Chris in Haiti

Christopher went to Haiti earlier this year with Stephanie (his now wife) and a local church group. He was invited to return by the missionary.  He has accepted their invitation and is now on his way to meet up with them 2 hours from Santo Domingo.  He was delayed getting there, as usual, the one who doesn't want our efforts to be successful, tried to get him all upset but he didn't allow that to happen.  Chris took it all in stride and now is on his way to meet the missionaries.  He had to catch a bus from the airport to meet them.  He will be working in Dominican Republic as well as in Haiti.

We had plans to get with Chris and go over some evangelism training but his trip got moved up and wasn't able to accomplish that.  He surprised us with a sudden trip.  However, I did send with him a Children's Ministry Resource Bible for him to use while there.  It has all the teaching materials in it.  A great resource. I asked him to leave it with the missionaries and I will give him another one when he gets home.  Hope he was able to get it into his luggage.

He just updated his status on face book-   "Well I finally made it. It took a strange cab ride and a sketchy bus trip and then asking somebody to borrow their phone to call Sam and Delores to meet me at the bus stop but I'm here lol. I can't thank and praise the Lord enough for keeping me safe and performing the first miracle I've seen coming here... the trip itself ;)"


I think he is pretty relieved to get there.

History & News from Haiti

Thomas Coex/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Updated: Oct. 26, 2011
Overview
One of the poorest and least developed countries in the world, Haiti in recent years has struggled with problems ranging from near-constant political upheaval, health crises, an annual barrage of hurricanes and the worst earthquake in the region in more than 200 years.
The quake that struck on Jan. 10, 2010, reduced much of the capital, Port-au-Prince, to rubble.  A study by the Inter-American Development Bank estimated that the total cost of the disaster was between $8 billion to $14 billion, based on a death toll from 200,000 to 250,000. That number was revised in 2011 by Haiti’s government to 316,000; the government has never explained how it arrived at its death toll figures.
An estimated 634,000 people live in displacement camps, according to the International Organization for Migration. International donors promised Haiti $5.3 billion at a March 2010 donor’s conference. But reconstruction involving better buildings and roads has barely begun. Officials’ sole point of pride six months after the earthquake — that disease and violence had been averted — vanished with the outbreak of cholera.
More than a year after the disaster, there were signs of impatience with the limping recovery and the waning international sympathy for Haiti’s enduring troubles as the neighboring Dominican Republic began deporting refugees. Haiti and its international donors were far behind in helping the hundreds of thousands still living in makeshift camps and the millions without formal jobs.
In March 2011, two conservative rivals faced off in a runoff election for the presidency. In April, it was announced that Michel Martelly, a performer with the stage name Sweet Micky, had defeated Mirlande H. Manigat, a former first lady and college administrator.

