Wednesday, December 15, 2010



The students at the Lagosette School meet for chapel each school day. This video was taken by Danny Sullivan on the morning the kids received their Christmas gifts. Thanks again to all who helped send Christmas gifts to the students!

Monday, December 13, 2010

Trip Report from Danny & Karen Sullivan

We were blessed by God to travel with Brad and Monica to Lagosette on the Magi Box delivery trip. After being friends with them for months and months via facebook, email, phone and text, we finally met live for the first time in the Miami airport. It felt like a blind date! But, we quickly found that they were even more charming in person.


We flew to Port-au-Prince where we made connections with David Vanderpool and then took the 30-minute flight on Salsa over to Cap Haitien. One of Monica’s bags and one of ours never made it to Haiti, so we were forced to buy some groceries in Cap. Of course, this afforded us an excuse to eat at La Kay…nothing like roasted goat with creole sauce, rice and beans, and fried plantains to start the trip off right.


While we were out driving we decided to go to Milot to visit the medical facilities there. Brad introduced us to several people with whom they have worked over the years. We saw a new prosthesis clinic that looks amazing.


Upon reaching Lagosette Saturday afternoon, word spread through the village of our arrival. Kids began showing up to see for themselves. We soon had a yard full of friends who wanted to hug and play and visit. The weather was much cooler than expected as rain had been falling most of the day. We actually wished for blankets through the night!


Brad and several others traveled to Limbe’ on Sunday to help with cholera relief efforts. We stayed behind with Monica to attend morning services, play with the kids and visit COTP. There were 34 present for morning services and many hugs and kisses were exchanged. Sunday afternoon brought coloring books on the porch, soccer games and Creole/English lessons. They learned and we learned.


Monday was the big day! We visited chapel services and then the Magi boxes were distributed. I had visions of the scene out of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" when the Grinch threw toys and gadgets this way and that among laughs and squeals and smiles! We passed out over 400 boxes and soon the village filled with sounds of kazoos and harmonicas, and the air filled with new balls and Frisbees. New clothes were tried on and candy was shared. It was a sight and experience to behold.


Monday evening we divided up sides for a “serious” soccer match. And, I am glad to report that the American contingent prevailed over our dear friends. I suppose I should note that we had the best villager on our team and that Makendy, aka “Zopoupe,” had countless saves in goal for us as well. Brad thought he was the MVP but it was almost cheating to have Wilson play for us.


Tuesday brought us back home only to hear of violence and unrest back in Haiti. While we are grateful to be out of harm’s way, our hearts and prayers go out to our brothers and sisters in Haiti.


We look forward to our next trip to Haiti and future trips with Brad and Monica, wherever that might be. This trip was truly a blessing for all involved. “Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” I Corinthians 15:57


Danny & Karen Sullivan

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Haiti

A small MGM group traveled to Lagosette, Haiti this past week. You can read an update from Brad regarding the medical work on the Global Health Innovations blog.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Update on Cholera Crisis in Haiti

Dear friends and family,

We want to thank you all so much for the generosity you have shown to the people of Haiti during the cholera crisis. Your donations allowed us to immediately send medicines, supplies and personnel to assist. I will be traveling to Haiti in the coming week to assist in a clinic and deliver more supplies to help meet the continuing needs. Again, thank you for joining with us in this effort. If you have not already contributed and would like to, please visitwww.globalhealthinnovations.org for more information.

Best,
Brad Gautney

Manna Global Ministries
Global Health Innovations

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Cholera in Haiti, Update

Dear friends,

We want to thank you all for your quick response in helping us get assistance to Haiti for the cholera crisis. MGM and GHI are collaborating with several people and organizations to get aid there immediately. Randy Uthe, a registered nurse with Global Samaritan Resources, arrives in Cap Haitian this morning to work in the hardest hit clinics in Limbe and Cap. He is planning on being there until next Saturday. Thanks to Dr. Jim Morrison, he will be carrying enough medications to treat 650 adults and 500 children, along with IV supplies and serum from Medline.

We will continue to assist in organizing medicines and supplies to assist and support those currently working in Haiti. If you would like to assist with these efforts, go to our website at www.globalhealthinnovations.org to donate. Again, thank you for your prayers and continued support during this time to help the Haitian people. It is amazing seeing the many people and organizations come together in the name of the Lord to help!
God bless,

Brad Gautney

Global Health Innovations
Manna Global Ministries

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Cholera in Haiti

Dear friends,
We wanted to update you on the current cholera situation in Haiti, specifically in the North near where we work. Unfortunately, we have gotten word today from our friends on the ground there that it has gotten much worse even in the past two days. Limbe had 25 cases yesterday and reported 60 cases already this morning and are in desperate need of supplies and medicines. Limbe is located just 30-45 minutes from Lagosette, just east of Cap Haitien. After much discussion and prayer, we have decided that the time has come to begin mobilizing assistance to help. We are currently communicating with our partners here in the US and people on the ground in Haiti on how to best help with this crisis. Global Health Innovations (GHI) is the sister medical organization of MGM and all funds and supplies will go through GHI in directing assistance. We ask for your prayers during this time and also ask you to go to the GHI website (www.globalhealthinnovations.org) to donate and help us to bring comfort and healing to those affected by cholera in Haiti.
God bless,
Brad Gautney

Manna Global Ministries
Global Health Innovations
www.globalhealthinnovations.org

Monday, November 8, 2010

Marathon Update

Paul Morphy completed the NYC ING marathon Sunday......congratulations, Paul!! However, we are only 57% of the way to his goal of 100 people donating $1/mile. It's not too late, you can still donate using the Chip-In meter at the right or mail your support (earmarked "Lagosette") to:

MGM
P.O. Box 2993
Clarksville, IN 47131

We only need 41 people contributing $26.20 (that's $1/mile) to reach the goal!!
Thanks for helping the ministry of the Lagosette School continue, and thank you to Paul for encouraging us to get involved.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Preschool in Action!

Enjoy a glimpse into the preschool class in Lagosette.


The total including checks sent directly to MGM and donations via the Chip-In meter brings us over halfway to Paul's goal. All funds raised go directly to supporting the preschool in Lagosette, Haiti.

On a different note, as Tropical Storm Tomas approaches, please join us as we continue in prayer with and for our friends and neighbors in Haiti.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Clarification on Moxon's Haiti Mission

Dear friends,

I need to make a small clarification to the previous information that
I sent out about tax-deductible donations:

You should write your checks out to "Journey Christian Church" and
only put "Haiti Mission" on the bottom "for" line.

Mail the check to:

Journey Christian Church
Attention Bill Moxon
2332 West 27th St
Greeley, CO 80634



I apologize if this was unclear in my newsletter! I appreciate your
patience with us as we get things set up and organized.

