Day 3: There is a First Time for Everything

Good evening! We are winding down our second full day in Haiti for this trip, and it has been a very good day! After a wonderful breakfast, Pastor Odvin picked us up and took us to his church for a meeting with the Haitian Board we have here working on Hope for My Sister. We were very pleased that Blonnedyne was there. She is the young Haitian lady who gave her testimony at the inauguration ceremony this past July. We were also pleased that Pastor CJ's wife was there. The interest in this organization continues to grow and we know God gets all the glory for that! During the meeting we talked about what the Haitian Board has been working on. They have developed organizational objectives:

• To fight against violence toward women
• Prevention of violence against women
• Provide short- term and long-term support services for women

The Haitian Board will meet monthly on the first Saturday of the month. We will most likely hold January as an annual meeting between the US Board and the Haitian Board, to be held in Haiti. We are still in the process of putting our US Board together and we trust that God is assembling the right people in His time. Next month is Mardis Gras in Haiti and February 8-10 the Haitian Board is going to hold a program\conference for youth that is focused on understanding sexual violence. We discussed the process for filing all of the legal paperwork to establish Hope for My Sister both in the US and in Haiti, we discussed a job description for a secretary\office manager for Haiti, and went over the initial budget projections for getting an office in Haiti up and running. We discussed services to be provided to women, including: medical examinations, testing and treatment of disease, and training volunteers to escort women to the hospital or doctor for this process. The organization will develop a process for providing counseling options for victims, and in the long term will develop a transitional home\shelter where women can stay temporarily while working through the healing process, receiving training in various areas of trade, and receive assistance in job placement or micro enterprise opportunities to become entrepreneurs.

Recently Pastor Odvin met with around 40 pastors to discuss issues related to violence against women and to promote the organization.  We also had the privilege of seeing Pastor Sanousse today! And while he was here he told us about a new organization close to Black Mountain that is focusing on sexual violence of youth. He is going to put us in contact with them, and he wants to be involved in helping with the organization as he sees a tremendous need for prevention and support in the Black Mountain area. At dinner this evening Pastor CJ spoke with us about how much he wants to see his wife be involved in the organization here, and we are going to place her on the Haitian Board. Praise the Lord for volunteers and obedient hearts!

The discussion on the transitional home leads me to the next thing that happened today, that was something I truly never thought I would find myself doing in Haiti. We drove around and looked at real estate this afternoon! We looked at two houses that are currently under construction. The first house was beautiful and very unique in its design and layout, but the second house was in a very good neighborhood, close to an orphanage ran by an American from Ohio, and has a very large yard! We will find out more about the second house on Sunday. Very excited to see what God has in store for this work! When I look back over the past year and a half I am amazed at what has taken place and none of it has been anything we have done!

Prayer Requests

Please help us pray for the following:

• That God will bring together the right people for the US Board for Hope for My Sister, and that we will have the patience and discernment to put the correct Board in place for this very important work.
• That God will keep growing the Haitian Board and will bring together the right resources to drive this important work in Haiti. It is difficult when we cannot be here full-time and have to depend on things getting done with no supervision.
• That God will give us guidance as we consider the opportunity to lease or purchase a house and property here in Haiti. That it will happen according to His will, in His way, in His time. If it is in His will, He will orchestrate it!
• That any of us involved, being called by God to enter into this difficult work, will surrender to what we are asked to do. That we will have faith that He has a bigger plan and purpose, and will accept that it may be scary or uncomfortable but it is what we are called to do.

There is no bigger blessing than to do God's work. The more uncomfortable we are the more we know He is in control and all we have to do is be obedient to what He places before us. As another day draws to a close, we are excited about tomorrow. Ryan Forman will be here early tomorrow morning and we are going to spend the day with Ryan, Heather and the kids at the beach! What a blessing!

May you all have a wonderful, blessed night. And may you consider what it is that God may be speaking to your heart about His purpose for your life.

Patricia