Eyes on the prize

Operation Vehicle has commenced! On July 13th I will be flying to America with my eyes set on the prize... the prize being transportation for EHM. Let me explain WHY we need this!



This is completely normal!

Our feeding program and ministry site is located at the home of a family empowered by this ministry who lives 15 miles from our home. This ride takes 45-60 minutes each way because from home we take local transportation called "tap taps". The most common form of public transportation in Haiti is the use of brightly painted pickup trucks as taxis called "tap-taps". They are named this because when a passenger needs to be let off they use their coin money to tap the side of the vehicle and the driver usually stops. Most tap-taps are fairly priced in a city but the catch to the price is that the driver will often fill a truck to maximum capacity, which is nearly 20-30 people. Standing, sitting on top and hanging onto the back are a normal way to get around when you do not have a personal vehicle.
In our community when someone is injured or sick they have to go 30 minutes with many others in a tap tap to the clinic. Most children don't see doctors until they are severely injured or sick due to the cost of the ride and the time it takes to get there.



The local hospital with our newborn!

Pregnant women pray they can deliver in a safe and clean hospital (1 hour away) but most of the time end up with the neighbors helping deliver in their yards at home. Only one-fourth of births are attended by a skilled health professional. If they get to deliver in a hospital they have to leave within 24 hours and some ride tap tap's home! YIKES! With my home being so close to the hospital here, I am looking forward to picking up our moms and getting them home quickly and safely!

A vehicle to this ministry means we can serve our community in better ways such as:

• Taking truck loads of sick and injured to the missionary clinics in surrounding areas
• Getting babies born in clean environments in time for their arrival and then back home!
• Providing SAFE and sanitary transportation for American teams and the on site missionaries

And they will still stop to get more people!

Please be praying for EHM as we try to raise $8,000. That cost includes purchasing, packing, driving to FL, shipping it on a boat then paying for customs! We are so excited to see what truck or SUV God has for us!! If you know of anyone selling or donating please contact us at: empoweringhaitianmoms@gmail.com!

GOD BLESS!

The Freedom Fighters

"Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'You are to worship the Lord your God and serve only him'." Luke 4:8

I am so happy to introduce to you our music class. This week a couple singing groups held a concert at our church which made Fritznel miss singing with a group. Fritznel has been a maestro at church for years and can assemble any group of men to harmonize! He also knows how to play guitar and piano really well. So Fritznel got inspired! The next day when we went to our feeding program we picked out all of our older children and told them all to come to our house the following day. When we asked "Who wants to be in a singing group?" Every child raised their hand and expressed a desire to learn guitar. We don't have a keyboard yet!

Isn't is amazing that we were all created to worship?

  

Welcome to Music Class

The 12 children came over at 10 am and filed in with the biggest smiles on their faces~ anxious to learn. Fritznel started with teaching the scale.. "do-ra-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do"...go ahead and sing along. You sound great! (I am pretty sure it will be stuck in your head all day as it was mine that day.) The children did great at paying attention and trying their hardest but to be honest it was the roughest hour and Fritznel had his work cut out for him. Thankfully patience is one of his strongest suits.

After the scale and "la la la la la la la's" Fritznel picked up his guitar and started to sing, "This is the air I breathe". The children got silent and watched with awe. The presence of the Lord was welcomed in and gave supernatural sound to those kids. I don't know how to explain it other than the Holy Spirit. When he taught them the words they sang along and sounded like a room full of angels.

Psalms 146:2 "I will praise the Lord as long as I live! I will sing praises to my God as long as I exist!"

 

The children getting ready for their 1st music class

The next music class will be this week and I will take some video so you can see and hear how they are. I love their eagerness to learn so that they can glorify God with their gifts. These children are a blessing to our lives and we want them to know how much God LOVES their voices lifted to Him.

"Worship the Lord with joy! Enter His presence with joyful singing!" Psalms 100:2 

Stay tuned for a CD! We're expecting big things out of this choir! Please leave your ideas for a group name! I am thinking "Freedom Fighters". :-) 

It's a girl!

We FINALLY have a baby & it's a GIRL! Many friends who have came to visit this year have met Jetride! And I'll explain why I say FINALLY! 