The Duvalier Legacy

Haiti occupies an area roughly the size of Maryland on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Nearly all of the 8.7 million residents are of African descent and speak Creole and French. The capital is Port-au-Prince.
The country is the poorest in the Western Hemisphere, with four out of five people living in poverty and more than half in abject poverty. Deforestation and over-farming have left much of Haiti eroded and barren, undermining subsistence farming efforts, driving up food prices and leaving the country even more vulnerable to natural disasters. Its long history of political instability and corruption has added to the turmoil.
In 1791, Haiti became the world’s first black republic and the first independent nation in the region after it won independence in 1804 in a slave revolt against Napoleonic France. Its history has been shaped by profound political disarray, chaotic rule marked by corruption and brutal repression and, beginning in 1915, a two-decade occupation by the United States. Haiti’s most infamous leader was François Duvalier, known as Papa Doc, who was elected president in 1957, beginning a long rule known for venality and human rights abuses. His son Jean-Claude Duvalier ruled from 1971 until he fled in 1986 but not before looting the treasury in another Haitian tradition. What followed was another period of alternating civilian and military regimes.
Regime Change and Free Elections
In 1991, Jean-Bertrand Aristide became president after winning 67 percent of the vote, but he was overthrown shortly after taking office in a violent coup leading to a three-year period of military rule that ended only after the intervention of a United Nations force led by the United States. While the 1995 election of René Préval, a prominent political ally of Mr. Aristide, was widely praised, subsequent elections were plagued with allegations of fraud, including the 2000 restoration of Mr. Aristide to his old post.
Over the following years, violence spread throughout the country as the government cracked down on opposition party leaders, holding power in part with the aid of extra-legal gangs. In February 2004, after groups opposed to the Aristide government seized control of cities and towns throughout Haiti and closed in on the capital, Mr. Aristide resigned and fled to South Africa. United States-led armed forces under the authority of the United Nations Security Council were sent to Port-au-Prince to bring order and oversee the installation of an interim government. The United Nations has spent some $5 billion on peacekeeping operations since 2004.
In 2006, Mr. Préval was re-elected president amidst allegations of impropriety.
Despite bouts of optimism brought on by the implementation of a new constitution and the first peaceful transfer of power between two elected presidents in the nation’s history, Haiti’s politics in the post-earthquake era remain as tumultuous as ever.
Political Instability and Natural Disasters
Since 2008, Haiti’s situation has worsened dramatically. It has staggered under the a combination of food riots, government instability and a series of hurricanes that killed hundreds and battered the economy — all of this before the deadliest earthquake in the country’s history.
The January 2010 earthquake left the country and its densely populated Port-au-Prince flattened, its poorly constructed buildings and shanties destroyed or seriously compromised and the government broken. Upwards of 250,000 lives were lost.
By May 2010, the hope that a more efficient, more just Haiti might rise from the rubble was giving way to stalemate and bitterness. Haitians complained that the politically connected were benefiting most from the scant reconstruction work and that crime was returning. Meanwhile, unproductive politicians and aid groups struggled with temporary refugee camps that looked more permanent every day.
Parliament was essentially disbanded; power rested with Mr. Préval, his cabinet and a reconstruction commission led by the Haitian prime minister and former President Bill Clinton. Haiti’s first election since the January earthquake took place in late November 2010, characterized by disorganization, voter intimidation, the ransacking of polling stations and fraud.
Presidential Election
In March 2011, two conservative rivals faced off in a runoff election for the presidency. In April, it was announced that Michel Martelly, a performer with the stage name Sweet Micky, had defeated Mirlande H. Manigat, a former first lady and college administrator who was the top vote getter in the initial round of voting in November 2010. 
In the campaign, Mr. Martelly eschewed the skirts, underwear and other outlandish outfits of his musical career in favor of tailored suits and serious talk of reforming agriculture, streamlining the delivery of humanitarian aid and restoring law and order by bringing back the military, which was disbanded more than a decade ago after a history of human rights and political abuses.
Mr. Martelly faced immediate challenges and hobbled authority. Haiti is heavily reliant on foreign humanitarian aid, dispersed among hundreds of nongovernmental organizations that operate in effect as a shadow government. It also relies on United Nations peacekeepers for security.
When a plan to cut the number of United Nations peacekeepers in Haiti was announced in September 2011, Mr. Martelly sharply opposed it. He said in an interview that he “would not even think of reducing” the force because the country remained unstable and the national police were not ready to take over.
Mr. Martelly’s Military Proposal
At around the same time, in an effort to create jobs and supplement the weak national police force, Mr. Martelly began pressing forward with his plan to reconstitute the Haitian military. The military was disbanded over human rights abuses in 1995 by President Jean-Bertrand Aristide after years of political turmoil, making Haiti one of a handful of countries without an army.
Mr. Martelly submitted a $95 million proposal calling for an initial force of 3,500 personnel to patrol the border, help put down civil unrest and provide badly needed employment. However, even members of Parliament who were supportive of the idea doubted there was support to finance the proposal.
Also, a draft of Mr. Martelly’s proposal circulated to diplomats from donor nations was promptly leaked, a sign of disquiet among many who recalled the military’s involvement in coups and questioned its priority in a country still reeling from the January 2010 earthquake. 