In closing, please remember Haiti in your prayers tonight as Tropical
Storm
Tomas bears down on the island. I am praying that the storm
turns away and many Haitians find their shelter in our Almighty
Father.



Yours in Christ,


Bill Moxon

Preschool!


The preschool children at the Lagosette school are blessed with wonderful teachers, Marie Lourdes and Jezula.

Jezula teaches the younger kids and is full of energy and loves to teach the kids using songs and actions. She is from a neighboring village on the way to Cap Haitian. She is married and has three young children of her own at home as well.



Marie Lourdes teaches the older preschool kids. Her class is
equivalent to an American kindergarten. She prepares them for first grade where they begin to learn to read. If you have been to the Manna camp in Lagosette you probably know Marie Lourdes as she has helped with the cooking for our groups for many years. She speaks some English and loves to practice with the visitors. She is also a wife and mother, her husband also teaches at the Lagosette school, and they have two young children.

We are so thankful for Marie Lourdes and Jezula and the work they do with the children. If you'd like to help support their work, please "Chip-In," by using the button on the right to sponsor Paul Morphy in the NYC marathon. All donations given for his race go directly to supporting the work of the Lagosette school and reaching his goal will provide salary for the preschool teachers for an entire year. The countdown to the marathon on Sunday, November 7th, has begun!

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Healing, Hope, Haiti

Bill, Darla and Emily Moxon will be moving to Haiti in December, 2010, Lord willing (their two oldest daughters, Corrie and Lisa, are remaining in the states to attend college). Here is a glimpse into their hearts and their journey with the Lord. They are an amazing family and will be a tremendous blessing to the ministry in Haiti. If you would like to support their work, there is more information and a short letter from them below.



We are so excited to share with you our video story below that
explains how God has restored our dream to rejoin His work in Haiti.
This video was professionally done by Cale Rogers, our friend from
JCC.

For those who want to support us financially, it would be a HUGE help
if you could let us know if you are interested in supporting us on a
regular basis. This would help us to know how long we can continue on
the mission field!

I have confirmed that all contributions for our work are tax
deductible if you do not put our name on the check. You should write
"Haiti Mission" on the subject line and send the check to: Journey
Christian Church
, Attention Bill Moxon, 2332 West 27th St, Greeley, CO
80634
.

You can also donate to us online at our church's website:
http://www.journeychristian.org/index.html

Simply click on the "Donate" button and fill in the amount that you
wish to donate, then you will be directed to Paypal where you should
click on the "Special instructions to seller" button. This is where
you can specify that you would like your donation to go to the "Haiti
Project."

Thank you and may God bless you and be glorified!!

Bill, Darla, Corrie, Lisa, and Emily

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

MGM in the DR

Want to know more about what's going on with MGM in the Dominican Republic? Check out these blogs from the amazing missionaries there.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Photo of the Week!



Love that smile! This precious face is one of 347 children who are blessed by the ministry of the Lagosette School in Haiti. For more information or to support this ministry, visit www.lagosetteschool.com.

Photo credit: Lisa Dunn

Friday, October 15, 2010

A letter from the Moxon family

Dear Friends,

Let me start with our big news, then you can keep reading the details as you wish:

The Moxons are moving back to Haiti!

Bill, Darla and Emily are hoping to move back to Lagosette before Christmas. Yes, Lagosette is the village in Haiti where we used to live. It is where we helped build the Manna farm back in the 1990s.

We worked in Haiti for 8 years as “development” missionaries by demonstrating the love of God for the poor by drilling water wells and working to provide safe drinking water. We still see this as a great need in Haiti, but we now feel called to preach the gospel, teach discipleship, and pray. We believe that Haiti is especially ready to hear the Good News from God at this time. When I went back to Haiti and helped with the recovery efforts right after the January earthquake, I witnessed a new desperation for God among the Haitian people. The whole country participated in five days of prayer and fasting--proving that they know that God is their only hope for true progress.

This past spring as I was praying and seeking God for direction and feeling called to ministry, we received a letter from the church in Lagosette. I had been asking God to let me join Him in what He was doing in His world. I didn’t want to choose where to go and ask Him to bless it--I wanted God to send us wherever He wanted. I asked Him to send us to a place where He was moving powerfully. This letter from Haiti seemed to speak a direct answer to my prayer. They explained that many in Haiti were no longer opposed to the gospel but now were open to hear and respond. They closed the letter by simply asking us to move back to live among them again.
I do not expect to preach in only one congregation. I want to help as many congregations as possible while encouraging the Haitian pastors. So I hope not only to preach as often as possible, I also would love to conduct discipleship seminars on my favorite topics: How to pray, how to find God in His Word, What it means to worship, etc.

We hope to move back to Haiti this December so that our oldest daughters, Corrie and Lisa can spend some of their college break with us and so that our whole family can be united as we begin our newest phase of ministry in Haiti.

We are currently selling off our things and emptying our house so that we can rent it out or sell it. We need lots of prayer support! We want to communicate frequently through several of the new channels available today such as Facebook, blogging, Skype, emails, as well as newsletters. We are planning on having an international cell phone so that we can stay in touch in that way as well. So please reply to this email if you’d like to update your contact info with us.

Is there one day per month that you would be willing to pray for us? We are compiling a “Calendar of Prayer” where our prayer supporters are picking days of the month that they can concentrate their prayers on our work. If you consistently have an easier schedule on Saturdays, for example, just tell us that and we will “assign” one or more of the Saturdays of each month to you. So just tell us which day of the week works best for you and how many days per month you wish to pray and we will organize each month and re-confirm with you when your day is coming.

We would love to have every day of each month filled with the names of our friends that are praying for us! This will also allow us to correspond a day or two before you will be praying for us so that we can let you know if there are specific things we need prayer about.

We would also like to hear if there are things we can be praying for you about! We know that God loves it when our hearts are bound together in these ways through prayer! And if the whole “Calendar of Prayer” idea is too complicated for you, just let us know that you’d still like to get our prayer update communications and we’ll keep you in the loop. We want as much prayer as we can get!

If you are already thinking that God is leading you to support us financially we certainly appreciate and need that. You can mail checks to us at: Moxons, 2626 W 6th St, Greeley, CO, 80634. I even have a paypal account (below) if you want to do an online transfer.

BUT before you mail that check!-- I am still trying to verify some details so that I make sure that you can get a tax deduction for your contributions. I am also trying to set up an online giving link for your convenience. I will hopefully be able to email you again next week the specifics. So if you need to wait till I work those details out, we understand.

If you live near us and want to help us get on our way we have lots to do- We are trying to sell stuff through Craigslist and garage sales. We’ll have a minimum of items to put into storage and then we’ll need to do a thorough cleaning to prepare our house to rent out.

