April 2008 Newsletter

It has been three months since we have written and we sincerely apologize for that. So much has happened that it's difficult to know where to start.

Work Team Season 2008

January through March is the busiest part of the year for work teams and visitors. We are thankful for and appreciative of everyone who has prayed, contributed financially and come to make our work team season a successful one. To highlight some of what has been accomplished:

1. Work continued on the construction of the Parc Chretien Church during the months of January-March. The church is getting close to completion and it is beautiful! (see above)
2. New bookshelves and cabinets were built for several places throughout the Dessalines Hospital and mission housing.
3. The surgery table was repaired and new consultation chairs for the doctors were purchased for the exam rooms.
4. A total electrical upgrade for the Dessalines Hospital was completed and included the purchase of two new split system air-conditioners (one for the surgery suite and one for the personnel director’s office).
5. Several painting projects around the hospital were completed.
6. The kitchen in of one of the staff apartments at the White House in Dessalines was remodeled. The old rotten cabinets were torn out and new concrete counters and new cabinets were installed.
7. An administrative seminar with the hospital administrator was taught.
8. New curtains were made for the medical director’s and administrator’s offices to help keep the dirt out.
9. Two bible school modules were taught.
10. An eye team that saw approximately 450 patients in 3 ½ days.
11. Haitian annual conference with Bishop David Roller.
12. Continued construction on the Ouaniminthe FMC and school (over on the northern Dominican border).
13. Completion of welding/security project at our home in Port-au-Prince.
14. Miscellaneous projects around FOHO.

God has been good to us and to the Haitian people these past three months and we give Him all the glory for what has been accomplished.

State of Affairs – Haiti

Haiti continues to spiral downward economically and it is hard to think that it could get any lower than what it has been. People are struggling to find enough food to eat and each day the food prices continue to go up. I was just told that a small can of rice, about the size of a can of corn (approximately 2 1/2 cups), costs $6-$10 HA and that a small bag of rice that used to cost $50 HA now costs $190 HA. Spaghetti, a main staple for the Haitian people, went up to $4 HA a package. For a country where there is 80% unemployment and the country’s rice production is exported, this can only mean an increase in hunger. Just today in Port-au-Prince and other areas throughout the country, people were protesting against the high cost of living.

Many of you have read articles about the “dirt cookies” people are eating to fill their stomachs and now we are hearing that the people are using the expression “Clorox” and “battery acid” to describe the level of their misery, meaning that’s all they’ve got left to eat before they die. They’re finished.

Several of our pastors have recently come to Gregg looking for money to buy food to help feed the destitute within their churches. Yesterday, one of our pastors asked for some money to buy some food so he could help his people in a rural community out to the south. The rise in food prices is also affecting our school feeding program. At this point, we can only feed the kids twice a week in some schools and a few times per month in others. Some feel Haiti is on the verge of a nationwide famine, particularly in the rural sectors of the country.

People needing healthcare don’t have the money to go to the hospital and when they do, they are usually very critical and many die. Just this morning we got a call from another pastor in Gonaives asking for $5000 HA to help a lady in his church who needs surgery because her house fell down on her and crushed her feet due to heavy rains. But what do you do when there’s no money to give? The physical and financial needs here are overwhelming and we carry heavy burdens for these people. It all adds to the daily stress we face as missionaries living in this impoverished nation.

I just recently read this statement in a book about the poor. “Who is going to help them if you don’t? Help another human being get by for just one more day with a little more ease than the previous day.” We need your help to help us help them.

State of Affairs – Ennises
If living here isn’t stressful enough, our second quarter appropriations were cut because we only have 35% committed to Haiti Country Shares. This means we have less money for mission operations, conference and hospital ministries.

We are also $11,000 short on commitments to our MSA. We continue to trust the Lord and serve Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength but we are to a point of not knowing what to do except to ask each of you to pray and obey what the Lord lays on your hearts. We will be coming home for a brief home assignment this fall and we hope to see many of you then.

Prayer Requests
1. Pray that the daily, physical needs of the Haitian people will be met.
2. Pray no one will be hurt during the protests that are happening due to the rise in food prices and the high cost of living.
3. Pray for the financial needs of the Dessalines Hospital as they continue to provide healthcare to an indigent people.
4. Pray for doctors/surgical teams to come and assist us at the hospital.
5. Pray for funds for our school feeding program. Funds can be sent to the International Child Care offices in Indianapolis or Canada earmarked “Haiti Food Fund.”
6. Pray for our upcoming work teams: Randy Wynn and Josiah; David Crawford, medical student; Coldwater FMC eye team.
7. Pray for Jack and Jeanne Munos as they prepare for their three-month home assignment May-August.
8. Pray that the funding for our support as well as for our Haiti Country Shares will be fully committed.
9. Pray for our upcoming home assignment September-December.