 When I arrived in December I found out my dear friend was pregnant and she said she was due in May! I began to speak out "Its a girl!!!" Jetride has 3 little boys already so it was time for some estrogen! Her husband is Erik, Pierre's brother~ is great dad & husband but between the two of them there are 7 grandsons and 1 grand daughter!! 

 

When Team Remain in the Vine came in June they brought with them baby blessings and TONS of pink! A first aid kit, clothes, diapers (cloth and disposal), wipes and a baby bed with a mosquito net! We had a baby shower for her (probably her 1st ever) and blessed her with all these PINK items and more! I was really crossing my fingers for a girl after this!
 

Jetride and many newborn diapers!

Lets skip to ahead! Erik told me she was in the hospital with high blood pressure and we discussed today how she NEEDED to have this baby! Remember~ she told me she was due in May. Due to improper equipment this is hard to actually say~ but she had been dealing with pre-eclampsia for
2 months! 

So since God is in control of ALL things.. This is how it happened.. All abnormal for a day here...

We left the feeding program early (not normal)

Got a driver to take us to the market (not normal)

Decided last minute to go to the hospital 1st! (led by the Spirit)

Walked in to the hospital

Heard screaming and found grandma

1 min later heard a baby crying!!

1 min later... Met the newest addition to Empowering Haitian Moms! 

Born at 1:40 pm on June 28th! 

Mommy and baby are great! I have been calling the baby Erika since December since her daddy's name is Erik so we'll see what her name is later this week! Please stay tuned for updates! She is GORGEOUS and latched on with no problems! Yea for FREE milk!

If you'd like to send a blessing to help with laundry soap and clean water please send to
 PayPal at empoweringhaitianmoms@gmail.com

REJOICE with us today! NEW LIFE! 

The Next Generation!

Scroll over the picture and learn a little about these children who ARE the CHOSEN Next Generation! You may send a tax deductible donation to EHM @ P.O. Box 4142 Chesterfield MO 63006 or send to PayPal @ Empoweringhaitianmoms@gmail.com

All year you will receive updates, photos and invitations to come visit these children in EHM!!

$300 covers tuition, books and 1 uniform

$350 covers the above along with black shoes and an extra uniform

You may also upgrade for them to learn English Additional $80 for the year!

 

I'm coming to America.. prayer topics

Well it's official that I have booked my flight to America. There will be a party in the USA on July 13th but I will probably be asleep through it!

It will be 7. 5 months since I was on American soil and I am looking forward to the refreshing I know will come but dreading leaving my husband and families here. I absolutely know that this is where I am called to be so it's hard to leave LIFE and where my heart is.

Sure I crave chick fil-a, coffee shops and Walmart but not enough to want to leave here!

I will be speaking at a few churches in NC and VA and really looking forward to testifying to what God has DONE!!  I am also looking forward to spending time with the Remain in the Vine team from Suffolk, Virgina but they said they have air conditioning so I think I might need a sweater!!

 

I have a few things I'd like you to ask you to be praying with me about. 

Please be praying for me as I travel away from my husband for the 1st time. Fritznel will be running this side of operations and continuing with the Bible, English and Music class so he'll need a covering of prayer for doing it alone! (And missing me so much!)

EHM is planning to purchase a truck (or receive a donated one) to pack and ship to Haiti. Our ministry is expanding and because of God's goodness we have teams coming often enough that we need wheels!  We have been renting trucks (not very dependable) and drivers and now feel like that is what God is directing us to focus on right now. Please join us in prayer on this and let us know if anyone you know is selling or giving one away!! 

In other exciting news we have Ashley Crowe, our "Next Generation Coordinator" working hard and has been able to triple our numbers of kids for school next year! Pictures, names, ages and grades are ready and available for you to view and choose at followinghimtohaiti@blogspot.com! Standard: $300 for tuition, books and uniform and a premium: $350 to get another uniform made and much needed black shoes for the child! 

Well it's late and lacking electric lately so I'll keep you all a few prayer requests now! God is growing our numbers at the feeding program, starting businesses and digging Gospel roots deeper with His children. Please contact us if you'd like to know how you can help or if you'd like us to come share at a coffee meeting, small group or church event in July! Visiting North Carolina, Virginia, Pittsburgh and St. Louis.

