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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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