Ennis Christmas 2007 Newsletter

“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. . . - NOT! We’ve had several people write and ask what Christmas in Haiti is like. Today is Christmas Eve day, so we will try to give you a little taste of what Christmas is like for us in Dessalines.

2:00 am – public transportation bus rides around the village honking its horn to awaken people so they can catch the bus to Port-au-Prince. The bus leaves around 4 am every morning.

2:30 am – the sound of voodoo drums pulsating in the house across the street.

4:30 am – the roosters and our hillside neighbors start their day - crowing, yelling and kids crying.

5:30 am – the loud disco music starts somewhere in town - you'd think they'd play Christmas carols seeing that it is Christmas!

8:30 am – the sound of a shovel scraping across the top of our roof. Our yard guard decides to shovel off the leaves and water that have collected on the apartment roof.

11:00 am – we drive to the hospital to take supplies to the storeroom - one road is blocked with rice drying in the street, the other road blocked with a big transport truck. The street's blocked off for a big soccer match!

11:30 am – a walk through the hospital to see the many patients who have come to us for healing and a maternity ward full of delivering mothers and babies!

12:30 pm – leave hospital to return home – case after case of empty pop bottles line the street waiting for the coke delivery truck – getting ready to party again tonight!

3:00 pm – things seem to be quiet for now (except for the puttering rice mill)– no one yelling, no pigs screeching, no roosters crowing - everyone is resting up for the night’s activities.

Are there any signs in this pagan town that the birth of our Lord and Savior is being honored on the eve of His birth? One would think not. But many of our Haitian pastors and friends who love Jesus have greeted us, called or written to wish us a “Merry Christmas” and not “Happy Holidays.” The churches will be having special agape services and many people will be in prayer for God’s blessings to unfold on the coming year. For the Haitian people, they end the year rejoicing in all God has brought them through while they face the new year not knowing what catastrophe might befall them. But they continue to put their faith and trust in their Heavenly Father to provide, protect and precede them as they enter another year.

The Christmas season is a time to remember those people who are special to us and so we remember each of you with thanksgiving and gladness of heart. Gail and I want to wish each and every one of you a Christmas filled with joy and blessing as we celebrate the birth of our Savior and King. And for the New Year (as the Haitians say), may you be blessed with prosperity, length of life and good health.


“JOY TO THE WORLD, THE LORD IS COME!”

October 2007 Newsletter

As I sit typing this newsletter, Tropical Storm Noel is passing by. While we in Port-au-Prince are experiencing light but continuous showers, news from what's happening throughout the rest of the country has not yet filtered down. Haiti has been plagued with unusual rainfall for this time of the year and many people have already lost crops, livestock, homes and even their lives due to flooding and mudslides. One evening, just behind our apartment in Dessalines, a rockslide, due to heavy rain, crushed two homes and took the life of a child. We pray that this tropical storm will veer more north and move out quickly despite what weather forecasters are predicting.

The month of October marks our one-year anniversary of returning to Haiti after our evacuation. It just doesn't seem possible. While much has been accomplished during this time, there is still so much more to be done. We look to the Lord each day for His wisdom, strength and grace to keep persevering.

About three weeks ago, thieves broke into our house in Port-au-Prince while we were in Dessalines. They stole mostly electronics but also items such as soap, toothpaste, sheets, towels and even milk and bananas! Thankfully they didn't ramsack the house or kill the dogs or break in during the day when our maid was there. They were obviously on foot and were limited to what they could carry out. We suspect that the thieves are workers somewhere in the neighborhood that know when Gregg comes and goes.

Then last Tuesday morning, Gregg was going to Dessalines to pick up our friend who was leaving Haiti and an oncoming pick-up truck lost its back wheel and it came flying at Gregg. There were people on the side of the road and other on-coming vehicles, so Gregg had no choice than to let the tire hit him. It hit the car so hard that it damaged the steering and rendered the car inoperable. But Praise God, Gregg wasn't injured nor was anyone else. His angels were all around.

Each day presents new challenges and we depend daily on your prayers and the Lord's protection.

DESSALINES RURAL HEALTH PROGRAM

The DRHP is pleased to introduce to you its new medical director. Dr. Johny Fequiere is a general practitioner who worked several years at the LaProvidence Hospital in Gonaives. He comes with many talents but more importantly, he confesses to being a Christian. We look forward to working with him as we endeavor to provide holistic healthcare to the community of Dessalines.

After ten months of cleaning hospital files and organizing patient records, the project is finally finished thanks to our dear friend, Jane Wynn, who has spent 13 weeks since the first of the year just on this project. Thank you, Jane, for your commitment to this project and for your willingness to be used of the Lord in this way. You have left an indelible impression on many lives and we cannot thank you enough for the sacrifices you made to help make the hospital a better place.