I would welcome the opportunity to answer any questions you may have. We would love to come and share a cup of coffee so that we can pray together and tell you more about the things that we feel the Lord is doing with us. I would also be happy to come and preach or share with any size group that would be interested in hearing more about our ministry.

If you are still reading...
Thank you and may God bless you and be glorified!!
Bill, Darla, Corrie, Lisa, and Emily
pengineer1@aol.com for emails or paypal

WMW

We're hoping to see you next week for World Mission Workshop!! If you have not
already contacted Laura Beth to let her know you're planning to come to WMW,
please do so! There are several special events planned for the Manna family and
we want to make sure you're in on the plans. Lodging, special presentations, a
meal in Memphis, and more are all a part of our weekend together. Please make
sure we give you all the details for you to join in on any or all that you
can.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Running with Purpose

Update: Donations received through the Chip-In meter as well as checks sent directly to MGM bring the total for Team Lagosette (aka Paul Morphy) to $1055.50, with 5 weeks until race day. Thank you for joining with Paul and supporting the Lagosette School!

Interns

Every summer college students volunteer their time with MGM to serve as interns. This year we had six interns in Haiti and six interns in the Dominican Republic. Some of the interns kept blogs of their own during the summer. If you would like to read about their experiences in their own words, check out these blogs:
Jill Rhodes: http://drintern-jillrenee29.blogspot.com/
Audrey Parker: http://drintern.blogspot.com/
Felicia Blocker: http://fmblocker.blogspot.com/

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Marathon Update

Lagosette Update: While the ChipIn meter doesn't show it, we have thus
far $761.00 donated towards the Lagosette school with more promised.
This is a good start with 47 days to the ING New York city marathon and
54 days to meet our goal of $1.00/mile from 100 friends.
All funds go directly to the Lagosette School. Meeting this goal will provide salary for our preschool teachers for the entire year! Feel free to...Chipin.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Paul Morphy

"I have had a long-time interest in running, learning, and people-not necessarily in that order. When I visited Haiti a few years ago I once saw a school with missing walls and a little girl looking out through a huge hole in one wall while classes were going on. She was under-clothed and quite probably lacked many educational opportunities others take for granted. I took a photograph of her that day, but did little else to help her other than to pray that she and others like her would have a better chance.

Children in Haiti (or anywhere) don't need well-intended people to feel sorry for them. Rather, they need opportunities to learn how to build better lives for themselves and their families. Look through history and you will never find a time or circumstance where ignorance has been the better course. Learning can be powerful for dealing with life's difficulties-helping to define the road out.

Over the past 15 years or so I've run largely out of personal interest. Running the New York City marathon to raise funds for the school in Lagosette brings greater purpose to my running-it also helps me deal with the picture of that little girl."

Please consider sponsoring the Lagosette School through Paul's efforts. Donations can be made using the Chip-In meter on the right.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Running with Purpose

The Lagosette School has provided hundreds of children with education, hot meals and the opportunity to hear of the love of Jesus for more than eight years! This ministry continues because of churches and individuals who have a purpose. All of us coming together, each doing what we are able, to help make the work of the Lagosette School possible.

Paul Morphy visited Lagosette years ago and the children he met there have remained on his heart. This year he is running the NYC Marathon on November 7, and he's doing it with a purpose. Paul's goal is to find 100 supporters to donate $1.00 for every mile of the race, and for all those funds to go directly toward continuing the ministry of the Lagosette School.* Meeting this goal, $2,620, would cover the salaries for our preschool staff for an entire year!! Join with us to make every step of his race count.

You can give by using the "Chip-In" meter at the right, which allows you to donate via your checking account or a credit card. Or send a check, earmarked "Lagosette School" to:

MGM
P.O. Box 2993
Clarksville, IN 74131

Thank you to Paul for sharing this amazing experience with us and for using it to encourage each of us to make a difference!
To learn more about the Lagosette School, visit our website at www.lagosetteschool.com

*NOTE: Paul is covering the entire cost of the registration for the race and his own travel and lodging expenses. *All funds* donated go directly to Lagosette School.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Sharing Stories

John Sloan led a group on a week long mission trip to Lagosette, Haiti this summer and has written about his experience to share here.

The Tipping Point

I know this blog is read by people that have been influenced by the experience of being in Lagosette. We all share something that is difficult to verbalize with our friends and family that were waiting on us to return. They all wanted to see pictures and hear all the details of our journey to the poorest country in the western hemisphere where chaos was abundant, especially since the earthquake. They all imagine crime on every street corner, bodies laying everywhere and danger, danger, danger.
The real story of our trip is the bonds that were made in 7 days. I don’t think anyone besides those of us that went understand how we miss kids like McKenzie, Kay Kay, Steve, Jimmy, Ericson, Eveleen and of course Onz. Or how we got to know Beedel, Miscial, Nama, Mary Lou, Toto, Wilson, Weston and Joanne so much that our conversations all seem to migrate to our experiences with each of them. The truth is, the people of Lagosette are what we all really want to be, sincere, joyful, genuine people who aren’t caught up in the rat race so deep that our relationship with Christ becomes distant to the ignorant desires to acquire things.
If you’re like me you are asking yourself, what do I do now? I can’t continue to ignore those people. Emails and phone calls aren’t enough. We are the 10 talent man who has buried our talents most of our lives. My prayer is that God shows us an opportunity to serve him in Lagosette and that we don’t turn a blind eye when he does.
I heard a story recently about the conversation that must have taken place between Abraham and Sarah after God gave his command to sacrifice Isaac. Can you imagine the faith and confidence he had to actually explain to his wife that he was going to sacrifice their son? He would have to allow her to say goodbye to him. He had to tell her why he was going to go through with such an awful thing. There is no way he could just come back from the mountain after killing Isaac and then tell her what he had done. Imagine yourself telling your own spouse that you were taking this child you loved so dearly up a mountain to sacrifice him. Is it possible for us to believe our purpose in living is equally important and that it demands the same level of commitment in the way we live and gobble up an opportunity to be obedient to God’s will?
We have tasted the love of the Father while serving in Lagosette. We have shared sweat, laughter and tears with each other. Can we go on dwelling on childish desires for earthly pleasures? The Father has asked us to follow the example of his son. That can’t include worshipping the idols so abundant here in the U.S. Thank you Brian, Tammie, Jeff, Keely, Felicia, Jessica, Jordan and of course Savannah. Our week was wonderful because of the way it started with your joyful giving attitudes and then the way it continued one great day after another. Our nightly devo’s were awesome. Sherri, Logan, Jeff, Nikki, Kaylon and Tony all shared compelling thoughts. Rashon was a great Goliath, Sarah Gary can beat any of us in Soccer, Dylan and Jennifer survived a sinking kayak, Jeff and Nikki were awesome leading the VBS games, Beth, Jodie and Tina created such cute crafts, Kaylon was magical, Caleb loved singing and Olivia was so sweet playing duck duck goose with all those kids. And how good were those pancakes? We even added bananas to them 1 day.
I miss our team that went to Haiti July 4th. I miss the Interns and I really miss the Haitians. I really miss them because I of the uncertainty of seeing them again. I pray that the Mission continues and we can stay involved but if it doesn’t at least we experienced the Tipping Point that has changed us forever.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Felicia Blocker, MGM Intern-Haiti

