling the body. I told him of course, so we took the lady that I already had on the mule to the lifeline clinic so she could be treated and I picked up the things the man asked me for and we proceeded back down the road. When I got there they took me by the hand, and walked me back through a path past a banana field and over to a tree where the man that was deceased lay. I unzipped the body bag that I had brought for them and they lifted the already stiffened man over and I zipped it back up. The other men had began to dig the grave and I ask them how deep did they plan to dig it and they told me three feet and I explained to them that they needed to dig it 6 feet for sanitary purposes and because of the water and it was close to the banana field. I left the people to take care of the burial and I was given instructions yet to another place where someone had been ill for two days, and by this time the doctor had two more at the clinic. I quickly got someone to take all of these precious people to the hospital and we picked up still another one on the road as we were on our way. The Cholera here is real, and it is deadly! They are telling me that the funeral home will not accept the cholera bodies and they want them to burn them. The Haitian people are very concerned about all the people that are dieing and with the lack of knowledge of how to take care of their health it makes it even more serious!

A Blessing in Disguise

Well today like everyday is always very busy but today, I stopped long enough to take time out to bathe two of little boys that are brothers in our village that are always together but not very well taken care of. You know sometimes it is easy when you see something for a while just to get used to it but today it was like the Lord just spoke to me and said, you need to do something. It was early and I was outside the gate trying to find out some information for one of our sponsors when I heard a little voice hollering Patricia, Patricia and when I turned and looked it was two of the grubbiest little boys in our village. So I just took them by the hand and brought them up to the porch and fed them some viennia sausages and peanut butter and crackers. When they were finished I took them by the hand and took them to the bathroom in the house. They stood and watched as I adjusted the water like they had never seen the water like that before. I took off the very soiled few clothes that they had on and handed them a bar of soap and a wash cloth and put them in the shower. They seemed like they enjoyed it but they were just letting the water fall on them so I showed them what to do with the bar of soap and they helped each other to wash.

When they were through I got a towel and wrapped around them and put on some good clean clothes that had graciously been donated by one of the team members. They looked so different when they were all cleaned up. I put Veggie Tales on my computer to watch for a little while and gave them some cold apple juice and after following me around most of the day I sent them on their way.
Only God knows what these little boys have experienced throughout their young lives. Praise God that He gives us eyes to see and a heart to listen to that still small voice when He speaks to us, because although I helped them, it was such a blessing to me to see the difference a few minutes can make for a little child. Thank You Lord!!!

More Children in School = More Sponsorship Opportunities

Another new school year has come and this year has come with more children attending Lifeline's schools. We are grateful that more children are able to come and the new ones will be added to our sponsorship list for you to support if you'd like. For only $20 a month (less then $1 a day) you can help provide these dear children with a solid education, food, and medical attention when needed. $20 a month is nothing for us when we all have spent $5 on only one large latte. There are many more kids that could come if they had a sponsor. Countless parents come to Lifeline asking for help because they don't have enough money to send their children to school. You have the opportunity to help these children receive help in a country where receiving a good education can ultimately be the decision between eventually being able to provide for your family or not. It's very hard to live on the wages one earns from working in the garden or selling goods at the market. Those who do well for themselves in Haiti have a good education. Please prayerfully consider sponsoring one of these dear children and providing them with hope of a better future. If you’d like more information on sponsorship, please email Donna Webb at lifelinedw@bellsouth.net.

A New Chance at Education

Education is very important here in Haiti, just as it is the United States. If you want to have any type of a good job, you need a good education. Unfortunately, many here in Haiti either never attend school or stop early for various reasons, mainly not having enough money. Due to the lack of education Haiti's literacy rate is only at 53%. Here at Lifeline we always support people going back to school to get their education, even if it means being 19 years old and in the third grade. We have two young men from our village who help us out here at Lifeline. They're here early every morning to help us out with whatever we need from taking out the trash to unloading containers. They don't get paid, they just enjoy being here and we love them very much. They're great kids but for a few different reasons haven't been in school in quite some time, until today. They are now back in school once again. Markson age 16 and Daniel age 19
came to Lifeline this morning looking as proud as they could be for their first day of school. They will both be in the third grade, something hard to imagine in the United States. We know they're grateful for a new chance at education and they're going to make the best of it. We're so blessed with a great school and wonderful staff to help educate Haiti's children and adults alike.