MISSION OF THE MONTH for JUNE 2018 Financial Support for the Staff of the Evangelical Lutheran School in Laotchikit Haiti The ONLY school in the village of Laotchikit is run by the Lutheran Church. Every school day children hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and learn reading, writing, and arithmetic. Classes are held inside the sanctuary and in renovated shelters on the church property. Over 500 children are registered to attend school in Laotchikit; however, the people in the village and congregation are too poor to pay for their children to receive an education. The only tuition the families of Laotchikit can afford is one stick of firewood per week per student. The firewood is used by the two school cooks to make a hot lunch of beans and rice for the students and staff every school day. Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church is the only church who provides financial support to pay the school s staff of three teachers, four assistant teachers, a nurse, two cooks, a gate keeper/guard, a principal, and a pastor. Both the principal and pastor teach full time in addition to their administrative and pastoral duties. The nurse teaches health and personal hygiene to the students, in addition to treating their illnesses and injuries. Each school day children learn about eternal salvation through Jesus Christ, and His wonderful plans for their lives. These children go home and tell their parents about what they learn in school, and the parents in turn come to church to learn more about God s love through Jesus. Please help us continue this important work of spreading the Gospel in Haiti. Your generous support is needed to fully fund the 2018-2019 school year. Haiti Mission Financial Report* Amount needed to fund 2018-19 School Year in Laotchikit $17,250.00 Balance in Haiti Fund $8,296.95 Deficit needed to fund 2018-19 School Year ($8,953.05)* *As of 5-7-18 Please support this mission through your prayers and talents. Donations should be made to MPLC-Haiti Mission. Please specify in the memo section on your check HAITI SCHOOL.
2018 Sixth Grade Graduates Seeking Scholarship 2
HAITI MISSION BRINGING THE LOVE OF JESUS TO THE CHILDREN OF LAOTCHIKIT, HAITI 3
What is the purpose of the Haiti Mission? What is the purpose of the Haiti Mission? Spread the Gospel to the lost Educate 500+ children per day Supply safe drinking water Provide basic medical care Give safe living conditions to unprotected children Develop self-sustaining projects which provide self-employment What can you do to help? Pray Get involved Donate Please consider supporting the Haiti Mission of spreading the Gospel in the Central Plateau by donating to: Haiti Mission Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church* 2606 Chimney Rock Road Hendersonville, NC 28792 828-692-7027 The King will reply, Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. Matthew 24:40 NIV *All donations go directly to benefit the children and families living in the Central Plateau region of Haiti and are tax deductible. See article on page 17 concerning Completely Transparency regarding honest financial practices used by Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti. 4
Meet the many school children who attend the Evangelical Lutheran School of Laotchikit. Here are some of the many reasons for helping our brothers and sisters in Christ in the Central Plateau of Haiti. Each child is precious in His sight and we love them too! 5
10,000,000 People Have you ever had the pleasure of listening to a teenager read the Lord s Prayer from the bulletin? He reads with a pride that makes you want to sing praises to God because this young man is the first person in his family to be able to read any words, and even better, he is reading the precious words of the prayer Our Savior taught us. Have you ever wept with a mother whose child was so sick and lethargic the baby girl would not suck and was covered in weeping, running sores? Have you seen the joy in the mother s face when she presents the same child to you a year later that is walking, running, and screaming with good health? Have you watched as teenagers learn to sew on treadle machines in a hot, stuffy room all day because they know this is a skill that, if they master it, will provide a respectable income for their future? Have you received a letter with a picture from the same young woman who is wearing a garment she designed and sewed herself? Have you seen children weep because they have graduated sixth grade and their education will stop because there is no free education available for them to attend? Have you seen the bursting joy of the same group of teens who are given scholarships to attend seventh grade in a nearby town knowing they will have to walk two hours one-way to attend their new school? Have you seen crowds of people in dirt streets asking for a church to be formed in their village? And maybe even have a school for their children to attend who are growing up illiterate because there is no school in the village. Have you seen Jesus? He is on every street, road, and pathway in Haiti and He can be seen in the faces of each of the ten million people who live there. Ten million people is the estimated population of Haiti; the poorest country in the western hemisphere where only half of adults can read and their life expectancy is 63 years of age. Haiti is a country where centuries of corrupt government and dictators have enslaved the people in the vicious cycle of poverty and starvation. Haiti is the country where Roman Catholicism and voodoo are both national religions, and may coexist in the minds of people who practice voodoo. Members of Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church have joined the fight for the souls of people in Haiti by partnering with our Haitian brothers and sisters in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti to spread the truth of the Gospel to lost souls living there. We worship a God who does not need assistance or help from false gods. We worship a God who is so great He created the universe and everything in it. We worship and praise a God who loves us so much He sent His Son, Jesus, the Christ, to save us from our sins. We worship a God who is so great He gives us the free gift of salvation through faith by His Holy Spirit. We invite you to join us in this battle for souls by praying and praising the Triune God of grace, mercy, hope, salvation, forgiveness, and joy. Ten million people. Ten million souls. Now there is a mission field! If you want to be a part of breaking the cycle of starvation and poverty, please keep reading and join the fight. 6
January 2015 View Let us pray! - Submitted by Glenn Leavitt go unto all the world and preach the gospel! make disciples of all nations heal the sick clothe the naked freely you have received, freely give! Responding to the Lord s commands, our team went to Laotchikit Haiti last month, and God has most richly blessed! As she sits in school learning to read about Jesus and moral living, a little girl will be wearing a uniform sewn by her mother, who is learning a valuable skill. A sickly little boy s life may be saved by the good health habits he learned in the clinic, while the gospel he responded to will most certainly save his soul for eternity. Fathers and mothers have learned that God wants them to marry and care for their children. Children with no fathers are learning they have a Heavenly Father who will never forsake them. In Laotchikit vegetable seeds were planted to bring strength to an underfed community. And seeds of righteousness were sown that will continue to blossom in spiritually hungry hearts to the glory of God. Great things He has done! God still has lots of work for the people of MPLC. Whether you are called to give or to go, whether you are called to work or to encourage the workers, every child of God has an assignment. Prayerfully listen for His call, then answer: Here am I Lord, use me! And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7 ESV) 7
The Central Plateau of Haiti August 2015 View And Jesus answered them, Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me. (Matthew 11:4-6 ESV) The Word is bearing much fruit and changing lives in the good soil of Haiti: The poor have good news preached to them. The sick are cleansed and healed. Many children and adults receive Christ. People are baptized. Families are crowding into church. Couples are getting married. Young people are committing to chastity. Bibles and Small Catechisms are given to believers and seekers. Children are learning to read the Bible. People are finding JOY in Jesus. Other villages in the Central Plateau are pleading for the Gospel. The Word we are helping to sow in Haiti is starting to bear much fruit. It is refreshing to see people eager for the Word of God. Thank the Lord that He has enabled us to share His blessings with the poor in Haiti. Pray that He will guide us so children can study in His school, people will receive Christ and be baptized, Bibles and catechisms will be available, and the 100 orphans will be cared for. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9 ESV) 8
Laotchikit is a small village of about 2,000 people, mostly children. It is so small, it is not even on a map of Haiti. Laotchikit was an extremely poor area in the Central Plateau with no church or other civic structures. Laotchikit homes are very small, and the people are extremely poor. There are no doctors, hospitals, electricity and no jobs. The only water in the Laotchikit area was from a small murky spring. Laotchikit July 2015 View In 2010, Pastor Walta started holding church services under a shelter. Since there are no paved roads, the people walk up to 5 miles on dirt paths to attend church on Sundays. After two years of construction, with help from St. Peter Lutheran Church, Bethel Lutheran Church, St. John s Lutheran Church, and Redeemer Lutheran Church in North Carolina, Pastor Walta started indoor services at The First Evangelical Lutheran Church of Laotchikit just before Easter 2013. Today the people worship in a beautiful sanctuary. The area seems to be fairly fertile and can support the growth of some crops. Unfortunately, the land cannot grow enough food to support all the people living there. People eat a few meals a week, not every day. Some mothers abandon their children because they cannot feed them. About 40 to 60 children without a parent live in Laotchikit. An estimated 300,000 abandoned children are enslaved in Haiti today. (see article on restaveks) Laotchikit is a microcosm of the problems faced by Haitians no government support like law enforcement, health care, public education, or social services. After the earthquake of 2010 it became apparent that the people of Laotchikit were in desperate need of assistance. In response to this crisis, Haitian Pastor Walta Jean Duliepre Clercius and his wife, purchased land to construct a church following the guidance of Jeremiah 29:11 (For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope). Pastor Walta, who lives in Port-au-Prince three hours away, is Associate Pastor at Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church in Port-au-Prince. He also teaches at Université Quisqueya in Port-au- Prince and edits French documents for the Haitian government. These people, with no material possessions, worship the Lord with such great joy that it puts us to shame. The people in Laotchikit are wonderful, and they are our brothers and sisters in Christ. Knowing that education is the key to abolishing poverty, Pastor Walta in cooperation with Lutheran churches in North Carolina, started a school at the church. Since 2013, Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church & Preschool has provided funds to hire qualified, trained teachers, cooks, and a gatekeeper/ maintenance man. Mt. Pisgah s focus in Haiti is supporting the mission outreach of the Lutherans there. We work through the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti, which is the synod in fellowship with the LCMS. Our focus must always be about pointing people to salvation through God the Son, Jesus Christ. In June 2017 the congregation s lay pastor, Brother Mura Supreme, completed seminary and was ordained and installed as the full time Pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Laotchikit. Pastor Mura also teaches the sixth grade students in the school. 9