Felicia served as an intern in Haiti this summer. She also kept a blog of her experiences if you would like to know more you can check it out at: http://fmblocker.blogspot.com/

"Last year, when I found out that I was selected to be an intern in Haiti I was super excited, but I honestly didn't know what to expect. I wondered about the people that I would be working with. Would I get along with the other interns? I had heard so many negative things, and seen so many news stories about Haiti, that I also wondered if they were true.

When we arrived in Cap-Haitian I was struck by the extreme poverty, desperation, and need for things that we take for granted like food and clean water. Along with the need for basic necessities there was the need for housing, transportation, and education. Every time I think back over my initial reaction to Cap and Lagosette, I thank God for allowing me to live there for the summer. It took about a week to be able to shed that initial shock and really see Haiti for what she is. I saw adults who woke up each morning and went to work farming, washing, driving taxis, or selling food from a road side stand. I saw children eager to get to VBS, and excited, yes, I said excited to get to school with friends and neighbors. God opened my eyes so that I could see the Haitian people not as poor and destitute, but as brothers and sisters with the same physical, emotional and spiritual needs as me. I wanted to work alongside as many people as I could. I wanted to cook and share meals with as many people as possible. I wanted to just sit and talk about the day with as many people as possible.

One of my favorite memories from the summer was the day that four guys from the church in Lagosette got baptized. After church the interns got on the Daihatsu, and drove through the village. The kids saw the truck driving down the road, and jumped on the back. They probably didn't know where we were going, but they hopped on, excited about a free ride on the Daihatsu. It wasn't long before we had a full load on the truck, and someone began to sing classic hymns like "Power in the Blood," and "How Great Thou Art." Maybe it was the Holy Spirit, maybe it was because the songs were in Creole, but for some reason, the singing that came from the back of the Daihatsu as we bumped along the dusty roads in Lagosette was truly incredible. By the time we reached the river the entire town had shown up. The guys came down one by one and were baptized by the pastor, and made into new creations by God. What an awesome day!
This summer I found out a lot about myself and what the body of Christ really looks like. I still can't believe that the Lord thought enough of me to place me in the midst of such strong Christians in order to learn from them and grow in my own relationship with Him. I am truly thankful."

Be strong and courageous,
Felicia

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Jordan Smith, MGM Intern in Haiti

Jordan Smith served as an intern for MGM in Lagosette, Haiti this summer. Here is what he had to say about his experience:

I was interested in finding a place to be this summer where God could break my heart. I prayed about it, and Haiti came up. I had no idea what to expect but I wanted it to happen. I Knew that God was going to change my life from the moment I decided to go but I did not know how he would do it. My experience in Haiti was the most challenging yet the most rewarding experience of my life. God opened my eyes to his love. His love has no limits.

Now, I'm sitting at my kitchen table typing on my laptop, ha. Wow! I'm blessed. I pray that God will make my life uncomfortable as he did in Haiti because when I'm uncomfortable I lean on him. What is going to happen to me or where will I end up in this life? I'm not worried about, I'm just along for the ride. I am His.

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Sharing Stories

"The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
1 Samuel 16:7

It has been a very full summer for the groups and interns in Lagosette. I was only there for a week this summer, but was so blessed by the amazing group of interns (and of course the Wallaces!!) who were pouring out their hearts in Haiti! I look forward to hearing more stories of how the Lord has been working in the lives of those who were blessed to visit and serve alongside our neighbors in Haiti and hope to share some of the stories over the coming weeks.

Visiting Lagosette this summer reminded me of the blessing of our time there as a family. One of my favorite memories in Haiti is teaching the story of David being anointed as king during our Sunday school class in Lagosette. I loved the simplicity of teaching the incredible stories God has given us in the Bible, with just a chalk board and a group of kids. We acted out the story of David and it was precious and became so real because Makenzie (second from the left in the picture at the top of the blog) got to play the part of David. At that time, Makenzie was one of the smallest kids in the Lagosette "gang" and was working hard to prove he was as tough as the other kids and that he could hold his own. He was a special little friend to our family and had been a patient in the clinic more than once getting sewn up after those moments of proving himself. Makenzie has more than his share of challenges......and an abundant share of joy, too!

I was telling the story in 1 Samuel 16 where Jesse brings his sons before Samuel waiting for God to show him who he has chosen as the next king. The older sons come up one by one and the Lord tells Samuel each time that this is not the one. "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart," (1 Samuel 16:7). David was the youngest and was not part of the original line-up. In fact, he was not even watching the process, he was looking after the sheep. He was the smallest, not considered by man, but he was the one chosen by God. That day, when we read that verse where the Lord says, "he is the one," and Makenzie got to walk in front of the class and know that he was special in the eyes of the Lord, it was not just a story it was the truth. Each of those children in class were and are special and seeing it acted out was a blessing I will always treasure. The Lord has used Makenzie in ways he will never know. There are so many children in Lagosette who have touched the lives of the visitors who came from the States to serve there. Those kids were not trying to change the world or find their calling, they were just sharing the love and joy in their lives with the people around them. I pray that we can be like those kids. I pray the Lord will use us in ways that we may never know, we will just be loving the people he brings into our lives and staying faithful to him each day......and let him take care of the rest. ;-)

If you were part of the summer program in the DR or Haiti and would like to share some of your memories, you can send me an email at monica@mannaglobalministries.org.

Blessings!!
Monica

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

A Message from Norm Curington, MGM DR Director

Summer of 2010 is just days away from being gone, at least from our perspective
in the Dominican Republic, and I wish I had the words to describe the incredible
experiences we have had.

I have to say, first of all, how faithful and amazing God has been. By His
grace and mercy, we have seen some amazing things in the people that visited
this summer, those that we serve here with, and those we serve as nationals of
the DR. I'm so thankful the summer was not based on my lack of faithfulness,
but rather based on God's unfailing love. He was the Deliverer!