Secretary and friend Deena Tucker did this board at school
to collect needed supplies for all the children last year!
What can YOU do?

Thank you for praying!! 

See you soon! 

The Word in Action

Empower: (v) To give or delegate power or authority to OR

(v) give qualities or abilities to.

While looking through pictures I found one that shows the heart of Empowering Haitian Moms. My heart for this ministry agrees with God's heart that no one needs a hand out and to be enabled but to be empowered by the Word.

Proverbs 10:4 "The one who is lazy becomes poor, but the one who works diligently becomes wealthy."



Fritznel & Brooke teaching the Word of God

Fritznel and I are here to empower women to have a way of depending on God for everything they need and teaching/training them to be GOOD/HONEST entrepreneurs so that they do not have to depend on foreign aid. There is no welfare program here, no city office that will give you food stamps and no place to hold a card board sign. Its a life or death situation here. No one is going to drop money in your guitar case if you're playing in the streets. Rise above or die.

Ecclesiastes 2:11 "All these achievements and possessions are ultimately profitless- like chasing the wind! There is nothing gained form them on earth."

 

We can feed them, clothe them and love them all day and in the end... its a vapor in the wind. Ok so what is the REAL point to this ministry?  Die rich and not receive the Kingdom?

Psalms 119:105 "Your word is a lamp to walk by, and a light to illumine my path."

Equipping these families; Mothers, Fathers and their children with the Word of God is the WHOLE point. Truth, Light, Redemption, The Cross and the POWER of the blood.

We are just using poverty as the open door for the gospel!

I had the privilege to watch God's Word take action in my dear friend Madam Tite's life while the team was here. On Thursday evening during recap/devotion time Madam Tite told the team that she had not been baptized yet. Completely lead by the Spirit since Pam had just asked me if she could teach Tite and Assefie about baptism. So after spending time in the Word and explaining the WHY we get baptized she said she WANTED it.

 

So the next day we went down to the beach, prayed and Madam Tite gave the outward expression of her love for Christ and her love for his Word by being baptized. This truly is a privilege for me. To have walked by Tite for 2 years and seen her LOVE for God and then witness her obedience makes it all worth it.

 

1 Corinthians 12:13 "For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body."

 

Please pray for Tite, her ministry to the people in her new community and pray for all the moms to see the WHY we are here.
Not to fill them with anything but the LOVE and TRUTH of the cross.

Please come visit us in Montrouis, Haiti and be a part of what God is doing. You wont regret it!






 

The Feet

John 13:14 "If I then, your LORD and Teacher, have washed your feet, you too ought to wash one another's feet.

Why would Jesus ever wash our feet?

Think about Bible times, here in Haiti your feet are the dirtiest part of your body too. You walk all day long and a lot of people don't wear shoes at all and if they do they are sandals. The Virginia team wanted to do a spa party but incorporate Jesus washing His friend's feet to show them the love of Christ. Serving is a gift here that I think everyone is walking it but we could all use a little more understanding of what JESUS was trying to say.

So on Friday night when the team had gotten to know the woman, they all came over after the feeding program. We set up, put on worship music and brought the women in for their pampering party. Pam, or as we call her "Granny Pam" taught the lesson and how He came to serve each one of us and how he wants us to serve one another while all the team sat at their feet and scrubbed away. No one is too great or not great enough for the King of kings to serve so we should all be walking in this gift. It took a lot of humility to wash the disciples feet after walking all day long and being the savior of course... but I think there was a lot of humility to let Him wash theirs. As it was for the Haitian women to let the American women wash theirs. It is definitely out of the norm!

Washing and painting the women's feet

There are so many times that I am humbled by being served by the women in my ministry and feel like I am not worthy of any of it. These women sacrifice everything in their lives to make ends meet and help their families survive and yet find my favorite food, come wash my clothes and just want to bless me for being their friend. I have been blessed my whole life with more than I need or want and yet still have a hard time serving someone when I am tired, cranky or just don't feel like it. Even worse when they treat me poorly. Jesus made such a great example of how to serve by doing this foot washing.

