| Homebound Missions News August 2008 |
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Back From Spring Break I know that some of you have noticed there hasn’t been a Homebound Missions Newsletter in a while. I must confess I have only been working in the office part time while working in my garden full time. As I write this I have switched back to being a part time gardener and a full time HM Director. Many of you know that I am a passionate gardener, but this year I felt an even deeper urge to make sure that the garden was productive for us well into the winter. I just felt it was a resource I had and should utilize. I am thankful to report that the garden is being very productive not only for my family, but it is blessing my neighbors as well. My garden is a little ministry in its own right. From the very beginning I have always grown more than I need so that I can share it with others. Last year, a friend came to my garden every week to pick vegetables for a woman in town with cancer. I did not even know this woman, but my garden was blessing her. So please forgive me if you feel that I have neglected you in any way. I assure that I have gained focus and have not lost it. The garden has a very healing effect on me spiritually, physically, and mentally. I hope this newsletter will reflect some of the new ideas we have for Homebound Missions and its future. We actually have so much to tell you that we are going to break it up into two newsletters, in August.
Homebound Missions Update Thanks to all of you who so generously donate goods of kind to HM we have been able to do the following things. Six boxes of medical supplies have been given to Good Samaritans in Action. Six , 37 Gallon totes were shipped to Three Angels Orphanage in Haiti. Two more are packed and ready to go. Mimose has received medical care for TB and Shingles. She has also been sent funds for food. One, 37 gallon bin of brand new onnsies to His Home Also The web site has been very successful. We have received several donations of fabric, clothing, and shoes for our Operation Footprint Program. We are also getting about one request a day for diaper and frock patterns.
Homebound Missions has an eBay auction going on right now. The theme is Buttons. These buttons have been donated to us over the years and they look too special to add to children’s clothing. We will use the funds created from this auction to assist us with all of our Fall school tuitions that will be due soon. Please check out the auction and pass it along to anyone you know who might be interested in buttons. Thank you
ABC Special Report Please take a few moments to watch this ABC Nightline Special report on the plight of children in Haiti. It is in 3 parts. When the video ends go back and click on the next one. You may want to watch it before allowing your children to view it. How to Buy a Child in 10 Hours
Matthew's Progress Report Matthew began school this year at Morning Star Academy. It is a Christian, English speaking, private school in Haiti. We have great news to report concerning his progress. Matthew was in the eleventh grade at his Haitian school, but when he enrolled in MS he was evaluated for his English skills and placed in the 9th grade. I might interject here that he learned this much English through his own motivation. This wasn’t a true 9th grade because he was actually starting with a 7th grade curriculum and he had to do the 7th, 8th, and 9th grade all in one year. This took an amazing amount of effort. I am happy to report that he has successfully completed 9th grade in an English speaking school.
His grades are as follows: Math 90.9
Matthew was on the schools B Honor Roll for achieving a total test average of between 88 and 93. This year was very difficult for Matthew. Making friends, learning the ropes, and being accepted were all part of the learning. He has written us the following letter. I have edited the letter some to make it easier to read.
From: Jean Penez (aka Matthew)
Thanks to my mom (Kathy). First, I have to say thanks to my Lord Jesus, because He has done such for me. If I did not put my full confident in Him I would never made it this far. Thank you mom and dad for you have done so much for me and thanks to every member of The Least of These, especially Vern and Darlene and the rest whom I don’t know. If my Mom did not set her foot in this country I will have been totally a different person but as a devout Christian I have finally made it this far.
I asked my Haitian mom if she is Christian. I also asked about dad. She told me your dad was not a Christian. I asked her to tell me about my dad. I met my dad after her explanation. I said as you and dad is not Christian I want to be a Christian a true Christian. She laughed and asked why. I said both of you live ungodly and life is difficult of us if I choose God my life can be better than ours and two years later my dad came to pick me up from my mom. In 2000 I wanted to be a devout Christian. Nothing was good for me. I had usually get up in the morning and sleep in the afternoon without eating and I said Lord Jesus I chose to follow you. Please Father, I don’t want to be a shame and I don’t want to hang out with bad people. Help me father. The only language I knew was French and Creole and I used to pass beside Habitation Hatt Hotel and see some white people. One day, Smith and I, go there. We don’t know anything about their language. Many love us. Five months later, a young American saw me and had mercy for she talked to her mom and they wanted to talk to me. I don’t have any idea of what they said. And there was some men who sells with them, Haitian stuff and she bought a book from them and taught me some words and she told me that she loved me so much. She gave me 5 dollars US and she feed me, let me take shower in her home. When I get back home I changed the 5 dollars she had given me and all my family ate that day and the next. I returned to her, she gave me a hug. When she came to pick me out at the hotel’s gate there were many other boys outside the gate in the afternoon. She gave me money and when I was in the street to go home the other boys had stolen my money. I tried to memorize many words to tell her. When I told her she cried out. She wanted to see where I live. Her parents she said she will have to go to college next year. She will visit specially for me and all that was not in the plan of God and she never come until this year, but I
I always fear the Lord because I have never stolen anything from anyone. And today I can say with a loud voice, “Here I’m Lord do whatever you can with me because you supply my needs and you change my life”. If I didn’t choose You I could not have made it this far. I want to say to each one of you who live Godly. Stand for what you believe and God will secure your need. Even if it’s only you, do not forsake and you will see.