We had seven groups participate in our program, and I can honestly say they were
each a pleasure to have. I also have to confess I was not expecting this summer
to be this way. Those close to our program understand the difficulty and
challenge the summer program brings in terms of balancing our on-going
ministries, and hosting almost 160 visitors from the US. Not an easy task to
say the least, but one that God directed and provided incredible people to join
in on in 2010 and serve together.

In summers past we were blessed to have the team of Brian and Tammie Wallace,
with over 25 years of missionary experience, to lead our teams; they made a
tough job seem seamless. But, this year it was very different. Our most
"senior" missionary team members barely had 3 years of experience, and some
barely 3 weeks of experience before we started the summer. On paper, it looked
like we were in for a great challenge, if not impossible. BUT, we had a secret
weapon.... Okay, not so secret, but a strong weapon nonetheless. Your prayers
and support and love for us here, and a Spirit ready for battle. And with those
prayers lifted up so many times and through so many people and a Spirit of
power, God choose to bless us unbelievably.

Our missionary team, including Chad, Ronald, Rosi, Porfi, Carla, Rachel, Evan
and myself are doing so well, again I believe, solely based on your prayers and
God's grace. Sure, we're looking forward to a rest period, but on the whole,
doing amazingly well. Before the summer started, we purposed to work as a team
together, focus on our mission together, and support one another through the
summer. And that's just what happened. We're a motley crew. If you looked at
our resumes you'd say there's no way we could have done what we did, and frankly
you'd be right. But again, your prayers and God's power changed everything.

Then there were these 6 (seven if you include Luckson) interns that poured every
ounce of love and passion into the summer. Jill, Audrey, Nikki, Jordan, Glenn,
Carter, and Luckson were predestined and prepared to love deeply. And that's
exactly what they did. Each week they poured their heart and soul both into the
group visitors and the nationals of the DR. Each week they prayed and pointed
people to the Savior. Each week they served and had ton of laughs. And, in the
blink of an eye, the summer has come to an end. But what a summer it has been.

There's tons of details to share, if we had the time, and so so many stories of
God's goodness. But, this is really about how God showed up and changed
everything. Again, not because of anything we did, but because of His Goodness
and Mercy.

So, if you were wondering how the summer went, it was truly spectacular, and I
have to confess, much to my surprise. It was not our plans or our team or our
methods, but God's power. If there's a testimony to be said, it's God's ability
to take what seems small, insignificant, and very lacking, and create something
that is special, and warm, and pure, through Christ.

Thank you all. Thank you for believing in God's ability to take even this team,
and make something special. God did. Thank you for not giving up on us or this
work. Thank you for coming and being a part of God's work here in the DR.
Thank you for your faithfulness. Thank you for your desires to let this be the
beginning, not the end, of how we can work together. Thank you for your support
of our focus on evangelizing Rio San Juan. Thank you for loving Ronald and Rosi
and Porfi and Carla as we love them. Thank you for sharing in our dream of a
Disciplining Program in the DR. Thank you for your prayers, please continue
lifting us up. God does hear and does answer. That was the summer of 2010.
Now, we look forward.

On behalf of all the MannaDR team,

Norm

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Trip Report from Bill Moxon

The following was written by Bill Moxon after his trip to Haiti with MGM last month. For those of you who don't know Bill and Darla, they have a long history with Manna and spent close to 8 years living and working in Haiti, along with their three daughters. To try to sum up their work in this paragraph would not do them justice, but the relationships they built in Lagosette continue to bless the work there today.

Dear friends,
On one of the first mornings of my recent trip to Haiti, God’s Spirit grabbed my attention with a phrase from the 149th Psalm. It says, “He will beautify the afflicted ones with salvation.” That promise became the theme of my 2 week mini-mission to Haiti.
Working in Haiti, especially during these post earthquake days, is like riding a roller coaster. You are careening around with a sense that you are utterly helpless, out of control, and completely at the “mercy” of Someone... and you’ve no choice but to trust and hang on. I must have seen hundreds if not thousands of UN and relief agency vehicles clamoring all over the capitol city. The traffic jams are crazy. I am happy to see this desperate land receiving so much attention right now, and yet...I guess I’ve lived long enough in Haiti to know that even if billions of dollars can be raised and thousands of humanitarian experts consulted- we would only make a bigger mess of things- unless God is in the middle of it. And that is part of why that scripture was so sustaining to me. God is our focus. Our hope is first and foremost on Him. I’m sure He can use the UN and so many other agencies, but we must keep our eyes on Him.
It was hard to keep my focus on God in the midst of the heat and busy-ness of helping Haiti. I was busy with many things- wall demolition, road reconstruction, food distribution, orphan re-location, church visitation, work team transportation, and shopping for reconstruction materials and camp supplies...and yet it was sometimes hard to find a sense of accomplishment or progress. I soon remembered and dusted off an old skill that I had developed when we lived here before- just live in this moment. Do my best with whatever I have and enjoy whomever I’m with. I made some new friends and got caught up with others. The feeling crept up on me that I could get used to this place again.
So soon my time was up! My heart and mind were swirling and churning as the bus carried me away from Haiti and towards the airport in the Dominican Republic. I knew that I needed to write-- to simply list out the scattered points of chaos that had filled my journey over the runtogetherdays. The bumpy ride didn’t hinder my handwriting as I unpacked my burdened brain. Four pages later I had a sense that though the memories were recorded I was no closer to sorting anything out. Had I accomplished anything? Had I learned anything? And what was I to do now?
I would be hostage on this stuffy bus for several more hours so I continued to brood over my list. Then that quiet promise came back to mind from Psalm 149, “He will beautify the afflicted ones with salvation.” Surely I had not seen any fulfillment to that scripture already? Or had I? The earthquake was certainly a terrible affliction on a land already so broken. I saw the rubble and I saw the wounded. Many of us foreigners worried that the Haitian Christian’s faith would also be shaken. But I should have known better. For many generations Haitians have struggled with oppression, violence, and shortages...and yet for some, these hardships refine their faith in God. I saw the lines of people waiting in hot and dusty sunlight in hope for a bag of United Nations food. I talked late into the night with a middle-aged pastor who was sleeping in a nylon camping tent with 8 members of his extended family. He had once served as a proud guard with Baby Doc Duvalier’s soldiers. Now he was responsible for his little congregation but wondering how he could afford to rebuild his damaged home. But he did not seem panicked or stressed out, as I would be! They were hard pressed to find more extra chairs each Sunday as more and more people were coming to join their services. My tent was set up near his and each evening I could hear him lead his family in quiet hymns to God.
I set my pen down as we neared the border of the Dominican Republic, still musing over Psalm 149. The border that Haiti shares with the Dominican Republic has always been a wild place. I observed the throngs of people rushing back and forth, trying to make a little money on the goods that they are exchanging. But I marveled again at the Haitians meek submission at the Dominican border guards’ verbal and physical abuse as they command control of the scurrying crowds. Was God showing me His afflicted ones? Humility is such a precious commodity in God’s Kingdom economy!
Finally returning to my list, I reflected on the most astonishing expression of faith that I had witnessed during my mission. The Haitian government had called for 5 days of nationwide prayer and fasting. You must remember that there are all kinds of experts, teams, schemes and programs all converging on Haiti at this time. There are thousands of Haitian government, UN and NGO vehicles clogging the streets, in addition to the usual taxis, buses and freight trucks. There is a lot going on and a lot to be done. How could Haitian believers afford to ignore all this foreign aid and attention? I remembered driving around on that first morning of the fast- the foreigners’ vehicles were still zooming around, but I could find very few businesses open and almost no Haitian taxis or buses. The streets were almost empty but most every church was full of singing, praying believers. I couldn’t help but wonder if we would even get a fraction of their crowds if our leaders called our country for prayer.
This bus ride was the fourth day of the fast, yet even many miles away from the earthquake’s epicenter I could not detect diminishing faith or hope in the God who alone can beautify this afflicted nation with salvation. As my bus droned on I finally put my list away and closed my eyes as peace and gratitude flooded my heart.