Christopher is Going to Haiti

Our grandson is going to Haiti as a missionary.  I don't know all the details but he will be leaving early Christmas morning and be gone for 3 months.  I am so impressed by this young man's desire to do what he feels God leading him to do.  He is giving up his very impressive job  and time away from his family and friends.  His employer has told him that his job will be waiting for him when he gets back.  I don't know exactly what he'll be doing while there but it doesn't matter.  He will be working with missionaries that are already established in the area. 


Haiti is like what I'd call Ninevah to me.  If the Lord asked me to go, I might be tempted to flea in the opposite direction.  God knows what we can handle and that's why he has NOT sent me to Haiti.  I know some of our local volunteers have been on short tours.  Christopher went with Longview Baptist Church a few weeks ago for a week tour and is now returning for a longer tour.  Wow, I am just floored at how things happen.  Hopefully we will get pictures and info on his mission work there, but I don't think Chris is the picture taking kind of guy. 
I don't expect to get anything to blog about but we know that God knows and has his hand on Chris. I will try to post reports as I get them-if I get any.
Please keep him in your prayers

Jonah and the Ninevehites

My pastor presented this rendition of the Jonah story with the help of one of the youth, Matthew.  I found this on my computer today.  It was recorded on October 15, 2008.

Children of the Plains

I have recently become involved with One Nation Walking Together. This upstanding organization is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life of Native Americans living on reservations and urban areas. If you missed it, watch ABC's A Hidden America: Children of the Plains with Diane Sawyer, filmed on the Pine Ridge Reservation. It's 41 minutes - so relax with a cup of coffee and enjoy.


I have obtained some tags to put on your key-ring for donations from Albertson's grocery store.  Every time you shop at Albertson's, have them scan this tab and 1% of your bill will be donated to this organization.
You can request them from their website and they will mail you some.  They sent me several of them to share with friends.

We are working with different Native American Nations to help them with some of the same things but also we are trying to help evangelize their people.  My husband and I help build churches where needed and also participate in evangelism efforts.

Jackie and some members from our church along with members from other churches in the area will be going to Jay, OK next week to help finish a new church for the Native Americans there.  Please keep them in your prayers.

When is a Child too Young?

This is an article from a Child Evangelism article called NET WORK

written by

SHIRLEY WISNER

What would you say to a parent

who she says her child, is too young to

be saved and therefore insists you

do not deal with her child? And what

would you do if during the invitation

this child raises his hand?

- A. C., Jacksonville, Florida

If this child raises his hand for

salvation, I would deal with him just

as I do with any other child, but I

would assure the mother that no pres-

sure is put upon the child about these

matters - that decisions are purely

voluntary.

Ask her to come and visit the class

and see for herself what is going on.

If she is a Christian, she will want

her child to be saved when she thinks

he is old enough. Perhaps she will

see as she sits in the class that when

the lesson is visualized, making the

way of salvation so clear, that even

little children can respond and know

what they are doing.

Take the mother to God's Word -

the very words of the Lord Jesus in

Mark 10:14-"suffer [let] the little

children to come unto me, and forbid

them not. . . ." Ask if she punishes

her child for doing wrong. Then

show her James 4:17, pointing out that

the Bible says that not to do right

when one knows what right is, is sin.

Try to get her to see that when her

child is old enough to knowingly do

wrong - to sin - he is old enough to

savingly believe.

If the mother is not saved you may

have opportunity to lead her to the

Lord, using the same simple technique

that you use with the children. (Your

prayer partners can help here.)

Let the mother feel your love for

her and her child, that you want only

God's best for the child, and that you

are sure she wants that, too. Assure

her that you do not want the child

to make a false profession any more

than she wants it, but neither would

you want to stand in his way.

Many testify that they were turned

against the church and the things of

God because they were pushed aside

when they wanted to come at an

early age. Knowing how prone we

are to think the child too little, God

clearly warns against this in Matthew

18:6. He also admonishes, "Despise

not one of these little ones." Despise

means to push aside and count of no

value.

My Comments:

With prayerful consideration,

the mother should be able

to accept that her young child

 is able to understand

what is being presented to him

and willfully, voluntarily

come to the saving knowlege

of Jesus Christ.