No matter the dirt,  the sin, the person, or the past ... each child on Earth is His and He has the same purpose for them all. To walk in His truth and His light... and we, as Christian's are to be the feet that carry that GOOD NEWS to everyone we meet. The next day we held an outreach at an orphanage. The women cooked, taught and had the older kids lead the games and soccer match . A new perspective was brought to light when they all saw that someone, right down the road, had life so much harder than them. They got to serve the dirtier more less fortunate and saw people through Christ's eyes that day.

Ephesians 6:15 BBE says, "Be ready with the good news of peace as shoes on your feet;"

That tells me that as often as I put on shoes (and when I don't have them on too) I should have the good news READY to share. I have to be PREPARED to share it. If I want to share supper with you but don't prepare it... its not going to be any good. Be ready to serve one another and ready to serve as Christ served, sacrificially and humbly.

 

(Check out EHM's friend Chris Surber at Cypress Chapel Christian Church for more humility, teachings and how he is coming to serve by bringing the Word of peace in September with his wife Christina. Also look him up at http://www.chrissurber.com/)

 

I encourage you tonight to remember to walk in humility and serve someone who you normally wouldn't think to serve.

Jesus washed Judas' feet too.

A gift from God

I am running a flash back special today and going to tell you about an inspiration for EHM. Empowering Haitian Moms is brought to you in part by God's gift in the form of a Mom... my Mom. Growing up I watched her care for so many children that were not really hers. She had difficulty conceiving my brother and I but still dreamt of having many kids of her own even though it looked impossible. She solved that problem 21 years ago by marrying a man with 5. When I was 8, we added to our family and I watched her love and care for them like she had given birth to them herself. She also cared for many children who had difficult home lives and never missed the opportunity to love!

 

She found a way to make her dream come true and be an amazing example to me.

 

Trying to warm up Carmallie who was cold
from swimming at the beach! 

Fast forward to being here in Haiti and watching moms give their children away and my heart breaking for the lack of hope. These women here have a dream and hope for their lives, children and future... it just doesn't LOOK possible. I feel called to share with them the hope of Christ and anything is possible... it just might look differently than you imagined.

 

 Moms in Haiti are like GOLD, as they should be.

"She is far more precious than rubies" Proverbs 31:10

My mom has come to Haiti every spring for the past 3 years to support me and falls more and more in love with the women she is inspiring and the country she has grown to know. Every time I reconnect with people here they always ask how my mom is doing~ they have a real tangible relationship with her because she brings hope to the hopeless through showing Christ's love and her testimony.

 

My mom doesn't just hold babies though.. she is too gifted to do ONLY that. This last April when she arrived she packed her work boots! Her love for animals has driven me a little crazy in 29 years but it came in handy here! My in-laws bought me a  ROOSTER as a wedding gift and I was ready to just tie the thing to the roof and call it a day but my mom wouldn't have it. She, still in her pajamas, went right to what she does best; found 2x4's in my yard, rallied up the men, put them to work and built a chicken coupe!!

 

I am so much like her I had to
get my hands dirty too!

"Listen, my child, to the instruction from your father, and do not forsake the teachings from your mother." Proverbs 1:8

 

My mom has inspired me to care for the children who don't have to be mine by birth. God has shown me in my patience with getting married and wanting children that he can still answer the cry of my heart with wanting to be a mom. That he has. I have the privilege of teaching children but most of all encouraging and empowering their moms to look for hope and cling to God's promises.

 

 Isaiah 54:1 says "Sing, O barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the barren woman than of her who has a husband."

 

God is so good to give us the gift of the women we call "Mom". Go ahead and call your mom and let her know that you love her. .... I love you mom!

Home is where your heart is

For months now Raymond and her children Fritzlande, 7 and Jimsley, 2 have been attending our feeding program and have captured my heart. It was NOT love at first sight! When I met them Jimsley had a stomach virus that gave him the swollen belly and both children have yellow hair due to mal nutrition. In the beginning every time I saw the kids Fritzland would always ask for hand outs then run to her mom at a distance and tell her my answer which was always, "No and don't ask me for things. Ask God and he will give you what you need. He is able!" When we learned she was being coached by Raymond, Fritznel addressed the situation immediately. He told her she could come to the feeding program and be a part of what God was doing and be blessed by Him. So she started to come. We immediately treated Jimsley who we call Jim Jim and he has had drastic changes in his behavior, joy and physical appearance.