Let Us Pray Boldly! June 2015 View by Pastor Walta Clercius Let us pray for many and many people who do not receive Christ yet in Laotchikit. Let us pray for more baptisms in Laotchikit. Let us pray for more than 130 couple in Laotchikit who are not married yet. Let us pray for more than 100 children in Laotchikit who do not have parents (orphans). Let us pray for more than 700 children today in Laotchikit who stay home, who cannot go to school. Let us pray for many people in Laotchikit who do not have house; when it is raining they cannot sleep. Let us pray for four areas in the Central-Plateau which are waiting for Lutheran Church planting. Let us pray for benches/pews for the children in the school of Laotchikit who are writing on their laps. Let us pray for the teachers and the leaders of the school and church in Laotchikit. God is good all the time. Let us pray by thanking God for all he does for the people of Laotchikit. Let s thank God for the church building He gives us in Laotchikit. Let s thank God for many people who receive Christ in the Holy baptism in Laotchikit. Let s thank God for many people who get married in our Lutheran Church. Let s thank God for the school in Laotchikit that provides education for more than 300 children. Let s thank God for many people in North Carolina who support Laotchikit by their prayers, their generosity, their love and their money. Let s thank God for the privilege that He gives Pastor Walta and Brother Mura to serve Laotchikit. Let s thank God for the school staff salaries. Let s thank God for the clinic for the children in Laotchikit. Let s thank God for the goat projects. Let s thank God for professions He gives to some girls in Laotchikit. They can sew. Thanks for the sewing machines. Let s thank God for all the other blessings. Many blessings, Walta 10
Anacia s Mother (Camille) with Anacia and her grandchildren. Tkoune Camille In January 2015, a team from Mt. Pisgah went to Laotchikit, Haiti. Part of the trip was to provide medical treatment to the school children and staff. Dr. Jim Volk, a pediatrician, and Ms. Kim Rector, a nurse practitioner, examined each child in the school and treated those who were sick. It was not advertised in the congregation, but some sick adults would come in hopes of being treated. On our last day, the last person patiently waited to see Kim. She was a sweet, quiet, middle-aged lady who had led the difficult life of a Haitian mother. Her condition was a startling reminder of where we were: in Haiti where most people NEVER see a healthcare provider, doctor, nurse, or anyone with medical training their entire lives. If you go to a doctor in Haiti, you can expect third world conditions, and no one is treated without full payment before being allowed in the door. The woman showed Kim her breast that clearly exhibited symptoms of an advanced stage of breast cancer. Although she was clearly in pain, she calmly and cheerfully answered Kim s questions and examination. Kim was shocked! Remember, Kim, a seasoned medical professional, arrived in Haiti just after the earthquake of 2010 to treat morbid, infected wounds of many people, including the dying. Kim told the woman her condition was very serious and she needed to see a surgeon immediately. The interpreter working with Kim would not even say the word cancer. The best Kim could do was to hold the sweet lady s hand and pray with her. When Kim told me the story, we knew we had to call The Great Physician. So Kim told Pastor Walta who immediately grasped the situation. Pastor Walta needed to give this dying lady the gospel August 2015 View of Eternal Life through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Pastor Walta said she was Tkoune Camille, the mother of Anacia, one of the school s cooks. Pastor Walta told Camille about a wonderful, loving God who loves us so much He sent Jesus to die for our sins. He told her how much God loved her and how Jesus death and resurrection guarantees our salvation through Him, the Savior. Pastor Walta prayed with Camille and taught her about the blessings of forgiveness through Holy Baptism and Holy Communion. Camille did not want to take communion because she did not believe she deserved the body and blood of Christ because of her sickness. Eventually, she began to understand that none of us are worthy of salvation. All of us are broken, sick, and sinful in the eyes of God, BUT He loves us anyway. God sent us salvation through Jesus Christ and we have eternal life in heaven with Him. Pastor Walta sent us a message this weekend to tell us Camille was healed: The mother of Anacia That means the mother of the wife of Brother Lolo was very sick.you saw her situation She had a breast cancer.you prayed for the family. She knew Christ. She was baptized in the Church. She ate and drank the body and the blood of Christ now, she is going to find her father Jesus Christ. She died. She is crying Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna The family says that God is good all the time!!! Now I leave the people there well. They continue to worship Jesus Christ. God is really good. May God continue to bless us!!! Walta I rejoice to know that Camille is standing beside my mother in Heaven singing Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the presence of our Lord! The situation of Camille coming to faith brings home to us the urgency of spreading the gospel and salvation of Christ to all the lost. Those lost in Laotchikit, Haiti; and those lost in Henderson County, North Carolina. Don t wait. Share the Good News every day. Pray God will open your eyes and ask God to show you the great works He has planned for us to bring the lost to His love and salvation. Do so with urgency! We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. John 9:4 (NLT) Many blessings, The Haiti Mission Team 11
Thank you Mt. Pisgah for your gifts to Save the Children of Laotchikit, Haiti February 2015 View Children in Sunday School with teacher standing in back. The ELCL Women s Choir 12
People bringing offerings for lay minister. Cooks prepare a meal for congregation. 13
January 2017 View 14
January 2015 Missionary Trip takes the love of Jesus to the Children of Laotchikit, Haiti Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church & Preschool takes the love of Jesus Christ to the children of Laotchikit, Haiti. Members of this mission team include (l-r) Herman Lehman, Dorothy Lehman, Kim Rector, Wendy White, Mikki Reinicker, Marilyn Pittman, and Barbara Volk. Dr. James Volk, also on the team, was not available for this photo. Barbara Volk and interpreter teach sewing to Haitian girls. 15
THANK YOU from Pastor Walta in Laotchikit, Haiti Brother & Sisters in Christ from North Carolina, Members of the mission team from Mt. Pisgah, traveling to Laotchikit, Haiti on Jan. 16-24, 2015. It is a privilege for me this morning to write you this letter, to thank you for this mission team and for your past and continuing blessings. Especially, I thank you for the team mission who came to Haiti last week to: 1. Evangelism by visiting people door to door; 2. Provide medical care; 3. Teach sewing; 4. Plant gardens. It was a wonderful mission that men could not do alone. They have been guided by the Holy Spirit to do that in Laotchikit, Haiti. Today, many women in Laotchikit can sew. They have this profession, and they will be able to sew the uniforms of the children in the school yearly!!! Blessings!!! To God be the Glory. God will continue to keep Mrs. Mikki Reinicker and Barbara Volk, the sewing team. They have a good heart for helping the children in Laotchikit. They have been kind and so patient with the sewing students. We will never forget their help there. And, their students really love them. Thank you my Sisters. May God continue to bless you. We thank also Dr. Jim Volk, a pediatrician and Kim Rector from Hickory at St Peters Lutheran Church, a nurse practitioner who has been to Haiti many times on medical mission trips. They really helped us in Laotchikit by providing medical care. Many people in Laotchikit were sick when they were arriving there but, before leaving they were fine because they receive medical care by Brother Jim and Sister Kim. Praise God!!! To God be the Glory!!! For example, a child in our school could not walk. Before they leave Laotchikit, this boy can walk and come alone to our school. Many other cases like that. We really appreciate their work. They train also a nurse in Laotchikit to provide medical care there. God is good! This team works for development of the area in Laotchikit!!! 16 April 2015 View They did not give people of Laotchikit fish, but they teach them how to catch fishes. They encouraged people to make the garden a success. This is exactly what we need for this area!!! Finally, we thank our Sister Wendy White, the leader of the team for her leadership and her work. We love her! She is really a woman of God with a big heart for helping the people in Laotchikit. We feel that she would like to do all for the people there. She visited many, many people in Laotchikit in their houses, talking to them, encouraging them. I think that she learns more things about Laotchikit. Because, in Laotchikit, if you do not visit people homes, you will not see the reality that they are facing. People there were so happy to see in their house Dr. Jim, Sister Kim, and Sister Wendy. Sisters Mikki Reinicker and Barbara Volk did not have the possibility to visit people because they were in class all the days, working so hard. Brother and Sisters in Christ, Please, thank Pastor Rabon and all the members of Mt. Pisgah for all they are doing. Thank you for your time, your love, your gifts, your generosity, and your money! Thank you for the wonderful attention you gave the people in the school by making a party for them at the hotel. They really appreciated that: the gate keepers, cookers, teachers, principal, lay pastors...thank YOU in capital letters!!! It was a wonderful blessing to see and meet my brothers and sisters in Christ from North Carolina. We were so blessed by their presence last week. This Mission team is really a blessing and success!!! God is good! Brother and Sisters in Christ, please continue to do this wonderful work for the children and people of Laotchikit. Thank you for all you do for God s people. To God be the praise and Glory forever, Amen! Your Brother in Christ, Walta CLERCIUS (wantal2010@yahoo.fr) First Evangelical Lutheran Church of Laotchikit, Hinche, Haiti.
