“Ki moun sa?”  “Who is this?”  Martha asked the children in Creole as she held up photos one by one of each child and elderly person currently enrolled in our feeding program.  The children, picture after picture, would yell out the name of the person that needed to be identified, and as each child or elderly person was called by name, a sense of pride and dignity came to the front with them as they gently grabbed that precious photo.  The joy I saw in Pastor Jackson’s and Martha’s faces during this time was priceless and forever embedded in the forefront of my mind.

Earlier…I handed those pictures to Martha and Pastor Jackson only after my failed attempt to recognize each person as they came through the medical clinic. I asked them if they would do the honor of handing out the photos, and without hesitancy they were happy to do so. As they flipped through the pile, they tenderly acknowledged each person, sharing stories of each child and laughing at their silly faces. They knew who each child was, and shared a love for them as if they were their own.

It was at that moment that I learned a little more about who God is and who He calls us to be.  Nothing about this seems extraordinary or even successful in the eyes of those who look to set out to accomplish some great task on a trip to an impoverished nation, but to me that moment would be life altering. Our focus as a team was to build relationships. To love as they love. To love as Christ loved.

So that is what we did.  We didn’t achieve some huge building project, plant a life sustaining garden, or even rescue children off the streets, but we did something so much greater; we lifted up those in whom we set out to serve: The moms and dads who care enough to send their children to school and who tirelessly fight to provide food for their families. We simply took the time to praise the parents, as they came day after day to pick up their children from school, for the amazing work they are doing in raising such beautiful, warm hearted little children. The cooks who sit in an extremely hot tent for 6-8 hours preparing meals; we served them in the medical clinic and gave them thanks for their work.  After all, without them this feeding program would not function.  The masons who work each day, often not getting a break in the hot sun, we worked alongside of them as they guided us through the building process. After all, this wasn’t the first building they were constructing. The school teachers who work at educating the children were given the opportunity to hand out a few gifts to their students for their hard work.  After all, they are the ones who pour into these children each day. We observed and commended Luke Thomas, a young man with a servant heart, who cares for those children and that land with everything he has.  We took the opportunity to learn from other missions in the area; we met with our friends on the streets of Neply; we encouraged; we praised; we lived life not focused on any particular task, but rather our focus was on relationship!

Do we share that same concept in the church today?

Each trip to Haiti has brought a new sense of adventure, a new found appreciation of the Haitian culture, new relationships, and interestingly a better understanding of who I am.  God intends us to serve others, to pour out of ourselves, and through that I am entirely convinced He does more work in us than through us.  God is a God of amazing timing and truth.

Thank you Pastor Jackson and Martha for allowing God to use you in mighty ways not only to those in Haiti, but across the world. You are truly the hands and feet of this organization.  Your heart and works will go far beyond this generation because your foundation is laid in Jesus.

Written by Kyleen Flores, medical coordinator & team leader

On October 1, 2013 our school opened in Macomb, Haiti. Children ages three to eight years of age are now receiving free Christ-centered education. These are the children who without our school may not attend school. You see, the average Haitian family spends 40-50 percent of its income on education, and in a community like Macomb, which has been devastated by poverty and in which there are few jobs, the children in these families would likely go through life without receiving education and with little hope of attaining jobs in the future. Many of our children are also restaveks (child slaves) who cannot afford materials and uniforms, so these too are provided for them. As you look at the pictures, you may see some students without uniforms. Many new students started school later in the year; they will have uniforms shortly.

School this year started with pre-school 1, pre-school 2 and kindergarten. Each day students receive age and grade appropriate curriculum, a healthy protein-filled snack and learn about the love of Jesus. In Fall of 2014, we will add first grade. Because our school is a missions school, we are funded entirely by donation. When you donate to Shilo Mission School, you are guaranteed that 100% of your donation goes directly toward educating our students. Shilo School is run by Pastor Jackson and Martha Colas. They, like the rest of our leadership team, are volunteers called to serve the village of Macomb. In addition to the Colases, we hire three full-time teachers and a teacher’s aide.

We ask that you pray for our children. Pray for their physical needs of food and safety to be met daily. Ask that God would sharpen their minds and help them to learn. In sixth grade all children must take the government test in French. If they do not pass the test, they are no longer allowed to continue their education. Students are tested in sixth, ninth and twelfth grade. At each level, they and their parents know that if they cannot pass the official test, their schooling will be finished. Please ask God to do a mighty work in Macomb so that school may continue and that generous people will come forward so that Love Feeds OUR World is financially able to educate these students.

This was one of our many attempts at a group picture. We never did get one with everybody!

Thank you to everyone who has been so generously donating to our feeding program, school and shoe drive. As we are 100% donation funded, we really appreciate all of you and your huge hearts for Haiti. Without people like you none of this would be possible!!