During the month of October we celebrate the death of General Jean Jacques Dessalines. The celebration of this national holiday draws people from all over Haiti and is a big community event. Grandstands were built to seat dignitaries while decorations graced the streets. Everywhere you looked there were national police and UN soldiers standing guard and offering protection. Excitement filled the air while curious onlookers sat along the streets awaiting the arrival of the President. Unfortunately, at the last minute, the President could not make it so the Prime Minister came in his place. Jean Jacques Dessalines even made a surprise appearance!

Also during the month of October, we had a small evangelism, team come to make preparations for an evangelistic crusade that will be held in Dessalines the first week of December. While here, they had a "March for Jesus" where Christians took to the streets as a public testimony to their faith in Christ. Afterwards they assembled in the city square for a special service.

HAITI CHILD CARE

Haiti Child Care continues to depend on your contributions to the Haiti Food Fund to support the program's feeding ministry in our schools. Food prices continue to stay elevated and many of our schools cannot continue to feed the children every day. Please pray for this new school year and the many challenges we face as we faithfully care for "the least of these brothers." We love and appreciate the many people who sponsor children and give sacrificially on their behalf.

PARC CHRETIEN FMC

As many of you know, the Parc Chretien FMC has been under construction for several years now. The project is getting closer to being finished and is at the point where the windows need to be installed. When the window installer came out to measure the window openings, he accepted Christ as his Savior and has been faithfully attending church ever since.

A woman's group from the Parc Chretien Church went out on a evangelistic mission in the community of Coq Mole which is in the Lower Artibonite Valley about 3 hours from Port-au-Prince. Several people accepted Christ and three couples, who had been living together but weren't married, decided to get married. So, the three couples went together and planned the wedding and Pastor Desvariste married them in a joint ceremony. It was a joyous occasion for everyone!

Gail and I continue to thank the Lord for each of you and for the many words of encouragement that followed our last newsletter. Your financial committments towards our support and our ministry in Haiti can only be rewarded by the grace and goodness of our Sovereign Lord.

We heard a pastor say the other weekend, "You can't take it with you but you can sure send it ahead." The love you continue to demonstrate to us is "sending ahead" treasures in heaven for each of you. Your love is a love that not only helps us but is a love that seeks to help the needy around us. It is honoring to God and brings value to others.

I John 3:18-19, 22: "Let us love. . . in deed and in truth. And hereby we. . . shall assure our hearts before him. . . And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight."

September, 2007 Newsletter

1 ½ months have passed since we last wrote a newsletter and updated our blog. Part of this is because we were home for a little vacation. While it felt so good to go home and be with family and friends for awhile, it’s always a blessing to return to our friends and family here in Haiti.

For several months now we have been faced with many challenges and uncertainties and we are carrying burdens we’ve never had to carry before. We have come through turbulent times politically and security within the country is improving. But now we are faced with new problems and issues that surround how missionaries and their field ministries are supported. With the changes that have been made, we are finding ourselves questioning what our future in Haiti holds because of lack of funding. We are short in commitments towards our support, our country shares and the ministry of the Dessalines hospital. We are leaning on God and trusting His faithfulness as never before.

Gail and I have lived in Haiti and ministered to the Haitian people for a total of 17 ½ years and during this time the need for finances has never been an issue. You have been so faithful to partner with us in ministry all this time and we have been blessed and encouraged by your prayers and support - in the good times and through the many difficult ones.

The new funding system is confusing and is difficult for all of us to understand. But while everyone is trying to figure out whether or not they are going to accept it and support it, we on the field are struggling with the consequences of what will happen if the necessary funds do not come in. The ones we have been called to minister to will be the ones to suffer as a result of these shortfalls and we are already feeling the stress and strain of being under funded.

So, what are we, as your missionaries, to do? Our calling is to wait upon God (though in our humanness this is very difficult to do). Only God alone knows what He can do for those who wait. We will continue in loving intercession for all of you as well as for His people throughout the world – especially His people in Haiti. We will wait patiently on God in faith and continue offering ourselves as a living sacrifice to Him and to those He has sent us to minister to. And we will believe that the God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills will meet our financial needs and exceed all our expectations because He is able to do “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.”

And, what are you, as our supporters, to do? We on the field are trying very hard not to get discouraged and give up. We encourage you to pray and consider the “least of these brothers and sisters” and give according to the privilege that is ours in Christ Jesus. As you give, experience in a fresh, new way, the joy and power that achieving great things for God can do.