Thanks from Pastor Walta Clercius Haiti, July 27, 2015 Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I thank God for this privilege He gives me for writing you tonight. He is very good all the time. He helps us in Haiti to have you as friends. What a blessing! You are always in our heart and prayers. We were all alone in Laotchikit, where people stayed home. No school, no church. God gives us church and school in Laotchikit. God gives us the Gospel. The Gospel changes people. The Gospel brings JOY to this area. God is good all the time!!! Today, even though I do not know how our 300 children in the school are eating during this summer vacation, I am sure that they know God. And I know that I must continue to pray and work for changing their situation. Many, many changes have been made in Laotchikit by God working in you. You are the only ones helping our school in Laotchikit. We receive all from North Carolina. We know just you, Brothers and Sisters in North Carolina!!! The church in Laotchikit is growing. Many and many people receive Christ. God is good all the time!!! Now, God is sending us into the Central Plateau of Haiti to preach the Gospel and to plant Lutheran Churches in other villages. Now, we are teaching the leader of a second church about the Lutheran Doctrine. I give him Bibles and Small Catechisms (sent from you in North Carolina) for our brothers and sisters. The church will have as name Evangelical Lutheran Church of Pas Bonbon. This church has for now 80 members. We continue to teach them the Gospel. Just like Laotchikit, people of Pas Bonbon are eager to receive Christ!!! In the plan God gives us for church planting, three men in our church are studying theology. Thank you for sending money for them to attend our Lutheran seminary in Haiti!!! August 2015 View These men, Mura, Chevalier, and Stevenson, will be responsible for three different churches: I continue to train, teach, and mentor them God is good all the time. We are praying for 2000 Lutheran members in 5 Lutheran churches in the next 2 years in Central Plateau of Haiti This is our prayer. Alone, we will not arrive. But, God is good. He knows our heart. With the assistance of a seminarian, I am organizing a church meeting for two of these congregations. We will have some special Bible study where our Brothers and Sisters will have their own Bibles and Small Catechisms God is good. This Saturday (August 1), we will have activities for children, youth, and adults from 8 AM to 5 PM. Next Saturday (August 8), we will have activities for the board of evangelization. As you know that, in Haiti The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. (Luke 10:2). Today, we are less than 18 Lutheran Pastors in Haiti for 9,000,000 Haitians. This is the reason for why I continue to pray and train my Brothers in Laotchikit. We pray about evangelizing and planting churches in Los-Palis, Maissade soon. Even though we often face difficulties in our Mission, God gives us the strength and courage to support the hard tests of this world.he also gives us Brothers and Sisters in North Carolina who work so hard for us. What a Friend we have in Jesus Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged Take it to the Lord in prayer. For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! (1 Corinthians 9: 16 ESV) The best thing that anyone could do in Haiti is preach the Gospel and educate the children By that, you are changing Haiti; you will change many things in the world. May God continue to bless you in the Resurrected One, Pastor Walta CLERCIUS First Evangelical Lutheran Church of Laotchikit 17
These precious daughters of Christ are living in the Girls Safe House shelter in the back yard of the church. They live here with a Christian woman who cares for them. These girls were accepted into the safe house because they do not have a parent who is able to care for and protect them. Dr. Jim Volk, a retired pediatrician, exams a child in a medical clinic held in the church sanctuary. Most Haitians never visit a healthcare professional during their lives. 18
Complete Transparency July 2016 View Poverty in Haiti is beyond our imagination. No schools, social services, healthcare, or protection. Many of the problems stem from government corruption on all levels. Because of this problem we have established complete transparency agreements with church leaders. This gives us great trust and confidence in the people with whom we work. Here is how the process of transferring funds works: 1. Needs are established and budgets are set. 2. The Haiti Mission Team reviews the needs and, if funds are available, vote to approve the funding required. 3. Funds are transferred from Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti. 4. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti gives the funds to Pastor Walta who makes payment for all projects related to the Lutheran Church in Laotchikit. 5. A payroll report, photographs, letters, and certifications follow in an email to be shared with all members of our church. For example, when $50 is sent to buy a nanny goat, we receive a picture of the family with their new nanny goat. When a nanny kid is born of the new goat, the family is then required to give that kid to another family in need. Goats are one of the few animals which can thrive in the harsh conditions in Haiti. Haiti is consistently ranked among the most corrupt countries in the world by the Corruption Perception Index by Transparency International. All money transfers are received through the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti, which is the Haitian Lutheran synod in fellowship with LCMS. All funds are received by Pastor Bernard Thomas in Port-au-Prince, and then transferred to Pastor Walta Clercius. In addition to these measures, we make accountability checks part of each mission trip about once every 18 months to the congregation in Laotchikit. While in Haiti, members of the mission team from Mt. Pisgah visit and attend the church and talk with parents, teachers, students, and neighbors. We ask questions and take pictures to insure the information we give you is accurate and ALL funds from Mt. Pisgah are used in the manner intended. To fully fund the staff salaries for the 2016-2017 school year, we would like to send $15,000 to the church in Laotchikit over a ten month period. Any funds over this amount are desperately needed to maintain the safe drinking water well, and the tricycle motor bike which picks up children and teachers for school, hire additional preschool teachers, purchase cloth for uniforms, and medicine. Each teacher earns $100 per month and teaches 12 to 60 students in their classroom. The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor. Proverbs 22:9 19
JULY 2017 Mission of the Month MPLC HAITI MISSION BUILDING PROJECT July 2017 The Haiti Mission Committee would like to update the congregation with a financial review of this important mission. Through the grace of God, the Gospel spreads through the work of the Holy Spirit and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti, specifically the congregation in Laotchikit, expanding to areas and villages in the Central Plateau near the town of Hinche. There are several preaching stations, places where Lutheran seminarians go to preach and teach the Gospel around the town of Hinche. These are the start of new congregations. Many people hear from the members of the congregation in Laotchikit about the Gospel and they want congregations in their villages too. Any support for new congregations would likely come from other Lutheran churches in the USA since Mt. Pisgah is dedicated to helping the school at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Laotchikit. With the generous contributions from members of Mt. Pisgah, the staff of the Lutheran School in Laotchikit will be paid in the upcoming school year. While they are earning less than the average pay for teachers in the nearby town of Hinche, the teachers will receive a raise in their salaries to $140 per month. This is the first raise the teachers have received in over five years. The Lutheran school in Laotchikit is registered with the State in Haiti and follows the national curriculum. The students who graduate are prepared to advance to 7 th grade at a high school in Hinche. The graduates would not be able to afford to attend school after sixth grade except for the donations of individuals at Mt. Pisgah who gave $120 per student as a scholarship to attend seventh grade in Hinche. These scholarships will cover tuition, books, and uniforms for fourteen graduating students. In return, the students will walk two hours to school in Hinche each day and send their report cards to the Haiti Mission Committee at Mt. Pisgah each quarter. There is a great need for classrooms for the preschool students. About 100 little children attend class under a roof with no walls, windows, or doors. All three teachers conduct classes simultaneously under the same roof. The cost to build classrooms with flushable toilets is estimated at $35,000. The Haiti Mission Committee is exploring other charities which may be able to help with the cost of construction. If you are able, please consider giving generously to the building project for preschool classrooms. Haiti Mission Dedicated Funds (Total amount in fund as of 6-28-17) $ 31,182.43 2017-18 School Staff Salaries $ 17,250.00 7th Grade Student Scholarships $ 1,680.00 Preschool Classrooms Building Project $ 35,000.00 Amount needed to fully fund building preschool classrooms $ (22,747.57) 20
EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH & SCHOOL OF LAOTCHIKIT HAITI Dear Wendy, UPDATE FROM PASTOR WALTA April 2016 How many words to use? What kind of words to use to express our gratitude in order to thank you for all your past and continuing blessings. My experience with the brothers and sisters in NC helps me to see that love still exists in the world. I could not find the exact word to thank my brothers and sisters who brought many and many things for us in Haiti. We really appreciate your work. The small house building is going very well. We are waiting for the workers who will give us the iron for this space you see. We have money to finish. Thank you. God is good all the time This is to thank my brothers and sisters for all the gifts they gave us in Haiti. We really appreciate all the things you gave us in Haiti. I certify by this that all the things you sent went directly to Laotchikit. The future of Laotchikit. The future of Haiti. The children wear the uniform even though they are not going to school. They wear the uniform daily. We are working on it in other to correct that. Coffee and bread after the worship service in Laotchikit 21
MISSON OF THE MONTH FOR JULY 2016 EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH & SCHOOL OF LAOTCHIKIT HAITI July 2016 View LETTER FROM PASTOR WALTA Laotchikit (near Hinche, Haiti), June 17 th 2016 Brothers and Sisters at Mt Pisgah Lutheran Church, Words are not sufficient today to express my gratitude and thankfulness for all your blessings in the way you bless us in Laotchikit, Haiti. We really enjoy your love, your time and your donation of money. You bless us by the church and school that you support in Laotchikit, by the clinic, by the sewing machines, formation, goat project, Laotchikit business, seminarian project, orphanage project.you bless us in all and by all God is good all the time. Brothers and Sisters, As you know, Laotchikit did not have a church and school. After the earthquake of 2010 in Haiti, where more than 300,000 people died, Jesus sent us there, to start this work. Today we have just one school, just one church in this area. The people of Laotchikit did not receive a good education. People did not know anything about Jesus, marriage and about privacy. No sexual education in this area. I understood that after the church, education is so important to the children. It is the key of development. The parents did not receive education in this area because they did not have school. They are not able to give what they do not have. Today, we have 340 children in the school. They learn many and many things in the school. They are so smart and learn very fast. The teachers trained them about many, many things. We thank you for the salary of the teachers and the staff of the school. We receive this salary regularly. It is really a very big blessing. With this salary, the teachers and the staff are able to eat something and help their families at home. You make the difference!!! We could not continue with this project if you did not help us. After God, we have just you in life who are supporting the school. You are helping 340 children. The future of these 340 children depends on your support. God is good all the time. We have just a primary school. Today 13 children completed their primary classes with us in Laotchikit. There is no middle or high school for them in Laotchikit. This is a problem. More and more children are still home, because the school could receive just 300 children. We would like to receive 200 others children for the next academic year. We need your prayer. You are always with us. You never leave us alone. Thank you for your generosity. We love you. We really understand and appreciate your help. Thank you in capital letters. Again thank you for your past and continuing blessings. In Christ, Pastor Walta CLERCIUS First Evangelical Lutheran Church of Laotchikit, Haiti 22
Thank you Mt. Pisgah Au The little boys play on the church steps with cars made by woodworkers in South Carolina. These small wooden cars are their only toy. Bibles and Luther s Small Catechism that we purchased in France finally arrived in Haiti. Thanks to the special donors who contributed funds specifically for these very special books. The school s nurse, Rene Riboul, is pictured in the middle with Pastor Walta on the left and Mikki Reinicker on the right. Nurse Rene teaches children in the school and treats injuries and illnesses. He teaches the children personal and dental hygiene, good health habits, and sexual purity. Nurse Rene is the only source of healthcare most people in the village can afford. His supplies and salary are provided by members of Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church. Another small gift was specifically donated to purchase a nanny-goat. Pastor Walta will designate a family to receive this goat. When it has kids, the first female will be donated to another deserving family. Goats are one of God s marvelous creations that can transform the sparse vegetation on Haiti into rich milk that is one of the most nutritious foods. In addition to being a delicious food for the family, goat s milk can be used as the raw material for a cottage industry selling butter, buttermilk, cheese, cream, curd, whey, and yogurt. 23
