In October, 2008,
approximately 120 children were moved from the orphanage in the
city of
Port-de-Paix, Haiti, to a rural, safer, larger orphanage in
Salines Mayette. The children are enjoying their new location but
need to have a convenient water supply and a shower house. At present,
their water is being transported by donkey train from a stream which is a
two-hour
daily round trip. The water is then filtered for drinking
and cooking
purposes. In addition, the exterior of the buildings is
unfinished and
exposed to the weather.
Presbyterian Women
each year offers funding for both national and international projects of
$5000--$50,000 each. When the president of the Cincinnati chapter of
Presbyterian Women alerted Kay Horning of this opportunity, she felt as
if God had “dropped the opportunity into her lap.” Through much help
from the Special Forces committee of the NW Haiti Christian Mission and
its director, she has been able to follow all the guidelines for the
grant application and sent it to Louisville in time to meet the deadline
of Sept. 15th. It meant getting a letter of endorsement from
Presbytery, a letter from an indigenous church in Haiti, a letter from
Calvin’s Session, and a financial budget to explain the costs involved.
Now the Review
Committee will have to study all of the grants which they have received
and will notify the recipients of funding in February. Last year
Presbyterian Women awarded funding to three places in Haiti which is
encouraging. Since the Cincinnati chapter of Presbyterian Women has not
been granted funding for many years, it is exciting that Calvin is
behind this request.
Please pray that
God will see this project through to fruition. Include in your prayers
that additional funding will actually provide a well digger for the
mission. The money requested was for shipping a digger to the capital
(Port-au-Prince), getting it through customs, and then transporting it
over very poor roads to the Northwest Zone. Nothing is easy in Haiti,
and only God can work the miracles to accomplish His work in that
poverty-stricken country.
Organizing the
Haiti Team In case
you're at all interested in going to Haiti with the Calvin team in 2010,
an organizational meeting will be held on Sunday, January 17th after
church. See Janene Sonnega ahead of that date for an informational
packet about the trip. A video of last year's trip will be shown
at the meeting, a trip date will be determined (either June 14-25, July
3-13, July 19-31, or August
1-13), and questions will be answered. Adults and teens are
invited to come, and an actual commitment at the time is not expected.
Come and learn more about how to serve God's children through the
Northwest Haiti Christian Mission.
Questions -- call Janene
Sonnega at (513)553-3152 (home) or (513)293-4212 (cell).
Also see Photo
Collage - Haiti, 2009 |