Sincerely yours,

Bill Moxon

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Brian's stay lengthened

By Tammie Wallace

Brian's time in Haiti has been extended again. With his schedule of being at the Manna property in Lagosette later this month it just made sense to keep helping out with the efforts in Port au Prince until then. BUT he is going to need a much needed break and we've been blessed with an opportunity for me to fly into Santo Domingo, DR and catch 3 full days with "my man" while he has a bit of a respite.

Wesley is returning again this week to help with the rebuilding of the wall at SonLight's Children Home and Bill Moxon (friend and co-worker from 1989-1996 in Cap Haitian, Haiti) is helping take up the slack while Brian has his break. Thank you, Lord!!

And thank you to all who've given up their time and themselves to team up with us and help the efforts in Haiti. God bless you!

Sunday, January 31, 2010

The Lambs

Cory and Laura Beth Lamb are a very special part of Manna Global Ministries. They have led mission teams and even served two years as missionaries in the Dominican Republic. Laura Beth continues to work directly with MGM as the administrative director and she is invaluable to the work!! Cory recently returned to the DR to help coordinate the relief efforts from that side. There was a great article about them in their local newspaper. Here is the link:
HELPING IN HAITI: Local missionaries work to help survivors of earthquake

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Update from Haiti

Brad, along with Mark Gibson and Danny Beard, made it to Santo Domingo and into PAP on Thursday. The Manna team transported 13,000 lbs of food and medical supplies today and will transport 7,000 on Monday. To date, Manna has directly transported over 40,000 lbs of food, water, fuel and medical supplies to our partners in Port au Price. We are invloved in the direct distribution and utilization of these goods. Yesterday, we met with some leaders and pastors in the community and we will also begin distributing through them to meet the needs of the Haitian people.

A Note from Tammie

Brian and Tammie Wallace and their two children served as Manna missionaries in Haiti for many years. Their son, Wesley, was part of the initial Manna team to serve in Port au Prince after the earthquake. Following is a post from Brian and Tammie's personal blog about Wesley's experience:

Making A Difference

Just before Wesley returned home to Canadian, TX, the local newspaper The Canadian Record interviewed his wife, Ashleigh, about his response to the news of the earthquake in Haiti. The paper even included scripture and the MGM website address, to give people an avenue of how they can help the ongoing efforts. The newspaper wants to do a follow up in this week's addition.

Last Sunday Wes was asked to speak about his trip at his boss' church and how they could help the relief efforts and yesterday Amarillo's channel10 newscast did an interview with Wesley.

It's people like Wesley, people from your community, that can make a difference in people's lives, not only in times of natural catastrophes, but daily reaching out to ones who are hurting and searching for a reason to life.

Be a Light!


Links: Amarillo's Channel 10 Newscast
The Canadian Record

Friday, January 29, 2010

Coming and Going

There is now a flow of people working with Manna in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. We've been grateful for the volunteers who have helped coordinate the purchasing of supplies in the Dominican Republic and transporting them to the border as well as for those on the Haiti side who are making sure they make it from the border to Port au Prince. If you've ever traveled the roads in a third world or developing country you know those are not easy jobs. God has blessed the Manna team with some beautiful hearts to serve in this area.
There is also a Manna team now in Port au Prince helping Roberta with contruction, repairs, food distribution, and baisc medical care as needed. Brian has been in Port au Prince since the week of the earthquake and is continuing his work there. He said many times last week, "The more I think about the name 'Manna,' the more I like it. God gives us just what we need for today but if we try to gather too much, it rots. And tomorrow, God will meet our needs again."
Brad was home for 3 days and is now back in Haiti. He is driving a truck with supplies for Roberta from Santo Domingo to Port au Prince, along with some other volunteers including David Woodside, Mark Gibson and others (I'm sorry I don't have all the names).

NOTE: For those of you who have been part of the ministry of the school in Lagosette, you may remember Anne. She is a very special young lady who, because of generous gifts, had been able to continue her schooling in Port au Prince. Her heart is to become a doctor and return to Lagosette to serve there. We have heard that she is safe but lost all her belongings in Port. She wants to continue her education and we are looking into possibilities for that. We praise God that she is alright and is now with her family in Lagosette and Cap Haitian!!

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

MGM Update, and Moving Forward

It truly has been amazing to see God’s hand at work these past 2 weeks in Haiti. In the face of a horrible tragedy, the Manna team found themselves among the most amazing people on the ground in hospitals, orphanages and even an airplane piloted by a Moroccan pilot adamant to get us into PAP despite not having clearance to do so! From the first moment Manna committed to traveling to Haiti, the prayers, support and encouragement passed on to us has continued to carry us through this challenging time. We thank you for that.

The Manna team that God brought together for this was amazing. We went in on faith knowing the Lord would direct our steps in how to best serve Him and the people of Haiti. And man, did HE deliver! Once landing in Port au Prince (PAP), the team immediately set out to find a standing hospital in which to serve. All hospitals that we were familiar with had been destroyed, thus we began our search for other clinics in hopes to find one to work with. Upon driving in downtown PAP, we found an area that had been set up for people who had been displaced from the earthquake and immediately saw several people that needed critical medical attention. While starting to assist an injured woman, we had an American man come over to us. We immediately recognized him as a surgeon that Holly had met a year ago in the Dominican Republic. He asked us if we had a place to serve yet and directed us toward the Haitian Community Hospital (HCH) in downtown PAP. We loaded up our truck with people needing medical attention and an hour later found ourselves among hundreds of critically injured people at HCH where we were able to set up a triage and immediately began assessing and treating people for the next 10 days.