When the mission team met in June, we prepared a list of questions to Pastor Walta about various projects which donors at Mt. Pisgah have supported. This allows us to give you accurate and current information. Below are the candid answers he shared with us. My Sister, July 2016 View Here are the answers: Where do these (orphaned) girls come from? The girls come from Laotchikit. What are their ages? These girls are 3-7 years old. How are they selected to live in the safe house? They have been selected by the Pastor, the principal of the school and the committee of the church. We had criteria s for that. We choose the girls who are more vulnerable. Who are the women who will teach and protect the girls? The 2 women who will teach and protect the girls are chosen by the committee of the church. Can you tell us some of their life stories? These 30 children are really in need. They do not have parents in Laotchikit. Some of them have parents but these parents are youth and cannot educate them. Some of them live in just a room with their mother and father. They see what they did not have to see. What is the plan for the orphaned boys? We have the same plan for the boys. We would like to build a same house also for 30 boys in the future. How much money is needed to repair the five broken wells? We are praying for 910 US dollars. This money will help us to fix 5 wells. These wells will resolve many problems in Laotchikit. Have the wells been tested to insure the wells are not contaminated with germs? (There was a cholera outbreak in Laotchikit last fall.) The wells have been tested. They are not contaminated with germs. They give good water. Are the teachers and Nurse Joseph teaching the children about sexual purity? The teachers, the lay preacher and Nurse Joseph teach the children about sexual purity, but when the children are home sometimes, some of them see their parents in sexual activity. How do you teach the children to wait for marriage before becoming sexually active? We pray with them and explain to them that Jesus says NO. They are so smart and understand what I explain. Are women sewing uniforms for the children? The women do not continue to sewing uniforms for the children because they do not have fabric. We would like to buy fabric for them and buy some new shirts like we did last year for the children in the school. Are all the sewing machines working? All the sewing machines are working very well. We have maintenance regularly in them. Thank you for the maintenance fees. How many women are sewing now? Now, 11 women and 2 boys are able to use the sewing machines. But, they do not have fabric. How is the training for the men attending seminary going? Are Brothers Mura, Stevenson, and Chevalier continuing to study the Lutheran theology? The training for the men attending seminary is going well. The men are really smart and can explain very well the small catechism. Thank you for these blessings! They are at level 2 for now. They will have a class before the biannual Convention which will be held in Cap- Haitian, Haiti on July. Pastor Marky, the President of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti will teach Homiletic (the art of preaching or writing sermons). After the Level 2, they will need the level 3 to become theologian. We are really in need of Lutheran Pastors for our churches in Central Plateau. Mura, Chevalier and Stevenson really appreciate the seminary. For the class that they will have on July, they will be in need because they have to pay taxi, transportation The church of Cap-Haitian will not be able to feed them. 24
How many other churches are asking you to join the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti? Where are they located? More than 12 churches are asking to join Evangelical Lutheran church of Laotchikit. They are located at Hinche, Maissade, Thomonde, Los-palis, Papaye But, we have planted 2 other churches and accepted 1. Now, we are serving 4 congregations in Central-Plateau. How many people are coming to church in Laotchikit? How many were baptized last year? How many were married? More than 550 people are coming to church in Laotchikit. More than 120 people have been baptized and 44 people have been married. How many more teachers do you need to allow 200 more children to come to school? We will need at least 2 more teachers to allow 200 more children to come to school. How much would a middle school cost? For the middle school, we will need at least 600 us dollars monthly for the class of 7 th. It is the first class after the primary school in Haiti. Is the tricycle still working? Does it need maintenance or repair? For now, the tricycle is not working (May-June). It needs maintenance. The maintenance will cost 180 US dollars because we have to buy pieces for the motor also. It is really a big blessing for the people of Laotchikit. We use it for the school and the baptism. We use the tricycle also for evangelism, for transportation How is the school nurse working out? Is Nurse Joseph still working at the school? I will have a meeting with Nurse Joseph Tanaze and will know exactly if she will continue to work with the children for the next year. What other projects does the school need? The school needs: Uniforms; More chairs; More tables; School building. July 2016 View What are some of the problems or dangers in Laotchikit? Many people do not receive Christ yet. Many children do not go to school. People are facing a big poverty. They wish to be in our business project. With 200 US dollars someone can start with an important business. They wish to receive goats in our goat project. My dear Sister, I thank you for these questions and I am translating the letters of the children. Again thank you for your time, your love, your generosity, your money. Thank you for all!!! We really appreciate what you are doing for Laotchikit. God s blessings. Thank you my Sister! Your brother in Christ, Walta 25
News from our Laotchikit, Haiti family October 2015 View I am so happy to be able to send you more information about all the activities in Laotchikit. Spiritual The church in Laotchikit is growing up. Many and many people receive Christ. God is good all the time. We have more Members in the church of Laotchikit. We are praying for a total of more than 2000 Lutheran members, 5 Lutheran churches in the next 2 years in Central Plateau of Haiti Here is our prayer. Alone, we will not arrive. But, God is good. He knows our heart. Orphans That is really big news to know that we have $5,000 to start the Orphans house. What a blessings!!! God is really good all the time. God will continue to show us the way to do His work. In the orphans that we will have, these children will be chosen by the board of the church; by the committee and I will approve the decision. We will ask: 1. The age of the child (less than 10) 2. Is the child really in need? 3. Does the child have parent? 4. Is the child in our Church/school? 5. Someone in the church will talk about the child When we receive a child, we will write a write story about the child. Pictures will be taken. We will see the progress. The orphanage will be built in the land of the church, in the name of First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Laotchikit. The children will be protected from rain and storms and from bad people who would try to hurt them or use them as slaves. And 2 Christian women in the church would love to take care of these children. It is exactly what we need in Laotchikit. It will be a safe place for these children to live and to learn that God loves them and they should stay in school. Laotchikit clinic The clinic of Laotchikit is a big gift that God gives us in Laotchikit. We thank our Brothers and Sisters of North Carolina for this special gift. God is good all the time. Last year 44 children were sick in our school. They receive care and medicine and they were great. Nurse Tanaze takes care of them. 26
October 2015 View Teeth brushing The children of Laotchikit did not know how to brush their teeth. The last Mission team had trained them. Now, the nurse Tanaze continues to train them how to brush their teeth. Now, the children of Laotchikit know how to brush their teeth. But, they get a problem of paste for brushing their teeth. We have medicine for this new school year. But, we need more medicine for the thing that you saw in the hair of the children pias and some vitamins. The children don t have paste for their teeth. The children have good health now in Laotchikit. They are growing. Goat project The goat project is doing well. Many and many people in Laotchikit find goat in this project. We give a nanny goat to someone and the person will give us a baby goat. We give this Baby goat to someone else. For now, more than 250 persons receive goats from us in Laotchikit. Did a woman receive a goat This is in the picture the people who will receive the goat. Next month, the price of the goat will be better. This is why Brother Mura is waiting for some weeks before buying the goat in Maissade. This project is so interesting. It helps people of Laotchikit to have something to feed the children with goat milk. Jeans family. This is a couple married in Laotchikit and have 7 children. They did not have a place to live. Now, they are in our land of Laotchikit. Now, they have big garden in Laotchikit. The children go in our school. We teach them how to control themselves to not become pregnant again. This small house have been built in our land for them. But, when it rains they have problem with the roof. Brother Mura says that 180 US DOLLARS could fix the roof and change the door. This family will sleep well. Brother Jean is a good quiet man. He is working hard. Seminary We continue to train our Brothers Mura, Stevenson and Chevalier. They have the books that you sent for them and continue to study. They will have class in the seminary next month. God is good! Our Brothers Stevenson and Chevalier start to evangelize in Savane Haleine. Savane Haleine is the third place where we will have a church planting in Central Plateau. To God be the glory! Evangelization As I come to explain, now we are working in 3 different areas in central Plateau. The work of God is growing. First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Laotchikit; Lutheran Station in Pas Bonbon; Lutheran station in Savane Haleine For the work of Savane Haleine, Stevenson or Chevalier will be called by God. For the work of Pas bonbon, the Brother that you met last time will continue to help in it. We are training him about the Lutheran doctrine. Small Cathechism and the Bible How to thank again our Brothers and Sisters in North Carolina for their efforts with us. The small cathechism is very a special gift. We use them in the church in all our service; bible study, prayers, Sunday school.god is good! 27
The chairs and benches The children were so proud to sit in their chairs. The teachers thank you for this beautiful gift. Dafne thanks you again for this wonderful gift for our children in Laotchikit. Payroll staff The teachers thank you for the payroll. We thank God for this gift that you give us monthly in Laotchikit. Uniforms October 2015 View We have uniforms for all our children in Laotchikit. Nadine with the other sisters who learned to sew make all the uniforms for the children in Laothikit. Wilna tells me that the children are so cute in the first day of class. It is very a good project! We thank again our brothers and Sisters for teaching people of Laotchikit about how to sew. God s blessings! The treadle machines are beautiful. They are great. About Nadine and Chevalier Nadine and Chevalier have a wonderful wedding. Many people in the church came in this wedding. They love this couple. Teacher Luvita (in red) sings in the wedding. They sing in the wedding. This is the new married couple in Laotchikit. Chevalier is a student in our seminary. He is also a member in the Board of the church committee. Nadine becomes a seamstress after the last Mission Team from North Carolina in Haiti. It was an excellent Mission Team. For if I may proclaim good news, it is no glorying for me, for necessity is laid upon me, and woe is to me if I may not proclaim good news.! Corinthians 9: 16. The best thing that someone could do in Haiti is preaching the Gospel and educate the children By that, you will change Haiti; you will change many things in the world. May God continue to bless you in the Resurrected One, Pastor Walta CLERCIUS First Evangelical Lutheran church of Laotchikit, Hinche, Haiti. 28
HAITI MISSION TEAM - NOVEMBER 2016 November 2016 View Brothers and Sisters in Christ, HURRICANE MATTHEW AFTERMATH I Greet you in the name of the Most High and on behalf of all the affected ones by hurricane Matthew! We thank you very so much for praying for us at this difficult situation. I give thanks to God that here in the North, West, North East and Central Plateau our saints have not been affected but the situation is different for the South, South East and Grande Anse. It was is very difficult to reach these regions through the phone where more than 1000 people have been perished by the hurricane. We know that many of our members in those places are deeply affected. The roof of our main church in Les Cayes is greatly damaged. Many churches have been destroyed. The President of ELCH, Rev Eliona said that In this regard, whatever one can do to even partially to help relieving the suffering of the afflicted ones would be highly appreciated. At this time, the most urgent needs are: Food, drinking water and hygiene kits. We can't now tell anything about construction as we do not yet know how many of our schools, homes and churches in these regions have been destroyed or damaged. Again, thank you for your concern and prayers. May God continue to bless you! In Him, Pastor Walta CLERCIUS First Evangelical Lutheran Church of Laotchikit, Haiti. ELCH IS BLESSED WITH CLASSROOM EQUIPMENT FROM ORPHAN GRAIN TRAIN What a blessing Marilyn Bertram s idea was to the school in Laotchikit! We are so grateful to her for making the connection and phone calls to Orphan Grain Train on behalf of the Evangelical Lutheran Church and School in Laotchikit, Haiti. Her efforts along with the power of God provided the school equipment for a new class room. Thank you from the children in Laotchikit and the MPLC Mission Team! My Sister, September 22, 2016 We are happy to inform you that we receive from OGT 30 chairs, 40 desks, 1 teachers desk, 2 trash cans, 1 chalkboard. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Pastor Walta and truck, loaded with chairs for the Laotchikit School Blessings, Walta 29