More about Matthew This year things are going to change tremendously for Matthew. At Morning Star Academy, Matthew was learning through the School of Tomorrow’s Paces. This year we are switching Matthew to a homeschooling format to make his schooling more affordable for Homebound Missions. Matthew has proven to be so self motivated that we believe this concept is realistic for him. We are working out the details right now. Matthew is also in our WORK Haiti program and on top of his school work he will also be responsible to work so that he can earn the money he needs for his day to day living. Here is a list of items we wish to make available to Matthew this year: Curriculum $400.00 We will be asking if we can purchase it wholesale. Computer $200.00 Check out this web site on the OX Laptop. Presently Matthew spends 10 HT dollars to get 1 hour at the Cyber Café. No, he is unable to buy just ½ hour, we already checked. He will need this so he can e-mail us or do research. The Café fees add up very quickly. We hope the laptop will eliminate this fee so that Matt is free to e-mail with questions that he may have about his school work. It will also have the added benefit of making communication with our WORK Haiti people easier. Clothing Provided, Thank you to The Flibbert Family. School Supplies $25.00 Please keep Matthew in your prayers. We also welcome donations that will assist us in providing him with the school curriculum and tools he needs for this year. 100% of your donation, marked “Matthew” will go directly to this commitment. If you would like a magnet with Matthews’s picture on it to help you to remember to pray for him, simply request one, tkkangas@aol.com and we will be happy to send one to you. Please make sure to include your mailing address.
Family Fun that Feeds the Poor? Magnalie brought a wonderful web site to our attention. It is www.FreeRice.com here is how it works: You take a vocabulary test and for every answer you get right you are making a donation of 20 grains of rice through the UN World Food Program. It is really fun to do together and it gives you a score so you know how well you are doing. It also changes levels of word knowledge so they get harder and harder. The words get very difficult, but as you do it as a family you each have word knowledge to contribute and you are surprised to see how many you actually get right. Oh yes, and don’t worry they retest you on the words that you got wrong so make sure you put those meanings to memory.
Update on Mimose Mimose, one of our WORK Haiti participants who also happens to be Magnalie’s birth mom became very ill again with TB. She was very severely ill and could barely get out of bed. I am happy to report that HM provided her with food and medical care and she is doing much better. She presently has a case of Shingles which she has had before as well, but she is comfortable and has the food and medicine she needs to stay well. Thank you for your prayers and support as this is how we are able to meet this need.
In Conclusion Tyler,our Board of Directors, and I would like to thank each and every one of you for your support, faithfulness, and encouragement as we continue to help those in Haiti and around the world. It is because of you that Homebound Missions is able to do the things that it does, and we are reminded of this each day. Truly, we mean this, Thank you. Homebound Missions is a non profit organization managed completely by volunteers who donate their time and talents to benefit others who are less fortunate.
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Last week Tyler, Darlene and I, invited Raylene Hunt to join our Board of Directors. Raylene is a homeschooling mom who lives in Maine with her two children, Helen and Matthew. She has had a heart for Haiti for many years and has been a faithful friend, contributor, and promoter of HM over the last year. Because of a unique situation she is able to donate many hours a week towards HM and should prove to be a great help to HM and me personally, as I believe she will be able to take over some of the things I presently do myself. I am very encouraged to have Raylene working with us on a regular basis.
I chose to follow my Lord Jesus after my burn into a stove in 1998. I did have a great knowledge to understand the world gospel but I felt something happened in me. I was at Church this time and the Pastor asked for people to accept Jesus. I got up and joined him in front and he asked, “What you come to do in front?” “You don’t need to come.” I asked, “Why?” He said, “Because you are too young at this time.” I was 10 years old. So I had told him, “I’m too young to accept Jesus but I’m not too young to die and go to hell.” after I said that some laughed at me and the Pastor agreed with me and he prayed for me. 
keep checking in the hotel to see her its like that one day there was an American, and next I met Mrs. Kathy and I already knew many words by myself.
Make a $20.00 donation to Homebound Missions and receive an ilum Free. 
Wilbert is a very nice boy. He is 11 years old and very affectionate. He spends a lot of time with Tyler and I when we are in Haiti and he is good natured and well behaved. He has a beautiful smile, and loves to be helpful.
Esterline is a beautiful girl whose smile will melt your heart. She is 9 years old. Tyler says that whoever adopts Esterline is going to be very blessed. He has a soft spot for her.
David is such a cute little guy. He is 6 years old. David is very shy. Here he is wearing his families trademark smile.| < Prev | Next > |
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