Edna Hickman is a Missionary

Edna is truly a missionary and an amazing woman. There is no one who is more about the Lord's business. She is active in WMU and also teaching Mission Friends on Wednesday.  She is also my Sunday School teacher.  She has been instrumental in getting our SS class working at Main Street Mission in Pineville, LA.  Every Friday members of our SS class go the Main Street Mission to prepare a meal as well as try to meet other needs of our homeless/less fortunate population in our area.  She has taught the Korean children in VBS for the past three years.  She also went with us to Red Oak, OK and taught VBS a couple of years ago. She serves the church on different committees as required.  Not to mention that she also is the primary babysitter for a great grandchild.

Edna has had experience with CEF.  We introduce the Wordless Book on all our mission trips where children are the focus.  She was a part of that on the trip to Red Oak, OK.   I was excited to see Ms. Edna use the wordless book to present the gospel at Holloway's VBS this year.  It is a great tool and the children can remember it and retell it easily. Ms Edna gave each child a Wordless book.  They also rec'd instructions with bible verses for each color and a sample prayer for salvation.

Mrs Edna is not without challenges.  She has had double knee replacement, open heart surgery and is dealing with other health issues.  Yet she chooses to serve the Lord anyway, no matter what.  Lots of teachers don't go to each class with their students.  What I've noticed about Edna is that she goes everywhere her students go.  That's pretty impressive.  Check out the slide show.

Edna is special and I really appreciate her faithfulness to the Lord. BTW, I appreciate all sweet things she has done for me such as the lunch she brought me when I was sitting with my MIL, Myrtis, in the hospital.  She was also there for me when Jackie had his heart attack.  Thanks Edna and may God Bless You and keep you until the day of His return.

VBS at Holloway Baptist Church

I was able to help with VBS at Holloway Baptist Church this past week.  It was especially special because our church had 26 Korean children here as Camp USA.  This group has been coming for bible school in our area for the past few years but this year it was HBC's turn to host the Korean children.

From the time I was too old for VBS, I was playing the piano for VBS.  We sang songs like "I've got that Joy, Joy, Joy down in my heart" and "Deep and Wide".  The music is so much better now, it's hard to believe the SBC can come up with new music that is so evangelistic and contemporary every year.  The kids love it and I love it too.  The music in itself presents the gospel.  The kids are learning scripture and the good news about Christ through this awesome music.  Marcia Shields lead the music and did an excellent job. I guess you can say, I am very impressed.

I was able to present the Missions portion of VBS.  It was interesting learning about different missionaries and also to encourage each child to be a missionary and share the gospel with their friends.

I really wanted to give each child a Gideon New Testament.  The Gideons use to give the children a bible to all the 5th graders.  But they say now that the schools won't let them do that anymore.  What a pity.  Well, why not give them out at VBS?  So I was determined at least to give the Korean children one.  We found a box of the little treasures in the library and was able to give every child a Gideon New Testament. God had those hidden just for this special occasion.  I encouraged the children to mark the verses that were in the "Heaven How to Get There" tract that I gave them.  They each received 2 of those to share with friends. Hopefully they will read those and be ready to share verses and the gospel with their friends.  That was the emphasis one day of VBS: to go and to tell.  Wow, what a great VBS.

One of the VBS teachers, Jamie, (in picture above) told me that she was taking a kindergarten Sunday School class starting the new church year.  She expressed concern about her ability.  She expressed a desire for training information.  I was able to give her a "Children's Ministry Resource Bible".  She was excited to get it and  I think she will get much benefit from the training materials in this Bible.  She did an excellent job teaching the children.  I had them after their Bible lesson and the children could tell me all about what they had just learned.  I believe she is already on the way to being a super teacher of God's Word. 

This says it all-a small child learning to pray.
This is what it's all about.

Wow, what a great VBS.

Thanks to Hiro (also from Korea) for all the great shots

used in this blog and slide show!

Declan just turned into a missionary!!!!