HAITI MISSION TEAM SEPTEMBER 2016 In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; In the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. Psalm 5:3 Every week, our congregation calls out to the Lord for His kingdom to grow around the world, in Hendersonville, Africa, and Haiti. For those in Haiti, we cry out to the Lord, especially for the children, who are trapped in a system without education or hope for a better future; children who follow in their parents footsteps of hunger, despair, and sickness because there is no stable government, affordable healthcare, free education, and few churches. After we make our requests known to God, we wait in expectation! God is blessing this mission better than we can imagine. The Mission Team shared some of the most urgent needs with the congregation and God opened your hearts to help our brothers and sisters in Laotchikit. The church s tricycle motorbike used to transport supplies, teachers, and children to school was broken and in need of repair. Donations were made for this specific need. Thank you, God! Five of the ten drinking water wells in the community of Laotchikit were in need of repair. Women and children walk long distances to pump water from the wells for cooking and drinking because the rivers are polluted and cholera is always a threat to the health of the community. Thanks be to God! A donation was made to repair the five broken wells. In Haiti, for a family on the verge of starvation, to have a nanny goat is true wealth. The nanny goat is the only animal which can eat trash and rough saw grass, and produce nutritious, delicious milk. You heard of this need and gave seven nanny goats for seven different families in Haiti. But the greatest need was the burden laid on our hearts when Pastor Walta told us there were two hundred more children in the neighborhood who did not attend school because there were not enough teachers. Currently, there are ten staff members at the school who teach, cook, nurse, and protect 320 children. A teacher makes $100 USD per month to teach 30 to 80 children. By adding two more teachers, they believe they can add these 200 children who do not attend school. Thanks be to God! Your generous donations can provide and paid for two more teachers for the school, bringing the monthly school budget to $1,300 USD. This blessing means every school day, children will learn about the love of God through Jesus Christ. Every school day children will learn God has a special plan for their lives. Every school day children will learn right from wrong based on God s commandments, something their parents, many of whom are unchurched, cannot teach them. Every school day children will receive a hot meal which for many is their only meal of the day. Thank you for your generous contributions to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Laotchikit which will be able to allows 520 children to attend school this year. What a huge blessing to each family as their child learns about God and brings that information home to share with the entire family. Like young children waiting for Christmas morning, let us always wait in expectation of the wonderful blessings to which God will give His people. God is greatly blessing the children and congregation in Laotchikit through your contributions and gifts. Let us give thanks to God for blessing each of us, and the children in Laotchikit, better than we could imagine. Thanks be to God! All donations to the Evangelical Lutheran Church & School of Laotchikit are received through The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti which is the Haitian Lutheran Synod in fellowship with LCMS. All donations for this mission are made through designated offerings. Mt. Pisgah does not budget a donation for the mission in Haiti. No pledge of future contributions are made beyond this 2016-2017 school year. 30 September 2016 View
Thank you. Thank you! THANK YOU! - by Wendy White Thanks to everyone who sent needed supplies to Laotchikit, Haiti. This past week Dr. Jim and Barbara Volk with Jim s brother, John Volk, and his wife, Arlene, traveled to Haiti for only one day. Their visit actually lasted about eight hours in Haiti. So why would they go for such a short stay? In January 2016, the US State Department issued a travel advisory to all US citizens to avoid travel to Haiti. Haitians are fed up with a dysfunctional government, corrupt leaders, and dictatorships, so they started protesting in the streets by the tens of thousands when the current president cancelled elections. Mob rule is dangerous and Americans are easy targets to identify. By Haitian standards, all Americans are extremely rich. This is true. Most of us live in homes with floors and running water. We have electricity and lights and we usually eat at least two or three meals per day. Most Haitian homes are dirt floors, no lights, and no running water. They eat about one meal every three days. So being around mobs of angry, hungry people in Port-au- Prince, is a dangerous situation. The cause of their anger started about two years ago, when the current president of Haiti decided to cancel presidential elections. It would be like President Obama cancelling all the primaries leading up to the presidential election in November and cancelling the November election too. Haitian candidates from opposing parties were harassed and their family members injured. People in Haiti are sick of it. Because there is no stable government in Haiti and corruption is very prevalent, the only reliable way to get supplies into the country is by hand carrying items in luggage. Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church supports the ONLY school and church in Laotchikit, Haiti where every school day about 320 children hear the gospel of Our Lord and Savior who loves and treasures us. The school has a nurse, who treats all the school children and she needed medicine for the next year. The school feeds children a hot lunch each day and they needed serving bowls in which to put the food. Ladies in the church sent many bowls. There is a group of young ladies in Laotchikit who sew uniforms for the school children and make sewn items to sell to others. The Ladies Guild sent sewing supplies. The quilters sent heavy cloth to make tote bags (a very useful item in Haiti since everyone walks everywhere and carries all they need with them). Children always need shoes and in the rugged terrain of Laotchikit, soccer cleats work best and about 30 pairs were sent. There is no electricity in Laotchikit so the Rotary Club of Hendersonville sent solar powered lights. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Laotchikit operates a generator for Sunday morning worship but they needed a microphone to be heard because about 300 to 400 people come to worship each week with many more spilling out of the sanctuary. The school always needs books and a teacher in our own preschool gathered children s books in French when she went to Canada last summer. Haitian children learn to speak and read English too, so books in English were sent for the school s small library. Wash cloths, soap, tooth paste, and over a thousand tooth brushes were sent because cholera is a common epidemic in the village and dental hygiene is critical when you have NO access to a dentist. These are just a few of the important items taken by the Volks and each piece will be treasured and used by our brothers and sisters in Christ. It is our prayer a revival will sweep through the Central Plateau around the tiny village of Laotchikit and all people will have the opportunity to hear the loving, redeeming Gospel of Jesus Christ as our Savior. 31
Why do you go to Haiti? MPLC HAITI MISSION TEAM January 2017 January 2017 View That is a question many people ask and the answer is simple. We go because God s children are there and His children are important. He knows and cares about every one of them and has every hair on their heads counted and numbered (Matthew 10:30, Luke 12:7). He loves His children and unless they learn about Him, how will they become His children? Here are some exciting changes happening in the small village of Laotchikit. Every school day children hear the Word of God preached and learn to read the Bible, something most of their parents cannot do. By hearing and reading, their faith grows. (Romans 10:17) They learn God has a wonderful plan for their lives (Jeremiah 29:11). Plans that mean hope for a good future, not the life they have known of constant starvation and sickness. Mr. Murabeau Supreme is the Lay Minister of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Laotchikit. He is also a 6 th grade teacher in the school. He is known to the people and students simply as Brother Mura. He tells us the village of Laotchikit is changing. He says, The bad guys have converted or left the area. The ones who converted come to church on Sunday now. The girls living in the Safe House children s shelter learn they are important individuals to the Almighty King. They are loved and cherished by God the Father and by their House mama Marie- Mode Joseph, something they may not have experienced before in their short lives. Wilna Jeannite, the school principal and director of the children s home tells us, The girls don t want to go back to where they were living because they feel more love here than in their own homes. When you look into the eyes of these girls you see precious princesses of the One True King. At night, the village homes have a light so children can read and see in an area where darkness comes quickly in the winter months. People have no electricity and the solar powered lights are a blessing. Continued on following page after photos. 32
Why do you go to Haiti? - cont d January 2017 View When children get sick, there is a nurse who will treat them with medicine and help them feel better. Medical treatment is something their parents never had. There is clean drinking water from the wells. Most Haitians do not have access to safe drinking water. There are other changes occurring. People are learning about the wonderful plan of marriage and commitment between two people. Marriage may be on the decline in the United States but it is gaining popularity in Laotchikit for many reasons. When two people enter a faithful relationship of marriage, there is stability and protection for everyone involved. In faithful relationships there is no fear of sexually transmitted diseases, there is protection for everyone in the family, and there is joy. Two years ago the first couple who had waited for marriage before uniting, married in Laotchikit. They are Chevalier Prophete and his lovely wife Nadine, leaders in the church. Nadine is the seamstress who has taken the lead in sewing school uniforms. Last year they were blessed with a beautiful baby girl. Brother Chavalier is a teacher in the school and studying in the Lutheran seminary. He is helping to spread the Gospel and plant a new church in a village near Laotchikit. Three more couples will be married in Laotchikit in March. We experienced a wedding the Sunday we were there. Teens are taught at school to have pride in their bodies and pride in their names and not to have sexual relations until they are married. This is different from what they have known in the past and they are responding by saying No. to sexual temptation. Girls are going to middle and high school instead of having a family by age 15. This is a huge step in breaking the misery of poverty and starvation. After school is out children go home and share this Good News with their families, teaching them about the deep love of God. Word spreads quickly in Laotchikit. Other people in neighboring villages hear about things changing. They come and see and want the same changes in their lives and neighborhoods. They are asking for Lutheran churches in their neighborhoods. There are many, many good changes in Laotchikit. Thanks be to God for using our feeble efforts to make a huge impact for His children. Thank you, Jesus for Eternal Life! Photo below - Hands of God. 33
THANK YOU FROM PASTOR WALTA March 2017 View Laotchikit, Hinche, Haiti, February 4 th 2017 Reverend Pastor Phil McLain, Brothers and Sisters at Mt Pisgah Lutheran Church, We cannot find the exact words today to express our gratitude and thankfulness for all your blessings; for all you do for us in Haiti. We receive all for you: your love, your time, your generosity and your money. You bless us by different activities and ways in this life. Without your help, where would we be? Without your help where would be our children? Without your help we would not have more than 500 children in school, they would be home. Without God and you our girls who have just 13 and 14 years old would be in sexual activities and would have children as they usually did in the past. My Pastor, My brothers and sisters, You change Laotchikit, you are changing Central Plateau, and you are changing Haiti. You are planting in Haiti and we start to see the fruit. We thank you for the church, the school, the clinic, the sewing machines, formation, goat project, Laotchikit business, seminarian project, orphanage project that you support in Laotchikit. I would like to let you know one thing: After God, you are all for us. We do not have other persons thinking about us or giving us something else. You are all for us after God! Brothers and Sisters, You make the difference in Haiti. You are always with us. You never leave us alone. Thank you for your generosity. We really understand and appreciate your help. Thank you in capital letters. Again thank you for your past and continuing blessings. In Christ, Pastor Walta CLERCIUS First Evangelical Lutheran Church of Laotchikit, Haiti 34
