October

Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. 

Colossians 2:6-7

Dear Friends in Christ,

We are overflowing with gratitude to our loving Savior, Jesus Christ. He has made a way for our school in Haiti to be open every day, when many schools there are closed. It is only His love and protection that make this happen. We know it is possible that some gang members’ children could be attending the school, yet they are being exposed to Jesus Christ on a regular basis if they are indeed there.

The students made hats to celebrate a military leader who named their country Haiti. They were taught about what he (Jean Jacques Dessalines) did for Haiti. He was considered the Emperor of Haiti from 1804-1806 while the slaves were revolting against the French. This is a big holiday celebration each year. Sadly, Haiti does not have Christian roots, and the island was dedicated to Satan early on. We can easily see the demonic results that come from not giving their country to Jesus.

The maintenance crew is still working at the school. They have repainted and are working on more tables for the kindergarteners. They’ve also added gutters to collect water for our cistern. Many costly repairs are needed each year. We are glad to find these workers who live close by the school.

We are continuously seeing the need to have a strong Christian pastor who lives close enough to the school to have more of a counseling role in the teachers’ and children’s lives. A few years back, Pastor Bertho and Edgard filled that role for us as they traveled to the school every few weeks to check on how things were going. Because of the gangs, they can no longer get there. Although our teachers are all professing Christians, we see having a more mature mentor and counselor as a pressing need. Please pray with us that we can find a pastor closer to the school to help keep up with all of the activities there.

Backpacks are a huge blessing for our students. You can see how much it means to them to receive them for the school year. We love seeing these precious pictures! As this newsletter is being written, the uniforms are in the final stage of professional cleaning in preparation for the children to receive them. The children’s families will wash the uniforms in the river throughout the school year, so we like for them to be given to them cleaned and pressed.

Woodson has still not seen his Mom, which is very important to him. We have been told it is still too dangerous for her to travel from the school in Mirabales to Petionville to see him. We are also trying to discern if more financial support is needed for Edgard. We have offered to help him purchase a washing machine and to help with more needs in his home. We do not want to disrupt his family more than they can handle. Edgard and his wife Evelyn have been very appreciative of the help, as this has been a bigger task than they anticipated; however, they have communicated they love Woodson dearly and still want to care for him. Having adopted children ourselves, we understand well the changes that take place in your family when you bring another child into the home. Woodson has also gone from being raised in a home of heavy voodoo influence to now being raised in a Christian home. Although he has been very receptive to these changes, there is still baggage that comes with that. School is going well for Woodson and Edgard’s own children. Please pray with us for Woodson, Edgard, his wife Evelyn, and their three children, as they adjust to living together and all the dynamics that go with this major change in their lives.

This week we received two boxes of fabrics to send to Lety in Nava, Mexico. Lety continues to lead the girls in the colonia in Bible studies with crafting and sewing projects. We are blessed to have her sharing the gospel with these precious girls and having input into their lives.
Pastor Santos and Fini stay extremely busy with the families who attend their church and many families in the Nava community. They are a blessing to all around them. Please pray for them, Lety, and the ministries that continue in Nava.

Another month has come and gone, and the Lord is faithful as always. As we grow older, I think God slowly shows us how little control we actually have over our lives. This makes us realize our need to trust HIM with what is happening in Mexico and Haiti. He has a plan, and we long to follow Him and His plans for us and OSM.

Thank you so much for your faithful love, prayers, and support for OSM. We are blessed to be partners with you to touch Haiti and Mexico with the love of Jesus Christ. We pray His blessings over each of you, your homes and businesses, and your families. We hope you enjoy the Holiday Brochure this year! If you donate towards an item in the brochure, please note how you would like your gift designated.

Serving our Savior with you,
Ken and Debbi