At the same time the team was at work in PAP, the rest of the Manna team was mobilizing and working in the DR and the US. Norm coordinated shipments of supplies to cross the border into Haiti on a regular basis. Those runs are now being carried out three times a week with each one transporting over 7000 lbs. of food and supplies. We have been blessed to have numerous volunteers come down and help us in both Haiti and the DR to insure the work Manna is doing continues to have an impact in the lives of the Haitian people.

Our initial focus was meeting the acute needs of the people on the ground and forming a sustainable network in Haiti to continue the work. We are now moving into our long term efforts in order to continue to provide much needed assistance on various levels. We are fortunate that we have been able to partner with several other individuals and organizations to further facilitate this endeavor. Moving forward, the majority of our efforts will continue to consist of the following:

•Continue to routinely transport much needed food and medical supplies into Haiti
•Provide medical resources to HCH and local churches to care for the people
•Continue to partner with trusted individuals, local churches and organizations
•We have already organized teams to come in to assist and will continue to do so to address specific needs
•We are aware that people are leaving PAP and traveling to other parts of the country. Because of our relationships in the Cap Haitian area, we will also be assessing and meeting the needs of the displaced people there as we are able

People continue to ask us what stands out in our minds over the past two weeks. If I had to sum it up in one word, it would be “HOPE”. We serve a loving God that provides hope in the midst of tragedy. The presence of God has been so evident in the people that have committed to share His light, which includes the incredible Haitian people living through this tragedy.

We look forward to keeping you updated and partnering with you in this endeavor as the Lord leads.

In Him,

Brad and Monica Gautney for the Manna team

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Hope

God is at work even in the tragedy. I can only tell what I saw, and that is a tiny little snapshot in a huge city. The Manna team had been working at Haitian Community Hospital and there were hundreds of people being treated there. Everyone was setting up tents and mats outside because most people, especially after the second earthquake on Wed., were afraid to be inside. There were so many people with broken bones and large wounds and a lot of amputations and the need for follow up care was great. There was a little boy named Anson who had a broken leg and an external fixator. Brad was cleaning his incision which was becoming infected. Anson was full of smiles and never complained, even though he was going to have to return to the OR to have the incision "washed out." I saw him again after he was taken inside and someone had given him a soccer ball to hold, so I stopped to talk with him and his dad. We talked about "futbol," and I found out that dad and son both liked to play. Anson was only 4 years old and his dad wanted to know if he would ever play futbol again. I pray he does! Please pray that the infection in his leg is cleared and someday Anson and his dad will kick the soccer ball together again.
I was truly blessed to meet a young lady named Maude. Maude is a nurse and it was necessary to amputate her leg due to the injuries she sustained in the earthquake. But when Brad introduced me to her, she had the most beautiful smile that lit up her whole face! She was so grateful to God to be alive. She was not mourning the loss of her leg, but talking about her plans for the future. She wanted to get a prosthesis and practice nursing again so she could continue to help others. What an amazing testimony to her sweet spirit!
These stories help me remember that this is a tragedy for the country, but each individual is walking through it and have their own story to tell. We will continue to pray that the "stories" will bring glory to God. What an honor to serve a God who brings hope in the midst of tragedy.

Monday, January 18, 2010

What an amazing 24 hours. I got a call early yesterday,Sunday, morning from Roberta saying she was ready to try to make it to the Jimani, DR border. It was a one shot deal. The last of her supplies were getting critically low. She had drained the last of her gas and diesel from everything, and put it in two trucks and was headed there to Jimani (he-ma-knee), asking me to meet her there with a truck load of much needed supplies, including food, fuel, and household items (clorox and toilet paper are now imposible to purchase). All praying God would protect and open the doors. Problem was, we thought we were 5 hours away (Rio San Juan to Jimani), not to mention having to purchase the supplies she wanted. Only by God's grace, we pulled together a team of 3 vehicles, cash, empty fuel tanks, and reserves from this side. And within an hour were headed to Santo Domingo to purchase supplies and then meet her at the border ASAP. Our only miscalculation was the distance between here in the border, 8 hours!! Instead of the five we had anticipated. In the mean time, God had opened the door, literally. Instead of passing the supplies between the borders,
when Roberta arrived at 3:00 to the border, the DR guards agreed to let her
and her trucks and crew drive right into Haiti and stop at the first fuel
station they came to, about 1 mile in. Now waiting for us to arrive, rather than meeting her at 3:00 or so, we hooked up in a fairly dark border Jimani town around 8:00PM. A bit surreal. But our only concern was Roberta and her crew's safety. We backed our trucks up to hers, and quickly off loaded all the supplies she had requested... And within an hour she was on her way back home. And, within an hour after she left the DR border, she called from Haiti to say she was back home, safe and sound. We then traversed to the DR again, another 8 hours, and arrived back here in Rio San Juan at 4:30AM. But, all safe and sound and absolutely no problems what so ever. Our plan is to repeat the process several times a week until supplies become more readily available through other avenues. For those of you sending money, just want you to know where your money is going. This trip was around $4,000 in supplies and fuel. We will also use this method as a transportation hub for folks that are scheduled to come in to help. It's clunky and long, but it works. And, that remains to be a good thing when you can say, "It Works". Thank you all for what you've done. We will continue to honor your help and resource that you have sent. But more importantly, we're just wanting to serve as best we know how. We wake up each day not knowing how it will work out, and amazingly at the end of the day (even those that end at 4:30AM), it works out perfectly. Today, Monday, we're doing another supply run. Leaving within 2 hours to try to get a large vehicle across the border for Brad and Brian to have. Even more supplies, but more importantly getting the large truck into Haiti. Again, please ask God to open doors normally closed and we can get the vehicle across without have to wait weeks for the "normal" and "necessary" paper work. Thanks for the prayers, I sound like a broken recorded but they are working. It's not any of us, I promise; I promise. It's the prayers. I can't explain it all or even understand it all, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it!
God bless,
Norm

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Update from the field

I have pieced together information from emails that I've gotten from Brad. It's a struggle for him to share things they have seen and has said that some of it doesn't seem right to even try to put into words on a post. I know they are working so hard and God is giving them the strength to do all they can. Please don't stop praying that God will renew them so that they can continue to serve the people in Haiti, and continue praying for the people in that country whose lives will never be the same.
"Another good, but brutal, brutal day. Set up clinic with MOH and a couple of other organizations in the heart of PAP today…. as yesterday I cannot begin to even count how many patients we saw. The medical Manna group was unbelievable and we saw tons of patients today with a Haitian crew from ST. Louis du Nord. They are gold. Melissa Curtice is here with us [from Northwest Haiti Christian Mission].....Brian and Wesley are the best and I am more than blessed to have them here with me. I love those guys so much. The same goes for Holly, Luckson and Melissa, and Rustin is also such a blessing
I am honestly just having a hard time writing what I have seen. . . .I do not have the energy right now to write anything else. [We are] going back to the Community Hospital tomorrow in the heart of PAP…..will be the same....Pray for strength and wisdom. I am good. God is renewing us each day."