MPLC HAITI MISSION MAKES LOCAL NEWSPAPER April 2017 View Small Local Church builds classrooms in Haiti Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church announces a major building program to add eight new classrooms for a school to educate over 500 children. But you will not see a building permit for 2606 Chimney Rock Road in Hendersonville where the church is located. This building project is for their sister school in Laotchikit, Haiti, a small village near Hinche, Haiti. Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church is in fellowship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti to operate a school for 520 children. Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church is the sole sponsor for the staff of the school in Laotchikit. While Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church may be a small congregation of 200 members, their mission outreach expands far beyond the church property. In Haiti, there are very few public schools. Most schools are private or run by non-government organizations known as NGO s. Since Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, few Haitians are wealthy enough to pay for their children to receive an education. According to UNICEF, less than half the population of Haiti can read. Making education a priority is definitely part of breaking the cycle of poverty. The Evangelical Lutheran School of Laotchikit offers classes for Pre-Kindergarten age 3 through the sixth grade. Students are placed in a class based on their ability, not their age. There may be teenagers in third grade, if the student started attending school later in life. The school follows the national curriculum assigned by the Haitian government, so graduates are prepared if they have the opportunity to continue their education after sixth grade. As part of attending school, each school day all students and teachers receive a nutritious hot lunch provide by Trinity Hope based in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. Receiving a daily meal is a huge benefit to promote learning. According to USAID roughly 2.5 million Haitians live in extreme poverty (below $1.25 per day). People are so poor in Haiti, food insecurity is a daily threat to most of the population. By receiving a meal at school, these students are given an opportunity to improve their health and it is a relief to their families struggling to provide a daily meal for each child. This major building program will add eight new classrooms, and educate over 500 children. The school in Laotchikit started in 2010 when Lutherans in North Carolina donated money to build a church in the village. From the church came a school providing free education to 200 children living in the neighborhood. However, there were an additional 300 children that could not be educated because there were not enough teachers. In 2016 Mt. Pisgah expanded their financial support allowing the school to hire more teachers and assistant teachers. Now the school has grown beyond the classroom structures and more classrooms are needed. The problem we face is there are three classes of about 100 children located under one shelter says Wendy White, a member of Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church who recently returned from a visit to the school in Laotchikit. Classes are held under a roof with open sides. Noise from other classes is a big distraction to children trying to learn. The classrooms have gravel floors and no walls making class during rain storms impossible. The building program to provide new classrooms that would have divided rooms for each class with walls, floors, and windows costing about $30,000. If you would like additional information on the Haiti Mission look at the church s website at www.mtpisgahlutheran.com or call the church office at 828-692-7027. 100% of all donations to the Haiti Mission go directly to benefit the children attending school in Laotchikit. Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church simply acts as a transfer party for all donations. Because Haiti is consistently ranked as a nation of financial corruption, there are very stringent policies established in this partnership to assure financial transparency. These transparency policies give members of Mt. Pisgah great confidence and credibility in our Haitian partners. Mt. Pisgah is a 501(c)(3) charity. All donations are tax deductible. The above article appeared in The Hendersonville Tribune, March 9 March 15, 2017 and can be viewed online at www.thetribunepapers.com. The MPLC Haiti Mission Team will be traveling to Haiti at the end of April. Please keep them and all our brothers and sisters in Laotchikit in your prayers for a safe journey. April 2017 35
JULY 2017 Mission of the Month MPLC HAITI MISSION July 2017 Will you pray with me now? Wendy White In the Gospel of John, scripture tells us You may ask me for anything in my name and I will do it. This is absolutely true. God will always hear our prayers and answer us better than we can imagine. Will you pray with me now? The school in Laotchikit desperately needs real classrooms for 100+ preschool children they teach each school day. There are three teachers under one roof. All the little children are crowded close together so no one has to sit in the burning tropical sun. In the afternoon, they pull a tarp down on one side to protect the little ones from the heat. The floor is dirt gravel. There are no doors or windows because there are no walls. It is simply a roof with three small black boards on easels. With three teachers talking at one time, it is easy to be distracted. When it rains, they cannot hold class because all the children would be wet from blowing rain and runoff. These conditions are completely unacceptable by our standards. But it is the best the church in Laotchikit can do to teach their preschool children who desperately need an education. We are praying to raise funds to build one structure of three classrooms for the preschool children at the school in Laotchikit. The total cost is $35,000. We are asking other LCMS Churches to partner with us. This is a large sum but our God is a big God and He has promised He can bless us better than we ask or imagine in Ephesians 3:20. Gabriel tells the young Virgin Mary For nothing is impossible with God. So, let us join together in humble, earnest prayer and ask God to listen to the needs and provide a solution. Will you pray with me now? Heavenly Father, We praise You that You can bless us better than we can ask or imagine. We praise You for blessing the ministry in Haiti where so many children who have never heard Your Word can come to school each day and praise Your name. We ask forgiveness for taking all the many material blessings You give us for granted. Please Lord, we ask in Jesus name, provide the funding to build these classrooms for the little children in Laotchikit, for Jesus sake so your Word can be heard each school day by these little believers. Amen 36
God s Timing By Mikki Reinicker March 2017 View It was time to leave Haiti. We arrived at Port-au-Prince International Airport at 10 AM Tuesday for a 1 PM flight to Miami. We boarded the plane and sat for more than an hour with no air conditioning. The atmosphere in the plane was getting hot as were the passengers who waited, each passenger calculating how much longer they could wait without missing their connecting flights in Miami. Due to the heat in the cabin, the pilot had to unload the passengers while explaining one of the jet engines would not start due to a problem with air flow. So we were told to wait in the airport terminal, while the plane was being fixed. Promises to reboard in an hour didn t materialize and were often repeated. The trucks brought in to fix the problem didn t fix it. When the announcement to go to the baggage area and collect our checked luggage was made, we knew something was up. People were getting more upset: Americans were angry, Haitians were afraid to fly in a plane that was broken. Three hotels were needed to overnight all the passengers. We arrived at our hotel at 9:30 PM and were told a meal would be provided in the Bar. After visiting our rooms, we went to the Bar expecting a meal. When you sit in terminal for hours and hours, you begin to make friends with those around you. Wendy and I had been talking to a Haitian woman, Rose, who was returning to the U.S. She had four children. She was visiting in Haiti trying to make arrangements to bring her recently deceased brother s four children to live with her in the states. Rose sat with us around a table. The bar room was filling up and folks all from the same flight were entering making friendly conversation as they looked for seats. Everyone was waiting for the promised meal to be served. The bi-lingual Haitians from the USA were helping the Americans communicate with the serving staff. One Haitian man, who spoke no English, understood Wendy s phone charger broke and her battery was dead. He used the same charger and was kind enough to offer it to Wendy to use for the night. A nice young man named Linel joined our conversation. Linel has several children and lives and works in Orlando. He asked if we were in Haiti on business or mission work, and we asked him to join us. (Rose and Linel spoke English, that s how we learned their stories. Rose was a Christian). Linel wanted to know what we did on mission trips and the conversation turned to faith. I asked Linel if he attended church and he replied that he d gotten away from church. I asked if he read his Bible, and again, he said he had gotten away from reading his Bible. He said he was working two jobs and caring for his family- there was no time. Then he asked us to pray for him. He wanted to come back to Jesus. So there we were: two Americans, two Haitians sitting in a crowded bar, holding hands, praying for Linel to come back to Christ with crowded tables of people around us, all of whom were listening to our prayers. IF the plane had taken off on time, we would have made our connection and been in our homes by then. I know one reason the Bible tells us to be thankful in all things and to trust the Lord in all things. I never expected to be thankful for a broken plane and a 35 hour delay but I am, and I gained two more Haitian friends to hold in prayer. Mikki 37
A Place to Learn July 2016 View Imagine for a moment having no way of knowing what is going on in the world around you. Imagine no news because you have no television, radio, or computer. No newspapers, magazines or books because you cannot read. Imagine being totally isolated with no education or way to improve your life. This is the life of people living in the nation of Haiti. This is the future their children will have. But thanks to God through your donations, things are different in a little village called Laotchikit, located near Hinche, in the Central Plateau Mountains of Haiti. In Laotchikit the only school is operated by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Laotchikit where toddlers to teens are allowed to attend school for free AND receive a hot lunch which may be their only food for the day. This blessing to the children and families in Laotchikit is provided by the grace of God through your contributions of paying the teachers salaries. Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church is the only church who supports the staff of ten people at the school in Laotchikit. Each year your contributions provide the teachers, cooks, nurse, and gatekeeper a way to provide for their families as they work each day, September through June, to educate children attending school in Laotchikit. Each day these teachers share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the school children through Bible stories and catechism. (Luther s Small Catechisms in French were provided by Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church.) For $35 per student per year, the church is able to educate children. To put that in perspective, North Carolina Public Schools spend $8,757 per student per year. We are helping to change the future for these children. Two-thirds of the population of Haiti is illiterate. There is no free or public education in Haiti. Most schools are private or run by charities. One-third of the population of Haiti is less than 15 years old. Only 15% of children in Haiti will attend school past the 5 th grade. 38
A Place to Learn July 2016 View Pastor Walta explains the situation well. He says, The parents cannot give what they do not have. What he means is parents cannot teach their children to read if they cannot read themselves. Parents cannot teach their children about the love of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ if they do not know themselves. But parents do understand education is a way for their children to improve their futures, and so the parents send their children to school every day. The return on our caring investment is immediate. When children learn the Gospel, they begin to understand God has a better plan for their lives than ignorance and starvation. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11. Now these children have hope for a future on earth and in heaven. One 14 year old girl found her future last spring. She attended the Lutheran School in Laotchikit and heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She knew Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. Then, she suddenly got sick and died. But she is singing Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the Highest to our Lord in heaven. She will never know the burning heat of the Haitian sun or the gnawing hunger most Haitians experience every day. She is with her Lord, our Lord, in Heaven. We cannot hesitate to reach out to the lost. We cannot wait to invest in their future. Please help change their lives and their futures in this world and the world to come by supporting the Evangelical Lutheran School in Laotchikit. 340 children ages four to teens attend primary school at the Evangelical Lutheran School of Laotchikit. The Class of 2016 had 13 students who completed school in Laotchikit through the 6 th grade. They do not have a middle school to attend. People s lives in Laotchikit are changing as they learn the Gospel, are baptized, and experience chaste marriages. There are two hundred more children in Laotchikit who do not attend school because there are not enough teachers. 39
Thanks Mt. Pisgah for the bowls and spoons. Cooks serve lunch each school day Lunch is provided by Trinity Hope, based in Mt. Juliet, TN. 40
Teachers for the Lutheran School of Laotchikit, Haiti May 2015 View These children are so excited to be in school, they do not object to being crowded into this outdoor classroom with 70 other students even sitting on laps. In addition to reading, writing, arithmetic, science, and health, they are learning that Jesus loves them. Praise God for this wonderful opportunity that we at Mt. Pisgah have to store up treasure in heaven (MT 19:21)! God is miraculously winning souls and changing lives in Laotchikit, Haiti. And it is so exciting for us here at Mt. Pisgah to be a part of this wonderful transformation that is occurring in the hearts and lives of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Marvelous changes are happening through the mustard seeds that have been sown in Laotchikit. Perhaps the greatest change has been in the hope and vision that is taking root in the lives of the children and their families. They see a brighter future is within their grasp that through the power of God they themselves are actually improving the conditions in their homes and community. Although water wells, goats, sewing machines, and medicines, nurture the body, Christian education will give this destitute community the independence and autonomy to someday be self-sufficient. Throughout the world, the Bible and Christian missions have been the greatest civilizing force history has ever seen. The teachers that Mt. Pisgah supports give 500+ children in the school at Laotchikit the tools, vision, hope, and love that are transforming their lives, families, and community. Our Mission is to provide the salaries for these teachers and staff to continue this progress in the next school year. 41