Now months later they are a vital part of our ministry and a PLEASURE to be with. Raymond continued to tell us her needs which honestly... are NEEDS. She had been living with a family near by but they were pressuring her to move out so she asked us to purchase tarps for her to BUILD a home for her and her small children. It could have been an easy fix, 20 dollars max, but there was NO peace in my heart for buying tarps for a home. I strongly feel that God is NOT please that his children through out Haiti live in tents so there was no way I was going to sadden His heart any more. Another need for her is food since she does not have a job or a way to get money.. yet.

This June a team from Virginia came to teach some trades and skills to the women of EHM and met this family. Jim Jim, who has a hard time going to anyone but his mom instantly attached himself to "Granny Pam". He won the hearts of the women and they saw a need worth praying about!

Long story short this team asked Fritznel to find an apartment for Raymond and within hours he had found a BEAUTIFUL home with an even better view of the ocean for only $140 a year! As a team we joined hands and dedicated the home to the Lord then brought her over to introduce her to her blessing! When we told her it was hers she was very confused and in disbelief. Later that week when the team went home they left $130 to sponsor her with food and a cooking stove since she had been cooking on stones!

When Ephesians says God is able to do MORE than we could think or imagine He proved himself once again.

Welcome

Thanks for stopping by! I wanted to let you know what we are about and where God has been doing. Empowering Haitian Moms is a faith based ministry that is based in Montrouis, Haiti in a community called Bo Lise. We started in 2011 to help women be EMPOWERED not enabled. We know that women in Haiti don't give their children away because they don't love or want them... only out of FEAR and lack of education. The women of EHM have proven to love and want their children time and time again. Sacrifices are made everyday from hours of laundry on the side of the beach, giving up their plate of food so their child can eat instead, and 10 hours of cooking fried food on the side of the road daily just to make ends meet.

 

We believe that educating and encouraging these women they can rise above the statistics is an attainable goal. God gave them children knowing they COULD provide, love and train them up in His ways. We feel its our job to shine the light!

 

My husband, Fritznel and I are committed to serving these women and children and showing them their full potential based on GOD's word... not ours.

 

We are excited that everyday we meet more moms and children who hear about what God is doing in our community and want to be a part of it all. Currently we have 10 moms and average of 30 children. This week 4 new moms joined the team putting us at 14. When we asked how one mom heard of us she said, "my 3 children come to your Bible study and told me I should come too". That is the news we love to hear. The children are excited to hear about Christ and are spreading the gospel." I am excited to learn how these 4 new moms will play a role in EHM.

 

Most families in Bo Lise are BLESSED to eat 1 meal a day and we have a few families who go days without eating. Every week we have a feeding program which gives our families rice (a filler), beans (protein) and a vegetable mixture that they otherwise wouldn't get. We buy culligan water to make sure everyone is drinking CLEAN water and staying hydrated. When families come to our program they are  accompanied by a Bible class for moms, one for kids, business training and we will be adding life skills class. When teams come we encourage them to bring a new trade that can teach the moms a skill that could possibly lead to new jobs. Our last team taught the moms how to crochet and make floor rugs out of scrap fabric. Who knows, one day a mom could sell enough handmade items to pay for her child's school year. Check out the crocheting room ministries at https://www.facebook.com/CrochetingRoomMinistries?fref=ts to learn how to purchase a Haitian made item.

Also part of what we do here is provide health care through the missionary doctors who pastor our church. They offer health care with medicine 2 days a week for $1.25 so we are able to help women and children who need that kind of care too. I am happy to tell you that 14 children were treated for "gray spot" a head fungus that causes gray dry spots on the head and after training on how to prevent it... we have stopped the outbreak. We are so grateful for our friends Dr. Tom & Dr. Dennis at New Vision Ministries for the care they provide. Check out all their amazing ministry opportunities here at http://www.newvisionhaiti.org/.

 

Well that's all for now. Stay tuned for my next blog on God changed the lives of a family here. They asked for a shelter, God provided a HOME.

empoweringhaitianmoms.org