February

Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you, He will not fail you or forsake you.
Deut. 31:6

Dear Friends in Christ,

Another difficult month in Haiti! We are disappointed that things have grown worse when we thought they were about as bad as they could get. A missionary who works in Haiti wrote this of their current situation: “One day thousands are risking their lives to demand revolution, the next day they are dancing and worshiping the demons! And we wonder why God doesn’t intervene?” She wrote this because this is now RaRa season or Carnival there, a time to worship satan. They dedicate their island to him each year. Any time someone asks us “Why does Haiti remain so troubled, yet they receive so much help and aid from Christians?” Our answer is always the same because they continue to worship satan there. There are many fine Christians and churches there, people who realize their problems are related to the spiritual condition of the country. Yet, the prevalent spirit of the island is satanic, which explains all the terrible problems that never seem to end.

During all the violence and trouble on the streets, Nady, our Mirabalais school administrator, made a very gutsy decision to go to Port-au-Prince (PAP) to pick up school supplies and take them back to the school. Ready for the school to receive the many items that were waiting to be delivered, he felt it was time to get everything picked up. Leaving very early morning, to try to avoid gangs along the way, he rented a tap-tap (taxi) to collect all the Christmas gift bags, as well as boxes of food, teacher’s shirts, an accordion, and a laptop for himself. The OSM workers in Port-au-Prince had been waiting for the roads to get better but that never happened. We praise the Lord for His protection over Nady!

The children were very excited to receive the gift bags. This is a big deal to them and their families as many items in the bags are helpful for their families. The bags include small first aid kits, dental care kits, soap, shampoo & conditioner, combs and brushes, water bottles, jump ropes, a towel and washcloth, along with a manicure set and sewing kit. There is a toy or personal item for each child in their bags. This is probably the single largest gift any of them receive each year. It is fun to see the happy faces in the pictures. Along with the school children receiving the gift bags, all the teachers received shirts, the men ties, and those with children received a gift bag for them. Most of the teachers live in Mirebalais, and ride to the school each day on motorcycles, so their children do not attend our school.

We also sent an apron for the head cook with the school logo and her name embroidered on it. Thank you to those of you who helped support these won-derful Christmas gift bags in the holiday brochure!
Each month, we are grateful for the Lord’s protec-tion and care for our school children. Being in a re-mote area has helped the school to NOT be target-ed by the gangs. Getting supplies out there runs risks, but since it is not a busy road, the gangs do not watch that area much. We do know there are gang members who live close to the school, but so far, they have left the children and the teachers alone. Only God’s protection can explain why they have been able to get so many things delivered to the school safely. We praise God for His continued care for the precious school children and lovely Christian teachers and their families!

This month, Pastor Santos has been busy at the Ranch of Faith. He has been looking for a milking machine for his goats and cows and he has located one. He is trying to keep the ranch going for the children as well as some adults who have helped him make goat cheese and sell goat and cow milk in the area. The ranch has been used by Santos and his wife, Sister Fini, to minister to young people and adults. Many hurting couples will come to the ranch and stay with them for marriage counseling and other spiritual, physical, and financial needs. We would like to help him with the cost of a portable, gasoline-powered, milking machine. If you would like to help with this need, the cost is $2,000. Please be in prayer about this. If you can help, that would be an answer to prayer, as they desire to continue using the goats and cows to minister to children and families in Nava.

Many people walk by Pastor Santos’ church each day, it is located on the main highway going through Nava. With a large number of these people stopping at his church for help, Pastor Santos has been using the opportunity to minister in any way he can. He helps families with meals, and a safe place to rest or sleep, many have physical needs, and they always hear the gospel of Jesus Christ before they leave. This has kept him and Sister Fini very busy. We have no idea how many of these people have heard the gospel because of their love for people and for showing the love of Jesus Christ to them. Please keep him and Sister Fini in your prayers, they are feeling the wear and tear on their bodies from the many hours of serving others.

To God be the glory, great things He has done, so loved He the world that He gave us His Son! Hallelujah! We have much to be grateful for. We feel privileged to be a part of these needy areas in Haiti and Mexico, sharing Jesus Christ with these precious people, all in God’s hands. Thank you for your prayers and financial support which is continuously helping make this ministry possible.

Serving our Savior with you,
Ken & Debbi