Saturday, January 16, 2010

A Note from Norm

We are working to continue to establish a supply line for our team there in Port Au Prince. We are hearing from them on are regular basis. Monica Gautney is our main communication link with Brad Gautney who's leading the team. Everyone is doing well physically.

Our main focus is continuing to help with the the relief team we have in place, and gather information for an extended aide process. We will be very challenged to get food, water, fuel, and medicines to our workers. As, hopefully you got the MGM update, you'll know that our team is working in a hospital that had few, if any, clinicians until they arrived. By the Grace of God, they were led right to this place and countless people were there waiting to be seen.

In speaking with Roberta just before she boarded her plane to Port Au Prince, she's reminded me of the long term needs that will be present for much time to come. All those not receiving immediate treatment, inadequate treatment, and because of the poor quality of the water supply, inevitably a second round of critical clinical needs will arise. Infections, fevers,and various diseases will set in quickly. The healthcare issues will be massive and long term.

We're continuing to look both short term and long term as to how we can best help. Many of you have offered to go in with us. We continue to try to define exactly what role our folks can fill, and how to support that team with needed supplies, safety, lodging, and transportation. As you all have seen on the news, it's a huge logistical problem.

With an estimated 1.5 million people displaced, we are so thankful that our major building structures (children's home, feeding center, etc.) appear to have suffered little or no damage. That allows our attention to be focused on others.

Roberta is back in Port Au Prince. I know what she and the rest are seeing is horrible. I did get an email from Luckson, sharing a portion of it I think may be helpful in you understanding their position in helping......

From Luckson: ------Norm, it is bad here. We worked at an hospital today and it was bad. I have no words to explain what I was seeing today. I had to tell a 13 yrs old today that she was going to lost one of her eyes and it was hard. It is hard for me to be here but I wouldn't changed this for anything else in this world. The Lord is using me and everyone in our group.----------

Certainly, the Haitian people are suffering indescribably, but those close to the situation are also absorbing a lot of hurt by the critical conditions and their ability to only help so much. Even though all of our team is well trained for Haiti conditions, this situation is overwhelming. Please pray for them that they can deal with the pain in their own hearts as they help others.

God help us to help them.
Norm

Friday, January 15, 2010

An update from Brad

From an email I received from Brad tonight:

We left MOH today early and went into PAP to check on an orphanage that we know of. [Right after leaving there] we saw a DR surgeon we knew in the road in downtown PAP. He stopped and asked us if we could go to a hospital in the epicenter of where most of damage was. We agreed and when we arrived found hundreds and hundreds of people laying on the ground waiting for medical care as there is just so limited amount of any medical care. The hospital was the Haiti Community Hospital. I immediately met with the administrator and he put us in charge of setting up triage outside and began seeing the people that needed the most care. We saw mostly large lacerations 3+ days old from the earthquake. We were able to clean, debried most of them and get them started on antibiotics. Broken bones, skulls, spines, you name it. After a couple of hours, a Haitian orthopedic surgeon showed up and we began working hand in hand with him. Haitian med-students helped us tremendously and we worked incredible together. They were such a huge blessing. The hospital was almost completely out of meds and supplies so we left all we could.

Upon leaving to head back to MOH, the mass destruction was just unbelievable. It really is hard to believe to be honest. Still trying to comprehend it and not sure how we will. It took us over 3 hours to get back as the Haitian government and UN closed so many of the roads to retrieve and move bodies from the rubble.
Tomorrow we will head out with MOH to do mobile clinics.

Friday

The group spent the day in Port au Prince, beginning at a children's home and then working at a local hospital all day. My phone conversations with Brad usually start with, "I can' only talk a minute....." so I'm only getting bits and pieces and fewer details than I would like. But I am so thankful that we've gotten to talk at all and just to know that they are well and the Lord is at work.

Our prayers that the Lord would lead them were answered in a special way today as they left Roberta's home. They were driving through the city and "happened" to see a surgeon and director of an NGO that they had met in the DR. They stopped to talk with him and he told them there was a hospital that was in serious need of help and how to get there. They went directly there and hundreds of people were waiting, needing medical attention and very few medical personal. Our team was put to work immediately and worked there all day. They treated wounds and saw many people with crushed and broken bones and did whatever they could to help. They eventually had to leave to insure they were back to MOH before dark. Thank God for sending them where they were needed and that they were allowed to be his hands today!

On a personal level, we received another encouraging report today. One of Hope's brothers, Thony, is currently in the US and had been unable to hear from their other siblings in Haiti. We knew 2 brothers were safe but he heard from the others today. Praise God!

It is encouraging to know that people all over the world are uniting in prayer for the people of Haiti.

These verses came to mind today as a prayer for those affected by this tragedy. We serve an amazing God:

"He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners. . . . to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion-to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair."
Isaiah 61:1-3

Good News

I was blessed to get an unexpected phone call from Haiti this morning. Our group is in Port au Prince today and were able to check the children's home run by a friend (who was out of the country at the time of the earthquake and trying to return). Sadly, we had gotten word earlier in the week that one of the children had been killed when an outer wall fell, but the rest of the children are well. Most of the outer walls are down, but their home appears to have no structural damage. The kids are managing very well and and will have part of our group staying with them for the next few days. They have the food they need and are boiling water from their well. Thankful to hear the children are doing well and have a safe place to sleep at night!

Most of the group was going out into the city after we spoke to be of help where ever they are needed. There is a water and fuel shortage now, so travel is limited and difficult. I'm praying that God directs them to where they are needed most and that they will take his light and hope with them as they go. With each moment, we continue to pray for those who are trapped, that they will be found, and that those who are hurt will receive comfort. Lord, make yourself known in a mighty way.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

In Haiti

I just got an email from Brad's co-worker and friend here in Kansas City that our group made it safely to Port au Prince today and are now at Mission of Hope. Her email:

I just got off the phone with Marilyn from MOH who was on skype with Brad Johnson while we were on the phone. The team made it. Brad Gautney was at work in the clinic while we were on the phone.

So thankful to know our team is there safe and sound and looking forward to hearing from them soon. Will continue to post as we hear.

Link to Mission of Hope blog: http://disasterrelief.mohhaiti.org/