Junior, Lifeline's newest addition

Last week we visited one of the orphanages we provide food for in Port-au-Prince with a medical team. We hadn’t been there since October and were sad to find the children still in poor condition. We have concerns about dishonesty going on within the system and sadly, the children suffer for this. Please be in prayer for this situation.

Junior is a small, 7-year-old boy living at the orphanage. He is one of the more malnourished children and clearly needs proper nutrient care. On Tuesday, Jacques drove me (Michelle) to the orphanage again to take Junior to the hospital. The doctor was not in at 2 in the afternoon so I decided to bring him back to Lifeline. In the hour car ride back, Junior sat on my lap and I was terrified if I held him too hard I would break a rib, but if I didn’t hold hard enough he would fly off my lap from the bumpy roads; but as we sat there I had a strong feeling he would be at Lifeline for a while.

Once back at the mission, we all decided it was best for Junior to stay with us for we would be giving him the same care a hospital would (we have a doctor here 5 days a week if we need anything), plus we would give him love and constant attention.

Just to give you an idea of his size—he wears Jean Fritz’s clothes and weighs the exact same amount as Jean Fritz. They weigh 31 pounds and wear size 2T pants and 3T shirts. Junior is 7 and Jean Fritz is 2. They are 5 years apart…

It’s been a mere 4 days since Junior came to stay with us and we put him on a eating/hydration plan and we have already seen significant improvement! Adrian is playing soccer with him right now and I can see him running around on the soccer field. He could barely keep his eyes open when he first came.

He smiles a lot now too. He takes joy in such little things, like bath time and being read to (even though he can’t understand English).

The pictures are from the 2nd day he was here- as you can see he still wasn't smiling a lot. 

Junior and Jean Fritz 

Please be praying for Junior as he finds nourishment and love. Also, please be in prayer for his future as it is unknown.

Baby "David"

Last month a baby was brought to Lifeline that was very sick. He had been born between 6 and 7 months gestation and his mother had passed away shortly after giving birth. When he arrived at Lifeline he was a little over 3 months old and weighed only 3.3 lbs. With help from Lifeline and doctors in Port Au Prince the baby is now 5 months old, doing very well and is pleasing the doctors with his progress. He is receiving nutrition and diapers through Lifeline. We visited with the baby and his family today. Here is the evidence of what a difference child sponsorship can make. Please go to www.childrenslifeline.com and check out how you can sponsor a child. Also, for Baby "David's" full story and for pictures from last month, please go read his blog from December.

We came to Haiti to help a difference, but you don't have to make a trip to make an impact on a life!

-The Suttles Family

Today the people of Haiti remembered the devastating earthquake that hit their country two years ago. The earthquake turned this country upside down and left so many people hurting, both physically and emotionally. Families were torn apart and children left without much hope in sight. This earthquake, however, could possibly have turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to this country. The amount of aid and attention this country has received as a result of the earthquake has begun to help the people. However, since the media has stopped reporting on the devastation still remaining in this country, it's as if we have forgotten the country all together. We were able to attend the two year memorial event held at outside Port Au Prince at the site of a mass burial ground where approximately 200,000 people were dumped and covered over with gravel shortly after the earthquake.  For the people of Haiti, this site will forever serve as a memory of the devastating tragedy that happened at 4:55 PM on January 12, 2010.  This single moment in time was able to captivate the world, but time will tell if the ever present needs of this struggling country will become just another distant memory of a story on the 11 o'clock news.  One thing is for certain though, the struggling people of Haiti will never forget.

Please take a moment to pray for the families of those lost in the earthquake, as well as for continued support for the constant needs of the survivors.

- Kurt and Morgan Oetken

"I woke up this morning with $14 (USD) and wondered to myself how I would feed these 79 children, then you come and bless us with medical care and 3 bags of beans. Now I can feed these children for an entire month without worry!"

What else can we say?! We came on this mission with a vision of touching the Haitian people, yet we have found that the love and appreciation that we have been shown will far greater impact our lives. We have never been more heartbroken than looking into the eyes of children that are orphaned and malnourished as they sing praises of thanks to us; when the pastor of the orphanage prays for our safety and well being as the children he cares for are starving; when they thanked us for leaving our families to help them and they have no family. Oh how we have been humbled!

-Miranda Davis & Allison Justice

Our Five Senses

Our day began today with devotions about how our entire being, all the way down to our senses, were created by God for His purpose to be accomplished for His glory.

Today my senses were challenged.  My day began by smelling the meals being prepared for the day - one perk of having a room on that end of the house.  My hearing was awakened with the sounds of children coming to school and roosters!  My taste buds woke up to pancakes this morning.  My eyes saw the beautiful faces of these people, especially our sponsor children whom we met today for the first time.  My sense of touch has been invigorated today because of all the little hands that want to be held.

But of all these senses, I believe it has been my heart that has been touched the most.  I had to explain to our kids that my tears were those of joy not sorrow.  I only hope they can understand.  As the song says, I Will Never Be the Same Again.

Dear Father, thank you for all of my senses and please may they all be used for Your glory.  Amen.

- Mary Jane and Randy Suttles

Will we have electricity? What about clean water? Is there a shower? Where will we sleep? Can we wash our clothes?

These were things many of the team members were concerned with when planning to come on this mission trip. How would it compare to being at home? The answer to all of these questions is yes. The mission house has most modern amenities...minus just a few luxuries (air conditioning) staying here at the Lifeline mission house is much like being at home! We have learned that all of these things we were all so concerned with really don't matter at all. We have yet for one moment to ever feel unsafe or unwelcome. The truth is.... we are so appreciated and so welcome here you can almost feel guilty for never having been here before.

Today we visited two different schools and treated 180 children.  This is just a fraction of the people here who need our care - but maybe, we have touched at least one life and made a difference.  Mary Jane led the devotions this morning at the prayer rock and spoke of ordinary people doing extraordinary things through Christ -  well we are here through Christ and for Christ and we are receiving  a much larger blessing than we are giving. What an extraordinary experience!

- Amy Chase

Amazing Grace!

Amazing Grace!
This is what our team sang in church for our Haitian Christian Brothers and Sisters in Christ this morning. They know how to worship the Lord in music and Word. The children were delightful and so loving and friendly. We may speak different languages, but the Spirit is the same...amazing!

Today was a day of extremes, coming from a service of worship to a heartbreaking tour of the mass grave site of over 200,000 Haitians lost in the January 12, 2010 earthquake. In spite of overwhelming, unbelievable poverty, we were encouraged to see God's amazing grace at work in Haiti!

-Ruth Oetken and Donna Wainright