At Clinton, OK 
Declan was my only student on Friday. He was there to be one of my helpers but God had other plans. It is true that He will let us know what to do if we are faithful.  God had me to train Declan to be a missionary using the wordless book. Declan had received Jesus as his savior sometime before but he needed assurance. That is much of what is to be done because Satan lies to us and tells us that it's not real. Declan was so happy when he realized that his name was written in the book of life. We talk about that in the wordless book on the gold page.  

I presented the story of Meduga. It is a favorite story that has the wordless book in it. As we talked about the colors and what they mean, Declan admitted his sin and that he felt so guilty. He is 10 years old. He said he had already asked Jesus to forgive him and to come into his heart. Hearing that, I assured him that his sin was forgiven and his name was written I'm the book of life. So we began talking about witnessing (green). He was very interested in witnessing to his friends.  I showed him how to use the wordless book and the First Step tracts. I gave him some wordless books, bracelets and other tools for his ministry. I also gave him the wordless book visualized so that he could prepare to use it in his ministry some day. He also got an embroidered "Wordless Book Bag" to carry his materials in as well as a "Jesus Loves Me bag" for his witnessing tools. His grandmother said he was already studying the wordless book lessons that afternoon.  It was wonderful to see a 10 year old so excited to become a witness and to start his new life with the Lord Jesus.  This one event made the trip worth it all for me.  Of course, other great things happened as well which I'll get around to telling you about. 

Saturday morning he signed the threshold of the new church.

It says Declan Beard just turned into a Missionary. 6,4,11 age 10


How awesome is that!!!!!!!

*********************************

I had no doubt that God is calling this young man when I heard him pray for "all the children".
Please pray for Declan as he begins to witness to his friends. 

Pow Wow at Clinton June 3,2011

The sound bite didn't post so I'm sending you a picture of my first pow wow. This is also Clinton's first annual meeting in many years. It was quite colorful and beautiful. I made another new friend who lives right across the street from the church that has common interest with me. We are going to get together next week.

Today at Clinton, OK

Lunch Wednesday

Jackie lead devotional today.

Jackie working at Clinton, OK

With him in this photo is the pastor of the church we are working on. He worked all day with us on Monday and has a stroke/heart attack during the night. Please pray for him and the work here.

Wordless Book Bag

I am working on these for my next mission trip. Will be teaching how to present the wordless book.

Bibles for Missions 2011

Recently mom and I were able to shop for bibles to send to a church in Fremont, Nebraska from donations made for that purpose via I Am Able Ministries. It was fun but took lots of consideration to try to decide what Bibles to buy. The pastor wanted the Life Application Study Bible for his adults, and appropriate Bibles for youth and children. We found good prices on bibles for the children and the youth. We had the book stores send directly to the pastor. He was grateful for them and so excited. I guess so.....I absolutely love the Life Application Study Bible and my favorite translation is the New Living Translation. These are a wonderful youth bible also. We were able to purchase a case (12) of the New Living Translation Life Application Study Bibles and 24 of the NLT Gift and Award Bibles for the youth. I hope that they reach hungry hands and hearts so that God's Word will take root and grow strong Christian believers.
We were also commissioned to obtain a number of children's bibles. We were able to purchase 40 of the International Children's bible. When I find the link, I will add it to this blog.
We plan to purchase some children's bibles to have on hand for future mission projects. If you would like to make a donation for Bibles, please use the donation link on this page or through I Am Able Ministries.

Mission Trip to Clinton, OK 2011

Jackie and I are planning a church building trip to Clinton, OK this summer with the Master's Church Builders. We will be taking our camper and parking at Foss State Parker about 15 miles from the work site. We will be working with teams from north Louisiana. As I get more information on that I will post it. Mean time pray for Jackie and I to continue in good health. He is doing really well right now and so am I. But Satan knows no boundaries on our bodies and will do all in his power to keep us from the work of the Lord. We just won't give him permission to mess with us.

Meanwhile, I have been commissioned to fill in at the piano at HBC while their pianist recovers from an injury. That was my job until I gave it up last year to be able to travel with Jackie on mission assignments. I have missed playing for the church and will enjoy playing again.