July 2015 View While some churches focus on projects they do in the mission field, we just don t work that way. Our mission team spends more time in prayer than anything else. Prayer is powerful, and God takes our feeble prayers to do great things for His kingdom. Our second priority is how can God use us to support His workers, the front line warriors in the Haitian mission field. That is why we pay the salaries of the school staff. They interact with the children and families of the church and school every day. The teachers have Bible lessons with the children every school day. Because child mortality is a big problem in Haiti with no healthcare, we pay a school nurse to treat sick children. The nurse also talks to people in the village about health issues including birth control. These are the front-line warriors who take the love of God to lost people every day. We call them warriors because they fight against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12 ESV). This ministry is God s ministry that we are privileged to serve. Until the church was built, there was no school in Laotchikit. The school goes from preschool (age 3) through sixth grade. After children complete the sixth grade, they must go seven miles away to school IF their parents can afford to pay tuition. Few have this privilege. (see article on Meet the Graduates ). A major problem in Haiti is that many people blend Christianity with Voudoo. There is a shortage of ordained Lutheran ministers because those with training and experience are called by Lutheran churches in the United States (like Pastor Walta s brother living in Brooklyn) to serve large populations of Haitian immigrants. This is why Christian education is critical to the spiritual and physical rescue of the Haitian people. There is no electricity or plumbing. Community wells were installed about three years ago. This is the only source of clean drinking water, and the water must be carried to the home in buckets or jugs. Cholera pops up in the village on occasion from people using contaminated water from the river. Children who have never had a bathroom or latrine must be taught not to urinate near the wells or they will make everyone in the community sick. In Haiti, marriage is not common. Many girls have a sexual experience by the time they are eleven years old. In Laotchikit, more than 130 couples are living together out of wedlock. It is common for a woman to have eight to ten children by a man who may have other children with other women in the area. He may or may not live with her. Pastor Walta is rejoicing because the first marriage is taking place in August between two people who are not already living together. The man, a young elder in the church, is studying in the Haitian Lutheran Seminary. The young lady is one of the women selected by the congregation to learn to sew in the sewing program last January. We are very happy for them. Unfortunately, there are thousands of villages like Laotchikit, but in much worse conditions. Hark, the voice of Jesus calling. Who will go and work today? What an open mission field! God is good, and the efforts made years ago are bearing wonderful fruit! Four communities neighboring Laotchikit in the Central Plateau have asked Pastor Walta to start churches. He is spending time this summer preaching and teaching at those communities. Pray for the Holy Spirit to empower him with God s Word and to open the hearts and ears of those with whom he meets. 42
IN THE CLASSROOM School Desks for Laotchikit! Every Monday morning, the students carry the pews out of the church to their classrooms. Then, on Friday afternoon, they carry them back into the church for Sunday services. Because they have no desks, the students must write on their laps or the seats. 43
Orphan Grain Train notified us they have loaded 50 school desks and 50 student chairs (desks are without attached chair) for Pastor Walta Clercius school at Laotchikit. The container arrived in Haiti and the desks were transported to the school in Laotchikit. Thank the Lord for Orphan Grain Train! Thank the Lord for what He is doing in Laotchikit! Thank the Lord that He has chosen us to be part of His wonderful work in Haiti! 44
Children were presenting the story of creation during worship service on Sunday morning. They practiced for the play the day before. Each child had a puppet to represent different aspects of God s Creation of a perfect world. Their excitement is seen in their smiles. People in the congregation give what they have grown or raised as offerings to God in church services. On this Sunday, people brought from their farms bananas, oranges, a goat, guinea fowl, sugar cane, and other vegetables they have grown. The food will be used by the Pastor and the house mother for the children s shelter. 45
SCHOLARSHIPS FOR THE CLASS OF 2017 The Haiti Mission team is looking for scholarships for students in the Sixth Grade class who will graduate from the Lutheran School in Laotchikit in June 2017. Each of these teens is a serious student, hard-working, earning good grades, who want to grow up and become professionals. But their future is bleak if they cannot continue to go to school. Last year at the Sixth Grade graduation, Pastor Walta tells us the girls cried because many knew they would not be able to continue to go to school. Michele Maloney asked a very astute question during the presentation on Haiti. She asked, What do the children do after they finish sixth grade? Michele is in fourth grade so this was a personal question for her. My reply was they do not go to school. But a more accurate answer is they go to work around the home babysitting or working in the garden or worse they have nothing to do. There are no paid jobs in the area for kids so their options are very limited. While visiting Laotchikit recently we saw four teen girls walking along the road early one morning. Pastor Walta explained the girls were graduates from the Lutheran elementary school in Laotchikit. The elementary school stops after sixth grade. These girls were walking to their high school to attend 7 th grade classes. Their walk was two hours one way along a rough gravel road. Each morning they start at 6 AM to be at school by 8 AM. They looked beautiful in their school uniforms, a requirement for attending school in Haiti. They always walk together in a group for safety reasons. These girls walk a total of four hours per day, just to attend school. They are fortunate to attend school because they have a parent who can afford to pay for their continued education. Some of the girls have a scholarship paid by a friend or relative. Pastor Walta pays for one of the girls to attend high school from his personal finances. We have asked Pastor Walta to identify the names of the sixth grade students who are hard-working, earn good grades, and who do NOT have money to go to school in Hinche to 7th Grade. The cost to educate a child in high school is $120 per year. This includes their tuition, books, school supplies, and uniform. We are looking for scholarships for these students. In return for a scholarship, each student will write a letter to their sponsor about their future goals and their new school. Each student will send their sponsor their report cards containing their grades four times per year. Each sponsor will know the student s name and we ask you to pray for your student on a regular basis. Pray they continue to do well in school. Pray for their protection and good health. Pray they will continue to grow in their faith. Pastor Walta and his wife Dafne are continuously encouraging the children in Laotchikit to work hard and stay in school. This scholarship program is very personal for Dafne because she received scholarships when she was young to attend school. Dafne is now completing her doctorate degree in Linguistics/Didactic at the University Laval in Quebec, Canada. When she finishes her degree she will come back to Haiti to help her husband in this mission in Laotchikit. She will also continue to teach at the University of Haiti. For Dafne this is very exciting because she sees the great potential for the future of these students if they continue their education. 46 March 2017 View
JULY 2017 Mission of the Month MPLC HAITI MISSION July 2017 Meet the Graduates! We would like you to meet some students graduating in the class of 2017 from the Evangelical Lutheran School of Laotchikit. These students are graduating sixth grade which is the highest grade taught in Laotchikit. They are able to read and write and have received the Word of God every day they attended school thanks to your generous contributions which pay the salaries of the teachers and staff. Their education is a major accomplishment because there is little or no free education in Haiti. People there are too poor to pay for private schools and over half the population of Haiti cannot read. For many of these students, they are the first person in their family to be able to read. Until this year, the education of these students would have stopped at sixth grade. But thanks to the generosity of members of Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church, individual families in our church donated $120.00 per student to give them full scholarships to attend middle school. Each of these students will have to walk two hours one-way to a school in Hinche, the closest city to the village of Laotchikit. Each scholarship includes tuition, books, and uniforms. In return, the students have promised to work hard in school and send their quarterly report cards with letters to us at Mt. Pisgah. Praise God, these students will be able to continue their education and continue to break the cycle of poverty that claims so many lives in Haiti. All praise be to God! 47
JULY 2017 Mission of the Month MPLC HAITI MISSION My Sister, The students thank you for the scholarships. I meet 12 of them today with Dafne and Brian in Laotchikit.Blessings! Thank you. A great blessing to see these children continue in their education. Praise be to God! 48
March 2015 View Need for Children s Shelter in Laotchikit, Haiti - Submitted by Glenn Leavitt & Wendy White The photos and reports from our Haiti team have been spiritual lessons for all of us: lessons about the power of the sacrificial giving that made the trip possible; lessons about the unshakable, determined faith of the team who went; lessons about the shielding strength of back home prayer support; lessons about the sweet healing of the Gospel seen in the lives of many poor and needy people. But the most miraculous lesson to come out of the week in Haiti is the power of hope: Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Heb. 11:1 ESV) Nothing seems to characterize the need in Haiti more than the fearful, yet hopeful face of an abandoned little boy: Kikki. What do we know about this child? In a recent email, Wendy White wrote: This is one of the many heartbreaking issues in Haiti: too many children without proper care. This is Kikki s story as we know it: Kikki is always hanging around the church and school, even after the other kids go home. My friend, Kim, has seen him many times and has noticed that other kids always pick on him. She always runs the other kids off. Kikki is a sweet little boy and doesn't draw attention to himself other than crawling into your lap for a hug or holding Kim s hand walking up a path. On this trip, Kim asked, Who's his momma? We were told his birth mother lives in Hinche about seven miles away with six other children. She left Kikki in Laotchikit. Kikki sleeps at the house of the principal of the school. She has a nice block house with a concrete floor next to the church. This doesn't mean Kikki has his own bed and toys. It means that somewhere around her one room house he is allowed to sleep, and this offers him some degree of protection. Kikki must be a resourceful little guy because he goes somewhere and takes off his school uniform and plays with other kids in the neighborhood until school the next day. He is somewhere between five and ten years old. You can t tell because of malnutrition. Kikki probably doesn't know how old he is. He eats lunch each day at school and he might get something at the principal s house at night, I don't know. Wilna, the principal, is a good woman but her resources are limited. She has three children of her own. The saddest part is there are many children like Kikki in Laotchikit and thousands more in Haiti. Pastor Walta estimates there are about 40 children in Laotchikit who are not living with a parent, children who have been left with a grandmother, cousin, relative, or like Kikki, just left. An orphanage is a needed mission in Laotchikit. It would be a simple house where abandoned children would have a place of safety and sanctuary a place where a woman instructed by the church would care for the children, make sure they go to church and school, are fed, and feel loved. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (James 1:27 ESV) 49
EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH & SCHOOL OF LAOTCHIKIT HAITI UPDATE FROM PASTOR WALTA - MAY 2016 Dear Friends: We receive this message from Pastor Walta this morning. The small safe house for orphans is built on the church property and he tells us the church committee is planning to house 30 girls in the house. the purpose of the safe house is to protect orphans from being exploited in human trafficking in slavery or prostitution. Money to build the house was given by an anonymous donor in December. We expected the house to provide protection for eight to ten children but this is much better than we imagined. Responsible Christian women will live with and care for the children, making sure they go to school and church and protect their purity. Most children become sexually active around age 11 in Haiti. Sad part of his message concerns the death of a student in the school. Thanks be to God that this child received the Gospel of a Savior who loves her and she is now singing praises to God in heaven. This is the sole purpose of the church and school in Laotchikit, to reach the lost with the message of Our loving Savior, Jesus Christ. There are two other churches in other villages in the Central Plateau who are establishing fellowship with the congregation in Laotchikit. Because of their misunderstanding of scripture, Pastor Walta is mentoring the church leaders there and including the leaders in classes on Lutheran theology. In each of these villages are large populations of people who do not know Christ as their Savior. There is much work to be done for the Lord. Many blessing to each of you this week. Thank you for blessing the believers in Laotchikit with your prayers. Wendy White Acts 15:11 My Sister, How are you doing? I hope that my mail will find you great. We are very blessed in laotchikit by the house that you build for the children. I had a meeting with some members in the committee Last week. They came in the church in Port au Prince and sing. It was à very good group from Laotchikit. Pastor Thomas was very Happy to see them. We discuss about the possibility to choose 30 girls for the orphanage. My Sister, More and more People receive Christ in Laotchikit. More children baptized. But, we are facing a big difficult moment now. One Child was sick for 3 hours. She was a pupil in our school. She was 14 year old. She loved Jesus. After the 3 hours She died. She is with God crying hosanna! Hosanna!!! My sister, we will continue to preach the gospel. God is good all the time. The 2 other churches are growing. God will continue to help us. Again, thank you for your past and continuing blessings. Thank you for all you do. We love you. Walta 50
The Safe House July 2016 View This is Kikki. He is growing and doing well at the Lutheran Church in Laotchikit. On a visit to Laotchikit, one of the mission team members asked about a small boy who was hanging out and who she had seen on previous trips. His name was Kikki and he was always hanging out around the church and school, even after school was long over. She asked, Who s his mama? The answer was shocking to us. No one knew her name but she left him at the church several months ago and had not come back. He slept at the house of the school s principal who looked out for him. Learning Kikki s story made us ask questions and brought awareness of a huge problem in Haiti for orphaned children. Pastor Walta estimates there are 30 to 40 orphaned children in the village of Laotchikit, but members of his congregation tell him there may be many more. These little ones are the most vulnerable people in society. In Haiti many children are sold or given as restavek because their parents are unable to feed them or their parents are dead. Haiti has a large population of orphans estimated at over 380,000 children. These children are vulnerable because there is no one protecting them. They are used in slavery or for unspeakable acts of prostitution. Restavek is a form of modern-day slavery that persists in Haiti, affecting one in every 15 children. Typically born into poor rural families, restavek children are often given to relatives or strangers. In their new homes, they become domestic slaves, performing menial tasks for no pay. With an anonymous donation made by a member of Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church, the congregation in Laotchikit was able to build two small concrete houses that will house and protect 30 girls from being taken into slavery or exploited in sex trafficking. Christian women from the congregation will live with the children in the house located on the church s property. The school s gatekeeper and Pastor for the congregation also live on the property and act as protectors for the women. Children in front of the Safe House And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. Matthew 18:5 51
HAITI MISSION GOATS CAN HELP CHANGE LIVES by Wendy White May 2017 Have you ever considered the wonderful advantages of owning a goat? If so, we are in need of several goats for the girls living in the girls shelter in Laotchikit, Haiti. This shelter provides protection for 21 girls under the age of 15. Here are just a few of the life stories of the girls and how they came to live in the shelter located on the church s property. All the names of the girls have been changed for their protection. Valerie came to live in the shelter when her father went to the Dominican Republic and her mother moved to Port-au-Prince and left Valerie with a grandfather. The grandfather cannot provide food or protection for Valerie. Louise s mother asked for her to be placed in the shelter because the mother is a single mom with four older boys. Louise s mother was afraid for her daughter s safety and feared Louise would be sexually molested by an older relative. June, Adel, and Diane are sisters, ages eight, six, and five. Their mother is single with four other children and simply cannot feed her children. Three of her girls live in the shelter. Ann, Rose, and Jan are sisters ages eight, six, and three. Their father moved to the Dominican Republic and left their mother alone with eight children. The mother moved to Port-au-Prince and left all the children with an aunt. The day the mother left, the baby boy in the family fell into the cooking fire and was badly burned. He was in the hospital for over a month and we do not know his outcome. The church allows three of the children to live in the shelter. In 2016 a family in Hendersonville read about the estimated 300,000 restaveks (child slaves) in Haiti where many children are sold or given to people because their parents are unable to feed and care for them. Haiti has a large population of orphans estimated at over 380,000 children. These children are vulnerable because there is no one protecting them. They are used in slavery or for unspeakable acts of prostitution. The family from Hendersonville made an anonymous donation to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Laotchikit to allow the congregation in Haiti to build a small concrete house to protect vulnerable girls from being neglected or exploited. Christian women from the congregation live with the girls in the house located on the church s property. The church s pastor and the school s gatekeeper act as protectors for the women and girls. Now that brings us to the importance of goats. Recently we learned the church is struggling to feed the children adequately. Food insecurity is a daily problem for more than half the population of Haiti. Many steps are being implemented to improve the nutrition of the children living in the shelter. The house mother of the shelter is going to teach the girls how to plant a garden and grow some of the food they need. Our partners, Trinity Hope, are going to include the school in the low pricing agreements they have with local food suppliers to allow the shelter s administrator to buy rice and beans at a reduced cost. Another option is for the older girls in the shelter to own and care for their own nanny goat. The girls would be responsible for the goat s care and the goat would help improve the nutrition of the girls. A nanny goat and her two kids. Goat are usually born as twins. The nanny goat is tethered in the church yard in Laotchikit. Pictured are girls living in the girls shelter peeping out of the door. They are getting ready for Sunday School and church wearing the dresses made by ladies at Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church. If you are able, would you please help us provide goats for these girls in the shelter? Each nanny goat cost $50 and we hope to purchase a goat for each girl in the shelter. Thank you for your help and for loving these precious children in Laotchikit! 52
JULY 2017 Mission of the Month MPLC HAITI MISSION My Sister, Three years ago, the First Evangelical Lutheran Church of Laotchikit was facing many difficulties. No leaders. I could not serve alone as pastor of the churches in the Central Plateau and the church of Delmas (near Port-au -Prince three hours away). This is why, helped by God, I called Brother Mura, who left his hometown in Savane Haleine, where I started to evangelize. In addition, I called Brother Chevalier, Brother Wendy Dazma (not Wendy White), Brother Stevenson, Brother Wadson and Brother Samuel to begin small group preaching stations in several villages around the town of Hinche in the Central Plateau. I register their names in our seminary in Haiti. In Haiti, we have more than 60 Lutheran churches. We were in 2010, just 12 Lutheran Pastors. After 2010, we have 5 ordained Pastors. We prayed and discussed in the board of The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Haiti about this situation. We work with our president of the Concordia Theological Seminary of Haiti and ordained in June 2017, 15 new Pastors. Brother Murabeau Supreme is one of these 15 new Pastors. All these new Pastors are responsible for churches and studied in our seminary of Haiti. Today, they are serving their churches. Murabeau Supreme is 46 years. He is single. He is a good man. After 3 years in the seminary, he was ordained this year as Lutheran Pastor by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti. He is working in Laotchikit serving the people in the congregation. He is always with me in the other preaching stations in the area of the Central-Plateau and he wishes to continue to evangelize in the Central Plateau even though I am in Portau-Prince. This is why he is praying for a motorcycle. This motorcycle will help him to spread the gospel to many people. In addition to being the pastor at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Laotchikit, Pastor Mura will continue to teach sixth grade students in the Lutheran school in Laotchikit. God is good all the time. Blessings! Pastor Walta Clercius 53
JULY 2017 Mission of the Month MPLC HAITI MISSION July 2017 July 18 th, 2017 To the Brothers and Sisters in Mt Pisgah Lutheran Church Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Grace and Peace to you from God our Lord and Savior Jesus-Christ! This is to thank you for all the blessings you have shared with us in the central Plateau, Hinche, Haiti. Words and expressions are not sufficient to really express our thankfulness to you but we can just use this simple but meaningful work THANK YOU which is written in capital letters to express our gratitude to each one of you. God has arranged everything according to his will. Your work in Laotchikit is a real fountain of blessings for hundreds of Haitians. You are helping us to educate 540 students in our school. Thank you! Education is really important for us. When we educate the children, we are changing the world. Education is the key of development. We thank you for the clinic. Our children in Laotchikit are great. We thank you for the sewing machines. More than 22 girls are able to sew in Laotchikit. We thank you for the houses that you build for the orphans. We thank you for the goat s projects. We thank you for the small business. We thank you for the gardens. We thank you for the three cycle. We thank you for the wells. We thank you for 13 scholarships for the graduates. We thank you for all the other things that I do not mention here. But the most important ones are your prayers and your Christian love. We all know that the greatest blessing received from God is the forgiveness of sins but your physical presence among us yearly in Laotchikit when you come in Haiti was great and meaningful to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti and to other non Lutheran groups. Finally, our thanks go to each congregation and individual that worked with us and who yet have the desire to continue to cooperate with us in the future works and projects. You change Laotchikit. You are changing Central Plateau, Haiti. The First Evangelical Lutheran Church of Laotchikit is expressing once again her gratitude to you for your willingness to continue to work and cooperate with us in the future. May God s continuing blessings be yours through all the year ahead! Brotherly yours in the resurrected One, Pastor Walta CLERCIUS 54
SCHOOL CHILDREN PLANTING FRUIT TREES Children who attend the Lutheran School in Laotchikit are planting fruit trees on the grounds at the church and school. 55
SCHOOL CHILDREN PLANTING FRUIT TREES School children planting fruit trees at the church. These trees will help provide food for children living in the safe house - children s shelter. 56
WORKING TOGETHER Eternal Shepherd Lutheran Church and Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church are working together to operate schools and support churches in the Central Plateau of Haiti. Pictured above are: Mikki Reinicker, Marilyn Pittman, Louis Helland, Holly Lustila, Wendy White and Pastor Walta Clercius. 57
MANY THANKS to our mission partners working with members of Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church to help spread the Good News Gospel of Christ in the Central Plateau of Haiti: Trinity Hope - Mt. Juliet, TN Orphan Grain Train Trinity Lutheran Church - Tryon, NC Eternal Shepherd Lutheran Church - Seneca, SC Grace Lutheran Church - Hendersonville, NC Thrivent Rotary Club of Hendersonville, NC 58
2018 Sixth Grade Graduates Seeking Scholarship 59
MISSION OF THE MONTH for JUNE 2018 Financial Support for the Staff of the Evangelical Lutheran School in Laotchikit Haiti 2018 Sixth Grade Graduates There are sixteen students who are graduating sixth grade, the highest grade offered at the Evangelical Lutheran School in Laotchikit. These students will no longer attend school unless they receive scholarships to attend middle school in the town of Hinche. To qualify for a scholarship, each student must promise to work hard in school, earn good grades, and stay sexually pure. The student must walk two hours one-way to school every school day. If you wish to sponsor a child, we ask you to pray for this child on a regular basis. There are intense challenges for these students to overcome just to attend middle school. Most of these students are the first in their family to attend seventh grade. As their sponsor you will receive their name, picture, and their report cards. The cost to sponsor a student for one full school year with tuition, books and a uniform is $120.00 per student. Please help us send these students to school next year. Here are the students who seek scholarships: Tamara Accilien Anelson Dessable Airwentz Chevalier Dieutes Celestin Rivlins Celestin Gelinord Fils-Aime Phanord Jasmin Claudin Joseph Wendy Normil Chilove Louis Islulanca Lumenes Walner Mompoint Steventia Peralte Jean Gervens Pierre Anne-Marie Thomas Mackenson Val Please support these students through your prayers and talents. Let us know if you would like to sponsor a specific student on the list. Donations should be made to MPLC-Haiti Mission. Please specify in the memo section on your check HAITI SCHOLARSHIP. Thank you for your support60for these precious children.