As 2013 comes to a close, please consider giving to Love Feeds OUR World with a tax deductible donation. All of your donation will go directly to helping the children and elderly of Macomb, Haiti. Again, thank you for all you do. You are a gift from God!

Donations can be sent to Love Feeds OUR World 2313 North 31st St. Sheboygan, WI 53083.

May God richly bless you this Christmas season!

Love Feeds OUR World Leadership Team

There will come a day when you, I and all the nations will stand before King Jesus and have a conversation that looks like this:

 The King will say to those on His right, “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;  I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'”

Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, “Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?”

And the King will answer and say to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”

Now there will also be those on his left, those who did not do these things. And their fate will be quite different from those on right. My goal is to live my life on His right. I am called to serve others–in particular the lost, the hurting, the broken, the oppressed, the families who don’t know where their next meal is coming from, or how they will ever pay for their children to go to school. This is not merely a suggestion or something I should do when I retire or when I feel my family is financially stable. Serving others is a life style. It is about looking into the eyes of Jesus every day, and saying “Lord, I choose you; I want to serve you. I want to love as you love.”

Thank you my friends for all you do every day to show the love of Christ in the least of these.

Love Always,
Laurie

In a small housing unit in Gressier, Haiti live three beautiful, eldely women. These women are strong in spirit, but physically weak. Like many of the elderly who do not have families to provide for them and meet their basic needs of food, cleanliness, etc., they are often abused and victimized. In Haiti these elderly are referred to as the “forgotten ones.” But God doesn’t forget them.  He sees their struggles and loves them in their weakness.

In April Love Feeds OUR World sent in a team to build a bathroom for these three ladies who we lovingly refer to as the Golden Girls of Haiti. It  includes running water, a flushing toilet, and a shower that is wheelchair accessible. Our team, with the assistance of several Haitian men, accomplish an amazing about of work: digging over 180 foot trench for waterlines, installing all the plumbing, putting in a new floor; however, at the end of the week there was still more to be done. (Read the full article on their week in Haiti written by Chris Flores)

That’s where our June team came in. They finished the work, installing the toilet, sink and shower; a Haitian crew assisted with masonry and today the Golden Girls have a beautiful new bathroom.

I will never forget the way these ladies praised God when they realized they could drink the water from their very own sink. Watching their joy was better than any Christmas present I’ve ever received. Praise God for all He does for the least of these and the way He uses us to accomplish his plans.

I am overwhelmed by and in awe of all the ways God is using people to love on the community of Macomb. Just this month over 120 bottles of prenatal/postnatal vitamins were donated. Someone else donated months and months of children’s vitamins for the feeding program. The Plymouth Ambulance Service donated a large quantity of medical supplies for our next free clinic in Macomb. Shoes, chalk, hygiene supplies, blankets, prescription pill bottles, canes for the elderly . . .

Then just two weeks ago I received an email from Martha, our school administrator in Haiti: “We will need more money for snacks soon . .  . When the children come to school they are so terribly hungry.” A few days later, following Compassion Clinic, Praise Fellowship church donated enough beef sticks to last the school at least a year. Not only are the children getting a snack, they are getting protein.

God is in this, and He is moving! 

Children are being educated, fed and sponsored. The elderly are loved and their needs are being met. Medical treatment is taking place. Just this fall Vania, one of the children with rotting teeth was able to see a dentist. She had two of her teeth extracted, and she and her mother were educated in proper dental care. God is using our small mission to do great things in His Kingdom. Thank you for all you do. Thank you for supporting Love Feeds OUR World and our mission to serve the less fortunate in Haiti.

A few weeks ago, I received a request asking if we would permit a child with AIDS to attend our school. Her name is Naphtalie and she is three years old.

Within days of this request, Naphtalie was enrolled and now attends our three year old preschool. Like many children in Macomb, Haiti, Naphtalie struggles with malnutrition and isn’t always certain when or if her next meal is coming. Thanks to Godly generosity, Naphtalie was quickly sponsored and is now part of our feeding program where she receives hot, nutritious meals and vitamin supplements in addition to the daily snacks she receives at school.

To be honest we are not entirely certain if Naphtalie has HIV or full blown AIDS, and sometimes in Haiti getting these answers is difficult. What we do know is that her mother (her only parent) had AIDS and died not long ago from this disease, and Naphtalie has be diagnosed as having the same illness as her mother.

Life for this little girl will not be easy. She does not have access to the type of medical care a child in the U.S. would receive. Please keep her in your prayers.

Visit this link to see all the pictures from my recent trip to Macomb, Haiti. Enjoy!!

August 2013 Photo Album 

This was one of our many attempts at a group picture. We never did get one with everybody!