PRAYER REQUESTS

1. Successful financial commitments towards the work in Haiti and our current deficit.
2. Pray for the continued ministry of the Dessalines Hospital. Pray for Castel Joseph, our administrator, and all of the hospital staff.
3. Pray for wisdom for our conference superintendents as they address tough issues with some of our church pastors.
4. The need for more missionaries in Haiti.
5. Mondale Oscar as he continues to oversee the child sponsorship program.

Welcome to our blog! Since many of you have had difficulty in receiving our newsletters, we have been working hard to develop a blog and a ministry homepage on the web that everyone can read and enjoy. We will notify you by email each time there is a new posting to the blog.

The months of June and July have been filled with activity.

Dessalines Rural Health Program

The hospital has had a facelift! What a difference a fresh coat of paint has made to the appearance of the hospital both inside and out! It looks soooo nice! A lot of hard work (and sweat) went into this project and we are indebted to all of our friends who invested time and money into making this project a success. MERCI BEAUCOUP, TOUT MOUN! (Thank you, everyone!)

There are still a few areas that didn’t get finished, so if anyone is interested in coming and finishing up this project, please let us know. We’re waiting for you!

For the past month, we have been pleased to have Dr. Rusher return to work with a small medical team. Dr. Sarah, a family practice physician from Rochester, New York, has been busy doing patient consults, assisting in surgeries and lending support and encouragement to our hospital staff. Under Dr. Rusher’s supervision, Stephen, a second-year med student from Redlands, California, has been learning many things that will help him as he continues pursuing his medical studies. His wife, Linda, has been instrumental in helping us design and develop our blog and homepage.

We also had a North American gynecologist here for a few days to work with our Haitian gynecologist. While he was here, an 8 year-old girl was referred to us with a possible bowel obstruction and had not eaten for three weeks. When the ultrasound was done, they found that her ovary was twisted up into her bowel. They performed surgery and saved the life of this child. The little girl just returned for her rendezvous and no one recognized her! She had put on weight and was doing great!

The DRHP continues to depend on your personal and financial contributions to help us provide healthcare to the poorest of the poor. We would encourage you to partner with us in this vital ministry. Financial contributions can be made electronically by clicking on the sidebar link “Support Our Projects In Haiti.” Or, if you would like to use your medical talents at the DRHP, please contact us through this blog.

Haiti Child Care

While the summer months bring vacation for the kids, there is no vacation for the Child Care staff. The summer months are filled with preparations necessary for the opening of school in the fall. The staff is busy updating our database with the new grade levels, ordering books and calculating, ordering and distributing uniform material for almost 8500 sponsored children.

During the summer months, our schools have summer activities for the children in their neighborhoods. These children are invited to come and learn about Jesus and are provided a hot meal before returning home.

The Haiti Child Care staff and all of our pastors and their assistants depend on your prayers as they continue ministering to the Haitian children in the Name of Christ.

General Mission

As many of you know, General Conference 2007 is now behind us. A lot of work by a lot of people made this conference a success. The Free Methodist Haiti Inland Mission and conference want to extend to each of you their heartfelt thanks and appreciation for how our 25 delegates were received and cared for. Many of you went above and beyond the call of duty to extend your love and kindness to us. For this, we are eternally grateful.

When I, Gail, left Haiti to accompany the delegates to conference, I thought I would be overseeing their activities and promoting the Dessalines Rural Health Program. But this did not happen. The first Saturday night of conference, one of our pastors ended up in the hospital with uncontrolled blood pressure and I spent the entire week in the hospital as his overseer and translator. At the end of the week, another one of our delegates passed out in the bathroom with what they originally thought was a seizure and spent the night in the hospital for observation. We are praising the Lord that he was only dehydrated. He did end up with 5 staples in the back of his head. Please pray for Pastor Lima and Pastor Henri as they continue to recover.

When I look back over the events of that week, I am amazed at the many ways so many people gave so selflessly to make sure we had everything we needed. We cannot find the words to adequately express our love and appreciation for all that was done for us. God will bless you for your sacrificial service and your acts of love and kindness that were shown to us that week.

Haiti Country Shares

Through the years, the Haitian conference has sacrificially fulfilled its role in carrying out the Great Commission and has sought the will of God for the direction of the national church. Through the years, the conference has looked to the North American church and other supporters to help it meet its financial obligations that help them continue its ministry to the Haitian people.

During the conference year 2006, 2777 people were converted. Without your financial support the conference will not be able to minister effectively to the Haitian people and fulfill the calling they feel God has placed upon them as a conference.

Won’t you ask the Lord how you can play a financial role in this vital and vibrant ministry? Your contribution will help to save “one more soul.”


For more information on Haiti Country Shares, please navigate to the FM website by clicking on the sidebar link “Support Our Projects In Haiti”.

For financial donations, please navigate to the FM website by clicking on the sidebar link “Donate to Haiti Shares.”